Kharis Magazine Nu Edition 2015

GH¢10 N1000 £10 US $10 €10 1 KHARIS NU Edition 2015 www.kharismagazine.com

Ghana’s Premier Christian Magazine

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CONTENTS Cover Story

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“THE MEASURE OF YOUR SUCCESS IS IN YOUR OBEDIENCE TO GOD”

11 THE LEGACY OF DR. MYLES MUNROE

KINGDOM SECRETS TO PERPETUAL WEALTH

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33

KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL PARENTING

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2015 NANA YAW BOAKYE”S NEW WINE CONCERT

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BISHOP S. N. MENSAH’S VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

PUBLISHER’S PAGE 7 The Benefits Of Walking In God’s Will MARRIAGE LIFE 16 Can You Lose Your Soul ?

THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM 18 Creating Wealth God’s Way SPIRITPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT 24 News Report

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ISRAEL-SMALL BUT OUTSTANDING

THE TEAM PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Dr. Randy Osae Bediako

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Lois Osae Bediako (Esq.)

MANAGING EDITOR Nelson Semanu Korkor

ART DIRECTOR Joel Nortey

KEEP FIT 46 Living The Reality Of The Word WOMAN 48 Get your Perspective Right LEADERSHIP 50 Where Are The Leaders?

RHEMA 54 Don’t Bow To The Shadows KHARISTOON - Parables 57

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INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Henrietta Excellence Adu-Kessie (Mrs.) (U.K)

CONTENT EDITOR Seth Duodu

PRODUCTION MANAGER Joel Nortey

WEB DEVELOPMENT Centrifuj

PRINTED IN GHANA BY Kharis Media Limited +233 (0) 544 000 042 +233 (0) 303 309 956

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

The will of God is not something you add to your life. It’s a course you choose. You either line yourself up with the Son of God…or you capitulate to the principle which governs the rest of the world.

Elisabeth Elliot

Dr. Randy Osae Bediako Editor-In-Chief / Publisher

THE BENEFITS OF WALKING IN HIS WILL

F

OR many people, seeking to know God’s will concerning every aspect of one’s life is not something worth pursuing because, they perceive it as something difficult and unattainable. Others are of the view that, following God’s will makes one lag behind in life. But this is never true! What they fail to realize is that life is not lived based on speed but rather on accuracy and fulfillment.

Unguarded speed and public opinion often end in pain whilst gently following and obeying God’s will every step of the way brings success, peace and all the good things in life.

On the other hand, there is a danger in not following God’s will for your life. In an attempt to copy blindly and follow the craze of the times, many have short-circuited their destiny. Many marriages have ended on

the rocks as a result of disobedience to God’s will. Businesses and several entrepreneurial ventures have collapsed because the leaders did not consult and engage God on a regular basis to know His will on critical decisions on recruitment, operations and other key management issues. Even nations and people in the field of leadership and politics who failed to follow God’s leading have ended up on a sad note.

Several Christian ministries have died prematurely simply because the founders did not obey the total revealed will of God. But there are benefits of discovering and following God’s will for our lives.

Our entire life can be lived in the centrality of His will. Needless to say that knowing God’s will and obeying Him is not a grievous undertaking. Remember, His burden is light and His yoke

is easy. He has made provision of His grace to enable us obey Him in totality, if only we are willing. Actually, a life outside God’s will is never lived to its fullest. Our marriages, businesses, ministries, careers and any other thing we are engaged in can be the best, if we discover and follow God’s will.

Our total obedience will always yield outstanding success. It may take long but it always pays. This truth is nonnegotiable!

The NU edition of Kharis Magazine, Ghana’s flagship Christian publication, is filled with pages that will edify, empower, exhort and enable you build your faith and confidence in God. Remember that your obedience to the revealed will of God is the pathway to living life to the fullest. Enjoy the read, and God richly bless you!

Opinions expressed in this publictaion by columnists are not neccesssarily those held by Kharis Magazine or its staff.

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Nu Columnists Bishop Charles Agyinasare

Presiding Bishop, Perez Chapel International

Rev. Dr. Derek & Mrs. Linda Larbi Action Chapel International, Tema, Community 9

Mr. Joseph Mintah President, All for Christ Youth Missions

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Mr. & Mrs. Joe Okyere-Mintah Chief Executives, JO-MINT & Associates

Mr. George Kojo Addison

MD, StarLife Assurance Co. Ltd

Mrs. Lois Osae Bediako (Esq) Associate Publisher, Kharis Magazine

AN OUTSTANDING BOOK by

Bishop Charles Agyinasare

CALL +233 (0) 20 827 3359, VISIT WWW.AGYINASAREBOOKS.COM OR THE PEREZ CHAPEL BOOKSHOP AT DZORWULU FOR YOUR COPY! 9 KHARIS NU Edition 2015

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TRANSGENERATIONAL IMPACT MAKERS & WORLD CHANGERS

The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without a purpose.

Death can never kill an idea. Ideas are more powerful than death. Ideas outlive men and can never be destroyed.

THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF

Dr. Egbert Myles

MUNROE

By Dr. Randy Osae Bediako & Nelson Semanu Korkor

I

t was a Sunday afternoon that many of us will never forget. The year was November 9, 2014. Tough conditions led by heavy rain were buffeting the region when the Lear 36 Executive Private Jet struck a shipping container crane in Freeport on landing at Grand Bahamas. According to the Bahamas Department of Civil Aviation, the plane had departed the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) at 4.07pm for the Grand Bahamas International Airport for landing at 5.10pm. It exploded on impact and

crashed into the ground near a junkyard.

Dr. Munroe, aged 60, and his entourage were traveling to Grand Bahamas to attend the 2014 Global Leadership Forum that he organized. “He planned to have dinner in Freeport about 90 minutes after his plane’s scheduledlanding with former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young, a speaker at the event,” Mitchell said. According to sources, Munroe’s wife, Ruth, was also on the plane, along with the pas-

tor considered second-in-command at Bahamas Faith Ministries, Richard Pinder, as well as the group’s youth minister and his wife and child.

Dr. Myles Egbert Munroe was born on April 20, 1954 into an impoverished family of 11 in the suburb of Bain Town in Nassau, where one schoolteacher labeled him as stupid.

Raised in the Nassau suburb of Bain Town, he was a life-long resident of the Commonwealth.

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“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints”. Jude 1:3, NKJV.

His wife, Ruth Munroe, served as copastor with him at BFMI. Dr. Munroe was a Bahamian Evangelical Christian evangelist and an ordained Pentecostal minister who founded and led the Bahamas Faith Ministries International (BFMI) and Myles Munroe International (MMI). Together, the couple had two children, Myles, Jr. (known as Chairo), and a daughter, Charisa. He was chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the International Third World Leaders Association and president of the International Leadership Training Institute.

Dr. Munroe became a born-again Christian during his teenage years, later attending Oral Roberts University (ORU) where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts, Education, and Theology in 1978 and a Master’s degree in administration from the University of Tulsa in 1980.

ABOUT BAHAMAS FAITH MINITRIES INTERNATIONAL Dr. Munroe founded the Bahamas Faith Ministries International in the 1980s; quickly becoming an influential religious leader among evangelical Christians, giving sermons around the world. Bahamas Faith Ministries International is a legally established non-profit company registered under the Companies Act of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. BFMI oversees a network of ministries and agencies that provide for the recruitment, development, training and release of 12 KHARIS

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purpose-driven, spiritually sound, character-based, and confident individuals motivated by their conscious responsibility to maximize their inherent leadership potential. BFMI is not a church or denomination, but serves as a Christian Growth and Resource Centre, a charismatic teaching fellowship, and an International Outreach Centre.

