Fruitful Living
Finding peace in God
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7
INTRODUCTION
Peace with God is an outcome of our oneness with God. In simple terms, if you don’t know God you cannot have God’s peace. Most of Paul’s letters began with the words “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Peace is a state of tranquillity or quietness of spirit that transcends circumstances. The term peace is described in Scripture as a gift from God and congruent with His character; ‘May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.’- 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
1. Psalm 4:8 – “In peace I will lay down and sleep; for you alone Lord make me dwell in safety”. This is one of the Psalms of David and it is said that he wrote it during a time of great distress maybe during the time that Saul was pursuing him all over the place even though he had done him no wrong.
It could also have been after his own son Absalom betrayed him in 2 Samuel 15-18 or even maybe during one of the rebellions. Whatever it was, David, who had this close relationship with God said confidently ‘in peace I will lay down and sleep for you alone Lord make me dwell in safety.’ Now remember David did not say it at a time when he was lying in his palace with victory all around him but rather when he was in distress and this is the attitude that we should adopt. Trust in God that He would be there with us regardless of the situation hence the need to also take stock of life situations.
Some of us of course have never experienced any serious difficulties and we thank the Lord for that. Whatever the case maybe though, when we have a close relationship with God through Jesus Christ, we will experience His peace.
2. The hymn ‘Turn Your Eyes on Jesus’ says: Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. Unshakable peace is available to us but, when we can only access it when we decide to focus on God. When difficult situations emerge, the natural instinct is either to panic or to be filled with adrenaline which is wanting to solve the problem immediately. However, while these are things that God has put in our hearts the one who has the staying power is the one who remembers that it is God who is in control of all things and not us.
So, what should we do?
Paul teaches us in Philippians 4:6-7 – ‘do not be anxious about anything but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.’
- In times of difficulties as well times of everything which is the opposite of peace, the first thing that we need to do is to turn to prayer. We turn to prayer because we know God is in control of the situation.
- We decide to trust God’s timetable, yes God has a timetable for each and everyone of us.
3. I think we need to know a few things about God’s peace.
a. God’s peace is unshakable because there has never been or will there ever be a time or an event which distresses or disturbs God.
b. God is never perturbed. Tranquillity is actually a nature of God and it’s from tranquillity that we get the word peace.
c. God’s peace and His presence is sure, they are immoveable and we can only find ourselves overcoming these difficulties when we focus on God.
d. We must keep our relationship with God intact all the time. When our relationship with God gets disturbed a little bit just because we have sinned or maybe when we have told a lie about somebody else, or even maybe we did something against somebody and there’s a stirring in our hearts, we need to apologise. We need to ask God for forgiveness. God has made this available for us. 1 John 1: 8 clearly states that if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
The verse 9 goes ahead to say that ‘if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all our unrighteousness.’ God is always ready to forgive us our sins so we should not let anything that God does not like stand in our way of enjoying God’s peace. This means that confessing our sins all the time clears us of a sense of guilt and a sense of weight and inability to enjoy God’s peace.
e.Whenever we are in the greatest difficulties, that is when we experience God’s loving peace the most. David in Psalm 4:8 teaches us that ‘In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.’ God’s peace is different from the world’s peace – John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control.
f. When we are confronted with trials and tribulations the safest place to run to is the everlastingly arms of God. In Johnchapter 20:19, after the crucifixion, the first word Jesus utters to the disciples is ‘Peace be with you’. Jesus was speaking about God’s peace. His immovable eternal peace, which nothing at all can shake.
CONCLUSION
Are we troubled? Are we going through a patch of difficulties? Let’s turn our eyes upon Jesus, look fully in His wonderful face and the things of this earth that are troubling us will grow strangely dim in the light of God’s glory and grace.
Remember Jesus’s words in the midst of greatest trial: Shalom, Peace, be with you.
Let’s allow God’s peace to invade our hearts today and tell God all about how we are feeling in relation to Philippians 4:6-7 which says we should turn our problems into a prayer. This peace is a nature of our saviour Jesus Christ and He assures us that He pours this peace over us unconditionally. He keeps His promise so let’s stand by Him and take His word and enjoy the peace of God.
Stay blessed!
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By Dr. Joyce Aryee, the author
“…at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” – Romans 5:6 (NIV)
Introduction
JESUS Christ shed His blood on the Cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for our salvation.
The Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ and convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and we are baptised in Him into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God.
The Holy Spirit also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
What does Easter mean to Christianity?
Easter is the celebration of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. God sent His Son to earth to die as a sacrifice for all our sins. Jesus died on the cross to forgive everybody for all the sins we have committed.
Jesus’ blood covered everybody from the beginning of time to the end of the world.
He died for all of our sins. On the third day, Jesus conquered death and rose from the dead. Jesus is the only God who has ever risen from the dead. He is the Saviour of the world. Without Jesus, we could not have ever been Christians. He died so that everybody who believes in Him could live forever and everybody on the face of the earth can become a Christian.
All you have to do is accept Him as Lord and Saviour, confess your sins, obey Him, and live your life for Him.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23. However, because of Jesus, we have been saved! For the Christian, Easter is the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour.
Before Jesus’ death
They slapped Him and pulled His beard;
They spat on Him;
They pushed Him around;
They stripped Him and flogged Him and tore out His skin;
They pushed a crown of thorns on His head – it drew blood;
They put a heavy cross on Him to carry to the place of His execution;
To Calvary He went.
