Mnatamani sana kwa Mungu kufurahishwa nanyi, lakini bado mko mbali sana na Mungu. Tatizo ni nini hapa? Mnakubali tu maneno Yake, sio kushugulika na kupogoa Kwake, na hata mpangilio Wake wote. Zaidi ya hayo, hamwezi kuwa na imani kamilifu Kwake. Tatizo, basi, ni nini hapa? Kimsingi, imani yenu ni kaka tupu la yai lisiloweza kutoa kifaranga. Kwani imani yenu haijawaletea ukweli ama kuwapa maisha, na badala imewaletea hisia danganyifu ya tumaini na msaada. Madhumuni ya imani yenu kwa Mungu ni tumaini hili na msaada huu badala ya ukweli na maisha. Kwa hivyo, Nasema kwamba mwendo wa imani yenu kwa Mungu si mwingine bali ni kujaribu kupata neema ya Mungu kupitia utumwa na kutokuwa na aibu, na haiwezi kwa njia yoyote kuchukuliwa kuwa imani ya kweli. Kifaranga anaweza kujitokezaje kwa imani kama hii? Kwa maneno mengine, ni tunda lipi imani kama hii inaweza kuzalisha? Azma ya imani yenu kwa Mungu ni kutimiza nia zenu kupitia kumtumia Mungu. Huu sio ukweli zaidi unaoonyesha kosa lenu dhidi ya tabia ya Mungu? Mnaamini kuwepo kwa Mungu aliye mbinguni lakini mnakataa yule Mungu aliye duniani. Hata hivyo, Sikubaliani na maoni yenu. Nawapongeza tu wale wanadamu wanaosimama imara na kumtumikia Mungu wa duniani, kamwe sio wale wasiomkiri Kristo aliye duniani. Bila kujali jinsi wanadamu kama hawa walivyo waaminifu kwa Mungu aliye duniani, mwishowe, hawatauepuka mkono Wangu unaoadhibu waovu. Wanadamu kama hawa ni waovu; ni wale waovu wanaompinga Mungu na hawajawahi kumtii Kristo kwa furaha. Bila shaka, idadi yao inajumuisha wale wote wasiomjua na, zaidi, wasiomkiri Kristo. Mnaamini kwamba mnaweza kutenda mtakavyo kwa Kristo iwapo nyinyi ni waaminifu kwa Mungu aliye mbinguni. Si sawa! Kutomjua Kristo ni kutomjua pia Mungu wa mbinguni. Bila kujali uaminifu wenu kwa Mungu aliye mbinguni, ni maneno matupu tu na kujifanya, kwani Mungu aliye duniani si muhimu tu kwa mwanadamu kupokea ukweli na ufahamu mkubwa, lakini hata zaidi ni muhimu kwa lawama ya mwanadamu na baadaye kwa kuushika ukweli kuwaadhibu waovu. Mmeelewa faida na matokeo hapa? Mmepata kuyapitia? Ningependa nyinyi siku moja hivi karibuni muelewe ukweli huu: Kumjua Mungu, mnapaswa kumjua sio tu Mungu wa mbinguni lakini, hata muhimu, Mungu aliye duniani. Msiyachanganye yaliyo kipaumbele ama kuruhusu yaliyo chini kuchukua nafasi ya yaliyo makubwa. Ni kwa njia hii tu ndiyo unaweza kujenga uhusiano mzuri na Mungu, kuwa karibu na Mungu, na kupeleka moyo wako karibu na Yeye. Kama umekuwa wa imani kwa miaka nyingi na kushirikiana na Mimi kwa muda mrefu, lakini bado unabaki mbali na Mimi, basi Nasema kwamba ni lazima mara nyingi unaikosea tabia ya Mungu, na mwisho wako utakuwa mgumu sana kufikiria. Kama miaka mingi ya ushirikiano na Mimi haijakubadilisha kuwa mwanadamu aliye na ubinadamu na ukweli, na badala yake njia zako za uovu zimekuwa imara ndani ya asili yako, ikiwa wewe si tu mwenye kiburi mara mbili lakini kutonielewa Kwako kunakuwa hata kwa kuhuzunisha zaidi, kiasi kwamba unakuja kunichukulia kuwa rafiki yako wa kando, basi Nasema kwamba mateso yako si ya ngozi ya ndani, lakini yamepenya ndani ya mifupa yako. Na yote unayoweza kufanya ni kusubiri na kuandaa mazishi yako! Huhitaji kunisihi basi Niwe Mungu wako, kwani umetenda dhambi inayostahili kifo, dhambi isiyosameheka. Hata kama Ningeweza kuwa na huruma nawe, Mungu aliye mbinguni Atasisitiza kuchukua maisha yako, kwani kosa lako dhidi ya tabia ya Mungu si shida ya kawaida, lakini moja iliyo kubwa sana kiasili. Wakati utakapokuja, usinilaumu kwa sababu ya kutokujulisha mbeleni. Yote yanarudia haya: Wakati unashirikiana na Kristo—Mungu aliye duniani—kama mwanadamu wa kawaida, hiyo ni, unapoamini kwamba Mungu huyu si chochote ila ni mwanadamu, ni hapo basi ndipo utaangamia. Hili ndilo onyo Langu la pekee kwenu nyinyi nyote.

Neno, Vol. 1. Kuonekana na Kazi ya Mungu. Jinsi ya Kumjua Mungu Duniani

God Praises Only Those Who Earnestly Serve Christ

I

You wish greatly for God to delight in you, yet you are so far from God, what’s the problem? You only accept His words, not His pruning or plans, much less do you have complete faith in Him, so what then, is the matter here? Your faith is like an egg that will never bear a chicken, for your faith has not brought you the truth or life, but brought you a false sense of sustenance and dreams. You believe the God in heaven, deny the God on earth, but I don’t approve of this view that you hold. I commend those who earnestly serve the God on earth, never those who do not acknowledge Christ on earth. They will not escape when I punish the wicked, no matter how loyal they are to God in heaven.

II

Your purpose in believing in God is for your hope and sustenance rather than life and truth. Your faith’s shameless, just trying to curry favor with God, and this can in no way be deemed as a true faith. So, how could this kind of faith bear any fruit? The only purpose of your belief in God is to use God in order to fulfill your aims. Isn’t this offending the disposition of God? You believe the God in heaven, deny the God on earth, but I don’t approve of this view that you hold. I commend those who earnestly serve the God on earth, never those who do not acknowledge Christ on earth. They will not escape when I punish the wicked, no matter how loyal they are to God in heaven.

III

They’re the wicked ones against God, not obeying Christ, including those not knowing or acknowledging Christ. I commend those who earnestly serve the God on earth, never those who do not acknowledge Christ on earth. They will not escape when I punish the wicked, no matter how loyal they are to God in heaven.

from Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs