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One prominent feature on the calendar of activities of The Church of Pentecost (CoP) is its annual retreat held for ministers and wives within the church globally. The year 2024 is no exception, as the church marshalled all its frontier militants to a five-day retreat at the Pentecost Convention Center, Gomoa Fetteh, and other satellite centres across the globe.

A significant aspect of this year’s conference was the unveiling of the second phase of the “Possessing the Nations” agenda dubbed Vision 2028, anchored on the overarching theme “Unleashing the Whole Church to Transform Their World with Values and Principles of the Kingdom of God.”

The vision bearer and Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, carefully outlined the rationale behind Vision 2028 and challenged ministers and wives to own it and propagate the same to the church populace in all local assemblies across the globe. Notable among other key issues highlighted was the release of the tremendous potent power of the church members to transform their world, thereby making Jesus popular again in their communities.

Setting the right impetus for the successful implementation of Vision 2028, some ministry interventions were introduced. Notable among them were the ministry to celebrities, the ministry to Muslims, and the e-church. For me, these ministry interventions will not only aid in the execution of Vision 2028 but will also cause a shift in the ecclesiastical framework of worship in the contemporary generation. Undoubtedly, its impact will be a huge blessing not only to the COP but to the community of faith globally.

For a groundbreaking takeoff, the 2024 theme that initiates Vision 2028 was introduced. The Chairman and other seasoned ministers of the church made presentations on the various thematic areas of the operational theme for the year 2024. Topics treated included the characteristics of the church unleashed, the church as a people of God, tithes and offerings, etc. Their in-depth ministration ignited fresh inspiration, illumination, and empowerment as ministers globally sat to drink and assimilate from the well of our fathers. For me, the apex of all the ministrations in the 2024 Ministers and Wives Conference was the presentation on “Winning the Cities” by the Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye. My admiration for our dear Chairman deepened as he outlined a systematic approach to building a glorifying and attractive church in the contemporary era, especially in the cities and urban areas.

The various sessions of prayer and worship during the conference were so refreshing. It afforded participants the space for spiritual deepening, realignments, times of reflections, and spiritual fortification. One can simply behold a changed and charged atmosphere of believers whose spiritual antennas have activated and are ready to be unleashed to the frontiers of the battlefield. I cannot hide my affection for our dear General Secretary, Aps. Samuel Gyau Obuobi, who constantly offered space for prayerful reflective moments after the Lord had spoken to his church through prophecies.

Furthermore, such an impactful conference couldn’t be complete without good music ministrations. The Voice of Pentecost was simply a delight to behold. Music in all forms of genres was well served, triggering massive revival sessions, especially on Wednesday night. When the Chairman and our fathers stepped out with a Davidic dance, one could ultimately conclude that something spectacular had happened. Indisputably, the Voice of Pentecost has become a household name in CoP as they keep blessing the Christian community with inspirational theme songs and other “Pentecocharismatic” music renditions.

Also, through the great work of the media ministry, the CoP fraternity across the globe enjoyed up-to-date daily newsletters and updates on all CoP media handles with great aesthetic views. The entire media team was simply phenomenal in their delivery.

The 2024 Global Ministers and Wives’ Conference has really released a “fierce wind” to combat any form of opposing inclination, and as I reflect on the totality of the conference, I am certain in my spirit that the Lord will surely accomplish mighty things in the coming years. Without any form of ambiguity, the 2024 conference will be remembered in the historical narrative of The Church of Pentecost.

I cannot conclude without acknowledging the huge investment made by the executive council and the sterling work done by the organising committee chaired by the General Secretary. In conclusion, though Vision 2028 appears humongous, I believe the Lord has given us all the accoutrements needed to effectively advance the kingdom on the battlefield. Surely, he will surmount the insurmountable and make every crooked path straight, granting his church victory. The mantle has now fallen on us, the ministers, to appropriate the physical and spiritual tools garnered at the conference to make Jesus famous in our dispensation.

Possessing the nation, I am an agent of transformation.

Possessing the nations, Transforming my world.

Written by Pastor Samuel Yankey, Tepa Anyinasuso

INTRODUCTION

The Church of Pentecost, like many classical Pentecostal institutions, places a premium on many activities and practices. These practices are documented and captured in our core values underpinning and undergirding her activities.

Predominant in her liturgy is the importance the Church places on prayer. Historical narrative notes that the founder of the Church, Rev. James Mckeown, retorted, “The work is prayer, and prayer is the work”, to wit that the role that prayer plays in the church cannot be overemphasised and belaboured.

