HONOR GOD WITH YOUR WEALTH

Wealth is defined in Concise Oxford Dictionary as an abundance of valuable possessions or money. Although seeking wealth is the REASON for struggle in this world, it was not the first plan of God since creation. In addition to struggling for wealth, people are struggling for fame (honor) or position and good life. Disregarding the fact that God is the source of everything, many have forgotten the Living God and live a sinful life.  Pastor John Mkumbo, in his sermon titled “Honor God with Your Wealth” referring to Proverbs 3:9, He taught about beginning everything with God for success in the Kingdom of God. Then, he illustrated his sermon by a story about Mr. Mwanseles’s family which ended in serious tragedy.

He said, “Mr. and Mrs. Mwansele were unique couples in Umoja village. They live happily with their three children; Henry, Jane and Grace. They made a very admirable Christian Family. All the people in the village could tell the good story of Mwansele’s family. Mr. Mwansele was a church Elder while Mrs. Mwansele was a chairperson, leading The Women for Christ Fellowship (WCF). They lived in the most beautiful house in the village. Because of his faithfulness in the church, Mr. Mwansele became the closest friend of Pastor Mwakalinga. Their kindness attracted many people to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Indeed, his family was a living testimony for the love of Christ. Now and then, Mr & Mrs Mwansele offered food to the needy. They acted their faith. They knew “It is better to give than to receive.”

By the year 2014, their first born, Henry was in his Advanced level studies, Jane was in Ordinary level and Grace was almost finishing her primary education. During December holidays they all came home to see their parents. What a wonderful moment they had!? Mr. Mwansele decided to take his family out on a picnic. Around evening, he took them to his friend Mustafa, who invited them for a dinner. Henry, Jane and Grace were very happy because they were going to their very close friend who was studying abroad.  On the way, Grace who was very prayerful young girl, started to narrate about a dream she had in the previous night. At first, her brother, who seated close to her in the back seat tried to stop her but she insisted that the dream was so important. “I dreamt of something very terrifying” she said. What is it? Daddy asked. Then confidently, she started narrating.

“I saw a very big snake nearby our house, and then I started shouting for help. You, I mean, you mum, daddy, you and you” opened the door and came out to see what was happening. What shocked me was that the snake started to grow big. In a blink of an eye, it came towards us and started swallowing us.  “Who was swallowed?” Henry interrupted. Jane was first, then dad, when he was trying to kill the snake. I was just crying! Crying loudly calling Jesus to serve us. Then snake started coming towards me, I had nowhere to go, mother had already left. When the snake opened its mouth to swallow me, I don’t know what happened, I found myself seated in my bed trembling. That’s when I realised, it was just a dream. In the morning I wanted to share with you but you were all busy.” “Ah! There must be something, we should keep praying.” The mother added.

By the time they were approaching the friend’s home; their happiness had vanished because of that bad dream. “Oh, My God…Lord Jesus, please! Protect my family” Mrs Mwansele prayed as the car halted at Mr. Mustafa’s parking slot. Oh, Mr. Mwansele! You are warmly welcomed” said Mr. Mustafa, while hugging and laughing joyfully. Is our friend, Kerry back? That day was a highly colourful day for Mustafa’s family, since they were visited by their family friends. On the way back home, Grace seemed to be unhappy. “Are you sick or something?” The brother asked. “No problem” she replied. At the time, Mr Mwansele and his wife were making some funny stories, laughing and laughing.  “Ah! You! Why are you fighting, don’t you love each other?” “Henry is booing me!” Grace replied. “Stop it!” Mr. Mwansele ordered.

As the time went by, their small shop grew into the biggest shop in the village. Apart from Mustafa’s family, no other family you could see a car parked in the afternoon. It was real a successful family. His success pulled his heart back from God. He resigned from being a church elder, the wife also resigned from her position. This happened when the Pastor warned them of their new life style which excluded other believers. Mr Mwansele was no longer the one known for his kindness. For him to give was wastage. He was no longer a pillar in the church because he thought he has contributed more than enough. His wife and children were now modernized. They were no longer, villagers. They were all uprooted from the roots of their culture and faith. At the end He stopped going to the church. He spent his time in drinking beer and committing adultery.

    Because of his contribution to the church, Pastor kept going to his house to convince him back to the church. He refused, and he even insulted him. His wife was then something else. She was no longer such a polite and quite woman. When Mr Mwansele came home drunkard, she used to beat him and ‘there was no service in the bed room’ they slaves in their own home. Children were all confused; Jerry decided to join his mother while the little girls were with their father. The family had turned into battle field. Families tried to intervene and reconcile but nothing worked. Mr. Mwansele started selling his possessions, including his car, the shop was closed. At last they ended up in divorce, all HIV positive, children chased from good schools coming back to the village. What a tragedy!”

    Despite that God spoke to them through dream of their daughter, Grace, no one could hear. They were all after their own desires. Moses warned the Israelites of not forgetting their God after they had succeeded. Here he says, “Make certain that you do not forget the LORD your God; do not fail to obey any of his laws that I am giving you today. When you have all you want to eat and have built good houses to live in and when your cattle and sheep, your silver and gold, and all your other possessions have increased, be sure that you do not become proud and forget the LORD your God who rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves.” (Deut. 8:11-13 GNB) Yes, we must put our God first (Math. 6:33), and have fear of the Lord (Prov.22:4) then God in His appointed time will prosper us according to His will.

