Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Allah is never found in the Bible

I. Allah is never found in the Bible
  1. Contrary to Muslim claims, the word "Allah" is never found in the Bible in either Hebrew and Greek. The closest two words we find are the Hebrew "alah" (which means to curse, mourn or rise, and is never applied to God) and the Hebrew word "Elah" (Strongs 425) which means has been translated either oak or turpentine tree. Isa 6:13. So apart form the superficial similarity in appearance arguing Allah is in the Bible because of similarities, is like saying Mormon is in the Qur'an because it looks like Muslim.
  2. The first Arabic translation of the Bible came into existence about the 9th century. Nowhere is the name of Allah found in the Old or New Testament
  3. "Oh Ya, Oh Allah, Oh Really?" Islamic apologists like Ahmed Deedat, falsely argue that Allah is a biblical name for God derived from Hallelujah which he initially misspells "Allelujah" then further misspells "AlleluYa". Deedat comments, "Then what is Alleluya? The last syllable "YA" is a vocative and an exclamatory particle in both Arabic and Hebrew meaning "OH!" In other words YA = OH, (the vocative); and YA = (!), a note of exclamation, or an exclamatory particle, or as is more commonly known an exclamation mark. The Semite, both Arab and Jew, begins with the exclamatory particle or exclamation mark. The Westerner, in his language ends with the exclamatory particle or exclamation mark, eg. Stop! Go! Fire! Bang! Let us repeat the above Tasbih (words of praise) as an Arab or a Jew: ALLE-LU-YA will be YA-ALLE-LU because, as explained above, YA is always at the beginning in both Arabic and Hebrew. YA ALLE LU would be YA ALLA HU: Meaning, "OH ALLAH!". (Allah in the Bible, What is His Name?, Ahmed Deedat, p 37). W. E. Vine comments: "Alleluia, without the initial H, is a misspelling". The Hebrew is literally, "hah-lay-loo-yah" = "[let us] praise the Lord". So the similarity is not only invalid, it is in the wrong part of the compound word. "Allah" corresponds to "let us praise" rather than, "YAH" which is the short form of "Jehovah". So Deedat misspells the Hebrew word, finds similarity in the wrong part of the word, misspells YA and says it means "OH", when in fact it is YAH, which is a shortened "Jehovah", and fails to recognize the word "Hallelujah" literally means, "Praise Jehovah", which is the universally accepted meaning for 3500 years, until Deedat comes along! This is not a credit to Deedat's alleged educational credentials.
  4. "Eli or Allah?" Deedat also teaches that Jesus was calling upon the Muslim God Allah in Matthew 27:46, where the Greek reads: "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani". Meaning, "my God My God why have you forsaken me". Deedat says of this passage, " Can't they see that the cry is to Allah? "Eli, Eli - Elah, Elah, Allah, Allah!" (Allah in the Bible, What is His Name?, Ahmed Deedat) This kindergarten approach to similar sounding words is so wild, we need not even comment on it. But it is the best Deedat has!
  5. In a silly attempt to show that the Islam word for God, "Allah" is superior to the word for God used by all other cultures because "you cannot make a feminine of Allah". Deedat pontificates: "This Arabic word, Allah, is never used in any other sense. There is no such thing as an "Allah-father" or an "Allah-mother" or a "Tin-Allah." ALLAH is a unique word for the only God. Arabic, like every other language, also has its rules of grammar, but in Arabic you cannot make a plural form for Allah, nor can you make a feminine of Allah. All this is very unlike the English word, God." (Allah in the Bible, What is His Name?, Ahmed Deedat) But this is deception because Deedat knows full well that in 600AD Allah, the moon God of the tribe of Muhammad, had a daughter named "Al-Lat", which is the feminine form of "Allah"! So the word "Allah" is like God and "Al-Lat" is like Godess! Arthur Jeffrey says, "The name Allah, as the Qur'an itself is witness, was well known in pre-Islamic Arabia. Indeed, both it and its feminine form, Allat, are found not infrequentlyamong the theophorous names in inscriptions from North Arabia." (Arthur Jeffrey, ed., Islam: Muhammad and His Religion, 1958, p. 85.)
II. A Muslim attempt to find Christians to admit "Allah" is in the Bible:The Scofield reference Bible argument:
In an incredible lapse of logic and common sense, Muslims actually use these two pages from the Scofield reference Bible as proof Allah is found in the Bible. With a sensationalistic headline: "Now you see Allah! Now you don't", it tricks the reader into thinking there is some conspiracy going on. ("Muslims stay up late at night thinking up new conspiracy theories and readily embrace them regardless how ridiculous they really are!)
Here is why the Muslim proof of Allah in the Bible using the Scofield reference Bible as proof, is completely false and without any merit at all:
  1. The Bible does not contain the word Allah, it is within a commentary section in the words of Scofield, where he uses the word "Elah" and "Alah".
  2. Scofield's comments do not prove Allah is used in the Bible, but are his own personal opinions. Muslims should understand that Scofield's footnoted comments on the Bible are exactly the same as Yusuf Ali's footnoted comments in the Koran.
  3. Scofield does not use the word "Allah", but "Elah" and "Alah".
  4. Commentators opinions are no proof Allah is in the Bible!
  5. The fact remains that in the Hebrew original text of the Bible, the word "Allah" is never found!
  6. Finally, it is obvious that the consensus of modern scholarship disagreed with Scofield's opinion and for this reason, removed it from the revised edition. It is very unlikely they were thinking of Islam at all when they chose to remove the comments.
The original Scofield reference Bible:
Click to View
Here is a close up of the original section from above:
Click to View
The New Scofield reference Bible:
Click to View
Here is a close up of the revised section from above:

