Snr. Prophet Gbemiga Faith Adetuberu is the founder of Faith and Miracle International Church, with its headquarters in Ibadan, Oyo State. He has been noted for outright prophesies concerning national and global issues. In this interview, he speaks with FRIDAY TREAT about what he envisions for Nigeria, its youths and his other prophecies.
Did your parents; being pastors, influence your decision to become one?
It actually ‘deinfluenced’ it. I knew I was called at a very young age; precisely around seven, eight but I rebelled when I was a teen because of the things I saw in the church settings. I am a pastor because I am called.
Do you think social, political and cultural biases have effect on what prophets utter or declare?
There are three kinds of prophets basically; the true, false and the fake; the true prophet gets information from God through the Holy Spirit , the fake from what the environment tells them and the false on the other hand gets prophesies from spiritual sources, such as through the dead, witchcraft or other forces. If someone comes in June and says it is going to rain, that is forecasting which anyone intelligent can get. A few prophesies the Lord has helped me to say had no signs, no reason; for example the COVID prophesy came in October 2018. Nobody even saw it as reasonable until 2019 and that was something that had no prior forecast. True prophesy is not based on what goes on around.
Were you bothered that your prophesies about COVID pandemic happening caused any controversies about you when it didn’t happen afterwards?
First thing to note is prophesy is about timing and is beyond what people think. Sometimes you may say something and it might change. It happened with Jonah and Isaiah in the bible. God changed some words and the prophets had to say something different. That looks very controversial. Being a prophet means you are out of what people think or say about you?
International bodies got interested in your ministry after the COVID prophesy came to pass, how did you feel about it?
Humanly, because of my introverted nature I was a bit scared, well, just because I didn’t really want the attention. I got some calls from South Africa, United Nations, but I needed to take my time because there is time for everything.
How do you bridge the gap between religious and human beliefs since people have doubts based on what they see; how then do you convince?
Time tells. Truthfully, we have gifts of prophecy and other gifts scripturally, which are actually supernatural and definitely controversial. If someone told you about your past without meeting them before, they will believe. Prophesy judges itself; it proves itself.
Are there times you go silent about words of prophesy?
There are things one ought to say and others you have to be quiet about. Prophesies should be for exhortation, comfort and edification. Keep quiet and pray about it except it is to warn. An example was during one of our services where the word came that dollars would rise to 420 which was shared so people can prepare , you know, sell their Naira, but many people didn’t’.
Do you consult bodies before revealing visions, especially when it has to deal with the nation, and governance?
I am accountable to God. When you begin to seek consultations,it becomes politics and you become partisan. A prophet is not supposed to be Nigerian, Yoruba or human, he is a prophet.
Would the nation have been better if there are more men of God in power?
No matter how good you are as a person, when you get to some certain places you change. The Vice President is a pastor and that’s like being alone in the midst of everybody. When you take God, a deity or religion out of the leadership of the people, the nation falls. China and India have a religious set up and a form of fear not because they are different but there is just an entity that keeps them controlled than other places like America where people are so free. Africa is still where it is because religion is the only thing we have that keeps us safe. Opium keeps people sane; religion is our opium, and the religion we have in Africa and the world is what is keeping us. A mother will annoy her child at times, but you just don’t shoot her when you remember the verse “honour thy father and your mother”.
How did Faith and Miracles International Church come to be?
I heard the word of God. Light has seven colours and those are the dimensions of God. Every ministry is a side of God. FMIC is a dimension of God and we believe in miracles and healing.
With kidnapping, banditry being rife in our society, does it mean Children of God are not doing things right; what is missing exactly?
There is this mentality that comes with Christianity that Christians are not supposed to go through any challenges, but if you look at the bible, Christians had trials; Paul and John were beheaded. Being a Christian doesn’t mean not facing things, it is about what happens after where we are going. The religion itself is not an escape card; that is a Euthopian mentality. We ought to be ready for it.
And how do you balance the home and ministry?
You must marry your wife. Everything is good until the dog marries a cat or a lion marries a sheep. Don’t be unequally yoked with the unbeliever. That doesn’t mean the person is a cultist and you are a child of God; it just means you are both not aligned. If you are a man of God, marry someone who understands you… it is the thing with dynasty and royalty.
What other things are you involved in?
I am a musician, though this is controversial. Music is part of what I do. I play the guitar too. I have written a few songs. I play the guitar internationally and I use it to worship God.
What are the challenges faced so far?
I don’t consider those things challenges. The taste of water is not in the argument of tasting. I don’t also put it upon myself to convince people. In the days of Elijah, 98 percent of the prophets were of Baal yet he was among them as a true prophet. Real people will always override the fake ones in time.
What should our nation prepare for now against the future?
Nigeria is a blessed nation and Nigerians need to add works to their prayers. When you have learnt the act of working and praying, things will be better. In Nigeria, the truth is poverty has been weaponised to be able to control the narratives of the people. The narrative is like this; ‘why do you give jobs to people when you can hold back jobs, just give them money to vote or rig for you during elections’, but I see the Lord is going to change that narrative. Poverty will be decentralised and broken. I don’t know how God is going to do it. God will do things that international bodies will step in, especially for the youths. That’s when we will be able to vote for the right candidates.
What words do you have for the president and our leaders?
Honour those who rule over you because God put them there. President Buhari was a soldier and he could have died in the war but he didn’t’t die there. 2015, I made the prophesy that he was going to win the election against former President Jonathan; he would be sick but he would not die.
My advice is that people should pray for him. It is hard to rule five people; human beings are the toughest to rule. Every animal is true to its nature, you can’t put a lion with a sheep, or a rat with a snake. But human beings, we all look the same, only our intents are different. It is so easy to speak against somebody when you are not in power.
Revolutionaries asking to be president now, truth is when or if they become one, they will be confused. I am not saying I’m on anyone’s side but the country is large, diverse; there is tribalism, Yorubas are conscious of allowing their children get married to Igbos and all of that. When the former presidents were there, there were complaints. The one we liked a bit was late President Yar’adua; because we didn’t see him fully. You cannot satisfy everyone.
I believe the president is frozen-still. Nigeria and the world is changing and change is fast, we have terrorists, bandits everywhere sabotaging things. I am leading a few people and I understand how you will be doing your best and a few will keep sabotaging it. So I will advise him to do what posterity will judge and his conscience will judge.
How do you relax?
By playing, learning the guitar and spending time with my family. I have been playing the guitar for six years.
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