Eastwood Anaba’s paradigm shift
Homosexuality (The bare truth)
Dr. Ron Kenoly
thrills at Adom Praiz 2011 Stratcomm Africa gears up for Praise Jam 2011 GH¢7 N1000 £10 US $10 €10 www.kharismagazine.com
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Ghana’s premier Christian magazine
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Money is an essential ingredient of life without which many things, including the propagation of the gospel cannot be achieved. No wonder that the Holy Bible posits that money is a potent answer to all things (Eccl.10:19).
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CONTENTS THE TEAM Publisher’s page 7
Columnist 8 “Apostle of Faith” Smith Wigglesworth I.M.W.C 11 Relationships are investments Relationships 16 The dangers of a false sense of well-being Marriage life 21 The power of prayer Bishop Charles Agyin-Asare 43 The contemporary career woman versus the bible Woman 46
PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Randy Osae Bediako
MANAGING EDITOR Lois Mintah
ART DIRECTOR
Osei-Wusu Charles (Luvtouch)
INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT Henrietta excellence Bediako (U.k)
CONTENT EDITOR Seth Duodu
MARKETING/SALES Mark Sasu Anim
Warnings 47 Obtaining a promise through faith and patience Inspiration 48
Our ascension mandate Equipping the saints 50
KHARIS is Published by Kharis Media Ltd. P.O. BOX CO 2704 Tema - Ghana OFFICE 030 3309956 Tel: +233 24 3969404, 24 3019239, 27 9915224 Copyright©2011
Wing Your Flight to Financial Independence part 2 Investments 52 Jokes 53 Kharistoon 54
How to relate with your parents to attract a blessing
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Yes I do
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Eastwood Anaba’s Paradigm Shift
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Join Kharis magazine on facebook
Homosexuality The bare truth
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Dr. Ron Kenoly thrills at Adom Praiz 2011
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Stratcomm Africa gears up for Praise Jam 2011
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KHARIS
Revival fires set Avume Ablaze For Christ
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A message from the publisher Luke 5:4-6 (KJV) “Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake”
T
he ocean is full of hidden treasure. It is a world of beauty. To access this treasure calls for diligent searching not casual observation. Indeed, the depths of the Holy Scriptures hold incomparable treasure than any the sea could boast of. In it lay the wealth of redemption and the depth of divine love for a lost world. But these wonderful gifts of life are not accessed by merely searching along the shores of the Bible. Does the Bible yield but little blessing or comfort to us? Do we fail to find in it the precious things of which we hear others speak? If NO, then it is because we have not yet sounded its depths. Its best things come to us by searching its depth with diligence, eagerness, love, strong faith, and with heart-hunger. “Put out into the depths, and let down your net,
” is Christ’s word to us today as it was to His disciples then. The same holds for prayer. It has its great ocean depths of possibilities. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dream of. Scientific men are busy measuring the forces of nature and think they have catalogued all the forces that are at work in this world. But last night a million women were on their knees praying to God for loved ones. Through the darkness and the silence their pleadings went up to God, and a new power, not known in the catalogue of the scientist, was felt upon a million lives all over the world. The same is true of Christian experience.
Launch out into the
deep
The mass of Christian people know but little of abiding spiritual joy; joy that lives on through sorest trials and which nothing can quench. Too much of the joy of Christians is like frozen ice cream which the scorching sunlight melts upon exposure. Too many of us scarcely ever dare claim to be Christians. We never get beyond “hoping” that we are forgiven and saved. We do not rise to the joy of assurance. We do not exalt and rejoice as God’s children, and if children, then heirs. There are far deeper joys within our reach than we have experienced. We seem to be bogged down with temptation, discontentment, and fretting. We trumpet our woes but silence our assured victory in Christ Jesus. The beauty of the Lord does not shine always in our faces and glow in our characters and appear in our dispositions and tempers. Do you think any of us are getting the best If you have comments for the publisher Randy Osae Bediako, we might get out of please send them to our religion? Is this randy@kharismagazine.com ordinary Christian life or call +233 243 969 404, +233 27 the best that Christ is Randy Osae Bediako 9915224 willing to help us to that binds us back live? Surely not. We or join me on to the shore of this are like the Galilean Visit www.kharismagazine.com world, and, like Cofisherman, — toiling lumbus, put out to and taking nothing. Is sea to discover new it any wonder some of worlds of blessing. us are discouraged and are almost ready The limits of this experience of Christ’s at times to give up? love no one can set. There have been those But listen to the Master’s voice as it breaks who have indeed found heaven on earth in upon our ears: “Launch out into the deep, their communion with Christ. Let us seek and let down your nets for a draught.” The for this today! trouble with us is we have been trying on What should we do? There is only one the shallows of God’s love. We have been thing. We must give ourselves to God as like timid seamen, not venturing out of we have never done before. We must open sight of land, merely dropping our nets all our soul to the divine Spirit that He may along the shore. We have a little faith, a come in and take full possession. We must little consciousness of God’s love, a little put away our doubts and fears. We must feeling of assurance, a little measure of crucify self that Christ may be all and in all. peace, a little of the child-spirit. Shall we not Arouse your spiritual energies until your life strive for richer and more blessed Christian glows like flames of fire in devotion to God. experience? Shall we not push out into the ocean depths of God’s love? Half consecration knows nothing of the best things of divine grace. We must cut the last chain KHARIS
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Zeta Bishop Charles Agyin-Asare
Presiding Bishop of Word Miracle Church Int’l
Rev. Dr. Derek & Mrs. Linda Larbi
Youth pastor of the CAFM
Mr. Joseph Mintah President, All for Christ Youth Missions
Lois Mintah
Managing Editor, Kharis magazine
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Columnists Rev. Daniel Ogbarmey Tetteh Executive Director of Databank
Mr. & Mrs. Mintah
CEO’s of JOMINT
Mr. Kofi Wusu
Relationship and marriage counselor
Mr. Moses Atobrah
Marketing manager of star assurance
Join 4Heem apparel on facebook KHARIS KHARISEpsilon ZetaEdition Edition 2011 2011
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Impact makers and world changers
“Apostle of Faith”
S
mith Wigglesworth was born in 1859 to a very poor family. His father did manual labor, for very little pay. Smith himself went to work at the age of six to help with the family income. At six he was pulling turnips and at seven he was working in a woolen mill twelve hours a day. His parents did not know God, but Smith hungered in his heart to know Him. Even as a youngster he would pray in the fields. His grandmother was the critical Christian in his life. She was a Wesleyan Methodist and would take Smith to meetings with her. At one of these meetings there was a song being sung about Jesus as the lamb
and Smith came into the realization of God’s love for him and his decision to believe Christ for his salvation was decided that day. He was immediately filled with the desire to evangelize and led his own mother to Christ. Smith has various church experiences as he was growing up. He first went to an Episcopal church and then at thirteen a Weslyan Methodist church. When he was sixteen he became involved in the Salvation Army. He felt deeply called to fast and pray for lost souls. He saw many people come to Christ. At seventeen a mentor shared with him about water baptism and he decided to be baptized. The Salvation Army was experiencing a tremendous level of the power of God in those days. He describes meetings where “many would be prostrated under the power of the Spirit, sometimes for as long as twenty-four hours at a time.” They would pray and fast and cry out for the salvation of fifty or a hundred people for the week and they would see what they had prayed for.
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At eighteen Smith left the factory and became a plumber. He moved to Liverpool when he was twenty and continued to work during the day and minister during his free time. He felt called to minister to young people and brought them to meetings. These were destitute and ragged children, whom he would often feed and care for. Hundreds were saved. Smith was often asked to speak in Salvation meetings and he would break down and weep under the power of God. Many would come to repentance in those meetings through this untrained man. At twenty-three he returned to Bradford and continued his work with the Salvation Army. In Bradford Smith met Mary Jane Featherstone, known as Polly, the daughter of a temperance lecturer. She left home and went to Bradford to take a servant’s job. One night she was drawn to a Salvation Army meeting. She listened to the woman evangelist, Gipsy Tillie Smith, and gave her heart to Christ. Smith was in that meeting and saw her heart for God. Polly became an enthusiastic Salvationist and was granted a commission by General Booth. They developed a friendship, but Polly went to Scotland to help with a new Salvationist work. She eventually moved back to Bradford and married Smith, who was very much in love with her. The couple worked together to evangelize the lost. They opened a small church in a poor part of town. Polly would preach and Smith would make the altar calls. For a season, however, Smith became so busy with his plumbing work that his evangelistic
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fervor began to wane. Polly continued on, bringing Smith to conviction. One day while Smith was working in the town of Leeds he heard of a divine healing meeting. He shared with Polly about it. She needed healing and so they went to a meeting, and Polly was healed.
