Emmanuel Oje Ehimika (Preacher Man), the Visionary of The Jesus Dream (TJD), on Thursday, June 30 called on all Christians in the country and across the globe to observe 9pm Jerusalem time, which is 8pm Nigerian time, as Hour of Mystery On Earth. According to him, the yearly one-hour programme, which is in its seventh edition, was dedicated to praising and declaring the wonders of God on earth. He told OMIKO AWA why Christians all over the world should observe it.

What are the challenges experienced during previous editions?
One of the greatest challenges is God asking me to announce The Jesus Dream (TJD), which is the most unifying Christian event since Pentecost. The first time I announced among brethren, I went home feeling lonely afterwards, because everyone thought I was mad. My wife, children and followers thought I was mad. Since then, I told myself to never mention it again. But each time I go out to preach, something would say, ‘say it’ and I would return home sad. This was the case until God said, ‘son, I made you to say it, so that when it comes to pass, people will know I sent you.’

But why the bad feeling, since you know God is behind it?
Everyone mocked me. I was lonely, but now people are beginning to see the finger of God in it. They are beginning to see that it is not ordinary for a man without a church or any source of income to gather the whole world to praise God. I was lonely and weak because God wants to take the glory. I have no church or a sponsor, yet the vision is growing every year, because Gods is behind it. God is directing the vision.

Is it possible for the whole world to praise God simultaneously for an hour?
Jesus Christ made the social media because the Bible says; ‘all things were created by him for him.’ If this is true, then He made the social media. I must tell you that apart from the television and radio stations announcing the TJD event in different countries, the social media is also very effective at spreading the information. Different people, including Television and radio stations, are calling me from Germany, South Africa, the UK and other countries to say they have heard the announcement and would want to interview me through the telephone.

Have you any particular message for the people, when they gather?
I will tell them to fulfil the original purpose for which they were created; that’s all. Success is not about acquiring property, but doing what you are created to do. We are coming together to praise God at the same time, just like the angels are doing in heaven. So, all I will tell them is that they are only keying into the original purpose of creation and nothing can be as satisfying as that. This is the essence of The Jesus Dream (TJD) vision.

Is it not better to pray for an end to the plethora of socio-economic problems plaguing the world than praising God?
Praise has an edge over prayers. In the first place, God did not originate prayers, man did. The Bible says ‘and men began to pray.’ When God created Adam, he gave him all things. Adam never prayed for anything. He would wake up and all he wanted were available. Prayers came into being, when man failed. The failure made man to begin to call on God for help. We can return to that original worship, but as far as we remain on earth, we must pray for God to intervene in our situations. The real situation, however, is that man should praise.

There is also the sacrifice of praise. So, rather than complain, when things are not going well, take to praises. If you praise God for what He has given, then you do not love Him. The devil is telling God everyday that we do not love Him because we praise Him for material things only. When God removed the hedge in Job’s life and Satan dealt with him, Job said, ‘I know my redeemer liveth.’ He showed God’s love and things changed for good for him. We are all to do likewise.

Something surprises me when people say an enemy is pursuing them. It is only in the church that you see darkness pursuing the light. Christians are the light of the world and when light comes, darkness gives way. We are light, but because the enemy wants us not to give God His due praise, he keeps us busy. It is part of the game plan of the devil, who does not want man to worship God. So, what he does is to keep us busy and the church is accomplishing that by telling us that he is behind our problems. So, we turn our backs to God, while chasing the devil. We find ourselves fighting the devil all the time.
Things are not working well because we have been spending quality time chasing the devil, while abandoning God. The devil kept us busy with bad dreams that would make us chase him. On the Day of Pentecost, the people had the devil, but they ignored him and worshipped God.

How do you feel that the programme is coming from Nigeria to the world?
The late Bishop Idahosa once said the Europeans brought Christianity, but we shall redefine and send it back to them. Do you know that Africa occupies a vintage position in the gospel? For instance, the 12 tribes of Israel were preserved in Africa. Simon of Cyrene, who was forced to help Jesus carry the Cross, was an African. When they were to kill Jesus at infancy, he was brought to Africa. So, it’s been Africa all the while, but Africans do not know who they are and this is the reason you see them running abroad all the time.

God spoke to me; He told me He is in Nigeria, as He is in America and any other country. You will be shocked to hear that presidents, queens and those that matter in the international community are writing me here in Abeokuta, my little village.

