Henry Blackaby (1935 – 2024)

Yali Ani?

Henry Thomas Blackaby yazaalibwa nga 15 Apuli 1935 mu Williams Lake, mu British Columbia, mu Canada. Yafuna diguli esooka mu byafaayo n’Olungereza okuva mu University of British Columbia, ne diguli ze mu by’eddiini okuva mu Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary mu California. Yaweereza ng’omukulu w’ennyimba, omukulu w’eby’okusomesa, era ng’omusumba mu California, nga tannaddamu kuyitibwa okw’enjawulo okwakyusa obulamu bwe.

Mu 1970, omusumba Omukanada yajja eri Blackaby n’okusoomoozebwa: “Essuubi lyokka eri Canada liri mu basumba Abakanada okudda ewaabwe.” Blackaby kino yakiwulira ng’ekigambo kya Katonda. Ye ne mukyala we Marilynn baasengukira e Saskatoon, mu Saskatchewan, okulunda Faith Baptist Church — ekibiina ekitono ekyali kifa, eky’abantu kkumi.

Ebyabaawo mu myaka kkumi n’ebiri egyaddirira byali byamagero. Ekkanisa yakula nnyo, n’etandikawo ekkanisa empya n’ebifo by’obuminsani amakumi asatu mu munaana, era n’efuuka ekifo ekikulu eky’Okuzuukuka kw’e Saskatoon okw’ekitalo okwa 1971 — okuzuukuka okwabuna ekibuga kyonna ne kukyusa amadiini gonna. Mu myaka egyo, Blackaby yakola emisingi egyali gigenda okufuuka Okulaba Katonda ng’Akola.

Ekitabo kye Okulaba Katonda ng’Akola: Okumanya n’Okukola Katonda by’Ayagala, kye yawandiika ne mutabani we Richard ne Claude King mu 1990, kitunze kopi ezisukka mu bukadde musanvu era kivvuunuddwa mu nnimi ezisukka mu amakumi ana mu ttaano. Kiyitiddwa ekimu ku bitabo by’Ekikristaayo ebisinga enkosa mu kyasa eky’amakumi abiri. Oluvannyuma Blackaby yaweereza mu Home Mission Board eya Southern Baptist Convention ng’Omukulu w’Okusaba n’Okuzuukuka okw’Omwoyo, ng’atambula ensi yonna ng’ayita Ekkanisa okudda eri Katonda. Yafa nga 10 Febwali 2024 ng’alina emyaka 88.

Essaala Ennene Eyaddibwamu

Okuzuukuka kw’e Saskatoon okwa 1971 nga tekunnabalukawo, Henry Blackaby n’ekibinja ky’abasumba b’omu kibuga baali bamaze emyaka ebiri nga bakuŋŋaana buli wiiki, nga basaba Katonda aweereze okuzuukuka mu kibuga kyabwe. Tebaalina kakasa nti waliwo ekigenda okubaawo. Naye baasaba ne balindirira.

Nga 13 Okitobba 1971, abaganda ababuulizi b’enjiri Ralph ne Lou Sutera baatuuka ku nkuŋŋaana ezaali zitegekeddwa okumala wiiki emu n’ekitundu mu Ebenezer Baptist Church. Naye Katonda yalina enteekateeka endala. Mu nnaku ntono, enkuŋŋaana zaali tezikyagya. Ekibiina kyasengukira mu kkanisa ennene, era nayo n’ebooga mu biro bibiri. Baasengukira mu kkanisa esinga obunene mu kibuga — ey’entebe 1,600 — ne bakuba okusinza emirundi ebiri buli kiro. Ku nkomerero, Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium ey’entebe 2,400 yapangisibwa, era ne yo n’ejjula.

