Fruitful Living
Letters from God: be faithful unto death (Part 2)
With such a fertile ground for prosperity, none of the inhabitants of Smyrna should have been poor. The people were no doubt business-minded and should have benefitted from their fair share of foreign investment in their economy.
And many did. But sadly, the church members in Smyrna were poor. And that was not even the only problem they had.
As described in the letter to them by the “One who sees and knows all,” they were also afflicted in other ways. Their Christian business practices stood out against the capitalism and materialism that characterised the commercial transactions of the town.
The simplicity of the church contrasted sharply with the extravagance of the dance theatres and fashion houses. And their godliness was a silent rebuke to the worldliness evident on the streets, in homes, classrooms, business, political, and religious centres.
As a result, they incurred derision, wrath, malice, and jealousy in good measure. Their best intentions were given the worst interpretation, and their comportment, speech, and conduct were subject to sanctions and harsh sentencing.
Everywhere they went, they were sorely afflicted by their neighbours, unbelieving relatives, city council officials, business partners, customers, and even strangers.
They were also slandered and maligned by those who should have been the ones to receive and protect them – the Jews – the ones to whom the charge had first been given: “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” – Matthew 28:19.
They were the ones who should have defended them. But no! Instead, these Jews were their chief slanderers and persecutors.
At the time of sending this letter, the accurate description of how Christians talked, walked, dressed, what they ate, believed, and preached had spread far and wide. It had led to the conversion of many, as well as to the affliction of many.
The church in Smyrna had an unfair amount of the latter than the former, and the God who knows all things sent this message to them: “I know your afflictions and your poverty – yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” – verse 9
THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA
As much as the church in Smyrna loved the Lord, and as much as they had tried to obey Him faithfully and lovingly in all their ways, they had been afflicted by the viruses of persecution, poverty, and slander.
The Master Physician knew that without His divine touch, it was only a matter of time before they would succumb to the ravaging effect of these virulent viruses and give up their faith.
Earlier, when Jesus walked on earth, He had taught the multitude on the mountain top: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:3. He knew that after His death, the spirit of many believers would be crushed.
Surrounded by prosperity and plenty, Jesus knew that many would be impoverished by being ostracised. He knew that the faith of many would be sorely tried and they would be at risk of giving up.
But the Alpha and Omega has already made provision for the eternal reward of those thus afflicted. And so, He gave the assurance to the church in Smyrna: “I know…”
God who sees everything, assured them that their sickness was not due to any fault of theirs. It was the result of external forces because of their faith in Him.
God doesn’t just see our sufferings, but He experiences them with us. Hence, He knows exactly what we are going through and those who are responsible for it.
And just as He described the pain the Smyrna church was experiencing to them with the introduction “I know” and those who were behind their pain, so He sees and knows all that we go through today.
He knows those tormenting us and invites us to take His prescription to soothe our pain.
While waiting to share the rest of the article with you, I invite you to meditate on the beautiful hymn entitled “The Church’s One Foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord” authored by Samuel John Stone – (1839 – 1900).
1. The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord?
She is His new creation
By water and the word:
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride:
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
2. Elect from every nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation
One Lord, one faith, one birth,
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With every grace endued.
5. Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee.
For further inquiries please contact us on Tel Nos. 0243588467 or 0268130615
Email: saltnlightministries@gmail. com
Website: saltandlightministriesgh.org
By Dr. Joyce Aryee, the author
Fruitful Living
Qur’an: A Book of Guidance beyond Ramadan (Pt.2)
The Structure of the Qur’an
The Qur’an consists of 114 chapters (Surahs), classified into Makkan and Madinan chapters:
•86 Makkan Surahs – Revealed in Makkah before migration, primarily focusing on faith, monotheism, and the Hereafter.
•28 Madinan Surahs – Revealed in Madinah, covering laws, governance, and societal justice.
Each chapter contains divine instructions, addressing spiritual, moral, and legal matters.
The Qur’an itself testifies about its revelation:
“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion…” (Qur’an 2:185).
The first revelation occurred in the Cave of Hira, where Prophet Muhammad was commanded:
“Read in the name of your Lord who created—Created man from a clinging substance. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous—Who taught by the pen—taught man that which he knew not” (Qur’an 96:1-5).
