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In recent times, both traditional and social media in Ghana, have been rife with the hostile effects of sports betting. After careful personal research and reflection on the recent news items which are becoming rampant by the day, there is the need to speak out, having worked closely with the youth for a couple of years.

At the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), it has been reported that some students had to defer their courses for non-payment of school fees, and one of the reasons cited by the school management was that, quite a number of the students used their monies for other ventures such as sports betting. Even though, the Students Representative Council of KNUST expressed a different opinion, at least a defaulting student confessed on national television to buttress what has been alluded by the management of KNUST. Also, it is reported of the death of the 76-year-old retired educationist who doubles as the Gyasehene of Dawuriso in the Asante Akyem North District who committed suicide after losing GH₵ 120,000.00 on AFCON bet. Then, Nana Nhyira Agyapong an employee of an Accra-based electronics company was arrested for allegedly spending a whooping GH¢ 1,079,728 of the companies’ money on sports betting.  It is high time leadership of faith communities and the government rise to speak into the subject. 

In the quest to become rich overnight, the trends of materialism, secularism, and libertinism have led to the influx of sports betting, gaming, gambling, and lottery among the Ghanaian youth. Betting and gambling seem to have always been a part of human development. Gambling is perhaps as old as mankind and has been universally practiced in different forms such as gaming, betting, chariot racing, and wagering. The attitude of society and faith communities towards betting and gambling has varied across time and geography.  There are indications that the spread of sports betting, gaming, lottery, and gambling is destroying and having a great impact on the youth in Ghana. Christian youths are not left out of this menace.  Africa to a large extent is seen to be very religious, and the faith communities seem to be opposed to gambling, foreign invasion appears to be washing out the strong adherence of the religious beliefs among the youth gradually. Some youth, therefore, give the impression which demonstrates a misconception about sports betting, gaming, and gambling. These trends have affected church attendance among the youth, especially during the evenings when the matches are being telecasted. The issue looks more threatening to this generation because patrons of sports betting and gaming argue that, there is no biblical passage that explicitly speaks to forbid the act. Yet many conservative Christians frown at gambling, sports betting, and lotteries of any kind. The revolution of internet technology has opened new dimensions of betting and gambling and has also created a global market for it. Online betting which represents a new frontier in the spread of gambling appears to have greatly increased the number of persons betting regularly. The manner of playing games has also undergone a drastic change in recent years. Again, the trend has even become worse as some Christians gamble and stake lotteries for charitable purposes and some men of God also give lotto numbers and predict the outcome of football matches for individuals to stake. One can therefore argue that the issues of sports betting, gaming, and gambling can now be viewed as a major theological concern and therefore, faith communities and the government can become more relevant and effective partners in fostering appropriate responses to sports betting, gaming and gambling.  

Whilst we must humbly agree with the contention of proponents, patrons, and promoters of sports betting, gaming, gambling, and lotteries, that no portion (or passage) of scripture overtly speaks to or forbids gambling, the important question remains, “how can Christians carefully and systematically respond to the debate of sports betting, gaming, gambling, and lotteries in the light of scripture?” It is because of this that this article has been written to establish how sports betting, gaming, and gambling is affecting the youth in our generation and also how we can respond to it through the lens of scripture as the Bible is our authoritative tool for moral standards. This paper is written primarily to caution people especially the youth about the dangers of sports betting, gaming, gambling, and lottery and also to provide a biblical response to those who already know the dangers but are looking for biblical information to defend it and to help them overcome it. In this paper we shall be looking at some local and international research findings in relation to sports betting, gaming, and gambling, the effects/dangers of sports betting and gaming among the youth, a biblical case against sports betting and gaming, and conclude with measures that the church needs to take to minimize the impact of the trend.

THE SPORTS BETTING, GAMING, AND GAMBLING DEBATE

The debate on sports betting, gaming, lottery, and gambling is becoming more intense as faith communities and other national bodies are getting involved. The gambling industry is booming in the African continent and other parts of the world, with new online casinos and betting centres emerging every day. Besides the lottery and casinos, one type of gambling that has taken the African continent by storm is sports betting. In Africa, sports betting has been rising in acceptance over the past few years. For example, sports betting has been gaining ground over the past decade contributing 37 billion to the gambling industry with no sign of slowing down.  In recent years more than five betting companies have set up their terminals in Ghana. These terminals are expected to create jobs for the people to help resolve the unemployment crises and to further improve Ghana’s economic situation. The influx of these betting companies created the need for the establishment of the Gaming Commission Act 2006, (Act 721). So now, the emergence of these sports betting and gambling industries have urged the government to regulate the processes with the Gaming Commission.

Patrons and promoters of these betting centres maintain that their operation in the country has come to solve the unemployment problem in the country and also help the government to generate some funds.