Amadiini gonna gaakyuka. Christian and Missionary Alliance yategeeza nti abakyuka beeyongera emirundi ebiri mu mwaka ogwo ogusooka. Abakkiriza ababatize baakizuula nti baali tebazaalibwangako buggya ddala. Amaka gaatabagana. Amabanja gaasasulwa. Abalabe baasonyiyibwa. Blackaby yagamba nti obulamu bwe bwakyuka okuva ku musingi mu kuzuukuka okwo — era emisingi gye yabeeramu mu nnaku ezo gyafuuka obubaka bwe yamala obulamu bwe obwasigalawo ng’abulangirira mu nsi.

Ebyawandiikibwa Ebikulu

Yeremiya 29:13 (OLCB) — “Mulinnoonya ne mundaba bwe mulinnoonya n’omutima gwammwe gwonna.”

Yokaana 14:21 (OLCB) — “Buli anjagala anaagonderanga ebiragiro byange;

Era kubanga anjagala, ne Kitange anaamwagalanga. Era nange nnaamwagalanga, era nnaamulabikiranga.”

Isaaya 55:8 – 9 (OLCB) — “Kubanga ebirowoozo byange si birowoozo byammwe era n’amakubo gammwe si ge makubo gange, bw’ayogera Mukama. Ng’eggulu bwe liri waggulu okukira n’ensi, bwe gatyo amakubo gange bwe gali ewala ennyo n’amakubo gammwe, n’ebirowoozo byange bwe biri eri ebirowoozo byammwe.”

Ebigambo Bye ku Kusaba

“Okusaba kwakolebwa okukutereeza okutuukana n’ebyo Katonda by’ayagala, so si okutereeza Katonda okutuukana n’ebyo ggwe by’oyagala.”

“Okuzuukuka kwonna kutandikira era kugenda mu maaso mu lukuŋŋaana lw’okusaba. Mu biseera by’okuzuukuka, enkumi n’enkumi ziyinza okusangibwa nga zifukamidde okumala essaawa nnyingi, nga zisitula okukaaba kw’emitima, n’okwebaza, eri eggulu.”

“Okusaba nkolagana, so si mukolo gwa ddiini.”

“Katonda bw’addamu essaala yo, afuna ekitiibwa, okukkiriza kwo kweyongera, era ofuna okulaba okuggya okw’okwagala kwe.”

“Abakulembeze abatasaba bali ng’abavuzi b’emmeeri abatalina kkampasi; basobola okuteebereza ekkubo ery’okukwata, naye tebalina bukakafu nti bagenda mu kkubo ttuufu. Okusaba kukuumira abakulembeze ku kintu ekimu mu bulamu ekitakyukakyuka — Katonda.”

Okusaba n’Ekigambo kya Katonda

“Katonda ayogera ng’ayita mu Mwoyo Omutukuvu okuyita mu Bayibuli, mu kusaba, mu mbeera, ne mu kkanisa okwebikkula, okubikkula ebigendererwa bye, n’amakubo ge. Bw’oba ng’olemwa okuwulira Katonda ng’ayogera, oli mu buzibu mu mutima gwennyini ogw’obulamu bwo obw’Ekikristaayo.”

“Bw’oyagala okumanya engeri Katonda gy’ayagala otuuke ku kibuga kyo, oba okwenyigira mu mulimu gwe, mubuuze. Ekisuubizo kye kwe kuddangamu bulijjo bwe tusaba okusinziira ku by’ayagala.”

Okusaba n’Omwoyo Omutukuvu

“Katonda ayogera ng’ayita mu Mwoyo Omutukuvu okuyita mu Bayibuli, mu kusaba, mu mbeera, ne mu kkanisa okwebikkula, okubikkula ebigendererwa bye, n’amakubo ge.”

“Okusaba tekukwata ku kusaba bintu kwokka, wabula ku kukwasaganya okwegomba kwaffe n’enteekateeka za Katonda gy’atulinako. Omwoyo atusindikiriza okunoonya Katonda by’atuterekedde.”

“Okuzuukuka mulimu Katonda gw’atandika, abantu be mwe basabira, ne beenenya ekibi kyabwe, ne bakomawo mu nkolagana entukuvu, ejjudde Omwoyo, ey’obuwulize era ey’okwagala ne Katonda.”