Click to View

Benny Hinn - Who Is The Holy Spirit?

Friday, May 24, 2013

Knowledge and Understanding



  • Doesn't the Bible say that knowledge will be "destroyed"? Isn't it "incomplete"? Doesn't it "puff up"? And then there's the "tree of"! But aren't we also told to "look/ask/seek for it and walk in it"?
  • First, we will look at knowledge, wisdom, and understanding as a single issue.
  • How Long Will Knowledge Be Useful?

    1 Cor 13:8b-12 (Phi) For if there are prophecies they will be fulfilled and done with, if there are "tongues" the need for them will disappear, if there is knowledge it will be swallowed up in truth. For our knowledge is always incomplete and our prophecy is always incomplete, and when the complete comes, that is the end of the incomplete. When I was a little child I talked and felt like a little child. Now that I am a man I am finished with childish things. At present we are men looking at puzzling reflections in a mirror. The time will come when we shall see reality whole and face to face! At present all I know is a small fraction of the truth, but the time will come when I shall know it as fully as God has known me!

    In The Meantime...


  • Knowledge is needed because there are problems as a result of The Fall. Knowledge that is true allows problems to be solved and avoided. If a car breaks down, mechanical knowledge is useful, otherwise it is unnecessary. It is the same with all of life's problems. God gives us knowledge to help "fix" broken people, protect ourselves from the difficulties of life, and allow love to express itself in good works.
  • Knowledge Allows Love To Do What?

    Prov 3:19-20a (NIV) By wisdom the Lord laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the deeps were divided.
    Prov 24:3-4 (NIV) By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

    Love Without Knowledge?


  • Sandy Gregory's story of the ignorant but loving mother: She feeds her children an all meat diet, because she believes meat is the best kind of food. One day she gains some important knowledge after reading a nutrition guide, and she starts buying a mixture of food types for her children. As a result her children become healthier. Question: Did this mother love her children more before or after she gained the knowledge? Hmmm.... The same! But until the knowledge, her love was fruitless, even counterproductive.Knowledge that is true allows love to blossom into good fruit.
  • Rom 10:2 (NIV) For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.Prov 19:2 (NIV) It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.
    Hos 4:6 (NIV) My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

    The "Simple" [those who are deliberately ignorant and actively avoid truth]

    Sunday, May 12, 2013

    God of the Bible is Not Allah of the Koran


    Let us ask ourselves a simple question: Could it be possible that Followers of Jesus Christ and Worshipers of Allah have the same God? According to the impeccable biblical exhibits we now know that the Koran angel Gibreel who appeared to Mohammed is not the same angel Gabriel who appeared several times in the Bible.

    Bible:
    Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
    Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
    Give us this day our daily bread.
    And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
    And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)
    Koran:
    In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
    Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds;
    Most Gracious, Most Merciful;
    Master of the Day of Judgment.
    Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek.
    Show us the straight way,
    The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray. (Sure 1:1-7)

    Even though the word Allah in Arabic means a deity, still it does not mean that said deity-Allah is the Almighty God of the Bible. In the Bible we read about another god who wants to call himself God, inter-alia, even if the gospel of Jesus Christ is enshrouded, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. Which means the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ Jesus, who is the likeness of God and God(2 Corinthians 4:3).

    Bible: God of the Bible, “the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39).

    Koran: Allah of the Koran, “And your God is One God. There is no god but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful” (Sure 2:163).

    Koran: Allah of the Koran, “LAA ELAAHA ELLA HOO.” (There is no other god besides Him. Mohammed is his messenger.)

    Bible: God of the Bible “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3).

    Sons of Allah through Prophet Muhammed and Koran are trying to convince the whole world about the diabolic idea of the three heavenly religions with the three heavenly holly books. If Moslems are correct and if God is one according to Allahic religion, why would Creator need three religions or three books? There is a say that many roads may lead to Rome; but according to the Infallible Bible there is only one way which leads to God, and that way is Jesus Christ the Savior of the World, who said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6)

    Is it possible that there is only one God who gave us one Savior, One book, one faith and one way to reach Him, inter-alia, there are three deities, of which one of them is the true Almighty God the Creator of all things? Let us read together some verses from the infallible Word of God, the Bible and the noble Gibreelic Koran that we may see how the Christians and the Moslems indeed worship and follow different God.


