Posts in category: Church News

The Aflao Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Michael Agyen Brefo, has assured Christians that faith in Christ Jesus is their greatest gain.

He made this assertion during the Good Friday morning service on April 7, 2023, while exhorting members of the Church at the Anloga sub-zone.

Speaking on the topic “Divine Exchange for Maximum Impact” with scriptural reference from 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Romans 3:24-25, the Aflao Area Head declared that Christ Jesus, through His death on the cross of Calvary, has exchanged the loss of Christians into a massive gain.

He explained that man’s disobedience to God led to sin and its consequences. Sin brought disgrace, death, and fear of the devil upon all mankind.

However, God’s abundant provision of grace, evidenced in His sending of Jesus Christ into the world to atone for the sins of mankind, has brought divine exchange. In the sense that the debt of the sinful man was paid by Christ. The love of God was so deep that the righteous Jesus died for the unrighteous human being.

He stated that “It is impossible for someone to die for the ungodly, but God demonstrated his love for all humanity that while we were yet sinners, he sent Jesus Christ to die for us.”

Expounding the background to his message, he stated that had Christ not come, there was no way sin and its generational effect on the human race could be atoned for. In God’s own wisdom, the only remedy for this canker was the shedding of blood. Consequent to God’s redemptive plan, he called Abraham (the father of the Jewish nation) with the notion that through the ‘Seed’ of Abraham, all nations of the earth shall be blessed. He explained that this ‘Seed’ was Jesus Christ.

Before Jesus’ incarnation into human history, God through the Mosaic covenant, instituted the Old Testament worship as a shadow of God’s redemptive plan for humanity. In the Jewish worship, the chief priest makes atonement for the people once a year using the blood of bulls and lambs. This act of atonement as established by God was to enable His people to get closer to Him. However, the Old Testament worship was faulty in the sense that it brought condemnation, discrimination and also placed a yoke on the people.

“The Old Testament worship also led to slavery, death, curses, and made men rebels to God because it could not deal with sin and its effect. The blood of animals only made the Old Testament worshippers ceremonially clean on the outside, but it could not deal with the effect of sin within the innermost part of the human nature (Hebrews 8:6-8). God, therefore, sent his beloved Son Jesus Christ as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity,” he emphasised.

He further noted that: “Jesus was sacrificed for our sins once for all. He paid our debt once for all. In fact, his death is our gain. He died that we might live,” Apostle Agyen stressed. “His one-time sacrifice has also taken away the yoke, curses, burdens, death, pains, and afflictions of those who put their trust in him,” he added.

With many other exhortations, Apostle Agyen Brefo admonished the teeming members not to make the sacrifice of Jesus be in vain. This is because Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. It is through righteous living that all people will come and appreciate the love

Apostle Agyen Brefo also pleaded with those who have not accepted Jesus as their Lord to continue to put their faith in Him and acknowledge Him as their Saviour and Lord.

Report by Pastor Francis Lamptey (Aflao Area Reporter).

Elder Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, the Presiding Elder of Pentecost International Worship Centre, Graceland (PIWC-Graceland), has urged  Christian entrepreneurs to align themselves and their businesses with the word of God and support the Church in advancing the Kingdom business.

“Our Church is very strong and solid and needs our support for Kingdom expansion. The women of old, such as Mary Magdalene, Susana, and Joana, supported the Lord Jesus with their substance and time,” he said.

Dr. Agyepong was speaking at the recently-held Teshie-Nungua Area Easter Convention at the Fred Safo Memorial Temple, on Sunday, April 9, 2022, which was themed “Jesus Has Paid It All.” 

According to him, The Church of Pentecost has grown over the years from the palm branches conventions at Winneba to over 159 nations worldwide.

“Even Ghana as a nation has only 56 embassies, but The Church of Pentecost, because of the word of God, is in over 150 counties. So do not belittle the word of God; whatever God has said will surely come to pass,” he said.

Elder Dr. Agyepong, who is also the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, explained that even on the day of resurrection, the three women carried spices intended to anoint Jesus’ body when they met an empty tomb and that was also a form of support to Jesus’ ministry.

