THURSDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER 2019 MORNING
2 Chronicles 7:1-10 New International Version (NIV)
The Dedication of the Temple
1 When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it. 3 When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying,
“He is good; his love endures forever.”
4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. 5 And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God. 6 The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the Lord’s musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the Lord and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures forever.” Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.
7 Solomon consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar he had made could not hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat portions.
8 So Solomon observed the festival at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. 9 On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival for seven days more. 10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the Lord had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel.
True worship involves us performing reverential acts. True worship involves us showing that God is our King and that we are submitted to him. True worship involves us bowing down and showing that he is greater than us. True worship involves us declaring God’s character for others to hear. True worship involves us doing what God has called us to do in his word in order to show that he is our king and we are his followers. True worship is what we need to do if we are going to be rightly thankful to God.
ALHAMISI TAREHE 26 SEPTEMBA 2019 ASUBUHI
2 NYAKATI 7:1-10
1 Basi Sulemani alipokwisha maombi hayo, moto ukashuka kutoka mbinguni, ukateketeza sadaka ya kuteketezwa na dhabihu; utukufu wa Bwana ukaijaza nyumba.
2 Wala makuhani hawakuweza kuingia nyumbani mwa Bwana, kwa kuwa utukufu wa Bwana umeijaza nyumba ya Bwana.
3 Wakatazama wana wa Israeli wote, uliposhuka ule moto, utukufu wa Bwana ulipokuwapo juu ya nyumba; wakasujudu kifulifuli hata nchi sakafuni, wakaabudu, wakamshukuru Bwana, wakisema, Kwa kuwa ni mwema; kwa maana fadhili zake ni za milele.
4 Ndipo mfalme na watu wote wakatoa dhabihu mbele za Bwana.
5 Mfalme Sulemani akatoa sadaka ya ng'ombe ishirini na mbili elfu, na kondoo mia na ishirini elfu. Ndivyo mfalme na watu wote walivyoifanya wakfu nyumba ya Mungu.
6 Wakasimama makuhani sawasawa na malinzi yao; Walawi nao pamoja na vinanda vya Bwana, alivyovifanya Daudi mfalme, ili kumshukuru Bwana, kwa maana fadhili zake ni za milele, hapo aliposifu Daudi kwa mikono yao; nao makuhani wakapiga panda mbele yao; nao Israeli wote wakasimama.
7 Tena Sulemani akaitakasa behewa katikati, iliyokuwa mbele ya nyumba ya Bwana; kwa kuwa hapo ndipo alipotoa sadaka za kuteketezwa, na mafuta ya sadaka za amani; kwa sababu ile madhabahu ya shaba aliyoifanya Sulemani haikutosha kuzipokea sadaka ya kuteketezwa, na sadaka ya unga, na mafuta.
8 Basi, wakati ule Sulemani akafanya sikukuu, na Israeli wote pamoja naye, kusanyiko kubwa sana, toka maingilio ya Hamathi mpaka kijito cha Misri, muda wa siku saba.
9 Hata siku ya nane wakaita kusanyiko la makini; kwa maana walishika kuitakasa madhabahu siku saba, na sikukuu siku saba. 10 Akawaruhusu watu waende hemani kwao siku ya ishirini na tatu, ya mwezi wa saba, wakifurahi na kuchangamka mioyoni kwa wema wote Bwana aliomfanyia Daudi, na Sulemani, na Israeli watu wake.
Ibada ya kweli inahusisha matendo yanayomtukuza Mungu. Ibada ya kweli inawataka watu kuonyesha kuwa Mungu ndiye mfalme wao na kwamba wako chini ya utawala na uongozi wake. Tunasujudu na kukiri kuwa Mungu ni mkuu juu yetu. Ibada ya kweli ni kuyakiri matendo makuu mbele za watu wote wapate kusikia. Ibada iliyo halisi ni kuyatenda mapenzi ya Mungu katika maisha yetu ili kudhihirisha kuwa yeye ni mfalme wetu, nasi ni watu wake. Tunapotunza mahusiano mema na Mungu wetu; hiyo huwa ibada ya kweli mbele zake.
