Discern the Times

Bible passage: Romans 12:2
“2. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will. ”

Dear believers! What do believers think when they look at this world? 

Do you think, ‘The world has developed so much that it has become more convenient and worth living in?’ Are there some people who think, ‘It’s great if you have a little bit of money, there’s a lot to eat, a lot to see, and transportation is so convenient that you can go out and have fun’? This is a story from about 4,000 years ago. Lot, who was Abraham's nephew, left Abraham and moved to live in the city of Sodom because it seemed to him to be developed and prosperous. He may have been satisfied at first, but as he lived with the people of Sodom, his spirit became increasingly damaged by their reckless lifestyle, lewdness, and corruption. 

2 Peter 2:7-8 says, “and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard). ” Here, this righteous person refers to Lot, and being distressed means being in pain and suffering as if being tortured. But surprisingly, the seriousness of Lot's story is that it is not just a story from 4,000 years ago, but a story about us living today.

 In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus said that the last days will be like the days of Lot 4,000 years ago. He says as follows in Luke 17:28-30, 2 “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.” He said that the day the Son of Man appears, that is, the final time when the Lord returns, will be the same as the days of Lot. So, dear believers, If we look at this world, like Lot, we must be distressed, and when we think of the souls of many people in the world, we ask, “What can we do? Father! 

There are many souls living in this last age who do not understand, do not know God, do not know the Lord, and are drunk on the sins of the world, eating, drinking, and talking in sin. Father! Please take pity on those souls and save them.” We must sigh and mourn like this. Dear believers, we too look at the world and mourn even more, and we must pray saying, “Father! Please help us quickly save those poor souls with the gospel of holiness and the power.” Looking at today’s scripture, it says, “Do not conform to this world.” In the scripture, God said, “Do not conform to this world.” What kind of generation is this that God told us not to conform to or imitate? Matthew 16:3 says, “And in the morning you say, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ 

You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” The sun came out several times a day, then it rained, and then it repeated. However, this means that we must carefully discern the signs of the times. What kind of world is this that God told us not to imitate or conform to its pattern? In a word, it is a false world. Solomon lamented in Ecclesiastes 1:2 that this world is “Vanity of vanities, vanity; all is vanity.” Every field of the physical world is full of lies. There are too many lies in many parts of human history, including politics, economy, society, culture, education, entertainment, industry, and national defense.

 Here is what Jesus said about the devil in John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” And in John 12:31, it says that the prince of this world is the devil. It says, “Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.” So, this world is full of lies. Much of what we see, hear, and know in this world is false. I'm not sure what the percentage is, but for example, a lot of what we learned in school is false. A representative example is the theory of evolution; Schools are diligent in teaching lies. These days, it's common to not know for sure whether events happening around us are true or not. 

Even if it's the same case, aren't the words and claims different now? There are many such errors and lies in the knowledge and history learned in school, but how many stories in the news these days about politics, economy, culture, and society are not true? Isn't that the case even with trial issues in the court? Some people were sentenced to death and later found out that the real culprit was caught, and some people served decades in prison and then later declared themselves not guilty. Anyway, please realize that the world of sinful human beings, ruled by the enemy devil, the father of lies, is a world of lies where lies are treated as if they are the truth and the truth is distorted because there are so many lies. That is why, in today’s scripture, God says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world.” So, if this world is false, what is true? Matthew 5:18 says, “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” By saying so, Jesus was saying that only the word of God is the eternal truth. The world of the flesh is an illusion and a false world.

 The spiritual world is the only true world. When you look in the mirror, can you see your face? But I'm sorry, the face you see is also an illusion. This is because it belongs to the physical body. Then what is your reality? It's the shape of your soul. Looking in the mirror, you may think, “Oh, I am handsome. I am still young. There are no wrinkles and I still look presentable.” I am sorry if you say this, but this is a lie said based on an illusion. Revelation 3:17 also reminds us, “You say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,” You must look at your soul in the mirror of God's Word. Your true self is what you see reflected in the mirror of the Word. The appearance of your soul must be beautiful. Therefore, the second thing I would like to say is that we must distinguish between truth and lies and arm ourselves with the truth. The scripture given today says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” In this age of lies, the ability of discernment, or spiritual intelligence, is needed to discern God's good, pleasing, and perfect will. 

People whose spiritual intelligence is darkened have hardened hearts and dulled spiritual senses, making it impossible for them to discern the will of God. Ephesians 4:18 says, “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.” The symptoms that appear in those who cannot discern the will of God because their spiritual intelligence is darkened and their hearts are hardened appear in the very next verse, verse 19. Ephesians 4:19 says, “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.” The meaning of ‘becoming people who lost all sensitivity and giving themselves over to sensuality’ means that they have refused to form a spiritual relationship with God for so long that they have lost sense not only about God but also about the truth. 

Because they do not know how to think straight in an age where the truth is distorted, these people lose their dreams and waste their lives. But what is surprising is that, as a result of this failure to distinguish between God's good, pleasing, and perfect will, the false and wrong trends of the corrupt world have already penetrated into the church. Times have changed, the world has changed, and culture has changed, but the reality is that the church is unable to keep up with the times, shake off old ways, and fall behind the times, and the trends of the world are being brought into the church. A young sister who attends the youth group at a large church in Korea sent an email to her senior pastor. Although the content is quite embarrassing, and it concerns the situation of young people in Korea, I am trying to convey it because we need to recognize that this is the current state of young people these days. Let me read some of the sister's e-mail, word by word. “Pastor, I was very confused when I entered college. 

