7 Lessons I Learnt From TB Joshua
I have penned my encounter with the Prophet, TB Joshua, a controversial servant of God who has been called all manner of names like the “Witch of Endor”. Some of the controversy surrounding the Prophet is based on one claim that he “got born again from his mother’s womb”. We know a lot of preachers have made oversights, some say things the wrong way but meaning something else.
In my appraisal and by what I understand from the scriptures, the said claim shouldn’t have been the only basis of judging the Prophet. There is such a thing as giving people the benefit of doubt when it seems we do not understand people initially. Saint John writes
“This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.” — 1 John 4:2
Right here we see the most basic way to know that a man has the Spirit of God. It is not deep.
There are denominations today who do infant baptism, they believe that a child who is not baptized would go to hell when they die as children and got no chance to decide for themselves. These denominations make up the highest percentage of “Christianity” today but nobody attacks its entirety as fake, people rather pick out what they feel isn’t correct about their doctrine and make their comments on it. I think that’s how someone like Prophet TB Joshua should have been treated. One can say “I don’t think the claim is scriptural” without branding his ministry in its entirety as fake or demonic.
I once asked his critics “what precisely was wrong with his ministry? Is it the odd miracles? Is it his teachings or what?” There wasn’t any straightforward answer. Most critics of Prophet TB Joshua are confused, they do not know what they are fighting against, they just inherited their opinion of the Prophet from public opinion.
Recently, I published an article concerning his departure, the title is “The Witch of Endor”. Now, I want to sum it all up by sharing a few lessons that I have learnt from him, a man who lived all his ministry life condoning all the hate from his fellow saints, those who he called “brothers”.
1. YOU DON’T NEED ENDORSEMENTS
A lot of young preachers are self-contradictory in their teachings, they are drooping from pillar to post because they want to be on good terms with certain people, they need endorsement. Prophet TB Joshua proved that you do not need endorsements to be great. He was scorned and rejected by the “fathers”, it didn’t matter. While endorsements are great, your life doesn’t end without them.
2. YOU CAN LOVE IN HATE
Prophet TB Joshua was hated. For some people, they were doing the right thing. We shouldn’t love the devil after all and they believed that Prophet TB Joshua was the living devil. However, unmindful of their hate, he didn’t become grouchy, he didn’t respond to hate with hate. He was harmonious with his display of love. Whether you think he was faking it or not, I doubt anyone could fake love for a long time. We must not let people’s hate affect our love, we must not let people’s nature change who we are.
3. AMID CONTROVERSY, YOU CAN STAY FOCUSED
The ministry of Prophet TB Joshua was full of controversy and one would expect that each time there was a controversy, he should speak up about it and clear the air. That wasn’t TB Joshua, he had no time for such. He remained one of the most difficult conundrum for people. When you tune in to his TV Station hoping to hear him clear the air, you see him either working miracles or teaching in his usual manner. He acted in a way that clearly said “if you want to believe me, believe me. If you want to believe my traducers, you are equally free. It is up to you what you want to believe.”
4. GROWTH IS CONSTANT
If you had followed the archives of his early ministry, you can’t help but wonder how far the Prophet has grown in wisdom and knowledge. You will see how far God can take a man who stays focused on him. In the early days of his ministry, as an educated man, he acted in ways that may not resonate well with many believers. He unobstructedly expressed himself in the best way he knew how to but he didn’t remain there. He kept building himself, his expressions were getting clearer, his teachings were becoming much more sound and powerful even for the educated.
The SCOAN of today is so much a contrast from what it used to be. This is because growth is constant. Never loathe your process, never write off the days of your humble beginning. Even as the Prophet has grown, he wasn’t hesitant to identify with where he was coming from.
5. QUIETNESS IS GOLDEN
When Jesus was being mocked and accused, the Bible made it clear that Jesus was quiet, he didn’t say a word. Prophet TB Joshua lived such a life of quietness to some extent. While others were calling him names, he never responded to them in the manner that they were reviling him. Not once will you hear him call any Pastor names.
6. YOU DON’T NEED FORMAL EDUCATION TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Like I pointed out earlier, Prophet TB Joshua wasn’t formally educated but it didn’t limit his impact. SCOAN is an international ministry, people come from far and near to pay homage to TB Joshua’s ministry. If you didn’t have the timeliness to get a formal education, never see it as a constraint. You can still make an impact.
7. YOU CAN LIVE WITHOUT RESPONDING TO YOUR CRITICS
At many times, we want to clear the air, we want to explain ourselves especially in the face of criticism but that isn’t TB Joshua. He proved that we can live our lives and live fulfilled without responding to critics. He had every reason to respond but he chose to stay focused on his calling. This is a great virtue!
These are some of the things I learnt from the life of Prophet TB Joshua who passed away on June 5, 2021. I believe it blessed you.
Originally published on George’s Diary
