Hakuna kutafuta tena Nilipokutana na Yesu – Na. Rafik Daudjee

Hakuna kutafuta tena
Nilipokutana na Yesu – Na. Rafik Daudjee

Nilizaliwa nikiwa mwamini wa Dini ya Kiislamu madhehebu ya Kibohora ya Dawoodi. Madhehebu hayo ni ya Ki-shia ambayo yalitokea nchini Yemen mnamo karne ya 10 na sasa yana makao yake makuu nchini India. Waumini wa madhehebu ya Bohora wanapatikana katika mabara kadhaa na miji mingi pote duniani.

Nililelewa katika mazingira ya kujifunza Kurani kwa kuhudhuria madrassa nikifuata Imani ya Ki-shia. Nilisoma Korani, nilisali na kufunga wakati wa mwezi wa Ramadhani. Imani ya msingi ya waumini wa madhehebu ya shia imejengwa juu ya ufia dini wa wajukuu wa mtume Muhammad ambao walikuwa ni Ma-khalifa halali waliostahili kuongoza dini ya Kiislamu lakini waliuawa katika vita ya Karbala.

Wakati nikiwa na umri wa miaka 16-17 hivi, nilishikwa na kiu kubwa maishani mwangu ya kutaka kumjua Mungu kibinafsi. Hivyo, nikaanza kuchunguza katika dini yangu nikitaka kuwa mcha mungu zaidi na mwenye ari kubwa zaidi katika Imani. Lakini, pamoja na hayo mimi niliandika katika kitabu changu cha kumbukumbu za kila siku siku zile “ewe Mungu uko wapi?” Hata hivyo, sikuweza kujiridhisha mimi mwenyewe na pia sikuweza kuwa na amani ndani yangu. Nilishikwa na wasiwasi na hofu kubwa kiasi kwamba sikuweza hata kutoka kwenda matembezini na kujumuika na marafiki.

Hapo ndipo nilipoanza kutafuta amani kupitia watu walioendesha Taamuli Mazingatio (Transcendental Meditation), Yoga na hata kujihusisha na ulimwengu wa Imani za mizimu na elimu ya ubashiri na kusoma nyota, lakini nilizidi kuchanganyikiwa na hakuna kilichoweza kunitosheleza. Nilikuwa mtu aliyerukwa na akili na mgonjwa sana na nikapatwa na mashambulizi ya taharuki ya hofu ya mara kwa mara.

Mwaka 1978, nilichaguliwa na serikali kufanya masomo ya kuwa Daktari Msaidizi ngazi ya Diploma mjini Mwanza, mji uliopo kwenye mwambao wa ziwa Viktoria. Wakati nikiwa katika mafunzo hayo na kutokana na mashambulizi hayo ya taharuki ya hofu, sikuweza kuwa mtulivu na kusoma na hivyo nikapelekwa hospitalini kwa ajili ya kupatiwa matibabu na nikapewa madawa makali yakiwemo ya usingizi kama vile Valium, Ativan, Librium ambayo niliyazoea na yakafanya usugu na nikalazimika kuongeza viwango vya matumizi yake. Niliweza kuendelea na mafunzo lakini sikuweza kupata amani ndani yangu na hivyo niliendelea kuishi maisha yenye hofu ingawa nilikuwa bado na kiu ya kuutafuta msaada kutoka kwa Mungu.

Siku moja Jumapili ya tarehe 17 mwezi Ferbruari mwaka 1980, wakati nikiendelea na mafunzo katika shule ya udaktari, ambapo ilikuwa ni miaka 10 hivi baada ya kumchumbia rafiki yangu mpenzi wa muda mrefu aliyeitwa Safia, nilikutana na Daktari mmoja ambaye alikuwa ni mkufunzi wangu na ambaye pia aliwahi kunitibu (wakati huo sikujua kuwa alikuwa Mkristo) siku ile alikuwa akizungumza kuhusu Sauli wa Tarso katika Kanisa dogo la pale chuoni. Akaniambia kama nitmnunulia kinywaji baridi aina ya Coca Cola, atanieleza kuhusu habari za “Sauli wa Tarso”. Tuliketi mgahawani naye akafungua Biblia yake katika Kitabu cha Matendo ya Mitume Sura ya Tisa na kuniambia nisome kabla ya kutoa ufafanuzi (wakati ule sikujua huyu Sauli alikuwa nani wala sikujua ile sura niliyoisoma). Nilisoma aya ile na nikafika katika mistari hii ya sura ya 9:3 – 5 ya Kitabu cha Matendo ya Mitume:

