The Novel Coronavirus Pandemic that is causing severe havoc to the world economy and cultures, must present an opportunity for Africans to begin to appreciate their culture, custom and project them to their own good.
This was a message delivered by the Founder and Leader of Parliament Chapel International, Apostle Francis Amoako Attah during the Sunday Online Church service broadcasted live on PCI TV and Radio.
According to him, Sunday which marked the end of the three days fasting and prayers by pastors across the country presented an opportunity for Ghanaians and for that matter Africans to hold on to their culture.
“This is the Time for Africa,” he stressed.
Apostle Francis Amoako Attah said upholding to ones custom and culture is one of the greatest things people can do to win the favour of God as was done in time past by Jesus Christ, Daniel and Esther among others.
Teaching from Daniel 6: 10-11 “when Daniel learnt that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened towards Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed giving thanks to his God, as has been his custom,” and Daniel 6: 17-18 “A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s custom might not be changed,” Apostle Francis Amoako Attah said the scriptures show clearly that Daniel has a custom and a culture which he kept along with him wherever he went, and that custom being his dressing was what save d him from the jaws of the lions.
According to Apostle Francis Amoako Attah Daniel prayed to God for three days and the Glory of God was upon him and when he was casted into the lion’s den with all his custom and culture intact, the lions could not devour him.
“Look, the reason why the lions could not devour Daniel, was because of his dressing; his culture,” he said.
He said for the first time, the Lions saw Daniel an Angel not a slave, because he was before the Lord for three times and the anointing and Glory of the Lord was all around him.
He also mentioned that other countries like China, India, etc. travel with their culture and even with their food but “It is only Africans that travel and don’t travel with their culture and their food. Why? It is about time Africans begin to appreciate our own culture, language and food. It is time we appreciate made in Africa, time we build good hospitals and good roads, time to stop dressing like European prisoners.”
Also, making reference to the Book of Esther 2:15, Apostle Francis Amoako Attah Esther was able to win the favour of the Babylonians including the King with her dressing.
According to him, when all Babylonian women dressed in their Babylonian dresses, Esther put on a simple dress but won the favour from all Babylonians including the King.
“She won their favour because of her culture. She projected her culture by the way she dressed. Esther didn’t dress like a Babylonian harlot or a whore but dressed like a Royal in her simplest Jewish attire. It is about time, Africa ladies behave like royals and stop exposing their nakedness,” he advised.
He said: “Africa ladies must begin to project and behave like real Africans and not like harlots. Covid 19 has brought a certain sanity on social media, people are not going to social media to look for slay queens, naked people and pictures, but are looking for solutions.”
He also preached that Joseph whilst in prison had faith in God and when the time came, and Pharaoh sent his men to call Joseph from prison, “immediately he shaved his beard because he refused to look like an Egyptian, he was a Jew and so he must not appear before Pharaoh as an Egyptian slave but as a Jew. This teaches us that Joseph even though he was in prison, kept his custom and culture.”
Apostle Francis Amoako Attah said, although the church is not gathering as expected, God is still in control over the church, because the church belongs to Him, stressing that Coronavirus pandemic is here to teach us to love ourselves and build our continent for our own, and make sure our tourism industry is well prepared.
“We must appreciate what God has given to us, many women lose their marriages because they failed to appreciate what God has given to them. This is the time, we must see through the value of what God has given to us as Africans and build upon them for our benefits and redemption,” he said.
By Prosper Agbenyega