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One painful memory that I will take with me straight into 2023. Is that on Tuesday morning December 27, 2022, I injured my back? I didn’t fall; nor was I attempting to lift some heavy weight; nor was I wrestling with anyone; nor was I exercising strenuously in the gym. I was merely sitting on the large circular sofa in my hall. Yet I was able to inflict on myself an injury so severe that instantaneously I was experiencing excruciating pain in my lower back. I started to reminisce that during the night I had to throw off my blankets and lie on my bed with my body uncovered. Because the air was so hot. Apparently, I had caught a cold in that part of my body and it was now inflamed. I got up, went to the kitchen, and gradually imbibed a mug full of hot Moringa, Prekese, Ginger, Cloves, and Pineapple tea. This concoction had worked perfectly in the past when I took it for any inflammation. But on this occasion the pain although slightly mollified nevertheless persisted with renewed vengeance.

Over a period of many years, I developed and nurtured the habit of helping myself. Whether it was in the area of doing my own cooking, washing and ironing my own clothes, or simply cleaning my own apartment. In the area of my own health maintenance, I had become quite proficient. I went to the pharmacy and obtained a medication that I had used in the past to ameliorate inflammation in my right arm and it worked very well. I started taking this same medication twice daily to help with the pain in my back. The benefits were not as immediately forthcoming as I had imagined. Accordingly, I called a friend of mine. His qualifications are Lay Preacher, Herbalist, Village Shaman, and quack Chiropractic Physician. He lives with his family in the Village of Brenyekwa and he invited me to his home. I went and since I had already described my problem to him he instructed me to lie face down on his Chiropractic table. After that, he executed upon different joints and parts of my body the very same maneuvers to which I had been subjected. When I visited appropriately credentialled and licensed professionals in the states of Wisconsin and New York, USA.

That appointment helped somewhat. Especially, since he was experienced enough to call an acquaintance of his, at The Holy Family Hospital, in Berekum. To arrange a CT Scan for me. I went to that facility on Friday morning December 31st. After completing that procedure the technician charged me 150.00 GHS (US$10.00). Thereafter, he summoned me over to where he was seated. To show me on his computer screen. A picture of the problem that was causing such excruciating pain in my lower back. He pointed directly to two open areas on my spinal cord and advised me that I had herniated two discs in my lower back. So much for my ‘hair brain’ theory that I had caught a cold in that area of my anatomy. I learned once again that sensible people should never try to diagnose themselves. I brought my present medical condition upon myself by poor posture. I learned for the umpteenth time that sitting properly at all times is mandatory. My back needed to rest comfortably against the upright section of a 90° angled chair/back support.

Many deep and conflicting thoughts marched through my mind. Since I’m a Christian why didn’t The Almighty and omnipresent God, Whom I try to serve fervently, prevent the occurrence of this misfortune? After all, doesn’t the Bible clearly teach that God is everywhere? The Psalmist David assures us of this wonderful reality when he wrote, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:7-10 (NKJV). These thoughts of mine were very human. It is one of the conditions of our sinful mortality to vainly attempt to escape any responsibility for our own ineptitude. Always or often attempting in vain to blame a higher power for the misfortunes which we bring upon ourselves. Lucifer himself is fully aware of the human proclivity to carelessness, stupidity, and recklessness. Therefore he tempted The Saviour to indulge in this sinful trait. “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” Matthew 4:5-7 (NKJV).

Not even the Son of The Highest would venture to needlessly place Himself in danger, merely to authenticate one of God’s promises. We should resolve to faithfully follow His example. As mere creatures, it’s inevitable that we will make mistakes. Providence does not intervene to prevent such eventualities. Because we learn from our errors. When such mishaps also cause us pain they become unforgettable chips in our psyche. Thirty years ago I suffered the same injury by inappropriately using my right leg to force the closure of a garage door that had been defectively installed. I eventually recovered from that condition with appropriate medical intervention and lots of walking. Now, I would have to repeat those same therapeutic modalities with a few caveats. I’m no longer in my forties. Accordingly, I will need to ensure that my daily intake of iron, calcium, and magnesium is adequate to ensure that my bones remain strong. Frequent medical checkups should become an important part of my annual regimen. Moreover, I should also continue to walk. Generally, I walk about five miles daily. According to the best medical authorities, spending 31/2 miles daily on shank’s pony is adequate. Some of the health benefits of walking include:

1. Add years to your life
2. Bolster your brain
3. Lose weight
4. Improve your vision
5. Get a good night’s sleep
6. Facilitate relaxation
7. Ward off depression
8. Promote health and fitness

(AARP: EIGHT GREAT REASONS TO WALK MORE, By Barbara Stepko June 1, 2020).

My very wily and cunning neighbors gave me the water bill yesterday afternoon Thursday, December 15, 2022. After examining it carefully I told the caretaker’s wife when I passed her at the large iron gates this morning while proceeding through the entrance. “According to the bill, the water was disconnected on Friday, December 9, 2022.” She implored me to pay it on their behalf, promising that on Monday, December 19, she would refund me in full. She assured me that since she had already collected the other tenant’s portion of the water bill she would therefore have no difficulty fulfilling her promise. On her way home from selling Kenkey. A laborious, diurnal exercise. Several heavy burdens were being borne by her. Most of them were on her head and consisted of large aluminum pots and a variety of pans. I respectfully and courteously declined her invitation. Because I had loaned them money previously but it was never repaid. I gently advised her that on Monday when she had all of the money ready, I would be happy to take it into town and pay the bill for her.

