Members of the Believers World Centre, also known as the Philadelphia Movement, have denied accusations that their leader, Prophet Stephen Adom Kyei-Duah, has compared himself to Jesus Christ.
The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) recently criticized Prophet Adom Kyei-Duah in a statement titled ‘Beware of false teachers and messiahs,’ alleging that he suggested his image could replace the traditional representation of Jesus.
The CCG asserts that Prophet Adom Kyei-Duah is neither the Jesus Christians seek nor can he be.
In response, the Philadelphia Movement has clarified that their leader has never positioned himself as Jesus Christ or encouraged his followers to view him in that light. Instead, Prophet Adom Kyei-Duah emphasizes the importance of submitting solely to Jesus Christ.
The Philadelphia Movement’s statement asserts that the CCG’s comments stem from a misunderstanding of the Prophet’s remarks. They argue that Prophet Adom Kyei-Duah has consistently focused on preaching Christ and guiding his followers to live in accordance with Jesus’ teachings.
They also explained that the Prophet’s remarks about the staurogram—an ancient Christian symbol—were intended as a prophetic message, which individuals are free to accept or reject as they see fit.
Rev. Kwaku Agyei Antwi, known as Rev. Obofour, has reaffirmed his belief that there are no genuinely perfect men of God in Ghana.
He emphasized that Jesus Christ alone is the true path to God, and no pastor should claim to be flawless or saintly.
According to him, such claims imply dishonesty and mislead followers. Rev. Obofour criticized pastors who assert their genuineness, arguing that perfection is not attainable according to biblical teachings.
He cautioned critics to consider their words carefully, suggesting that trust should be placed in God rather than imperfect human leaders.
His statements have sparked debate among other religious figures in Ghana, including criticism from figures like Kumchacha, who argue that such remarks undermine the reputation of pastors in the country.
“If any man of God declares himself to be genuine, I would call him a foolish man. Such a person is deceitful. They have been misleading people for too long. While I respect pastors, claiming genuineness implies dishonesty.
“Being genuine would mean being perfect, but Jesus said He is the way to the Father. So, who else can claim that? We all rely on God’s grace. Be cautious when discussing this matter. Listen to me carefully, or it will be regarded as foolishness,” he expressed in Twi in a video posted by Zionfelix on Instagram.
Watch video below:
I still stand by the statement no genuine pastor exists in the country – Rev. Obofour to critics
While portraying an intense role, actors often invest a great deal of their passion and commitment, but few have gone to the extent that Jim Caviezel did during the filming of The Passion of the Christ, quite literally.
During the production of the religious film in 2004, Caviezel was struck by lightning not once, but twice, resulting in several unsettling injuries on the set.
Despite the challenges he faced, Caviezel persevered in his role, refusing to lose faith in the project, even if it seemed as if a divine intervention was attempting to halt his performance.
The assistant director of the film, Jan Michelini, was also struck by one of the bolts while shooting alongside Caviezel and Mel Gibson in Italy. Thankfully, according to reports from the BBC, neither of them sustained serious injuries. Nonetheless, the experience of being struck by lightning is undoubtedly far from pleasant.
Remarkably, this was not the first time Caviezel had been struck during the intense production. In a previous incident in Matera, Italy, the actor had experienced a bolt from the blue, resulting in minor burns to his fingers as he had been holding an umbrella at the time.
Lightning struck Caviezel twice during the making of the 2004 film. Credit: dpa picture alliance / Alamy Stock Photo
It was whilst cast and crew were recreating the Sermon on the Mount back in 2003, as depicted in the Bible.
However, the worst was yet to come for The Thin Red Line star and devout Catholic as filming continued.
As the film focuses on the last 12 hours of Jesus’ life, the now 54-year-old had to carry the cross as he recreated the religious figure’s crucifixion.
Whilst hanging from the cross through weeks of filming, the intense shoot took its toll on Caviezel, with the actor dislocating his shoulder and enduring numerous cuts from the chains wrapped around him.
Jim Caviezel endured endless injury and illness on set. Credit: Marquis Films
If that was bad enough, he also got pneumonia and a lung infection due to being semi-nude for the scene – wearing nothing but a thin cloth draped over him.
He was even accidentally lashed by a co-star, who was playing a Roman soldier, whilst performing the unenviable task of carrying the cross, leaving him with a 14 inch gash in his back.