Following the unveiling of Vision 2028, the Chairman has made a strong appeal through an exhortation from James 3:4 for the vision to be pushed by fierce winds.

As I reflect on the many factors for pushing the implementation of the vision, the Virtual Prayer Night (VPN), a global intercession army called by our revered Chairman some two years ago, comes to mind strongly.

In this article, attempts will be made to make a case for the impact of this highest form of Christian service as one of the fierce winds powering Vision 2028

THE ROLE OF THE CHAIRMAN ON THE VPN PLATFORM

To begin with, let me briefly touch on the Chairman’s general disposition toward the VPN platform – what I will describe as Chairman Nyamekye’s admirable response.

Being part of the backend production team facilitating the Tuesday Virtual Prayer Night, one cannot help but watch with endearing admiration how our revered Chairman responds to this call.

Bearing his office – THE VIRTUAL PRAYER NIGHT WITH THE CHAIRMAN, it is clear that the spirit and soul of the programme rest on his loins and the Chairman has provided the right kind of leadership to sustain this prayer venture all through the years.

Clearly, the Chairman’s eyes and ears are on the ground, seeing the nitty-gritty details of the programme layout without leaving anything to chance. From those scheduled to lead to those mobilised in-person team members, the technical architecture, and set up even to the aggregated statistics of participants, the Chairman is into every aspect.

Another significant observation is his consistency and frequent participation in the intercessory service. Driven by the axiom that leadership is the cause and everything else is the effect, the Chairman is seen almost always online every Tuesday with his video turned on, fully engaged and into the service praying and exuding positive energy as a participant.

With his numerous schedules, one would understand if genuinely he would not be able to participate frequently, but that is not the case with our revered Chairman, whose actions perfectly describe the terminology – Leadership by example.

My reflections for powering Vision 2028 with fierce winds through the VPN would hover around four thematic areas of Burden Sharing, Boarding, Building, Bidding, & Blossoming.

BURDEN SHARING

T. A. Webb has noted that a shared burden is halved, which means that the load one carries is lessened, provided avenues are created for others to bear aspects of the load. This is vividly revealed in the Virtual Prayer Night as the intercessory platform so created has allowed the burden of leadership, including Vision 2028, to be shared broadly by the church populace. One day, God chose to share the burden of Moses with seventy elders of Israel so the man of God would be eased of the weight of leading such a vast mass of people (Num. 11:16-30). The same can be gleaned from the VPN, which allows ministers, officers and the rank and file of the church to feel the heartbeat of leadership, interpret the dreams and visions in the mind of leadership and bear the spiritual load of gestation to delivery.

BOARDING

Another key reflection on the Virtual Prayer Night is what I call BOARDING. The term “boarding,” as used in this context, relates to the mobilisation of efforts and the rallying round approaches that have been put in place and are continually reviewed and enhanced over the period. The VPN is one of the fierce winds for advancing Vision 2028 because this platform has become a unique spiritual hub that has drawn the majority of the church family to awaken awareness of intercession, cry day and night, and continue steadfastly in prayer. Today, through the VPN, we cannot excuse ourselves that people are too busy to pray because of the numerous church-based activities; no wonder there is a strong clarion call to raise a million intercessors – a seed which is flourishing to become an endearing oak tree.

BUILDING

The Virtual Prayer Night has also become a bedrock for the building up and spiritual edification of the global church. With a consistent time set coupled with a well-structured programme schedule, patrons in person and virtually can look forward to an intense spiritual experience that allows their humanity to interact with divinity for an outpouring of divine grace. Moreover, the nature of the topics dealt with at the VPN demonstrates a deliberate intention of raising a certain calibre of transformed believers who are to be salt and light to their world. This is the spirit and soul of Vision 2028; a people unleashed to transform their world with the values and principles of the kingdom of God.

BIDDING & BLOSSOMING

A closer examination of the many successes chalked by the church over the last few years provides a clear understanding that fierce winds are powering the success equation. This is what I describe as the BIDDING and BLOSSOMING praxis of the VPN. The bidding is the process, and the BLOSSOMING is the outcome. Even without the backing of empirical data, the writings are clear on the wall that through the VPN platform, various bids have been made to the divine auctioneer, who has responded positively by providing strong winds to power the achievement of Vision 2023, the expansion of the missions enterprise, the forging of stronger fronts through church nation dialogues, massive soul winning and church planting and an unprecedented financial growth not forgetting the testimonies of healing, divine intervention and mind-boggling breakthroughs. With the understanding that we do not change a winning working formula, there is a much stronger call for a fiercer wind to push the new vision, and I believe the role of the VPN is strategic.

CONCLUSION

The purpose of this article is to shed light on the Virtual Prayer Night with the Chairman as a strategic tool for pushing Vision 2028 and its contribution to advancing the cause of The Church of Pentecost and her prophetic mandate within the global ministry space. With the understanding that through intercession, the impotence of man meets the omnipotence of God, there is a need to continue to rally more intercessors to push for the execution of Vision 2028. The army of the Lord, the Church, must tactfully and aggressively intercede to ensure that God’s power prevails over the evil threatening to overrun our world. So, it will be a joy to have you enlisted as part of this global conscripts into the army of intercessors every Tuesday….welcome aboard!

Written by Pastor Kwasi Asante Annor (General Manager, PENT TV)

I became a mother for the first time a few years ago. It is such a blessing to be handed God’s gift to take care of. Before I conceived, I saw myself as a mother-in-waiting, and I strongly believe that every woman who desires to have a child shall soon carry it in her womb and in her arms. No one shall be left behind; we are all going to experience motherhood no matter how long it takes. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I realised during my pregnancy, which I believe has been under-discussed, if at all, and I pray for the Lord’s help as I seek to address it through this post.

I’m able to write this because I have been pregnant, have had conversations with pregnant women, and read other people’s stories. I think I have enough to share with an expectant mother in the same situation.

I heard many strange stories from mothers during my first pregnancy a few years ago. I heard so many scary stories over such a short period that, at a point, I thought I was going to lose my baby. The fear I felt was indescribable. My fear was exacerbated by the inexplicable similarities between the stories told to me by women from completely different circles of my life.

The most common of these was the maternal mortality stories. Almost everyone knew someone who had died during childbirth. It didn’t help that social media was always awash with pictures announcing the “Painful Exit” of one woman or another while they were pregnant or giving birth.

It is a painful thing to see, but when you witness such while pregnant, you begin to feel like that is more the rule than the exception, and if you are truly not strong in faith and fortified by the Word of God, you might even assume that yours will not be any different.

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, talks about “a force in fear that can make a person paralysed”. I believe these stories are meant to do one thing only: grip your heart with FEAR and consume your mind, even leading to unnecessary and unpleasant dreams. Fear awakes, fear asleep. Fear that everybody wants to harm you or your unborn baby, especially the unfortunate person who dares ask when you are due. Mercy Lord! That is the paralysis of which the Chairman speaks.

The fear of losing your life or your child or both your life and your child is a product of the toothless bulldog called the devil. And all our years in Christianity have told us nothing fights the devil better than the earnest prayer of a committed man or woman.

My dear pregnant woman, take your place in prayer. Being pregnant as a Christian is, in some ways, a spiritual warfare because we hold the key to delivering godly seeds to populate the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. The devil will make sure you do not have a smooth journey. You need to consistently pray, renew your minds and speeches with the word of God daily and make positive, godly declarations about your babies and yourself.

Fear can make you lose anything and everything, including your precious life. Job 3:25 says, “What I’m afraid of is what has come upon me”. Do not give in to fear, lest what you are afraid comes upon you. With a serious tone, I charge you to take your place in Prayer. Study the word and claim the blessings of pregnancy.

Declare with aggressive faith, saying:

• “I’m seated with Christ in Heavenly place where miscarriages and death do not occur.”
• “My womb is not a grave to carry dead babies.”
• “I shall deliver my baby in perfect health and condition.”
• “I shall not die, neither will I lose my baby.”
• “I’m coming out of the delivery room with my baby or babies in my arms.”
• “I shall attend my children’s graduation. “
• “I shall attend their weddings, not their funeral”.

Keep declaring every day, even after birth. Remember, you are the product of your words. Battles are won in the mind before they are won physically. David in the Bible killed Goliath in his mind before he died in his hands. The state of your mind affects the conditions of your life. Feed your faith with the word, and your fear will vanish!

Please share this post to save a pregnant woman. God bless you.

Written by Mrs. Priscilla Baah Kumi (Kanjarga District, Bolga Area)

During the closing session of this year’s PENSA Ghana Conference, aptly named the “Transformers Conference,” Apostle Eric Nyamekye, the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, delivered a thought-provoking message titled “Amnon Had A Friend.” The impact of his words resonated not only within my heart but also among the thousands of youth members gathered across the country for this significant event.

Apostle Nyamekye’s message delved into the friendship between Amnon and Jonadab, as recounted in 2 Samuel 13:1-3.

Amnon, consumed by an uncontrolled amorous affection for his half-sister Tamar, sought counsel from his closest friend, Jonadab, on how to satisfy his wicked desire. Jonadab, described as shrewd and subtle, provided his friend with counsel that led to Amnon raping his sister Tamar.

The repercussions of this reprehensible act were severe: Amnon lost the opportunity to become the next king; enmity arose within the family; and, tragically, Amnon met an early grave—all due to the influence of his friend.

In essence, Amnon’s abominable act was a direct result of the friend he chose. Much like the crab that lost its head due to a bad companion, many young individuals have unwittingly squandered the gifts bestowed upon them by God on the altar of negative company.

A concealed truth about bad friends is that they will lead you into danger and then disappear into thin air, leaving you to face the consequences alone.

CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS:

• Where was Jonadab when Amnon faced the consequences of his actions?
• Where did Ahithophel go when Absalom suffered due to his wicked counsel?
• Delilah was nowhere to be found when Samson endured his pains.

Conversely, we have witnessed friendships that have had a positive impact on individuals. The camaraderie between David and Jonathan is a prime example worth emulating. Their connection strengthened when David slew Goliath, and their friendship endured despite their differences.

David, a shepherd, and Jonathan, a prince, grew up in distinct environments, yet they became one in spirit. Their friendship was characterised by keeping promises. Jonathan made a covenant with David, saying, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord” (1 Samuel 20:42).

True friends uphold their words, and this covenant prompted Jonathan to save David’s life when Saul sought to kill him. In return, David fulfilled his promise years later by showing kindness to Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, in accordance with their covenant (2 Samuel 9:1).

CONCLUSION

As we are empowered through the impactful impartation by our spiritual leaders to be unleashed and transform our world, one critical factor hindering our progress is associating with the wrong people. Let Jesus Christ be your friend and a perfect example in your relationships.

Chairman Nyamekye aptly stated, “Don’t just be interested in looking for good friends; be one yourself.” Walk with the wise, for a companion of a fool suffers harm (Proverbs 13:20).

A word to the wise is enough.

Written by Richard Mbelembote (Ntankoro District, Kintampo Area)

Scripture References: Ezekiel 48:11 – 18, 2 Timothy 2:19 – 22, Ecclesiastes 8:11

Eli was the high priest and had forgotten what it was to be in the priesthood and what the priesthood is all about. The Bible says that he had been in ministry so long that he was lazy, undisciplined, blind, had lost his vision, and would not discipline his sons who were totally immoral and would not straighten up. Eli was a mess spiritually, and his family was a mess too; he was doing church stuff while all kinds of immorality were going on (1 Samuel 1:1-15).

Personal sin does not stop ministry. The gifts and callings of God are without repentance. When God gives a gift, He does not take it back. Bad things can happen, and for a season, God will allow that person to continue to function as normal.

When your attitude as a believer becomes easier to get forgiveness than permission, you are in trouble.

In this text, God was saying, “I see that there are two priesthoods that are in the house (the temple).”

1. THE PRIESTHOOD OF ELI:

They are those who are wrong and not delivering right, yet they are ministering. God still said He’s going to use them. He’ll let them have ministry in His house. They’ll minister to people but will not come near to me (God). The fact that He has given you that gift, He’ll let you minister to His people—the word, ministration, singing, healing, prophetic, etc. Because His word does not return void, it has to make an impact. God loves His people so much that He will use anything, even a donkey, to speak to them.

1.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRIESTHOOD OF ELI:

1. It is impure.
2. It compromises.
3. It says, “I can live like I want to live, and my gifts will still work.”

Judgment does not immediately come, but listen, God can be blessing you. Businessperson, your gifts may be making money, and God can be blessing you; He doesn’t inspire personal sin. He is gracious, kind, long-suffering, and patient with us.

In Ezekiel 44:11, they will do all these things, but God said:

^“They shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the temple and ministering in the temple. They shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before the people to minister to them.”

1. They will not have intimacy with me
2. They will not come into my holy place, and
3. They will not come near me.

This is one of the scariest scriptures ever heard. Imagine that all you’ve been this far is all about outward performance, and you’re ministering to them through the gifts. You can preach if you got drunk last night, and your gifts will still work. You can minister to people and not touch God; you don’t come near Him. What kind of priesthood do you want to be? Do you want a wall that looks religious outwardly, and everybody thinks one thing, but personally, you’re unclean? The gifts will work for a season no matter what you’re doing, but you’ll never get near God.

I want to be that person who has fun, lives life, enjoys life, and has success, but I want to be pure, I want to be clean, I want to be holy like Jesus, I want to be sanctified by Jesus and set apart.

I can tell by how much you sing, how successful you are, how religious you look outside here; the issue is, in God’s eyes, when He looks beyond the surface, does He see the LINEN UNDERWEAR? This means personal holiness in areas of your life that people cannot see. That’s the issue.

On the other hand, the priesthood of Eli is those that are corrupt and unclean, but there is another priesthood in verse 15.

• THE PRIESTHOOD OF THE LEVITES

Zadok comes from a Hebrew word, TSODEK, meaning ‘to be right,’’ to be correct,’’ and ‘to be righteous’’ (Ezekiel 44:15-18).

2.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ZADOKS (ZADOKITES):

1. They shall come near me.
2. They shall minister unto me.
3. They shall stand before me to offer sacrifices.
4. They shall keep His charge and approach His table to minister to Him.

“I don’t want them to sweat; the curse of men was the sweat of the brow when Adam fell into sin. But God is saying to the Levites here: I don’t want you to sweat; I want you to come into My presence. It’s not your ability and talent; it’s your relationship with me that’s more important. You’ll minister to them more effectively because you’ll minister to me first with a life that you live—a personal holiness.”

Nobody knows what you have hidden under that priestly garment. Nobody knows what colour your underwear is; we’re not going to check. Nobody knows if you have your own underwear; only God and you know, and that is what exactly He was saying in the text. Only God and you know personally if you’re living a life of purity and holiness. Underwear doesn’t show externally on you, and God knows for sure if it’s on or not. In this text, God was talking about our PERSONAL HOLINESS; it’s private, it’s personal, and it’s internal.

Everywhere good results are happening doesn’t mean it’s clean, it’s pure, and it’s acceptable to God. I choose a ministry that ministers to God. It’s not what’s going on in a person’s public life but what’s going on in their private life that really matters. God is getting ready to change the priesthood in some people if they don’t get it right.

• Brother Saul had no idea; his replacement David was growing up in his house. And when he was playing the harp, he had no idea he was his replacement because God was long-suffering.
• Pharaoh had no idea when Moses was little and sitting on his table eating cornflakes, T.Z., and fufu. He had no idea he was so powerful; everything outwardly looked like he’s wonderful in Egypt. He didn’t know Moses was raised up to replace him.

• Eli’s ministry—in this ministry, God is not in a hurry. Eli is just ministering corrupt, immoral, and dishonest; his boys sleep with women in the church, do drugs get high, and smoke cigarettes. To be used by God is a precious thing; treasure it, guide it. Don’t play with God’s anointing, talents, and favour because you can lose it. There’s a difference between an ELI’s priesthood and ZADOK; those who have been with me.

There are two priesthoods; there are singers who minister to people, but God said they won’t minister to me. Their music won’t minister to me, their preaching won’t minister to me, their business won’t minister to me. It will only minister to people. There are two kinds of musicians: the music that ministers to people and that which ministers to God (2 Timothy 2:20-22).

²⁰ Now, in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honourable use, some for dishonourable. ²¹ Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonourable, he will be a vessel for honourable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. ²² So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

When you understand that there are vessels of honour and dishonour, He’s promoting, and He’s demoting some. We’re in an hour of transition (2 Timothy 2:19). That’s personal holiness.”

In verse 21, if you judge yourself, I won’t judge you—sit yourself down and stop that which entangles you. Get on your knees and repent, and God says, I will keep blessing you; I will keep promoting you. But if you ever get the chance to play the game with Christians, then you’ve got a season to make a change. Anyone who wants to do right, God will help you. ZADOK or ELI is a vessel of honour or a vessel of dishonour. Lord, purge me, cleanse me, and use me—this is after you’ve realized your faults. This is a kind of message that would get you to heaven; it will make you do an inspection of your soul. This is a kind of warning from the Lord in the gentleness of love. I believe the Lord wants you to know the difference in His grace and mercy.

Grace is God giving you what you don’t deserve. Mercy is God holding back what you deserve. Now, I want to see some people doing a God check, saying am I going to heaven? Am I a vessel of honour or dishonour? Am I really drawing near to God? Do I ever get in His presence, or is it just outward religion on Sunday as ELI or as ZADOK? Draw near to me.

Written by Elder Wayo Felix (Abesim District – English Assembly)