April 2018 – The Christian Blog

Book Review: The Spirit within & The Spirit upon

In a society where witches, diseases and sufferings are often glorified, one book that highlights the power of the Christian, puts us in our rightful place and is a must-read is Kenneth Hagin’s The Spirit Within and the Spirit Upon. Even without stating it directly, Hagin’s testimonies in this book is enough to challenge the reader to want to get to the next level in their Christian walk.

Using different biblical references, the author established how the Spirit of God comes to dwell within the believer when he/she accepts Christ. He goes further to speak of a deeper dimension which every believer must reach and that is the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which empowers us unto ministry. To understand the author’s perspective on this subject better, Hagin started ministering in an era when accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Savior was all there was. Christians, in certain denominations, were content to be at that level but in this book, however, Kenneth Hagin allows the reader to understand why the believer needs the second dimension.

If you know of any Christian who keeps glorifying sicknesses, poverty and witchcraft, perhaps, you may want to recommend The Spirit within & the Spirit upon. The author clearly makes us understand that when we become believers, such ‘sufferings’ no longer have power over us.

However, the only form of ‘suffering’ a believer is permitted to have is when they are pushing the gospel. So for instance, a minister of the gospel may complain he is suffering when he is given a difficult congregation to pastor. This congregation may not flow with his doctrine on say, divine healing, and Hagin gives several scenarios of this kind of ‘suffering’ in this book. Note that such ‘sufferings’ shape the believer for the ministry.

The 187-page book is simple to read and has the author’s testimonies which allow the reader to understand the subject matter. The Spirit within & the Spirit upon also makes the reader appreciate the work of a pastor and other church leaders. These people we see face so many challenges including loneliness stemming from being away from their families and even hunger. Hagin recounts an incident in his ministry when he and his wife were virtually starved by their hosts, who neither talked about food nor had anything edible in their fridge. For almost a week, the author battled the temptation of reporting the pastor and wife to the appropriate authorities but some reason, the Holy Spirit kept tugging at his heart not to do so. This section of the book also highlights the importance of walking in love as Christians.

The Spirit within & the Spirit upon is highly recommended for anyone who:

has pastoral or ministerial ambitions, since it opens the reader up to what they need to succeed in the field of ministry.
has not accepted the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. This book stresses on why believers need the second dimension.
wants to be reminded of how powerful he/she is in Jesus Christ. It makes the believer yearn to reach a higher level in their Christian walk where they can even communicate directly with God. This is a level we should all strive for – where we do not need ‘middlemen’ or fast and pray for 30 days to hear God speak to us.

The ‘S-A-L-V-A-T-I-O-N’ of Our Salvation

S – Save.

Jesus Christ came to die on the cross to save us. While we were born sinners, He came in the purest form through the conception of a virgin, lived a short but purposeful life, proving right all prophecies concerning his birth, death and resurrection. We get saved when we accept, believe and confess his Lordship over our lives.

A – Amazing

Amazing grace – that is what saved souls like you and I. We were once lost but this amazing grace found us. We were sick but now we are healed. We were powerless but by His amazing grace, we have the authority to stand against the devil and his cohorts.

L – Love

His death on the cross portrays nothing but the extent of His love for humanity. The Bible says,

‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life’ – John 3:16.

1 John 3:16 goes further to define ‘love’ as Jesus Christ laying down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

V – Victory

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ spells victory for us in the sense that He defeated death and Colossians 2:5 puts it like this;

In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

This victory transcends to us when we accept Jesus Christ as our saviour. We become victorious over all negative situations – poverty, sickness and all complications in our lives. We overcome them through our salvation and live victoriously.

A – Awesome

His death and resurrection has created that awesome relationship between us and God once again. We, who were once sinners, through the deeds of one man, can call the God of perfection, our Father. We take over God’s nature once again through salvation – Colossians 2:13.

T – Thankful

We can be thankful to God for coming to die on the cross to save us from our sins. We can also show our appreciation by witnessing to others and depopulating hell. Let’s evangelise to others – through our way of life and words.

