‘It’s counterproductive to mortgage our lives for vanities of this life’

In this interview with SEYI JOHN SALAU, Pastor Festus Oluwatosin Adewole, general overseer of Christ Crusaders’ Deliverance Ministries, Akute, Ogun State, spoke about his 19 years experience in God’s vineyard, the testimonies from his ministry, and other issues. Excerpts: 
As a preacher there must have been a history before your conversion, could you please tell us about that journey?
I grew up in an environment where nobody cared about who God is. Nobody taught me the way of God. I was living and growing daily with rebellious spirit. From my childhood, I was addicted to alcohol drinks, caused havoc to members of the community, smoked cigarette, womanised and all manner of evil. I had no respect for any elder. Satan was busy using me to perpetrate all kinds of evil deeds. I did not know I was doing anything wrong. I thought it was a normal life. If I was not around, the community would be peaceful. As soon as I returned, every parent began to keep their children inside their houses because I had a roaster for people that I beat daily. You do not have to offend me before I beat you. If you are on my roaster on a particular day, I would trace your address and bring you out and beat you except I did not see you. I would go to church to steal money while people are praying. But one day, specifically January 12, 1987, I went to Apostolic Faith Church at Olayiwola Street, Agege with the mission to go and steal money but Jesus arrested me. I cannot explain how it happened but all I knew was that Jesus appeared to me and showed me the evils that I have done. I was ashamed of myself and I started crying like a new born baby. That was where I was led to Christ and since then, I started a journey of eternity with Christ. Satan is deceitful. When you are committing sin, he will encourage you to continue but you never know he is preparing you for perdition. Every sinner is in bondage. You may have money, children, wealth and all sorts of earthly possessions but you are a slave to Satan. He can take anything from you any day. Apart from that, the end of your journey after this world is hell fire. I thank God I was delivered to serve Him. That is why I have made up my mind that I will not spare the kingdom of darkness. I have declared a total war against Satan and his cohorts.

What are the challenges you have faced in the past 19 years in your deliverance ministry?
There are so many challenges. As a deliverance minister, majority of the congregants are women but God has really helped me to overcome because of the covenant between God and me. There have been series of open confrontation with witches and wizards because of their victims that God used me to deliver. There have been challenges with jealous men and women of God. There have been several scandalous cases.
How do you overcome the challenges associated with ministry?
I am so close to God and anytime challenges come, I go back to God that called me and there is always a solution. I have never been overcome by any challenge; rather it is always promotions and progress thereafter.
Christ Crusaders’ Deliverance Ministries is 19 years old. Can you share with us what God has done and how you got to this height?
I really want to appreciate God for his faithfulness so far. We have cause to celebrate because of all that God has done for us especially in the past 19 years of the ministry. It has been gallery of praises since we started this year’s anniversary. We set aside one hour daily, 6am to 7am to praise God, no prayer since Monday, and praise night on Friday. We also held three-day crusade at Osaro Junction, Akute from Tuesday to Thursday. We have reasons to praise God because of His goodness over us. This is a place where a ‘nobody’ becomes a ‘somebody’. Our slogan here is ‘my enemy must die.’ Life is not a funfair; it is a warfare. We teach people how to live a holy life and fight the battle of their life on their knees after which they come back to testify the goodness of the Lord. The journey has been full of ups and downs but God has taken all the glory. If I look back and imagine how we started, I have nothing to say than to thank God. We started this ministry at Oore Ofe with 13 members under two borrowed canopies. Today, by the grace of God, we have seven vibrant branches both in Lagos and Ogun State with dedicated ministers, workers and members. We have a vision and that is, to set the captives free through prayer and deliverance. And God has been supporting this vision. I prayed to God to give me the grace that anybody that comes across me and my ministry with tears on his face should go back home rejoicing. God has answered that prayer. As you can see for yourself, people have been sharing testimonies about what God did for them on this mountain. Many women that came here with 25 years of barrenness have come back with their covenant children. People that doctors have written off their cases, saying they have few hours to live are alive today because they have been touched by the God. How many HIV positive individuals, after prayers on this mountain, have gone back to the laboratories and confirmed that they have been restored? Many people came here wretched and almost making up their minds to commit suicide because life has no meaning to them again. But we prayed for them, introduced them to Christ, told them it was because of them that Jesus Christ came, died and resurrected. Today, they have recovered their destinies and doing exploits in the vineyard of God. It is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our sight.
Marriage is something the enemy is using to attack young Christians today, what is your advice to Christian youths on the issue of marriage?

Marriage is a life contract. It is another journey of life and wrong choice will make someone to endure for life. Heb. 13:4 is God’s standard for marriage, it says: “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral”, (NIV). As a lady, keep your virginity. Do not allow anyone to take advantage of you because of money, job or assurance for marriage. If you do, you have broken the bond of security for successful marriage. As a young man, do not sleep with anyone you have not paid her bride price, it is a curse. Wait upon God for the bone of your bone, do not manipulate. If you jump in without God, very soon, you will jump out and it may be too late for you.

Let’s talk briefly about politics, how do you see governance in Nigeria especially with the president being away?

My candid advice to all leaders in this country whether the President is in the country or not is that they should remember that position is not eternal. One day, death will come and they will spend their eternity either in hell or in heaven. Any country that sheds innocent blood and refuses to consider the masses is under the curse of God. Whether you are a Senator, Governor, President, Local Government Chairman or anything, be careful, bloodshed carries a lot of generational curses.

What is your message to politicians as they prepare for 2019 elections?
They should go there with interest of people that vote for them in their heart and also possess the fear of God. They came to this world naked and coffin is the last office they will enter one day, no one can dodge it. And you know, the coffin will be so narrow that it cannot contain any other thing apart from their dead body. Why then should issues of life be a life and death affair? Vanity upon vanity, all is vanity. How many presidents or heads of states have died before? So, everyone would go one day. We should allow this principle to guide us anywhere we find ourselves.
What is the legacy you intend to leave behind as a minister of God?
The legacy of complete obedience, loyalty to undiluted word of God, and holiness that qualifies us for heaven.

Finally, what lesson has life taught you these years?
Life is all about solving problems. The Bible says in the time of peace prepare for war. So, I learnt that I have to be prepared always and never allow anything to catch me unawares. Again, I notice that behind any challenge, there is always a hidden glory. So, the lesson is that I must not be moved by whatever happens at any time because behind it lies my songs of praises.