Posts in category: Moving With Gs

The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, has challenged Christians to bear fruit in keeping with repentance, emphasising that true repentance must lead to a changed life.

The General Secretary said this today when he and his wife, Mrs. Rose Kumi-Larbi, joined the English and Central assemblies of the Achimota District to climax this year’s Officers’ Retreat (Apostolisation).

Delivering a sermon titled “Righteousness and Justice,” Apostle Kumi-Larbi, who defines repentance as a change of heart that leads to a changed-life, explained that anyone who has genuinely repented from their sins and accepted Christ as Lord and personal Saviour must show forth their repentance by leading a life of righteousness.

“When it comes to godly living, most contemporary Christians are quick to say that the ‘Lord sees the heart.’ But it is not enough to say that. We must also live it out for the world to see that we have truly repented,” he said.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi explained that despite all the moral decay in society, God has provided redemption through the finished work of Christ on the cross and His resurrection. 

It, however, behoves humans to respond to the gospel message of Christ by turning from their wicked ways (ungodliness), to receive forgiveness of sin and the Holy Spirit in order to qualify them as sons of God with the capacity to live a life of righteousness and holiness, he added.

He said that God is righteous and, therefore, Christians, as subjects of His kingdom, cannot continue to indulge in ungodliness.

He identified Zacchaeus as a true example of repentance because he completely turned from his wicked ways when he surrendered his life to Christ (Luke 19:1-10). 

Elaborating on bribery and extortion, the General Secretary was emphatic that “the Bible is clear that giving or receiving a bribe is evil.”

He explained that bribery is money, favour, or other consideration given in exchange for one’s influence against what is true, right, or just, while extortion is taking money from someone by violence, threats, or the misuse of authority.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi further noted that God is just and shows no partiality (Acts 10:34), and He perfectly exacts vengeance against those who take undue advantage over others.

By His very nature, God is just in meting out rewards for righteousness and equally just in meting out punishments for evil and wrongdoing (Hebrews 6:10, Colossians 3:25), he cautioned.

“If God punished Adam and Eve for disobedience, Cain for murder, Sodom and Gomorrah for sexual perversion etc., then we must also expect to be punished for the same misdeeds (evil) that He has punished others for. This is because God is just, and a false balance is an abomination to Him,” he said.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi, therefore, called on Christians, particularly Christian workers and members of the Church, to endeavour to uphold Kingdom values and principles such as honesty, truthfulness, hard work, diligence and contentment at the workplace as they seek to possess their spheres for Christ. 

PENTECOST NEWS.

The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, says that the consistency in observing the commands of God (righteousness) is the mark of every true Christian.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi maintains that righteousness is what distinguishes Christians from the people of the world and that it is expected of every believer to lead lives that conform to God’s will.

“Consistently doing good deeds and doing right is the fruit of true sonship in Christ; it is the fruit that shows that Christ lives in us. One can, therefore, not claim to be in Christ without living a life of righteousness,” he charged participants of the ongoing National Officers’ Retreat (Apostolisation) at the Achimota Zone of the Achimota Area yesterday. 

In his presentation on the topic “Righteousness; The Authority of the Kingdom,” the General Secretary defined righteousness as the act of being aligned with how God ordained and sees things in the natural, moral or legal sense. 

“It also means acts, words, deeds, and attitude that are considered right,” he explained.

According to him, the primary reason why Jesus came to earth to die on the Cross was to make it possible for humanity to be restored to God’s righteous standards.

Quoting 2 Corinthians 5:21, he said that Jesus fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the Mosaic law and took the sins and curses of humanity upon Himself on the Cross. For this reason, God made Jesus who knew no sin to bear the sins of humanity so that they (humans) can become the righteousness of God in Christ. 

“Essentially, by this finished work of Christ, we have been imputed with God’s righteousness and have been empowered to live a life of righteousness in attitude, words and deeds,” he said.

Hence, it is unacceptable for any believer to indulge in unrighteous acts because through Christ’s vicarious death, believers have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness (in which they previously belonged) into God’s kingdom of light, he added.

“In the kingdom of God, the scepter, emblem, totem or symbol of authority is righteousness. That is why we the people of the Kingdom must love righteousness and hate evil (wickedness),” he said while referring to Hebrews 1:8-9.

He, therefore, reiterated that the greatest burden or preoccupation of every Christian must be to lead righteous lives.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi also urged Christians to guard their hearts against evil by putting on the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14).

“We must put on our moral character (breastplate of righteousness) which serves as the believer’s defense because it protects our hearts from evil,” he said.

