THE ATOMIC THEORY AND THE NUCLEAR BOMB

THE ATOMIC THEORY AND THE NUCLEAR BOMB

Knowledge has always been gained by asking questions. Many attempts were made to answer what humans and other substances in the universe were made of. The earliest sources of wisdom were always given from the supernatural and spiritual realms.

The biggest of these questions was what the smallest unit of a substance is. Many like Socrates and other earlier scholars in ancient Greece had to commit suicide because their developments in knowledge in the physical sciences were seen as blasphemes against the gods. After years of evolution, the Greeks divided knowledge into three main branches; the arts, sciences and religion.

In the Bible, the book of Daniel is most acquainted with knowledge. The Bible even predicts in Daniel 12:4 that knowledge will increase. “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”A group called the Atomists tried to answer the question of what the smallest unit of a substance is. They tried to separate pure particles into atoms of the same kind and called them elements. This was around the 4th Century BC

Many attempts were made to develop the Atomic Theory further but they could not be authenticated clearly. In 1897, J. J. Thomson discovered that the atom was the smallest unit of every substance but it had other components. He concluded that the atom is not a small article but rather a system of small articles that made up a tiny invisible unit.

In 1911, Rutherford a former student of J. J. Thomson undertook an experiment. He fired tiny alpha particles at solid objects like the gold foil. He found that most of the alpha particles passed through the gold foil whilst some bounced back. He also noted that amongst the alpha particles that went through the gold foil, some of them were deflected at an angle, indicating that the atom had holes in them. Rutherford concluded from the gold foil experiment that an atom is made up of a dense core which he called the nucleus that made the alpha particle bounce back. He also found out that there were other particles orbiting around the atom from a distance away from the nucleus. This later became known as the electrons. The distance between the nucleus and the electrons explained why some of the alpha particles passed through the gold foil. Also, some of the alpha particles were deflected because they hit the electrons.

Later in 1932, it was finally concluded that the atom is made up of three principal sub-units; the electron, protons and neutrons. Whilst the electrons were located a distance from the nucleus, the protons and neutrons could be found in the nucleus of the atom. Whereas the neutrons are neutral, the proton is positively charged and electrons are negatively charged.

Bohr, a Danish scientist identified that electrons moved in a definite path or shell over a definite distance around the nucleus. He also argued that the number of shells an atom had determined its chemical properties.

DIAGRAM OMITTED

In the physical sciences, it is said that the maximum number each shell can hold is given by the formula 2n². Therefore the maximum number of electrons the first shell can hold is 2, the second is 8, the third is 18 etc.
ADVANTAGES OF THE ATOMIC THEORY
It enables scientists to investigate and find out the properties of elements in their simplest form. This gives the opportunity to study and know the properties of such elements in reactions from very simple perspectives. This acts as the foundation on which complex researches can be undertaken.

THE PERIODIC TABLE

The Russian chemist, Dmitri Mendeleev tried to arrange atoms of different elements in a tabular form based on their chemical properties. The table is what has become known as the Periodic Table. As at now, the Periodic Table has 118 elements. The elements are grouped on the Periodic Table based on their electronic configuration or properties of the electrons that move around the nucleus of the atom.

Every element is numbered according to the number of electrons it has. For example Potassium with the chemical symbol K has the number 19 on the Table. It connotes that it has 19 electrons in all and it is arranged as 2 electrons in the first shell, 8 in the second and 9 in the third shell.

In the periodic table, elements with the same number of electrons in the last shell or valence shell are collectively called a group or family and they are all in the same vertical column on the standard periodic table. Also, elements with the same number of shells are called periods and they are arranged on the same horizontal row.

DIAGRAM OMITTED

ADVANTAGES OF THE PERIODIC TABLE
The main advantage of the Period Table is that it gives scientists a pre-prepared document of elements with similar characteristics. This gives a rough idea of the resultant effects in subjecting the various elements to reactions. In other words, it gives a framework within which reactions can be predicted with a level of accuracy.

THE NUCLEAR BOMBS

There are two methods of producing a nuclear bomb. They are:
Fission (to produce the Atomic Bomb)
Fusion (to produce the Hydrogen Bomb)

ATOMIC BOMB

The atomic bomb is the product of nuclear fission. This explodes with the attempt to split the nuclei of the uranium atom, thereby producing another set of atomic nuclei that also react to produce massive heat and fire.

DIAGRAM OMITTED

From the diagram, when the first nucleus is fired into the mass of uranium 235 nuclei, some of them break of forming individual nuclei that produce heat. Other masses of nuclei are produced and they are also divided by the individual nuclei that have broken off. This forms a continuous chain of reactions that produces excessive heat.

DIAGRAM OMITTED

On the battlefield, this is what the nuclear bomb looks like. When the cork is broken, the detonating head sinks violently with great pressure and attempts to divide the uranium nuclei. This divides with great heat and then goes further to detonate and explode the larger mass of uranium lying deep within the bomb

DIAGRAM OMITTED

When the bomb is dropped from an airplane, the bomb detonates in the skies and begins to radiate. As it radiates, it covers a large area of the atmosphere like a cloud of excessively hot smoke. Then when it falls down finally, the excessively hot smoke spreads and begins to burn and destroy anything in sight. The energy produced by the explosion of a sphere about the size of a tennis ball produces an explosion equal to 20,000 tonnes of ordinary bombs.

THE HYDROGEN BOMB

This is the product of nuclear fusion. They can be over 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb. Only six countries are known to have the hydrogen bomb; United States, Russia, United Kingdom, People’s Republic of China, France and possibly India.

It works like the Atomic Bomb but the difference is that the nucleus of the element is made up of a two different atomic nuclei that are fused to form a single heavier nucleus. It works in a way similar to the scientific properties that makes the sun shines. When it is detonated, it goes through two stages; the primary stage and the secondary stage. This produces millions of tonnes of energy that the ordinary bomb would emit.
NUCLEAR WARFARE

Nuclear warfare is the definition of either fighting or avoiding nuclear war. The fear of nuclear bombs is great and mighty because of the mass biological destruction a single bomb can produce.

Nuclear deterrence is warding off potential attacks by a nuclear weapon by threatening nuclear retaliation. There are two ways of nuclear deterrence. One is to maintain a second strike status; that is staying in a point where you can strike and destroy all your enemy’s nuclear weapons completely when he strikes first. Another method of nuclear deterrence is to strike first and destroy all the nuclear weapons of the enemy. Due to this kind of strategy, nations with nuclear bombs keep their locations hidden, particularly in trains and submarines so that the enemy cannot track them easily.

PROTECTION FROM NUCLEAR WARFARE

Missile Defense: This is a method of destroying all nuclear weapons that are fired into a nation’s territory before it lands.
Civil Defense: Finding a method of detecting and evacuating civilians quickly before an attack is launched into a particular area.

From one school of thought, the nuclear weapons are meant to prevent nations from going to war because the fear of the entire humanity being wiped out will force nations to negotiate rather than going to war over simple issues. However, the use or threat of use of nuclear bombs is against the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice.

The nuclear non-proliferation treaty is meant to prevent all signatories from developing nuclear weapons. Due to the fear of mass destruction by certain nations tagged as ‘rogue nations’ like Libya, Iran, Yemen, North Korea and Pakistan, a lot of money has been spent to prevent them from trading in nuclear weapons and also undertaking nuclear tests.

Sources:

Wordweb Dictionary
Microsoft Encarta
Wikipedia Dictionary.
Visit our website on www.preacherswithoutborders.faithweb.com

By Samuel Owusu-Yeboah

DONT LET SCHOOL INTERFERE WITH YOUR EDUCATION

“DON’T LET SCHOOL INTERFERE WITH YOUR EDUCTATION!”


“Don’t let school interfere with your education” was the most powerful maxim and quote of Mark Twain. Born, Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), he wrote many humours articles, satires and novels under the pen name Mark Twain. He was also a good lecturer and the most popular celibrity in America during his time.

The quote, “don’t let school interfere with your education” was made at a time when America had a few institutions of formal education. As a result of that, many Americans dropped out of school and began learning different forms of trade at early stages in life. Mark Twain gained popularity with this statement because it was a source of insipration to many. By this maxim, America was able to make maximum use of all its citizens including those who did not get the chance to go through formal education.

Africa appears to be in a state similar to America in the time of Mark Twain. Formal education is lacking in most parts of Africa. From the current trend of events in Africa, it appears that the chruch is the institution from which a social revolution to empower those who did not get formal education can be initiated.