    Saturday, May 11, 2013

    Does GOD has any Religion?

    Did God ever say to Adam and Eve that He has a Religion and/or commanded Adam and his wife to use a certain religion as a means of communicating and worshiping Him? Religion is the service and worship of God or the supernatural, inter-alia, commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance, a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices, a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith, this is according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary.

    Adam and Eve were the first to believe in the coming Christ, the Messiah who would destroy the works of the Devil. Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel. 

    They taught their children and grandchildren to call on the name of the Lord: Genesis 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. 26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD. 

    What is the Creator’s religion? If any, to what culturally developed adamic man-made belief modus operandi does God subscribe to? Credo piousness can be a good way to understand God, but it's not an imperative way for a kinship with Him. That intimacy congruity is between you and God, not an ersatz institution and God.

    Does it make sense to you for God to have and abide to a man-made religion? Please be informed that, Creator existed prior to both man and formation of religion, meaning God must rest in that which is prior to man and transcends subjective cultural ideologies. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:24, God the Creator is not a man with beliefs, and is not a thing that has possessions. Logic: God can't be a being if He created beings. Once mankind realize this, human race will stop killing each other over religious differences, we will see all religion as a cultural points of view of something Universal, we will stop looking for a man with a big grey beard on a gold throne, and will begin to seek God within our own heart and within all things.

    "Jesus said in Luke 17:21 The Kingdom of God is within you". He doesn’t care where you’re from, who you are, or what church you go to — God is inside you, and will always be inside you. Forever.
    Go ahead, close your eyes, and talk to Him.
    All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of the Zondervan Corporation. All rights reserved.
    The “NIV” and “New International Version” trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society.

    © 2013 Max Shimba Ministries

    Jesus of the Bible is not Isa of the Koran


    In this thread I will explain the difference between Jesus of the Bible and Isa of the Koran. Please be informed that, according to the God of the Bible, Names are very important in Biblical terms, in contrast, Allah of the Koran never cares much about the names. God used to name people according to their job, title, and calling. In the Old Testament we often see that the Angel of the Lord would tell the parents of the prophet what to name their child, and we see also that God would often change the prophet’s name after a turning point in the prophet’s life. For example, we see it in the life of Abraham, whose name was changed from Abram (Genesis 17:5), as well as many others through the entire Bible. And it was not just during the Old Testament time; we see it in the New Testament, as well, when Jesus changes the name of Simon into Peter (John 1:42).


    Christ Jesus the Son of the Living God, was not given His name because it was the name of His grandfather, not even because His earthly mother "Mary" gave Him that name, but because the Angel of the Lord gave Him the name anointed name - Jesus. As fully and impeccably explained in the gospel of according to Matthew 1:21, “You shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.” Jesus is a Hebrew word meaning “Savior.”

    Peter who was known Simon, the apostle said in his preaching to the Jews, “Salvation is in one else; for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). By that great name Jesus, which is above all names, those who believed in His name went around preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. They commanded sickness and demons to leave the bound and the oppressed in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of the living God, and not in the name of Isa the son of Mary.

    Accordingly, Prophet Isa of the Koran is not the same person as our Lord Jesus Christ whom we read about in the Gospel. Actually, Mohammed mentioned Isa as a prophet who was given a book to the people of Israel as it says, “And Allah will teach him (Isa) the Book and Wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel, and (appoint him) as a messenger to the Children of Israel” (Sure 3:48).



    Muhammed came with a message to His people, saying, “Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord; and I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst them; when Thou didst take me up Thou wast the Watcher over them, and Thou art a witness to all things” (Sure 5:117), inter-alia, Jesus came with the Revelation, that is why Christians have Holy Spirit who is the Reveler of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

    Wednesday, May 8, 2013

    If Jesus is God, then why did He say the Father was greater than He?


    "You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’  If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I,'" (John 14:28).
    Jesus said the Father was greater than He not because Jesus is not God, but because Jesus was also a man and as a man he was in a lower position.   He was ". . . made for a little while lower than the angels . . ." (Heb. 2:9).  Also in Phil. 2:5-8, it says that Jesus "emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men . . ."
    Jesus has two natures:  divine and human.  Jesus was not denying that He was God.  He was merely acknowledging the fact that He was also a man.  Jesus is both God and man.  As a man, he was in a lesser position than the Father because he had added to Himself human nature (Col. 2:9) and was made under the Law (Gal. 4:4).  He became a man to die for people (1 Cor. 15:1-4).
    A comparison of difference of position can be found in the marriage relationship.  Biblically, a husband is greater in position and authority than his wife. He is her head (Eph. 5:23).  But, he is no different in nature and he is not better than she.  They share the same nature, being human, and they work together by love and commitment to the Lord.
    So, Jesus was not denying that He was God.  He was simply acknowledging that He was also a man and as a man, he was subject to the laws of God so that He might redeem those who were under the law; namely, sinners (Gal. 4:4-5).