During MT (Membership training) or OT (Orientation training), explosives were standard, love shots, obscene games, obscene remarks, etc. were all shocking. What's even more shocking than this is that the problem of college students living together is very serious. There are many cohabiting couples who attend local universities and live together because their parents cannot touch them. When most female students have a boyfriend, they immediately have sex and have an abortion when they have children. And soon after, the man asks for a breakup, and the shocked female friends take a leave of absence or drop out. Your body and mind will be in a state of panic for a long period of time. At school, I took a class called ‘Sex, Love, and Marriage’ and had a group discussion. They jeered at me and said that I was being scornful when I said that chastity before marriage is natural. I was really shocked when they told me that the reason I haven't had a relationship with a man yet is because I'm lying, I have a problem with my body, or I'm weird. Most of non-believers have sex with their friends. 

And most of them suffer from being abandoned first, and some experience abortions, and those who have experienced it once have relationships with their next boyfriend very quickly. They are obsessed with men, they can't concentrate on their studies, and can't break away. But pastor, I see that this problem exists even within the church. There are many brothers and sisters who are not like that, but in general it is very confusing. It seems normal only on Sundays, but they are having a hard time with this problem. Even when they meet at church, they are only interested in the opposite sex, and we touch and engage in skinship even within the church. No matter how hard they worship and seem devoted on Sunday, when they return to their daily lives, there are many young people who casually engage in sexual relations in the name of love. Pastor, have the generations really changed? In this situation, I am very confused. Of course, there are also brothers and sisters who interact beautifully. I hope there are more people like this and become examples of fellowship. I hope to learn about Biblical fellowship and marriage and build a healthy family through proper fellowship.” There is much more, but let me omit the rest. The content of this sister's letter is not an exaggeration at all, according to a survey on living together at university. 

This is Korea's statistics. Please note that I am not familiar with the situation in Kenya, so I am talking about the situation in Korea. A whopping 40.5% of people think that it is possible for a man and a woman to live together even if they are not married. When we asked people in their 20s, 59.3% responded that it was possible. 6 out of 10 people have values regarding what living together should be like. If you read Ephesians 4:19, a common phenomenon that occurs in people who have a broken relationship with God is giving themselves over to sensuality. The original Greek word for ‘giving over’ is ‘paradidomi’, which means handing over power and authority to others. When you believed in Jesus, you had the authority as a child of God and the right to live beautifully and happily, but because you fell into sensuality, you handed over your authority as a child of God and the right to live beautifully and happily to the devil. Sexual corruption is not only an ethical and moral problem, but more importantly, it is a spiritual problem.

 A spiritual problem means that there is an evil spiritual entity behind it that encourages sexual corruption. 8 God doesn't do that. Evil forces are causing corruption, destroying the soul, encouraging unhappiness, and destroying life. Young people who live together and have had a lot of sexual contact do not become happy, but rather fall into a miserable tragedy. A father gave advice to his teenage daughter in middle school. He said her daughter was listening and then spoke. “What Dad said is true, but times have changed now. Times have changed between my father’s time and ours now.” Since times have changed, I guess this means that the church must also change as the times have changed. Who made this era so different? Is it God? No! Isn’t the enemy the devil making it like this? Should the church fall into the tricks of its enemy, the devil, and change with the times? Britain's Bernard Shaw said this. “It is too precious to give youth to the young.” Once more I say I don’t think there is anything that expresses the importance of youth better than this. I really think I could live a cooler life if I were given youth again at this age, but it won't be given back. 

Therefore, young people who have such beautiful youth should not imitate this generation, but should live beautifully by discerning God's good will. The sister who sent the e-mail made the following request to the pastor: “Pastor, please tell us the testimonies of victorious adults. Please send believers who overcame the sexual temptations of their youth, ran toward their dreams, and built happy families to our youth group so that they can testify. Please help me hear such testimonies of victory and know what the freshness of youth is, what the fellowship of true love is, and what a happy family is.” I think our church needs something like this too. Now, as the scripture says, we should “not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but test and approve what God’s will is, which is good and acceptable and perfect.” What is God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will? It is the Gospel of holiness. Therefore, although we are living in an age of lies, we must be armed with the true truth, the Word of God, and above all, the Gospel of holiness, and let the Gospel of holiness serve as food for our hearts and live by practicing the Gospel of holiness. 

3. We must live in a spiritual space, not a virtual space. Now, we live in the last era and it has become a fake era where blatant lies are rampant. I know that some people may think that it is too harsh to say that lies are rampant. By the way, this era has gone beyond the Internet era and has become the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution. With the development of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and databases, we have reached a stage where we can share information, engage in social activities, and even engage in daily life in a virtual world using the Internet. Not long ago, Cyworld, Naver, Facebook, Instagram, etc. appeared, and recently, a further development called ‘Metaverse’ appeared. The word ‘meta’ means transcendence in Greek, and ‘verse’ is the English word ‘universe’, or world. These two words are combined and called ‘metaverse.’ The meaning of this word is a three-dimensional transcendent world, virtual world, virtual reality, and virtual space. 

The stage on which activities take place in the virtual world is called a ‘platform’, and the virtual world is decorated to resemble the real world in the virtual space of the Internet. The reason I am telling you this is because in today’s sermon it is said, ‘We must not imitate or conform to this world, but must discern what God’s will is.’ This is why I am saying that this era has become like this. By creating a virtual space called ‘Metaverse’, you can do everything you can do in the real world there, and even more. For example, if you make a virtual space called Nairobi into a ‘platform’, everything you need in Nairobi, including government offices, banks, companies, department stores, apartments, restaurants, hospitals, and schools, will be contained in that virtual space. Then, I create 'my alter ego' called 'avatar' in that virtual space, and within the 'metaverse' I go to school, work, restaurants, department stores, bank work, church, and any economic activities or social activities. This means that you can do all your activities. I was truly astonished while learning about the metaverse. People around the world are excited and welcoming with open arms that the era of the ‘metaverse’ has arrived. However, I think, ‘The evil enemy, the devil, is doing these evil things in the end times to ruin the world like this.’ 

Someone lamented as they saw this terrible thing going on. “God created the human world and gave the law called the Word of God, but humans are trying to live as they please by creating a virtual space and creating human laws.” What does this mean? As mentioned earlier by a company that creates a platform, an activity space for Metaverse, when various facilities are created in a virtual space called Nairobi, many people join and become active there. When operating in this virtual space, metaverse, necessary rules, laws, etc. are created. Then, within that metaverse, homosexuality is encouraged, it is cool to steal other people's things through violence and is tolerated, sexual violence is allowed to some extent, it is okay to betray friends and disobey one's parents, and a church is created to allow people to live in the metaverse. They make rules, such as saying you can worship. Then, what happens in the virtual world becomes reality, ethics fall to the ground, faith becomes corrupted, various sins and crimes occur, and the evil of humans who rebel against God reaches its peak.

 As the world develops various technologies due to the 4th Industrial Revolution, we are entering the era of the virtual reality ‘metaverse’, the ultimate in a world of lies, What should we do? Shouldn’t we live in a spiritual space rather than a virtual space? The truth, and not the fake? This is because the flesh is an illusion and a lie, and the spirit is reality and the truth. Moses, the great leader, sent down 10 plagues with the power given by God and led the Israelites across the Red Sea to the land of Canaan. However, at this time, ten terrible plagues fell on the Egyptians, but no plagues fell on the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived. Why did it happen like that? Because it was God's space, the space of the spirit, and the space of light. Although it was located in Egypt, the world of the flesh, it was a space of spirit that God, the Spirit, was with Moses and that Moses was embracing, so it was able to be kept safely regardless of disaster. What kind of space we live in depends on what kind of mind we have. 

If your heart is worthy of the space of paradise, you will go to paradise after the White Throne Judgment. If you have developed a heart worthy of the 1st heavenly level, you will enter the 1st heavenly space. If you have developed a heart worthy of the 2nd heavenly level, you will later go to the 2nd heavenly space, If you have a spirit heart suitable for the 3rd heavenly level, you will be in the 3rd heavenly space, and if you have achieved a whole-spirit heart suitable for the New Jerusalem, you will later enter the space of the New Jerusalem. Therefore, even though we live in this world, we must always think of the spirit in order to enter the space of the spirit and the space of light. You must use the language of the spirit. You must fulfill the heart of the spirit.

 You must have spiritual emotions. You must live a spiritual life by acting in the spirit, giving goodness and love, understanding, and forgiving. One person had such severe pain in his side that he could barely walk. The pain was so severe that he couldn't move his body and broke into a cold sweat. He thought he had to keep himself in the spirit space. “What do I have to do to be in the space of spirit? We were told that we must think in the spirit, use the language of the spirit, have the emotions of the spirit, form a mind in the spirit, and walk in the spirit.” So, he got down on his knees and prayed a lot to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Still, the pain did not go away, so he took out the Prayer Handkerchief of Power, prayed, and placed the handkerchief on the side where the pain was. What is this person doing now? Since the enemy the devil brought pain, he tried to create a spiritual space to defeat the darkness and defeat the pain. Despite the extreme pain, he did not complain, but rather confessed that he was grateful for the opportunity to reflect on himself, saying, “You are trying to give me greater health, right?” 

And he was thankful. Still, the pain was still there. He thought the spiritual space had not yet been fully formed. So, this time, he received senior pastor’s prayer for the patient over the phone. Only after that did the pain gradually subside. Only now has the spiritual space been created to handle the pain. Afterwards, to prevent the pain from recurring, he continued to listen to the senior pastor's sermons, sing hymns, and pray a lot while thinking of the Lord. What am I talking about? In this era, the era of lies has begun in earnest and it has become the metaverse, or virtual space, that is, the era of fake space. This means that we must live in the true space, the space of the spirit. We need to ‘create space for the spirit.’ Only then will the work of power be revealed within the space of the spirit so that we can receive answers to our problems, receive healing, and receive blessings.

 I hope that your family and your business will become a space of spirit and light, and that you will live an amazing life in which many miracles and signs appear through the power of God. Conclusion Someone had a dream. He said he went into the watch room to buy a cheap watch, but there were no cheap watches, only expensive luxury watches. So, he had no choice but to buy an expensive luxury watch. This person was talking about this dream and asked me to interpret it. From my perspective, it was not a spiritual dream, nor was it an ordinary dream that did not require interpretation, but he told me this. “Sir, I hope you will now give up worldly and material greed and live a wonderful life like someone who wears a luxury watch. 

To be a person wearing a luxury watch means to live the remaining time until the Lord comes as a ‘luxury time.’ A person who obeys the Word, loves, serves, is faithful, prays, lives harmoniously and truthfully is a person who lives with luxury time, and that person is a person who wears a luxury watch.” I earnestly ask that all believers who listen to today’s sermon wear ‘luxury watches’ and live until the Lord comes. 

So, please do not imitate this generation, but live by imitating Christ. Through the Gospel of holiness, I hope you can discern God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will and live holy and truthful lives as true children of God in this fallen age. I pray in the name of the Lord that you can make your life a ‘space of spirit’ and a ‘space of light’, defeating the forces of darkness, receiving answers, receiving blessings, and living happily. - END -  

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Tambua Nyakati

Andiko la Biblia: Warumi 12:2
“Wala msiifuatishe namna ya dunia hii; bali mgeuzwe kwa kufanywa upya nia zenu, mpate kujua hakika mapenzi ya Mungu yaliyo mema, ya kumpendeza, na ukamilifu.”

Wapendwa waumini! Waumini hufikiri nini wanapoutazama ulimwengu huu?

