Fruitful Living
Holy Spirit, you are welcome here
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that He will receive what He will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what He will make known to you.” – John 16:13-15
INTRODUCTION
The Holy spirit is a person, not an atmosphere. He creates an atmosphere, and He fills an atmosphere, but He is not simply an atmosphere. He is one person of a triune God. The Holy Spirit is always speaking and working on our behalf. He comes in power, and He works through the fruit of the Spirit in each of our lives. He operates with not just a big bang kind of power, but He gives us the power to walk like Jesus walked — in the ways of love and forgiveness so that we can take the golden thread of God’s love and mercy, the nature of His grace we have received in our own lives, and weave it into the lives of those around us. The Holy Spirit graces us with His power to live out His fruit:
1.But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. — Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
In His prophetic nature, the Holy Spirit also prepares our hearts for what is to come. He is in fact preparing us all the time for what we are about to face. I find this fact about our Helper so comforting! I have seen this side of the Holy Spirit revealed in my own life in countless ways. One example is when I wrote the song “In Jesus’ Name.” I actually wrote it for a woman in our church who was battling cancer. Little did I know that the Holy Spirit was preparing my own heart for a battle that was soon to come. He gave me a song to sing over my own situation before I even knew about it.
In everything that He is and that He does, the Holy Spirit continues to reveal the incomparable love of the Father for His children on the earth.
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. — Romans 5:5 NIV
2.THE LOVE OF GOD IS WHAT THE GOLDEN THREAD IS ALL ABOUT.
Love is the very heart of the universe — and it has been since the time of its creation by its loving Creator.
Love has always been and will always be — between the Father and the Son, between the Son and the Spirit, between the Spirit and the Father. Our triune God forms within Himself an unbreakable cord of Holy — all filled with the love of God. And this is the wonder of the saving grace of God that dwells within us — the holiness of grace that weaves its way throughout creation and through our world today by the power of the Spirit working within our lives.
One of the great fathers of the church, Saint Augustine, wrote the following words:
3.THE WORD OF GOD
Love, therefore, which is of God and is God, is specially the Holy Spirit, by whom the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by which love the whole Trinity dwells in us. And therefore most rightly is the Holy Spirit, although He is God, called also the gift of God. And by that gift what else can properly be understood except love, which brings to God, and without which any other gift of God whatsoever does not bring to God?
The Holy Spirit is the One who opens our eyes and causes our awareness to increase — like wind and fire in our bones. The Hebrew word ruach means “blow” or “breath,” and it refers to the wind of the Spirit blowing through our lives. The power of the Spirit ignites our lives with day-by-day, minute-by-minute, authentic lived-out worship of our amazing God, until we experience the growing and all-consuming flame of God’s love being birthed in our spirits.
Another task of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to bring the Word of God to life in our circumstances and in our spirits. John 14:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit makes the Bible come alive for us. He gives us understanding into what the Scriptures speak into our situations — how we need to change, what steps we should take, how the Word needs to become real for us in our day-to-day lives.
To live in the fullness of God’s sweet presence is His promise to us continually. But we need the Holy Spirit and the outworking of God’s presence in our lives to see this come to fruition. To have the Holy Spirit as our advocate is to have God Himself indwelling us as believers. So, why in the world would we ever resist the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives? A man-made understanding of the Spirit and His outworkings in our lives has probably put more people off the Holy Spirit than anything else our enemy could throw at them. We can resist the Holy Spirit by refusing to tune our ears and our hearts to His voice, especially if our hearts grow cold to the things of God due to hurts, disappointments, and bitterness. These things may start off small, cropping up in our relationships because of differences of opinion or for many other reasons, but they will result in a devastating root of bitterness taking hold in our lives. After I had encountered the Holy Spirit in my life, I felt Him start to disassemble the walls that I had built up around my heart.
Uncomfortable? Very Vital? Very.
4.HOLY SPIRIT, YOU ARE WELCOME HERE!
Maybe you’ve never been taught about the person of the Holy Spirit and the presence of God before. But if you start digging into the Word and looking back throughout your life, you will find that He’s been walking with you and leading you all along. To put time aside to linger and wait to hear God’s still, small voice is probably one of the hardest things for most of us to do. He can speak in the quiet; He can speak also in the chaos. I have learned that what I cultivate in the secret place is what I hear loud and clear as I go about life in the day to day.
When we trust in our own common sense or wisdom rather than in what the Holy Spirit is whispering to our hearts, then we can find ourselves resisting Him and His wisdom. And resisting Him can have devastating consequences for our lives and hearts and for the lives and hearts of the people on the earth today who need the presence of the Spirit to penetrate their world.
5.HOW DO WE RESIST HIM?
We resist Him when the comfort of our flesh, or the pull of the status quo, trumps the conviction of following God with our entire being. We resist Him when condemnation, shame, and guilt block our ears to what the Holy Spirit is revealing to our hearts.
Don’t allow this to happen in your life and in your heart!
6.YIELDING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Every morning wake up and yield your life over and over, anew each and every day. When you get out of bed, let the first thing you say each morning be: “You are welcome here, Holy Spirit! Interrupt my day with Your voice!”
When He is invited into our lives, the Holy Spirit will take on the role of Guide and Counsellor, leading us in the way we should go and revealing God’s truth to us — both through His Word and in the everyday situations we encounter.
