Apostle Fianko Larbi

“Belief In God” Hinders “National Development”: Are Secular Humanists Right?

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Overview of Secular Humanism

Secular humanism is a type of worldview. Worldview is the “lens” through which people see and interpret the world – seen and unseen – around them. The Christian Worldview is “Jesus Christ revealed in the Bible and glorified by the Holy Spirit is God, Savior and Lord over all creation”. As Christians we reflect on all issues of life through this worldview.

Each era in history has had a driving force on which the predominant worldview of the era thrives. There have been three eras to date; these include the pre-modern era, modern era, and post-modern.

Pre-modern era was up to 1800s – it was largely a wind of SUPERNATURALISM (FAITH); nearly everything was viewed from the angle of God and the supernatural. It was an era that gave a good environment for religion to thrive.

Modern era was from late 1800s to 1980s; it was an era of SCIENCE (FACTS); people began to do away with God and the supernatural; everything was viewed through science; life was all about reason, facts and logic; if something could not be proven scientifically, people would not hold it as truth. It was an era for lots of scientific discoveries.

Post-modern era is the era from 1980s to date; it is an era of SKEPTICISM (FREEDOM). It is an era where people can even doubt God and the supernatural and also doubt scientific findings. This is the era we find ourselves in, now. In this post-modern era, each person is to have their own set of truth and live by them; what is truth for you, may not be truth for another person. This is the era driving the predominant worldview of secular humanism.

Secular humanism mainly holds that, one must examine and discard religion and hold their own truth and seek their own happiness without harming others. The word “secular” means, the physical world as we see it whiles the word “humanism” means the happiness and pleasure of human being should be the purpose in all things; humans, not God, should be at the center of all aspects of life.

Thus, according to secular humanism, there is no God and no supernatural; all we have is what we see and how we can use all that we see through scientific means to reduce human pain and make humans happier. This means, as long as what you are doing breaks no law or harms no one, do it! Secular humanism says, enjoy your life for all you can, because “You Only Live Once” (YOLO). The symbol for secular humanism is the “Happy Human”.

Secular humanism positions human being as their own “god” to be served and made happy. Paul in 1st Corinthians 15:32 says, “…if there is no resurrection of the dead, then, let is live and eat for tomorrow we die”. Paul’s point is that, the hope of the reality of the resurrection is the reason Christians reject secular humanism; nothing more, nothing less. We believe, the resurrection (which I define as “heavenly realities replacing earthly things”) is the reason for our rejection of secular humanism and for our faith in Christ.

It is worth noting that, in principle, secular humanism began in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) when Satan succeeded in convincing Eve to reject and ignore God, free herself from God’s commands and rather focus on fulfilling her won pleasures. At the core of secular humanism is the efforts to “free” people from what they call, the “control” of all organized social systems such as family, church, religion and the state.

Secular humanists, therefore, seeks to stand against religion (belief in God) of any shape and form especially in public life; if for nothing at all, to them, be religious in your private life but never in public, else, you will be discriminated against and cancelled. Secular humanists are political since they seek numbers to make their beliefs into laws so as to dominant the whole world in their dire desire to stand against the Almighty God and His Son, Jesus Christ. (I have an eschatological dimension to this aspect, but it is beyond the scope of this article).

Secular humanism is not just against Christianity, but against all forms of Christianity. However, their main target is Christianity because to them, Christians hold that there is only one way to salvation, namely Jesus Christ. Secular humanists therefore try to create enmity between Christians and other religious people in a “divide and rule manner” so as to dominate. For them, if they cannot do away with all religions at all, then there should be inter-religious factions then they come in with counterfeit unity approaches such as inter-faith movements.

Secular humanism holds that one does not need a God or belief in the supernatural external force in order to be virtuous; that, human beings are inherently good. Thus, secular humanism upholds many noble expressions in this world, such as cooperation, reason, education, science, humor, inquiry, democracy, compassion, tolerance, imagination, open debate, human rights and spirituality (connecting with one’s inner self through yoga, meditation etc.). According to secular humanism, vice or “sin” is only when you break national laws and/or prevent others from living to please their pleasure and happiness when they do not contradict any national law or global conventions. Hence if someone is chastised for say, having a side chic, secular humanists will ask, “Why are you against it? Does it contradict any law? Is it a crime? As long as they are happy, who am I to judge?”