Again, approximately 90% of the 400 people who were interviewed during this research, indicated that they can make some money through sports betting. They indicated that it is a quick way to get money. According to McGowan, one constant refrain used by state officials to legalize and also to justify their involvement and entering into the sports betting, gambling, and lottery business was its ability to obtain revenue for state operations without the imposition of either new taxes or tax increases.  McGowan continued to say that, in 1975 New Jersey legalized casino gambling in Atlantic City as a means to revitalize that city as a tourist attraction and, of course, to raise revenue to support various benefits for the elderly throughout New Jersey. A similar view by Koven and Lyons postulated that, in countries where sports betting is legalized, betting taxes fund government projects. According to the Rockefeller Institute, revenue from gaming in those states where the activity is legalized has increased steadily over the last decade, rising as high as over $1.5 billion per year. The institute also contended that sports betting constitutes a means of boosting tourism. As such, not legitimizing sports betting only diverts the potential tax revenue to either illegal gambling operations or other countries where it is legal.  Most of the respondents interviewed contend that sports betting has some economic benefits and also it has come to solve the unemployment problem in the country since those who are employed to man these gaming centres have got jobs to do and the state is also able to obtain some economic benefits through the payment of taxes by the operators and also the money that people get when they win a bet.

Taking the economic benefits of sports betting into consideration, legalized forms of betting and gambling are often promoted as good economic policy. Proponents are of the view that such forms of gambling are painless ways of increasing billions of Ghana Cedis in state revenue. What advocates seem to forget is that, generally, the cost of management, advertising, and promotions is approximately sixty pesewas of each Cedi generated, while direct taxation of the citizens costs only about a pesewa on the Cedi, so for every Ghana Cedi raised by taxes, ninety-nine pesewas go to the state. Again, legalized gambling adversely affects a state economy. Money that could have been invested or loaned and recycled through the economy is risked in the legalized betting scheme. Once more, legalized betting and gambling syphons billions of Cedis from the economy. More money is staked on sports betting and other legalized gambling than is spent on elementary and secondary education.

Other debates against sports betting have been based on religious and social grounds. The National Gambling Impact Study Commission (1999) has reported that, despite the contributions to growth, dreadful potential negative consequences did however exist in encouraging the practice. Sports betting, the Commission added, can become a compulsive habit, one that negatively affects the financial standing of gambling addicts. These individuals usually lose their ability to save and run into huge debts. The Commission put forward that the analysis of economic benefit derived from sports betting was poorly developed and incomplete. This analysis, the Commission continued, did not consider the social costs that must be considered in assessing the net benefits of sports betting. Such costs can justifiably be viewed from both individual and societal perspectives. The Commission listed the following as negative behaviors associated with sports betting: family abuse, suicide, truancy, poor academic performance, money laundering, alcohol and drug use, with poverty a frequent product of one or more of such behaviors. From the societal point of view, gambling leads to neighborhood crime, and increases both prostitution among women and high school dropout rates. Countries that are faced with these consequences would have their economic progress obstructed because education is a significant factor in poverty alleviation in an economy.

David Neff and Thomas Giles in their book “Feeding the Monster called More, Christianity Today” iterated that, the USA government spent 286 billion dollars on gambling as against 213 billion dollars spent on elementary and secondary education in 1990.

Dangers/ Effects of Sports Betting and Gambling Among the Youth

From the research that we conducted in Takoradi, it was revealed that sports betting with its attendant effects affect the youth in these areas: Economically, Socially, and Religiously. 

From the research findings, we discovered that many drinking spots, restaurants, shops, bars, and hotels in Takoradi have received permits from the Municipal Assembly for these sports betting companies to operate. The youth flock to these betting centres in their numbers to throw their monies on their teams and international sports stars. The research found out that youth between the ages of 12 to 25 years were the major people who patronize these centres. The youth do not only risk becoming problem gamblers but also may neglect their books by spending most of their man-hours at the betting terminals. In another study conducted by the Daily Searchlight on the effects of sports betting on the youth in Ghana, they reported that on a visit to many sports betting centres, they found a gathering of Ghanaian and foreign youth between the ages of 18 and 35 mostly doing sports betting spending time and money to win football pools. The reporter said “This is definitely taking all the time of the youth from everything; schooling, practicing a trade and learning. An elderly patron at a betting centre at Abeka Lapaz in Accra said, betting is a form of gambling that leads the youth to all kinds of juvenile vices and crimes,”.  This reporter went to seek the opinion of the Gaming Commissions on this social canker but could not get any official position on the sheer numbers of gaming centres in the country yet. Officials intimated that so long as the Ghanaian public has not kicked against the activities of sports bettors, there is currently no problem. A source close to the Commission assured the nation that if the activities of the centres flout the gaming laws, the Commission would not hesitate to pull the plugs on these centres.

