The Former General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost and current Area Head for Takoradi Area, Apostle Dr Alfred Koduah, has asked Christians to live in anticipation of the second coming of Jesus Christ, because that is the hope of all Christians.

According to him, without the resurrection, ascension and the second coming of Jesus Christ, Christians have no hope.

Apostle Dr Koduah, an Executive Council Member of the Church, said this in a sermon at the Agona Zone during the just ended Easter Convention.

Speaking on the theme, “Maranatha – Our Lord is Coming” (1 Corinthians 16:21-24; Acts 1:1-11), Apostle Dr Koduah noted that events surrounding the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ show that He will really come again for the saints and also to judge the quick and the dead.

Expounding 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, he said Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica in an attempt to correct certain misconceptions which were going on in the church.

He added that Apostle Paul’s teachings during his first visit to Thessalonica attracted a large group of socially prominent citizens. The church he planted grew quickly but Paul was forced out of the city by a mob (Acts 17:5-10). Apostle Paul later sent Timothy to Thessalonica to see how the Christians were doing. He explained that soon after Timothy’s visit, Paul wrote letters to the church to encourage them to remain faithful to the Lord and also to refuse to listen to false teachers who tried to refute their beliefs.

“One of the questions that the church asked Paul was that, when he came to them he preached about the second coming of Christ, but as he left many in the church died,” he said, adding, “The church wanted to know about the fate of the departed brethren.”

Apostle Dr Koduah said in response to their concern, Paul wrote to the church to address the situation. He said based on the explanations Paul gave, most of the believers decided not to work at all, because they thought that Christ was coming back. Apostle Paul had to write another letter (2 Thessalonians) to correct that impression and admonished them to settle down and work in anticipation of the second coming of Christ.

The Takoradi Area Head advised that while Christians are waiting for the second coming of Christ, they need to work to make the world a better place.

Concluding his sermon, he read from Revelation 22:12-21 and told the church to turn away from anything that will destruct them from receiving the desired reward when the Lord appears the second time.

In attendance was the Paramount Chief of Lower Dixcove Traditional Area, Elder Nana Kwesi Agyemang IX.

Report by Pastor Emmanuel Opoku Mensah, Takoradi