He describes meetings where “many would be prostrated under the power of the Spirit, sometimes for as long as twenty-four hours at a time.” They would pray and fast and cry out for the salvation of fifty or a hundred people for the week and they would see what they had prayed for
Smith struggled with the reality of healing, while being ill himself. He decided to give up the medicine that he was taking and trust God. He was healed. They had five children, a girl and four boys. One morning two of the boys were sick. The power of God came and they prayed for the boys and they were instantly healed. Smith struggled with the idea that God would use him to heal the sick in general. He would gather up a group of people and drive them to get prayer in Leeds. The leaders of the meeting were going to a convention and left Smith in charge. He was horrified. How could he lead a meeting about divine healing? He tried to pass it off to someone else but could not. Finally he led the meeting and several people were healed. That was it. From then on Smith began to pray for people for healing. Smith had another leap to make. He had heard about the Pentecostals who were being baptized in the Holy Spirit. He
Smith struggled with the reality of healing, while being ill himself. He decided to give up the medicine that he was taking and trust God. He was healed
Impact makers and world changers
Over Smith’s ministry it was confirmed that 14 people were raised from the dead. Thousands were saved and healed and he impacted whole continents for Christ went to meetings and was so hungry for God he created a disturbance and church members asked him to stop. He went into prayer and prayed for four days. Finally he was getting ready to head home and the vicar’s wife prayed for him and he fell under the power of God and spoke in tongues. Everything changed after that. He would walk by people and they would come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and be saved. He began to see miracles and healings and the glory of God would fall when he prayed and preached.
Smith had to respond to the many calls that came in and gave up his business for the ministry. Polly unexpectedly died in 1913, and this was a real blow to Smith. He prayed for her and commanded that death release her. She did arise but said “Smith - the Lord wants me.” His heartbroken response was “If the Lord wants you, I will not hold you”. She had been his light and joy for all the years of their marriage, and he grieved deeply over the loss. After his wife was buried he went to her grave, feeling like he wanted to die. When God told him to get up and go Smith told Him, “only if you give to me a double portion of the Spirit – my wife’s and my own – I would go and preach the Gospel.” Smith concludes, “God was gracious to me and answered my request.” His daughter Alice and son-in-law James Salter began to travel with him to handle his affairs. Smith would pray and the blind would see, and the deaf were healed, people came out of wheelchairs, and cancers were destroyed. One remarkable story is when He prayed for a woman in a hospital. While he and a friend were praying she died. He took her out of the bed stood her against the wall and said “In the name of Jesus I rebuke this death”. Her whole body began to tremble. Then he said, “In the name of Jesus, walk”, and she walked. Everywhere he would go he would teach and then show the power of God. He began to receive requests from all over the world. He taught in Europe, Asia, New Zealand and many other areas. When the crowds became very large he began a “wholesale healing”. He would have everyone who needed healing lay hands on themselves and then he would pray. Hundreds would be healed at one time.
Over Smith’s ministry it was confirmed that 14 people were raised from the dead. Thousands were saved and healed and he impacted whole continents for Christ. Smith died on March 12, 1947 at the funeral of his dear friend Wilf Richardson. His ministry was based on four principles: “First, read the Word of God. Second, consume the Word of God until it consumes you. Third, believe the Word of God. Fourth, act on the Word.” www.healingandrevival.com
His ministry was based on four principles:” First, read the Word of God. Second, consume the Word of God until it consumes you. Third believe the Word of God. Fourth, act on the Word” KHARIS
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Honour - Ephesians 6:1-3 (NIV) admonishes us to relate with parents:
P
arent-child relationship has far-reaching spiritual consequences: it has the capacity to prolong or shorten our lives here on earth (see Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:2, Proverbs 4: 10). Parents can either pronounce blessings or curses on their children. Examples abound in the Bible: Ham (Noah’s son), Isaac, Joseph and his brothers. Again, parents give counsel to their children for direction and purpose in life (Proverbs 4:13). In Matthew 6:9 Jesus gives a clue about parent-child relationship when He teaches His disciples how to pray: Our Father which art in Heaven, Hollowed, be thy name… The acronym
H-A-L-L-O-W-E-D is the clue.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”-which is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” To honour someone means to show respect and esteem, and also to regard, appreciate and value that person. Therefore, as a child you are supposed to speak well of your parents in order to attract their blessings. Don’t be overly familiar with them; you may be losing a blessing.
Advice – Parents have depths of wisdom, knowledge
and understanding. Their counsel are life-enhancing wells from which we should drink daily (see Proverbs 4). Let us engage our parents in discussing our challenges, problems, aspirations etc. to tap into this treasure.
Listen – Listen to your parents, even though at times it
is difficult to agree with them. They are not old-fashioned as you may think. Remember there is nothing new under the sun. Know that the world does not revolve around you. Even if you don’t agree with them listen first before you make your point. Proverbs 1:8-9 (NIV): Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. On the other hand, refusing to listen can be very embarrassing. Proverbs 18:13: says, He who answers before listening — that is his folly and his shame.
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Love – Learn to love yourself and extend this love to your parents. You cannot give what you do not have. The example of our Father in heaven spells it out clearly. He is Love; no wonder He has lavished us with so much love. A personal relationship with our heavenly Father will provoke you to love your earthly parents better.
of love. It will help you to accept it better and yield in you fruits of righteousness. This makes you a proper child and not a bastard (Hebrews 12:5-11).
Obey – Obedience means to do what you
How to relate with irresponsible parents
Watch – Being watchful is as good as
Act when you realise that your parents are leading you into ungodly and immoral acts. Shun idolatry, pornography, rape, prostitution, child molestation, homosexuality, provocative dressing, physical abuse, verbal abuse, smoking, drunkenness etc. Always differentiate between the right and the wrong. Once you know this nobody can manipulate or deceive you with threats.
have been told to do. In Luke 2: 41-52 and 1Samuel 17:15 respectively, adolescent Jesus and David by their example show us how to be obedient to our parents despite our anointing and calling. In Ephesians 6:1, children are admonished to obey their parents because it is the right thing to do.
being observant. Not all things are said, they are simply observed. Most skills are better acquired through observation. As you interact with your parents observe how they relate with God, their partners, their passion and their home management skills. Also “watch out so that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to corrupt your relationship”. (Hebrews 12:15)
Encourage – Encourage your parents
with your good conduct. Proverbs 17:25 says, “Foolish children bring grief to their father and bitterness to the one who gave birth to them”. Your foolish behaviour can send your parents to their graves prematurely (Proverbs 19:13, 26).
Discipline – Discipline is part of parenting. A good parent will see to it that the children are disciplined. Discipline includes correction and rebuke. “A wise child accepts a parent’s discipline” (Proverbs 13:1). As a child see discipline as an expression
Engage the following steps to build up good relationship with your parents: 1. Speak to your pastor or spiritually matured person you can trust about issues with your parents. 2. Forgive your parents/guardians and pray for them. 3. Pray to God to heal your heart and emotions.
Family life
about
Hope Counselling
Hope Counselling is an offshoot of Blankson and Blankson International an organization which provides counselling and training services, youth development programs and resource materials. At Hope Counselling we provide Christian guidance and counseling services. As Christian counselors we offer counseling to individuals, couples and families who need encouragement, love, hope, guidance, and direction. We also offer guidance and counseling in schools and other institutions. Our services will help you explore and assist you to develop solutions to maintain successful and productive lives. For further enquires contact: Akosua: 0268
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or info@hopecounselling.org www.hopecounselling;org
4. Pray for wisdom (James 1:5). 5. Take practical steps to disentangle yourself from every snare. 6. Have FAITH in God and in His Word.
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Mr. Kofi Wusu
A
Investments
ny relationship that leads to marriage is serious business. It determines whether a couple will live in peace and harmony or will be at each other’s throat. Abraham, the father of faith, treated his son Isaac’s future regarding marriage as an investment thereby leaving us a wonderful guide. “I want you to swear by the LORD……… that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am living, but will go to my country…….. and get a wife for my son Isaac.” (Genesis 24:3-4)
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“Nothing-for-something” attitude does not work.
Many people enjoy daydreaming about riches to come yet nothing happens because they fail to plan and work towards it. The same attitude has been translated into relationships. Many dream of having “.... and they lived happily ever after!” kind of relationship without putting in the required attention, time and hardwork. The Holy Bible says in Ephesians 5:22 & 25: “Wives submit to your own husbands........Husbands love your wives as Christ loved.......”
It will always cost a couple self-denial to achieve any kind of harmonious and lovely relationship that they so very much desire to have. It will always be “something-for something”. 16 KHARIS
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Rewards in relationships come to those who plan for them.
Peter Drucker said, “Predict your future by creating it”. According to Ephesians 5:28 “...He who loves his wife loves himself”. This means if you throw love at your partner you invariably throw it at yourself. Should you throw hatred and malice at your partner it comes back to you. You predict peace and excitement in your relationship by creating peace and excitement in your partner. It is so amaz-
It will always cost a couple self-denial to achieve any kind of harmonious and lovely relationship that they so very much desire to have. It will always be “ something-for something” ing! Whatsoever one wants to enjoy in marriage must first come as an investment in one’s partner.
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Rewards in relationships come to those who go the extra mile.
It has been discovered that the world’s richest people did not get rich through their regular income but became very rich through what they did with their spare time. Relationships thrive by that same principle – going the extra mile. For us men, the extra spark in our relationships does not come from doing things because we are men, such as changing the light bulb, washing the car or mowing the lawn. Rather, the spark stems from us doing things because our partners are women – going out of your way to keep in touch, calling her on your way home to find out if she wanted you to buy something..., sitting by her in the kitchen when it is a day of extensive cooking, and so on .Surely what you do with your spare time will yield very high dividends.