“It just extended over the board and hit me with such a velocity that I couldn’t breathe,” Caviezel told Today, adding: “It’s like getting the wind knocked out of you. The stinging is so horrific that you can’t get air.
Filming this scene was just as gruelling as it looked. Credit: Marquis Films
Continuing, he joked: “I turned around and looked at the guy, and I tell you, I may be playing Jesus, but I felt like Satan at that moment.
“I turned to him, a couple of expletives came out of my mouth.”
Despite everything he experienced on set, Caviezel doesn’t seem to have lost his faith and is set to appear in a sequel to The Passion of the Christ in 2024.
Former Italian Prime Minister and flamboyant billionaire Silvio Berlusconi, who famously referred to himself as the “Jesus Christ of politics,” passed away on Monday at the age of 86 in a Milan hospital, his press office announced.
According to Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital, Berlusconi, who had a recent history of health problems, had just received a leukaemia diagnosis. He had previously been hospitalised to the hospital for breathing issues, and on Friday he went in for a checkup.
The politician, who was for a long time regarded as Italy’s most colourful public personality, was three times elected prime minister and held the position for nine years in all, the longest tenure since fascist leader Benito Mussolini.
Affectionately nicknamed “Il Cavaliere” (The Knight), his career was marked by a series of political, financial and personal scandals, many of which landed him in court.
He was tried on charges ranging from tax evasion and bribery to corruption and having sex with an underage prostitute. But only one case stuck – a 2012 conviction for tax evasion in a deal involving television rights.
Berlusconi was voted out of parliament in 2013. But never one to give up the fight, he re-emerged in early 2018 as a kind of grandfatherly elder statesman, the kingmaker of a right-wing alliance involving his Forza Italia party.
After the Court of Milan granted him “rehabilitation” later that year, effectively lifting the ban on him re-entering politics that was in place following his 2012 tax fraud conviction, he announced he would run for a seat in the cc Parliament.
He was elected in May 2019, at 83 years old, and remained in office as a Member of the European Parliament at the time of his death.
Berlusconi also led his Forza Italia party, which he revived in 2013 after leaving the People of Freedom party, to victory with the center-right coalition with Giorgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini in September 2022, though he did not have a government portfolio.
Beppe Severgnini, a columnist and author of a book on Berlusconi, described the politician as a “protopopulist” whose success had paved the way for leaders like Hungary’s Viktor Orban, Britain’s Boris Johnson and former US President Donald Trump.
“Berlusconi was actually less arrogant and less obnoxious than most but nonetheless he started it all,” Severgnini said.
“The legacy of Berlusconi was he could read the weaknesses and temptations of a nation. That’s what he really is a master of. He absolved us of all our sins, we were acquitted even before we committed those sins, and he was not a leader, he was a follower in a way, he followed the ‘pancia’ – the guts of Italy.”
Born in Milan in 1936, Berlusconi was first to make his name as a business tycoon, at one point becoming the richest man in Italy.
He gave notice early of his showman side by working as a lounge-room crooner aboard a cruise ship to help attend university, where he studied law.
Various low-level commercial enterprises followed before the fledgling entrepreneur enjoyed his first real success in property development in the late 1960s when he was involved in a project to build Milano Two – nearly 4,000 flats – outside Milan.
After amassing a fortune from his property portfolio in the 1970s, he diversified his interests by setting up a TV cable company, Telemilano, and buying two other cable channels in an effort to break the national TV monopoly in Italy. In 1978, these channels were incorporated into his newly formed Fininvest group, which included department stores, insurance companies and even AC Milan – one of the world’s biggest football clubs, which he owned for 31 years.
Berlusconi turned his attention to politics in 1993 when he formed the center-right Forza Italia Party, named for “Forza, Italia!” (Go, Italy!), a chant heard at Italian national soccer team games.
The following year, in a snap election, he became prime minister. However, a dispute with his right-wing coalition partners from the Northern League Party, as well as an indictment for alleged tax fraud, ended Berlusconi’s tenure in the job after barely seven months. He was acquitted on appeal in 2000 after the statute of limitations had expired.
After defeat in the 1996 election to his political nemesis, Romano Prodi, he became embroiled in other financial scandals, including a charge of bribing tax inspectors. He denied any wrongdoing and was cleared again on appeal in 2000.
