TABLE OF
CONTENTS Asafomaame
Lady Rev. Grace Tera Korsinah
8-17
Cover Story
Rev. Abena Tay
19-24
Chrisprenuer
27-33
Hearts Connect
Art and Act of Worship
36-40
My Opinion
Spiritual Negotiation Skills
42-44
Soul Food
The limits of God’s Grace
46-49
The Street Preacher
52-57
V
Samuel Mintah
EDITORIAL Grace Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin (Published 1910, Julia H. Johnston) These are the Beautiful words of a song written by Julia H. Johnston now in the public domain but first published in 1910 which resonate the anchor of our salvation - Grace! The book of Romans declares
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 NKJV This gift is as a result of the grace of God toward us His creation, an unmerited and undeserved favor and acceptance displayed towards us in Christ simply because He loved us! Why? Because He purposely made us in His image, to rule with Him and even though
we sinned, He has never turned His back on us or His purpose for creating us. Even though we sinned and rejected Him, God continues to say there is no sin too hard for Him to forgive. There is no depth, height or spread that He will not go to redeem us. How appropriate the words of this song are – pardon, cleanse within, greater than any sin. Beloved, God’s grace is still available to you as long as you have breath and no matter how far you have fallen in sin, He assures you, like the prodigal Father, that He still loves you. Come back to His open arms and live intake fullness of His grace Enjoy this month’s edition and go on to share the message of grace with a loved one and save a soul today. Happy and grace-filled reading.
Sidney Koranteng - Editor
This edition of Asafomaame features the first Lady of God’s Haven Ministries - a proud MOGAN; a bilingual graduate of Ghana’s premier university - University of Ghana, Legon and a holder of an MBA in Project Management from GIMPA. After some time in the corporate world, she went into full time ministry, supporting her husband in a number of creative ways to invite people in their sphere of influence to a dance with purpose. One thing spurs her on: a relentless quest to be among those children of God who will manifest heaven on earth. Enjoy the interview and be challenged to be a better version of you... TCM: You are known for this quote, “Never mind who frowns if God smiles.” Can you elaborate on why it’s one of your favorites? GTK: Well, we live to please God who is the judge we will ultimately account to. The Bible also enjoins us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). We are thus to live our lives in alignment with God’s purpose and not to please men. In pursuit of this cause, there are bound to be a lot of human distractions which is why I love that quote because it is encouraging. Once I know I’m in line with the Holy Spirit leading me I just press on, and by the grace of God I have a husband who is also very conscious and supportive of this as
well.
well as some counselling online.
TCM: As an old girl of Mfantsiman Senior High, if given the chance, would it still be your choice and what are some of the experiences you picked up from the school? GTK: Yes and if given the chance I would go there again but of course with the mentality of making an impact given what I know now. Even though every institution has its peculiar challenges, all in all it was a good place. At the time we had water shortages and had to travel long distances to fetch water. The challenge of having very little water in a female environment not only developed in me a sense of hard work but also a level of humility which is very necessary for ministry.
TCM: Briefly take us through your career path. GTK: After my national service in the year 2000, I travelled to Cote d’Ivoire and worked with Servex Business Centre for 3months and one and a half years in Ameritech Institute, both in Abidjan. I returned to Ghana and joined SG-SSB Bank in June 2003 as a personal assistant to the new French Managing Director and was later transferred to the Foreign Operations Department. I left SG-SSB in September 2007 to join Intercontinental Bank (now Access Bank), where I worked till I finally left the corporate world in
TCM: Can you give us your journey through tertiary education at the University of Ghana, Legon? GTK: It wasn’t all smooth sailing, with hitches here and there especially since I was coming from a Christian home. It was what I would refer to as a ‘pressurized’ environment and as much as I tried to stay focused, there were occasional distractions but God saw me through. I begun with Linguistics, Spanish and French and majored in Spanish and Linguistics. The language option has worked for my good as we currently have a branch church in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea where Spanish is spoken, giving me the opportunity to do translations as
April 2012 to fully pursue God’s call. I have been a full-time Kingdom worker since then and I feel much more fulfilled. I work with God’s Haven Ministries as an Associate Pastor while pursuing other ministries like Kingdom Lady Diplomats and Kingdom Lifestyle Pageant. TCM: Tell us about your spouse and family? GTK: My husband is Prophet Jones Korsinah, the Founder and Senior Pastor of God’s Haven Ministries. Has also founded Kingdom Men Network and I-Can Youth Ministry, with an agenda to develop individuals to live lives of purpose. He’s an amazing man and given another chance I would marry him all over again! He’s a great leader with a strong sense of purpose and direction. He is quick to caution me when it seems I’m going off course or ‘running ahead of set times’, an intervention, I graciously appreciate and heed to. He was instrumental in getting me to initiate the Kingdom Lifestyle Pageant and the outcome is there for all to see. We have been blessed with three adorable biological children, Paula, Josiah and Juanita: the oldest being almost 13 years, the second 11years while the last is 9 years old. We are also blessed with many more spiritual children. TCM: We understand you’re also a Reverend Minister. Tell us what led you into accepting the call to such
an honorable office? GTK: The love for God and the passion to see His will done on earth as it is in heaven are what led me into accepting this honourable office. At a point my love for banking totally disappeared and was replaced with a passion to see people living in God’s original purpose for their lives. I have never regretted heeding this call since 2012. TCM: Tell us about the Kingdom Lady Diplomats. GTK: The Kingdom Lady Diplomats (KLD) is a non-denominational
Christian ladies movement with an agenda to restore the culture of the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth. Its vision is to nurture and develop young women through mentorship to have a strong sense of love, identity and purpose. Let me explain the name to you. Kingdom: We belong to the Kingdom of God and we understand the values and the culture of the Kingdom we are living in. Ladies: We are ladies who are refined, cultured, well-mannered and graceful. Diplomats: We’re representing heaven in this earthly realm. This gives us a sense of purpose. That’s basically KLD for you. TCM: Being the CEO and Founder of the Kingdom Lifestyle Pageant, can you tell us what it is all about? GTK: The pageant is an initiative of Kingdom Lady Diplomats and the focus is to project ‘heaven’s culture’. This was actually a mandate given through my husband in August 2015, that the Lord wanted me to do this. The maiden edition came off earlier this year on 14th July 2018. Jesus commanded in Mark 16:15 that we ‘go into all the world and preach the Gospel’. The “world” is from the Greek word Kosmos, which denotes systems; like the arts and entertainment, media, religion, business and finance, family, education, government and family. Jesus’ instruction was thus….”pen-