Many dream of having “.... and they lived happily ever after!” kind of relationship without putting in the required attention, time and hard work.
Relationships
Relationships Are
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The glorious wedding of Pastor Bright Kofi Amegashie and Esimebia Adzovi Agbogidi at Manna Mission Church Teshie-Nungua, Accra on On Sat. 2nd July, 2011. Colors: cream, gold and brown
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MEDICAL SERVICES
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2ND PREGNANCY FAIR & SEMINARS Gravidanza is the Italian word for Pregnacy...
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Marriage life
The dangers of a
false sense of well-being
O
ne of the problems which easily beset young couples these days is unbridled competition and competitiveness. But we assure you that unless you realize that life is not about competition you will fall into the trap of living in a deception. You will be forced to live a false life and the end result will be disastrous both for your individual life and your home.
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There was a couple who had another couple friend who appeared to be making it fast in life. The wife therefore put a lot of pressure on the man to run at the same pace, if not faster than the others seemed to be doing. “They have bought this so let‘s go and buy the same, they are travelling abroad so let’s also go on holidays overseas.” The man had to resort to stealing at his workplace to make up and finally got entangled in very serious problems leading to imprisonment. Eventually the man had to travel abroad, after being released from jail, so that he could do better. Whilst he was away his wife got involved with her boss sexually. When the man returned home the woman eventually broke the marriage and married her boss. This is food for thought.
Let us look at Isaiah 30:12-14, Therefore the Holy one of Israel says this: Because you scorn this message, preferring to live by injustice and shape your lives on lies. This perverse way of life will be like a towering, baldy built wall; that slowly tilts and shifts and then one day without warning. Collapses- smashed to bits like a piece of pottery, smashed beyond recognition or repair, useless, a pile of debris to be swept up and thrown in the trash.
One of the problems which easily beset young couples these days is unbridled competition and competitiveness.
Our advice to you is as follows: 1. Live within your means. 2. Do not copy blindly. 3. Be content with your lot. 4. Strive to achieve true progress, not by falsification but by honest dealings. 5. Don’t run because you see others running.
Let the Lord measure for you before you proceed (Ezekiel 47:3-12). This may be our topic for discussion in the next edition. Meanwhile, ponder over what we have discussed and go on with your marriage. Stay blessed in CHRIST JESUS.
6. Don’t be a sluggard. Do your best, prepare for the worst, then trust God to bring victory.
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Eastwood E Anaba’s
Paradigm Shift
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astwood Anaba, one of Ghana’s most respected pastors and statesmen, typifies conviction. With dangling glamorous opportunities beckoning to him the world over, he has stoically maintained his resolve to stay in Bolgatanga, the capital of one of the most deserted regions (in terms of economic advantages) in the northern part of Ghana, and operationalize his ministry from there. The third of eight children,
Eastwood Anaba, had a very tough and mixed upbringing. From the spiritual point of view, he grew up under the influence of his father who was a devoted animist. He tells stories of how his father practicsed idolatry even in the army barracks in southern Ghana. However, Mr Gwog Naab Kolog, through the Holy Spirit, got converted and became a Christian in 1994 under the Ministry of his son, Eastwood.
Socially, he grew up in a humble family with very little to share and fancy. His father, then in the junior ranks in the army, moved with the family on transfers from one barracks to the other across the regions of Ghana, while his mother did her best to keep the family together. All the hardships and uncomfortable upbringing notwithstanding, Pastor Eastwood successfully enrolled and passed out of Bolgatanga Secondary School for his
General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Level, before gaining admission to the prestigious Presbyterian Boys Secondary School (Presec) at Legon, in Accra, for the 2-year Sixth Form education. It was while at Presec that he had an encounter with the Holy Spirit and gave his life to Christ at age 19. Pastor Eastwood’s insatiable appetite for the word of God would begin from thence.
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According to the firebrand preacher, the message that got him born again was the same message that gave him the awareness that he was destined to be a preacher. “It came as a package. The same message that settled in me as a child of God incorporated the revelation that I will be a preacher…in some cases when you get born again, the message that converts you gives a hint of your commission,” he said.
Ministry life got rooted further at the University where he served as President of GHAFES and leader of other Christian fellowships on campus.
From Presec he enrolled at the then University of Science and Technology in Kumasi (now Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology) where he qualified as a Pharmacist in 1986. Pastor Eastwood’s
The burden of Ministry was so strong after school that he had very little time to practice as a Pharmacist. He served at the Bolgatanga Teaching Hospital for two years after which, through the inspiration
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Brother Eastwood, as he was affectionately known, was a preacher known for his fearless and radical approach to topics such as sin, purity and dedication to the things of God.
of the Holy Spirit, he founded a Ministry known as the Northern Deliverance in Tears (NINTAM). NINTAM had other founding members such as Rev. Clement Anchebah and Pastor Alex Adams, among others. The Ministry later became known as Broken Yoke Fountain and later Fountain Gate Chapel. After twenty-two years of serving as the leader of Fountain Gate Chapel, Pastor Eastwood stepped down and handed over the mantle of leadership to Rev. Clement Anchebah on 11th April, 2009. This meant he was no more a member of the Church’s International Presbytery, but still remained an integral part of the church.
He is, however, still the spiritual father of Fountain Gate Chapel worldwide and serves as the Head Pastor of Fountain Gate Chapel, Bolgatanga, where he has always resided with his family. The real shift in Pastor Eastwood’s meticulous and awe-inspiring Ministry occurred on 5th June, 2010, when he founded and launched the Eastwood Anaba Ministries (EAM). It is his latest charge handed to him by the Holy Spirit. The EAM has a network of very dedicated partners who support activities of the ministry both spiritually and financially.
Pastor Eastwood holds quarterly breakfast meetings with partners to pray and deliberate on the Ministry and also receive from God.
Ghana coupled with subsequent testimonies gave tangible evidence to the fact that love indeed is the greatest.
Since its establishment, EAM has held three main spirit-filled events: Feed My Sheep Conference, which was organized for pastors and church workers in March 2011; The Love Revolution Conference organized at the Dome of the Accra International Conference Centre in June; and the Prophets and Intercessors’ Conference in September, 2011.
Pastor Eastwood’s aim of convening these conferences was in response to a deepseated burden to bring together Christians from all walks of life to fellowship without walls and celebrate the agape love of God.
The experience at the Love Revolution Conference was awesome, the atmosphere electrifying, and the inexplicable wave of love that was stirred among Christians in
He has been preaching the Love Revolution message since 2006 and has always held the view that it was imperative for Christianity to change its focus and concentrate on Love – the single most important element that ejected Jesus from the bosom of the Father to die for mankind.
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H
omosexuality has become increasingly popular and glamorous within society. Homosexuals are portrayed as happy, exciting, effervescent carefree people. The homosexual lobby groups have become increasingly powerful and successful in winning gay and lesbian rights and making legislative changes. In Sydney, Australia, the level of tolerance is said to be higher than in the United States. The annual Sydney Mardi Gras march attracts thousands of gays, lesbians, spectators, hundred of overseas visitors and corporate sponsorship. The average person in society now may see little
Homosexuality has become increasingly popular and glamorous within society problem with homosexuality. They may say: “They have their lifestyle! We have ours! As long as they don’t hurt me. It’s
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okay with me.” On the surface this attitude may appear reasonable. Many Christians do not approve of the increasing immergence of homosexual rights, but as peacemakers, they would prefer not to get involved and therefore stay quiet. Others may become very aggressive and hateful towards individual homosexuals; lesbians, gays and the homosexual movement as a whole. Despite society’s prevailing opinion or apathy towards homosexuality, this issue must be addressed in accordance with the Word of God. This is where we determine what God thinks about the gay and lesbian lifestyle. The comments below are about homosexuality. This issue is addressed here not out of hatred but out of love, because God loves the lesbian and gay person as he loves all sinners. Two key truths of the Bible are:
(1) “All have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God” (Romans 3: v 23). This includes heterosexuals, homosexuals, bisexuals, pedophiles, etc.
Despite society’s prevailing opinion or apathy towards homosexuality, this issue must be addressed in accordance with the Word of God. This is where we determine what God thinks about the gay and lesbian lifestyle.
(2)
Sex that falls outside the recommended plan of God (as detailed in the Bible) is sin, and sin has eternal consequences for everyone.
What does the Bible say in the Old Testament? Leviticus 18: v22: “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is
detestable.” (also described in the KJV as an abomination). Homosexuality is also referred to as the sin of “sodomy”.
This issue is addressed here not out of hatred but out of love, because God loves the lesbian and gay person as he loves all sinner This reference comes from the Bible. Sodom was one of two wicked cities which God destroyed. Sodom had become a city of great evil. Homosexuality, moral depravity, sexual lust and arrogance were some of their sins. Angels went to Lot’s house in Sodom to warn him that the city would be destroyed. The men in Sodom were so evil that they
wanted to rape the angels! Genesis 13: v13: “Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord”.
What does the bible say in the New Testament? Romans 1: v 24 – 32: Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women, and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men
committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents, They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they
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know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. 1 Corinthians 6 v 9-10: Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters, nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6 v 18: Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
What do these verses tell us?
