The way

of the
cross

Jim Smith

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You bear the burden
of your world
and I see how much it hurts you.
I want to help, by bearing it
that your hurt might cease,
but I cannot.

Why will you not let me

end your pain?

“Crucifixion never ends

for those who truly love.”

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 Introduction

What follows in these pages is a story of what is happening to Ghana,

and what has to come in the future if we are to rescue the land. I have
been working in Ghana for nearly 30 years, and have had many
opportunities to see close up the spiritual decline. I have also spent
many hours in the heavenly places, seeking the Lord for what the
future may hold.

What emerges is not an encouraging picture. But it is better to know

the truth, however hard, than to continue to depend on the Ghanaian
optimism which assumes that no matter how far we fall from spiritual
purity, God will never judge us. As we will see as we read, this
optimism has no foundation.

God is a God of mercy, and with him all things are possible. But the
release of his mercy is going to be very costly for us in the short term.
The question which Ghana has to face is - will we pay the price?

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 The Prophet begins his story

In heaven, I saw a great table, with many places set. This is where the
Nations of the world gather to worship the Lord. But one chair was
empty. “Who should be sitting here?” asked the Father. “This is where
our beloved child Ghana should be sitting” said the Lord, and he began
to cry. “But why has this child not come?” asked the Father. “What are
we going to do?” The Lord did not speak, but took his crown of thorns,
and placed it on his head. Blood began to run down his face. “Suffer
some more” he said, and all heaven was filled with sorrow.

Clouds gather

On earth, the Pilgrims were very happy. They were dancing and
singing. “God is blessing us” they cried. The Prophet came to them and
asked “Why are you so happy?” “Do you not know?” they asked. “We
have open heavens above us. God is blessing us and our land. We are
rejoicing.” The prophet pointed to the skies, where clouds were
gathering. “The heavens are closing” he said. “You must prepare
yourselves to fight.” They laughed. “Fight! Fight! We don't need to
fight. The heavens are open. We are going to be blessed.”

The strong man

A man, strong and powerful, came to them. “Come” he said. “I will

lead you into the ways of satisfaction. I will lead you into healing and
peace. I will lead you to your blessings.” He spoke powerfully, and the
people listened to him. They walked away from the Prophet, and
dancing and singing, followed the strong man. As their praise faded
into the distance, Satan came creeping out of the bushes, laughing.
“Open heavens?” he said. “I have closed them and they didn't even
notice. This is going to be easier than I thought.”

In heaven, the Father was speaking again. “This is going to be costly”

he said. “Yes” replied the Lord and held out his hands towards the
Prophet. They were broken and covered in blood which was dripping
from his crown of thorns. The Prophet held out his hands as well, and
the blood splashed into them. The Prophet sank down in despair, and
all heaven wept.

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 The child

The Lord spoke to the Prophet. “I love my child Ghana. I brought my

child into being so that I could lavish my love on it. What will happen
to my child now?” The Prophet had no answer to give.

Take all you want!

The strong man appeared again, now clothed in light. He stood over
the land and called to the people - “Come and take all you want.”
From all over the land, people rushed towards him, and he pointed to
the palace of the King. “Come” he said “and take all you want!” People
came with cars, trucks and barrows. They ran into the King's palace.
Everywhere they looked, they saw jewels, precious stones, money and
goods beyond their wildest dreams. They loaded up their trucks, cars
and barrows with as much as they could carry. They stuffed precious
jewels into their pockets and into their dresses. They could hardly
walk, yet still they took more. Their greed knew no limit. “Thank you”
they called to the man clothed in light. “This is what we needed. Now
we can live in security and peace. Our land is safe.”

Our Saviour wears a crown

As they came down the road, they met the Prophet. “What have you
been doing?” he asked. “We have been getting all that we need from
the King's house” they said. “Look at all that we have now” and they
showed him their wealth. “And there's more. Don't delay us. We are
going to take this and then come back for more.” “But what of the
King?” the Prophet asked. “Is this his gift to you?” “Oh yes” they said.
“We thanked him on the way out.” “So who led you to this wealth?”
the Prophet asked. “Him” they said, pointing to the strong man clothed
in light. “He is our Saviour.”

“But our Saviour wears a crown of thorns” said the Prophet. “Our King
suffers for us. Our King does not look like that man.” “Get out of our
way Prophet” they cried. “You are always the same. Always trying to
spoil our joy.” They wanted to attack the Prophet, but something in his
eyes made them hesitate. He knew suffering, like the One he served.
But they did not hesitate for long. There was more wealth to get!
They rushed home as fast as they could. If they were quick they could
get back before too many others found out about the King's house.

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 The child

The Lord spoke in the heavenly places. “I am walking through the

streets, looking for my son. I cry at the wreckage of my hopes and the
loss of my heritage. I trusted my people with so much. My tears fall
onto the hard and dry ground. Who will share them? Unyielding hearts
have broken my promises and wasted my child.” All of heaven was
shocked at these words, and feared for Ghana.

The Robbery

All over Ghana, churches sprang up, with people and Pastors looking
for wealth and blessing. People crowded into these churches. Day after
day they asked and asked and asked for more and more and more.
They didn’t care about the state of Ghana. They didn’t care how many
other gods were worshipped, or how much the Lord suffered. They
prospered, and built bigger and bigger churches. They filled the air
with their message. Pastors grew prosperous, held large meetings and
proclaimed “Come and take what you want. You can have all you want
- just look at us!”

The people became selfish and greedy, looking for what they could
get. But they deceived themselves. They said “This is what God gives
to those who follow him. This is the blessing of the Lord. If you are not
blessed in this way, you are not people of faith.” So they drew many
others into their deceit. In the dark, the enemy came again and again
and stole the most precious gifts of the people. He stole their integrity.
He stole their determination. He stole their courage. They grew soft
and lazy. They never saw.

Blind and deaf

The angels left the gates of the land, and returned to the Father. Other
gods crept in, and began to prosper. The people, now blind and deaf,
just went on and on and on taking and taking and taking. In heaven
the soul of Ghana cried out in pain at the spoiling and the degradation
and the rejection and the arrogance. Blood ran down the cross. The
Lord was crucified again and again. “How many more times?” he cried.
“How much longer must I suffer?” The people replied “As long as you
like. What is it to us? Look how safe we are, how blessed, how
comfortable.”

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 The child

The Prophet saw the child Ghana wandering hopelessly around. He

was crying out “Who will take care of me? Who will give me safety and
protection?” The Prophet looked around, but there was no one, so he
called to the people “Come and help this lost child.” But they looked
puzzled. “What lost child?” they asked. “We see no lost child.”

In heaven, sorrow was falling like rain. The glory of Ghana was gone.
The child was broken. The Lord saw all this, and in his heart judgment
stirred. Then the Lord spoke to the Prophet:-

“Say to the people ‘Look at my wounds, and learn how to love. Look at
the cross, these wounds, these nails, these bruises and cuts and the
blood. See how much I love you. Turn away from your pride, and in
humility seek me.’”

The Prophet spoke these words to the people, but no one listened.

The warning

The Prophet looked into the heavenly places, and saw a small cloud,
far away in the distance. It was black and twisted, and heading for
Ghana. “What is this Lord?” he asked. The Lord replied “This is the
whirlwind called “Destruction.” Wherever it touches the ground, it
breaks and destroys. My people should be praying and protecting the
land against it.” The Prophet looked at the people, but they were not
looking to the Lord, nor to the danger they were in. They were taking
and taking and taking. They were looking only to themselves. They
didn’t care and they didn’t see, and they didn’t care that they didn’t
see.

The beggar

The prophet told them this story:-

“There was once a man who was broken and hopeless. He was covered
with scars and wounds. He was not beautiful, and no one loved him.
To get his food, he sat in the gutter and begged. People passed by,
laughing at him, spitting at him and beating him. The Lord come down
the road. He stopped by the man and said “What is your name?” The
man replied “I have no name. I am a beggar. Please give me
something.”

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The Lord asked again “What is your name?” The man replied “I once
had a name. I once lived in a King’s house. I was loved and cared for.
I was expected to do so much for my King. But I strayed from my
home, and an enemy did this to me.” The Lord asked again - “What is
your name?” The man replied “My name is Ghana.” The Prophet looked
at the people, but they did not care. “God will always bless us” they
said.

Oh my son Ghana

The Prophet was standing at Calvary, in the dust and the spite and the
pain. He heard a voice above him crying in agony - “Oh my son. Oh
my beloved son. Oh my son Ghana, what have you become?” The
Prophet saw the Lord’s broken hands, and grieved with all his heart
that God’s people of Ghana did not see them, or want them, or reach
for them. For the children of Ghana had hands full of the possessions
they had stolen from the King’s house. Their hearts were full of greed
and arrogance. There was no place in them for the Lord’s broken
hands - no place for those hands to touch and heal. No place for the
child Ghana.

Give us time

The storm of destruction grew bigger, and came closer. “Lord” cried
the Prophet “Give us time! Give us another chance. Perhaps I can call
the people and they will plead for your mercy one more time.” “But
who will bear my burden?” said the Lord. “Who will suffer, who will
stand with me and allow my burden to become theirs. Who will pray to
me from their soul with a suffering heart?”

The Prophet was silent, for he knew the hearts of Ghanaians, and he
knew how deep was their lack of love, of compassion, of service and of
the desire to repent. He knew how deep their selfishness was, and how
little they cared for their land.

The lamps

“Why do they not see this?” asked the Prophet. The Lord called the
Prophet into the desert, where he saw the Lord brushing away the
sand with his hands. The Prophet looked into the ground where the
Lord had swept away the sand, and saw hundreds of lamps. Most of
them were damaged beyond repair.

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One or two were still intact, but they had stopped working many years
ago. “What is this?” asked the Prophet. “These were my Intercessors”
said the Lord.” “They tried to stay alight, but the storm of prosperity
and arrogance swept over them, and buried them. Now they no longer
shine or give warning.”

“Why did the people allow this to happen?” asked the Prophet. “They
needed the light which these lamps gave them.” The Lord looked at
the Prophet, with sorrow in his eyes. “Because they didn't care” he
said. “And can they be relit?” asked the Prophet, “for now the people
need their light.” “Too late” said the Lord, and the Prophet was
troubled.
The iron chain

Then the Prophet spoke out this vision.

“The land is surrounded by an iron chain. The enemy is pulling it

tighter and tighter. The land is choking, and it will soon be a slave.
Those who will not bow down will be destroyed.” The people did not
listen, and the strong man laughed. “They will never listen to you” he
said. “My chains are strong. You will never break them. The people
prefer the world and all it can offer to your broken and defeated god.”
The Prophet cried at such a defeat, but when he looked, he saw that
he was crying alone.

The lost child

The people despised the Prophet for his words. “This is not of our
fault” they said. “Why should we worry? We have all we need.”