etrate these systems and influence them with haven’s culture”. KLP has penetrated the pageantry system (arts and entertainment) to influence it with heaven’s blissful lifestyle: its godly wisdom, power, glory, healthy moral standards and the total wellbeing for humanity. Many young ladies aspire to be in pageants, which though not evil in itself has turned out to be so because of misplaced values and selfish motives. Unlike other pageants, our emphasis is more on inner qualities, high moral standards and manifestation of kingdom values rather than mere physical beauty. KLP entails intensive grooming/ mentoring sessions, where ladies are taught Kingdom standards, effective communication, purpose discovery, personal branding, true identity, influential leadership and anything that will make them complete (holistic) and live effectively in the world, just as God intended it to be. The ‘pageant’ is just the ‘icing on the cake’ because once you participate, even before you get to the finals, you have the chance to embark on a project that will positively affect lives. By this we are fulfilling the great commission in style. Our focus is on ladies in the tertiary institutions because that’s the ‘melting pot’ of character formation, but where a lot of ignorance thrives.
Through the pageant and amazing prizes as further motivation, we are able to make a change in their lives. See FB/Instagram: Kingdom Lifestyle Pageant and Website: www. klpageant.com TCM: Are there any other projects you are engaged in and equally passionate about? GTK: I am passionate about purpose and identity and so apart from the KLP, Kingdom Lady Diplomats has a mission’s team which tours tertiary institutions and Senior High Schools to impact lives. TCM: What is your best description of a leader? GTK: I believe a leader is someone who understands and pursues his
purpose as well as having the ability to inspire and influence others to achieve their God-ordained destination. TCM: What is that most important trait which has led to your achievements so far? GTK: It is my love for God. I have my flaws but all I desire is to see the will of God done in my life. Intimacy with the Spirit of God is something I crave for everyday because He continually refines my character to look more like the Master. He (Holy Spirit) drives my passion in all that I do. Another is the desire to make sure my husband succeeds. This is every wife’s core assignment. For instance, I wouldn’t fight a church member who provokes me because of the possible negative impact it could have on his ministry. I want to go to heaven and hear God say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” TCM: In your own words, and from experience what is the true purpose of an Asafomaame? (The first Lady of a church) GTK: The true purpose of an Asafomaame is to be a true help meet for the husband. (Gen 2:18, 21-22). You are by his side to help him accomplish the vision God gave him and not your own. Your assignment naturally flows from his. It is mostly said that the man is the head and the woman the neck but really that
is not the case. The “necks” are the women who crave to control and manipulate their husbands to suit their own selfish motives. They have the tendency to change the direction the “head” is going and which is what happened to Adam and Eve in the garden. They were on a set course of obedience to God until Eve derailed it. An Asafomaame is actually the “rib” and our function is to support, protect and empower our husbands just like the rib cage does in the body. In other words, to support him spiritually, morally, financially, emotionally, etc; protect his vision and empower him to succeed and prevail against any opposition. A lot of Asafomaames are not fulfilled because they are not fulfilling this assignment, and just like Dr Myles Munroe quoted, “when purpose is unknown abuse is inevitable”. TCM: And what will be your advice to other Asafomaame out there? GTK: Something I learnt from a book by Ruth Graham, the wife of Billy Graham, which is “Never allow your husband to be what the Holy Spirit should be for you.” The Spirit of God should be ‘everything’ to you. He is your source of joy, strength, peace and all. He knows you and He knows your husband even more than your husband knows himself. He (the Holy Spirit) will give you wisdom to effectively play your role. I advise women a lot but what I tell them is this; “I will give you general
wisdom but know that our spouses are different (in assignments and temperaments), and you can’t handle yours exactly how I handle mine; as such intimacy with the Spirit of God will empower you to know your husband better and to support him appropriately.” Of course this role comes with a lot of challenges; persecutions, betrayals, false accusations, etc, but the Holy Spirit enables one to handle things rightly. TCM: Which personalities (foreign and local) are or were very instrumental in the woman you have become today? GTK: Locally, the first would be my parents and then my husband. As a senior pastor’s wife, Lady Rev. Adelaide Heward-Mills has been of great inspiration to me. (I have personally spoken to her just once). She’s a great but humble woman who I admire so much simply by considering her husband’s ministry. Can you imagine being the wife of a great Man of God with over 3,000 churches worldwide and still growing? This feat cannot be achieved without a wise, understanding and supportive wife! I listen to her teachings a lot and have learnt a lot from her. My inclination towards her ministry is also because of the similarities with what my husband and I are working to achieve. I also look up to some few other women like Lady Rev. Dr. Abena Tay, a truly amazing
person. Internationally, there have been many kingdom-minded personalities but the most instrumental (over 10 years) has been Dr Myles Munroe of blessed memory. TCM: We hear a lot about Gender Inequality in our society. What is your take on that subject and have you ever been in a situation where you had to deal with it yourself? GTK: God created man and woman equally but to function in different ways based on purpose. Until men and women alike discover this and function accordingly, we will continue to have challenges. The scenario of make-up and proper function can be likened to how we respond to a car manufacturers instructions. There are specific places for fuel, where to start the ignition, battery
etc. For efficiency and smooth running, the user is required to follow the instruction manual. Imagine what would happen if water is put in the fuel tank? Well this is what happens when men and women refuse to be who they were called or made to be and function accordingly. We all need to go back to biblical truths and enjoy the peace that comes with living according to your purpose as revealed in the Word. For me I learnt this truth before I married so it never became an issue. Here’s a little advice for the men – As the head (of the union) which houses the eyes, nose, ears and the mouth, ask yourself- are you a vi
sionary? Seeing the way God sees, hearing his voice and acting accordingly? Are you discerning? Do you speak the mind of God? In the beginning Adam was in tune with God and able to discern what God would call his wife and the animals, names that actually existed in God’s mind and which we can say Adam ‘downloaded’. Most men of our time don’t spend time in the presence of God to know His mind and His ways. On the contrary, we tend to find women doing the praying and seeking. In such instances the man is technically not “leading” her thus causing frustration in the union. The man is the visionary with the woman in his life to help to achieve the vision and not to take over. TCM: What is the impact you want to have in the Kingdom? GTK: When the disciples came to Jesus and asked him to teach them how to pray, He taught them: “Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” God has a desire for ‘heaven to be lived on earth’. He wants His kingdom culture to influence the systems of the world. Jesus came to remind us about this and to restore us to the original plan for us to be priests and kings unto our God. I want to be a part of those end time ambassadors that the Lord is using to manifest heaven on earth and I’m looking forward to God using me to build a community
of women who are walking in purpose and manifesting the fullness of God. Ultimately, I want to be an example and also help others walk in their full potentials and to help my husband so that he will not fail to achieve his assignment here on earth.
