“...chagueni hivi leo mtakayemtumikia, kwamba ni miungu ile ambayo baba zenu waliitumikia ng’ambo ya Mto, au kwamba ni miungu ya Waamori... Lakini mimi na nyumba yangu tutamtumikia BWANA. ” ( Yoshua 24:15 )

“...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites...But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
(Joshua 24:15 NIV)

Yoshua alifanya chaguo na ahadi thabiti. Alichagua kumtumikia BWANA Mungu. Kuna miungu mingi ambayo tunaweza kuchagua kuitumikia leo. Chochote kinachokuja kati ya Mungu na sisi au kinachochukua nafasi ya kwanza katika maisha yetu ni mungu wetu au sanamu. Baadhi ya miungu hii inaweza kuwa nafsi, familia, kupenda mali, tamaa ya kibinafsi, mali, heshima, nk.

Joshua made a choice and firm commitment. He chose to serve the LORD God. There are many gods that we can choose to serve today. Anything that comes between God and us or takes first place in our lives is our god or idol. Some of these gods can be self, family, materialism, personal ambition, wealth, prestige, etc.

Ni Chaguo Lipi Bora Zaidi?

Yesu alisema kwamba amri kuu kuu zaidi ilikuwa hii: “Mpende Bwana Mungu wako kwa moyo wako wote na kwa roho yako yote na kwa akili yako yote” ( Mathayo 22:37 ). Ili kufanya hivi, lazima tuchague kukubali wokovu kupitia Mwanawe Mpendwa, Bwana Yesu Kristo. “Kwa maana jinsi hii Mungu aliupenda ulimwengu hata akamtoa Mwanawe pekee, ili kila mtu amwaminiye asipotee, bali awe na uzima wa milele. Kwa maana Mungu hakumtuma Mwana ulimwenguni ili auhukumu ulimwengu, bali ulimwengu uokolewe katika yeye.” ( Yohana 3:16, 17 ).

What Is The Best Choice?

Jesus stated that the greatest commandment was this: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). In order to do this, we must choose to accept salvation through His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16, 17).

Muda dhidi ya Milele

Maisha yetu ya sasa ni ya muda mfupi zaidi. Hili kwa hakika limewekwa katika mtazamo wake sahihi na Mtume katika Yakobo 4:14: “...hamjui hata yatakayotokea kesho. Maisha yako ni nini? Ninyi ni ukungu uonekanao kwa kitambo kisha unatoweka.” Sulemani mwenye hekima alisema karibu jambo lile lile karne nyingi kabla. Hekima inaamuru kwamba kile tunachochagua kinapaswa kuzingatiwa kutoka kwa mtazamo wa milele. “Lakini utauwa pamoja na kuridhika ni faida kubwa. Kwa maana hatukuja na kitu duniani, wala hatuwezi kutoka na kitu kutoka humo” (1 Timotheo 6:6-7). Hakuna uradhi wa kweli na wa kudumu, ikiwa Muumba wetu, BWANA Yehova na Mwanawe, Yesu Kristo watapuuzwa. 

Temporal vs. Eternal

Our present life is for a short duration at best. This is truly put into its proper perspective by the Apostle in James 4:14: “...you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” The wise Solomon said virtually the same thing centuries before. Wisdom dictates that what we choose should be considered from an eternal viewpoint. “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Timothy 6:6-7). There is no true and lasting contentment, if our Creator, the LORD Jehovah and His Son, Jesus Christ are ignored. 

Milango miwili au njia za kuchagua

“Ingieni kwa kupitia mlango mwembamba. Maana mlango ni mpana, na njia ni pana iendayo upotevuni, nao ni wengi waingiao kwa mlango huo. Bali mlango ni mwembamba, na njia imesonga iendayo uzimani, nao waionao ni wachache” (Mathayo 7:13, 14). Kuchagua lango pana ni kwenda pamoja na umati wa watu katika mtiririko wa ulimwengu, ambao mwishowe unaongoza kwenye uharibifu na utupu. Kuchagua kuingia kwenye mlango mwembamba ni kufuata njia ya Yesu aliyesema, “Mimi ndimi Njia, na Kweli, na Uzima. mtu haji kwa Baba ila kwa njia ya mimi.” ( Yohana 14:6 ).

Two Gates Or Ways Of Choice

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13, 14). To choose the wide gate is to go with the crowd in the flow of worldliness, which in the end leads to destruction and emptiness. To choose to enter the narrow gate is to follow the way of Jesus who said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).