He further explained that to protect one’s heart from evil is to be careful of where one sits, stands and walks (Psalm 1:1-3). 

He also advised Christians to be very cautious of the people they choose as friends and acquaintances, stressing that “The people you associate with will determine how far you go in Christ.”

Highlighting the significance of righteousness in nation-building, the General Secretary said that nations whose citizens lead lives that conform to the will of God are prosperous.

He further explained that it is not enough for leaders to enact laws for their respective nations, rather, what the world needs are leaders who pass right laws and apply them.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi, therefore, urged national leaders not to emulate the hypocritical behaviours of the Scribes, who only taught the laws, or the Pharisees, who were selective in the application of laws. Instead, he advised them to subject themselves to the laws of their nations and to put in place systems to ensure that other citizens adhere to them (laws) as well.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, has urged Christians to be righteous and just in their communities.

Speaking on the topic: “The Righteousness of God As it Relates to the Believer’s Salvation,” on Sunday, February 13, 2022, at the Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC) in the Downtown-Ofaakor Area, Apostle Kumi-Larbi said humanity can only appreciate the righteousness of God by first reflecting on their depraved nature in the beginning.

“To understand God’s righteousness and how He saved and cleansed us, we must first understand where we were and how depraved humanity was,” he stated.

He revealed that the human heart was very evil before salvation, adding that, the Apostle Paul wrote Romans 1:18-32 to describe the depraved nature of the human heart before coming to know the saving knowledge of Christ.

“Before Jesus came, we were very evil,” he noted, stressing that: “Humanity had become godless and wicked and had suppressed the truth and the righteousness of God.”

He acknowledged that though God is loving, He does not spare anyone who sins but punishes anyone that engaged in any form of sin.

 “God will never apologize to anyone; He won’t spare you if you sin,” he told the congregation.

The General Secretary observed that in contemporary times, humanity has invented new ways of doing evil and cautioned that God will punish all those who engage in such acts.

He further explained that Jesus Christ is the believer’s righteousness and sanctification, and that He came to earth to restore humanity to God’s righteousness.

“Jesus came to destroy Satan’s works, sin, and the wrath and curses that come with it. God, the Father sent Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, to die for our sake so that we might be righteous before God,” he explained.

He urged unbelievers to accept Christ as their Savior, because without Christ, man is dead.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi iterated that before Jesus came to earth, humanity owed God due to numerous sins but Christ died to pay the debt freeing man from all forms of sins.

“When Jesus came to die on the tree, God accepted that sacrifice and cancelled all our debt,” he said.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi admonished believers to refrain from sin and put on the righteousness of God as a weapon against sin and be transformed into the image of Christ.

“Let’s go and exhibit the virtues of Christ. The Salvation of our society and communities is in our hands,” he charged Christians.

After the sermon, Resident Minister of PIWC- Downtown-Ofaakor Area, Pastor Isaac Annor, led the congregation in prayer.

Present at the service was Apostle Dr Benjamin Ali, the Area Head for Downtown-Ofaakor.

PENTECOST NEWS.

Christians have been charged as agents and ambassadors of Jesus Christ on earth to carry on the ministry of reconciliation and salvation that Christ Jesus came to do on earth through His death and resurrection.

According to Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Jesus’ death and resurrection reconciled man to God. He emphasized that the glory and Spirit of God, which were lost in the Garden of Eden as a result of sin, can only be reclaimed when one accepts Christ Jesus as their Lord and personal Saviour.

This, he said, is good news that must be shared with all people in order for them to believe in Christ’s finished work on the cross and become a new creation, turning away from their evil ways and becoming more like Christ.

Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi said this in a sermon he delivered yesterday at Bawjiase, near Kasoa as part of the on-going All Officers’ Retreat (Apostolisation) held in the Downtown-Ofaakor Area. The Bawjiase zone was attended by officers and ministers from seven districts in the Downtown-Ofaakor Area namely, Jei-Krodua, Papaase, Obom, Awutu Bawjiase, Awuakyekwaa, Abamkrom, and Hobor.

Speaking on the topic: “The New Creation and the Possessing the Nations Agenda” with the main text taken from 2 Corinthians 5:16-19, the General Secretary explained the purpose for the new creation. According to him, God created man in His own image and likeness but when the devil deceived man and caused him to sin against God, the entire human race lost that glory, and thus every man born of a woman on earth is corrupt and sinful.

