WILL YOU SURVIVE THE SPIRITUAL RETIREMENTS?

WILL YOU SURVIVE THE SPIRITUAL RETIREMENTS?
 
Sermon by Pastor William Boachie-Ansah

TEXTS: Ezek 34:1-10, 1KINGS 19:1-16
'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I WILL REQUIRE MY FLOCK AT THEIR HAND; I WILL CAUSE THEM TO CEASE FEEDING THE SHEEP, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I WILL DELIVER MY FLOCK FROM THEIR MOUTHS, that they may no longer be food for them." (Ezek 34:10)

¶ And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "IT IS ENOUGH! NOW, LORD, TAKE MY LIFE, FOR I AM NO BETTER THAN MY FATHERS!" 5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat." 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you." 8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 ¶ And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 So he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." 11 Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 And he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." 15 Then the LORD said to him: "GO, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 "Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. AND ELISHA the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah YOU SHALL ANOINT AS PROPHET IN YOUR PLACE.

INTRODUCTION

God is now in the business of compulsorily retiring unfaithful workers!! Why? After warning people through personal convictions, prophecies, teachings and exhortations, some church leaders such as Apostles, prophets, Bishops, catechists, elders, deacons, Deaconesses as well as their wives and children are still recalcitrant and insensitive to the plight of the Holy One they are working for…. Church leaders have constantly been abusing their Offices with impunity…. And the flock have been complaining… and their cries have ascended up to the throne room of God.

And this is not the first time God is doing that. He did it to the shepherds of old, the priests by replacing them with prophets. He did it to both the priests and the prophets through captivity and foreign rule. He did it to the Pharisees and the other religious leaders by replacing them with the Apostles and other disciples..

Contrary to what Jesus stated about the hired shepherds of his time whose main motivation was their wages, (John 10:11-13) Ezekiel’s warning was to real shepherds who were deliberately veering off their duties to seek personal gains from the flock. God therefore had to warn them severally and finally decided to put an end to their dispensation. In the same way, if church leaders of today specialize in taking advantage over God’s church, He will not sit down unconcerned…
Today, I want us to discuss what happened to a very powerful man of God who was unfortunately retired at a time when his ministry was expected to be given a big boost. This man of God is Elijah. It must be noted carefully that Elijah was not among the bad nuts. He was a very good, responsible man of God who faced some difficult tasks and worked tirelessly to deliver God’s people from the oppression of Ahab and his wife Jezebel. But God retired him when nobody, including himself, was expecting it! I have chosen the case of Elijah to make us know that if God did not spare a good man when he went wrong, He may equally not spare any of us if we keep on disregarding his warnings.
Elijah’s retirement was premature because it occurred immediately after God had used him tremendously in the performance of great miracles. He was not willing to retire at that time, but God retired him!

WHY SHOULD GOD RETIRE HIM?

1. For running away when he saw the ‘wolf’. Will the God who was able to lead Elijah to kill the Baal prophets not capable of helping him to overcome Jezebel? But Jezebel couldn’t face Elijah; she only sent her ‘word’ to the one with the Word of God. Most Church leaders of today don’t want to face the wolves. If we ran away from the wolves, we make God disappointed.

2. For showing gross unfaithfulness through a negative confession. Take my life… I’m no better than my ancestors… Man of God, beware of every word that comes out of your mouth, for ‘you are what you say.’ If you don’t see yourself as a better man, God will appoint a better man for Himself, (1Sam 13:14) just as he did to Saul.

3. For refusing to go back when God strengthened him……why did God send angels to feed Elijah? He just wanted him to know that He was still with him. That is why God had to ask him (twice) what he was doing at Mt. Horeb.

No matter what God would use you to accomplish, He demands that you show constant and unwavering faithfulness in all matters to the end. What signs could be seen when God is about to compulsorily retire a leader? We shall talk about that next week.

