JESUS IS THE LORD OF OUR DAYS

JESUS IS THE LORD OF OUR DAYS

October 26, 2012 by thetbjoshuafanclub

T.B. JOSHUA

The large congregation on Sunday 21^st October, 2012 was not unexpected as it has become the rule rather than exception. However, what one can easily point out to as the motivating forces are the miracles of healing, deliverances and blessings in Jesus’ name. In fact, God’s power working through His Word and Spirit are persistent.
The service started with the Prayer Line where the five wise men healed and delivered people with all manners of sicknesses and afflictions, in Jesus’ name. Prophet T.B. Joshua entered the church as the choir continued to render spirit-filled songs. He said that when Jesus Christ becomes the Lord of your life, the Saviour of your days, the Redeemer of your days, the Saviour of your days, the Deliverer of your days, and the Healer of your days, you will think differently, dream differently and have the opportunity of having the Creator to assist you in all you do.

PASTOR DAVID: DELIVERED FROM THE SPIRIT OF STAGNATION AND FAILURE

PASTOR DAVID: DELIVERED FROM THE SPIRIT OF STAGNATION AND FAILURE

PASTOR DAVID

Pastor David came to testify the goodness of God in his life after he received deliverance the previous week. He testified that before he engaged himself in theological school for training as a pastor, he had run away from home because he had hit his father with a sledge hammer, leading to his death after a few months. Before the father’s death, he placed a curse on him. After receiving his qualification as a pastor, Pastor David had established a ministry in Lagos which attracted a lot of people. Initially, everything went very well but it did not take long before calamity struck. One fateful day, the church land became soaked with water and church members left in droves. He lost money; he could not boast of anything and life became terrible. After his deliverance, he was restored back to the original position in which God had created him.

The Work Of The Holy Spirit In The New Testament Church Part 3

Because believers sometimes do not know what they should pray for as they ought, the Holy Spirit helps them to pray. He intercedes for them with God for that which He knows accords with God's will (CP Ro 8:26-27; 1Cor 2:11). Groanings which cannot be uttered in Ro 8:26 refers to prayers to God expressed inarticulately. This points to the intercessory prayer of the Holy Spirit being uttered by believers praying in tongues. The expression of believers' hearts and spirits are taken by the Holy Spirit and made into effectual prayer (CP Ac 2:4; 1Cor 14:14; Eph 6:18; Jude 20).
This is not an exhaustive study, but shows something of the vast sphere of operation of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament church. It is apt then to close the study on His empowering of believers for their witness to Christ in the world (CP Lu 24:46-49 with Ac 1:4-5, 8). Being endued with power from on high, means being baptised in the Holy Spirit. The sure evidence that this has occurred is the recipient's ability to talk in tongues (CP Ac 2:1-4; 10:44-46; 19:1-6). When they are baptised in the Holy Spirit, believers are empowered to cast out demons; take up serpents; not be harmed if they drink any deadly poison; heal the sick; raise the dead; make the blind to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak, etc. In fact, they can do everything and more, that Jesus himself did in His earthly ministry (CP Mk 16:17-20; Jn 14:12-14). This empowering by the Holy Spirit is the inherent right of every believer in Christ throughout the church age, from the day of Pentecost onward (CP Ac 2:37-39). All that are afar off in V 39, includes believers today. (For a more detailed study on the baptism in the Holy Spirit see Lesson 4, Baptism in the Spirit, in author's book Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith, Signs and wonders in God's redemptive plan, in Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith, (Volume 1), and comments on Mt 3:11, Mk 16:17-18, Lu 12:49, Jn 3:3, Jn 3:5, Jn 3:8, Jn 7:37-39, Jn 14:12-14, Jn 20:22, Ac 1:8, Ac 2:1-4(a), Ac 2:1-4(B), Ac 19:11-12, Ro 8:26-27, 1Cor 12:1-11(A), 1Cor 12:1-11(B), 1Cor 13:8-12 in A Question and Answer Study of the New Testament).