LIMITLESS INFLUENCE Dr. Munroe’s affinity for African people was superb. He was especially influential in Africa, arguing that African nations are underdeveloped due to the poor quality of their leaders.

“Leadership determines everything in life,” he said. “Nothing happens without leadership. Whether you are talking about an organization, church or nation, everything depends on leadership for success. Leaders determine the quality and attitude of their followers.

If your country is not effective, it is the fault of its leaders not its people.”

CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH Just like Jesus, his master, Dr. Munroe has not been a favourite of everybody.

He has been insulted and ridiculed by those who were against his stand as a Christian. Undeterred, Dr. Munroe’s love for God would make him challenge anything that is against God. The problem we have today is that, many ministers of the gospel are afraid of confronting corrupt politicians. Jude’s admonition is highly instructive:

In March 2014, Dr. Munroe was criticized publicly in a press statement

by Bahamian Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell for comments he had made about the government’s positions regarding the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered individuals in the LGBT community in the Bahamas. Munroe had stated that Mitchell’s support of LGBT persons in the Bahamas does not “represent the majority of the convictions of the Bahamian people”. Mitchell responded by claiming, “Once again Dr. Myles Munroe has returned to a theme he does not understand and obviously which he has no knowledge.” Mitchell went on in the statement to reference what he regarded as Munroe’s “...absolute stupidity and willful deceit is parading around in the pulpit disguised as theology.” Mitchell’s comments were in direct response to Munroe’s claim that Mitchell’s support of LGBT persons in the Bahamas does not “represent the majority of the convictions of the Bahamian people”.

Again, in September 2014, Dr. Munroe stirred controversy in the Bahamas when he made comments in a statement titled “Homosexuality - Phobia or Principle”. In the statement, Munroe claimed people have “hijacked” and “raped” the civil rights movement with efforts to fight for the rights of those in the LGBT community. The statement from Munroe was in response to a gay pride event that took place the last weekend of August 2014. Local gay rights and civil rights spokespersons stated they were shocked and alarmed

by Munroe’s statement. Joseph Gaskins, lecturer at the College of the Bahamas, called his position on homosexuality and civil rights “hypocritical” in light of Munroe’ then recent visit with polygamist South African President Jacob Zuma. Backed by quotations from the Bible, he also proffered alarming views on womanhood. “The male was created by God to create what he wants,” he said. “The woman you are looking for, brother, does not exist. She is in your head. Your job is to take the raw material you married

awarded the Bahamian “Silver Jubilee Award” for service to the Bahamas in the area of “spiritual, social and religious development”. In 2004, Dr. Myles Munroe was honoured as the “Alumnus of the Year” by the Oral Roberts University. Munroe was also the recipient of honorary doctoral degrees from various schools of higher education and served as an adjunct professor of the Graduate School of Theology at Oral Roberts University.

and cultivate her into the woman in your head. So if you have been married for 20 years and you still don’t like the product you get, that is your fault.”

TRIBUTES Many people across the globe wrote touching tributes on the influence of Dr. Myles Munroe. Here are a few: ‘At times like these, I don’t try to figure things out, I just know that all things ultimately figure into a larger and higher purpose that we may never fully understand in this present limited reality,’ Bishop Carlton Pearson, a highprofile U.S. minister who was a friend of Munroe’s for 40 years, wrote on his Facebook page. The Bahamian Prime Minister, Perry Christie, had this to say : “It is utterly impossible to measure the magnitude of Dr Munroe’s loss to the Bahamas and to the world.

He was indisputably one of the most globally recognizable religious figures our nation has ever produced. His fame as an ambassador for the Christian ministry preceded him wherever in the world he travelled.” ‘He was a leader in our country,’ said Christopher Duncan. ‘He spoke at a number of national events. I’ve read some of his books. Just the way he viewed life and the way he understood God’s purpose for our lives made you look at life a different way.’

BOOKS As an author, Dr. Munroe had written several international bestsellers, Biblical-related Study Guides as well as a featured speaker on motivational and Bible-study recordings. Some of his books include: Pass it On, Kingdom Principles, Preparing for Kingdom Experience and Expansion, Rediscov-

ering the Kingdom, The Most Important Person on Earth, Understanding Your Potential, Waiting and Dating, The Spirit of Leadership, The Principles and Power of Vision, Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer, Understanding the Purpose and Power of Woman, Understanding the Purpose and Power of Men, God’s Big Idea, Overcoming The Crisis, Principles and Benefits of Change, Releasing Your Potential, Purpose and Power of Love and Marriage just to name a few.

In addition, he was a contributing editor for various Bible editions including The Believer’s Topical Bible, The African Cultural Heritage Topical Bible, and was a contributing writer for Charisma Life Christian Magazine, and Ministry Today.

HONOURS AND SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS In the year 1998, Dr. Munroe was knighted OBE (Order of the British Empire) for “services to religion”.

OBE is the most junior and most populous order of chivalry in the British and other Commonwealth honours systems. It was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V, and comprises five classes, in civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male, or dame if female. The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use the title of “Sir” for men and “Dame” for women before their forename. Most members are citizens of the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth realms that use the Imperial system of honours and awards.

In the words of legendary Evangelist, Billy Graham, “The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith”. Indeed, to say Dr. Myles Munroe has left a legacy for character, achievement and faith is not an understatement. Though dead and gone, his influence and philosophies would surely transcend generations.

“God’s will and desire—His pleasure—is that we love Him. We cannot please God unless we love Him. We cannot love Him unless we know Him, and we cannot know Him unless we have faith in Him”.

Again, in the same year, he was KHARIS

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FAMILY LIFE

BIBLICAL KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL

PARENTING Rev. Solomon Owusu Ansah, General Overseer, Alpha Adonai Chapel

M

any Christian parents have unsecured children. This is due to the fact that they have made other things more of a priority than giving attention and care to their children. Their work, social life and church activities consume most of their time. But the word of God commands us “to train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 Successful training involves sacrifice; 14 KHARIS

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you cannot train a child in absentia.

To win your children’s affection and love, you must make the necessary effort to build a close relationship with them. It takes time to build relationships. It takes effort to get involved with your children’s activities after a hard day’s work.

Parenting is a process. Christian parenting is the process of raising and caring for your child in a godly way, impressing on them that they are special

in the eyes of God and their parents.

And that, God has a purpose for their lives. Although there are challenges in life, no matter the situation they may find themselves in, God’s purpose and the love of their parents will never change.

Christian parenting is consistent.

Children are innocent, but as they grow up they can become stubborn and sometimes, rebellious.

An example is in I Samuel 2: 12-17.

Eli, the man of God, had children who perhaps grew up with the innocence of most Christian children today, but when they were maturing into young adults they became rebellious. Such children can lie and they may boldly disrespect authority or even show some signs of violence.

Parents must be consistent with their moral standards and discipline at home. When your children get the impression that you are inconsistent with your moral life and Christian discipline especially by saying one thing and doing the opposite, you prepare the ground for rebellious children. The word of God says that ”Correct[discipline] your son , and he will give you rest[peace]; yes he will give you delight to your soul”. (Proverbs 29:17). But to successfully discipline your child, you must be a parent worthy of that honour.

Christian parenting is an act of faith.

There is a strong element of faith in

raising godly children, that is why you must partner with God to help you in parenting. “By faith, Moses, when he was born was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command”.

(Hebrews 11:23). The King had ordered that all Jewish boy babies be killed and you dare not disobey the orders of Pharoah, but the parents of Moses who were common slaves had something in them.

Christian parenting needs faith in God. The parents of Moses discovered that raising godly children must be an act of faith. They saw the future of their son, and perceived by faith that he will be a great person.

The word of God encourages believers to train their children in the right way and they will not depart from it.

By faith your children will go to school, they will not die before their time, they will not go wayward. They will be born again and serve the living God. By faith raise your children in a godly way, be a teacher to them, and be a provider for them.

When your children see you living the Christian life, not saying one thing and doing another, but living by faith according to the principles of God’s word, although this kind of lifestyle takes a lot of commitment to achieve, you will find out that parenting with all its challenges can be beautiful.

This is a divine assurance contrary to what the secular world may say concerning children of today.

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MARRIAGE LIFE

CAN YOU LOSE YOUR SOUL ?

Mr.& Mrs Joe Okyere-Mintah

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he Words of our Lord Jesus Christ in Mt 16:24-26 are very profound indeed, so we must study them carefully.

If there is any area of life where one must deny oneself and take up one’s cross in order to go after Jesus, then it is in the area of marriage life. The marriage theatre is where our Christianity could be challenged and proved.

It is therefore possible to lose one’s soul in marriage. To a question put by the Pharisees Jesus answered ‘in Heaven, there is no marriage’.

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So marriage is a divine institution established for us here on earth only. But like all other things marriage fell into the hands of the devil with the fall of man and those who want to access it must do so through the way our Lord has shown us.

The Apostle Paul gave a clear teaching on marriage in 1Corinthians 7. He said among other things in vs 32 ‘but I want you to be free from CONCERN. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord.

33but the one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his spouse’.

“Because you have sold your-

Marriage involves :

the Lord, behold I will bring

i) Selfishness

evil upon you, and will utterly

ii) Self-denial iii) Your cross

self to do evil in the sight of

sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel and I

iiii) Profit

will make your house like the

v) Loss

house of Jeroboam the son of

vi) Exchange

Nebat and like the house of

If you don’t throw away your selfishness and think of the interest of your partner too, you stand the risk of losing your soul.

Since we are following God’s pattern of marriage, we must deny ourselves and not insist on our rights always. It means that you must take problems that arise as a cross to be carried otherwise you cannot follow Christ in marriage.

Baasha the son of Ahijah…”

Vs. 25“Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife incited him.”

I daresay that many men of God have lost their vision and mission because they could not handle their marriages well.

Many have fallen either because they could not manage internal conflicts well or they allowed themselves to be bewitched from following Christ. In either of these cases, there is no excuse.

King Solomon asked God for wisdom to govern Israel but not for his marriage so his choice of women compromised his allegiance to God. Perhaps living in the corner of an attic or setting up your bed in the desert field could save you from taking the divorce option because that is not an option recommended for you as a Christian.

Ask God for wisdom for marriage and ask Him to help you to count the cost of discipleship even in marriage. Yes, you can lose your soul.

Ahab nearly lost his soul in exchange for, not the whole world, but just a tiny fraction of it.

There is also a kind of profit which can also lead to a loss. King Ahab sought to profit by hiding behind his wife Jezebel’s witchcraft in order to take Naboth’s vineyard. Note the punishment he received from God. 1kings 21:20-22:

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BISHOP’S CORNER

THE POWER OF

KNOWLEDGE & WISDOM Bishop Charles Agyinasare

A

utomaker Henry Ford asked electrical genius Charlie Steinmetz to build generators for his factory. One day the generators ground to a halt, and the repairmen couldn’t find the problem. So Ford called Steinmetz, who tinkered with the machines for a few hours and then threw the switch. The generators whirred to life—but Ford got a bill for $10,000 from Steinmetz.

Flabbergasted, the rather tightfisted carmaker inquired why the bill was so high.

Steinmetz’s reply: “For tinkering with the generators- $10. For knowing where to thinker- $9,990.” Ford paid the bill.

Knowledge and wisdom are indispensable when it comes to wealth creation. These two, go hand in hand, and are not based on wishes and dreams. Knowledge and wisdom get their power from the application of principles or laws. Let’s look at what some of these laws are. ’’Law: An established principle. A statement of fact, deduced from observation, to 18 KHARIS

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the effect that a particular natural or scientific phenomenon always occurs if certain conditions are present.

We need to understand what makes a law governing. All laws work every time they are applied. Laws of prosperity and increase will be the result. This means we need to understand the laws of supernatural increase. You need not to look very far to see that the systems of the world are having problems.

Therefore we must look to the laws of wealth in order to bypass the world’s systems.

The laws of poverty and those of wealth were authored by the same God who created the laws of gravity.

We would all agree that a mango will always fall from the tree to the ground according to the law of gravity. This is simple enough for anyone to understand. In the same fashion, one of the laws of poverty says “LAZINESS equals POVERTY.’’ Proverbs 24:3034 says, I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over

with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

It is easy to see why slothfulness would produce a life of poverty. But let’s look at a law of prosperity: ‘’If you are not lazy and can work without supervision, you will receive a bountiful supply.’’ Proverbs 6:6-8 tells us, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.’’

Following the wisdom of these laws alone would aid towards he wealth of many people. But let’s go a little further. The law of intellect governs our capacity to reason, plan, comprehend ideas, think abstractly and learn. The law of intellect helps us know how to accomplish the task at hand.

Intellect involves three important components: Wisdom, Knowledge and Introduction. These provide the keys to every area of life, including wealth, health, relationship, success, security and longevity. When the three - wisdom, knowledge and instruction - come together, wealth, riches and prosperity will be the result. Proverbs 8:10-11 says, ‘’Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.

For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.’’

Note the use of all three keys in this scripture. Wisdom gives to those who love her wealth and fills their treasuries. Wealth follows wisdom and knowledge. Most financial problems are not as a result of the lack of money but the wisdom to handle it.

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If ATO ESHUN GEORGE KOJO ADDISON STEPHEN indeed we are true ambassadors we can excel in the worst of economic situations and go on to create PERPETUAL WEALTH Dr. Randy Osae Bediako Mr. William Ato Essien even for the next generation and President, Swiss International BISHOP GIDEON TITI-OFEI WILLIAM Essien ATO ESSIEN DZIGBORDI K. DOSOO SAMUEL SAKYI-HYDE Host, Spiritpreneurship SummitKOJO & OHENE-KYEI Capital Holdings the generations unborn.

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KHARIS

NU Edition 2015OSAE21BEDIAKO DR. RANDY Founder & Host, Spiritpreneurhip Summit CEO, Kharis Group

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piritpreneurship Summit, Ghana’s premier gathering of Christian entrepreneurs and business leaders could aptly be described as unprecedented in the history of business events in the country.

The event which was held at the Holiday Inn Accra Airport brought together over 350 delegates including entrepreneurs, industry captains, youth leaders, emerging leaders and civil society leaders. This year’s summit was under the theme “Kingdom Secrets to Perpetual Wealth”.

Individuals from corporate institutions such as Ecobank, First Capital Plus Bank, Ghana Ports and Habours Authority, Wildon and Kwelny Advisors, Allure Africa, Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Rich Dynamic Investors, Nsano, Ohene Financing, Ghana Christian University College, Amazin Grace Dentistry based in Texas, The HuD Group, just to name a few, attended the Summit. There were individual delegates also from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection. The event also pulled delegates all across the country including Ashanti, Eastern and Volta Regions of Ghana as well as some participants from Nigeria.

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Mr. Samuel Sakyi-Hyde CEO, Unicredit Ghana Ltd

Mr. George Kojo Addison MD, StarLife Assurance Company

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In his welcome address, Summit Host, Dr. Randy Osae Bediako, Founder of the Spiritpreneurship Summit and CEO of Kharis Group said, “there is an interesting observation from the creation story and that is, God integrated faith into His work. In the Garden of Eden, He clearly exemplified this in the entire creation process. Labour and worship should not be compartmentalized.

Sadly today, many believers have separated their faith from their businesses hence their inability to tap into the divine energy needed to grow their businesses or careers to its fullest potential”.