Then the Prophet told them this story:-

“One day, a man and a woman came to stand before the Lord. They
were full of confidence. “Who are you?” the Lord asked.

“We are the church in Ghana” they replied. “We have done many great
things in your name. We have praised you, we have spoken about you
and we have spread all over the nation. We are known as a powerful
and praise-filled church. Everyone tells us that the Spirit moves in us.
We honour your name.”

The Lord was quiet, and the man and woman looked at each other,
and they wondered why the Lord did not thank and bless them.

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So they said “and we learnt to heal the sick. We collected money - lots
of money - and raised up buildings for you, and works in your name.
We wrote songs, books - we made DVD’s, On-Line forums, Facebook
accounts, Twitter - all for your glory.”

Still the Lord was quiet. So they continued - “Our nation lives in peace
because of our prayers. Look at all the lands around us. We know that
we are special.” The Lord began to cry, and the two people were
amazed. Everything they had said was good. Surely this was what the
Lord wanted to hear?

Then the Lord asked “and where is your child?” The man and the
woman were amazed. “What child?” they asked. “The one I trusted
you with” the Lord replied. “The one which was so precious to me. The
one you were to care for, nurture and raise up? “Lord” they replied,
“we don’t know what you are talking about. We had no child” “Yes you
did” said the Lord. “I trusted a very precious child into your hands.

“What was this child called? “they asked.

“The child was called Ghana. You were to take care of it, help it grow,
protect it from harm, crown it with glory and make it strong. This was
your sacred trust. Where is the child?””

On hearing this story, the people were sullen. They knew the word was
spoken against them, but they did not want to be turned away from
their comfort. So they refused to listen.

The beaten child

The child lay on the ground, covered in dirt and filth. The storm beat
against the child and the child had no defense. In the end the child
was broken in heart, in hope and in spirit. Then the powerful man,
strong, hard, unloving, merciless and greedy took the child and said
“Now you will serve me. I will give you to others who will abuse you,
and I will make money from your pain. I will exalt myself over you.
You will serve me in misery and shame. I will show you to others and
we will mock you. This was my plan, and now I have my way. No one
can stop me.”

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The child grew. Every day was an agony of abuse. The child cried in
despair “Why has this happened? Did my parents not see what was
happening to me? Why did they not care for me?” Tears, like drops of
blood, fell from heaven.
The dark stream

In a distant land, a dark stream began to flow towards Ghana. Some,

who did still watch in the heavenly places, saw it coming closer and
closer, but did not know what it was. In every place where the stream
flowed, bitter trees grew up, and poisoned the land around it. Those
who lived close to the bitter trees became dark and hopeless.

One day the stream flowed silently into Ghana. Dark trees began to
grow, but the people didn’t care. Taking their goods, and their false
hopes, they continued to believe that all was well. The warning voices
grew silent, and dark times began.

The final warning

The Prophet set out to travel the land. Everywhere he went, he warned
the people. He told this story.

“Two children were born. The first was called “The Joy of Africa.” This
child was to bring joy to all of the Lord’s African creation. The second
was called “The Hope of Africa.” This child was a promise that the Lord
would not abandon the place he loves.

The children were placed in Ghana, because there the Lord thought
they would be safe. But they were not safe. The people conceived
other children, and named them “My destiny is mine to take” and “Me
Me Me.” These children beat Joy and Hope and drove them away.
Slowly “The Hope” and “The Joy” were wasted by lack of love.

Now the Lord will conceive another child for Ghana, and he will be
called “The Judgment.” The Lord says “I will not listen to your cries,
because they are not sincere. You do not cry for me, nor for my lost
children, but for yourselves, because you want “Me Me Me” and “My
destiny” back. “The judgement” is coming, because you destroyed my
children.”

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The people mocked the Prophet for this story and laughed at him. “You
fool” they said. “We have what we want and we can get any amount of
things we need. Storm? What Storm? You have come from a far off
land to ridicule us. But we are strong. Go back to where you came
from. We don't need you.”

People ridiculed, attacked and beat the Prophet, until his hands were
broken, and the crown of thorns was pressed down on his head. “Don't
worry” said the Lord. “They did the same to me” and he showed the
Prophet his hands, his feet and the crown of thorns pressed down on
his head. One thorn pressed especially hard. That thorn had a name.
“Ghana.” Then the Lord comforted the Prophet in his sadness. “You
have been faithful” the Lord said. “I could ask no more of you.”

The child

The child was surrounded by dark forces, pushing down and crushing
on every side. Voices, evil voices, shouted “To kill! To kill! To kill!” The
child cried out in pain, but few saw what was happening, and those
who did - they did not know what to do. The child was at the point of
death. The child was called “Ghana.”

“You see” mocked the enemy, “no one is listening. I have made them
deaf and blind. I have filled them with plenty until they vomit wealth
and prosperity in the presence of their god. And there is nothing you
can do. Now I am going to complete my victory.”

The dark army

The Prophet saw a dark Satanic army gathering. For years it had been
preparing for this day, when it could advance and take the victory. The
Prophet cried out against it, but it continued its advance. “Lord” the
Prophet cried, “save your people.” Through his tears, the Lord said “I
love them too much to allow them to continue as they are. This is the
only way.” A mighty angel appeared in front of the Prophet. “Judgment
has come” he said, and heaven wept again.

The advance

Nothing changed. The enemy kept coming, and the Lord remained
silent. The dark army advanced, shouting “Break all crosses.” One by
one the strongholds of the church fell, with hardly a fight. Now, when
it was too late, the people saw their true position.

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They were poor, naked and blind. They had no power to resist. They
did not know how to pray. They did not know how to fight. They did
not know how to suffer. They did not know how to call on the Name.
They did not know how to plead the blood of the sacrifice. The leaders
who had told them “All is well” were as broken as the people. “How did
this happen?” they asked in their pain. But there was no answer from
heaven. Judgment came, and it was a bitter day.

After the storm

The Prophet walked through the land, and everywhere he went he saw
destruction. Churches, once strong were now empty, or being used to
worship another god. Pastors who had exalted themselves had been
brought low, and their faith found to be empty. Many who once
worshipped the Lord had changed their allegiance to another god,
finding it easier to surrender than fight. The heritage had been
destroyed. Many young people just transferred their faith to another
god, or gave up altogether in despair. True prophecy was ruined.
Intercessors died, and there was no one to replace them.

Despair now ruled the nation with an iron hand. The freedoms which
once were a blessing were gone. Now there was no deliverance from
the burdens of guilt and sin which once had been so freely removed by
the love of the Lord. Now the land groaned under the burden of
hopelessness. Now there was no escape from the fear of death.

The dark satanic army was everywhere and it was unopposed. It was
imprisoning, destroying any signs of faith, breaking the human spirit,
and returning it to the bondage which once had been broken. The
strong man strutted across the land. “Who can oppose me now?” he
laughed. “I have won the prize I wanted. This child was a danger to
me - a danger like no other I have seen for centuries. This one I had
to break, and it was so easy. These people were fools. I held wealth
before them and they could not take it fast enough. I am the ruler
now. I will be worshipped. These people will never trouble me again.”

But the Prophet was unafraid. He had seen all this before. “You may
rule now” he said “but you will never reign.” The strong man laughed,
but deep in his heart there was fear. He had heard this before and he
knew that in the hearts of faithful men and women there was a
strength he could not break.

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But would Ghana have the courage to stand in that strength. Would
they have the courage to become a suffering church, a church of
martyrs which would be a signpost to the way back to God?

Is there a way forward?

The people came to the Prophet. Only a few of them, for there were
few left who had been able to stand up against the pressure of the
Satanic army. “Prophet,” they asked, “is there any way forward?”
The Prophet shared this vision with them:-

“I was standing in a vast plain. As far as I could see, people were

laying on the ground. I wondered why they were laying down but as I
looked more closely, I saw that they were beaten down. They were
sad, desperate and crying.

I saw the Lord, and as he moved among the people, one by one they
reached out to him. “Lord” they said “save us. We are your people. We
have strayed from you. Now we need you so badly - just you. We want
you not for what we can take, but because you are Lord, the only one
who can save and help us.”

The Lord began to cry because of the state of the people. “I never
wanted you to come to this” he said. “I tried over and over again to
warn you. But you would not listen.” The people cried in pain, and
reached out their hands for the Lord. He came, and one by one he
lifted them up and placed them behind him.

Slowly the number behind him grew, and they began to call to the
others - “Reach for the hand of the Lord. Reach for the hand of the
Lord.” More and more came to him, and I saw in them a new heart -
one that worshipped and did not take. But I also saw that it would take
a long time for this suffering heart to regain the soul of Ghana.”

The people saw that there was hope, and there was a future, but the
path to it was going to be hard, and they did not know how to take it.
They were lonely and without leaders, for those who should have led
them were no longer able to help, for they too had lost their way.

One last time

The Prophet looked one last time into the heavenly places. He saw a
man walking on the path. He was a broken man, stained with tears.

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His was a face that had known pain. He was bent over with suffering.
In his arms he held a broken and bleeding child, and he grieved over
the pain the child had known. As he cried, his tears fell onto the child,
and there was a small movement of life.

The Prophet came up to the broken man, and shared his agony. Then
the Prophet spoke to the man. “I have the spirit of Ghana in me” he
said. “Will you trust the child to me?” The prophet reached out his
arms, and waited.

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The path
Alone in the dark
My soul cries in agony
“Help me!”
A voice ahead
calls
“Do not fear
I am here.”

Strength flows
and courage

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 The Prophet leads the Pilgrims on into
the next part of their journey

In heaven

In heaven, the Lord was bearing his cross for Ghana and it was an
almost unbearable suffering. Every kind of destruction had been laid
on him. His nature was torn and broken, just as roads are torn up by a
machine and the rocks crushed and thrown away. Hate and vomit ran
down his face. Heaven groaned. The Lord bled. Ghana suffered. The
Prophet asked “What can we do?”

The way ahead

The people came to the Prophet. They realised that he had been
speaking truth to them. “Tell us” they said “is there any way back?
Can we hope to be the Father’s child again? Will this darkness last
forever?”

“There is no way back” said the Prophet. “But there is a way ahead.
We must walk the path of the cross, the path of suffering and
repentance. We must find a place where we can kneel before him as
returning children. Then he might have mercy on us, and perhaps he
can restore us again.” “Show us the path” they said. “No” said the
Prophet. I cannot show it, but I am going to walk it. You must choose
whether you will walk it with me. You must walk as Pilgrims.”

In heaven, the Lord took off his crown of thorns, but the impression of
the thorns remained. “Why do you not heal those scars?” the Prophet
asked. “They are the impression of love on my body” the Lord replied.
“They are the marks of my love for Ghana.” The prophet marvelled at
such love, but when he looked at his own body, he saw that the
impressions of love were in him as well. The Lord continued - “When
these scars are in my people, when they accept them, welcome them
and offer them back to as a sign of their willingness to suffer for
Ghana, then the child can come home.”

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 The journey begins

The people talked among themselves. Some said “Let’s stay where we
are. Perhaps things will get better on their own.” Others said “This will
pass quickly. God will always bless us. This Prophet - he still doesn’t
bring us the good news we want to hear.” Some were angry, blaming
the Prophet for their troubles. But a few saw the poverty and the
agony of Ghana. They saw their children growing up without the light
of Christ, forced to submit to another god.
They feared that many of the heritage would be lost to the attractions
of wealth and comfort in a godless world. They saw the bitter root
which would claim many souls. So they turned and walked after the
Prophet. It was to be a bitter journey.

The Satanic army

It grew very cold, and the Pilgrims stood close together for warmth
and protection. They saw the black Satanic army of the cross standing
beside the road, ready to attack and destroy before the journey had
even started. The Prophet pleaded the blood of the sacrifice, and it
poured over the Pilgrims. In this strength, they passed by the black
army. The army did not attack but neither did it retreat. It was
waiting. “Many evils will threaten you along your way” said the Lord.
“Some you must break, but others you must leave alone, because they
are too strong for you. I am your protection and your guide. Trust
me.”

The frontier

The Pilgrims descended into a valley, and a mighty wall stood in the
way. It reached up to heaven and down into hell. It was thick and
strong. The Lord said “This is the first frontier you must overcome.
This is the frontier of unrepentance. It has advanced strongly into your
land.” The Guardians of the frontier hissed and spat. There was
violence in their eyes. “You will never pass here” they said. “You will
die here, and all your hopes with you. Your King is a liar. He has no
power here.”

From far beyond this frontier, deep within the enemy’s territory the
Pilgrims heard voices crying with sorrow. “We are lost forever. This
darkness is crushing us. We have no hope. Can no one help us? Can
no one set us free?” The Pilgrims were shocked at the pain in the
voices. “What is happening?” they asked.

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The Lord replied -“This is what your land has become - a place of
sorrow, suffering and pain. This is where your greed has led you. But
you can do something.” “What can we do?” the Pilgrims asked, “we are
few and have little strength. These Guardians of the frontier are strong
and violent.” “Do not look, to them” said the Lord. ”For too long you
have looked only to your own needs. Now feel the pain of the voices,
and make it your pain.”

The Pilgrims listened to the lost voices again, but this time with their
hearts. A great agony came to them, beating them down and
overwhelming them. They cried out “Lord, help us. We are lost.”
The Lord reached out his broken hand and lifted them up. “Feeling the
pain of the lost is the only way” he said. “Only when you are willing to
bear the agony of the lost can hope come again. This is the
beginning.” The Guardians of the frontier, seeing the Pilgrims weeping
for the lost, fell back in fear. “These tears will break us” they said.

The child and the cross

The Prophet shared this vision:- “I saw the broken man. This time
rough hands dragged him to the cross and broke him again. I cried
out, and rushed forward to stop them, but he refused my help. “This is
the only way” he said, and his heart broke for love of those who were
so lost that all hope had been torn from them. At the foot of the cross
knelt the child, also broken and bleeding. “Who will love me now?” he
sobbed. Blood and tears fell from the broken man, and the child was
comforted.”

The thief

“How did this frontier grow so strong?” the Prophet asked. The Lord
showed him a thief moving in the darkness. He broke into a house,
and finding precious diamonds there, he stole them. He left laughing
to himself. “Now I have got their precious diamonds, they will become
beggars. They will come begging to me and I will give them their
heart’s desire - false diamonds which will only make them poorer
though they think they will be richer. I will have power over them, and
one day they will bow down to me. Then my destruction can begin.”

The Pilgrims looked to the Prophet. “What do we have to do?” they

asked. The Prophet replied “You must do what you did not do before -
take up the cross.

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You must bear the burden of the lost, make them your burden and lift
them to the cross. As you bear this sorrow, you will find the path to
victory. It is very painful and very costly. The cross was very painful
and very costly. There is no other way.”

Their heads hung down. “We will never be able to do that” they said.
“Take heart” said the Prophet. “The Lord will help us.”

The unrepentant city

They came to a city in the valley. A river flowed through it, and it
looked strong and peaceful. The Prophet stood at the gates of the city,
and shouted -“The time is at hand. Repent and believe the good
news.” When the gates opened, the Pilgrims saw that inside the city, a
hard light shone in the streets. It was shining from the hearts of the
people which were hard and cold. “We are well” they said. “Do not
disturb us.”

“What shall we do?” asked the Pilgrims. “Let’s move away” said the
Prophet. There is nothing we can do for such people. They have closed
their hearts to the things of God.” The Pilgrims were sad that such a
great city had hardened its heart to God, and sad that there was
nothing they could do.

The joy of heaven

As they journeyed on, they came to a beautiful field, full of flowers.

There was an old woman in the field, and as she picked the flowers,
she sung a most beautiful song. As they listened, the beauty of the
song entered into their hearts, and they felt a great warmth.

Whenever the woman had picked a large bunch of flowers, she took
them to a figure standing in the centre of the garden. She offered him
the flowers, and when she did her song grew sweeter and stronger.
The Pilgrims began to cry at the sights and the sounds of the garden.
“What is this? they asked. “This” said the Prophet, “is the joy of
heaven.” The Pilgrims were filled with hope, and it gave them courage
to carry on. “One day” said the Prophet” this will be ours forever” and
he fell down and worshipped.

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 Pharaoh

Night came, but as the Pilgrims prepared to rest, they heard a noise,
like the approach of a mighty army. “Pharaoh is coming” said the Lord.
From out of the darkness an army of violence and hate swept towards
them. At its heart was anger, violence, filth, chains, scorn and
humiliation. The people jumped up, afraid. “Have mercy Lord” they
cried. A huge pillar of fire and cloud suddenly rose up between them
and Pharaoh’s attack. He pulled back, afraid and defeated.

“Lord” the Prophet asked. “What happened?”

The Lord sighed deeply in his spirit. “You forgot how to watch and
pray. You slept, with no vigilance, no protection and no guard. So did
your Nation. Your enemies never sleep. They are just looking for you,
and if you are sleeping, like a wolf they will be among you and
they will rip you to pieces. You failed in your basic task - to watch, to
guard, to warn and to sacrifice your lives for the safety of others. But I
had mercy on you, and Pharaoh saw my power and was defeated
again.”

The people grieved deeply. In their desire for prosperity, comfort and
ease they had let Pharaoh in to the Nation. Now he had done what he
said he would do – killed the Hope. Their arrogance had blinded them.
Their greed had deafened them. Their refusal to read the signs had
ruined them. How could there be a way back from this for such a small
and weak band of Pilgrims? They cried for their shame and their
weakness. The Lord watched their tears, and his heart was sad for the
shame they were bearing.

“There are many crosses to face as you move along” said the Lord.
“Large numbers of them, on which I am crucified daily for you. Learn
to see them and to cling to them. Only in the shadow of my cross are
you safe.”
Only by sharing

The Pilgrims rounded a bend in the road, and there before them was a
huge demonic force, blocking the way. He was powerful, and the
Pilgrims fell down in fear. “Whoever you are” the demon screamed,
“you will never pass here. At this spot you will die.” The Prophet
looked up and saw the Lord, holding out his bleeding hands. The
Prophet looked down, and saw that his hands were bleeding too.

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In this strength he stepped forward to confront the demon. “You are
strong and powerful, but you cannot match this” he said, and showed
his hands. The demon let out a scream. When they looked, the demon
was gone.

“These demonic forces have invaded your land” the Lord said. “No one
opposed them. You were too busy collecting diamonds, and you
ignored the power of my blood. So the demonic forces grew in power.
Now only great and costly sacrifice can break them, and that sacrifice,
which is mine, must become yours as well. Only in sharing my
sufferings can any of you go forward. Then my blood can be released.”
“Not that again” the Pilgrims groaned. “We are not strong enough. Is
there no other way?” The Prophet told them this story:-

“A priest came to begin work in a town, and he was called out to see a
sick member of his church. To his astonishment, when he met the
person, a strange voice addressed him. It said “We are in charge of
this town.” The priest had never experienced such a thing before, but
he found the right response. “No you are not. We are going to preach
about the blood of Jesus.” There was a pause, and then the strange
voice replied “We know. That is what we are afraid of.”

Then the Prophet showed the people the blood of the cross on his
hands, and they all prayed for courage. In heaven, the Lord put his
broken and bleeding hands around the child. His tears ran down onto
the ground. Wherever each tear fell, flowers began to grow.

Deceptions

The Pilgrims entered a deep valley. It looked so beautiful, and they

walked and enjoyed the creation. But as they walked, they started to
get confused. They heard whispers. “Are you the Christ?” “He saved
others but he could not save himself.” “By Beelzebul he casts out
demons.” ”You have heard his blasphemy!” They began to argue
among themselves - one putting one point, one another. The more
they spoke out the whispers, the more confused they got. They sat
down, not knowing which way to go or what to do.

The Prophet spoke to them.

“I saw a farmer, sowing good seed in a field. The sun shone and the
seed grew. But one night, the Thief came, and found that the field was
unguarded. “Good” he said. “Now I can plant thorns in this field.

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At first they will look like wheat, but when they grow, they will choke
the wheat, and most of it will be lost.” So he planted thorns. When the
farmer returned he was filled with horror and despair. “What can I
do?” he said. “The thorns will choke the wheat, but if I pull them up I
will destroy the wheat as well.” In the darkness, the Thief laughed.

Pure hearts

“What is happening to us?” the Pilgrims asked. “You have taken your
eyes and hearts away from my word” said the Lord. “The enemy has
sown confusion among you, and now you have no purity of thought.
Only with a pure heart can you hope to endure this path. My pure
ways will stop all confusion. But if you do not walk in this pure way,
you will be lost in the confusion of your minds.”

This was a hard lesson. The Pilgrims had started out determined to
resist the enemy, but expected him to attack with violence and
aggression. They never set a guard over their hearts and minds. When
he attacked there, they were defeated. “Lord, what can we do?” they
asked. The Lord was crying tears of blood again. “Enter my sacrifice”
he said. “Fix your hearts on that, and you will be purified, and never
give in to confusion.” The people sank down onto the ground. “No”
they said. “We cannot bear anymore of this. Is there really no other
way? “ The Lord came and comforted them with his broken hands.

In heaven, the child Ghana came and stood before the Lord. All
heaven knelt in prayer, pleading for the child to be healed. “Is there
any hope?” they asked. ”Hearts are softening” the Lord replied. “But
will they bear your pain?” they asked. The Lord cried the tears he had
been shedding from the foundation of the world for his lost child. His
heart broke again for the son he had lost.

Heaven’s army

In the distance the Pilgrims heard the noise of battle. “Don’t be afraid”
said the Prophet, “This is the battle raging all around us all the time,
as the enemy tries to overwhelm us. But listen more closely.”

