Spiritual Darkness.

This is a time of spiritual darkness in the churches of the world. Ignorance of divine things has hidden God and the truth from view. The forces of evil are gathering in strength. Satan flatters his coworkers that he will do a work that will captivate the world. While partial inactivity has come upon the church, Satan and his hosts are intensely active. The professed Christian churches are not converting the world; for they are themselves corrupted with selfishness and pride, and need to feel the converting power of God in their midst before they can lead others to a purer or higher standard.—Testimonies for the Church 9:65. ChS 55.2

In our day, as of old, the vital truths of God’s word are set aside for human theories and speculations. Many professed ministers of the gospel do not accept the whole Bible as the inspired word. One wise man rejects one portion; another questions another part. They set up their judgment as superior to the Word; and the Scripture which they do teach rests upon their own authority. Its divine authenticity is destroyed. Thus the seeds of infidelity are sown broadcast; for the people become confused, and know not what to believe. There are many beliefs that the mind has no right to entertain.—Christ’s Object Lessons, 39. ChS 55.3

Wickedness is reaching a height never before attained, and yet many ministers of the gospel are crying, “Peace and safety.” But God’s faithful messengers are to go steadily forward with their work. Clothed with the panoply of heaven, they are to advance fearlessly and victoriously, never ceasing their warfare until every soul within their reach shall have received the message of truth for this time.—The Acts of the Apostles, 220. ChS 55.4
There is a cause for alarm in the condition of the religious world today. God’s mercy has been trifled with. The multitude make void the law of Jehovah, “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Infidelity prevails in many of the churches in our land; not infidelity in its broadest sense,—an open denial of the Bible,—but an infidelity that is robed in the garb of Christianity, while it is undermining faith in the Bible as a revelation from God. Fervent devotion and vital piety have given place to hollow formalism. As the result, apostasy and sensualism prevail. Christ declared, “As it was in the days of Lot, ... even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” The daily record of passing events testifies to the fulfillment of His words. The world is fast becoming ripe for destruction. Soon the judgments of God are to be poured out, and sin and sinners are to be consumed.

Steps to Christ

There is nothing more calculated to strengthen the intellect than the study of the Scriptures. No other book is so potent to elevate the thoughts, to give vigor to the faculties, as the broad, ennobling truths of the Bible. If God’s word were studied as it should be, men would have a breadth of mind, a nobility of character, and a stability of purpose rarely seen in these times

KILE ANACHOTAKA MUNGU

Wakati huu Mungu anataka kile kile alichotaka kwa watakatifu wale wawili kule Edeni utii kamili kwa matakwa yake. Sheria yake [Amri Kumi] inaendelea kuwa ni ile ile kwa vizazi vyote. Kanuni [kipimo] kuu ya haki iliyotolewa katika Agano la Kale haijapunguzwa katika Agano Jipya. Si kazi ya Injili kupunguza nguvu ya madai ya Sheria takatifu ya Mungu [Amri Kumi] ila kuwainua wanadamu juu ili wawe mahali wanapoweza kuzishika amri zake [kumi]. Imani katika Kristo inayomwokoa mwanadamu si kama vile inavyohubiriwa na wengi. "Amini, amini," ndicho kilio chao; "mwamini tu Kristo, nawe utaokoka. Hayo ndiyo yote unayopaswa kufanya." Wakati imani ya kweli inamtegemea Kristo kabisa kwa wokovu, itamwongoza [yule aliye nayo] kwenye utii kamili kwa Sheria ya Mungu [Amri Kumi]. Imani inadhihirishwa kwa matendo.

Tena, yule mtume Yohana anatangaza, akisema, "Yeye asemaye, Nimemjua [Nimeokoka], wala hazishiki amri zake [kumi], ni mwongo, wala kweli haimo ndani yake" (1 Yohana 2:4). Si salama kutegemea hisia [kujisikia moyoni] au misisimko; mambo hayo ni viongozi wasioweza kutegemewa. Sheria ya Mungu [Amri Kumi] ndiyo kanuni ya utakatifu peke yake.

 Ni kwa njia ya Sheria hiyo [Amri Kumi] tabia ya mtu itapimwa. Kama mtu ye yote anayeulizia wokovu angeuliza swali hili, "Nifanye nini ili niurithi uzima wa milele?" waalimu wa siku hizi wanaofundisha utakaso wangejibu hivi, "Amini tu kwamba Yesu anakuokoa." Lakini Yesu alipoulizwa swali hilo alimwambia, "Imeandikwa nini katika torati? Wasomaje? Yule aliyeuliza swali hilo akamjibu, akisema, "Mpende Bwana Mungu wako kwa moyo wako wote,... na jirani yako kama nafsi yako," Yesu akamwambia, "Umejibu vema; fanya hivi nawe utaishi" (Luka 10:25-29).Utakaso wa kweli utashuhudiwa kwa heshima ile anayoionyesha mtu kwa bidii na kwa uaminifu wake kwa amri zote [kumi] za Mungu, kwa uangalifu wake katika kuikuza kila talanta aliyopewa, kwa maongezi yake yenye busara, na kwa kuonyesha katika kila tendo analotenda upole ule wa Kristo.

