“I am exceedingly glad to be with you today. This is my home, for I have come to my people. Irrespective of tongue and origin, through the fellowship of God, we have become one nation, one people with a common goal – to enter the kingdom of God. It is our fervent prayer that the Lord may come and take us home; a place free of sorrow, pain and death. But before then, we have to receive His word and live by it. This is our reason for this gathering today”, remarked Lead Apostle Benjamin Ohene-Saffo as he celebrated a divine service on Sunday, February 21, 2021 at our congregation at Akaa in the Jasikan District of the Volta North Apostle Area.
The Lead Apostle read a text from Luke 7:13-15, “When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep.” Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother”.
Our cries
“We all have many conditions of life for which we are weary just like the widow in our text. She lost the husband, and now her only son. One can imagine the depth of her agony. The Lord Jesus was moved with compassion, not because He was interested in the dead but by the heart and attitude of the widow” the Apostle stated. “How faithfully do we cry to the Lord in the face of calamities?”, the Lead Apostle quizzed. The Lead Apostle further entreated members to cry to the Lord with an honest and faithful heart.
Jesus has power over death
The Lead Apostle stated that, the Lord Jesus was sent because of man to liberate us from death. He emphasized that, even though Jesus Christ brought the young man back to life, we are to be liberated from the death caused by sin; that is separation from God. For this reason, the Lord sacrificed Himself.
The condition of the church today
Lead Apostle Ohene-Saffo bemoaned the miracle seeking attitude prevalent in Christendom in contemporary times. “Many peoples’ faith is getting weaker. Attendance in the congregations are decreasing. The doctrine of Christ has been distorted. All these conditions threaten the life of the church of Christ today” he averred. He further exhorted members to have a firm belief in the Apostolate and the doctrine in which they were baptized as well as desist from seeking solutions to their challenges at places other than with the Lord.
The Lord intervenes
The Lead Apostle stated that, however difficult our own conditions and that of the church may be, the Lord is always ready to intervene. As to how and when, we do not know. We are assured of one thing: “When we call on him, he shall intervene! He promised to be with His church till the end of time. Let us not depair, let us not get discouraged, but believe in Him. We only need a change of attitude towards God” the Lead Apostle emphasized.
Concluding his sermon, the Lead Apostle entreated the members to remain steadfast: “Do not weep, my dear brothers and sisters. The Lord shall intervene and bring all things to a joyful end. The night shall soon pass, and we shall return home to our Heavenly Father.”
The service was supported by Apostle Timothy Akubia, District Rector Samuel Agyemang, Deputy District Rector Richard Dodzi and Priest Simpson Agboyo