GOD'S JUSTIFICATION ACCORDING TO THE BOOK OF ROMANS 3:24

GOD'S JUSTIFICATION

Justification is referred to as “remission of sin and absolution from guilt and punishment; or an act of free grace by which God pardons the sinner and accepts him as righteous, on account of the atonement of Christ.” (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary) Apostle Paul makes this statement to how our justification occurs. “[We] are justified freely by his grace” (Romans 3:24). In this verse, there three very important ideas to be understood by every Christian; these are words “freely”, “grace”, and the word “justified”.

Beginning with the word “freely” In IST, the righter says “He justifies us freely: This is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8) (Lasley 2015, 195) Paul says “Now to someone who works, wages are not considered a gift but an obligation. (Romans 4:4 ISV) So, we are treated as just not because of our works of law or any qualification, but because of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ our savior. We don’t pay anything for justification; it’s just to believe in Jesus Christ who took our sins on the Cross of Calvary.

It is by “grace” which means “unmerited favour from God”, is not by works of law. As Charles R. Erdman, in his Exposition of The Epistle of Paul to the Romans says, “This is due to no merit on the part of man. The source of this “justification” is the ‘unmerited favour of God’. Men are justified freely by His grace. However, this justifying act on the part of God is not due to any indifferent to sin, nor to his failure to observe moral distinctions. God has made it possible at infinite cost.” (Erdman 1966, 58)

            So, nobody deserves this justification on his own. It is God who declares us righteous after we have accepted Jesus Christ our savior. That is why Paul says, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but ‘by the faith of Jesus Christ’, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”  (Galatians 2:16 KJV)

To be “justified” in Good News Bible is translated as “to be put right with God” and as we have seen no one can be put right with God (or justified) by doing what law requires. It is through redemption that is in Jesus Christ. That’s why Paul concludes, “But by the “free gift of God's grace” all are put right with him through Christ Jesus, who sets them free. God offered him, so that by his blood he should become the means by which people's sins are forgiven through their faith in him.” (Romans 2:23-25 GNB)

            Thus, Justification is by the ‘free gift of God’s grace’ and we are justified (put right with God) or God’s approval (GW) through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ (v.24). In Acts 13: 38-39 Paul says to the Jews, "that through him the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and that everyone who believes in him is justified and freed from everything that kept you from being justified by the Law of Moses.” 

Luther’s doctrine is one of unconditional justification based on the free grace of God through the creation of faith in the sinner who hears the Gospel and to whom Christ and his righteousness are made present in faith so that Christ’s righteousness is imputed to the believer. (Persons, Michael Jones, Keith G. 2012, 32)

JIFUNZE KUMTUMAINI MUNGU

"Wanaomtegemea Mwenyenzi - Mungu, wako kama mlima Siyoni, ambao hautikisiki bali wabaki imara Daima" (Zaburi 125 BHN)

Kila aliyeamua kuishi maisha ya kumwamini Mungu ni lazima aidhihirishe Imani yake katika tumaini kwa Mungu siku zote. Mtu asiye na Tumaini ni mtu ambaye hana imani thabiti kwa Mungu. Biblia aintufundisha mengi kuhusu tumaini au tegemeo:

Mfano "Usizitegemee akili zako mwenyewe" (Mithali 3:5), usiwatumainie wanadamu (Yeremia 17:5), usiwatumainie wakuu (viongozi) (Zaburi 146:3), usizitumainie mali (1Timotheo 6:17) na mengine kama hayo. Mungu anataka tumtumaini Yeye peke yake, hili ni la muhimu sana katika maisha ya wokovu. Ni kweli wanadamu wanaweza kukusaidia lakini haikupaswi kuwatumainia. Acha Mungu awatumie kwa wakati wake ili kama ikitokea hawapo wewe uzidi kusonga mbele. Kila siku useme “Bwana ndiye kimbilio langu na ngome yangu, Mungu wangu nitakayemtumaini.” (Zaburi 91:2)

Hakika “VITA NI VYA BWANA” baada ya kuokoka, wewe ni sehemu ya ufalme wa Mungu duniani (tueingizwa kwenye ufalme wa Mwana wa pendo la Mungu (Wakolosai 1:13) . Hivyo tunalindwa na jeshi la ufalme wa Mungu (Zaburi 34:7), tena tunalindwa na nguvu za Mungu (1Petro 1:5). Ukilielewa hili utakuwa na maisha ya wokovu yenye mafanikio makubwa kiroho na kimwili.

Mara nyingi watu hukwama kwa sababu ya kukosa maarifa (Hosea 4:6). Shetani akijua hatujui haki zetu katika Bwana, atatumia mwanya huo kutuyumbisha kiimani. Nafurahi kwa sababu leo umeshajua kwamba ni haki yako kulindwa na Mungu, usimpe ibilisi nafasi. (Waefeso 4: 27). Mtumaini Mungu hata wakati wa vita. Usilie kama waliavyo wasio na Mungu. Wewe ni mteule wa Mungu, simama imara katika kusudi la Mungu. Watu wanaweza kukuacha lakini Mungu hawezi kukuacha. Yeye anasema, "Nimekuchora katika viganja vyangu; kuta zako naziona daima mbele yangu"  Hakuna asiloliweza Mungu.