From the Warri airstrip where he landed to the expansive land housing Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry was as fascinating that camera drones were also deployed to capture his short but adventurous journey to his church.
The long convoy which followed his many cars didn’t prevent passers-by, commuters in different commercial and private transport from waving and greeting the anointed man of God.
Adding to that, the beautifully decorated Mercyland with different manner of items and flags of different nations firmly rooted to the ground brought out the aesthetic of the arena.
Not to talk about the long red carpet aside the impressive march of the brigade lent credence to the love the people have for him. It was a different situation altogether inside the capacity filled auditorium.
Different groups came out with their performances ranging from play, comedy, singing, traditional dance styles and dancing competition mimicking the prophet of which a little boy emerged winner.
The high-point of the event apart from the blessings and miracles that flowed from Prophet Jeremiah, was a drama section done by some children which brought tears to the prophet and his congregants.
A 10 year old totally mesmerized the audience with the G.Os mannerism which earned. The emotional prophet instantly adopted him and assumed responsibility of his upkeep.
Many indigent people were financially encouraged and one given instant employment. It was indeed a great day that will remain indelible in the hearts of so many who went home really blessed.
All you need to know about the man Jeremiah- A Prophet for all times
It would seem that for a man his age, he has seen it all, experienced some of life’s trying moments that some in his profession may never imagine. He was the first person to show films on wheels in his community of Burutu in Delta state. But the business packed up suddenly. Next he turned his attention to other concerns. None of them worked.
He once ended up in a bush in Warri for days, badly in need of sustenance. He was unkempt, and had almost lost his mind – unhinged with sedatives that could send a full grown man to sleep forever. A farmer, a woman, saw him and pitied him, gave him her widow’s mite by way of garri and soup. But her son took him for a madman and stoned him to drive him away. Somehow, he kept on.
Overwhelmed at one time because of the surmounting odds against him, he decided to take his life, just to end it all, to be at peace with himself even in death. God did not only keep him alive but had actually given the man a gift - the gift of prophecy.
Sometimes, they say the best ideas are buried in the graveyard. What might have been if Prophet Jeremiah had died in the forest that day? What might have been if he had become a successful screener of Bruce Lee and Amitab Batchan films to youngsters in his community?
One answer is obvious: there would not have been a Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministries in Warri today.
Christ Mercyland is indeed, a sight to behold. In the heart of Warri town, the new and permanent site, Prophet Jeremiah, made the headquarters of his peculiar Pentecostal movement.
His journey as a man of God began from the most unlikely place, as a brother to a politician, Frank Zokomo, who was campaigning to be chairman of Burutu local government area in Delta state. The politico gave him more than two hundred thousand naira to place his posters around three of the wards. Jeremiah pasted all the posters without collecting any money from the Zokomo. That was unusual in a place where people casually collect cash from politicians and just disappear. Jeremiah's gesture earned the politician’s trust.
Before then, he had, as a young man, foretold things and events that would happen in his community, where and to whom. He was almost always correct. His mother tagged him a wizard, and so punished him. But his father came to the rescue, insisting that: “why should he be branded a wizard if all he was predicting were correct?”
Today, Prophet Jeremiah is one the fastest rising men of God in Warri town and even beyond.
“What I am teaching people now is how to succeed in life, how to progress in their ministries. I reveal to them what God has shown me,” Prophet Jeremiah once told us.Preaching on the topic: “What You Need To Know As Sons and Daughters of a Prophet,” and quoting copiously from the Holy Book, Prophet Jeremiah had said:
“Today is the day that the Lord will come to take away your sorrows, change lives. You have to learn, receive spiritual blessings. God called me five years, three months. The Lord said, Jeremiah, go and do my work. You are not here to work but to tap from grace. I love you all. I’m about to open the secret book of God for you all to excel. God has called me with double blessings, grace.”Standing at six feet tall and dark complexioned with a gap tooth, the handsome cleric wore a blue-coloured flowery shirt, blue trousers and a suede shoe.
As soon as he stepped on the podium, the ambiance changed. With inexhaustible energy, the former amateur wrestler from Ojobo in Burutu local government area of Delta State mesmerized everyone from sermon to sermon, eliciting hallelujahs and praises to the almighty from the congregation.
In short, such was the turn out that as early as 2am, the hall was already filled to the rafters.
“In the world today,” he declared to the attentive worshipers, “every successful one you see has history. They carry higher grace. The Lord said to me, Jeremiah, go and reveal these things to those who believe in God. I was a prayer warrior in Mountain of Fire in 2010. God called me and expanded my ministry. Many start life but they do not meet up their needs.”By his own account, he quit school in JSS 3 but his knowledge of the bible and his spiritual works recall the prophets of old. He talks about Moses, Eli, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Samuel as if you are discussing next door neighbours. He should know because he is in the same line of business with them.
“We have people who have direct calling, some others through somebody. Moses was called directly, Elijah directly. Samuel was with Eli but he was called directly, God mentioned his name. David was called indirectly. He was called through Samuel. After God struck Paul with blindness, he was instructed to go to Ananias to lay hands on him.”On those two days in question, there were people from Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Ghana, Egypt, Germany, the Netherlands, Lesotho, Equatorial Guinea, not counting the countless number of Nigerians.
The two-day event was appropriately tagged, ‘Sons and Daughters,’ because it was meant for people from all nations.
The crusade did not draw only worshipers. As it happens at such events, motorists, traders and even landlords turned the venue into an emergency commercial hub; Hawkers sold a variety of items, ranging from snacks to proper meals and drinks. Drivers ferried worshippers to and from the venue. Landlords even made a bigger kill by renting room space for as much as N1, 000 per night.
Even with that carnival ambiance of Mercy City on those two days, there were stern-looking but polite security personnel, directing worshipers this way and that, lending a hand where necessary and offering the best possible assistance to ensure a hitch-free crusade.
Along with his ministerial duties, Prophet Jeremiah is also known for his philanthropy. Testifying to that are some of the big names in Nollywood, names like Rita Daniels, Chinwe Owoh, KOK, Chiwetalu Agu, Charles Okocha, Harry B, among others, who regularly visits the man of God.
A case in point is Ernest Asuzu who has been with him for over a year after he nearly lost his life battling a series of strokes. Asuzu now has an album, as he is fondly called the first son of Man of God.
“I don’t know where I would have been today without Prophet Jeremiah,” Asuzu said.As for the man of God, helping others is his primary mission on earth.
“I like assisting people, spiritually or materially.”
