Category Archives: INJILI
Yesu alidhihirishwa ili kuharibu kazi za shetani
1.Kazi za Mungu ni zipi na kazi za shetani ni zipi?
Tangu kale watu walijua kazi za Mungu zina msaada kwa mwanadamu Zaburi 78:4, 12-15,26; 92:4, 13-15.
Yesu alipokuja alikuwa akifanya kazi za Baba yake . Kisa cha uponyaji katika birikaYohana 5: 17, 20, 36; Yohana 10:27. Hivyo tunajua kazi alizotenda Bwana Yesu zilikuwa njema Matendo 10:38
Kazi za shetani alizokuja kuharibu Bwana Yesu ni zipi? Tukitazama yale aliyofanya Bwana tunagundua kazi za ibilisi ni pamoja na magonjwa. Luka 13:16. TazamaYohana 10:10
2.Yesu alichukua mwili ili aharibu kazi za shetani.
Shida zilizokuwa katika mwili wa binadamu hakuna anayeweza kuzimaliza isipokuwa kwa kung’oa chanzo chake. Ndiyo maana ilibidi Yesu atoke mbinguni, akachukua mwili wa kibinadamu ili akamate mhalifu katika maficho yake. Waebrania 2:14
Dhambi na magonjwa vyote vilitokea kona moja na vinampeleka mwanadamu katika uharibifu. MAUTI MAUTI!!!
3.Damu yake ilipomwagika
Biblia utufundisha uzima umo katika damu. Walawi 17:11.
Kwa vile shetani ameleta mauti Yesu alimwaga damu pale msalabani ili uzima wa Mungu ufike duniani na kuwafikia wanadamu.
Damu ilipomwagika ushindi ulikuja kwako kwa uzima wa Mungu na ulimeza mauti.Ufunuo 12:11
4.Mabadilishano Kalvari.
Kazi ya ajabu ilifanyika pale Kalvari ni mabadilishano. Yesu akichukua shida zetu na kukabiliana na ugumu wake na kutupatia Baraka zake. Isaya 53:4-5; Mathayo 8:17; 1 Pet 2:24.
Yesu anaonekana katika sura ya jenerali aliyeshinda vita. Wakolosai 2:13-15
–Unity Christian Fellowship – BUKOBA
Tim Tibow ni balozi mzuri wa Bwana Yesu!
Tibow akiongea siku ya Pasaka
Akiomba uwanjani
Mchezaji wa American footbal (NFL) Tim Tibow ambaye amekuwa gumzo kwa wamarekani kwa style yake ya kupiga goti na kuomba bila kuogopa yeyote na hatua hii imemfanya kuweza kushinda mipira dakika za mwishoni.
Pamoja na umaarufu huo amekuwa akisema wazi kwamba yeye hawezi kuacha kumshukuru Bwana Yesu kwa kuwa yeye ndiye humshindia na hivi karibuni alibandika mstari maarufu kwenye uso wake Yohana 3:16 ambapo wamarekani wengi waliugoogle kujua maana ya mstari huo.
Ibada ya Pasaka alihudumu kwenye kanisa la Celebration Church kwa pastor Joe Champion, ambapo Tibow alihubiria umati uliofika kumsikiliza kwamba ni vizuri kuelezea kuhusu imani ya Kikristo na hata kuwa muombaji pia wanamichezo ni mfano bora wa kuigwa. Alipoulizwa kitu gani kinahitaji kubadilika Marekani, akajibu nchi kuwa chini ya Mungu.
Tibow tarehe 21 alinunuliwa na team ya New York Jets akitokea Denver Broncos, ambapo yeye anaona ni Mungu anazidi kumweka utukufu hadi utukufu.
Tim Tibow amekuwa akimuweka Yesu mbele, pamoja na changamoto anazopata kutokana na Imani yake kwa Bwana Yesu. Amekuwa ni mfano wa Kuigwa!
Nguvu ya Ukiri
1.Unaleta uhalisi wa neno la MUNGU
2.Unakuwa na msingi wa imani iliyo hai 2 Korintho 4:3
3.Unaleta kutamalaki
4.Unaleta uponyaji na afya
5.Ulimi wa mwenye haki ni dawa nitiba marko 5:28 alidumu kusema nikigusa vazi lake nitapona. Isaya 57:19 Mimi nayaumba matunda ya midomo….
6.Ukiri ni mlango wa kuleta wokovu kamili, Warumi 9:11 yoeli 32:2 kila atakaye liitia jina la BWANA ataokoka Filemon 1:5-6 “Nikisikia habari za upendo wako na imani uliyonayo kwa Bwana Yesu na Watakatifu wote ili kwamba ushirika wa imani yako ufanye kazi yake katika ujuzi wa kila kitu chema kilicho kwetu katika Kristo. Zab 103:2-3 Ee nafsi yangu mhimidi BWANA wala usisahau fadhili zake Zab 34:20 Huhifadhi mifupa yake yote haukuvunjika hata mmoja
7.Ukiri Unanguvu ya kuleta uzima na mauti mithali 18:20-21 Tumbo la mtu linajazwa na matunda ya midomo yake (kinywa chake) mauti na uzima viko katika uwezo wa ulimi zab 118:17-18 sitakufa bali nitaishi nakusimulia matendo makuu ya MUNGU Methali 13:3 Alindaye kinywa chake hulinda nafsi yake…..Methali 16:23 moyo wake mwenye hekima hufundisha kinywa chake kuzidisha elimu ya midomo yake Isaya 28:18
Sasa baada ya somo hili fupi nakutia moyo anza sasa hujachelewa tamka uhai pasipo na uhai, tamka mafanikio kumbuka tumeambiwa tutakuwa kichwa si mkia! tuta kuwa juu tu! anza kuwaza mafanikio kufanikiwa,ona kushinda kataa kushindwa katika jina la Yesu!
–Frederick Marandu
Ujumbe wa Matumaini!!
Ndugu, dunia imeoza na imepoteza matumaini yote. Watu wanahangaika na hawana amani ya kweli. Wengi wanajitahidi tu kuishi maisha bandia. Ndio maana Biblia inasema “wote wamepotea, wameoza wote pia, hakuna mtenda mema, la! Hata mmoja. Vinywa vyao vimejaa laana na uchungu. Miguu yao ina mbio kumwaga damu. Uharibifu na mashaka yamo njiani mwao. Wala njia ya amani hawaijui.” (Warumi 3:9-18).
Watu wamechanganyikiwa na hawana amani maishani. Si watoto, si wakubwa. Si wanaume, si wanawake. Si wanafunzi, si walimu. Si matajiri, si masikini. Si viongozi wa serikali, si raia n.k. Biblia inasema wala njia ya amani hawaijui. Huu ukosefu wa amani husababishwa na dhambi! Watu wamepoteza mwelekeo wa maisha na amani ya kweli. Wapo matajiri wanaokumbwa na matatizo ambayo kila wayafikiripo husema, “bora kuwa masikini”.
Watu hukimbiza upepo usiku na mchana na hukusanya hela nyingi, lakini mwisho wa siku pesa hizo huyeyuka na kupeperuka pasipo wao kuzifanyia kazi yeyote. Wengine hukosa usingizi kabisa. Usiku kucha husumbuliwa na mapepo na ndoto za kutisha. Watu wengi huishi na magonjwa ya kutisha kama sehemu ya miili yao. Leo hii watu wengi wana wasiwasi na afya zao kwasababu ya maisha yao ya zinaa. Tena imeandikwa, ‘mshahara wa dhambi wa ni mauti’ (warumi 6:23). Usisubiri mtu atoke mahali na kisu au bunduki kwaajili ya kukuua, ila dhambi hiyohiyo uliyonayo ndiyo itakayo kuua (roho, nafsi na mwili). Tendo moja la uasherati au uzinzi latosha kukuzawadia na virusi vya ukimwi papohapo pasipo kupoteza muda. Maisha ya ulevi, maisha ya uongo, maisha ya wizi, maisha ya rushwa, maisha ya uasherati, maisha ya ya uchawi, maisha ya utukunaji, maisha ya ulawati, maisha ya ufiraji, maisha ya usagaji, maisha ya usengenyaji, maisha ya ufisadi, maisha ya kuabudu sanamu n.k. ni maisha ya mtu aliye chini ya laana na umauti.
