JUMANNE TAREHE 23 MEI 2017

OMBENI KATIKA JINA LA YESU: WEWE HUOMBI CHOCHOTE?

Isaya 37:15-20; Luka 15:25-32

 

Isaya

15 Hezekia akamwomba Bwana, akisema,
16 Ee Bwana wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, ukaaye juu ya makerubi, wewe, naam, wewe peke yako, ndiwe Mungu wa falme zote za dunia. Wewe ndiwe uliyeziumba mbingu na nchi.
17 Tega sikio lako, Bwana, usikie; funua macho yako, Bwana, uone; uyasikie maneno ya Senakeribu, aliyopeleka ili kumtukana Mungu aliye hai.
18 Ni kweli, Bwana, wafalme wa Ashuru wameziharibu nchi zote, na mashamba yao,
19 na kuwatupa miungu yao motoni; kwa maana hao hawakuwa miungu, bali kazi ya mikono ya wanadamu; walikuwa miti na mawe, ndiyo sababu wakawaharibu.
20 Basi sasa, Bwana, Mungu wetu, utuokoe na mkono wake, falme zote za dunia zipate kujua ya kuwa wewe ndiwe Bwana, wewe peke yako.

Luka

25 Basi, yule mwanawe mkubwa alikuwako shamba na alipokuwa akija na kuikaribia nyumba, alisikia sauti ya nyimbo na machezo.
26 Akaita mtumishi mmoja, akamwuliza, Mambo haya, maana yake nini?
27 Akamwambia, Ndugu yako amekuja, na baba yako amemchinja ndama aliyenona, kwa sababu amempata tena, yu mzima.
28 Akakasirika, akakataa kuingia ndani. Basi babaye alitoka nje, akamsihi.
29 Akamjibu baba yake, akasema, Tazama, mimi nimekutumikia miaka mingapi hii, wala sijakosa amri yako wakati wo wote, lakini hujanipa mimi mwana-mbuzi, nifanye furaha na rafiki zangu;
30 lakini, alipokuja huyu mwana wako aliyekula vitu vyako pamoja na makahaba, umemchinjia yeye ndama aliyenona.
31 Akamwambia, Mwanangu, wewe u pamoja nami sikuzote, na vyote nilivyo navyo ni vyako.
32 Tena, kufanya furaha na shangwe ilipasa, kwa kuwa huyu ndugu yako alikuwa amekufa, naye amefufuka; alikuwa amepotea, naye ameonekana.

Mfalme Hezekiah alikuwa amezungukwa na jeshi kubwa la Waashuru, lililokuwa na mpango wa kuuhusuru Yerusalemu. Alichojua yeye ni kutambua aliyempa kiti cha ufalme, kile kiti cha Daudi kilichoitwa "Kiti cha Enzi cha Mungu" na kumgeukia na kumwomba Mungu, aliye pekee yake Mungu wa falme zote" amwokoe na mkono wa Washami (watu hodari wa vita); naye akamwokoa! 

Kile kitu unachotarajia kufaidi toka kwa mtu, kinategemea sana hali ya huyo mtu na kwamba mtu huyo ana nini na shauku uliyo nayo juu ya kupata kile unachohitaji. Kama mfadhili wako ni Mungu, basi wewe utarajie kupata ufadhili toka kwa Mungu mwenye enzi yote na mwenye uwezo wote. Ila kabla hujamkabili na ombi lako, unahitaji kupanga na kujua unataka nini na kwa kiasi gani toka kwake! Maombi ya Hezekiah hayakujichanganya, bali yalilenga mahitaji ambayo Hezekiah alijua Mungu anaweza kumpa. 

Wewe umejipanga kumwomba Mungu nini? Na kama baada ya kujipanga kote huko, unafika mbele zake bila mahitaji, basi usitarajie kupata kitu toka kwake. Biblia inasema katika Yakobo 4:2 kuwa;

    " Mwatamani, wala hamna  kitu; mwaua na kuona wivu, wala hamwezi kupata. Mwafanya vita na kupigana, wala hamna kitu kwa kuwa hamwombi!"