He stated that since the departure of the Holy Spirit from man, humanity has been wallowing in sin and darkness, engaging in unspeakable acts such as homosexuality and the like. He explained that God, through His Son Jesus Christ, came to earth to pay the ultimate price to deliver humanity from Satan’s kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light in Christ Jesus.

The General Secretary further explained that since Christ’s death and ascension into heaven, the unfinished business of bringing all humanity to the saving knowledge of Christ and reconciling them to God has been left in the hands of His agents (Christians).

He, therefore challenged Christian leaders who are now new creations to let the light and salt in them be seen by all, so that others who are living in the darkness will turn from their evil ways and come to Christ to avoid God’s imminent punishment.

As Christ’s agents, Apostle Kumi-Larbi exhorted christians to uphold righteousness and live unquestionably so that God would use them to possess the nations. He contended that until Christians fulfill their true calling of becoming true agents of Christ by demonstrating to the world the Kingdom values and principles, the earth will not be at peace because sin will continue to dominate men’s affairs.

Reading from Ephesians 6:17, he advised them to put on the helmet of salvation to safeguard their salvation because the devil is always at war with them to cause them to lose their salvation in Christ.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, has entreated church leaders to be mindful of their actions, words, deeds, and attitude in order to ensure that they are in line with the standards of God.

 “You must be little Jesuses everywhere you go,” the General Secretary stated yesterday when delivering the sermon in this year’s All Officers Retreat, dubbed: “Apostolisation” at Downtown Ofaakor, near Kasoa.

The week-long event, being organised in two zones – Downtown and Bawjiase, is under the 2022 theme of the church, “Equipping the Church As An Army to Possess the Nations” (Hebrews 13:20-21; Ephesians 4:11-12; 6:10-11).

It is hosted by the Area Head, Apostle Dr. Benjamin Ali, with Apostle Mike Kwame Etrue (Kaneshie Area Head and Executive Council Member) as the other guest speaker.

Speaking on Wednesday on the topic: “Righteousness, the Authority of the Kingdom,” the General Secretary said it is righteousness that will help officers and ministers of the church to exert their authority in the church and impact others positively.

He regretted that most people in positions of authority, both in the church and in society as a whole, had lost the moral justification to exercise their authority as a result of their questionable lifestyles.

Reading from Proverbs 14:25; 19:17; Hebrews 1:8-9, he asserted that it is by only righteousness that the fortunes of the nation can be turned around and help the church in its quest to possess the nations with Kingdom values and principles, thereby bringing many people to Christ.  

According to Apostle Kumi-Larbi, righteousness is a symbol of God’s Kingdom and that those who claim to be heirs of the Kingdom must be righteous in all their actions.

“In the church and the Kingdom of God, righteousness should be our hallmark, because the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of the Kingdom,” he stressed.

Explaining righteousness from the Old Testament perspective, he said that righteousness is being right with God by aligning with how God ordained things and how God sees them in the natural, moral or legal sense.

The General Secretary continued by entreating believers, especially officers of the church to put on the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:4) which signifies moral character and serves as their defense by way of protecting their hearts from evil.

Putting on the breastplate of righteousness, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi noted, is particularly important because the world is full of evil and sin (Romans 12:17-25; Matthew 5:38-42).

He disclosed that Jesus Christ came into the world to impute the righteousness of God in believers. This was done through the shedding of His blood and resurrection which has cleansed the believer from all unrighteousness, thereby sanctifying and justifying them (Romans 8:1-4; Galatians 3:13-14; Colossians 2:13-14; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

“We are now new creations having been made the righteousness of God. We are God’s righteousness because anyone who accepts Christ as his Lord and Saviour receives a new identity in Christ. God imputed His righteousness in us, and we are to reflect it in our communities. With the image of Christ in us, we should be able to influence others,” he said.

PENTECOST NEWS.

In a dispensation where the media is saturated with news stories of doom and gloom, the General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, says it is very refreshing to retell the good news of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, through the celebration of Christmas.

Delivering a sermon today on the topic: “Joy To The World, A Saviour Is Born” (Luke 2:8-16) at the Mamprobi Central Assembly, Apostle Kumi-Larbi said that there is a deliberate attempt to gradually shift Christmas from its central focus as a celebration of Christ.

He noted that some people are determined to take away the Christ factor from Christmas and rather observe the period as a holiday. 

“How can we say we are celebrating the birthday of a ‘person’ and yet not want Him to be part of the celebration?” he wondered.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi, therefore, urged Christians not to fall for this subtle-ungodly agenda and rather commit to reestablishing the essence of Christmas, which is to celebrate the goodness that came out of the birth of Christ.

