“I am telling you the truth: those who believe in me will do what I do – yes, they will do even greater things, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the Father’s glory will be shown through the Son. If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.” – John 14:12-14
Reflection
From our reading, we clearly hear Jesus Christ telling us what it takes to walk in the impossible dimensions unto the eyes of men. As Christians, we have been given the Divine ability to do the things which Jesus Christ did and even greater things depending on our ability to believe or have faith in what He says. This leads to questions like what is faith, how to grow my faith, and how to activate my faith so as to walk in a spiritual dimension that is full of the power of the Holy Spirit.
When it comes to using faith to move the impossibilities, Prophet T.B. Joshua of the Synagogue church of all Nations (SCOAN) has interesting teachings which he applies and we can see what the hand of the Lord is doing in his life. Jesus Christ passes through him to give sight to the blind, heal the sick, set free the captives, deliver the oppress and above all teach what it takes to safe one’s soul. Hence we shall reflect on most of His teachings on how to activate my faith or how to grow my faith while having the Bible as our principal base.
What do I mean by having faith in God?
While others will ask what is faith, some will prefer to focus on the meaning of Faith. This brings us to asking the question of what Jesus meant by having faith in God? By faith in God, He meant that:
We should fully trust God for every single word of His that we hear;
We should have complete confidence in God;
We should absolutely rely on God alone;
We should take God for who He says He is;
We should completely believe in God;
We should fully obey all God’s commands without exception; and
We should consecrate much of our time in Knowing God.
How to activate my faith to move the impossible
The Scriptures tell us that faith has to do with having a deep and firm certainty of God’s yet unfulfilled promises (Hebrews 6:15). Meditate on this saying and you will realize that it does not say faith comes as a result of God fulfilling His promises. It rather says that faith is believing that God has completely done everything that He had promised us in His word and is presently resting with nothing to do again. Hence, for me to say that I have faith, I must be certain that God has already done what He had promised to do even if the physical conditions are showing the contrary.
As a generation who has worn the right to be called children of the supreme God through Jesus Christ, we are destined to walk by faith and not by sight. We mean here that:
When you are in hardship, instead of complaining, you rather see it as a reason to thank God;
When you are financially down; you give praise to God for blessing you with your financial needs;
When you are in pains, you thank Jesus Christ for having given you good health; and
When you are troubled, you refuse to focus on the trouble but rather prefer to focus on Jesus Christ the savior.
Satan is always setting up new traps to catch us by giving us numerous reasons to look at life, its adversities, and storms, from the human angle of perception. And for sure immediately you start perceiving your situation from the human eye, your heart will be filled with fear, discouragement, doubt, and anxiety. Hence as Christians, we should make sure that our belief sees beyond our present situations no matter how tough they may seem. In most cases, God pays a visit to his people through hard times so that they can better learn His ways.
A man or a woman of faith is one with a difference. (Acts 13:22). The way they perceive things is different. Where others are seeing impossibilities, they are seeing possibilities. Where humans think it is finish, they are seeing a new beginning. When people are filled with discouragements and fear, they are animated by the confidence that God never fails and are ready to step out without fear.
When Jesus Christ tells us in John 14:12 that if we have faith in Him, we can do the works he did and even greater things, he truly meant that with faith, His mighty power and strength becomes ours thereby truly making us one with Him. Prophet Isaiah clearly tells us what is faith when he says that it is the force that moves our words to work (Isaiah 55:11). As Christians, Jesus Christ has inserted power in our mouths. This power is fully released by the believe in our hearts.
There are many ways on how to grow my faith or how to activate my faith and start walking in the impossible dimensions. The full meaning of faith is complete obedience. The reward reserved for those who have faith is the capacity to do what Jesus was doing. Faith or believe or complete obedience to the gospel will make you to operate in the dimensions in which God operates (Acts 3:16). Your capacity to do wonders and miracles in the name of Jesus Christ actually depends on your degree of believe in Him. Remember to subscribe for more teachings of these kind which are hardly found elsewhere.
A man of faith is one who walks with the following tools:
Forbearance;
Endurance;
Patience;
Confidence;
Perseverance; and
Persistence.
If you are serious about activating your faith to walk in the Godly dimensions through Jesus Christ, you must take all the above tools and meditate as you put them into daily practice. Always welcome things that are contrary to God’s promises in your life as a way to boost your Christian faith and cultivate the attitude of Jesus Christ. In your Christian journey, remember to stay calm and focused without thinking of making a single step backward even when things seem not to be unfolding according to your heart desire.
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God’s power will rest upon you. For this reason, the Holy Child will be called the son of God” – Luke 1:35 (Epikaizo power and Epikaizo Anointing)
Reflection on the Epikaizo Power and Epikaizo Anointing
There exist many dimensions in which we can experience God’s power. Here, we will discuss on the Epikaizo Power and the Epikaizo Anointing. They are supreme dimensions in which Christians can experience the mighty hand of God. You might be asking yourself what is Epikaizo Anointing or better still, the meaning of Epikaizo Anointing? By anointing here, we do not mean a physical act. It is more of a direct spiritual touch from God. And whoever talks about the Epikaizo anointing talks of the Epikaizo power of the Supreme God. There is no need to panic or worry, we hereby write to help you understand this spiritual blessing.
At this point, you might likely ask yourself questions like what is the epikaizo anointing, what is the Epikaizo power of God, and how can I get the Epikaizo power of God?. We’ll start by saying that it is the overshadowing power of God. It represents the spiritual realm that is closest to eternity. That is why when Angel Gabriel came to Mary, he talked of an overshadowing power from the Highest. This is a clear example of the Epikaizo power of God which was tasted by Mary as it rested on the Son that she bore. The Epikaizo Images at the beginning of our article portray what it looks like.
The Overshadowing effect of the Epikaizo Anointing and Epikaizo Power
The Epikaizo power of God is one which comes with such might and great impact that when it overshadows you, all traces of fear within you are eliminated and you start walking in the realm of impossibilities. This is the type of power that moves the heart and hand of God to bringing changes to nations and cities. But receiving such power from God requires people who are determined for His cause and are ready to give up their lives for the sake of the gospel. The scriptures say that when Stephen was being stoned to the point of death, he did not give up His faith, rather he accepted to die for the gospel’s sake and at that point, he saw the heavens opened within which he saw Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God the Father almighty (Acts 7:56).
Even the scriptures say that no man sees God and lives. Thus it took Stephen a special anointing and grace to see Jesus Christ and God’s glory in heaven. What kind of spiritual power can we attribute such a grace apart from the Epikaizo anointing from God? We must attest that Stephen did not regret even for a second neither did he allow fear to cross his heart even for a millisecond. He accepted the sentence of death with joy in his heart for the greater love of God and the spread of the gospel.
Moses
We can get another example by reading about Moses who had the audacity to request that God repent of His anger. And behold, God did turn away from His anger. This is a phenomenon which can’t be understood by the human mind. Moses must have certainly been carrying something within Him. And what could this be apart from the Epikaizo anointing or the Epikaizo power of God. This power makes communication with God very easy and gets the Holy Spirit at work when you call upon God.
In addition, when we read from Joshua 10:12, we hear Joshua addressing to God and commanding the sun to remain still until they wipe out all the enemies of Israel during the war with the Amorites. This was a clear command that was directed to God who created the sun and gave it a normal routine. But behold, God respected Joshua’s command and the sun remained still until they had overcome their enemies. There is no power which we can attribute this to apart from the Epikaizo power of God or simply the overshadowing power of God in his life. This power gave him the ability to speak and make things done for the glory of God’s name.
The shining light of God’s Holy Presence
We have also read the scriptures which say that when Moses came down from the mountain, his face was shining like the sun while his clothes like bright light and no Israelite could dare look him directly. He had to be isolated for a while so that the glorious light of the lord and overshadowing power could reduce before he could meet with his followers (Exodus 34:29). This is another demonstration of God’s supreme power which can only be attributed to the Epikaizo and nothing else. In such a state, even Satan could not approach Moses. The mountains and oceans could not hurt him neither. They could only give him way.
How to experience the power of God?
This might likely lead you to asking how to experience the power of God. Others might go up to the extent of asking how to experience the Epikaizo anointing of God. By investing more time in meditating on God’s word, you create open doors for the Epikaizo anointing which comes with the mighty power of God. By regularly consuming God’s word, you are creating a big fire from within which will indeed develop much light in you. And the scriptures say that Satan hates light. And for this reason, he will flee away from you thereby allowing room for a greater spiritual expansion.
Jesus Christ promised to give us whatever we ask of Him in order to bring glory in the name of God the Father creator of Heaven and Earth. Hence, if our heart intentions are boosted by love and the desire to be witnesses of Jesus’s gospel, we simply need to ask from the Father through the name of the Son. And once this is done, we believe that our prayers have been answered. Hence, we continuously dwell in the light of the Lord and pray that He leads us to wherever he wants us to do His work through the might of His power in us.
Spiritual replenishing
When operating in the overshadowing power of the Lord, we are called upon to regularly get back to Him for more strength in other to face greater challenges as it was the case of the Apostles whom Jesus entrusted the gospel after his ascension into heaven (Acts 2:4). We recommend that you read our article on how to receive the power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ may you prepare us just as you prepared your 12 Apostles and when it is the right time to do your work, overshadow us with the Epikaizo power of the Holy Spirit.
The Synagogue Church of All Nations abbreviated as SCOAN is a worldwide Christian ministry which is leaded by Prophet T.B Joshua and supervised by Jesus Christ Himself. With Jesus Christ at the head, every impossibility is made possible according to the will of God. This generates questions like how to visit the SCOAN, how to visit the synagogue church of all nations, and how to meet Prophet T.B Joshua.
The Synagogue church of all nations is situated in the city of Lagos within Nigeria which is one of the west African countries. Being an Apostolic, Prophetic, evangelic, and pastoral Christian center, you can be 100% certain that if you connect yourself to them with faith through any means be it physical or spiritual your situation will change in the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
It is not strange neither would you be the first because millions of people have received their miracles through faith by simply praying along with Prophet T.B. Joshua through social medias, televisions, reading his books, and using the morning water which he has blessed through the authority that Jesus Christ gave him. The synagogue church of all nations stands out today as a Christian ministry with uncountable numbers of miracles, wonders, healings, deliverance and above all wined souls for God.
Apart from connecting to the SCOAN through any of the above mentioned ways, you can as well find a way on how to meet Prophet T.B. Joshua by visiting the SCOAN as an international visitor. In order to make a successful journey to Lagos in Nigeria and meet with Prophet TB Joshua as an international visitor, you will first have to schedule your visit in advance before making any journey. Please you must not make any preparations to the SCOAN without first scheduling and receiving a confirmation letter from them that they are waiting to receive you. If you do otherwise, you’ll be running the risk of not meeting Prophet tb Joshua or being received at the SCOAN. While some people contest this procedure, we simply see it as a way to remain organized while doing God’s work given that millions of people around the world want and are asking how to visit the SCOAN.
If the procedure is not controlled or well organized, we shall find ourselves in a situation where there is no accommodation for the visitors hence allowing them in the hands of theft and rubbery. In addition, Prophet T.B. Joshua being a human being can’t be everywhere at the same time talk less of receiving everyone. So let us get into our main subject matter of how to meet prophet T.B. Joshua or how to visit the SCOAN (how to visit the synagogue church of all nations).
How to visit the synagogue church of all nations as an international visitor
If you are serious about how to meet Prophet T.B. Joshua as an international visitor who wants to partake in a service at the SCOAN, you’ll have to start by scheduling your visit with them. You can do the scheduling through the following steps:
Prepare answers for your personal health questions
If you are an international visitor who wants to apply for a place at the SCOAN with intentions of staying in the church’s premises, you’ll obviously need to answer a few health questions when submitting your application at Visit Us. This should not bother you because many people reach out to Prophet T.B Joshua for either one health problem or the other. This is just one of the reasons to visit the SCOAN. There are many more, some people upon hearing the testimonies of others simply want to come and witness the power of Jesus Christ with their own eyes and give thanks to God. Others see a visit to the synagogue church of all nations as a spiritual retreat which will fortify them to overcome the different challenges that lay ahead in their Christian journey. Others come to give testimonies of what Jesus Christ has done in their lives through Prophet T.B. Joshua. Many come in order to put an end to their evil practices and get delivered from satanic bondages. Others come to seek spiritual guidance while others come to be delivered and freed from addictions.
We cannot forget the point that others come to test and trial Prophet T.B Joshua while others come to find reasons to criticize him. Whatever be your reason for visiting the SCOAN, just have in mind that with God, you reap what you plant. We must also add that these were only few reasons why people visit the SCOAN. There are many more that we can’t fully uncover.
Fill out the online questionnaire
The online questionnaire is your visitation application which you can easily access through the SCOAN website at Visit Us. Through this link, you’ll be applying for the international visitor program. It is worth noting that there are several ways through which people visit the SCOAN base on different objectives, goals and geographical regions. You must always base yourself on truth when filling it and remember to fully answer all the questions being asked as this will permeate the Emmanuel team to review your application and decide if they should welcome you or get back to you for more information.
Before stepping in to fill this form, keep your basic statistic information (name, nationality, age, and gender) handy together with your contact information (e-mail address and telephone number). You’re also recommended to write down the contact information of at least one of your relatives. You’ll also be asked if you are suffering from a particular illness. If yes, you’ll need to tell them how intense it is and for how long it has been disturbing you. You’ll also be asked if you are HIV positive. If you plan going there with one or more persons, each person will have to fill his/her own questionnaire form separately and indicate at the end of the form at the comments section.
Wait to receive a confirmation before making any journey to the SCOAN
Successfully filling and sending the questionnaire is the first step. The second step has to do with waiting patiently for the SCOAN officials to review your questionnaire and get back to you with an answer on if you can come and when you can come. Never make any preparations to travel unless you have received a confirmation from the official SCOAN members to do so. This is to say that you must not consider making any travel plans talk less of booking a flight without previously receiving a confirmation letter that the SCOAN awaits you as an international visitor.
If you have any worries and need clarifications about how to meet Prophet T.B. Joshua or how to visit the synagogue church of all nations (how to visit the SCOAN), you can easily refer to frequently asked questions (FAQs at www.scoan.org. For those who want to visit from any of the European Countries and are facing difficulties, they can forward their questions to in**@sc***************.com.
Apply for an international passport
SCOAN is located in Lagos, a city in Nigeria which is one of the west African countries. If you are not yet having an international passport, see on applying to have one. This will cost you a sum of money depending on where you reside.
Apply for a Visa to enter Nigeria
Remember to apply for a Visa to enter Nigeria only after the SCOAN officials have contacted you to come. Every person residing out of the west African countries will need a Visa to enter Nigeria. Don’t panic because the process of getting a Visa into Nigeria won’t be the hardest thing to do. You’ll simply need to apply for a tourist visa through the Nigerian Embassy. In applying for your Visa, remember to include your official invitation letter with the visa application.
When applying for the tourist visa into Nigeria, you’ll have to send your application and fees to the Nigerian Immigration Service Website at https://portal.immigration.gov.ng/pages/welcome. After filling and making payments online, you’ll have to print out the form if you are out of the west African countries and submit the hard copy to the Nigerian Embassy in your country together with prove of your initial online payment. You’ll also be requested an amount when depositing the hard copy depending on your country.
Remember to include your current passport, your letter of invitation, two passport size pictures, and evidence of enough funds to assure your stay in Nigeria. If it happens that you won’t be residing at the SCOAN premises, you’ll be asked to present your confirmed hotel reservation ticket.
Book your flight
Once everything is ready for you to travel. You should schedule your flight with any airline of your choice. After doing this, you will be given information about the journey which you’ll have to communicate to the SCOAN officials so that they can send their members to wait for you at the airport.
Prioritize accommodation within the Church premises to that in the hotels
You are recommended to make arrangements to stay within the church’s premises in one of their established guest rooms. They are well equipped to meet the modern standards of the society. The church premises have family rooms, dormitories, and private rooms from which you can choose depending on your needs. Each of its room is well equipped with a toilet, a hot shower, and an air conditioning system. The church in itself has a large dining room that serves three full meals on daily basis. The church also has a shop from which you can purchase your extra drinks, toiletries, and snacks depending on your personal needs.
How is life in the SCOAN for international visitors
Many people always ask how life looks like at the SCOAN. We will start by saying that there is nothing strange or extraordinary apart from living a Christian life of prayer and experiencing the supernatural power of God. International visitors are usually welcomed for a stay of 5 to 6 days upon arrival on a Wednesday or a Thursday whereby they are invited to attend the visitor’s program. During stay at the SCOAN, visitors can expect to attend several church services, watch testimonial faith building videos that display the supernatural works of God, and listen to lectures from Prophet T.B. Joshua who is the leading founder of the Synagogue Church of all nations. While at the SCOAN, you can visit different prayer grounds, prayer hurts, and carryout lots of spiritual faith building activities.
Choose your cloth’s wisely
In choosing your cloths, you must have in mind that you are visiting a house of prayer and must be dressed decently. You must also take into consideration that Nigeria has a hot and humid climate. Temperatures in Nigeria usually range between 26 and 35 degrees Celsius. Hence, you’ll need something cool, loose, and comfortable if you don’t want to be overheated up.
Come with enough cash to meet up with your extra needs
The synagogue church of all nations will eventually provide you with the basic necessities but they won’t take charge of your extra needs and wants. That’s why you should prepare enough cash for some of your extra needs. While residing at the church’s premises, you’ll need to pay for your internet and telephone facilities. Also remember that anything purchased from the church’s shop must be paid in cash. The synagogue church of all nations accepts payments with different currencies like the dollar, Euro, and pound sterling.
Warning
You must be very careful when asking questions like how to meet with Prophet T.B. Joshua, how to visit the SCOAN or how to visit the synagogue church of all nations. The reason why we are asking you to do so is because there are so many people who are out there roaming the streets and are very much ready to give you answers that will lead to the loss of your hard earned cash into their pockets. Prophet T.B Joshua and the SCOAN have become so popular that many people are creating fake Facebook accounts and websites in his name in order to request for money. You must be wise and make sure that any communication linked to the SCOAN is being carried out through their official website www.scoan.org.
This brings us to the end of our writing on how to meet Prophet T.B. Joshua, and how to visit the synagogue church of all nations (how to visit the SCOAN). We wish you the best in your journey to meet the man of God and we pray that God through His son Jesus Christ grant your heart desires.
“Rather, the real Jew is the person who is a Jew on the inside, that is, whose heart has been circumcised, and this is the work of God’s Spirit, not of the written Law. Such a person receives praise from God, not from human beings” – Romans 2:29
Reflection
We can clearly get the difference between Christians and religious people by simply reading from Romans 2:29 and more insight is received by reading the whole of Romans 2 with the help of the Holy Spirit. We clearly hear how Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans is trying to turn away the hearts of men from focusing on human teachings and instead welcoming spiritual teachings from Jesus Christ.
He did address the people who considered themselves Jews and keepers of God’s commandments. We hear him reproaching them for thinking that they are keepers and teachers of God’s Laws when they themselves haven’t understood neither do they put what they teach into action. While the Jews believed that they were set aside for everlasting life through physical circumcision and other physical rituals, Apostle Paul rather calls Jews anyone who puts God’s commands into action and has had his heart circumcised by the Holy Spirit.
This short passage teaches us much on the difference between following Jesus Christ and being a religious person. The Jews whom Apostle Paul had to reproach were considered as religious people by their time. They were the first people to read God’s laws yet did not seek to truly understand what it meant. They were in error yet believed that they knew everything and that no one could teach them. They saw themselves as righteous guides to the blind as well as light to those who were living in darkness.
These people taught that they had the full knowledge about the Law and could act as better teachers for the ignorant and foolish. The things they were asking others to do were done the other way round by them. This is to say that they did not teach with examples since they said a thing and did the contrary. Yet this did not stop them from being the first people to run to the Synagogue and take leading places. They valued human praise than that of God. And even when God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, they remained in their blindness and refused to listen from Him. Rather they chose to kill Him and remain in ignorance. Unfortunately, while the world is believing in Jesus Christ to be saved, most of them are still dwelling in ignorance up to date.
All the above mentioned facts are characteristics of religious people. They believe that it is by regularly going to church that they are saved. For more information, read our article on why going to church does not make you a Christian. Religious people are more focused on religious rituals than learning and obeying the teachings of Jesus Christ. Religious people prefer to do it the way their ancestors did rather than welcoming the Holy Spirit and allowing it to work within them. Religious people are always listening to God’s words but they neither put these words into action nor even believe from their hearts. Religious people prefer to remain with what they know rather than learning the truth. Religious people will prefer religion which is a set of ritual routines over spirituality which is allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in pleasing God through Jesus Christ.
Prophet T.B. Joshua of the Synagogue Church of all Nations did pour more light on the difference between Christians and religious people where he emphasized on the fact that religious people lack spirituality. True Christians humbly accept that they are poor sinners in need of help from Jesus Christ. In addition, they are more focused on learning and practicing the teachings of Jesus Christ rather than playing the hypocrite like the religious people.
True Christians are fully adopted by the Holy Spirit while religious people are not. Christians are made worthy before God by living the words of Jesus Christ and also allowing these words to live within them. The purity of the heart through Jesus Christ is what actually makes us Christians.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ may you purify our hearts and make us yours forever.
“Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy, as I, the Lord your God, have commanded you” – Deuteronomy 5:12
“But now God’s way of putting people right with himself has been revealed. It has nothing to do with Law, even though the Law of Moses and the Prophets gave their witness to it” – Romans 3:21
“Rather, the real Jew is the person who is a Jew on the inside, that is, whose heart has been circumcised, and this is the work of God’s Spirit, not of the written Law. Such a person receives praise from God, not from human beings” – Romans 2:29
“Some people think that a certain day is more important than other days, while others think that all days are the same. We should each firmly make up our own minds” – Romans 14:5
“For it is not by hearing the law that people are put right with God, but by doing what the law commands” – Romans 2:13
“I have complete confidence in the gospel; it is God’s power to save all who believe” – Romans 1:16
“And so, according to the Good News I preach, this is how it will be on that Day when God through Jesus Christ will judge the secret thoughts of all” – Romans 2:16
“Welcome those who are weak in faith, but do not argue with them about their personal opinions. Some people’s faith allows them to eat anything, but the person who is weak in the faith eats only vegetables” – Romans 14:1-2
“For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them.” – Mathew 18:20
The reason why going to church does not make you a Christian is quite evident. I have overheard people asking questions like can you be a Christian and not go to church? Have you ever asked yourself why going to church does not make you a Christian? The whole truth is that, simply going to church does not make you a Christian. Perhaps it makes you religious but does not make you a believer in Jesus Christ. But are we trying to say here that going to church is wrong? I attest no, that’s not the message we are trying to pass in this writing.
We are simply trying to bring out the difference between a Christian and a religious person. But what do we really mean when we say that the answer to the question of why going to church does not make you a Christian is quite evident? I’ll ask you a few questions which will better help you to understand the message we are trying to pass here:
Does visiting the presidency makes you the president? I guess no, it’s rather by playing the political game.
Does visiting the garage makes you an automobile engineer? I guess no, it’s rather by taking automobile engineering courses.
Does going to the football field makes you a footballer? I guess no, it’s rather by playing football that you are considered a footballer.
If we are ok up to this point, then why do we want to create an exception in God’s house. Just as a footballer and a non-footballer can move to the football field to watch friends play, a Christian and a non-Christian can find themselves in church.
To be a Christian means to follow Jesus Christ while obeying His teachings. It’s not by finding yourself in church that you become a Christian. If you perceive going to church as respecting the 3rd commandment in Deuteronomy 5:12, then you are wrong. The Sabbath as mentioned there has never existed as a Sunday, rather it existed and still exists as Saturday. But this is not even our problem for the moment because Apostle Paul says in Romans 3:21 that we are not put right with God through the Laws of Moses but through Jesus Christ who fulfilled and revealed the whole truth about pleasing God and gaining eternal life.
Rather we are focus on why simply going to church does not make you a Christian. In bringing more light to this, we can refer to Romans 2:13 whereby Apostle Paul tells us that we are not saved from the fire of hell by simply listening to the teachings of God but by putting these teachings which we hear into practice. That’s why we’ll say that going to church or meeting in a Christian gathering is something very nice as it will permeate you to learn and no more about the teachings of Jesus Christ who said that whenever two or more people are gathered in His name, He is with them and will certainly bless them (Mathew 18:20). But we must say again that by simply hearing his word and not putting it into action does not make you any better than someone who has not received the teachings neither the one who sits at home and reads the Bible but does not apply it.
Instead of dwelling in error by considering our church going duty as one which brings life, it is wise for us to focus on learning and putting into action the gospel of Jesus Christ which represents the one and only truth that leads to God as explained by Apostle Paul in Romans 1:16
Hence it is not by putting more value to Sundays and regularly going to church that makes us safe. While going to church can lead us to being saved by Jesus Christ as we listen to his teachings and put them into action, the process of going to church itself does not bring salvation. Although many people argue that going to church on Sundays is one of the prerequisites to being saved, Apostle Paul encourages us to welcome and not argue with those who consider some days during the week more important than others. In addition, he encourages us to make up our minds about our decisions concerning such while making sure that whatever we are doing, we do it for the glory of God (Romans 14:5)
Since the times of Jesus, Christian gatherings have always been of great importance as they give room for two or more people to sing praises and worship songs to God. It also allows room for the teachings of Jesus Christ. Hence, we encourage everyone to partake in Christian gatherings in order to boost growth in their spiritual lives.
Still in the same light of thinking, Prophet T.B. Joshua of the Synagogue church of all nations (SCOAN) brought more light to this topic by emphasizing that True Christianity is a matter of the heart rather than fulfilling religious observances like regularly attending church every Sunday and reading the Bible in a literal way without being assisted by the Holy Spirit. This is to say that Christianity is more of the heart and that’s why Apostle Paul in Romans 2:16 tells us that God will Judge us from the bottom of our hearts. It is not the physical action of going to church that matters before God, rather it is the heart motive behind the act of going to church that brings a blessing on you. We can clearly perceive this by reading Luke 23:39-43 where Jesus Christ promised eternal life to one of the thieves with whom He was crucified. I don’t think Jesus Christ forgave the thief and gave him eternal life because he was regularly partaking in the church headed by the Apostles. Rather it was the nature of his heart before Jesus Christ. He acknowledged to be a sinner who needed help from Jesus Christ whom he considered God, and indeed Jesus Christ upon seeing his heart granted him life that never finishes. This is in no way to say that we are not to regularly gather as Christians to worship, praise, and learn more about God. It is simply to show the importance of one’s heart in gaining salvation. Jesus Christ during His stay on Earth had always encouraged Christians to love each other and work together towards the same goals thereby showing the importance of a church.
By focusing on Jesus Christ our redeemer, a truly saved person can stand warfare against Satan and his agents. Being Christians mean that we are bound to encounter serious battles and for sure if we are united in the body of Christ as one, it will be very easy to overcome these challenges. These challenges are not aimed at killing us but to make us worthy to receive what God has prepared for us after this life on Earth. You can visit the Synagogue Church of all Nations for more teachings HERE.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, may you locate us in your mercy and strengthen us not to only listen to your word but to put everything that you request from us into action. This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ.
“Gold and silver are tested by fire, and a person’s heart is tested by the Lord” – Proverbs 17:3
Reflection
I was touched this morning by the Holy Spirit to bring more light on Christian testing. Our base reading comes from Proverbs 17:3 which clearly tells us what to wait as children of the Supreme God. In other words, we’ll say that just as Gold and Silver are tested by fire to prove their quality and value, the Christian’s heart which contains his faith or ability to believe and obey God is also tested in unlimited ways among which are those known and those still to be revealed by God.
If we are requested to name just a few ways through which a Christian can be tested, we’ll give the following: hardship, suffering, disgrace, misfortune, persecution, sickness, poverty, hatred, false accusation, and torture just to name a few. If Jesus Christ was subjected to all these conditions and went through them successfully, are we much better than Him not to welcome them? I guess not because a servant is never greater than His master (John 13:16).
Jesus Christ was not born from a wealthy family neither was He born in a luxurious hospital. He was born in to a box which was serving to feed animals. He suffered his body and subjected it to the will of God by going without food in the desert for 40 days. He was disgraced by having his cloths removed in public and being tortured for the sake of the Gospel. He was finally killed and hanged on the cross before his enemies. His immediate followers were all subjected to suffering and torture which led to the dead of many.
With all these in mind, my spirit shed tears when I hear today’s Christians shouting that suffering, hardship, and trials are not theirs in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. The Scriptures say in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 that we as Christians must live a life of thanksgiving to God in every situation that we are facing because it is His Holy Will. Get me well, it does not say that we should thank God only when things are unfolding very well, rather we are to double are praises and worships when things are not moving well for us.
We are trying to say here that instead of focusing on the problem that we are facing, we should rather focus on thanking God. And because God knows our heart desires and what is best for us, He will certainly see us through. Prophet T.B. Joshua of the synagogue church of all nations (SCOAN) usually say that being poor does not stop a man from being Jesus’s friend. Suffering does not make you an unbeliever. Hardship prepares you to better appreciate the blessings of God. By blessing, singing praises, and worship songs to God in times of trouble, hardship, persecution, suffering, and poverty does prove your faith in God.
Spiritual promotion comes with a Christian test. If you desire to move ahead in your spiritual life and walk in the impossible dimensions, you’ll need to start welcoming all challenges on your path and thanking God for them. We know what happened to Job, he was indeed the richest man in the east who did serve and love God. When God wanted to take him to another level of physical and spiritual blessings, He allowed Satan to come and test him. Satan made away with all his riches, live stocks, wealth, and even his children. Yet this did not remove the love of God from his heart neither did it give him a reason to curse God and die just as his wife recommended him to do. He remained faithful even when Satan attacked his personal body with intense sickness. When Satan was through testing him, he reported to God that Job had no point of weakness and as a result God multiplied all the blessings that Job initially had thereby making him even more famous and wealthy.
Still in the same light, when Jesus Christ was through with His 40 days fasting in the desert, Satan saw the glory ahead of Him that’s why he came trying to stop the glory with a series of tests. But because Jesus Christ had a deep love and faith for the heavenly father, he remained faithful till the end and now He has been made Ultimate King of Heaven and Earth being at the head of all spiritual and physical powers.
When we are dragged into confrontations with our bodily desires and ambitions, we must not always say that we are tested by God for God Himself does not test us. What he wants from us is our ability to overcome the weaknesses of our bodies in order to do his works. The different situations that we are facing as Christians are not meant to hurt us, rather they are meant to improve us for greater achievements.
We can have another Biblical example of Abraham who was told by God that he will be a father to many nations. Abraham welcomed the message yet He found himself at an old age which could likely bring death at any moment yet he had no child. It is quite clear here that his patience or ability to wait on God’s time was being tried by the physical effects of age and time. It was left for him to challenge those physical elements with the words that God gave him and stay focus on them while waiting for God’s time. As we can read from Romans 4: 20, Abraham’s faith remained strong and focus on God’s words even when his wife could no longer give birth. He continuously believed in the power of God to to make the impossible possible. And behold, God made him a father to many generations. And today, he is called father of faith. Whatever the case, we give thanks to God and pray that He will strengthen our faith in Him even when our surrounding events are showing the contrary.
You can successfully pass the Christian test by soaking yourself with the word of God and regularly coming into His presence for mercy and renewal just as the immediate Apostles of Jesus Christ use to do (Acts 2:4).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come into your Holy presence through Jesus Christ our redeemer and ask of you to keep us firm in successfully overcoming all the trials that are on the way of our Christian race.
“The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send in my name, will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you” – John 14:26
Reflection
We shall be basing ourselves on John 14:26 to meditate on how to be filled with the Holy Spirit (How to receive the Holy Spirit in full). There is just no way that we can run our Christian journey successfully without the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ knew that upon physically departing from us, we were going to face lots of challenges most of which will overcome us and so decided to give us a Helping partner, the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ has not changed his mind about filling us with the Holy Spirit just as He did in the times of His Twelve Apostles. Still on the same line of proving that Christians can’t do without the Holy Spirit, we’ll refer to the question asked by Apostle Paul in Acts 19:2 when he made with a group of disciples. Upon meeting them, the first question he asked was if they had received the holy spirit when they became believers.
This question is a clear indication that every disciple of Jesus Christ apart from being born again of water must also be born again of the Holy Spirit. In order words we’ll say he/she must ask, seek and receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a mark of ownership which Jesus Christ inserts within our hearts where He dwells together with the Heavenly Father.
Hence, we’ll say that you cannot be a Christian without being filled with the Holy Spirit. You cannot fully please God as a Christian without the Holy Spirit talk less of doing His Holy works. If you dare step out to do God’s work without the Holy Spirit, you’ll simply be inviting trouble, pain, hardship, and affliction to come and dine with you on the same table. That’s why Jesus Christ asked the Apostles to remain in Jerusalem and wait until the Holy Spirit which is the mighty power from above comes down on them before they could step out and be witnesses to the ends of the world about the things He had taught them (Luke 24:49). But does this mean that stepping out with the Holy Spirit frees us from persecution and our daily Christian cross? No, it doesn’t, rather it makes our battles worthy and acceptable in heaven.
In addition, the Bible clearly details out what awaits those who will step out in the name of Jesus Christ without being filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 19:11-17. By reading that scripture, we are told of some Jews who travelled around chasing out demons. They were seven brothers in number and were sons of a certain Jewish High Priest by name Sceva. Upon hearing how the powerful name Jesus Christ was working wonders and rendering possible the impossible wherever Apostle Paul went, they decided to use the name in driving out demons too. But behold, when they commanded the demon to be out in the name of Jesus Christ, the demon responded by telling them that he knows Jesus Christ and Paul but knows nothing about them. And as a result, the evil spirit attacked and almost killed them as they ran out of the house naked with serious wounds.
This is to tell us that the name Jesus Christ can be pronounced by anyone without a major effect, rather it can likely call upon you a great number of battles which will overwhelm you. But when pronounced by a person who is filled by the Holy Spirit, it moves mountains, drives out demons, brings sight to the blind, frees the captives, strengthens the lame to walk, heals the sick, opens the ears of the deaf, raises the dead, chains Satan, and above all brings salvation to mankind as it leads us to life everlasting with God in heaven. This is why every Christian must be filled with the Holy spirit as explained by Prophet T.B. Joshua at the synagogue church of all nations (SCOAN).
The role of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives is very important. He is the Ultimate Helper in our Christian race just as Jesus Christ said. He is our daily Comforter. He is our principal teacher on the things of God. He reveals the mind of God to us. He teaches us what Jesus Christ wants. He makes us to move in the power of rendering the impossible possible for a better testimony of Jesus Christ. He is the Spirit of Truth and Life. He is the Spirit of Christ and the Father. He wants to possess our bodies and govern as our Lord. He wants to set us free, heal us, deliver us, and give us everlasting life. He wants to help us with our daily problems and ease our stress in running the Christian race.
If you want to be filled with the Holy spirit, repent from your evil ways, get baptized, ask Jesus Christ to come into your life with all the blessings that He promised for His followers and be certain that He has done so. In addition, you will have to live a life of prayer, regularly studying and daily doing what Jesus wants us to do. In this way, you will remain in His light and He will overshadow you with the power of the Holy Spirit as well as gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.
It is worth adding here that, we are filled with the holy spirit in order to do God’s work. In other words, we are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit in so as to be witnesses of Jesus Christ to the ends of the World as we teach everyone to welcome Him and His teachings in order to be saved from the fire of hell and turn to honor his/her creator for an everlasting life in heaven. As Christians, we must learn what it takes to ask God to fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why we recommend you to read our article on how to receive the power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me, come and take over my life and fill me with the Holy Spirit. Show me the path you have designed for me in this life and assist me in going through it successfully no matter how difficult the journey might seem.
Few people like TB Joshua, Prophet Shephard Bushiri, Pastor Chris, Pastor Alph Lukau were fortunate to receive their calls to serve God at a younger age with a deep degree of certainty. Many people upon feeling the call of God upon their lives often experience mixed emotional feelings.
Knowing that God is calling for you to work in His vineyard can be awesome and exciting. However, you might just believe that you cannot serve God due to a few personal reasons or you might still be experiencing a sense of doubt or uncertainty about the calling on your life.
Uncertainty leads to questions like what is God’s calling for me, what is God asking me to do, how to know God’s will for your life, how to discover your calling, and the how to know the call of God for my life. Whatever the case, stay calm and relaxed as we are going to unfold the best ways through which you can actually know what God wants you to do. Just keep on reading and remember to subscribe for further teachings like these.
Before we proceed into discussing the main subject matter, we’ll like to add here that a good number of people find reasons why they firmly believe that they cannot answer God’s call for their lives. Whatever be the case, you owe it to yourself and will have to answer that with God alone. Just make sure that you are not backsliding because of doubt, fear, or a sense of insufficiency.
What is God asking me to do (God’s calling or call of God for my life)
Many Christians and ministers of the gospel have either given elements of answers or answers to the old question of how do I know what my calling from God is? One of the answers which caught my attention was that from Prophet T.B. Joshua who said that whatever you do through God or whatsoever God accepts you to do through Him is your calling.
When we read Psalms 119:105 we are made to know that God’s calling in our life is revealed by getting to know Him more through the Bible which is His Holy Word that brings salvation. Hence, we should hold tight to God and remain in his presence by regularly studying His Word and singing praises and worships to Him. He will, in turn, transform us by the power of the Holy Spirit and show us the way just as promised in Romans 12:2.
Your call may be a leadership call in the government, church, ministry, business, family, media, sports, entertainment, neighborhood or just anything that God allows you to do through Him. It is not strange to experience doubts about your vocation at some point in your life. At such moments you might seriously begin to doubt if you even have a call from God. Whatever your case, just see on to it that you remain in the light of God for guidance. And always remember that whatever you do through God is your calling and that you can use it to bless the Body of Christ in one way or the other.
God blesses us with talents and gifts which can bring glory to His name in one way or the other. Simply figure out yours and develop it to the top. God will indeed be pleased to see how you value what He has blessed you with. Among God’s deposited talents within us are skills in science, teaching, public speaking, artistic work, designing, cooking, writing, singing, painting, and leadership just to name a few. On the other hand, we also have God-given gifts that are aimed at blessing our spiritual lives and allowing us to bless those of others. A few of such could be the ability to excellently preach the Gospel like Apostle Paul, Work miracles and wonders through the power of the Holy Spirit in order to set free those whose hearts have been captured by Satan, the ability to encourage, the ability to lead praise and worship services, the ability to walk in the power of the holy spirit, the ability to prophesy, the ability to genuinely love, and wisdom.
Stand firm in your calling
Galatians 1:10 pours out greater light on what it means to stand firm in your calling. Reading from it, we hear Apostle Paul saying that he knows fully that He was called by God to be an Apostle that is why he does not seek to win the approval of men but that of God. He further says that if pleasing people was his goal, he would not be a true Christian. By saying so, we realize that he was deeply certain of the call of God in his life that is why his main objective was to please God and not men. Most of us often turn to lean on the words and comments of men just to have them kill our convictions about our calling. Your calling is between you and God alone. If you are seeking to get approved by men rather than God, you won’t be seeking to serve God. Apostle Paul further calls on us to carry out the ministry that the Lord assigned to us without fear of any human neither need for any human approval (Colossians 4:17).
We must carry our cross every day to follow Jesus Christ
There are things that God might want us to do but the challenges in doing them keep us discouraged and afraid to step out. You might not want to abandon the wealth you have gathered and are enjoying in the main city of the country to travel to faraway areas in the bush to do God’s work. Others might simply be filled with fear of risking their lives. Some people might simply be afraid of facing the challenges that lay ahead in the journey of carrying their cross and answering their calls to work for God. Others might be blinded by the riches, wealth, and pleasures of this world. Whatever be your case, just remember that God cannot give you a mission which He knows that you cannot make it. When God calls us, he prepares us for the task ahead. This preparation time might seem long but we must remain patient and continuously study His ways till He releases us for our mission. Still on what God’s calling for my life is, it is wise to pay attention to the different ways in which God communicates with us being dreams, persons, Bible, visions, internal voice, audible voice, and strange ways. God can use any one of these to tell you what he wants you to do.
The scripture says, “I spoke because I believed”. In the same spirit of faith, we also speak because we believe – 2 Corinthians 4:13
Reflection
This verse from Apostle Paul gives us the foundation of the spirit of faith which is first believing and then acting on the belief or simply speaking out what we believe in our hearts. If you desire to learn how to grow your faith, you must take this verse serious.
The spirit of faith does not come in to confess things to happen neither does it comes in to help convince you of their existence. Rather it comes in when you first believe in your heart that what you desire is already in existence before even voicing it out.
When it comes to the spirit of faith or how to grow faith, many people get it all wrong because they are not speaking what they have first believed in, rather they are speaking to believe. In order words, their believe is as a function of the results they’ll get after speaking. This is the case were we find people confessing God’s word yet struggling to believe what they are telling themselves. It is for this reason that they’ll get frustrated whenever things fail to come out as desired.