It is observed that the African continent can make do with this statement from two perspectives:

1. Helping those who did not have the chance to be educated in schools to gain confidence and the skills to do something meaninful in society. In the church this can be done mainly through Spirit-backed oratory sermons that will challenge and spark up the potentials of the members in this category to go into action AND
2. Redirecting those who have had formal education: Due to the poor structure of formal education in Africa, many people go through school and instead of using their knowledge to improve society, they brag with their certificates and cause confusion with the education they have attianed. As observed form the sermons of Pastor Enoch Aminu, many people must be encouraged to become selfmade, rather than driven people so that they can give their best to society irrespective of the limitations formal education may bring.

Aside this popular statement, Mark Twain is identified with many maxims and quotes. Some of them are valid and very strong in influencing the society of today, whereas others are not very much of significance in today’s world. They include:

1. A habit cannot be thrown out the window, it must be coaxed down the stairs one step at a time.
2. Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.

3. Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest

4. To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence (similar to Jesus’ requirement of his followers being like children).
5. Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear--not absence of fear.

6. I was gratified to be able to answer promptly. I said I don't know.

7. There is no distinctly American criminal class, except Congress (Politicians)

8. Truth is our most valuable commodity - let us economize.

9. Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company

10. Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to

11. The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug (a fire fly).

12. A man is never more truthful than when he acknowledges himself a liar.

13. 'Classic.' A book which people praise and don't read.

14. Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society

15. The lack of money is the root of all evil

16. It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them."

17. October: This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August, and February

18. There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics

19. [The human] race, in its poverty, has unquestionably one really effective weapon—laughter

20. When I, a thoughtful and unblessed Presbyterian, examine the Koran, I know that beyond any question every Mohammedan is insane, not in all things, but in religious matters. When a thoughtful and unblessed Mohammedan examines the Westminster Catechism, he knows that beyond any question I am spiritually insane. I cannot prove to him that he is insane, because you never can prove anything to a lunatic—for that is a part of his insanity and the evidence of it. He cannot prove to me that I am insane, for my mind has the same defect that afflicts his... When I look around me, I am often troubled to see how many people are mad."

21. I do not take any credit to my better-balanced head because I never went crazy on Presbyterianism. We go too slow for that. You never see us ranting and shouting and tearing up the ground, You never heard of a Presbyterian going crazy on religion. Notice us, and you will see how we do. We get up of a Sunday morning and put on the best harness we have got and trip cheerfully down town; we subside into solemnity and enter the church; we stand up and duck our heads and bear down on a hymn book propped on the pew in front when the minister prays; we stand up again while our hired choir are singing, and look in the hymn book and check off the verses to see that they don't shirk any of the stanzas; we sit silent and grave while the minister is preaching, and count the waterfalls and bonnets furtively, and catch flies; we grab our hats and bonnets when the benediction is begun; when it is finished, we shove, so to speak. No frenzy, no fanaticism --no skirmishing; everything perfectly serene. You never see any of us Presbyterians getting in a sweat about religion and trying to massacre the neighbors. Let us all be content with the tried and safe old regular religions, and take no chances on wildcat (Other religions and New Age movements).


OTHER RELATED SAYINGS BY FAMOUS PEOPLE
Mother Teresa

1. The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.
2. If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
3. We can do no great things - only small things with great love

Margaret Thatcher
1. Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by traffic from both sides.
2. Being in power is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't.
3. Don't follow the crowd, let the crowd follow you

Clarence Thomas
1. Government cannot make us equal; it can only recognize, respect, and protect us as equal before the law.
2. I don't believe in quotas. America was founded on a philosophy of individual rights, not group rights.

Lewis Thompson
1. Life Lives On Hope

Henry David Thoreau
1. That government is best which governs least.
2. If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because hehears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, howevermeasured or far away.

James Thurber
1. It is better to ask some of the questions than to know all the answers
Paul Tournier
1. Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets.
Robert Townsend
1. When you get right down to it, one of the most important tasks of a leader is to eliminate his people's excuse for failure
Henry Truman
1. I studied the lives of great men and famous women, and I found that the men and women who got to the top were those who did the jobs they had in hand, with everything they had of energy and enthusiasm.

Harry S. Truman
1. I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.
2. It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.

Turkish proverb
1. No matter how far you have gone on the wrong road, turn back.

Donald Trump
1. I like thinking big. If you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.

Dale Turner
1. The greatest of all faults is to be conscious of none. Recognizing our limitations and imperfections is the first requisite of progress. Those who believe they have arrived believe they have nowhere to go. Some not only have closed their minds to new truth, but they sit on the lid.

Lana Turner
1. A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

Sun Tzu
1. Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the attack. One defends when his strength is inadequate; he attacks when it is abundant.




References:
1. Wikipedia Encyclopedia
2. Redsat Inc. website, Quotations for last names starting with T.htm

Visit our website on www.preacherswithoutborders.faithweb.com

ANOINTING FOR WICKEDNESS

ANOINTING FOR WICKEDNESS

This topic sounds absurd and controversial but I want you to follow through the lines and you will be smiling with me by the time we get to the end. Christianity is not stupidity! According to Jesus, if someone strikes you on the right cheek, you have to take it calmly and turn the left cheek. Well, with that, He goes further to tell you to go and pray for the person who has just given you the double slap. Good! But I do not believe that the prayer you have to pray is one that would give the enemy more strength to come and cause more pain to you. No! Come with me.

Sin is falling below or above the standard required by God. Sin occurs when God is displeased with the activities of man. Sin is seen as wickedness before God. When God identifies that someone has sinned, there are several ways God punishes the person. The commonest way God punishes people is by releasing the anointing of wickedness on his chosen ones to destroy sinners. This was a role played by the Israelites for many generations.

The anointing of wickedness is an anointing that is necessary for everyone who wants to live life and enjoy the fruits of life. Without the anointing of wickedness, evil will finally overtake you and destroy you totally in a manner that is mysterious. That is why the Bible makes it clear in Ecclesiastes 3, that

3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;3:3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;3:5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;3:6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;3:7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;3:8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
MANAGING NEGATIVITY AND POSITIVISM

In the above scripture, every component has a positive attribute and a negative attribute. This connotes that negativity is part of humankind. No one can live without negativity and positivism. It is a vital part of life and the earlier people realised it, the best.

When a man identifies this as part of the world, he owes himself a duty of looking out for negativity and working with it safely. In this direction, a comparison can be made to fire; fire can be negative and it can burn a whole house. However, it is through the same fire that man cooks and undertakes many industrial activities. Therefore in using fire, man must have the skills and knowledge to control the negatives of fire. Telling yourself that fire can never be negative is a big deception with serious consequences because whether you like it or not, a time will come where fire will be destructive and you will have the duty of controlling it!

Wickedness is something that is part of life. No one can deny wickedness as something that exists on earth. It is therefore necessary for everyone to be strengthened by God for the anointing for counter-wickedness!

When one becomes a born again Christian or yields to the call of God, he or she becomes united with God. This means that the blessings of God are meant for him or her. In the same direction, the enemies of God are also the enemies of that person. Also, the genuine enemies of a person chosen by God are also the enemy of God. If a Christian fails to deal with the enemies of God and himself, he fails to honour God and this itself is sin!

Whereas some enemies can be dealt with by simple prayers, holiness and other minor activities, there is the need for the anointing for wickedness to deal with certain stubborn enemies of God. This is a divine direction and failure to do it makes a child of God an accomplice of sinners and thereby makes him an enemy of God! In the long run, such a person will end up disappointing God more than he believed he would have been.

There are certain comparisons that outline the importance of the anointing for wickedness.

1. ABRAHAM AND ISAAC: In Genesis 14, Abraham went to war with some other kings. Though he had 318 soldiers from his household, he was victorious and he killed his enemies. After the war, he became rich and paid his tithes. There were few instances where Abraham entered problems. Isaac on the other hand was peaceful. He always negotiated and was very gently. He never went to war and at the end of the day, he gave his blessings to the wrong son and later regretted.
2. JACOB AND ESAU: Esau thought there was the need to stay gentle and the birthright would come on a silver platter. Jacob, filled with the spirit of war took the precious blessings of Isaac and his descendants are enjoying to this day.
3. MOSES AND JOSHUA: Moses was very careful in obeying the statutes of God. Though he did all the will of God, he erred along the line and failed to do something God required him to do. On the other hand, Joshua, a man of war fought many battles and wherever he captured a city, he killed all the inhabitants. This was the anointing for wickedness at work, meant to destroy people who were wicked towards God. He executed it and he died a natural death.
4. GIDEON AND SAMSON: Gideon was a man of war. He was a successful general and he slew when he was supposed to slay. Samson on the other hand had sympathy towards Delilah when she was claiming he was wicked. When Samson failed to be as wicked as he was supposed to be in the sight of God, his enemies took him and used him for a sport.
5. SAMUEL AND SAUL: Samuel, though he was a prophet of God was given instructions from God. He made sure he instructed Saul the King. However, Saul had sympathy and he kept the king he was instructed to kill. Finally, he was beheaded by the supporters of that same king.
6. DAVID AND SOLOMON: David was a man of war. He was anointed with the oil of wickedness and he killed all his enemies and the enemies of God. Even God told him not to build the temple for him because his hands were soiled with blood. However, he ruled and died peacefully. On the other hand, Solomon was very gentle and wise. However, because he removed war from his agenda, the kings he aligned himself with, used subtle means to wage war against him silently and destroyed him with their daughters.
7. ELIJAH/ELISHA AND JEHU: Perhaps Jehu is the embodiment of the anointing for wickedness. Jezebel and Ahab were wicked. They needed a stronger wickedness to counter their wickedness. Elijah fled from Jezebel because he did not have that anointing for wickedness to counter it. Elisha avoided Jezebel totally because he did not have the anointing for wickedness to deal with Jezebel. However, when Elisha sent a prophet to go and anoint Jehu with the anointing for wickedness, Jehu waged war and through the war, Jezebel died and Israel became rid of idolatry.
8. ISAIAH AND JEREMIAH: Isaiah did not tolerate certain abuses from the kings of Israel and Judah. He dwelled calmly in his dwelling place and no one could come to him to talk of punishing him for delivering God’s messages. He delivered the message of God just as he was supposed to deliver it; on a ‘take it or leave it’ basis. On the other hand, Jeremiah was very gentle and persuasive. He was too sympathetic with the Jews who had become enemies of God and as a result of that, he was maltreated by the Jews. Eventually, the message he gave them were not taken and the people of Israel went to exile.
9. STEPHEN AND SILAS: Stephen found himself in the midst of the Jews but he accepted his situation. He was killed and he went to heaven. That was a good thing. However, Silas found himself in prison with Paul but he praised God and his chains were broken. He later walked away because he did something about the wickedness of the enemy by praising God. Through that, Silas probably preached to more people and ended up in Heaven.
10. PETER AND PAUL: Peter was the Rock on which Jesus promised to establish His church. Paul on the other hand, came into the scene later. He however had knowledge of wickedness but he was the first to identify that wickedness is from the spiritual realms in Ephesians 6:12. He admonished people to wrestle with wickedness from the spiritual realms. Because of this, Paul himself was always on his guard spiritually and he waged war spiritually from the spiritual realms. Because of that, Paul got a more effective method of spreading the Gospel. It is evident that Paul got that far because he was anointed with wickedness to deal with wickedness that would come ahead of him.


OBSERVATION

In life, whatever thing that benefits one’s enemies goes against him. It can be compared to the accounting theory of debit and credit, or the theory of positives and negatives in mathematics or science. When you allow the enemy to be wicked and you do not check it in ample time, it will go against you.

Life is not without wickedness. As you think positively, others think evil against you. Some wickedness demands a stronger counter-wickedness mechanism

When you live without the anointing for wickedness, you become soft and lax. You fail to draw the line between good and evil. It must be stressed that major attacks by the wicked does not come with a flag placed on it or with a mark that makes it look huge. Rather, it comes silently like any other attack. Dealing with such a major attack in a soft and gentle manner is a recipe for disaster. Without the anointing for wickedness, you become soft when you are supposed to be firm. This makes it compulsory for everyone to ask for the anointing for wickedness to counter wickedness from the camp of the enemy!

Visit our website on http://www.preacherswithoutborders.faithweb.com/

THE HIGHER YOU GO, THE COOLER IT BECOMES

THE HIGHER YOU GO, THE COOLER IT BECOMES

This is a geographical principle that states that when one moves to a higher height, temperature generally decreases. This principle is called temperature inversion. Temperature inversion says that with every 1 km one moves above sea level, temperature decreases by 1ºC. On the extreme, when one climbs to a height of between 8km and 16km or 5 miles and 10 miles, temperature decreases by 6.5ºC as you move higher by every 1km.

Temperature inversion happens basically because when heat, which causes temperature increases come about when the ray of the sun hits the surface of the earth. As the rays hit the surface of the earth, the air around the earth surface becomes hot and this heats the surface of the earth towards the atmosphere. Therefore temperature increases resulting from radiation causes areas closer to the earth to be hotter than areas higher above the surface of the earth. So if a land is on a mountain, it higher and the heat from radiation of a lower ground rises, it does becomes less effective before it gets to the mountain top.

As a result of temperature inversion, temperatures on lands in mountainous areas are generally cooler than temperatures on lands that are on lower lands. Thus people in the higher areas of the Rift Valley region of East Africa, Jos Plateau in Nigeria and the Andes in Peru enjoy generally lower temperatures than people on the low lying areas.

On the general level, the higher one goes, the easier things are. In establishing a business, the first few years are generally more difficult that the following years. In higher levels of professional education, it is always the first few years that are difficult because there is the need to adjust and meet the requirements of the profession. In militant warfare, when the first attacks are undertaken, everything comes naturally and easily and the war proceeds as a normal activity.

IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE OF THE HUMAN BEING

Every human being has a spiritual life that moves in a manner similar to temperature inversion. God, Satan and Human Beings work in a spiritual manner similar to the principle of ‘the higher you go, the cooler it becomes.

SATAN: Satan has been described as the controller of the world because Adam sold his birthright to him. However, the devil worked with one principle of the higher you go the cooler it becomes to enter into the life of Adam. It appears that when Satan first talked to Eve and began to convince her to disobey God, Eve had a conscience and with her conscience, she put up a resistance. At that time, it was difficult for the devil. However, after he got Adam and Eve to sin, the devil became a ‘household’ colleague to human beings. he began to enjoy easy entry and easy exit with humans and today, the devil has entered society to a certain level that certain activities of the devil are considered to be normal.

Satan has not changed from the days of Adam. To this day, the devil uses the same principle of the higher you go the cooler it becomes to enter and destroy human lives! it is observed that before a person enters into a first sin, it is always something that pricks the person’s conscience but when the devil succeeds in making the person do what he wants him to do, the person becomes addicted to that particular practise and things becomes cooler and easier for the devil to control and manipulate the person’s life. And when this goes on to a certain level, the devil assigns a spirit to control such a victim. In this kind of situation, only a strong and conscious deliverance programme can knock out such an evil spirit.

GOD: Christianity is almost always thought of as difficult and left untried. Many people, particularly young people think that Christianity is difficult so they continue to sin. But the move of God also uses the principle of ‘the higher you go, the cooler it becomes’. When one is starting a practise of Pure Christianity, it is always filled with detractions, failures and sins but as one goes further and becomes stronger in the Lord, things begin to move automatically. Christianity then becomes a pleasure journey and blessings and favour begin to chase such a person.

THE HUMAN BEING: In life, everyone is born to a mother and father. Generally, children have no spiritual backing of their own. Babies and children move in the blessings of God automatically and also, the blessings of God upon their parents. As a result of that, children do not face challenges that are as harsh as the challenges of adults.

When humans get to the teen-age, they begin to disagree with their parents and they seek things for themselves based on their own understanding. At that age, teenagers blow the coverage of God and their parents upon them and spiritually, they are on their own. At this age, when enemies begin to torment them in the realms of the spirit, there is a high likelihood that their lives would be destroyed because many teenagers tend to spend less time on spirituality. This accounts for why many teenagers fall into trouble and engage in acts that destroy their future.

In the youthful age, many people change from their wrong ways of their youth. They begin to focus and do what is socially accepted. Though many do not seek God at this age, the few who seek God are elevated and prepared for adulthood. Those who fail to seek God at this age fall into more serious spiritual problems. No wonder many people put in prison are between ages 20 and 35.

In one’s adulthood, it is common that he or she begins to get more honest and sober. At this age, people settle down to look after their families which usually consist of a spouse and a few young children at that age. here, many adults put what they learnt in their youth to practise and the get fewer challenges because they are equipped with what they need to solve most problems that come their way. This buttresses the fact that ‘the higher you go, the cooler it becomes’. At this stage, most people get closer contact with God and they are usually quick to criticise what younger people are doing.

In the old age, most people go on retirement. At this age, things become very cool! There are fewer bills to worry about especially when the individual organised his younger years very well. It is at this age that most people prepare themselves for heaven. In the Eastern Oriental religions and particularly India, many people at this advanced age, particularly those above age 70 move to the temple where they live with the hope of attaining perfection in their religion. This is an age that is very crucial.

OBSERVATION
It is conclusive that the ages between the teen-age and youthfulness that people face the biggest challenges in life. Many end up taking the wrong decision. It is at this stage that the human being needs close attention and direction. Also, due to the excessive energy in people at this age, there is tendency for them to oppose correction and direction when they need them. it is therefore best to find out subtle, interesting and entertaining method of teaching people at this age to move on the right direction

Secondly, when people get very old and they enter the age where they need to prepare themselves to enter heaven, they become so far from sin and therefore every little sin they notice with the younger generation becomes something they cannot tolerate. At this age, there is the need to exercise restraints otherwise there would be a kind of ‘war’ between the teenagers and youthful members of society that will cause the younger people to keep things away from the older people.

This calls for a close but careful knit that will enable the younger people to benefit from the wisdom older people are about to depart from the world with through discipline that would prevent the younger ones from falling into the traps and mistakes the older ones fell into. In the church also, there is a bigger need for greater co-operation and tolerance between these two extreme classes of people. The lack of co-operation has left many ‘main-line’ churches with ‘spiritually advanced’ older folks controlling affairs in a very complex system that leaves out the ‘undeveloped spiritual youths’. This only ends up pushing the youth into the grips of the devil who destroys them totally!

REFERENCES

1. Temperature Inversion, Microsoft Encarta
2. Lectures of Mr. Abrokwah, Senior Tutor, Mfantsipim School, (1976-2000)


Visit our website on www.preacherswithoutborders.faithweb.com

NON-STRAIGHT HUMAN RELATIONS AND CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY

NON-STRAIGHT HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS AND CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY

From inception, God made it clear in Genesis 2:24 that a man must leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife and they shall become one flesh. With this idea, families were built around a man and a woman who were married with the consent of their respective fathers and mothers.

The family has been the basic units of society since creation with the man being the head and the woman being a co-head whose traditional duty has been to keep her husband in check to perfect the activities of the man as head. Marriage was in place before the Tower of Babel was built. It was in place before God confused the language and cultures of all people. It is interesting to note that every culture holds marriage in great esteem! Though there are different methodologies and requirements for joining a man and woman together, every culture has it in one way or the other.

UNIVERSAL REASONS FOR MARRIAGE
Marriage can be seen as the legitimate institution within which sex and romantic love can be given and taken to satisfy the natural desires of the human being.
Through marriage, procreation takes place and children are born to continue the human existence.
Also, through marriage, the weaknesses of a man can be complemented with the strength of a woman. Whereas the weaknesses of a woman can also be taken up by a man who may have the strengths in that field.

However, over the years, certain people have been involved in unnatural relationships. These unnatural relationships put sexual pleasure ahead of the main divine reasons for marriage. there are several types and they are outlined below:

AUTOSEXUALITY
Autosexuality or Autoeroticism is the sexual stimulation or sexual desires towards one’s own self. The British sexologist Havelock Ellis, defined autoeroticism as the phenomena of spontaneous sexual emotion generated in the absence of an external stimulus proceeding, directly or indirectly, from another person.

By definition, autosexuality involves people who have natural sex with the aim of satisfying themselves alone. However, the commost form of autosexuality is masturbation. In the world today, there is a wide range and varieties of sex toys meant to stimulate people sexually. Some of these toys are inflated to become like real human beings and they are controlled electronically to provide stimulation similar to natural sexual intercourse.

In the Bible, a case of autosexuality occurs in Genesis 38 which describes Onan. It says:

38:8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.38:9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.38:10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.
in standard English, the word onanism is synonymous with masturbation. Because God slew Onan for seeking his own sexual pleasure instead of procreation, autosexuality is frowned upon by many churches. The Roman Catholic Church for instance considers the use of condoms and birth control as sinful and similar to the sins of Onan.

HOMOSEXUALITY
Homosexuality is coined from the Greek prefix, ‘homo’ which means ‘same’ and he Latin root, ‘sex’ which means ‘sex’ or ‘gender’. Homosexuality has been kept in darkness for a long time. Its first known appearance in print is found in an 1869 German pamphlet by the Austrian-born novelist Karl-Maria Kertbeny, published anonymously. It involves people of the same sex, having sexual relationships together or living intimately as a husband and wife is supposed to do naturally.

The term homosexual can be used to describe individuals' sexual orientation, sexual history, or self-identification. Many people reject the term "homosexual" as too clinical and dehumanizing as it the word only refers to one's sexual behavior, and does not refer to non-sexual romantic feelings. As a result, the terms gay and lesbian are usually preferred when discussing a person of this sexual orientation, whose sexual history is predominated by this behavior, or who identifies as such. The first letters are frequently combined to create the acronym LGBT (which is also written as GLBT, in which B and T refer to bisexuals and transgender individuals). Bisexuals are people who have sexual attraction to both males and females. they are opposed to monosexuals who are either strictly heterosexuals or homosexuals. Some same-sex oriented people personally prefer the term "homosexual" rather than "gay", as they may perceive the former as describing a sexual orientation and the latter as describing a cultural or socio-political group with which they do not identify.
Researchers like Stephen O. Murray classifies homosexuality in three classes:
1. Egalitarian: This features two partners with no age limits. They both consider themselves as equal and they undertake their sexual activites with each other. Each of them will take turns in doing the same thing to the other.
2. Gender structured: In this type, each partner plays a different gender role. Whereas one plays the role of ‘husband’, the other would be considered as ‘wife’. Amongst lesbians, the ‘man’ is called ‘butch’ and the ‘wife’ is called ‘femme’.
3. Age structured: This involves two partners of different ages. Amongst men, this is sometimes referred to as pederasty which involves a man and a boy. The man keeps the boy for his sexual pleasure. This can be traced to the ancient Greeks and the other warring communities like the Roman soldiers and the Japanese Samurai who had anal sex with boys with the belief that the will be braver on the battlefield and the boys would also grow to become brave warriors in the future.
The Kinsey scale attempts to measure and record the number of people involved in homosexuality. In the United States during the 2004 elections, exit polls indicated 4% of all voters identified themselves as gay or lesbian. However, due to societal pressures, many who are homosexual may not be willing to identify as such.
In Canada, a 2003 report by Statistics Canada indicated that among Canadians aged 18 to 59, 1% reported that they are homosexual, and 0.7% reported to be bi-sexual.
In North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, where gender- or age-structured relationships are the rule, male homosexual practices are reported to be widespread, engaged in by many individuals secretly, who do not regard themselves as homosexual.
Homosexuality does not occur in animals. There are a few alleged ‘occurances’ in animal species closer to human beings like gorillas and dolphins. These cases have not been proven so strongly.

ATTEMPTS TO DESTROY THE PRACTICE
Homosexuality has at times been used as a scapegoat by governments facing problems. Notable examples include Nazi Germany's treatment of homosexuality based on the understanding that it was a threat to masculinity as well as contaminating the "Aryan race". During the early 14th century, accusations of homosexual behaviour were instrumental in disbanding the Knights Templar under Philip IV of France. In the 1950s, politicians in the United States tried to discredit Senator Joseph McCarthy by noting one of his aides was homosexual. A recent instance is the burning of 6,000 books of homoerotic poetry of 8th c. Persian-Arab poet Abu Nuwas by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture in January 2001, to placate Islamic fundamentalists.

HOMSEXUALITY AND THE LAW TODAY
In most developed countries, same-sex relationships are accepted, and are accorded legal protection. Many governments have established formal structures for confirming legal relationships (either as marriage or partnership) between people of the same sex. They are however not given the right to adopt children.
In some cultures homosexuality it is still considered unnatural and has been outlawed (see sodomy law, victimless crime). In some Muslim nations (such as Iran) it remains a capital crime.
The homosexual activist groups continue to seek the legalisation of the act. They form groups that are organised into gay and lesbian clubs and discos where they meet. In Europe and the Americas a homosexual man is identified by his dressing. A man who wears an earring on his right ear is a homosexual. Men who wear earrings on their left ear however, are not gay.
NATURE VERSUS NURTURE DEBATES
Many people consider homosexuality to be a natural thing that people are born with. Others also believe that it is a habit that is developed over the years by contact with other people who were homosexuals or lesbians. In actual fact, many involved in homosexuality approach psychiatrists and psychologists with tears to receive therapy secretly but they are never successful. This connotes that they do not like the habit or they consider their sexual life as being negative inwardly.

Manifestation of homosexuality has often been attributed to the confinement of people of the same sex in a restricted area like boarding schools and prisons. Due to this, most armies do not take up homosexuals. However, in the US Army, if you are a homosexual and you reveal it, you will be thrown out but if you disclose it by your actions or say it, you will be thrown out this is the ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy. Homosexuality is often disregarded by many but when they come in contact with practicing homosexuals, they find it appealing afterwards. It can be said to be contageous.

