Posts in category: Top Stories

Technology has developed in ways that were previously deemed unthinkable. To mention just a few of the revolutionary technological developments of our time, we have self-driving cars, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and virtual reality. However, technology is not a novel idea and has existed since the dawn of time. The first technologist was God, the creator of the world, and His work in the Bible gives us important insights into the potential of technology in our lives today.

We learn how God created the world from nothing in the book of Genesis 1:3. This was an amazing technological achievement that is still beyond our comprehension today. God is a technologist, and He created the universe we live in using His knowledge and comprehension of the laws of physics and chemistry.

God is the first technologist in the world. He is the first person to invent the tablet. He called Moses and gave him a tablet on Mount Sinai in Exodus 34. Then, it was upgraded by man due to the knowledge given to man by God. So, man upgraded the stone tablet to an electronic tablet like Samsung Tabs, iPads, etc. God is also the first person who invented the projector. When Belshazzar misused the Holy things of the Lord in the temple, the finger of God was seen being written on the wall. Man upgraded this invention to an electronic projector (Daniel 5).

God’s ability to use technology is also demonstrated in the building of the Ark. Noah’s family and a variety of animals were to be transported aboard the Ark, a sizable wooden ship, during the great deluge that God foresaw as a means of purging the world of its sin. The Ark was built according to God’s directions, and it was an engineering marvel built to withstand the flood’s raging waters. This was a pioneering instance of utilizing technology to surmount the limitations of nature (Genesis 6:13-22).

Another illustration of God’s technological impact is the Tower of Babel. The tower was a magnificent building endeavor that was intended to soar to the skies. The endeavor was hampered, though, when God intervened and made the workers speak in various tongues. This tale demonstrates the dual nature of technology and the necessity of using it carefully and in accordance with God’s will (Genesis 11:8).

Today, we are surrounded by evidence of God’s technological impact. Technology has permeated every aspect of our lives, from the medical discoveries that resulted in the creation of vaccines and life-saving therapies to the developments in communication technology that have allowed us to communicate with people around the globe. We can use technology to share the gospel, communicate with other Christians, and learn more about the Bible.

RESPONSE OF TODAY’S YOUTH TO TECHNOLOGY

It is very sad that many youths today misuse technology by engaging in fraudulent activities. Particularly, young men use smartphones and computers for cybercrimes like “Sakawa” (also known as game boys), which involves stealing credit card information to shop on the internet. Additionally, they misuse technology by gambling, which has become easily accessible on various online platforms on smartphones and computers, such as Superbet, Mybet, Betika, 1xBet, Betway, 22Bet, Sportsbet, PremireBet, MELbet, and SportBet.

Furthermore, young people abuse technology by watching pornography on their smartphones and computers. Some young women and adults also use technology for prostitution and illegal dating sites, which destroys their future prospects.

EMBRACING NEW TECHNOLOGY

I strongly urge ministers of the Gospel to embrace the modern technology available today. Technology is not inherently evil; it depends on the user and the purpose. Although technology itself cannot take us to heaven, it can facilitate our work quickly and easily. Therefore, we must evangelize and reach out to all people, particularly those in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Ministers should, therefore, encourage their church members and families to enter the STEM field. If Christians do not invade these fields, secular individuals will design and invent technologies that do not align with God’s will, such as sex toys, missiles, flying bombs, warships, and planes.

RESPONDING TO TECHNOLOGY IN A GODLY MANNER

The following are some ways by which we could leverage on the great potential of technology for our benefit as Christians and to champion the cause of the Kingdom:

1. Sharing the gospel on social media (Mark 16:15)

It is sad to note that many young people misuse technology. However, social media can be an effective means of sharing the good news of God’s love with others. Today’s youth can inspire and uplift others by sharing Bible verses, motivational sayings, and moving stories on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Additionally, they can connect with other believers and forge relationships with people who share similar values and beliefs.

• Accessing Bible studies resources and sermons online (2 Timothy 3:16)

Thanks to the internet, we now have access to a wealth of knowledge on almost any subject. With the help of technology, young people can strengthen their faith and deepen their understanding of the Bible. Online sermons, Bible studies, and devotionals can provide valuable insights into the Scriptures and help young people apply biblical principles to their daily lives.

• Using Apps to Increase One’s Devotional Life (Psalm 119:105)

Numerous apps are available to help young people develop a stronger sense of personal devotion and a closer relationship with God. Bible apps like YouVersion offer features like daily devotionals, reading plans, and audio Bibles, which can keep young people connected to God’s word. Similarly, prayer apps like PrayerMate can assist young people in maintaining their spiritual focus and developing a regular prayer practice.

