SEASONAL RIGHTEOUSNESS

Long ago before I met Jesus Christ, there were special days and seasons to do the will of God. I used to belong to a religion that observed Saturday as its special day and my seasonal holiness began on Friday evening. Those were sacred hours in which I ensured that I avoid sin because God descended from heaven on Friday and stayed with us through Saturday. We could not anything bad.

We also had those special prayer days where we could storm churches and stadiums just to pray, and whoever wanted their prayers answered, ensured that he/she does not mess with God if he was to answer their prayers.

Then annually, we had the sacred Week of Prayer, during which we took leave from work, left our homes and camped at church for seven days listening to the word of God.

All these were pure and seasons of righteousness. Then after all these periods we could go back to the switchboard and switch back to the ‘normal’ (did I say NORMAL? Yes normal) ways of our lives beside the religious show.

This past experience came back to my mind fresh and clear this morning after we had a conversation in my office with this serious beautiful Muslim workmate. She came dressed smartly (decently = not in the usual skin-tight clothes) than she normally (again: ‘normally’) does and I was the first to appreciate.

Then she told me how RAMADAN is on this week starting on Tuesday evening. And then she told me she had her last sexual intercourse last weekend, and all her Muslim friends who take alcohol were doing it for the last time tonight. Then as my mind was going places, my other workmate asked her why she had sex and yet not married and then she was like: In which world are you, why are you idealistic, grow up and get to the real world.

Well, I am a pastor myself and I live in a sexually oriented world so, to me, that was not the important issue in this conversation as doing all you have to do before RAMADAN catches up with you.

Isn’t it interesting that we are going to have very many well behaved and good Muslims during this Ramadan season than we have during the normal days? Aren’t Mosques going to be filled up every Friday? As I write this, am sure the leaders are planning Jumu’ah prayer sitting arrangements for large numbers. Where have you been you Muslims all the Jumu’ahs that were not part of Ramadan? Just like we have majority good Christians on Saturday and Sunday every week, every Christmas, and never see the same numbers during other seasons.

Why do we have to behave only when the traffic officer is seeing us? Who of us stops at traffic lights when there is no car coming but the lights are red?

Dear Muslims, if Allah helps you and you finish the 30 days (not sure how long but probably a month) without doing the things you know are wrong, let this Ramadan be the launch pad for you to fly and get over all the addictions and habits condemned by your God.

Use this seasonal righteousness to usher in permanent righteousness. And this real righteousness and power are in Jesus Christ, am told you call him ISA IBN MARYAM, but to us, he is ISA IBN ALLAH because only him descended from heaven and him alone ascended into heaven. It is his permanent righteousness that we need beyond this season.

The Quran, just like the Bible, teaches the importance of GOOD WORKS but when it comes to how we all shall be saved, the Bible says:

For we are saved by the grace of Allah through faith in Isa Ibn Allah and not by works lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9)

and the Holy Quran says:

But Allah will choose for his special mercy whom he will–for Allah is Lord of grace abounding, (2:105).

Wow!! So we are all dependent on the choice and prerogative of the God we believe. Now I can confirm that my philosophy is right:

GET GOD RIGHT, GET EVERYTHING RIGHT BUT GET GOD WRONG, GET EVERYTHING WRONG.

Your God must give you an all seasonal righteousness if you are to inherit eternal life. If you worship the one who only sanctifies in seasons then you need to be worried outside those specific seasons.

I wish you all my Muslim friends a happy Ramadan and pray that we all overcome this seasonal righteousness and be dressed with the permanent Righteousness of Allah.

Pr. ITM White
The Gospel Hawker