These verses clearly state that men lusting after other men (gay ) or women lusting after other women (lesbians) are not the natural affections God created them for. God hates homosexual acts because such acts are sinful and against His will. God equally hates all types of sexual immorality. God did not create any human being as a homosexual. Homosexuals may claim they are born that way. This statement is not true. This fact has been proven recently in a very extensive study.
Are homosexuals born that way? Dr. George Rice of the University of Western
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God did not create any human being as a homosexual. Homosexuals may claim they are born that way. This statement is not true. This fact has been proven recently in a very extensive study Ontario, Canada, has recently completed a large study to determine if there is a genetic cause for homosexuality. That is, whether homosexuals are born that way. The research team has failed to find any evidence whatsoever of the so-called “Gay Gene.” To ensure the results were beyond criticism, his team used a large study sample and sophisticated genetic tests. Clearly, homosexuals are not born homosexuals1. The Bible is emphatic on the consequences of sin, including the sexual sin such as homosexuality and bisexuality. Living a sinful lifestyle is enmity to God.
Hope for the Future
The Bible offers hope for escape from the snare of homosexuality. Jesus Christ died on a cross to pay for the penalty of sin on your behalf. Claim that freedom today as you confess your sins to God, your Father, and accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior. Commit your life to Him by obedience to the Word of God. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace… (Romans 8: v 1-6)
The Bible offers hope for escape from the snare of homosexuality
Recommendations
The truth is that it doesn’t pay to have gay or lesbian tendencies or habour thoughts of ever getting involved in a homosexual relationship. Flee from sexual immorality. Don’t get involved, no matter how sexually exciting or pleasurable it may appear. It is a deceptive lifestyle. You may contract AIDS, bowel infections or other homosexual related diseases caused by improper use of your body. You stand to ruin your life. Seek professional Christian counseling. Hear this, despite all the millions of dollars spent in sex education in Australia “HIV Infection rates rise to epidemic levels in Gay Community.” Dr Garrett Prestage, a lecturer at the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research stated that “in the inner city area, 10 to 18 percent of the gay population was HIV infected. In 2005 in the state of NSW 954 people were diagnosed with HIV and nearly 75% of them caught the disease through homosexual sex”. Dr Garrett Prestage also said “If you are a gay man living in central Sydney, you are living with rates of HIV infection that are equivalent to sub Saharan Africa.” It is interesting to note that in 2005 only 109 people were reported with mumps, only 11% of the HIV infection rate 2. For those who are, or have been in a homosexual relationship and are deeply unhappy and want out, here is what you can do: You may feel trapped but there is a way out. Jesus Christ can deliver you from this sin and give you freedom. You can escape and live a joyous life. Here are six steps recommended by Pastor Betty Miller of the Christ Unlimited Ministries (www.bible. com) to enable lesbians and gay men to escape from the snare of homosexuality.
(1) Make a total commitment to Jesus Christ. Be willing to change your life.
(2)
Pray and read your Bible daily. You must be prepared to study and apply God’s word in the Bible.
(3) Find an honest trustworthy group of Christians that will pray and stand by you in tough times.
(4) You must make a clean break. It is no good maintaining relationships or lifestyles with men or women that will simply pull you back into their sexual sins. As tough as it may be, you must make the break from these people (1 Corinthians 6 v 18).
SPIRIT 88.3 FM is a radio for the whole family.
“DRIVING THE TRAFFIC THROUGH YOUR DOOR”
(5)
If you sexually sin again DON’T GIVE UP. Satan will try hard to pull you backwards. Repent and ask Jesus for forgiveness and strength. With Jesus Christ you can win the battle.
(6) Forgive those that have hurt you
in the past. Move on with Jesus Christ. Christ is the judge. He will right the past wrongs on Judgement Day. You can’t change the past. Move forward with Jesus. The Independent (UK) - 23 April 1999 (p5) and SCIENCE - 23 April 1999 (p 571, 665-667). Sydney’s SUN-HERALD Sunday 26 Nov 2006.
No. 8 Ellis Ave., near MTN Regional Office, Ahodwo Nhyiaeso. Tel: 233-242 716 450 / 233-2788 34628 www.myspiritfmonline.com
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dom FM served Ghanaian gospel music lovers a thrilling 6-hour praise and worship event at the third edition of Adom Praiz at the Dome in Accra on 27th August, 2011. The event organizers, Adom 106.3FM, had promised the nation “something special” after the highly successful Adom Praiz 2010. The 2011 edition was indeed a class act. “Fantastic” was the verdict of a septuagenarian who defied her age and sang, clapped and danced throughout the action-packed gospel music ministration. Another patron, Michael Sowah, tweeted, “I am so blessed; Adom Praiz, the world’s most important live gospel concert. You can’t get (it) anywhere but only in Ghana”. American gospel icon, Ron Kenoly, who performed the headline act, kept the auditorium alive with his songs of worship, praise, jokes and, above all, powerful prayers.
The 66-year old singer of We Offer Praises fame led an unprecedented array of the crème de la crème of Ghana’s gospel music performers to the annual crowd-pulling gospel music event at the Dome of the Accra International Conference Centre. The programme, anchored by Rev. Asuo Mensah of Adom FM, paraded such big names in Ghanaian gospel music such as Mary Ghansah, Daughters of Glorious Jesus, Stella Seal, Tagoe Sisters, and Yaw Sarpong. They rolled back the years with soul-inspiring songs of the older generation and kept the 4,000 pairs of legs dancing from one act to the other. The new generation of Soul Winners, Cecilia Marfo, Nii Okai, and Philipa Baafi also took turns to mesmerize the audience with their remarkable performances. Nii Okai kicked the show off on a very worshipful note with songs like Guide Me, Moko Be, Gye W’ayeyi and prepared the enthusiastic audience for a night of praises and adoration of the Most High God. Yaw Sarpong raised the momentum of the class act and kept the fans on their feet with a spectacular performance of songs like Se Onyame Hyira Wo, W’aye Awie, and Hallelujah. His performance was all the more moving as he interspersed it with his testimonies of what God had done in his life throughout his career. Veteran Gospel diva Stella Seal, looking resplendent in her all-white attire, also thrilled the audience with Gye Me Taataa, Ontonko, Aheman Mu, Okura Yen Mu and other classics. Cindy Thompson set the auditorium alight with songs like Dromo, Anwanwa Do, Awurade Bohye and the ever popular Awurade Kasa, which she sang passionately as she explained the meaning it had for her.
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Talented Rev. Mary Ghansah did not miss the opportunity to get the crowd deeper into worship as she sang Wo Ye Ohene, Baba (by Sonnie Badu), Yede W’ayeyi Ma Wo, and Onipa Ben Po Ne Wo, among others. She had already told the audience that she was there to worship God; and true to her word, she did just that, the audience in one accord with her. She also motivated the crowd with songs such as Onyame Nnae and Enka Akyiri. The lyrics of those songs inspire encouragement against giving up in despair, no matter the circumstances, since God never fails anyone who puts their trust in Him. She rounded up her ministration with a rendition of Benjamin Dube’s song, Double Double.
Energetic Cecelia Marfo proved she was worth all the screams and cheers that greeted the announcement of her entry to the stage. Beginning with some worship songs both from her album and from other artistes, Cecelia’s celestial voice was so captivating that many in the audience could not hold back the tears that streamed in worship, while others raised holy hands and waved in worship, giving God all the glory. The audience, including the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, could not help but stand throughout Cecelia’s performance, especially when she exploded with the ever popular Efunumu Ba. It was an electrifying performance.
Daughters of Glorious Jesus electrified the crowd with a repertoire of their evergreen and current songs such as Ende M’anya Anigye, Bebre, Trimude, and a rendition of a popular church song, Lord I Lift Your Name on High. The crowd danced and cheered as the versatile trio displayed energy and poise in a scintillating choreography that left the audience wanting more.
Resplendent in their jeans, shirts and cowboy hats, the Tagoe Sisters mounted the stage looking fresh and youthful. With the crowd ever ecstatic, the twin sisters sustained the tempo of the night with brilliant performances of Mekoto Wo, Osom Bo, Anka Matete, Manya Yesu and Yedi Nkunim. Their impressive dance movements were so inviting that the audience sang and danced with them.
Philipa Baafi took the stage with Awurade Sore. She followed it up with her very latest song, Dea Eba Wonsam Afe Yi. There wasn’t a better moment to declare to the crowd that they are blessed, as she performed Me Ye Nyhira Ba with great impact. She got the precise response from the crowd with songs like I Go Dance and Go High. The performance of Gospel “jama” group, Soul Winners, was a teaser to the entry of the headline performer, Ron Kenoly. The “jama” group took the audience through a powerful praise medley, which included songs such as Wala Aboloo and Ayeyi. Loud cheers and a standing ovation greeted the entry of one of the front runners of international gospel music singers and performers, Ron Kenoly. The gospel music icon caught the audience off balance as he made rib-cracking comments and antics before he got his real act in motion. He masterfully sang favourites like Sing Out, Lift Him Up, Anointing, Hallowed Be Thy Name, and evergreen Righteousness, Peace, Joy as well as Mourning into Dancing, You Are Everything To Me, How I Love
Stella Seal
Daughters of Glorious Jesus
Rev. Dr. Anthony Cudjoe of ICGC worshipful
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Cecilia Marfo Philipa Baafi
J p
Jesus, Blessed Assurance and Lean on Me. He continued to satisfy the appetite of the audience with For The Lord Is Good and also sang the different versions of one of his popular songs, God Is So Good, as it is sung in different countries across the world.
