GET READY FOR LIFE AFTER THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN - A WORD FROM TB JOSHUA

If you don’t get your job back or you don't get a proper job or a full-time job or you run into loss or lose a loved one after this lockdown, don’t despair; don’t doubt your Guard. God is about to establish you. Ask any successful man or woman and they will tell you about how much disappointment and setback they had to endure to come to a new level in life.

For many, it was a sack letter, an accusation, a petition against them and they lost their job – but today they are established. I want to believe the similar signs I am seeing now will happen to many while others may lose loved ones or run into loss.

I can see beyond many of our situations at hand. That is why I am telling you that behind that situation lies your future. After the lockdown, whatever disappointment you will receive or whatever happens – think deeply and you will see the reason why this is happening to you. Remember, many successful people today once had the same experience and they were moved to a higher level in life thereby.

Ordinarily, you would not want to leave your position or status and say you want to establish yourself without a situation like this. Something must happen – and that seems to be happening now. Sometimes God allows situations like this – I mean disappointment or something more serious – so that you can take your proper position and possessions. Sometimes it is to enable you to get to where you belong. I know where I belong!

What is your dark moment? It may be to make you see clearly where you belong, I mean to prepare you for your future. I know where I belong! It is time to know where you belong; that is why all this is happening now.

Don’t forget everything big starts little. If something big starts big, it calls for concern. Starting little with a sincere heart is evidence that you will grow. Everything genuine likes to start little. You have to be ready to start little, cut your coat according to your cloth and endure temporary pain. You know what I mean – the type of life you live must be in accordance with little. It may cause you to withdraw from the city to a rural life or to do away with some of your properties. You will have them back at the right time but let them go now for preparation to grow. Many things you have now may not be necessary for the journey, may not be relevant to the situation that is coming. Let them go and believe this word you are hearing. It is a word from God.

Ask your family members to cut their coat according to their cloth. If any of them was living big before, they have to prepare to adjust now to the situation that is coming. Check your store and bring out the things you may need to sell. Right now, you need to be living modestly.

Women that married men because of affluence or men that married women because of affluence – divorce should not be the order of the day. We just need to adjust. You may likely need some new friends because not all of your friends will be able to cope and adjust. The future is still there but only calls for adjustment.

Many things we are seeing now will go and many new things will come. If you know you got anything by injustice, such will not be able to stand. Whatever you might have received by injustice will go. It is only our genuine sweat that will see us through while nature is ready to take its course. God just started this judgment somewhere. It will soon get to me; it will soon get to you. Let us be ready.

All that I am saying does not mean you are down but this is just what has come in our own time. Every age has its own challenges. People of yesterday had their own challenges in a different way. Others have gone through so-called challenges in their own way. Today, those who adjust will be able to overcome and those who are unable to adjust will go by the level of their challenges - down, fall, death.

Something must happen every 100 years to affect the whole world. This is what has happened in our own lifetime. It has been like that for generations. Those who respond to the demands of the age will end up as overcomers, victors, winners. However, those who fail to respond to the demands appropriately will eventually go down with the times, either by disappointment, failure, death. It is unchangeable; it must happen. The nature of the challenge may be different. Irrespective of how it happened, the nation that caused it, the person that caused it – it had to happen; something just had to cause it.

By the ending of June to the first week of July, this will begin to become a point of reference: “This man said this; that man said it" - but it is God that said it.

Good morning and win today!

God’s Intervention in the Affairs of Men

In the Old Testament, we read that Prophet Jeremiah was called to prophetic ministry by God. He was called to give a prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction that would occur by invaders from the north. This was because Israel had been unfaithful to the laws of the covenant and had forsaken God by worshipping false gods. Jeremiah condemned people burning their children as offerings to idols. In his prophecies, Jeremiah was guided by God to proclaim that the nation of Judah would be faced with famine, plundered and taken captive by foreigners who would exile them to a foreign land, etc. Like today, Jeremiah's ministry prompted plots against him. Whilst Jeremiah was prophesying the coming destruction, several other prophets were prophesying peace. His prophecies came to fulfilment but the prophet suffered great persecutions.

For over 12 years prophet TB Joshua of Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN) has been warning about the entire world coming economic downturn to the extent that individuals may be richer than a whole nation. The fulfilment of that prophecy may have just started.  We don’t know the proportion of the population that have listened to him, or that had listened and are taking appropriate steps to protect themselves and asset. What we do know is that what the prophet has been saying repeatedly has come to reality. The global coronavirus pandemic is the vehicle conveying the herald of the coming “economic pandemic”. There are a few lessons to learn but we first need to appreciate God for giving us a prophet at this time that can speak correctly to individuals, to groups of people, to nations or the entire world. I have always found Prophet TB Joshua a man that has separated himself from frivolous activities that are just self-entertaining but devoting himself to total service to God and humanity.

