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“And we know that all things…”
I have said to a few people that, I want to ensure that I end up in heaven at all cost because I need some answers from God.
There are so many things that do not make sense the way they happen and to the people those things happen to. One of the most popular verses in scripture is Romans 8:28 which says “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to those who are called, according to his purpose.”
This scripture verse is often quoted and those who quote it do so with excitement in anticipation of good things that they are going to receive through faith in God. Instead of our Pastors teaching people that indeed this word is true and let them also understand that there is more to it, they often do not.
The all things in that verse is the crux of the verse that should not be glossed over. Some people are of the erroneous impression that when you become a Christian, all your problems disappear, which is clearly a misconception.
The Bible says in Psalm 34:19 that many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord shall deliver him from all of them. This clearly is an admission that coming to accept Jesus does not insulate the believer from challenges contrary to what is generally expected.
For instance, how do you explain a lady who had not engaged in promiscuous lifestyle, in fact a virgin and yet is having challenges in conception after marriage? What is good about a lady who got married and within a couple of months, becomes a widow as happened to one of the ladies whose spouses were involved in the recent helicopter disaster?
Again how do you reconcile the fact that one of the victims of the helicopter disaster, was an only child and therefore the question of who was going to bury the mother with the nature of a good God?
I cannot forget a colleague who had to bury his son who was in medical school at KNUST a couple of weeks ago and you cannot help but wonder if the word of God is really true.
There are indeed issues that can really shatter your faith and trust in the existence of God. Certain events can cause you to ask so many questions. You begin to wonder, “Have I wronged God?”, “Is it the doing of the Devil?”, “Why did God allow this to happen to me?” And on and on and on. That is when you realise that, the all things in Romans 8:28, indeed is very loaded.
The preacher men and women, have a huge responsibility in making sure that they teach their congregation, what the true Christian walk with God entails. They should stop painting a very rosy picture of life in Christ so that when the wild wind blows, their anchor will remain firm and unshakable because it is well grounded. Christianity is no tea party.
It could be both joyous and sorrowful but what we have been assured of is that, all put together, the purposes of God for our lives shall be fulfilled.
A man told me of how a friend who has lost one of his legs due to a medical condition sometimes feel like taking his own life. I recall a Pastor who was childless and his brother decided to give him his little boy to raise to bring some joy in his home.
He was preaching from the pulpit when a note was passed to him that the child had fallen into a well, at his home and drowned. Just place yourself in his shoes for a moment and imagine how he was going to break this sad news to his brother. It reminds me of when I had to break the sad news of the passing of my wife to my daughter, who was outside Accra at the time and was asked to come home so I could tell her. Whatever happens, say to yourself, it is well. God bless.
NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT’
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
THE typical itinerant salesman in Sikaman is a herbalist. He is normally a slim macho with the capacity to perambulate the expanse of area covering the triangle of Accra-Tema-Ashiaman. In short, he can walk a total of 60 miles a day, marketing a product that cures every disease, including poverty. 
The door-to-door herbal pharmacist advertises his product by word of mouth. He has nothing to do with the Food and Drugs Board (FDB). After all, his concoctions do not feature on FM stations.
Those herbalists who cannot walk to propagate the herbal gospel, liaise with drivers of mass transportation and their mates. They are, therefore, given the chance to sell their products on Benz buses that ply the routes.
Normally, the herbalist starts his sales message with a prayer and Bible study. He asks the passengers to bow down their heads in supplication to God the father, the son, the Holy Spirit.
When a herbalist asks the passengers to close their eyes and bow their heads, Moslems on board naturally feel offended. They feel that the herbalist has no right to assume that every passenger is a Christian. They think such an assumption is an affront to Islam.
So a Moslem on board will raise the hand for a point of order. He’ll remind the herbalist that it would be in his own interest to mind his language.
“Be careful the way you address people in a public place. Not every person here is a Christian,” he’d state assertively.