• Producing uplifting material (Psalm 150:6)

Young people can use their creativity and technological skills to produce uplifting material that spreads the love and word of God. They can use music, videos, or other forms of digital media to express their faith and motivate others to do the same.

• Engaging in Virtual Ministry (Galatians 6:2)

Virtual ministry has become popular recently, and it can be a wonderful way for young people to serve the Lord from the comfort of their homes. Through online organizations like prayer hotlines, chat rooms, and counseling services, young people can share their faith and support others who may be suffering.

CONCLUSION

Technology can be a powerful tool for young people to serve the Lord and spread the good news of God’s love. By using social media, online resources, apps, and other digital media, they can interact with God and each other in new and creative ways. Let us use technology to advance God’s kingdom on earth by exploring its possibilities while keeping God’s will and purpose at the forefront of our minds.

Written by P/Overseer Solomon Boadi

Easter is one of the central tenets of the Christian faith. This Christian festival is a spiritual feast commemorating the Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ for the sins of the world.

“..Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again ‘ ” – Luke 24:6-7

From my biblical studies and meditation on this year’s Easter Celebration, I caught a rhema which I titled ‘His Throne for Our Thorns’. As it pleases the Lord, I desire to share this rhema of the suffering of Christ as He hung on the Cross with the Crown of Thorns on His head at Calvary with the body of Christ… May the Lord grant us grace.

In the Garden of Eden, one of the first signs of the curse brought upon mankind as a result of Sin was the presence of “thorns and thistles” to represent the slavery, captivity, painful burden, toil, guilt and suffering ‘married’ to Man’s labor from then on (Genesis 3:18). In other parts of the Bible, “thorns” and “thistles” are used to represent the path of those who choose sin over the way of the Lord (Proverbs 22:5).

On the morning of Jesus’ crucifixion, the Roman soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and placed it on Jesus’ head, openly mocking and ridiculing Jesus as the “King of the Jews” – Matthew 27:29

The crown of thorns is unarguably one of the most iconic images of Christ’s crucifixion. Perhaps more so than any other form of physical suffering He endured; the crown Jesus bore signified Christ’s ultimate humility in trading His heavenly authority for the lowliest estate of man: a place of burdensome slavery, suffering, guilt and shame.

The soldiers knew not that, their crude and cruel crown of thorns, meant to mock Jesus, actually pointed to the curse and penalty of sin that Jesus Christ wore in our place. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:22).

Jesus Christ exchanged His throne for our thorns and now we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that we may proclaim the excellences of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light -1 Peter 2:9 (Paraphrased).

Now, we boldly boast in Christ that, we are royals, we reign and share with Christ His authority on earth because, He exchanged His throne which represents His glory, sovereignty, kingship, royalty and authority for our Thorns which represents our sin, curse, slavery, painful burden and guilt, enabling us to walk in perpetual dominion over sin and its grave consequences. We cry Abba Father and walk in oneness with Him fully assured that we are reconciled and restored to our previous state of unhindered fellowship, or at least for as many who believe and call on his name and walk with him.

In conclusion, we have no Thorns in our side for we are sitting on the Throne of Grace, Glory and Power. On this note, I want to urge all Christians around the globe that Easter is not just a holiday nor is it about paragliding, hiking, carnivals and street jams but it is about valuing the Love that God has shown through His Son Jesus Christ, extending this same Love to others; helping them to know Him and the power of His resurrection.

‘That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead’. – Philippians 3:10-11.

I agree with Sir George Bennard in his song OLD RUGGED CROSS; let us cherish and cling to the old rugged cross and exchange it someday for a crown.

Written by Deacon Jonathan Avornyo (Krachikrom District, Kete-Krachi Area)

“False teachers are adversaries of the contemporary church. They please the ear than the heart. They argue, that the scriptures need new interpretation and they are uniquely qualified to offer that interpretation. Beware of such and deliver your souls out of their deadly traps.”   

Probationary Overseer Enock Okain.

Beware of FALSE TEACHERS

The church is always under attack, at all times and in all places. Satan is the greatest enemy of the church and one of his successful weapons is false teachers. False teaching poses a serious danger to the church. We must recognize it as a threat because the Bible repeatedly tells us that. Jesus warns us that false teachers will emerge from outside the Christian community, attempting to conceal their actual motives (Matt. 7:15–20). In the same vein, Peter tells us that false teachers can also emerge from within the community of believers, bringing destructive and poisonous teachings (2 Peter 2:1). Simply put, false teaching is not just a problem for a section of believers but all believers hence we must be vigilant and be on guard.