The event organizers, Adom 106.3FM, had promised the nation “something special� after the highly successful Adom Praiz 2010. The 2011 edition was indeed a class act.
Overall, Adom Praiz 2011 was an event worth organizing. Bravo, Adom FM; 2012 beckons another refreshing Praiz event, God willing.
Overall, Adom Praiz 2011 was an event worth organizing. Bravo, Adom FM; 2012 beckons another refreshing Praiz event, God willing.
Adom FM COO, Klaus VonBackustein dancing to Gods Glory
Joselyn Dumas giving praise to Jesus
Yaw Sarpong Mary Ghansah
Cindy Thompson Tagoe sisters
Nii Okai
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Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God… Bob Pierce, founder world vision Kharis foundation is a christian relief dedicated to preaching the goodnews to the poor, hopeless and under priviledged in society, bringing them to the saving knowledge of christ and helping them to overcome poverty… Last year, Kharis Foundation took the good news to an Islamic shs in adansi fomena (ashanti region) and paid the school fees of 13 intelligent but destitude students… Jesus challenges us to respond to the needs of the poor as if we were responding to him…mathew 25:35
Donate today in kind or cash to “kharis foundation” and partner with us to fullfill this great mandate of bringing relief and the grace of God expressed through love to the destitude in society… Email: randy@kharismagazine.com, info@kharismagazine.com www.kharismagazine.com 34 KHARIS
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COMPUTER
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Ink and Toner Catridges, Ink jet and Laser Printers, Laptops, Note Books, Personal Computers, Computer Network Devices, Computer Accessories, UPS, Photocopiers, Fax Machines, Storage Devices, LCD Screens, Computer Desks and so much more.
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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever” (Psalm 100:1-5) “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)
L
iving one’s faith means having it permeate every aspect of one’s life, including one’s business.
Kharis Magazine throws the spotlight on Strategic Communications Africa Limited (Stratcomm Africa), a corporate body that believes that God must be glorified in the workplace and every place. Towards the end of the year Stratcomm Africa holds a “Praise Jam” to express the gratitude of the company for how far God has brought them. This year’s “Praise
Jam” is under the theme, “Raising the Bar, Soaring Higher on God’s Goodness”. Come celebrate with Stratcomm Africa. Praise Jam is Stratcomm Africa’s annual praise and thanksgiving event where it meets with its distinguished and valued stakeholders to thank God and glorify His name for His goodness throughout the year. Stratcomm Africa instituted Praise Jam in 2007 to acknowledge God’s goodness publicly, edify believers, present the joy of being in the Lord to those who have not yet experienced it and to praise and thank God with all and sundry. It brings Stratcomm Africa’s staff, clients, and the general public together to show their appreciation to God through song ministration and readings from the Word of God. In 1994, the visionary, Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah, (founder/CEO of Stratcomm Africa) registered the Centre for Development and Intercultural Communication (CEDIC) with the aim of using communication as a tool for development. The name of the company was later changed to Strategic Communications Africa. Returning home from obtaining her Masters degree at Cornell University in Ithaca, USA, Esther felt passionately about the missed op-
portunities from inadequate attention by governments and development agencies to the importance of effective communication with the potential beneficiaries in undertaking development projects. Having grown up partly in a rural area, she had come to appreciate how communication could empower people in rural communities to be able to develop themselves. Ms. Cobbah says, “I felt communication could facilitate our development. At the time, Ghana had had a number of political upheavals and I considered, from a professional point of view, that some of the misunderstandings that led to these situations arose because of the absence of effective communication between those in positions of leadership and the people they were supposed to lead. I really wanted to contribute to the promotion of understanding and harmony, which I see as important and critical ingredients for national development”. Especially with the coming into effect of the Fourth Republican Constitution (1992) that guaranteed democratic rights, including media freedom, and the yearning of Ghanaians for more accountability from government and state-owned organizaKHARIS
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Stratcomm Africa CEO, Esther Cobbah lifting up praise to God with Minister Danny Nettey
tions, it was clear that communication had an important contribution to make to national well-being. Ghana’s economic recovery programme had also been initiated from the early 1980s and investor interest was being rekindled in the country to facilitate the rapid growth of the economy. Ms. Cobbah felt that Ghana needed to be better understood internationally and she considered that communication could help achieve that. Esther saw the need to provide corporate organizations with communication support in order to project their image as well as effectively and efficiently sell their products and services and for the end users to appreciate the benefits to be derived from those products and services. With an eye for the future, she decided to establish a company that would train and work with young graduates to provide consultancy services in communication. Esther was then head of the Public Affairs Department at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC). Starting with one staff member who had just finished university and came in as a national service person, Esther turned her study into the office of Stratcomm Africa (then CEDIC). Starting off with a small organization serving a few clients, Stratcomm Africa was able to deliver quality service that set the company apart in the industry. News of such first rate delivery and in-depth knowledge of the communication field began to spread.
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Within a short time, Stratcomm Africa was gathering an impressive portfolio of clients. For instance, British Airways, which was then increasing its business in Ghana, invited Stratcomm Africa to pitch alongside other companies to provide communication support. Stratcomm Africa won the pitch convincingly and worked to support British Airways in Ghana for many years. Government agencies, as well as private sector businesses, were all becoming increasingly mindful of the necessity for communicating about their work. Development agencies and non-governmental organizations were reviewing their strategies for interventions to incorporate communication elements with a view to ensuring sustainability. Stratcomm Africa undertook careful research into the needs of clients and the national or community context in which the clients were operating led to the development of proactive strategies which usually met and even exceeded the expectations of clients. Foreign companies often expressed surprise when they realized that such a total communication company existed in Ghana and could match its international counterparts. By 1997, CEDIC had begun to attract young professionals from the School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, and the University of Cape Coast, who had a desire to learn and develop a career in communication. CEDIC had its name officially changed to Strategic Communications Africa Limited, Stratcomm Africa, in 1998. Soon, a 20-foot metal container was acquired and turned
into a beautiful office to accommodate the increasing numbers in staff. After the name change to Stratcomm Africa, CEDIC was also re-registered as a non-profit affiliate NGO of Stratcomm Africa with a view to facilitating the communication process in development issues. From July 2001, when the founder became Chief Executive and devoted her full time to the company, Stratcomm Africa was set for a period of rapid growth. The CEO brought on board her rich experience acquired working as the first External Affairs Manager for the West African Gas Pipeline Project consortium in addition to her work at GNPC. She had also previously been Public Relations Officer for the Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation, a conglomerate of 26 state-owned companies involved in manufacturing, agriculture, marketing etc, From a one-employee company, Stratcomm Africa soon grew to over 35 employees by 2004,moving into a building at Asylum Down in Accra. The Board of Directors, then chaired by Dr. Jean Aka (of blessed memory), former Group Managing Director of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), provided sound direction and support to the company. The current Chairman is Very Reverend Professor S.K. Adjepong, formerly Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, now Principal of the Methodist University College Ghana (MUCG).. What has established Stratcomm Africa as a brand which is well respected both in and outside the communications industry are its cherished Christian values: integrity,
CEO Esther Cobbah (centre) with Stratcomm Africa staff and well wishers after receiving the EFG 2010 award
excellence, leadership and professionalism. Being built on Christian foundation, Stratcomm Africa believes that work itself must glorify God. The organization publicly proclaims its faith and creates an enabling environment for staff to develop spiritually alongside their professional development. Stratcomm Africa staff have weekly corporate morning devotions as well as quarterly prayer and fasting sessions. “At Stratcomm Africa, we pursue excellence because we work to the glory of God, and He is an excellent God”, says Emma Wilhelmina Parker Halm, Corporate Services Officer at Stratcomm Africa. Stratcomm Africa has established branches in Kenya, The Gambia, and Liberia as well as the United States, and often building on invitations to provide service outside Ghana. Stratcomm Africa is blessed with a dedicated team of enthusiastic and knowledgeable individuals with a wealth of experience and expertise. The high caliber of Stratcomm Africa consultants is evident in the work produced for a wide variety of clients Public relations and reputation management, development and implementation comprehensive communication strategies and plans, events management, activations and fundraising, development communication are among the range of professional services offered by Stratcomm Africa. As a responsible corporate citizen, Stratcomm Africa has also engaged in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. An example is the “Read Better, Write Better, Communicate Better” reading clinic for public schools it instituted in 2009 during its 15th anniversary celebration. The
Kanda cluster of schools, located off the Ring Road in Accra, was used as the pilot project. This initiative was jointly implemented by Stratcomm Africa and CEDIC. Though Stratcomm Africa has had its challenges over the past seventeen years, the company is soaring to greater heights. The CEO and staff acknowledge God’s continuing grace which has brought them this far.
