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Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God should be every born again Christian’s duty. We must do it to give unbelievers the opportunity to believe in Jesus Christ for their eternal salvation.
The Lord Himself commanded His disciples to ensure that people in every nation follow Him, be baptized, be taught His commands and encouraged to keep them (Matthew 28:18-19).
In obedience to the Lord’s command, many believers muster the courage to preach the Gospel by the Holy Spirit.
In October, 2014, Ayi Ayitey aka Ataa Ayi, who was jailed 150 years for robbery, expressed his desire to preach the gospel in prison after confessing that he had repented from his sins after hearing the Good News.
The problem with Ataa Ayi was not about God forgiving and calling him into ministry. A criminal believing in Christ Jesus, repenting and being used to do God’s work was not something unusual in the Church.
The apostle Paul publicly admitted being a blasphemer, persecutor and injurious yet Jesus Christ called him to preach the gospel (1 Timothy 1:13).
Moses when he was young killed an Egyptian slave yet God saw in him an ability to rescue the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 2:11).
Even in Ghana, Bishop Nicholas Duncan Williams, has on several occasions, publicly admitted that he smoked marijuana before God called him into ministry.
You see, God chooses grace rather works when considering and appointing people to participate in His ministry.
However, in the case of Ataa Ayi, there were doubts about the sincerity of his repentance, considering his own reported words. He was quoted as saying that “JESUS CHRIST BROUGHT ME TO PRISON TO SAVE MY LIFE.”
Do you clearly understand his words, “Christ brought me to prison to save me?” God forbid! Christ Jesus who never sinned, could not be the author of Ataa Ayi’s heinous crimes which inflicted pains on his victims.
For Ataa Ayi to say that Christ brought him to prison means that Christ inspired, motivated or encouraged him to rob people. It also means that Christ influenced his arrest, trial and sentencing.
God forbid! Jesus Christ broke no law when He walked the earth, and He does not instigate anyone to break laws.
Instead, the Lord went about doing good, healing people oppressed by the devil. He does the same through His ministers today.
Now, after God had called Moses and Paul, they ministered for years until they died in their old age.
Similarly, Bishop Duncan Williams is still preaching the Good News, making disciples, and mentoring young ministers around the world.
It has been about 10 years since Ataa Ayi reportedly repented and began to preach the Gospel. But is he still preaching today, making disciples in the prison?
Efforts made by CLC to talk to Prison officers to find out if Ataa Ayi is still actively involved in ministry were unsuccessful.
By James Quansah
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