His fortunes turned again in 2001 when he was sworn in as prime minister for a second time. But Prodi – a former European Commission president – ended Berlusconi’s more successful reign with his center-left Union coalition victory in 2006. At that time, the tycoon had presided over the longest-serving post-war Italian government.
Despite having a pacemaker implanted to regulate his heartbeat after he collapsed during a political rally, he refused to slow down. Sporting a hair transplant, cosmetic surgery and a tan, Berlusconi returned to power for a third time in 2008 under the banner of the newly created People of Freedom party, which he left in 2013 when he created his Forza Italia party.
The next year proved to be one of extremes for the veteran politician. He was praised for his handling of the devastating earthquake that struck the Italian town of L’Aquila in April 2009, and survived criticism after urging survivors to see their plight like “a weekend of camping.”
But the following month, Berlusconi’s second wife, Veronica Lario, filed for divorce – alleging her then 73-year-old husband had an inappropriate relationship with an 18-year-old aspiring model whose birthday party he had attended. Berlusconi said she was the daughter of a friend and that he had done nothing wrong.
In December that year, a man with a history of mental illness hit Berlusconi in the face with a replica of Milan’s cathedral at a campaign rally, breaking several of his teeth and fracturing his nose. Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the irrepressible Berlusconi continued to shake hands with supporters for “a couple of minutes” after being hit.
With the country’s economy reeling amid the financial crisis, pressure on Berlusconi grew. Gianfranco Fini – a former party ally – lashed out, accusing him of a lack of attention to the economy and structural reforms that Italy needs. The PM survived three votes of confidence in Parliament during 2010 and 2011, winning one by just three votes, but his authority continued to ebb.
Economists said Berlusconi commanded neither sufficient political authority to push through spending cuts nor the moral high ground to squeeze more taxes out of Italians while he faced trial on various charges. Other European leaders criticized him for failing to implement economic reform with sufficient urgency.
He resigned in November 2011, hours after the Italian lower house of parliament approved a series of austerity measures demanded by Europe to shore up confidence in the country’s economy.
Meanwhile, the politician faced a serious personal challenge with charges of sex with an underage nightclub dancer at his lavish “bunga-bunga” parties.
He was found guilty in 2013 of paying for sex with a minor, 17-year-old Karima el Mahroug, and abuse of power. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, but an appeals court later overturned the conviction.
Following his tax fraud conviction in 2012, Berlusconi was given a four-year prison sentence. However, he got away with a year of community service because in Italy, those over 70 do not generally go to jail.
Berlusconi also made headlines in 2022 when he disclosed he had reestablished a friendship with Vladimir Putin after the Russian president sent him 20 bottles of vodka for his birthday. He later criticized Ukraine president Volodymr Zelensky for “starting the war” which put him at odds with his coalition partner and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Perma-tanned and with a whiter-than-white smile, Berlusconi was never shy of the camera, or of blowing his own trumpet. Besides comparing himself with Jesus Christ at a dinner with supporters in 2006, he also once said he was “the best political leader in Europe and the world.”
According to Severgnini, Berlusconi was the ultimate salesman and knew that Italians had long been sympathetic to the idea of “il signore,” the powerful man.
“He also realized you can use religion and God in a certain way, he did that too. He also realized that women and sexual attraction is a powerful fuel and can be used in politics, he did that,” Severgnini said. “If there was a Nobel prize for salesmanship he would have won.”
Throughout his political career, Berlusconi’s penchant for much younger women was overlooked by his often traditionally Catholic support base. His most recent partner, Francesca Pascale, was nearly 50 years younger than him.
But in Severgnini’s view, the politician paid a price for his apparent inability to resist attractive young women.
“The thing with young women was what brought him down. Always younger, like young dancers out of nowhere, TV girls, all those people – he had no discipline and he was tempted. He was totally out of control. This was his downfall,” he said.
Severgnini believes Berlusconi’s 20-year spell in power – particularly from 2001 to 2006, when he held a majority – should be considered as a time of wasted opportunity both for him and for Italy.
But, he said, the former prime minister will not be forgotten.
“The period between 1994 and 2011 will be marked by Berlusconi. Italians never forget that there is an operatic quality of politics: we cheer our tenor until we boo him off stage,” he said.
“But we do remember our great tenors, Del Monaco, Pavarotti, (and) so we will remember our tenor of politics. It’s impossible to forget him.”
Berlusconi leaves behind five children: Piersilvio and Marina from his first marriage to Carla Dall’Oglio, which ended in 1985, and Luigi, Eleonora and Barbara from his marriage to Veronica Lario, which ended in 2012.
In Kenya’s coastal Kilifi county, four individuals were discovered dead on Thursday and around a dozen more were sent to the hospital after being rescued while anticipating the end of the world. According to police, the gang had been hiding out in a forest for many days after being instructed by a local preacher to fast while “waiting to meet Jesus.”
The authorities said they rescued 11 people – six of them were emaciated and in critical condition.
Police said they will resume a search for more members of the group on Friday morning following reports that others were still in the forest.
Police are reported to have found a fresh in the forest which will be investigated on Friday.
The worshippers belong to Good News International Church led by a local pastor who has been on police radar for allegedly urging his followers to starve to death in order to reach heaven faster.
The pastor is currently out on police bail after he was charged last month over the death of two children whose parents are among his followers.
As Ghana joins the world to mark Good Friday today, Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has extended well-wishes to Christians around the world, especially those in Ghana.
In a tweet on Friday, April 7, he wished Ghanaians a Happy Easter.
“I wish Christians in Ghana and around the world a happy Easter. As Christians commemorate the passion of Jesus Christ, I entreat all to learn from the sacrifice illustrated by Christ to humanity and emulate it,” he tweeted.
Good Friday is a day Christians around the world remember when Jesus willingly suffered and died by crucifixion as the ultimate sacrifice for sin.
It is also observed to celebrate the day Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, heralding his victory over sin and death and pointing ahead to a future resurrection for all who are united to him by faith.
To this end, Dr Bawumia has entreated all Christians to imitate the sacrifice Jesus Christ made to humanity.
He believed that if Christians are able to emulate the steps of Jesus Christ, there would be a “cordial co-existence on earth.”
The vice president was also hopeful and wished that the Easter celebration will be “an incident-free festive season.”
Worldwide and over many years to date, several images or pictures have been identified and duly used as the sacred image of Jesus Christ, the son of the Living God. Surprisingly, these “Jesus pictures” have been used by individual Christians as well as Churches and other Christian groupings.
Even in schools and in textbooks, learners have been convinced, or should I say they have been deceived to believe that a certain image was that of Jesus Christ.
The acceptance of these images of Jesus Christ knows no racial bounds for both whites and blacks believe and venerate those pictures and they are used mostly to decorate Christian altars and places of worship. In fact, some Christians even bow before these purported images of Jesus and pray, seeking for divine interventions for their woes.
It is thus ironical that some black Africans who revere the white man’s image claiming that it is the image of Jesus, turn round to say that the human Jesus was an African or whites are claiming ownership over the human Jesus. Other Africans also claim that Jesus was an African because the Holy Family (Jesus and his parents, Mary and Joseph) once lived in Egypt which is on the continent of Africa. Mathew 2: 13-14 reads, “An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt”. In fact, where the Holy Family lived in Egypt can currently be located in the City of Cairo.
Perhaps most Christians have been oblivious of the fact that the Bible which is the blueprint of Christian life cautions believers against image or idol worship and such verses abound both in the New and Old Testaments of the Bible.
In the Old Testament for example, Leviticus 26:1 states, “Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God.” It is equally recorded in the New Testament that Jesus Himself said that God is spirit hence His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and that God seeks such worshipers who worship in spirit (John 4: 23-24).
Destruction of the Images of Jesus Christ
In the 16th-century Protestant Reformation, the followers of John Calvin in particular saw images of Christ as idolatrous and therefore, enforced their removal. Due to their understanding of the second of the Ten Commandments, most Evangelical Protestants still avoid displaying representations of Jesus Christ in their places of worship. John Calvin was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology, later called Calvinism, including its doctrines of predestination and absolute sovereignty of God.