I – Incredible

Just cast your mind back to when God created the world and made man in His own image and righteousness. Throughout scriptures, there were prophecies made about His birth, death and resurrection and He came to fulfill each and every one of them. If this cannot be described as incredible, what else qualifies as such?

O – Outstanding

Our acceptance of the gift He has given us makes us outstanding, different and unique. Our lives begin to change the moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and personal saviour. Our speech, understanding of events and lifestyle begin to reflect this new life that we have:

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! – 2 Corinthians 5:17

N- Noble

Can anyone’s death be described as noble? Yes, the saviour of the world’s death can be described as such and the result is our salvation.

You can only manifest these beautiful adjectives when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal saviour. Have you accepted him yet? If you haven’t, what are you waiting for?

7 Christian Radio Shows you’d Absolutely Love

Listening to sermons on the radio is a great way to keep your mind focused on God but, sometimes what the Christian need is a variety of programmes to prevent monotony. Different radio stations, in their programming, are coming up with some of these shows and below is a compilation of seven of them. These programmes are different, provides you with that variety, keeps your mind fixed on God and the church and above all, you’d absolutely love to listen to them over and over again. Here is the list:

Digital Church with Maximus Ametorgoh on Sunny 88.7 FM

In this technological era, where social media has become a great communication tool for individuals and organisations, most churches are adopting them as well. However, are these tools being used in their optimum form looking at their functionalities? That is exactly what the Digital Church addresses on Saturdays at 10 am on Sunny 88.7 FM. It takes listeners through what churches need to know about using these new media forms in their communications. The host, Maximus Ametorgoh, who is knowledgeable in this field walks listeners through the various processes, uses and benefits of using new media as a church. In his presentation, Mr. Ametorgoh lists points and addresses each of them within 30-minutes and it almost feels listeners have attended a free seminar. This is a highly recommended programme for members of the media and communications teams in every church as well as anyone interested in the use of this tool.

Easy Sunday with Kwabby on Class 91.3 FM

After the close of church services on Sundays, you sometimes need some good gospel tunes to keep meditating on the word of God while you plan for the new week and that is exactly what this show helps you do. What makes it different from the other programmes is that listeners determine the tracks which are played. They do that by sending their requests via the station’s Whatsapp lines and the host, Kwabby (Kwabs for short) does well to go through all the requests no matter the number he receives. His monotone and the manner in which he handles each request makes the two-hour show so short. You should probably tune in this Sunday at 12 pm.

The Reason is Jesus with Rev. Mike Nii Abossey on Joy 99.7 FM

This show is like old wine (gets better with time) and could easily qualify as one of the longest running Christian programmes on-air. It starts airing immediately after Pastor Mensah Otabil’s broadcast at 7:30 am on Joy 99.7FM with soothing sounds which keep your mind focused on God while you prepare for your Sunday service. At 8 am, there is a break for the news and Rev. Mike Nii Abossey comes back to play more gospel tracks which are a mixture of both local and foreign tunes. The two and a half hour-programme is never complete without the usual altar-call and sometimes he has guests passing through to inspire listeners or give updates on upcoming programmes.

Rivers of Worship with Joojo Bediako on Citi 97.3 FM

On the other side of the dial is Rivers of Worship on CITI 97.3 which runs concurrently with the Reason is Jesus on Joy 99.7 FM. The concepts are similar, therefore, listeners have the choice of flipping their dials when the other station is not doing what they really want. Joojo Bediako, as a host, always has an impressive play list which will keep you glued till 10 am when there is a repeat of The Big Issue.

Toe Tapping on Sweet Melodies 94.3 FM

This music programme provides listeners with the alternative of hearing good gospel tunes on weekdays from 9:30 am until 11 am. The show has had a number of presenters over the years and has segments like daily health tips, beauty and style tips and refreshing moments. Listeners also have the chance to send shout outs but this happens on days when the show doesn’t need to break for Prophetic Turning Point.