The Work Of The Holy Spirit In The New Testament Part 2

After baptising new believers into the church, the next step in the work of the Holy Spirit is to impart new life to them. This is what Jesus calls being born again, and being born of water and of the Spirit (CP Jn 3:3-8). Being born again expresses the change wrought in the life of a sinner after being converted to Christ. This is when sinners become saints. Being born again is a process. It is not limited to the initial act when repentant sinners are first converted to Christ, but is a continuous work of the Holy Spirit renewing and transforming their lives throughout the entire course of their Christian walk. In Jn 3:8 Jesus illustrates the activity and effect of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who have been born again. Just as the wind is invisible but its activity and effect can be witnessed, so too it is with the Holy Spirit. He is also invisible, but the proof of His work is apparent. There is undeniable and unmistakable evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of born again believers (CP Ac 1:1-8; 4:33; 1Cor 2:1-5). Jn 3:3-8 teaches the doctrine of regeneration, or the new birth. This is one of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith (CP Ro 12:2). The new birth is the only way into the Kingdom of Heaven. The water referred to in Jn 3:5 is the word of God - the gospel - which is the water of life. Jesus uses water figuratively in the context of being saved by the word. Being born of water and of the Spirit means being saved by the word of God and being renewed by the Holy Spirit (CP Psa 119:9; Jn 4:5-14; 15:3; Eph 5:25-26; Jas 1:18; 1Pe 1:23; Rev 21:5-6; 22:17 with Eze 36:25-28; Jn 7:37-39; Tit 3:5).
During the process of regeneration, believers must never take the Holy Spirit for granted. While the Holy Spirit alone can regenerate, He never regenerates alone. Their repentance must be sincere, and believers must be completely surrendered to Christ and the authority of God's word for the work of the Holy Spirit to be effective in their lives. Their old sinful nature must yield to the new nature of God imparted to them for the Holy Spirit to complete His work of re-creation in them (CP 2Cor 5:17; Ga 6:15).
Contemporaneous with convicting sinners of their need for salvation, baptising them into Christ and into His body, the church, the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament church also encompasses teaching the church, testifying of Christ, guiding believers in all truths, glorifying Christ, imparting God's love to believers, empowering them to overcome sin, bearing witness to their adoption as sons of God, making known the things God has prepared for them, distributing gifts to the church, enduing believers with power to be Christ's witness in the world, helping them to pray, interceding for them with the Father, inviting all who are willing, to be saved. These works are not conclusive but will suffice for the purpose of this study. Also, they are not in any official order but are listed like this simply to show the extent of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament church (CP Jn 14:26).
This work of the Holy Spirit is to enable believers to understand clearly and to recall the teachings of Christ in scripture (CP 1Jn 2:20). Unction here (KJV), is the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon believers which enables them to distinguish between good and bad teaching in the church (CP V 27). This does not mean that human teachers are not needed in the church, but that believers, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, already known the truth and have no need of any instruction from false teachers who try to seduce them from the truth (CP V 20-27) the Holy Spirit testifies of Christ. He bears witness to believers, then through them, to the world. He glorifies Christ in the outworking in believers of all the Spiritual gifts and graces He distributes to the church (CP Ro 12:5-18; 1Cor 12:4-11, 28; Eph 4:7-16). The Holy Spirit testifies of Christ in everything He has done and is doing in believers. It is only in and through the Holy Spirit that Christ is made known (CP Jn 14:26; 15:26; 16:12-15: 1Cor 12:3; 1Jn 5:5-6).
The Holy Spirit will also raise up dead believers (CP Ro 8:11). Quicken here (KJV), means give life to. The Holy Spirit will raise up dead believers to life at the first resurrection, when Christ comes again to take all the saints of God back to heaven with Him (CP Jn 5:25, 28-29; 14:1-3; 1Cor 15:51-58; 1Th 4:13-18; Rev 20:4-6). The presence of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament church is God's assurance to believers of their future resurrection and eternal inheritance in Christ (CP Ro 8:23; 1Cor 6:14; 2Cor 1:21-22; 4:13-14; 5:1-5; Eph 1:3-14; 4:30; 1Th 4:14). The word earnest in 2Cor 1:22, 5:5 and Eph 1:14 (KJV), is used figuratively of the Holy Spirit which God has given to believers in this present life to assure them of their final redemption. Further proof of this is the love God has for believers which the Holy Spirit has poured out into their hearts (CP Jn 5:1-11). Eph 1:3-14 teaches that through their union with Christ, believers have already been made beneficiaries of every spiritual blessing from heaven in accordance with God's redemptive plan in Christ. Whether redemption, forgiveness, bodily healing, gifts of the Spirit, the assurance of immortality, the promise of the resurrection, the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven, the privileges of adoption, etc. The Holy Spirit is the source of them all.
The Holy Spirit bears witness to believers' adoption as sons of God when they receive Christ as their Saviour (CP Jn 1:12; Ga 3:26 with Ro 8:14-16; Ga 4:4-7). The Holy Spirit leads believers in the way of righteousness. He empowers them to follow after righteousness and not fulfil the lusts of the flesh (CP Ro 6:6-7; Ga 2:20-21; 5:24-25). The Holy Spirit works in the hearts of those who diligently study God's word, and through anointed preachers and teachers God has set in the church (CP 2Ti 3:16-17 with Eph 4:11-16). The Holy Spirit sanctifies believers for their salvation (CP 2Th 2:13). Sanctification in this context defines the work of the Holy Spirit in believers, separating them from sin to serve God; enabling them to live holy lives unto salvation (CP Ro 6:17-18, 22; 1Cor 1:30; 6:9-11; Col 3:5-7; Tit 3:3-7). The Holy Spirit produces Christlike graces in believers that glorifies Christ and ensures their salvation (CP Ga 5:22-25). The Holy Spirit transforms believers into Christ's image. His is a ministry of constant transformation, progressively moulding and refining believers as the reflection of God's standard they behold in Christ (CP 2Cor 3:18 with Ro 8:29; 2Cor 4:6). This is part of the process of believers' sanctification.
Another work of the Holy Spirit attributed to Him in scripture is generally misconstrued by most Christians (CP 1Cor 2:9-10). The things that God has prepared for them that love Him in V 9 is generally construed by contemporary Christians as referring to the wonders of heaven awaiting believers in eternity. But a careful study of the context in which the words in V 9 were spoken, clearly shows that is not correct (CP V 1-10). When kept in context it is plainly evident that what Paul said in V 9 does not refer to the wonders of heaven awaiting believers in eternity, but rather to the knowledge of God's purpose for fallen man, which the Holy Spirit imparts to believers in this life, which is what V 10 clearly teaches. The Wisdom of God in a mystery in V 7 is the gospel - God's plan of Redemption for fallen man through the propitiatory death of His Son, Jesus Christ (CP Ro 16:25-26). It was God's plan of redemption for fallen man through the propitiatory death of Jesus Christ, His Son, that Paul was referring to in 1Cor 2:9 which was revealed by the Holy Spirit in V 10. It was not the wonders of heaven awaiting believers in eternity, as so many think (CP 1Cor 2:11-16 with Psa 31:19-24 and Ro 11:33-36). Had the religious leaders of Israel been open to receiving the knowledge of God, they would never have crucified Jesus (CP 1Cor 2:8).