Robert Powell’s Image Being Worshipped
Most of the images purportedly revered and worshipped by some Christians as image of Jesus Christ are rather images of an English actor by name Robert Powell who played Jesus in the 1977 movie dubbed “Jesus of Nazareth.” Subsequently, Powell’s image went viral globally and has been worshipped by even the church as the image of Jesus Christ. In February 2017, Powell himself became worried about the unfortunate development and accordingly cautioned people not to revere his image for he is not the real Jesus Christ. He said, “I keep saying it and I repeat it to the world since 1977, I am not Jesus Christ. I am simply an actor and British comedian. I am tired of seeing my photos show in places of worship and houses; I just made a movie to earn my life so people should stop worshipping me instead of God.”
So, what started in 1977 (some 45 years ago) as a movie has led to the widespread worship of the lead actor’s image which has been termed as the image of Jesus Christ. It went on until the actor became alarmed and warned people to stop worshiping his images. In the New Testament, Romans 1:22-23 frowns on the worship of images of mortal beings like Robert Powell. The Bible refers to image worshippers as fools. Romans 1:22-23 stipulates, “Although they claimed to be wise, they became foolsand exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.”
In Revelation 19:10, even the angel of God cautioned Apostle John not to worship him (the angel). John said, “I fell at his (the angel’s) feet to worship him, but he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Conclusion
I dare submit without equivocation that veneration or worship of any image purported to be that of Jesus Christ is idolatry and for that matter unchristian and unbiblical. There are no known images of Jesus Christ from his lifetime. Whereas in the Old Testament Kings Saul (1 Samuel 9:2) and David are explicitly described as tall and handsome (1 Samuel 16: 12), there is little indication of Jesus’ physical appearance in the Old or New Testaments.
One may however decipher Jesus’ physical looks to be that of a Jew or Hebrew because His genealogical accounts in the Gospels of Mathew and Luke point to the fact that the human Jesus was a Jew and a Hebrew, born to the Virgin Mary of Galilee, a Jewish city. Jesus was thus an Israelite.
The name and title Israel was given to Jacob (Gen. 32:28, 35:10). Accordingly, Jacob’s descendants are known as Israelites. In as much as Jacob is a descendant of Abraham (he is Abraham’s grandson through Isaac), all Israelites (descendants of Jacob) are also Hebrews (descendants of Abraham). But, not all Hebrews (descendants of Abraham) are Israelites (descendants of Jacob).” For example, the descendants of Esau (Jacob’s twin brother) are Hebrews because they are descendants of Abraham. However, Esau’s descendants are not Israelites because they did not come from Jacob who became known as Israel.
Conversely, the descendants of Judah are known as Jews. All Jews (descendants of Judah) are Israelites (descendants of Jacob) and are also Hebrews (descendants of Abraham). Thus, a Jew is also a Hebrew. So the human Jesus was a Hebrew, an Israelite and a Jew because he emanated from Jacob and Judah.
Based on the fact that Jesus came from Judah’s lineage within the Jacob (Israel) family, the Bible in its New Testament refers to Jesus as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5: 5). The Lion of the Tribe of Judah title for Jesus emanates from the dying Jacob’s prophetic words to his son Judah. Jacob said to Judah (Genesis 49: 8-10), Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongsshall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
As such, the human Jesus might have looked like the Jews today. If this logic-backed by Biblical verses- is anything to go by, then the image of the British actor and comedian, Robert Powell should not have been designated as the image of Jesus Christ let alone be worshipped or bowed to in churches and at homes.
To this end and on the altar of caution, I repeat the caption for this article, “Do not Revere Any Image Purported to be that of Jesus Christ”
‘I Am Jesus Christ’, a controversial video game that literally lets you play as the Messiah, from His birth to His crucifixion and subsequent resurrection, recently became playable on Steam.
We wrote about I Am Jesus Christ in 2019, back when it was first announced by indie developer SimulaM. The premise of the game was as bold as its title suggested – it put players in the shoes of the Son of God, from his birth to his resurrection, allowing them to perform all sorts of biblical miracles, meet Jesus’ disciples and other characters, and even battle Satan.
It got a lot of people talking, either out of excitement or outrage, but apart from some pre-rendered content and a short teaser, we didn’t get anything for the next three years. Well, the wait is over, thanks to a playable prologue of I Am Jesus that recently became available on Steam.
Just to be clear, if you want to experience the entire game, which is said to feature over 30 biblical miracles and 60 iconic characters to interact with over the course of at least 10 hours of gameplay, you’ll have to wait a little longer. SimulaM only released a short prologue to give people a taste of what the game is like and hopefully keep them interested.