Je, unafikiri, “Ulimwengu umeendelea sana hivi kwamba maisha yamekuwa rahisi na yenye kuvutia zaidi?” Je, kuna watu wanaofikiri, “Ni vizuri ukiwa na pesa kidogo, kuna chakula kingi, mambo mengi ya kuona, na usafiri ni rahisi kiasi kwamba unaweza kwenda kujiburudisha”? Hili ni tukio la takriban miaka 4,000 iliyopita. Lutu, mpwa wa Ibrahimu, alimwacha Ibrahimu na kwenda kuishi katika mji wa Sodoma kwa sababu ulimwonekania kuwa umeendelea na kustawi. Huenda mwanzoni aliridhika, lakini alipokuwa akiishi pamoja na watu wa Sodoma, roho yake ilizidi kuathiriwa na maisha yao ya uzembe, uasherati na upotovu.

2 Petro 2:7–8 inasema kwamba Mungu alimwokoa Lutu, mtu mwenye haki, aliyekuwa akiteswa na mwenendo wa uasherati wa watu wasio na kanuni. Lutu, aliyeishi kati yao siku baada ya siku, aliteseka moyoni mwake kwa sababu ya matendo yao maovu aliyoyaona na kuyasikia. Hapa, mtu huyo mwenye haki ni Lutu; kuteseka kwake kulimaanisha kuwa katika maumivu makali. Jambo la kushangaza ni kwamba uzito wa kisa cha Lutu hauhusu tu yaliyotokea miaka 4,000 iliyopita; kinatuhusu sisi tunaoishi leo.

Katika Injili ya Luka, Yesu alisema kuwa siku za mwisho zitafanana na siku za Lutu, miaka 4,000 iliyopita. Luka 17:28–30 inasema: “Vivyo hivyo kama ilivyokuwa katika siku za Lutu: walikuwa wakila, wakinywa, wakinunua, wakiuza, wakipanda na kujenga; lakini siku ile Lutu alipotoka Sodoma, ilinyesha moto na kiberiti kutoka mbinguni vikawaangamiza wote. Ndivyo itakavyokuwa siku ile Mwana wa Adamu atakapofunuliwa.” Alisema siku ambayo Mwana wa Adamu atatokea, yaani wakati wa mwisho Bwana atakaporudi, itafanana na siku za Lutu. Kwa hiyo, wapendwa waumini, tunapotazama ulimwengu huu tunapaswa kuhuzunika kama Lutu. Tunapowafikiria watu wengi ulimwenguni, tuulize, “Tunaweza kufanya nini, Baba?”

Katika kizazi hiki cha mwisho kuna roho nyingi zisizoelewa, zisizomjua Mungu wala Bwana, na zilizolewa na dhambi za ulimwengu—zikila, zikinywa na kuzungumza katika dhambi. “Baba, wahurumie na uwaokoe roho hao.” Tunapaswa kuugua na kuomboleza hivyo. Wapendwa waumini, sisi pia tunapotazama ulimwengu tunapaswa kuomboleza zaidi na kuomba: “Baba, tusaidie kuwaokoa haraka roho hao maskini kwa Injili ya utakatifu na kwa nguvu Zako.” Andiko la leo linasema, “Msiifuatishe dunia hii.” Mungu alisema tusiiige dunia hii. Hiki ni kizazi cha namna gani ambacho Mungu ametuambia tusifuate wala kuiga? Mathayo 16:3 inasema: “Asubuhi mkasema, Leo kutakuwa na dhoruba, kwa maana anga ni jekundu na lenye kutisha.”

“Mnaweza kutambua sura ya anga, lakini hamwezi kutambua ishara za nyakati.” Jua lilitoka mara kadhaa kwa siku, kisha mvua ikanyesha, na hali hiyo ikajirudia. Hata hivyo, maana yake ni kwamba tunapaswa kuzitambua kwa makini ishara za nyakati. Ni ulimwengu wa namna gani ambao Mungu ametuambia tusiige wala kuufuata? Kwa neno moja, ni ulimwengu wa uongo. Sulemani aliomboleza katika Mhubiri 1:2 kwamba: “Ubatili mtupu, ubatili mtupu; yote ni ubatili.” Kila eneo la ulimwengu wa kimwili limejaa uongo. Kuna uongo mwingi katika sehemu mbalimbali za historia ya wanadamu, ukiwemo siasa, uchumi, jamii, utamaduni, elimu, burudani, viwanda na ulinzi wa taifa.

Yesu alisema hivi kuhusu Ibilisi katika Yohana 8:44: “Ninyi ni wa baba yenu Ibilisi, na tamaa za baba yenu ndizo mpendazo kuzitenda. Yeye alikuwa mwuaji tangu mwanzo, wala hakusimama katika kweli, kwa kuwa hamna hiyo kweli ndani yake. Asemapo uongo, husema yaliyo yake mwenyewe; kwa sababu yeye ni mwongo, na baba wa huo.” Yohana 12:31 pia inasema kuwa mkuu wa ulimwengu huu ni Ibilisi: “Sasa hukumu ya ulimwengu huu ipo; sasa mkuu wa ulimwengu huu atatupwa nje.” Kwa hiyo ulimwengu huu umejaa uongo. Mengi tunayoyaona, kuyasikia na kuyajua ni ya uongo. Sijui ni kwa kiwango gani, lakini, kwa mfano, mengi tuliyofundishwa shuleni si ya kweli. Nadharia ya mageuzi ni mfano mmoja. Shule zinaendelea kufundisha uongo. Siku hizi mara nyingi ni vigumu kujua kama matukio yanayotuzunguka ni ya kweli.

Hata tukio lilelile, je, maneno na madai hayabadiliki sasa? Kuna makosa na uongo mwingi katika maarifa na historia tunayojifunza shuleni. Ni habari ngapi za siasa, uchumi, utamaduni na jamii tunazosikia siku hizi ambazo si za kweli? Je, hata kesi mahakamani hazina mifano kama hiyo? Baadhi ya watu walihukumiwa kifo, kisha baadaye ikagunduliwa kuwa mhalifu halisi amekamatwa; wengine walikaa gerezani kwa miongo kadhaa, kisha baadaye wakaonekana hawakuwa na hatia. Tafadhali tambueni kwamba ulimwengu wa wanadamu wenye dhambi, unaotawaliwa na Ibilisi adui, baba wa uongo, ni ulimwengu ambamo uongo huchukuliwa kuwa kweli na kweli hupotoshwa. Ndiyo maana Mungu anasema, “Msiifuatishe namna ya dunia hii.” Ikiwa ulimwengu huu ni wa uongo, basi ukweli ni nini? Mathayo 5:18 inasema: “Amin, nawaambia, Mpaka mbingu na nchi zitakapoondoka, yodi moja wala nukta moja ya Torati haitaondoka, hata yote yatimie.” Yesu alisema kwamba Neno la Mungu pekee ndilo kweli ya milele. Ulimwengu wa mwili ni kivuli na ulimwengu wa uongo.

Ulimwengu wa kiroho pekee ndio ulimwengu wa kweli. Unapojitazama kwenye kioo, unaona uso wako? Samahani, lakini hata uso unaouona ni kivuli kwa kuwa ni wa mwili. Basi hali yako halisi ni ipi? Ni sura ya roho yako. Unapojitazama kwenye kioo unaweza kufikiri, “Mimi ni mzuri. Bado ni kijana. Sina makunyanzi na bado ninaonekana nadhifu.” Samahani kwa kusema hivi, lakini hayo ni maneno yanayotegemea kivuli, si uhalisi. Ufunuo 3:17 pia unatukumbusha: “Kwa kuwa wasema, Mimi ni tajiri, nimejitajirisha, wala sina haja ya kitu; nawe hujui ya kuwa wewe u mnyonge, na mwenye mashaka, na maskini, na kipofu, na uchi.” Unapaswa kuitazama roho yako katika kioo cha Neno la Mungu. Nafsi yako ya kweli ndiyo inayoakisiwa katika kioo cha Neno. Sura ya roho yako inapaswa kuwa nzuri. Kwa hiyo, jambo la pili ninalotaka kusema ni kwamba tunapaswa kutofautisha kweli na uongo na kujivika kweli. Andiko la leo linasema, “Mgeuzwe kwa kufanywa upya nia zenu, mpate kujua hakika mapenzi ya Mungu yaliyo mema, ya kumpendeza na ukamilifu.” Katika kizazi hiki cha uongo, tunahitaji utambuzi, au akili ya kiroho, ili kutambua mapenzi mema, ya kumpendeza na makamilifu ya Mungu.

Watu ambao akili yao ya kiroho imetiwa giza wana mioyo migumu na hisia za kiroho zilizofifia, hivyo hawawezi kutambua mapenzi ya Mungu. Waefeso 4:18 inasema: “Wenye akili zao zimetiwa giza, wamefarikishwa na uzima wa Mungu, kwa sababu ya ujinga ulio ndani yao, kwa sababu ya ugumu wa mioyo yao.” Dalili za watu wasioweza kutambua mapenzi ya Mungu kwa sababu akili zao za kiroho zimetia giza na mioyo yao imekuwa migumu zinaonekana katika mstari unaofuata, wa 19. Waefeso 4:19 inasema: “Waliopoteza hisia zote, wamejitia katika mambo ya ufisadi wapate kufanyiza kila namna ya uchafu kwa kutamani.” Maneno “kupoteza hisia zote na kujitia katika ufisadi” yanamaanisha kwamba wamekataa kwa muda mrefu kujenga uhusiano wa kiroho na Mungu, hata wakapoteza hisia si kuhusu Mungu pekee bali pia kuhusu kweli.

Kwa kuwa hawajui kufikiri sawasawa katika kizazi ambacho kweli imepotoshwa, watu hawa hupoteza ndoto zao na kuharibu maisha yao. Jambo la kushangaza ni kwamba kushindwa kutambua mapenzi mema, ya kumpendeza na makamilifu ya Mungu kumesababisha mitindo mibaya na ya uongo ya ulimwengu uliopotoka kuingia kanisani. Nyakati, ulimwengu na utamaduni vimebadilika, lakini kanisa limeshindwa kwenda sambamba na nyakati, kuacha njia za zamani na kujikuta limebaki nyuma; mitindo ya ulimwengu inaingizwa kanisani. Dada mmoja kijana anayehudhuria kikundi cha vijana katika kanisa kubwa nchini Korea alimwandikia mchungaji wake mkuu barua pepe. Yaliyomo yanaweza kuaibisha na yanahusu hali ya vijana nchini Korea, lakini ninayasoma kwa sababu tunapaswa kutambua hali ya vijana wa siku hizi. Nitasoma maneno ya dada huyo kama yalivyo: “Mchungaji, nilichanganyikiwa sana nilipoingia chuo kikuu.”

“Wakati wa MT (mafunzo ya wanachama) au OT (mafunzo ya utangulizi), pombe, kunywa kwa kushindanisha, michezo ya aibu na maneno machafu vilikuwa vya kawaida na vilinishtua. Kilichonishtua zaidi ni tatizo kubwa la wanafunzi wa chuo kuishi pamoja bila kuoana. Kuna wapenzi wengi wanaosoma vyuo vya mikoani na kuishi pamoja kwa kuwa wazazi wao hawawezi kuwazuia. Wasichana wengi wanapopata mchumba, huanza kufanya ngono mara moja na kutoa mimba wakipata ujauzito. Muda mfupi baadaye, mwanaume huomba waachane, na msichana aliyeshtuka huahirisha masomo au kuacha chuo. Mwili na akili yake hubaki katika hali ya mshtuko kwa muda mrefu. Shuleni nilisoma somo lililoitwa ‘Ngono, Upendo na Ndoa’ na tukafanya majadiliano ya vikundi. Walinidhihaki na kusema ninawadharau niliposema kuwa kujitunza kabla ya ndoa ni jambo la kawaida. Nilishtuka waliponiambia kwamba sijawahi kuwa na uhusiano na mwanaume kwa sababu nasema uongo, nina tatizo la mwili, au mimi ni wa ajabu. Wengi wa wasioamini hufanya ngono na marafiki zao.”