The Summit was graced by nine guest speakers: Bishop Gideon Titi-Ofei, Senior Pastor, The Pleasant Place, Mr. William Ato Essien, President, Essien Swiss International Capital Holdings, Mrs. Dzigbordi Dosoo, Founder & CEO, Allure Africa Group, Dr. Joyce Aryee, President, Salt and Light Ministries, Mr. George Kojo Addison, MD, StarLife Assurance Company, Mr. Kojo Ohene-Kyei, CEO, IFS Financial Services, Mr. Kojo Addae-Mensah, CEO, Databank Group, Mr. Samuel Sakyi-Hyde, CEO, Unicredit Ghana Ltd and Mr. Stephen Ato Eshun, MD, Sunny FM.

Mr. Kojo Addae-Mensah CEO, Databank Group

Thematic areas such as Pursuing Business as a Calling, Biblical Strategies for Creating Perpetual Wealth, Operating the Business Anointing, Making Impact for Christ at the Marketplace, The Power to Create Wealth,

The Role of Christian Businesspeople in National Transformation, How Vital Is Perpetual Wealth, and Biblical Keys to Successful Branding were treated at the summit.

The event also honoured ten influential Christian entrepreneurs and business leaders. They included: Rev. Albert Ocran, Chairman, Legacy & Legacy, Nana Kumapremereh Nketiah, CEO, Omega Capital, Bishop Gideon Titi-Ofei, Senior Pastor, The Pleasant Place, Mrs. Dzigbordi Dosoo, Founder & CEO, Allure Africa Group, Dr. Joyce Aryee, President, Salt and Light Ministries, Mr. Kenneth Ashigbey, MD, Daily Graphic, Mr. Kojo Addae-Mensah, CEO, Databank Group, Mr. Samuel Sakyi-Hyde, CEO, Unicredit Ghana Ltd and Mr. Stephen Ato Eshun, MD, Sunny FM. This year’s summit was sponsored by Databank, StarLife Assurance, Unicredit, IFS Financial Services, Omega Capital, Coca-Cola and Centrifuj.

It was also partnered by Business Day, Business & Financial Times, HR Focus, TV Africa, Viasat 1, Kharis Magazine, Kharis Express, Team1000Words, Business Finder, 4Heem Apparel, Footprints TV, Sweet Melodies, Sunny FM, Holiday

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Inn Accra Airport, Starr FM, Throne Gaits, Pretty Cutty Productions, Nicksolomonblog.com and Precious TV. In her own words, Mrs. Dzigbordi Dosoo, CEO of Allure Africa Group described Spiritpreneurship 2015 as : “Awesome awesome summit….Randy, you are blessed. Congratulations to you and your team. I felt the electricity of God’s impact. I look forward to exciting times ahead when young spiritpreneurs would transform the world. Keep on keeping on”.

Another participant had this to say: “I would like to congratulate the host and the Spiritprenuership team for a very successful summit last Saturday. I have attended conferences and summits, but Spiritpreneurship summit 2015 is an exception. I felt the impact and I never want to recover from it. Indeed, we will take the world for Jesus and avail ourselves to accomplish His mission here on earth”.

By Dr. Randy Osae Bediako & Nelson Semanu Korkor

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COVER STORY

THE MEASURE OF YOUR SUCCESS IS IN YOUR OBEDIENCE TO

GOD

By Dr. Randy Osae Bediako & Nelson Semanu Korkor

J

oyce Aryee describes herself as “a very ordinary person raised in rather ordinary circumstances but blessed beyond measure by God. I lived with my mother in Kumasi in a one-bed room estate. She raised me single-handedly because my father passed away when I was just seven.

I have four other siblings with three alive. My mother had to work to take care of all of us. She was an avid reader and got us to read a lot and so, I gained knowledge quite early. A lot of my knowledge comes from reading.

So, growing up was fun but it was also hard because my mother struggled to take care of us. It was fun in the sense that we had one another and you could appreciate the effort she was making”. Her father was a post master.

“My mother worked with what is now called Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.

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shattered by financial difficulty. With her little education though, she was well read and you could engage her on any subject. Living with a single parent can be very difficult. I didn’t wear sandals and never took provisions to school because my mother could not afford it,” says Auntie Joyce.

She had her primary and middle school education in Kumasi and then sat for the Common Entrance and got admitted at Achimota School where she spent seven years and ended up as the senior Girls Prefect. She later went to the University of Ghana. “Legon gave me a lot of fun. I found a new form of freedom that I did not have at Achimota but it wasn’t good freedom because it led me to abandon my Christian faith to follow pleasure.

I managed to graduate with a Second

Class Lower to the amazement of many people.”

When Joyce left the University of Ghana in 1969, her first place of choice for work was Kingsway, a popular leading shopping center in Accra.

“I had always wanted to do something that will drive me and one that I could tell others about, so I left Kingsway to join West African Examinations Council and then to Ghana Museums and Monuments Board. From there, I joined what is now called Environmental Protection Council in 1974 where I served as pioneer Public Relations Officer. I joined Ghana Standards Authority in 1981 as PRO. In April 1983, I had my first government appointment as PNDC Secretary for Information.

Dr. Joyce R.

ARYEE

Timothy Bentum

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In 1984, I was sent to the Ministry of Education and then in 1986, I was appointed as Secretary for Local Government.” For most people, Joyce is a politician but she begs to differ. “Interestingly, everybody sees me as a politician but I don’t consider myself so.

I see myself passionate about politics because, I believe we should all care about how the country is being governed.” Just like Moses, she had abandoned her passion for the kingdom, but God would not let go.

“Whilst with the PNDC, the Lord began stirring my spirit again. I had become born again at Achimota School but had backslidden when I got to the university. The reason was simple; I did not understand what it meant to be a disciple. I did not understand that you grow on the word of God. I 30 KHARIS

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did not understand that your spiritual food is based on the word of God. I was starved and that led to my backslidden state. But the Lord would not let go because, many times in my closet, I was in tears over the kind of life I was living but because I did not fully appreciate the power of the word of God, I didn’t know that right in the word of God were the remedies for my situation.

“I will never forget how the Lord used John 14:15 to turn my life around. This scripture hit me like a thunderbolt, because I could relate to it. I broke down and confessed to the Lord that I have been living in disobedience. There were situations that led to this moment.

I had been asked to proceed on leave around 1986 and it was during that period that I spent a lot of time reading especially the Bible. It was a long leave.”

What was meant to be hell became a well of water for Joyce. “God made me fall in love with the Word and I found out that every answer for life’s daily living is in the Word.”

Dr. Joyce Aryee has some insights to share: “It is the lack of discipleship that induces backsliding. When you are properly planted in the soil of God’s love and His Word, it is difficult to backslide. Backsliding usually occurs when we think being with the Lord is a worrisome chore and we convince ourselves that we are missing out on the pleasures and joys in the world.

But true joy comes from being rooted in the Lord. The joy of the Lord does not depend on our surrounding circumstances. When I left the PDNC government in 1986 no one wanted to work with me so I decided to go and

study to become a biblical counselor. I understood that many of us as Christians are stunted in growth because we have not yet understood Christ’s work; that He takes our sins away and gives us a new life. So I wanted to help people avoid what I have been through.”

In 1992 she went for a one year training programme in Evangelism with the Great Commission Movement in Ghana. After the training, she joined them full time. But that did not work for long because there you have to work with your husband but Dr. Wereko Brobbey, her husband at the time,

was not interested in doing Christian ministry work so that ended it. Then, she started the para-church organization, Salt and Light Ministries. This was in 1997. Joyce also started a radio Bible study programme on Radio Gold and began a column in the Chronicle Newspaper.