The stand-alone prologue for I Am Jesus Christ is reportedly only a few minutes long, but that was enough for players to describe it as an experience similar to popular RPG The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, minus the combat. You get to experience places like Nazareth, meet the three wise men, and guide Jesus through biblical events like the 40-day trek through the desert.
So far, I Am Jesus Christ has ‘mostly positive’ user reviews on Steam, with most of the negative feedback focusing on how poorly the game is optimized (low frame rate, bugs, etc.) and biblical inaccuracies. For example, one player took issue with Mary’s apparent age in the game…
“Mary was only 13 when she had Jesus, so the version of Mary with adult Jesus should not look nearly as old as she does, she would be 43,” the Steam user wrote.
The team behind the game was always going to have problems living up to everyone’s expectations, so criticism like the above was inevitable. If anything, it’s actually mild. But then, again, this is just a prologue, who knows what effect events like the Last Supper or the crucifixion will have on the public?
Sadly, it looks like the full I Am Jesus Christ game is still years away, but at least now we have an idea of what it will be like.
The Christian community across the world is marking the resurrection of Christ Jesus, the distinctive event, underpinning their faith to spend eternity with God.
The Bible gives many accounts that justify the belief that Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, is the only man who continues to live, having been resurrected by God, three days after His crucifixion death to reconcile sinful man with God.
For instance, the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance. Or you at the first: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas. That is, Peter and then to the Twelve.
“After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born”.
Paul also assures faithful Christians of their own resurrection in 1 Corinthians 6:14: “And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power”.
Easter has, therefore, been immemorially marked by Ghanaian worshippers, clad in white attires with joyous early morning services to celebrate the victory of Christ over death and the power of God over Satan.
“Christ is risen, Alleluia, He is risen, indeed!” become their common greeting and exchange for Easter Sunday.
The event is also marked with praise and worship concerts and conventions.
However, with the lockdown measures being implemented by governments across the world and the importance of observing social distancing, Christians are marking the day with family and very small congregations.
The measures are to limit the spread and the socio-economic disruption of novel coronavirus, which has since the end of December 2019, infected more than 1.7 million people and killed more than 100,000 across the world.
The clergy are thus using traditional and online platforms to reach Christians with messages of faith, love, hope, victory, resilience and more, to strengthen their commitment to the cause of the Kingdom of God.
Many pastors have urged the faithful to use the stay home period to honour their fasting, prayer and meditation obligations to draw them closer to God and receive more of His power to impact the world.
They should also show compassion to the vulnerable and poor as Christ did, bond with their family members and generate new ideas that would make them more productive when the situation normalizes.
The Chairman of the Christian Council, the Most Reverend Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo, has said the change in the nature of delivering liturgies and absence of church congregations do not negate the essence of Easter.
He explained that Easter and all Christian celebrations were best observed spiritually in the heart, “hence the season does not lose its power without the usual outdoor activitiesâ€.
In a message to mark the Easter festivity, the Most Rev Boafo, reiterated that Easter was all about Jesus Christ “who is risen from the deadâ€.
“Easter is a real celebration of the Risen Lord and what makes this season worth celebrating is the fact that Jesus who was declared dead after the crucifixion on Good Friday was raised on the third day,” he explained.
“Easter is no doubt the high day in the cycle of Christian worship. But it is not the specific day of celebration that brings Christians together but Jesus Christ who gathers us unto Himself”.
Theologians put the earliest recorded observance of Easter in the 2nd Century, though it is believed it could have been marked much earlier than that.
Christian churches in the West celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox on March 21.
Therefore, Easter is observed anywhere from March 22 to April 25 every year.
However, Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar to calculate when Easter will occur and typically celebrate the holiday a week or two after the Western churches, which follow the Gregorian calendar.
Meanwhile, many Christians in Ghana are also using social media to share messages to celebrate the Risen Christ and renew their hope of being reconciled with him in eternal life.
One Ghanaian man of God, Pastor Kwabena Asiamah of Universal Spiritual Outreach (Ajagurajah Movement) has sparked controversies with claims that Jesus Christ got married and had kids when He came to earth.
According to him, Jesus Christ actually got married to Mary Magdalene where they gave birth to 5 children in France.
Pastor Kwabena Asiamah made the above revelations during an interview with Kofi Adoma on Kofi TV.
