The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has entreated Christians, especially leaders to guard their hearts against harbouring bitterness which tends to destroy their physical and spiritual lives.
“Do not nurse grudges which will end up in bitterness,” he said adding, “Bitterness can destroy a person, marriage, family, friends and the church. And such bitter persons think everyone is against them.”
Apostle Nyamekye said these when he interacted with officers in the Teshie-Nungua Area of the Church at the Fred Stephen Safo Memorial Temple at Nshorna, Nungua on Wednesday and Thursday, November 4 & 5, 2020.
According to the Chairman, “if you open your heart to anything, not of God, you invite evil to enter your heart and when you nurse it, it germinates into other vices such as bitterness, anger, rancour, among others.”
Reading from Hebrews 4:12; 3:12-13; 12:14-16, Matthew 12:35, among other scriptures, Apostle Nyamekye encouraged Christians not to harbour bitterness in their hearts against one another since offenses are inevitable.
“No one is born with bitterness but through what one hears and what people say to them, one is exposed and may harbour bitterness in their hearts which destroys the body,” he pointed out.
According to him, bitter persons normally portray a level of shyness, keep records of grudges (Leviticus 19:18, Deuteronomy 32:35), and nurse grudges (Genesis 27:41, Genesis 4:5-6, Mark 4:13), very unforgiving, and sometimes have sleepless nights.
Apostle Nyamekye stated that when one is bitter, he or she is likely to express it (1 Samuel 25: 12-13), suppress it (2 Samuel 13:22-23), repress it (2 Samuel 3: 26-27) and confess it (1 Samuel 1: 15-16, Mathew 18:15). He advised Christians not to be bitter or angry about things of this world and not to let the sun go down upon their wrath as Apostle Paul admonished Christians in Ephesians 4:26.
He further urged officers of the church to always check their motives and be mindful of the heart with which they serve in the house of the Lord, saying, “Do not glorify yourself in the position as a church leader but be mindful of the heart with which you serve the Lord and others.”
“If your heart is clean and that of mine is also clean, then God will come and reside in us and the church will be prosperous,” he concluded.
The meeting was also attended by some Executive Council Members of the Chruch, the Pastorate and their wives, among others.
The Area Head, Apostle Dr. Alfred Koduah, was grateful to the Chairman for the visit to the Area.
Report by Yaa Asantewaah Adu Boahene.