As the Pilgrims strained their ears, they heard the sound of praise and
of prayer. Every time the enemy tried to raise his strength, the sound
of praise and prayer rose and bound his anger. “What is this sound?”
they asked. The Prophet replied - “This is the heavenly army,
worshipping in heaven and interceding before the throne for us.

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This is part of our defence. Prayer is our heavenly armour. It alone can
keep us safe as we dedicate ourselves to the Lord more and more.”
The Pilgrims stood to worship and pray, joining the heavenly army.
They felt the strength of the heavenly army, and they were
encouraged.

False angel

The Pilgrims came to a beautiful plain. A river ran through it, and trees
grew on its banks which had so many fruits that, even after they had
eaten, it seemed that they had taken none. They settled down by the
river, and an angel of light came and stood with them. “This is the
place of your comfort” he said. “The Lord who we both serve wants
you to be at ease. Enjoy the fruits, the peace and rest.”

The Pilgrims slept in contentment. But when they woke, they were
surrounded by vicious demons. Every one was like a rabid dog - eyes
blazing, saliva dripping from their mouths. In the air they heard the
words “Kill! Kill! Kill!” In panic the Pilgrims struggled, but the dogs
were on them, tearing at their flesh, covering them in saliva and
blood. Behind them they saw the angel of light, now revealed as the
strong man who had disguised himself in light.

They had been deceived. He was laughing. “Now” he said “victory is

mine.” The Pilgrims remembered what the Lord had said to them, and
they pleaded the blood, over and over again. They cried out for mercy.
“Lord” they said “out of the depths of our sin, our failure and our
desperation we call to you. We stand in your sacrifice.”

As they waited, they heard the sound of sobbing. They saw tears of
purity and love running down the face of the Lord. As the tears fell
onto the ground, the dogs vanished. The strong man turned away in
anger. “I may have been defeated now” he said,“ But I will be back.”

“Purify yourselves” said the Lord. “Wash away all your longing for
prosperity and comfort. Purify yourselves in my blood, and then we
can begin again.”

Crying and ashamed, some of the Pilgrims fell down before the Lord.
He touched them with his broken hands, and they were cleansed by
his agony. When they stood up, they saw that their hands were
broken, and stained with blood. They were learning hard lessons, but
they were learning.

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 Some left

Not all the Pilgrims came and fell before the Lord. Some turned back.
“This is ridiculous” they said. “This is not the Lord’s way. We have
wandered into some foolishness. We want to go back to our old way of
life. At least there we did not have to endure these terrible hardships.”
The Prophet tried and stop them, but the Lord said “Let them go. If
any others want to turn back, now is the time to do it. For I can only
promise you that the way will get harder. There is no other way.”
Those who remained came to the Prophet. “What must we do?” they
asked. “How must we change?”

Hard truth

The prophet sat down and began to teach them.

“You have been misled and deceived by the strong man. He offered
you what you wanted, and you took it. The Lord’s promise, which
should have been so precious, you threw away. You went to the
mountain of the King, but you did not worship. You took his goods.
And the strong man robbed you. Robbed your hope and your joy. He
stole your nation, stole your heritage, and you were so blind that you
did not see.”

“But no one told us” they replied. “Yes they did” said the Prophet, “but
you pushed them away. You did not want to see or hear anything
which did not feed your greed and your arrogance. Now the soul of
Ghana is in agony, the nation is facing judgment and the heritage is
almost lost. Now you journey on this path, and over and over again
the Lord tells you that there is only one way to salvation and
forgiveness, and that is to stand in the flow of his suffering. He wants
your hands, so that he can nail them to the cross with his. There you
must stay, and allow him to release his suffering through you, his
people. His blood can heal, but only his blood can heal. The only way
the Lord can save Ghana is through prayer and sacrifice. Everything
else is a lie. Yet still you resist and want to turn back to your old
ways.”

“But it is so painful. It is too hard for us” they said. “So was Calvary”
the Prophet replied. ”If you will not endure, you must turn back.”
With that, the Prophet turned away from them and walked on. He
never looked back to see if they were following, and he made no call
to them. The Pilgrims were silent.

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They knew in their hearts that what the Prophet had said was true. If
the blood was going to save them, then they knew they must walk the
hard path to the end. They picked up their things and followed him in
silence. Heaven waited.

The going can be tough

The road stretched out in front of them, and began to rise up. The
Pilgrims began to climb. The path got steeper and steeper.
The stones cut into their feet, the sky grew darker and rain fell. Up
and up they went. Some slipped, and they clung onto each other,
dragging themselves along. Darker and darker, higher and higher,
steeper and steeper. Some sank down onto their knees. “Leave us”
they said. “This is too hard. We should never have started out.” In
desperation, the Pilgrims looked for help. They looked back, but the
path was slippery and treacherous behind them. They looked up, but it
was so steep. “Lord” they cried, “You promised us a future. Surely it
cannot all end here?”

Then they heard the Lord’s voice – quiet and untroubled. “Why are you
afraid? Why do doubts rise up in you? I promised you a future but not
an easy one. You must grow stronger in your commitment, in your
resistance and your determination. Look.” They looked into the storm
and saw that it was filled with black faces, pushing towards them and
there was hate in their eyes. The Pilgrims were terrified.

“Do not fear.” said the Lord. “These have been broken already by my
sacrifice. But others will come at you more and more. This path is the
hardest thing any human spirit has to face. Lift up your eyes to me.
Lift up your heads, be strong and press on. You became weak by your
greed. Now you must become strong in my sacrifice if you are going to
overcome. If you do not struggle, you will be defeated. This way is
warfare to your last breath.” “Lord” they said “where can we hope to
be safe?” “You can only be safe in the shadow of my cross” he replied.
Taking hold of each other, they turned and faced the storm. Courage
came and they began to climb again.

A taste of heaven

Suddenly the Pilgrims felt the great and awesome power of the Lord.
They heard a voice saying “My arm is strong to save those I love and
have called to myself. They need not fear the power of any enemy.” A
great feeling of strength, peace and hope flowed into their hearts.

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The Lord spoke again. “I am allowing you to feel this because I love
you and I am always with you. You stand on the edge of the ocean of
my love for you. Swim in this ocean, and rejoice.”

The Pilgrims lifted their arms and praised the God who lived for ever
and who loved them with a love that knew no limits. In the strength of
this vision, they pressed on.

Hard long struggle

It had been a long day. The Pilgrims had journeyed on together, and
nothing much had happened, either good or bad. It was just like many
other days. At first they rejoiced at the freedom from struggle, and
sang and shared words of encouragement. But as day after day
passed, the dust of the journey was all over them - in their clothes,
their hair and in their hearts. Every day they prayed, but the prayers
seemed dry. Why wasn't the journey more exciting? Where were the
angels, the wonders, the miracles?

In the dark, the enemy was whispering again. “Where is your god?”
“This was not what he promised.” “You have got lost. He has
abandoned you.” Then, in a mocking voice - “I told you I would stop
you. Turn back now or you will die in this place, and no one will know
of your death or mourn for you.” Hope began to fade, and despair
tried to enter them, to weaken and stop them.

The dream

The prophet told them this dream.

“I fell asleep and in my dream I saw a man in chains, broken and

humiliated. He raved and shouted. Spit ran down his face. His mind
was corrupted, and in his violence he tore at his body. I heard a voice,
saying “This is what I do to those who yield to me!” I was very afraid,
and began to tremble, but then I saw the Lord standing with this man,
and he was no longer raving or violent. He was quiet, dressed and in
his right mind. The enemy crept away, defeated again, but whispering
“I will be back.”

The Prophet continued - “We must not yield. The Lord promised to
lead us in his way, and this is it, however hard it seems, for it leads to
wholeness and freedom. Let us keep on the way, for it is a good way,
and he is our companion and leader. If he makes us feel that we are
alone, it is to strengthen our discipline and our courage.

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It was lack of courage and strength which broke the nation. Now we
must find it again. Living in power, in the blood, bearing the burden of
the lost and crying out to the Lord is a tough job. But it can be done.
It will rescue the nation.”

The Prophet’s words strengthened the Pilgrims and they stood to

worship. A great stillness swept in. They rested in peace and hope.

Bearing his burden

They came to a man lying in the road. “Help me” he cried. “What do
you want?” the Prophet asked. “I want to see!” he shouted. “I can’t
make you see” the Prophet replied. “I am just a pilgrim on the Way.”

The Prophet wanted to move on, but his heart was gripped with
sorrow. He went over to the man, and took him into his arms. Tears
ran down his sightless face, and dripped onto the Prophet’s hands.
“I’ve asked a thousand times” said the blind man. “Why can’t I be
mended?” His words hurt all the Pilgrims. They were following a
Saviour with immense power, yet this man stayed blind, and they felt
helpless. The Prophet spoke.

“I saw a vision of the cross. Jesus was hanging on it in agony. I heard

a voice cry out “Save yourself. Come down now from the cross if you
can! You’re nailed there but if you are who you say you are you can
set yourself free!” I heard laughter, and I felt the shame. The vision
faded and I was standing alone in the road.”

“You see” the Lord said “It’s easy to follow when everything works out.
But when situations are not mended, it is so hard. Then it takes
courage to go on believing.”

Only the broken

The Prophet looked down, and his hands were full of the Lord’s tears.
They burnt him and he cried. The Pilgrims looked at their own hands,
and they too were filled with tears. They cried. “Now you are beginning
to understand” the Lord said, and held out his hands. They were broken.
The Pilgrims reached out their hands towards the Lord, and they saw
that their hands were broken too. “Only the broken can serve” said the
Lord. “When you were full of yourselves, you could not see the pain and
the suffering which was in the soul of the child Ghana.

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Now you are beginning to feel, as I feel. This is the only way forward.
This our enemy cannot understand.”

The child lay in the road, broken and bleeding. The strong came and
gathered around him, but seeing the blood and the filth, they did not
know what to do. Then those who had broken hands came and
caressed the child, binding up the wounds and soothing his troubled
spirit. The strong went away, but the broken stayed with the child,
waiting for the healing to come. “Only the broken can serve” said the
Lord again.

The Pilgrims felt small, and of little value. One of them spoke, and with
a quiet voice he said “Lord forgive us. How could we have been so
blind.”

A high price

There was a small town, just off the Way. One of the Pilgrims asked
“Do the people in that town know of the danger they are in?” Without
waiting for an answer, he turned towards the town. He went into the
market place, and began to urge the people to abandon their
prosperity and comfort, and serve the King with a pure heart. The
more he spoke, the more angry they got. One of the mob stepped
forward. He shouted - “You are destroying our faith, and you are
pulling down the Name. You don't deserve to live.” Immediately the
mob rushed on the Pilgrim and beat him with iron rods, until the blood
poured down his face. He cried out, but still they beat and kicked and
spat at him. Then one man rushed at him and cut off his head. A great
cheer went up. The people returned home, content with what they had
done.

At night the Pilgrims came and took the dead body and buried it in a
quiet place. They remembered the Lord's words “Only the broken.”
“Will there be more of this”?” they asked the Prophet. “Yes” he said,
and they were afraid. The Lord came and comforted them.

Some were unbroken

Some did not cry. They looked at the broken hands of the others and
said “This is terrible. Why did you let this happen to you?” “Because
we love the Lord” the Prophet said “and we wanted to share his pain
so that he wasn't alone.” “No” they said “that cannot be right. This is
the Blessed way, and we should be blessed.”

29
“We are” said the Prophet. “We are being allowed to share his pain.
Isn't that what we wanted?” “No!” they said, and they mocked the
Prophet, and the Pilgrims who had let their hands be broken. “Fools”
they said. “You are misguided” and they turned back.

To the Prophet and the few that remained the Lord said “Are you
turning back too?” “Where would we go?” they answered, and kneeling
down, the Prophet prayed and their hands began to bleed.

Breaking the darkness

The Pilgrims came to the Prophet and said “Prophet, it just seems to
get harder and harder, and the Lord just asks for more and more. How
can we do what he asks?”

“The greater the darkness, the stronger you light must be” said the
Prophet. “Your light must be more penetrating, more disturbing, more
separating. The enemy will grow stronger as you do, because he fears
your strength and wants to cut it off before it overcomes him. You
must allow yourselves to be touched by the suffering, then your light
will be strong and will cut into the deceit.”

The Pilgrims were uneasy. They wondered how much harder things
could get, and whether they could survive. Now they were beginning
to see their weakness and frailty. In heaven the invisible army prayed
harder and harder and the Lord poured his spirit onto them more and
more.

Together we can

The Pilgrims came to a great river. It had blocked the road, and there
was no way across. There seemed no choice but to go back. But the
Pilgrims thought about all that they had suffered, and all that they had
learnt. Were they going to give all this up, having come so far?

Seeing the great river, more of the Pilgrims turned back. “Where are
you going?” the Prophet called. “Back” they said. “Back to where we
understood what we were doing. Back to where the Lord spoke and
guarded us. Back to a secure place. We cannot go on. The
disappointments and struggles are too many.” The Prophet called to
them. “But what of the child Ghana?” “We don’t care anymore” they
said. “What is that to us?”

30
In heaven, the child began to cry. “I cannot be broken again” he
sobbed. The Lord took the child Ghana and comforted him. “All is not
lost yet” he said. “There are still a few who are understanding.”
Heaven waited.

The few who remained looked at the mighty river. “Come” said the
Prophet. “We must take the risk” and he stepped into the water. The
others followed. Deeper and deeper they went, until they were not
able to stand. They clung to each other, and the current pulled at
them, tugging them down. In their distress, they called to the Lord,
and he heard them.

The current made one last pull at their exhausted bodies, and then
they were across the river and on the other shore. Tired and
exhausted, they struggled up the bank, and collapsed on the ground.
“How did we survive?” they asked. “You stood together” said the Lord.
“This road cannot be travelled alone. There are many risks, and on
your own each of you would be overcome. But together, you can!”

The Prophet stood up and proclaimed to the heavens and the earth
“When our lives were ebbing away Lord, we remembered you, and our
cries rose up to your ears. Then you reached down and rescued us.
Salvation comes from you alone.” His words echoed across the land,
and the Pilgrims took courage from his words and his strong heart.

Never give up

They came across a ruined building. It was surrounded by a spirit of

loneliness. The walls were crumbling, and the cross which once stood
at the door was broken. Inside there was a deep darkness, and a
feeling of hopelessness. The Pilgrims looked in, but the Prophet called
to them. “Do not enter this place” he said. The Pilgrims moved back
to the path, and they asked the Prophet “What is this lonely place?
What is this broken building?”

“Once” said the Prophet “God’s people worshipped here. But the
pressure against them was so great, that in the end they gave up the
fight. The enemy came and destroyed them and what you see and feel
is what is left. If we ever give up, then the enemy takes the blessing
from us.”

The Pilgrims knelt down, and the Prophet pleaded - “Lord, make us
worthy to complete your will and purposes for us, for we belong to
you.”

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“I am with you” said the Lord, “When you feel lonely and want to give
in to temptation, when you souls are cold and you have no courage to
go on, do not give up prayer. Call to me and I will answer you.” This
strong commitment from the Lord gave confidence to the Prophet and
the Pilgrims.

False arrival

The Pilgrims came to a church. It was very welcoming, and they went
in. There was such peace there and they felt at home. “We have
arrived” they said. They stayed there for weeks, getting more and
more involved. There was so much happening, and it was all so good.
Their spirits grew calm, and they began to relax.

The enemy crept around. He had learnt many centuries ago that
comfort and ease weakened the courage of those who opposed him.
He saw that the Pilgrims were going to sleep in the comfort of the
church, and he did nothing to wake them. He laughed to himself. “All
that energy I spent trying to stop them! And all I had to do was to let
them alone. Now they are no threat to me.”

The Lord spoke to the Prophet. “Why have the people stopped?” he
asked. The Prophet replied “Because they say that they have arrived
at their destination, and now they can serve you.” “Did I tell them to
stop?” asked the Lord. “There are many dangers on the way, but the
greatest danger of all is stopping. My Spirit never rests, nor must you.
This church is a trap. It sleeps. It does not fight. It does not grow. It
does not serve. It is a hotel for the lazy. I am looking for fighters for
my army. They are not to be found in such places. Fighters are hard.
The people in this place are soft.”

The Prophet told the people what the Lord had said but most of them
disagreed. “This is our destination” they said.” Here we are happy.”
“But we never set out to be happy” he replied. “We set out to follow.”

The church of the dead

So the prophet shared this vision.

“I saw a church, and it was full of people. But when I looked closely,
they were all dead people – corpses, sitting up and filling the seats.
They were listening, talking and singing, but they were all dead.

32
The Pastor was in the pulpit, and he also was dead, even though he
was preaching.

Then the Lord spoke to me. “The land has become a desolation, a
place of death. My church has become a mortuary, where dead
corpses sit and hear death from the shepherds. Men come for bread,
but they receive nothing but stones. My people have become a grave,
and have spread death into the land. The soul of Ghana dies, but these
dead churches do nothing to help.”

Some of the Pilgrims got angry when they heard this and began to
beat the Prophet. He left the church, and a few went with him. “The
church is my body” said the Lord, “but when it becomes idle,
comfortable and lazy it pollutes and destroys the very Gospel and
people it should save.”

Blood dripped from the cross, and heaven wept. A much smaller and a
very lonely group turned again to the Way. It was proving a very hard
teacher.
The Cursor

They travelled on across a flat and lifeless land. They saw a man
standing on a hill - an evil, dark and bitter man. He pointed at them,
and threw sharp darts at them. They all fell short, and the Prophet
picked one up. On the dart was written the word “Barren.” He picked
up another and it said “Bitter.” Another said “Hopeless.” And another
“Anger.”

The Prophet said “These are curses, and this man is the Cursor. He
wants to bury these darts into our spirits, so that our lives become
possessed by the curse. It will live in us, and be passed on to our
children. These curses are a bitter root. We must stay away from him.”

One of the Pilgrims turned on the Prophet. “I am sick and tired of you”
he said. “All you keep on saying are negative things. They make me so
angry – so very angry. I would beat you and kill you if I could. I’m not
going any further with you. To hell with you and all your fellow
Pilgrims.” With that he turned away and as he did, the Pilgrims saw a
dart sticking out of his back.

“We must be careful” said the Prophet, for we are changing, and
becoming a big threat to the enemy. He will come more strongly
against us now.” “How can we survive?” they asked.

33
“Christ’s cross is bright” replied the Prophet. ”A shining breastplate
against all harm and all our enemies. Let the cross be strong in us –
the place of our protection.” The Pilgrims knelt to pray, and the glory
of the Lord fell on them.

Jericho

The Pilgrims looked up, and in the distance they could see a city. They
wanted to rejoice. “We are nearly home” they said. But as they drew
nearer, they sensed fear in the air. The Prophet stopped, and pointing
ahead said “This is not home. This is the stronghold of Jericho.”

On the wall of the city the strong man strutted around. “You thought
you could escape me” he laughed. “But now I will trap you in my
Jericho. Here I rule. Here fear is King. Here I bind and break and
control and defeat. Here there is no joy, no peace, no hope. Here is
my “heaven” and I will imprison you in it. Now I am coming for you.”

“Lift high the sacrifice” shouted the Prophet. “For this man is a liar,
and has no power in the presence of those who live the sacrifice. Lift
high the name of the King.” The Pilgrims began to cry out “Jesus Christ
is Lord.” Louder and louder they shouted. The strong man tried to
stop his ears, but he was powerless in the presence of the Lord and his
people standing in the power of the Name and the sacrifice.

Blood ran down the cross, and the strong man was crushed. The
Pilgrims were very quiet, for in the presence of such heavenly power,
they felt small. “This is what it means to live the sacrifice” said the
Prophet. “We faced the demons. We lifted high the Name. We released
the blood and we triumphed. This is where the power is to be found -
in the sacrifice and in living it in our lives. When we do this the blood
lives and flows. The enemy is driven back and the people are free. This
redeems nations - it could even redeem ours.” “Yes” said the Pilgrims,
“but it is a high price to pay.” “It is” said the Lord, and showed them
his hands again.

In heaven, many of God’s holy people gathered around the child. They
held out their hands towards the child Ghana. All their hands were
broken, and the blood of the sacrifice stained their faces. “Lord, we
offer this sacrifice to your beloved child” they said. The Lord accepted
their sacrifice. “Now we must look for my earthly people to do the
same” he said. “Will they?” asked the holy people. The Lord was silent.

34
 The dream

After Jericho, the Prophet had a strange dream.

I saw a huge statue standing in the road. Beside it, a man was sitting,
recording names in a book. There was a long queue of people, and one
by one they knelt before the statue, and when they did, their names
were written in the book. The strong man was there, and he called out
“Everyone will worship the statue and then their names will be entered
into the book. Anyone who does not worship the statue will be killed.”

The Lord said to the Prophet “Look at the queue.” The Prophet looked,
and to his astonishment many of God's people were there. “Lord” he
said “how can they do this?” “Some are afraid” the Lord replied.
“Some do not understand. Some think compromise is alright. Some
think they can get something out of it, and some do not care. Few will
pay the price when it is asked of them.”

The Prophet looked at the Pilgrims, resting beside the road. He

wondered how many would survive when the golden statue rose up
against them. He was deeply troubled in his spirit at these thoughts.

Losing the heritage

They came to a market. There were many tables, selling shining items,
and the young were dazzled by these lovely things. “We want them”
they said.

