Fruitful Living
The reason for the season
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” – Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV).
INTRODUCTION
It is that time of the year again when we begin frantic preparations for Christmas. These days, the season is one big commercial venture and most supermarkets have already decorated for the season. I would, however, like us to spend time pondering on the real reason for the season. His Name is JESUS. He entered our world for a reason and so let us look at what He has done for us as we read in scripture and see how we can turn this Christmas into a time of worship, praise, thanksgiving, generosity and great joy.
1. HE CAME TO SAVE THE WORLD FROM SIN – “She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name JESUS, because He will save His people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:21
2. HE CAME TO RECONCILE US TO GOD – “That God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” – 2 Corinthians 5:19
3. HE CAME TO GIVE US:
(a) ABUNDANT LIFE – “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10
(b) GRACE
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14
“And are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” – Romans 3:24
“For if, by the trespass of one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace….” – Romans 5:17a
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves it is the gift of God.” – Ephesians 2:8
“But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the many” – Romans 5:15
(d) PEACE–
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” – John 14:27
“For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His fl esh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near” – Ephesians 2:14-17
(e) A NEW LIFE –
“We are therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” – Romans 6:4
4. HE CAME THAT THROUGH HIS SACRIFICE WE WILL BE CHILDREN OF GOD –
“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” – John 1:12
• HE CAME TO MAKE US HOLY
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light” – 1 Peter 2:9
• HE CAME TO MAKE US RIGHTEOUS
“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” – 2 Corinthians 5:21
“… the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ” – Rom. 5:17b
“However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness” – Romans 4:5
• HE CAME THAT WE MIGHT BE AT PEACE WITH GOD –
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” – Romans 5:1
• HE CAME THAT WE MIGHT BE FILLED WITH JOY –
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be Complete” – John 15:11
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit – Romans 14:17
• HE CAME THAT WE MIGHT BE ENCAPSULATED WITH HIS LOVE –
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him” – 1 John 3:1
OUR RESPONSE?
We need to respond to God’s love and grace by accepting the gift God has given us through His Son Jesus Christ. In Christ, we find all the full ness of God. Let us meditate on John 1:12-13 and Revelation 3:20 and if we have not accepted God’s indescribable Gift, this is the time to do so.
ARE YOU READY FOR THE REAL CHRISTMAS?
As we celebrate another Christmas, let’s think about the spirit of the event, rather than allow ourselves to get trapped in just the celebrations. Some of those who saw Him walk on water still rejected Him. Some who witnessed His divine introduction as God’s beloved Son in whom He is well pleased – Matthew 3:17 – still despised Him. In the same way, many of us who have read about Him and witnessed His modern-day miracles still struggle to fully accept Him.
Angels heralded the birth of Jesus, because they knew the priceless sacrifice He had come to earth to perform. Humanity, the recipient of Jesus’ sacrifice was largely oblivious to His birth and uninterested in His mission. Even His death, the culmination of the reason for His birth, was the climax of humanity’s consternation with One they despised enough to get rid of. Yet, God the All-knowing, Alpha and Omega, who saw the full picture of how His Son would be treated, still chose to send Him to dwell among us.
If Jesus had not come, our situation would have been miserable, indeed. Glory filled the earth when He was born and angels adored Him. Wise men bowed before Him, with gifts of gratitude – gold, incense and myrrh. Throughout His life on earth, God the Father attended His prayers as dew moistened His brows during many early morning supplications for the redemption of man. At His death, all heaven stood still and darkness covered the face of the earth.
Jesus came and died and He is back in heaven at the right hand of God. Beyond the food, and drinks, and new clothes and gifts of this Christmas season, remember why He came. It was to die for our sins. Hence, the only reason that can recapture the essence of Christmas is to yearn for Christ Jesus to be born anew in the heart of men and women so that humanity will be born again in the image of Christ. Then heaven will blaze with glory and its hosts will rejoice over one more sinner, reconciled to God, the Father. It is the only reason for the season. Nothing else counts. Are we ready for the real Christmas?
Stay blessed!
For further inquiries please contact us on Tel Nos. 0243588467 / 0268130615
Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com
Website: saltandlightministriesgh.org
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 baptized 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.
We continue from where we ended last week
Seven words on the cross
4. The word of spiritual suffering
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” – Mark 15:34. These words mark the climax of Jesus’ suffering for a lost world. Jesus experienced separation from God the Father as the sinner’s substitute. Here the sorrow, grief and pain were at their worst!
He was pierced for our transgression – “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:5 (NIV) and gave Himself a “ransom for many” – Matthew 20:28; 1 Timothy 2:6. God made Him who had no sin to be a sin for you and me – 2 Cor. 5:21.
Jesus died, forsaken that we might never be forsaken – Psalm 22. Because of this we are redeemed by the suffering of Christ – 1 Peter 1:19.
5. The word of physical suffering
“Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” – John 19:28.
Jesus nearing death goes through the agony of thirst! Jesus the fountain of Living Water desires earthly water and is given vinegar – sour wine which He rejects! He had to endure pain and shame.
