God is Ghana’s Advocate & Chastiser?

Ghana a nation predominantly Christians (about 70% Christians) generally believes its destiny is in the hands of God Almighty. However, there are some Ghanaians too who dispute this and cogitate the destiny of the nation is in its own hands. In other words Ghanaians are “masters of their own fate”. Psychologist classifies such two streams of behavioral school of thought as “locus of control”. A person’s locus of control defines whether a person places the primary responsibility for what happens to him or her within himself/herself or on outside forces. Expounding on this point, people who believe their actions determines what happens to them have high internal locus of control (internals) while those who believe outside forces determine what happens to them have a high external locus of control (externals). Now, which ever school of thought applies generally to Ghanaians one thing that is certain and conspicuous is the ardent numerous prayer sections we resort to ensure peaceful elections in election years. Supposedly, this behavior of Ghanaians in election years is in conformity with external locus of control idiosyncrasy. Cases in point are the 2000, 2004 and 2008 elections.

In 2000, all forms of fervent prayer sections including but not limited to night-vigils, crusades were held to ask God for peaceful elections. This was at a time when Ghanaians were yearning for God’s will and also a change in government from the Rawlings-led administration to the Kuffour-led administration. The good news was God granted the nation’s request. Next in 2008, extensive prayer sections were held again to seek God’s will and to avert any political unrest or civil war during and after the elections. Again, God granted the request. In fact God granted the nation’s request with a God-fearing leader (the late President Mills) who sought God for guidance in his presidential pursuits. It is my fervent wish that Ghanaians will not stop seeking such kind of favors from God our creator and architect. As the December 7, 2012 elections draws near the Ghanaian populace should intensify such prayer sections to ask God for a God-fearing leader who would lead the nation back to God.

Now, the developments dilated upon so far endorses God’s love for the country Ghana. God loves the nation of Israel as He loves Ghana. Nevertheless, this agape love of God for Ghana may have been misconstrued or taken for granted as certain elements of unrighteous cultural intrusions into the system have not been dealt with effectively. For example homosexuality and inordinate corruption are two “demons” that has infiltrated our system and continues unabated. A recent poll showed that 82% of Ghanaians detest the unrighteous act of homosexuality (gays, lesbianism, bi-sexual, transgender ) acronym LGBT. Can we ask if the remaining 18% do accept or are comfortable with LGBT deeds in Ghana? The fact is God expects 100% detesting of the act of homosexuality and not partial loathing as Ghana is doing. Let me say here that God who undoubtedly loves the world may love homosexuals but He hates the deeds of homosexuality and wants people to move away from it. God considers such sexual perversion as an unrighteous or abominable act which can send you to Hell. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah. He also sees such acts as an alienation from His Kingdom and the need for complete turnaround. Talk of Homosexuality is a sensitive issue in the western world but that should not be the case in Ghana. It is indeed a foreign behavior which has subtly permeated our society. Nobody can specifically say when it started in Ghana but we know it is gradually becoming pervasive now.

Homosexuality is a spirit and once it enters a system can be very insidious. The younger generation of Ghana is at the risk of this invasive and destructive syndrome and we need to pray for the eradication of the perverse spirit behind the homosexuality deeds in our society. God did not create a human being as a homosexual and nobody needs to accept the mentality that homosexuals were born that way. People become homosexuals because they yield to abnormal lust of the flesh and then they are impregnated with the spirit of perversion. They in turn transfer such spirits to anyone that sexually interacts with them. I am not suggesting hate for homosexuals. My suggestion is that the act should be publicly and officially pronounced illegal by law in the nation Ghana in addition to rigorous enforcement of such law. Late President Mills started it and we can preserve his legacy by enforcing illegality of homosexuality in Ghana. Remember, homosexuals are also human beings who were created by God and so direct attack of persons may not solve the problem but a law in place to make it illegal will go a long way.

The other issue of concern is the inordinate corruption that has engulfed the state of Ghana. The recent corruption rating (Corruption Perception Index in 2011) placed Ghana in the 69th position out of 182 countries. Though on the African front, Ghana may be in sixth position in corruption rating yet corruption is a “deadly virus” that is eating up the Ghanaian society. Corruption is everywhere in Ghana and it is appalling and even humiliating to those in the Diaspora. Economics hypothesize a strong negative correlation between corruption and Real GDP per capita (a measure of standard of living) of a country. So how do we expect our standard of living to improve when there is so much corruption? Clean hearts, clean thoughts and clean hands are the recipe for eradication of corruption. God is the only person who can give us clean hearts, clean thoughts and clean hands to subdue the character of corruption. The country needs prayers for this. Let’s pray for national deliverance from evils of corruption. The bible says in Genesis 6:11 & 12 that “The Earth was corrupt before God, and the Earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the Earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on Earth”. Corruption as outlined here in the bible includes every form of corruption from physical to spiritual. There is the need to address these social vices so as to escape the displeasure of God.

For your information any nation that God loves He becomes an advocate and a chastiser as well for the nation. The bible says in Proverbs 3:12 that “For whom the LORD loves He reproves. Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights”. God has been and continues to be an advocate for Ghana. God’s advocacy for the nation comes in two facets; speaking for the nation and speaking to the nation. In the 2000, 2004 and 2008 elections we can decipher God spoke for the nation of Ghana because He was probably pleased with the kind of prayer and humility Ghanaians communicated to Him. Now, can we say that the current trend of events is an indication of God speaking for Ghana? No. It is rather an indication of the other form of advocacy which is God speaking to Ghana. This is called chastising. You see God speaks to nations through events and also through the numerous preachers and prophets in the land. And God will speak to a nation as long as the situation being spoken about persists. Some may argue the rise of false prophets in Ghana. Yet in the midst of that God has His true prophets and pastors and is speaking vividly to the nation through them.

All the events taking place like the death of our President (late President Mills) and the uncertainty in the political atmosphere for the December elections could be indicative of God speaking to us. As a nation let us not wait for unpleasant events to take place or neglect the warning signs from above. We need to go back to God in humility and in repentance of certain sins for He is arms-open and waiting for us. God wants to heal our land but there has to be recognition of our sins and repentance. Then healing in the form of redemption and restoration will come from God. Until we get to that point, there is little the nation Ghana can physically do to save ourselves from any mishaps. Let’s declare one or some days of fasting and prayer between now and December 7, 2012 and cry out to God like never before. The bible says in Isaiah 55:6 & 7 that “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon”. God bless you as you spread this message around.

Charles Horace Ampong

International Central Gospel Church Chicago

www.icgcchicago.com

www.charliepee.blogspot.com