Pastor Olugbemiga Odunlami, Bible science exponent has dismissed deliverance ministration to the unrepentant as a spiritual effort in futility. Odunlami, founder of Bible Science Foundation (BSF), in the below interview with Christian Benefits on deliverance and some other controversial practices in most churches today, says deliverance is the children’s meal that should not be feasted the unbelievers.
Please, can we meet you sir?
I am Olugbemiga Odunlami, the set-man of Jesus Christ Living Church of God and the Founder of Believers in Christ Fellowship and Bible Science Foundation.
Briefly share with us how your journey into ministry began
I was first born again in 1976 before starting ministry in 1980 at the age of 21 years. That year, because of my zeal for God’s work I went on 40 days fasting but ended it on the 35th. It was after that fasting I received the call of God to ministry as a pastor teacher and care giver; that is help ministry, assisting the society needy.
Can we have a look at your background before your call into ministry?
I was born in 1959 and got born again in high school in 1976. My childhood wasn’t too eventful before my rebirth. My father died at 39 years when I was 11 years. As I said earlier, my childhood and teenage years were not really eventful.
As a young convert, who were those you looked up to as your role models?
My role model was an American called Rev. Franklin Hall (now late); the founder of All Believers Foundation in Arizona. I got born again through his ministry. He had a branch in Lagos, Nigeria, called Full Salvation Ministry. The major belief of Full Salvation Ministry is one can be perfect according to Jesus’ admonition to us, “Be ye therefore perfect as you heavenly father is perfect. We believe nothing is impossible. Our major mean of fellowship with God is prayer & fasting. That was what motivated me as a young boy to go on 40 days fasting though I stopped at 35.
How will you describe your walk with the Lord these 46 years (1976-2022)?
It has been wonderful walking with the Lord. Giving my life to Christ at a tender age helps me understand so many things in ministry that lots of other ministers do not understand. One is that the work of ministry is done by God. He only uses us as vessels. Having this mindset is a form of deliverance from inordinate ambitions. When you have this mindset you won’t stress yourself in ministry. If you pray but receive no answer, you won’t bother yourself. You won’t say pray until something happens; what if God doesn’t want anything to happen? There is a story of a popular man of God who God told not to pray for a particular ailing sister. He still prayed for her but she eventually died. The man of God cried to the Lord when the sister died. And the Lord said to him, didn’t I tell you not to pray for her? But since you are wiser than me, have you now satisfied yourself. There are some deliverance and prayers that we shouldn’t pray. God told Joseph to take Jesus to Egypt. Was it that God was not able to protect Jesus in Bethlehem? There are some deliverance prayers we shouldn’t do. Someone who had murdered lots of people, robbed lots of people or who had used human beings for money rituals, now facing some terrible punishments for his evil acts and you want to minister deliverance to such person from such punishments. Deliverance is not meant for unbelievers. Deliverance is the children’s meal. Jesus said you cannot give holy things to dogs. You don’t minister deliverance to someone who has not genuinely accepted Christ. Salvation is the greatest deliverance and is one the unrepentant actually needs first. Salvation is the greatest miracle in the world. Jesus said it is better you are blind and enter into the kingdom of God. If you are blind but have salvation you will make heaven. But if you can see but don’t have salvation you will miss heaven.
Share with us some of your wonderful experiences walking with God this far?
One of my wonderful experiences walking with God is that I’m always at rest. I’m always relaxed since God is the one working in me both to do and to will. He is also the one doing the work of the ministry. All I do is prepare myself for his use and live according to his words. I do what is within the capacity that he gave to me and leave the rest for him. I’m enjoying doing ministry in peace of mind. When I marked 63 years recently lots of people remarked that I look younger than my age. Why won’t I look younger than my age when I don’t stress myself? I don’t keep malice or nurse bitterness at heart. I settle issues with people. I don’t work where God has not called me. I stay working in my calling. Some people are not called into deliverance ministry but are doing deliverance; falling preys to demons. The Bible says the gift and the calling of God are without repentance. It also says let every man stay wherein he is called. I work within the boundaries of my ministry. If you want to enjoy ministry, don’t do what God has not called you. If you do what God has not called you, first, you will fail, second, you will mislead people and third, you will end up embarrassing yourself in the ministry. If people are called by God into ministry and are patient to hear from him, he will direct them.
What do consider the strength or the peculiarity of your calling or ministry?
I’m fasting person. I call myself authority on fasting though some people don’t like it, I don’t bother. Nobody comes in contact with me for the first time and will not fast. If you come in contact with me you must definitely fast. When I say I’m an authority on fasting I know what I mean that I can teach you things on fasting that you may never hear anywhere. When we started our ministry one young evangelist joined us and through me he was able to complete 40 days fasting. After he completed the 40 days fasting he received power for miracles and wonders.