6. The word of triumph
“When He had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished” John 19:30 – mission accomplished. The work of redemption is done! Jesus did not say “I am finished”. Rather He triumphantly made a declaration that He had completed and accomplished His work on the cross.
– He had accomplished the earthly mission assigned by the Father;
– He had fulfilled the important Old Testament prophecy about the suffering Messiah -Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 53:3-12.
– Completed the work of redemption as the sacrificial and Passover Lamp of God – John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7 involving blood atonement – Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12 & 22.
– The decisive moment of victory over Satan and his network of demons – Colossians 2:15
– Jesus has achieved the means of reconciliation of God with His creation and sinful humanity. – 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 & 21; Colossians 1:20-22. It is worthy to note that nothing can be added to the finished work of the cross for salvation. The way of salvation is now open to all who believe and draw on Jesus finished work on the cross – Matthew 27:50; Luke 23:46. The debt for our sin has been paid in full and the plan of salvation established.
7. The word of committal
“Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit My spirit.” When He had said this, He breathed His last.” – John 19:30; Luke 23:46.
The Lord Jesus voluntarily committed His life into God the Father’s care – He went in spirit to His Father in Heaven.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” – John 3:16 (NIV).
Kindly note: You are warmly invited to join us for our programme, Meditations on Easter, on Saturday, 11th April 2026 at Christ the King Parish Hall at 8:00 a.m.
The theme is: “He Is Risen Indeed, Hallelujah!!! – The Transformative Power of the Resurrection” (Matthew 28:5; 1 Peter 1:3–4).
Our deepest desire this Easter is to experience the power of Christ’s resurrection more intimately in our lives and to share the hope of the risen Lord with others.
Stay Blessed!
For further inquiries please contact us on Tel Nos. 0302-772013 or 0268130615
Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com
Website: saltandlightgh.org
Fruitful Living
HAJJ: The 5th Pillar of Islam, a sacred journey to the house of Allah …an elevated call to faith, sacrifice, spiritual renewal (Final part)
Types of Hajj: Understanding the forms of pilgrimage
There are three recognised types of Hajj:
• Hajj al-Tamattu’: Performing Umrah first, exiting Ihram, and then entering Ihram again for Hajj.
• Hajj al-Qirān: Combining Umrah and Hajj in one Ihram without exiting.
• Hajj al-Ifrād: Performing only Hajj without Umrah.
Each type has specific rulings, and the choice depends on the pilgrim’s circumstances.
Miqāt and the State of Ihram
The Miqāt refers to designated boundary points where pilgrims must enter into Ihram before proceeding to Makkah. Crossing these boundaries without Ihram invalidates the proper commencement of Hajj.
Ihram is not just clothing—it is a sacred state of discipline, intention, and spiritual consciousness.
Fidyah and Dam: Expiation in Hajj
Islam provides remedies for mistakes during Hajj:
• Fidyah: Compensation such as fasting, feeding the poor, or sacrifice for minor violations
• Dam: Sacrificial penalty required for certain omissions or violations
These ensure that errors do not invalidate the pilgrimage but are corrected through prescribed means.
The virtue of Hajj Mabroor
The ultimate goal is to attain Hajj Mabroor (an accepted Hajj). The Prophet Mohammed pbuh said:
“An accepted Hajj has no reward except Paradise.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Its signs include sincerity, avoidance of sin, humility, and lasting transformation after the pilgrimage.
The role of intention and acceptance
Hajj is not judged by outward actions alone but by sincerity of intention (Niyyah). A person may perform all rituals correctly yet fail to attain acceptance if sincerity is lacking.
Allah looks at the hearts, not merely the actions.
Life after Hajj: A new beginning
Hajj is not the end—it is the beginning of a renewed life. A pilgrim is expected to:
• Maintain righteousness
• Increase acts of worship
• Avoid returning to sin
• Become a model of good character in society
The true success of Hajj is reflected in one’s transformation.
What is Umrah?
Umrah is a lesser pilgrimage that can be performed at any time of the year. It includes:
• Ihram
• Tawaf
• Sa’i
• Shaving or trimming hair
Though not obligatory like Hajj, it holds immense spiritual reward. The Prophet Mohammed said:
“One Umrah to another is an expiation for what is between them.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Visiting the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah
While not a pillar of Hajj, visiting the Mosque of the Prophet Mohammed pbuh in Madinah is a highly recommended Sunnah.
The Prophet Mohammed said:
“Do not undertake a journey except to three mosques: Al-Masjid al-Haram, my mosque, and Al-Aqsa Mosque.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Praying in the Prophet’s Mosque carries immense reward, and sending salutations upon him at his grave is a deeply spiritual experience.
Summary and conclusion
Hajj is a journey of total submission, unity, and spiritual rebirth. It connects the believer to the legacy of the Prophets and prepares the soul for the ultimate return to Allah.
The Prophet Mohammed pbuh said:
“Whoever performs Hajj for Allah and avoids obscenity and wrongdoing will return like the day he was born.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 1521; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 1350)
May Allah grant us the opportunity to perform Hajj, accept it from us, and make it a means of our salvation. Ameen
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.
22. 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
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