The Prophet replied “These are not shiny things which you will enjoy.
These are hooks which will sink into your spirit and pull you away from
the Lord.” But the young ones despised the Prophet. “All we have had
so far is hard things, hard struggles, hard words. We want some nice
things. We are sure the Lord has put these shiny things here for us to
have” and they grabbed them and ran away.

The enemy laughed. “So now I have your heritage” he said. “They saw
only the attractions of the world. Like father like son. Like mother like
daughter. I did the same with the heritage as I did with their parents.
They did not see the iron hooks inside the shiny things. It is so easy
for me. You were so easy to fool. I don't think in all my time I have
ever found such an easy people to deceive. Soon I will rule.”

35
In heaven, the Lord wept and wept at the loss of the heritage. On
earth, the people did not see his tears or feel his sorrow, because they
did not care.

“Is there still time to save the heritage?” the Prophet asked. “Just a
little “ the Lord replied. “Just a little.” The Prophet called the Pilgrims
to gather in the market place and he prayed - “Lord save your people,
and bless your inheritance. Come to our help and save us.” The enemy
was alarmed. He did not expect this tough response.

The cloud

The Pilgrims left the market place as quickly as they could. High on the
hills, in the next valley, they saw a dark cloud. It came close to them,
and in it were many evil entities, twisting and turning, fighting to get
out of the cloud and attack them. As each of the entities got close to
the edge of the cloud, it called out its name. One called “Division!”
Another “Religious spirit” and another “Jezebel.”

From deep within the cloud a voice called - “There are many of us
here. Legion and Moloch. Diana and Beelzebub. Goliath, Bel, and the
Dragon. There are so many of us, and we will attack and destroy you.”
At the sound of this voice, all the entitles twisted and pushed forward.
The threat was massive and terrifying.

The Pilgrims were afraid, but the Prophet encouraged them to be

strong and to watch and pray. “These entities are always around us”
he said, “But do not be afraid. Look!” Suddenly the hills were full of
angels - hundreds, thousands, millions. And among them the spirits of
God’s men and women from the past, who had fought the fight and
won the crown. They were a mighty army, full of the glory of the Lord,
full of praise, and exalting the sacrifice of the lamb. When the great
spiritual army lifted high the sacrifice, the entities in the cloud groaned
and fell back. “We cannot overcome this” they cried, and grew smaller
and smaller.

The great army of heaven exalted the King, and the Pilgrims joined
them. Praise swept up to heaven, and all creation praised the One who
lives for ever and ever. Then, in a moment, everything was gone, and
the Pilgrims were left standing on their own. “Let us be strong” said
the Prophet. “These entities move around us all the time. But if we
watch and pray, and see the great spiritual army of God with us, we
do not need to be afraid. But we must be vigilant every minute of the
day, or the attack will take us by surprise.”

36
 The Valley

They came up a hill, and at the top they looked out over the plain.
There, far below was a dark and dreary path, leading down and away
from them. From it came a sad sound and as they looked closer, the
Pilgrims saw a great line of people walking wearily along the road.
They were crying out - “We are the hopeless ones. How have we come
to this? What future is there for us now?”

The Pilgrims were disturbed by what they saw, and turned to the
Prophet. “What is this?” they asked. “This is the path to hopeless
despair” the Prophet replied. “But how did these people come to be
walking in this way, and not with us?” they asked.

The Prophet took the Pilgrims to the other side of the hill, and they
looked into another valley. In it, they saw people crying with broken
hearts. The Pilgrims were puzzled. “We do not understand” they said.

“The ones crying with broken hearts are the Intercessors crying for the
soul of Ghana” the Prophet said. “They are crying at the waste of so
many people - so many walking in the valley of hopelessness. So
many walking to despair. They are crying because no one would listen
to them. They tried to warn of the disaster which was coming. There
were not enough of them. The prayer battle was lost.

What we are doing is not a game. We are in a life and death struggle
for the soul of Ghana. God’s people have mostly abandoned that
struggle, content with what they can get - content with comfort and
ease. You can see what has happened now. Look into one valley - a
mighty company marching in hopelessness. Look in the other – a few
feeling the pain, but unable to be heard and unable to help. This is the
truth of our land.”

The Lord began to cry again. His hands began to bleed, and his side
ached in pain. The Pilgrims sunk down on their knees. “How can you
ever forgive us?” they said. “We have wasted your land and wasted
our heritage.”

No looking back

One of the pilgrims was looking very sad. “What is troubling you?”
asked the Prophet. “I left behind a good business” he said.

37
“Now I am wondering who is looking after it. And my family - what will
become of them while I am on this journey?” One of the women
began to cry. “My family” she sobbed. “I miss them so much. Last
night I dreamed of them. They were so sad.” Many of the Pilgrims
began to think of what they had left behind.

They climbed a hill, and on one side, they saw a beautiful forest. The
sun was shining on the green grass. The birds were singing, and the
sky was a deep blue. Longing filled them. Longing for rest and longing
for home, for security and peace. They longed to turn back and leave
the pain of the journey. Then, one by one, they did turn back to the
forest, and started walking into it.

“Warn them” said the Lord. Warn them!” The Prophet called “Come
back. This is the way,” pointing ahead. “Walk in it.” “No” they said.
“This is the way” pointing back along the way to the forest. “What we
want is in the forest. We want rest. We want peace. We want our
homes.”

The Prophet could not stop them and the enemy was laughing again.
“I told you I would be back” he said. “So many who walk this path
have no courage. They live for what they can get. I find it so easy to
lull them back into my kingdom. So easy!” The Prophet was sad. The
Lord comforted him with these words - “The way ahead is always hard.
And the enemy will always offer an alternative. My people are weak.
Too much comfort has robbed them of courage and of determination.”
“Lord who can endure?” asked the Prophet. The Lord’s eyes filled with
tears. “Only a few” he said, “but that will be enough.”

From heaven, the Pilgrims heard voices singing - “Beneath your

compassion we take refuge Sovereign Lord. Do not reject our requests
in times of danger. Rescue us, pure and Blessed One.” The song was
so beautiful, that those who remained knelt down and worshipped, and
found the courage to carry on.

The hill of the cross

As they travelled on, they saw a woman, crying with grief. They
wanted to comfort her, but the Prophet held them back. “This is Mary”
he said, “and her sorrow cannot be healed.” The Pilgrims were
astonished. “Why not?” they asked. “Surely all sorrow can be healed,
or at least comforted.” “No” said the Prophet “for her grief shows us
the way. We have to share her grief if we are to ascend the hill. If we
are to continue, we must pray as she did.” But the Pilgrims replied

38
“We cannot put this into words. How can we pray?” So the Prophet
taught them to say “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.” As the
Pilgrims passed by Mary, her sorrow became theirs. Deep sadness
pierced their hearts like a sword.

They came at last to the hill of the cross. Many had started out, but
few had arrived. The challenges and the hardness of the journey, their
failed hopes and expectations, the call of the world - all these had
pulled many from the path. But some had arrived. They had been
changed by the journey. No longer proud or arrogant, they knew their
own weakness, and their need of the Lord's grace. The journey had
also opened their hearts to the danger to the soul of a nation when the
people of God fix their eyes on their own needs. They now saw clearly
the strongholds which the enemy had built and understood that his
aim was to conquer, break, enslave and exalt himself. They now knew
the price that had to be paid, and they were willing to pay it.

The Pilgrims knelt at the foot of the cross. Jesus came to them and
showed them his broken hands. “This I suffered for Ghana” he said.
“Who will live in the embrace of these hands. Who will share my
suffering and plead to me for my lost son Ghana?”

The Prophet came forward. “Not you Prophet.” said the Lord. “You
have suffered enough and you have suffered alone. Come and stand
by me. Let us together see which of these pilgrims will share our
burden.” The prophet and the Lord turned to the Pilgrims. They
waited.

The confessions

One woman came forward and knelt before the Lord. “I am so sorry”
she said. “I tried to pray. But I just got buried by despondency. No
matter how hard I tried, I just could not keep going. Then one day my
light went out.” “My daughter” said the Lord “you took your eyes from
me, and looked at the storm.”

A man came and fell at the feet of the Lord. “I am so sorry” he said,
“the burden of the nation just got too much for me. My spirit was
crushed under the weight and I just could not keep going.” “My
beloved son” said the Lord, “You took on more than you could bear.
You reached too far.” “But Lord” he replied “I love you and I want to
bear your sorrow.”

39
A husband and wife came forward. “Lord” they said “we are so sorry.
We wanted to bear your burden, and we said we would, but under the
pressure of our lives we lost our will to pray.” “You had a divided
heart” said the Lord “and the enemy found it easy to sow weeds.”

An old lady came forward. “I am so sorry” she said.” I tried and tried,
but the people of my church told me to be quiet. They did not want to
hear my warnings or my prayers. They told me that I was crushing
their blessings. So I gave up.” She cried and the Lord comforted her.

Some young people came forward. “We are so sorry” they said.” We
wanted to pray, but we were attracted by the things of the world - our
relationships, our love for possessions, and our future. Our desire to
pray just got rubbed away from our minds.” “You gave in to your
passions and longings” said the Lord. “It was no one’s fault but your
own.”

A Pastor came forward. “I am so sorry” he said. “I wanted to be

successful, and so I concentrated on that. I lost the vision for prayer.
I thought success would bring freedom, but it only bought bondage.”
“You misled my sheep” said the Lord, and the Pastor began to cry.

What next?

“What can we do?” they all asked. “The Prophet will show you” said
the Lord.

A wind began to blow, soft and gentle. It lifted the hearts of the
Pilgrims, and hope began to grow in them again. “This is the wind of
the Spirit” said the Prophet. “It’s time to move on.” “Where?” asked
the Pilgrims.

The Prophet gave no answer, but turned away and began to walk. The
Pilgrims followed.

40
The return
I see tears falling
For the waste
I see blood falling
For the healing
I see love falling,
Falling on me
That I too may cry, bleed and love.

My heart breaks
my tears fall
My love flows

I cannot love as you do

Help me!

41
 The Prophet leads the way from the cross
to the broken altar

The new beginning

The Pilgrims travelled on through a broken and barren land.

Everywhere they looked, there were broken churches, broken houses,
broken people and broken hopes. Despair lay in the valleys, and
barrenness on the mountains. Hopelessness was everywhere.

Once there was a King

The Prophet told them this story.

“Once a king wanted to bless his people, so he came to them, and he

offered them his love. But the people were arrogant and greedy.
“Where are your jewels” they asked. “Where are the gifts we want?
Love is no good to us. It does not get us anything!”

The King was sad, and he said “But if I give you my love, you become
my heirs. I will make you kings and queens in my kingdom.” They
laughed. “Listen to this King” they said. “He speaks of love. What does
love give us? And being his heirs? We want things now.”

A second time the King came to them. “Please” he said “receive my

love. It will meet all your needs, and it is longing to flow from my
heart. Then everything you value - your security, your destiny, your
heritage - all will be safe. No other king will ever invade you or make
you prisoners.”

