Presiding elders and church leaders have been charged to do everything possible to ignite the fire of God and sustain God’s presence in the local church.
This is to make the local church a centre of prayer where people come to be transformed, reformed and empowered to go all out to be agents of transformation in their spheres of life.
Apostle Isaac Amartey Anim, the Atebubu Area of The Church of Pentecost, said this when speaking at the 2nd Global Elders’ Retreat held at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, on Saturday, June 10, 2023.
Speaking on the topic, “His Presence for Maximum Impact in the Local Church,” Psalm 27:4-5; 26:8; Exodus 33:14-22; 2 Chronicles 6:41; 7:1-2, among other scriptures, Apostle Anim said that although King David was a great warrior, a skilful musician, a man who had power, fame and great wealth, he stilled desired the presence of God.
He explained that what made King David always desire the presence of God was to gaze on the beauty and the glory of the Lord.
“We know, according to the scriptures, that the glory of God is the representation of the presence of God, as in the case of Moses and the presence of God in Exodus 33:14-22, also, in the case of Solomon, during the dedication of the temple, in 2 Chronicles 6:41; 7:1-2,” he pointed out.
He revealed that David desired the presence of God more than his gifts, talents, skills and successes, knowing that all these things are temporal and would fade, saying, “But the presence of God is permanent and unfading; it is permanent because it is here and there. Over there, we shall see him face to face.”
However, he was worried that society today seeks things like fame, riches, and power at the expense of the ultimate – the presence of God.
According to Apostle Anim, the local church is the house of the Lord, where God’s presence dwells.
He touched on three key factors in experiencing God’s presence in the local church: leadership, attitude and lifestyle of church members, and its activities.
The Atebubu Area Head mentioned that presiding elders and local presbyters (elders, deacons and deaconesses) of the church and other leaders should always set the fire on the altar burning and never allow it to go out (Leviticus 6:13). He indicated that as long as leaders of the church continue to stoke the fire, the presence of God will manifest in the church (Exodus 30:7-8).
He also entreated officers to ensure that the attitude and lifestyle of the people in the local church do not push out the presence of God in the local church (Ezekiel 8:6).
Apostle Isaac Amartey Anim concluded his presentation by cautioning presiding elders and church leaders not to overcrowd the local church with a series of activities at the expense of prayer.
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