WHO THEY ARE?

Now, let me give you some scenarios of how false teachers package themselves to deceive fragile believers.

False teachers are those who arrogantly attempt to fashion new interpretations of the scriptures to demonstrate that the text in the Bible should not be read as God’s words to His children but only as the utterances of uninspired men constrained by their own prejudices and cultural biases. They argue, therefore, that the scriptures require new interpretations and that they are uniquely qualified to offer that interpretation. In summary, these critics try to twist Church doctrines to meet their own preconceived notions, denying Christ and His messianic role in the process.

False teachers are also those who attempt to alter God-ordained and scripturally supported doctrines that protect the sanctity of marriage, the divine nature of the family, and the essential doctrine of personal morality. They advocate a redefinition of morality to justify fornication, adultery, homosexual relationships and polygamy. Some openly champion the legalization of same-gender marriages and other abominable acts. False teachers only teach to please men (Gal. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:1-4). They preach more to please the ear than to profit the heart.

The other false teachers are the charlatans. They are those who are only in the kingdom business for themselves.  They see Christianity as a means to personal gains. They see believers or Christians as people they can take advantage of to enrich themselves. They pretend to be Shepherds but all they do is to exploit and extort from the church, teach different doctrines that suit them but fail to nurture the sheep according to biblical principles. The Bible speaks of them in (1 Timothy 6:3-5).

The false prophet is also another false teacher. These are teachers who claim to bring fresh revelation from God. They usually prophesy non-realistic things that exceed the Bible. The Bible speaks of them too (1 John 4:1).

WHERE CAN THEY BE FOUND?

False teachers do not come from mars or clad themselves with weird cloths and masks as portrayed in movies, they are found in places of worship, preaching and teaching, seminaries, videos, mission fields, books, and on television and radio.

IMPACTS OF FALSE TEACHINGS ON THE CHURCH

The Bible warns believers to beware of false teachers for they come in sheep’s clothing but inwardly they are ravening wolves whose impacts on the church are very damaging.

• They cause division in the church

Acts 20:28-30 – “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves’ men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

• Lead Believers Astray

Jer. 23:32 – “Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams,” declares the Lord, “and related them, and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit,” declares the Lord.

• Defrauds Believers

Col. 2:18 – Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,

• Leads believers to destruction

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed, they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” 2 Peter 2:1-3

COMBATING FALSE TEACHINGS

• Be knowledgeable in the word of God:

A general lack of Bible knowledge and discernment among believers is one of the most significant contributions to the propagation of false teaching in the church. It may sound illogical to say that students should be able to correct teachers when they bring falsehood into the church, but that is exactly what the Bible teaches us. When Paul was at Berea, his teaching was not just accepted, his listeners put it to the test by examining the Scriptures to determine whether it was correct. (Acts 17:11). For this, they were praised by Luke as being “more noble.” All believers must read the Scriptures for themselves and compare what is being taught to the Scriptures. This does not require radical skepticism, but it does mean that believers are not to unhesitatingly trust every word of mere men.

• People must be held accountable for their false teachings

The failure to hold people accountable for their incorrect teaching is one factor that contributes to the spread of false teaching. People must be called to book, corrected, or punished when propagating false teachings. When the church turns a blind eye to false teaching because its proponents are popular or have ‘successful ministries,’ it allows false teaching to spread and it would be the source of further division and conflict in the church. Church discipline exists to uphold the glory of Christ and His truth and to protect the people of God from error and its consequences.

• Church Leaders must be ready to confront falsehood

To combat false teaching, the church needs pastors, elders, and teachers who are both willing and able to confront falsehood (Titus 2:8; 1 Peter 2:15). Even when the people of God are eager to study His Word and the church is prepared to exercise discipline, false teaching can flourish when the leadership of the church is ill-prepared and poorly trained. The lower we set our standards for training pastors and elders for the ministry, the less prepared they will be to recognize false teaching. Those who have not been trained well in the Bible, its languages, and principles of sound interpretation may fall prey to novel teachings that seem to explain away problems or contradictions.

CONCLUSION

Let us beware of false prophets and false teachers, both men and women, who are self-appointed declarers of the doctrines of the Church and who seek to spread their false gospel and attract followers by sponsoring symposia, books, and journals whose contents challenge fundamental doctrines of the Church.

By Probationary Overseer Enock Okain