The social impact of sports betting and gambling among the youth is mostly hidden from patrons and those who normally patronize it. But later the cost is seen in the shattered lives of individuals and their families. A study in The Journal of Social Issues revealed that as gambling and its related games of chances increase there is also an increase in the “proportion of divorce and separation, disagreement about money matters with one’s spouse, lack of understanding between marital partners, and more reported problems among children of gamblers.  The above findings are in agreement with the report by the National Gambling Impact Study Commission. The commission enumerated the following to be the social impact of sports betting on the youth: family abuse, suicide, truancy, poor academic performance, money laundering, alcohol, and drug use, with poverty a frequent product of one or more of such behaviours. 

From our research conducted in Takoradi, we found out that, 12% of the 400 respondents were school dropouts. They left school because they wanted to make money. 28% also acknowledged that it has really affected their academic performance and their concentration during lectures. 

When it comes to suicidal tendencies, it was realized that 68% of the persons contacted have attempted suicide before. Out of that, one student self-confessed that, he lost his best friend because of sports betting. The above affirms the research conducted by the UK Gambling Charity, GambleAware. From their research, it was revealed that “problem gamblers were six times more likely to have suicidal thoughts or try to take away their own life and could be fifteen times more likely to do so”.  They added that some of the risk factors that might be linked to suicidal thoughts are depression, substance abuse, and financial problems.

Furthermore, a 16-year-old boy by the name Kwaku Appiah of the Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School form two student, committed suicide by hanging himself because of sports betting.  A news report by Lizbeth Brown on 19^th August 2021, showed a level 400 final year student of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology who committed suicide after losing a bet.  The deceased identified as Fredrick Asamoah Frimpong was found hanging in his room by his parents. A post that was circulating on the various social media platforms specified that Fredrick was in debt to the tune of 200,000 Ghana cedis and decided to use the money he had to bet so he can defray the debt. He had 60,000 Ghana cedis on him and he staked the bet with all the money with the hope of winning to enable him pay his debt. He apparently committed suicide as the game did not go in his favour.

From January to March 2022, we have witnessed the death and arrest of some people all due to sports betting. Few instances are cited in this article. On January 13, we heard of the death of the 76-year-old retired educationist who doubles as the Gyasehene of Dawuriso in the Asante Akyem North District which was attributed to the fact that he committed suicide after losing GH₵ 120,000.00 on AFCON bet. Again, Nana Nhyira Agyapong an employee of an Accra-based electronics company was arrested for allegedly spending GH¢ 1,079,728 of the company’s money on sports betting.  

A 27-year-old man identified as Daniel Ayuba Mark committed suicide on 26^th February 2022 after an amount of N1.5 million was withdrawn from his sports betting account by some unknown scammers.

Tom Fleming in his article, ‘The Human cost of Gambling Addiction’ stated that, UK recorded between 250 and 650 gambling-related suicides each year; a minimum of one every working day.  He added that, these gambling-related suicides accounts for between 4 and 11% of UK’s overall suicides.  In his article entitled, betting “Blood on their hand: How 500 people – mostly young men – kill themselves every year after getting hooked on gambling by ruthlessly greedy betting giants, Ian Birrel re-counted how 500 people lost their lives in UK within a year all due to sports betting.

Italy, USA, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and other countries have all had their share in the suicidal cases caused by sports betting, gaming and gambling. In 2017, Abdi Latif Dahir a news reporter in Kenya reported of the rise in betting addictions in Knya leaving young people bankrupt and suicidal. 

In their book “When You Gamble – You Risk More Than Your Money”, Bordon Cole and Sidney Margolis concluded “there is no doubt of the destructive effect of gambling on the family life.  In another news from Graphic online reported by Jemima Achivors, a 31-year-old manager of Star Oil Company, Hohoe branch was convicted and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for stealing 139,118 Ghana cedis and spending same on betting. 

The corrosive effects of gambling attack both the white-collar and blue-collar families with equal vigour.  The impact on crime is also significant. It appears that the crime rate in gambling and sports betting communities nearly doubles the national average. Researchers calculated that for every dollar the state received from the gambling industry, it cost the state at least three dollars in increased social cost for criminal justice and social welfare.

THE BIBLICAL RESPONSE TO THE SPORTS DEBATE

Whilst we must humbly agree with the contention of proponents, patrons and promoters of sports betting, gaming, gambling and lotteries, that no portion (or passage) of scripture overtly speaks to or forbids gambling, we can derive a number of principles from scripture.

First of all, the Bible, emphasizes the sovereignty of God (Matt. 10:29-30) and also the Lord being the shepherd of his people and the great provider of all who trust in him (Psalm 23:1-6). Sports betting and Gambling, however, is based on chance. Again, the Bible admonishes people to work creatively and for the benefit of others (Eph. 5:28; 2 Thess. 3:10), while sports betting fosters a something-for-nothing attitude.

