Posts in category: Moving With Gs

The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, has advised Christians to live above reproach at the workplace.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi said this on September 25, 2019, at the 4th Bezalel Conference at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh.

Speaking on the topic: “Translating Faith Into Action At The Marketplace,” the General Secretary emphasized that anyone who accepts Christ becomes a new creation and must, therefore, live as a new person in Christ. “This means that God recreates you, and not just polishes you,” he said.

He also noted that Christians must know that Christianity is not a religion or an association, but a lifestyle which emanates from an encounter with God.

“Christianity is a lifestyle that is synonymous to Christ. It is a lifestyle that reminds us of a saving Christ. Hence, our Christian life must draw people to Christ.” he said.

The General Secretary cited Daniel, whom the Bible describes a man with an excellent spirit (Daniel 1:3-4), as an example of an individual who demonstrated godly character at the workplace.

He noted that Daniel was faithful and blameless in all his endeavours and that distinguished him from the other officials.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi also said that, just like Daniel, Christians who try to be honest, diligent and faithful at the workplace may face persecution but they should always uphold their Christian virtues to dispel corruption at the workplace.

“Christians who do not partake in wrongdoing may face persecution. However, God knows why he has placed you there, so accept the challenge!” he said.

The General Secretary said that it was important for Christians to be pure and blameless at the workplace because they spend most of the day there.

He, therefore, urged Christians to be disciplined and to live above reproach. “Our comfort should not compromise rules. Rather, let those around you to see you as the Light of the World and the Salt of the Earth,” he said.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi explained that most Christians are unable to apply their Christian virtues at the workplace because they seek acceptance from their colleagues and employers.

“The tragedy today is that Christians do not know the true meaning of separation, they seek acceptance. They do not appreciate the wisdom that they should not be yoked with unbelievers. We must be separated in character and deed, for a good name is better than riches” he said.

He advised Christians to hold fast to their Christian identity and not to compromise their virtues so as to fit in. He encouraged them to emulate Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego, who did not compromise on their Jewish identity when they were taken to Babylon as slaves.

“Don’t mess your Christian identity or you will mess up your destiny. Rather, take your Christian identity to the workplace,” he said.

Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi admonished Christians to translate their faith into action because faith without works is dead and true faith transforms life (James 2:14-26). He also advised employers to treat their employees fairly (Deuteronomy 24:13-15) by consistently paying the agreed salary or remuneration, providing a safe working environment for workers and also providing adequate resources to enable them to work effectively

The General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, has warned Christians that paying or accepting bribes in any form is an offence against God.

The Chief Scribe said this when he joined members of Pentecost International Worship Centre, Odorkor (PIWC-Odorkor) for church service on February 9^th, 2020.

Preaching a sermon titled: “Bribery and Extortion” as part of a series of messages on the topic: “Living A Life Of Integrity As A Christian,” Apostle Kumi-Larbi expressed disdain about how the payment of bribes has become a common practice in Ghana, cautioning that “bribery is a characteristic of a corrupt society.”

He defined bribery as money, favour, or other consideration given in exchange for one’s influence against what is true, right, or just. “Any benefit given or accepted to influence decisions is a bribe. Bribery is an offence against God, the weak, the innocent and the community,” he explained.

Giving a brief historical background of the act of bribery, Apostle Kumi-Larbi said that, it was a customary practice of the ancient Israelites to offer gifts to people in authority as a sign of respect. He, however, stated that such gifts were sometimes given as a form of bribe to influence judicial procedures. As a result, Moses, the leader of Israel at the time, cautioned the Israelites against bribery to prevent abuses in their legal system.

According to the General Secretary, laws against bribery were given to the Israelites by Moses to so that they could clamp down on the practice, because it jeopardised justice and righteousness in society. He further quoted Exodus 23:8, Deuteronomy 16:19, Job 15:34 and Proverbs 17:23 to buttress the Bible’s categorical stance against all forms of bribery.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi pointed out that although receiving or paying bribes may bring temporary comfort; its consequences may be far-reaching. He referred to the story of Judas in Matthew 26:14-16, who took a bribe to betray Jesus, an innocent man. He said that although Judas later regretted his actions, his action came too late because he had caused the death of a righteous man.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi also cited the story of the soldiers who were charged with guarding Jesus’ tomb. who They took a bribe from the chief priests and elders to lie about the disappearance of the body of Jesus from the tomb as recorded in the Gospel according to St. Matthew 28:12-15. “Many Jewish people have perished, and many more are going to perish because of the lie the soldiers told, and the blood of these people will be on their hands,” he lamented.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi, therefore, advised Christians to desist from paying or accepting bribes to grant or to receive any form of favours “From all indications, bribery perverts justice. It is a blinding influence upon wisdom and discernment. It beclouds the truth and perverts or twists the words of those who would be righteous in the sight of God,” he said.

He advised Christians to do nothing out of vain conceit or selfish gain, to be content with what they have, and uphold their integrity in all circumstances. “Our God values honesty and truthfulness, because they ensure a just society. The Christian who has integrity is sound, reliable, trustworthy and can be described as dependable,” he advised.

The General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, has called on Ghanaians to rethink and change their negative attitudes towards the environment.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi said this during a consultative meeting organized by the La Area with some stakeholders within the La Municipality and environs on February 18^th, 2020.

Reading from Genesis 2:15, the General Secretary said that after creating humans, God placed them in in the Garden of Eden to work and take care of it. However, poor sanitation and ever-growing environmental issues confronting the country attests that Ghanaians have failed to live up to this mandate. He said that there is, therefore, the need for an attitudinal change in tackling the poor sanitary conditions in the country.

Making reference to the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, he said that, the Prodigal Son changed the course of his life after “he came to himself” and realized that he was on the wrong path.

“In the same way, we as Ghanaians must come to ourselves, and understand that, what we are doing is wrong and begin to change our ways. This is why we are calling for an attitudinal change,” he said. He indicated that in order to ensure a more effective Environmental Care campaign, it is important that the Ghanaian populace come on board and to own it.

“What this means is that, The Church of Pentecost will no longer own the vision, rather we are selling it to the Ghanaian populace. So that it will no longer be regarded as a vision of the church, but an agenda of Ghana to make our environment clean,” he said.

He revealed that the leadership of the Church has received very positive feedback from some Districts and Areas of the church who have engaged key actors of the community in a durbar on how to deal with their respective environmental challenges.