CONTACTS: PASTOR WILLIAM BOACHIE-ANSAH
 THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST (ADOAGYIRI DISTRICT)
 P.O. BOX 203 NSAWAM
 Boachieansah@gmail.com
 copadoagyiri@gmail.com
 http://boachieansah.webs.com

BEING LOYAL TO YOUR CHURCH (PART 6)

BEING LOYAL TO YOUR CHURCH (PART 6)

(Why people leave their churches)

INTRODUCTION: In the previous discussions, we have been dealing with reasons why some church members are not being loyal to their churches but have been hopping from one church to another. We have been elaborating on church leadership deficiencies which cause members to leave their churches. Today, we move to another point:

 NEGLECT OF TEACHING MINISTRY
 
TEXT: Eph 4:1-16

 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and TEACHERS, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

 

Apart from problems emanating from the camp of leadership, the most significant issue which causes people to leave their churches is the neglect and lack of consistent teaching ministry. Consistent teaching ministry simply refers to a well-planned systematic teaching programme instituted in the church through which all groups of people are instructed with the Bible. In this case  ministry material are prepared to constantly address the changing spiritual, emotional and physical needs of church members, delivered by carefully selected and trained Bible teachers to handle these in the local churches.

It must be noted here that teaching is the supernatural ability and desire to communicate and clarify the details to the word of God. Teachers are those who have special God-given ability to clarify, expound and proclaim God’s word in order to build up the body of Christ (Eph 4:12)

People with the gift of teaching characteristically are eloquent speakers who seek to impart knowledge. They are very studious, teachable with focus on members’ understanding and clarifying of issues. Teachers are interrogative by nature (always asking questions on “whys” and “Hows”) and proof-seeking. As such, their preachings are generally full of Bible quotations. Additionally, teachers are generally diligent: accuracy is their hallmark.

The importance of teaching ministry in the church cannot be overemphasized. In the text quoted, Paul explicitly gave the reason why there should be teachers in the church: And He Himself gave some to be… TEACHERS, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, …that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting..

 To begin with, they guard the gospel entrusted to them by the help of the Holy Spirit, (2Tim 1:11-1). They also point the church to biblical revelation and to the original message of Christ and the apostles, thereby ensuring continuity of apostolic teaching and practice. Again, teachers ground the faith of the members with the word of God. Gifted teachers teach the word of God in simplicity and with clarity. They equip church members with the knowledge to overcome the craftiness of the Devil and his team of deceiving liars. Additionally, teachers help to refute faulty doctrine. With their constant studies, they have the capability of effectively comparing scripture with scripture in order to come out with the total picture of what God is saying in any given particular situation. They make the word of God practical to the needs of the members. Most advancement and progress of the church depend on what teachers do and say. Most of the research work aimed toward growth and trends in the church are conducted and revealed by teachers. They additionally suggest ways of handling those trends and provide most of the teaching materials needed for systematic pedagogy.

 With these roles played by teachers in the church, one would have expected the church to give prominence to the teaching ministry, but surprisingly, the teaching ministry is relegated to the background in many churches. We consider teachers as the least in the five-fold ministry gifts of Christ to the church. In apostolic and Pentecostal churches for instance, people are ordained into the offices of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists and Pastors, but hardly do we see ordained teachers! Some simply explain it off that all pastors are supposed to be teachers. If that is the case Paul, would never have mentioned Teachers. The fact is, all Apostles are supposed to evangelise yet not all apostles are Evangelists. In the same way, all Prophets are supposed to teach but not all Prophets are Teachers. Why then should church leaders conclude that all Pastors are Teachers so there is no need ordaining people into that great office of the Teacher?

 If any church plays down the role of the teaching ministry, the following negative consequences bedevils it: Firstly, members refuse to grow in the spirit. Such a church will continue to produce baby Christians who cannot withstand the trickery of men and the lies of the devil.

 Secondly, members quickly embrace every manner of doctrine. The faithful will accept any message coming to them as the gospel truth. This is where the danger of cultism rears its ugly head in the life of church members. They follow people blindly to prayer camps and fake men of God take advantage of the innocent flock of God.

Thirdly, church splits and cross-carpeting also occur frequently where teaching ministry is neglected. Leaders fight over issues which mostly border on practices which have been dogmatized or reinforced with texts which are hermeneutically inappropriate. Confused members move to join different churches.