“Wengi wao huachwa kwanza, wengine hutoa mimba, na wale waliowahi kutoa mimba huingia haraka katika uhusiano na mchumba anayefuata. Huwahangaikia wanaume, hushindwa kuzingatia masomo na hawawezi kujinasua. Lakini mchungaji, naona tatizo hili lipo hata kanisani. Kuna ndugu wengi wasiofanya hivyo, lakini kwa jumla hali inachanganya sana. Siku za Jumapili tu ndipo kila kitu huonekana sawa, lakini vijana wanateseka na tatizo hili. Hata wanapokutana kanisani, huwaza tu kuhusu jinsia tofauti, na hugusana hata ndani ya kanisa. Haijalishi wanavyoabudu kwa bidii na kuonekana wamejitolea Jumapili; wanaporudi katika maisha yao ya kila siku, vijana wengi hujihusisha kirahisi na ngono kwa jina la upendo. Mchungaji, je, vizazi vimebadilikaje kweli? Hali hii inanichanganya sana. Bila shaka kuna ndugu na dada wanaoshirikiana kwa namna nzuri. Natamani wawe wengi zaidi na wawe mfano wa ushirika. Natamani kujifunza ushirika na ndoa ya kibiblia na kujenga familia yenye afya kupitia ushirika unaofaa.” Kuna mengi zaidi, lakini nitaishia hapo. Kulingana na utafiti kuhusu kuishi pamoja vyuoni, barua ya dada huyu haijatia chumvi hata kidogo.

Hizi ni takwimu za Korea. Tafadhali kumbukeni kwamba sijui sana hali ya Kenya, kwa hiyo ninazungumzia Korea. Asilimia 40.5 ya watu wanafikiri kuwa ni sawa kwa mwanaume na mwanamke kuishi pamoja bila kuoana. Tulipowauliza watu wenye umri wa miaka ishirini, asilimia 59.3 walisema inawezekana. Watu sita kati ya kumi wana maoni hayo kuhusu kuishi pamoja. Ukisoma Waefeso 4:19, jambo la kawaida kwa watu ambao uhusiano wao na Mungu umevunjika ni kujitia katika ufisadi. Neno la asili la Kigiriki la “kujitia” ni “paradidomi,” linalomaanisha kukabidhi mamlaka na uwezo kwa mwingine. Ulipomwamini Yesu, ulikuwa na mamlaka ya kuwa mtoto wa Mungu na haki ya kuishi maisha mazuri na yenye furaha. Lakini ulipoanguka katika ufisadi, ulimkabidhi Ibilisi mamlaka yako ya kuwa mtoto wa Mungu na haki hiyo ya kuishi kwa uzuri na furaha. Ufisadi wa kingono si tatizo la maadili pekee; zaidi ya yote, ni tatizo la kiroho.

Tatizo la kiroho linamaanisha kuwa kuna roho ovu nyuma yake inayochochea ufisadi wa kingono. Mungu hafanyi hivyo. Nguvu za uovu husababisha upotovu, huharibu roho, huchochea kutokuwa na furaha na huharibu maisha. Vijana wanaoishi pamoja na kujihusisha mara nyingi na ngono hawawi na furaha; badala yake huangukia katika msiba. Baba mmoja alimshauri binti yake wa shule ya sekondari. Binti yake alisikiliza kisha akasema: “Baba, unachosema ni kweli, lakini nyakati zimebadilika. Nyakati za baba yangu ni tofauti na zetu.” Kwa kuwa nyakati zimebadilika, je, kanisa nalo linapaswa kubadilika? Nani aliyefanya kizazi hiki kuwa tofauti sana? Mungu? Hapana! Je, si adui Ibilisi anayefanya hivi? Je, kanisa linapaswa kuingia katika hila za adui yake, Ibilisi, na kubadilika pamoja na nyakati? Bernard Shaw wa Uingereza alisema: “Ni jambo la thamani mno kuwapa vijana ujana wao.” Narudia, sidhani kama kuna kauli inayoeleza thamani ya ujana vizuri zaidi. Nafikiri ningeweza kuishi maisha bora zaidi kama ningerejeshewa ujana wangu sasa, lakini hautarudi.

Kwa hiyo, vijana wenye ujana mzuri namna hii hawapaswi kuiga kizazi hiki, bali waishi kwa uzuri kwa kutambua mapenzi mema ya Mungu. Dada aliyeandika barua pepe alimwomba mchungaji hivi: “Mchungaji, tafadhali tusimulie ushuhuda wa watu wazima walioshinda. Tafadhali waletee kikundi chetu cha vijana waumini walioshinda majaribu ya kingono ya ujana wao, wakafuata ndoto zao na kujenga familia zenye furaha. Tusaidie kusikia ushuhuda huo wa ushindi na kujua ujana wenye uhai ni nini, ushirika wa upendo wa kweli ni nini, na familia yenye furaha ni nini.” Nafikiri kanisa letu pia linahitaji jambo kama hili. Kama andiko linavyosema, “Msifuatishe namna ya dunia hii, bali mgeuzwe kwa kufanywa upya nia zenu mpate kujua hakika mapenzi ya Mungu yaliyo mema, ya kumpendeza na ukamilifu.” Mapenzi mema, ya kumpendeza na makamilifu ya Mungu ni yapi? Ni Injili ya utakatifu. Kwa hiyo, ingawa tunaishi katika kizazi cha uongo, tunapaswa kujivika kweli halisi, Neno la Mungu, na zaidi ya yote Injili ya utakatifu; tuiruhusu Injili hiyo iwe chakula cha mioyo yetu na tuishi kwa kuitenda.

3. Tunapaswa kuishi katika nafasi ya kiroho, si nafasi ya mtandaoni. Tunaishi katika nyakati za mwisho, na hiki kimekuwa kizazi cha bandia ambacho uongo wa wazi umeenea. Najua wengine wanaweza kufikiri ni kali mno kusema uongo umeenea. Hata hivyo, kizazi hiki kimevuka enzi ya Intaneti na kuingia enzi ya Mapinduzi ya Nne ya Viwanda. Kwa maendeleo ya akili unde, Intaneti ya Vitu na hifadhidata, sasa tunaweza kubadilishana taarifa, kushiriki shughuli za kijamii na hata kuishi sehemu ya maisha yetu katika ulimwengu wa mtandaoni kwa kutumia Intaneti. Si zamani sana Cyworld, Naver, Facebook na Instagram zilianza; hivi karibuni maendeleo mengine yanayoitwa “Metaverse” yamejitokeza. Neno “meta” kwa Kigiriki linamaanisha kuvuka au kupita, na “verse” ni sehemu ya neno la Kiingereza “universe,” yaani ulimwengu. Yakiunganishwa huitwa “metaverse.” Neno hili lina maana ya ulimwengu wa pande tatu unaovuka mipaka, ulimwengu wa mtandaoni, uhalisia pepe na nafasi pepe.

Jukwaa ambamo shughuli za ulimwengu pepe hufanyika huitwa “platform,” na ulimwengu huo pepe hupambwa ili ufanane na ulimwengu halisi ndani ya nafasi ya mtandaoni. Nasema hivi kwa sababu mahubiri ya leo yanasema tusiuige wala kuufuata ulimwengu huu, bali tutambue mapenzi ya Mungu. Hivi ndivyo kizazi chetu kilivyokuwa. Kwa kuunda nafasi pepe inayoitwa “Metaverse,” unaweza kufanya humo kila jambo unaloweza kufanya katika ulimwengu halisi, na hata zaidi. Kwa mfano, nafasi pepe ya Nairobi ikiwekwa kama jukwaa, humo kutakuwa na kila kitu kinachohitajika Nairobi: ofisi za serikali, benki, kampuni, maduka makubwa, nyumba, mikahawa, hospitali na shule. Kisha ninaunda “nafsi yangu ya pili,” inayoitwa “avatar,” katika nafasi hiyo; ndani ya metaverse ninaenda shuleni, kazini, mikahawani, maduka makubwa, nafanya shughuli za benki, naenda kanisani na kushiriki shughuli mbalimbali za kiuchumi na kijamii. Yaani unaweza kufanya shughuli zako zote humo. Nilishangaa sana nilipojifunza kuhusu metaverse. Watu duniani kote wanafurahia na kuikaribisha kwa mikono miwili enzi ya metaverse. Hata hivyo, mimi hufikiri, “Adui mwovu, Ibilisi, anafanya mambo haya maovu katika siku za mwisho ili kuuharibu ulimwengu.”

Mtu mmoja aliomboleza alipoona jambo hili la kutisha: “Mungu aliumba ulimwengu wa wanadamu na kutupa sheria inayoitwa Neno la Mungu, lakini wanadamu wanajaribu kuishi wapendavyo kwa kuunda nafasi pepe na sheria za kibinadamu.” Hili linamaanisha nini? Kama ilivyotajwa, kampuni ikiunda jukwaa, yaani nafasi ya shughuli za metaverse, na kuweka vituo mbalimbali katika nafasi pepe inayoitwa Nairobi, watu wengi watajiunga na kushiriki humo. Ili kuendesha metaverse hiyo, huundwa sheria na kanuni zinazohitajika. Kisha katika metaverse ushoga unaweza kuhamasishwa; kuiba mali ya wengine kwa kutumia nguvu kunaweza kuonekana kuwa jambo la kuvutia na kuvumiliwa; ukatili wa kingono unaweza kuruhusiwa kwa kiwango fulani; kusaliti marafiki na kutowatii wazazi kunaweza kuonekana sawa; na hata kanisa linaweza kuundwa ili watu waishi humo. Wanaweza kuweka kanuni zinazosema kuwa ibada inaweza kufanyika humo. Kisha mambo yanayotokea katika ulimwengu pepe huwa kama uhalisi, maadili huanguka, imani huharibika, dhambi na uhalifu wa aina mbalimbali hutokea, na uovu wa wanadamu wanaomwasi Mungu hufikia kilele.

Ulimwengu unapobuni teknolojia mbalimbali kutokana na Mapinduzi ya Nne ya Viwanda, tunaingia katika enzi ya uhalisia pepe ya “metaverse,” kilele cha ulimwengu wa uongo. Tufanye nini? Je, hatupaswi kuishi katika nafasi ya kiroho badala ya nafasi pepe? Katika kweli badala ya bandia? Mwili ni kivuli na uongo, lakini roho ni uhalisi na kweli. Musa, kiongozi mkuu, alileta mapigo kumi kwa nguvu alizopewa na Mungu na kuwaongoza Waisraeli kuvuka Bahari ya Shamu kwenda Kanaani. Mapigo kumi ya kutisha yaliwapata Wamisri, lakini hayakuipata Gosheni walikoishi Waisraeli. Kwa nini? Kwa sababu palikuwa nafasi ya Mungu, nafasi ya roho na nuru. Ingawa palikuwa ndani ya Misri, ulimwengu wa mwili, palikuwa nafasi ya kiroho ambayo Mungu, aliye Roho, alikuwamo pamoja na Musa na Musa aliikumbatia; kwa hiyo palilindwa salama dhidi ya maafa. Nafasi tunamoishi hutegemea aina ya moyo tulio nao.

