Features
Fake prophets! Leave God out of your nonsense!
The late Professor P.A.V. Ansah, the former Dean of the School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, had a way of announcing his anger in his column anytime people presumptuously deviated from the norm. “Today, I am going to town,” he would warn. That meant he was going to descend heavily on shameless trespassers. Today, I feel like him. I am angry. So, I will go to town.
When I was about 16 years, an old man in Cape Coast and my mom exchanged some views about God that have stuck with me since. Everybody called him Papa. On hindsight, I guess he might have been in his late-70s, or early 80s. Occasionally, he would drop by our house after a stroll, relax for a while, chat with my parents, and move on.
One evening, while with us and watching TV, black and white for sure, a scene popped up in the Akan drama sketch. I think the actors portrayed God in a bad light and Papa remarked in both Fante and English, saying: “Siseyi, Nyankopcn twer ne lazy chair mu reka d3, you rascals.” This loosely translates to: “By now, God is relaxing in his recliner and slamming these people, saying: you rascals.”
In response, my mom said: “Ah, Papa, abc akcd3ena etwer lazy chair mu ntsi, afa no d3, d3m ara na Nyankopcn so tse,” meaning, “Ah, Papa, because you are an old man, and love to relax in a reclining chair, you are imagining that God is like you.”We all laughed over the issue. But time has taught me how poignant that exchange was. It has given me an idea about how vainly some people treat God.
“Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord in vain,” so commands the Word of God. But, of late, many so-called men of God and spiritualists are doing just. They lie and claim, “Thus says the Lord.”
In the run-up to the two-legged epic encounter between the Black Stars of Ghana and the Super Green Eagles of Nigeria, a flurry of lying prophecies filled the airwaves. The conclusion was unanimous: the Black Stars would never qualify.
A man calling himself Seer Gyan, predicted that the first leg in Kumasi would end one-all, while the scores for the return match in Abuja would be zero-zero. That implied that Nigeria would qualify on account of the away goal rule. He claimed that in the spirit realm, he saw two goals in Kumasi which could be shared by the two teams.
Alternatively, if the Black Stars fought hard, they could claim both goals, otherwise Nigeria could grab them. The man was just trying hard to leave a window of escape in case his prediction backfired. But try as he did, God dribbled him. It was goalless in Kumasi and one-all in Abuja. So, the Black Stars rather qualified against all odds.
Another one, Bishop Isaac Appiah, also known as Ogya Nyame, founder and leader of the Shining Grace Chapel International, was careful not to give specific scores in a bid to leave an escape route for himself should he fail.
“I saw in a vision that the game will not be determined in Kumasi, and I said it last week. An angel made me to see after the final whistle in Abuja, that the Ghanaian players were sorrowful while the Nigerians were jubilating and saying they had won the game. We should go before God and pray because in the spirit realm, what I saw has not been reversed.” Rubbish!
Pressed to be more specific, he repeated what he saw in the vision. When told by the interviewer that Ghanaians would think he is a coward by not coming out with a scoreline, he replied that Ghanaians do not want to hear the truth. According to him, they would brand you unpatriotic if you told them the truth. He said as someone who loves the country, sometimes he sees some evil coming against us, and he stands in the gap for Ghana to avert the danger.
But listen to the “patriotic” pastor’s response when asked if he could do something to turn the tide if “consulted.”“Yes, that would be better than doing it with their own strength.” Nonsense! What did he mean? That Partey and co should depend on his prayer and intervention to win in Abuja? Surely, he wanted to make an easy buck. How dare you try to rip off the whole nation like that? Papa rightly said: You rascals!
The prediction that infuriated me the most is the one by that uncouth idol worshipper who calls himself “spiritual father.”He had the nerve to declare that Ghana is an idolatrous country established by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah with the help of “Kankan Nyame,” an idol that Ghanaian folklore claims to have been worshipped by Nkrumah. For that reason, he vehemently urged Ghanaians to go back to that idol.
Foolish man! Who told you that Ghana was established through the help of an idol? The Bible says: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” God’s Word also declares: “The fool has said in his heart that there is no God.”Are you not ashamed of yourself that in this day and age when wise men are still seeking Jesus,you have the audacity to recommend idols for Ghana?
He said if the country failed to apologise to the former GFA president, Kwasi Nyantakyi, Ghana would miss Qatar. Besides, Partey should not accept the captain’s band unless he apologised to Asamoah Gyan. Otherwise, he would be injured in the return match in Abuja.
Banging his hands repeatedly on the table, he swore in twi.“Whether it is a mallam, fetish priest or whoever it is who can help Ghana win, if that happens, I would give the players 50,000 pounds.” The Akans say,“Kwatrekwa se ob3ma wo ntoma a, tie ne din.” It means:“If a man called Naked promises to clothe you, be advised by his name.”
Asked what he would do if Ghana qualified, he pulled an over-sized weapon like a matchet resembling Goliath’s sword, raised it to his neck, and swore that he should be beheaded should Ghana qualify.
He brought out a fetish and shook it in the air saying it had never failed him. While still being pressed on his crazy effusions, he deceptively assumed an out-of-this-world posture as he bowed his head and pretended to be in a trance communicating with the fetish. Suddenly, he raised his head as if he had just been released from the spirit world to talk to mortal men and asked the host whether he was saying something to him. Impudent liar!
After Ghana qualified, he was defiant. He argued that he only said the Black Stars would not win the match, and that came to pass because it ended in a draw. Questioned how come Ghana qualified, he claimed that some “big men” called him on his phone and pleaded with him todo something about the situation. Besides, he boldly declared that the “big men” went to apologise to Kwasi Nyantakyi and Asamoah Gyan as he directed them to do and that led to the qualification. Eeeii!