Hata katika Injili ya Yohana 16:24 Yesu baada ya kuwa na wanafunzi wake kitambo anawasema wanafunzi kwa neno ambalo hata mimi limenishitua, anawaambia; 

     " Hata sasa hamkuomba neno kwa Jina langu; ombeni, nanyi mtapata; faraja yenu iwe timilifu."

Hiki, Bwana Yesu alikuwa akiwaambia wanafunzi wake! Kana kwamba anawasuta. Kwamba wanatembea na chemchemi ya maji ya uzima muda wote lakini hawanywi! Unajua, hata sasa kuna watu hujiridhisha vitu vya ajabu sana. Hufikiri kumwomba Mungu vitu vingi ni ulafi, wakati Mungu anasubiri aombwe! Kumbuka yule mkuu wa sinagogi alimng'ang'ania Yesu juu ya binti yake, huku wanafunzi wa Yesu wanamwambia asimsumbue mwalimu, kwa kuwa binti yake amekufa!(Luka 8:49-50) Lakini kutokana na shauku ya kupata alichokusudia toka kwa Yesu, hakulifuta ombi lake na Yesu alimwinua binti yake, furaha yake ikatimilika.

Ule mfano juu ya mwana mpotevu ( 15:25-32) unatufundisha kitu kipya kuhusu watu wanaozungukwa na anasa lakini hawajui namna ya kuzitumia. Yeye kazungukwa na mali zote, mdogo wake anchinjiwa ndama, analamika kuwa kwa nini, ikiwa yeye hata mbuzi wa kusherehekea na marafiki zake hajachinja lakini huyu anayemwita, "ametapanya fedha ya baba yake" anachinjiwa ndama! Akazira! 

Hiki kitufundishe kuwa,

• Mungu anajua kuwa kupungukiwa si kitu kizuri kwako,
• Mungu alikupa kinywa ili umwombe,
• Anachotaka ni wewe, uombe, ili ajibu haraka. 

Mbona hata sasa hujaomba? Ombi katika Jina la Yesu!

 

PRAY IN THE NAME OF JESUS: ASKING FOR NOTHING?

Isaiah 37:15-20; Luke 15:25-32

 

Isaiah

¹⁵ And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: ¹⁶ “Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁷ Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

¹⁸ “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. ¹⁹ They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. ²⁰ Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God.^[a]”

We have here a case of King Hezekiah who was besieged by the Assyrians, whose intentions were to destroy his city of Jerusalem. All he remembered, was to call upon Him who seated him on the throne, the King of all the kingdoms on earth, to save them from Sennacherib, and He did just that. 

The benefits that you derive from anyone depend upon how much that individual has, and how desperate you are to receive. If God is the one you need something from, then know that you are dealing with the Almighty God who has all things and can do all things. Accordingly, when you approach Him, you need first to determine what you want and how much you want from him. Hezekia's prayer  was to the point and was not wasted. If you approach God, and your response is to ask God nothing, I am afraid you will leave empty handed. James 4:2 says; 

   " You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight war, yet you have not, because you ask not"

At John 16:24 after being with Jesus several years together, Jesus surprises His disciples with something that even shocked me, He says; 

   " Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full."

They lived and walked with the Fountain of living water, yet they failed to drink from it. It may surprise you how extreme some believers take the issue of contentment! They think it is covetous to ask God for anything decent or to ask for plenty! Do you remember that Ruler of the synagogue obstinacy? (Luke8:49-50) that even when they told him that "..he should not trouble the Teacher as his child was dead", he did not retract his request, and his child was resurrected and his joy was unspeakable!

The parable of the prodigal son is another good example of those swimming in abundance but hardly ever ask for a bit of it. And when his prodigal young brother returned and his father declared a feast, he was annoyed. In his eyes, how could his father slaughter a cow to celebrate his brother's return, whereas he had not even had a ram to celebrate his birthday with his friends. 

This should teach us that, our God,

• Knows that having nothing is not good for you,
• He gave you a mouth with which to ask
• He wants you to ask so that He can answer you speedily 

Why then is it up to now you are yet to ask? Ask in Jesus name!