Touching on the significance of the birth of Christ, the General Secretary explained that the depraved nature of the human race, which resulted from sin (disobedience) caused them to attract the wrath of God (Romans 3:23, Romans 1:18, 31-32).

He said that to restore humans to their former glory, God intervened by coming down to redeem mankind from sin in fulfilment of the prophecy given by Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 7:8-9).

“[The Book of Matthew] records that in the appointed time Isaiah’s prophecy came to past; God came down to earth in the flesh to save mankind through the birth of Christ. So, His birth was a confirmation of God’s salvation for mankind,” he said.

He further noted that Christ is God’s gift to the world so that through Him, all those who believe would become God’s children as He originally intended before the fall.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi also stressed that Jesus is a total package, describing Him as “the wonderful Counselor; Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace,” and that without Him, life on earth has no meaning. These, according to him, are among the many reasons why the birth of Christ is worth celebrating.

The General Secretary, therefore, advised unbelievers to accept Jesus Christ into their lives to enjoy the numerous benefits of His birth.

He also urged believers to hold firmly to Christ and walk with Him throughout the ensuing year to experience a truly prosperous New Year.

The service, which was the climax of this year’s Christmas Conventions, had in attendance members from all four assemblies (Mamprobi Central Assembly, Bethel Assembly, Korle-Bu Assembly and English Assembly) of the Mamprobi District in the Dansoman Area of the Church.

Merry Christmas!

PENTECOST NEWS

God has offered His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to the world as a complete package for those who accept and believe in Him, the General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, has asserted. 

Speaking at the 2021 Christmas Convention organised by the Baatsona District in the Teshie-Nungua Area of The Church of Pentecost on the Christmas eve [Friday, December 24, 2021] on the theme: “The Birth of Jesus: Fulfilment of God’s Word” with scripture references from Isaiah 7:14; 9:1-7; Matthew 1:22-23; Galatians 4: 4-5, among others, Apostle Kumi-Larbi called on the world to gladly embrace God’s indescribable gift and enjoy the full benefits thereof. 

He stated that when a gift is given and nobody receives it, it remains with the giver, saying, “Jesus Christ has been given to the world by God as a gift but not until the world receives Him, He remains with the owner (God). 

“As a gift to the world, Jesus is a package and when you accept Him, you receive the full promises of God for your life.” 

According to the General Secretary, nobody is a mistake in life. However, what can make one a mistake in life is their failure to recognise God’s gift [Jesus Christ] and accept Him and walk with Him for the rest of their lives. 

Touching on what makes Jesus Christ a package with reference to the prophecies of Prophet Isaiah foretelling the birth of the Mesiah, he averred that aside the salvation that Jesus offers to all those who believe in Him, He comes into one’s life as a Wonderful Counselor. Explaining further, he said that because of what Satan did to man in the Garden of Eden to deprive man of God’s glory and thereby ended up confusing the entire human race, humanity needs a Wonderful Councilor, someone who knows the mind of God and will be able to interpret it to humankind so that man can be restored to his former glory. 

Apostle Kumi-Larbi also said that Jesus is a package because He is a Mighty God. He indicated that Jesus is described as a ‘Mighty God’ because He performs and does wonderful things which no mind can fathom. He said that it is only Jesus Christ who can correct all that the devil has destroyed in a man’s life. 

He added that Jesus is the only Prince of Peace to the world, and that He calms every worrying situation that one finds himself in.  

Jesus is a wonderful package because He is an Everlasting Father who can help and direct His children in order not to miss their providential way. Reading from Romans 8:15-17, he encouraged believers to be strong in the Lord and boldly come to Him with their challenges for a perfect solution. 

Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi ended his sermon by launching the congregation into intensive prayers.  

As part of the service, the Teshie-Nungua Area Head, Apostle Wilberforce Nkrumah Agyeman, on behalf of the Area presented a birthday package to the General Secretary who celebrated his birthday on the eve of Christmas. 

Present at the service was the host District Minister, Prophet Fred Antwi, and the wife of the Area Head, Mrs. Grace Nkrumah Agyeman, among others. 

PENTECOST NEWS. 

The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, says believers have the power to influence society with righteousness and help elicit God’s blessings for their respective nations.

He said that creating an impact of righteousness in society begins with believers learning and living out God’s word (Bible), then teaching their children to do the same, emphasising that, “Righteousness must be taught from one generation to the next.”

Apostle Kumi-Larbi said this yesterday during a duty visit to the Michel Camp District as part of the post-Heads’ meeting Apostolisation schedule.