Finally, leadership crisis easily crop up in churches where the teaching ministry is neglected more frequently. Institutionalization and succession procedures for churches are, in most cases, spear-headed by teachers. Absence of teachers mean there is the tendency for conflict when it comes to who succeeds the leader. That is why conflicts and breakaways are more frequent in relatively new churches than the old ones.

 

MAY THE GOOD LORD SAVE HIS CHURCH FROM DECEITFUL PLOTTERS!

PASTOR WILLIAM BOACHIE-ANSAH

THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST
P.O. BOX 203
NSAWAM ADOAGYIRI, GHANA

+233 244137880

boachieansah@gmail.com
copadoagyiri@gmail.com

BEING LOYAL TO YOUR CHURCH (Part 5)

BEING LOYAL TO YOUR CHURCH (PART 5)

(Final Part Of Leadership Problems Which Cause People To Leave The Church)

In the previous discussions, we have been dealing with reasons why some church members are not being loyal to their churches but have been hopping from one church to another. We have been elaborating on church leadership deficiencies which cause members to leave their churches. We have been classifying such leaders based on the character and lifestyles of certain people in the Bible. Please read on.

• SIMON MAGUS: These are the malleable, pliable and corrupt church leaders. The Simon Magus type of church leaders uphold bribing. They can bribe people for their promotion and also literally sell promotions when they are at the top. The sorcerer of Samaria; often called Simon Magus, that is, the Magician, is a typical biblical example, Ac 8:9-24. This artful impostor, by the aid of some knowledge of philosophy, medicine, physics, and astronomy, acquired an ascendancy over the people of Samaria.  But the preaching and miracles of Philip brought great numbers to Christ, and convinced even Simon that a real and great power attended the gospel.  He coveted these spiritual gifts of the apostles for selfish end, and sought them by joining the church and afterwards offering to purchase them with money.

Peter took the occasion to expose his hypocrisy by a terrible denunciation. In some churches, some positions and even transfers to good stations are literally sold, or given to cronies. Whenever people of integrity discover such acts in their churches, they either confront it or leave that church.

• JEHUS: They are the over-zealous, revolutionary church leaders who bring unsustainable drastic changes into churches. Jehu was a general of the army of Joram who slew his master, and usurped the throne of Israel in B. C. 884.  He reigned twenty-eight years.  See his history in 1Ki 19:16,17; 2Ki 9:1-10:36.  He fulfilled the divine purpose in extirpating the family of the impious Ahab, and zealously destroyed the priests of Baal and many other friends of Ahab.  But his heart was not right with God so his dynasty was cut short in the fourth generation.

In the work of ministry, zeal is very much needed. But zeal without knowledge is dangerous. It must be noted that although change is good, people resist it when is it too drastic. People leave the church whenever there are drastic changes.

• SCEVAS: These are copycat church leaders. They have no power: always bragging and copying what others do. At Ephesus, The seven sons of Sceva pretended to practice exorcism, and presumed to call on evil spirits to come out from persons possessed, in the name of Jesus.  (Ac 19:14-16).

Although so many things can be copied as a way of learning, there is no room for copying someone’s anointing! When members discover that their leaders are not creative and innovative people who can bring desirable changes in the running of their churches, they also leave.

• NABALS: These are the church Leaders who are not appreciative. They fail to recognize others and their ministries. They do not give credit to those who are worth it. Neither will they help in mentoring and discipling. This stifles creativity in their members or followers. A typical biblical character is Nabal. Nabal was a descendant of Caleb and an owner of a large property in lands and flocks, at Maon and Carmel in the south of Judah.  He was under great obligations to David, for protecting him from the robbers of the desert; and yet, in the very hour most suggestive of a grateful generosity, he churlishly refused David's modest request of provisions for his needy troop.  Indignant at this ingratitude and inhospitality, David was soon on his way to put him and his men to the sword.

Had it not been the discreet intervention of his wife Abigail, David would have killed him and all his family, 1Sa 25:1-43. Remember, people want to be appreciated on what they do so if their efforts are not recognized, they move to where they would be recognized.