The Work Of The Holy Spirit In The New Testament Church Part 1

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

As His earthly ministry was coming to a close and He was about to die, Christ told His disciples that He would send them the Holy Spirit to take His place on earth when He returned to the father (CP Jn 14:15-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7). The Holy Spirit has taken over Christ's role on earth and it is only in and through Him that Christ is made known. His primary purpose is to glorify Christ (CP Jn 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-15). Among the many titles assigned to the Holy Spirit in scripture is the Spirit of God (CP Mt 10:20; 12:28; Ro 8:9, 14; 15:19; 1Cor 2:11-12, 14; 3:16; 6:11; 7:40; 12:3, 14; Eph 4:30; 1Jn 4:2). The Spirit of the Lord (CP Lu 4:18; Ac 5:9; 8:39; 2Cor 3:17-18). Another Comforter (CP Jn 14:16). The Spirit of Truth (CP Jn 14:17; 15:26; 16:13). The Comforter (CP Jn 14:26; 15:26; 16:7). The Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (CP Ro 8:2). The Spirit of Christ (CP Ro 8:9; Ga 4:6; 1Pe 1:11). The Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead (CP Ro ;8:11). The Spirit of Adoption (CP Ro 8:15). The Spirit of the Living God (CP 2Cor 3:3). The Holy Spirit of promise (CP Eph 1:13). The Spirit of Jesus Christ (CP Php 1:19). The Eternal Spirit (CP He 9:14). The Spirit of Grace (CP He 10:29). Truth (CP 1Jn 5:6). The Spirit of Life from God (CP Rev 11:11). One bible scholar lists thirty-nine titles of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament but those listed above will suffice for this study.
It is of the utmost importance to believers that they clearly understand the role of the Holy Spirit in God's eternal purpose for the New Testament church. Many professing Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is merely a force, or an influence emanating from God, but that is not correct. The Holy Spirit is, and has always been, an equal member of the Godhead from all eternity. It is vitally important that believers are very clear in their minds of His Deity and co-equality with both the Father and Christ in the Godhead (CP Isa 6:8-11 with Ac 28:5-8; 5:3-4; 1Cor 2:10-12; 3:16; 2Cor 3:17-18; He 9:14; 1Jn 5:6-7). These scriptures all teach the co-equality of the Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead.
When Christ told the disciples in Jn 14:16 that He would send another Comforter to take His place on earth when He returned to the Father, He was referring to the Holy Spirit (CP Jn 14:16, 26). Another in the context of V 16 means another of the same kind. Thus, the Holy Spirit is the same kind as Christ - a person. And also like Christ, equally God. Both Christ and Paul refer to the Holy Spirit in scripture as He, also signifying a person (CP Jn 14:16-17, 26; 16:7-15; Ro 8:26-27). In the KJV the Spirit is referred to in Ro 8:26 as "the Spirit itself". The word itself is an incorrect translation of course and has been corrected in the NKJV to read Himself, the same as in all other versions of the Bible. Other scriptures proving the deity of the Holy Spirit and His co-equality with the Father and Christ in the Godhead are as follows (CP Isa 11:1-5; 42:1-7; 48:16-17; 59:20-21; 61:1-2; 63:1-14; 1Cor 6:11). Like any other person, the Holy Spirit can be blasphemed (CP Mt 12:21-32, (also Mk 3:28-29)); lied to (CP Ac 5:3); tempted (CP Ac 5:9); resisted (CP Ac 7:5); grieved (CP Eph 4:30); quenched (CP 1Th 5:19); insulted (CP He 10:29). The Holy Spirit teaches (CP Jn 14:26); convicts sinners of their need for a saviour (CP Jn 15:26); guides believers into all truth (CP Jn 16:13-14); helps believers pray (CP Ro 8:26-27); intercedes for believers with the Father (CP He 7:25), etc.
The work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament church first and foremost is to convict sinners of their need for salvation. How this happens is that when the gospel is preached, the Holy Spirit awakens in the heart of those open to the gospel a consciousness of sin and the need for forgiveness (CP Jn 16:7-11 with Ac 2:14, 22-24, 36-37). As they hear it, those open to the gospel are made aware by the Holy Spirit of God's standard of righteousness in Christ. They are convicted of their sins and their need for forgiveness, and believe on Jesus for their salvation. Next, the Holy Spirit baptises them into Christ and into His body, the church. This is how the church is constituted (CP Ro 6:3-7; 1Cor 12:12-14; Ga 3:26-27; Eph 4:1-6; Col 2:10-13). Ro 6:3-7 and Col 2:10-13 both illustrate the work of the Holy Spirit in new believers' spiritual resurrection from being dead in sins to a new life in Christ. The Holy Spirit has raised them from death to life with Christ (CP Ro 6:13; Eph 2:1-6; 5:14).
When new believers are baptised into Christ and into His body, the church, the power of sin over their lives is broken, and they need never yield to sin again. The Holy Spirit has broken its power over them (CP Ro 8:1-4). The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus refers to the liberating force of the Holy Spirit empowering believers to say no to sin (CP 2Cor 3:17; 10:3-5; Eph 6:10-18). The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus is not a written law, but a regulative principle emanating from the Holy Spirit which energises or activates believers to desire, and to do, God's will (CP Ro 6:17-18; 7:4-6; 12:1-2; 1Cor 6:19-20; Php 2:12-13; Col 3:1-10, 12-17). The Holy Spirit empowers new believers who have surrendered their lives to Christ, to live a Godly life. This is the newness of life Paul refers to in Ro 6:4 and the newness of Spirit in 7:4 (CP Ro 6:4; 7:4 with 8:5-17; 2Cor 3:18; Ga 2:16-20; Eph 2:1-9; 1Pe 1:3-5; 2Pe 1:1-4).
It should be noted here before moving on that Ro 6:3-7, Ga 3:26-27, Eph 4:1-6 and Col 2:10-13 are all widely taught in the contemporary church as referring to water baptism. In particular, Ro 6:3-7 is taught as illustrating the spiritual significance of water baptism; that going down into the water symbolises dying to sin, and coming up out of the water symbolises being raised up in a new power to live a righteous life before God in Christ. But that is not correct. If it were then Paul would be teaching baptismal regeneration, which is totally unscriptural (CP Ro 6:3-7 with 1Pe 3:18-21). 1Pe 3:18-21 fully explains the real significance of water baptism, which is physical and cannot save. It clearly has nothing whatever to do with the baptism referred to in Ro 6:3-7 which is Spiritual, and is the only baptism whereby one can be saved. This teaching also applies to Ga 3:26-27, Eph 4:1-6 and Col 2:10-13. They too have nothing whatever to do with water baptism. The element into which one is baptised determines what sort of baptism it is, and clearly these scriptures all teach the baptism of repentant sinners by the Holy Spirit into Christ and into His body, the church (CP Eph 4:1-6). Here Paul illustrates the sevenfold Spiritual unity of God and believers: one body - the church; one Holy Spirit; one hope of the Christian calling; one Lord; one faith; one baptism, and one God (CP V 1-3). Paul is exhorting believers here to be unified in the spirit, because, as he points out in V 4-6 there is only one body in Christ - the church - and they were all baptised into that body (CP V 4-6 with 1Cor 12:12-14). The church is called "Christ" in 1Cor 12:12-14 here and is compared to a human body with its many members. This shows how the church is constituted: the Holy Spirit unites repentant sinners with Christ as members of His body when they believe on Him for their salvation, as was noted earlier in this study.