Others however insist that some people are born into the act. They are never initiated into homosexuality but they initiate others into the act. This debate has been going on for many years and it has been used by homosexual activists to gain equality in rights for many years.

RELIGION AND HOMOSEXUALITY
In many Non-Abrahamic religions, homosexuality has been considered sacred. However, with Abrahamic relgions like Christianity, Judaism and Islam, homosexuality has been frowned on. The most critical is Islam which in some places have a death penalty for the act.

In the Roman Catholic Church, homosexuality is seen as a disorder and against natural law. They do not encourage it in their churches. However, many challenges have sprang up against this policy in recent times. Amongst the Anglican and the Liberal Protestants, attitudes have been liberalised but many still see homosexuality as sinful.

THE BIBLE AND HOMOSEXUALITY
The Bible has a straight verdict towards homosexuality. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, homosexuality is condemned totally. The earliest account was in Genesis 19, where it is observed that the men of Sodom were mainly homosexuals and they were involved in gang rape since they tried to rape God when He visited Lot as a Man. Homosexuality has therefore been identified with Sodom and lesbianism with Gomorrah. The verdict pronounced on the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah by God was blindness followed by total destruction of the city by sulphurs of fire.

After Genesis 19, Leviticus 18 outlines many unnatural human relationships. In verse 22, God says “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” The penalty for this act and all the rest is given in verse 29 which says “whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.”

In the New Testament, Paul said somehting about homosexuality and lesbianism in Romans 1 that

1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
It appears that Paul did not see homosexuality as sin. Instead, he saw it as an ‘uncleanness’ inflicted on people as a result of excessive sin amongst a people against God. It was a form of spiritual state of human beings more extreme than the ordinary because the practitioners feel they are so wise and through that, have resorted to practising homosexuality or lesbianism.

Paul saw it as something you graduate into when your sins multiply into iniquities. From spiritual analysis of Paul’s definition of the act, homosexuals and lesbians would need to break the ‘foolishness’ or ‘animalistic view of God’ placed upon them before they can come back into a position where they can benefit from the salvation of Jesus Christ fully.

REAL LIFE SITUATION
Personally, when growing up in a boarding school in Ghana, Africa where homosexuality was unthinkable and could not be perceived by any of us as children, there was a classmate who was identified by the younger boys as molesting them with homosexuality. Everyone discarded it because nobody could understand what the younger ones were talking about. This boy was born in London and he was always accused as touching other people in funny and wrongful ways. Nobody could apprehend him further because nobody could imagine what homosexuality was.

Years after leaving basic school, the boy entered a boarding secondary school and in his final year, he was dismissed for having a homosexual affair with another student. It was then that the issue dawned on everyone that all those evil reports of his homosexuality were true. Surprisingly, none of his brothers born in Ghana had the history of homosexuality.

After encountering the Ministry of Deliverance, I have come to realise that the boy was under the influence of controlling forces. Probably, whilst his mother was pregnant with him, she came in contact with a homosexual who transferred the spirit of homosexuality into him. Another possibility is that during his birth, his mother was assisted by a homosexual doctor who transferred the spirit into him or as he was growing up, there was a modification by a homosexual who transferred the spirit to him. These are the only logical spiritual explanations for a boy who grew up in a society where nobody knew anything about homosexuality.

Assuming this boy had grown up in London where homosexuals are recognised, he would have argued that he was born as a homosexual. This would have been a total misconception.


OBSERVATION

Homosexuality is a spirit that can be transferred mainly through sexual intercourse with a homosexual.
Spiritually, homosexuality becomes a bondage and a controlling force that manipulates the people who are involved in it
Homosexuality is a spiritual thing that is beyond other ‘ordinary’ spiritual statuses and to benefit from the salvation of Jesus Christ, one’s spiritual status must be stabilised to get even with God.

HOW THE CHURCH CAN BE VERY EFFECTIVE IN FIGHTING HOMOSEXUALITY
Homosexuals and lesbians are normal human beings like everyone else. Jesus Christ came to die to save everybody if and only if he or she believes! Salvation is not for Christians in the church only, but people outside the church who are prepared to follow the principles and teachings of Jesus Christ, rooted in the law of God outlined in the Old Testament.

However, it is outlined in I Corinthians 3 states that that:

3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

It is therefore outlined clearly that to benefit fully from the salvation of Jesus Christ, one has to accept, believe and confess Jesus Christ as His Saviour and also follow the principles of Jesus Christ. With this scripture in the Bible, it is difficult for homosexuality to be allowed in the life of a Christian. This scripture makes it difficult for a homosexual to have personal fellowship with God in a clear conscience. This draws two lines in the life of a homosexual or lesbian; whether to choose from practising his or her sexual orientation or following Christianity. Many end up shunning Christianity altogether because they accept their status as one they cannot change.

Since homosexuality is an extreme spiritual state, it is only the concept of deliverance that can break people from the bondage it brings. Since there are many people who cry and sob each day because they are autosexuals, homosexuals and lesbians and they want to change, there is the need for churches with the unction for deliverance to step into the case. The best way out would be to encourage homosexuals and lesbians to come into the church and then subject them to a special programme preferably prayers and fasting through which they can be delivered. Because this concept of deliverance is not common in USA and Europe, many of the homosexuals and lesbians have accepted their status as normal and this makes them come out to demand for their rights. Salvation message cannot be of much benefit to them as implied by the Apostle Paul. However, a strong deliverance message can knock out the practise spiritually from the root.

For spiritual direction in breaking away from the practise of homosexuality and lesbianism through spiritual deliverance, the following websites could be beneficial for counselling and direction; www.purefire.20m.com and www.mountain-of-fire.com

References:
Wikipedia Encyclopaedia

REVOLUTION II

REVOLUTON II

Revolution is a compulsory turn around in the life of a society accepted by the masses as a necessary solution to the crises and hardships of the time in question. In this light, people or activities that try to suppress this compulsory change are generally forced into subjection. In other words, a leader cannot enforce his power or authority during a revolution. A discussion on revolution can never be complete without the mention of the Russian Revolution in 1917 that led to the introduction of Communism and the formation of the Soviet Union. This article touches on the Wesleyan Revival which led to the establishment of one of the biggest churches in history. Also, the roots of rebellion in Ghana is investigated in this report with emphasis on the June 4th Revolution of 1979, led by Jerry John Rawlings.

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

The Russian Revolution, just like the French Revolution began with economic crises in Russia after the nation, under its emperor, Tsar Nicholas II invested a lot in World War I. By 1900, the economy of Russia was based on agriculture that was largely undertaken by peasant farmers. With a naturally cold climate, Russia had a growing season of between 4 and 6 months. Also, with an undeveloped railway system, food distribution was poor. When the World War broke up in 1913, the development of the railway systems halted and the best workers and farmers were recruited into the Russian Army. The few factories in Russia were overworked in order to provide finances for the war.

The Royal family of Russia had been oppressing the poor masses for a very long time. The people had no representation in government and all policies came directly from the emperor. It is recorded that the Russian King or Tsar made an announcement to Parliament, The Duma saying; "Let it be known to all that I... shall maintain the principle of autocracy just as firmly and unflinchingly as did my unforgettable dead father", Also, the peasant farmers resented paying heaving taxes to the Royal Government. This led to massive rural-urban drift that caused immense pressure on cities like St. Petersburg.

Militarily, Japan which was deemed as an undeveloped nation at that time defeated Russia in 1905. The Japanese soldiers who fought to death on the battlefield sunk most of Russia’s fleet. In his bid to restore the image and prestige of Russia, the Tsar or Emperor entered the World War I in 1914 with the maximum military strength of the nation. Due to the massive Russian participation, the Russian soldiers were matched everywhere with the Germans who were very strong. The British and Americans always fought behind the Russians.

The Emperor, Tsar Nicholas II had a number of daughters. His only son who was the apparent heir to the throne was haemophiliac and was subject to uncontrolled bleeding. There was a constant fear that Emperor Nicholas II would not have a successor when he died. Rasputin, a spiritualist from Siberia who was wandering in the villages of Russia found his way to St. Petersburg, the then capital of Russia. He was presented to the court of the Empress Alexandra and healed the son of the Emperor. Rasputin then won influence with the Empress and was given so much power.

As the World War I continued, Russia began to win over the Germans in Austria-Hungary but at very high costs. Russia lost over 1.6 million soldiers, 2 million were taken as prisoners of war and another one million were missing. This made a total of almost 5 million soldiers. In 1914, this was the size of the population of many countries! A lot of weaponry was sunk into this campaign as well. Russia changed its focus and began to attack the immediate East of Germany which had a superior military power. This called for the direct control of Emperor Nicholas II and his presence on the battlefield. The Emperor then left Russia in the control of his wife, Alexandra.