As stated, this worldview further posits that humans can express all virtues without God. Christians believe that, we can be virtuous not based on the good in us but by the power of the Holy Spirit and with the sole purpose to glorifying Christ. It is important to note that secular humanism creates their own versions of Judaism and Christianity by taking away all the God factor and the supernatural from the bible. It might interest readers to know that since Thomas Fredrick in 1974, there has been secular humanistic chaplains in various universities in the West – notably, Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  In fact, we have to restate that, there are people who go to church and claim to be Christians and yet in their hearts, they deny the power of God and the supernatural; they even speak against “fellow Christians” who spend time to pray – even if, they are getting miraculous results and transformation.

Alice Bailey, one of the key proponents of secular humanism, who lived from 1880 to 1949 propounded a 10-point plan for the destruction of Judeo-Christian systems with the aim to establishing a New World Order through the spread of secular humanism ideologies on the wings of postmodernism. These 10-points are as follows:

  1. Take God and prayer out of the education system
  2. Reduce parental authority over the children
  3. Destroy the Judeo-Christian family structure or the traditional Christian family structure
  4. Make sex free and if sex is free, then make abortion legal and make it easy
  5. Make divorce easy and legal; free people from the concept of marriage for life
  6. Make homosexuality an alternative lifestyle
  7. Debase art; make it run mad through obscenity
  8. Use media to promote and change mindset
  9. Create interfaith movements so as to water down the exclusive claim of Christianity as the only way for salvation
  10. Get governments to make all these into laws and get the church to endorse these changes

The False of the Secular Humanist Postulation on the Link between Belief on God and Development of a Nation

As we stated earlier, as part of their broader agenda to stifle Christianity and the “God factor”, secular humanists often say that, nations develop better when they do not believe in God or in the supernatural. This postulation is falsehood, at least for two factual reasons as follows.

1. Nations who believe in God are the most developed: Human Development Index (HDI) is the indicator that tells us how developed a nation is; it measures health (long & healthy life); education (level of knowledge); and income (decent living). It is worth noting that, the top ten developed nations in the world as at now are Norway; Ireland; Switzerland; Hong Kong; Iceland; Germany; Sweden; Australia; The Netherlands; and Denmark. The average population of these nations who are Christians is 61.33% (that is above 50%) whiles their average HDI score of these ten nations is 95%. On the other hands, the bottom ten (least developed) nations are Eritrea; Mozambique; Burkina Faso; Sierra Leone; Mali; Burundi; South Sudan; Chad; CAR; and Niger. The average population of these nations who are Christians is 39.65% (that is below 50%) and their average HDI score of these ten nations is 45%. This shows that, contrary to secular humanistic postulation, high Christian population percentage is positively correlated or associated with development

2. Most Nobel Prize winners are Christians: Nobel Prize is given annually to people who distinguish themselves in science, advancement and development on the global scale. Since 1901, 65.4% of winners have been Christians; and 21.4% are Jews. This means 86.8% of Nobel Prize winners in science etc. since 1901 are from the Judeo-Christian stock

Christian Response to Secular Humanism

Finally, in this article, I wish to discuss some practical ways Christians can respond to the attacks of secular humanism on the Christian faith, in their sphere of life and to possess that sphere for Christ.