You can visit another Benny Hinn Site

A Bioghaphy of William Branham

"Healer and Prophet "

William Marrion Branham was born April 6, 1909 in Kentucky near Burksville. His parents were extremely poor farmers. As Branham got older they moved to Jeffersonville, Indiana. They were so poor he did not have a shirt to wear to school and he would wear a winter coat inside so he would not have to expose his poverty. He had no religious training, but at an early age heard a voice say to him "Do not drink or smoke or defile your body in any way, for when you get older I'll have a work for you to do." This so terrified the boy he ran away as fast as he could.
Branham did not have a grid for what had happened to him, but tried to obey what he'd heard. He continued to struggle with God, and when his brother Edward died he began to seek Him. Still it wasn't until he became seriously ill that he turned his life around. He believed he was about to die. While he was in the hospital he heard the same voice that had spoken to him in his childhood. It repeated the same thing three times 'I called you and you would not go.' He told God "if you let me live I'll preach the the gospel". He felt somewhat better that day. After he got out of the hospital he began to seek a church that would lead him to repentance. He found a disciples church that believed in the baptism of the Spirit and anointing with oil. They prayed for him and he was instantly healed.
He was on fire from that point on. For six months he cried out to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. One day God's presence came upon him in a mighty way. He felt God called him to preach the gospel and pray for the sick. He was 24 years old and he began holding tent meetings and doing what God had asked him to do. He saw many people converted. In 1933 he also saw a series of visions that spoke about the coming years including the rise of Nazism, Facism, and Communism.
With his ministry now rolling, he built an independent Baptist church in Jeffersonville, Indiana. These were happy years for Braham. He married and had two children. During this time he became interested in the Pentecostal meesage, which was still highly controversial at that time. He attended a Pentecostal convention, and was asked to join them as a traveling evangelist. He believed that this was God, but was talked out of it by friends who thought it too controversial. He turned them down. Everything seemed to go wrong for him from that point on. His church began to fail and his wife and daughter were killed in the Ohio River flood of 1937. He believed he was under judgement from God for not doing what he was called to do.
Branham struggled over the next several years. He worked as a game warden, and a logger, and sometimes preached. He married his second wife Meda, and eventually had three more children. One day he went off to pray by himself to see if could find out God's heart for him. He repented of his choice to not go with the Pentecostals. On May7, 1946 he had a visitation from an angel of God. The angel said he was a seer prophet and would have two distinct signs in his life. The first was that he would be able to detect illness in people, and the second was that he would see sins in their life they needed to repent of.
Branham started his healing ministry immediately after this visitation. He started in St. Louis and then went to Texas, Louisiana, Florida, California, and eventually all over the United States. In 1948 Branham was visited by Jack Moore, a pastor out of Shreveport, Louisiana. He was so impressed he took Branham to several churches across the United States. When Moore had to return to his home church he contacted Gordon Lindsay, who took over as Branham's campaign manager. The meetings were so dramatic that Moore, Lindsay, and Branham began the magazine and organization named "The Voice of Healing" which was headquartered in Shreveport, Louisiana. The original purpose was to report on Branham meetings, although it later expanded to include many other healing evangelists. On one campaign trip in Florida F.F. Bosworth, who had an extensive healing ministry of his own, joined the organization to support Branham's ministry.
These meetings kicked off the healing revival that began in 1947 and continued through the 1950s. Although he was the first, and most well known, several other healing evangelists were also raised up including A.A. Allen, Jack Coe, and Oral Roberts. Branham said himself that "Deaf, dumb, blind, all manners of diseases have been healed, and thousands of testimonies are on record to date. I do not have any power of my own to do this... God always has something or someone to work through, and I am only an instrument used by Him." The most famous healing in the history of the healing revival was when William Branham prayed for US Congressman William Upshaw from California. Upshaw had been crippled in a farming accident as a youth and was healed when Branham prayed for him. Branham eventually took international trips to Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, and India.
In the mid 1950's things began to go wrong for Branham. He had run his organization in a loose manner and felt God would take care of everything. In 1955 Branham started having financial problems. He was not having the same success in his meetings and was having trouble covering his expenses. The California Campaign put him $15,000 in debt. Others were called on to help make up the differences. The IRS began a review of his finances and found he had never kept good records of the money that flowed in and out of his ministry. It was not that he was keeping an extravagent lifestyle, quite the contrary, he lived an extremely simple life. Branham simply didn't track where the money went. The outcome was a settlement where Branham owed the government a staggering $40,000 in back taxes.
By 1957 it was clear that God was taking his hand off the healing movement. Branham was exhausted and refused to do large meetings anymore. He was surrounding himself with supporters who began to control who was allowed to see Branham and who wasn't. Gordon Lindsay attempted to see Branham a month before he died but refused access to Branham by the men around him. Some of those were suggesting that he was Elijah the prophet heralding the end times. His friend Gordon Lindsay felt he was falling into the same delusion that took John Alexander Dowie and wrote that in the Voice of Healing magazine. People who knew Branham say that he never made the Elijah claim on his own. Things were definitely out of balance in Branham's life. He ministered primarily in Arizona in the winters in the last few years of his life to support his family.
In 1964 Branham had a vision where he was riding tired into the sunset. He understood that God was warning him that he would die soon. In 1965, while driving to Tucson, Arizona Branham's car was struck by a drunk driver. He lived a fews day longer and then died on Christmas Eve, 1965. A couple of years before his death he asked his dear friend Jack Moore and his daughter Anna Jeanne to write his biography. He warned them that there would be a lot of confusion that came in about his life after he died. Unfortunately they did not have the time to do what he asked, and confusion did come in. Some people created a religious group around Branham's teachings, becoming known as Branhamites. Others wrote him off as a heritic. Branham was, and continues to be, a highly controversial figure in the healing movement. Probably the best known book written about Branham is Gordon Lindsay's "A Man Sent From God", which was published in the 1950's.

