Fruitful Living
Holy Spirit
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: In regard to sin, because men do not believe in me, in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all 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 bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take what is mine and make it known to you – John 16:7-15 NIV
INTRODUCTION
How can we think of the Holy Spirit as a Person rather than an impersonal force? What does it mean to be baptized by the Spirit, to be filled by the Spirit? Are the gifts of the Spirit for today?
On Sunday May 31, 2020 we celebrate Pentecost but for many of us the true meaning is lost on us. Let us therefore spend a little time meditating on the essence of Pentecost; the fulfillment of God’s prophesies in both the Old and New Testament.
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit appeared to the apostles like “flames of fire that were separated and stood over each person there” – Acts 2:3. The church age began as the apostles were “filled with the Holy Spirit” and “began to speak different languages by the power the Holy Spirit was giving them” – Acts 2:4. Then, and now, people are dramatically changed as the Spirit enters their lives.
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON
But who is the Holy Spirit, and is the same power that came upon the apostles at Pentecost available to us today? To begin with, the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is a person, the third person of the Trinity: He is God-coequal, co-existent, co-eternal with the Father and the Son. He possesses all the attributes of deity.
He regenerates the believing sinner. He baptizes us into the universal body of Christ. He indwells all who have been converted. He seals us, keeping every believer securely in the family of God. He fills us, taking control of our lives as we remove any impediments and yield to Him.
OUR HELPER
For us as believers, the Holy Spirit is more than a theological construct. He is the One sent to us by the Father and the Son to be our Helper – John 14:15. The Greek root from which the English word “Helper” comes is a combination of two Greek terms, para (alongside) and kaleo (to call). He is the One whom our Lord “calls alongside” for the purpose of giving us assistance in our Christian lives. He is the flame whose presence within gives us eternal life.
HE BAPTIZES US INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST
In 1 Corinthians 12:13, we are told that we have been “baptized” by the Spirit into the universal body of Christ, the church – For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jews or Greek, slave or free, and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Every child of God has been identified with and made a part of the body. Romans 8:9 says the same thing in different words. If you are a Christian, you have the Spirit living within you at all times; if you are not a Christian, you do not have the ]Spirit.
WE ARE TO BE FILLED
God wants the flame of the Holy Spirit to ignite our lives. But we must fly closer to the flame to have that experience. Ephesians 5:18 contains a command that we are to be filled, and keep being filled, with the Spirit. Interestingly, in the Scriptures we are never commanded to “be baptized” or “be indwelt by the Sprit! or “be gifted!” or “be sealed” But here in a context of various commands, we are clearly commanded to “be filled with the Spirit!” To obey this command certain conditions must be fulfilled:
- We cannot be filled with the Spirit while we have known and unconfessed sin present within us.
- We cannot be filled with the Spirit while we are walking against God’s will and depending upon ourselves. So the filling of the Spirit not only means our lives are totally available to God, but it also includes such things as keeping short accounts, being sensitive to whatever may have come between us and Him, and depending on him for our daily living.
WE ARE TO BE CONTROLLED
When we are “following the Spirit” when “the Spirit is leading” us – Gal. 5:16, 18, we are filled with the Spirit. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature, vs 18 – But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
He is then able to work through us, speak through us, use us, direct us without restraint, and empower our gifts and our efforts in ways we could never accomplish on our own. It isn’t that we need more of the Spirit (an impossibility); it is that we need His power, His working, His cleansing, His freeing. And as He fills us, all that and so much more takes place:
HOLY SPIRIT’S MINISTRY
A Christian who is baptized and filled with the Spirit is also gifted and taught by the Spirit – But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: In regard to sin, because men do not believe in me, in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all 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 bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take what is mine and make it known to you – John 16:7-15 NIV
Some of the results of the Holy Spirit’s ministry include:
- Biblical insights we would otherwise have missed.
- A sudden awareness of God’s will or the presence of a danger or a sense of peace in the midst of chaos.
- A surge of bold confidence in a setting where there would otherwise have been fear and hesitation.
- A quiet, calm awareness that we are not alone, even though no one else is actually with us.
- The undeniable, surrounding awareness of evil, even the dark sinister presence of demonic forces.
- An awareness of our own sinfulness and need of repentance.
- An understanding of the gifts the Holy Spirit has imparted to us, and of the power He provides to exercise those gifts as we read in Romans 12:6-8.
Stay Blessed!
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“…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