If God so loved Africa, why are we still so underdeveloped?
It is because most of the ministers are not preaching the right messages. Another thing is that when a man suffers from inferiority complex, he would want to grab even what he does not need. There is this spirit of greed and covetousness. There is this attitude of inferiority complex among our people, especially our leaders. Some will even announce that they have been to the U.S. 10 times. I am glad that I am in a village in Abeokuta, doing TJD. Nobody is sponsoring me and nobody would ever boast of giving money to do the programme.

However, the only money I have ever received is $100, which came from a Nigerian living abroad. Despite this, we prepared and printed a world-class manual, which we sent to all parts of the world free. Pastors are struggling over magazines and suits from Europe, but we are here sending world-class magazines across the globe. I have no income or business to depend on. I live on gifts and charity. I tried going into business, but they all went down.

The issue is that God does not want me to do anything other than pursue the TJD vision. I have no church. If God wants me to lead a church, He will give me a revelation, which people will not argue over. Because Peter had to lead the church, God gave him revelation from heaven, which is the reason Jesus said flesh and blood did not reveal this to him, but the spirit of God. Peter was not better than other disciples, but God does His things in a special way. It is through this revelation that Jesus preached all over the world. I receive revelations even while taking my bath or playing tennis. God gives me revelation and this is the reason we are telling people about TJD on radio and television abroad and in Nigeria.

Is there any way you could do something for the pastors/ministers of God?
Previously, I was running a magazine called Minister For Life for 12 years. There was a time I gathered pastors/ministers from different denominations and talked to them about the unity of the body of Christ and the unity of the faith. I said they should teach it to their congregations until the truth comes to maturity. But the problem is that very few pastors are threatening the unity of the body of Christ.

This is so because some of them want to hold people down; they want to build empire with them. There are some genuine pastors, who will join others to promote the gospel and God’s words such as The Jesus Dream (TJD). Indeed, it is high time members began to know the kind of church they belong to. At TJD, we are not asking for offerings or anybody to come to a particular church or place, but urging all Christians to praise God for one hour wherever they may be. Though some pastors are organising their members for this programme, the issue is that you can observe anywhere, even in your home.

There is no particular venue for the event?
The hour has come for Christians to worship God anywhere. According to the Book of John, where did the Samaritan woman come from? Jesus said you don’t have to come to this mountain; you don’t have to come to Jerusalem, for wherever two or three are gathered in my name there I am. It is dangerous to toy with the words of Jesus. He said wherever, which means you do not need to come to my church. In fact, the first miracle that took place in the Bible occurred outside of the church.

So, how would you assess the success of the programme, since there will be no venue?
It is God that assesses the success of any spiritual programme and not men. No human being can assess the success of TJD. Every church can take statistics of their members, but no one can take the statistics of TJD. This is the reason it is called the Final Assemble. No man can control it.

How did TJD begin?
I have been into the issue of church unity since 1989. It all started at the estate, where I was staying in Abeokuta, Ogun State. God said, ‘gather the people, kill a ram and call the suya man to prepare it for the people to eat. I did it and I was surprised at the turnout. Some churches, such as Deeper Life Ministry that do not go to other churches’ event were there. The state coordinator of Deeper Life Ministry was part of the first gathering in my house then. Since then, the programme has been growing bigger and better each year. TJD goes beyond Catholic, Anglican, and Pentecost.

How did you feel when God said, ‘sell your church building and dismiss the members’?
Well, this happened in 2009. I was so lonely, as everybody, including my wife and children, rejected me. But the truth is that dejection and loneliness are part of the call of God. If you are carrying God’s vision, you must be lonely at a time. It was so painful, but I thanked God that I had some people, like my personal assistant, who returned to key into the vision. He shunned money and other worldly comfort to follow me.

What is the significance of Jerusalem time to TJD?
We used the Jerusalem time because salvation is of the Jews. Everything started from there and we must begin from where God began. The gospel came from the Jews, they wrote the gospel; so, it is a reference point.

You see vision and hear from God; so, what is God’s plan for Nigeria?
Nigeria is a mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly. We are going through our current crisis because God is interested in the country. It is for this reason that Satan wants to mess it up. Nigeria is one of the most strategic nations of the world, which is why Satan is battling to bring it down. However, God is raising Christian ministers to stand in the gap. Nigerians are children of destiny. The country will come out of its current challenges a better country.