When he ran out of excuses about why Partey was not injured but rather scored the goal that earned Ghana a slot at the World Cup, the pathological liar easily invented an escape route without scratching his head by instantly claiming the phone line seemed jammed and that made the interviewer’s voice inaudible.
The truth of the matter is that a jaded, faded Black Stars failed miserably at AFCON with a profusely leaking defence, and broke the nation’s heart. Imagine a team like that pitted against the Super Eagles of Nigeria who had the luxury of a dilemma in choosing from the array of world-class attackers like Victor Osimhen of Napoli, Ademola Lukman of Leicester, Victor Ighalo, Simon and others.
With Ghana lacking such strikers, besides a defence that had given the nation cause for alarm, the foregone conclusion was that the Black Stars would be buried under an avalanche of goals. And so, these liars parading as prophets and spiritualists, took the easy road, judged by the trend, and deceived us that they had heard from the Lord.
Hear the Word of the Living God!
I expose the false prophets as liars and make fools of fortune-tellers.
I cause the wise to give bad advice, thus proving them to be fools.
But I carry out the predictions of my prophets!
Isaiah 44:25-26, New Living Translation
The Bible declares: “He traps the wise in their own cleverness so that their cunning schemes are thwarted,” Job 5:13, New Living Translation.
This is how God exposed these liars and made an open show of them, You do not know God. Leave Him out of your nonsense!
Contact: teepeejubilee@yahoo.co.uk
By Tony Prempeh
Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace. The same report found that managers spend an average of four hours per week dealing with conflict, and nearly 25 per cent of people think their managers handle conflict poorly or very poorly.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you’re trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved, here are seven steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
1. Don’t put it off
Facing conflict head-on is hard. However, waiting too long to address it can negatively impact your emotional well-being, focus, and the entire office environment. If you’re feeling angry, letting that emotion fester can also escalate it over time. This can make you less responsive to other points of view and make it harder to resolve the issue.
The sooner you can address the conflict, the better it will be for you, the person you disagree with, and your entire team.
2. Learn all you can about the problem
It’s important to determine the type of conflict you’re dealing with. Begin by considering the cause of the conflict. For example, ask yourself whether someone said something that upset you or if you have emotions of anger and resentment that stemmed from something that happened.
Then try to identify if it’s a task, relationship, value, or team conflict. Once you know what type of conflict it is, you can work to resolve it with specific tactics for that situation.
If you skip this step, you may waste time or escalate the situation further by trying to address issues irrelevant to the real conflict.
3. Actively listen
Listen attentively when people share their side of the story. Active listening is one of the most valuable professional skills you can possess. This type of listening involves not only hearing what the other person is saying but also listening to understand their point of view.
No matter your role in conflict, it’s easy to begin sharing your opinion with little regard for the other people involved. However, it’s important to learn about all sides of a disagreement to make well-informed decisions before drawing conclusions.
To reach a resolution, you must step back and prioritize listening over talking. Ultimately, that will encourage the other person to do the same when it’s your turn to speak. –source: betterup.com
Today, I focus on the Temple Of Praise Ministries International (TOP Church) in Helsinki, as I continue my description of personalities or institutions and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The TOP Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments that must be made known to the public. 
Some history
The Church was established in Finland in September 2016. Since its inception, it has steadily grown both spiritually and numerically, by the grace of God, as disclosed to me by Mr Matthew Anini Twumasi, the Presiding Elder of TOP’s branch in Finland. The TOP Church has other branches across Africa, Europe, and America.
The Church in Finland was founded with a vision to create a welcoming and dynamic community where people could experience God’s love and grace (see, www.topchurchfinland.org). According to Presiding Elder Matthew, the TOP Church operates within a unique environment where Christianity coexists with what is seen as a largely secular society.
Despite this, he submits, there are significant opportunities for outreach, unity, and demonstrating the love of Christ through service and community engagement.
Activities
Church services at the TOP Church are typically held on Sundays for the main worship. In addition, there are mid-week prayer sessions, Saturday prayer services, and a half-night service held on the last Friday of every month. “We also organise quarterly programs”, Elder Matthew added.
His impression of the Church so far has been positive. “It is a vibrant and welcoming community where members are committed to worship, fellowship, and supporting one another in faith”, he stated.
In sum, Elder Matthew said the Church continues to grow by God’s grace. “We remain hopeful and committed to spreading the Gospel, strengthening the faith of our members, and making a positive impact in society”, he continued.
Achievements
The TOP Church has a number of achievements and achievements. Some of the strengths include strong community bonds, cultural diversity, and deep commitment to spiritual growth.
I also remember that during the COVID-19 period, I heard that the TOP Church was one such bodies that hugely supported its members and others to cope with the situation.
According to Elder Matthew, the challenges facing the church include “adapting to cultural differences, engaging the younger generation, expanding outreach in a secular society, and securing a permanent place of worship”.
Role in the Ghanaian community in Finland
The TOP Church plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the TOP Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
The Church also has mechanisms in place to support its members who are bereaved as a way to commiserate with them in times of death and funerals.
The Ghanaian community has played a vital role in the growth of the Church. Their strong sense of fellowship, dedication to worship, and active participation have helped build a solid foundation and attract others to the ministry, according to Elder Matthew.
Integration
By its activities, the TOP Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society.
This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process.
The role of migrant associations and groups such as TOP Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
