WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE REV. DR. OTABIL PROPHETIC LAMENTATIONS AND INTERCESSIONS RECEIVED BAD PUBLICITY?

I have followed with keen interest and sometimes utter amusement at current developments in regard to prophecies, predictions, foretelling and forthtelling in the run up to the 2012 elections; and currently as we face the inevitable verdict that the nine-panel of judges presided over by Mr. Atugbuba will bring out to conclude the all-important petition before the Supreme Court.

Not long ago it came out that the Rev. Dr. Mensah Otabil, the Head Pastor of the International Central Gospel Church led prayers in his church. In the course of the prayers the reverend minister made a strong appeal to members of his congregation to pray for Ghana for he had 'a sense of heaviness' in his spirit concerning the destiny of this country; that there was something heavy ready to fall upon this country. As a good pastor and a minister of God he went further and proffered hope to his people by making positive declarations about Ghana in these words, 'We make these declarationsthere shall be no civil war in Ghanathere will be no military takeover in Ghanathere will be no bloodshed in Ghanathere will be no coup d'étatthere will be peace in Ghanathe land shall have peace and restthere will be prosperity in Ghanaabundance in the name of Jesus,'

This is a genuine concern expressed by a man of God. I believe he led his church to pray about this concern, engineered by God, so as to obviate any calamity that may befall the land. This deed should come across as an innocuous attempt by a concerned citizen who by virtue of his office has a lot of following. Indeed this was meant for the consumption of his church and all who have Ghana at heart.

It came as a big surprise to me when I heard people in prominent positions in politics, the media and society raining insults on him and some calling him 'coup monger' whilst others also branding him as a 'prophet of doom'. It is alleged that Mr. Akwesi Pratt Jnr, the Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper described the mournful cry of the reverend minister as coming from somebody suffering from 'high fever', though he has since come out to deny making disparaging comments about Pastor Otabil. In another instance Dr. Tony Aidoo also came out give it to the reverend minister.

I believe that there are many underlying and blockbuster issues which have been ignored over time and are now rearing their heads in this form. This is major reason informing this piece.

I remember some few months ago the Rev. Owusu Bimpah came out to make some predictions, significant of which, is the death of the President, His Excellency Mr. John Dramani Mahama. I must be quick to state here that I am not the least enthused at the prediction and I am one of those people who pray for the long life of the president. I was however a bit bewildered by the way people especially Christian Leaders jumped to tear him apart and made him into punching bag. They lambasted him and some alleging that he was not called by God. From the least to the greatest of the Apostles of the land denounced and called him names. I felt very embarrassed to hear him coming out to defend himself and in the process declaring that some of the great men who called him names had one time or the other sought from him prophetic counsel and advice; some bordering on the deaths of some of these great men of God. I was ashamed that the issue was not addressed but peripheral matters were given prominence.

I recalled at that time a man of God (name withheld) was called on Adom Fm Radio about these prophetic utterances. He said that they were false prophetic words given by the prophet. Strangely when he was called on the same radio station, this time after Pastor Otabil gave the prophecy, he said that he also had had a vision when in South Africa for a Christian programme. In that vision he saw that Ghana was in tumult and turmoil. I laughed and asked myself should we at this time believe because he is confirming the prophetic words of another.

I believe strongly that some genuine persons who see events about the country will be afraid even to come out to pray about it for fear of being branded as prophets of doom. The prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah were said to be traitors because they prophesied of bad things they saw about their nation. While not encouraging prophecies of all sorts it will be bad on the part of the church to jump at any chance to condemn prophets for prophesying about things revealed to them by God. I say so because even our old people say 'Nobody was there when someone was calling on his God'. The Bible encourages us not to despise prophecies but test them.

THE WAY FORWARD

1. I will urge every pastor worth his salt not be biased towards a particular political party. This engenders prejudice and makes people who hear these prophetic words to doubt their authenticity. After all how can we hear streams of bad prophecies when a particular political party comes to power?
2. We should all pray for Mother Ghana at all times not because we have heard a prophecy.
3. We should not be quick to condemn prophecies because it is not coming from us. God used the donkey and so He can and is still using people we may not regard. We should not forget that God is the one who makes the appointment and He can use any instrument. If you doubt read the story of Micaiah and Zedekiah (1 Kings 22)
4. Social commenters can comment as much as they want but they should not forget that spiritual things are discerned ONLY by spiritual people.(1Cor. 2:13,14)

To end I will quote Phil 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthymeditate on these things

LONG LIVE GHANA
LONG LIVE TRUE PASTORS OF GHANA
LONG LIVE THE PEACE MAKERS

Author: Mike Apraku, UK
Email: [email protected]