Alexandra was ambitious but incompetent. Everything she did was in consultation of Rasputin, the spiritualist from Siberia. Appointments and dismissals of government officials were in the hands of Rasputin who was the only one the Empress listened to. The disbursement of state funds was also in the hands of Rasputin. Suddenly, the nation began to experience food shortage and economic crises.

In February 1917, the crises in Russia became acute. The people in St. Petersburg began to wage war against the Royal family over food shortages in the nation. They protested against the government and the opposition leaders, both liberal and radical began to co-ordinate ideas. The soldiers and police clashed with the protesters on many occasions. Finally, the soldiers in St. Petersburg joined in on the side of the protesters. Tsar Nicholas II abdicated and no one in government was killed.

A new provisional government was formed led by a popular lawyer called Kerensky. As the minister of war in the Provisional government, he used the soldiers to wage war further in the World War. This offensive failed and Kerensky became unpopular.

In November of 1917 (which was October in the calendar the Russians were using at that time), a Russian influenced by the ideas of Karl Marx, the philosopher who propounded the theory of scientific socialism or modern communism began to organise the working class of Russia. His name was Vladimir Lenin. Lenin finally mobilised the Bolshevik or Red Army. When they came in control, they introduced a Soviet model based on Communism.

In 1918, the Red Terror began and everyone found to be against the principles of a Communist Russia was tagged as a ‘White’. Every ‘White’ was killed irrespective of his roots. Emperor Nicholas II and his family were executed during the heat of the terror to prevent the ‘Whites’ from using him in their rebellion. The church in Russia considered Emperor Nicholas II as a martyr; however, the church was banned by the Reds. Russia withdrew from the 1st World War, leaving a weakened Germany which was easily defeated by the British and Americans, who took all the spoils. After the death

OBSERVATION

The root of the Russian revolution can be traced to the abuse of power used by the Tsar, Nicholas II. A philosophy from the University of Spain states that the world is reliant on four pillars, “The wisdom of the learned, The valour of the brave, The mercy of the great and The prayer of the righteous.” The Tsar got everything right but his reign was excessive and harsh and he failed to think of the people he ruled and therefore placed huge and onerous requirements on them.

Secondly, the emperor trying to prove to the world that Russia was strong brought more problems than prestige. The influence of Rasputin in governing the nation was naïve on the part of the Empress. Things would have been better if she had limited the scope of the spiritualist in governance.

Finally, the promise of a more equal Russia was the backbone of Communism. However, almost a century on, the world has come to know that the law can never make people equal but rather, make us all appear to be equal!

THE JUNE 4TH REVOLUTION IN GHANA

Rebellion in Ghana can be traced into the history of the nation. The framework of Ghana has always been built on equality and the common ownership of properties in the communities. The social set-up of Ghana discourages competition. This is because in almost every Ghanaian community, the chief is chosen from amongst the sons of the female members of the royal family based on the recommendation of the most senior female member of the family and the male elders of the family. when the king comes into office, he is required to stay under the direction of the members of his mother’s family and work in consultation with them. this creates a mentality that everyone has a stake in the wealth of the nation and this leads to rebellion in whenever an appointed chief takes hard line decisions.

Due to liberalism and the right to stand up against the chief, amalgamation of many communities were unsuccessful amongst the tribes of Ghana. The Ashanti Empire was successful because of the Golden Stool. The stool was something every sub-chief of Ashanti swore the ntamkesee or Great Oath to. This oath was believed to have dire consequences when it was broken. Even in spite of this, one Ashanti king was dethroned around 1797 by his elders because he converted to Islam. This was seen as an abomination and as a result of that, he was banished into the bush, where he settled with his wives. However, the strength of Ashanti unity was used to ward off British influence until Ashanti was defeated totally in 1901. this can be traced to the mentality of the locals that all men must be equal! This is the root of socialism that must be erased to enable Ghanaians fit into this era of globalisation.

The June 4th Revolution began in May 1979 when a group of unknown junior officers in the army staged a coup d’etat against the military government of Ghana. The coup was foiled and the assailants were arraigned before a martial court to give their execution an air of formality. In the martial court, the outspoken leader of the coup, Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings began to give his reasons for staging the coup. He said amongst other things that he represented the conscience of the Ghana Armed Forces. He said he tried to topple the government because of their abuse of power, corruption and poor treatments of members of the Armed Forces. Though the trial was aired in the media, Rawlings argued very well and the courtroom was chilled. Finally the court was adjourned.

In the night, middle ranked members of the Armed Forces who were in favour of the arguments of Rawlings entered his cell and freed him from custody. A few days later, the junior officers of the Ghana Armed Forces began an uprising against the senior officers who lived in luxury. On June 4th, all the members of the ruling government were taken in custody and later executed. This uprising was favoured by many African nations who also thought their governments were corrupt and deserved a similar fate.

After 100 days in office, many people of the former government were executed in what became known as ‘house cleaning exercise’. Rawlings and other leaders of the military junta handed over power to a democratic government. After a little over a year outside government, Rawlings came back into government and ruled until he handed over to a civilian regime which he led until December 2000. Rawlings survived over 50 coup d’etats between 1982 and 1991.

OBSERVATION

The Ghanaian mentality of seeking equality tends to be positive but it tends to become a weakness when it is taken too far. Equality is a weapon when it seeks to push one to someone who is on top but it becomes a snare when it seeks to reduce someone who is already on top to the level one is below. The average Ghanaian mind needs to be echoed with this philosophy.

THE WESLEYAN REVIVAL

The Methodist movement began in 18th Century Britain and through vigorous missionary activities; it spread throughout Britain and USA. In 2006, the Methodists claimed a membership of 75 million, making it the third largest Christian organisation in the USA after the Roman Catholics and Baptists and the second largest in the world in numbers.

John Wesley and his brother, Charles began the movement as a small Bible study group and they were nicknamed Methodists by their colleagues at Oxford University between 1729 and 1735. They were accustomed to communicate every week, to fast regularly and to abstain from most forms of amusement and luxury. They also frequently visited poor and sick persons and prisoners in the prison.

Wesley attracted immense crowds virtually from the outset of his evangelical career. His success also was due, in part, to the fact that contemporary England was ready for a revivalist movement; the Anglican Church was seemingly unable to offer the kind of personal faith that people craved. Thus Wesley's emphasis on inner religion and his assurance that each person was accepted as a child of God had a tremendous popular appeal.

On May 1, 1739, Wesley and a group of his followers, meeting in a shop on West Street, London, formed the first Methodist society. Two similar organizations were established in Bristol the same month. Late in 1739 the London society began to meet in a building called the Foundry, which served as the headquarters of Methodism for many years.

With the growth of the Methodist movement, the need for tighter organisation became acute. In 1742 the societies were divided into classes, with a leader for each class. These class meetings contributed greatly to the success of the movement, but equally important were their leaders, many of whom Wesley designated lay preachers. Wesley called the first conference of Methodist leaders in 1744, and conferences were held annually thereafter.

The early Methodists reacted against perceived apathy in the Church of England, became open-air preachers and established Methodist societies wherever they went. They were notorious for their enthusiastic sermons and often accused of fanaticism. In those days, members of the established church feared that new doctrines promulgated by the Methodists, such as the necessity to salvation of a New Birth, of Justification by Faith, and of the constant and sustained action of the Holy Spirit upon the believer's soul, would produce ill effects upon weak minds. Theophilus Evans, an early critic of the movement, even wrote that it was "the natural Tendency of their Behaviour, in Voice and Gesture and horrid Expressions, to make People mad." In one of his prints, William Hogarth likewise attacked Methodists as "enthusiasts" full of "Credulity, Superstition and Fanaticism." But the Methodists resisted the many attacks against their movement

Wesley was deeply concerned with the intellectual, economic, and physical well-being of the masses. He was also a prolific writer on a wide variety of historical and religious subjects. His books were sold cheaply, so that even the poor could afford to buy them; thus he did much to improve the reading habits of the general public. He aided debtors and those trying to establish businesses and founded medical dispensaries. He opposed slavery and was interested in social reform movements of all kinds. His influence on the English common people was such that Methodism has been credited with averting a revolution in England during the 19th century.

Wesley is credited with over 6,000 hymns. He took dangerous missionary expeditions, particlary in America where his ship was once wrecked after an unsuccessful missionary work. However, after his death, the missionaries who came after him were relatively successful and they won massive congregations in USA and all over the world. Currently, the strongest Methodist churches are found in South Korea where there are more branches than in any other part of the world.