  1. Christians should know why they are Christians not just because their parents taught them or the church says so or because the bible say so. The scientific methodology for knowing God/Christ is to “Taste and See”. Christians should have REASON – catalogue of testimonies – that shows that, indeed they have tasted, tested, trusted and tried the Lord Jesus Christ and seen Him to be God, Savior and Lord who indeed redeems our hearts from bondage to sins, addictions, inordinate lusts & affections, shame, guilt, condemnation, witchcraft manipulation, anxiety, stress and fear of the unknown. Secular humanism has no solution to these existential challenges of humanity; the solution is only in a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ and we encounter Him through the study of the Word of God and sincere outpouring of the content of our hearts to Him in prayer.
  • Christians should know that, secular humanism is another anti-Christ “religion” seeking to enslave people with the pretense of giving them freedom. How does, living by the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life set one free? Never! Rather, it enslaves one into various forms of addictions to materialism and the ego leading to all forms of bondages, in the quest for “freedom” that is only a mirage outside of Christ. To this end, we need to see the double standard of secular humanism. Secular humanism stands against organized religion but secular humanism itself is an organized religion that has tenets, groups, rules etc. with the aim to promote sense of belonging as well. In American laws, secular humanism is considered a religion.
  • Christians should understand the global impact of Christianity on national development and use that to debunk the false postulation by secular humanists that, when a nation believes in God and the supernatural, they become least developed. At least, in this article, in the immediate paragraphs above, we have established two facts that debunks this notion. There are even more facts; not to talk about the impact of Christianity on healthcare, education and other sectors of various national economy for many years to date.
  • Christians respond to flood of secular humanism in the hearts of the unsaved through reaching out to engaged the unsaved through listening to their perspectives, intentional intercessory prayers, demonstrating the fruit and power of Christ in our space, sharing the gospel without manipulation or castigation of the “religious” positions of the unsaved and ensuring their discipleship by studying the Word of God with them, praying with them and responding to the issues in their hearts with the Word of God. It is the Holy Spirit who breaks down these worldview – strongholds, high things, arguments, and imaginations – that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ, in the hearts of the unsaved when we respond in the godly ways discussed
  • Secular humanism thrives when Christians create a mutually-exclusive situation between Common Grace and Redemptive Grace. Common Grace involves all the physical resources God has given us on earth to make life on earth decent. Redemptive Grace is faith in Christ that brings about forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit into the heart of a person. Receiving Christ does not mean shutting our minds from critical thinking, innovation, creativity etc. so as to maximize Coon Grace. In fact, having the Holy Spirit rather should make us like “Bezalel and Oholiab” – people who are given to excellence, integrity and sincerity. Christians must demonstrate excellence in their spheres of influence to show that, the Holy Spirit living in us is the Spirit of Excellence. Building systems to maximize Common Grace is not opposed to digging deep in spirituality to maximize eternal life. The Holy Spirit has given us divine power to harness resources to build excellence whiles also enjoying eternal life (life in God’s presence for all eternity). On this note, we need to thank Chairman Eric Nyamekye and the Executive Council of the Church of Pentecost (CoP) for recognizing CoP members who excel in their fields at Opening Ceremony of every Council Meeting.

Concluding Remark

Let me conclude this article by saying that, secular humanism is not new; as we have discussed earlier, it started in principle from the Garden of Eden. There is no need to panic or be overwhelmed by secular humanism as a Christian. Secular humanism is like “Goliath” and “the Image in Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream” representing any ideology that stands against God and the Lord Jesus Christ. We have the power to bring down secular humanism with THE STONE – the Lord Jesus Christ!

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him (1 Samuel 17:48-50, NIV).

In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces (Daniel 2:44-45, NIV).

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete (2 Corinthians 10:3-6, NIV).

Written by Aps S. K. Fianko-Larbi (Kenya National Head, The Church of Pentecost)

The Church of Pentecost Media Pastor Addresses Top US Government Officials

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By Jeffrey Smith, Washington DC

The Head of the Media Department of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor (Dr) Felix Dela Klutse, has urged public affairs professionals and lobbyists in the United States of America and other parts of the world to be circumspect in their professional duties and also influence their spheres with godly values and principles.

He said as more wealth and political power is amassed, many public affairs professionals and various lobbying groups are being influenced to an ever-greater extent by ‘big players’ across the globe to do their bidding in an unprofessional manner.

“The situation is denting the good image of the public affairs and lobbying profession. But I charge you never to be part of the bad ones but rather aspire to be catalyst for change. There are good folks working in the public affairs and lobbying industry, who are serving a very useful purpose. You must be counted among the righteous ones and not the miscreants.”

Pastor (Dr) Klutse, who is also the Resident Minister of Mount Olives Worship Centre, a branch of The Church of Pentecost at Odorkor Area in Accra, made the clarion call yesterday when he addressed Members of the International Governmental Affairs Professionals Association at its 6th Annual General Meetings in the capital city of the United States of America, Washington DC.

International Governmental Affairs Professionals Association is the largest communications platform for governments, industry, and society in the world. Over 700 prominent firms, non-profits organisations, consultancies, and universities, as well as over 10,000 public relations professionals, international lobbyists and top politicians are members of the association.

The event, which is being attended by top US Government officials, politicians, business tycoons, international public or governmental affairs professionals and lobbyists across the globe aims to provide a western insight into the global public affairs marketplace, among other things. 

Pastor (Dr) Klutse said the governmental relations environment in the United States remained one of the most vibrant in the world, adding that, “public affairs or governmental relations practitioners and lobbyists ought to adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those they represent.”

“As governmental or public relations professionals and lobbyists, you serve the public interests by acting as responsible advocates for those you represent. You are expected to provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts, and viewpoints to aid informed public debate. Consequently, you must adhere to ethical procedures that preserve free and open competition among government enterprises without degrading the profession.”

Pastor (Dr) Klutse told the gathering that political scientists have long recognised the legitimate uses of lobbying in a democracy as it allows the voice of citizen groups, associations, labour unions, corporations and others to be heard in the political arena.

According to him, the first set of global lobbying guidelines were created in 2010 following the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.  A decade on, many countries, he noted, have made progress, but others still have no framework for addressing lobbying risks, lamenting that, where regulations do exist, the rules leave too many grey areas and loopholes. 

“Lobbying remains, in many cases, too open to abuse. Where guidelines are in place, they do not cover all levels of government. Too often, information on who is lobbying and how they influence government decisions is incomplete or subject to insufficient scrutiny. Rules on conflict of interest and “revolving door” practices still exist in most settings,” he noted.

The Head of Media Department of The Church of Pentecost therefore advised public affair professionals and lobbyists to avoid corrupting their actions and instead utilise them as a legitimate and good force conducted with integrity and transparency.

He noted: “Your activities should enable interest groups to understand, track and shape the development of legislation and regulation. Your efforts must be seen as an integral part of the public decision-making process.”

He warned that if lobbying and public affairs activities continue to be opaque and disproportionate, it can lead to administrative bribery and political corruption.

“When such disproportionate influence is leveraged on behalf of a particular set of interests, the decisions that ensue do not necessarily uphold the public interest. In fact, where the influence of business groups becomes excessive, it may result in policy capture or even state capture,” he explained.

Pastor (Dr) Klutse called on the various governments across the globe to develop more tougher integrity rules for public affairs officials and lobbyists to ensure integrity in influencing public decisions.

He said the world has over the years, witnessed an increased concern around the influence of foreign governments in domestic life, as they rely more on lobbyists and other methods to promote their goals, stressing that, in most countries, there is no transparency on influence by foreign governments.

“We need greater transparency on who lobbies, how and why. More transparency is needed on all forms of influence,” he stressed, adding that, our citizens are gradually losing trust in our institutions, and we need to restore that trust.

Pastor (Dr) Klutse is also calling for criminal charges against governmental public affairs professionals and lobbyists who engage in corrupt practices.

“And they should be prosecuted in a very public way to serve as a deterrent to others who may be willing to do the same,” he stated, adding that, this would reinforce the confidence of the people in the fact that the system itself could weed out miscreants from within itself.

Pastor (Dr) Klutse further called for a broader stakeholders’ engagement to ensuring that influence is not concentrated in the hands of the powerful as it is the case in some countries where spending on lobbying in some industries remains highly concentrated on only a few big players.

He said his church (The Church of Pentecost) is spearheading a massive campaign where its members go to their various institutions and communities to become an agent of transformation by influencing their spheres with godly values and principles. He therefore made a passionate appeal on the various governments across the globe to partner the church in  their respective countries to make the campaign an impactful one.

“Let’s all come together to spearhead the change we want to see in our society,” he concluded.

The event, which is underway at the National Press Club in Washington DC, started on June 9, 2022 and it is expected to end on June 19, 2022.  Other speakers at the event include Mr. Kendall Coffey (former U.S Attorney), Ms. Dina EllisRochkind (Lobbyist at the Capitol Hill, USA), Ms. Kateryna Odarchenko(Founder of Ukrainian government professional relations association), Mr. Sergey Stanovkin (BBC World News), Mr. Cigler Mihael (CEO of MC Public Affairs and a member of the Advisory Board of the Global FIPRA Network), among other seasoned speakers.

Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Donates To The Church Of Pentecost In Ho

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Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited has donated 50 cartons of hand sanitizers to the Ho Area of The Church of Pentecost.

The donation took place recently at the El-Bethel Prayer Centre of The Church of Pentecost in Ho during the ordination service of six overseers who were ordained as pastors of the church.

Handing over the items to the church, the Volta and Oti Regional Manager of the company, Mrs Abigail Mireku, said that Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited, a major producer of health products in Ghana, decided to donate the items to the church as part of their corporate social responsibility.

She called on Ghanaians to continue to sanitize their hands whenever necessary to avoid being infected by the COVID-19 disease.

Receiving the donation, the Ho Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr Dela Quampah, who is also the Co-ordinator of the Volta and Oti Regional Co-ordinating Committee and an Executive Council member of the church, thanked Elder Dr Samuel Amo Tobbin, the Chief Executive Officer of Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited, and his staff for their kind gesture towards the Ho Area of the church. He prayed for the growth of the company.

Report by Enyomedia, Ho.

Shekinah PENSA Conference Kicks-Off Nationwide

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The Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) Pre-Tertiary and Teens Conference of the Youth Ministry of The Church of Pentecost dubbed, ‘Shekinah PENSA Conference 2022,’ has kicked off in a grand style.

The divine experience and encounter conference, which started on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, at the command centre at the Mamprobi Central auditorium in the Dansoman Area of the church, is being held virtually with 520 satellite centres across the country, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm each day. Being streamed live on Pent TV and the social media platforms of the church, the event is expected to end on Saturday, June 11, 2022.

The Shekinah PENSA Conference is under the theme, “Equipping Young People As God’s Army To Possess the Nations,” – Hebrews 13:20-21; Ephesians 4:11-12, 6:10-11.

In his welcome address, the Youth Director of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Ebenezer Hagan, pointed out that the conference was initiated to help minister to the teens in the church.

He encouraged the youth to be expectant of massive transformation in their lives as they patronise the conference.

Speaking on the theme of the conference, Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, Vice-Chancellor of the Pentecost University, outlined that the theme brings out three major areas, namely a certain group (young people); who need to be equipped (army), and for a reason (possessing the nations).

Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua urged the youth to engage God and have a purpose that will lead them to the right destination.

“The ultimate purpose for all Christian activities is to facilitate the reclaiming of the kingdoms of the world back to God,” he stated, stressing that young people should not miss the agenda for what they were called to do on earth.

The Vice-Chancellor added that the purpose of the crucifixion of Christ and his resurrection was to purchase for himself a people who would facilitate the reclaiming of the world for God.

“To possess the nations, the Lord needs an army,” he said, adding, “The greatest legacy of any young person is to leave a mark of trust, faithfulness and determination to stand for the Lord anywhere.”

Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua further indicated that the baptism of the Holy Spirit brings empowerment and transformation. Therefore, it is imperative to be ‘crazily’ in love with the Holy Spirit.

He also urged Christian youth to be equipped with the knowledge of God, and be prayerful and determined as Daniel and his friends portrayed in Babylon.

Notable among the speakers for this year’s conference are Apostle Eric Nyamekye (Chairman of the church), Apostle Samuel Osei Asante (Patron of the Youth Ministry and Koforidua Area Head of the church), and Apostle Emmanuel Agyei Kwafo (National Co-ordinator of the Home and Urban Missions).

Others are Pastor Ebenezer Hagan (Youth Ministry Director), Pastor Emmanuel Opoku Mensah (PENSA Travelling Secretary, Takoradi Sector), Pastor Stephen Safo Nsiah (PENSA Travelling Secretary, Mampong Sector), Papa Kyere Nyamekye, Elder Samuel Nkansah (PENSA Ghana Co-ordinator), and Mrs. Theodora Oduro.

Present at the opening session was Prophet Ebenezer Kofi Appiah, the Dansoman Area Head of the church, who chaired the occasion. Others were PENSA Travelling Secretaries from the various sectors of the country.

PENTECOST NEWS.

Christians Advised To Keep A Close Marking With The Holy Spirit

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The Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) Travelling Secretary for the Takoradi Sector, Pastor Emmanuel Opoku Mensah, has advised Christians to forge a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit.

“As Christians, we need to walk with the Holy Spirit and give Him a close marking. If we want to succeed in this Christian journey and possess the nations, we need to cling to the Holy Spirit at all times because we cannot do without His help,” he said during the climax of the global celebration of the Pentecost Week at the auditorium of PENSA-Takoradi Technical University last Sunday.

Speaking on the topic: “Keep A Close Marking With The Holy Spirit,” the Travelling Secretary said that the Holy Spirit has been given to every Christian to prepare and present them to Christ Jesus Christ, who is the bridegroom. 

Using 2 Kings 2:1-15 as scripture reference, he said that the final moments before Elisha inherited a double portion of his master Elijah’s mantle was recorded in the Bible to teach believers how to walk closely with the Holy Spirt in this generation. 

“Mantles are not needed in Heaven; rather, they are needed to serve here on earth. Before Elisha got Elisha’s mantle, he had to do some things and these are the things we must also seek to do today in order to catch the mantles of our forbearers,” he said.

To receive the mantle, Pastor Mensah noted, Elisha had to consistently and persistently follow the master to the end with undivided attention. 

He said that, although Elijah tried to stop him at Gilgal, Elisha persisted and followed him to Bethel, Jericho and finally to Jordan, where he received what he desired. 

Pastor Mensah, therefore, urged Christians to endeavour to walk closely with the Holy Spirit at all cost just as Elisha walked closely with his master.

Expounding further, the Travelling Secretary said that all the towns that Elisha followed Elijah to had biblical and spiritual connotations for the believer,

According to him, Gilgal, which means rolling away the reproach of sin, is the first step of every believers walk with the Holy Spirit. He said that to walk with the Spirit, one must be prepared to put to death all the things of the flesh and be ready to please God at all times.

He further explained that Bethel, which is the next destination, is the stage of the journey where one puts their trust in God and depend on him alone for divine providence.

“After dealing with the flesh, you will no longer have confidence in the flesh, but rather you put all your hope and trust in the Lord to see you through the Christian journey,” he said.

Jericho, on the other hand, he explained, is the stage where God opens a new chapter for the believer. It is the stage where God begins to transform the believer’s life, he added.

Pastor Mensah said that, at Jordan, the final stage of the walk with the Holy Spirit, the believer would now receive the double portion of the anointing of the Holy Spirit to do exploits in His name.

He, therefore, urged Christians to strive to go through all the stages of the walk with the Holy Spirit so as to catch the mantle needed to possess the nations for the Lord.

“I pray that the Lord will lead us through all these stages and help us to catch the mantel. We need to deal with the flesh, trust in God, get our spiritual amour for battle and embrace the new chapter the Lord will open for us. That is when we can possess the nations,” he charged.

PENTECOST NEWS

PENSA International Lights Torch Of Revival With 24-Hour Global Prayer Marathon 

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In line with the 2022 theme of The Church of Pentecost, which seeks to mobilise and equip church members to possess the nations, PENSA International, a global-focused ministry of The Church of Pentecost, has organised a 24-hour prayer marathon, dubbed “Covered ‘22.”

The event, which took place from May 27 to 28, 2022, was under the theme: ‘Unleashed’. It was a virtual experience broadcasted from 25 command centres around the world. The prayer sessions were led at various centres and in various languages with tens of thousands joining via social media. 

Addressing the youth, the International Missions Director (IMD) of the Church, Apostle Emmanuel Agyemang Bekoe, advised the youth to be mindful of their character and form ones that are worthy of emulation. He added that spiritual gifts alone could not build a successful Christian ministry.

In the opening session, PENSA International Coordinator, Elder Dr Patrick Adonoo, urged the youth to serve the Lord fervently. According to him, the youthful days of any individual affords them more time to worship God. 

The event featured renowned gospel musicians, including MOG, Siisi Baidoo, Yaw Boadu Jnr, Voice of Praise Choir, Team Eternity, Altar of Praise (ALTOP), and Ghana’s gospel music sensation, Christiana Attafuah. 

Apostle Alexander Kumi-Larbi, the General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, in his closing message, reiterated the essence of revival and urged the youth to continuously keep an active prayer life, saying that revival has an organic growth. 

The Youth Director of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Ebenezer Hagan, ended the session with a prayer after which the Chairman of the Church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, pronounced blessings on the global congregation.

Covered’22 ended with fire rekindled in the hearts of the youth of the Church across the globe.

Report by PENSA International Media Team

Kunka North Church Building Dedicated

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The Obuasi Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle William Boakye-Agyarko, on May 15, 2022, dedicated the newly-built church building of the Kunka North Assembly in the Kunka District of the church.

He was assisted by Pastor Benjamin Sarpong Mensah, District Minister of the Kunka District of the church.

Speaking on the theme, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:36), Pastor Solomon Odame, Obuasi Estate District Minister of the church, asserted that Christians have been made into the image and likeness of God, stressing that “it is only sin that separates man from God.”

Pastor Odame explained that if Jesus commanded the fig tree to die and it obeyed, then with faith Christians can also command miracles to happen.

Using the example of a new convert who heard a sermon of faith, he mentioned that the new convert decided to command a mountain on her family land to move away.

According to Pastor Odame, soon after the prayer, a contractor approached her with an offer to use the quarries from the mountain for road construction, thereby solving her problem.

“With God, all things are possible; with faith in God, impossibilities can turn to possibilities,” he concluded.

The Area Head, Apostle Boakye, on his part, added that faith is the weapon of shied which is used to quench the fiery darts of the devil (Ephesians 6:1)

He admonished members of the assembly to fill the auditorium with souls, and also turn the place into a centre of prayer.

Report by Ebenezer McKeown Asare.

‘Green Ghana Project’ Kick-Starts In Agormanya Area

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The National Tree Planting exercise, dubbed “Green Ghana Project” has commenced in the Agormanya Area of The Church of Pentecost.

The tree planting exercise, which was undertaken in collaboration with the Manya Krobo Traditional Area and the Somanya District Forestry Commission, was held on Friday, June 3, 2022, at the forecourt of the palace of the paramount chief. In attendance were Nene Ossom Amanor (Akateng Mantse), Samuel Sakitey Kofi (Elder to the Paramount Chief), and Mrs. Priscilla Asomani (Somanya District Officer of the Forestry Commission).

Addressing the gathering, the Agormanya Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Samuel Gakpetor, disclosed that The Church of Pentecost will this year plant over one million trees across its administrative Areas, districts and local churches in Ghana. 

He indicated that the Agormanya Area of the church will be planting 10,730 seedlings. He further mentioned that the Agormanya Area of the church has entered into a special arrangement with the Forestry Commission to plant additional 11,000 seedlings on a marked forest zone acreage.

On her part, Mrs. Priscilla Asomani, the Somanya District Officer of the Forestry Commission, commended The Church of Pentecost for pioneering the tree planting exercise in 2021.

Speaking on behalf of Nene Sakitey II, Konor of Manya Krobo Traditional Area, Samuel Sakitey, applauded the church for her efforts in greening Ghana. While encouraging residents in the area to participate in the project, he advised them to nurture the trees planted to maturity.

This year’s nationwide tree planting exercise (Green Ghana Project) is officially scheduled to commence on Friday, 10th June 2022.

Report by Agormanya Area Media Team.

Secrets For Best Teenage Parenting

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Adolescence is a challenging time for young people, bringing on not only the physical changes of puberty, but emotional transformation as well and in some cases, the emergence of serious mental health conditions. For parents, it can sometimes seem like their affectionate, adoring child has become a different, distant person and that their teen friends have become more important to them than their family. But some of these changes are part of the essential process of moving toward independence and parents who are able to offer more empathy than judgment can continue to be a source of guidance for their kids, and emerge from this period with their relationship intact.

Below are some tips to help parents navigate the delicate period of their ward’s teen stage.

  1. Make it a high priority to eat meals together with your teenage child as often as you can. Meals are a great opportunity to talk about the days’ events, to unwind, reinforce and bond. They are also your best opportunity to keep in touch with your teen’s life and challenges, and to spot brewing problems.
  • Every teen parent hopes their child would do well in life. But hope alone does not shape your child’s destiny. Keep phones and laptops out of bedrooms. Using gadgets in the sitting room minimises the possibility of “sextexting” and access to pornography on the internet.
  • Let your teen invite their friends home, but keep bedrooms out of bounds for visitors. This may sound archaic, but most teens engage in their first sex at home or in a friend’s house. Also, keep hard (alcoholic) drinks out of your house. Most teens taste alcohol for the first time at home simply because it was accessible.
  • Teens crave the security of knowing that their parents understand them, appreciate them, and love them no matter what, so they want the relationship between them to be more of a friendship. But they also need to feel like they have some independence, so sometimes they may shut you out. If you can navigate your closeness in an acceptable way, he or she would be more likely to open up and share with you.
  • Does a close friendship erode your teen’s respect for you? No! Don’t you respect your friends, and treasure those who are really there for you emotionally? Likewise, if you offer your teen respect, consideration, and authenticity, that’s what you would receive in return.
  • No matter how close you want to be with your teen, you do not always have to give in to their wishes. If you are doing this often, that is a red flag. Teens look up to their parents to set limits they cannot set for themselves. Therefore, sometimes, you would need to stick by your values and say NO, whether that is to an unsupervised party or a very late bedtime. Alternatively, with your guidance, your teen could come up with a win-win solution that addresses the concerns you may have regarding their request.

Be an intentional parent. While prayer for kids is paramount, create systems that will help your child stay on the narrow and the straight. The main reason most children do not watch porn, engage in sex and drink booze in most schools is because schools have put up checks and balances. Regrettably, many parents drop the ball and ride on empty hopes that their child or children would turn out all right.

Written by Elder Blankson Appiah-Anning (PhD)

PENSA-TTU Hosts Church of Pentecost Social Media Ambassadors

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The Church of Pentecost Social Media Ambassadors joined members of the Takoradi Technical University (TTU) branch of the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) for the climax of the Pentecost Week celebration last Sunday.

The purpose of the visit was to introduce the members to the various digital platforms of The Church of Pentecost and to encourage them to support the Church’s social media drive.

The visit is part of a social media drive being undertaken by the Media Ministry of The Church of Pentecost to sensitise church members, particularly the youth, on the need to saturate social media with godly content in order to possess the space for Christ.

As part of the service, Elder Joseph Bill Danquah (President of the COP Social Media Ambassadors), in a brief remark, emphasised the need for Christians to see Social Media space as a major evangelistic tool through which more souls could be won for Christ.

He, therefore, called on members, particularly the youth, to come on board as Social Media Ambassadors so as to boost the Church’s presence and impact on social media.

As ambassadors, he advised them not to subscribe to the digital platforms alone but also promote them by recommending them to their friends and relatives.

After the remarks, Elder Prince Asare of the Media Ministry of The Church of Pentecost, gave the congregants a simple step-by-step process for accessing the digital media platforms of the Church – Facebook (@thecophq), Twitter (@thecophq), Instagram (@thecophqofficial), Tiktok (@thecophq), Podcast (The Church of Pentecost Headquarters), LinkedIn (The Church of Pentecost), Amazon (The Church of Pentecost), and YouTube (The Church of Pentecost)

According to him, the Church has generated a unique web link (linktr.ee/thecophq) to make it simpler for anyone to access any of the digital platforms of the Church.

Elder Asare also urged them not to be passive subscribers of the platforms but to engage with the content posted and share it with others.

Present at the service were Pastor Emmanuel Opoku Mensah (Travelling Secretary, Takoradi Sector), and his wife, Heartwill, Elder Famous Sackey (President, PENSA-TTU) and other executives of PENSA-TTU.

PENTECOST NEWS