TEXTS: Leviticus 6:8-13; 2 Timothy 1:6-7; John 14:12

Presented by Apostle Emmanuel Achim Gyimah (Kaneshie Area Head, The Church of Pentecost)

1.0 INTRODUCTION

2.0 WHAT IS PENTECOSTALISM?

3.0 WHAT IS THE PENTECOSTAL FIRE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT?

4.0 WHO CAN RECEIVE THE PENTECOSTAL FIRE?

5.0 WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PENTECOSTAL FIRE FOR THE CHURCH?

6.0 WHAT IS MISSING IN CONTEMPORARY PENTECOSTALISM THAT CALLS FOR THE NEED TO FAN IT'S FIRE TO IMPACT GENERATIONS.

7.0 WHAT FRUIT SHALL MANIFEST WHEN THE PENTECOSTAL FIRE IS KEPT CONTINUALLY BURNING?

8.0 THE ROLES AND JOB OF CHURCH LEADERS IN KEEPING THE PENTECOSTAL FIRE BURNING TO IMPACT GENERATIONS.

INTRODUCTION

Looking retrospectively at the landscape of church history from the early Jerusalem Church to date, one significant feature of the growth of the Church is a recurrence of spiritual decline after seasons of revivals and rapid growth.

The rapid growth of the early church after the Holy Spirit outpouring on the 120 Disciples on the Day of Pentecost of Acts chapter Two suffered a spiritual decline of God's Church in power, and the operation of spiritual gifts barely 200 years later. This led to denominalism, differences in church liturgy, doctrine, ethos or practices. The unity of God's church has ever since suffered.

It is therefore very appropriate and timely for the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr. Opoku Onyinah, who also doubles as the President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council to come out with the Theme: "Fanning the Pentecostal Fire to Impact Generations".

WHAT IS PENTECOSTALISM?

Pentecostalism is that stream of Christianity in which her members profess genuine faith in the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ for salvation and new birth.

Pentecostals believe in the baptism in the Holy Spirit evidenced by the speaking in new tongues, manifestation of grace, Spiritual and ascension gifts after salvation.

To the Church of Pentecost, "The Four square Gospel" is: Jesus Christ the Savior,

Jesus Christ the healer, Jesus Christ the baptizer and Sanctifier in the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ the soon coming King.

Classical Pentecostalism began in the Gold Coast (Ghana) with the conversion of Apostle Peter Newman Anim from the Presbyterian Church at Asamankese to the Faith Tabernacle Church in 1917, when he was healed of stomach troubles while reading the 'Sword of the Spirit magazine edited by Pastor A. Clark, founder of the Faith Tabernacle Ministry, Philadelphia, USA. Anim later joined the Apostolic Faith Church when he was expelled from the Faith Tabernacle Church when he was found subscribing to a religious magazine published by the Apostolic Faith Church in Portland, Oregon, USA. This led to his affiliation with the Bradford Apostolic Church, UK, that sent Rev. James McKeown to the Gold Coast upon his request.

McKeown, who arrived in the Gold Coast in 1937 had to part ways with Anim over a doctrinal impasse on the No-medication theology of Anim after a year.

McKeown restarted the Apostolic Church with some believers at Akim-Akroso and Winneba in 1938.

McKeown's faithful disciples of The Apostolic Church, numbering about 50 in 1938,  has grown rapidly and consistently to nearly 2.5 million members of The Church of Pentecost, worldwide. Currently The Church of Pentecost is the largest and the fastest growing Church in Ghana. Such a phenomenal growth must be sustained, and the growing membership well equipped to become a well class model Church.

 

3.0 WHAT IS THE PENTECOSTAL FIRE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT?

The Pentecostal Fire is the ancient fire that indicated the Presence of God or the Holy Spirit appearing to bless or to judge humans.

 3.1 The fire from heaven that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness and homosexuality (Genesis 19:1-26).

3.2 The burning Fire that appeared to Moses near Mount Horeb (Exodus chapter 3).

3.3 The Pillar of fire that led Israel during her Exodus to Canaan (Exod. 13:21-22)

3.4 The appearance of a furnace of thick smoke and fire on Mount Sinai to Israel.

      (Exod. 19:16-20).

3.5 The Fire that was kept continually burning on the altar of burnt offering.

       (Lev. 6:12-13; 9:24).

3.6 Elijah commanded fire to fall from heaven to consume the burnt offerings, water,

      and the stones (1Kings 18:36-38).

3.7 Elijah commands the fire of God from heaven to consume Two Captains of 50 Soldiers each when they were sent to arrest him (2Kings 1:9-12).

3.8 The glory of God that appeared to Ezekiel like a blazing fire among the Four

       Living Creatures (Ezekiel 1:4-13).

3.9 The Fire that appeared like tongues and settled on the heads of each of the 120

       Praying disciples of Christ on the Day of Pentecost of Acts 2:1-4.

3.10 All sinners shall be destroyed with fire (Rev. 20:9-15).

Hence the Pentecostal Fire we are talking about is the Presence of the Holy Spirit in believers and the various gifts of God: Grace gifts (Rom. 12:6-8); Spiritual gifts

 (1Cor. 12:7-11); and Ascension gifts (Eph. 4:11-16).

 

4.0 WHO CAN RECEIVE THE PENTECOSTAL FIRE?

    Believers in Christ who are genuinely born again are baptised by the Holy Spirit

    and Fire (Matt. 3:11). This is the promise of Christ to all who believes and abides

     In Christ, and have ample time to wait upon The Lord (Acts 1:8; 2:1-4).

 

5.0 WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PENTECOSTAL FIRE FOR THE CHURCH?

5.1 As fire purifies gold and makes it useful in diverse ways so also the Holy Spirit Fire is meant to sanctify and purify the saints for Good works. God's ultimate purpose

Is to make His Church Holy and blameless in His sight (Eph. 1:4; 2Tim. 2:20-21).

 5.2 The Holy Ghost Fire gives believers abundant grace and power for effective and

   Fruitful Ministry: Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to win souls,

                                 Teaching and equipping the saints for Ministry,

                                - Identifying, developing and using your God-given gifts

                                   to build the body of Christ (The Church).

                                Healing the sick, delivering the afflicted, and casting out demons.

                              Developing and Mentoring leaders around you to do what you do.

     5.3 The Pentecostal Fire is for Visionary, quality and effective leadership of the

           Church (Acts 6;3).

    5.4 The Pentecostal fire gives believers the ability to plan, create, and wisely execute every work they do with competence and skill.

  5.5 The Pentecostal fire manifests Christ-like character, power and ministry of Goodworks in believers. The fire gives super-natural power and strength to accomplish the greater works Jesus promised in John 14:12.

 

6.0 WHAT IS MISSING IN CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANITY THAT CALLS FOR THE NEED TO FANNING THE PENTECOSTAL FIRE TO IMPACT GENERATIONS.

 

The Church, like fire, has two characteristics that call for the need to impact Generations.

1.0 Every Church which is on fire attracts many Worshippers and new converts, this is true because every blazing fire attracts people to its scene.

2.0 Fire has a natural tendency to die down if not rekindled.

Many Churches have ceased attracting the Youth, the elite class of people, and new converts because the true Pentecostal fire we know about in the 1960's-1980's has deserted many. What then is missing in Contemporary Pentecostalism that God, through our Chairman, is calling His Church to fan the Pentecostal fire to impact generations?

6.1 Lack of Visionary and Effective Leaders at the grassroots Churches to Father, nurture, Teach, equip, Coach, and Mentor the increasing membership. God told the OT Priests to keep the fire on the altar continually burning, it must never go out ( Lev. 6:12-13).The Church needs Effective Leaders to keep the Pentecostal fire burning in the lives of believers, and in our church services to make them lively and attractive.

6.2 Righteousness, the fear of God, Obedience, humility, and Faithfulness is missing in the lives of many Members and Church Officers. The OT Priests were instructed to put on their linen clothes, and linen undergarments symbolizing righteousness and holiness before making sacrifices on the altar of burnt offering ( Lev. 6:8-10).

They were to remove the ashes on the altar before arranging wood on it.

Any burning fire leaves ashes at the fire place or fire spot which must be removed

before it is reset. The ashes block air passage and prevent combustion. Hence God instructed the OT Priests to remove the ashes to a clean place before fresh firewood is arranged on the bronze altar.

 6.2.1  The ashes represent carnality, unfaithfulness, selfishness, laziness and all forms of disobedience in the church or believers.

 6.2.2. The ashes represent past glories and achievements, our past heroes and history which we rely on to make us complacent. These must be removed if we can keep the Pentecostal fire continually burning.

6.3  Time to wait upon God and seek His face is now missing in contemporary Christianity ( Isa.40:30-31; Job 8:5-7; 2 Chron.7:14). As such Christians cannot hear and receive from God. This has led to some members moving from one Prayer Center to another, and from one Prophet to another in search for solutions for their problems.

On the other hand, the Throne of grace in heaven welcomes every child of God- 24 hours a day to receive our requests, petitions and prayers if we can seek the face of God.

6.4 Bible Studies, reading, and meditation by individual Christian is missing (2 Tim.2:15; 3:15-17).

6.5 Regular fellowship of the saints is missing in today's church (Acts 2:42-47).

6.6 Sacrificial service and giving which was a lifestyle in the early Pentecostalism is missing today.

6.7 True Holy Spirit baptism of members and operation of spiritual gifts is missing in some Churches.

6.8 Commitment to the Great Commandment ( Mark 12:30-31), and the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20).

6.9 Consciousness of the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to catch up the saints to heaven. This has led to earthly-mindedness, carnality, and materialism in today's church.

I strongly believe that, with our total commitment to the teachings on this great Theme for 2014, God will surely restore His church to her  true glory, power, influence, revival and holistic growth to make her ready for the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.