OBSERVATION

Wesley identified his calling and gave in to it directly. His ministry flourished because it appears that God had planned to move into the rest of the world through Europe, particularly Britain. Currently, West Africa and South Korea appear to be the grounds God has chosen to expand His Kingdom from. The Africans appear to be stronger physically and with the proper missionary activity, many West African churches are likely to undertake a reformation similar to that of Wesley and win the world for Jesus Christ! Just as Theophilus Evans and William Hogarth undermined Wesley, his results proved his points to the world. So it is important for people chosen and called into ministry by God to move on in this direction and God will vindicate them in the years to come!

Authenticated by:

Wikipedia Encyclopedia
Microsoft Encarta

Visit our website on www.preacherswithoutborders.faithweb.com

CHOICE

CHOICE
Choice is defined simply as the act of selecting. It comes about when there is a range of options to be selected and the freedom to select. In economics, the cost of the alternative that is forgone when a choice is made is termed opportunity cost.

CHOICE AND ECONOMICS

Economics, which is concerned with production, distribution, exchange and consumption of goods is concerned deeply with choice. Economists focus on the way in which individuals, groups, business enterprises, and governments seek to achieve efficiently any economic objective they select. Choice is therefore the most important part of economics.

Economic issues have occupied people’s minds throughout the ages. Aristotle and Plato in ancient Greece wrote about problems of wealth, property, and trade. Both were prejudiced against commerce, feeling that to live by trade was undesirable. The Romans borrowed their economic ideas from the Greeks and showed the same contempt for trade. During the Middle Ages the economic ideas of the Roman Catholic Church were expressed in the canon law, which condemned usury (the taking of interest for money loaned) and regarded commerce as inferior to agriculture.

Economics as a subject of modern study, distinguishable from moral philosophy and politics, dates from the work, Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776), by the Scottish philosopher and economist Adam Smith. Mercantilism and the speculations of the physiocrats were precursors of the classical economics of Smith and his 19th-century successors.

Choice has been the backbone of Capitalism. For all these years as the Capitalists defeated the Communists, the feature of choice has been very vital to their campaign. Capitalists believe strongly that anything not based on choice and freewill will fail.

BIBLICAL AND SPIRITUAL CONCEPTS OF CHOICE

In Genesis 2:16-17, man was given the right to make free choices in the Garde of Eden. This was what God said:

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Most of the things man was supposed to do was to be done in accordance with the instructions of God from above. However, in relation to the tree of knowledge of good and evil, man was free to operate in the framework of free choice and decisions.

After many years that human beings veered away from the Will of God, God called Abraham and made his descendants into a nation. God gave Moses a new set of commandments and told Moses to give them a clear-cut choice between good and evil. This is seen in Deuteronomy 30:19 that “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live:”
From this passage, it is clear that God found it necessary to make the consequences of taking a decision contrary to the laws of God. Therefore one of the major roles of Pastors and Priests is to warn people of the negative effects of taking wrong decisions.

Again, Joshua following this kind of trend called the people of Israel and gave them a choice to choose between serving God and disobeying God. This is found in Joshua 24:15 which says that “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

As the years rolled by, the children of Israel moved into idol worship under the rule of Ahab and Jezebel. They became confused as to whether to follow the principles of God or to worship idols. Elijah then called on a challenge between him on one side representing God and the prophets of Baal on another side. He defeated the prophets of Baal in the challenge and after that, the children of Israel made a choice to serve God.

JESUS CHRIST AND CHOICE

Jesus Christ used the concept of choice and economics to emphasise on the need to make a choice between many options. He said in Luke 14:28 that “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?”

This means that in making an investment, one has to:

Get to know the options
Evaluate the options carefully
And then take a decision

In the spiritual aspects of choice, the Book of John describes the need to make a choice in order to gain eternal life. John sets out to talk about the divinity of Jesus Christ in John 1. He said in John 1:12 that there are some advantages in choosing and receiving Jesus Christ “12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

Jesus also said in John 14:6 that “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” This means that Jesus Christ is the only way to God and salvation for all the years to come.

The main condition for making the choice to follow Jesus Christ is found in Matthew 16:24 that says “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” This means one has to drop things of the physical and follow spiritual instructions of Jesus Christ.

OBSERVATIONS

From inception, in the Garden of Eden, man was supposed to choose between God’s instructions or their own personal will.
Everything that happens in the life of a human being is decided by God or man but the choice of man can be manipulated by Satan.
In the time of Moses, God told the Israelites to choose between what His rules and live or go contrary and die. God advocates that prophets and priests spell out His conditions clearly and recommend that they follow the paths of God.
In the days of Elijah, signs and wonders were employed to aid the people to take the decision of following the principles of God.
Jesus is the only way to God. To go to Him, one has to shun the flesh and walk in the spirit by placing more emphasis on things of the spirit rather than the physical.
Accepting Jesus Christ is a choice best taken by one’s own freewill and not by any other method like birth (because God has no grandchildren!) or the use of force.

References:

Microsoft Encarta
Wordweb Dictionary

By Samuel Owusu-Yeboah (Sam Oystein) visit our site www.preacherswithoutborders.faithweb.com

CONFLICT

CONFLICT

Conflict is defined as an open clash between two opposing groups. It could also mean opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible feelings and opinions.

Conflict is catalysed by aggression, which means standing up for your right even if it is to the detriment of other people’s rights. Historically, conflict has been aired as wars between groups. In our present world, there have been great wars which have destroyed a lot of lives and properties.

CONFLICT BETWEEN NATIONS

In the Bible, the earliest account of war was in Genesis 14 where the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were attacked by five other kings and Lot was abducted. Abraham was drawn into the war from thence, with 318 men of his household (Genesis 14), he waged war against the five kings and freed his nephew, Lot.

When Israel moved out of Egypt towards the Promised Land, God gave them directions for controlling the nation’s military. They used these directions diligently for many years. In Numbers 1:1-3, God told the Israelites that all men above 20 years old should be enlisted in the Army and also, Moses and Aaron should number the soldiers.

Also, in Deuteronomy 20:1-20 God said;

1. The people should not to be afraid of whoever they go into battle with, no matter how sophisticated their ammunitions were.
2. Before wars, the Priests should encourage the soldiers.
3. The officers were also to tell the soldiers gripped with fear and other pleasures to withdraw from the army and go back home.
4. Whenever the Israeli Army came to a city, they were to proclaim peace onto it. If the people answered in peace, the Israelites should make them their servants. However if they opt for war, Israel should fight with them and destroy them.

This was the direction from God. As long as Israel followed these decrees of God faithfully, they won their wars decisively with casualty figures at the barest minimum. Over the years, after they settled in the Promised Land, the Israelites disobeyed God. God tried to re-mobilise them by sending his prophets but they did not take heed to his words.

Centuries on, the Roman Empire took centre-stage. They were simply invincible and they conquered all through Europe into the Middle East. Israel fell to Roman rule and Christianity was spread through the Roman Empire after their hostility towards the religion died out. Christianity became a state religion in the Roman Empire and many wars were fought to expand Christianity to nations outside the Roman Empire. Finally, in the 2nd Century AD, the Romans conquered Israel once more and took many Jews into Europe. From that time, the Jews were scattered all over the world and the Romans believed that they were now the chosen ones of God.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Islam rose under the leadership of Prophet Mohammed. Mohammed was a good army general. He mobilised the tall, strong and powerful Arab Bedouin desert dwellers into his army and waged a full scale offensive into nearby territories in his jihads. After his death, some of his followers formed different caliphates which sought to succeed Mohammed. Though there were varying successes from the various groups, Islam spread from the east of India, through to North Africa and into Europe in Spain and Portugal.

The entry of Islam into Europe was seen by the European Christians as a threat. Thus there were many religious-inspired wars fought by European kings and leaders against the Muslims of the Middle East and North Africa. They were successful in eradicating Islam from Europe but they could not do much about Islam in Asia and Africa.

Through the Medieval Ages to the Renaissance in Europe, many wars (Crusades and Jihads) were fought. In the early years of the 20th Century, globalisation became apparent and this led to struggles between nations. Between, 1914 and 1918, the 1st World War was fought between the Allies (mainly Russia, France, Britain, Italy, USA, Japan) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria, Hungary and other nations). This war came about because of the need to control the industrial markets in Europe and around the world. Also, the war erupted because many nations including Jewish communities around the globe questioned the harsh methods used by the Germans in pursing her foreign policy. In the 1st World War, 65,000,000 soldiers were presented in battles. Out of this 8,000,000 died or were reported missing whilst 37,000,000 sustained various degrees of injuries; amongst them was a junior ranked German soldier called Adolf Hitler, who suffered temporal blindness and was hospitalised. He blamed the Jews for the German loss in the World War because he believed they sabotaged the Central Powers. Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary, in 1889, which was then part of Germany.