    If Jesus was God, why did He say 'No one is good but God alone'?

    It is often claimed by those who reject the deity of Christ that inMark 10:17-22Jesus denies His divinity by rejecting the notion that He is good. It reads as follows:

    “As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good – except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’ ‘Teacher,’ he declared, ‘all these I have kept since I was a boy.’ Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ At this, the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.”

    Is Jesus here rebuking the man for calling Him good and thereby denying His deity? No. Rather, He is using a penetrating question to push the man to think through the implications of his own words, to understand the concept of Jesus’ goodness and, most especially, the man’s lack of goodness. The young ruler "went away sad" (Mark 10:22) because he realized that although he had devoted himself to keeping the commandments, he had failed to keep the first and greatest of the commandments—love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Matthew 22:37-38). The man’s riches were of more worth to him than God, and thus he was not "good" in the eyes of God.

    Tuesday, May 7, 2013

    Jesus and Islam

    Here are six questions that followers of Islam, and others, often ask about Jesus...

    This will be a very respectful presentation to anyone who wants to know about Jesus. No challenges. And there will be no criticism of any religion, in any way.
    Here are six questions answered in this article:
    1. Has the Bible been changed from its original?
    2. Does God say that one religion will replace another: Judaism, then Christianity, then Islam?
    3. Is it not blasphemy to say God has a Son?
    4. Did Jesus die on a cross?
    5. If Jesus died on a cross, was God dead for 3 days?
    6. Why not view Jesus as a prophet?

    1. Jesus and Islam: Is the Bible God's Word? Or has it been changed, or corrupted over time?

    Just as introduction, here are a few statements found in the Bible: "Until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen will by any means disappear, from the Law until everything has been accomplished."1
    The Word of God will not disappear. Everything in it will be accomplished in its entirety till the very end. Again it states, "Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away."2
    Also, "All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."3 All scripture is inspired by God.
    And, "the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever."4
    We need to ask ourselves, "Is God able to protect his word? Is God able to fulfill these statements, that his word will never disappear, never go unfulfilled?"
    Is God capable? Yes, of course. This is God's word to all people. Are we accusing God himself by saying that He was not able to protect it from being changed?
    Nothing has been changed. That is only a rumor.
    The Quran does not say the Bible has been changed. Just the opposite. It honors the Torah and the Bible. It mentions the Torah, and the "Zabur" (the Old Testament and Psalms) and the "Injil" (the New Testament) many times.
    When Islam began in the 6th century, 600 years after Jesus Christ, the Bible was accepted as true.
    So, you might ask, has the Bible changed since the 6th century? No. All you have to do is compare today's Bible with a Bible written long ago.
    We can find complete Bibles, all the way back to 300 A.D., hundreds of years before the Quran. You can find one in the London Museum, in the Vatican, and many other places. If you compare today's Bible with the Bibles of 300 A.D., the Bible we have today is the same as then.
    Did you know that there exists today nearly 25,000 hand-written copies of portions of the New Testament? As historians have compared these manuscripts, they have concluded that the New Testament we have today is at least 99.5% accurate to the original. No change.
    (The .5% differences refer to spelling, but no change in meaning.)
    Also, you might be familiar with the more recent archeological findings of the Dead Sea Scrolls. These were found in caves of Qumran, just off the northwest corner of the Dead Sea.
    Researchers have compared the Bible we have today with what they found, and they remained highly similar, nearly 100% identical.
    Don't let anyone tell you that the New Testament or the Bible has been changed from its original writing. That simply is not historically accurate.
    The Bible has not been changed.
    Ok, but what about having four Gospels? Aren't those different Scriptures, different from each other?

    How an Atheist Found God



    A personal account from an atheist who was convinced no god exists, and what facts led to God.

    By Marilyn Adamson
    atheist experienceI disturbed a lot of religious people by asking, "How do you know God exists?"
    Perhaps they were wondering about my motives. Or maybe they had no idea how to answer. Most of their responses were, "Well, you just know."
    I wasn't trying to be difficult. But I certainly did not "just know." And I was hoping someone did!
    After many months of this, I thought, "Here are the people who say they believe in God, but no one knows why!" It was like learning the truth about Santa Claus. It seemed obvious that God was completely fabricated. Maybe some people needed to believe in God but clearly there was no proof. No objective evidence. I came to the most stark conclusion...God did not actually exist.
    I held this belief for years, not expecting it to ever change. But then I met someone who caused me to become interested in the possibility of God. She was caring, kind, and very intelligent. It bothered me that someone that intelligent could believe in God.
    She talked about God like he was her closest friend. She was convinced he deeply loved her. I knew her life well. Any concern she would take to God, trusting him to work out a way or care for her in some way. She would tell me, quite candidly, that she was merely praying that God would act upon her concerns. For over a year, I regularly saw what seemed to be answers to her prayers. I watched her life through a myriad of circumstances, and her faith in God was unwavering.
    So, I wanted to believe in God on one hand, because I admired her life and her love for others. But I couldn't believe in something against my intellect, against my better judgment. God did not exist. A nice idea, but that was all. Wanting something to be true, doesn't make it true.
    During this time I was developing a personally built philosophy.

    Je, Nina wezaje kupokea msamaha wa dhambi toka kwa Mungu?


    Matendo ya Mitume 13:38 yasema, “Basi naijulikane kwenu, ndugu zangu ya kuwa kwa huyo mnahubiriwa msamaha wa dhambi.”

    Msamaha ni nini na kwanini ninauhitaji?

    Neno “samehe” linamaanisha kusafisha nia au jambo nakulifanya kutokuwa na mawaa yoyote, ku achilia, kufutilia mbali deni. Tunapo kosea mtu, huuliza msamaha wao ili tukarudishe uhusiano. Msamaha haupeanwi kwa sababu mtu anastahili kusamehewa. Hakuna anaye stahili kusamehewa. Msamaha ni ishara ya upendo, huruma na neema. Msamaha ni uamuzi wa kutoshikilia jambo ndani yako kinyume cha mtu mwengine, haijalishi amekukosea kiasi gani.

    Bibilia inatuambia yakwamba sote tunahitaji msamaha toka kwa Mungu. Sote tumefanya dhambi. Mhubiri 7:20 asema, “Bila shaka hakuna mwanadamu mwenye haki hapa duniani, ambaye afanya mema, asifanye dhambi.” 1Yohana 1:8 asema, “Tukisema kwamba hatuna dhambi, twajidanganya wenyewe, wala kweli haimo mwetu.” Dhambi zote ni kitendo cha uasi kinyume chake Mungu (Zaburi 51:4). Basi kwa hivyo, tunahitaji kwa vyovyote msamaha wake Mungu. Kama dhambi zetu hazitasamehewa, tutakuwa katika adhabu ya milele tukiteseka kwa ajili ya madhara ya dhambi zetu (Mathayo 25:46;Yohana 3:36).

    Msamaha-Je, ni upate vipi?

    Kwa shukurani, Mungu ni mwenye upendo na huruma-mwenye ari ya kutusamehe dhambi zetu! 2Petro 3:9 asema, “Yeye hutuvumilia maana hapendi mtu ye yote apotee, bali wote wafikilie toba.” Mungu anatamani kutusamehe, kwa hivyo alitoa kwa ajili ya msamaha wetu.

    Adhabu ya haki pekee inayostahili kwa ajili ya dhambi zetu ni mauti. Sehemu ya kwanza ya kitabu cha Warumi 6:23 yasema, “Kwa maana mshahara wa dhambi ni mauti…..” Mauti ya milele ndiyo ndiyo tuliyopokea kama mshahara wa dhambi zetu. Mungu, kwa mpango wake mahususi, alifanyika kuwa mwanadamu - Yesu Kristo (Yohana 1:1, 14). Yesu alikufa juu ya msalaba kwa kuchukua adhabu tuliyo stahili-mauti. 2Wakorintho 5:21 inatufundisha, “Yeye asiyejua dhambi alimfanya kuwa dhambi kwa ajili yetu, ili sisi tupate kuwa haki ya Mungu katika yeye. “Yesu alikufa msalabani, akichukua adhabu tuliyo stahili!Kama Mungu, kifo chake Yesu kilitoa msamaha wa dhambi kwa ulimwengu mzima. 1Yohana 2:2 asema, “Naye ndiye kipatanisho kwa dhambi zetu; wala si kwa dhambi zetu tu, bali na kwa dhambi za ulimwengu wote. “Yesu alifufuka katika wafu, akishuhudia ushindi juu ya dhambi na mauti (1Wakorintho 15:1-28). Mungu apewe sifa kwa kupitia kifo na kufufuka kwake Yesu Kristo, Sehemu yote ya pili ya kitabu cha Warumi 6:23 ni kweli, “…bali karama ya Mungu ni uzima wa milele katika Kristo Yesu Bwana wetu.”

    Je umeshapata Zawadi ya Uzima wa milele?


