Things I Learned in Ghana: Lesson #3

The emphasis must be on Jesus!

Signs all over Ghana say:
Glory be to God Pharmacy
Halleluya Saloon (should be salon)
Jesus Saves Coffin Shop

Sign proclaiming God in hopes of abundance are all over the country. People believe that if they name there shop after God, he will in turn bless it and make them successful. Some truly want to proclaim Christ Glory but the majority are in it for what they get out of it.
In the same way those who practice Voodoo or other African tribal religions cast spells on their stores and shops with the same hopes; that if they appease their gods it will bring them success.

Unfortunately, throughout Ghana and Africa, the Prosperity Gospel has taken root to the point that the lines between Christianity and Tribal Religions are blurred. Jesus has been turned into an ATM machine. Some people (pastor’s included) come to Church on Sunday and give in hopes of being blessed and then go visit their local witch doctor during the week and pay for a spell to bless them.

Many churches have decided that it is easier and more lucrative to try to please their congregations than to teach truth.

I have seen very little in the way of teaching on repentance, obedience, worship and service in the Ghanaian Church.
I am also seeing a lack of the most important thing to Christians and the world. JESUS! What Jesus did, in coming to earth, taking our sin upon himself and dying for us. And the way Jesus taught us to live in severely lacking in the Church in Africa.

Last year Francis Chan (Check out his website on the right) came to Africa for a pastor’s conference. He preached Jesus to these pastors and hundreds of them came forward to for repentance, because these pastors hadn’t even been taught much about Jesus, Love and being a Servant. Much of their training had come from US Televangelists and the message that God wants you to be rich.

I have been so blessed this year to be able to teach a fundamentals class to at Manna Bible School and also a class on Jesus. It was awesome to see light turn on for the first time in these young pastors and pastors-to-be lives when they started understanding what the gospel really is about for the first time.

At the same time it has caused me to spend more time studying the bible and ensuring that I am firmly grounded in the truth.

Please pray for Ghana that the Gospel will come to life in a new and real way and that true repentance and Christ Seeking will ensue.