From the discussion so far, we have identified that problems emanating from the camp of church leaders constitute a significant percentage in disloyalty of members to their churches. If church members could be made to be very loyal to their churches and stop hopping from one church to another, there is the need to first and foremost address these leadership deficiencies.

As such, the modern day Elijahs, Sauls, Samsons, Rehoboams, Scevas and Nabals should be eliminated to pave way for Spirit-filled servants of God to take care of the flock of Jehovah.

The equally significant reason people leave their churches in neglect of the teaching ministry. God willing, that will be treated in the next discussion. Stay blessed and keep your fingers crossed.

BEING LOYAL TO YOUR CHURCH (PART 4)

 ( Leadership Problems Which Cause People To Leave The Church)

TEXT: 1Ki 12:13-17

“Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges! So the king did not listen to the people; .. Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying: "What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now, see to your own house, O David!" So Israel departed to their tents but Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.”

               

In the previous article, we were exploring leadership misdeeds and inactions which cause church members (and in some cases, some church leaders) to leave the church.  The text for today reveals how Rehoboam’s utterance caused Israel to be divided into Northern and Southern kingdoms as soon as he was enthroned. We continue with our previous categorization of problematic leadership in our churches based on some biblical characters.

<    · REHOBOAMS: They signify immature and fame-seeking leaders. They refuse to grow and hinder the progress of those they lead. Rehoboam typifies such church leaders. He was the most fortunate of all the kings of Israel because he inherited Solomon.1Ki 12:1-33; 14:21-31; 2Ch 10:1-12:16.  Under his reign the ten tribes revolted, and formed the northern kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam.  The immediate cause of this schism was Rehoboam's headstrong folly in rejecting experienced counselors, and claiming tyrannical power.
     
      He at once sought to recover the revolted tribes by force; and though directed by God not to make war, he did not long delay hostilities, and these continued during his whole reign.  The people also fell into idolatry, and were punished in the fifth year of Rehoboam by an Egyptian army, which subjected them to a heavy tribute. All these resulted from Rehoboam’s immaturity. If church leaders fail to handle dicey situations with the proper approach, some members leave the church.

· RECABITES: They signify very conservative church leadership. Jehonadab forbade his descendants to drink wine or to live in cities. They were commanded to always lead nomadic lives. They adhered to the law laid down by Jonadab, and were noted for their fidelity to the old-established custom of their family in the days of Jeremiah and this feature of their character is referred to by the prophet for the purpose of giving point to his own exhortation. (Jer 35:2-11).

Conservatism is good when it comes to the basic tenets of belief. Do not use it as an excuse to dabble in mediocrity, because we are living in a dynamic world. When conservatism is overstretched with regard to church practice, some members will definitely leave the church.  

<    · PHARAOHS: The Pharaoh-type church leaders are callous and stone hearted, Ex 5:1-14:31. They take decisions which eventually bring hardships on their church members. Some of them have always been running around. They are too busy for their members to have access to them. Some of them have also lost touch with their ordinary members; they always move with the well to do members and never go down to the level of the down trodden.

      Some of them also surround themselves with sycophants: their yes-men who shower on them praises. Some are also engrossed in their ambitious projects so much so that the spiritual upkeep of church members is neglected. They eventually destroy the legacy of the church or its achievements. Because of this, the crop of people who leave their churches are the very influential and enlightened ones.

<    · SAMSONS: They are the strong but undisciplined church leaders. They are very strong when it comes to planning and disciplining other leaders and members. Their indiscipline is greatly exposed when it comes to financial mismanagement and immorality. In Judges 13:1-16:31, we see the story of Samson.  His birth was miraculously foretold; he was a Nazirite from infancy and the strongest of men; and was equally celebrated for his fearless and wonderful exploits, for his moral infirmities, and for his tragic end. 

      Some of such leaders are very charismatic, powerful speakers but with controversial character. Critical people will never stay in a church where the leader’s character is bankrupt.

From the discussion so far, we can easily deduce one fact: most of the problems which make people leave our churches have more to do with the leaders. May the Lord God Almighty help us to identify all these and find solutions to them as early as possible.  But we have not exhausted these leadership deficiencies. Watch out for the final part next week. Meanwhile, stay blessed and keep yourself active in the Lord’s service.

