Good looking preacher, Dr. Chris Okafor, weeks before Nigeria experienced the last two plane crashes, had prophesied about that. Unfortunately, rather than heed his warning and pray to avert them, may acted otherwise. In this new interview with the General Overseer of Mountain of Miracles and Liberation Ministries, aka Liberation City, with headquarters in Ojodu, Lagos, the Umunze, Anambra born minister of the gospel told YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, AZUH ARINZE, the only way to avert additional plane crashes. Enjoy…
Recently, you made a prediction about a plane crash and not long after, we had the first one, then the second one. I remember also that you said that the plane crashes could be averted once people pray. Was it that they didn’t pray or what?
You see, our responsibility, just as you are a journalist; your responsibility is to report and do investigative journalism. But as a prophet, when God reveals, He reveals. But there are specific instructions that God gives and when God gives such instructions, my own duty is to pray and when He warns the government, religious sector; this is what they are to do and they don’t give in to it, there’s a limit to what we can do on our own. It’s like for example, if God says I should tell you don’t travel on so, so day and on your own you decide to travel on that day; the person travels and something happens, it doesn’t mean the prophet did not pray. You prayed, but there are other instructions to be carried out. So, before this, there was a revelation. We have been praying and it’s our duty. As a church, we pray for this nation, we pray, we lift up Nigeria week in, week out in prayers. And when God revealed that there’s going to be (a) series of plane crash, we gave the message and also sent out messages to the aviation agencies that they have to be careful. They should do everything they have to do. You see, while we do the spiritual side, they also need to do the physical side. It’s because it’s the spiritual that controls the physical that when God reveals, He gives warnings to nations, to people on what they ought to do, they must obey. So, as a church, as a responsible church, we prayed and did the ones that we ought to do. They needed to also do their own. It’s like if you go to a doctor, a medical doctor, he gives you medication; that this is what will help you to cure whatever situation and if you go and you don’t take the medication, you won’t blame the doctor.
Now, did you see the two plane crashes or you saw only one? Because there was one in Lagos and another one in Kaduna or so?
Yeah, the prophesy says there’s going to be (a) series of plane crash. We have it on record. In fact, it was during a live service viewed by more than 7 million people all over the world and more than 15,000 members here. So, it was something on air. It was recorded. Remember, we are on live telecast. Every of our service is live on Liberation TV, so it’s a warning that we should pray, that there are series of plane crash, both internationally and locally. They should watch it. There’s been international plane crashes happening…
(Interruption) – So, what is the way out?
The way out is 1. You see, even if you have an issue, if I’m a medical doctor and I can cure whatever problem you are going through, I cannot go to meet the person by force. It is unethical and it is unlawful for a doctor to run after somebody and begin to inject the person. The person has to go to the doctor; that’s why Jesus said it is the sick that needs physician, the one that is healthy does not need physician. There was a time in Israel when there was famine in the land, the people came together to pray. But in Nigeria, there are too many interests. People have interest in different things. But in the church of God in Nigeria, there is no co-operation. It will take the church to come together, stand together, fight together; this is a spiritual battle. In the Bible days, in Egypt, when they were about to kill Peter, the church said no, we are not going to allow this to happen. The church came together to pray. The Bible said when they prayed, an angel was sent to rescue Peter. The cycle of what’s happening to them did not repeat itself. Because of their prayer. So, prayer, our prayer as Christians is what gives God divine authorization to act on our behalf. If we refuse to pray, nothing will be done. Now, I can’t come to pray for you by force if you don’t offer yourself for prayer and if I say this is what God says you should do, and you don’t do it, there’s no way any prayer I pray for you can work. So, Nigeria must come together, the government of different states must come together and then their different Christian bodies; how many times do they come together to pray for the nation? That is another thing.
Why is it that most times the prophets give prophesies, but the people find it difficult to keep to the prophesies?
Yeah, because the Bible says the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. It’s like that even in the physical, spiritual…You know some people, they go to hospitals, they give them medications, they won’t take it. Some other people, they go to doctors; doctors tell them don’t eat this food, don’t eat that food. For example, a diabetic patient, they say oh, don’t eat this food, eat this, you will stay alive and they will say, how can somebody be eating only protein and not eat carbohydrate? It’s like that. You see, prophesy means God speaking. Now, if somebody is under bondage, something put the person in bondage and whatever puts a person in bondage does not want the person to be free. So, the power will also counter whatever will help the person to be free.
Now, what is the best way to avert occurrences like this? Especially after a prophet like you had gotten the message…What must the people do so that things like this can stop happening?