The Bible condemns materialism (Matt. 6:24-26) and encourages godliness with contentment (1 Tim. 6:6; Hebrews 13:5) because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses (Luke 12:15) while sports betting promotes materialism. Once more, sports betting and gambling breeds covetousness, whereas the Bible admonishes people not to covet (Ex. 20:17) because covetousness is part of the list of sins that defiles a man (Mark 7:22). Thus: it is idolatry (Colo. 3:5) that shouldn’t be named among Christians (Eph. 5:3). Coveting, greed and selfishness are the base emotions that drives individuals to enter into sports betting and gambling. Christians should be concerned about sports betting and gambling if for no other reason than the effect it has on the “weaker brother” and how it will affect the compulsive gambler.

Secondly, sports betting destroys the work ethic. Two biblical passages deal with the work ethic. In Colossians 3:23-24, Apostle Paul wrote “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving”. And in 2 Thessalonians 3:7,10, the Apostle again stated, “For you, yourself know how you ought to follow our example…. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat’

Third, sports betting and gambling destroys families. Sports betting and gambling are a major cause of family neglect. Many of the social cost associated with gambling come from a get-rich-quick mindset. As some people get caught up in the sports betting and gambling frenzy, they begin to neglect their families. Money spent on sports betting, gambling and lotteries are not risk capital but income that should be spent on family needs. According to 1 Timothy 5:8 a person who refuses to care for his family is worse than an unbeliever. Parents must provide for their children (2 Cor. 12:14) and eat the bread of their labours (2 Thess. 3:12). Legalized gambling causes people to neglect their God given responsibilities to take care of their families and many of those families then end up on welfare.

Fourth, those who get rich through unjust means are like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay, when their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them, and in the end, they will prove to be fools (Jer. 17:11). While the bible admonishes acquiring riches little by little, sports betting and gambling preaches getting rich overnight (Proverbs 13:11)

Various Positions of Christian Groups on Sports Betting

From the research conducted, it was revealed that, the church was divided when it comes to the issue of betting, lottery and gambling. Some faith communities don’t see anything wrong with it. They are of the view that it is a means to make wealth and also have a share in the national cake. To this end, some men of God predict the outcome of football matches and others give lotto numbers for their congregants to stake. Prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi, the Head, and founder of Glorious Wave Church International shared a video in advance confidently predicting win for Brazil in the Copa America finals as well as a victory for England in the 2021 Euro finals which he claimed the prophecies were inspired by the Holy Spirit. All these prophecies failed and he attributed the failure to the fact that many Ghanaians depended upon his prophecy to stake a bet. He said they should shift the blame on those who bet on football matches. Bishop Daniel Obinim, leader and founder of the International God’s Way Church has also been distributing lotto numbers to his congregation during church service. According to him, there is unequivocally nothing wrong with one opting to stake a lotto in a bid to make money. In one of his pre-recorded videos, the man of God stated emphatically that lottery is not a sin and dared any pastor who can prove to him that lottery was a sin. He added that, the lotto numbers were given to him by God and till God stops giving him the numbers he will also not stop given out the numbers.

The second school of thought, holds an ambivalent position about the debate. They are of the view that one can stake a lottery or bet and use the outcome for charitable purposes. Reverend Father Andrew Campbell, the Parish Priest of the Christ the King Catholic Church in Accra expressed worry about the rate at which the youth were participating in sports betting. According to him, betting is a bad lifestyle and therefore its patrons should channel their money into necessities such as food and accommodation he said this in an interview on Thursday, 5 December 2019 on Class91.3Fm. When he was asked about his view of his participation on ‘Who Wants to Be Rich’, he said that he donated all the 25, 000 Ghana cedis to the Lepers association. This confirms his ambivalent position on the issue at stake.

The third group are also of the view that, though there is no passage of scripture that speaks against betting, lottery and gambling, there are portions of scripture that when studied very well will prove that betting is wrong. This group does not support the idea of betting in any kind.

Against this backdrop, the writer has proposed the following suggestions to the church and the state to help minimize the trend and also help the youths who have been caught in the web of sports betting, gaming and gambling.

Suggested Actions the Church Can Put in Place to Minimize the Trend

First of all, the church should come together to fight this menace. Faith communities must come together as a unified body with one voice and also one understanding and interpretation to scripture so that they can solve this challenge. Without this the church can in no way fight this threat.  The clergy since they hold positions of trust must desist from predicting matches and also giving out lotto numbers in the name of it being inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, the church should continue to preach and teach the unadulterated gospel which has power to save and transform lives. Since these betting companies have not ceased advertising and pushing their products on the various air waves and media space, the church should also spread the gospel message by engaging people both physically and digitally using the digital space.

The church should also come out boldly to let the general public know the consequences of this repulsive practice. 