PASTOR WILLIAM BOACHIE-ANSAH

THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST

P.O. BOX 10

NSAWKAW-B/A, GHANA

+233 244137880

boachieansah@gmail.com

copnsawkaw@yahoo.com

CRUCIFIED AND WOUNDED FOR YOU

TEXTS: Isaiah 53:5; 1 Pet 2:21-24

INTRODUCTION: Dear friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, as I'm feverishly preparing for the Easter Convention which takes off tomorrow, I want to leave you with one of the messages that I shared last year with my church members during the The Easter Convention.

"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed"

"For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed."

Christ was wounded for our transgressions. that is how Isaiah put it. A wound refers to any break in the external or internal surfaces of the body involving a separation of tissue, and caused by external injury or force.

TYPES OF WOUNDS

1. Incised Wound, or cut, They are produced by a sharp instrument or object;

2. Punctured Wound, if the instrument is pointed and narrow;

3. Lacerated Wound, if accompanied by a tearing of the tissue;

4. Contused Wound, if a substantial amount of tissue is bruised;

5. Penetrating Wound, if the wound passes completely through a part of the body;

6. Subcutaneous Wound, if it involves deep destruction of tissue with a relatively small opening, or none at all, in the surface.

7. Septic Wound, or infected, wounds are those in which the area is contaminated by bacteria, which can cause suppuration or shedding of tissue.

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was badly wounded! God revealed it to the great prophet Isaiah long before the event, but people could not accept it because their expectation of the Messiah was quite different, (Isaiah 53;1-2). The crucifixion stories in the Bible depict how Jesus endured all forms of pains and and wounds in order to deliver us from the grips of Satan and sin. Jesus sustained all manner of wounds as described above, yet he did not complain. He sustained silently so that the salvation plan for mankind could be effectively accomplished.

Jesus was wounded for your salvation, healing and deliverance and salvation. He reconciled men with God through the same wounds. Through the same method, He defeated Satan. He teaches us that whatever pains that we are going through in life, He is able to help us out. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted, (Heb 2:18).

What are you doing for Him in return? The most important thing you can do for Him is to spread the message: Let the whole world know that JESUS SAVES. Additionally, we should live our lives with the Hope that whatever comes our way, our Saviour is capable of helping us out. Live the victorious life victoriously! He has completely saved you, rejoice always in Him.

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal saviour,let this Easter season be the best time for you to surrender your life to Him. He has paid for the punishment you deserve for your sins with His wounds. Accept him today and you will never regret.

Stay blessed.

http://boachieansah.webs.com
pastor.boachieansah@facebook.com
boachieansah@gmail.com
+233 244 137880
+233 262 137880

WHO IS THAT JAMES McKEOWN?

 INTRODUCTION

Beloved in Christ Jesus, as we celebrate the Work of James McKeown this week, we feel obligated to compile some of the things we’ve heard and read about him here for the sake of the younger generation.  As you read about him, bear in mind that you will give to support Missions, which happened to be what he was most passionate about.

EARLY LIFE Rev. James Mckeown was born on September 12th, 1900, at Ballymena in Scotland to his Irish parents, William John Mckeown and Elizabeth Thompson. He was brought up in a Christian home. He knew his Bible and even liked the idea of becoming a minister when he grew up.

CONVERSION AND MARRIAGE At the age of nineteen, he became converted through the ministry of Rev. Robert Mercer. Rev. George Jeffreys of the Elim Four Square Gospel Alliance in Ballymena, baptized James and Sophia, who later became his wife. He received his Holy Spirit baptism later. Rev James Mckeown left school at the age of eleven. Sophia however, got educated to the advanced age of nineteen and studied dressmaking for two years becoming a fully qualified seamstress. Rev. James assisted his father on the farm and later became a tram driver, when an inspector on Glasgow ’s tram put James’ name forward.

He got married to Sophia Kennock, in 1927. Sophia was attracted to James because of his praying habit. She said, she never heard anyone prayer like that before.