... It is my love for God. I have my flaws but all I desire is to see the will of God done in my life.
TCM: Was leading the church always something you had in mind? If not, what sparked the idea to move in that direction? AT: I have always had the passion for this. My mother tells me when I was young, I would gather kids together and even bath them! Back in school, I would be the one to resolve issues among my mates when they came up. My Roman Catholic background also contributed to this disposition and all in all I believe it was an inspiration from God from birth. TCM: I’m aware of your membership and leadership role at Dunamis Centre before your ministry. As you weighed out the decision to branch out on your own, what were the biggest positives and the biggest insecurities that went through your mind during the process? AT: I believe there is a training period in each of our lives and in that instance I was fortunate to work under a great man of God in the person of Rev Ephraim. A lot of the skill I developed were mainly as a result of him giving me opportunities to bring out the best in me. He would put me on the spot unexpectedly and expect me to perform! He was also the kind who wouldn’t take “no”
for an answer. I recall telling him once that I had had enough of the responsibilities he was giving me but he merely responded by saying there’s nothing like ‘too much’. Those were days when I found myself in the choir, a patron of the youth ministry – I was practically everywhere. What this did though, was to give me exposure and develop experience in hands on training TCM: How has your career path in the past contributed to your current position at The Abena Tay Ministries? AT: I’m an educationist, trained as a nurse and child psychologist, areas I believe I am called into. This training has helped me a lot because kids have different temperaments and there are times I realize that they need prayer and counselling. This makes me more proficient in what I love to do and for me it translates into my godly duties or calling. I wouldn’t really divorce the two TCM: What projects are you particularly proud to have been involved in throughout your ministry?
was initially unclear exactly what to do; I started by collecting used clothing for children, sharing and spending time with the area children. It was only after an incident one night, when a woman walking around at crying for help about a dying daughter that it all started to come together. I didn’t have a car to go the hospital but I felt directed by God to pray for the convulsing child. When the child came back to normal I realized my calling.
AT: these are activities centred on women. Yearly, I have a program called Back to the Sixties, for widows from all over which attracts not less than 500 widows at a time. The event is a day’s activity, focussed on entertaining them and especially indulging in scenarios from the past. It allows them to relive the great times with their husbands, in so doing bringing back the joys. We also select a few to be empowered financially to start some viable business. Another project I am proud of is the Child In Need foundation (CIN). It begun about 20 years ago when life was tough and God spoke to me to put kids together for Him. It
TCM: What do you enjoy most about leading the church? AT: Being a mother and not just a pastor. I feel very proud when people walk up to me with things they haven’t discussed with anyone. I have a vibrant youth ministry, and for me the joy in seeing these young guys walk to me and reveal things to me and feel that I’m the best person they can talk to. I say to God’s glory that without condemning them, but instead admonition and encouraging them, most of them are transformed. TCM: As you reflect on the various roles you’ve taken through the course of your service in the church, how would you best describe the general attitude of members towards tasks assigned in the church? AT: I feel that most people are lazy.
We’ve reached that era where people are ‘using’ God instead of allowing God to use them. People pretend and scheme and once they get what they want they are out. Sacrifice is no longer the order and instead it’s only about convenience. You assign roles and responsibilities yet people are still not working.
talking to people and helping them build a solid relationship with God as well as emphasizing the need to be co-labourers in the kingdom of God.
