“If not the condemnation and persecution, do you think I
would be at the level I am today? I know the value of my trials. The value is
so great; they have made the whole world to know me. It’s a free advert. You
can see there is no signpost or signboard of The SCOAN since the beginning of
this church. You are my advert; you are my signpost. The question people used
to ask me - why is there no advert or signboard? You cannot find it anywhere.
Why? Because God has blessed me with free adverts.
It takes the spirit of foolishness to hear something without
going there to confirm. Everyone that God destined to be a leader, when they
hear something - it may take time - but they will find a way to confirm what
they hear. In the process of confirmation, they find out the truth. This
ministry has been here for the past twenty years. If there is anyone out there
who says he’s a man of wisdom and understanding and still not confirmed - it
means something is wrong. Your confirmation brought you here. You are not just
here; it’s what you heard in the past. In the process of confirming your
information, you found yourself here. So, the free advert is so gracious. It’s
a big blessing to me.
It was this free advert that brought about Emmanuel TV. I was
on the Nigerian national television and local television. When the miracles
were showing, because of me, your former President said they should remove the
miracles. They stopped miracle programmes on your national and local
television. The body that guides the television stations in Nigeria enacted a
law that no miracle pastor should be shown. It was because of me, not because
of anybody else. That brought about Emmanuel TV!
Let me tell you about the phone call I had with late
President Yar’Adua. He is a great man. I received a phone call - ‘I will give
you an honour, OFR’. This is a man who did not share the same faith with me -
he is a Muslim man. People are unaware of this because I don’t put it on my
name. When you see TB Joshua, you will not see OFR. I said I am honouring my
nation - so I sent my wife to receive the award.
Sometimes when you are saying, ‘Northerner, Southerner,
Easterner’ - the issue is not that. LOVE. Nigeria is one. This is a man from
the Northern Part of Nigeria; he is a real Muslim man. We have never met; he
never invited me for prayer. But he got to know and monitor all that is
happening at The SCOAN. I could remember he said to me - after looking at the
analysis of pilgrimage to this country from each port of entry in Nigeria - he
realised I am the biggest source that attracts foreigners. This is the first
time you are hearing this from me. Your oil could not attract such visitors -
but anointing attracts visitors.
You talk of North, you talk of South, you talk of Christians,
you talk of religious people, you talk of Muslims - LOVE is the greatest. Where
is love? The Bible says love your neighbour as yourself. Your neighbour could
be your enemy, could be a pagan, a religious man or a Muslim - the Bible says
love them all! Love is the greatest. It means love is greater than everything
you practice. The name of Jesus is LOVE.
Is it Muslims condemning me? Are they the ones speaking
against me? Are they the ones saying you should not come here? Where there is
love, you will come to me and I will go to you. You want to know what I am
doing and I want to know what you are doing. Love permits us to do findings.
That is the characteristic of love. Find out the truth and the truth will set
you free!”
- Prophet TB Joshua
(7th April 2013)