November - 2008

Twenty-four hours after leaving Atlanta, GA, the tops of buildings, dwellings, and crowded streets come into view from my window seat high overhead. My first glimpses of Lagos, Nigeria is one of an ever-expanding city sprawling out to fill its 11+ million inhabitants.

My goal isn’t so much to relate my travel experiences, as much as my travel purpose. Thousands of visitors come every year to experience the miracles that happen daily at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, founded by its overseer and spiritual leader, Prophet T. B. Joshua.

Like most prophets and miracles workers, he has suffered at the hands of religious critics, and ignorant persecutors of all things supernatural. Nevertheless, I found in this humble man of God a strong compassion for the lost, the hurting, and the needy. He exemplified the nature and character of Jesus Christ, and used the authority given in His Name to heal the sick and cast out demons.

As a side note, I would mention in my week’s stay, while it may happen, I didn’t witness one person who did not receive their miracle, their healing, or their deliverance. Not unlike early century apostles and prophets of Acts, demons would cry out and fall on the ground screaming as this man of God would approach them. The miracles I witnessed were amazing. The deliverances were astounding.

While you can read more on Prophet T. B. Joshua in our book - Supernatural: Living Under An Open Heaven - I will mention what the Holy Spirit said to me when I first witnessed his ministry via the internet.

That doesn’t mean we will all oversee global miracle ministries. It means God has graced us for everything we will ever personally face, as the victor, not the victim.

I believe in the power of the impartation. That is, one can receive of anointings, power, and authority, transmitted by the Holy Spirit from one person to another. What one person has labored, wept, fasted and prayed for can be transferred to another person who is equally as hungry, yet didn’t “pay the price for.” But, has paid a price in their hunger and desperation.

(This isn’t a commercial, yet, you can read more of impartation from our book, The Power of Impartation.)

My one goal and reason for going was to receive of the anointing and authority on this man’s life. As Bill Johnson says, (and it’s true) “The things that you need will often be brought to you. The things you want, you’ll have to go get it.”

If you are of the garden-variety Christian that thinks, “If God wants me to have it, He will give it to me.” Respectively, you will never comprehend what I am saying.

On Sunday I worshiped with 10,000 Africans from 9 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon. That isn’t an exaggeration, nor am I “evange-lastically” speaking. Not exactly a “seeker-friendly” service. However, it was an all out “Spirit-friendly” service. I witnessed more than 60-70 miracles of healing. As well as heard their testimonies the next day as they came back to give God the Glory for their miracle. What a “novel idea.”

At the close of the service we joined our 10,000+ voices together to repeatedly cry out in unison, “Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me. Prepare my heart to follow you.”

The power and presence of God was indescribable. You could literally feel droplets of Holy Ghost fire falling on our faces, arms, and hands. The charged atmosphere of God’s Presence caused many demon possessed people to fall in the floor, screaming, as the ushers would seek them out and drag them to the altar where the ministry assistants would complete their deliverance. 

How could I tell people were delivered? By the expressions on their face. Smiling, happy, joyful, free!

My friends and associates all ask me, “Did you get what you went after?”

On Sunday Prophet Joshua laid hands on me twice during prayer time. The anointing was very thick and heavy. Mind numbing for those who understand what I am saying. But, I still wasn’t satisfied, even as he laid hands on me, I was crying out loud, “More, more, more!”

I had asked the Lord for a private, one on one meeting, and it had yet to occur, even as Monday evening came around, my last day in Lagos. Early Tuesday morning, unknown to me, I was scheduled to fly the inaugural, the maiden voyage, the very first direct, non-stop flight, between Lagos, Nigeria and Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

I went to bed late Monday evening without having spent my 'one on one' as I had desired. Kenny, one of the young interns who was assigned to assist me while there, said repeatedly, “It will be as the Spirit wills.” You cannot imagine how tired I was of that phrase.

At 1:30 in the morning, just hours before I was to depart, came a knock at my door. I opened the door to see Kenny standing there grinning from ear to ear. We both knew why he was there. He smiled widely and said, “The Prophet will see you now.”

As the Spirit wills. Sometimes if the Spirit isn’t moving, we have to move the Spirit!

I am grateful for our brief, early morning visit. Of course, I recognize it as all God, all Jesus, all Holy Spirit. Yet, He has chosen to work through man. Man is God’s chosen vessel to spread His Love, His Glory, His Power.

We talked for a short time, but I quickly came to the purpose of my visit. I don’t have a plan B. That’s great if you do. I have put all my “eggs in one basket.” I have burned all bridges behind me. Either God shows up and does what He does, or I die. That isn’t a “martyr mentality” it is a “faith mentality.”

Our small talk regarding years in ministry came to a quick conclusion as I told him I’m not leaving without what I came for. The man of God was obviously tired and weary from lack of sleep and demands of ministry. He rubbed his eyes and forehead slowly as though in deep thought. It appeared he had forgotten I was even in the room with him.

He seemingly tried to discourage me of this pursuit as he spoke very generically about times and seasons of God. I thought of Elijah attempting to dissuade Elisha in his pursuit of the double portion.

I interrupted his commentary and said, “No! Moses laid hands on Joshua, Paul laid hand on Timothy, I came here for impartation. America needs this. Nations need this, I need this!”

Apparently that was what he was looking for.

“Give me your right hand.” he said very emphatically. He opened a bottle of olive oil and poured it in my right hand and closed my hand, making it into a tight fist. He then said stretch your hand out, as if we were going to shake hands. As I did, he placed his right hand within an inch of mine but never touched it. He began to wave and shake his hand at mine and gradually pulled his hand away. I “felt” nothing. He looked at me and said, “It is done.”

I believe it. I received it. The proof however is, as they say, in the pudding. It would be another story within itself of what has transpired this past week. Miracles at the Bremen Food Bank stepped up another notch this past Tuesday. We will leave that and other ministry events for another time. I will just say...I got what I went for.

The one unique thing about impartation is this: you only get to keep what you give away. It will only stay fresh as you use it. There is no such thing as a “closet anointing.”

I will never be the same.