Minister of the Sunyani Circuit of the Methodist Church on Good Friday
urged Christians to ensure that the celebration of Easter changed
their lifestyles.He said: "The celebration of the death of Our Lord
Jesus Christ on the Cross should be the end of our commitment of
sins."
"It should not only be the ritual of cladding in mourning clothes and
confessing to our sins only to go wayward again after the
festivities", the Reverend Minister stressed in a sermon at a Good
Friday service at the Wesley Cathedral in Sunyani.Rev Adu-Boateng
expressed regret that Christians had limited the celebration of the
death of the Saviour to the festivities, stressing: "The significance
of the Cross on which the Saviour died should be central to our
Christian faith".The Methodist priest noted that the celebration of
the death of Christ demanded attitudinal change among Christians since
it bridged the vacuum created between God and man by sin.
"Christians must give meaning to the passion and death of Christ
who showed a high and unparalleled level of love for humankind", Rev
Adu-Boateng added.
Prophet Osei Amaniampong, Sunyani Area head of the Church of Pentecost
preaching at a convention of the church at Bechem called on Ghanaians
to beware of so-called "prophets of doom" who peddle lies to cause
fear and anxiety among the populace.He urged Ghanaians, especially
Christians, to have faith in God and to avoid "short-cut" means of
receiving blessings from God to escape damnation unto themselves.The
church leader advised Ghanaians to eschew excessive quest for wealth
and power, explaining that "greed kills a nation and this social
canker must not be allowed to control us to ruin us and the national
economy".Mr Osei Sekyere Bota, Tano South District Chief Executive,
debunked allegations that Bechem "is the witchcraft centre of
Ghana".He advised detractors of the town to spare it the agony of
being abused with such derogatory titles as many churches operate in
and around the town.The DCE called on religious bodies to be more
socially responsible and to partner the government in the
implementation of its policies.
At Ho, Reverend Innocent D Kofi Aflakpui, a retired Priest of the
Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church, Ghana has expressed concern
about the urge among Ghanaian workers to resort to occultism to settle
disputes at workplaces.He said while some workers kept certain objects
as protection others are virtually on their marks to run to
spiritualists on account of petty workplace jealousies.Rev. Aflakpui
who was preaching the sermon at the SSNIT EP Church on Good Friday
said Jesus' suffering and death on the cross should instil in every
Christian the spirit of perseverance and the will to suffer a little
for others.He condemned backbiting and exhorted Christians not allow
spite and hatred to govern their relations with others.Rev Aflakpui
also expressed disgust at the rush for money and other material
things, which he said had led many to death and incarceration.In her
sermon at the Elorm E P Church, Ho Bankoe, Mrs Esther Malwine Edu-Yao
Catechist, said Jesus Christ's readiness to forgive his crucifiers in
his moment of pain on the cross showed the power of forgiveness to
disarm one's bitterest enemies and to win their love and admiration.
She said for that Centurion, who stood guard over Jesus Christ on the
cross to realize that Jesus Christ was indeed the Son of God, was an
eloquent testimony of the power of forgiveness to bring people away
from the path of destruction into eternal life.Mrs Adu-Yao said by
that example, Jesus Christ was telling Christians that there was no
wrong that they could not forgive and that forgiveness; the true mark
of a Christian was the most potent weapon of disarming one's enemies.
In Kumasi, Rev. Dr. Kojo Osei-Wusu, Senior Pastor of the Grace Baptist
Church in Kumasi has urged Christians to witness to the world through
their works and deeds.He urged them to reflect on their lives to see
whether the death of their Saviour Jesus Christ had been of any value
to them.Rev. Osei-Wusu emphasized that the crucifixion of Jesus, which
was the foundation of their faith must keep their lives on check.Rev
Osei-Wusu, who is also the immediate past president of the Ghana
Baptist Convention (GBC), was preaching the sermon at a joint service
on Good Friday of the Kumasi Southeast Baptist Association (KUSEBYA)
held at the Grace Baptist Church, Amakom, Kumasi.Also in attendance of
the service were, the First Baptist at Akwatialine and Mpraeso and
Nkwatia Baptist churches from the Eastern Region. He spoke on the
theme: "STOP CRUCIFYING JESUS AGAIN"
Cape Coast, April 6, GNA - Churches in the Cape Coast municipality
were filled to capacity as Christians attended church services to
commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ on the cross at
Calvary more than 2,000 years ago.The Orthodox churches sketched
events, which led to the crucifixion and death of Jesus.Most of the
worshipers wore black and red clothing to signify the solemnity of the
day and prayed for the development and growth of the church, President
John Agyekum Kufuor, Ministers and Council of State members, as well
as war torn countries.In a sermon at the St Joseph Catholic Church,
the Reverend Father Samuel Asantey, said the death of Jesus was
significant and prayed that the day should be used for true
reconciliation and forgiveness just as Christ forgave those who
persecuted and crucified him.He pointed out that it was not only the
boisterous crowd on Calvary, which needed God's forgiveness but
everyone and stressed the need for all to take advantage of the death
of Jesus to change their attitude and endeavour to grasp the real
meanings of to be "forgiven" and "saved".
Fr Asantey described Good Friday as a "perfect day" for the
"healing of spiritual wounds".He urged Christians to use the day to
heal their wounds and truly forgive their neighbours from their hearts
and transform all their hurts, bitterness and unfaithfulness to God,
into prayer.This he stressed would be the only way they would be
acting as true followers of Christ.
He urged Christians to be committed to the truth and to profess
their faith in Christ by upholding the Gospel and its value.At the
Wesley Methodist Cathedral, the Superintendent Minister in-charge, the
Very Reverend Theophilus Anderson noted that the crucifixion of Jesus
Christ on that fateful Friday, reconciled two bitterest enemies,
Pilate and Herod and expressed the hope that former President Rawlings
and President Kufuor, as Catholics would become friends.He said apart
from reconciliation, Christ's death was also designed to save and set
mankind free from all kinds of bondage including sin, hatred, acrimony
and discrimination. Rev. Anderson urged Christians to use the occasion
to transform their characters and attitudes as true followers of
Christ to show the world that his death could really bring relief to
the captive and reconciliation to enemies.
06 April 07
