A one-day conference dubbed “Let The Bible Speak Conference,” organised by the Cape Coast Sector of the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA), took place this year on March 23, 2024, at the Adisadel College Centenary Auditorium with 1,410 participants.
Apostle Anthony Mensah, the Resident Minister of the Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC), Atomic, began the opening session of the conference with an insightful sermon on “Divine Healing.”
He explained that The Church of Pentecost holds the belief that the healing of sicknesses and diseases of believers is provided in the atoning works of Christ (the manifestation, life, death, and resurrection of Christ.).
“The redemptive work of God for humanity is in this atonement. Atonement is bringing two unbalanced things together, making them balanced. The fall of man created an imbalance in the life of man.
“The only way to restore the imbalance was for God to ensure it was corrected in Christ Jesus. In this balance that Christ formed is divine healing. Healing is then strongly based on the Bible. Divine healing has been provided in the scriptures, and anything outside of scriptures is not of God,” he said.
Apostle Mensah expounded on divine healing from the perspective of both the Old and New Testaments.
According to him, a Lord/God/Deity in the Biblical Culture was supposed to be able to heal diseases, forgive sins, and give the ability to reproduce to his members/worshippers.
He said that incarnations were said whenever healing was to be proclaimed, giving room to Maddok or Er. (Egyptian and Mesopotamian gods), stressing that: “Since God can do more than these deities were expected to do, He revealed Himself as Jehovah Ropheka, which was God making a covenant with His people, expressing His nature as a God who heals, restores, and delivers.”
He gave examples of this from the lives of Sarah, Manoah’s wife, and Hannah. He mentioned that the requirements for healing in the Old Testament were obedience to the details of the covenant with emphasis on loyalty to God (Exodus 23:24), Keeping the commandments of God (Exodus 15:25-26), and walking in godly fear and humility (Proverbs 3:7-8).
Apostle Mensah further noted that Jesus’ ministry sums up in preaching, teaching, and healing.
Reading from Luke 7:1- 10, the PIWC-Atomic Resident Minister stated that people exhibited great faith in healing whenever they came to Jesus. He mentioned the Canaanite woman, centurion, etc., as examples of people who received healing through faith.
“In Lystra and Derbe, Paul was preaching, and the crippled man was listening. Paul perceived he had faith to be healed, and the crippled got healed,” he said, adding: “It is not only healing which is available in Christ, all other inheritances are available. Access these things through the Holy Spirit.”
The second session of the conference was on Marriage and Family Life, presented by Mrs. Mary Nana Aba Mensah, the wife of Apostle Tony Mensah, using Genesis 2:18-24, Matthew 19:4-6, Ephesians 5:21-28 as her main scripture references.
“Marriage is an institution created by God where a man will leave his parents and cleave to his wife; leaving is necessary for cleaving. In marriage, there is an emotional, religious, and legal commitment where physical intimacy, responsibility, and expectations are shared,” she explained.
Mrs. Mary Mensah encouraged the young participants to pay proper attention to red flags in pre-marital relationships, stressing the fact that marriage does not change an individual’s behaviour; rather, it magnifies their behaviour.
She shared that marriage is ordained by God to provide helpers suitable to accomplish a task, serving as a foundation for multiplication. Hence, suitability in finding a helpmeet is very important.
Mrs. Mensah further shared that no condition should let one leave his wife or her husband. It is then expedient not to rush into marriage but to be patient and allow God to lead you.
“The CoP believes in chastity before marriage. Everyone has sexual urges, and its solution is self-control, which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Remember, ‘Adwa-man’ literally means breaking a nation. Do not break the nations God has embedded in you,” she concluded.
The last session for the conference focused on “The Bible,” presented by Pastor Frank Akonnor, the Resident Campus Pastor for the University of Cape Coast (UCC) branch of PENSA.
He mentioned that every textbook, pamphlet, or handbook has an error and is subject to change, but the Bible is not; John 3:16 remains the same. The Bible is infallible, inerrant, and has authority. It is God’s word, a product of inspiration and revelation.
“Bible is from the Greek word Biblia, which means books. The Bible refers to a collection of Scriptures from the Old Testament and New Testament used by churches. It is our manual. Other terms used for the Bible are scriptures, holy scriptures, writings, sacred writings, the word of God, the word of life, and the word of truth. Considering 2 Timothy 3:16, the Bible gives completion and thorough equipment of the servant of God for good works,” he said.
He ended the presentation by explaining the three main concepts of the Bible: its infallibility, inerrancy, and canonisation of the Bible.
“Infallibility of the Bible means the Bible is without fault. Inerrancy means the Bible is without error. The canonisation of the Bible is the process by which sieving was made to arrive at the current 66 books of the Bible,” he explained.
The participants were led in a time prayer and impartation session by Apostle Anthony Mensah. The participants left the conference fully equipped for every good work.
Written by The Editorial Board, PENSA Cape Coast Sector.