Her new life had brought a new joy in her heart. “Suddenly, I realized that it was obedience that brought many things my way. God, by His grace had been involved in my life entirely but I could not realize it. Indeed, obedience to God always leads to rewards. God

rewards obedience.” Joyce resolved that if this is what God wanted her to do, she was going to do it joyfully for the rest of her life. “Others ridiculed me. But if your focus is really God, then if what He asks you to do is being ridiculed, no matter how ridiculous it may seem to other people who are limited in understanding and wisdom to God it is not ridiculous. So I was convinced and joyfully shared the word of God with others,” Dr. Aryee recalls.

Around this time, her son got admission to study in a university in Canada but raising the funds was very difficult.

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or. Dr. Aryee has dedicated over forty years of her time to private and public sector services in Ghana. She is a Senior Mentor for the African Leadership Initiative and the Chairperson of the Moremi Initiative for Women in Leadership for African Development (MILEAD); both mentorship institutions for young Africans. She serves on the Boards of diverse organizations including Stanbic Bank Ghana Limited, Central University College, Finatrade Foundation, AEL Mining Services Limited, GLICO General, Engineers and Planners, Omatek Computers, The Ark Fund and MAN Ghana Limited, to mention but a few.

Joyce wanted to sell her house but nobody would buy it. She had to borrow money to get her son a ticket. In her desperation, Auntie Joyce prayed to God: “You know I need money for my son’s upkeep; the child is yours. Am only a steward, I have to use your resources to take care of him,” so she left the case to God and went about her business. “Once you obey, He causes you to do things that bring glory to Him. It is not about who you are, or how much you do. The measure of our success in life is in our obedience to God. As long as you keep obeying, God will do awesome things.”

Dr. Aryee is the former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines and the first woman to head an African Chamber of Mines.

Somewhere in 2001 she got an invitation by a pastor friend in the US. She approached friends for support and ended up in the office of Sir Dr. Sam Jonah. “When I returned from the US, I was told that he was looking for me. Sir Jonah informed me about a vacancy in the Chamber of Mines.” She got confused and asked “Lord, is it the devil trying to take me away from your work?” She later consulted two pastor friends of hers; Dr. Mensa Otabil and one Dr. Joy Mante, who made her understand that ministry is wherever God decides to put you.

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come and fully focus on Salt and Light Ministries.” And just like Jabez, God granted her request.

Dr. Joyce Aryee has had a chequered marriage. She, however, says with conviction, “I would not have combined being married with the things I do.

Marriage is a ministry on its own that requires a lot of time. Some of us, God wants us single so He can use us to the full, and I am glad He has brought me to the place where I am content with being single.”

Dr. Aryee shares some secrets to encouraging spiritual entrepreneurship.

“Christian businesspeople in the corporate community could meet regularly to discuss how they can take the marketplace for Christ. We should not limit service and working for God to only the four walls of the church. Salt is of no use until it goes where it’s supposed to go. As salt, we are supposed to go into our world and effect change according to the change that we have first experienced, and it has to be intentional and strategic. We are living dynamites of God’s grace and that includes the grace to accomplish, innovate and to be versatile.”

Indeed, obedience to the call of God upon her life brought all the other good things life offers to Dr. Joyce Aryee, fully. Today she is an accomplished management and communication consultant and a professional counsel-

She was given the Second Highest State Award, the Companion of the Order of the Volta in 2006 in recognition of her service to the nation. She is also the recipient of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG), Marketing Woman of the Year Award for 2007 and the African Leadership on Centre for Economic Development’s African Female Business Leader of the Year Award for 2009. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Ghana Institution of Engineers and received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Mines and Technology in recognition of her immense contributions to the growth of the mining industry. Dr. Aryee is the Founder and Executive Director of Salt & Light Ministries, a Christian para-church organization and an avid promoter of Ghanaian classical and choral compositions.

PASTOR NANA YAW BOAKYE (MOG) P astor Nana Yaw Boakye is a young man, filled and anointed by the Holy Spirit who has set himself apart to do the work of God. Nana Yaw Boakye who is also referred to as M.O.G (Man Of God) is a versatile and highly gifted musician who has been very active in the Ghana gospel showbiz scenery for years.

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He is also one of the worship pastors at Royalhouse Chapel International and assistant music director for the 700member mass choir. His selfless character has earned him respect, honor and recognition before some local and international ministers of God. He has shared the same stage with several Ghanaian renowned gospel musicians including Cwesi Oteng, Nii Okai, Danny Nettey, Joe Mettle, Francis Amo, Eugene Zuta and many others.

Some of the international gospel musicians he has shared the stage with include Dr. Ron Kenoly and Pastor Uche Agu (Double Double fame). In 2012 he was a nominee in the Ghana Gospel Music Awards, and was also nominated for best contemporary album of the year in the Africa Gospel Music Awards.

This year M.O.G had a gospel musical concert dubbed ‘’NEW WINE CONCERT’’ which happened live on the 22nd February 2015 at ROYALHOUSE CHAPEL INT. (AHENFIE) Accra.

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and praise the Most High, and most especially to create awareness on AUSTISM, a lifelong disorder that affects the way a person views and interacts with the world. Persons with autism have difficulties in the areas of social interaction, imagination and communication. The concert was also held in honour of the Apostle General Rev. Sam Korankye marking his 55th birthday.

Contributions were made to support the Autistic Center, and persons reading this article who are touched can make their personal contribution to the Center through this account: Ecobank – Autism Awareness Care and Training. Account number: 0134402196101.

New wine concert has come to stay and it is always going to be celebrated in the month of February every year.

KINGDOM SECRETS TO PERPETUAL WEALTH DISCOVERING AND WALKING IN THE BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES THAT GUARANTEE PERPETUAL WEALTH

By Dr. Randy Osae Bediako & Nelson Semanu Korkor

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

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“God knows how to grow your business in ways you can’t conceive. God knows how to coordinate your business in ways you can’t fathom. God knows how to orchestrate the overall plan in ways you can’t predict or control. Trust Him. And do the work that He puts immediately in front of you to do.

1 Timothy 6:17, New King James Version

Bo Pilgrim – Founder, Pilgrim’s Pride Company

Spiritual Entrepreneur Wallace E. Johnson was born in 1902 into a poor farm family in Edinburg, Mississippi.

He learned carpentry as a teenager and later worked in a sawmill, lumber yard and as a building supply salesman. He went into the home-building business in Memphis, Tennessee, at age 38, with a $250 loan. Within a few years Johnson’s business was the largest and most successful in the South. In 1952, he joined with Kemmons Wilson to form the motel chain Holiday Inn. Together, they built Holiday Inn into one of the largest motel chains in the world. But what was the secret that made Johnson outstanding in his field?

In 1966, Johnson and Kemmons built Medicenters of America, Inc. Wallace Johnson was also a Spiritual Entrepreneur who insisted there is a Bible in each Holiday Inn room. He said: “THE ONE REASON WHY WE’VE ALWAYS HAD AN OPEN BIBLE IN EVERY ROOM IN THE HOLIDAY INN MOTELS IS TO HELP PEOPLE FIND JESUS AND THE SOLUTION TO THEIR PROBLEMS, NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE.” As Spiritual Entrepreneurs, Johnson and

his wife Alma were deeply involved in their church in Memphis, Tennessee and he also gave liberally to Christian causes. He once said that “I AM TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON GOD FOR HELP IN EVERYTHING I DO. OTHERWISE I HONESTLY BELIEVE I WOULD START TO FALL APART IN MONTHS.” Another Spiritual Entrepreneur, Robert Laidlaw was an influential man, and a bit of a hero in New Zealand.

He started up one of our major chain stores, and was one of the founding fathers of Laidlaw College. Robert Laidlaw is a major historical figure for New Zealand in both Christian and secular circles. He was a businessman, a philanthropist, a theological writer, and an inspiring character. He migrated from Scotland with his family as a child, and left school at sixteen to work full time at his father’s hosiery company. From early on he had an interest in business, and an ambitious drive that made itself evident in his accomplishments.