TCM: What is your take on the Ghanaian gospel music industry? AT: Things are hanging. We’ve been exposed to people doing urban gospel and these are people TCM: How can this be changed? who love God and choose to exAT: I think we need to continue press themselves in that area. It’s got to a point when I really wasn’t listening to Ghanaian gospel. At some point, it was all noise and shouting and you really couldn’t meditate with these songs but I think that now the urban gospel, are doing things differently and passionately. They should have a little more bible-based content and they need to wait more on the face of God so they can be more prompted in the things of God TCM: What role have you played in ensuring that worship leaders in your church minister & lead from a place of authenticity and truthfulness? AT: I’m a worshipper myself. In my church, we do a lot of fasting and prayers and leaders don’t just come and lead but are required to minister in their area of calling in order to lead under divine inspiration. We teach them to prayerfully wait on the Lord and allow them
selves to be used by the Holy Spir- people who would do anything it and not do things because they for the Lord, people who profess have seen others do it. to love the Lord but you will realize that it didn’t go the way you TCM: In music and ministry, who expected it to go but they are still has served as your biggest influ- sons of God. ences? AT: In ministry, it would be Rev TCM: With the ministry at the cenEphraim. I also have a spiritual fa- ter of everything, how much of ther- Rev Hammond, he actual- your life is dedicated to your home ly ordained me and has led me in and the time spent with family? the phases. I have a loving moth- AT: It’s very demanding. Because er in the Lord- Rev Joyce Obeng, to position yourself all over the CCC. I have people like Kathryn world is a heavy task. But I am Kulhmnan I look up to. On the lo- proud to say I do my best to spend cal scene Becky Bonney is gen- time with my family. In the mornuine and someone I look up to. ing, we have devotion. And every ‘The Daughters of Glorious Jesus’ once in a while, my kids pop into have been on the scene for so the room and find out how I’m dolong but yet still powerful. I listen ing. I also make time to go to the to Cece Twum, Diana Asamoah, market and cook. Cece Winans whom I pick up a lot of my messages from TCM: Was there ever a time when you questioned your ability to TCM: Can you share with me the lead the church as a woman and toughest lesson learned through- a mother? out your ministry? AT: Numerous times. ParticularAT: When people have not stayed ly when you get to certain cross faithful. To have lost people you’ve roads, and you’re thinking did I brought up, people you’ve be- hear it right? Because it may seem lieved in, people you’ve been there things are not working and I still for- when they turn their backs on have opposition from all sides beyou and forget. I had a few lead- cause I’m a woman. I walk into ers God led me to train at branch- meetings I’m supposed to chair es I had set up to work but I wit- and people turn around think “oh nessed a lot of politics in ministry. she’s a woman” only to change It has been a bad experience for their attitude after they realize me. It has been very hurtful and what I have to offer. Over the disappointing because these are years, I have become certain that
I am God’s choice to lead and I am not intimidated by anything. Mine is to stay focused with my steps being guarded by God. TCM: How did you overcome such doubts AT: In the beginning, I wanted to give up and be a wife and a mother to my children. But God has a way of prompting us through dreams and through other people He brings our way. So I started to believe that the voice I heard was God’s voice so I tried to eliminate other voices. TCM: What would you say to anyone struggling in their faith and unsure about how to utilize their God-given gifts? AT: You definitely would get through struggling. You’ll meet the wilderness period somewhere but you need to believe in the purposes of God concerning your life. I base my life on the word “Chavvah” which means life-giving.
“I base my life on the word “Chavvah” which means life-giving” Everyone has the potential to do what God has called them to do. If you give up, it doesn’t stop God from positioning another. You won’t be doing yourself any favours if you quit. It is a mandate and you need to fulfil it. There will be a day for accountability and you will be held accountable for every assignment given to you.
otic canines. TCM: Let’s start on this note… Why do you call yourself a pedigree Ewe? SGQ: My Dad is Ewe, my Mum is Ewe. My Dad’s Dad is Ewe, my Dad’s Mum is Ewe. My Mum’s Dad is Ewe, my Mum’s Mum is Ewe. There was no way I could escape being Ewe. I’m only glad they didn’t give me typical Ewe names like, Hope, Favor or Blessings.
Selassie Gerald Quarcoo is an only child of his parents; he calls himself a pedigree Ewe. Coming from a broken home, he had to battle his way through depression. At a point in his growth, he couldn’t write the numbers 7, 4, 3, 8 plus some alphabets and struggled with mathematics as a subject in class. Twice he attempted suicide but the grace of the heavenly Father kept him from dying. Then He met Christ and found peace for his soul and purpose for his life. Now a Sunday school coordinator, Youth church coordinator and a member of the drama group in his local church – Victory Bible Church International. He shares with The Creed Magazine one of his passions in life – breeding ex-
TCM: Is this one of your dogs? Tell me about her. SGQ: She’s a Maltese – a toy dog used in renaissance France and Britain and now popular in America. They usually come all white but this one has a hue of black, brown and grey. I visited a friend and the father offered her to me! I was overjoyed! When I went to church that day, I danced so much and like King David, I “disgraced” ….all because of a dog. I had gone out empty handed and come back with a dog! TCM: So tell me how did this whole idea of breeding dogs begin? SGQ: It started as a form of anger. Anger is just passion overturned if you think about it and I was angry at the way some people would poorly take care of their dogs. Aside keeping these dogs, I want to give
“ “
good dogs to good homes because when a dog is sold off, it isn’t just selling the dog but I feel responsible for it the rest of its life. It’s like you marrying your child off – she’s still your child though she’s now somebody’s wife. So I started but I didn’t have any money and these dogs are quite expensive to take care of as a college student. I had to cut down on spending but I still wasn’t raising enough to buy them. By faith, one day, I built a kennel, entered it and prayed. I told GOD that since He gave me the faith to build a kennel, He
should give me a dog before the end of the year (2017). Later on in the same year, my uncle offered me one which was an answer to my prayer of faith. That first dog was in a bad condition, terrible skin condition, under weight and full of worms so I took it upon myself to take care of it as if it was my own brother in the ICU. As I speak to you that dog – Riley – is producing beautiful puppies. I spent a lot on him (people actually wanted to buy him but you don’t sell your capital – he’s my testimony too!). That dog has taught me a lot: he taught me about responsibility and trust. He was a year old when I took him and he had every right to be aggressive
with me but he didn’t. If a dog could trust me because I cared for him, how much more the love of God? The love of God is relentless. The song writer said, “There is no shadow He won’t light up, no mountain He won’t climb, coming after me; there’s no wall He won’t kick down.
told my Grandma that, I’m grown (23), I don’t want to be asking her for money every time rather I want to get assets and work for myself and doing something I love not white collar jobs. Grandma said, ‘Fine, take the back of the house. Make sure it’s nice, put your kennel there but don’t disturb us.’ Fast forward, this dog has caught TCM: How did you manage to take two thieves, (he has killed two cats care of your first dog? though). SGQ: Most of it came from my upkeep money and I had some sav- TCM: You trained them to what, ings. The only thing I wouldn’t catch thieves? touch was my tithe – that was a SGQ: He’s social, he can play with no-no. Sometimes I wouldn’t eat, kids but at night he’ll still do his other times I couldn’t give offer- job. Thank God for social media – ings in church but I knew it would there are pros and cons to everypay off. I kept telling God that, ‘I thing. When I was a kid, I associatprayed and you gave him to me, ed with people (my uncles, etc.) You give me the strength to sus- who had dogs and asked questain him’. tions: how to feed them, how a dog behaves, reacts, etc. I have a “I told GOD that since He gave theory now that, the first 100 days of a dog’s life is very crucial, just me the faith to build a kenlike the foundation you give to a nel, He should give me a dog child will be what carries them. So before the end of the year” you socialize the dogs with children, with sound, things that it will When my uncle later saw him, he meet in future so that it would not could not believe the transforma- shy away from them on meeting tions that had taken place. them. I watch videos, and I get dog trainers to share what they know TCM: Where did you get such a with me (sometimes at a fee). fierce passion for dogs like that? My dogs teach me a lot. Riley Did your parents keep dogs? doesn’t even want people to raise SGQ: No, actually, they hate dogs. their voice at me. once a friend We are Ewes, we like cats. But I came by and we were having a
soccer discussion which later became a bit heated. I think Riley thought the guy wanted to attack me. He came to hold this pal’s pants and I literally had to talk the dog out of getting him hurt (that would have cost me money). God loves us so much and even to fight the devil He (God) has given us an inventory of weapons – the word, the blood, the name of Jesus, faith. Choose your weapon.
If you say you love someone, John 14:15, “If you love me, obey my commandments”. That’s all. I say I love Jesus, He said, “Go into the world,” and though I have no supernatural encounters to preach nor tell people how bad I was prior to getting saved, if I do love Jesus, I’ll share the gospel with others. TCM: Are you making any gains (profits) on the dogs yet? SGQ: Yeah, Riley is a very efficient and fertile stud dog so when I use him for such services, I charge a price range, family and friend is GH300.00 and for outsiders, GH500.00. Sometimes, this can happen twice a month, it depends. Sometimes it is cyclical.
TCM: Amazing! Ok, tell me how much you’d averagely spend on your dogs, say a month? SGQ: On an average, on food alone, I spend about GH200.00. Together with medications and training I spend about GH350.00. That’s for six dogs: Shooshoo, Riley, Frema, Bruno, Rocky and Shakira. The dogs teach you how to love because you have to care for them.
TCM: Do you see yourself selling them away, some day? SGQ: Well, it depends on the deals. When I get puppies, because I don’t have enough space I may sell them off but I don’t give my dogs to just anyone. You have to be in the right state of mind to have my dog. If I sell you a dog and later find it underweight, I’ll give you back your money and take it back. That’s why I’ll make sure you sign a contract before you take any of my dogs; a contract that will allow me to periodically visit you (just in case you’re having any problems or you don’t understand or
you don’t have the time). Not everybody does that but that is the right way to do it.
TCM: How far do you want to go with this? SGQ: I’ll like to go how far God takes me because it might change. I love dogs, but am open to new directions from Him because He knows what’s best. God gave me an idea to start rearing rabbits and I may pursue that and use the proceeds to fund the dog project. I just want people to be comfortable around the whole idea of dogs. People don’t like dogs because they bite. There are certain notions about some dogs, like a Rottweiler. They tend to be a bit aggressive but like a child, if you teach them early at home, a dog cannot go and disgrace you outside. There are no bad dogs; there are only bad owners.
follow a crazy dream like that? SGQ: Well, when somebody tells you ‘You can’t do it’, that’s how you know that you can do it because that means that your mind is a step ahead of theirs. If you can think it, it exists. They told me No but deep down… even before I had a dog, I knew I had a dog… Save. Being an entrepreneur can be a risky thing so save and save enough. Right now, I’m about starting a fund for my dogs so I don’t have to feed them from my pocket. Pray and humble yourself. Ask the right questions. Don’t mind if from the start people use you because you’re a novice. Your time will come and you will be calling the shots for a change. Love God; if you love God, everything will fall in place. You might say you don’t know how or you don’t have time but truth is, if you really want to, you’ll make the time and find out how to do it. One reason why I started this is so that I’ll be self-sufficient and be able to pay my tithe as well and also be able to give to the poor and needy around me. Cherish the people who support your venture.
TCM: Any message to young entrepreneurs who would want to
TCM: Have you had any challenges in this venture?
TCM: How has society responded to what you’re doing? SGQ: I don’t have support from my Dad. That was where it was very discouraging. My Mum encourages me to brief her on my activities so she can be praying for me.
SGQ: Well, doubts. Doubts are everywhere and they come in various forms. There was this time Riley wasn’t feeling well and I didn’t have money for the medication. Guess what, I gave him communion wine and poured some on him. He recovered and looked healthier than the neighbor’s dog. Occasionally, they get me into trouble: when they poop at the wrong place (I’m still working on that with them). I remember one time Riley killed two cats, in an Ewe house – where cats are
on top of the food chain – it gets me into trouble. His dreams of becoming a comedian shot down, Selase sounded like he could do comedy alongside breeding his dogs. His contagious enthusiasm and spirited personality simply denies one who, growing up, had all the reasons to throw in the towel and turn out a bum. Jollof is his exotic favorite; Konkontey (aka Chris Brown) is his local favorite.