The church should continue to teach and to preach that godliness with contentment is a great gain (1 Timothy 6:6) and espouse the youth to know that hard work pays (Proverbs 22:29) but like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay, when their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them, and in the end, they will prove to be fools (Jer. 17:11) so is the person who desires to be rich overnight.

Lastly, the church and other faith communities should establish rehabilitation and counselling centres to help those who are into compulsive or problem gambling. 

Conclusion

From the discussion so far, we have seen the merits and demerits of sports betting and gambling and have come to the conclusion that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. We have also seen the biblical position concerning these trends. We humbly suggest that the church and the state will come together to educate the general public and also through well-structured apologetics defend the faith. The government should also set a commission to relook at sports betting one more time and then advise leadership.

The Writer, Emmanuel Opoku Mensah is a Youth Pastor in The Church of Pentecost and he is currently the PENSA Travelling Secretary for Takoradi Sector. You may reach him through, emmanuelopokum1985@gmail.com.

1.0       Introduction

The Church of Pentecost like many endearing institutions can be said to have come of age in terms of its stability, leadership praxis, theological disposition, doctrinal foundations and its mission-minded mandate. Over the years, the Church has climbed many mountains, survived challenges, weathered storms, fought winds and yet survived. It is obvious that many factors might have contributed to bringing the Church to its current state.

This article aims at highlighting the spirit of giving in The Church of Pentecost (CoP), a motivation which stems from a careful analysis of the Chairman’s state of the church address which is normally presented during the opening sessions of Council meetings.

The State of the Church address provides an overview of the activities of the Church in the calendar year.  A key aspect of the address which normally forms part of the appendix in the presentation is what has stimulated my interests for this article. This aspect is the donations made by individual members, officers, ministers, districts, areas and even nations within a year under review as captured in the Chairman’s address.

In this article, I will draw factors gleaned by my personal observations as well as documents written by some of our founding fathers, following which I will attempt to offer some suggestions for the preservation of this spirit of giving in the Church.

2.0       FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE SPIRIT OF GIVING IN THE COP

2.1       Our Belief In What The Bible Says On Giving

The bible serves as the foundation and basis for everything we do in the CoP. The Church believes that the scripture is infallible in its declaration and all sufficient in its provision.”[1] Having this understanding have made the Church subscribe to whatever the scripture subscribes to. In the CoP, the scripture is our rule, thus considering that several passages of scripture encourage giving, it comes as no surprise therefore to see members and officers in the church demonstrating such spirit of giving within our spiritual eco-space, for in CoP, “we follow him together, wherever he leads.”

2.2       The Covenant That Is Still Speaking

The Church of Pentecost like other denominations was built on a covenant – a covenant which God entered with our founding fathers and reaffirmed it at various eras of her growth (1931, 1940 & 1948).[2] In this covenant, God promised to “meet the Church’s financial needs in good times and in bad times for all other denominations to acknowledge that His divine presence, blessings and glory are with the church.[3] It is obvious over the years that God has kept his part of the bargain by ensuring that the Church is continually stable financially. For example in the COVID-19 pandemic year of 2020, when world economies were nose-diving, the Church’s financial performance grew by 7.10% compared to the previous year,[4] a striking feat that the covenant is still speaking.

2.3       Mckeown’s Financial Missiological Strategy

The third factor which might have contributed to the spirit of giving in the CoP is what I describe as the Mckeown’s Financial Missiological Strategy (MFMS). The MFMS is gleaned from Rev. James McKeown Missiological strategy of building a church that is self-propagating, self-governing and self-financing. Koduah notes that “Pastor Mckeown and his able leaders insisted right from the inception of the Church that financial independence was what would make the church stand on its feet.[5] According to McKeown, he had not come to Africa to create beggars but sons of God. It is this spirit that strengthened McKeown to promulgate the “do-it-yourself” policy even though it came with its difficulties for a young church at that time when many churches were relying on foreign aid from their mother churches abroad. This MFMS contributed to the kind of giving spirit we see today in our church. For members were made to own the church, feel part of her success story and contribute towards the any developmental agenda of the Church. As a young man growing up in the church, I observed how members would identify a need in the local assembly and buy to replace or fix that need. For example, microphones, sound equipment, musical instruments, chairs et cetera were bought and donated willingly by church members particularly on Lord’s Supper Sundays.

2.4       The Shining Examples of Our Founding Fathers

Another contributing factor towards the spirit of giving in the CoP is what I describe as the shining examples of our founding fathers. Not much has been recorded in terms of how the church in its formative years demonstrated that. Nonetheless, one can infer that, that could have been a major culture in the church. Historical accounts recall Mrs. Christiana Obo in a vision saw angels picking her precious valuables away. This was at a time when McKeown needed urgent support to meet pressing financial needs in the church. Mrs. Obo eventually sowed her jewelries for the work of the ministry, a timely intervention that plucked many holes in those days. She was said to have also put up a building to house him and the pastors when they were on trek. She was able to pay for the Pastors’ allowances when the church had no adequate funds to do so.[6] Mrs. Obo was supported by other women including Prudence Anaman from Saltpond.[7] Additionally, some leaders in Accra donated as much as 500 pounds sterling to aid a new Pastor’s settlement in Accra. Some gave lands and properties, just to mention a few. These acts, I believe, would have sparked lots of conversations within the church circles, planting a seed of free-will support in the hearts of the members at that time. It is these acts which set the foundation and created a legacy for which reason we are seeing such a mighty outpouring of generosity in the Church.

