If Your Wife Fails to Submit, You the Man Should Surrender - Pst. Olarenwaju

Talking of great minds that have impacted the world positively through God’s word, the likes of Pastor W.F. Kumuyi, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, and Dr. Daniel Olukoya, Pastor Sam Adeyemi, Pastor Michael Ekone and host of others comes to mind. Recently, Pastor (Dr.) Philip Olarenwaju joined this rank; this dynamic servant of God is an instructor and teacher of men as he also drinks from the fountain of God’s grace with the above mentioned God’s generals. Pastor (Dr.) Philip Olarenwaju is the senior General Overseer, of MFM Mararaba Head Quarters, Middle Belt region, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. In this interview, the soft spoken man of God spoke on diverse issues: his call, his challenges, and God’s stands on divorce, how to live in peace as Christian couples, and many other issues. On living peacefully as couples he enthused that “if your wife fails to submit, you the man should surrender” SYLVESTER AIGBE OMOSE the managing editor, was with him to get this excerpt, please read this special interview and encounter the anointing. 

NATIONAL LIFEWATCH: Sir, how did you get the call of God?

PST. PHILIP OLARENWAJU: At the beginning I never knew it was the call of God until 1982. Then I was with a ministry called “true gospel of Christ ministry.” From there I was praying and specifically God told me “you are going t raise an army for me” I was shocked nevertheless; I shared it with my father in the Lord of blessed memories who has gone to be with the Lord now.

By the time that the Lord spoke to me, I was working with a construction company and still doing Kingdom assignment for the Lord until 1983 when my then father in the Lord called me and said I am going to pioneer a branch of the church in Kaduna. I complained about my work but he encouraged me that I shouldn’t worry and indeed God helped me.

In 1987 God told me specifically that “I am true with you in this ministry” (true gospel of Christ ministry) I was seriously worried thinking that how will I explain to my father in the Lord, then I started praying, six month after I called him and tell him that the Lord say my time is up in with the ministry, he laughed and told me that six months ago the Lord had told him the same thing I was telling him but he couldn’t tell me so that it will not look as if he was driving me away, he then said thank God that God has spoken to me too.

NATIONAL LIFEWATCH: What was the next step you took?

PST. PHILIP OLARENWAJU: I started praying and asking God where and which direction to take. Eventually, in 1989, God said I should relocate to Lagos that he wants to prepare me for what he has in store for me, so I moved down to Lagos. Getting to Lagos, I started working as a sales manager with a building material company. In 1999 precisely, I and a friend pioneered a ministry and it was growing very well. But in 1992 God told me that he didn’t asked me to start a ministry with a friend. God then told me that he prepared me for a specific ministry, after this declaration He led me to mountain of fire and miracle ministries. (MFM) coming to mountain of fire and miracle ministry, I was off and on until 1993 I decided to get fully committed to the ministry.

In mountain of fire I decided not to be on full time, I made it that whatever I am going to do for the Lord will be on part time so that I will engage in business as well, because I was doing well in the business I started until 1995 God told me that “son, the game is over”, that I have to leave my business and face his own business, but I argued with the Lord that I can’t be a full time minister because I cannot beg, but God said “No.

I want you on full time ministry” I dragged it with the Lord but the Lord eventually won and I surrendered and started as a full time minister. Then I worked with Pastor keyinde though I was not taking any salary at the time. In 1998 I was sent to Kano to pioneer MFM in Kano and God helped us so much that there was a land mark up till today, though I have left Kano for over ten years now. After seven years of serving in Kano I was posted to Jos from Jos to Maraba. There have been a lot of challenges but the truth is that the Lord has been faithful

NATIONAL LIFEWATCH: How were you able to manage your call to get to where you are now?

PST. PHILIP OLARENWAJU: The truth is that I was convinced about my calling. Before I started, I and the Lord agreed on a covenant for me to be sure. That covenant has been my guide when things become tough I reminded Him of the covenant. Secondly, I look at the Christian race as if my whole life depends on it and this is the only thing that gives me joy.

NATIONAL LIFEWATCH: What informed your decision to go into writing?

PST. PHILIP OLARENWAJU: Really it has been in my mind to write books all this while but the Lord did not give me the go ahead to do so but of recent, God look at it that it is time, He approved it. One of the essence of the books is that those who cannot or haven’t listen to my preaching will have the privilege to read my messages from the books so that they will see the grace of God upon my life and tap into God’s blessings.

NATIONAL LIFEWATCH: What is really strange about mountain of fire prayers?

PST. PHILIP OLARENWAJU: The issue lays in understanding, for instance, people say that spirits cannot die which is true but the essence of praying that spirits should die is for them to cease to operate against people and their powers and influence should be rendered useless.

NATIONAL LIFEWATCH: What should couples do to ensure that there is peaceful co-existence in their homes?

PST. PHILIP OLARENWAJU: To my understanding, marriage is all about give and take and understanding because it is a collection of different people from different background. In my counseling about marriage I use to tell people that there is no perfect man and woman but we can make our marriage to work. Apostle Paul says let husbands deal with their wives with wisdom, so, understanding is a necessity as well as Love. 

Love makes a difference in the home because the bible says love covereth a multitude of sin. If there is love in a home it covers the spouse’s weakness and uplifts their strength. The mistake of many marriages is that they always find focus on the weakness and forget that there is strength in the spouse’s life which if attention is given to will help to build the marriage.

It is pathetic that even some ministers have challenges in their marriages because of lack of understanding and they cannot bear with each other; also there is no genuine love from many before going into the marriage. Marriage is not something that should be rush into, especially those who are called to be ministers of the gospel the kind of marriage determines to a great extend the minister’s success and fulfillment. 

I always advocate to couples that they should use what I call operation “SSS” the bible says wives summit unto your husbands, if the wife refuses to summit then the husband should surrender so that the marriage can work. As you know two wrongs can never make a right.

NATIONAL LIFEWATCH: Divorce appears to be the reigning thing even among ministers, as a pastor what is God’s stands on the subject of divorce?

PST. PHILIP OLARENWAJU: Right in the Old Testament, the bible says God hates separation with perfect hatred. Also in the New Testament the Pharisees asked Jesus questions on this same subject of marriage repeatedly and Jesus’ stand was that marriage, once entered you can’t get out of it. Even when they went further to refer Jesus to Moses’ approval of divorce in marriage, Jesus told them that it was because of the hardness of their heart but from the beginning it was not so. Therefore, whoever is encouraging divorce is doing so contrary to the will of God.

NATIONAL LIFEWATCH: What is your message to the people out there?

PST. PHILIP OLARENWAJU: My message to everyone out there is that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. So; everybody should look up to him. Because in the world today, challenges are in the increase, it is only by looking on to Jesus that you can weather the storms of life. Being focused on Jesus as Christians until we enter heaven is what counts; because Jesus says it is those that endure to the end that will be save. Where our soul will be in eternity is what counts, to spend eternity with God, we must hold on to Jesus Christ the author and finisher our faith.