ACT RT&
OF
WORSHIP The ‘art’ of a thing is the ‘skill of doing or being able to do’ the thing in question. It is usually acquired through regular practice in the particular field. The ‘art’ of worship can thus be defined as ‘the skill of worshipping; carrying out worship on an individual and/or corporate level. To ‘act’ is to perform or imitate a thing acting is usually an illustration of a real situation; the act is therefore not the real thing but an attempt to portray what is there. The ‘act’ of worship to a very large extent has to do with
outward expressions and the related activity of what worship ‘looks like’ as against what we will soon define as real ‘worship. Since the subject matter is ‘worship’ it would be useful to attempt a definition of the term ‘worship’ so we can put everything in proper context. The word ‘worship’ appears about 108 times in the entire bible. In the Old Testament most of the references to ‘worship’ are defined as ‘shawkhaw’ a Hebrew word which means to prostrate; pay homage, bow or stoop
in reverence to God. An example of this is found in Genesis 22:5
“And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” In the New Testament, it is mostly defined as ‘proskuneo’ a Greek word which alludes to ‘kiss like a dog licking its master’s’ hand; to ‘fawn’ or ‘crouch’; prostrating in homage. In John 4:23, Jesus used ‘proskuneo’ to describe the kind of worship that the Father seeks for which reason it is appropriate that we focus on this definition - since it is the kind of worship that the Father seeks! What does the symbolism of kissing like a dog licking its master’s hand portray? Dogs (domesticated ones) depend on their master’s for their livelihood and are very loyal animals. One way
they show appreciation is by intensely licking the master’s hand almost as if they want to drill a hole in the palm! It is a very exclusive and intimate act, through which they basically declare openly and unreservedly that they belong to the master ‘hook, line and sinker’. The passionate licking of the hand is a way of declaring that ‘this hand is my source of living and I acknowledge it; I depend on it; I live for it; I will die for it. Similarly, God requires a deep and passionate response from us in our worship, which further suggests that worship from God’s point of view involves the complete surrender (lifestyle) of the believer in an honest, unreserved and intimate way. Notwithstanding the ‘hidden’ origination from the inner man (spirit) worship must also be expressed outwardly. Yes, even though it is God focused, it must be expressed for all to see. The bible is replete with commands like ‘clap’ and ‘shout’ Psalm
47:1, ‘sing for joy’ Psalm 95:1 ‘leap for joy’ Luke 6:23 accompanying our worship. These expressions though many and varied are also meant to visibly communicate allegiance to our creator and are a necessary part of our witness as believers to all creation of what God means to us.
The word ‘worship’ appears about 108 times in the entire bible. Having defined ‘worship’ let’s attempt to understand the difference between the ‘art’ of worship and the ‘act’ of worship. As earlier mentioned, the “art” of a thing usually refers to “the skill of doing a thing through practice”. The art of worship (proskoneo) therefore begins with the skill of developing a true love relationship with the Lord and going on to express it outwardly through singing, lifting up of hands, bowing etc all in an attitude of
reverence. This ‘art’ though important for every believer, comes into greater focus in the lives of musicians and worship leaders (minstrels) because of their lead role in worship as well as their role in the production of worship resources (audiovisual material etc) which they make available to the body of believers for their edification. Minstrels are in a position to make major impact in the lives of other believers and are therefore expected to 1) have a deeper than average understanding of worship, 2) have a deeper knowledge of its dynamics and 3) be able to handle these skills for both personal and congregational advantage. An instrumentalist who understands the art of worship will use the instrument to full effect in worship compared to a player who is only skilled at his instrument but has no clue of what it means to relate to God. At best the latter will only be able to act out the motions of worship instead of truly worshiping. For the minstrel, the ‘art’ of worship also includes the skill of achieving an atmosphere of
worship necessary for congregational participation (2 Chronicles 5:11-14) An ‘act’ on the other hand also means to ‘stage’ a situation; also to ‘makebelieve’ or ‘pretend’. Considering Jesus emphasis on worship in truth in John 4, the aspect of ‘acting’ is an important consideration for us to note. In other words, the Father seeks true worshippers who will do it in spirit and in truth and not those who will pretend - opposite of ‘truth’ is ‘falsehood’ Does this suggest there could be subtle deceptions in our worship on the individual and corporate levels? Well I think so. To a large extent today’s believer identifies ‘worship’ with outward and the expressive rather than the inner, spiritual intimacy which only the Father can appreciate. Humanly speaking our outward expressions to a very large extent are what most people use as a measure of whatever we do including our worship. Because it is generally accepted that we reflect what we have, wrong conclusions can be drawn from whatwedoontheoutward.Remember that outward expressions can be easily learned and so any able bodied person can ‘lift’ their hands, ‘bow’ the knee or ‘prostrate’ if required without necessarily worshiping. Worship can therefore be acted out to show a form of piety without the real deep and intimate connection with God. Just as we act plays to communicate ideas and principles to our audiences, we can easily act out worship for convenience - the words, songs, actions and all. The worship leader can ‘act’ out worship
just as the congregation member also can. Interestingly though, the worship leaders act could actually provide the atmosphere for true worship within the congregation or for the listener! More on this later! For now let it suffice that what we all need to do is to develop the ‘art’ of worship and not focus on the ‘act’ of worship. The ‘art’ will lead to a spontaneous expression, and the ‘acts’ that follow will be genuine expressions that will give glory to God and not mere staged performances.
Sidney Koranteng
Chief Facilitator, Asaph’s Corner Ministries.
For many church folks, right from Sunday school, the patriarch Jacob has been depicted as a greedy, supplanting trickster who denied his older brother the inheritance due him as the first born son of their father Isaac. But do you blame someone for having better negotiating skills? Clearly, his older brother Esau didn’t think much of the birthright considering the way he easily exchanged it for a portion of food!
relevant questions: Why the birthright and not something else: my hunting gear or my best garments? Why not something tangible, eh, something substantive? What is it about the birthright that my kid brother wants so badly? Surely such a demand should’ve struck him as odd but alas, thinking on an empty stomach wasn’t Esau’s thing. His response was most revealing: “Behold, I am at the point to die: what profit shall this birthright do to me?” Thus, with that Esau might have stumbled out agreement made, Jacob proceedfrom the field that fateful day very ed – whilst he served the food – tired and near fainting. Kid broth- to request that the agreement is er happened to be trying out his authenticated with an oath. Esau culinary skills and you could swore his birthright away, was imagine Esau brightenserved “bread and pottage of lentils;” ing up at the sight, wonas the account tells, “and he did eat dering to himself, Ah, saved and drank, and rose up, and went by the bell! Upon asking for a bowl his way: thus Esau despised his of Jacob’s delicacy, Jacob agreed birthright.” but he threw in a caveat, “Sell me this day your birthright”. Jacob Jesus told a parable in Luke 16:1-8 was no fool - he had it all planned of a servant who at the point of out especially considering that he trouble ‘negotiated’ some terms was ‘mummy’s favorite’ chances with the debtors and as a result are she had told him over and over earned commendation from his again about the prophecy relating master. to their destinies while she carried them in her womb and would look The woman from Canaan (Matfor the opportunity to realize that thew 15:22- 28) also got her way prophecy. when she ‘negotiated’ healing for her daughter and was commendNow this is where Esau should also ed by Jesus (v28) have sat down to do some serious thinking and ponder over some How can we develop such great
‘negotiation skills’ especially in the face of apparent adversity? In the examples of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:23-34) and the faith of the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:22-28) we realize they spoke based on ‘knowledge of divine will’. Jacob knew what God’s plan was and comfortably leveraged it, while the Canaanite woman seemed to understand that Jesus’s ultimate saving grace was for all men, irrespective of tribe or creed thus giving her the boldness to appropriate this truth for her-
self! They negotiated effectively because they knew God’s will in the situation. Knowledge of God’s will for today is found in Christ. Colossians 2:3 affirms this so we can confidently say that a sound knowledge of Christ, through His word will strengthen your negotiation skills! This is further confirmed in Colossians 3:16 and this knowledge will bring revelation, wisdom and insight and making us better negotiators at all levels.
Grace, defined as, ‘favor or kindness, shown without regard to the worth or merit of the one who receives it and in spite of what that same person deserves’ is one of the key attributes of God. When the man of God – Moses – took the blank tablets to God for the commandments to be re-written on them, the Lord declared “…the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abounding in goodness and truth” (Exo. 34:6). Grace, thus, more often than not, is associated with mercy, love, compassion, and patience.
the Old Testament is the redemption of the Israelites from Egypt and their establishment in the land of promise. According to Moses, this did not happen because of any worth on Israel’s part but in spite of their unrighteousness (Deut. 9:5 – 6). In the New Testament, on the other hand, the grace of God, in the person and work of Jesus Christ, was supremely revealed to a fallen world. Indeed, Jesus was the very embodiment of grace (John 1:14) though He was also a beneficiary of this same grace (Luke 2:40). By His death and resurrection, Jesus brought salvation An example of grace playing out in to mankind and restored the bro
ken fellowship between God and man, both Jew and Gentile. Hence the only way of salvation for any person is “through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 15:11).
who draws people to Christ to receive forgiveness, adoption to sonship, and newness of life, as well as every spiritual gift or grace (Eph. 4:7).
Does the grace of God have limits? Will it be contradictory to ask if the ‘limitless’ One has limits to His grace? In itself, the grace of God is limitless once the rules of engagement are well followed – the gift is given by God, and is received by man through repentance and faith. When Jesus – grace personified – walked the planet, he exemplified countless times in different encounters with people that grace was always available to those who were willing to cry for and receive. The Samaritan woman’s conversion, the sick and demon possessed who came to him for healing and deliverance respectively, the woman caught in adultery, Nicodemus the Pharisee who would seek his audience at an odd time would all testify of proportionate grace available to meet their varied needs. Jesus assured his listeners, “…him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out…” and truly, as the words of the favorite hymn go …”the vilest offender who truly believes…” finds God’s grace limitless. The grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ is applied to mankind for salvation by the Holy Spirit, who is the One
However, consider the other side of the coin which suggests that although the grace of God is free and underserved, it must not be taken for granted. For though the ‘grace of God had appeared to all men’, according to Titus 2:11; even when grace was personified, the bigoted, and stiff-necked Pharisees and Sadducees who rejected him could not assess this overflowing grace because they were not aware of it! But that isn’t unfamiliar. In the days of the great flood, despite years of announcing the impending destruction of the then world, Noah would only have eight persons (aside the animals) coming into the salvation the ark afforded. The countless others, could not identify that Noah’s pleadings were God’s grace at work, just as Lot’s in-laws in Sodom and Gomorrah were unable to recognize the call to escape as grace at work in the midst of impending destruction. The topic of grace features prominently in the letters of the apostle Paul. In Romans 3:24, he sets grace against the law and the works of the law emphasizing that salvation is not something that is
earned; it is bestowed as a gift because of grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). This grace must be received by faith especially because it is undeserved (Rom. 4:16). However, for those who take the grace for granted, he cautions, “I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” (Gal. 2:21). Dear reader the grace of God is still free! He made it available through the death of Christ on the cross of Calvary for you and I and it is still available today. Notwithstanding its free and available we must re-
mind ourselves that we don’t have all the time in the world. Hebrews 3:15 reminds soberly to respond TODAY i.e. act promptly. For the reader who does not know Christ, the grace is available just as it was available during Noah’s time as recorded in Hebrews 11:7. The ‘ark’ of salvation is still available through grace no matter how far you have gone (Isaiah 1:18) Also for the Christian who is struggling in the faith walk grace is still available when you confess your sins (1 john1:9) Receive the grace of God today by faith and walk in victory.