“ Hata alipokuwa akisafiri, ikawa anakaribia Dameski; ghafula ikamwangaza koto kote nuru kutoka mbinguni. Akaanguka chini akasikia sauti ikimwambia, Sauli, Sauli, mbona waniudhi? Akasema, U nani wewe, Bwana? Naye akasema, Mimi ndimi Yesu unayeniudhi wewe.”

Wakati nikisoma “Mimi ndiye Yesu”, niliomba kimya kimya, moyoni mwangu “Ee Mungu kuna ukweli wowote kuhusu huyu Yesu?” na katika wakati huo huo muujiza ulitokea ambao ulikuwa vigumu kuueleza. Nilijisikia kulipenda jina hilo na mvuto wenye nguvu sana ukatokea ndani ya moyo wangu kwa Biblia na jina la Yesu. Nikamuuliza yule Daktari “Mtu anawezaje kuwa Mkristo?”. Akaanza kunielezea mambo mengi kuhusu imani ya Kikristo lakini sikuweza kuyaelewa. Nilikutana na yule Daktari kwa mara nyingine tena wakati wa usiku naye akanieleza mambo mengi kutoka katika Biblia na kunitaka nisikilize ujumbe uliotolewa na Billy Graham. Ingawa sikuweza kuyaelewa yote niliyoambiwa lakini usiku ule jambo moja ninlilijua, Nilikutana na Yesu wakati nikisoma Biblia ile asubuhi ile. Siku iliyofuata asubuhi nikawa na kiu kubwa ya kusoma Biblia ndipo rafiki mmoja alinipatia Kitabu cha Agano Jipya kidogo cha kuweka mfukoni. Nikaanza kuisoma na kila neno ndani yake lilikuwa likizungumza nami. Nguvu, amani na furaha zikabubujika ndani ya moyo wangu wakati nikisoma, maandiko yalikuwa kana kwamba ujumbe wake ulikuwa umeandikwa mahsusi kwa ajili yangu pekee.

Maisha yangu yakaanza kubadilika. Sikuweza kuacha kuisoma Biblia. Nikaanza kumpenda Yesu, na Mungu akaingia ndani ya moyo wangu na tangu hapo nikaanza kuuona uwepo wake ndani yangu na nguvu ya Roho Mtakatifu. Baadaye niliponywa kimuujiza kutoka katika kuzoeleza matumizi ya dawa na nikafunguliwa kutoka nguvu za pepo wachafu. Baadaye Bwana aliniita niihubiri Injili. Unapomfuata Yesu, hufuati dini fulani. Yesu alikuja kutuokoa kutoka dhambi zetu. Kifo chake juu ya msalaba kilikuwa ni dhabihu ambayo Mungu aliitoa kwa ajili ya mwanadamu kwa ajili ya msamaha wa dhambi na kutuleta mahali pa kuwa na uhusuano wa binafsi na Mungu. Unapokutana na Yesu unaacha kuendelea kutafuta.

My Testimony

No more searching

My encounter with Jesus- by Rafik Daudjee.

I was born into a Muslim religion of the Dawoodi Bohora Sect. It’s a Shiite sect originating from Yemen in the 10^th century and now with its headquarters in India. The Bohoras are found in many continents and cities of the world.

I was brought up learning the Quran by attending the madrassa and practiced  the Shiite faith . I read the Quran,  I  Prayed and fasted in the month of Ramadhan.  The central Shiite belief is  the martyrdom of grandsons of prophet mohammed who were the rightful caliphs to lead Islam but were killed in the war in Kerballah. 

