Deacon: TT must surrender to God

Members of the Public sing along at Rosary Church Retreat at All Stars panyard on Monday night. PHOTO BY 
KERWIN PIERRE
Members of the Public sing along at Rosary Church Retreat at All Stars panyard on Monday night. PHOTO BY KERWIN PIERRE

The annual Panyard Lenten Crusade presented by the Holy Rosary Parish, began Monday evening at the Massy Trinidad All Stars panyard, where scores of people from the parish, community and the band itself gathered for songs of praise and worship, as well as a homily by visiting Ghanian Deacon Alfred Ofori Yeboah.

Before the service, as people were gathering, pannists could have been seen rolling out their pans, microphones were being set up, and chairs were being placed by church ladies, assisted by some members of All Stars headed by their manager Nigel Williams, in the open courtyard to accommodate visitors and parishioners, while quietly in a corner some opted for a game of cards.

Another visiting “tanty” congratulated the band declaring them the winner of this year’s Panorama competition despite the official results. Chaplets were also handed out prior to the start of proceedings.

At 6.21 pm, when the event began, the card game immediately ceased and Artherly Nicholas of Grace Ministries led the congregants into the singing of songs of praise and worship.

Nicholas ordered that each turn around and tell somebody you love them, before singing Holy Spirit Fill This Room.

After declaring God is good, he went on to singing We are Going up Together and I am a Warrior – I am a Conqueror, before asking those gathered to think of themselves as a weapon against the enemy. “Tonight we are not putting clothes in any garbage bag.

This is holy ground!” declared Nicholas. Following a quote from Psalm 50, he stated: “In the name of Jesus we have the victory. I don’t know what you came to do but I came to praise God.” He then began singing God is a Good God, Yes, He is.

The songs of praise also included I Worship You Right Now Just Because You Are God and You Are God Alone.

A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy preceded a Gospel according to Luke on worshipping the Lord your God and Him alone, denouncing temptations of the devil, was done by Deacon Yeboah, who then launched into the more than hour-long sermon. He told congregants: “This evening is the word of God that has brought us together,” then spoke on the Gospel and the temptations Christ got from the devil. He said the reading reminded him of Bob Marley’s song Buffalo Soldier. “At some time we must look at our history to see how far God has brought us. Every history is of something divine. Temptations, persecutions and sufferings all come your way but when they come remember our history of God trust in his grace and move on. Don’t give in to those things. Don’t take bad advice, surrender to God.”

Deacon Yeboah added: “If all of TT were to surrender to God, it will become a great nation.”

He then sang a song of a Ghanian lady, “He Jesus can do it Better for You... Hold on to your faith,” before stating that Satan exists in different forms and advised all present to trust in God.

“I urge you people to read the word of God with your children and guide them and show them the way to God. What they are now will determine what they will be in the future.

TT can be as prosperous or as evil as they are now. But it is the word of God that will lead them into light from darkness. Use God’s gifts we have for his glorification.”

The Massy All Stars Youth Band then played Amazing Grace, Let There be Peace on Earth and Madness just prior to the close of proceedings.

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"Deacon: TT must surrender to God"

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