Posts in category: Top Stories

The 2022 Officers’ Retreat dubbed ‘Apostolisation’ is underway in the Dunkwa Area of The Church of Pentecost under the theme: “Equipping the Church as an Army to Possess the Nations” (Hebrews 13:20-21, Ephesians 4:11-12, Ephesians 6:10-11).

Hosted by Apostle Jones Awuah Afrifa (Dunkwa Area Head), the annual prayer and teaching retreat had Apostle Vincent Anane Denteh (Director of Pentecost Men’s Ministry and Executive Council Member), and Apostle Fredrick K. Andoh (Assin Foso Area Head), as the guest speakers.

Speaking at the ministers and wives’ session of the retreat on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, at the J. K. Pray Auditorium, Apostle Jones Awuah Afrifa thanked ministers and their wives for their dedication and selfless service towards the Kingdom business. He encouraged them to stay focused and tuned to the Holy Spirit for a great revival.

Delivering a sermon titled: “The Minister as a Soldiers of Christ” – 2 Timothy 2: 1-6, Ephesians 4:11-12, Hebrews 13:20-21, Apostle Fredrick Andoh said that every minister is an ordinary person who has strength and weakness but was called, chosen and commissioned by God for his Kingdom business.

According to him, because God called, choose, and commissioned the minister for a purpose, he expects them to be responsible and fruitful in their calling. He encouraged ministers and their wives not to relent in their calling but give out their best in the Kingdom business.

Apostle Andoh gave seven descriptions of a minister from 2 Timothy 2:1-21. First and foremost, he said the minister is a child of God and as a child of God, they are expected to be humble and submissive to God.

Secondly, he pointed out that Apostle Paul writing to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:1-6 described the minister as a solider. As soldiers, he said ministers are to obey their commander, and not entangle themselves with civilian affairs.

“Obedience is a necessity to fruitfulness in the ministry,” he said.

He advised ministers to endure hardship for God, because Jesus endured the cross for the sake of humanity to bring salvation to the entire human race. He said ministry is hardwork, and that there are so many pressures in the ministry that only ministers who can endure can finish their work as faithful servants.

He also advised ministers to obey and submit to their leaders at all levels and within the ranks of the ministry and pursue the vision of the church.

According to him, loyalty is one of the greatest virtue of a soldier, and admonished ministers to be loyal to each other.

Thirdly, he revealed that the minister is an athlete and God expects them to run according to the rules in the ministry which is the word of God. He explained that to run as a minister means to be zealous and dutiful in all seasons and at all times.

“Many ministers are running but not according to the rules of the kingdom. You must run according to the rules so that you will obtain the prizes,” he said.

He observed that so many ministers are disqualified by God not because they are not working hard but their hard work is not in line with the true purpose of God and the expectations of the Kingdom.

Apostle Andoh pointed out that the minister is a farmer and every good farmer depends on the weather to plants his crops. He advised them to rely on the Holy Spirit to teach them what to do in the ministry instead of leaning on their own understanding. 

“It is God who gives grace and power for service. Rely on him and seek help from him,” he stressed.

The Assin Foso Area Head revealed that the minister is a worker, a vessel of God, and a servant of God. As a worker of God, he must know the code of conduct and the protocol of the kingdom business and apply it in the discharge of their duties.

He also asked ministers to always prepare, avail themselves and remain flexible so that they can be molded and put into maximum use by God. “As servants of God, ministers must remain humble and teachable,” he stressed.

Bringing his message to an end, Apostle Fredrick Andoh advised ministers and their wives to fish out for kingdom successors who will carry out the work of the ministry in their generation. Such people, he said, must be trained and mentored just as Paul mentored Timothy. The kingdom successors, he said, must be people with integrity, faithful, and have ministerial abilities.

Report by Pastor Twene Adane Justice, Dunkwa Atechem District.

The Kwadaso Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle John Budu Kobina Tawiah, has challenged Christians, especially church leaders, to consistently model righteousness in all their endeavours to portray the character of Christ, stressing that, consistency of righteousness is non-negotiable.

According to him, righteousness is the trademark of Christians which relates to the salvation they have found in Christ Jesus.

“We cannot profess to be Christians without living a life of righteousness,” he said.

Apostle Tawiah said this on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, when he spoke on the topic: “Righteousness; The Authority of the Kingdom” at the ongoing New Tafo Area 2022 Officers’ Retreat (Apostolisation) at the M. K. Yeboah Memorial Temple, Krofrom, in the New Tafo Zone.

Taking his main Bible texts from Proverbs 14:34; Romans 14:17, the Kwadaso Area Head noted that Christians have healthy relationship with God and as such their lives must conform to the standards of God. 

He expounded from Matthew 7:1-5 that righteousness makes Christians courageous which gives them moral authority to confront the ills in the church and the society at large.

Defining righteousness, Apostle Tawiah indicated that is it a gift from God through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17-18). 

“Jesus is the centre, key, pillar and pivot of righteousness. So, we believers have been made right with God,” he pointed out.

Referencing the story of Cornelius (Acts 10) to buttress his point, Apostle Tawiah who further noted that righteousness is the condition of being right with God only through the acceptance of the Lordship of Christ, explained that though Cornelius was a devout man who venerated God and treated Him with reverential obedience, as did all his household as he gave much alms to the people and prayed continually to God, these were not enough to make him right with God until he accepted Christ Jesus. 

He, therefore, stressed that no matter how good one may be, they cannot be made right with God until they accept and believe in Christ Jesus, saying, “Righteousness is found only in Jesus.”

As people who have been imputed with God’s righteousness, the man of God urged Christians to put on the breastplate of righteousness, which according to him, signifies moral character to protect their hearts from evil.

He further noted that when believers model righteousness it protects them from danger (Daniel 6:19-21) and saves them from death (Proverbs 11:4), saying, “Let your righteousness be your defense.” 

Reading from Ezekiel 14:14, Apostle J. B. K Tawiah charged church leaders to be the Daniels, Noahs, and Jobs of their time who will exhibit righteousness, faithfulness, obedience, humility, and stand for God at all times which would endear them to God and guarantee their safety.

“When God calls someone, He expects the person to walk in righteousness with Him. As leaders of God’s church, we must walk in righteousness to establish our leadership and leave a legacy before God for divine commendations,” he concluded.

Report by Emmanuel Nana Nsiah

Apostle Mike Kwame Etrue, an Executive Council Member of The Church of Pentecost who also doubles as the Kaneshie Area Head of the church, has entreated church leaders to be resolute in their walk with God in the face of difficulties.

He disclosed that the world is full of darkness and evil, but in the midst of all that God expects leaders to stand out to confront the ills of society.

Apostle Etrue said this on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, when preaching at the ongoing Kaneshie Area Officers’ Retreat dubbed ‘Apostolisation’ at the Kaneshie Central Auditorium on the topic, “Righteousness: The Authority of the Kingdom” – Proverbs 13:34: Romans 14:17.  

According to him, the world is confused because sin has engulfed the entire society. However, he said, “God is looking for leaders who can stand up for Jesus in times of difficult situations.

He was worried that although Christians form the majority of the Ghanaian society, representing about 73% of the entire population, the nation is in a sorry state as evil abound in every sphere of the society. He mentioned corruption which is found at every level of the society, over-invoicing, and other vices which are destructive to the economic wellbeing of the nation.

He believes that politicians can never change Ghana, but only God can turn the fortunes of the nation around. He added that God wants to use born-again Christians as a tool to change the nation. “So as church leaders, God expects us to portray acts of righteousness, live a righteous life and wear a dress of righteousness to transform the nation,” he stressed.

Apostle Etrue also charged Christians to speak out against the ills of society. He mentioned that to have the moral authority to attack the evil deeds in the country, believers should themselves be blameless and live righteous lives, by which they will have the guts to correct the wrongs of society.

“God wants people who can stand the test of time. When Christians do not speak out against the sins around them, others would easily misconstrue that indifference for a sign of their approval of the rots in the nation,” he pointed out.

He added: “We should stand up for Jesus. If we do not, sin will overrule society and even in the church. We should be concerned about what goes on around us, not only in the church but in the country, else their evil actions will affect the church and the whole nation.”

The Kaneshie Area Head further noted that as people in constant relationship with God, Christians are expected to live a life that conforms to God’s will to help them exercise spiritual and moral authority to correct the world of its injustice and cruelty.

He defined righteousness as a behaviour that is morally justifiable or right before God.

Reading Ephesians 6:14, he revealed that righteousness is like a breastplate that should be worn by all believers to avoid being overcome by sin.

“The breastplate signifies moral character and the believer’s defense. It protects the heart from evil, and also helps our responses to evil with righteoous acts.

“The righteous person wearing the breastplate of righteousness will never fall into sin. The church is looking out for leaders who can overcome sin, not those who are dabbling in sin,” he said.

Citing Noah, Daniel, and Job, the three righteous persons that God himself vouched for in the Bible, he said the trio stood out for the Lord in the midst of evil in their generations which caused God to vouch for them (Ezekiel 14:12-14).  

“God is looking for people he can vouch for them,” he said, adding, “We want leaders who can endure to the end in the face of challenges.”

PENTECOST NEWS.

Apostle Sylvester Arhin, Coordinator of the Northern Regional Coordinating Committee and Tamale Area Head, has advised ministers and their wives to yearn to guard their minds against the destructions of this world.

This, he said, during the opening of the Ministers and Wives Session of the joint 2022 Bolgatanga and Bawku Areas Officers’ Retreat (Apostolisation), on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, at the Bolgatanga Central Assembly Auditorium, in the Upper East Region.

Addressing the ministers and wives on the topic: “The Equipper’s Mind”, Apostle Arhin said that the helmet of salvation which is a key apparel of the armour of God, must be worn as believers, using Romans 15:14 and Ephesians 6:17 as scriptural references

According to him, the brain as the central point of the body is the first point of call to the devil, therefore, it is imperative for them to protect their minds from corruptible information that enters every second. He urged them to sieve their minds with the Word of God.

“Guard your heart and mind, for immediately the devil has control over these two, he has absolute control over you. Therefore, protect your minds”, he admonished.

He revealed that the Apostle Paul loved the church in Ephesians dearly, the reason he had time to describe them in his letters to them.

He further entreated the ministers and their wives gathered to have genuine love for the ministry, and added that: “If a pastor will describe his members as Paul did, it means he has genuine love for them”.

However, he urged them to speak well of their members, since God reciprocates same by blessing them.

“God blesses the pastor who speaks well of his members, for they will also bless him in return”, he stated.

In maintaining the church of God, he outlined that by getting a plan, preaching the Word of God, and being ready in and out of season are the few ways of making the church stand.

He asked them to keep reminding their members about what God intends to do in their lives and tell them about God. “We must show them that man had sinned. Tell them about the hopelessness of the lost”.

Nevertheless, he charged the minsters to teach, take care, and bring the members to God.

“As ministers of God, we have a sacrifice to bring to him daily. They the members and believers of the church who are to be equipped with the Word of God”, he said.

Concluding, he reiterated that the protection of their minds is expedient to their ministries, therefore, to have a real focus on their mandate, they must treat it very important, and added that: “As ministers, do not let anything shift your focus, but stand on the Word of God and train your members well. Do not just do it anyhow”. Apostle Eric Gyambibi Boateng, Bawku Area Head after took the ministers and their wives in a time of prayers.

PENTECOST NEWS

Christians are under obligation to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to unbelievers in order to rescue them from sin and eternal destruction.

According to Apostle Wilberforce Nkrumah Agyeman, the Teshie-Nungua Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, it is not good for Christians to keep the Good News to themselves but should rather share it with all persons so that through that the unsaved would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Addressing ministers and officers of the church in the Kaneshie Area as part of the ongoing Officers’ Retreat dubbed ‘Apostolisation’ at the Kaneshie Central auditorium on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, the former missionary spoke passionately about the need for born-again Christians to take the gospel to the unreached at all cost to save them from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light.

Speaking on the topic, “The Power of the Gospel of Salvation” based on Romans 1:13-17; Micah 5:1; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, he stated: “We are indebted to sinners because most of them have heard the gospel. Like what the lepers said in 2 Kings 7:9, it is not good for believers to haul and keep the Good News to themselves by not letting it known to the unsaved. We must seize every available opportunity, space, and time and preach the gospel because that is our core duty as believers.

“As an army of God, we are not afraid to enter into any sphere to proclaim the Good News. We ought to work in earnest since many people are perishing in their sins.”

He revealed that God is marshaling a powerful army of global effect that will clamp down the power of the enemy (Micah 5:1) through the gospel.

Giving some tips in Romans 10:13-14 about accessing the gospel of salvation, Apostle Nkrumah Agyeman noted that the lost cannot call on the Lord to be saved until they believe that Christ died for their sins, resurrected from the dead and ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God interceding for them (1 Corinthians 15:1-8).

He, however, said that the lost cannot believe in the Lord until they hear the Good News of salvation which must be preached by all believers. He was worried that soul winning in recent times has been relegated to only members while officers and ministers have taken a back seat only to take reports from evangelism outreaches.

He, therefore, charged pastors and officers in the church to fully involve themselves in the soul-winning efforts of the church by personally going out to the field to preach the gospel since Christ himself will reward them on the day of judgement.

He reiterated that the lost cannot be saved without a witness, saying, “They cannot believe until they hear, and they cannot hear without a witness.”

Apostle Wilberforce Nkrumah Agyeman concluded his presentation by outlining some of the methods of evangelism. These include social media evangelism, testimony gospel, lifestyle evangelism (1 Peter 3:1-3), friendship evangelism, gospel explosions, neighbourhood evangelism (door-to-door), event evangelism, gospel skits and plays, and street preaching evangelism, among others.

PENTECOST NEWS.