In a speech to Ghanaian peacekeepers in Lebanon on Saturday, September 10, 2022, Archbishop Charles Agyinasare cautioned the Ghana Armed Forces to maintain their integrity while carrying out any election-related responsibilities in the 2024 general elections to prevent societal unrest and a coup.
As he stressed, "Leaders must avoid a possible politicization and polarisation of the Ghana Armed Forces, insulate themselves from the polarised politics back home, and maintain principled neutrality to sustain their integrity and public image." He said: "When you fear God, you don't compromise on your integrity."
Furthermore, Archbishop Agyinasare advised, "With the 2024 Ghana elections fast approaching, you must work to retain your integrity in election-related operations to avert any future social turmoil."
Some of us have seen firsthand some of the tragic coups d'etats that occurred in Ghana. By all means, let's try to steer clear of one in the upcoming election, he said.
The entire speech made by Archbishop Agyinasare to the Ghanaian peacekeepers in Lebanon is reproduced below:
88 Ghanbatt
Acknowledgement
Senior Officers, RSM, Officers, Men and Women of Ghanabatt 88 & 89, and Commanding Officer.
For making it possible for me to visit you in Lebanon, I want to express my gratitude to CDS Seth Amoama, the military high command, and Chaplain General Rev Commodore Adjei Djan.
Happy birthday to Ghanbatt 88!
I consider it a great honor to be with you this afternoon. I want to start by congratulating you on the excellent work you are doing in Lebanon. Ghana is one of the nations that has been sending troops to UNIFIL since 1978, which is not inconsequential. Ghana is the country with the largest force of women peacekeepers, with over 800 men and women preserving the peace in south Lebanon. You are doing very well and making a significant contribution to the cause of peace in Lebanon as you occupy the most sensitive section of the Blue Line, which is known for its hotspots.
Introduction
I am especially excited about this opportunity because, in a way, I have been "baptized" into the military since I was a young child. I was raised in a barracks, attended the Armed Forces Experimental School, also known as Garrison Primary in 1973, and my late father, Teshie, was a soldier in the Field Engineers Regiment. I have also grown up in a church filled with military members, including the first female Brigadier General, the late Constance Edjeani I value the military greatly, therefore.
Even better, God Himself values the military. In fact, God places such a high value on it that He regularly refers to Himself as "the Lord of hosts" or "the Lord of heaven's armies." Additionally, David, Gideon, and Joshua, three of God's most favored leaders, were all in the military. Even Moses was reputed to have been a superb military commander before he was a prophet. The aforementioned figures played a crucial role in either guiding their people or defending them from tyrants and evil oppressors.
You play an important part in protecting our country and maintaining international peace, just like these soldiers do in this region of the world. We are confident that you will continue to support Ghana's democracy and peace even after you return home.
Soldiers are crucial to God, our country, and the globe, to put it briefly. But we need excellent warriors because terrible soldiers would ruin the planet while good soldiers would make it better. But it's really simple to be a bad soldier. While many people around the world expect to see certain traits in military personnel—discipline, sacrifice, bravery, strength, loyalty, and duty—many today associate troops with violence, dishonesty, bribery, loose morals, and godlessness. Even Jesus was subjected to suffering at the hands of unreliable soldiers who beat Him, laughed at and spat on Him, crucified Him, bet on His clothes, and even accepted payment to fabricate His Resurrection!
I want to encourage and exhort you in this brief speech to be excellent warriors, just as the apostle Paul did to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:3. As I previously stated, it is quite simple to be a bad soldier in the 21st Century and in our nation, particularly when your family is far away, there is severe economic suffering around the world, and there has been a general decline in traditional morals and values. Some of us may be considering our partners, our families, our homes, and our futures in such an environment. Because of this, it can be tempting to adopt the mentality of "Every man for himself, God for us all," leading one to do whatever it takes to live. Be a good soldier nonetheless, my brother and sister, for God, for Ghana, and for the rest of the world. We're going to look at three biblical examples of good warriors to see why you should strive to be one.
The Bible contains three moral soldiers.
David I
David, who is renowned for being "a man after God's own heart," was an honorable soldier who was close to God, skilled, and proactive.
• He joined King Saul's army as a humble soldier and rose through the ranks to become an army commander, a captain over a thousand men, and ultimately, the king of Judah and Israel. He provided us about 70 Psalms and had an excellent relationship with the Lord. He always trusted in God, and he consulted Him before making any significant choices. Some claim that David participated in 66 fights and won every one of them. God had, after all, kept him safe in each one! The LORD "does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD's," as David admitted in 1 Samuel 17:47. Simply put, the Lord is the one who protects us, not AK-47s or hand grenades. May the Lord keep you safe as you get closer to Him and depend on Him!