Some of the awards won by the company and its CEO include:
ICBE Christian Company of the Year 2008 (International Christian Business Excellence Awards) Achiever in Entrepreneurship and Corporate World (The Ghana Association of Women Entrepreneurs) Best Entrepreneur in Media Communications 2010 (Ghana Entrepreneurs Awards) “Obaa mo” (TV Africa award for outstanding women in society)
“The future, for us, looks bright. Stratcomm Africa shall continue to support organizations with its professional communication and reputation management services even as we seek to achieve profitability for our clients and stakeholders across Africa and beyond”, says the confident CEO. The final countdown to Stratcomm Africa Praise Jam 2011 has begun, with great expectations from the general public. Past editions of Praise Jam were organized at the Alisa Hotel, Asbury Dunwell Church and the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel. The event has grown over the years. This year, Praise Jam will take place at the National Theatre in Accra, from 5:00pm on December 10. It is a totally free public event with sponsorship from DPI, Dan-T Investment Limited, Fiesta Royale hotel, Zoomlion, Higgs Communication and others. Media partners for Praise Jam 2011 include Kharis Media Limited, Citi 97.3 FM, Joy 99.7 FM, Sunny 88.7 FM, Sweet Melodies 94.3 FM, TV3 Footprint, GHOne entertainment TV etc. Over 1,500 participants are expected to join in praising God through melodious music. Artistes on the bill, including Danny Nettey, Stella Seal, Daughters of Glorious Jesus , Joe Mettle & Calvis Hammond of Next Generation Gospel, Asbury Dunwell Choir, Stratcomm Africa Family Choir, Cwesi Oteng and Harmonious choral, are all gearing up for this great event. Stratcomm Africa promises the general public “something extraordinary” after the highly successful Praise Jam 2010. It is all about gratitude unlimited to God, because He is good. Come and experience God in an extraordinary way.
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Take hold of your
financial
security
Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. Proverbs 21:5
D
o you remember the parable of the talents? The two wise servants who invested their talents were rewarded accordingly, but the slothful servant was punished. Are you utilizing your financial resources effectively to yield adequate wealth for the future? The wealth generation process is facilitated by prudent investment. But how can you invest prudently, given the trade-off between risk and return? Diversification is the answer! The Bible says: Divide your investments among many places, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead (NLT) Ecclesiastes 11:2. African economies offer unique investment opportunities and diversification benefits. Most of these economies are fertile with numerous unexploited opportunities - a factor which results in the generation of higher return on invested capital, relative to those in more established markets. African economies have also been experiencing phenomenal growth in recent times, as well as macroeconomic stability. Besides, the political terrain has been fairly stable. The Ghanaian economy, for instance, is among the fastest growing economies in
the world, and is expected to grow by more than 14% in 2011. The nation has been characterized by democratic governance, amidst peaceful elections and transitions in governments for over 15 years. Together with the positively trending economic indicators are capital markets, which offer high return on investments. For instance, the MSCI Global Equity Performance Index shows Africa recording a return of 2.91% for the five-year period ended 31st December, 2010. Over the same period, North America returned 0.87% while Europe recorded -0.15%. Foreign institutional investors (from North America and Europe) have invested in African capital markets to participate in the high returns they offer. Investments in collective schemes (such as mutual funds and unit trusts) enable investors, who do not have thorough knowledge of the terrain of African markets to benefit from the expertise of professional managers. An investment of GHS100 in Databank’s Ark fund for instance would have grown to GHS156 from 2009 and 2011. However, if that money had not been invested over that period, its purchasing power would have eroded to GHS72 over that same period. An investment of GHS100 in the Epack would have grown to GHS10,734 from 1997-2007. That same amount would have been eroded to GHS10 if it had been left without investing. The figures also confirm that investment over longer horizons, offer higher returns.
RETURNS OVER 3 YEARS (2009-2011) Initial Investment
GHS100
Type of Investment
Period End Values
91-Day T-Bill
159.61
Databank Money Market Fund
170.14
Databank Ark Fund
156.60
Databank Balanced Fund
146.14
RETURNS OVER 14 YEARS (1997-2010) Initial Investment GHS100 Type of Investment
Period End Values
1-Year Note Databank Epa¢k Investment Fund
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10,734.30
Interestingly, returns obtained from investments could be used as a regular source of income upon retirement, for meeting recurrent expenses, for supporting family members, and for building up wealth for future capital intensive projects. In the morning, sow your seed –Ecclesiastes 11:6a; for where there are no oxen, the crib is clean but much increase is by the strength of the ox. – Proverbs 14: 4. It is only through the sacrifice of investing today, that your financial security will be assured tomorrow. Anastacia Catherine Arko, Databank Research
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P
ray without ceasing is the clarion call of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is the breath of the Christian. Everybody needs to inhale and exhale. In the natural realm, we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. In the sameway, we inhale spiritual oxygen in the spiritual realm andexhale spiritual carbon dioxide. The more you give and minister in the things of God, and the more you keep going as a Christian, you exhale and if you are going to keep alive in the realm of the spirit it is very important that you inhale. As God is a giver, He does not inhale, He always exhales. He exhales His power and His breath to us and as we pray we inhale God’s breadth. The Scriptures declare in James 4:8 that “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw near to you.” God draws closer to us as long as we draw close to Him. The more time we spend in prayer, the more we get to know God. When you visit a person’s house frequently, you eventually become so intimate with him you get to know most of the things that happen in the house. Conversely, when you are not familiar with a person, you feel uncomfortable in his presence most of the time. In the same way there are many Christians whoare strangers in the courts of heaven. This is due to the fact that for days and weeks, they might not have prayed. It has been said that, “seven prayerless days make one weak”. If you do not pray for seven days, spiritually you become a weak believer. It is important we pray and so God gave us an injunction in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing. Prayer is communicating with God; it is pouring out our hearts to God. In 1 Samuel 1:15, the Bible tells us that Hannah poured her heart out to God. Prayer is talking to God and having fellowship with Him. It is telling God what is happening to your life, baring your soul and spirit to Him.It is a cry or supplication. It is a deep appeal from a child to a Father. It is beseeching the Lord. Beloved, prayer is to ask help of the Lord 2 Chronicles 20:3, 4. It is saying except the Lord build the house the builder builds in vain and except the Lord watch the city the watchman watches in vain. (Psalm127:1)
It is saying, “Oh God the race is not for the swift, neither the battle for the strong so help me” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) Prayer is acknowledging that without God you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
Thirst for God
There are several words and jargons that the Bible and believers use to describe prayer. One of such terms is”seeking the face of the Lord.” In Psalm 63: 1, the Psalmist says, “Oh, God thou art my God. Early will I seek thee. My soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is.” Here, the Psalmist was describing his thirst and hunger for God. As a Christian, one of the things that should happen to you is thatyour soul should thirst after God. There should be a desire in your soul, which can only be quenched by inhaling His power or by the Spirit of God. This can only happen whenyou seek the face of God. David was said to be a man after God’s heart and wefind that he was longing after God continually. He says in Psalm 70:4,
up in the morning and you do not pray, throughout the day you feel funny. You do not feel in tune, you feel out of tune and out of touch. This means that you have not made your divine connection for that day. Prayer makes you receive the knowledge and wisdom for each particular day. An emergency is a different thing, but as you go through life, you need to maintain a consistent prayer schedule and it is for this reason that the Bible urges that we should pray without ceasing. Anything you do continuously for twenty-one days becomes a habit, so should prayer become your habit. We need an overwhelming inadequacy to want to be filled. The world is looking for happiness, but in the wrong things; drugs, lust etc. God accuses Israel of two things in Jeremiah 2:13: For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you, and let such who love thy salvation say continually let God be magnified..
God was saying that Israel had forsaken their source and built man-made tanks or alternative reservoirs. God wants no substitute in His place. Real hunger and thirst for God will make you seek His face.
When you seek the face of the Lord, there is something that happens. When you wake
Culled from the Authors book “The power in prayer” KHARIS
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A
in a 4-day to its foundations ed ck ro s a w ikudo vume1 stor Blessing Ts Pa by d ze ni ga crusade or Ministries (RAN Across Nations al iv ev R s hi d ion based an onary organizat si is m a , s) ie tr SSING Minis eme JESUS IS PA th e th r de un , enin Accra ere devoted to op w ys da ee hr T THIS WAY. outreach and to free medical y da e on d an g chin air evening prea othing. cl of distribution ave gan worship encl pa l na io it ad tr penetrate this le resistance Initial efforts to ve met formidab ha s su Je of el sp fear of g go of factors such as on with the liberatin ti na bi m co , and ople. The family members om fr from the local pe n tio si po ral wrath, op ip have held incurring ancest idolatrous worsh in t ofi pr is e er ed them at th d these have turn an the deception th , le op pe l ca lo eming of the However, the se t. is sway in the minds hr C to r de onal surren the hearts and away from pers gospel across to e th g in tt ge y el ctiv ume. Most of difficulty in effe preachers in Av of ck la e th is tiness” ople ve lost their “sal ha minds of the pe to em se e ught es in Avum able doctrines ta on ti the few church es qu o, ls A e natives. se a threat to (relevance) on th “Nutornutsi”, po e th as ch su es ed pracch tly, the entrench by so-called chur en qu se on C . es actices e church any ungodly pr m the efforts of th in ed at in lm ship has cu and Beninios tice of idol wor urder. Togolese m al tu ri g in ud cl in the locality, in m rituals. e here to perfor m co ly occasional
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bs.com
crossnations.we
Website: revivala
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During the 3-day crusade “...they w ere all seized with and the name of th fear, e Lord Jesus was held in high hono of those who belie r. Many ved now came an d openly confesse evil deeds. A num d their ber who had prac ticed sorcery brou scrolls together an ght their d burned them pu blicly...” (Acts 19 NIV). Like the Act :17-19 s 19: 17-19 accoun t, many souls wer many brought th e won; eir charms and ta lismans to be burn afflicted with the t; many fear of death wer e delivered; man healed of their di y were seases – a blind w oman saw for the in her life, a partia fir st time lly blind boy was healed, a woman for four long year paralyzed s jumped and wal ked to the amazem the crowd. It was ent of a moving scene. M any broke down including the RAN in tears, Ministries’ photog rapher as he took of the miracles. shots Indeed, it was a revival across th Describing what e nation. happened, the ho st Pastor, Daniel the pioneer missi O ladapo, onary based in Av ume, said: “RAN Ministries ha ve turned the tow n of Avume upside with the word of down God and God’s po wer. Then they pu on faces by prov t a smile iding free medical care to the people community. Now of the people are beginn ing to see that Jesu is the only way of s Christ Grace, Love and C are. They are now the Light that the seeing Gospel stands for.”