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Dhambi inapozifisha hisia za kiroho, mwenye dhambi hatambui kasoro alizo nazo katika tabia yake, wala hatambui ukubwa wa dhambi aliyoitenda; na kama hajisalimishi chini ya uwezo umhakikishiao dhambi wa Roho Mtakatifu, anabaki katika hali ya kuwa nusu kipofu kwa dhambi yake. Maungamo yake si ya kweli wala hayatolewi kwa dhati.

Kwa kila kosa analoungama anaongeza kutoa udhuru kwa ajili ya njia yake mbaya huku akijipongeza, akisema kwamba laiti mambo yasingalikuwa vile, asingekuwa amefanya kosa hili au lile, ambalo kwalo anakaripiwa.

Adamu na Hawa walipokwisha kula matunda yaliyokatazwa, walijaa haya na hofu kuu. Kwanza kabisa, walifikiri namna ya kujitetea kwa ajili ya kosa lao, ili waepukane na hukumu ya kifo waliyoiogopa sana. Bwana alipowauliza habari ya kosa lao, Adamu alijibu, huku kwa sehemu fulani akiliweka kosa lile juu ya Mungu na kwa sehemu juu ya mwenzi wake: “Mwanamke uliyenipa awe pamoja nami ndiye aliyenipa matunda ya mti huo, nikala.” Yule mwanamke akamtupia lawama nyoka, akasema, “Nyoka alinidanganya, nikala.” Mwanzo 3:12,13. Kwa nini ulimwumba nyoka? Kwanini ulimruhusu aje katika Edeni? Haya ndiyo maswali yaliyojificha katika udhuru aliotoa kwa ajili ya dhambi yake, kwa njia hiyo akimshitaki Mungu kuwa anawajibika kwa anguko lao.

Roho ya kujihesabia haki mtu mwenyewe mwanzo wake ilitoka kwa yule baba wa uongo, nayo imedhihirishwa na wana na binti wote wa Adamu. Maungamo ya jinsi hii hayavuviwi na Roho wa Mungu, wala hayatakubaliwa na Mungu. Ungamo la kweli litamfanya mtu abebe dhambi yake mwenyewe, na kuiungama bila ya kuwa na udanganyifu au unafiki. Kama yule mtoza ushuru maskini, pasipo kuinua sana macho yake kuelekea mbinguni, atalia, akisema, “Mungu uniwie radhi mimi mwenye dhambi;” na wale wanaokiri dhambi zao watahesabiwa haki; kwa maana Yesu atawaombea akidai damu yake iliyomwagika kwa ajili ya mwenye dhambi atubuye.

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Zamani wakati wa Samweli, Waisraeli walimwasi Mungu. Walikuwa wakiteseka kama matokeo ya dhambi zao; maana walikuwa wamepoteza imani yao kwa Mungu, walikuwa wamepoteza utambuzi wao kuhusu nguvu na hekima yake katika kulitawala taifa lile, walipoteza imani yao kuhusu uwezo wake wa kuwalinda na kuithibitisha kazi yake.

Wakampa kisogo Mfalme Mkuu wa Malimwengu, na kutamani kutawaliwa kama mataifa yale yaliyowazunguka. Kabla hawajaipata amani, walitoa ungamo hili halisi: “Tumeongeza dhambi zetu kwa uovu huu, wa kujitakia mfalme.” 1 Sam. 12:19. Kosa lile lile hasa ambalo walitiwa hatiani lilipaswa kuungamwa. Kutokuwa na shukrani kwao kuliitesa mioyo yao, na kuwatenga mbali na Mungu.

Ungamo halitakubaliwa na Mungu bila ya kuwapo toba ya kweli na badiliko la maisha. Lazima badiliko dhahiri lionekane katika maisha ya mtu; kila kitu kimchukizacho Mungu ni lazima kiondolewe na kutupwa mbali. Hayo yatakuwa ndiyo matokeo ya huzuni ya kweli kwa ajili ya dhambi. Kazi ile tupaswayo kufanya kwa upande wetu imewekwa wazi mbele yetu: “Jiosheni, jitakaseni; ondoeni uovu wa matendo yenu usiwe mbele za macho yangu; acheni kutenda mabaya; jifunzeni kutenda mema;takeni hukumu na haki; wasaidieni walioonewa; mpatieni yatima haki yake; mteteeni mjane.”

 Isa. 1:16,17. “Kama mtu mwovu akirudisha rehani, na kumrudishia mtu mali yake aliyomnyang’anya, akizifuata sheria za uzima, asitende uovu wo wote; hakika ataishi, hatakufa.” Eze. 33:15. Paulo, akiongea juu ya kazi ya toba, asema hivi: “Maana angalieni, kuhuzunishwa kuko huko kwa jinsi ya Mungu kulitenda bidii kama nini ndani yenu; naam, na kujitetea, naam, na kukasirika, naam, na hofu, naam, na shauku, naam, na kujitahidi, naam, na kisasi! Kwa kila njia mmejionyesha wenyewe kuwa safi katika jambo hilo.” 2 Kor. 7:11.

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Wale ambao hawajajinyenyekeza mioyo yao mbele za Mungu na kuziungama dhambi zao, bado hawajalitimiza sharti la kwanza la kukubaliwa na Mungu. Kama hatujasikia toba lisilo na majuto (2 Kor. 7:10), wala hatujaziungama dhambi zetu kwa moyo wa unyenyekevu na uliovunjika, na kuyachukia maovu yetu, tutakuwa kweli hatujawahi kamwe kutafuta msamaha wa dhambi zetu; na kama hatujautafuta, basi hatujawahi kamwe kuipata amani ya Mungu. Sababu ya pekee kwa nini hatupati msamaha wa dhambi zetu zilizopita ni kwamba hatuko tayari kuinyenyekeza mioyo yetu
na kutimiza masharti ya neno la kweli.

Maagizo dhahiri yametolewa kuhusu suala hili. Ungamo la dhambi, liwe hadharani au faraghani, ni lazima litoke moyoni hasa, na litolewe kwa hiari. Mwenye dhambi asilazimishwe kutoa ungamo hilo. Wala halipaswi kutolewa kwa mzaha-mzaha tu au bila kujali, au kwa kuwalazimisha wale ambao hawana hisia yo yote juu ya hali mbaya mno ya kuchukiza ya dhambi.Ungamo lile litokalo moyoni hasa humfikia Mungu mwenye huruma isiyo na kikomo. Mtunga Zaburi asema,Bwana yu karibu nao waliovunjika moyo, na waliopondeka roho huwaokoa.” Zaburi 34:18.

Ungamo la kweli daima ni la aina yake, nalo linakiri dhambi halisi zilizofanywa. Pengine ni dhambi ambazo imetupasa sisi kuzikiri kwa siri mbele za Mungu tu; pengine ni tendo baya ambalo linapaswa kuungamwa kwa mtu mmoja tu, yaani, yule aliyeathirika kutokana na tendo lile; au pengine ni kosa lililotendwa mbele ya watu lililowaumiza mioyo yao, ambalo linapaswa kuungamwa mbele yao. Lakini maungamo yote ni lazima yawe dhahiri na yakiri kosa lile lile hasa ulilolitenda.

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AFICHAYE dhambi zake hatafanikiwa; bali yeye aziungamaye na kuziacha atapata rehema.” Mithali 28:13.

Masharti yanayompasa mtu kufanya ili apate rehema ya Mungu si magumu, ni ya
haki na ya maana. Bwana hataki tufanye jambo fulani zito ili tupate kusamehewa dhambi
zetu. Hatuna haja ya kufanya hija ndefu na za kuchosha kwenda mahali patakatifu, wala
kujipiga-piga kuonyesha toba yetu, ili Mungu wa mbinguni apendezwe nasi, ama kufanya
malipo kwa ajili ya makosa yetu; lakini yeye aziungamaye dhambi zake na kuziacha,
ndiye atakayesamehewa.

Mtume Yakobo asema, “Ungameni dhambi zenu (kigiriki, makosa yenu) ninyi kwa ninyi, na kuombeana, mpate kuponywa.” Yak. 5:16. Ungama dhambi zako kwa Mungu ambaye ndiye peke yake awezaye kuzisamehe, na makosa yako uliyowatendea wengine uyaungame mbele yao. Endapo umemfanyia rafiki au jirani yako kosa lililomchukiza, unapaswa kuliungama kosa lako kwake, naye ni wajibu wake kukusamehe kabisa.


Kisha yakupasa kuomba msamaha kwa Mungu, kwa sababu huyo mwenzako ni kiumbe cha Mungu, na kumfanyia mwanadamu makosa ni kumfanyia makosa Muumba na Mwokozi wake. Jambo hilo linawekwa mbele ya Mpatanishi pekee wa kweli, Kuhani wetu Mkuu, ambaye “alijaribiwa sawasawa na sisi katika mambo yote, bila kufanya dhambi,” na ambaye aweza “kuchukuana nasi katika mambo yetu ya udhaifu,” na awezaye kutusafisha uchafu wote wa dhambi. Ebr. 4:15.