He mentioned that Joana was the wife of Herod’s steward, and although her husband did not like Jesus, she invested in the ministry of Jesus, and the world remembers her all the time.

“When you give money to Jesus, your name will never be erased from this earth,” he emphasised.

He further noted that Joseph of Arimathea invested in Jesus by providing a tomb for his burial. Today, everybody who visits Jerusalem goes to the tomb, and research shows that the family of Joseph of Arimathea has been blessed immensely from his act of kindness.

“Have you thought about such a situation, where a rich man will go for someone’s body to bury it? Joseph realized that this was not an ordinary body, but a special body, a previous body, a dignified body. Let the power of the resurrection come into your mind,” he said.

Dr. Agyepong then threw light on the act of kindness by Zacchaeus, stating that after coming into contact with the Savior, he decided to give 50% of his wealth to the poor and pay back four times those he cheated in tax payment.

Elder Dr. Agyepong said that Zacchaeus, with all his wealth, was not saved; salvation came to his household only after he met Jesus, and his name is always mentioned in scriptures.

“Today, if your business is collapsing, salvation is coming to your business, Jesus is ready to meet you at the point of your need. It is not about what you will lose when you give to support the work of God but rather what you will gain,” he declared.

Report by Teshie-Nungua Area Media Team

The Ashaiman Area Head and Executive Council Member of The Church of Pentecost, Prophet David Kankam Beditor, urged believers to dedicate their time and resources to the kingdom of God, as Jesus Christ was the first to sacrifice His life for them.

Prophet Kankam delivered a sermon titled “Why Do We Celebrate Easter?” during the recently-held Easter Convention of the Afienya Estate District, which was held from April 5 to 9, 2023, at the Afienya Estate District Central Assembly auditorium.

The event was held under the theme, “Why Are You Looking for the Living Among the Dead? He Is Not Here, He Has Risen!” (Luke 24:5-6), and was well attended.

Quoting from Luke 24:1-7, Prophet Kankam explained that Easter is a time to remember the passion, crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He emphasised that Christ’s sacrifice is the central theme of Easter celebrations. While the word “Easter” is not mentioned in the Bible, a foreshadowing of the event can be seen in the Bible, he said, adding that before Christ’s death, animals were used for sin sacrifices, and the Jews celebrated Passover.

Prophet Kankam listed the reasons for celebrating Easter, noting that it marks the period when Jesus Christ gave Himself and His life as a sin offering for humanity. As a result, believers must also be willing to sacrifice themselves, their talents, skills, and resources for the cause of Christ.

He further stated that the Blood of Christ, which was shed for the remission of sins, has granted them salvation and made them children of God.

The Ashaiman Area Head advised Christians to always give glory to God and worship Him in truth and spirit as children of God.

He also indicated that the celebration of Easter is still relevant to Christianity today as it proves that Christians serve a living God, strengthens their faith in the Lord, reaffirms the promise of eternal life, reassures them of God’s glory and wealth, and renews their hope of the resurrection.

“This is the confidence we have that if Christ resurrected, we will also resurrect,” he stated.

Report by Afienya Estate District Media Team.

Pastor Justice Adane Twene, the Afienya Estate District Minister of The Church of Pentecost, has advised Christians to use their influence to promote the kingdom of God.

Pastor Twene made this call at the climax of this year’s Easter Convention, which was held from April 5th to 9th, 2023, at the district’s Central Assembly auditorium. The event, themed: “Why Do You Look for the Living Among the Dead? He Is Not Here, He Is Risen” (Luke 24:5-6), was well attended and brought people from different walks of life.

In his sermon titled “Characters Around the Burial and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ,” with Luke 24:2-6 and Matthew 27:1-57 as scripture references, the District Minister highlighted the many lessons that can be learned from some characters around the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These, he said, include Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, Mary Magdalen, the Apostles, and the other disciples of Christ Jesus.

Speaking about Joseph of Arimathea, Pastor Twene described him as a member of the Jewish council, a good and righteous man who had not consented to their decisions and actions but was looking for the kingdom of God.

“He was also wealthy and influential and used his position and influence for the benefit of Christ and the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Christ, and when it was given to him, he wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which had been cut in the rock,” he said.

Pastor Twene urged Christians to emulate Joseph of Arimathea and use their position, influence, power, and office for the benefit of Christ and the welfare of the Church.

He stressed that if the Church can possess the nations, believers must influence the world in every sphere of life with Kingdom values and principles.

The District Minister further emphasised that Joseph of Arimathea did not hide or compromise his faith, did not consent to the decision to execute Jesus Christ, and openly defended his faith. He urged believers to contend for the faith and stand their ground when opposition and adversities arise in their Christian journey.

Pastor Twene advised believers to be loyal and people of integrity no matter what they face as Christians.

According to him, Joseph of Arimathea was sacrificial, committed to duty, available, and responsible. He pointed out that no one told Joseph of Arimathea to go for the body of Christ, but he took the initiative himself.

“He sacrificed his time, wealth, influence, and tomb to give Christ a befitting burial,” he said.

Pastor Twene, therefore, encouraged believers to sacrifice their wealth, skills, talents, and resources for the advancement of the Kingdom.

He also advised Christians, especially church leaders, to be responsible, available, and dutiful.

Pastor Twene explained that being responsible is having an obligation to do something, being dependable, keeping promises, and honouring commitments. Responsible people are accountable, answerable, reliable, and available.

He also urged Christians to emulate Nicodemus’ love and compassion as well as Mary’s humility to influence their spheres.

Report by Afienya Estate District Media Team.

The Kwadaso Area Head of The Church Of Pentecost, Apostle J.B.K.Tawiah, has urged Christians to be motivated by the death of Jesus Christ to serve God better.

He stated that since Christ offered a great sacrifice by going through a painful death, believers must give their best for Him instead of complaining about the little services they render.

“Nothing we do can compensate for the great sacrifice made by the Saviour,” he said.

Apostle Tawiah was speaking in the Kwadaso Zone during an Easter Sunday Service that climaxed this year’s Easter Convention, which took place from Wednesday, April 5th, to Sunday, April 9th, 2023.

During an exposition on the theme, “Jesus Christ, The Resurrection and the Life,” which was referenced from John 11:25 and Philippians 3:10, Apostle Tawiah mentioned the death of Christ meant a lot to Christians.

Addressing over 9,000 members drawn from eight zones, under the topic “The Power Of The Resurrection,” Apostle Tawiah stated that Jesus Christ predicted His own death, as stated in Luke 18:31-34, and that it was God’s ordained plan to make Christ die so as to save sinners from sin and its consequences.

Reading from Philippians 2:7-8, he intimated that Christ voluntarily offered to forgo his heavenly benefits by emptying Himself and taking on the position of a servant, even though He is God.

“Christ became poor that believers would be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). He also sacrificed the glory He had, which is why He prayed that His Father would restore it to Him (John17:4-5). Christ accepted to take up human limitations, suffering, and ill-treatment as recorded in the verses of Isaiah 53,” he said.

Apostle Tawiah further outlined some of the key benefits of Christ’s death, including reconciling humankind back to God (Ephesians 2:13-14;1 Peter 3:18), revealing God’s character of love (Romans 5:8;John 3:16;John 15:13), and justice (Romans 3:25-26), canceling the legal demands and the written code that stood against mankind (Colossians 2:14-17;1 Peter 2:24), justifying and making righteous (Romans 4:5;5:9), and providing all we need for life (Romans 8:32;Philippians 4:19).

On Christ’s resurrection, he stated that there was a conspiracy and the giving and taking of bribes to make false claims that Jesus’s disciples stole His body (Matthew 28:11-15). Nevertheless, Christ rose and showed Himself to many as evidence that He had triumphed over death.

Apostle Tawiah used the incident to advise Christians in particular and Ghanaians in general to eschew corrupt practices that wreck societies and nations.

