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Ozioma Onuzulike, a professor in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), was called to service by God after the death of Ben Unegbu (the servant of God) in May 2017. In this interview with SEYI JOHN SALAU, Onuzulike speaks about God’s call and the idea of planting religious denominations or ministries in the name of God’s call. Excerpts:
How do you explain the ‘Call of God’ to mankind?
The call of God to mankind has been ongoing. He has always called everyone in general, and some people in particular. God’s decision to make man in His own image was an important call. The fall of mankind was a direct result of man’s unfortunate decision to heed the enemy’s call in disobedience to God’s own wonderful and sin-free call. God also called the entire Israelites for his own divine purpose. Many of them answered the call to possess the Promised Land but only two faithful men (Caleb and Joshua) eventually made it to the end of that glorious call. Others perished in the wilderness because of hardness of heart. But you will remember that God’s call to Moses was special. He called him to lead the people of God. It was God’s direct call. No human being in his or her religious denominational confusion had any hand in that call. When Moses passed away in a rather unfortunate situation due to his disobedience to God’s instruction, God himself called Joshua to step into his shoes and do the work. Similarly, God’s call to Samuel was direct and unmistaken. It was never any humanly established organisation that called him. Samson was also called, although he ended up in a woman’s bosom because of his lack of total surrender to the will of God who called him. Samson’s experience reminds one of the messages that God delivered to us through His servant of blessed memory (Ben Unegbu) entitled “A Call is No Surrender” (Message for Urgent Action No. 189). Jesus called the 12 apostles, but He continued to preach repentance to them because they were merely called to service and needed to surrender through genuine repentance so as to inherit the kingdom of God. He continued to remind Peter about that even at the point of His departure when He told Peter, “When you repent, feed my flock”. Saul (who later became Paul) was also called to serve God on his way to Damascus. Nobody preached repentance to him. But he recognised that he needed to surrender to God in genuine repentance so as not to perish after helping others to turn to the path of righteousness.
In answering the call of God, some have gone ahead to plant churches, some ministries. What is your position on this?
There is actually God’s own call as I have already noted. On the other hand, there is, of course, man’s own carnal call through religious organisations or commercial enterprises erroneously called “churches” or “ministries” today. What you call “churches” are simply religious, political and commercial empires. Many are merely social clubs where people entertain themselves and network for pecuniary gains. The church, in its right sense, is the body of Christ, a collection of saved souls wherever they meet under the umbrella of Jesus Christ (indeed, not merely over-lip or in signposts). And Jesus Christ is the owner and head of His church, not any mortal man, no matter how humanly charismatic, eloquent or intelligent. The headquarters is in Heaven, not in any village, city or country of this world. If you have repented of your sins and are saved, the other fellow has done so, I have done so; if we meet together, we have formed the body of Christ (the Church). It is not any building made with man’s hands and wisdom, no matter how gigantic or magnificent, that is the “Church”. You and I are the temple of God.
What would you say is the key characteristic of the church?
Very importantly, members of this body of Christ or the “church” are known by their fruits or character as they shine as the light of the world, showing remarkable examples like the no-nonsense governor recorded in Nehemiah chapter 5 verse 15. Such people also meet in the name of Jesus Christ alone, as we are instructed by Christ himself in Matthew 18:20, not by any name ending in “International”, “Worldwide”, “Global”, “Incorporated”, or, maybe, even “Limited”. Many are answering the call of their belly, not the call of God, really. They are those about whom Paul wrote in Philippians chapter 3 verse 19, “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things”. And that is why there is confusion everywhere because they are subservient to human and carnal authorities, not the authority of God in Christ Jesus. They are teaching what they want to hear (as warned in 2 Timothy 4:3), not the undiluted word of truth.
Your organisation holds a “monthly free freedom lectures with positive action for all”. How do you ensure this outcome?
I or we have no organisation in the sense that people think of “organisation” with carnally-planned hierarchies, their own constitutions outside the Bible or articles of faith selected from portions of the Bible that suit their own carnal agenda. Which is why many of such so-called organisations are currently fighting in secret and in the public, taking themselves to the law courts of this world. Just as Jesus Christ instructed in Matthew chapter 28 verse 18, we simply gather in the name of that glorious and wonder-working name (Jesus Christ) at the “Compound for God’s Urgent Message” in Masterpiece Village (also called Galaxy Quarters) located in Oji River town of Enugu State from the 1st Friday to Sunday of every month (except in December and January because of the annual camping for the word of God which also holds in the same venue from 23rd to 27th December). The outcome you ask about is achieved by allowing God through Christ in the company of the Holy Spirit to lead the way. Jesus promised that when He is gone the father He will send us the Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth (John 16:13). We focus attention on the real mission of Christ on earth which is the salvation of mankind from sins and other satanic bondages. A look at Luke chapter 4 verse 18 elaborates on Christ’s real mission on earth. When people are sincerely led to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, God faithfully, as usual, adds other things unto them, including deliverance from demons, healing from diverse diseases and other blessings. And all without charge, in compliance with God’s direct instruction through Christ in Matthew chapter 10 verses 7-8, where He says that we received freely and freely we must give.
Like Elisha, the mantle of leadership has fallen on you after the passing on of the servant of God, Ben Unegbu. What is your vision for God’s Urgent Message?
I will say, first, that I count it a very special grace and privilege to be asked by God to step into the very big shoes of His selfless and faithful servant Ben Unegbu whom it pleased Him to take home for eternal rest last year. The departure of that no-nonsense servant of God actually did not come to us as a huge surprise. That was because he had announced repeatedly, well before it actually came to pass, that God had signalled him that it was time to return but that he did not know the date. He declared, as he was moved by God, that when he would have departed, God would do more wonders in pushing the gospel forward, even more efficiently, for the salvation of humanity. My duty, I am convinced, is to humbly listen to God and steadfastly follow Him as He moves through Christ in the company of the Holy Spirit. There are numerous messages God gave His servant Ben Unegbu which are in print, numbering over 300 titles. They need to be digitized and circulated freely to as many people as possible for their own interest and the interest of humanity in general. Similarly, the messages that had gone on air through the Soul X-Ray radio programme (which he ran, through the power of God, on the Radio Nigeria Enugu for more than 15 years) would need to be digitized too and also made freely available to a wider reach of people, including sharing them on all possible on-line platforms, all to the glory of God only. Ben Unegbu, before God called him home to rest, had warned not only verbally but also by practical example, that the word of God must never be commercialised for any reason whatsoever, always citing Christ’s clear instruction in Matthew 10:7-8 that we have received freely and must freely give.