Of course, the herbalist will promptly ignore him, but would all the same “watch” his tongue. Who knows whether or not the Moslem brother is inspired by Quoranic zeal to defend the tenets of Islam to the hilt?
When he starts saying, “Wallahi!” and “Inshallah!” it could be the beginning of proclaiming Islam as supreme, a point which must be driven home with talibanic precision.
So the herbalist must tread carefully lest he steps on fire.
The herbalist could even add a measure of mirth to it all, by announcing that Christians on board today have very interesting company on the journey, but that should not detract from the business of the day.
The Moslem brother will weigh the words carefully and offer a wry smile.
He must be careful the occasion does not degenerate into the use of semantics and proverbial oration to deride his conviction that public utterances must be mindful of religious sensibilities. He has made his point very clear and expects that it is taken in good faith in the interest of a peaceful journey.
The herbalist will now open the New Testament and preach salvation, stating clearly that salvation can come only through Jesus Christ and NOBODY else.
The Moslem brother will now start twitching his moustache. The visible and almost revolutionary reflexes of his upper lip can be an indication that sentiments have begun superseding reason, and the outcome could well be tragic now shift uneasily in his seat.
The time has come for him to also express his right to the religion of his fore-bears. He’ll put his hand into his pocket and rise to his feet. The time has indeed come!
This article was first published on Saturday, September 9, 2006
When the cause of a particular problem like sickness, disease, sudden illness, a social issue etc. are not known, it stands to reason that resolving it becomes a huge challenge.
Citizens would understand the government when public announcements are made to the effect that government is trying to find a solution to the issue, even though it is taking a while for it to be resolved because citizens are rational beings.
On the other hand, if the solution to a particular issue is known to everybody but the government for whatever reason, is dragging its feet in resolving it, citizens become frustrated and begin to lose trust in their leaders.
One such issue is the heavy traffic along a section of the Kasoa – Odokor road. A short stretch of bad road between the traffic light at the Weija Government Hospital and the entrance to the entrance of the overhead that leads to the N1, is the cause of the problem but nothing is being done about it, day after day, week after week, month after month. Thus is clearly unacceptable.
Another issue that requires urgent attention is the lack of pavements along a lot of streets in parts of the various Municipal Assemblies. Exercise is a prerequisite for long life and healthy living and for those of us who it has become a way of life, this issue of people putting up structures right to the edge of the drains beside the roads, are making life difficult for us.
We are compelled to walk along the roads, putting our lives at serious risk. Pedestrians should never be compelled to compete with vehicles on our streets and roads. Roads and streets are made for vehicles and pavements are made for pedestrians. That is the norm. Any attempt to normalise a situation where pedestrians are mingling with vehicles is insanity.
It is the road regulations that makes it so and therefore district or municipal assemblies are to take responsibility and ensure that spaces for pavements are not encroached upon. Citizens have rights that must be protected by their leaders and making pavements available to pedestrians, is one of them.
When we hear of teachers having sex with students, it appears it is something recent. It is not a new phenomenon. It has been there since Adam. Perhaps this issue is getting much attention due to the proliferation of social media. It was an open secret in times past when Teachers were in relationships with female students and some married them immediately after completion of school.
Some teachers were also known to be having unholy interactions with female pupils but due to the times that these acts occurred, human rights issues and the awareness around it, allowed such unscrupulous teachers to get away with their crimes.
Now we are in a different era and so a Headmaster is now in hot waters. He is alleged to have raped about 19 female students and as usual, some officials tried to cover it up and are also in hot waters and their actions or inactions in the matter are under investigation.
Why the man has been allowed to roam freely without being arrested is simply mind boggling. It appears that the law applies differently, depending on who you are. This issue came to public attention sometime in August this year, yet the police had not arrested or invited this man for question regarding the rape allegation.
It has come out that he is a Constituency Secretary of the ruling party and the question in the public domain is that, is it because he is a political figure that is why he is still walking around without questioning? I believe in the rule of law so let us hold our breadth and let the proper thing be done.
The police must however be seen to be active in this matter. God bless.
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