A Biography of Oral Roberts

"Miracles and Healing"

Granville Oral Roberts was born January 24,1918 in Pontotoc County, near Ada, in Oklahoma. His parents were deeply religious. His father was a farmer who also preached the gospel and established Pentecostal Holiness churches. His mother regularly prayed for the sick and led people to Christ. While she was still pregnant, Robert's mother committed Oral to God's service. Even though Oral had a very strong stutter his mother would tell him that one day God would heal his tongue and he would speak to multitudes.
The Roberts family was desperately poor. When Roberts was 16 he moved away from home, hoping for a better life. He rejected God and his upbringing. He started living a wild life and his health collapsed. Roberts had contracted tuberculosis. He returned hom and eventually dropped to 120 pounds. He was a walking skeleton. God spoke to his older sister, Jewel, and told her that He was going to heal Oral. During this same time Oral turned his heart back to God and gave his life to Christ. A traveling healing evangelist named George Moncey came to Ada and held meetings in a tent. Oral's elder brother was touched when he saw friends of his healed in the meeting. He decided that he should get Oral and bring him to be healed. On the way to the meeting God spoke to Oral and said "Son, I'm going to heal you and you are to take my healing power to your generation. You are to build me a University and build it on My authority and the Holy Spirit." Once at the meeting Oral waited until the very end. He was too sick to get up and receive prayer, and so had to wait for Moncey to come to him. At 11:00 at night his parents lifted him so he could stand. When Moncey prayed for him the power of God hit him and he was instantly healed. Not only that but every bit of his stutter was gone!
After Roberts was healed he began to travel the evangelistic circuit. He met and married Evelyn Lutman, a school teacher from the same Holiness Pentecostal background as Roberts. They had their first child Rebecca and then the entire family began traveling as ministers. In 1942 they left the evangelistic field for awhile and Roberts became a pastor. He also returned to college to further his education. While a pastor he prayed for a church member whose foot was crushed. The foot was instantly healed. God continued to speak to Roberts about his call to the multitudes. God called him to an unusual fast. Roberts was to read the four gospels and the book of Acts three times consecutively, while on his knees, for thirty days. God began to reveal Jesus as the healer in a new way. God also began to give Roberts dreams where he would see people's needs as God saw them. God called him to hold a healing meeting in his town. A woman was dramatically healed, several people were saved and Roberts ministry changed overnight.
Roberts resigned his church in 1947 and began an itinerant ministry. Notable healings began to occur. One man tried to shoot Roberts. God used the story to bring him media attention, which expanded his ministry very quickly. Roberts felt called to purchase a tent and take his evangelistic ministry to larger cities. His first tent held 3,000 but he quickly exchanged it for a tent that held 12,000. In July 1948 The Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association was established. Oral began traveling continuously throughout the United States. Like many of his Pentecostal brethren Roberts held inter-racial meetings. This brought him a lot of negative attention from groups who didn't like his stand. He even received death threats for not holding segregated meetings. In 1956 Roberts was invited to Australia. He held meetings in Sydney and Melbourne. In Melbourne there were outright physical attacks and destructive gangs. He was literally driven out of the city for praying for the sick. Often when people discuss the healing revival of the 1950s Oral Roberts and William Branham are listed as the most widely recognized leaders of the movement. Others came along side and many emulated them, but they were the most widely recognized personalities.
Roberts was a man who understood and used the media. He began publishing a magazine almost immediately upon starting his ministry. He grasped the power of radio and television. In 1954 Roberts began filming his crusades. He began playing his sermons on radio and then airing the crusade tapes during evening television prime time. People began writing to the Ministry headquarters by the thousands. They were accepting Christ as their savior after seeing a person healed on TV. By 1957 the ministry was receiving 1,000 letters a day and he was getting thousands of phone calls. He established a round the clock prayer team to answer calls and pray for people who contacted the ministry. In 1957 Roberts counted 1,000,000 salvations. Between 1947 and 1968 Roberts conducted over 300 major Crusades.
In the late 1950s Roberts began to move on the vision God gave him to build a University. It was chartered in 1963 and became open to students in 1965. Roberts was having a significant national impact in the late 1950s and early 1960s. For several years his named appeared in the Top 100 list of the nation's most respected people. Although Roberts continued to hold healing meetings his focus shifted to the University and the television programs.
The 1970s and 80s brought many difficulties to the Roberts family. Their daughter Rebecca and and son-in-law Marshall were killed in a plane crash. Their son Ronnie, struggled with depression after serving in Vietnam. He grew despondent after losing his job and committed suicide. Richard Roberts got a divorce. After Richard remarried he and his wife lost a new born son within two days. What a heartbreaking time for the family. Then Roberts had a vision to build a hospital where people not only received care but received healing prayer. It was to be called City of Faith. Roberts put his heart and soul into the project, believing that God would build it as He had the University. The hospital struggled along and Roberts called his followers to give to the project, believing he had a vision from God to raise the money. It was built, but never succeeded financially, and finally closed in 1989.
Roberts retired in 1993, at the age of 75. Roberts, with his wife Evelyn, moved to California to live near the coast. Evelyn died in May 2005. Although Roberts influence waned after the problems of the 1970s and 1980s, he was still recognized for his pioneering work on the "sawdust trail", television evangelism, and building a Christian University. He often appeared on religious broadcasting networks as a recognized leader in the healing movement of the last half century. He died December 15, 2009 at the age of 91.
Want to know more about Roberts?

A Biography of Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke

Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke
A Biography

Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke is principally known for his Great Gospel Crusades throughout the Continent of Africa. The son of a pastor, Reinhard gave his life to the Lord at age nine, and heard the call to the African mission field before he was even a teenager. After attending Bible College in Wales, and his ordination in Germany he pastored a church and then went on to start missionary work in Africa. It was there, in the small mountain kingdom of Lesotho, that God placed upon his heart the vision of 'the continent of Africa, being washed in the precious Blood of Jesus' — an entire continent, from Cape Town to Cairo and from Dakar to Djibouti that needed to be reached and to hear the proclamation of the signs-following Gospel.
He began holding meetings in a tent that accommodated just 800 people, but, as attendance steadily increased, larger and larger tents had to be purchased, until finally, in 1984, he commissioned the construction of the world's largest mobile structure — a tent capable of seating 34,000 people! Soon, attendance at his meetings even exceeded the capacity of this huge structure, and he began open-air Gospel Campaigns with an initial gathering of over 150,000 people per service! Since then, he has conducted city-wide meetings across the continent with as many as 1,600,000 people attending a single meeting using towering sound systems that can be heard for miles.
It has now been some thirty-five years since Reinhard Bonnke founded the international ministry of Christ for all Nations (CfaN), which currently has offices in the United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Nigeria, South Africa, Singapore, Australia, and Hong Kong.
Since the start of the new millennium, through a host of major events in Africa and other parts of the world, the ministry has recorded 55 million documented decisions for Jesus Christ.
As part of the discipleship-training program, 185 million copies of CfaN follow-up literature have been published in 103 languages and printed in 55 countries. Millions of books have been printed and freely 'seeded' in nations around the world. All this is in addition to the 'Reinhard Bonnke School of Fire,' an online, self-study course, aimed at inspiring others to Holy Spirit Evangelism and leading to either a certificate or university credits.
Reinhard Bonnke is also recognized for hosting 'Fire Conferences' in many different countries of the world, events that are aimed at equipping church leaders and workers for evangelism; for distributing over 95,500,000 copies of Minus to Plus, a profound salvation message, to homes around the world;
and for seeking every opportunity to reach and to save the lost.
More recently, Bonnke has spent several years developing the 'Full Flame Film Series,' a series of eight inspirational films aimed at inspiring and challenging the church to Holy Spirit evangelism.
He is known as one with a burning passion for the Gospel, a vision for Africa and a message for the world.
Evangelist Bonnke is married to Anni, father to Kai-Uwe, Gabrielle, and Susie, and grandfather to eight grandchildren.

 

 

HAVE IMPARTATION BREAKFAST MEETING WITH EVANGELIST REINHARD BONNKE AND DANIEL KOLENDA IN ORLANDO

HOME | CRUSADES | MISSION JOURNALS | PRAYER REQUESTS  | CONTACT US  | SHOP | DONATE NOW | REGISTER

PASTOR LUCY PAYE TENIE – DELIVERED FROM EVIL FORCES

       PASTOR LUCY PAYE TENIE – DELIVERED FROM EVIL FORCES
The USA based pastor (with a prophet for a husband) and co-founder of The End Times Ministries had come to the church, having watched numerous miracles performed and shown on Emmanuel TV. The evil spirit which spoke through her said it was responsible for fighting against the ministry, especially the commitment towards liberating Africa through the mechanism of Christianity. It said it was a collection of evil spirits from under the sea, which specialized in confusing people and creating sicknesses all over them. She had worked on a number of items (like a foundation centered on the less privileged and victims of HIV/AIDS, orphans, widows, etc) but had often procrastinated. She had told the church today, that she had only come for deliverance but was shocked to see what happened to her. She said she had pursued a career in medicine and now Biblical studies. She said deliverance is an important process but it must be done in a living church because though delivered before now, nothing worked for her.
Prophet T.B. Joshua spoke on the need for people to be aware of the fact that one may not know himself and that God can use anything to do His work. Works of charity must be done consistently to “prove that you are a servant”.

ROLAND FOMUN MANGOH: DELIVERED FROM AN ADDICTION TO EATING FAECES AND DRINKING URINE AND SPERM.

  ROLAND FOMUN MANGOH: DELIVERED FROM AN ADDICTION TO EATING FAECES AND DRINKING URINE AND SPERM.