At this stage a few points must be made about this Coronavirus, also tagged COVID-19, that has covered the entire globe, has ruined economies, shutdown Church cathedrals living only empty pews, killing across races and ages. Prophet TB Joshua has said a lot on this COVID-19 and has been praying. The virus has moved to the community transmission level whereby it can get to everyone easily. It has defied any medication, only trials and errors treatment, and so on. It would take a long while getting a vaccine and hence the public should be ready to accommodate this virus for a while.

The second point to know is the coincidence with the prophecy of “A Year of Humility”, also prophesied by Prophet TB Joshua. The prophecy we recall came with conditions that are, “Turning to God in Repentance”. If the world had heeded the prophet and repented maybe by March 27, 2020, the rains would have washed the virus away. Everyone can listen to the prophecy over and again. It was conditional on our needed “changed attitude to the Living God”. Hence for the prophecy of humility to take its effect on a journey from Egypt to the Promised Land meant for about only 40 days may take 40 years, unless this generation is ready for God.

Our prayer points are many. We want God to keep talking to us and we don’t want our cathedrals filled with only empty pews. This generation can best be described as “Eye-service-Generation”, nearly everyone in it. Most of the popular pastors and church leaders are busy giving motivational speeches and entertaining the crowds like the days of Jeremiah. The humility regime, prophesied by TB Joshua, is going to start in the Church and amongst the Christians, in a long process. The world is already on its platform, un-repented, whilst the church is in disarray and disunity. Hence we pray for the move of the Holy Spirit for God’s quick intervention in the affairs of men.

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

SCOAN is preparing the Church for the Perilous Times

By ordinary definition perilous times consist of times of grave risks or perils, hazardous or dangerous voyages, etc. For example, having a kiss, hug or handshake with a neighbour in this coronavirus pandemic era is becoming a grave risk. Similarly, looking after a sick mother or father or a son, who may just be returning home as usual from China, USA, Italy, the UK, or just from any foreign country is now a risk. The social distancing advocators may have their merits but the Christian principle encourages us to love our neighbours as ourselves unconditionally and not to neglect meeting together. Hence, whereas we must be living in perilous times or the last days when violence is in every headline, Christians should turn to the Bible for understanding.

From Isaiah 2:2 or Micah 4:1 it is written that "...in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established .....; and people shall flow unto it." We notice the flow of people to Zion (also called Jerusalem), and they are coming to the Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Lagos Nigeria of Prophet TB Joshua. The last days will symbolize also the fulfilment of prophecies, not just the prevalence of violence, fear and panic. What we see building up in SCOAN is a prophecy fulfilment. You may wonder, why Nigeria of all places, or why TB Joshua?

As we read from John 7:37-38 the last day was that great day of the feast when Jesus stood and cried, saying, "... If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." Hence the world is passing through a moment when thirsts and hunger can only be cured by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; on an individual basis coming to Jesus. This 2020 Easter, surprisingly the streets of Jerusalem have become empty of Hossan or Halleluyah shouting Christians, as it is also in many congestions across the globe, including in SCOAN. But at the individual levels, we should look into Jesus, the Lamb of our sacrifice, our salvation and Saviour. Jesus left for us some words through His disciples in John 12:46-48. Jesus said "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hears my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth, not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

Therefore notice that there is a big difference between the last days and perilous times. The last days are usually for accounting, assessments and passing judgements. In Genesis 49:1 Jacob called his sons together to tell them what would happen to them in the last days. The lessons and teachings we are getting from SCOAN and Prophet TB Joshua are to prepare souls for the last days. Perilous times are dangerous times. Apostle Paul said, in 2 Timothy 3:1-7 "... that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. ..... They are ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Yes, these are the times the Church is passing through.

Hence at this Easter Time, it seems the world is passing through either a perilous time or the perilous times. Hitherto many individuals take satisfaction and comfort in Church gathering and worship, for whatever reasons. In this particular period, everyone is on his or her own because of the general lockdown and yet Christ must be preached and worshipped in every heart and home. Individuals are the embodiment of the Church of Christ and not the big ceremonial fanfare with all its regalia and rituals. Jesus has risen and individuals must experience this resurrection in the heart to live triumphantly from thence. Meanwhile be warned of scoffers that shall come in these last days (2 Peter 3:3-4), walking after their lusts. Please be careful.

Already there is a big controversy in the global internet and several Church leaders are in different camps; for which Christians must also be warned. The controversy is the prophesied beast's number 666 in Revelation 13:18.  Currently, a vaccine is being developed to immunize individuals against the prevailing coronavirus pandemic. Even Christian scientists, people who should work to find a vaccine, are clamouring for the rejection of western world vaccine believing it's a plot to the beast number insertion. Whereas each nation could work and find a vaccine, the society prefers to reject incoming western vaccine thinking that their conspiracy theory is scriptural. We agree with Prophet TB Joshua alluding to the possibility of COVID-19 being a scientific experimental error, possible known to some world leaders and some scientists. This he said during a question and answer time. Let us, therefore, read the Bible, believe the Bible and live by the Bible because it is the Word of Jesus, the risen Christ, the Way the Truth, and Light. In SCOAN our prophet will pray and God from heave will answer. Jesus is risen, yes He is risen indeed.

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