The dry season is now here in full force. To date, I’ve been reluctant to refill my tank. Because when I fill it my cunning neighbors abuse my water. Now they have no water because they haven’t paid their water bill. It would seem that they are professional con artists. A skill that is widespread in Ghana and practiced at every socio-economic level. However, I never become angry with them; nor do I ever lose my patience or manifest any form of rudeness. Because before coming to Ghana, The Lord Almighty prepared me for this assignment. I was suddenly plunged into all kinds of financial difficulties and baptized with the experience of poverty for several years. The difficulties that I was forced to endure were a great source of mystery and perplexity to me. Until I arrived here and then I understood. My experiences were prophetic of what I would encounter while living and working in a third-world sub-Sarahan African country. Accordingly, I treat my neighbors with civility, understanding, compassion, and empathy. As we are reminded in scripture, “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.” Psalm 103:19. (NKJV).

Nowadays the taxi fare from Sofokyere to Berekum is considerably higher than it was three years ago when I started living here. At that time the fare was 1.25 GHS (US$0.25). Now it’s been increased to 3.00 GHS (US$0.20). Consequent to the devaluation of the Ghana Cedi and the prevailing inflationary spiral. More is less. A phenomenon keenly felt by many Ghanaians. They have to survive on extremely limited incomes or no income at all. “The Ghanaian cedi has depreciated sharply against many currencies, in particular, the U.S. dollar since the start of 2022. The cedi has declined more than 55% between January and October 2022, among the steepest declines of any currency in the world this year. When a currency falls in value, imports become more expensive…Inflation is sharply eroding the purchasing power of consumers as prices of most consumables go up almost every other week. The consequence is reduced demand for goods that cost more. A secondary effect is reduced demand for some products that average consumers now consider to be luxuries and no longer see as affordable, not necessarily because the prices of such products have gone up, but because the prices of competing basic needs have increased dramatically.” (INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION: Ghana Currency Depreciation, November 22, 2022).

Going into Berekum has its many benefits. One of them is that I can purchase coconut water and jelly. The vendor uses his sharp machete wielded by his muscular right arm. To chop the green exocarp from the nut, thus exposing its fibrous husk (mesocarp). Once he uses his tool to chop away this layer. He cuts into the endocarp (nut) exposing the white coconut flesh and the water. He hands it to me promptly, while the blazing African sun is glaring down upon my head mercilessly. I gulp down the refreshing health-enhancing water gratefully. And only at a cost of 5.00 GHS (US$0.33). I return the coconut to the vendor after consuming all of its liquid content. He then divides it into two parts. He chops a spoon from the mesocarp. Scoops the flesh from the shell and returns the coconut with its fleshy content to me. Like everyone else around me, I embrace the unresisting jelly with my unwashed fingers and deliver this delicious morsel to my waiting, salivating mouth. Some amazing benefits of eating the coconut flesh and drinking the water include:

1. Aids in weight loss
2. Low in calories
3. Keeps your body hydrated
4. Lowers blood pressure
5. Controls cholesterol levels
6. Encourages cell regulation and growth
7. Helps with migraines.

Since the tenants who had moved out failed to pay their liability of the current water bill before their departure. Any hope of recovering that portion from them would be an exercise in futility. The caretaker’s daughter, despite her mother’s previous assurances, appeared at my back door with 100.00 GHS. That’s all they had. They were hoping and praying that I would divvy up the difference of 250.00 GHS to pay the full bill of 350.00 GHS. Such is life. A genuine need has no explanation. The only justification is its unavoidable presence and its undeniable reality. I took her money and contemplated all the ramifications thereof. The following day I went into The Town of Berekum, paid the bill in full, and along with one of the water company’s technicians. I returned to the property in a three-wheeled taxi and watched as the technician used his small tool to open the water spigot to our property. My 3000-liter water tank was in the process of being filled and my immediate neighbors had water. A simple enough solution. Furthermore, it was Christmas. By blessing them I also received a blessing.

The ‘alternative electors conspiracy.’ Implemented, after it was abundantly clear that Trump had lost the popular vote. was not only far-reaching but involved more than a score of people. The fact that it was even attempted reflects the depth of desperation to which major stakeholders in one of America’s major political parties had sunk. Did they really believe it was now impossible for Republican representatives to be legally and fairly elected by democratic means? Did they actually know that many of their espoused policies? Such as their obvious animus against Gay and LGBTQ members of the communities at large had alienated large members of the electorate? Were they really aware of the fact that many Hispanic, Asian, Black, women, and other minority voters saw Trump and his minions as hostile towards foreigners? Whatever their political or social philosophy they had squarely rejected Trump and everything that he represented. His racism, misogyny, antisemitism, despotism, totalitarianism, and deep corruption. Had been on full display during his 4-year administration. And the American people spurned it all on November 8, 2020. Because they had had enough!

“By December 2020, Trump had already lost the election but the electoral votes from each state still had to be certified. Giuliani and his team effectively tried to subvert that process in an effort to overturn Biden’s legitimate victory – a push that involved replacing real electors from seven states Trump lost with GOP electors. Giuliani and his team enlisted GOP allies from these states to sign certificates falsely claiming they were the duly-elected electors – even though they were not. After various election fraud lawsuits in these states failed, Giuliani and his team shifted their focus to January 6. The idea, as outlined in a memo written by conservative lawyer John Eastman, was for then-Vice President Mike Pence to throw out President Joe Biden’s electors and replace them with the GOP electors on January 6 when Congress counted the electoral votes. This, in theory, would give Trump more electoral votes than Biden and allow him to maintain his grip on power.” (CNN POLITICS: The Point, Why Rudy Giuliani’s Fake Elector’s Scheme Was So Dangerous To Democracy, by Chris Cillizza, January 23, 2022).

