The Presiding Bishop of All Grace Cathedral, Okota, Lagos, Bishop Dr. Mark Omonze had different phases of encounter with the Lord before he eventually surrendered his life to him in 1989 as a born again. In the course of his last phase of his rebirth encounter he had what is called a Near Death experience (NDE) as he shares with Christian Benefits in the below interview on his rebirth encounter.
Please, let’s meet you sir?
My name is Bishop Dr. Mark Omonze, Presiding Bishop of All Grace Cathedral, Okota, Lagos.
Share with us your encounter with Christ by which you became born again
My encounter with Christ came in many phases. The first phase was in 1978 after I read the Gideon Pocket Bible and invited Christ into my life. Some few years later because I had no spiritual development I started mixing up with wrong guys that smoked and drank alcohol. After I completed my secondary school I joined the Deeper Life Bible Church. After a while I became uncomfortable with the rules and regulations of the church. I began studying a occult powers like magic, hypnotism and manipulation and all sorts in seeking supernatural powers. And to some extent I learned and experienced the realities behind supernatural powers until several years later when something unusual happened to me. Before I stepped out on fateful day I prayed to God; although my way has not been right before you Lord, if I die today, please give me a little space in heaven; even if not at your feet.” On the night of the fateful day I felt the sensation of a strange presence in the whole house. Suddenly, the light went off and I assumed it was NEPA that took light. As I was groping in the darkness to find my way, suddenly I heard a voice said to me, Let there be light! And light came on and I found myself on the floor. I got up, went to the bathroom and light went off again. I went to my father to explain the situation. My father touched my body. He felt I had a high temperature and gave me drug. Before I knew it darkness covered the whole place again and I found myself floating in the air. And the voice echoed again, let there be light! I came back to life and discovered that the whole family around me. At this point I felt death coming, so I decided not to close my eyes again for fear that I may die and not come back to life again. I restrained my eyes with my hands from blinking until the day break when the voice finally said to me, it’s safe now to blink your eyes. From then whenever I was going to school at Victoria Island in bus I preached the Bible.
Did you experience any particular challenge to your new life in Christ?
One particular challenge is that I continued partying after I was born again. During one particular party organized in the school that I attended someone walked to me and asked me, how you born again? I said, yes! He then asked me what I was doing at the party. I asked him what is wrong in a born again Christian attending a school party? After he left, a voice said to me, Are you my son? If you are indeed my son what are you doing here (the party)? I had a bottle of beer in my hand and a stick of cigarette in my fingers when I heard this voice. The voice asked me to look around. When I looked around I saw a cloud of darkness and felt a strong force controlling what everyone at the party was doing and everywhere became stench to me The voice then said to me, get out of here and I will show you what to do!
How did you eventually stop partying and became filled with the Holy Spirit?
Immediately I left the party I visited a friend who had given his life to Christ six month earlier to pray with me. I later returned home and started studying the Bible. When I visited that my friend again to pray with me he started speaking in tongue. Suddenly I heard a voice, stand up and go to Christ Chapel Int’l Church (CCIC) tomorrow! When I attended the church at Surulere the next Sunday the entire seats in church were filled up, and someone offered his seat to me. When the preacher was ministering to the congregation to receive the Holy Spirit I didn’t understand it. After the service I consulted that my friend to explain what the Holy Spirit is all about to me. He explained it to me and I later received the Holy Spirit. Since then I have been relating with the Holy Spirit in my walk with Jesus till now. Every night is a meeting moment between the Holy Spirit and me.
Share with us how you eventually received the call into ministry
In the course of my growth in the Lord I asked permission from my mum to start a fellowship in her shop. And at the first fellowship we witnessed the deliverance miracle of a particular that a top man of God said was possessed of demons.
Finally, how will you describe your walk with the Lord over the years?
It’s been wonderful! I’ve never had regrets walking with the Lord. I’m particularly excited that God can use me to transform life despite my past bad ways
