SHEREHE, NDOA NA HARUSI

                                   FAMILY MEETING ON 15th DECEMBER 2018

Utangulizi: Ndugu zangu tunapokaribia kumaliza mwaka huu wa 2018, hakika mioyo yetu imejaa shukrani kwa Mungu. Tunaweza kusema kwa ujasiri kabisa kuwa, “mkono wa Bwana ulikuwa pamoja nasi”. Hatukubarikiwa tu kwa vitu vya kimwili bali pia vya kiroho, tumekua katika maisha yetu ya kiroho. Isitoshe, ulinzi wa Mungu umekuwa juu yetu. Tuseme nini basi, bali kushukuru.

Sasa tunapojongea kuingia mwaka mpya, mwaka uliokubalika mbele za Bwana, mwaka 2019, ninawiwa kushirikiana nanyi maneno machache tu kama kumbukumbu.

Kichwa cha somo ni: UNITY OF PURPOSE

The word from:

1.    1.Mwanzo/Genesis 11: 1 Genesis 11: 4 – 8

2.    2.Matthew 18: 19 - 20

Maneno ya Mungu tuliyosoma kwenye kitabu cha Mwanzo 11 Verse 1: yanatunaonyesha watu waliongamanishwa kama taifa moja kupitia kwenye LUGHA moja, maneno yaleyale - one nation, one language, one speech. LUGHA NI KIUNGO.

Katika msitari (verse) 4 (a) tunaona watu hawa wakija kwa pamoja wakiwa na lengo moja na nia moja. Huu umoja unaleta nguvu, dhamira na ujasiri mkuu. We see a boldness in their determination and decision. A dare to dream. Wanadiriki kufanya jambo kubwa.

Katika msitari (verse) 4 (b) tunaona makusudi yao katika jambo wanalolikubaliana kufanya – kujenga jina lao kwa tahadhari kuwa wanaweza kutawanyika. Getting scattered was what they feared most.Dhamira na makusudi yao hayakumshirikisha Mungu. Their objectives had nothing to do with God.

Katika msitari (verse) 6, Mungu aliona nia na makusudi yao na pia Mungu aliona nguvu iliyopo katika umoja wa jinsi hiyo. Mungu aliona kwa wazi kabisa kuwa huu ni mwanzo tu wa mambo makubwa watu hawa wanayoweza kuyafanya na hakuna cha kuwazuia. God literally said “They are now Unstoppable”. Nothing can be withheld from them.

Kwenye msitari (verse) 7, God’s strategy to disrupt their unity of purpose was not directed towards the project, but rather towards the core of their unity; theone thing they had in common. Tunaona kuwa umoja na nguvu waliyokuwa nayo watu hawa ulitokana na kuwa na lugha moja na maneno yaleyale –one language, one speech. Mpango wa Mungu kwahiyo ulilenga kwenye kile kile kitu kilichowaunganisha - lugha. Mungu akaivuruga lugha yao wasiweze kuelewana tena na akawatawanya. Once people fail to communicate with a sense of understanding, there is nothing that they can do together.

Communication is a catalyst for Unity; Unity is the agent for Success.

Msitari wa (verse) 8, tunaona kwa kile kitu walichokiogopa ndicho kilichotokea – kutawanyika bila jina.Hii ni dhahiri kabisa kuwa mpango wowote ambao umejengwa kwenye misingi ya woga haiwezi kufanikiwa.

Shetani anatumia njia (tactics) kama hizi anapotaka kuvuruga mahusiano mazuri – anatia woga ndani ya mioyo yetu na woga unaleta mafarakano; iwe kwenye familia – mke na mume au wazazi na watoto, marafiki, makazini, makanisani and many more. Shetani anatupiga kwenye point ya mawasiliano; kitu kidogo tu kinaleta mafarakano makubwa kati ya wale waliokuwa wanawasiliana na hivyo umoja na ushirikiano kati ya watu unavunjika.

Matthew 18: 19 – 20

Utaona pia kuwa hivi vifungu vinazungumzia nguvu iliyopo ndani ya Umoja. Hata kama ni watu wawili tu, maadamu wakikubaliana katika jambo lolote, litawezekana. These verses refers to the power of Unity. Jesus is telling us that “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action.” It is as serious as that.

Tunaona similarity kati yamaneno tuliyosoma kwenye Genesis na Matayo – yote yanazungumzia kuu ya UMOJA “coming together”– Unity and Agreement;

Lakini pia kuna tofauti katika vifungu tulivyosoma – tofauti kubwa ni juu ya KUSUDI - the â€œIntent or the Purpose. Katika kifungu cha Genesis, kusudi lao lilikuwa ni kujitukuza wao wenyewe na kujenga jina maana walikuwa na woga. Mungu hakuwa sehemu ya mpango wao - God was not in their equation; walakini katika kifungu cha Matayo, Mungu yupo katikati yao. Any coming together that is in the Name of Jesus,Jesus confirms His presence.

Tunaona pia katika kitabu cha Amos 3:3 unauliza iwapo watu wawili watatembea pamoja isipokuwa wamekubaliana/wana malengo mamoja.

The conclusion of these verses that we have read is:

1.    Tunaweza tukakusanyika lakini Mungu asiwepo katikati yetu. Inatupasa kuhitaji uwepo wa Mungu katika kusanyiko letu (we have to so in His Presence).

2.    Woga au mashaka visiwe ndio sababu ya sisi kufanya kusudi lolote lile. Kusudi letu liwe katika misingi iliyojengwa ndani ya Kristo.

3.    Umoja ni nguvu; na nguvu hii iko ndani yetu kupitia katika neon la Mungu. Ni nguvu inayoweza kuuambia mlima huu ngoka na mlima ukatii.Swali la kujiuliza ni kuwa, je tunatumiaje hii nguvu Mungu aliyotupatia? Je ni kwa ajili yetu binafsi au ni kwa ajili ya kumletea Mungu sifa na utukufu? Is it to glorify ourselves or to God’s glory?

4.    Be Expectant and keep Faith –iwe ni matumaini na matarajio yako na yangu kuwa ni mapenzi ya Mungu kujibu maombi yetu. It is the level of expectancy and the faith in our hearts that will move God to act.

5.    Umoja uliojengwa katika misingi imara ndani ya Yesu Kristo, huleta mafanikio.

Conclusion:

May God give us discerning ears to pick up any foreign language – that is the language which is meant to bring confusion and disunity in of our lives or among us so that we can isolate ourselves from such a language.

May we always gather in His Presence and have a UNITY of PURPOSE.

As God ushers us into 2019, I decree and declare that all the goodness of God will never be withheld from anyone of us. IN JESUS NAME,AMEN