On Sunday, 1st November, 2020, the Lead Apostle Benjamin Ohene-Saffo visited the Battor district of the Volta South Apostle area. He officiated the Divine Service for the Departed. Apostle Anthony K. Kuada, District Rector Kingsley Yibor and District Rector Thomas Afun were present to assist the Lead Apostle.

The members were delighted to have the Apostle to servce them on this special occasion as it was his first visit to the Battor district following the uplifting on restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Lead Apostle also expressed his delight on seeing the congregation: “I am happy to be among like-minded brothers and sisters, who share the same Spirit with me and who are and will be with me in the kingdom of God.” These were the introductory words of the Lead Apostle Benjamine Ohene-Saffo.

The Lead Apostle read a text word from Romans 14:9,  “For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living”.

Why Jesus came

Lead Apostle Benjamin Ohene-Saffo encouraged the congregants to have faith and also to believe in the words that are preached at the altar of grace to experience grace, peace and love.
He said Jesus Christ did not come into the world for the physical reasons of making the blind see, the poor to become rich nor for the sick to be healed. Jesus came to the world for us to inherit the kingdom of God through the offer of His grace. Whatever we hear from the Bible is more of the spirit for our divine eternal election and salvation. He said Jesus came so that peace will reamain with God’s people on earth.

Before Jesus came, there was judgement; man was under the law. ‘The very day you will eat of this tree, you shall die’ was the law and when they (Adam & Eve) ate of the tree, they died. Man needs redemption; that was why Jesus came, that ‘whosoever believed in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life’. The Lead Apostle urged the congregants to have faith in Jesus Christ: “He is the only person who said He was from the Father, the only one who said He was going to prepare a place and when He has finished, He will come again to take us home.”

Why the departed service

Lead Apostle Ohene-Saffo explained that the unique occasion of the divine service for the departed is to use the power of intercession availed to us by the grace of our Lord Jesus, to intercede on behalf of those in the beyond so that they, together with us, will also inherit the Kingdom of God promised us by Jesus Christ.

He siad it was no fault of our forefathers not to have heard or known of Jesus Christ and His gospel. “They never saw the bible, they never heared what we are hearing now, nor did they know Jesus Christ.” He continued: “But they are dead and that ends it. The grace we have now, was not accessible to them. Now, how do they enter into the Kingdom of God? For the Lord made it very clear to us that unless you are born of water and Spirit, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. So then, how will those who were not baptised be saved?

The Lead Apostle concluded by saying we must not be judges on earth. He said we do not have the power to judge anybody, referring to Jesus Christ whilst on the cross as an example. “He did not judge the thief on the cross but saved him.” He then urged the congregants to use their power of intercession as Jesus did.