UNITY OF THE WORD AND SPIRIT

by thetbjoshuafanclub

UNITY OF THE WORD AND SPIRIT
Sunday November 30, 2014 was a symbolic day as it marked the end of the eleventh month of the year. As such, the Sunday Service at The SCOAN held with all the frills of heavenly joy. The Spirit-filled congregation danced to the melodies emanating from the choir which has always lived up to the musical expectations of the entire church. Their pieces and the energy with which they are rendered touched hearts and created the right mood for the Spirit of God to swing into action. Again, it was another massive turn-out as the congregation, both those within the main church auditorium and those in all the overflows, came in the hope of having an encounter with God.
Delivering a message titled “THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT MUST JOIN”, the man of God Prophet T.B. Joshua highlighted the connection between constant prayer and the fulfilment of our wishes and desires. He explained that the Faith Bracelet was therefore meant to help us cement the unity between the word and our hearts. The man of God also encouraged Christians to meditate on the Word always stressing that it can shape their characters and conducts: “A break in prayer is a break in faith. We are to pray all the time. Faith counts in whatever we do. Are you sleeping or looking? Faith counts.  If the Word dominates your mouth, one day it will pay off. The heart will bring it to fulfilment. We all know when the Word dominates our hearts, it influences our conduct and behaviour. The Faith Bracelet will help you to think about what you read in the Bible”.
According to the man of God, the heart is synonymous with the spirit. This means that the Word will only become very productive if we allow it to germinate on the fertile soils of our hearts. He observed that, the more we allow it to dominate our mouth and hearts, the more it will pay off. Quoting John 6:63 – which says: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life,” the man of God admonished that failure, refusal or inability to speak from the heart or spirit amounts to nothing: “If the Word is not from your heart and you say, ‘In Jesus’ name’, you are speaking to yourself. You are calling a certain man called Jesus on earth, not Jesus of Nazareth we know”.

Analysing the functions of both the Word and the Spirit, Prophet T.B. Joshua observed that, despite the varying roles they play, both still had to be united or joined to be able to make positive impact on the life of a person. He re-emphasised the role of the Faith Bracelet in ensuring that the joining of the word and spirit for impact is attained: “There are two functions – God’s Word refreshes our mind; God’s Spirit renews our strength. These two must join – the Word and the Spirit. if not, the Word goes nowhere. The Word and the Spirit must join. The Spirit will be released to the degree we stand in reverence or honour of God’s Word. So, what is the function of the Faith Bracelet? To dominate your mouth. When the Word dominates your mouth, one day, it will pay off and dominate your heart”.

On how to read the Holy Bible, the man of God revealed that it has to be done slowly and meditatively, explaining that the Spirit of God is a gentle spirit and therefore is not in a hurry: “You must read your Bible slowly. You may understand the language but it does not mean you understand the Word – because it is not history. You may understand all the grammar, language and idioms as a professor or educated person but that does not mean you know the meaning of what you are reading. Read it slowly first because the Spirit of God is a gentle Spirit. If you want to rush and finish the Bible, you are deceiving yourself. You must read it slowly, attentively and repeatedly”.

And on where to read in the Bible, the man of God taught that it is God that gives direction through the Holy Spirit and as such, Christians are expected to precede their Bible reading with prayer so that they may be given direction: “Many ask, ‘Where should I read in the Bible, as a Christian? Do I start from Genesis, Matthew or Revelation?’ You must first pray before you open your Bible. Pray for God to direct you where to go and where to start. After prayer, you can open your Bible”.

Concluding, the man of God urged Christians to make the most judicious use of the forthcoming New Year as a time to suffuse themselves in the Word of God: “There is no better way to celebrate the upcoming New Year than to have God’s Word in your heart. Christians today don’t have a basic knowledge of God. It’s like a student who did not learn ABC but now wanted to write someone’s name. It can never be possible”.
Earlier on, the service began with a powerful message from Evangelist Evelyn Joshua titled ‘Jesus Christ, The Life Coach’. In the message, Evangelist Evelyn spoke on the need to involve God in each step of one’s journey through life, stressing that when you make Jesus Christ your Boss, you will be connected to the One who created you and thus enjoy His peace, success and contentment.
“Every human has a hunger to know He who created him or her; we all desire to experience God in a unique way,” she stressed. “Until you experience God, there would be dissatisfaction in your life.” She further encouraged the congregants, “If you know that God will rescue you in the future, you will hold steady, trust Him and not listen to the temptation to act out of character.” She concluded by advising everyone to learn from the lifestyle of Jesus Christ – ‘Our Life Coach’.