There they pierced Him with nails and hung Him on the cross – naked!
Even at this stage, at the stage of absolute agony and humiliation, they sneered at Him and mocked Him.
He had done no wrong. On the contrary, for my sake, for your sake and for the sake of a sinful world, He accepted the will of His Father and endured this very shameful, painful death.
He said very little during His trial, BUT on the cross He said seven things which we should meditate on.
Seven words on the cross
1. The word of forgiveness
“Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” – Luke 23:34. What an extraordinary love and mercy! I am saved – you are saved because Jesus asked for forgiveness for us.
2. The word of salvation
“I tell you the truth; today you will be with me in paradise.” – Luke 23:43. Even in such excruciating agony Jesus reached out to a sinner.
The songwriter Frances Jane Van Alstyne, popularly called Fanny Crosby, the blind prolific hymn writer, says it so well in the hymn we all love to sing – TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
Stanza 2:
O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood!
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
3. The word of love
“Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” – John 19:26–27. Even in the agony of dying, Jesus was concerned about the welfare of His mother and appointed the disciple whom He loved to take care of her.
Then, and even now, children have a responsibility to take care of their dependent parents as stated in 1 Timothy 5:8 – “If anyone does not provide for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
When we refuse to take care of members of our families, especially the immediate ones, we are worse than unbelievers.
Jesus is a perfect example of obedience to God’s word. He has given us power to do this as He did.
By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee
Fruitful Living
HAJJ: The 5th pillar of Islam, a sacred journey to the House of Allah An elevated call to faith, sacrifice, spiritual renewal (Part 1)
ALL praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. We glorify Him, seek His guidance, and ask for His forgiveness. We send peace and abundant blessings upon the noble Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), his family, his companions, and all those who follow his guidance until the Day of Judgment.
Introduction: A journey beyond space and time
Hajj is not merely a ritual—it is a divine invitation to spiritual rebirth. It is a journey that transcends physical movement and penetrates the depths of the soul. From every corner of the world, millions respond to the timeless call of Allah, gathering in Makkah in a powerful demonstration of unity, humility, and submission.
Clothed in simple garments, stripped of worldly distinctions, pilgrims stand equal before their Creator—an awe-inspiring reminder of the Day of Resurrection when all humanity will stand before Allah.
Hajj within the framework of the five pillars of Islam
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“Islam is built upon five: the testimony that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishment of prayer, payment of Zakat, fasting in Ramadan, and pilgrimage to the House for whoever is able to find a way.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 8; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 16)
Hajj is therefore not optional—it is a defining pillar of the Islamic faith for those who possess the means.
Qur’anic foundations of Hajj
Allah says:
“And [mention] when We showed Ibrahim the site of the House…” (Qur’an 22:26)
“And proclaim to the people the Hajj…” (Qur’an 22:27)
“And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House…” (Qur’an 3:97)
These verses establish the divine origin, universal call, and obligatory nature of Hajj.
Who is qualified to perform Hajj?
Hajj is obligatory upon a Muslim who is:
• Of sound faith, maturity, and sanity
• Physically capable
• Financially able
• Able to travel safely
• For women, accompanied by a Mahram (according to the majority opinion)
Financing Hajj: A matter of purity
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
“Indeed, Allah is pure and accepts only what is pure.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 1015)
Hajj must be financed with halal earnings. Sponsoring others is highly rewarded, while performing Hajj on behalf of the deceased or incapacitated is permissible.
The sacred timing of Hajj
Hajj is observed in the month of Dhul-Hijjah, from the 8th to the 13th, with the Day of Arafah (9th) being the climax of the pilgrimage.
Preparation includes repentance, sincerity, settling debts, seeking forgiveness, acquiring knowledge of rituals, and ensuring physical and financial readiness. Hajj begins with the purification of the heart.
Pillars of Hajj (Arkān al-Hajj)
• Ihram
• Standing at Arafah
• Tawaf al-Ifadah
• Sa’i
These are indispensable acts that validate the Hajj.
The rituals of Hajj (Manāsik): A living legacy
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
“Take your (Hajj) rituals from me.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 1297)
Hajj rituals—from Ihram, Tawaf, Sa’i, Arafah, Muzdalifah, Mina, stoning of Jamarat, sacrifice, and farewell Tawaf—are deeply symbolic acts rooted in the legacy of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S). They embody submission, sacrifice, patience, and unwavering obedience to Allah.
Prohibitions during Hajj: Preserving sanctity
Allah says:
“There is no sexual relations, no disobedience, and no disputing during Hajj.” (Qur’an 2:197)
Prohibitions include marital relations, use of perfume, cutting hair, arguments, and sinful behavior. These restrictions discipline the soul and elevate spiritual consciousness.
Author’s profile
Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai
Kpone Katamanso Metropolitan Chief Imam
Governance Expert and Islamic Scholar
Imam Saeed Abdulai is a distinguished Islamic scholar and community leader known for his impactful teachings on faith, governance, and societal development. He actively contributes to religious education and public discourse in Ghana and beyond.
References
• The Noble Qur’an (2:197, 3:97, 22:26–27)
• Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī
• Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
• Sunan al-Tirmidhi
• Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Azim
• Imam al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai, Kpone Katamanso Municipal Chief Imam, Certified Counsellor and Governance Expert