His faith was a largely forming aspect of his life, since his conversion at the Torrey Alexander Mission in 1902. In the first few weeks of his new life he formed a group called “Daniel’s Band” with several other new converts his age, some of whom went on to become missionaries. Thus started his long and active life of ministry. Robert made a commitment of complete abstinence, including swearing, smoking and drinking. This is an important detail as it was so out of character for the times. Although there were others who made such commitments, there were few who were in his circles. During his job as a wholesale traveller, it was basically expected of him to take prospective clients to a bar and shout them a drink in return for their patronage but Robert would not. The company grew with amazing speed, and merged with the Farmers Union Trading Company in 1918, where Laidlaw became the General Manager. The name was later shortened to ‘Farmers Trading Company’, or more commonly ‘Farmers’ and is one of the largest chain stores in New Zealand today.

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reality. Many believers are struggling today simply because they have failed to understand and operate on God’s covenant wavelength.

Within his company, Laidlaw stuck to his ideals when creating his company policies such as staff behaviour. Staffs were not to swear, or act in an unseemly manner, but were to be generally optimistic and create a healthy working place. To encourage and maintain this he edited a company magazine named ‘The Optimist’ which was published monthly and distributed to all staff, plus several interested others. This in turn reflected Laidlaw’s personal optimism and habit of always looking for the best in people.

When Laidlaw was 18 years old he made a tithing contract with God in his diary, committing to tithe 10% of his income. Two years later in 1906 he edited this commitment, creating a scale that increased his tithing alongside the increase in his income. Eventually, in 1919 at the age of twentyfive, he scrapped this scale in favour of tithing the greater amount of 50% to various organizations and charitable trusts. The relevance in these facts is the illustration of his values and commitments which were to become a major part of his legacy throughout his life.

In his success he blessed many organizations, groups and families that he encountered. He was chairman of the board of the New Zealand Bible Training Institute (now renamed Laidlaw College in his memory) for twenty years, as well as being heavily involved in the Brethren assemblies, Christian broadcasting and providing grants via the Bethesda Charitable Trust. He also not only supported many missionaries himself, but was ready to step in and intervene when corporate sponsors were not honouring their commitments to the families they had agreed to provide for. What Robert realizes was that playing by God’s principles in business and entrepreneurship pays big time. #KEY1: UNDERSTAND & OPERATE ON GOD’S COVENANT WAVELENGTH Ken Ofori Atta is the Co-Founder & Former Chairman of the Databank 38 KHARIS

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Group. Together with his partner, Keli Gadzekpo, they succeeded in building Databank as one of the leading investment banks in Africa, winning a lot of both national and international awards. Ken once made a profound statement on how to flow in God’s thoughts and do what moves Him: “In this world, there are two tragedies.

The first occurs because we are not purpose-focused, we are not driven by love, we do not have self-discipline, and we do not act on our faith. The second tragedy occurs because our success often becomes personal and it crowds out kingdom work. We neglect to translate our success into stewardship to glorify God and His people.

Poverty does not bring glory to God. It rather debases humanity. Wealth creation is an effective antidote to poverty. If the devil used a large sum of money to attempt to cover the gospel (good news of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ), then the church needs even larger sums of money to uncover the truth of the gospel that is hidden from many people. …Without wealth, the influence of the church would be truncated.”

Ken’s statement is straight to the point. God is deeply glad when we seek to glorify Him with whatever wealth He gives us. In fact, seeking His interest leads us to prosper faster and easier than any other. God has a covenant of wealth and prosperity for His people but only those who operate on His wavelength will experience its

King Uzziah knew this secret and committed himself to it. Darby Translation of 2 Chronicles 26:3-5 renders this as: “Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; And In The Days That He Sought Jehovah, God Made Him To Prosper”. #KEY2: UNDERSTAND AND OPERATE THE WEALTH CREATING ANOINTING You need power to achieve any great thing in this life. There is a special power that enables an individual to create wealth. That should explain why people have resorted to consulting all mediums in their attempt to create wealth. But spiritpreneurs should know better and apply this principle.

You should pray for wisdom to create wealth. You need the right partners, platforms, products and programmes to achieve your dream of creating wealth to champion God’ course.

The Authorized (King James) Version of Deuteronomy 8:17 says: “And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: For It Is He That Giveth Thee Power To Get Wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day”.

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ISRAEL-SMALL BUT OUTSTANDING Joseph Mintah / President, All for Christ Youth Missions

T

here are so many reasons why people are attracted to Israel. For some, it is the sun-drenched climate.

For others, it is the rich variety of sites and sights-historical, archeological, religious or just beauty.

For me personally, it was like a dream come true. Like Queen of Sheba said about Solomon, I had heard many wonderful things about the Holy Land but only half of it was told. What I saw there blew my mind. It was absolutely thrilling, deeply spiritual and truly satisfying. This article is to tell you what I experienced in the Holy Land firsthand.

SOME FACTS ABOUT THE HOLY LAND The birthplace of the Jewish people is the Land of Israel.

There, a significant part of the nation’s long history was enacted of which the most are recorded in the Bible.

Its physical presence has been maintained through the centuries, even after majority of them were forced into exile.

During the many years of dispersion, the Jewish people never lost contact with the Land. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Jewish independence which had been lost some two thousand years earlier, was renewed.

Israel’s history is very chequered, but fascinating. There have been long periods of foreign domination from their first exile in 586-538 BC to 1948 when it was declared a state.

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The total area of the state of Israel is 22,072sq. km of which 21,643sp km is land area. Its total size is like one-fourth the size of Ghana. Indeed if you put the map of Israel against the map of Ghana, that of Ghana can accommodate like four of that of Israel. This shows that it is a very small country. Small but outstanding. God told the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 7:6-8 that He chose them above all the nations of the earth not because they outnumber all of them (because indeed they are the fewest of them all), but He chose them because He loved them and made a covenant with their fathers.

This remains true even to this day. The entire population of Israel is 8.2million, about one-third of the population of Ghana.

PEACE AND SECURITY This is also an area that shocked me. I always had the impression that Israel was a war-torn country with missiles and grenades flying all around. The Western media’s reportage has not been fair to Israel. When I got there I was astounded by the absolute serenity and peace in the country. People went about their normal duties with no threat whatsoever. At night, the streets are busy with people doing their own thing without fear. Security is very tight but not intimidating at all. Law and order are maintained with sophisticated devices and intelligence systems.

come from all over the world to present their petitions to God. Now, God is everywhere. I know that. But some places seem to carry more of His presence than other places. For instance, the site of the Temple has been an open portal in the spirit realm. Testimonies abound on answers to prayers prayed at the Wailing Wall.

Indeed, Israel is a country which you will never know fully about till you visit.

MODERNITY The country is a very modern one with a very high level of technological advancement. Its streets are beautiful and neat. High-rise buildings and complex infrastructure abound. Very nice hotels are also there. It is just like any modern country like America and the European countries. Healthcare and education are among the world’s best.

In the City of Jerusalem, one fascinating thing I saw was that very modern structures existed side by side with very old, ancient structures. Because of its rich history and culture, many ancient sites have been preserved.

Apart from all that, most major corporate bodies have big offices and branches in Israel. I saw Apple, Microsoft, Toyota and many more in Tel Aviv, their business capital. When I came back to Ghana one question people asked me was whether they dressed like what we see in Jesus

movies or the Ten commandment movie. The answer is no. They dress like any modern country dresses. With the suits, jeans, T shirts and all. No turbans, long dresses and stuff like that.

SIGHTS AND SITES- WHY YOU MUST VISIT THE HOLY LAND As a Christian, my visit to the Holy Land made a lasting impression on me.