It had been a long day at work and the home drive was looked forward to. But with the post office bills overdue, grudgingly I make my way to the central business district of the capital city, Accra, where the antiquated structures that house the general post office stands. It was in the trotro (commercial vehicle) I boarded that I met this lanky preacher in action. Scriptures – both old and New Testament – were dispensed in rapid succession like an AK47 machine gun would bullets. By the time the, about 30.4km (44mins) trip was done – and the sermon ended - he might have quoted about 50 scriptures, if not more! TCM features Samuel Mintah for our Street Preacher segment for July. TCM: How did you know this is your life’s call? SP: I discovered this at the age of 32 years. It wasn’t very clear from the onset and so I was doing other secular jobs and was having lots of challenges. This continued until I received prophetic direction to make that decision. TCM: What were you doing for a living then? SP: I’ve been a driver, trader, officer with an import/export compa-
ny and many others. At the import/ export company, I was laid off for no apparent reason with a month’s notice to find another job. Following this, I went into driving commercial vehicles. For the first three weeks, everything was fine until I begun to hear voices telling me to stop driving and go to church! I ignored these until my car started giving me headaches – theft of battery, breakdowns, etc. I took them all as normal and meticulously solved all the problems as they occurred. TCM: What was the last straw that broke the camel’s back? SP: I gave the car to a friend to work with while i embarked on a journey. He absconded with the car and wouldn’t pick his calls. I was informed that the vehicle had been spotted somewhere in Kasoa – broken down and abandoned. I ended up having to fix repair the vehicle and render accounts to the vehicle owner for all the time my friend had worked with the car. I was broke when I was done settling all my debts. On top of all this, I got involved in an accident with a company staff bus I was driving which finally made me realize I was off course and that, “to obey is better than sacrifice”. The grace
of our Lord held out for me until I to be led by the Holy Spirit to join obediently hearkened to His voice. a vehicle where I share the gospel with passengers on board the vehicle and give them the opportuniTCM: So how did you start off? SP: I took off with GHS 100 in my ty to accept the Lord Jesus Christ accounts, out of which I bought a as their Lord and personal Savior. megaphone for dawn broadcasts in neighborhoods. I moved into TCM: So are you able to know who markets and presently, I preach in among the commuters made a commercial vehicles doing short confession of the Lordship of Jedistances from one end of town to sus Christ? the other. All the while I wait on SP: That’s difficult to know. My the Lord to be directed where He style is to preach the word the Holy Spirit lays on my heart. I give wants me to go next. a general invitation for salvation TCM: How does your typical day and lead them in a prayer of constart? fession. I leave the actual decision SP: My day begins at half past mid- making to the good Lord. night when I pray until 2:30am, after which I study the bible fol- TCM: What are some of the challowed by morning devotion at my lenges in commercial vehicle minlocal church till 5:30am. From the istration? morning devotion, I allow myself SP: A whole lot. Preaching in a
commercial vehicle opens you to various audiences – atheists, traditionalists, Moslems, Buddhists, etc. Twice, while preaching, I was attacked spiritually. In both cases, they were like abrupt sharp pains in my chest area. In both cases, I just
rounded up my message. I gave it a prayer treatment and I was back on duty the following morning. The word of God has already assured me that, I’ll “trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and noth-
ing by any means shall hurt me”. (Insert verse). Once again however, we are assured that, “no weapon fashion against us shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise up against us shall be brought into judgment.” (Isaiah 54:17). The admonishments: “put on the whole amour of God” and “pray that you enter not into temptations” are real warnings to be heeded by the Christian soldier. Once those di-
rectives are adhered to, you can be rest assured that the best arsenals of the evil one and his cohorts cannot achieve their intended evil. other times some commuters who want a quite ride to their destinations will take you on for “disturbing their peace”. Others will even accuse you of spraying spittle on them. Once, a driver was offended that I didn’t seek his permission to preach aboard his vehicle so he
forcefully alighted me (thus getting me stranded) mid-way in the journey. TCM: Are there any joyous moments you want to share? SP: Oh, the joy of having a soul give
his/her life to the Savior and Lord – Jesus Christ, for me, is the best of the experiences. It is gratifying to see people give audience to the spoken word of God. Once, a passenger bought for me a brand new bible – that was a blessing. And of course, the good Lord uses them to supply my daily meals. All these I consider to be blessings from above. TCM: I observed when I first met you that you quote a lot of scriptures when you preach? SP: I see it as a gift from God – the ability to memorize so many scriptures – and it serves me well anytime I stand to share the message of the gospel to commuters. TCM: Share with us a few of your pet message titles. SP: I love to preach messages that are apocalyptic and eschatological in format. I like to remind people to beware of the signs of the end times and to know that this present world will pass away and the Lord Jesus will return soon. Lately, I’ve been preaching about the Book of Life and I urge my audiences to ensure their names are written in the Lamb’s book of life by believing on the Lord Jesus and confessing His Lordship. (Romans 10:9-10) TCM: Do you have any message for our readership, especially, young people? SP: My message to young people and your readers is couched
in 1 Peter 3:3-5. There, the Apostle admonished that our worship of God should “not be the outward adorning of plaiting the hair and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel...” Rather we should follow hard after the Lord and live our lives according to His precepts. The scriptures states, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all other things will be added unto you.” in this world, there is no hope. One day, this body will be discarded and the inner man will be called up for
judgment. That should be our focus, not on the body that will be wasted here. Samuel is a deacon in his local church and looks forward to getting into full time ministry by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Until then (and even beyond then) he sees the world as his pulpit. As the Spirit leads him, he is resolved to preach the message of the gospel of the kingdom of God, getting people ready for the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ.