Lebo

12/06/2016

Dalili za Kuwa Mwanafunzi wa Kristo........




HATA imekuwa, mtu akiwa ndani ya Kristo amekuwa kiumbe kipya;  ya kale yamepita; tazama!  yamekuwa mapya.”  2 Kor. 5:17. Pengine mtu hawezi kutaja siku wala mahali hasa alipoongoka kuwa mfuasi wa Kristo;  lakini kukosa kufanya hivyo si kama kusema kwamba yule hakuongoka kweli.   Kristo alimwambia Nikodemo, “Upepo huvuma upendako, na sauti yake waisikia, lakini hujui unakotoka wala unakokwenda;  kadhalika na hali yake kila mtu aliyezaliwa kwa Roho.”  Yoh. 3:8.Upepo  hauwezi kuonekana, lakini twasikia na kuona matendo yake;  na vilevile Roho wa Mungu anajulikana kwa namna ya matendo yake mioyoni mwa wanadamu.

Uwezo wake, usioonekana na macho ya kibinadamu, huanzisha maisha mapya moyoni; humwumba kuwa mpya kwa mfano wa Mungu.  Ijapokuwa kazi ya Roho ni ya kimya kimya na haionekani kwa macho, matokeo yake huonekana waziwazi.  Kama Roho Mtakatifu ameutengeneza moyo wa mtu kuwa mpya, jambo hilo litaonekana katika maisha yake. Ingawa sisi wenyewe hatuwezi kufanya lolote katika kuigeuza mioyo yetu, wala kujiweka wenyewe katika hali ya kupatana na Mungu;  ingawa haifai kabisa kujitegemea wenyewe au matendo yetu yaliyo mema;  maisha yetu yatadhihirisha kama tunayo neema ya Mungu mioyoni mwetu,Badiliko litaonekana katika tabia zetu, mazoea yetu, na shughuli zetu tunazozifanya.

Tofauti dhahiri na thabiti itaonekana kati ya maisha yetu yalivyokuwa zamani na vile yalivyo sasa.  Tabia ya mtu fulani hujulikana si kwa matendo mema au mabaya ya siku moja moja tu, ila kwa mwelekeo  wa matendo yake na maneno yake, na mazoea yake ya siku zote. Kweli yawezekana kwamba kuna watu ambao mienendo yao ni myema machoni pa wenzao, bila kuongoka moyo kwa njia ya Kristo.  Kupenda kusifiwa na kuwa viongozi kati ya wengine, kwaweza kuwafanya waonekane kuwa ni wenye adabu.  Kujistahi nafsi zetu kunaweza kutufanya tuyaepuke matendo mabaya ya nje.  Moyo wenye  uchoyo waweza kutenda matendo ya ukarimu.  Ikiwa ni hivyo, twawezaje kuyakinisha kama tumekuwa upande wa Kristo, au sivyo? Ni nani anayeutawala moyo?  Fikara zetu ni juu ya nani? Tumezoea kuongea juu ya nani?  Ni nani ambaye tunampenda kuliko wote na kumtumikia kwa nguvu zetu zote?

Kama sisi tu watu wa Kristo, basi, fikara zetu zi pamoja naye, na fikara zetu tamu sana zi juu yake.  Tunajitoa kwake pamoja na vyote tulivyo navyo.  Twatamani kufanana naye, kuwa na Roho wake mioyoni, kufanya mapenzi yake na  kumpendeza katika mambo yote. Wale wanaokuwa viumbe vipya katika Kristo Yesu watazaa matunda ya Roho, yaani, “upendo, furaha, amani, uvumilivu, utu wema, fadhili, uaminifu, upole, kiasi.”   Gal. 5;22,23.  Hawatafuata tena tamaa zao za zamani, bali watamwamini Mwana wa Mungu na kufuata nyayo zake;  tabia yake itaonekana katika maisha yao, nao watajitakasa kama yeye alivyo mtakatifu.  Mambo waliyochukizwa nayo zamani, sasa watayapenda;  na vile walivyovipenda zamani, sasa watachukizwa navyo.  Wenye kiburi na wenye kujidai watageuka na kuwa wapole na wanyenyekevu.  Watu wa ovyo na wale wanaojivuna watakuwa watu wa maana na wasio kimbelembele.  Walevi wataacha ulevi wao, na waasherati na wazinzi watageuka na kuwa na maisha yaliyo safi.

A Powerful Christian Witness...


Best Missionaries Come From Christian Homes

Missionaries for the Master are best prepared for work abroad in the Christian household, where God is feared, where God is loved, where God is worshiped, where faithfulness has become second nature, where haphazard, careless inattention to home duties is not permitted, where quiet communion with God is looked upon as essential to the faithful performance of daily duties.1 AH 35.1

Home duties should be performed with the consciousness that if they are done in the right spirit, they give an experience that will enable us to work for Christ in the most permanent and thorough manner. Oh, what might not a living Christian do in missionary lines by performing faithfully the daily duties, cheerfully lifting the cross, not neglecting any work, however disagreeable to the natural feelings! 2 AH 35.2

Our work for Christ is to begin with the family, in the home.... There is no missionary field more important than this.... AH 35.3


By many this home field has been shamefully neglected, and it is time that divine resources and remedies were presented, that this state of evil may be corrected.3 AH 35.4
The highest duty that devolves upon youth is in their own homes, blessing father and mother, brothers and sisters, by affection and true interest. Here they can show self-denial and self-forgetfulness in caring and doing for others.... What an influence a sister may have over brothers! If she is right, she may determine the character of her brothers. Her prayers, her gentleness, and her affection may do much in a household.3 AH 35.5
In the home those who have received Christ are to show what grace has done for them. “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” A conscious authority pervades the true believer in Christ, that makes its influence felt throughout the home. This is favorable for the perfection of the characters of all in the home