Since the federal Courts have ruled against The Trump Administration’s policies at least seventy times. It should have been clear to all in The Grand Old Party that no illegal machination to overturn a lawfully administered general election in the U.S.A., could have prevailed. Desperate people, however, invariably resort to desperate measures. Not all members of the Republican Party were involved in this calculated mischief. All those involved, however, will discover in due course that everything is under the control of The Lord Almighty. Events will be so arranged and worked out in such a way that all the malefactors will be held responsible. As we read in scripture, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14. (NKJV).

“The Trump administration has not been faring well in the courts, with major legal setbacks stalling important parts of its agenda, particularly on immigration and deregulation. President Trump has blamed liberal judges sitting in the 9th Circuit for the legal defeats, but a Washington Post analysis shows losses have occurred across the country and from judges appointed by both parties, often because of a failure to follow the law governing how changes in policy are made. A Washington Post review shows over 60 adverse rulings against the administration. (THE WASHINGTON POST: Federal Courts Have Ruled Against Trump’s Administration Policies At Least 70 Times, By Fred Barbash, Deanna Paul, Brittany Renee Mayes, and Danielle Rindler. Updated April 26, 2019).

Some notable people have written important comments on the subject of desperation. A few of them are as follows.

“Desperation can make a person do surprising things.”
― Veronica Roth, Allegiant

“That if desperate times call for desperate measures, then I’m free to act as desperately as I wish.”
― Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire

Trump, the maximum leader of the Republican Party just didn’t know how to handle failure! This experience is an important ingredient in the formula of success. Simpletons and the mentally unstable catastrophize invariably when things don’t turn out exactly the way they want. Consequently, they often resort to desperate and many times criminal measures to alter the brutally painful reality that confronts them. Most times nothing is wrong with that reality. But there is something deeply wrong inside of them. A psychosis as it were. Accordingly, they would seek to impose their own grotesque configuration of reality upon everyone else.

“If we never experience the chill of a dark winter, it is very unlikely that we will ever cherish the warmth of a bright summer’s day. Nothing stimulates our appetite for the simple joys of life more than the starvation caused by sadness or desperation. In order to complete our amazing life journey successfully, it is vital that we turn each and every dark tear into a pearl of wisdom, and find the blessing in every curse.”
― Anthon St. Maarten, Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny

The wise man Solomon puts it this way, “Consider the work of God;
For who can make straight what He has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.” Ecclesiastes 7:13-14. (NKJV).

This kind of introspection and retrospection was clearly unattainable by Trump. Who, unfortunately, is probably the most corrupt, amoral, emotionally apathetic, and insecure president that America has ever elected to high office. The very fact that he thought and inspired like-mindedly corrupt people to conspire together with him. To work zealously, tirelessly, and sparing no effort to overturn the results of a properly administered and lawful General Election, is corruption at its zenith. What benefit would he and his supporters have gained by continuing the status quo? They would have been able to control the commanding heights of America’s social, political, and economic power. But alas, it was not to be. Their worldview betrays their stupidity, naivete, downright disrespect for law and fair play, and their depravity. The very fact that they were willing to stoop to such chicanery. To frustrate America’s long history of democratic traditions, betrayed their contempt for their fellow citizens and their unholy lust for power. An international organization has given us a clearer understanding of the vice of corruption as follows.

We define corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. Corruption erodes trust, weakens democracy, hampers economic development, and further exacerbates inequality, poverty, social division, and the environmental crisis. Exposing corruption and holding the corrupt to account can only happen if we understand the way corruption works and the systems that enable it. (TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL: The Global Coalition Against Corruption).

There were a few Republican members of Congress who were courageous enough to speak out against Trump’s incitement of rebellion on January 6, 2021. Included among those individuals were [Rep. Liz. Cheney of Wyoming, Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina, Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington, Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, of Washington, Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan, Rep. John Katko of New York, and Rep. David Valadao of California]. Their act of voting to express their outrage and disapproval of the party leader’s seemingly unacceptable criminal conduct was an act of great gallantry. Because in doing so they had to face many faithful and loyal party stalwarts. The great majority of those loyalists seemed to worship Trump as a God. The former president hated the fact that he was actually impeached twice, and up to this blessed day in The Year of our Lord. He has been unable to make any intellectual or moral connection between his own behavior, and the very serious consequences of two Impeachments.

Shortly after the January 6 violence at the Capitol. The majority leader of the senate (Mr. McConnell) and the minority leader of the House of Representatives (Mr. McCarthy) both laid the blame, squarely upon the shoulders of the former president, for the insurrection. Within days, however, after the impeachment, McConnell failed to vote to convict Mr. Trump and Mr. McCarthy went to Maralago to kiss Trump’s ass. In both scenarios, Christ was betrayed all over again. These leaders weren’t paid thirty pieces of silver as was Judas Iscariot. But they wallowed in the approval of the MAGA base. In whose eyes Trump can do no wrong. Desperate for the approbation of this group of Trump sycophants. The two Republican leaders willingly sacrificed every principle of decency and righteousness. But their conduct would later return to haunt them. “Never forget that you reap what you sow. If you are a traitor, traitors and rebels will surround you. If you are a loyal person loyal people will surround you. No matter how loyal you are, you will still have some traitors. Betrayal is a part of life. Jesus was a loyal friend and leader but He had Judas.” Dag Heward Mills

The first Impeachment of the 45th sitting president of the United States was the result of an extremely blatant case of government corruption.

Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States, was impeached for the first time by the House of Representatives of the 116th United States Congress on December 18, 2019. The House adopted two articles of impeachment against Trump: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate acquitted Trump of these charges on February 5, 2020. Trump’s impeachment came after a formal House inquiry found that he had solicited foreign interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election to help his re-election bid, and then obstructed the inquiry itself by telling his administration officials to ignore subpoenas for documents and testimony. The inquiry reported that Trump withheld military aid and an invitation to the White House to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in order to influence Ukraine to announce an investigation into Trump’s political opponent Joe Biden and to promote a discredited conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, was behind interference in the 2016 presidential election. A phone call between Trump and Zelenskyy on July 25, 2019, was particularly important—whistleblower Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was a participant in the call, and later informed Congress. [WIKIPEDIA The Free Encyclopedia: First Impeachment of Donald Trump].

Are Trump and his acolytes really that ignorant of the invisible moral order of the universe and also of our world? Have they learned nothing since their childhood formative years until now? Scripture clearly states “For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.” Luke 12:2-3. (NKJV) These eternal principles are spiritual absolutes that cannot be altered or modified. For that very reason, all the news outlets such as Fox News and their owners are now in great financial peril. For having acted as vociferous echo chambers in trumpeting Trump’s lies of a stolen election. As a matter of fact, Trump’s close friend and presidential pardon recipient Bannon stated, “Days before the 2020 presidential election Donald Trump was planning to declare victory on election night, even if there was no evidence he was winning, according to a leaked Steve Bannon conversation recorded before the vote. In the audio, recorded three days before the election and published by Mother Jones on Wednesday, Bannon told a group of associates Trump already had a scheme in place for the 3 November vote.” [The Guardian: Game Over, Steve Bannon’s Audio Reveals Trump Planned To Claim Early Victory, By Adam Gabbatt and Hugo Lowell, July 14, 2022].

There were also other prominent players in Trump’s game of conspiracy, treachery, and lies.

• Stone is Trump’s longest serving political advisor, with a relationship dating back to the 1980s. 
• In 2020, Trump pardoned Stone, who was serving a felony prison sentence for witness tampering and lying to Congress about his connections to Russia. 
• Stone was a key intermediary between the White House and Proud Boys, a militia group that helped coordinate the January 6th Capitol attack.
• Roger Stone said Trump would claim victory whether or not he won the 2020 election. 

​​“F*ck the voting. Let’s get right to the violence,” Stone said.

WHAT HAPPENED JANUARY 6TH AND WHY IT MATTERS: Who Is Roger Stone?

Stone and Bannon are not the only co-conspirators with Trump that have blood on their hands. There was a multitude of other bad actors. As we read in scripture, “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses, the matter shall be established.” Deuteronomy 19:15. Based upon this principle which will no doubt be rigorously pursued by many journalists, historians, politicians, and prosecutors. Trump and his bedfellows in crime are doomed. What is absolutely amazing is that this clumsy coterie of bumbling buffoons actually thought that they could get away with this seemingly elaborate and outrageous scheme. To defraud the American people of the democracy, that many generations had lived, fought, and sacrificed their lives to win and preserve. Several eternal principles of divine truth will be clearly established once all of the dust has settled. After the nation has had the opportunity to dissect, examine, reminisce upon, and fully digest all that has transpired in this nation during the Trump era. Not least of which will be this piece of cogent truth, “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NKJV).

(TO BE CONTINUED)

 

There have always been historical characters/bad actors, who did exactly what they felt like doing and secretly thought to themselves, “Everyone else can be damned.” Those were citizen Achan’s thoughts while ancient Israel was encamped on the borders of the uniquely fortified City of Jericho. When the spies arrived within the fortress, they were informed by Rahab their benefactor, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath.” Joshua 2:9-11.

This young woman was not the daughter of a king, nor did she possess any particular skill, or familial connection that facilitated her prominence or fame. In fact, she was the practitioner of an ancient despised vocation. That only girls who belonged to the lowest echelons of society gravitated towards. However, here we are reading about her exploits in sacred history. Why? She had heard about the awesome, mighty, and wonderful Jehovah, and was worshipping Him. Long before his servants had established any contact with her. She loved and adored Israel’s God, even though she lived among pagans in a heathen country. What a contrast was her character in comparison to Achan’s? He had witnessed the parting of the Red Sea; heard with his own ears the majestic and terrible proclamation of the divine law as he stood enthralled beneath Mount Sinai; seen with his own eyes the Manna miraculously provided daily, by divine power; witnessed the water pouring out of the rock when Moses struck it with his rod.

He was present during the parting of the mighty Jordan when the priests bearing the Ark of The Covenant stepped into the water. But instead of responding to The Lord of the universe with love, obedience, and gratitude. He rejected Him and was now trying to rob Him. He treasured the Babylonish garment and the wedge of gold far more than he loved Christ. A more brazen example of ingratitude and blatant idolatry cannot be found anywhere else in scripture. Some famous historical characters of great notoriety have observed,

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and man. Mark Twain

It has been said that the sin of ingratitude is more serious than the sin of revenge. With revenge, we return evil for evil, but with ingratitude, we return evil for good.

W. Eugene Hansen

The damsel’s words were instructive: “I know that the Lord has given you the land.” How did she gain such knowledge? Her remarkable insight was based on faith. All the citizens of Jericho had heard what she had heard. But all the intelligence which they had previously received was of no benefit to them. They merely shrugged it off. While she embraced and personalized it. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen… By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe when she had received the spies with peace.” Hebrews 11:1, 30-31 (NKJV). According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, Jericho was approximately 430,000 square feet in size. With a wall that was approximately 12 feet in height, having a population of about 3000 people. The thickness of the wall was 30 feet wide at the base. For all practical and military purposes not only was Jericho an impregnable fortress. It would have been impossible to find any stranger in a city of that magnitude within such a short time period. Yet, the spies that Joshua sent ended up directly in Rahab’s house. If this development was not the result of ‘supernatural activity,’ then I don’t know the meaning of that term.

Her powerful faith in Israel’s God immediately translated her into becoming a citizen of Christ’s kingdom and she leveraged that status. The woman petitioned, “Now, therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.” Joshua 2:12-13. (NKJV). All of her actions proceeded from her love and fealty to Israel’s God. Accordingly, any promise that his servants made to her, would only be ratified if they were done in the name of Israel’s invisible, omnipotent king. Whom she loved and revered. The strangers exchanged tokens of their agreement. The spies left and returned to Israel’s camp. The rest is history. Consequent to his own choice Achan doomed not only himself but also his family and his animals.

As a result of her choice, Rahab saved not only herself but the lives and property of every member of her family. Finally, but by no means least, because of her decision, she has also been included in the pantheon of the Messiah’s illustrious ancestors. “Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king.” Matthew 1:4-6. (NKJV). Our choices determine our destiny.

Prohibitions in general have had a long and colorful history. The very first one according to scripture was given to Adam and Eve while they dwelt in the Garden of Eden. We all know exactly how that prohibition turned out. Nothing was wrong with the restriction itself because both people were sinless until that divine prohibition was violated. All subsequent prohibitions were given to sinful people with crooked and depraved natures. While working in Jamaica I periodically ran into people who smoked marijuana or who used it for medicinal or for religious sacramental purposes. Many of them were arrested, prosecuted, and imprisoned. Their families suffered in a myriad of different ways. While the breadwinner languished in a place of solitary confinement, as he served out his period of incarceration. But despite this seemingly harsh punishment, there were many subsequent offenders.

There are many prohibitions in scripture. Let us look briefly at the one Joshua gave to Israel just before the City of Jericho was conquered. “Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And you, by all means, abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.” Joshua 6:17-19 (NKJV). Everyone in the Israeli camp heard this extremely onerous prohibition. One person, however, Achan, thought he didn’t have to take it seriously. He casually violated it and never gave it a second thought until everything started to go wrong for the nation in its entirety.

The soldiers sent to Ai to take the city were defeated and driven before their enemies. The inhabitants of Israel were plunged into consternation and dismay at this development. The prophet Joshua spent the whole day lying face down before The Ark of the Covenant. Israel was accused by her Protector of stealing and dissembling. Thereafter, an investigation was initiated to determine who was guilty. Achan was taken and after he acknowledged that indeed he had stolen a Babylonish garment and a wedge of gold. He and his whole family, along with their animals, were stoned and then burned in the Valley of Achor. What a tragedy? The prohibition was good and righteous. But it also exposed the wickedness and depravity of Achan and his family. Who were all aware of his transgression but nevertheless conspired with him to defraud The Lord Almighty. A futile plot. History, both sacred and secular, has clearly demonstrated that people are absolutely rotten at adhering to laws, period. Whether human or divine.

National prohibition of alcohol (1920–33) — the “noble experiment” — was undertaken to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce the tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America. The results of that experiment clearly indicate that it was a miserable failure on all counts. The evidence affirms sound economic theory, which predicts that the prohibition of mutually beneficial exchanges is doomed to failure. The lessons of Prohibition remain important today. They apply not only to the debate over the war on drugs but also to the mounting efforts to drastically reduce access to alcohol and tobacco and to such issues as censorship and bans on insider trading, abortion, and gambling. (CATO INSTITUTE: Alcohol Prohibition Was A Failure, By Mark Thornton, July 17, 1991).

The problem is not so much with this or any other prohibition/law. As it is with human nature. As the apostle, Paul observed, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.” Romans 7:7-12 (NKJV).

Generally speaking, laws are the highest epitome of virtue. They represent what perfect people would aspire to become. The problem, however, is that all of us humans are sinful, erring mortals. By nature, we are so depraved and crooked that it’s virtually impossible for us to keep any law perfectly.

The only solution is salvation. People need a Saviour. They need Christ. As Paul said to the Phillipian Jailer. When he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.  And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. Acts 16:29-33.