The Bible became more real. Walking on the very soil our Master walked on and visiting the holy sites were deeply spiritual endeavours to me. There are so many interesting sites we visited; the mount of Olives from where Jesus ascended into heaven, the garden of Gathsemane where our Lord cried to the Father in agony, the Upper Room where the Holy Spirit first came, the Tomb of David which is right beneath the Upper Room.

We also went to the Masada region which is the lowest point on planet earth, about 400m below sea level.

In this region is the Dead Sea, which is one of the wonders of the Holy Land. The Dead Sea is the only sea in the world in which no one has ever drowned. This is because if you fall into it, you float instead of sinking.

Amazing? Absolutely!

Apart from that it contains more than twenty one minerals that have amazing skin toning and healing properties.

To sum it all, I would say that you will never truly know Israel till you visit the land, the Holy Land.

Other places include the Jordan River where our Lord was baptized, and the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem.

Our tour also took us to the western wall which is popularly known as the Wailing Wall. It is the only remaining part of Herod’s Temple. Multitudes

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MINISTER’S PROFILE

BISHOP SAMUEL NOI MENSAH If you remain in an injurious environment, you will die. If you adjust to an injurious environment, you will die...like the tea bag, change the colour of your environment and not vice versa.

B

ishop Samuel Noi Mensah, President of the Full Gospel Church International (FGCI) in Ghana, emerges on the socio-economic and religious corporate landscape as a leadership colossus. With an impressive intellectual, professional and pastoral experience and landmark achievements in corporate leadership training and practice, his depth of wisdom is a resource depot for many high-level corporate executives, including church leaders, academia, traditional leaders and political leaders across the globe.

LEADERSHIP The church began as an independent prayer group at House Number I/j 94, Site 21, Community 1, Tema. It was founded by the late Very Rev. Emmanuel Ashong Mensah.

Since assuming the presidency of the FGCI on September 25, 1999, Bishop S. N. Mensah’s visionary leadership impact on the entirety of the church has been phenomenal. From a 25-branch church in Ghana, the FGCI has been radically transformed from a stagnant growth rate to a 40-plus branch church with global presence and visibility. The church’s rapid development in global impact is a product of the vision and character of Bishop Mensah.

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EDUCATION Bishop Mensah had his ministerial training at the All Nations for Christ Bible Institute in Benin City, Nigeria; the Eston College, Sask, Canada; and the Canadian Bible College. He holds a Bachelor of Theology degree and a Master’s degree in Governance and Leadership (MGL) from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

CONSULTING A Leadership Development Consultant of international repute, Bishop S. N. Mensah has lifted the dim sights of corporate leaders through cutting-edge training in strategic visionary planning and skills development. He is Founder and CEO of Omega Leadership International, a leadership capacity development organization, whose activities include capacity building and training programmes to various academic institutions, faith-based organizations and Corporate institutions.

Bishop Mensah strongly believes that as a people, Africa is where it is now as a result of ineffective leadership. In the next 25 or 50 years, Africa will be better or worse off depending on the type of leaders she has. Therefore, the time to train, develop and equip leaders is now! In view of this, he has developed leadership training modules for second cycle and tertiary students who are the “tomorrow leaders” of our nations and corporate institutions. By developing influential high-impact leadership, Omega Leadership Inter-

national provides the best training required by managers and leaders to influence people towards attainment of organizational goals.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS Bishop Mensah’s astute leadership insights have endeared him to both local and international audiences. He speaks at international leadership conferences, and trains and coaches corporate executives. Again, his visionary leadership influence has had great recognition in his choice for key roles in Christian-related activities and public service. His vision model, “S.P. E.C.I.A.L” (Specific, People-centred, Challenging, Inspiring, Audacious and Long-term) has had great impact on his audiences and leadership trainees, and continues to attract positive attention in corporate and religious circles globally.

PUBLICATIONS A prolific writer, Bishop S. N. Mensah has several incisive publications which include Developing Spiritual Maturity (Teachers’ Manual for Class 201 Teachers of Full Gospel Church International), Keys to Financial Prosperity, Ten Commandments of Expansion and Vision: The Fuel For Leaders.

FAMILY Bishop Mensah lives in Tema, Ghana, with his dear wife, Mrs. Victoria O. Mensah, and their son, Samuel Mensah Jr.

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KEEP FIT

LIVING THE REALITY OF THE WORD

Rev. Dr. & Mrs. Linda Larbi / (Action Chapel International, Tema Community 9)

Be instant in season and out of season….

As I drove down my usual bumpy untarred route to drop off Abbie, my 11year old positively curious daughter, it HIT me; LIVING THE REALITY OF THE WORD OF GOD IS DIFFERENT FROM MAINSTREAM CHARISMATIC PRAYER. It may well have been because it was a particular morning that I did not feel “prayed up”.

2 TIMOTHY 4:2

For it was not the season for figs….

MARK 11:13

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That notwithstanding, I couldn’t shake off this surging truth that had just “hit” me.

Truth is, we have to pray, must pray and should pray.

Prayer, though it contributes to “living the word”, is not exactly the same as living the word.

In other words, you can pray without living in the reality of the word of God.

To live the WORD is to narrow every other alternative or contrary view to the Bible, to the point of oblivion.

To live the WORD is to hold doggedly to every claim of the WORD throughout all the spectrum of mood swings.

To live the WORD is to plant yourself incontrovertibly as the finished article of all of Christ’s endeavours on our behalf.

To live the WORD is to be both excitedly Christian and soberly Christian.

By all means keep praying and stay fit and alert for HIS coming by LIVING THE WORD 24/7.

KEEP FIT IN SEASON AND OUT OF SEASON.

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WOMAN

GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE

RIGHT

Lois Osae Bediako (Esq) / Associate Publisher, Kharis Magazine

S

ince creation days, God has used people to accomplish His purposes and plans for the world. In history, in the present times and even for future purposes, God always does things through man. But one thing that amazes me is the fact that, though He is God and can choose to use anybody at all to accomplish His plans, He uses nobodies; He uses the least recognised people; He uses the condemned; He uses the rejected; He uses the lowly to bring glory to Himself.

Naaman was a great man. So great in his time that the Bible calls him a “mighty man of valor”. He had found favour before God and his master. Yet, Naaman had a challenge. He was a leper. There was no cure for him, and though he had all the money and influence in his time and country, he had no solutions.

His wife had a maidservant, who had been captured from Israel. A young lady who had no records, no family, a nobody. Her father is not even mentioned. A servant who will not even be considered or allowed to even attend family meetings in Naaman’s house.

Somebody who could be sold or killed at the pleasure of her master.

She was a nobody, but had just witnessed the power of God in her home town. She may not have even known God personally, because she said if Naaman would meet the man of God. That is all God needed and that is all 48 KHARIS

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God used. You would wonder why God didn’t just connect Naaman to Elisha directly. After all they were all great people. Great people deal with great people. Presidents discuss issues with presidents, not slaves. Directors discuss issues with directors, not cleaners.

The Big share ideas with the Big, and the small with the small. Period!

But no, God will just not do that. He could just have made this healing of Naaman, to be directed by the king of Syria who would have been told about the prophet by another king, so that the whole story will be polished, and will have the aroma of important people. But No!, that is my God. The One who uses nobodies to make big incontestable statements!

So, my dear, today if you find yourself among the nobodies, if you find yourself at the bottom of the ladder, hold on. You can be working in a place for years but one day at a meeting your boss will ask somebody about you, “Is she a client or staff?” He doesn’t even know your name. You may be the least in your family so that when they go for family meetings nobody even takes note of you.

Don’t worry, once you are a Christian, once you love God, you don’t need to be big before He can use you. You don’t need to be up there before God

will make you important.

You are important to God today, you are important to Him now. God needs you and has use of you where you are.

