The SCOAN founder pays tribute to 'martyrs' who lost their lives in building incident that happened on September 12, 2014.
Prophet T.B Joshua pens an open letter to victims of Synagogue building collapse.
On September 12, 2014, over 100 people lost their lives when the guest house associated to the Synagogue Church of All Nations collapsed.
The SCOAN founder is honoring these people with a touching tribute, which was posted on his social media accounts.
In it, he notes that the 116 victims of the controversial incident, including 85 South Africans are in glory because death is not, "a period" but only "a comma." He further explains that "when a believer dies, he goes into glory, where there is no conflict."
Continuing, he writes, "Those who try to kill us are only helping us to go home and rest." To the people responsible for the 'attack', he sends a harsh warning: "Those who send us home will go into further conflict; they will have more questions to answer than when they were alive."
He also stresses the need and importance of forgiveness writing: "If you stay free from offense, you will stay in God's will. If you become offended, you will be taken captive by the enemy to fulfill his own purpose and will.
"If He could forgive the people who were killing Him, we can certainly find a way to forgive those who hurt us. When we cannot forgive, we hurt ourselves more than anyone. Nursing a grudge damages our heart."
The Prophet concludes by urging believers to "honor the memory" of these "martyrs of faith", by endeavoring "to live for the Lord and give yourself to the needs of others."
ALSO READ: How Woman Survived After Being Trapped For 3 Days Following Synagogue Building Collapse
Read Prophet T.B Joshua's entire tribute:
"Whether we die young or old, what matters is the grace to continue living hereafter. It is now four years since our beloved brothers and sisters slept in the Lord. We must realize that their death is an unavoidable call - a call to our Heavenly home that no one can disobey. Jesus said that if you do not take up your cross and deny yourself daily and perhaps even get killed for your belief in Him, you are not worthy of Him (Matthew 10:38, Matthew 16:24).
"The level at which Satan attacks us seems to be equal to the level of our commitment to the Lord. I don't think enough people understand this. If you are totally committed to God, He will take up Satan's challenge against you. As soon as we make a true conversion, a commitment asking Jesus to purchase us, we become Jesus' property. Then satan hates us the same way he hates Jesus. That is why the moment we are truly saved, we are engaged in a phenomenal battle (John 15:18–22). We cannot separate warfare from salvation. True salvation is going to put you into direct conflict with Satan.
"Many of us would say: "Why should I suffer or die? After all, Jesus won the victory on the Cross and suffered for me?" But the question we need to ask ourselves is: "What did Jesus say?" He said: "I have said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Master. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you." (John 15:20).
"Anyone who claims that he does not have to suffer because Jesus did it for him is indirectly saying that he is greater than his Master. He is actually contradicting what Jesus said. Basically, we need to give up our lives here on earth and gain eternal life in Heaven. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we are accepting citizenship in Heaven and death here on earth."
"Once Christ purchases us, we become aliens here on earth and there is a barrier between us and everything here on earth. We are servants, we simply obey the command of our Master. We do not decide what suffering we must bear. Many people have been serving the Lord fervently and have come into difficult life situations because of being mistreated by either wicked men or carnal Christians. The truth is that they have been treated unjustly. But to become offended would only fulfill the enemy's purpose of getting them out of the will of God. If you stay free from offense, you will stay in God's will. If you become offended, you will be taken captive by the enemy to fulfill his own purpose and will.
"If we are Christ's followers, we must follow His example. If He could forgive the people who were killing Him, we can certainly find a way to forgive those who hurt us. When we cannot forgive, we hurt ourselves more than anyone. Nursing a grudge damages our heart. Life is too short to waste our time on things that have no lasting value or significance. From eternity's perspective, death is not a period; it is only a comma because of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. When a believer dies, he goes into glory, where there is no conflict. Heaven is our home. A man may die young yet be satisfied with living but a wicked man is not satisfied even with long life.
"Those who try to kill us are only helping us to go home and rest. But those who send us home will go into further conflict; they will have more questions to answer than when they were alive. The wicked seem to prosper now and live without a care but they will spend eternity in terror and despair. How can we honor the memory of the martyrs of faith? Endeavor by the grace of God to live for the Lord and give yourself to the needs of others.
"Romans 14:8: "If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." What a blessed memorial! How do I end this write-up? Here, I drop my pen."