Preaching on the topic: “The Role of Righteousness In Transforming Society,” the General Secretary said that the prosperity of every nation largely depends on the righteousness of its citizens. 

Quoting Proverbs 14:34 and Proverbs 11:11, among other scriptures to buttress this assertion, he stressed that it is, indeed, righteousness, and not politicians, that exalts (prospers) a nation.

“This means righteousness greatly affects how God honours a nation and how others regard it. Sadly, this is a truth that some Christians ignore or pay very little attention to this,’ he bemoaned.

The General Secretary further indicated that when majority of people in a nation purpose in their hearts to know God and walk in His will, the nation would begin to reflect righteousness and become morally strong. 

He attributed the alarming rise in people’s receptivity to hitherto ungodly acts to the apathy of Christians towards unrighteous acts perpetuated in society in recent times. He said that when Christians do not speak out against the sins around them, others easily misconstrue it as a sign of approval or acceptance, and the sin of one, once allowed and accepted, can corrupt many and affect and disgrace the whole nation.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi, therefore, called on Christians, who form about 70 per cent of the nation’s population, to make their presence felt by living above reproach in all their endeavours, bearing in mind that the lifestyles they portray have a significant effect on society.

He said: “As we become spiritually strong believers, it becomes our task to nurture spiritually strong families. And as we raise spiritually strong children, we have a better hope of producing spiritually strong leaders who can lead with righteous principles. But it all starts with the small ripple we begin as individuals.” 

Every nation has its unbelievers who continually produce sin, but only the believer has a spiritual nature (acquired at salvation) which enables him to walk with God in accordance with Scripture, he added.

He, however, cautioned that if Christians fail to influence society positively, the results could be far-reaching since it would elicit the curse of the Lord as was the case of the nation of Israel in Jeremiah 23:40 and Deuteronomy 28:15-68.

PENTECOST NEWS

The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, has said that the prosperity of a nation largely depends on the level of God’s righteous standards upheld by its inhabitants (citizens).

Speaking on the topic: “Righteousness; The Authority of the Kingdom” at the ongoing 2021 Heads’ Meeting at Pentecost Convention Centre at Gomoa Fetteh today, Apostle Kumi-Larbi noted that the progress of every nation is not determined by its political leaders; but rather, “it is righteousness that exalts a nation” (Proverbs 14:34).

He, therefore, stressed that the best response that believers could give to the moral decay in society is to live out the life of righteousness imputed on them through the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross.

“Unless righteousness permeates society, it will be difficult to lead people to Christ because there is a lack of the knowledge of sin,” he said.

He defined righteousness as a behaviour that is morally justifiable or right before God, adding that, such behaviour is characterised by accepted standards of morality, justice, virtue, or uprightness. 

“The Bible’s standard of human righteousness is God’s perfection in every attribute, every attitude, every behaviour, and every word. Thus, God’s laws, as given in the Bible, serve as the standard by which He measures human righteousness,” he stated.

Expounding Romans 1:18-32, Apostle Kumi-Larbi said due to the fall and subsequent depravity, humans have become godless and wicked. A consequence of this, he said, has been that now humanity has suppressed the truth by their wickedness and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for created images, among other things.   The General Secretary explained that Jesus came primarily to make it possible for humanity to be restored to the righteousness of God.

According to him, the righteousness of God makes provision for the redemption of the sinner from their sins, stressing that, every believer must not indulge in unrighteous acts because the righteousness of God frowns on the sinful life of the sinner.

He explained that true repentance is seen in a life that is patterned after the life of Christ (the bearing of fruit of the Holy Spirit). He urged Christians to demonstrate genuine repentance by upholding righteousness in their character, conscience, conduct and speech daily. This, he said, would validate their witness and testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Using Noah, Daniel, and Job as character examples, he noted that the three men were commended in Ezekiel 14:12-14 for upholding righteousness in their generation. The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost said aside from being loved by the Lord, some traits shared by the aforementioned righteous men include faithfulness, obedience, humility and virtue.

“Although they were in the minority, they stood firm for the Lord. They also endured for the Lord,” he added.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi challenged Christians to emulate the above righteous men by putting on the breastplate of righteousness (moral character), which, according to him, serves as the believer’s defense since it protects their heart from evil.

“To be able to influence every sphere of society with values and principles of the kingdom of God such as Goodness, Mercy, Justice and Sincerity, we should model lives of righteousness as a breastplate, which is a defensive armour that cannot be hidden,” he noted.

PENTECOST NEWS