That is the point. No amount of human/governmental intervention can secure salvation for anyone. To adhere to any law, human or divine, we need external, supernatural, higher power assistance and downright help. As we read in scripture, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:10-13

Religious leaders and practitioners have long been the most vociferous advocates of abortion prevention. The Roman Catholic Church, however, which also champions celibacy among priests. Has been one of the biggest offenders in terminating unwanted pregnancies prematurely. Especially when the perpetrators were priests who sexually abused nuns. “Nuns around the world have suffered sexual abuse by priests, sometimes resulting in pregnancy and abortion, but church leaders have “fail[ed] … to discipline” the clerics involved, the New York Times reports. According to five reports written by senior members of women’s religious orders and a priest, cases of sexual abuse against nuns have been reported in at least 23 countries. (PEACE FM ONLINE: Diocesan Priest Impregnates 30 Nuns, 10 August 2020). These developments are nothing new. Even during my childhood years, there were whispered rumors circulating, about the many skeletal remains, of aborted infants. Washed up on the nearby rocks beneath the nunnery poised upon the cliff overlooking The Caribbean Sea.

This double standard is also prevalent in protestant churches. Since many under-shepherds of Christ have fallen into sin and tried to cover up their moral failings by resorting to abortion. “In 1820, Ammi Rogers, a middle-aged Yale graduate and Episcopal clergyman in Connecticut. Seduced Asenath Smith, the 21-year-old granddaughter of a dying church member, and then had her drink a potion that would purportedly cause an abortion—but it did not. The next step was his use of a “tool” of some kind, which caused bleeding, intense pain, and then the delivery of a dead child. That led to Rogers’s arrest and a trial that displayed, according to The Norwich Courier, the clergyman’s ‘baseness and cold calculating depravity of heart.'”

Such occurrences were certainly not remote or unusual. In fact, they were quite common. In 1865 Illinois pastor James Jaquess, 46 and married with two children, hired a doctor to perform an abortion on his young mistress in Kentucky, Louisa Williams. Officials arrested and arraigned Jaquess for “procuring the death” of Williams and “procuring the death of the child” within her. Newspapers across the United States reported his arrest because Jaquess had been a friend of Abraham Lincoln and the organizer of the Union Army’s “preachers’ regiment,” one made up largely of ministers. (CHRISTIANITY TODAY: These Pastors Fell Into Sin. Pro-Life Laws Emerged From It By Marvin Olasky, June 23, 2022).

These attempts to end an unwanted pregnancy were all occasioned by feelings of guilt, shame, and remorse. The fragile egos of all the bad actors could not endure the bright glare of exposure and publicity. However, their acts of intervention were so crude that they were nevertheless discovered and prosecuted. Israel’s most celebrated Monarch, King David, was caught up in a similar scandal. When he arranged for the death of Uriah The Hittite. Following his adulterous affair and impregnation of Uriah’s fatally beautiful wife, Bathsheba. By that time Uriah’s widow was already living in the king’s house. However, someone else far more powerful than any earthly ruler intervened to put an end to the newborn’s life. “So David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ And Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die’… And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill…Then on the seventh day, it came to pass that the child died.” 2 Samuel 12:13-14,15, 18. (NKJV).

Although this pregnancy was permitted to come to term. The child died shortly after it was born. Because The Almighty ‘feared the blasphemy of His enemies.’ Therefore, shouldn’t we as humans who’ve been ‘made in the image of God.’ Exercise compassion, mercy, and tolerance, toward people who find themselves in the unenviable dilemma of wrestling with an unwanted pregnancy? I’m not by any means advocating the Practice of Abortion. All I’m saying is that we should not be so rash as to rush into legislation that criminalizes such a personal and often traumatizing decision. There are legitimate considerations when contemplating any such decision. Such as the circumstances under which such a pregnancy was conceived. Was the mother the victim of rape or incest? Moreover, does the unborn child pose a serious threat to the health and well-being of the mother? All of these factors should be taken into consideration in any decision to terminate a pregnancy.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

 

Today we hear a great deal about God’s so-called ‘unconditional love.’ But is this belief based upon divine revelation? Or is it nothing more than a theological myth? That, sinful members of the human race, would be beneficiaries of The Creator’s love without conditionalities, is a wonderful thought. But is this belief based upon anything contained in Scripture or is it nothing more than a vain indulgence in romanticism? This is a concept that has been advocated from the pulpit by ministers since time immemorial. Even in Noah’s day, there were preachers who asserted, contrary to Noah’s warnings, that The Great Originator of life would never destroy the earth with a flood since His love was unconditional. Unfortunately for them, however, and all their deluded followers. Who refused to repent. At the end of 120 years of Noah’s evangelistic crusade. The divine Judge delivered His verdict, “The Lord said to Noah, ‘Come into the ark, you and all your household because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation… For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.’ And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him.'” Genesis 7:1, 4-5. (NKJV).

Although the Bible has a great deal to say about Abraham. Including the fact that He was loved by God. We need to remember that the relationship that ‘The father of the faithful,’ enjoyed with The Almighty was based upon rules. He was never free to do at any time, exactly what he felt like doing. Furthermore, The Lord reminded Him of that fact when He asserted to Abraham, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Genesis 7:1-2. (NKJV). In other words, the blessings that The Creator would send to Abraham were based upon the fulfillment of certain conditions. According to scripture what exactly is God’s covenant? “And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice. So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.” Deuteronomy 4:12-13. (NKJV). Therefore, Abraham was a commandment keeper and he adhered to them faithfully. For that reason, God blessed him abundantly.

Abraham’s son Isaac was reminded of his father’s faithfulness and indirectly encouraged to pursue his father’s exemplary lifestyle when God spoke to him  “Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” Genesis 26:2-5 (NKJV).

