When the Church Was Alive

Having served in leadership roles across various churches and visited many others, I have witnessed firsthand the state of today’s church. Over the years, I have come to the sobering realization that many churches have strayed from the path of Christ Jesus. In 2011, I served as financial secretary for the National Union of Presbyterian Students, Ghana (NUPS-G), during my time in Senior High School, and I was an active member of the Scripture Union. I travelled with some of my friends to villages and schools to win souls for Christ Jesus.

In university, I served as a shepherd and an evangelism coordinator at Lighthouse Chapel International (First Love Church) and Deeper Life Christian Fellowship. On campus, I evangelized in lecture halls, hostels, and public places, and it was radical soul-winning. In October 2020, I was ordained as a pastor at the Transforming Lives Theological Institute, held at Winners Chapel in Koforidua, Ghana. Evangelism is one of my deepest passions. I travel to villages, towns, markets, and schools, often using public buses to win souls for Christ.

Numerous prophets have confirmed God’s call on my life, and the Holy Spirit has revealed His purpose to me through dreams and visions. Serving the church is my calling, and I continue to do so with dedication. Yet, I have noticed that most churches have lost their identity as the true bride of Christ.

Today, “we” judge churches by appearance, wealth, technology, and size. Yet God looks at our hearts and our spiritual condition. I am writing this book to call the church back to its roots, because we have strayed from Christ's path. In 1 Samuel 16:7, God makes a profound statement.

…the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7

Samuel, the prophet of God, wanted to anoint Eliab, one of Jesse’s sons, because of his impressive appearance. But God cautioned Samuel not to anoint Eliab, for his heart was not right with Him. Sadly, many churches today resemble Eliab, impressive on the outside, but lacking spiritual power. The Holy Spirit sees many congregations as spiritually dead because they have lost the path of Christ.

It is good to have a beautiful, ultra-modern church with great systems and a large crowd. However, that is not what God is looking for (See Proverbs 23:26, Psalm 51:10,17, Matthew 6:33). God is more interested in our hearts and spiritual condition. Physically, Eliab looked like a king.

However, God did not choose him. God told Prophet Samuel to anoint David instead. The Holy Spirit is looking for David’s, not Eliab’s. We have groomed the physical building while ignoring the spiritual one. We can have the most advanced technological systems, yet the Holy Spirit has rejected the people in the congregation because He sees through the lens of the Holy Scriptures (Revelation 3:17).

We can have large crowds and millions of followers, yet the Holy Spirit is grieved. Many churches have failed because they have traded eternal values for temporary systems. We can see the evidence in the decline of church attendance and in the rampant wickedness in our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods. This book is both a prophetic warning and a call for reformation within the church. We cannot please the world and Christ Jesus at the same time (Matthew 6:24). Christ Jesus must remain our focus, for He is the Chief Cornerstone. That is why God has given us the Holy Spirit and the Holy Bible as our guide. We cannot build the church on sand. We must build the church on the solid rock. Only then will we stand strong in stormy seasons (See Revelation 2:4–5; Matthew 16:18; Ezekiel 8:12).