    Bibilia inaonyesha njia ya wazi ya uzimani.Mwanzo ni sharti tutambue yakwamba tumetenda dhambi kinyume chake Mungu: “Kwasababu wote wamefanya dhambi, na kupungukiwa na utukufu wa Mungu” (Warumi 3:23). Sote tumefanya mambo ambayo hayampendezi Mungu,ambayo yanafanya tustahili adhabu.Kwa kuwa dhambi zetu ziko kinyume kabisa na Mungu aliye uzima wa milele,basi ni adhabu ya milele pekee itoshayo. “Kwa maana mshahara wa dhambi ni mauti,bali karama ya Mungu ni uzima wa milele katika Kristo Yesu Bwana wetu” (Warumi 6:23).

    Hata hivyo Yesu Kristo asiyekuwa na dhambi (1 Petro 2:23), mwana wa Mungu alifanyika kuwa mwanadamu (Yohana 1:1,14) na akafa ili kutulipia adhabu. “Bali Mungu aonyesha pendo lake yeye mwenyewe kwetu sisi,kwa kuwa Kristo alikufa kwa ajili yetu,tulipokuwa tungali wenye dhambi” (Warumi 5:8). Yesu Kristo alikufa msalabani (Yohana 19:31-42), kwa kuchukua adhabu ambayo sisi tulistahili (2Wakorintho 5:21). Siku tatu baadaye akafufuka katika wafu (1Wakorintho 15:1-4), kudhihirisha ushindi juu ya dhambi na mauti. “kwa rehema zake nyingi alituzaa mara ya pili ili tupate tumaini lenye uzima kwa kufufuka kwake Yesu Kristo katika wafu” (1Petro 1:3).

    Kwa imani ni sharti tuungame dhambi zetu na tumrejee Kristo kwa ajili ya wokovu (Matendo 3:19). Tukiweka imani yetu kwake, kwa kuamini kifo chake msalabani kama malipo ya dhambi zetu,tutasamehewa na kuahidiwa uzima wa milele mbinguni. “Kwa maana jinsi hii Mungu aliupenda ulimwengu, hata akamtoa mwanawe pekee, ili kila mtu amwaminiye asipotee, bali awe na uzima wa milele” (Yohana 3:16). “Kwa sababu,ukimkiri Yesu kwa kinywa chako ya kuwa ni Bwana, na kuamini moyoni mwako ya kuwa Mungu alimfufua katika wafu, utaokoka” (Warumi 10:9). Imani pekee katika kazi aliyo ikamilisha Kristo pale msalabani ndiyo njia ya kweli ya pekee ya uzimani! “Kwa maana nimeokolewa kwa neema, kwa njia ya imani; ambayo hiyo haikutokana na nafsi zetu, ni kipawa cha Mungu; wala si kwa matendo, mtu awaye yoyote asije akajisifu” (Waefeso 2:8-9).

    Monday, May 6, 2013

    Ni kwa nini uzao wa ubikira ni wa maana?


     Funzo la uzao wa ubikira ni la maana sana (Isaya 7:14 Mathayo 1:23; Luka 1:27,34). Kwanza, hebu tuangazie vile bibilia inavyo lieleza swala la uzao wa ubikira. Kulingana na swali la Mariamu, “Litakuwaje neno hili?” (Luka 1:34), Gabrieli anasema, “Roho Mtakatifu atakujilia juu yako, na nguvu zake Aliye juu zitakufunika kama kivuli; kwa sababu hiyo hicho kitakachozaliwa kitaitwa kitakatifu, Mwana wa Mungu” (Luka 1:35). Malaika alimtia moyo Zekaria isiwe na hofu mchukue Mariamu kama mke wako kwa maneno haya: “mimba aliyoibeba ni kwa uwezo wa Roho Mtakatifu” (Mathayo 1:18). Wagalatia 4:4 pia yafunza juu ya uzao wa ubikira “Mungu alimtuma Mwanawe ambaye amezaliwa na mwanamke.”

    Kutoka kwa ukurasa huu, ni kweli kwamba kuzaliwa kwa Yesu kulikuwa kwa Roho Mtakatifu uliofanya kazi ndani ya Mariamu. Roho usio na mwili na mwili (tumbo ya Mariamu) vyote viliusika. Mariamu hangeweza kujitia mimba, kwa hali hiyo alitumika kama “chombo” ni Mungu pekee angeweza kutenda muujiza wa mwili na kuchukua ule wa mwanadamu.

    Kukataa upatanisho wa Mariamu na Yesu itamaanisha kwamba Yesu hakuwa binadamu kabisa. Maandiko yafunza kwamba Yesu alikuwa binadamu, mwili kama wetu. Huu aliupokea kutoka kwa Mariamu. Kwa wakati huo, kikamilifu Yesu alikua Mungu, akiwa na mwili wa milele usio na mawaa (Yohana 1:14; 1Timotheo 3:16; Waebrania 2:14-17.)

    Yesu hakuzaliwa kwa dhambi; hiyo ni kusema hakuwa na hali ya dhambi (Waebrania 7:26). Itaonekana kuwa hali ya dhambi itapitishwa kutoka kizazi hadi kizazi kingine kupitia kwa baba (Warumi 5:12, 17, 19). Uzao wa ubikira wa Yesu haukufuata hali ile ya kupitisha dhambi kutoka kizazi hadi kizazi na kumruhusu Mungu aishiye milele kuwa mwanadamu kamili.

    Je Yesu alienda kuzumuni kati ya kifo chake na kufufuka?


    Kuna kuchanganyikiwa kwingi kuhusu swali hili. Mwelekeo watoka kwa mafunzo ya mitume kumi na wawili ambao wasema, “alishuka kuzumuni.” Kuna maandiko machache ambayo kulingana na vile yametafsiriwa yanaelezea juu ya Yesu kuenda kuzimuni. Kwa kulichanganua swala hili, ni muimu kwanza kuelewa chenye Bibilia inafunza kuusu ulumwengu wa wafu.


    Katika bibilia ya Kiibrania neno ambalo limetumika kuelezea ulimwengu wa wafu ni sheol. Linamaanisha “mahali pa wafu” au “mahali pa roho/mioyo iliyotuacha” Neno la kigiriki katika Agano Jipiya limetumika kusimamia ni “kuzumuni” ambalo pia lamaanisha “mahali pa wafu” maandiko mengine katika Agano Jipiya yanaonyesha kuwa “kuzumu” ni mahali pa muda, ambapo roho zinawekwa zinapongoja ufufuo na hukumu ya mwisho. Ufunuo 20:11-15 unatupa tofauti halisi kati ya maneno hayo mawili kifungoni (sheol) na kuzumuni (hades). Jehanamu (ziwa la moto) ni mahali pa kudumu na hukumu ya mwisho kwa wanaoangamia. Kuzimuni ni mahali pa muda. Kwa hivyo, la! hasha Yesu hakuenda kuzumuni kwa sababu kuzumuni ni ulimwengu ujao ndio neno hilo litakapokuwa likitumika baada ya kiti cheupe cha hukumu (Ufunuo 20:11-15).

    Kuzumu ni ulimwengu umegawa mara mbili (Mathayo 11:23, 16:18; Luka10:15, 16:23; Matendo ya Mitume 2:27-31), mahali pa watakaokolewa na wanao angamia. Mahali pa watakaokolewa paliitwa “paradiso” na ni “kifua cha Abrahamu”. Mahali pa watakaokolewa na watakaoangamia pametenganishwa na “shimo kubwa” (Luka 16:26). Wakati Yesu alipaa mbunguni, aliwachukua wa hudumu wa paradiso waliokuwa waumini pamoja naye kwenda mbunguni (Waefeso 4:8-10). Mahali pa kuzumuni hapakubadilishwa. Wafu wote wasioamini walienda huko wakingoja hukumu yao ya mwhisho ambayo inakuja. Je Yesu alienda kifungoni mahali roho zilikuwa zikingoja hukumu?. Ndio kulingana na (Waefeso 4:8-10 na 1Petero 3:18-20).

    Yesu alikuwa wapi katika siku tatu toka siku ile ya kufa mpaka kufufuka?

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    Kama Yesu alivyotabiri, alisalitiwa na mmoja wa wafuasi wake, Yuda Iscariot, na alikamatwa. Katika shitaka la kufedhehesha chini ya Gavana wa Kirumi, Pontio Pilato, alitiwa hatia ya uhaini na alilaaniwa kufa kwenye msalaba wa mbao. Kabla ya kupigiliwa misumari msalabani, Yesu alipigwa kwa ukatili kwa mjeledi wenye mifupa vyuma ambao ulinyofoa nyama. Alisukumwasukumwa, alipigwa mateke, na alitemewa mate.
    Yesu akamwambia (mwizi aliyetubu) Amini nakwambia, leo utakuwa pamoja paradiso .
    .
    Luka 23:39 Mmoja wa wale wahalifu waliotundikwa msalabani, alimtukana akisema: "Je, si kweli kwamba wewe ndiwe Kristo? Basi, jiokoe mwenyewe, utuokoe na sisi pia." 40 Lakini yule mhalifu mwingine akamkemea mwenzake akisema: "Wewe humwogopi Mungu hata kidogo? Wewe umepata adhabu hiyohiyo. 41 Wewe na mimi tunastahili, maana haya ni malipo ya yale tuliyotenda. Lakini mtu huyu hakufanya chochote kibaya." 42 Kisha akasema, "Ee Yesu! Unikumbuke wakati utakapoingia katika ufalme wako." 43 Yesu akamwambia, "Nakwambia kwa hakika, leo utakuwa pamoja nami peponi."
    Hii inathibitisha kuwa roho ya Yesu na yule Mwizi aliyetubu hazikukoma kuishi bali zilikwenda Paradiso . Je, huko ndipo alipo kuwa Yesu kwa siku tatu?
    Petro wa kwanza 3:18-19 inaeleza, “kwa maana Kristo naye aliteswa mara moja kwa ajili ya dhambi zetu, mwenye haki kwa ajili yao wasiohaki, ili atulete kwa Mungu; mwili wake ukauawa, bali roho yake ikahuishwa, ambayo kwa hiyo aliwaendea roho waliokuwa kifungoni akawahubiri.”
    Siku tatu kuu za Pasaka ndizo kiini cha mwaka wa Kanisa.
    Zinamuadhimisha Yesu mteswa, mzikwa na mfufuka, yaani siku ya kwanza (Alhamisi kuu jioni hadi Ijumaa kuu jioni) inaadhimisha mateso yake kuanzia karamu ya mwisho hadi kifo cha msalaba; siku ya pili (Ijumaa kuu jioni hadi Jumamosi kuu jioni) inaadhimisha maiti yake kubaki kaburini na roho yake kushukia kuzimu; siku ya tatu (kuanzia Jumamosi kuu jioni hadi Jumapili ya Pasaka jioni) inaadhimisha ufufuko wake mtukufu.
    Petro wa Kwanza 3:18-22 inaeleza ushikamano wa kuteswa kwake Kristo (fungu la 18) na kutukuzwa kwake (fungu la 22). Petro ndiye anayefafanua yaliyotokea katikati ya matukio haya mawili. Neno “alihubiri’ katika fungu la 19 lina maana ya kuwa aliwasilisha ujumbe. Yesu aliteswa na kufa msalabani, mwili ukiuawa na roho yake pia kufa kwa kufanywa dhambi. Lakini roho yake ilifufuliwa naye akaikakabidhi Baba. Kulengana na Petro, muda huo baada ya kufa mpaka kufufuka Yesu aliwasilisha hali Fulani ya ujumbe kwa “roho waliokuwa kifungoni.”
    Bwana wetu aliikabidhi roho yake kwa Baba, akafa na wakati Fulani toka kufa mpaka kufufuka, akatembelea kuzimu alikowasilisha ujumbe kwa viumbe vya kiroho 9 pengine ni malaika waasi tazama yuda 6) waliokuwa na uhusiano na nyakati za kabla gharika la wakati wa Nuhu. Kifungu cha 20 kinafafanua zaidi. Petro hakutuambia kilichoambiwa roho hawa waliokuwa kifungoni lakini haiwezi kuwa ilikuwa habari ya wokovu kwa kuwa malaika hawaokolewi (Waebrania 2:16). Pengine ilikuwa ni kutangazwa kwa kushindwa kwa shetani na milki yake (Petro wa kwanza 3:22; Wakolosai 2:15). Waefeso 4:8-10 pia inajaribu kueleza kuwa Kristo alienda “paradise” (Luka 16:20; 23:43) na akawachukua mpaka mbinguni wale waliokuwa wamemuamini kabla kufa kwake.
    Biblia haifafanui wazi wazi kilichotendeka ndani ya muda wa siku tatu hizi toka kufa mpaka kufufuka. Haiwezi kueleweka ya kuwa alikuwa ameenda kuwapa watu nafasi ya pili ya kuokolewa kwa kuwa biblia inatuambia ya kuwa tunakutana na hukumu punde tu baada ya kufa (Waebrania 9:27).
    Shalom
    Max Shimba mtumwa wa Yesu Kristo.

    Friday, May 3, 2013

    Where Do We Go When We Die?


    Because he is the only one who died and came back to life on the third day, Jesus knows more about death than everyone who has speculated about what happens after we die. Even near-death experiences do not tell the whole story.

    Believers

    CrucifixionJesus told the dying thief on the cross next to him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43) Jesus told his disciples, "I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (John 14:3). So, believers go to be with Jesus when they die.
    Heaven

    Non-believers

    Lake of FireJesus told a parable about a rich man who was a non-believer. "The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away." (Luke 16:22-23) Jesus also said, "And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched'." (Mark 9:47-48). Even though Jesus was exaggerating for emphasis when he said "Pluck it out," it is clear that non-believers go to a horrible place called hell.

    Hell: Hades and Gehenna

    Jesus used two different words for hell. The first is Hades which is a temporary place where the dead go until the final judgment. Sometimes Hades is translated as grave. "The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done." (Revelation 22:13)
    The second word is Gehenna which literally referred to the Valley of Hinnom, which was Jerusalem's dump where the garbage was burned. Figuratively, Gehenna refers to the lake of fire. "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 22:15-16)





    Paradise, the Millennium and the New Jerusalem

    New JerusalemParadise is also a temporary place for believers. When Jesus returns to the earth, he will bring with him all of the believers who have died. They and the believers who are still alive will reign with Jesus during the Millennium, the one thousand year period when Jesus is king over all the earth. See 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, Revelation 20:4-6.
    At the end of the Millennium comes the final judgment described above. "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:1-4)

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