LAGOS, NIGERIA — Getting up at 4 AM on Sunday morning, the women walk down to the church. First spraying water to hold the dust down, then bending over using old straw brooms, these women sweep the walkways and entryways of the church in preparation for the day. They are preparing for the prophet to preach the Word of God and pray for the sick. Long ago and far away from there, a one-eyed prophet prayed in humility for God to honor him. William Seymour learned of the power of Pentecost as a porter outside of a meeting room in Houston, Texas. He was a minister, but because he was black, he was not allowed to sit among the white ministers of the time. In the Bible, it says that the porters who served in the temples waited upon God. While William Seymour was a porter, he was waiting upon the servants of God and during his time of service his heart burned for what they were talking about. This servant of God would ultimately take the Baptism of the Holy Ghost to Southern California and then the whole world would know about it. The Prophet T. B. Joshua has a calling like Seymour, and like Seymour, his critics have called him a witch doctor and a false prophet. But the fact remains that the work of his church speaks louder than his critics. It has been a year since our newspaper went to Lagos, Nigeria. At first, we came to see this man of God with questions, but returning to this place of worship we feel the joy of the Lord as we have found out that God sent us on a mission to get to the truth and display it for all men. Most servants of God that have the gift of healing live in the vacuum of their own environment. It’s true that a prophet is not considered worthy in his own country and the call of God on T. B. Joshua’s life will eventually go to the nations. There will be a time when he will have to go out by faith and proclaim the gospel in a foreign land. Like Seymour, he will be ridiculed for what he believes and he will be looked down upon because of the color of his skin, but God will verify His prophet when the time comes. On very edge of the return of Christ, Prophet Joshua will be one of the servants that will go to the nations with God’s healing power. Despite what certain trendy publications have said, there is no mistaking the evidence. When we visited this church last year, we saw the witness, and evidence is greater than a man’s opinion. Today will be a day of resolve in this house and it will be a time of encouragement to the people. As long as the people can see their man, they are encouraged. It is like that in any great move of God — the man of God can feel his people and can sense their faith. That is what it is like at the Synagogue Church of All Nations. The belief and the faith of the people hold this prophet’s hands up to do battle with every manner of disease and illness known to man. In this part of Africa the greatest disease is that of HIV and AIDS.

EVERY MANNER OF ILLNESS

We witnessed those who came in on Sunday morning from the east gate. Every manner of illness comes through the gate, but the HIV and AIDS cases are not let in unless they have a written lab report stating that they are HIV positive. The diseases are separated and those who have gone before and have experienced healing and are a part of the church today counsel the HIV & AIDS people. These patients are taken to another table where the disease is verified by medical records. This has proved to be a great help when the healings occur. Because of the documentation of HIV and AIDS, the greater glory is given to the Lord when healing occurs at the church. Prophet T.B. Joshua will call out those with the illness, ask them to repent and the story will be written later of the healing. Not all are healed in these meetings, but make no mistake about it, there are enough healed here to give Jesus the glory as the healer. The Holy Spirit hovers over this place and the expectance is always great among the people of God. The church has been in a serious building mode for the last 10 months. When we arrived, we witnessed one of the greatest transitions we have ever seen. Last year we saw the thousands crowding into a one-story church that covered the entire property and only had a dirt floor. This year as we arrived, we saw a building that had been built to hold more than 15,000 people at one time. Today the bottom floor of the building would fill up, but the real story here is what is going on to the other areas of the country. Not only has the Synagogue Church built a grand house of worship but associate pastors are now establishing satellite churches all over the country to reach Nigeria. Reinhard Bonnke has come to evangelize the whole of the nation, but the harvest has to be gathered into houses where the full gospel is taught and discipleship takes place.

WORSHIP INCREASED

One change in the church that has taken place and has meant more to the congregation is the worship. Now the full choir, with an outstanding worship leader, is in the center of the church. The Holy sound echoes off the walls and invites the Holy Spirit to fall upon the believers who are there. Last year, the choir was out of sight and the sound was good, but not like it is in this new house. The echo of the glory of God sounds like a giant cathedral where the host of heaven is worshipping. When you walk into the new building, the openness of everything reminds you of some of the larger arenas back home that host the National Basketball League, but in the case of this building, the centerpiece is Jesus and not some overpaid athlete. Building and working around the clock to finish the work by Christmas, everyone involved in this project is giving his time to the church - from the sculptors and the painters, to the carpenters and the electricians. The people of the congregation are doing this work and the church has put together a group of people who have dedicated all their skills to the house of God. Stone workers and many others, including a baker with some of the finest bread. It’s all for Jesus as the sold out people of T.B. Joshua’s congregation prepare for more of the sick and injured to come and be healed by the way of the cross. From the balcony at the eastern end of the great church, you can see a large Islamic Mosque. It brings to mind the real battle in Nigeria, the battle of beliefs. The battle for the soul in this great city now has a witness to help it. You see, when you are sick and infected with HIV, you don’t go to the Mosque for healing - you come to this place where the man of God moves in demonstrations of great power.

When the people of the church come for a service, they come ready for a whole day’s worship. Unlike anywhere on earth I have ever seen, the service starts at 9 A.M. and lasts until 7 P.M. There is a glory that builds the entire day that the people are in the church. Near 11:30, the Pastor comes in and like he always does, walks up and down in front of the people who have come for healing. Make no mistake about T.B. Joshua; he is there for the people who have come to be healed. When Joshua preaches the gospel, he does not use long drawn out illustrations, but keeps it very simple. Joshua’s delivery of the gospel shines the Light into the hearts of his people to reveal their life’s needs. The gospel was meant to be preached this way, but the difference between the ordinary gospel and the full gospel is that deliverance and healing shows up after it is preached. To know the power of God is to know that your church and your people are living a holy life. Most people at the Synagogue love their pastor because he shines the light into the heart.

During the full day at the church, Pastor Joshua delivers two messages to the people in the morning service. He spoke on confessing your sins and God’s willingness to forgive them. There is nothing complicated about his message, it is very understandable and very powerful. Prophet Joshua serves his people well, shining the light of repentance within the hearts of those who are at the church. The whole time he is preaching, he walks back and forth in front of the people who have come to be healed. Many of the people in the congregation have the witness of divine healing in their lives. This church has a true balance of salvation. Brother Joshua preaches on the holy life and then he calls for repentance.

Something that The Remnant noticed was the prophetic gift that moves through him after the preaching. As he moves to each person to pray for their healing, God begins to move through him in the prophetic gift. There is a knowing and sureness in his prophetic gift that comes from the knowledge of God. The balance of this ministry is the gifting of this individual in the Spirit of God, and the simplicity of the gospel to call those to repentance. Make no mistake about this church - it is a church of signs and wonders. The people believe in their pastor.

Brother Joshua came out in the afternoon to see his associate pastors praying for the sick. The power of God is on these young people from South Africa, Ghana, and the United Kingdom. They pray for the sick and the power of deliverance flows through their hands. The pastor comes alongside of his disciples and begins to pray.

DO YOU LOVE YOUR ENEMY?
After the afternoon prayer session, Brother Joshua moves to the other side of the church to once again deliver the message. I was used to just going to church for one hour in my home church, but as the all-day service goes on here, you can sense the Spirit of God increasing as the people sing and praise God until the pastor begins to give his sermon. Much has been increased in this fellowship since our last visit. The afternoon message was on loving your neighbor. Over and over again Pastor Joshua asked the question, "Do you love your enemy? Do you want them to say they are sorry before you begin to talk with them? You must forgive them unconditionally and that will establish the Kingdom of God in your heart. If you want friends, you must show yourself friendly. If you only love those who love you, what does that accomplish? We must love our enemies, that established the Kingdom of God." How simple this was message, but how it did a work in my own heart. As the power of God increased, so did the gifting of the prophet after the sermon. Prophet Joshua began to move in the gifting of prophecy. He moved in Godly knowledge as he said, "There is a person in the visitors who has had a dealing with witchcraft. While you are walking with God today, that element still has a dealing in your life." It was then that a young handsome man from the Austrian group that came to the church just the day before walked forward to be delivered of the influence of witchcraft. Then the prophet called for a woman who had just come to the service. "You did not know this, but the man you were about to contact for an adulterous affair, his wife knew you were coming and your choice to come here today has spared you injury." It was then that a young woman, dressed in yellow and green, came forward to repent from that affair. Joshua then called for a man who had rejected his own baby to come forward. A middle-aged man in a brown suit came forward to repent and then his wife, who was outside of the church, came and joined him. One element that I noticed about the service was the dealing with forgiveness. Repentance moved through the congregation, as God began to deal with individuals all over the church. A blanket Spirit of repentance touched the church as God began to deal with individuals. People throughout the church began move to the aisles in the open areas as one by one they were delivered by the power of God. At the end of the service people began to dance and sing as the increase of God’s glory came through.