Wednesday, 17 July 2013

Wakristo na utoaji zaka katika Agano Jipya

Mkristo lazima atoe zaka? HIli ni swali ambalo limewasumbua wengi, ni swali ambalo wakati mwingine majibu yake huambatana na vitisho, na shuku kwamba muulizaji anaroho ya kutokutii maandiko. Walio wengi ujua kuwa ni lazima mkristo atoe zaka na kutoitoa husababisha laana maishani. Kutokana na kuogopa laana wengi wao hutoa si kwa kupenda na kwa furaha bali kwa maumivu yasiyokifani, na mara nyingi hutoa kwa kusitasita na kuruka ruka, hata kuwafanya wapokeaji kutunga sheria au taratibu zitakazo wabana watoaji waweze kulitoa kwa shuruti hata kama hawapendi. Wengine wamekwenda mbali zaidi kuwanyima washirika wengine msaada wawapo katika vipindi vigumu kama kufiwa au kuugua kwa sababu tu hawatoi zaka au kama wanatoa hawatoi sawa sawa kulingana na rekodi zao. 



Somo hili linalenga kujibu swali hili kwa undani, likianza kwa kutoa historia ya utoaji wa zaka katika Agano la Kale mpaka wakati wa Agano Jipya. Katika somo hili utajifunza kuwa mkristo hafungwi na sheria ya zaka na kwamba utoaji wa mkristo husukumwa na moyo wa furaha na ihari na kwa kadri Mungu alivyo mbariki. Kwamba mkristo kwa kusukumwa na moyo huo aweza hata kutoa zaidi ya fungu la kumi maadamu utoaji wake haukuambatana na shuruti ya namna yoyote!

Saturday, 13 July 2013

"Is the Bible truly God's Word?


Answer: Our answer to this question will not only determine how we view the Bible and its importance to our lives, but also it will ultimately have an eternal impact on us. If the Bible is truly God’s Word, then we should cherish it, study it, obey it, and fully trust it. If the Bible is the Word of God, then to dismiss it is to dismiss God Himself.

The fact that God gave us the Bible is an evidence and illustration of His love for us. The term “revelation” simply means that God communicated to mankind what He is like and how we can have a right relationship with Him. These are things that we could not have known had God not divinely revealed them to us in the Bible. Although God’s revelation of Himself in the Bible was given progressively over approximately 1500 years, it has always contained everything man needs to know about God in order to have a right relationship with Him. If the Bible is truly the Word of God, then it is the final authority for all matters of faith, religious practice, and morals.