He urged Christians to live above reproach wherever they found themselves in society.

The Kwadaso Area Head also touched on the source of the resurrection power, which is from God the Father (Acts 2:23, Acts 10:40), Christ Himself, since he made declarations to that effect (John 11:25, John 10:17-18), and the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11).

He assured believers that the resurrection power is still available to revive all aspects of our lives and prayed for Church members to receive the power of the resurrection in order to lead meaningful lives.

This year’s Easter Convention, held in four zones, included, for the first time, one for PIWC and all English Assemblies in the Area.

It was graced by some royals in the Area, including Nana Antwi-Agyei Brempong II (Atwima Hene), who is an Elder of the Church.

Also present were the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso Constituency, Hon. Prof. Kingsley Nyarko, the MCE of Kwadaso Municipal Assembly, Hon. Agyenim Boateng, and some other officers from the Assembly.

Nana Antwi Agyei Brempong, in a brief remark, admonished the people to be good citizens and eschew corruption and other social vices that would disturb the peace of the traditional area and the entire nation.

He also expressed appreciation to The Church of Pentecost for helping to lead royals into the saving knowledge of Christ, something that was hitherto unheard of.

Both the Member of Parliament and the Municipal Chief Executive appealed for prayers for the state and the government to be able to overcome the economic and other challenges confronting us as a nation.

This year’s convention was well-patronised as members turned out at the various centres in great numbers to celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection.

To the glory of God, many souls were won and baptised in water by immersion. Others also received Holy Ghost baptism and instant healing.

Report by Kwadaso Area Media.

“Jesus Christ; The Atoning Sacrifice For Our Sins” – (1 John 2:2) was the theme for this year’s Easter Convention organised by the New Tafo Area of The Church of Pentecost.

Held simultaneously in three zones, with the Pentecost International Worship Centre, New Tafo (PIWC-New Tafo) hosting all the English Assemblies within the Area at its auditorium, the 5-day event was opened with festival of 11 lessons and passion songs on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.

Speaking on the topic: “The Power of His Resurrection” on Resurrection Sunday [April 9, 2023] to climax the convention at the New Tafo Zone at the New Tafo Division School Park, the Area Head, Prophet Samuel Tetteh Doku, said that any individual who believes in Christ Jesus experiences the resurrection power and that same power enables the believer to live life of unimpeachable rectitude and integrity.

Focusing on Philippians 3:10 and Romans 8:11 as his scriptural references, the New Tafo Area Head explained that just as the resurrection of Jesus equips believers with power, so the crucifixion enables them to put to death their old sinful nature and should remain nailed to the cross (Galatians 5:24), saying, “Before you can live a meaningful Christian life, you must first go to Calvary to be crucified.”

“You cannot know the victory of the resurrection without crucifixion,” he stressed.

Prophet Tetteh Doku mentioned the Resurrection Sunday experience and the Pentecost Sunday experience as types of the resurrection power. 

Differentiating between the two, the New Tafo Area Head stated that “the Resurrection Sunday experience is about the new birth (John 20:22), whilst the Pentecost Sunday experience is about the power to do the work of God.” 

“So, when Christ Jesus breathed on the disciples to receive the Holy Spirit after His resurrection, He wanted them to go through the new birth,” he explained.

According to him, the Resurrection Sunday experience was not enough, hence the Pentecost Sunday experience, where the ascended Christ poured out His Spirit on the believers to be empowered (Acts 2:1-4).

Prophet Samuel Tetteh Doku stated that whoever encounters the resurrection power lives a transformed life. He, therefore, advised the gathering to live a life in keeping with repentance, saying, “One way we can prove the resurrection of Jesus Christ is by living a changed life.”

He further gave many instances, both in the Bible and in the lives of individuals to prove the existence of the resurrection power.

The man of God also admonished Christians to be very circumspect in their utterances and avoid the use of disparaging comments, especially on their children because words are powerful, and should never be uttered carelessly since they could have an adverse impact on the listener or hearer. In the place of unwholesome talk, he advised them to always utter gracious words that would edify themselves and those around them.