CALL TO MINISTRY AND VISION
At an Elim meeting, at which both James and Sophia were present, there was a prophecy that someone from that group would go to Africa. Rev. James came into contact with the Apostolic whilst at Glasgow. At a large Apostolic convention in England, it was specifically prophesied that James and Sophia should go to West Africa as Missionaries. Both James and Sophia were not present at the convention. The executive finally informed him about the prophecy. However, like Moses, he looked into himself and realized his weaknesses. He refused the call chiefly because of his inadequate formal training.
Fifteen months went by before he accepted the call when he could no longer contain the persistent cries of Sophia, urging him to do so. James left the United Kingdom for the then Gold Coast on a boat in February 1937. On March 4th, 1937, Rev. James arrived in the then Gold Coast to begin work as resident missionary of the Apostolic Church of Bradford.

Rev. James Mckeown’s vision was to help establish the Church and announce the good news of  God’s Kingdom and to be a living testimony to the people about the power of God.

McKEOWN’S GOLD COAST
The Apostolic Missionary arrived at a time and period of profound social and political awareness, which was to pave the way for the independence of the Nation in 1957. During that time, formal education was at its infant stage. The progress of Christianity in the Gold Coast was also slow, with the greater proportion of her people worshipping idols.
Rev. James therefore began his full-gospel ministry within the setting of social and political tension on the other hand, and general spiritual darkness on the other. He plunged into action and worked tirelessly in towns and villages in the southern part of the Gold Coast winning thousands of converts who in turn witnessed to other people about Christ.
As a man of action, Rev. James personally took part in manual work undertaken by the Church. For example, he was actively involved in the construction of the first Mission house at Asamankese. Such display of humility and service characterized his ministry to the extent that the people among whom he worked emulated his example.

HOW PEOPLE SAW HIM

He lived as an African in very many ways. His meals were, for that matter, locally prepared. Earlier in his ministry, when development projects had not reached the rural areas, he drunk from the typical African well dug out for him by the members. His ministry also involved extensive trekking on foot and across streams and rivers.
He was an honest, gently, affable and respected man of God. As a condiment and skillful leader, he combined humility with firmness to nurture the Church of Pentecost to the height of success. By his wisdom granted by God, he chose a band of selfless disciples who pioneered the Church from hard times to the present glorious day. Rev. James always insisted on self-reliance as against soliciting for financial assistance from abroad.
In early 1982, Rev. James decided to hand over the mantle of leadership to an African minister. He explained that age was having a telling effect on him and that it was time he tired. So on the tenth of October 1982, he inducted into office, Rev. F. S. Sarfo (deceased). He later left the shores of the country for the U.K. from where he was fed with reports on the progress of the church. In 1984, Rev. James paid his last
visit to the country.

FAMOUS QUOTES

1. "Prayer is the work, and the work is prayer."

2. "The seed that was sown and watered with much tears of prayer has borne fruits.  The big question now is “Will the fruit remain” (He was contemplating on the future of the church)

3 “Stop preaching rats; preach Christ!” (He was drawing a pastor/s attention to the fact that he was overemphasizing an illustration with a rat story in his preaching)

WHAT HIS CRITICS SAY ABOUT HIM

Too harsh
Too inconsiderate
Trusted elders more than Pastors
Too swift in decision-making

WHAT HE HATED MOST

1. Lazy ministers.
2. Money-conscious pastors. (He used to call them greedy grabbers).
3. Lying church officers, especially Elders.
4. Pastors who engage in other works such as farming, etc at the expense of ministry
5. Church members not being assisted to receive Holy Ghost Baptism.

As we reflect on the biography of one of the greatest missionaries to Africa, may his Mission-minded Spirit spread to every member of this church so that each of us would be able to give our time, talent and treasure to promote the Kingdom business of our great Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Stay blessed.

PASTOR WILLIAM BOACHIE-ANSAH
THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST
P.O. BOX 10, NSAWKAW - B/A, GHANA
+233 244 137 880
copnsawkaw@yahoo.com
boachieansah@gmail.com

                          

BEING LOYAL TO YOUR CHURCH (PART 3)

WHY PEOPLE ARE NOT BEING LOYAL TO THEIR CHURCHES

Many factors have been contributing to this negative practice. We begin with problems emanating from the camp of church leaders.