Moyo wako ukistahili nafasi ya paradiso, utaingia paradiso baada ya Hukumu ya Kiti Kikuu Cheupe. Ukiwa na moyo unaostahili mbingu ya daraja la kwanza, utaingia katika nafasi ya mbingu ya daraja la kwanza. Ukiwa na moyo wa daraja la pili, baadaye utaingia nafasi ya daraja la pili; ukiwa na moyo wa kiroho unaofaa daraja la tatu, utakuwa katika nafasi ya daraja la tatu; na ukiwa umefikia moyo kamili wa kiroho unaofaa Yerusalemu Mpya, baadaye utaingia katika nafasi ya Yerusalemu Mpya. Kwa hiyo, ingawa tunaishi katika dunia hii, tunapaswa kufikiria daima mambo ya roho ili tuingie katika nafasi ya roho na nuru. Tunapaswa kutumia lugha ya roho na kuujaza moyo wetu mambo ya roho.

Tunapaswa kuwa na hisia za kiroho. Tuishi maisha ya kiroho kwa kutenda katika roho, tukionyesha wema na upendo, kuelewa na kusamehe. Mtu mmoja alikuwa na maumivu makali ubavuni kiasi kwamba alitembea kwa shida. Maumivu yalikuwa makali kiasi cha kushindwa kuusogeza mwili wake na akatokwa na jasho baridi. Alifikiri alipaswa kujiweka katika nafasi ya kiroho. “Nifanye nini ili niwe katika nafasi ya roho? Tuliambiwa tufikiri katika roho, tutumie lugha ya roho, tuwe na hisia za roho, tujenge moyo wa roho na kutembea katika roho.” Akapiga magoti na kuomba sana ajazwe Roho Mtakatifu. Maumivu hayakuondoka, kwa hiyo akachukua Leso ya Maombi ya Nguvu, akaomba na kuiweka juu ya ubavu uliokuwa ukiuma. Mtu huyu anafanya nini? Kwa kuwa adui Ibilisi alileta maumivu, alijaribu kuunda nafasi ya kiroho ili ashinde giza na maumivu. Licha ya maumivu makali, hakulalamika; alishukuru kwa nafasi ya kujichunguza na kusema, “Unataka kunipa afya bora zaidi, sivyo?”

Alishukuru, lakini maumivu yaliendelea. Alifikiri nafasi ya kiroho ilikuwa bado haijakamilika. Basi akapokea maombi ya mchungaji mkuu kwa ajili ya mgonjwa kupitia simu. Baada ya hapo maumivu yakaanza kupungua polepole. Hapo ndipo nafasi ya kiroho iliyoweza kukabiliana na maumivu ilipoundwa. Baadaye, ili maumivu yasirudi, aliendelea kusikiliza mahubiri ya mchungaji mkuu, kuimba nyimbo za sifa na kuomba sana huku akimfikiria Bwana. Ninasema nini? Katika kizazi hiki, enzi ya uongo imeanza kwa nguvu na imekuwa enzi ya metaverse, au nafasi pepe—enzi ya nafasi bandia. Hii inamaanisha tunapaswa kuishi katika nafasi ya kweli, nafasi ya roho. Tunahitaji “kuunda nafasi ya roho.” Hapo ndipo kazi za nguvu zitakapofunuliwa ndani ya nafasi ya roho ili tupate majibu ya matatizo yetu, uponyaji na baraka.

Natumaini familia na biashara zenu zitakuwa nafasi ya roho na nuru, na kwamba mtaishi maisha ya ajabu ambamo miujiza na ishara nyingi zitaonekana kwa nguvu za Mungu.

Hitimisho Mtu mmoja aliota ndoto. Alisema aliingia dukani kununua saa ya bei nafuu, lakini hakukuwa na saa za bei nafuu; kulikuwa na saa ghali za kifahari tu. Hakuwa na budi kununua saa ya kifahari. Alinisimulia ndoto hiyo na kuniomba nimfasirie. Kwa maoni yangu haikuwa ndoto ya kiroho, wala ndoto ya kawaida iliyohitaji kupuuzwa; lakini akaniambia: “Bwana, natumaini sasa utaacha tamaa ya mali na mambo ya dunia na kuishi maisha mazuri kama mtu aliyevaa saa ya kifahari.”

Kuvaa saa ya kifahari kunamaanisha kuishi muda uliobaki mpaka Bwana atakapokuja kama “wakati wa thamani.” Mtu anayetii Neno, kupenda, kutumikia, kuwa mwaminifu, kuomba, kuishi kwa upatano na kweli, ndiye anayeishi wakati wa thamani na kuvaa saa ya kifahari. Ninawaomba kwa dhati waumini wote wanaosikiliza mahubiri ya leo wavae “saa za kifahari” na waishi hivyo mpaka Bwana atakapokuja.

Kwa hiyo, tafadhali msiige kizazi hiki; ishini kwa kumwiga Kristo. Kupitia Injili ya utakatifu, natumaini mtaweza kutambua mapenzi mema, ya kumpendeza na makamilifu ya Mungu na kuishi maisha matakatifu na ya kweli kama watoto wa kweli wa Mungu katika kizazi hiki kilichoanguka. Ninaomba kwa jina la Bwana kwamba mfanye maisha yenu kuwa “nafasi ya roho” na “nafasi ya nuru,” mshinde nguvu za giza, mpokee majibu na baraka, na kuishi kwa furaha. — MWISHO —

   Rudi kwenye Mahubiri