Positive Soul Food with JJD on Sunny FM 88.7 FM

Positive Soul Food runs every weekday between 12 pm to 2:30 pm. This programme offers the alternative for individuals who may not be interested in the regular political and sports shows which air around that same time on other stations. If Jennifer Jessica Danquah is not in the seat to soothe you with inspiring tracks and her voice, there are other ladies like Baaba and others who sit in and do the job quite well. The song selections are beautiful and the presenters interact very well with their listeners. The only negative with the Positive Soul Food is the number of commercials aired at a time. There are too many of them and they have the tendency of pushing listeners to flip their dials. Apart from that, it’s another great show.

Sunset Drive with Fiifi Folson on Sunny 88.7 FM

How can we discuss outstanding Christian radio programmes without mentioning the Sunset Drive on Sunny FM which runs every weekday, from 4:30 pm to 8 pm. The host, Fiifi Folson, selects a theme each day and selects tracks based on the theme. It is not only a great show because of the song selection, but Fiifi Folson is an interesting guy with the great voice who has the ability to keep you glued to your radio set. He also has segments on the show where he gives prizes to listeners who may be celebrating their birthdays and those who answer his questions accurately and fast.

There are other wonderful Christian programmes on-air and they will be featured in subsequent posts. We’ll definitely keep our ears on the ground and keep you updated.

Do you have any favourite shows on Radio? Share with us and we’ll do the listening with you.

The Salvation Analogy

You are going through life and depending solely on your abilities. You have a thriving business and can afford most of life’s luxuries, yet, you feel burdened. You wish there was that person you could confide in but, you’ve had your fair share of disappointments. Your family, friends and colleagues, in the past, have disappointed you, hence, you’ve decided to keep to yourself. One of your biggest fear is how your future will turn out. Who do you share your joy, achievements, anxieties and sorrows with? As you were thinking about these, a salesperson walks into your office with this amazing product:

Salesperson: Good morning. My name is Kwame, I am a salesperson from Life Can Be Better (LCBB). I have this amazing product that I want to introduce to you. It has been on the market for some time now and it has the ability to make life much easier for you. Can I go ahead?

You: Hi. How did you know my life was a difficult one? And what product is that?

Salesperson: People who do not have this product in their lives face a lot of challenges. Those who have accepted it can testify to how it has changed their lives – it is free, though. All you need to do is to accept the product, believe it will work and confess that, indeed, the product is what you use. That’s how you can activate the product. Simple huh?

You (getting angry): Which cheap product are you coming to sell to me? I’ve been by myself for three long decades and I’ve been managing. How do you think some free product can make my life easier?

Salesperson: I’ve sold this product to a lot of people. I use it myself and really, this product has made my life more beautiful.

You (rolling your eyes): Keep your cheap product to yourself. A free product which can solve all of my lives’ problems? I don’t need it. You know I use designer perfumes and I wear designer clothes. The number plate of my car, as you can see, is customised. I simply cannot accept this cheap product of yours.

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This is how most people react when the salvation story is told to them. It is too simplistic and unbelievable and the process of being saved, too ‘cheap.’

If the process of accepting Jesus Christ was a little more complicated and stylish, like paying a fee or performing some gymnastics, it would have been more believable and acceptable.

The process of being saved as a Christian is indeed simple and involves three main steps:

Accept that you are a sinner because you are a descendant of Adam
Believe that Jesus came to die in our place (the reason for the Easter celebration) and
Confess the lordship of Jesus Christ over your life and receive Him as your Saviour (Romans 10:9-10; John 1:12).

It is that simple. Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal saviour? If you haven’t, you can say this simple prayer:

Dear Father, I thank God for your son who came to die for us and shed his blood for the washing away of my sins (reason for the Easter celebration). I, therefore, declare his Lordship over my life and invite him to be my Lord and personal saviour. Lord Jesus, come into my life, wash me with your blood and present me righteous before God. I thank you for accepting me into your kingdom as your child.

Amen