3.0       SUGGESTIONS FOR PRESERVING THIS LEGACY

Reflecting on the afore-mentioned factors, I am convinced that these are legacies and values ought to be grounded in our generation and preserved for subsequent pass-on to the next generation. The question that comes to mind is what can be done to preserve and pass on. I would like to suggest a few

• Intensification of Teachings of Voluntary Giving in the Church (2 Cor. 9:6-8; Pvrb. 11:24-25).

• Conscious Efforts should be made at all levels to build love for God and His Church (Matt. 22:37-38; Deut. 6:5).
• Continuous Review of Church Policies on Financial Accountability & Reporting.

• Strategic Chaplaincy Support for Major Financiers & Their Affiliates.

• An Annual Special Prayer/Breakfast Conference could be considered for these financiers at all levels.

• Intermittent Recognition of Financial Pillars at all levels.

• Frequent Reminders of God’s Covenant with the Church.

• Avenues should be created at all levels for testimonies of the Financial Pillars in the Church.

• There should be intentionality in creating opportunities to develop more financiers for the Church through financial empowerment seminars, business development programmes, leadership and mentoring sessions et cetera.

• Continuous Intercession should be made for the businesses and organizations of these members.

4.0       CONCLUSION

The purpose of this article is to appreciate God for the outpouring of the spirit of giving in The Church of Pentecost. It is also aimed at highlighting some of the factors which might have triggered such grace whiles offering some suggestions for the next generation. God is with his Church and the church will continue to march on.

Submitted by

Kwasi Asante Annor (Ps.)PENT TV

INTRODUCTION

Medicines (or medications) are chemicals or compounds used to cure, halt or prevent disease, ease symptoms, or help in the diagnosis of illnesses. They are administered for healing purposes. Thus, people take medicines to fight illness, to feel better when they are sick, and to keep from getting sick in the first place. Medications work in different ways to bring good health to people. Some can cure an illness by killing or halting the spread of invading germs, such as bacteria and viruses. Others are used to treat cancer by killing cells as they divide or prevent them from multiplying. Some others replace missing substances or correct low levels of natural body chemicals such as some hormones or vitamins. No one takes in medicine for fun, especially when they are not drug addicts. Health officials prescribe specific drugs to their patients to deal with specific diseases. However, not all drugs are able to cure all diseases. That is why patients often consult their medical officers for possible switch in medication when they find out that a particular one seems not to be working as expected. These medicines are one of the media God uses to heal his children. Another medium God uses to administer healing to his children is through a meal introduced by our Lord Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry, thus, the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion. This meal has the potency to heal any type of disease, both physical and spiritual. This article throws light on the Holy Communion as “The Meal that heals”.

WHAT IS A MEAL?

Merriam-Webster defines meal as “food eaten or prepared for eating at one time.” Meals are prepared and served in homes, at restaurants, schools, and among other places. They are served during the day as breakfast, lunch or supper. Among the reasons of enjoying meals are for peak performance energy, growth and function, enjoyment and satisfaction, strength, and cleansing, prevention and fighting diseases. Others are for maintaining our external body, and healing purposes. Of late, people eat selected foods to meet their health benefits. They do not eat for eating sake, but for healing purposes. People are now turning their kitchens into pharmacies or bringing pharmacies into their kitchens. What this means is that people are now giving the food they choose to nourish their mind, body and spirit the utmost respect they deserve. Unlike previously, where they eat to just satisfy their stomach, they are now filling their kitchen with healing ingredients, and not ordinary ones. Notwithstanding, these efforts meet only the physical needs of humankind and not their complete makeup—their spiritual, psychological, emotional, and social needs. Thus, the meal only caters for their physical needs, but fails to meet the needs of their soul and spirit. The Holy Communion, which is also a meal, brings complete healing to a believer when they receive it in faith and in accordance with the will of God.

THE HOLY COMMUNION

The Holy Communion also known as “the Lord’s Supper” (1 Cor 11:20), “the Last Supper” (Matt 26:29), “the Lord’s Table” (1 Cor 10:21), “Fellowship” (1 Cor 10:16), “Eucharist” (the Greek word for ‘thanksgiving’ in Matt 26:27; Mk 14:23), “Breaking of Bread” (Acts 2:42, NRSV), “the Mass” and “the Cup of Blessing” (1 Cor 10:16, KJV) is a rite ordained by the Lord Jesus that symbolises His sacrificial death and its significance to atonement and redemption.

Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper on the eve of his crucifixion during the last supper he shared with the disciples. Jesus was eager to eat the Holy Communion with his disciples during the Passover feast (Lk. 22:7-23, Matt. 26:17-30, Mk. 14:12-26), before his departure from earth. He took bread and, when He had broken it, said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor 11:24). In the same way, he also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor 11:25). After dinning with them, Jesus commanded his disciples to continue in the practice in remembrance of him.

THE HOLY COMMUNION AS A MEAL

As said earlier, meals are “foods eaten or prepared for eating at one time”. The Holy Communion is also food eaten by Christians at church and or in homes. This meal looks different from other meals prepared in our homes or by chefs at restaurants or hotels. It uses no other ingredients and spices, except bread and wine. The bread and wine are emblems of Jesus’ body and blood respectively to be broken and poured out for humanity to receive salvation.

Unlike ordinary meals people take at home, restaurants, or rest stops with no stringent measures and under no serious circumstances, Christians take this meal under strict conditions. This is espoused by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:27; “So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord”. That is to say, participants to the Lord’s Supper must go according the set down procedures. Or better still, partakers must not approach the Lord’s Table in a manner unsuitable to the purposes for which it was designed or instituted.

As a meal, Christians partake it in different ways. Some dip the bread in the wine. Some also take both the bread and wine together. Others drink from a shared cup. Some traditions use wafers instead of bread or juice instead of wine. The frequency of this meal also varies. It is offered weekly, monthly, or even once a year.

As mentioned earlier, the Holy Communion is one of the media God uses to administer healing to his children when they attend to it in a worthy manner and in accordance to his will.

WHAT HEALING IS

Healing refers “to the physiological processes that mend an injury, and also to the emotional, spiritual, or psychological processes that relieve stress, achieve acceptance, and promote hope.” Healing is received when health which is “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” is restored. Health and healing are not the same. While health is an outcome, healing is a choice. Thus, one chooses to receive healing which brings about healthy living. A person cannot be healed if they don’t desire for it. That is why Jesus had to ask the man at the pool of Bethesda whether he needed healing. “When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” (John 5:6). Jesus could not have administered healing to the man without his consent. In other words, Jesus offered the man healing when he consented, and he was made whole completely.

In the Bible, healing comes from being saved. A clear example to this is found in the Old Testament. After growing impatient with the Lord about the long journey from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom, and complaining bitterly of food and water, “the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died” (Num 21:6). In Numbers 21:9-11, God had to tell Moses to make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole so that all who are bitten will live if they simply look at it! This happened after Moses had prayed for the nation of Israel when they confessed to him their sin of disobedience. Those who were made whole received healing from the bites of the snakes and the sin of disobedience after they looked at the replica of the poisonous snake attached to the pole.

In the New Testament, salvation is a complete work of making a person whole in spirit, soul, and body. In his earthly ministry, Jesus healed a number of persons. Anytime he offered healing to the sick, the Bible tells that they were made whole. For example, the woman with the issue of blood who touched the hem of Jesus’s garment was made whole (Matt 9:21-22). Thus, she did not receive physical only, but had total healing. The psychological trauma she found herself in for the past years coupled with emotional distress, financial challenges and possibly, spiritual weakness were all restored. This attests to the fact that being saved is not only having your sins forgiven, but also receiving healing in the physical body. David affirms this: “He [God] forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases” (Ps 103:3). That is to say, God’s salvation makes one completely whole. Meaning, salvation makes a person’s body, soul, and spirit function in peace and unity, without the disruption of sin in the spirit, sickness in the body, or depression and oppression in the mind.

WHAT CALLS FOR HEALING?

In our daily living, healing is pursued when one’s life seems to be ceasing. It happens when the blood that unites the living part of the body as a life stimulant by nourishing and cleansing the body is deficient; affecting the functioning of other that part. In this case, the cells in the body cannot get all the oxygen and nutrients they need which will cause malfunctioning of that part, leading to death. But when healing is received, people are brought back to life. This happens when the deficiency in the blood is dealt with for optimum performance.

THE BLOOD CARRIES LIFE

In ancient Israel, blood was not only a metaphor or symbol for life; it was equivalent to life itself. In most occurrences where blood was shed in Scripture, it meant that life had ended. To remove the blood is to terminate life (Lev 17:11, 14).

God gives instructions regarding sacrifices and offerings in Leviticus 17, particularly on the proper slaughtering of animals. The Israelites were to bring each animal to the tabernacle entrance for the priest to offer. The blood of the animal was never to be treated as common food; it belonged to God, who is the giver of life (Gen 2:7; Job 33:4; Ps 139:13). Thus, the blood of animals had to be drained and offered to God on the altar. Anytime blood was drained, there was a separation of the body and the blood of the animal leading to cessation of the life of the animal.