Yawezekana umejitahidi kwa jitihada zako zote kuacha dhambi lakini umeshindwa, na kila unapotizama maisha yako ya nyuma huoni tumaini lolote mbele yako. Labda umefanya sana zinaa na kuvuna kwaajili yako magonjwa yanayokutesa usiku na mchana na kukuondolea furaha kila dakika. Na labda hujui kwamba unaweza kusamehewa, kuponywa na kurejeshewa hali ya afya, amani, na matumaini. Tumaini la pekee kwaajili yako lipo kwa mtu mmoja ‘YESU KRISTO.’ Mkaribishe Yesu maishani mwako akuokoe na kukubadilisha bila kuwaza watu watakufanyaje. Baba, mama, mume, mchumba, mjomba, shangazi, rafiki n.k. hawana uwezo wa kukuokoa endapo roho yako itahitajika leo kwenda kukabiliana na hukumu ya Mungu (yaani kufa). Kwa maana “na kama vile watu wanavyowekewa kufa mara moja, na baada ya kifo hukumu” (waebrania 9:27).
Sikufahamu rafiki, ila nataka kukwambia kwamba Mungu anaweza kubadilisha picha nzima ya maisha yako kwa asilimia mia moja endapo utatubu na kuamua kumtii katika kila jambo. Imeandikwa, “Tubuni basi, mrejee, ili dhambi zenu zifutwe, zipate kuja nyakati za kuburudishwa kwa kuwako kwake Bwana.”(Matendo 3:19). Haijalishi wewe ni nani na unatokea wapi. Uwe mtoto, kijana, binti, mwalimu, mwanafunzi, mwanasiasa, daktari, n.k. waweza fanyika mtu mpya leo. Na kwa ujasiri na uhakika uweze kujiunga na mzaburi na kusema, “Ee nafsi yangu, umhimidi BWANA, wala usizisahau fadhili zake zote. Akusamehe maovu yako yote, Akuponya magonjwa yako yote, Aukomboa uhai wako na kaburi, Akutia taji ya fadhili na rehema, Aushibisha mema uzee wako, Ujana wako ukarejezwa kama tai!.”(Zaburi103:2-5)
Unaweza kupata wokovu na uponyaji sasa kwa kusali sala ifuatayo na kutubu toka moyoni mwako, ‘Bwana Yesu, nakiri kuwa mimi ni mwenye dhambi kwa asili na kwa kutenda, na ninastahili kuangamia kwasababu ya dhambi zangu. Hata hivyo ulisulubiwa msalabani kwaajili yangu ili nisiteseke sasa na hata milele. Kwa hivyo, Bwana naomba unisamehe na unisafishe toka kwenye dhambi zote. Ingia moyoni mwangu na ubadilishe maisha yangu tangu sasa. Ahsante kwa kuwa umenisikia. Ahsante kwa wokovu wako Bwana katika Jina la Yesu Kristo, Amen.’
Kama umesali sala hii kwa uaminifu basi Yesu amekusamehe na kukufanya mtoto wake sawia. Wasiliana nami mara moja ukinieleza juu ya Wokovu wako kwa kutumia anuani ifuatayo.
Takwa David Paul.
Living with an eye on the sky
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
I once heard a man speak who was the head of a Christian orphanage in Kentucky. And the unique thing about this children’s home is that all the children there are mentally handicapped. As the man was talking he said,
“You know, we have a maintenance problem at the home. We teach these precious children the Bible and they don’t understand a lot of what we’re saying. But we tell them about Jesus and that Christ came to save them. And not only that, but we also tell them that Christ is coming again and when He does, everything’s going to be perfect and they’re going to be perfect.
“We’ve got a maintenance problem. And the maintenance problem at our home is the windows! We can’t keep the windows clean because these precious little children believe so strongly in the Second Coming of Jesus that they put their little faces and their little hands up to the window every day and they look for Jesus to come and make everything right.”
How aware these children have become of their need for a restorer because of their circumstances. And the truth is that you and I have that exact same need. We suffer from the sickness of sin on a daily basis and our only hope is Christ’s return.
The windows of every Christian’s home should be smudged and dirty because of our passionate expectation of Christ’s soon return. So live your life with an eye on the sky waiting for that glorious day!
LIVE YOUR LIFE WITH AN EYE ON THE SKY IN EAGER ANTICIPATION OF CHRIST’S RETURN!
–John Graham—
Wapi pameandikwa uzazi wa mpango – Moses Kulola
“Ni wapi kuna andiko limeandikwa uzae watoto kadhaa? au palipoandikwa uzazi wa mpango na vidonge vya majira? Una jibu la kumjibu Mungu kwanini unafunga kizazi? Zaeni mkaijaze dunia”
–Askofu Moses Kulola, Uwanja wa Jangwani 19 June 2001
How do you know if you’re a Christian?
And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” Acts 26:28-29
How do you know you’re a Christian? If you asked many people in church today, you might hear, “Well, I think I prayed a prayer to receive Christ.” Or, they may tell you, “I came forward during an invitation.” But becoming a Christian is much more significant than simply praying a prayer or walking an aisle. It means moving from death to life.
As you look back at your life, has there been a moment of decision to follow Christ? Do you know that it’s happened to you?
Now, I don’t necessarily believe that you have to remember the exact minute, hour, or day, but you should know that there was a definite moment in your life when you passed from death to life. How can you pass from death unto life and not know it? One man said, “If you can be saved and not know it, then you could lose it and never miss it.”
I know that I’m saved because I made a decision and I was just a little boy and my life has never been the same. So if you’ve never come to a point in your life where you’ve said, “Jesus, I admit I’m a sinner, and I trust full in your death and resurrection for the forgiveness of my sins,” would you do that today? If you confess that and believe it in your heart, you can be sure you’ve moved from death to life in the family of Christ!
IF YOU AREN’T COMPLETELY SURE IF YOU’RE A CHRISTIAN, CONFESS YOUR SINS TO CHRIST TODAY AND TRUST IN HIS FORGIVENESS!
Nguvu ya Injili!
*Neno la Mungu linaharibu vilivyokaa vibaya na kutengeneza, lina leta uzima!.
Unapoikubali injili unakuwa na deni kwako na kwa wengine, lazima tulijue Neno la Mungu vizuri.
*Uweza wa Mungu ukusukume uhubiri Neno.
*Upako unalipa, unakuwezesha kuishi mahala popote kwa kumtegemea Mungu.
*’Not able not to sin’ bila kuokoka ni mdhambi
*’Able not to sin’ baada ya kuokoka uweza wa kushinda dhambi.
*Baada ya unyakuo hakuna dhambi.
*Mafundisho ya kwanza ni kushinda dhambi shetani na malaika zake.
*Maadui wakubwa katika maisha yako ni mwili wako watu, shetani na dhambi.
KUTOKA KATIKA AIBU
*.Tukubali kutahiriwa mara ya pili mioyo yetu. Kubali Neno la Mungu lifanye maisha yako upya, lisafishe moyo wako.