Je, Kuna Kugonga Mlangoni Mwako?

Katika Ufunuo 3:20 tuna picha nzuri. "Tazama, nasimama mlangoni, nabisha; mtu akiisikia sauti yangu, na kuufungua mlango, nitaingia kwake, nami nitakula pamoja naye, na yeye pamoja nami." Ni mwaliko gani bora zaidi ambao mtu yeyote anaweza kupokea? Yesu Kristo, Mwokozi na Bwana wetu wa Ajabu, anangoja kuingia moyoni na maishani mwako, lakini lazima ufungue mlango na umruhusu aingie. Katika mchoro maarufu wa tukio hili na Salsman, anaonyesha Yesu akibisha hodi kwenye mlango ambao kitasa cha mlango wa nje! Hii inaonyesha kwa kufaa jinsi gani kwamba wale ambao mioyoni mwao Yesu anabisha lazima wamfungulie mlango kutoka ndani. Hataingia kwa lazima. Ni wewe pekee unayeweza kufanya uchaguzi wa kumruhusu aingie moyoni na maishani mwako.

Is There A Knocking At Your Door?

In Revelation 3:20 we have a beautiful picture. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” What better invitation could anyone ever receive? Jesus Christ, our Wonderful Savior and Lord, is waiting to enter your heart and life, but you must open the door and let Him in. In the famous painting of this scene by Salsman, he shows Jesus knocking at a door that does not have a outside door knob! How aptly this pictures that those on whose heart Jesus is knocking must open the door to Him from within. He will not make a forced entry. Only you can make the choice to let Him into your heart and life.

Faida za Maisha Yenye Kujitolea Kikamilifu?

Hawa ni wengi sana kwetu kuwataja wote katika trakti hii ndogo. Hapa kuna machache tu:

• Utakuwa mtoto wa Mungu (Yohana 1:12, Waefeso 1:5)

• Mtasamehewa dhambi zote (Wakolosai 1:14)

• Utakuwa rafiki wa Kristo (Yohana 15:15)

• Utahesabiwa haki bure (Warumi 5:1)

• Utakuwa kiungo cha Mwili wa Kristo (1Kor. 12:27)

• Utakuwa na ufikiaji wa moja kwa moja kwa Mungu kupitia Roho Mtakatifu (Efe. 2:18)

• Utakuwa huru milele kutokana na hukumu ( Rum. 8:1, 2 )

• Utajua kwamba wote watashirikiana kwa wema (Warumi 8:28)

• Utapata neema na rehema wakati wa mahitaji (Waebrania 4:16)

• Mtakuwa tawi la mzabibu wa kweli (Yohana 15:5, 6)

• mtaketishwa katika ulimwengu wa roho (Waefeso 2:6)

• Utamkaribia Mungu kwa ujasiri (Waefeso 3:12)

• Utakuwa na nguvu za Kristo maishani mwako (Wafilipi 4:13)

• Maisha yako yatafichwa pamoja na Kristo katika Mungu (Wakolosai 3:3)

• Maisha yako yatadhihirisha tunda la Roho - upendo,

• furaha, amani, uvumilivu, utu wema, fadhili, uaminifu, upole, kiasi (Wagalatia 5:22)

Benefits Of A Fully Committed Life?

These are too numerous for us to mention them all in this small tract. Here are just a few:

• You will be God’s child (John 1:12, Ephesians 1:5)

• You will have all sins forgiven (Colossians 1:14)

• You will be Christ’s friend (John 15:15)

• You will be justified freely (Romans 5:1)

• You will be a member of Christ’s Body (1 Cor. 12:27)

• You will have direct access to God via the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)

• You will be free forever from condemnation (Rom. 8:1, 2)

• You will know that all will work together for good (Romans 8:28)

• You will find grace and mercy in time of need (Hebrews 4:16)

• You will be a branch of the true vine (John 15:5, 6)

• You will be seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6)

• You will approach God with confidence (Ephesians 3:12)

• You will have Christ’s power in your life (Philippians 4:13)

• Your life will be hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)

• Your life will manifest the fruit of the Spirit - love,

• joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22)

Ikiwa ungependa kujua zaidi kuhusu Yesu na Mpango wa Mungu, tuma ombi la kijitabu kisicholipishwa cha “Mpango wa Mungu wa Enzi” kwa anwani hii:

If you would like to know more about Jesus and God’s Plan, send a request for the free booklet “God’s Plan of the Ages” to this address: