The Effectual Working of the Power of God in SCOAN

One of the cardinal ministries of Prophet TB Joshua, the founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and turning any man from being a hater of God into one who loves and obeys God. The things of God are foolishness to the natural man. Turning everyone into a new man who delights in God's ways, who daily enjoy living and walking with God becomes a ministry. According to the Apostle Paul, there is only one answer to be able to do that. It is the "effectual working" of the power of God. "Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power", (Ephesians 3:7).

The life of Apostle Paul himself was a testimony of this power of God. Had he been left to himself he would still have been the persecuting and blaspheming Pharisee. Saul turned Apostle Paul, must have heard about the preaching of Christ, the preaching of Stephen and he knew all that Christians claimed. But he hated the good news. He saw nothing in it except blasphemy and to persecute the way of Christ. It's no surprise today that persecution comes to anyone that tries to preach Christ genuinely. But what eventually happened to this man Saul of Tarsus? Again there is only one answer.  He had been made a new man when he met Jesus. He had been regenerated, born again, became a new creation. This was the result of the effectual working of the power of God that we covet for all God’s missions today.

Without the effectual working of the power of God in any ministry no one can make anyone a Christian. A Christian means one who has had a rebirth, a regeneration. It is not the result of our decision only, it is not something that you and I decide to do. It is the effectual working of His power. Paul would never have been a Christian at all were it not for this power. But even after becoming a Christian, he would have been ineffective apart from this same power.

It is this same working power of God that is transforming people and Nations and preached in SCOAN. Prophet TB Joshua has been called into the ministry and given the gifts of the spirit that are requisite to the ministry. This is why he has an understanding of the truth, the power to speak, the power to teach and the power to do miracles. It is the promise of God that, "... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth", (Acts 1:8).

Hence every Christian must work together in one unit under this power of God, especially here in the SCOAN. Praying in one accord, waiting on the promise of God's power to be released on the Church for more exploits becomes our mission. Prophet TB Joshua teaches that we let Jesus Christ form Himself in us. In other words, submitting self absolutely to the Holy Spirit and being led by revelation daily.

Prophet TB Joshua has lived, served, loved and struggled for the church for his entire life. Therefore the challenges facing the Church of Christ in the 21st century should be dear to him to take on a responsibility of guarding the flock and caring for the Church of God (Acts 20:28), the more. The Church has drifted far from the Bible. In fact, Bible illiteracy is a major challenge whereby many people pay lip service to the importance of the Bible. People may not read it, know it or believe it. Others using it to teach may doubt its power. Instead, they live on phrases like "heaven helps those who help themselves", and on many carnal phrases not found in the Bible. Another challenge is that Christians are disconnected from one another, preferring to run as individual, denominations, and as sects.  Whereas Christians ought to be people of presence, connected to God and to one another through the inhabiting, unifying power of the Holy Spirit. The church must position itself as presenters of God’s presence in the world by raising a new generation of Church leaders based on the Word of God and the Spirit of God.

Unfortunately, capitalism has fully infiltrated the Church as another challenge to the extent that "church shopping” and “what I got from the sermon” are things we say without thinking anything of it. People go to Sunday services to “get something.” They choose churches that “fit them” and match their checklist of preferences and their circumstances. Churches are homogeneous, consisting respectively people of like minds. But churches must challenge rather than cater to this mentality. The church is a place where heterogeneous members of a body come together for purposes beyond themselves. It’s an invitation to join Christ in what He is already doing in the world, not an invitation for Christ to affirm our self-actualization. Of course, SCOAN is a peculiar Church whereby many are encouraged to come for special services. Nonetheless improved and healed Christians must return and be more effective in their respective homes and in their local churches as a testimony of their encounter with Jesus. Every challenge facing the Church of Christ is an opportunity for higher anointing in Christ Jesus. Emmanuel. 

      

Prof R. A. Ipinyomi, University of Ilorin, Nigeria