There is no room for misapprehension, misperception, or misunderstanding. Because The Lord very clearly reveals Himself in scripture. As He passed before His servant Moses and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty.” Exodus 34:6 (NKJV). We’ve read about characters in scripture who did some terrible things, and who sank to unrecognizable depths of degradation and depravity. Yet God forgave them because they deeply repented of their sin(s). There were two malefactors crucified with Christ. One of them was impenitent and railed against The Saviour. The other one was penitent, acknowledged his sinful condition, repented, and begged The Redeemer for mercy. The Master’s response was immortalized in these words, “Assuredly, I say to you today, ‘you will be with Me in Paradise.'” Luke 23:43 (NKJV).

Undoubtedly, God’s love is divine; God’s love is great; God’s love is unfathomable; God’s love is wonderful; God’s love is awesome. But the love of God is certainly not unconditional. The unconditionality of God’s love is a theological myth that has its origin in Hades and is designed by the devil to lead the gullible and naive directly to Gehenna.

One of the most prominent commentators on Ghana’s present economic crisis is the former president of Ghana, the honorable John Dramani Mahama. In his presentation entitled Building The Ghana We Want he asserted,

“In the last few years, our economy has lurched from crisis to crisis,
ultimately resulting in the most debilitating living conditions in several
decades. Within a space of ten months, our currency, the Ghana Cedi, has depreciated by over 62% against the US dollar which is the highest in recent memory. Our public debt is projected to hover around GH¢ 522 billion by the close of this year, with a corresponding debt-to-GDP ratio of above 100%. The debt service obligation arising from this is monstrous and, is making it impossible to finance almost all critical sectors of the economy. The wage bill has gone up due to unbridled recruitment into all sectors of the public service resulting from a poor capacity of the private sector to mop up the teeming youth graduating from all levels of our educational system. Worse still, Ghana has been classified as the country with the highest likelihood of debt default, which reflects the multiple downgrades by international credit agencies. As it stands, we remain firmly shut out of the international bond market. Inflation is almost 40% and is set to rise higher.“ (GOOGLE NEWS: Building The Ghana We Want, An Address To The People of Ghana by John Dramani Mahama, October 27, 2022).

The former president of Ghana made a number of recommendations that he believes, if pursued, will ultimately result in a turnaround in Ghana’s economy. Some of those suggestions are as follows.

1. Reducing the public debt, debt service obligations, and creating fiscal space. “The biggest problem with our economy today is the growing size of our public debt, estimated to be 522.00 billion GHS (US$40.00 billion) by the end of this year. This must immediately be tackled and stopped from growing further.”
2. The government must cut costs, reduce waste, and spend wisely. This would involve the downsizing of ministries, secretariats, agencies, and a reduction in the size of the budget of the office of the president. He also called for the suspension of all nonessential services, and greater transparency in public procurement.
3. Mr. John Mahama contended, “It is a notorious fact that corruption has defeated the Akufo Addo government. The graft and misapplication of public funds by government appointees call for radical action and not the shielding of perpetrators, as we have sadly witnessed in the last few years.”
4. The former head of state advocated for the stabilization of the currency, cutting the import bill, and job creation. “We do enormous damage to our currency the Cedi, and our economy, when we spend billions of dollars on the importation of rice, sugar, tomato products, frozen fish, poultry, meat products, and vegetable cooking oils. Yet we have more than the potential to produce here to feed ourselves and even export. It is estimated that forex outlays for food products for which we have a comparative advantage to produce locally amount to some US$3 billion every year.” (Ibid).
   • The current president of Ghana the honorable Nana Addo Dwanka Akufo Addo addressed the nation recently. He contended,
   • “For us, in Ghana, our reality is that our economy is in great difficulty. The budget drawn for the 2022 fiscal year has been thrown out of gear, disrupting our balance of payments and debt sustainability, and further exposing the structural weaknesses of our economy. We are in a crisis, I do not exaggerate when I say so. I cannot find an example in history when so many malevolent forces have come together at the same time. But, as we have shown in other circumstances, we shall turn this crisis into an opportunity to resolve not just the short-term, urgent problems, but the long-term structural problems that have bedeviled our economy. I urge us all to see the decision to go to the International Monetary Fund in this light.  We have gone to the Fund to repair, in the short term, our public finances, and restore our balance of payments, whilst we continue to work on the medium to long-term structural changes that are at the heart of our goal of constructing a resilient, robust Ghanaian economy, and building a Ghana Beyond Aid.”
   • . The head of state outlined some measures that he claims are being implemented to remedy Ghana’s present foreign exchange crisis.
   • 1. Enhanced supervisory action by the Bank of Ghana in the forex bureau markets and the black market to flush out illegal operators, as well as ensuring that those permitted to operate legally abide by the market rules. Already some forex bureaus have had their licenses revoked, and this exercise will continue until complete order is restored in the sector.
   • 2. The government is working with the Bank of Ghana and the oil-producing and mining companies to introduce a new legal and regulatory framework to ensure that all foreign exchange earned from operations in Ghana is, initially, paid to banks domiciled in Ghana to help boost the domestic foreign exchange market.
   • 3. The Bank of Ghana has given its full commitment to the commercial banks to provide liquidity to ensure the wheels of the economy continue to run in a stabilized manner, till the IMF Programme kicks in and the financing assurances expected from other partners also come in.
   • 4. The Bank of Ghana will enhance its gold purchasing program.
   • (GOOGLE NEWS: Key Points On President Akufo Addo’s Address On The State of Ghana’s Economy, 31 October 2022).