When we read from Genesis 17:5, we notice that God called Abram and promised to make him a father to many nations. God also changed His name from Abram to Abraham (meaning father to many nations). Abram demonstrated the spirit of faith here by welcoming and referring to himself as Abraham even when he had no child. In short, he simply demonstrated what he believed in his heart and it finally came to pass.
With the spirit of faith, you do not walk by sight or by physical manifestations. You do not wait to have the results before believing. You completely believe and stand firm on the fact that what you believe in has already been realized. We can read from Apostle Paul in Hebrews 11:1 were he makes us to understand that faith is the evidence that the things which we hope for are now realities.
As Christians and ministers of the word of God, we should only confess what we have first believed in our hearts and not the other way round. First believing here means cultivating certainty in the word God. Imagine what you will do if someone pops up claiming that your vehicle is his when you know fully that you have all the legal documents attesting that you purchased the vehicle from the manufacturer. For sure you will laugh out loud because of the certainty you have as owner of the vehicle.
In the same spirit, if you believe and take God for His words, you’ll step out with certainty to declare and manifest your convictions boldly without fear of any failure no matter your circumstances or challenges that Satan is using to stop you. You’ll be able to go an extra mile because you have a proof of what you are saying within you. If you are certain about the promises of God for your life, not even the toughest physical situations around you can turn your attention from God. And for sure you’ll end up inheriting the benefits reserved for those who rely fully on the Lord.
Confession
I believe in every word which was spoken by Jesus Christ;
In the name of Jesus Christ, my faith is producing fruits;
In the name of Jesus Christ, I am what God says I am;
In the name of Jesus Christ, I have what God says I have; and
In the name of Jesus Christ, I can do what God says I can do.
“I assure you that whoever tells this hill to get up and through itself in the sea and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him” – Mark 11:23
Reflection
This Bible verse is one that makes my heart to shade tears due to our ignorance about the power that Jesus Christ has given us. Indeed, He has given us the necessary power to change situations around us for the best. All that we need in order to accomplish this is faith. If we can stand on the words of Jesus Christ and act on them, we will reach the impossible.
Many people claim to know the Bible yet they are not acting on it. It is very common to hear a Christian say something like “by His stripes we were healed” yet they are still laying on the sick bed. This is an example of weak faith. It is useless to know the word when you cannot apply or act upon it. We must always remember that Jesus spoke spirit and life giving words which are still capable to wake you up from your sick bed, free you from suffering, and above all give you everlasting life.
Weak faith comes as a result of not exercising the spirit and life giving words of Jesus Christ. It is said that by his stripes we were healed, then what are you still doing on the sick bed. If Jesus Christ has given us the power to command mountains to uproot themselves and be deposited in the oceans, we can also exercise this very power in changing the situations that are around us. The main problem that we have is our unbelief and inability to take Jesus Christ for His words.
This creates need for you to learn how to grow your faith and make it mature enough to walk in the impossible dimensions before the eyes of men. It is only through faith that we can reach the impossible. The gap between the physical and the spiritual dimension is linked by faith. The miracle you are looking for can be achieved through faith. You’ll just need to grow your faith and put it into action.
If you are serious about learning how to grow your faith, you’ll have to start by saturating your body and spirit with the word of God. By regularly studying the word of God, you gain consciousness of the promises He has reserved for us. With time, these life giving words will create an unbeatable faith within you which will allow you to speak and make the impossible possible.
In order to grow your faith, you must regularly exercise it. Don’t worry about the number of times that you fail neither dwell on your mistakes because it is not about you but about Jesus Christ. Call on Him to strengthen your faith to the level that He wants. And for sure He will give you faith in an unmeasurable amount because He said anyone who asks for anything from Him without doubt will definitely have it.
Not exercising your faith or not walking on the word of God can be compared to a person who regularly eats huge quantities of food but does not exercise his muscles. It is without doubt that his muscles will grow big but remain weak due to lack of exercises. In the same light, if you continuously listen God’s word without acting upon it, you’ll always have a weak faith. Every life challenge is likely to overcome people with weak faiths. Weak faith creates fear and allows room for Satan to manipulate those having it.
The chief cure for weak faith is acting and walking on the word of God. In order words, we are trying to say that you need to take God for who He says He is. One of the best ways on how to grow your faith is to start acting on the words of Jesus Christ without any doubt or fear. By reading from 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we are called upon by Apostle Paul to give thanks to God concerning every situation in our life. This is a perfect place to start. Challenge yourself to see beyond the troubles and hardships that you are presently facing by living a life of praise and worship. Allow everything in the hands of God because nothing happens to us without His knowledge.
Prophetic decrees
We should learn to speak the words of God into our lives. It is time for you to confess that by his stripes you were healed and that your place is not on the sick bed. By the authority in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth:
wake up from your sick bed;
be set free from every satanic bondage;
may your faith be strong;
may your faith in God stand the test of time;
may fear leave your life; and
may you succeed in the things you are doing.
Prayer
Heavenly father we beg on you to have mercy on us, show us the light of your favor, and above all strengthen our faith to take you for who you say you are. May our faith prevail as we put your words into action in our daily activities. We ask all these in the name of Jesus Christ.
Bestofchristianity.com is a Global Media Ministry. As a Christian Website and Online Evangelical Ministry, Best Of Christianity focuses on the teachings of Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy spirit, and above all the Love of God. It uses the Bible as the foundation to knowing and obeying God. It steps in at the command of Jesus Christ to take the holy gospel to the four corners of the world so that those who believe in him can have eternal life. Under the authority of Jesus Christ, we are Apostolic and Prophetic sons and daughters of God sent out to set the captives free, heal the sick, bring deliverance, give sight to the blind, strengthen the lame to walk and above all lead souls to heaven. It is in the Christian light that we analyze topics like Prosperity, Wealth, Debt free, Credits, Finance, and Money in the Bible.
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