Blood was God’s ordained means of effecting atonement: “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life” (Lev 17:11). Atonement for sin was achieved by sacrificing an animal’s life in substitution for one’s own life. The shedding of blood was the most critical element—it was the blood of the guiltless substitute offered on the altar that served as payment for the people’s sins (Lev 16:15).

Jesus, God’s sacrificial lamb suffered this fate when he went to the cross.

JESUS ON THE CROSS

The cross is most shameful death ever for the son of man to be nailed on just to save humanity. He went on it by the hands of godless men (Acts 2:23) to free humanity from the bondage of sin and death. He suffered a shameful death in order to redeem humankind, for the world to have eternal life. In his death, Jesus’ blood was separated from his flesh. That is to say, the blood of Jesus was drained and offered to God later by himself when he resurrected from the dead (Jn 20:17). So, Jesus died on the cross because there was a separation of his body and blood which carried life. This life caused everything including wind, the dead, the lame, sicknesses, evil spirits, etc to obey him. Since blood resides in the body and life is found in the blood, Jesus could touch the blind and lame to be healed completely. This was because there was a connection between his body and blood which carried life. This life permeated through his body even into his garment to the extent that when the sick touched, they had healing. The potency of life in the blood was manifested when the blood touched the ground (cf. John 19:34). Immediately something extraordinary happened! “At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart” (Matt 27:51).

THE MYSTERY OF PARTAKING IN THE HOLY COMMUNION

The communion meal is a special meal initiated by Jesus Christ for his disciples and commanded them to repeat it through generations. This has continued till now. It’s made up of bread and wine signifying his body and blood respectively. These two emblems are taken together as a commemoration of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why did Jesus give both his body and blood to the disciples in Holy Communion? Jesus did to tell that in the Holy Communion, his blood and flesh which were separated on the cross by ungodly men are put together again by godly men (or Christians) for life to reign in his body again. Partaking in the Lord’s Supper gives us a picture of bringing back the separated body and blood of Jesus together for life to exist; the bread and wine symbols of the body and blood respectively are joined together. Thus, the believer sees Jesus who once lived on earth and now in heaven to be so close to them as he was with the disciples and working by offering total healing of the body, soul and mind, as well as the spirit, connecting believers to a new life.

WHAT THE MEAL DOES

The meal heals ‘sick’ marriages. So many marriages are ‘sick’ and crumbling. When Christian couples partake in the Lord’s Supper, they recognise Jesus as standing with them in marriage and teaching them what ought to be done and what not. In so doing, they commit themselves to the marriage to pleasing Jesus who is always with them. It also makes singles to be healed from sinful behaviours such as following other people’s husbands and wives; they would find it difficult to engage in such illicit behaviours whiles they have Jesus with them.

The meal heals spiritual being. Some Christians are spiritually sick. Being spiritually sick is engaging in immoral activities which is against biblical teachings. They find it difficult to engage in spiritual activities, always carnally minded. They don’t see the need to attend church, come for evening services, participate in Home Cells and Bible Studies, prayer meetings, etc. The order of the day is forcing them to engage in illicit activities making them not to be spiritually sound. Now, people find it difficult to follow the leadings of the spirit, making them not to be children of God; those led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God (Rom 8:14). But when we partake in the Lord’s Supper, Jesus comes into our bodies alive with spiritual nourishment. Thus, Jesus comes to heal spiritual weaknesses, making one to build a strong relationship with the Lord.

The meal heals the Church. The church is made up of individuals who profess to be Christians. They are made up people called out from the world unto Christ. When these individuals are spiritually sick, the church becomes sick. On the other hand, when they are spiritually active, the church also becomes active. It must be noted that one person can make the church sick. This is when they constantly engage in sinful activities. Remember the story of Achan (Josh 7). He caused the whole nation to suffer defeat when he coveted sacred things belonging to the Lord. A healthy church is the one where members partake in the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner.

The meal heals the physical body, mind and spirit. Once we live in a fallen world, becoming sick is part of us. At the cross, God took all of our sicknesses and diseases and put them on Jesus’ originally perfect and healthy body, so that we can walk in divine health. Isaiah confirms this by saying, “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed” (Isa 53:5). Adding on, Peter declares that “He [Jesus] personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed” (2 Pet 2:24). So, the believer gets into a deep communion with the great Physician, Provider, and Deliverer when they partake in the Lord’s Supper (the body of Christ). This gives them access into the divine health of Christ; making them to receive total healing—physical, soul, and mind—making them to have peace and unity, without the disruption of sin in the spirit, sickness in the body, or depression and oppression in the mind.

Written by Pastor Emmanuel Foster Asamoah (Abasraba District)