At the age 16- 17 a deep thirst came in to my life to know God personally. I began searching in my own religion becoming more pious and zealous. But yet, I wrote in my diary those days "where are you God?" However, I was not satisfied within and I had no peace within.  I developed severe anxiety and fears to the extent that I could not even go out and socially connect with friends.

 I began to search for peace in Transcendental Meditation (TM), Yoga and even delved into the occult world and the study of palmistry and astrology but I became more frustrated and nothing was able to satisfy me. Mentally I became very sick and would get panic anxiety attacks.

In 1978, the government selected me to study for a diploma in clinical medicine in Mwanza, town, which is on the shores of Lake Victoria. In this school due to my anxieties and fears, I could not concentrate and I was sent for psychiatric treatment and used drugs such as Valium, Ativan, Librium on which I became dependent taking them increasing dosages. I continued with school but there was still no peace within and I lived a life of fear nevertheless thirsty seeking God’s help.

On Sunday 17th February 1980, while still studying in the medical school , it was  10 days after getting engaged with Safia my girlfriend of many years  ,  I met a doctor who was my professor and who had also treated me (I didn’t know that he was a Christian) on that day had been speaking  on Saul of Tarsus in the School Chapel. He asked me if I would buy him a Coca Cola, he would tell me of “Saul of Tarsus”. we sat in the Cafeteria and he opened his Bible to the Book of Acts chapter Nine and told me to read before he can explain (I had no Idea at that time who was Saul and which chapter I was reading) I read the passage and  I came to these verses in Acts 9: 3-5:

“As he ( Saul) neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.  He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied…

As I read  “ I am Jesus” ,  I made a silent prayer in my heart " God is there any truth in Jesus ?" and at that very moment a miracle happened that is hard to explain. I fell in love with the name and a powerful attraction occurred in my heart toward the Bible and the name of Jesus . I asked this doctor " How do you become a Christian?" He began telling me many things about the Christian faith but I could not understand. I met the doctor again at night and he shared many things from the Bible and asked me to hear a message by Billy Graham .Though I did not understand all that was told to me but that night I knew one thing, I had an encounter  with  Jesus  when  I was reading that Bible that morning . The next morning I was thirsting to read the Bible and a friend gave me a pocket New Testament. I began reading and every word in it was speaking to me. Strength, peace and joy welled up in my heart as I read, the scriptures as though the message in it was written just for me.

My life began to change. I just could not stop reading the Bible. I began to love Jesus and God came into  my heart and I began to experience His presence within me and the power of the Holy Spirit. Later I was healed miraculously from drug dependency and was delivered of demons. Thereafter the Lord called me to preach the Gospel. When you follow Jesus, you are not following a religion. Jesus came to save us from our sins. His death on the cross was a sacrifice that God offered to mankind for the forgiveness of sins and to bring us into a personal relationship with God.  When You experience Jesus you stop searching.

God was pleased to reveal his son

Weekly Devotion

April 16, 2015

“ But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased  to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him”  ( Galatians 1:14-16)

When we meet Christ, it is never coincidental. It is not by chance neither because it is an inherited faith. Well, maybe you can say , I found Christ through my parents, or through a circumstance of events , no matter what your story is God called you and set you apart  All in Christ are called. The apostle Paul says his calling was God’s grace and God’s grace is poured out to all. But if you feel somewhere deep in your heart  that God has called you into his work  for a specific task, you were in his master plan  and he planned to set you apart from the time even before you were formed  in your mother’s womb. Do you know the Lord Jesus as the son of God, Savior and Redeemer?  Consider yourself  abundantly blessed that God was pleased to reveal Jesus  to you! This is the most special and precious thing that God has done in your life. Jesus is the unsearchable riches of God. Jesus is God’s tenderness ,love,  mercy and compassion and forgiveness . When you see Jesus you see God! As a former Muslim I believed in one God and the Bible also says there is only but one God , but my life was so much far away from God, though I practiced my former  religion whole heartedly,  I walked in darkness and sin.  I had no hope and was lost in the world. This one God revealed his Son to me and my life was drastically changed. I often questioned What was so special about me that Jesus was revealed to me? I realized that I was no special. He sets all of us apart so that we may experience Him. Jesus is everything to me. He is my life , my healing, my Love and comfort , my hope and my savior and Lord. Now all I have been doing is preaching Jesus and telling others how much God loves you too. You can say all about God, know the whole theology of God, but it is only through Jesus that you can experience a “ savior of boundless compassion, infinite patience, unbearable forgiveness and love that keeps no score of wrongs” ( Brennan Manning) .