Whether you are qualified or not, solutions for your superiors can be with you. You may not have the academic qualifications, but since you have God, ideas to push your company to its new level can be deposited in your spirit by God. Naaman’s deliverance was because the girl showed them where it was. They would have moved round the whole world and missed it. She was the basis of the miracle. God will make you the reason why people will succeed. God will use you at the beginning of people’s success stories. Some big breakthrough testimonies won’t be shared without you being mentioned. Some histories won’t be read without you being mentioned.

Don’t despise yourself. Don’t think where you are is too low. Just position yourself in the presence of God. He will surprise you by bringing about great miracles through you. You are important to God!

~Get your perspective right~

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LEADERSHIP

WHERE ARE THE LEADERS? George Kojo Addison /M.D StarLife Assurance Co. Ltd.

I am still believing God for a miracle to rescue our motherland from further rape and torture! It is still possible to reverse the decline in social disorder and the moral and economic deterioration. Ghana does not need warriors to wage a war against corruption and social stagnation. Ghana needs a leader and men and women who think and act like the leader to effect a change.

We need a change and it is urgent. We are sitting on a time bomb as a nation.

Who is on the side of Ghana? Who is willing to join the forces of change to bring some dignity and pride to Ghana, my motherland? Where are the leaders? I am not referring to heads.

We have many heads but few leaders.

We can win the war against corruption and malfeasance in public and private places only when we allow the Light of God to lead us. Without the fear of God factor in our lives, we will be deceived into thinking that diverting public funds is refined robbery.

Most heads of institutions have become “armed robbers”. They have successfully put the institutions they head to sleep by their autocratic and poor

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leadership styles. They have succeeded in dazing their institutions by engaging in robbery with impunity. Where are the lights of the world? And the salt of the earth? Believers are leaders and we are being called upon to lead by letting our lives so shine before men.

True believers who believe they have the wherewithal to effect changes in their institutions should rise up and be counted. Ghana is looking for leaders and not heads of institutions!

I want to end this piece by admonishing those who think Ghana is blind, dumb and deaf and for that matter Ghana cannot rise up against their nefarious activities to wake up and put a stop to the atrocities metted out to Ghana.

I am saddened by the wanton dissipation, diversion and dilution of public funds and assets. The God of Ghana is alive and very soon Ghana will rise up and all those betraying Ghana by their misdeeds will be found out. Digest this verse from the Bible:

Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathers by labour shall increase – Proverbs 13:11.

Ghana shall rise up again and all those taking undue advantage of her shall fall. Let all wise-hearted Ghanaians rise up and Ghana shall rise up and shine again.

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StarLife

Assurance IMPECCABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE

A

lbert had told me of his insurance policy when he started it about ten years ago. At that time I had dismissed it thinking to myself I would never need it. Not that I thought he would live forever, but death for him looked so far away from us all. After about thirty -five years of marriage I had lost him.

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when I remembered how we met. Oh God! How am I to move on? What am I to do? Without my Al, he was my everything. Up till date there are certain things I cannot do like even fix a light bulb. Al spoilt me rotten.

I looked at the office complex of StarLife Assurance and it was indeed beautiful. Their colours were so

endearing. Looking at such a bright edifice contradicted my morose emotions and depressed feeling that morning. I was so tired and angry with the world I wasn’t in the mood for any queues or frustrations of ‘go and bring passport pictures’etc as is always done by these insurance companies.

When I entered the building I was quickly met with a sweet fragrance which got me trying to sniff the air well to get more. Which air freshener do these people use, it was so unique and calm. Well, I reminded myself of my purpose there and moved to the customer service table.

A young lady was sitting behind the desk with a bright smile.

She sang her hello and asked me to have a seat. I asked her where the claims office was and she said, “Ei, mummy , I love your braids.” Despite my battered emotions that morning I felt a smile on my lips. “Thank you,” I responded. She whispered to me, “Do you know You Tube?” I said yes. She said, “Go there; you will find more styles you can try with your braids.” I just couldn’t help myself. I started laughing.

This girl was sweet. She directed me to the claims office. I said, “Thank you.”

As I was going I kept smiling and felt a little lighter than I had come in.

When I entered the office there was a charming young man.

Just about the age of my son, Danny, who was resident outside the country. He got up and said, “Momee!”

I smiled because that was how Danny also called me.

I told him why I was there. He took me through the processes, which was swift. Within thirty minutes I had a cheque in my hand going to receive my departed Al’s benefits.

As I stood up to leave this young man’s office, he looked at me and said, “Momee, concentrate on the good and beautiful memories you have of the old man, and smile about them because you experienced a beautiful marriage.

He may be gone, but no one can take away those memories from you.”

Till today, I live each day with that admonishing in my mind. I have printed it and framed it in my hall. StarLife Assurance customer service is personal. Not only did I receive my claims without stress, they made a lasting impact on my life. From You Tube braid styles to my theme for living!

I have shared my story with you; go to StarLife Assurance and take up one of their policies. I can assure you when the time comes you will be happy you did.

Thank you, Star Life Assurance.

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RHEMA

DON’T BOW TO THE SHADOWS Joseph Mintah / President, All for Christ Youth Missions

A

s we abide in the Lord, we will start seeing things from His perspective. When that happens, we will esteem things He esteems and disregard things He disregards.

The things Satan uses to distract us from doing what we have been called to do are very legimate things of this life.

Jesus gave a parable about a man who invited people to dinner. It was not an invitation to labour but just to come and relax and dine with Him (Luke 14:15-24).

They all used legitimate concerns of life to excuse themselves from eternal life.

If we don’t take care, we will be chasing shifting shadows till we come to the end of our lives only to realize that we have been fooled by all the grandiose imagery and mirages of life.

When the Israelites were building Pharaoh’s empire, he set taskmasters over them who dictated the daily quota or target they should reach.

Satan also has set taskmasters for us who drive us to meet their expectations and targets. Some of the taskmasters are fame, recognition, wealth, position, status etc. Basically, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1John 2:15).

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power, status or even for a title.

All these are fleeting things which have been given to us by Satan as taskmasters.

It is unfortunate that we Christians who are supposed to be free from this yoke sometimes also put ourselves under such yokes.

There is one taskmaster that I want to talk about. He has been robbing a lot of Christians of their joy and rest. His name is THEY.

They say’, ‘They think’, ‘They want’.

When Esau was born, it wasn’t his parents who gave him his name Esau.

It was ‘They’ who gave him his name.

Check this out in Genesis 25:25 And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so THEY called his name Esau (NKJV).

The same thing happened when John the Baptist was born. “They” was there again to name him. Luke 1:59 So it was, on the eighth day, that THEY came to circumcise the child; and THEY would have called him by the name of his father Zacharias (NKJV).

‘They” stands for the opinion and pressure of people as against the opinion of God. Satan uses that to let

you stray from your place of rest and to let you carry other people’s yoke.

For instance, ‘They’ will tell you that if you don’t do this or that, you are not this or that. Do you understand that?

‘They’ will set an imaginary target for you to reach. ‘They’ will try to define for you what success in life and ministry is.

One advice the Holy Spirit gave me through a friend when I released my book, ‘My all for His best’ was that, I shouldn’t allow people to put the armour of Saul on me (1Sam 17:3839). You know Saul tried to give David his armour when he was going to fight Goliath. But David could not move in that. Don’t allow people to push you into their mould and don’t allow the world too to squeeze you into it’s mould.

Saul himself lost his calling by fearing the pressure of the people.

Pastors who have not been delivered from their congregation cannot help them much. If we are afraid of the people departing from us than we are of the Holy Spirit, we are under the task master - ‘THEY’.

I believe that if we could expend the same effort we put into bringing people to our churches into attracting God’s presence, we would be more helpful to our members.

To be continued...

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