A 23-year old Cameroonian, Roland, felt happy whenever he ate his faeces and drank his urine and sperm. An intelligent student who once was teaching his classmates, had started the addiction when he was 8 years old; that was 15 years ago. He had gone to pastors and witch doctors to no avail, though he said there was no record of mental problems in his family. Prophet T.B. Joshua had asked the congregation to stretch their hands towards him for prayer and he was delivered. He was asked to go and taste the faeces, urine and sperm he used to enjoy consuming but immediately fell to the ground before he could even try it. Prophet T.B. Joshua did not join in the prayer offered by the congregation for Roland’s deliverance although he had given the instruction in righteousness for the prayer because according to the man of God, those who prayed were anointed by God to do so. He also asked people to specifically pray for unique anointing in their lives, as something divine cannot be ordinary. After his deliverance he took a hot shower, brushed and rinsed out his mouth and had a wholesome meal replacing his usual appetite for faeces, urine and sperm.

KEEP YOUR MYSTERY

KEEP YOUR MYSTERY

October 18, 2012 by thetbjoshuafanclub

The Sunday service started with the Prayer Line, as usual, in which people with diverse health problems were healed in Jesus’ name. Prophet T.B. Joshua then arrived in the church to speak on diverse issues of great implications. He said, in the world, there would be different events but Christians should cheer up because they have overcome the world, according to the Scriptures. He said a Christian should not be ruled by his/her situation but that he/she should be determined and stay true to their purpose, despite snow or rain.

Using the examples of David and Daniel among others, he said that in the midst of hardship, campaign of calumny, name calling and condemnation, we should soldier on if we are called by the Most High God. He said our challenges can only test us but cannot destroy us; our challenges (sickness, hardship, etc) will prepare us for extraordinary service. The challenges, he said, are the tests which should not be dodged because without tests, there can be no promotion; such challenges are opportunities to honour God before men.

He advised that it is better for a Christian to keep his/her mystery because it is a means of protecting them. He said when men know and understand you, they will destroy you but when they do not know or understand you, they will call you names. He said that a man without mystery will never be controlled by situations. He also said that anyone who forgets where he/she is coming from is finished. As Christians, our lives should serve as sources of hope to others. Tests are meant to strengthen our determination for God and to prepare us for the future, which is why no matter how far we go, we should always remember where we are coming from.

The History Of The SCOAN.

The SCOAN

The physical structure of The SCOAN has gone through different stages. Each stage served a purpose! Before moving to our present position, The SCOAN has had three previous locations. The roof of the first church was blown off by a storm, the second church was washed away by a flood while the third church also collapsed due to severe weather conditions. Shall we say all these happened without God’s knowledge? No. In every situation, God is still saying something. Today, The SCOAN is an architectural masterpiece located in the heart of Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos

History

All The Way Long

The First Church

There is an unseen hand in the affairs of every man of faith. God is the unseen hand that brings everything to pass.
As a Christian, whatever situation you are in, do a proper reflection. I mean sit down and reflect on life itself and you will discover that nothing happens for nothing, nothing comes by chance.
The Synagogue, Church of All Nations did not just come by chance – it was as it should be by divine will. Right from the start, God Almighty has been the divine driver behind our fortunes and the inspiration behind the whole set up.
We want to take this opportunity to acknowledge how He has intervened in our affairs all the way long. If God had not overcome for us, there would be no need to tell this story…

Everything Big Start Little

God has set a time for everything: a time to be born, a time to grow, a time to face persecution, a time to overcome and a time to show the proceeds of victory.
If you look at life, you would see that everything big starts little. A mighty cathedral starts with one brick. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. You were once a tiny embryo in your mother’s womb, but today, see how big you have become.
Luke 13:18 – Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches.”

The First Church

A Christian home does not come by luck. It is not a thing of chance or accident. You don’t just find yourself in it; it is something you have through conscious effort or genuine willingness. So also, The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations that you see today did not just happen, it was built.
Many years ago, a small gathering of eight members came together to hold their first meeting in a humble shelter in a squalid, swampy jungle, in the location of Agodo-Egbe in Lagos, Nigeria. For everything God created, He allotted a specific and definite purpose. The purpose and mission of the church was simple and clear – to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).
As time went on, it became increasingly clear that T.B. Joshua was not just an ordinary pastor, preaching ‘ordinary’ words and doing ‘ordinary things’. Right from the onset, he has believed that serving God is not doing what many do but doing what the best do.

“Everyone has a calling. If you follow the direction of your calling, you will surprise yourself, you will astonish yourself – you will make a difference in your world.”

The Second Church

Clear evidence of outstanding miraculous occurrences began to arise. The lame began to walk, hopeless cancer patients were lifted from despair, desperate situations were turned to scenes of life, joy and peace. On seeing the extraordinary power of God in the life of this man, one cannot but ask questions: ‘Can this be true in our days?’ ‘Can a human being perform such feats?’ ‘Is the Bible still true for us today?’
Anointing does not work through plans, methods or machinery. It works through suitable men. T.B. Joshua is simply utilising the power that has been given to all believers (Luke 10:19). “ Jesus is disappointed that men lack the necessary faith to release the power that has been given to them.”God has no hands but our hands to do His work.
Right from day one, the focus in The SCOAN has never been on the healing but on the Healer, whose name is Jesus Christ. As T.B. Joshua always says: “I am not here to introduce you to healing, but to the Healer .” The only genuine reason for receiving is salvation (Matthew 6:33).
He says: ”I am not the healer. I know the Healer. His name is Jesus Christ. It is not my work but my faith in His finished works. It is God’s strength that is made manifest in my weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

Church of All Nation?

The Third Church

God had planted a vision in the heart of T.B. Joshua. Some would think it strange for a church of just a small number in a humble area in Lagos, Nigeria to be prophetically named a church of all nations but for the vision in the life of T.B. Joshua. The name given to the church is testimony to the prophetic insight given to Prophet T.B. Joshua and his calm and determined focus on that vision.

