In an Easter message copied to the GNA on Monday, the Reverend Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, the General Secretary of the Council thanked God for seeing the nation through the first quarter of the year and wished Ghanaians a happy Easter celebrations.

Rev Opuni-Frimpong called on Ghanaians to emulate the example of Jesus as Easter was being celebrated and, “to prioritise the act of sacrifice and lay down our lives for the future generation”He said in the determination to find comfort and happiness, Ghanaians must pay attention to the sacrifices they could make and the legacies they could leave behind to secure a better tomorrow for the next generation.

 Citing Philippians 2:6-11, Rev Opuni-Frimpong said the beginning of the Easter story was a deliberate act of sacrifice on the part of Jesus who was in the image of God but chose to die on the cross to secure a better future for all God’s children.He said such acts of sacrifice must be exemplified in the home, churches, schools, hospitals, in politics and in all private and public life.

He explained  that the country would see the desirable conditions that it wished if religious, political, traditional, family leaders and all those in authority would ‘lay down’ their lives for one another.

He cautioned against a life that sought only the present comfort without considering future consequences and asked Ghanaians to sit up to the reality of building the nation through a conscious effort of sacrifice.Emphasising on the need for sacrifice, the General Secretary indicated that the resurrection of Christ should inspire hope in Ghanaians that if things were done right, “our temporal discomfort will give rise to permanent prosperity in the nation”.

He added that it was hope that should inspire people to sacrifice their lives to work hard, live disciplined lives, ‘preserve our natural resources and leave more comfortable Ghana than we met it.’Touching on family life, Rev Opuni-Frimpong indicated that families should use the Easter period to reflect on what sacrifices they could each make to ensure that the home was a safer and better place to live.

He urged family members to draw closer to one another even as the blood of Christ drew them closer to God.He said the recent cases of suicide suggested that families needed closer ties in order to create conducive atmospheres for hurtful feelings to be addressed.The General Secretary urged all pastors and churches to nurture their members in Christ as part of the sacrifices they could make for the Kingdom of God.

Rev Dr Opuni-Frimpong also implored the citizens to exercise moderation in their merry making, indicating that every Ghanaian would be needed alive after the celebrations and that no single soul should be lost whether on the road or on the beach or in any other place.Meanwhile, the Council has assured that, it would continue its public education, sensitisation and prayers for peace, harmony, and justice in Ghana.