Known by Love and not by the Multitude of Persecutors

 

The entire State of Israel is called “the Holy Land” probably because of many prophets that God raised from that Land, because of God’s Promise to Abraham through to David, to Jesus of Nazareth, or the tombs of many prophets adorning the State. We think the State of Israel should be called the Holy Land because of people walking in the footsteps of Jesus of Nazareth. Nevertheless, in June 2019, the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) met in Nazareth for an International Crusade that was led by its Bishop, Prophet TB Joshua. It is only men like Prophet TB Joshua that could have countered the different classes of opposition that erupted aiming to prevent the International Crusade from holding. It was a highly organized opposition that faced the crusade because of the person of TB Joshua, not just because he was coming from Nigeria or Africa. Openly they called Prophet TB Joshua, and the entire SCOAN team, many unprintable names. By now we had expected Christians or none Christians to have known Prophet TB Joshua or some of the numerous people working with SCOAN. The Nazareth event nevertheless unearthed the experience of our Lord and Saviour Jesus of Nazareth. We know that Jesus would have been provoked beyond measure before He spoke to those who were wrong, but thought that they were right, when He said to them, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous . . . Serpents, a brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous bloodshed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. .  . (Matthew 23:29-37). On the contrary, Prophet TB Joshua was able to promote Jesus Christ of Nazareth, he promoted peace and love to the different peoples of the State of Israel and peoples of over 100 nationalities that went. It was glorious.

 Jesus told His disciples in (John 1518-21) that "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you . . . If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake because they do not know Him who sent Me. Apostle Peter also said, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified”, (1 Peter: 12-14).

Therefore, who are prophets of God of our days and how do we recognize them? It is too cheap and lazy labelling everyone as false. In Philippians Chapter 4 the Bible teaches us to “Beware of false teachers, false prophets, false bishops, etc.” This warning is cardinal to every people looking for the second coming of Jesus in an era where greedy and self-promotion rule. God’s Spirit specifically tells us that in later days there will be men who abandon the true faith and allow themselves to be spiritually seduced by teachings of the devil, teachings given by men who are hypocrites, whose consciences are as dead as seared flesh. Of course, anyone will be doing its right duty as Christ’s minister if they remind their church members of these things (false teaching), and also prove themselves as ministers who owe their strength to the truth of the faith in Christ Jesus, living by His Spirit and His Word only. Every Christian should take time and trouble to keep self spiritually fit, and especially avoiding ideas, philosophies, and teachings contrary to Jesus and His teaching. Jesus said in (Matthew 16) that, “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles?” By their love, we shall know them. Prophet TB Joshua said repeatedly that whatever we do in secret will reflect in the open and determining how much we can achieve in the name of Jesus. Jesus said His Words are “Spirit and Life”. This Word of Jesus is close to His Prophets, even in their mouths, in their hearts, that is the Word of faith which they preach every day, (Romans 10:8). This Word spoken to us by Jesus makes us and His prophets clean (John 15:3). Motivational speakers may draw large crowds because they speak sweet words. Even if they are incantations such words would not produce godly outcomes at the end.

This generation is most likely passing through the said last days, the very perilous times Apostle Paul was telling Timothy (2 Timothy 3:1-7). Whilst every Christian should be on the watch for “Jesus’ Coming” because our Lord is coming, it should be pointed out that Jesus loves His Church and therefore will not deny us of His true Godly Teachers, Prophets, Bishops, Church Workers, and the Holy Spirit for the propagation of complete sound doctrine for our salvation. However, amongst these may also be the false ones. The parable of the “Wheat and the Tares” can be found in (Matthew 13:2-30). Jesus said, “But when men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way”, (Matthew 13:25). Therefore every congregation is likely to be infected by these false teachings, false prophecies, false claims and people falsely accusing others but never able to correct themselves. Their zeal, driven by jealousy, greed and ignorance, is of the flesh and not from the Spirit of God. Emmanuel

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

Collapsed SCOAN Guest House: Expert Exposes “Mischievous” Report By LASG

Defendants in the case of the collapsed Synagogue Church Guest house closed their case at the weekend with the cross examination of their last witness in a Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere on Friday 20^th December 2019.

During resumed proceedings, the court heard further evidence that the mode of collapse of the church guest house had no characteristics of a building which collapsed due to structural defects.

Professor Patrick Nwankwo stated this while being crossed examined by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosection, Mr Yequob Oshoala. 

Nwankwo, a Professor of Structural Engineering and Construction Materials, gave his expert analysis as a witness at the instance of Engr Oladele Ogundeji, who is facing trial for the collapsed building as its Supervising Engineer.

“Any defective building – whether emanating from under or over reinforcement or poor constructional materials – will have a ductile or gradual type of collapse,” he explained. 

“This was not the case with the collapsed Synagogue church guest house. The frames, beams, columns would not all have collapsed at the same time; it can only happen by some external forces,” he revealed.