The people were angry at the King, and they beat him with iron rods,
until his hands were broken and his head was covered in blood. “Get
away from us” they said. “We know a better king, who will give us
what we really need.” With that, they turned away, and gave their
allegiance to the king of this world.

42
 Chains

Then the king of this world loaded them down with chains, stole their
hopes and broke their heritage. In desperation they turned back to the
King of love, but when they rushed to his house, they found his throne
was empty. All they could see was the blood they had spilled. Then
they knew their mistake, but there was no way back. In despair they
served the god of this world. He broke them, spoiled their land and
stole their heritage.”

The Prophet concluded - “When the god of this world had exacted his
price for all the wealth and prosperity he gave you, this broken land
and the broken people was all that remained.”

The Pilgrims cried at the waste and the despair. “Is there any hope?”
they asked. “Yes” said the Prophet, “we must travel to the place of the
broken altar, and begin again.” The Pilgrims knelt down and began to
cry out to the King that loved them.

Heritage

They came to an open space, and they found a young man there. He
had been badly beaten, and his hands were broken and covered in
blood. He was hungry and thirsty, but no one gave him food or water.
The Pilgrims were horrified at the look of despair on his face. “Who are
you?” they asked. “I am Heritage” he said. “Once I lived, but now I am
destitute and alone. All that I hoped for has been taken away and now
I am a beggar in this barren place.”

“This is the fruit of prosperity” said the Prophet. “Heritage has been
lost.” The Pilgrims cried and cried at the waste of Heritage. “Is there
no hope for him?” they asked. “Can we take him back to the hill of the
cross?” “No” said the Prophet. “Time is short. We must press on to our
goal. But we can take him with us. As we love him and care for him,
he can have a new spirit and a new hope.” “What spirit?” asked
Heritage. “What must I do to be free?” The pilgrims had no answer.
They did not yet know how to begin again.

43
 The rebellion

The prophet told him this story.

“The people of Israel, free from Egypt, came to a large plain, and
there they settled down. They were told that the Promise lay ahead,
and some spies had gone to see it. When the spies returned, rumour
swept the camp. “It’s a wonderful place.” “It has so much fruit, and so
much water!” “It is more than we could ever imagine.” The people
were happy. But then more rumours. “It is full of strong cities, with
armed and powerful men.” “There will be much hard fighting, much
suffering and much hardship.”

The people had grown weary of struggle, and they rose up against
their leader. “You liar” they said. “You promised us freedom, and now
all we see is more death and destruction.”

Then one man stood up, and quietening the crowd, he said “Listen to
me. If God is with us, then there is nothing these mighty cities can do
to resist us. We must trust God, trust his promises and move forward
in faith. God will surely give what he has promised, but not to rebels!”

The people recognised the truth in this man, and repented of their
rebellion, but it was too late. Judgment came, and God looked to a
new generation to serve him.”

A pure heart

“But what was in this brave man that I need?” asked Heritage. “Your
generation must put the past behind them” the Prophet replied. “Your
fathers and mothers rebelled against God. They did not seek him with
a pure heart, but took the good things of the land, and worshiped
them. God is looking for a generation with a pure heart, who will trust
God, trust his promises and serve him in humility for who he is, not for
what they can get.”

Heritage began to cry for the waste of his inheritance. “I will not come
with you” he said. “I will seek others of my generation, and call them
to walk in humility. Perhaps God will still have a blessing for us.” With
that, he turned away from the Pilgrims, and walked off into the desert.

44
The Prophet watched him go with a troubled spirit. For the rebellion of
the former generation had already touched many of the heritage
generation. Many of them were seeking prosperity, in their own land
and in other richer lands. The Prophet wondered whether Heritage had
come too late to his calling.

The Pilgrims were humbled by his surrender, and knelt down and
prayed that Heritage would be successful. Then the Lord came to them
and showed them his broken hands, “If only the young ones can see
these hands and reach for them, I can save them” he said. “But…”

Rebuilding the watchtowers

The Pilgrims came to a high place, and looked out over the hills. On
every hilltop, they saw a watchtower. But the towers were broken
down and empty. The Prophet told them - “Once people watched over
the land from these towers, and prayed against the enemy. But now
they do not do it anymore.”

A small group of pilgrims came to the Prophet. “We want to leave the
group” they said. “We want to go and rebuild some of these
watchtowers. We want to set a guard over the nation again. We want
to watch and pray. We want to stand guard. We will rebuild the
towers, and once again, the enemy will be opposed.”

The Prophet watched them go. “So many broken towers, and such a
small group. It’s not going to be easy” he said. “No” said the Lord, and
heaven began to pray. It was a beginning.

Hosanna

The Pilgrims sat down by a river. It was cool and they refreshed
themselves with pure water and they began to sing praises to the Lord
who had saved them. The air began to move with the presence of the
Spirit, and their praises were lifted up into heaven. There, Ghana, so
broken, began to hope again, and the Lord cried tears of joy.

“Another man had this same experience” said the Prophet. The place
that touched his soul he called Bethel. Here, by this stream of living
water, you are beginning to understand, and offer the Lord what he
most desires. So I name this place “HOSANNA.” The Pilgrims knelt in
obedience and purity.

45
The power of the Lord grew mightily in strength among them. Heaven
rejoiced, and for the first time, the dark powers began to worry. “This”
they said “could break our hold. We will have to act.”

Attack

Sicknesses, despair and division broke out among the Pilgrims. Some
died, and some abandoned their faith in anger, resenting the
sufferings they were having to bear. Some became deniers of the
Lord. Some became betrayers. Some attacked their fellow Pilgrims by
word and deed. The Pilgrims were beaten down, hard pressed,
ignored, insulted and despised.

But a few understood that this was the path they must walk. This was
the way to the place of mending. In their own bodies they were
bearing the sorrow of Jesus. They were bearing the marks of the cross.
As they took this into their spirits, and accepted the suffering, the
enemy withdrew in desperation. “What esle can I do?” he said. “These
people have got hold of what I most feared. Thy have taken the
strength of the cross into themselves. I know I can never break that.”

The Lord came to the Pilgrims, to comfort them. Every time he came
they asked him “Can we redeem Ghana? Can the Promise be given
back to us? We are willing to endure this burden if only we can have
the Promise again.” And every time, the heart of the Lord was moved
by his people's longing.

Every day the Pilgrims got ready to move on, but the Prophet did not
move. “Prophet” they said “When are we going to move on to the
place of mending? The Prophet smiled. “In our hearts, we are there
now” he said, and in heaven, Ghana hoped again.

The return

The Pilgrims climbed a hill, and looked out over the land. Everywhere
they looked they saw dark clouds of spite and destruction planted by
the dark army. “How can we ever overcome all this darkness?” they
asked. “The land is lost forever.” “No” said the Prophet. “It is not lost
forever if you will move with a pure heart to cleanse it.” “How?” they
asked. “We are so few.”

46
The Pilgrims began to walk the land. At each place where they found a
black spiteful cloud they knelt down and prayed that the Lord would
forgive them for letting such darkness come on the land he loved.
They felt the pain, and their hands bled. They suffered for the Name.

The demons were spiteful. “We are Anger” they said, “and we are
Apostasy and False Religion. We are Deceit and Chains and Bondage
and Breaking and Greed. We rule, and we will beat you down.” But the
Pilgrims held on to the pure things - faith, love, hope, joy and
thanksgiving. They took on the anger and the spite - took it into
themselves, and it burnt and hurt them. Then they lifted this hurt to
the Lord, and asked for his blood to be poured out.

There was much struggle and hardship, but in every place that they
prayed and sacrificed their selves, the clouds disappeared, and the
barren desert began to flower.
The Pilgrims rejoiced and the Prophet spoke again –“Champion leader
and Lord, vanquisher of hell, we your creatures and servants offer you
songs of praise for you have delivered us.”

The place of surrender

After many years of cleansing, the land was free of the demonic and
the damage. Then the Prophet came to the Pilgrims and said “Now it is
time.” He led them out into a quiet and lonely place, where the blood
of the sacrifice flowed, and the glory of the Lord was revealed. “This is
the place of mending. This is the place of surrender and new
beginnings” said the Prophet. “We could not come here until our hearts
had been purified, and all the old pride and arrogance taken away. We
come here as servants. Our pilgrimage has cleansed and equipped us
for this moment. Now the damage can be undone, and a new Promise
be taken for the land.”

In this place of special graces, the anointing fell like liquid gold into
their hearts. Stilled from the rush of the world for a few moments,
they sat and gazed in wonder. The Lord satisfied the hunger and thirst
of their souls. The Prophet spoke for all of them:- “Lord, we reach into
our hearts to find a gift to show our love. We wanted to bring you gold
and silver, precious jewels, but we have none. All we have is
ourselves, and this is a poor offering. “That’s all I ever wanted” said
the Lord, and smiled.

47
 “Have mercy on us”

The Pilgrims knelt, and angels came to surround them. The glory of
the Lord came down on them, and in the stillness, the Prophet
prayed:-

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his
covenant of love with those who love him and keep his
commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear
the prayer your servants are praying before you day and night for the
healing of the land. We confess the sins we have committed against
you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed
the commands, decrees and laws you gave us. Have mercy on us.”

Great sorrow overwhelmed the Pilgrims. The wounds in the soul of

Ghana fell on them. They cried out in their pain “Lord, we offer these
sufferings to you, and ask you to accept them.
We know our failure and our sin. We repent, and we bear the burden
in our bodies. We lift this pain to you as an offering. We plead for
Ghana. Lord remember us. Lord forgive us. Lord restore us.”

Tears fell from heaven, and the Lord grieved that the Pilgrims had to
bear such pain. Then he came to them, and showed them his broken
hands, and the Pilgrims wept for his pain. “Do not cry” he said. “By
these wounds your land has been healed. This is my Promise. I will
walk with you.”

The Pilgrims fell at his feet in gratitude and surrender. In heaven, the
child Ghana stood up for the first time in years, and took his seat at
the great table. Heaved rejoiced.

48
Restoration

Gently now
to bear the burden of the world
is too great a pain

Gently now
to ask to share his heart
is an easier way

Gently now
be gathered to his heart
and let him light
the lonely path
with hope

49
 The Prophet leads the people to the new hope

The beautiful house

The Pilgrims wanted to mark the new beginning and the new hope. So
they build a beautiful new house for the Lord. Into the foundations
they poured their love, and the walls were built from their praise. A
river of forgiveness flowed in the house, and they were daily cleansed
and made new. They promised that they would never come to his
house to take, but only to give.

In the house, the name of the Lord was held in high honour. Glory
shone and heaven rejoiced. Satan was afraid and feared to come near.