By 1937, most of the peace treaties signed in the 1st World War had failed. Adolf Hitler had risen to the highest position of the German government. In most of his speeches, Hitler made it known to the Germans that they were the most superior race on earth and with a German support, he could build a German empire that could last 1000 years. In Italy also, a dictator was rising called Benito Mussolini. Germany and Italy began to work together in many aspects. Suddenly, German manufacturing industries experienced a boom and there was the need for them to establish links in the international community to sell off their products. The international market was already controlled by Britain and the tussle for control became stronger. War at that time became inevitable.

Hitler began the war when he signed a treaty with The USSR and took advantage of the peace to invade many nations east of Germany. He nicknamed these nations Lebensraum (Living Space) which he considered were necessary for the German people to expand their production mechanisms. He therefore advocated for the expelling and killing of the local populations. Also, he ordered for the weeding out of the minorities in Germany like his long time enemies, the Jews as well as Gypsies and homosexuals who he ordered to be placed in concentration camps.

Hitler then began to wage war against foreign nations all around Europe and in other territories far and near. Gradually, Britain, France, USSR were drawn to the war as their territories were attacked by Germany and Italy. Japan was also at that time at war with China and they found their policies consistent with Germany so they joined to support Germany and Italy. USA was totally impaired to enter the war because she passed a neutrality law that prevented her from supporting either sides of the war which was mainly in Europe. On December 7 1941 a Japanese aircraft initiated a surprise attack on the US base in Pearl Harbour. In a matter of hours, Japanese aircrafts had bombed the whole harbour, killing 3000 US military personnel. The next morning, USA joined the war on the side of Britain, France, USSR and China. However, people believed after the war that this attack was initiated by Britain because they wanted their colleagues in the America to join in the war!

After a series of treaties and war strategy meetings, the most powerful Allied nations: USA, Britain and USSR then led by Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin( The Big Three) decided to invade Germany from Normandy on the Coast of France. This operation was dubbed the D-Day and it was to be undertaken by a combined US and British military personnel. USSR was to attack Germany from the east through the Lebensraum. With some months of fighting, the Capitalist Anglo-Americans got a breakthrough in the west whilst the Communist USSR army also won victories from the east. At that moment, the two forces became sceptical of how each of them would share and rule the conquered nations. The British and American troops moved swiftly into German and so did the Soviets. They finally met in Berlin where the city was divided into two and ruled in halves by Capitalists and Communist ideologies.

Although this was a strong turn around, Japan was still aggressive in the Asian Pacific region. They were brutal in battle because their soldiers fought to death. Wherever they invaded, they were very tyrannical because historically, Japan had only one punishment for offenders and that was death. So when the Allies noted that an invasion of Japan would be costly on their armies, they thought of using the atomic bomb. Finally, on August 6th 1945, the Americans dropped a bomb on Hiroshima and on August 9th, they dropped another on Nagasaki causing a total of 240,000 deaths in Japan. America demanded an unconditional surrender of Japan but the Japanese military refused. The emperor of Japan however stepped in with his veto powers and agreed to an unconditional Japanese surrender. At the end of the war, a total of about 113,260,000 men were presented in the battle. There were causalities on 80,769,000 of them whilst 19,993,000 died. Soldiers from Ghana and Nigeria mainly of Hausa descent who were trusted for their military prowess entered the British West African Regiment and they fought in the Indian sub-continent in places like Burma.

After the war, there was scepticism between the Western Europeans and Americans on one side and the USSR and other Communist nations. This was because each one of them feared encroachment into her territory so trillions of US dollars were spent in military ammunitions to guard frontiers. In other nations like Korea and Vietnam, the Communists and Capitalists fought wars and the result was that these nations were carved into two; North and South. In Africa, the East-West conflict led to wars in nations like Angola and Mozambique. In all these wars, Soviet-backed Communist troops always recorded better results than the American led Capitalists.

In the late 1970s, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Knowing the degree of loss they could incur, the Capitalists led by USA mobilised troops from all over the Arab world in the name of protecting Islam against the ‘atheist communists’ and this led to the recruitment of Islamists who flooded Afghanistan through Pakistan. America provided these troops with a massive stock of ammunitions including many rocket propellers which the local Islamists or Mujahedin used to shoot down Soviet aircrafts.

In 1988, the USSR had spent too much on the war in Afghanistan so they withdrew. A few years afterwards, the Soviet Union collapsed. All the Islamists who entered Afghanistan from other Arab nations were rejected by their nations because they feared that they would begin uprisings against their national governments. These Mujahedin felt betrayed. Afghanistan then plunged into a civil war and many of these Islamists from nations like Egypt and Saudi Arabia got set to punish America and Britain for making them stranded. Their creeds and beliefs spread into the Arab world like wild fire from nations Afghanistan and Pakistan. Their hatred was fuelled by what they believed was betrayal by America and the influx of Western culture which they believed was destroying Islamic values. This has led to terrorism all over the world and it appears that many conflicts would emanate from this conflict until the Islamic and all other civilisations settle down to live in peace.

CONFLICT IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Mary Parker Follet described two extreme types of conflict in the work environment; destructive conflict and constructive conflict. Constructive conflict was described as challenging accepted old ideas to stimulate the development of a character change and motives. Constructive conflicts defined responsibility boundaries and provided opportunities for anxiety or personality challenges to be brought to the open. Destructive conflict on the other hand was personality based. It was meant to damage whatever came from one particular person and was malicious.

The main causes identified in conflict initiation were misunderstanding, mistrust, non supportive relationships, failure to communicate openly and unreasonable pressures. These causes manifested in regular arguments, ostracism, strikes, absenteeism, sabotage and low productivity.

When a manager identifies that there is conflict in his organisation, there were three options opened to him. The first was to confront the situation with the view of solving it once and for all. Secondly, if the conflict is identified to be a constructive one, the manager could sit back and do nothing. Finally, if the conflict was destructive but had the potential of being a constructive one, the manager could translate it into constructive competition by putting in place mechanisms that would stimulate positive contest in the conflict.

JESUS’ VIEW ON CONFLICT

Jesus came to promote constructive conflict. He said in Matthew 10:34-35 that;

34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

This indicates that His teachings were meant to be revolutionary and to bring changes that may not go down well with many people. This was repeated in Luke 12:51.

With this mindset, Jesus Christ questioned the simplistic nature of the Pharisees in many parts of the New Testament. Most of His criticism of these Pharisees was directed at their religious practises, which they thought was the ultimate way of getting to God. The most remarkable issues can be found in Matthew 23:1-39 where Jesus Christ questioned the activities of the Scribes and Pharisees extensively.

In the conflict Jesus Christ proposed in Matthew 10:34-35 however, there are limits that He observed. The main limitation is the law of God and the Word of God. This is outlined in Luke 16:17 where Jesus said “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.” This means that all things could be challenged but not the law of God.

Jesus went further to say in Mark 13:31 that “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.” This shows that all things could be challenged in conflict but not the word of God or Jesus Christ.

VIEWS OF OTHER APOSTLES
Peter in his epistles said in I Peter 5:5 that “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” That could be construed to mean that humility is a requirement of God. Therefore in challenging authority, one must do so without pride.

Dr. D. K. Olukoya on a segment of his preaching on the ministry of conflict in his message titled ‘The Blood on your Doorpost’ juxtaposed war in history with the ministry of deliverance saying that “…If you are a history student you might have come across an interesting story about the Roman Army which went to war with England. The soldiers went to England by sea and as soon as they arrived, they set their ships ablaze to the amazement of the British soldiers. That means forward ever and backward to their ship never. Immediately they did that, the British army knew that they were already defeated. That is what violence is all about and that is why the Bible describes us as soldiers. We are regarded as solders because we are supposed to engage in war in the ministry of conflict: And as soldiers, we are under a Captain or a Commander who is our Lord Jesus Christ….”

OBSERVATIONS ON CONFLICT

Without conflict there cannot be changes. The absence of conflict means stagnancy because where there is no war, there can be no peace.
Conflict can however bring progress or retrogression. Conflict could bring good or evil
Conflict can never be wrong for everybody in the universe. It would be favourable to some people and unfavourable to others
Discrimination, pride and unwarranted aggression are the catalysts to defeat in conflict.
For the best results in conflict, there should be control and supervision to ensure that things are done within the appropriate framework.
Jesus Christ’s ministry was a ministry of conflict.

References:

Microsoft Encarta 2004
Sermoncentral, Dr. D. K. Olukoya’s page
‘The Giving of Orders’ by Mary Parker Follet
The Taliban: War and Religion in Afghanistan, by Peter Marsden

By Samuel Owusu-Yeboah, visit our site on www.preacherswithoutborders.faithweb.com