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G.O Dr. OLUKOYA Reveals
Without question, one of the largest and fastest growing churches in the country today is the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry. When this very different ministry with a totally strange way of praying came into people’s consciousness over 30 years ago, many wondered then if the church’s unusual ways and doctrines would stand the test of time. And today, 35 years after, the church has experienced phenomenal growth, one that has left many of its critics absolutely puzzled. MFM now has such a huge following that it’s almost impossible to not find at least 4 out of every 10 church going Christians who are not MFM members. This is a clear testament of the resilience and doggedness of the founder, the very humble, tenacious and highly spiritual Dr. Daniel Olukoya. He and his beautiful and equally tenacious wife, Shade Olukoya, and top hierarchy of the church, have done a fantastic job building the ministry from the very scratch to the phenomenal height it has attained today. And though Dr. Olukoya, modest as ever, has insisted that he did nothing to build the church, that God built the church Himself, everyone that started with him 35 years ago can testify to the incredible work he put into the growth and success of MFM. But the highly respected man of God maintains that he did nothing, all that he did, he said, was ‘to stay focused to the vision.’
During an interactive/prayer session held sometime ago at the Prayer City with the church’s Prayer Warriors, Dr. Olukoya responded to some questions asked him by participants. When he was asked to mention the factors responsible for the phenomenal growth of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Dr. Olukoya responded:
“The Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministry is an institution brought about by the Almighty God and God is the founder and I am just a senior servant in the ministry. Like I used to tell the Pastors, all of us are house boys, I’m just a senior house boy. So, its God that decides what happens in Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry. So, if anybody, including myself, tells you that they responsible for the growth of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry, it’s a big lie. Everything is in the hands of God.
But if you’re talking about factors, the factor that I can point most is being focused. Being focused when people are saying things against you. Being focused inspite of all the conspiracies around you. Being focused inspite of being labeled as strange because it’s not easy to be a lone ranger. But the truth is that, eagles fly alone, eagles don’t fly in flocks. So, being focused is our main agenda. And because we remain focused on prayer, deliverance, solution evangelism, teaching the word of God, holiness, those are major factors. So, those who have been criticising us are now coming back to us because we remain focused. “
And indeed, the church has stayed focused to its cause. Known for it’s fire brand prayers, the repeated mention of ‘Die! Die! Die!’ when praying has become synonymous to MFM. At first, many questioned their mode of praying while pothers simply mocked them. But today, several other churches and denominations have adopted that same mode of praying that they all criticised many years ago. It is no longer uncommon these days to find many people praying the MFM way.
Lately, MFM has had to contend with some not so pleasant controversies, coming from different individuals, including those who were once under the employ of the church and those who probably never stepped foot inside the church but who believe they have an axe to grind with the church. Dr. Olukoya was asked to explain how the church has been able to come out of these controversies unscathed.
The revered man of God simply smiled and responded: “The truth is that we haven’t really had scandals. We don’t have scandals at all. What we have is what the bible calls counter attack. You cannot expect to be firing live bullets at the enemy and the enemy is firing rubber back at you. What we are facing nis the enemy reacting to our prayers, the enemy reacting to what we are doing, the enemy employing people that they think will pain us and attack the ministry. And that is expected. You don’t fire live bullets at the enemy and the enemy is firing rubber bullets back at you.
So, all these things that look like attacks, all these things that look like scandals, they’re not really scandals, they’re just counter attacks por power encounters of reaction by the kingdom of darkness against the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry.”
Dr. Olukoya also recounted some of the covenants behind MFM which many of the members do not even know about. These are some of the things that make MFM unique from other churches. “God said many things that time in that 1977, that’s why I tell many of our ministers and friends and our members, that the covenant of this ministry, it’s only me that knows the details. Some times I share part of it to people. One of the covenant of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry is this: if you are a true member of Mountain of Fire and Ministry, woe befalls any enemy that wants to attack you. It’s a covenant. It’s not a prayer point, but it’s a covenant. If you’re a true member and you follow everything we’re telling you, and you’re not one of those who complain all the time about what we’re doing, but a true member, any power that attacks you or that wants to attack you, the powers are sending a courier letter to violent Angels in heaven to slap them.”
“Part of that covenant is that if you’re a minister here and you’re doing your work truthfully, the Lord will bless you dumbfoundingly. You don’t need to steal, you don’t need to do anything stupid. It’s part of the covenant. It’s also part of the covenant that you cannot steal anything belonging to the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry, if you do, the Lord will treat you like a rag. That’s why I feel sorry when some people come to the meeting of Mountain of Fire, they steal people’s bags, steal their things, I feel so, so sorry for them. Because even if the Police arrested them, there is more problem, the covenant will fight them.”
“Many things were said that time, some have come to pass, some are yet to come to pass. So, the Mountain of Fire you’re seeing now, though its 35 years, it’s like a man running a race and just warming up. So, the best is yet to come up.” And he concluded by asking the already excited congregation to shout seven thundering Hallelujahs.
And from that moment to now, MFM has continued to soar higher and higher just like the eagle. It has been from one incredible progress to the other, with branches springing up in different parts of the country and outside our shores. MFM has hundreds of branches sprouting up in several parts of the United States and the UK, Canada, Germany, Dublin, etc.
– WALE LAWAL
(08037209290)