1.      LEADERSHIP PROBLEMS

These refer to problems associated with some church leaders and pastors which cause church members and even pastors to leave their churches. A sizeable percentage of people leaving their churches could be attributed to the commissions and omissions of church leadership. That is, what we leaders do or fail to do may cause many people to leave our churches. I have categorized some of these leadership deficiencies, based on biblical characters who displayed some of them.

·         ELIJAHS:- These are the church leaders who never share their vision with their followers. God instructed Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor. Yet he moved on with Elisha without telling him what was about to take place. It is very difficult to follow such leaders. People become fed up with them and quit.

·         SAULS:- These are those leaders who are jealous of others and their successes, (1Sa 18:6-9). Saul was jealous of David because he succeeded in killing the giant Goliath. They become insecure when they see members applauding their associate ministers. They begin to intimidate whoever becomes popular and successful in one way or another. Leaders should know that they are leaders not because they have all the gifts and are capable of doing everything perfectly well. It is just by the grace of God. Recognize the gifts of others and make good use of them, and they will forever be loyal to you and the church.

·         JOSHUAS:- These are one-man-show leaders, (Josh 24:29-31). Joshua had only one contemporary with him when they got to the Promised Land. Both Joshua and Caleb were 40 years older than any of the people who entered the Promised Land. We did not hear of any circumstance where Joshua involved Caleb in anything. In fact, Caleb had to use wisdom in order to appeal for his share of the Promised Land. Joshua had taken his portion of the land God promised to give to the two of them for their faithfulness, yet he forgot to help Caleb to secure his portion. Although he won all the battles he fought, he couldn’t train anybody to take over so as soon as he died, the nation suffered political disintegration. When leaders fail to involve and empower the up-and-coming leaders, it makes many people leave the church. This generally affects the cream of people who are gifted enough to be of immense benefit to the church.

·         AHABS:- These are leaders without vision (1Kings 16:30). Ahab had no good agenda when he became the king of Israel. When a church is headed by visionless, purposeless, leaders like Ahab, opportunists get upper hand over the true committed and dedicated servants of God. Such leaders may be dictated to by others who may be Jezebels. When members realize they cannot continue to suffer quietly under the Jezebels, they leave the church quietly.

·         ABSALOMS:- These are leaders who usurp their position and  power from others, (2Sa 15:1-6). They come to power through “coup d’états” in the church. Absalom used such strategy to gain political power over his own father David for the throne of Israel. Some people will leave a church where subordinates backbite and manufacture all sorts of lies against leaders for the sake of promotion and other personal benefits. Those who break away and unceremoniously bait church members to follow them should be aware that one day, some associate leaders will also do same to them, because disloyalty begets disloyalty in greater proportions.

·         ELIS:- This refers to the two sons of Eli the priest, (1Sa 2:12, 22). They were immoral, raping women who have come to offer sacrifices to God. And they were doing all these in the house of God. “What would you do if you were a lady and your married pastor wants to have sex with you?” This was a question a lady backslider asked me when I identified that she had not been going to church and attempted to counsel her. Immorality and even hints of it, amongst the top echelons of authority in the church may cause many people to leave it.

·         HERODS:- They are worship-receiving church leaders, (Act 12:20-23). They do everything possible to draw all attention of the church members to themselves, instead of God. And woe betides anybody who dares to criticize them! Songs are composed in their name. All church paraphernalia have their pictures on them. They name their buildings after themselves. At times, they instruct church members to even pray in their names. They appear in pomp and pageantry, looking invincible and displaying their opulence wherever they go. They should remember that one Herod was killed for allowing people to worship him. When members realize that these semi-divine tendencies within church leaders are getting out of “containable” proportions, they leave such churches.

There are many issues to be considered, especially about leaders. We shall continue next week. Meanwhile, let this discussion remind you that we need to pray more for our leaders! Stay blessed.

PASTOR WILLIAM BOACHIE-ANSAH

THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST
P.O. BOX 10
NSAWKAW-B/A, GHANA
+233 244137880
boachieansah@gmail.com
copnsawkaw@yahoo.com