Trailblazer
RAN Ministries st and for reaching out to lost souls especially the unre across nations, ached parts of the world, and discip Christ through crus ling them for ades, street evange lism, house-to-hou Church planting, se evangelism, prison visitation, hospital visitation, clothing of the po feeding and or and needy, med ical outreaches, or The vision of RAN phan care etc. Ministries is mad e possible throug ship of Christian bu h the partnersinessmen and bu sinesswomen and organizations with philanthropic a heart for mission s.
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Avume is a com Anloga in the wemunity in the Keta District of th the north. The prst, Woe in the East, the Gulf of e Volta Region, and shares boun traditional pagan edominant population is womenGuinea in the south and the Ke daries with ta goon in worship. and children, an d the dominant La religion is KHARIS
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The
contemporary Career woman versus the bible
l
ately, I have been wondering and pondering over some stuff that are gradually coming to stay as being normal in the Church and in the world at large. Gone are the days when our mums were home 24/7 and we knew that no matter what, after school we would come to meet them. It was mummy’s responsibility to cook all the delicious foods we had never heard of since birth. Women in the home did or supervised the cleaning, washing and stuff like that. Well, I saw this at home. However, with the blessings and opportunities God has given women – to the effect that discrimination has dwindled at the workplace so women can now pursue their dreams – this open door has brought some kind of unhealthy lifestyle which is becoming the in-thing now.
On the other hand, women seem to be as-
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so we are finding a place for it in the church as well. But I beg to differ. The Bible clearly instructs on these things. So I deem it to be what God requires of us, as a spiritual responsibility for we will answer on it one day. Titus 2:4-5:
Dictionary definition of a homemaker is a person who works at home and takes care of the house and family. I don’t condone slavery but this is our primary call as women in Christ.
That they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. (NKJV) That’s it right there. It’s a spiritual instruction. Dictionary definition of a homemaker is a person who works at home and takes care of the house and family. I don’t condone slavery but this is our primary call as women in Christ. The Proverbs 31 woman was not a housewife. She was an industrious woman and a busy one too. She can pass for any modern -day career woman. But her husband and children sang her praises.
The Woman
It’s disturbing to note that some professional and career women hold the notion that their position takes them off the traditional responsibility of cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children at home. They would rather have someone else do those jobs. Some men don’t complain; I wonder if it’s because there is no way around it or they also think it’s a normal thing to do now. Some of the men would rather not go in for these professional women, because they want wives and mothers for their kids not some superman kind of a woman.
serting that they have the right to demand their husbands partake in the chores, because “we all work 12hrs a day”! It’s as if having time for the kids is not part of the marriage now. After all we shower them with all they want. What sort of socializing are the children of today going to have; lots
of direction and advice from the media and friends because parents don’t have time to teach their kids no more. Well, I remember it’s my mum who taught me girlie stuff, not any house help? The sad part is that, it’s now in the church
Epsilon Zeta Edition Edition2011 2011
Lois Mintah
Rev. Dr. Derek & Mrs. Linda Larbi
F
allow ground is not new ground. It is old ground that is deliberately left to rejuvenate in an agricultural sense. Hosea encourages that while we expect great yield in the year, all ground in the employment of our time, energy, passions, entertainment and leisure needs to be “broken up”. We need to recover some of this “fallow ground” to sow seeds of righteousness. We keep this ground fallow to our own detriment. The amount of time spent behind the TV screen is one of many examples of “fallow ground” that needs to be broken. If we are going to have any significant increase in our harvest this year, we must necessarily pay attention to our available ground for sowing. Alas! Our lives are so crowded out that the Bible serves only to send us to sleep. Your best moments are spent on the most short-lived of life’s issues and you give attention to eternally weighty matters when you are almost spent. Break up your fallow ground! Dig and sow! In summary, sowing the right seed on good ground – seeds of prayer with fasting, investment in the study and meditation on the Word of God, passionate fellowship with the faith family, and a readiness to share the Gospel of Christ – is your responsibility and the rain that waters it is in God’s domain.
The good ground should be recovered from TV addiction, extensive and superfluous political discussions, slavery to mammon (money), overly indulgent entertainment including sports, and all such ground as the HOLY SPIRIT reveals in particular. The good ground is the quality time you spend in the presence of God doing His will. When this is done, all is set for the rain. You’ll then obtain unstoppable favour and your bumper harvest will not be a mirage. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11 (NIV) Your bumper harvest will be a sure thing if you will put in the hard work of godly sowing. Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126: 5, 6.
The good ground is the quality time you spend in the presence of God doing His will. When this is done, all is set for the rain. You’ll then obtain unstoppable favour and your bumper harvest will not be a mirage.
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Obtaining a
promise through
faith & patience
T
here are seasons when certain crops abound and there is glut. One could come by for example a sizeable basket of tomatoes for Ghc 5. There are times in the same year one would get just about 8 pieces for the same price of Ghc 5. What has changed is neither the quality of tomatoes, the sizes of tomatoes nor the market location but rather the season. (Do not be surprised, I used to sell rubber to the traders at the Makola market and do have a fair idea of what happens around me). One could therefore agree with me that seasons are very important in life. Scripture admonishes us to ask for the rains in times of the latter rain (Zachariah 10:1). This means, there are times when we should be asking for the rain. It is easy to get an overflow of dams in rainy seasons than in droughts. It therefore becomes very necessary to discern the time and flow with it. There is however, the supernatural move of God that is able to tamper with the norm. The Almighty God is able to cause an overflow in desert places. He is able to cause water to flow from the rock. He is able to rain manner and quails from above for His children. He is able to cause food to abound to a hunger-stricken nation where people were cooking their children for meals. In 24 hours after a prophecy had come for God’s people, God indeed
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used the footsteps of 4 lepers to open the windows of heaven to pour out a blessing to feed a whole nation and to set them free from their enemies who were too strong for them. When we hear “Thus saith the Lord”, we expect that none of God’s word spoken should fall to the ground but must be accomplished. It is important to distinguish between prophecies meant to a group from that meant to individuals. It is also important to take certain steps from the time the prophecy comes till when it is fulfilled. There are times however, such prophecies are mishandled and people become vulnerable or lose faith in God because ‘’God has failed them’’. I have personally spoken to people who have given up because they really believed God had failed them. I have heard on radio and TV prophets saying things like “this year, you shall marry. If you do not get married this year, then your miracle basket will never land on earth. You shall carry your baby this year or never. In fact there are times, such prophecies will be coming in June and one by calculation would realize that such prophecies mean all such babies will be prematurely born if they are to be born within the year. Do not lose heart dear believer. God is still on the throne and He is still using many genuine prophets. There are times God could be talking to you through His sure word of prophecy through your quite-time. You really catch
Mr. Moses Atobrah
There is no more patriotism. There is no more sacrifice apart from doing things in the house of God for free. There is lesser voluntarism and lesser communalism. We have become more individualistic and possessive. Everything is monetized and we careless for the poor
the rhema and you know someone has dropped into your spirit. You mutter it, you confess it and your belly begins to churn. Your spirit is lifted and you take hold of the word you read.
The Almighty God is able to cause an overflow in desert places. He is able to cause water to flow from the rock. He is able to rain manner and quails from above for His children. He is able to cause food to abound to a hungerstricken nation where people were cooking their children for meals
There is no more patriotism. There is no more sacrifice apart from doing things in the house of God for free. There is lesser voluntarism and lesser communalism. We have become more individualistic and possessive. Everything is monetized and we careless for the poor. No wonder many people professing different kinds of faith are the same people in places of power and position in public and private sectors but are deliberately weakening the system. As a nation, we keep borrowing but into leaking baskets because people are milking the system forgetting that, a life could have been saved if that extra Cedi had been properly utilized and accounted for. We believe it is time for double, double blessings. It is not okay to continue driving one car, you must have two. You must not own one house anymore, you must own two and if you have two, you must aim at having 3 and 4 in the coming year. Why will some workers not go on strike, killing our poor folks as they also have to get some double, double blessings? To be continued in the next edition…
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Inspiration
I would not want to talk about all the Heroes of Faith in Hebrews 11. The very first verse reads ‘’Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony’’. We hear sermons that
We believe it is time for double, double blessings. It is not okay to continue driving one car, you must have two. You must not own one house anymore, you must own two and if you have two, you must aim at having 3 and 4 in the coming year. Why will some workers not go on strike, killing our poor folks as they also have to get some double, double blessings?
suggest that faith is now and when you believe, it must happen now. Because faith is when?NOW. Faith is indeed now, because without faith it is impossible to please God. However, there could be a time between when you believe and when the promise materializes. The difference is believing God until it happens and not giving up because it delayed. We have thrown away many virtues and are driven by nice words making it look as though God is so careless and slow. We so much are inclined to have more, demand more, and possess more. As a matter of fact, God graced our lives to put up 2 different storey buildings in the prime area of Accra before I turned 30. By 40, we were still graced with more than you can imagine. The fact still remains that a man’s life is not in the abundance of things he possesses. We consciously battle to remain faithful to God. Others depend on us for support and one must say I have enough but someone needs help to live
Joe Mintah
CENTRAL TEXTS: Hebrews 4:16
them (Exodus 25:8). This desire of God was nurtured throughout Bible times till it got to the final point where He became flesh and dwelt amongst us (John 1:14).
e) Even though we live on earth here, God has made it possible in Jesus for us to come to Heaven anytime we want. We can literally dwell in heaven 24/7.
1) THE DESIRE TO ASCEND INTO HEAVEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN MANKIND. 3) THE DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURMan has always wanted to go to heaven. RECTION OF JESUS PROVIDED US f) Through the Lord Jesus, we have access to the throne of God (Romans 5:1, Hebrews We see a hint of that ambition in the tower WITH THE ACCENSION MANDATE. 4:16). We have the right of entry. We are of Babel (Genesis 11). Their main intention was to build a city for themselves and thus make a name for themselves. They also wanted to build a tower whose height reaches into the Heavens.
a) That was mankind’s first attempt to go
to heaven. This ambition has been in man till today. Man has made aeroplanes that can take us up in the skies. This shows that the desire is still there.
Man has always wanted to go to heaven. We see a hint of that ambition in the tower of Babel 2) GOD HAS ALSO ALWAYS DESIRED TO COME DOWN TO US b) God first of all expressed that desire to
Moses. He told Moses that the reason why He was asking Moses to make the Tabernacle was so that He, God, could dwell among
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c)
The result of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus was to bring man into God and to bring God into man (John 1:18, 1John 5:20). Thus in Jesus the desire of man to reach God and the desire of God to reach man find a common ground.
free to go there just as all the angels are free to go there. And the good news is that we can do that just as we live on this earth. It was through Jesus that we gained that right. We go to the Father on the basis of what Jesus did.
d) Jesus represents us before the Father g) Jesus is the Ladder that connects Heaven (Hebrews 9:24) and we represent Him on earth here (2Corinthians 5:20).
Even though we live on earth here, God has made it possible in Jesus for us to come to Heaven anytime we want. We can literally dwell in heaven 24/7
and Earth. He was the fulfillment of Jacob’s ladder in the dream (Genesis 28:12; John 1:51). Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28:10-17 is very significant. The Ladder that connected Heaven and earth is Jesus. This is to show that He brings man to God and God to man. Take note of the order in which the angels were going on the Ladder. They were ascending and descending not the other way round. This shows that it was talking prophetically about a time where God’s messengers on earth here can freely go to Him and come back to the earth. This ascension is different from that of Lucifer (‘I will ascend’-Isaiah 14:13) or that of the people of Babel (Genesis 11:6). This one is going to heaven through Jesus Christ. be continued in the next edition
Equipping the saints
Our Ascension Mandate
Investment
Rev. Daniel Ogbarmey Tetteh
Wing Your Flight to
Financial Independence Part 2
“Don’t put your trust in money, but put your money in trust.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes
T
he second wing of letting your money work for you is what investment is all about. Investing takes savings to another level – growing your money. My favorite 3-action rule I share anytime I speak with an audience about letting money work is SPEND LESS, SAVE MORE, and INVEST YOUR SAVINGS. Investment can transform your little savings into a solid storehouse akin to the haven an anthill provides to the ant. A lot of young people are in a hurry to make money and get rich but they forget that the short-cut to wealth creation is the same path that the titans in wealth such as Carlos Slim and Warren Buffet trod. The latest ranking by the Forbes Magazine of the world’s richest people still has Carlos Slim firmly ensconced in the number one position with over $74 billion. It is instructive to note that both Carlos Slim and Warren Buffet started investing (letting their money work for them) when they were eleven years old. Time, discipline, focus on the goal of financial independence and sacrifice are sine qua non with any quest to savor wealth creation.
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A common protestation which lulls many into inaction whenever we speak on wealth creation is the fact that they do not make enough money to cover their expenses let alone save in order to invest. The melodramatic will opine that their take-home pay can’t even take them home so investment is not for them. Nothing could be further
It may be a fact that you may not earn as much money as you desire or need but the truth is that you can still find money to invest. My firm belief is that from the truth.
we need a mental shift from consumption to investment before we can be ready to use the wing of money working to scale to cooler heights. For instance, many people do not have any means of controlling their expenses. In fact, they do not track it let alone monitor their expenses. I subscribe to the strategy of Track & Trim which simply involves tracking everything you spend your money on in order to be able to review the list periodically to see what can either be eliminated or reduced in order to release money into an investment program. By all means, you must let some of the money that comes into your hand work for you. It can be as simple as adopting a rule which says that you will invest a percentage, say 10% , of every income you receive – whether you worked for it or received it as a gift. Whatever you do,
don’t “chop” all your money; put a portion to
work. You need to see money as a potential employee that can go to work the same way you wake each morning to go to work. Money works, you know! Three fundamental questions you need to be clear about before you begin investing are as ff: 1. What are my investment objectives (or why do I want to invest)? 2. What is my time horizon (or how long can I or do I want to wait before accessing my money)? 3. What is my risk tolerance (how would I feel if the money I invest is lost or declines due to the investment vehicle I chose)? Clear answers to these basic questions will help you to take an informed decision on letting your money work for you. When in doubt, look for answers from knowledgeable people because acting in ignorance can be very costly. There are some who have gone past this exercise but are unclear about where to invest i.e. investment options that are available. Watch this space for some tips on investment options that are available to assist you in executing your plan to achieve financial independence. So remember, you can wing your flight to financial independence on the wings of working for money and letting money work for you. This is neither ethereal nor esoteric; it is simple and basic, within the reach of every Tom-Dick-Harry. Each individual can have and flap these two wings to propel them on the flight to financial independence.
The Pope wants to drive After getting the Pope’s entire luggage loaded into the limo (and he doesn’t travel lightly), the driver notices that the Pope is still standing on the curb. “Excuse me, Your Eminence,” says the driver, “Would you please take your seat so we can leave?” “Well, to tell you the truth,” says the Pope, “they never let me drive at the Vatican, and I’d really like to drive today” “I’m sorry but I cannot let you do that. I’d lose my job! And what if something should happen?” protests the driver, wishing he’d never gone to work that morning. “There might be something extra in it for you,” says the Pope. Reluctantly, the driver gets in the back as the Pope climbs in behind the wheel. The driver quickly regrets his decision when, after exiting the airport, the Supreme Pontiff floors it, accelerating the limo to 105 mph.
“I need to talk to the Chief,” he says to the dispatcher. The Chief gets on the radio and the cop tells him that he’s stopped a limo going a hundred and five. “So bust him,” said the Chief. “I don’t think we want to do that, he’s really important,” said the cop. Chief exclaimed, “All the more reason!” “No, I mean really important,” said the cop. The Chief then asked, “Who ya got there, the Mayor?” Cop: “Bigger.” Chief: “Governor?” Cop: “Bigger.” “Well,” said the Chief,”Who is it?” Cop: “I think it’s God!” Chief: “What makes you think it’s God?” Cop: “He’s got the Pope for a limo driver!”
Creation
An atheist scientist came to God and said, “Please slow down, Your Holiness!!!” pleads the worried driver, but the Pope keeps the pedal to the metal until they hear sirens. “Oh, dear God, I’m gonna lose my license,” moans the driver. The Pope pulls over and rolls down the window as the cop approaches, but the cop takes one look at him, goes back to his motorcycle, and gets on the radio.
“We’ve figured out how to make a man without you.” God said, “OK, let me see you do it.” So the atheist bent down to the ground and scooped up a handful. But God stopped him and said, “Oh, no you don’t. Get your own dirt!”
www.jokesclean.com/ChristianJokes
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Now the works of the esh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you be before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal 5:19-21 (KJV) 54 KHARIS
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THE RAHAB HEART A contradiction of all sorts. Her heart portrayed a pleasant personality living in an abominable set of clothes. A prostitute who kept in her heart a secret admiration for God and Israel
Seek the heart within the unpleasant appearance
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