 Preach Jesus!

God is not dead neither is Satan

God is not dead neither is Satan.

Weekly devotion April 9^th 2015

When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him.  This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain… Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” … the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; (Mark 5: 2-13)

Jesus meets a man who lived in the cemetery. He could not live at home even though he was tied with ropes or chained. He would break free.  He was a vagabond with mental issues. “Night and day he roamed through the graves and the hills, screaming out and slashing himself with sharp stones.” (Msg Bible).  This was caused by an impure or an evil spirit.  Today we would diagnose this as psychosis and prescribe a strong sedative to keep his mind in control. I have worked in psychiatric wards and have met people in my work who are put into such drugs. They life is bounded and “chained” by drugs. But the Bible says this man had an evil spirit. A spirit of Satan.  Satan is real. As D L Moody says “I believe Satan exists for two reasons: first, the Bible says so; and second I’ve done business with him.” 

 I had severe anxiety and fears since I was 18 years of age. I literally could not go out and socialize. Unlike the man described above in the Bible I had to hide myself in my room. In medical school I was put on drugs to calm me. When I met Jesus I was delivered from evil spirits and healed completely .Through prayer of an evangelist demons came out.  The Bible says Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.  In my Muslim religion we called evil spirits jinn. In my previous religion I would hear of Mullahs visiting people and dealing with spirits from the people. I would be terrified to hear of this as young boy. We would be warned not to urinate under a tree during the time of prayer otherwise we could be possessed by jinn. We believed that bad people had power over us to work evil against us. They could do that by offering us food or just by an evil eye or some kind of evil prayers.  

 There is truth in it. Because there is truly a devil. Satan is real but hides possessing people, influencing culture, religions and knowledge seeking to steal, devour, and kill. “He promises the best, but pays the worst; he promises honor and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure and pays with pain; he promises profit and pays with loss; he promises life and pays with death.” (Thomas brooks) He steals the joy and peace of mankind. Jesus calls him a liar, a murderer, the accuser and one who can bind people with sickness and cause mental anguish, fear, anxiety and hallucinations. The Bible describes him as the angel in heaven who was called Lucifer who desired to become like God. Jesus said he saw Satan fall like lighting from heaven. Jesus defeated his temptations through GOD’S WORD, his death and resurrection Jesus has given us power over demons through His name and that Jesus in us is greater than Satan in the world. The apostle Paul says that he is a god of the world who had blinded the minds of the unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel. Jesus has the power to deliver you from Satan. The Gospel is the power of God that can turn you from darkness to light and from Satan to God. Invite Jesus in your heart, repent of your ways. And you will be saved!

The cross or the man on the cross?

The cross or the man on the cross?

Weekly Devotion April 3^rd, 2015

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

My first encounter with the Cross was at the age ten when my father put me in the Catholic school . St Joseph’s Primary school . Every morning students assembled and behind the stage was this five foot crucifix of Jesus. . I was fascinated at the dead man hanging on the cross . I would ask my parents about Jesus and they would always tell me that we believe in Him. Period.