*Kama kuna njia katika maisha yako haiko sawa tubu. Neno la Mungu litawale maisha yako!
*Usiogope kulaumiwa, uwe tayari kumngoja Bwana. Ipo hatua katika kupanda na kuvuna.
Yeremia 17:5 “Bwana asema hivi amelaaniwa mtu yule amtegemeaye mwana adamu amfanyaye mwanaadamu kuwa kinga yake na moyoni mwake amemuacha Bwana”
KUNA MATUMAINI
Usiachane na Neno la Mungu kwa kusemwa na watu, uwaombee.
*Mungu anapokutoa katika aibu anakupa upako wa kuvuta baraka za Mungu
*Uwe mtu wa shukrani sifa na kuabudu.AMEN!
Baada ya neno hili fupi ningependa kama hujaokoka na ungependa kumpa Yesu maisha yako tufuatane katika sala hii fupi, Bwana Yesu naja kwako mimi ni mwenye dhambi, ninatubu dhambi zangu zote na mikataba yote niliyo ingia kwakujua ama bila kujua, unisamehe na ufute jina langu katika kitabu cha hukumu, andika jina langu katika kitabu cha uzima amen!
–Tafuta kanisa la kiroho lililo karibu nawe na uanze kuhudhuria ili ujue neno!—
How you can experience abundant life in Christ
John 10:9-10“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
A rich Texas oilman died and one of his last wishes was to be buried in his beautiful gold Cadillac. So they dug a big hole in the ground and laid him out in that classic Cadillac. While they were lowering the car into the ground one of those West Texans said, “Man that’s livin’, ain’t it?”
You know, there are really two classes of Christians today: There are some Christians who really know what living is and are experiencing life to the fullest. And there are others who know very little about the joy and the fulfillment and the satisfaction of living for Jesus Christ.
Now, I’m definitely not saying that one of these types of Christians is more saved than the other. But as a pastor, I see firsthand every day that there are some people who are living an abundant life in Christ and are being used by God to do some amazing things. Yet, others are just getting by and making it to church, but are missing out on Christ’s abundant life.
So here’s my question for you: Are you experiencing life abundantly? Or, are you just getting by? If you want to live fully for Christ, surrender every area of your life to him. Then, you’ll learn what ‘abundant life’ truly is!
EXPERIENCE CHRIST’S ABUNDANT LIFE BY SURRENDERING FULLY TO HIM IN EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE.
–Jack Graham–
Why You Still Need The Gospel Today
“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine… Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”Luke 10:30-37
If I’m having a conversation with someone and I want to better understand their spiritual state, I’ll often ask, “If you died and God asked, ‘Why should I let you into heaven?’, what would you say?”
And almost always, I get one of three answers: “Because of grace,” “Because of my good works,” or “I don’t know.” Now, I love the first answer and appreciate the honesty of the third, but when someone tells me they believe they’re good enough to make it to heaven, I know they’re a long way from God.
There are so many people in the world today who think that the Gospel is only for the thief, the murderer, or the prostitute. They think they’ve outgrown their need for the Gospel.
On one occasion when Jesus taught the about the greatest commandment, to love God and love your neighbor, an expert in the Jewish Law asked, “Who is my neighbor?” So Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan in which a man was beaten and robbed. He was passed, ignored by a priest and a Levite, both of whom were highly involved in Jewish worship. But then a Samaritan, from one of the most despised races of people in Israel, stopped and helped.
This is a clear picture of the Gospel. It doesn’t matter how many times you go to church or how many email devotionals are in your inbox. What matters is whether or not you love others.
So don’t ever feel like you’ve outgrown your need for the Gospel because all ground is level at the foot of the cross!
EVERYONE IS IN NEED OF THE GOSPEL, SO LIVE IT OUT EACH DAY WITH HUMILITY AND GRACE.
–Jack Graham–
Mungu Moto ni Halisi!
Ndugu zangu katika Kristo imempendeza Mungu wa Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo kutupatia nafasi ya kumfahamu mungu moto (“fire goddess”) kama ambavyo msaidizi wetu, Roho wa Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo atakavyofunulia kwa wakati huu ili Mungu Baba atukuzwe kupitia kwa mwana wake wa pekee Bwana wetu, Yesu Kristo. Tuanze kwa kujiuliza kila tuonapo moto unawashwa kwenye ibada makanisani, mazishini,hospitalini, michezoni na kwinginepo iwe kwa kutumia mishumaa au vinginevyo, hivi ni nini hasa? Imeandikwa tukiijua KWELI itatuweka huru. Mungu moto ni mungu wa ufalme wa Shetani na ni halisi na anaabudiwa kwa siri katikati ya wanadamu, naam bila wanadamu kufahamu. Shetani alikusudia moyoni mwake afanane na Mungu aliye juu Isaya 14: 14 Nitapaa kupita vimo vya mawingu, NITAFANANA NA YEYE ALIYE JUU. Sio yeye peke yake ila nia za malaika wote walioasi ni kufanana na Mungu aliye juu na kutaka waabudiwe 2Wathesalonike 2:4 YULE MPINGAMIZI, AJIINUAYE NAFSI YAKE JUU YA KILA KIITWACHO MUNGU AMA KUABUDIWA; hata yeye mwenyewe kuketi katika hekalu la Mungu, akijionyesha nafsi yake kana kwamba yeye ndiye Mungu. Mfumo aliofanya Shetani kwa malaika zake ni kuwagawia majukumu kila malaika aliyeasi na kitengo chake. Hivyo yupo maika aliyeasi na kundi lake waliopewa jukumu la kuabudiwa kama mungu moto. Kilichomsukuma Shetani na malaika zake kuwa na kitengo chenye jukumu la kuabudiwa kama mungu moto ni kwa kuwa Mungu wa mbinguni ni Moto. Kumbukumbu 4: 24 Kwa kuwa BWANA, Mungu wenu, NI MOTO ULAO, Mungu mwenye wivu.
Waebrania 12: 29 Maana MUNGU WETU NI MOTO ULAO. Mungu wetu ni Moto ulao na Shetani naye kwa kuwa amekusudia kufanana na Mungu aliye juu akasukumwa kuwa na mungu moto. Mungu wetu ni Moto ulao na Moto huo ni Moto wa rohoni wala sio wa mwilini. Nikisema moto wa rohoni ninamaana ni moto wa ulimwengu wa roho maana Mungu aliumba ulimwengu wa roho na ulimwengu wa mwili. Hii ndio tofauti na moto wa mungu moto ambao ni wa ulimwengu wa mwili, naam moto unaoonekana kwa macho unaotumika kwa namna ya ibada. Mungu aliumba ulimwengu wa mwili na ulimwengu wa roho na ameweka kanuni za ulimwengu wa mwili na kanuni za ulimwengu wa roho ili kumuabudu. Kanuni za ulimwengu wa mwili zinatumia kanuni za mwilini na vitu vya mwilini wakati kanuni za ulimwengu wa roho zinatumia kanuni za rohoni na vitu vya rohoni kumuabudu Mungu. Vile vile tunafahamu kwa ulimwengu wa mwili ni uvuli wa ulimwengu wa roho; nazo kanuni za ulimwengu wa mwili za kumuabudu Mungu ni uvuli wa kanuni za rohoni za kumuabudu Mungu.
Kwa kuwa tangu mwanzo pale dhambi ilipoingia mwanadamu alikufa roho japo mwili wake ulikuwa bado hai hakuweza kutumia roho kumuabudu Mungu mpaka roho yake ihuishwe hivyo ilimpasa kutumia mwili kumuabudu Mungu. Ndio maana Mungu aliteua taifa la Israeli tu limuabudu kwa kutumia mwili, naam kwa kanuni za ulimwengu wa mwili mpaka hapo ambapo Kristo atakapokuja kuhuisha roho za wanadamu ndipo aanzishe kumuabudu Mungu kwa kutumia roho na kanuni za ulimwengu wa roho. Ndio maana Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo alipokuja akakomesha vita vya mwilini maana mwanzoni aliwaagiza Israeli jicho kwa jicho na jino kwa jino na kuanzisha vita vya rohoni. Mathayo 5: 38 – 39 Mmesikia kwamba imenenwa, JICHO KWA JICHO, NA JINO KWA JINO; lakini mimi nawaambia, Msishindane na mtu mwovu; lakini mtu akupigaye shavula kuume, mgeuzie na la pili. Hata pale Bwana Yesu Kristo alipokutana na mwanamke Msamaria pale kisimani mazungumo yao yalikuwa atakapokuja Kristo atawafundisha waache kumuabudu Mungu kwa kanuni za mwilini kwa kwenda katika mlima maalumu na kuanza kumuabudu Mungu kwa kanuni za rohoni, naam kwa roho na kweli, na Bwana Yesu Kristo akamjibu mwaname kuwa Yeye ndiye akimaanisha kuwa huo muda wa kuacha kuabudu kwa kanuni za mwili na kutumia kanuni za rohoni umewadia. Yohana 4: 19 – 26 Yule mwanamke akamwambia, Bwana, naona ya kuwa u nabii! Baba zetu waliabudu katika mlima huu (kanuni za mwilini), nanyi husema ya kwamba huko Yerusalemu ni mahali patupasapo kuabudia. [Bwana] Yesu [Kristo] akamwambia, Mama, unasadiki, saa inakuja ambayo hamtamwabudu Baba katika mlima huu, wala kule Yerusalemu (kwa kanuni za mwilini). Ninyi mnaabudu msichokijua; sisi tunaabudu tukijuacho; kwa kuwa wokovu watoka kwa Wayahudi. LAKINI SAA INAKUJA, NAYO SAA IPO, AMBAPO WAABUDUO HALISI WATAMWABUDU BABA KATIKA ROHO NA KWELI (kwa kanuni za rohoni). Kwa maana Baba awatafuta watu kama hao wamwabudu. Mungu ni Roho, nao wamwabuduo yeye imewapasa kumwabudu katika roho na kweli (kwa kanuni za rohoni kwa kutumia roho zao). YULE MWANAMKE AKAMWAMBIA, NAJUA YA KUWA YUAJA MASIHI (AITWAYE KRISTO); NAYE ATAKAPOKUJA, YEYE ATATUFUNDISHA MAMBO YOTE [YA KUMUABUDU BABA KWA KANUNI ZA ROHONI]. [BWANA] YESU [KRISTO] AKAMWAMBIA, MIMI NINAYESEMA NAWE NDIYE (YAANI MUDA UMEWADIA). Hivyo tangu Kristo alipokuja na kuanzisha Kanisa, kanuni za rohoni ndio zikawa msingi wa ibada kwa Kanisa mbele za Mungu.
Ye yote anayetumia kanuni za mwili na vitu vya mwilini kumuabudu Mungu inampasa kuwa na shirika na Israeli la sivyo asiye damu moja na Yakobo (Israeli) anapaswa kutumia kanuni za rohoni. Israeli wao walitumia moto kama nyenzo ya kubadilisha sadaka za mwilini kwenda rohoni maana Mungu ni Roho, na moto waliotumia si moto wa hapa duniani ila moto maalumu kutoka mbinguni. Walawi 9: 24 – 10: 1 – 2 Kisha MOTO UKATOKA HAPO MBELE ZA BWANA, na kuiteketeza sadaka ya kuteketezwa, na yale mafuta juu ya madhabahu; watu wote walipouona huo moto wakapiga kelele akainama kifudifudi. Na Nadabu na Abihu, wana wa Haruni wakatwaa kila mtu chetezo chake, wakatia moto ndani yake, wakatia na uvumba, nao wakatoa moto wa kigeni (moto usiotoka mbinguni) mbele za BWANA ambao yeye hakuwaagiza. Kisha MOTO KATOKA HAPO MBELE ZA BWANA, nao ukawala nao wakafa mbele za BWANA. Na moto wa madhabu ulipaswa kutunzwa usiku na mchana usizimike siku zote Walawi 6: 13 Moto utatunzwa uwake juu ya madhabahu daima; usizimike. Kwamba wakati wote Israeli walitumia moto uliotoka mbinguni. Je wawashao moto wakati wa ibada moto wao umetoka mbinguni? Tutajadili vile moto wa mungu moto (Apollo) wa mwenge wa Olympic unavyowashwa kwa kutumia Jua. Najua wengine watasema tunawasha tu kusheherekea au kuonyesha amani na kuangaza kwa namna fulani bila kujua kuwa Shetani na malaika zake wanaitwa makahaba, yaani hawabishi hodi ila wanaingilia ndoa ya Kristo na Kanisa kama kahaba afanyavyo. Ufunuo 17: 5 Na katika kipaji cha uso wake alikuwa na jina limeandikwa, la siri, BABELI MKUU, MAMA WA MAKAHABA NA MACHUKIZO YA NCHI. Hao ni makahaba wafanyao ukahaba kwa siri, maana wakisema kuwa tupo, wanadamu watashtuka, hivyo unapoweka moto katika ibada fahamu kuwa umewaalika nao wanajumuika. Kama vile ambayo tukutanikapo wawili watatu kwa ajili ya Kristo, Kristo mwenyewe anakuwa katikati yetu Mathayo 18: 20 Kwa kuwa WALIPO WAWILI WATATU WAMEKUSANYIKA KWA JINA LANGU, NAMI NIPO PAPO HAPO KATIKATI YAO hivyo hivyo unapowasha moto wakati wa ibada fahamu kuwa mungu moto yupo, uwe unajua/umemualika au la. Hebu fumbua macho uone moto unavyowashwa katika ibada tofauti tofauti, iwe makanisani,hospitalini, misibani, michezoni na kwinginepo. Na endapo ibada ikawa na maombi ya vita vya rohoni fahamu kuwa vita vitapiganiwa pale pale ulipowasha moto maana miungu wamealiwa na wapiganapo mafari wawili nyasi ndizo ziharibikazo! Mungu moto anamajina mengi kulingana na maeneno na lugha za watu lakini ibada zake zinafanana kwa kiasi fulani. Kwa Wakaanani ambao mara nyingi wametajwa kwenye biblia, mungu moto anafahamika kwa jina la Baali; kwa Wayunani anafahamika kama Apollo. Hawa miungu ni maarufu kama miungu wa jua (mungu jua / “sun goddess”), mungu mume au bwana. Na pia ipo miungu mingine mingi ila iliyomaafuru ni mungu mke anayefahamika kama mungu
mwezi (“moon goddess”) na kwa Wakaanani anafahamika kama Ashera, kwa Wababeli anafahamika kama Ishtar, kwa Wayunani amafahamika kama Artemi Matendo 19: 27 Si kwamba kazi hii yetu ina hatari ya kudharauliwa tu; bali hekalu la MUNGU MKE ALIYE MKUU, ARTEMI, kuhesabiwa si kitu, na kuondolewa utukufu wake, ambaye Asia yote pia na walimwengu wote humwabudu na kwa Warumi anafahamka kama Diana. Hawa miungu wanakuwa na makuhani/ manabii wao kabisa na ibada kabisa, 1Wafalme 18: 19 Basi sasa upeleke watu, unikusanyie jamii ya Israeli katika mlima wa Karmeli, na WALE MANABII WA BAALI mia nne na hamsini, na WALE MANABII WA ASHERA mia nne, walao chakula mezani paYezebeli lakini tusitoke nje ya topic yetu, tutayajadili vyema kwenye kitabu cha IMANI pale tutakapoangalia imani ya kipagani (zisizo za Bwana Yesu Kristo). Ndio maana utaona Eliya Mtishibi akiwajaribu manabii wa Baali kuwa Mungu atakayejibu kwa moto huyo ndiye Mungu kwa kuwa waliamini mungu moto (Baali) atajibu kwa moto kwa kuwa ni moto. 1Wafalme 18: 22– 24 Ndipo Eliya akawaambia watu, Mimi nimesalia, mimi peke yangu, nabii wa BWANA; lakini manabii wa Baali ni watu mia nne na hamsini. Kwa hiyo na watutolee ng’ombe wawili; wao na wajichagulie ng’ombe mmoja, wamkate-kate na kumweka juu ya kuni, wasitie moto chini; nami nitamtengeza huyo ng’ombe wa pili na kumweka juu ya kuni, wala sitatia moto chini. Nanyi ombeni kwa jina la mungu wenu, nami nitaomba kwa jina la BWANA; na MUNGU YULE AJIBUYE KWA MOTO, NA AWE NDIYE MUNGU. Watu wote wakajibu wakasema, Maneno haya ni mazuri. Na Baali hakujibu kwa moto ila BWANA ndiye alijibu kwa Moto.
Sisi kanisa tumepewa Moto wa rohoni, naam Roho Mtakatifu na tunamtunza ili asizimike usiku na mchana kama Israeli walivyofanya. Basi moto wa mwilini wa nini tena wakati hatuenendi kwa namna ya mwilini? Hivi umeshaona mtu anausemesha moto na kuuomba mambo kadha wa kadha? Hivi moto ambao umeuwasha mwenyewe kwa mkono wako kisha unageuka na kuutamkia maneno na kuamini utakusaidia, si sawa na mtu anayechonga sanamu kwa mkono wake kisha akageuka na kuanza kuisemesha na kuamini itamsaidia? Mtu anauambia moto leta amani, lete tumaini hivi kweli yupo sawa au anaongea na yule mungu aliyemwalika kwa ishara ya moto? Basi hivi ndivyo mwenge wa Olympic navyowashwa kwa kutumia jua, naam mungu jua maarufu kama Apollo kwa Wayunani. Huwashwa katika gofu la Hekalu moja la zamani la Hera lililopo Arthens na hauwashiwi mahali pengine. Na makuhani wa kike huchagua siku yenye jua, naam mchana na kumuomba mungu jua (Apollo) kisha huchukua lensi mbenuko na kulenga jua kisha kuuwasha mwenge kama picha inavyoonyesha kwa kutumia mionzi ya jua.
Uwashaji wa mwenge wa Olympic 2008
Moto huo wa Olympic hutunzwa kwa njia zote na huzungushwa dunia nzima hasa katika nchi ambazo zitashiriki michezo ya Olympic kisha uenda katika nchi ambayo michezo inachezwa na kuachwa uwe unawaka mpaka siku michezo inaisha. Nikuachie swali kwa kusema, je michezo inauhusiano wowote na kuzimu, maana iweje ibada ya kuzimu iambatane na michezo?
–EK–
God Has Predestined Your Life for Glory
As a Christian, it’s important for you to know that God has predestined your life for glory. Not everyone necessarily becomes what God planned for them to be. The fact that you’re born again doesn’t mean you’ll accomplish all the good works God planned for you because after all, you’re a free moral agent. You’ve got the will to make your own decisions freely; that is, whether to follow God’s plan for your life or to choose your own way. To locate yourself in God’s plan, you should have a good knowledge of God’s Word and understand the Scriptures. Secondly, you must yield yourself to the leadership of the Holy Spirit through constant fellowship. In fact, He’s the One who helps you understand the Scriptures. If you walk outside His plan, your motivation will be coloured by lesser values. Therefore, yield to the Holy Spirit and let Him help you locate yourself in God’s dream.
Therefore I’m walking according to God’s predestination for my life; I’m fulfilling His dream and bringing glory to His Name. I increase everyday in my knowledge of the Word of God, and my decisions and actions are influenced by His Wisdom. My walk with the Holy Spirit is highly fruitful, and I’m divinely helped of Him as I function in God’s plan for my life.
–Anna M–
Learning to walk in love is the most important thing we’ll ever do in the area of faith.
Everything we need to know about faith is found in Mark chapter 11:22-25
22 And Jesus saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
25 AND when ye stand praying, FORGIVE, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
We are quick to quote Mark 11: 23 and 24, but did you ever stop to think that Mark 11:25 goes right along with them? Verse 25 begins with the word “and,” a conjunction. In other words, verse 25 joins what Jesus is about to say with what He just said. “AND when you stand praying…” He is still talking about praying in faith, just as He was in verse 24. And what are we to do as we pray? “Forgive, if ye have ought against any.”
Unforgiveness is one of the main reasons why faith doesn’t work and why people fail to receive healing. Many know it is wrong to hold something big against someone, but they say it doesn’t hurt if you hold just a little something against someone.
This verse says, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have OUGHT against any…” (Mark 11:25).
Did you ever look up the word “ought” in the dictionary? It means anything at all… little, big, or middle-sized! An Old Testament verse says, “The LITTLE foxes spoil the vines” (Song of Solomon 2:15). So many times, it’s not the big things in Christians’ lives that keep their faith from working and their prayers from being heard. Rather , it’s the little things …just a little “ought.”
Galatians 5:6
6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; BUT FAITH WHICH WORKETH BY LOVE.
Faith works by love. If there is no love, faith won’t work. And forgiveness has to do with love, God loved us and forgave us. Did He forgive us because we deserved it? No. He forgave us because He loved us. In Ephesians chapter 4 we read, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”(v32).
Have no ill will or unforgiveness toward anyone. Your faith will work when you walk in love!
Keys to Understanding Revelation
Why was the book of Revelation written? As mentioned before, the book’s very name means to reveal —to unveil, to open to understanding what otherwise could not be comprehended. Yet most people believe that this final book of the Bible cannot be understood at all—that its language and symbols are too confusing to make sense.
Revelation puts many of the earlier prophecies of the Bible into an understandable context and reveals a much-needed framework for prophecies relating to the end of the age. It accomplishes this partly through the use of symbols and figurative language that relate directly to some of the Bible’s other prophetic writings.
For example, the prophetic book of Daniel uses similar language and symbols. Many of its visions and figures of speech are clearly explained. But God revealed to Daniel that the meanings of others were to remain mysteriously obscured until the time of the end. Then they, too, would be understood.
Revelation contains many fundamental keys to that understanding, and the book of Daniel contains keys that help us understand the book of Revelation.
Notice Daniel’s explanation of one of his visions: “Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, ‘My lord, what shall be the end of these things?’ And he said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end” (Daniel 12:8-9, emphasis added throughout unless otherwise noted).
Contrast this with God’s purpose for the book of Revelation. God the Father gave the prophecies contained in the book of Revelation to His Son, Jesus Christ. He passed it to Christ in the form of a scroll sealed with seven seals (Revelation 5:1). But as John—who wrote the book under God’s inspiration—tells us in his concluding chapter, an angel specifically commanded him, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book …” (Revelation 22:10).
John explains that God the Father gave most of the book of Revelation to Christ in the form of a scroll sealed with seven seals. Jesus then broke those seals and opened the scroll.
“And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne [God the Father] a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it … But one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals’” (Revelation 5:1-5).
Here is the key to understanding the book. Jesus alone can unlock the meaning of its symbols, visions and descriptions. The first verse of this book announces that it is “the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him” (Revelation 1:1). Christ reveals its meaning. He unlocks its seals. But how does He do it?
Two factors are crucial. First, the keys to unlocking the content of seven seals must be explained by Jesus Himself in His own words.
Second, the Bible tells us that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore we can expect clarification of some symbols in the book of Revelation in other parts of God’s inspired Word.
By relying on the Bible’s own consistent interpretations of its symbols and figurative language, we can have confidence that our understanding is based on God’s inspired Word rather than on our own opinions (2 Peter 1:20). After all, revealed knowledge is what the book of Revelation is all about.
Remember, God told Daniel that some of the things revealed to him in visions were sealed, hidden until the time of the end. But then He added: “Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:10). At the time of the end God intends that those He calls “the wise” will understand these prophecies.
Who are the wise in God’s sight?
Those who scorn the concept that the Bible is divinely inspired choose to see its symbols as contradictory and confusing. They perceive no value in them. Because they scoff at the idea of God’s inspiration, they are blind to prophetic understanding. They choose to be ignorant of what God reveals about the future (2 Peter 3:3-7).
On the other hand, God tells us that those who respect Him and keep His commandments are the ones who are truly wise. As the Scriptures explain: “The fear [respectful awe] of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments” (Psalm 111:10). Scripture also tells us that “the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7).
The book of Revelation gives us many of the keys that unlock prophetic understanding because it faithfully follows the principle that the Bible interprets itself. Therefore, only those who believe that the Bible is inspired by God and trust what it says will be able to understand the significance of what is revealed in the book of Revelation.
Some of the understanding began in the days of the apostles. One of the stated purposes for Revelation was to reveal to the servants of God “things which must shortly take place” (Revelation 1:1). So some aspects of Revelation applied directly to Christians in the final days of the apostle John’s ministry.
Christ instructed John to record (verse 19): (1) “the things which you have seen”—his visions and their puzzling symbols; (2) “the things which are”—information relating to the Church at that time; and (3) “the things which will take place after this”—prophecies extending far into the future.
Before we examine these keys to the future, we need to understand the circumstances under which this prophetic book was given to the apostle John.
Religious and political setting of Revelation
Within the confines of the ancient Roman Empire, Christianity began in an era of relative peace. The emperors of the time generally followed a policy of liberal religious toleration. This enabled early Christians to evangelize far and wide, both throughout and beyond the empire.
But the situation gradually changed. The Romans introduced and enforced emperor worship in the empire. Suddenly Christians found themselves in an intolerable situation. Jesus, not the emperor, was their ultimate master. They understood that the Scriptures prohibited the worship of anything or anyone besides the true God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Soon incredible pressures were brought to bear on them to participate in the holidays, games and ceremonies honoring the reigning emperor as a god.
Their refusal to participate in emperor worship put them into direct conflict with the authorities at all levels of the Roman hierarchy. By the time Revelation was written, some Christians had already been executed because of their beliefs. Christians everywhere, especially in Asia Minor, encountered wide-ranging ridicule and persecution.
Adding to Christians’ plight, Roman officials, after Jerusalem’s destruction in A.D. 70, ceased to view Christians as just another sect of the Jews. The religious tolerance Rome had extended to them disappeared.
Christians were now often regarded as a subversive and potentially dangerous religious group. Rome saw their teachings of a coming kingdom and a powerful new king as a threat to the stability of the empire. By this time Emperor Nero had already falsely branded Christians as the perpetrators of the great fire in Rome. Their future looked grim.
The apostle John, imprisoned on the island of Patmos near the coast of Asia Minor during a later wave of persecution near the end of the first century, explained that he also was suffering persecution, that he was their “companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:9). John fully understood the stress they endured. Yet he reminded them of their goal—the Kingdom of God. He emphasized the patience and faith they must exercise to endure opposition and abuse until the return of Jesus the Messiah to permanently deliver His servants from persecution and grant them salvation.
This is the context in which Jesus revealed to John when and how this satanic persecution, already responsible for the murder of loyal and faithful servants, would be permanently stopped. He pointed out that the roots of the problem go back to the beginning of humankind—to the birthplace of this age of man so filled with human sin and evil.
The archdeceiver
In the Garden of Eden man first encountered “that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9; Genesis 3:1). That evil being’s deception has been so successful that most people scoff at the idea that a devil even exists. But the writers of the Holy Scriptures regarded his existence and power as an unquestionable reality. They reveal him as the unseen driving influence behind evil and suffering.
The book of Revelation sums up the impact the devil has, not just on Christians but on all mankind, from the time of John until the return of Christ. It reveals that the ancient conflict between the forces of good and evil will be resolved.
As noted earlier in this chapter, John told early Christians that the book of Revelation includes both “the things which are, and the things which will take place after this” (Revelation 1:19). Its prophetic fulfillments began in the days of the apostles and extend to our day and beyond.
The Day of the Lord in prophecy
Most of John’s visions focus on that time mentioned by God’s prophets throughout the Scriptures as “the day of the Lord,” also known as “the day of the Lord Jesus Christ,” “the day of Christ” and, here in Revelation, “the Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10; compare Isaiah 13:6; Joel 2:31; Zephaniah 1:14; Acts 2:20; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:2).
Paul plainly spoke of this prophesied time: “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3).
Some people assume that when John said he was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” in Revelation 1:10 he was referring to worshipping on Sunday. But the context of Revelation clearly shows that John was not referring to worshipping on a day of the week but to experiencing a vision of the coming Day of the Lord mentioned directly or indirectly in more than 50 passages in the Old and New Testaments.
As The Bible Knowledge Commentary explains: “John’s revelation occurred on the Lord’s Day while he was in the Spirit. Some have indicated that ‘the Lord’s Day’ refers to the first day of the week. However, the word ‘Lord’s’ is an adjective and this expression is never used in the Bible to refer to the first day of the week. Probably John was referring to the day of the Lord, a familiar expression in both Testaments … He was projected forward in his inner self in a vision, not bodily, to that future day of the Lord when God will pour out His judgments on the earth” (John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, 1983, p. 930).
The mistaken assumption that John was referring to the first day of the week, Sunday, has no biblical support at all. The only day of the week, biblically speaking, that could possibly be called “the Lord’s day” is the Sabbath or Saturday, the seventh day of the week. Jesus specifically referred to Himself as “lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28). And, through the prophet Isaiah, God also refers to the Sabbath as “the holy day of the LORD” (Isaiah 58:13).
Again, though, John was not referring to any day of the week but to the prophetic time that is theprimary subject of the book of Revelation. John specifically tells us that what he wrote is prophecy (Revelation 1:3; 22:7, 10, 18-19). Therefore, John is merely explaining that “in the Spirit”—in divinely inspiredvisions— he was mentally transported to the coming Day of the Lord.
The Day of the Lord is described throughout the Scriptures as a time of God’s direct intervention in human affairs. It is a time of His judgment on His adversaries—on those who defy His correction and refuse His commandments. Isaiah succinctly sums up the Day of the LORD: “Wail, for the day of the Lord is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty” (Isaiah 13:6).
Who is the object of the destruction? “Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it” (verse 9). As Jeremiah explained: “… This is the day of the LORD GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that He may avenge Himself on His adversaries” (Jeremiah 46:10).
Notice the prophet Zephaniah’s description of the time of God’s intervention: “The great day of the LORD is near; it is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; there the mighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers.
“I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like refuse” (Zephaniah 1:14-17).
Notice how John describes the awesome events that follow the sixth seal of Revelation: “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:17). Just before this, the martyred servants of God are represented as symbolically crying out from their graves: “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (verse 10). Later in this book of prophecy an angel is sent with the message: “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come …“ (Revelation 14:6-7).
Then, near the end of the book, John records more details of Christ’s second coming: “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war” (Revelation 19:11).
Hundreds of years before John put these prophecies of Revelation in writing, the prophet Zechariah graphically described Christ’s return: “Behold, the day of the LORD is coming … I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem … Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
“Then the LORD [Jesus, the prophesied Messiah] will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south” (Zechariah 14:1-4). At the end of this battle “the LORD shall be King over all the earth” (verse 9).
From these scriptures the main thrust of Revelation becomes clear. It portrays in vivid symbols the judgment of God in the last days—at, and just before, the return of Christ. He will oversee the final destruction of the satanic system labeled in Revelation as Babylon the Great.
The real issue: Whom shall we worship?
At the heart of the end-time conflict is a crucial question: Who will mankind worship—Satan or God? Notice the religious orientation of most of humanity: “So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’” (Revelation 13:4).
How extensive will this idolatrous worship be? “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life …” (verse 8). Even now, almost everyone on earth is unwittingly “under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19)—”that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). Satan’s direct control over humanity will dramatically intensify at the time of the end.
Man is not left without a warning, however. John records his vision of an angel “having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people; saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth …‘” (Revelation 14:6-7).
God sends a clear message through the book of Revelation: The time draws near when He will no longer tolerate humanity’s rejection of Him or its worship of the devil. Satan’s system of idolatrous worship must be wiped from the face of the earth before Christ begins His rule as King of Kings.
Pleas of God’s people answered
The temple in Jerusalem was the center of ancient Israel’s worship of God. God’s presence was manifested there (2 Chronicles 5:13-14).
In the book of Revelation God is frequently portrayed as seated in a heavenly temple on His throne (anciently represented by the mercy seat above the Ark of the Covenant in the holiest part of the earthly temple). As he watches angels dispense some of the final punishments mentioned in this book, the apostle John notes that “a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’” (Revelation 16:17).
An angel had told John earlier, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there” (Revelation 11:1). Inside the temple God is pictured receiving the prayers of His servants. “Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne” (Revelation 8:3).
What prayer does God hear from His true servants over and over again? “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’” (Revelation 6:10). Revelation reveals the circumstances under which those who are the true worshippers of God will finally have that prayer for justice answered in full.
John quotes Jesus promising His servants: “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God … I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem …“ (Revelation 3:12). The tables finally will turn. God’s faithful servants will be the real winners. God will greatly reward them for their patience and endurance while they waited for Him to fulfill His promises and answer their prayers.
As God intervenes in world affairs and makes His great power visible to the nations, His true worshippers are represented in Revelation as joyfully singing: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested” (Revelation 15:3-4).
Revelation’s patterns of sevens
Another noticeable feature of the book of Revelation is its organization according to patterns of sevens. The first chapter alone mentions seven churches, seven golden lampstands, seven spirits, seven stars and seven angels.
The major events of the book are organized under seven seals, seven trumpets, seven thunders and seven bowls containing the seven last plagues. We also encounter seven lamps of fire and a Lamb with seven horns and seven eyes.
Then there is a dragon dominating a beast having seven heads and 10 horns. Seven mountains and seven kings are associated with the heads of that beast. What do the messages conveyed by the repeated use of seven have in common?
In the Bible the number seven reflects the idea of completeness. For example, seven days make up a complete week. God introduced this concept immediately after He finished creating our first human parents: “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Genesis 2:2-3).
Revelation explains how God will bring His master plan to completion. It outlines a framework on which the prophetic part of that plan is carried out, especially in the last days.
The representation of completeness is also important in understanding the messages to the seven churches in chapters 1-3. When we compare these symbolic expressions in Revelation to imagery in other parts of the Bible, a much more meaningful picture emerges.
In Revelation God is revealing to His servants a comprehensive overview of the most significant factors that will affect their lives—including their hardships and rewards—until His plan for humankind is completed. The concluding chapters (21-22) even give the righteous a brief glimpse into the nature of their relationships with God and each other for eternity. God emphasizes the thoroughness and completeness of this revealed prophetic summary by presenting its most significant aspects in patterns of sevens.
Although biblical patterns of sevens are symbolic in that they represent completeness, they also usually have some real, literal fulfillment. For example, God gave the Pharaoh of ancient Egypt a dream in which seven lean cows ate seven fat cows. Then God arranged for Joseph to explain to Pharaoh that the dream signified that seven years of agricultural plenty would be followed by seven years of devastating famine.
By revealing this information to Pharaoh in a dream, God inspired him to promote Joseph to a powerful role in Egypt. Joseph was then in a position to shelter and feed his father’s family—a small clan destined to become the nation of Israel—during the terrible years of famine. God was in control of the dream and its outcome.
In the same way God can foretell the result of any aspect of history (Isaiah 46:9-10). He can intervene to bring events to pass as He desires (verse 10). He can reveal details about the future with unwavering accuracy and precision. So we should not carelessly assume, as some do, that the patterns of sevens in Revelation have only symbolic value. They generally foretell real events and should be taken seriously.
The role of the saints
When John wrote Revelation, Christians were being persecuted, at times martyred, with the approval of the Roman emperors. Revelation frequently contrasts the injustice of the age by emphasizing the future governing role of both the Messiah and the saints.
This is another important aspect of Revelation. The identity of who will have future control of the world is one of the central features of its prophecies.
At the return of Christ we learn: “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6). In the final chapter we read that God’s faithful servants, given eternal life in the resurrection, “shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:5).
Also significant is where they will initially assist Jesus in their governing role. “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reignon the earth” (Revelation 5:10, New International Version).
Even at the very beginning of Revelation John speaks of “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5). Then John tells Christians that Jesus “has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever” (verse 6).
Will servants of God who endure trials and persecutions—past and future—be given real authority in the Kingdom of God under Christ? Indeed they will. As the apostle Paul reminded Christians in Corinth: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” (1 Corinthians 6:2).
Notice Christ’s revelation to John: “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).
This is part of the incredible future Jesus Christ has planned for His faithful followers—to live and reign with Him forever! Now let’s learn what was prophesied to happen to those true followers of Christ down through the centuries until His return.
Bishop Noel Jones “Lord Double My Anointing”
Aliyekuwa Sheikh awaasa watu kutubu
Mhubiri wa kimataifa ambaye hapo awali alikuwa muislamu Mtume Selevista, amewataka watanzania wamgeukie Mungu wa kweli ili wayasalimishe maisha yao kwa Bwana Yesu.
Akihubiri hivi karibuni katika mkutano wa Injili ulioandaliwa na kanisa la Abundant Blessing Center, linaongozwa na mchungaji Frestoni Ndabila, huko Tabata Mandela jijini Dar-es-salaam, alisema umefika wakati wa watu kujua KWELI ambayo itawaweka huru mbali na vifungo vya shetani.
Aidha, alitoa wito kwa wakristo nchini kote, kuachana na uvivu, badala yake wafanye kazi ya Mungu kwa bidii ili kuliokoa Taifa kutoka katika giza na kuwa Nuruni. “Wakristo tukisimama kuiombea nchi yetu na kusema kweli ya Mungu, watu wataacha uovu wao na kumrudia Mungu wao, kitu kitakacholipa nguvu ya kiuchumi Taifa hili la Tanzania”. ALisema Mtume Selevista.
Pia, aliwataka watanzania kujiwekea malengo katika maisha yao, ili kuondokana na umaskini. Mambo kama ulevi, utumiaji madawa ya kulevya, uzinzi na kukaa vijiweni, alisema ni sumu kubwa kwa maendeleao, wayaache na kumgeukia Mungu.