“Your future must move into you before you can move into your future.”
This dream was known to him alone. No one else believed his dream nor even understood it. His vision was his direction. He allowed that dream to be his best influence rather than the opinions, advice and criticisms of others around him.
“If your mind agrees in your relationship with God, what your circumstances look like, what you see, what people say or do concerning that relationship cannot affect it.”

Prophet T.B. Joshua knew that the service of the Lord is a thing of the mind, and your mind will always ask you to do something uncommon, rare and different. For you to have what you have never had before, you must do what you have never done before (Matthew 14:28-31).

Synagogue?

Some might wonder, why ‘Synagogue’? The Bible says Jesus entered the Synagogue and sent out all that were not of Him, all those things that He had not planted. As it was, so it is. As He worked in the Synagogue of old, Jesus is still working in the Synagogue today. The Son of God healed and still heals all kinds of sickness and disease. What is happening today is just an extension of what happened then.

Move On As Jesus Did

Old Building of SCOAN

On the instruction from the Holy Spirit, The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations moved to a large expanse of land in Ikotun-Egbe, in the outskirts of Lagos. Thousands began flocking to the services as they heard about the miraculous events taking place there (Matthew 4:23-24).
If the road is smooth, the journey calm and everything is going well for you, be careful. The Bible says narrow and rough is the road that leads to life. That is, anything close to Jesus receives attack. If satan knows you are not bothering his kingdom, he would not bother to attack you. The occurrences in The SCOAN attracted the attention of satan and his agents. Agents of satan were sent to come and put out the light in the life of Prophet T.B. Joshua, but their missions failed. Satan is powerless in the face of God’s armour and power. They came in mass seeking to destroy but were instead delivered by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is simply because Prophet T.B. Joshua recognized that the victory had already been won.
“Whatever I am today is a product of the conviction that victory through Christ Jesus is victory indeed. The rest is history.”

Crowds Fill the SCOAN

Isaiah 2:3 “Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”
As the awareness spread, people of every colour, culture and creed started coming to witness the power of God in the The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations. Countless testimonies continued flooding in as every manner of sickness and disease bowed and submitted to the indisputable authority in the name of Jesus Christ. There is no reason to doubt His sufficiency. His healing, blessing, deliverance are unlimited!(Hebrews 13:8).

Instruction In Righteousness

It was then that another mighty work began in The SCOAN. God Almighty instructed Prophet T.B. Joshua to build a cathedral that would reflect His glory and majesty.
Just as David received instruction to build the temple and Moses received instruction to build the tabernacle, the same God, who changes not, was the inspiration behind the construction of The SCOAN you see today. When you follow Jesus in righteousness, the impossible will become possible for you.
There was only one architect involved in the planning – the Holy Spirit.   When the Holy Spirit talks, we must obey, because changes are beginning.

New SCOAN Under Construction

In a very short space of time, an area without walls and barely a roof was transformed into a mighty cathedral. Hard benches were replaced with comfortable chairs; poor lights were turned to intelligent lighting; fans were exchanged with refreshing air conditioning. The great changes that took place in such a limited time span has become a subject of debate. The will of God will never lead you to where the grace of God is not sufficient to cover you. Glory be to God!
Everyone has received something from God that is capable of being planted. Members willingly sacrificed their time, strength and money to build their church. Everyone played their own role and used the gifts God had given them to contribute to the success of the building.
Just one walk into the church helps to cultivate an atmosphere of faith and a consciousness of Christ’s presence. On all the windows, the galleries and the floor, there are Bible passages and words of encouragement and inspiration to lift your faith. The ceiling also displays many pictures depicting the suffering of Christ and the apostles of old, creating opportunity for sober reflection and self-examination.
“God is in the House through His Word, by His Spirit.”

The Church Today

The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations

Although the physical structure of the church has changed, the vision remains the same. Millions continue to receive the knowledge of saving grace, and to see the undeniable evidence that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
God continues to use Prophet T.B. Joshua as an instrument of healing, prophecy, deliverance, blessing and salvation. Healings of HIV-AIDS, cancer, paralysis, and of many other sicknesses and diseases occur every week, proving that Jesus is who He says He is, He has what He says He has, and He can do what He says He can.Every Sunday, our live services are broadcast to millions around the globe through Emmanuel TV, and the cathedral is always filled to capacity with worshippers from across Nigeria and the world.
‘Church Of All Nations’: what to some was mere wishful thinking is becoming a visible reality today. The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations is now spreading throughout the globe. Currently, we have branches in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Greece and Ghana. That name was not just given for nothing. God had a plan and purpose. The unseen hand is at work, and we know that this higher hand is leading us to something higher.

“If God gives you a vision and it is opposed by men, do not reduce it; stay in faith in Christ Jesus.”
Where God guides, He provides. Where he provides, He protects. A million thanks are not enough for all He has done!

The Race Continues

“The race is not for the beginner but for the finisher.”
The journey continues. It is not about the messenger but the unchanging message. It’s not about the miracles but the Miracle worker. It’s not about the man, but the Maker. It’s all about Jesus Christ. The eternal message of our Lord Jesus Christ will last forever, even in the face of life’s uncertainties.   This is what we are born for, what we are living for and what we are going to die for.
Wherever the road may lead us, the vision that gave birth to this ministry many years ago is the same vision that wakes us up in the morning, sends us to sleep at night and is preparing us for the journey tomorrow. And what is that vision? One way; one job. The way is Jesus Christ; the job is to talk about Him to others.
Life is a warfare. In a war, there are many battles to be won. Each time God sees you through a battle, it is right for you to say, “Thank You, Lord” and glorify Him. It is a way of encouraging Him to see you through future battles, because there are many battles ahead.

Deuteronomy 1:30-31 – “The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”
He has carried us all the way long. This story is not intended to show off, but as a way of glorifying God and saying, “Thank You, Jesus”.
The best is yet to come…