This event marked the beginning of divine communication between Allah and His final messenger.
The Quran as a book of Justice and Morality
“Indeed, Allah commands you to act with justice, to do good, and to give to relatives, and He forbids immorality, bad conduct, and oppression. He admonishes you so that you may take heed.” (Qur’an 16:90)
This text is often recited in Friday sermons (Khutbah) as a reminder to believers about the core values of Islam: justice, kindness, family ties, and avoidance of immorality and wrongdoing. It serves as a comprehensive command for ethical and moral behavior in both personal and societal affairs.
The Quran Commands Modesty in Dress code
“O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.” (Qur’an 33:59)
Explanation of the Verse:
This verse was revealed as a directive for Muslim women to wear the jilbab—a long, loose-fitting outer garment— that covers their bodies when they go out in public.
Allah commands the Prophet to instruct his wives, daughters, and all believing women to adopt a modest dress code to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments) instructs Muslim women to cover themselves in a way that distinguishes them as modest and chaste women.
That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. This means that modest dress helps identify believing women as respectable and pious, preventing harassment or harm from ill-intentioned people.
Allah’s Mercy in the Command
The verse ends with (And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful), showing that Allah’s commands are for the protection and honor of women, and those who struggle with observing them can seek His forgiveness and guidance.
The Qur’an as a Guide for All of Humanity
The Qur’an is not restricted to any race, nationality, or social class. It is a universal book meant to guide all of humanity—men and women, the rich and the poor, Arabs and non-Arabs. Allah says:
“And We have certainly made the Qur’an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?” (Qur’an 54:17).
“And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” (Qur’an 21:107).
This means that no one is excluded from the mercy of the Qur’an. It is a guide for the lost, a source of hope for the despairing, and a moral code for all societies.
* The writer is the Metropolitan Chief Imam of Kpone Katamanso
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai – 1 BN Michel Camp, Tema
Fruitful Living
Bearing the fruit of love
But the fruit of the Spirit is love ………… – Galatians 5:22 (NIV)
The tendency of us human beings is to love only those that we find convenient to love. And that I guess it makes sense, but it does only in our selfish nature. The question then is: Is it really possible to love everyone?
We will not get the chance to meet every one of the 7 billion plus people living here on earth, but chances are high that each of us will get the opportunity to meet at least 100 people in our lifetime. Of the figurative 100 people we’re likely to meet in our lifetime, how many have we actually connected through the chord of love? How many have we loved, as Christ commands? Or has our focus been on only the loving, the lovely, and the loveable?
If we want to be truthful, we will admit that some people are downright hateful, and make better enemies than friends. Nothing will make us happier than to just avoid or ignore them when they’re around us, and to try to forget that they exist as soon as they’re out of our sight. Jesus knows about such hateful people in the world for He had a lot of enemies and suffered at their hands. He knows how easy it is to concentrate on the easy people. It’s why He reminds us:
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. – Luke 6:27-35 (NIV).
Who then are the enemies that come to mind? The ones that have gossiped about us, stolen from us, killed our loved ones, cheated us of our rights, made attempts to kill us, do not wish us well at all, and done or possess all the bad things that define an enemy from a friend?
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back,” is what Jesus is telling us.
Unfortunately for us, no matter how hard we try, we can’t by ourselves love people the way God wants us to do. We’ve been too hurt and are too scared to really let go and love people as we ought. Too many people have done too many bad and unforgettable things to our dead ancestors and living relatives, to us in our childhood that still hurt us. We have heard a lot of horror stories about what happened to neighbors, colleagues and friends’ friends. We have read novels and watched too many movies. Hence, by age thirty-five most people have usually worked out an acceptable formula of those to love. Yet none of these changes God’s command to bear the fruit of love.
God knows that our formula isn’t good enough for what He knows He has deposited in us. He knows that we are also capable of loving those who are not our friends, and He called our attention to loving beyond duty, really stepping out of our comfort zones to where we would allow God to love others through us, including our enemies. He reminds us: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5. Bearing the fruit of love is possible only through Christ, a provision that’s been made for us.
Stay blessed!
For further inquiries, please contact us on Tel Nos. 0243588467 or 0268130615
Email: saltnlightministries@ gmail.com
Website: saltandlightministriesgh.org
By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee, the author