Mhubiri huyo alifanyika baraka kwa watu wa Tabata Mandela, ambapo katika hali isiyokuwa ya kawaida, Waislamu wengi walijumuika katika mkutano huo ili kumwona aliyekua Sheikh wao, aliyeupata usheikh baada ya kuusomea kwa miaka saba.
–Olipa Mwasandube, NYAKATI–
Mathayo 25:31-33
Hapo atakapokuja Mwana wa Adamu katika utukufu wake, na malaika watakatifu wote pamoja naye, ndipo atakapoketi katika kiti cha utukufu wake; na mataifa yote watakusanyika mbele zake; naye atawabagua kama vile mchungaji abaguavyo kondoo na mbuzi; atawaweka kondoo mkono wake wa kuume, na mbuzi mkono wake wa kushoto.
Father’s Love letter!
Barua ya upendo wa Baba
Mtoto wangu…
Yawezekana ya kuwa hunijui lakini najua kila kitu juu yako. Zaburi 139:1 Najua kukaa kwako na kuondoka kwako. Zaburi 139:1 Nazifahamu njia zako zote. Zaburi 139:3 Hata nywele za kichwa chako najua hesabu yake. Mathayo 10:29-31 Kwa sababu uliumbwa kwa mfano wangu. Mwanzo 1:27 Ndani yangu unaishi na kutembea. Matendo 17:28 Kwa sababu wewe ni uzao wangu. Matendo 17:28-1 Nalikujua kabla sijakuumba. Yeremia 1:4-5 Nalikuchagua wewe nilipopanga kuumba ulimwengu. Waefeso 1:10-12 Hakuna makosa kwa sababu hata siku zako zimeandikwa katika kitabu changu. Zaburi 139:15-16 Niliamua juu ya kuzaliwa kwako na mahali utakapokaa. Matendo 17:26 Wewe uliumbwa kwa jinsi ya ajabu ya kutisha. Zaburi 139:14 Nalikuunga pamoja katika tumbo la mamako. Zaburi 139:13 Nikakutoa tumboni mwa mama siku uliyozaliwa. Zaburi 71:6 Nimekosa kujulikana na kuwakilishwa nao wasionijua. Yohana 8:41-44 Sijakasirika lakini upendo wangu umekamilika. 1 Yohana 4:16 Na ni mapenzi yangu kukuonyesha upendo wangu kwako. 1 Yohana 3:1 Hii ni kwa sababu wewe ni mwanangu na mimi ni babako. 1 Yohana 3:1 Nimekupa mambo ambayo babako wa duniani hawezi kukupatia. Mathayo 7:11 Kwa sababu mimi ni baba mkamilifu. Mathayo 5:48 Kila kipawa kizuri hutoka mikononi mwangu. Yakobo 1:17 Kwa sababu mimi nakupa mahitaji yako yote. Mathayo 6:31-33 Mipango yangu kwa ajili yako ni kwa sababu nakupenda kwa upendo wa milele. Yeremia 31:3 Mawazo yangu kwako hayawezi kuhesabika ni kama mchanga wa baharini. Zaburi 139:17-18 Najifurahisha na vipaji vyako. Sefania 3:17 Sitaacha kukutendea mema. Yeremia 32:40 Kwa sababu wewe ni mali yangu ya thamani. Kutoka 19:5 Napenda kukupanda katika nchi kwa moyo wangu na nia yangu. Yeremia 32:41
Napenda kukuonyesha mambo makuu usiyoyajua. Yeremia 33:3 Ukinitafuta kwa moyo wako wote utanipata. Kumbukumbu 4:29 Nitegemee mimi nami nitakupa haja za moyo wako. Zaburi 37:4 Kwa sababu ni mimi ambaye huwapa watu haja za moyo wao. Zaburi 37:4 Maana ni mimi ninayekupa hayo mahitaji yako. Zaburi 2:13 Ninao uwezo wa kufanya makuu kuliko uyawazayo. Waefeso 3:20 Kwa sababu mimi ndiye niwezaye kukuimarisha. 2 Wathesalonike 2:16-17 Tena mimi ndiye ninayewapa wanaohitaji mahitaji yao. Zaburi 2:13 Ninao uwezo wa kukutendea makuu kuliko unayofikiria. Waefeso 3:20 Kwa sababu mimi ndiye ninayekupa nguvu. 2 Wathesalonike 2:16-17 Tena mimi ni baba anayekufariji wakati wa shida yako. 2 Wakorintho 1:3-4 Wakati moyo wako umevunjika niko karibu kukufariji. Zaburi 34:18 Kama mchungaji anavyomchukua mwanakondoo nimekuchukua ndani ya moyo wangu. Isaya 40:11 Nitayafuta machozi katika macho yako. Ufunuo 21:3-4 Na maumivu yako uliyoyapata hapa duniani nitayaondoa. Ufunuo 21:3-4 Mimi ni babako na ninakupenda kama nimpendavyo mwanangu Yesu Kristo. Yohana 17:23 Kwa sababu ndani ya Yesu upendo wangu huonekana. Yohana 17:26 Yeye huniwakilisha kuweko kwangu. Waebrania 1:3 Alikuja kuonyesha kuwa mimi niko upande wako si kinyume chako. Warumi 8:31 Na kukuambia ya kuwa sitakuhesabia makosa yako. 2 Wakorintho 5:18-19 Yesu alikufa ili mimi na wewe tuunganishwe pamoja. 2 Wakorintho 5:18-19 Kifo chake kilionyesha upendo wangu kwako. 1 Yohana 4:10 Nilitoa yote ninayopenda ili nipate wewe na upendo wako. Warumi 8:32 Ukipokea zawadi ya mwana wangu ndipo unanipokea mimi. 1 Yohana 2:23 Hakuna chochote kitakachoweza kukutenganisha na upendo wangu. Warumi 8:38-39 Karibu nyumbani na nitaandaa karamu ambayo haijaonekana huku mbinguni. Luka 15:7 Nimekuwa baba yako na nitaendelea kuwa baba yako milele. Waefeso 3:14-15 Swali langu kwako, je, utakubali kuwa mwanangu? Yohana 1:12-13 Nakungojea wewe. Luka 15:11-32
…Nakupenda, Huyu ni Baba yako
Mwenyezi Mungu
©1999-2006 Father Heart Communications www.FathersLoveLetter.com/Swahili Translated by David Jones
The Battle is the Lord’s!- T.D.Jakes
There are people who can walk away from you.
And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you: let them walk. I don’t want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.
When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.The bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]
People leave you because they are not joined to you.. And if they are not joined to you, you can’t make them stay. Let them go.
And it doesn’t mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you’ve got to know when people’s part in your story is over so that you don’t keep trying to raise the dead. You’ve got to know when it’s dead.
You’ve got to know when it’s over. Let me tell you something. I’ve got the gift of good-bye. It’s the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye.. It’s not that I’m hateful, it’s that I’m faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He’ll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don’t need it. Stop begging people to stay. Let them go!!
If you are holding on to something that doesn’t belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to LET IT GO!, If you are holding on to past hurts and pains LET IT GO, If someone can’t treat you right, love you back, and see your worth LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge LET IT GO! If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction LET IT GO! If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents, LET IT GO! If you! u have a bad attitude LET IT GO!!!
If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better LET IT GO!, If you’re stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him LET IT GO!, If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship LET IT GO!, If you keep trying to help someone who won’t even try to help themselves LET IT GO!!!
If you’re feeling depressed and stressed LET IT GO!, If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying ‘take your hands off of it,’ then you need to LET IT GO!!!
‘The Battle is the Lord’s!’