As I grew up, I got interested in God and wanted to experience Him. It is like I had this hunger for God since I was a child. I wanted to find Him. Spirituality interested me. I would often go to the catholic bookshop and wonder at the rosary with the cross that was attached to it. I would buy one and  I would remove the cross and carry it my pocket and then much later I would even  wear it with a chain  as a talisman. My Muslim religion had amulets which were given to us to ward of evil. When we had some kind of fear or needed protection from evil , then the mullah could make us one. When my life was filled with anxiety and fears Mullah Akbar my religion teacher had given me one to wear. I even covered it with a pure silver box and wear as necklace .   I also thought the cross could help me .But my sickness fears  and sinful life got worse and nothing could help me.

I have seen crosses everywhere. I have seen people wearing  as necklace or earrings . A lot of people think it is a piece of beautiful jewelry. A lot of houses have it on their walls. I have one in my home office too. The truth is, the crucifix cannot save you. The cross does not save you. It is the MESSAGE  of the cross that saves you.  The message of the cross is the power of the God.  I Stood in front of the cross for three years in the school, I  prayed too  and wore too but it did not  prevent Satan to enter my life . Satan enters also in the churches with all the crosses high on the steeple. But the Message about Jesus Christ who was crucified ( On the cross) and raised from the dead is the one that saves you. When I heard this message the power of God saved me and healed me.  Believe in Jesus and him who died for your sin and by his stripes you were healed. You will be saved!

Only the Cross

Through the centuries many schemes have been propounded for uplifting mankind and “bringing in the kingdom of God.” These grand-sounding schemes have failed because they ignore the greatest power of all—the regenerating power of Jesus Christ in human hearts.

Many years ago, Dr. Lyman Abbott, prominent pastor in Brooklyn, New York, resigned his church. He stated in his letter of resignation: “I see that what I had once hoped might be done for my fellows through schemes of social reform and philanthropy can only be done by the influence of Jesus Christ. There is no dynamo in reform save the Cross of Jesus Christ!”^[1]

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^[1] Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (p. 92). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Good works + Good works is not equal to Jesus

Good works +Good works not equal to Jesus.

Weekly Devotion March 26, 2015

“They killed him…but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen….He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." ( Acts 10:39-43)

This passage is the sermon that the Apostle Peter preached when he was called into the home of Cornelius. The Bible describes Cornelius the captain of 100 men in the Roman Army  with eight godly qualities. Devout , God- fearing, generous ,prayed to God regularly and fasted ( KJV verse 30) . Others described him as a righteous and respected by all the Jewish people. In fact God even accepted his prayers, and his gifts to the poor (Acts 10: 4) and angels appeared to him in a vision too! With all these good qualities he still needed to be saved. He was a pagan who had converted to Jewish religion and believed in God but he would still be judged by Jesus. An angel of God appeared to him asking him to call the Apostle Peter who had a message for him. Peter had a problem too; he thought the message of Jesus Christ was for Jews alone. But here is a Roman who is not a Jew but yet believes in Jehovah, yet he needed to hear what all the prophets testified, that is about Jesus; his death, resurrection, and Jesus as the Judge and forgiver of mankind. Well, if you follow the story this is what happened when Cornelius the godly man and his close friends and all his relatives heard the message from Peter -“the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.” Our good works can be a total hindrance to experience the salvation of God. The world with its good and bad people needs to hear about Jesus. Cornelius was told by the angel to send for Peter “He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.” I urge everyone reading this, not to be fooled by good works. Let’s do good works but our eternal destiny depends on Jesus.  Here is a nice story to illustrate further:

At the close of a Gospel service an intelligent-looking man came to the minister and said, “I do not see any necessity for the Blood of Christ in my salvation. I can be saved without believing in His shed Blood.”

“Very well,” said the minister, “how then do you propose to be saved?”

“By following His example,” was the answer. “That is enough for any man.”

“I suppose it is,” said the minister. “And you propose to do just that in your life?”

“I do, and I am sure that that is enough.”

“Very well. I am sure that you want to begin right. The Word of God tells us how to do that. I read here concerning Christ, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.” I suppose that you can say that of yourself too?”

The man became visibly embarrassed. “Well,” he said, “I cannot say that exactly. I have sometimes sinned.”

“In that case you do not need an Example, but a Saviour; and the only way of salvation is by His shed Blood.”

—The Chaplain