In addition to being close to the Lord, David was a skilled warrior. David led his people with the "skillfulness of his hands," according to Psalms 78:72. Ghana isn't the only country boasting of an increase in highly educated and capable professionals in the military world. I implore those of you who have the desire, time, and ability to pursue additional training to do so right away. There is no replacement for improving and adding value to yourself. The best investment you can make with the foreign cash you have earned here is this, after all. May the Lord hasten your advancement in the name of Jesus, just as He promoted David from one level to another in the army. After serving in the military as a Staff Sergeant, my father retired as a Works Superintendent for PWD, which later became the Ghana Highway Authority. However, he continued to educate himself by taking many courses.
David also made future plans. After constructing his own home, he planned who would replace him as king and made significant provisions for his son Solomon to construct a temple for God. Dear soldier, don't be like those who, because they failed to make plans for the future, are overcome with regret when they reach retirement. Make careful to invest for your retirement as you receive your benefits. While many of his friends moved into leased homes after leaving the army, my late father stayed in his own home.
God had put David's descendants on the throne by the conclusion of his life in such a way that even the Messiah Jesus of Nazareth was a descendant of David!
The Centurion with the ill servant, part two
Another admirable soldier was a Centurion whose slave was terminally ill. He had a strong sense of faith, cared deeply about his servant, and constructed a synagogue for Israel.
• According to Luke 7:3-5 of the Bible, when he learned about Jesus, he dispatched Jewish elders to ask Him to come and heal his servant. They came to Jesus and pleaded with Him seriously, telling Him that the person for whom He should do this was deserving because "he loves our nation and has built us a synagogue." In reference to this serviceman, Jesus declared, "I have not found such tremendous faith, not even in Israel!" because of his amazing faith.
• Keep in mind that this Centurion had soldiers under him (Luke 7:8) and was a man in a position of responsibility, yet he was worried about the welfare of his servant. Being in a position of power carries a significant deal of responsibilities. It is subservience rather than dominance. Likewise, those of you in leadership roles should gently take advantage of these chances to help those beneath you as well as the greater military community. Politically driven recruitments into the Ghanaian Armed Forces shouldn't include us. People in positions of power ought to act honorably and see to it that only suitable candidates are hired, with a clear emphasis on preserving a useful ethnic balance.
• In addition, this Centurion had constructed a synagogue for the populace, which caught Jesus' attention. Some of you here, one of the ways you might get God's attention is by building for Him and serving the goals of His kingdom. A few of you have already constructed your own homes. Build God a house or make a significant contribution to building God a house in your Ghanaian town or village. Those of you who have already become Christians should continue to build for God in addition to giving your gifts and tithes to the church.
The servant of this Centurion was instantly healed by the time he finished his tale. God bless and use Him to heal and deliver your family! May the power of the Holy Ghost destroy every force that causes untimely death in your family.
Cornelius, III
We'll examine Cornelius, another Centurion, as the final admirable soldier. He was "a pious man and one who feared God with all his household," according to Acts 10:2, "who gave charity to the people generously, and prayed to God always."
• To begin with, he was pious. He was steadfast in his religious beliefs and extremely pious. Those who knew him could tell that he held God and His creation in the highest regard. Do people react with astonishment when you tell them you follow Christ, my brother, sister, my son, and my daughter? Is your behavior more persuasive than your words? Be a faithful serviceman, Mr. or Mrs. When they reach a space where they believe they have complete freedom to do as they choose, some people abandon their faith. Be devoted when you are in this country, surrounded by foreigners.
• In addition, Cornelius personally feared God, which means that he lived aware of God's presence in his life as well as the lives of his family members. He cherished justice and detested wickedness. "To hate evil is to fear the Lord," Prophecy 8:13
When you fear God as a soldier, you despise evil. Don't do to others what you wouldn't want done to you. Keep away from anything that will damage a neighbor or bring disgrace to God.
When you fear God, you put God first rather than man. Even while God has placed men in positions of authority, and we must obey them, your loyalty must be to God in cases where a man's directive directly contravenes God's rule. Avoid acting against God and your moral conscience by obeying man.
If you fear God, you won't harm other people. When people wish to carry out evil in society, a man in a uniform shouldn't be the hired hand. Don't be one of those people who brutalizes helpless people or kills innocent people. "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed," the Bible states in Genesis 9:6. "For in the image of God He formed man." In Matthew 26:52, Jesus also told Peter that "those who take the sword will perish by the sword."
