Lighthouse Chapel marks Good Friday
Thousands of members of the Lighthouse Chapel International (LCI) in the Accra and Tema metropolises gathered at the Independence Square in Accra last Friday to mark the crucifixion of Jesus Christ with a healing and miracle service.
Advertisement
The service, dubbed the ‘Good Friday Miracle Service’, was the third in a series since the LCI initiated the annual programme in 2015.
Most of the members, who were in black or red clothes, were also joined by dignitaries, including the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, as well as friends and family members from sister churches to experience and enjoy this year’s miracle services.
Song ministration
The service was spiced with song ministrations from a 6,000-member choir, comprising men and women clad in black cloth with sea green scarf or tie around their necks to match.
The joyous mood was replaced by a sober mood when pastors of some branches of the LCI read the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross from the books of Matthew, Luke and John.
The congregation was glued to their seats when some members of the church from Ghana and other foreign nations shared testimonies of how they came to give their lives to Christ and turned away from homosexuality, smoking, drinking, fraud and drug addiction.
A couple, Mr and Mrs Roland Hosu, who had been married for 10 years without a child, attracted lots of cheers when they mounted the stage with a baby girl they claimed was a miracle from the 2016 Good Friday Service.
They told the story of how after experiencing series of miscarriages, a fibroid surgery and failed medical treatments, they finally conceived after believing in the word of God which was preached by the Founder of LCI, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills.
Other Trending Stories
Sermon
Bishop Heward-Mills has planted more than 3,000 churches across the globe and written 100 books.
Later in a sermon titled “Why many people believe that Jesus is the son of God”, based on Luke chapter one verse 35 and John chapter three verse 16, Bishop Heward-Mills affirmed the sacrifice of Jesus Christ some 2,000 years ago, which remains potent, saying Jesus made a claim that he was the son of God.
Bishop Heward-Mills said Jesus proved his claim as he was recognised by evil spirits and through the miracles he performed.
“He walked on water, calmed the storm. Jesus fed 5,000 people. He raised the dead. He healed many diseases. If you're the Son of God, you must be able to heal numerous diseases. If you're the Son of God, you should be able to do things people cannot do,” he said.
The Way, Truth and Life
Jesus Christ, Bishop Heward-Mills said, also proved his claims through “the things He said. He said I am the Way. I am the Truth. I am the Life. No one can come to the Father expect through me. I am the true light, I am the Good Shepherd, I am the door.”
According to him, Jesus died on the cross for mankind. “He died for us. This is what Good Friday is about. Have you been jealous before?, have you fornicated before?, have you stolen before? Jesus came to wash away our sins with His blood,” he stressed.
However, he said, God did not use just any blood to wipe the sins of mankind - not of angels or animals but he used that of His only begotten Son, adding that: “Not every blood is the same. There is power in the blood of Jesus that cannot expire.”
He, therefore, called on all to “take Jesus very seriously. You must dedicate your life to him and serve him by passionately loving the son of God”.
Bishop Heward-Mills later interceded for Ghana in prayer, asking for good leadership with God-given wisdom and knowledge that would not lead the nation astray.
He declared blessings on the congregation and prayed for healing for the ailing congregants present after he led them to partake in a communion service.
Healing galore
While Bishop Heward-Mills prayed for the congregation, unclean spirits came out of many and they were set free, while others fell down.
When he called those who had experienced any form of healing to come forward and testify, the congregation was baffled by the testimonies.
Advertisement
A young man who said he had suffered glaucoma for five years made the congregation shout with praises to God when he announced that his sight was restored after he took the communion.
The testimony of a young girl who said she had a liver and kidney problem and had been unable to walk or clap for eight years also attracted resounding claps and cheers.
Another young man who had both testicles swollen which made it impossible for him to sit told the over-excited congregation that the swell had disappeared following the prayers.
An elderly woman who said she had been progressively blind and also had a stroke on the right side of her body shared her healing testimony with a teary sister who could not control her joy as her sister walked, danced and jumped on stage.
Advertisement
Vice-President
Dr Bawumia, who was a guest at the service, described the service as “an awesome night; looking at the crowd, it is an honour to worship with you”.
He spoke of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made, quoting John 15:13; and called on Ghanaians to emulate Jesus Christ by sacrificing for the betterment of the country.
“Sacrifice is important to accomplish things. You have to give up something to achieve something. To pass exams, you have to study and listen to your teachers and God will reward you, even successful marriages require sacrifice,” he stated.
He urged Ghanaians to be willing to sacrifice for Ghana, saying: “We want to be a country that can do things for ourselves and not go begging. We want to do things and we know we are capable. We can not achieve this if we cannot sacrifice.”
Advertisement
Asphalt road
Dr Bawumia announced that the government was considering building concrete roads instead of asphalt roads throughout the country.
He said the decision followed a proposal made by the Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference to use concrete for road construction nationwide instead of asphalt.
Describing the proposal as “pure wisdom”, the Vice-President said a comparative and costing analysis had shown that while a kilometre of a dual-carriage concrete road cost $3.8 million, a dual-carriage asphalt road was $2.8 million.
Yet, he said, while the concrete road would last 40 years, the asphalt road only had a 10-year lifespan.
“We will see a transformation in road construction soon,” he said, adding that the Ministry of Roads and Transport was currently studying the proposal.
In March, the Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference urged the government to increase road tolls and use the proceeds to improve and construct better roads.
According to the proposal, the new road network was to be built using concrete. It specified that the roads should be 10 inches of concrete with a width of three lanes 12 metres, for several miles.
The conference cited the Tema Motorway as an example of a concrete road that had served Ghana for decades, while other roads made up of asphalt eroded and developed potholes shortly after months of construction.
The Vice-President said the government “will consider doing this because as for laying concrete, we can all do it in Ghana. You don’t need to get anybody to come and lay concrete for you. Any mason from any village can come and lay the concrete.”
Writer’s email: emelia.ennin@graphic.com.gh