What the people must do? 1. The people must always adhere to instructions, because it takes instruction from the Lord to eliminate destruction. For example, in 2Kings chapter 5, this man, Nahman, the Syrian, an honorable man, a General in the Syrian Army; through him God brought deliverance to the people of Syria. But the Bible said he was a leper. Now, when he heard about Elisha, he went to Elisha. Elisha gave him instruction – that the Lord said you must go dip yourself into river Jordan seven times and then you shall be made whole. But do you know what happened? The man became angry, he became furious, he said why should a man of God ask me to go and dip myself into the water? I thought he should’ve prayed for me. You see, people already made up their minds the way they want something to be done. But the way you want it to go is not the way God wants it to go and then they cause problem, conflict of interest in such kind of situation. So, the best way out is No. 1 – Like the mother of Jesus said in John 2 vs 5. She said whatsoever he asks you to do; do it. It’s difficult for people to obey instructions and that’s why a lot of people go through problems and they think God cannot answer the problem. It is foolish for anyone to think that God cannot answer prayers, because the Bible says fool says in thy heart there is no God. There is nothing God cannot do. Now, you pray; when you pray without understanding and there is no prayer strategy, then your prayer can be hindered. But why should you be struggling when you already know what to do? It’s like you are coming to this office; you don’t need to go and be beating around the bush. You know your way. But somebody who doesn’t know his or her way; it might take the person 3 hours and meanwhile in the actual sense it takes only 5 minutes to get here because of knowledge.
What’s new about Liberation City?
Every day God is doing something new in Liberation City. We have a mandate that God gave to me – to reach one billion souls. So, everyday God is doing something new. We’ve seen miracles, we’ve seen people giving their lives to Jesus, we’ve seen people travelling from all over the world, coming to worship in Liberation City. Like in the week under review, there are a lot of people from different parts of the country, Europe, Africa, Asia coming to worship in Liberation City. To us, this is nothing but the hand of God and it is marvelous in our sight. It’s only God that can make this happen. There is something here, there is something God is doing here. If not, people will not come, buy tickets and come, with all the things in Nigeria. It can only be God! Yeah!
You said you have a mandate from God to reach one billion souls, how many of those souls have you reached now?
You see, we can’t keep counting. But Jesus said this gospel must be preached to every creature, then the end will come. If we keep counting, we may be deceived. You know why? I have visited different nations already; different parts of the country. Like we just came back from Port Harcourt (in Rivers State), the other time we were in Kogi State, Enugu, different parts like that. We’ve been to America this year, been to UK and we are still having a lot of crusades that will take place in Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Kenya. We have Spain, we have Italy, we have Greece, many of them. So, in different places we go, we see a mammoth crowd, we see thousands of people giving their lives to Jesus Christ and this is the mandate. This gospel must be preached to every creature. Then, the end will come. In Lokoja township stadium, we had over 40,000 people and we had thousands of people giving their lives to Jesus Christ. So, it’s something new every day. Because every day God is doing something new. There is never a minus, but rather it’s a plus.
Even as a prophet, you must have asked God for many things that He has not done. Which are the ones you’ve asked Him that He hasn’t done?
No one yet! (Laughter). No one yet! That one has not come. No one yet! No one yet!
What’s the greatest thing that you asked Him to do for you that He did?
So many things! At least, the life that I’m living. You know, you come to a time in your life where you will say ah, if God will do this for me, I will serve Him all the days of my life. Like 3 years ago when I was attacked. It was like I will not come out, it was like I will die. Then, in that situation, I called upon the name of the Lord and God answered me. So, one of the greatest things…because when it comes to life, there is nothing we can use to compare this life. So, if God rescues you; you see death face to face, you see it as a situation of no return and you prayed to God; God, there is nothing more I ask of you than to give me chance to live again and if God has done that, there is nothing more.
When you were in captivity, you must have made some promises to Him. Have you fulfilled all the promises?
Every day, every day…I’m making and fulfilling them all. If you are seeing the Chris Okafor Humanity Foundation, where we raise people, we have our skill acquisition…Recently, we empowered about 150 persons after about 3 weeks to one month of getting different professionals, paying them so much, to train these people. So, they are skilled people now, then giving each of them N50,000. 150 persons! We have done this again and again. Like every last Saturday of the month, we give rice to over 1000 widows. Like yesterday, we gave rice, we gave clothes, wrappers to them. And we take evangelism basically to the destitute. Sometimes we go out here with almost a trailer load of rice and when we are coming back, we will not come back with anything. It’s the fulfillment of that and God giving me the privilege to do this. There’s nothing that can be more fulfilling.