Then the Lord came again to his people. They rejoiced at his presence
and offered him love from a pure heart. He walked with them, and was
their covering. The Lord gave the House a name - “The Hope of
Ghana” and he came and spoke to his people:-

“Once this land was chosen to be the place where my Spirit

would flow into all of the surrounding countries. I wanted to
bless you and use you as a blessing to others. But you wasted
my promise, and now it is no more.

Now I give you a new commission. Your land is to be a well of

forgiveness and healing. Many will come and draw water from
your well. They will return to their own lands and healing for
their lands will flow.

Then they will bless my name, and bless Ghana for its
faithfulness to my cross and my sacrifice.”

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What does
it mean?
Lord, sometimes it gets very hard
to walk in your footsteps.
They seem so deep
and I have such little strength."

“Do not be afraid.

Press on with me.
When it gets too tough
I will carry you.”

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 A parable

Jim Smith writes:-“What we have been reading is a parable. In it are

many biblical pictures and references, as well as many quotations from
famous Christians through the centuries.

But at its heart, this is the story of Ghana. God longed to bless our
land, by firing us up with the power of the Spirit. Then he could have
blazed out across West Africa, rescuing and redeeming and releasing
the nations around us. We were to the heart of the fire.

But we went after prosperity, and this shut the flow of the Spirit. We
had many big churches, and many big names. We filled the TV and the
media, and had huge conferences. These were filled with the longings
of men, but lacked the yearning of the Spirit for the soul of the nation.
Down and down we went, until now we face the inevitable
consequence of disobedience.

The future of Ghana – the immediate future is bleak. But we might be

able to rescue the heritage. If we can, then our children’s children will
once again come to the Lord for the fire of the Spirit – come with
humble and loving hearts.

The only way this can happen is if we carry the burden of the cross,
and lay it over ourselves and our land.”

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What can
I do?
My offering is so small
And the task seems so big
that all I can do is cry
at my inadequacy.

“Don’t cry” he said

“Put your little faith in my big hands.
Together we can.”

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Having read this material, many people ask me “What
can we do? The answer is simple, but that doesn’t
make it easy.

* Recognise the truth

One of the hardest things I have found in my work in Ghana is getting

past the Ghanaian “All will be well, God will never judge us” mentality.
This false optimism has no foundation. If a nation continues to walk in
its own ways, eventually God will judge. He does it out of love – he
wants to put things right. But judgment will come, and it will be
cleansing and painful.

God’s own people found this to be the case, and as they died one by
one in the desert, without seeing the promised land, we see how costly
and painful judgment can be. Many nations since them have
discovered the same truth. Until we recognise the truth of our situation
- that we have offended the Lord, wasted our Promise and lost our
heritage - we will get nowhere.

We have to face another truth here – we are to blame. Our fall is our
fault. Of course, being human, we like to blame others, but there are
no “others” to blame. We failed, and we are going to pay the price.

Is judgment going to come? I believe that it is already here, but not

yet in its fullness. All that we are doing, and all that we can do is to
prepare the way for the next generation to walk in humility with the
Lord. Then they can pass their holiness to the next generation and one
day, by God’s grace, the restoration will take place. But as we have
seen, in the character called “Heritage”, this is by no means
guaranteed.

* Come to the cross

There is no other solution for us but to come to the cross and plead for
forgiveness. This looks so obvious, but we so easily miss it. If salvation
was won at Calvary, so too is every other need met there and there
alone. Isaac Watts wrote these words in 1707. They are old fashioned
now, but even so, they powerfully point the way for us:-

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 When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

“Demands my soul, my life, my all” – these are easy words to read,

but incredibly tough to live. Nailed to the cross, broken by the cross,
bearing the pain and shame of the cross, being willing to sacrifice
everything for the cross – that’s a tough process. God’s prayer warriors
of the past have described this process, and it is incredibly painful.
Myrna writing in Damascus in the late 20th Century describes the pain
of bearing the burden. In intense agony she cries out “ Oh Jesus, for
your sufferings I bear your sufferings. Lord, please - the pain. I cannot
take anymore. I am in intense weakness. I cannot see. I cannot hear. I
implore you Lord, I cannot endure as much as you.”

It’s going to be tough.

* Bear the burden of the nation

Here is where it gets more difficult. We are content to come to the

cross, and content to ask for its power and cleansing, but in my
experience it doesn’t work that way. We have to allow ourselves to
come to the cross bearing the brokenness of the nation, and be broken
ourselves as a sacrifice worthy of the cross.

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It is because so very few have understood this that the enemy found
Ghana such an easy target. The discipline and determination to be
broken for the nation that God may hear the pain of the nation is a
rare gift in Ghana.

Saint Gemma wrote about a vision she had, and I think they point the
way for us. As she was grieving, Jesus appeared to her, blood spilling
from his wounds and said “Look at my wounds and learn how to
love. Look at this cross, the wounds, these nails, these bruises
and lacerations, and this Blood. See to what extent I loved you.
Do you want to love me? First learn to suffer; suffering teaches
how to love.”

As we look at the dying Jesus we see the dying world. This is the
burden we have to bear – the burden of pain, of love and of sacrifice
for Ghana. Another Christian prayer warrior described it like this:-

“I was in the middle of a storm. Cold icy winds were smashing into me,
and the sea rough and cold, breaking, crashing down to destroy. In
the storm, I saw a child, abandoned and alone, crying. It kept trying to
stand upright, but another gust of wind would tear it down, and press
it onto the ground. The waves broke over the child. It was wet, cold,
tired, abandoned, and without hope. This was its end. Faintly, above
the storm, I heard the child crying - “Someone help me.” I took the
child in my arms, and came to dry land. But the wind and the waves
crashed over me. I was broken and bleeding, and longed to abandon
the child, and lay down and rest. But I could not let go of the child. I
struggled on, day after day, bearing the burden in my arms, until I
thought that I would die. The only thing which kept me going was
knowing that the child would be safe, even if I did.”

It is going to be tough.

* Rebuild the altar

Of course nothing is really “new.” The Lord’s sacrifice has not changed,
and the truths of the Kingdom have not and never will change. But we
have to wake up to the truths of the altar, and in that sense, we have
to rebuild. So what makes up the “new” altar? How do we rebuild it?
What stones do we use?

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 A new dedication

Rebuilding must start with us. We need a fresh dedication to the Lord,
and this will bring new fire to the altar. That fire is needed. In Leviticus
we read:-“The fire on the altar must be kept burning. It must
not go out.” (Lev.6:12)
If it has burned low, or gone out, it must be relit with newly dedicated
hearts. Here is a very old prayer of commitment. We will have to make
it for Ghana.

Father,
I abandon myself into your hands;
do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.

Let only your will be done in me,

and in all your creatures -
I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my soul:

I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father.

Confession and repentance

Dedication is the beginning of rebuilding. The next steps are

confession and repentance. When the Holy Spirit is moving, we must
come to the altar in confession and repentance. Fresh confession and
repentance are so needed today. Here is David’s prayer of confession
from Psalm 51 – we will have to accept it and live it for Ghana.

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my
transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only,
have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in
your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

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Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me
wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be
clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and
gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from
my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to
sustain me.”
Prayer

The Spirit is calling us to prayer, with an urgency and a compelling

voice. This is what He is saying:- “If my people, who are called by
my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face,
and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,
I will forgive their sins, and I will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles
7:14)

A powerful Christian from many centuries ago wrote this for our
encouragement:- “Prayer is the indestructible wall of the church, the
unassailable fortress which terrifies the demons and protects us in the
works of righteousness.”

As we have seen, prayer breaks the enemy. Let’s get breaking him in
Ghana!
Covenant

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for

many.” (Mark 14:24)

What can we do at the new altar? I believe that we have to enter into
a covenant and we have to act quickly. The Greek word here is
“diatheke”, which is the word used to describe God’s covenant with
Noah and Abraham. It is a very strong word - a very serious
commitment between two people which is legally binding.

At the Last Supper, Jesus tells us that he has made a covenant with us
- a covenant sealed by his blood. His side is guaranteed by his blood.
The altar is, in fact, his blood, his sacrifice. Here is a covenant prayer
used by the Methodist church, and it makes the point very powerfully:-

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 I am no longer my own but yours.
Put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing,
put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you,
or laid aside for you,
exalted for you,
or brought low for you;
let me be full,
let me be empty,
let me have all things,
let me have nothing:
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours. So be it.
And the covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in
heaven.'

God is calling his people who are concerned for this land, to come to
the altar again, in confession and repentance, and to commit again to
the power of his blood, and call on the power of that blood.

Redemption

“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

The Greek word for “ransom” is “lutron” which means “a ransom that
is paid to set slaves free.” This is the basis for the word “redemption”.
The blood of Jesus has paid the price for every slave to be free. He has
paid the price for our nation to be set free from the slavery into which
it is coming. Charles Wesley wrote this in 1739:-

He breaks the power of canceled sin,

He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me.

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Now we have to live at and pray at the redeemed altar. We have to
make it a reality in our lives, and commit to it until we see the
outpouring of the Spirit in this land which was God’s plan and is our
desire.”

Final thought

Archbishop Oscar Romano, of San Salvador was murdered for his faith.
His words make a good ending to this material, and also a good
starting point for the future:-

“Our work may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the

way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest. We
may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the
Master builders and the workers. We are workers not master builders,
ministers not Messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own. We
plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already
planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations
that will need further development by those who come after us.”

Final prayer

O holy Jesus
Gentle friend
Morning star
Midday sun adorned
Brilliant flame of righteousness
Everlasting and eternity
Fountain ever-new, ever-living everlasting
Heart’s desire of Patriarchs
Longing of Prophets
Master of Apostles and disciples
Giver of the Law
Prince of the new Testament
Judge of doom
Son of the merciful Father
Son of the true Virgin Mary
True and living breath
Grant us your holy grace.

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 More to read

“The Way of the Cross” is part of the “Touching the Soul of Ghana”
project, written by Prophet Jim Smith of the Serving Africa Mission,
which is based in Medie, near Accra, Ghana. I have written much more
about prayer, sacrifice and the nation, and it is all available, free to
download from our websites, and mostly from this site –
www.touchingthesoul.org

* The original material is on the KEY DOCUMENTS 1 page. There the

“Touching the soul” material can be downloaded in its four separate
parts or in full.

* “Mending the broken altar” is on the MENDING THE BROKEN ALTAR

page of www.touchingthesoul.org

* “Releasing the power of the blood” is to be found on the KEY

DOCUMENTS page of www.touchingthesoul.org

* “Accra” is to be found on the KEY DOCUMENTS 3 page of

www.touchingthesoul.org

Read about the Serving Africa Mission at this site:-

www.servingafrica-mission.org

Contact us through Apostle Paul Sefa, head of the work in Ghana at:-

kayisefa.gh@gmail.com

©Jim Smith
June 2015
This material may be downloaded or copied for personal, group or church
use. It is not to be sold and it is not to be changed.
jimsmithghana@yahoo.co.uk

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