Tangu mwanzo wa kazi Yake katika ulimwengu mzima, Mungu ameamulia kabla watu wengi kumhudumia Yeye, wakiwemo watu kutoka kila nyanja ya maisha. Kusudio Lake ni kutimiza mapenzi Yake Mwenyewe na kuhakikisha kwamba kazi Yake hapa ulimwenguni imetimia. Hili ndilo kusudio la Mungu katika kuwachagua watu wa kumhudumia Yeye. Kila mtu anayehudumia Mungu lazima aelewe mapenzi haya ya Mungu. Kupitia kazi hii Yake, watu wanaweza kuona vizuri zaidi hekima ya Mungu na uweza wa Mungu, pamoja na kuona kanuni za kazi Yake hapa ulimwenguni. Mungu huja hapa ulimwenguni kimatendo ili kufanya kazi Yake na kuwasiliana na watu ili nao waweze kuona vizuri zaidi matendo Yake. Leo, ni bahati kubwa kwa kundi hili lenu kumhudumia Mungu wa vitendo. Hii ni baraka kubwa kwenu. Kwa kweli Mungu anawainua. Wakati Mungu anapomteua mtu ili amhudumie Yeye, siku zote Yeye huwa na kanuni zake binafsi. Kumhudumia Mungu hakika si suala tu la kuwa na shauku, kama vile watu wanavyofikiria. Leo mtu anaweza kumhudumia Mungu akiwa mbele Yake, kama mnavyoweza kuona, kwa sababu anaongozwa na Mungu na anafanya kazi kupitia kwa Roho Mtakatifu; na kwa sababu anatafuta ukweli wake. Haya ndiyo mahitaji ya kiwango cha chini zaidi ya mtumishi wa Mungu.

Kumhudumia Mungu si kazi rahisi. Wale ambao tabia yao potovu haibadiliki hawawezi kamwe kumhudumia Mungu. Kama tabia yako haijahukumiwa na kuadibiwa na neno la Mungu, basi tabia yako bado inawakilisha Shetani. Hii inatosha kuthibitisha kwamba huduma yako kwa Mungu ni kutokana na nia yako nzuri wewe binafsi. Ni huduma inayotokana na asili yako ya kishetani. Unamhudumia Mungu na hulka yako ya kiasili, na kulingana na mapendeleo yako ya kibinafsi; na zaidi, unaendelea kufikiria kwamba Mungu anapenda chochote kile unachopenda, na kwamba Mungu anachukia chochote kile ambacho hupendi, na kazi yako inaongozwa kabisa na mapendeleo yako binafsi. Je, huku kunaweza kuitwa kumhudumia Mungu? Hatimaye tabia yako ya maisha haitabadilishwa hata chembe. Kwa hakika, utakuwa msumbufu zaidi kwa sababu umekuwa ukimhudumia Mungu, na itafanya tabia yako potovu kukita mizizi zaidi. Kwa njia hii, utaendeleza kwa ndani sheria kuhusu huduma kwa Mungu zitokanazo kimsingi na hulka yako binafsi, na uzoefu unaotokana na kuhudumu kwako kulingana na tabia yako binafsi. Hii ni uzoefu na mafunzo ya kibinadamu. Ni filosofia ya maisha ya binadamu. Watu kama hawa wanapatikana miongoni mwa Mafarisayo na wale wajumbe wa kidini. Kama hawatawahi kuzinduka na kutubu, basi hatimaye watageuka na kuwa wale Mkristo wa uwongo watakaoonekana siku za mwisho. Watakuwa wadanganyifu. Mkristo wa uwongo na wadanganyifu waliozungumziwa watatokana na aina ya watu kama hawa. Kama wale wanaomhudumia Mungu watafuata hulka yao na kutenda kulingana na mapenzi yao binafsi, basi watakuwa katika hatari isiyoisha ya kutupwa nje. Wale wanaotumia miaka yao mingi ya uzoefu kwa kumhudumia Mungu ili kutega mioyo ya watu, kusomea na kuwadhibiti watu, kujiinua wao wenyewe—na wale katu hawatubu, katu hawakiri, katu hawakatai nguvu manufaa ya cheo—watu hawa watasambaratika mbele ya Mungu. Hawa ni watu walio kama Paulo, waliojaa majivuno na wanaoonyesha ukubwa wao. Mungu hatawakamilisha watu kama hawa. Aina hii ya huduma huzuia kazi ya Mungu. Watu wanapenda kushikilia vitu vya kale. Wanashikilia fikira za kale, wanashikilia vitu vya kale. Hiki ni kizuizi kikuu katika huduma yao. Kama huwezi kudondosha vitu hivi, vitu hivyo vitayakaba maisha yako yote. Mungu hatakupongeza, hata kwa uchache wowote, hata kama utapoteza miguu yako au kuuvunja mgongo wako ukitia bidii, au hata kuuliwa ukiwa katika “huduma” ya Mungu. Kinyume cha Mambo ni kwamba: Atasema wewe ni mtenda maovu.

Neno, Vol. 1. Kuonekana na Kazi ya Mungu. Njia ya Huduma ya Kidini Lazima Ipigwe Marufuku

One Cannot Serve God Unless Their Disposition Changes

I

Serving God is no simple task, and you’ll never get to serve Him with a corrupt disposition that’s allowed to remain unchanged. If your disposition has not been judged, if it has not been chastised by God’s words, then your disposition represents Satan, and this proves that your service of God must be out of your own good intentions, and it’s based on your satanic nature. Serving God with natural character according to what you prefer, thinking God delights in what you want and hates what you do not want to do, your preferences guiding your work— how can this be called serving God?

II

In the end, your disposition won’t change, and your service will make you more stubborn. This means corruption will become ingrained, and your service to God becomes based on your character and experiences. These are man’s lessons and philosophies. People like this are Pharisees, they are religious officials. If they don’t wake up and repent, they will become the false Christs and the deceivers spoken of, who will appear in the last days. Serving God is no simple task, and you’ll never get to serve Him with a corrupt disposition that’s allowed to remain unchanged.

from Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs