She came with a simple gift and message that would speak volumes to men and women of God the world over. A retired teacher from Bayelsa in Southern Nigeria, this woman still had a thing or two to teach the “young ones”. When she spoke, it was with carefully chosen words: “What brought me here is the urge to testify of the goodness of God in my life,” she began. Every ear zeroed in, as she narrated how she had retired from her job in June, 2012 and was forced to wait many months for her gratuity that was supposed to have been paid immediately. She said: “There was nothing much we could do except pray because the pension system is unreliable. So, I kept praying for almost two years about this.”
Mrs. Orugude requested prayers from many pastors for breakthrough, promising she would pay her tithe, but the pension remained withheld.
After she was introduced by a family member to Emmanuel TV, her mindset began to change. “I witnessed the goodness of the Lord and how the God of T.B. Joshua helps people to achieve their goals,” said Mrs. Orugude. A month before this landmark testimony, the elderly lady began to change her prayer points, aligning them with what she saw on Emmanuel TV.
When praying, she would place the documents for the gratuity on the screen of Emmanuel TV, thanking God for His mercy. Then the mighty hand of God touched her!
Within two weeks, she received a call from the treasury, asking her to go to the capital city, Abuja. “I said, ‘Wow! Is it for the gratuity?’ They said, ‘Yes’. Brethren, I knelt down. The joy in me that day, I cannot express it. I said, ‘thank You, Lord. I am going to Lagos’. I decided when I got the money, I would come here [to The SCOAN] to appreciate the Lord,” she said.
Then, while everyone including the millions of viewers across the world watched, the frail woman made a statement that stunned all: “I am here with the small sum of 500,000 naira, to give to the man of God and The SCOAN, as my tithe.” Mrs. Orugude’s declaration soon filled the Church-gone-silent with gasps of astonishment.
A mark had been made! At her age, no one would have expected her to part with such a huge amount of money, at a time when she needed it most. The action could not pass unnoticed by the Man of God, T.B. Joshua. His response to the touching gesture was equally surprising.
He said: “Yes, it is written in the Bible that we should pay tithe, but how can we collect tithe from widows and the aged who are supposed to be under our care? Remember, she has stopped working. She needs our care for the rest of her life. These are the women we should be feeding and taking care of. She is our mother; she is my mother too.”
The man of God then announced that instead of receiving Mrs. Orugude’s tithe, he would support her with an additional 500,000 naira, as a gift to take care of her.
Explaining why he took such a unique stance, T.B. Joshua spoke about the marks of a genuine servant of God: “When God calls a man or woman, what they will eat, what they will use and everything they need for their journey will be provided abundantly by God, because God wants honour and respect for His anointed ones,” he said.
“When a minister begins to depend on tithes, you know he is not a minister of God. It is written that offerings and tithes are very important to the house of God, but a minister of God who is called by God Almighty should not depend on offerings and tithes. Tithe is between you and your God.
“This is a message to ministers of God all over the world. When we collect tithes, we should know those whom we collect them from. Don’t force anybody – it is between them and God. Since the Bible says the door of blessings will open, leave them to God. It is not you that opens the door of blessing. If someone is not giving the right tithe, he will not receive anything from God, and if he is doing the right thing, he will receive from God. Let us worship the Giver of money, not money,” the Prophet said.
This example might cause you to smile but it is just part of the move Prophet T.B. Joshua has been making, along with Emmanuel TV Partners, to fulfil the divine obligation, which requires all Christians to help the elderly.
Every Sunday at The SCOAN, the elderly are allocated a section in the church where they enjoy the company and fellowship of their peers during the service. Additionally, free transportation in luxurious buses is provided to and from their homes, courtesy of T.B. Joshua and Emmanuel TV Partners. A welfare programme is also in operation, granting a monthly allowance, supplies and foodstuffs to each of the elderly in the church.
The Bible makes it very clear that it is not a crime to be old; it is the grace of God. Psalm 91:14-16 says: “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.”
The elderly nurtured and reared us in love, care and warmth. This is the time to reciprocate their love, care and tenderness, now that they are too old to meet their needs unaided. Any community or nation that neglects their old ones, neglects God because it is the will of God to grow old (Isaiah 46:3-4).
Where are your elderly? Care for them and you shall reach old age.
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