As part of the service, some officers due for retirement were introduced to the congregants.

The event recorded a total attendance of 3,830, with many souls won to the glory of God. Thirty-four persons received the Holy Spirit baptism with initial evidence of speaking in tongues.

Report by Emmanuel Nana Nsiah

The Effiduase Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Stephen Okyere Acheampong, has admonished Christians to reposition themselves for the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ.

Speaking on the Resurrection Sunday [April 9, 2023] to climax this year’s Easter Convention of the Effiduase Zone of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Acheampong, who had his sermon titled, “Jesus, The Son of God is Coming Again” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 2:19; Acts 1:11; Hebrews 9:28), stated: “Jesus has been here before to bear the sins of the world and will come back with salvation for all who are eagerly waiting for him.”

He said that the second coming of Christ is so important that it has been established as one of the foundations of Christianity as most churches preach about it and many songs are composed about it to remind Christians of it.

According to the Effiduase Area Head, Jesus is the only one qualified to be the Saviour of the world because of his deity, virgin birth, sinless life, atoning death, resurrection, ascension, abiding intersession and second coming to judge the living and the dead, saying, “This is the bedrock of our faith.”

On what to do while waiting for Christ’s second coming, Pastor Acheampong encouraged Christians to reposition themselves by showing unalloyed love, devotion and commitment to God and the thing of God; wholeheartedly do God’s work without complaining to store up treasures in heaven; live by the word of God, not what men say; lead holy life by shunning evil; help one another; spread the good news about Jesus and his salvation; ensure that they and their families will not be left out; help and support the work of God, and love and desire his coming.

Present to grace the service were the New Juaben North Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Comfort Asante, and the Chief of Asokore, Nana Antwi Panyin II.

Report by Ezekiel Korletey

The Women’s Ministry of the Pentecost International Worship Centre, Navrongo (PIWC-Navrongo), on April 5, 2023, donated medical supplies worth GHS 6,000.00 to the Navrongo Central Prison.

The donation was a follow-up to a previous evangelistic visit the ministry made to the facility on March 31, 2023, in which 11 souls were won with eight baptised in water. As part of the evangelistic outreach, the ministry donated the following items worth GHS 2,000.00 to support the facility: gari, sugar, washing powder, liquid soap and 30 bags of sachet water.

During the evangelistic outreach in March, a sick inmate was prayed for after which the District Women’s Leader, Deaconess Abasimi, who is a Physician Assistant, prescribed medication for him. However, the members of the ministry were informed that the prison infirmary had run out of medicine for some time. The situation moved members of the ministry to solicit support to remedy the situation. With personal cash contributions from members of the ministry and the generous donation of other people, drugs worth GHS6,000.00 were purchased for the facility.

A.S.P. Eric Koba who received the medicines on behalf of the Regional Command expressed his gratitude to the Women’s Ministry for the speedy response to their plight.

“Your church leadership is really doing well in practicing what the Bible entreats everyone to do, especially with your enormous support to prisons over time,” he added.

An inmate who is the leader of the Prisons Christian Fellowship expressed gratitude to God for using the Women’s Ministry to answer one of their major prayer requests.

Upper East Prisons Regional Commander, ADP Yakubu Abugrago, expressed his excitement with the huge donation and said: “This is the first of its kind ever since I assumed office and the fact that it is coming from women is what dumbfounds me.”

The Regional Commander used the opportunity to plead for more support in terms of logistics to train the inmates with vocational skills to help them earn living as they reintegrate into society after serving their respective terms.

“Again, I want to say thank you for taking away my shame. Now, I don’t need to hide from my nurses,” he added.

As part of the visit, Elder Solomon Bayie encouraged the inmates with a sermon titled: “Be a Changed Person” based on Jeremiah 7:1-3.

He stressed the need for them to reflect on the goodness of God in their lives and allow themselves to be transformed by the Spirit of God.

Report by Harriet A. Asante.