Since these speeches were given, both detractors and apologists of the NPP and NDC have entered the economic and political debate. Some people have demanded the immediate resignation of the current president of Ghana. While others have made negative comments about the speech given by former president John Mahama. Without a doubt, Ghana is a country with a healthy democratic tradition and vibrant political discourse. Many powerful stakeholders have urged the government to take immediate action to halt the catastrophic slide in the value of the Cedi. Others have accused the president of window dressing and scapegoating. Since foreign exchange buyers and sellers do not control the availability of foreign currency in any country. For its part, the IMF has asserted that if the government of Ghana can demonstrate. That its debt servicing is sustainable, then a deal can be reached. From my own perspective, this is the most elegant form of saying “No,” that I have ever witnessed.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is “working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.” Formed in 1944, started on 27 December 1945, at the Bretton Woods Conference primarily by the ideas of Harry Dexter White and John Maynard Keynes, it came into formal existence in 1945 with 29 member countries and the goal of reconstructing the international monetary system. It now plays a central role in the management of balance of payments difficulties and international financial crises. Countries contribute funds to a pool through a quota system from which countries experiencing balance of payments problems can borrow money. As of 2016, the fund had XDR 477 billion (about US$667 billion). The IMF is regarded as the global lender of last resort. (WIKIPEDIA: The International Monetary Fund).

The country of Ghana has been experiencing severe foreign exchange difficulties of late. No one has been able to codify the exact nature of the problems that have precipitated this crisis. Although there have been a plethora of calls for the Government of Ghana to rectify this situation speedily. Such calls have come from celebrities such as Yvonne Nelson who has publicly called on Ghana’s president Mr. Nana Addo Akufo Addo to halt the persistent and catastrophic slide of the Cedi. Since its fall was making her eye medication increasingly unaffordable.

“Ghanaian preacher, Prophet Kofi Oduro has criticized Akufo-Addo for what he describes as the President’s recent arrogance. According to the founder of the Alabaster International Ministries, Akufo-Addo has departed from the humility that endeared him to voters in his bid to be president. Addressing his congregants on Sunday, the energetic pastor seized the opportunity to warn the president about his pride and the consequences that await him. In his open admonishment, he said if Akufo-Addo does not repent from his pride, his government will go down as the worst regime in Ghana’s political history. (JOY ONLINE: You’ve Become Very Arrogant, by Paa Kwesi Schandorf, 24 October 2022).

Such calls and complaints have come from a wide cross-section of Ghanaian society, particularly traders involved in importing goods and services from abroad.

“The Butcher’s Association in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Area has added its voice to the call on the Government to redeem the Ghanaian Cedi from its constant depreciation to major foreign trading currencies. The Association which relied heavily on Niger, Mali, and Burkino Faso, for animals for the Ghanaian market, complained about the hikes in CFA Franc against the Cedi and the trade burden it posed. Mr. Anaba Mohommed, The Takoradi Butcher’s Association Chairman told The Ghana News Agency that currently, an individual needs some 1500 Cedis for an equivalent of one million CFA while in the most recent past the same 1500 Cedis would give almost 2 million CFA.” (GHANA NEWS AGENCY: Butchers In Sekondi-Takoradi Urge Government To Redeem The Cedi, By Mildred Siaba-Mensah, August 24, 2022).

Even elected parliamentary members of the NPP are calling on President Akufo Addo to dismiss the present Minister of Finance and sacrifice him as an appropriate scapegoat for Ghana’s present economic and financial difficulties.

“Some Members of the Majority Caucus in Parliament have called for the immediate dismissal of Ken Ofori-Atta as Minister for Finance by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The MPs also want the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Chares Adu Boahen, to be sacked. Numbering about 80, the MPs who constitute “a greater number of the Majority Caucus” have thus threatened to vote against all government businesses that will come before the House. At a press conference addressed by the Asante Akyem North MP, Andy Appiah-Kubi, the MPs said Mr. Ofori-Atta and Mr. Boahen have run the economy aground and must be shown the exit.” (GHANAIAN TIMES: 80 Majority MP’s, Minority Caucus Demand Dismissal Of Ofori Atta, Adu Boahen, By Julius Yao Petesi).

Neither The Governor of The Bank of Ghana nor The Minister of Finance nor any other credible authoritative source. Has attempted to outline to the country, the reason for the collapse of the Cedi’s value. Everyone seems to prefer to participate in a futile blame game. This West African Republic, originally known as The Gold Coast has a population of approximately 35,000,000 people. Most of the items sold in the local stores such as refrigerators, television sets, smartphones, pots, plates, and cutlery are imported from abroad. These are just the basics that are present in most third-world countries. I have yet to mention buses, coaches, tractors, trucks, expensive motorcars, and a host of other luxurious consumer goods. All of which are imported from overseas. According to Trading Economics, Ghana’s gross domestic product in 2021 was US$77.59 billion. Statista states that “In 2021, 30.87 billion U.S. dollars of goods and services were imported into Ghana. This would be an increase compared to the two preceding years. Furthermore, in terms of goods, motor cars and transport vehicles were the leading commodities imported into Ghana in 2019, as they registered the highest value.”

According to Statista In 2022 alone Ghana’s national debt will be 84.7% of the GDP. Some estimates have Ghana’s total indebtedness well in excess of 100% of GDP. This is an extremely onerous burden to bear for a developing country that up until recently did most of its borrowing abroad. Currently, the nation has been shut out of the Eurobond market. Since Fitch has downgraded Ghana’s Bonds to junk status.

(TO BE CONTINUED)