While responding to questions from the DPP, Professor Nwankwo said he was motivated to investigate the collapsed Synagogue church building due to its unusual mode of collapse, coupled with his professional and academic concern.

“I wanted to ensure any reports I submitted to the court were thorough and did not compromise the integrity of my profession,” he explained. 

Professor Nwankwo faulted the initial report presented to the court by Lagos State Government – which relied heavily on projections from Orion Design Software – which suggested structural failure caused the collapse.

As an expert in that particular software, Nwankwo revealed the interpretation presented to the court in its earlier hearings was “completely wrong” and could even be termed “mischievous”.  

“Since the calculations were wrong, the report’s findings cannot be relied upon,” he explained, adding that the report he submitted actually met the “required code of practice in Nigeria”. 

Earlier in the cross examination by Mr Oluseye Diyan, Chief Efe Akpofure SAN and Mrs Titi Akinlawon SAN, the erudite scholar insisted that the construction of the building met with appropriate international standards guiding the industry.

The building, which tragically collapsed on September 12th 2014, served as a guest-house for foreign pilgrims visiting TB Joshua’s popular church in Ikotun-Egbe.

Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo adjourned the case to January 24, 2020

Ihechukwu Njoku is a freelance Nigerian journalist…

Shocking truth behind the collapse of TB Joshua's SCOAN building revealed

 

Shocking! The factors that led to the collapse of Prophet T.B. Joshua’s church that killed 116 people have been revealed by engineering experts.

 

At the ongoing court case regarding the tragic building incident at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos, Nigeria on September 12th 2014, Professor Patrick Nwankwo made the shocking revelation.

 

Professor Nwankwo, an international professor of building and structural engineering, gave evidence on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th November 2019 at the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere.

 

In his conclusions that have been reported by several newspapers and media houses in Nigeria, Professor Nwankwo confirmed the ill-fated guesthouse was compliant with international standards, ruling out complicit as the cause behind the collapse.

 

While being led-in-evidence by the defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), Nwankwo told the court that he visited the site, took measurements and carried out thorough investigations before concluding that that the collapse “had nothing to do with structural defects”.

 

Professor Nwankwo said a building with structural defects would fall partially or sink on one side, adding that warning signals such as cracks would be observed by occupants.

 

“It is not possible for it to collapse like a park of cards as seen in the case of Synagogue”, he insisted, referring to the manner in which the building imploded in a matter of seconds, as captured by the church’s CCTV.

 

Explaining his modus operandi, Professor Nwankwo said he carried out structural analysis using Orion Design Software modelling on the beams, columns, foundation, anchorage, expansion joints, rigid zones and mechanism vis-a-vis the internationally accepted Codes of practice for engineering to arrive at his conclusions.

 

Nwankwo tendered the report on his findings, accompanied by several volumes of ‘British Standard building codes of practice’ to support his assertions, as exhibits to the court.

Dr Jide Martin, the Director of Public Prosecution, raised no objection against the documents after examining them.

 

Professor Patrick’s conclusions mirror that of Dr Stephen Asheri Ntoga, a trained civil, structural and material engineer from Tanzania who equally examined the guesthouse within TB Joshua’s church complex and concluded structural or foundational failure could not have been responsible for its tragic collapse.

 

The Lagos State Government is suing The SCOAN over the collapsed building that led to the death of 116 people, including 85 South Africans.

 

 Ihechukwu Njoku

TB Joshua shares sombre message on 5th anniversary of SCOAN building collapse

Exactly five years after the tragic collapse of a guesthouse at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN), Pastor T.B. Joshua has honoured the 'blessed memory' of those who died in the incident with a thought-provoking message.

On September 12th 2014, 115 people lost their lives in the horrific building collapse, 84 of them South African nationals visiting The SCOAN for religious reasons.

"A Christian does not consider death to be his end but the end of his trouble,"the cleric eulogised in a special broadcast on Emmanuel TV in commemoration of the anniversary.

Joshua stressed the inevitability of death, adding that a person's age or the nature of their demise were not the critical issue. "What matters is the grace to continue living hereafter,"he said.

Waxing philosophical, Joshua asked viewers to be introspective as they remember the dark day.

"How are you spending your life," he reflectively asked. "Because the greatest way to use life is to spend it on something that will outlive it – for instance, to love someone more dearly every day."

Joshua called on his followers to proactively engage in helping others, stressing that "when you look around you", you would assuredly find those "in need of your love, help, strength and time."

He concluded with a sober reminder: "Live each day as if it were your last. Someday, you will be right."

Despite the passing of five years, the controversy surrounding the cause of the deadly collapse remains, further induced by the attendant court case stuck in a seemingly endless legal quagmire.

The SCOAN still insists the church was 'attacked', pointing to a military plane which encircled the ill-fated building several times before its implosion.

The incident, however, has done little to quell the flow of foreign pilgrims to Joshua's church with numbers from the Nigerian immigration service estimating six in every ten tourists to Nigeria are bound for The SCOAN.

Ihechukwu Njoku is a freelance Nigerian journalist