The Holy Spirit, in and through it all, will fill us continually with power to live and move and have our being in Christ Jesus. This is the purpose of His power in our lives and His speaking into our hearts. He speaks to us to make us more Christlike in every part of our lives, to sanctify us by His power, and He is speaking all the time! The problem is never whether He is speaking. The question is always, Are we listening?
To Ponder
- How often do we think about the Holy Spirit?
- How often do we stop and listen for His still, small voice?
- We need His ruach daily! Let’s ask Him to walk with us so we can be more Christlike every day!
Stay Blessed!
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Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com
Website: saltandlightgh.org
By Dr Joyce Aryee, the author
Though debated, women’s leadership is not prohibited in Islam if practiced within Islamic ethics. Muslim women historically influenced governance through education, economic power, and advisory roles (Ahmed, 2021). Contemporary Muslim women in public office embody the Qur’anic principle of justice (Qur’an 4:135).
Islam encourages professions that benefit society. Female physicians, gynecologists, and nurses are essential in Muslim societies, ensuring culturally sensitive healthcare (Shaikh, 2015). Similarly, Muslim women in education, media, and business embody the Prophetic principle of service to humanity.
The Ghanaian context
In Ghana, Muslim women play a pivotal role in sustaining both families and communities. Beyond managing households, many women assume the role of primary breadwinners, paying school fees, supporting relatives, and financing community projects. Their contributions extend into professional and public life. In academia, Dr Rabiyatu Armah, an Islamic educationist and lecturer at University of Ghana, has championed girls’ schooling and equal opportunities in religious studies. In politics and governance, Hajia Samira Bawumia, Ghana’s former Second Lady, has promoted literacy, health, and women’s empowerment through nationwide initiatives. In the media, Madam Shamima Muslim, who serves as Deputy Presidential Spokesperson under President John Dramani Mahama, stands as a role model for young Muslim journalists. Her career reflects how Muslim women can excel in public communication while upholding modesty and Islamic values. These examples affirm that empowering Muslim women in education, media, and governance strengthens both families and national development.
Education and economic empowerment
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stated: “The best of you are those who are best to their women.” (Tirmidhi, Hadith 1162). Honouring women means enabling them to access education and livelihood. Denying women education contradicts both the Qur’an and Sunnah and weakens the Muslim ummah (Barazangi, 2008).
A call to rethink our attitudes
Muslim societies today must critically re-examine cultural practices that continue to restrict women’s potential and return to Islam’s authentic message. The Qur’an and Sunnah affirm women as not only homemakers but also scholars, professionals, and leaders in society. True empowerment lies in realising the framework Islam already provides.
The role of Muslim scholars (‘ulama) is crucial. Those trained in Sharia and Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) must guide women in balancing modesty with participation in business, education, and public service. History offers powerful precedents: Aisha bint Abu Bakr (RA), one of the Prophet’s wives, transmitted over 2,000 hadiths and was a leading authority in law; and Fatima al-Fihri founded the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Morocco, the world’s oldest existing university. Their legacy demonstrates how knowledge and faith combined to shape civilisations. Equipping today’s Muslim women with similar guidance will strengthen families, uplift communities, and ensure a prosperous ummah.
Conclusion
Islam dignified women at a time when they were devalued, transforming them from marginalised figures to partners in faith, family, and society. From Khadijah (RA), who invested her wealth in the Prophet’s mission, to Aisha (RA), who transmitted knowledge and shaped Islamic scholarship, women have always stood at the heart of the ummah. The Qur’an enshrined their rights to inheritance, education, economic participation, and spiritual equality (Qur’an 4:7; 33:35).
Equally significant is the role of Muslim women in marriage and family life. The Qur’an describes spouses as “garments for one another” (Qur’an 2:187), highlighting marriage as a bond of comfort and protection. As wives and mothers, Muslim women nurture faith, instill moral discipline in children, and create homes rooted in mercy, patience, and cooperation. This domestic leadership complements their contributions in business, education, health, and governance, ensuring balance in both private and public life.
Allah reminds us: “For men is a share of what they earn, and for women is a share of what they earn.” (Qur’an 4:32). Empowering women in marriage, education, and work is therefore central to building thriving families, resilient communities, and a strong ummah.
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai, the Author
“Again Jesus call the crowd to Him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean.” – Mark 7:14-16 (NIV)
Introduction
The Lord is really awesome in His wisdom and as Moses said when they were led to cross the Red Sea – “Who is like unto you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” – Exodus 15:11 (KJV)
CHANNEL
The word channel connotes action – real action because as a verb, it means:
- to direct
- to show the way
- shepherd
- lead
- train; among others.
And as a noun it can mean:
- a conduit
- an access
- an artery
- a pipeline
- a means of.
But the other words I found in the Thesaurus which really thrilled me and gave me a greater understanding of who we are called to be as Christians are meaning of channel as
- Advertiser;
- Delegate;
- Witness;
- Narrator;
- Go between;
- Spokesman,
- Communicator;
- Publiciser;
- Speaker.
Fascinating isn’t it. This reminds us of our calling as stated in Acts 1:8 that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes and we will be His witness here on earth – we are to be those through whom others come to know the Lord Jesus Christ. So as I found in the Thesaurus, we are Jesus’ delegates here on earth – we represent Him. We are His spokespersons. His go between when He wants to reach out to people. We are His communicators – we are really the ones who should be on radio each day telling people about the Lord Jesus Christ as the only means of salvation and redemption from sin. Alas, political party communicators seem to have the upper hand because media houses prefer their cacophony and not our soothing but very powerful words that ONLY Jesus saves.
By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee, the author
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