TB JOSHUA, UPTHEGROVE AND THE REST OF US

His sheer presence in the SYNAGOGUE CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS headquarters to fully participate in the Easter celebrations on Sunday, 8^th April 2012, created much interest. As he was called to the pulpit by the Man in the Synagogue, Prophet TB Joshua, the 83-year old cleric, CS Upthegrove, still full of vibrancy and spiritual power, moved with an agility unbelievable of his age, as he was set to speak on elements of vision which was revealed to him 40 years ago on TB Joshua and his ministry.

Naturally endowed with spiritual grace and self-assuredness, Pastor CS Upthegrove was filled with the spirit of innate happiness as he looked around and asked the enchanted congregation to praise the Lord. A man called to preach the Word of God from age 15, this respected American had served with the likes of AA Allen, Oral Roberts and Robert Schuller in the work of the ministry, moving from one part of the world to the other. He has always been happy and fulfilled, doing what he has been called to do and today that he still pastors the AA Allen Church in America, he is determined to remain faithful to His grace and work till he breathed his last, so he told the congregation.

Pastor Upthegrove had come to share that significant moment of grace with TB Joshua, the General Overseer of the SYNAGOGUE CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS and to announce to the world that he was told in a vision that TB Joshua is one of the twelve end-time prophets anointed by God for His service. Thereafter, the seasoned minister of God made a short speech, followed by the handing over of some AA Allen’s mementoes, suggesting confirmation of the continuity of service in the Lord, on TB Joshua.

Referring to the 1960s when the world was yet to know scientific technology, especially the internet, this father of four said serious ministry work involved movement from place to place and it was then AA Allen had prophesied to him, during one of their missionary journeys that a prophet would soon emerge, greater in impact and spiritual strength than all of them; and that the prophet would preach to a multitude of people all over the world and be widely accepted.

The prophecy came to be confirmed to him a few years back, when God told him in a vision that TB Joshua was the man referred to, earlier, by AA Allen (himself an outstanding and universally acknowledged God’s General. God had made it clear, as he prepared to leave America for Nigeria, on this unique occasion of Jesus’ resurrection that he was actually going to a Holy land and this was repeated to him as he landed in the Synagogue premises. Upthegrove said he had prayed earnestly that God should make provision for him to be physically present, as he had also been encouraged by what he encountered on the Emmanuel TV over the years, where unusual deliverances and prophecies happened and being watched by millions across the globe – men, women, young and old, the rich and the poor.

The writer and well-travelled minister of God said, “TB Joshua is from God; this is my prophet”, and that was why he picked up the challenge to personally visit Nigeria. It must be noted that TB Joshua, who has been ostracised by the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), since his venture into the ministry, was now gloriously crowned by one of the world-acclaimed God’s General, AA Allen and his disciple, CS Upthegrove. We are not surprised as TB Joshua himself always declares that God’s authority is better, greater and more profitable than man’s majority and that what people do not understand they call names, but what they understand they destroy. Upthegrove had narrated his personal experiences over the years in his ministry, his encounters with angels and the resultant spiritual empowerment. This credible personality of enviable versatility said God had mandated him to present some AA Allen’s treasured articles to TB Joshua to remind him always of the need to hold on fast to the faith and be more exemplary in performance and character. These included the symbolic personal stamp of Allen’s used on every letter, especially between 1965 and 1968; the “Miracle Magazine”, published in 1964 and photographs of the Miracle Valley in Arizona, California, USA. Though personally handed over to Pastor CS Upthegrove by AA Allen, it was his desire to also pass the “seal of authority” to another prophet of God.

The Easter celebration 2012 was thus of dual spiritual significance. It was to commemorate the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ, as a symbol of God’s acceptance of man and for His salvation. In the SYNAGOGUE CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS, it was a season of authentic confirmation of TB Joshua as a strong tool fashioned by God to be one of the twelve end-time apostles and it was significant that the message was delivered to a God’s minister in far-away land. Who knows whether such a vision has been shown earlier to some of the “Pentecostal rascals” in Nigeria, but out of unbridled hate and envy, they buried the report? But God in His wisdom went to reveal it to one of His highly revered Generals, AA Allen, who in turn passed the information to Upthegrove before he passed on.

The awards to Prophet TB Joshua will not end, really, and this may be confirmed with the recent proclamations by CS Upthegrove, the irrepressible man of God.

By Isaac Ojo-Eleka, Ezekiel Fajenyo & Sunday Patrick