When you fear God, you won't accept payments to give false testimony, pervert the course of justice, or remain quiet about wrongdoing. Exodus 23:8 of the Bible states, "And you shall not take bribe, for a bribe blinds the wise and turns the words of the righteous."
If you fear God, you won't have a "farm" and a "backyard garden," which means you won't cheat on your partner. Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks wisdom; He who does so loses his own soul, a wise man once remarked in Proverbs 6:32. Instead, husbands should value their women as much as their own bodies (Ephesians 5:28).
When you fear God, your honesty is unwavering. To safeguard their integrity and public reputation, leaders must protect the Ghana Armed Forces from potential politicization and polarization, shield themselves from the divisive politics at home, and maintain principled neutrality.
Additionally, in order to prevent any potential social unrest in the future, you must work to uphold your integrity throughout election-related activities in Ghana in 2024. Some of us have seen firsthand some of the disastrous coups d'etats that occurred in Ghana. Let's make every effort to steer clear of one during the upcoming election.
These were some of the principles that Cornelius most likely instilled in his family. Beloved, it is crucial that we fear God in front of our families, just as Cornelius did. There is a widespread belief that military families have horrible kids. Given that I grew up there, I must acknowledge that there is some validity to it. Some of you may have missed out on spending time with your kids and teaching them to fear God because of your extended absence from home.
The good news is that you can connect with your family today by using technology. If you can, schedule weekly or biweekly visits with your family via Skype or WhatsApp Video. Visit your kids' Facebook and Instagram sites occasionally to keep an eye on what they are doing online. Make friends with the kids' teachers to gain information about their academic progress. Spend enough time relaxing with your family, especially your husband, after you get home while on leave. Avoid pursuing wealth at the expense of your family. "But if someone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever," the Bible says in 1 Timothy 5:8.
• It is stated that Cornelius liberally provided alms as well. Keep in mind what the Lord Jesus said, "Give, and it will be given to you," and "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). You will receive a good measure that has been pressed down, shaken together, and ran over. Because you will receive what you measure back to you (Luke 6:38). Be generous despite the state of the economy. Give what you can to those who are actually in need. Plant seeds. "Cast your bread upon the waters; because in due time you shall find it" (Ecclesiastes 11:1).
• Lastly, Cornelius constantly prayed to God. Due to the fact that prayer is to the human soul what oxygen is to the human body—without it, we will perish—Cornelius did not pray occasionally or occasionally, but rather, he prayed to God constantly. Paul the Apostle exhorts us to "pray without stopping" because of this (1 Thessalonians 5:17). I am aware that you may have unique needs as military members in addition to any difficulties you may be experiencing as people. One of the reasons why you shouldn't disregard the importance of prayer in your life is because of this. God alone responds to prayer, according to someone who said, and another person who claimed "no one is more powerful than his prayer life." The lyricist stated,
Oh, what peace we frequently give up.
Oh, the pointless suffering we endure
purely due to the fact that we lack
Praying to God about everything
Trials and temptations have we faced?
Are there any problems here?
We shouldn't give up easily
Pray to the Lord about it.
In fact, a great deal of us experience unnecessary grief and lack of serenity simply because we don't bring our concerns to God in prayer. Be concerned about nothing, but in everything, through petition and prayer, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God, as Paul advised in Philippians 4:6. So, when everything around you in this place is going on, always pray to God.
Cornelius became the first non-Jewish Christian to receive the Holy Spirit as he carried out all these actions, and while he did so, God remembered him and powerfully visited him and his family. In the name of Jesus, may God richly bless you and your family!
Conclusion
You have done a good job keeping the peace in this area, dear one. However, God is urging you to be honorable soldiers. Be close to God, develop your skills, plan for the future, have faith, take care of those who report to you, build for God, be pious, fear God with your family, give to those in need, and pray to God constantly. Then, emulate David, the Centurion whose sick servant you should care for, and Cornelius. In Jesus' name, I pray that the Lord will establish you, advance you, and come to you and your family with His mighty healing and deliverance power.
Sacred Call
I think of one final soldier as my message comes to a close. He was not good, to be honest. He was a Centurion in actuality, and he oversaw the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus. He had made fun of Jesus and compared Him to the two robbers hanging from the cross. But as He observed the events surrounding Jesus' death, he shouted, "Truly this was the Son of God!" I'm happy to let you know that this Jesus, who died on the cross and was buried, rose from the grave three days later and is currently alive in heaven. He possesses the authority to pardon all your sins, allow you a new start in this life, and give you eternal life in the heavenly realm. All you have to do to be saved is turn from your sins and believe in Jesus, just like that Centurion did. The Bible declares that "if anybody is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and the new has come." You can change who you are today. Now go to Jesus!
