A Different Perspective on Zimbabwe

A prophetic word of encouragement to Zimbabweans

Dear friends,

I have not written for a while, but felt compelled to write again to encourage the many Zimbabweans who are feeling quite shattered and insecure at the moment. I am still here in Gweru, Zimbabwe, and have no intention of leaving. My faith for God’s working in our lovely country is greater than ever before.

Let me share with you some of what I believe God has revealed to me. Firstly, I had felt very strongly, as before the previous election, that the results of this election would not be satisfactory to the west. That is because God has an agenda for Zimbabwe, and the west, coming in and pouring billions of dollars into the country, will shatter the spiritual platform which has been built here.

I was reading from Luke 24 about the two disciples walking to Emmaus. Jesus interrupts their journey and asks them what they are discussing. The Scripture says they, “Stopped, and looked very sad.” That is the position of many Zimbabweans today. They have stopped! There is a stillness in our nation – people seem to hang in the air, with a total disbelief on their faces. They can’t believe what has happened, and don’t know what to do.

The disciples then explain to Jesus (not recognizing Him) about the recent happenings, the terrible trial and final crucifixion of Jesus. Then they say, “And we were hoping that it was Him who would restore our nation and deliver us from the hand of the enemies”. That was it! They had such high hopes, but now their hopes were dashed to the ground.

Just a week previously the entire city was abuzz with excitement. Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, and the crowds went crazy! They were throwing palm branches and clothes on the ground for their “would be King” to ride upon. This was the time! Surely!! At last the Roman occupation would be destroyed. The wicked Pharisees dominance would be destroyed, and a righteous King would reign. What a wonderful prospect! What excitement!

But:

The trial was rigged. And to crown it all, Jesus did not open his mouth to defend his position. Joseph of Aramathea and Nicodemus, being believers themselves, and part of the Sanherdan made strong representations to prevent Jesus death. They did not approve of the Sanhedran’s course of action. Yet, when it came to the final crunch, where Jesus should have stood up for the truth, where He could so easily have outwitted the wicked counsel and even Pilate himself, the Scripture says that “like a lamb that is dumb before its shearers so he did not open his mouth.” Can you believe it. He did not defend Himself, while knowing full well that the entire court case was rigged, and the plot was designed for His destruction.

So you understand then why these two disciples were “sad”. Actually they were SHATTERED!!! If a vote was to be taken in the nation, the Pharisees would have lost hands down. Democracy would have crowned Jesus as king. That is what the majority of the people wanted. But was that God’s will? The whole of the salvation plan would have been destroyed by democracy. Thus God allowed a devilishly rigged court case to work His own purposes.

So my dear fellow Zimbabweans, I believe that we have something very similar here. As evil as the rigged election results might have been, I see the finger of God in this. Let me explain:

Since the bush war times many thousands of people have been praying fervently for this nation. That means we have had some forty years of constant fervent prayer. I think the bowls in heaven must be brimful of the prayers of the saints. This is a very special nation – like a jewel in God’s eyes – shining brightly in the spiritual realm. I see in the spirit the angelic beings flying around the earth, patrolling it, and then as they come close to Zimbabwe, they see a bright light shining from here. The spiritual attention focused upon this nation is phenomenal. Don’t think for one moment that God has forgotten those prayers. God has a plan for this nation, and means to fulfil it. There is no way that He is going to allow democracy and the evil influence of western materialism to destroy His plan – as good as those intentions might be.

Jesus proceeded to open the eyes of those two disciples to recognize Him, and then for forty days He gave His disciples concentrated teaching on His Kingdom (Acts 1). God’s kingdom has very different values to the world’s kingdom – even well meaning Christians don’t always understand His kingdom. What was His kingdom? For Peter it meant a revelation that the other nations must also be included. “What God has made clean you must not dispise” (Acts 10). For Paul, who was a young Pharisee, zealous for the cause of what he thought was God’s kingdom - but was actually racial prejudice and pride - he had to hear God’s calling to preach the gospel to the kings and nations outside of his Judaic upbringing. That change of direction caused the Pharisees to persecute him vehemently.

Is God’s kingdom for Zimbabwe to be the pouring in of material benefits from the west? I think not. The connection to the high powered western nations has been the one thing that has really concerned me about Morgan Tsvangerai – if I must look honestly from a spiritual point of view. The west would be in here like a shot if we were to let them. The potential of this nation is phenomenal, and they know it. But when they come in they will come in with their worldly standards, and very quickly all the spiritual buildup that we have seen over the past years will be destroyed. Mammon will be our god, and God’s purposes will be frustrated.

No, I believe God has a different purpose. His kingdom must be built, and this nation should be a springboard to take the gospel to the rest of Africa, and indeed the world.

So what should we do?

I believe that God’s children are being given a window of opportunity like never before. God is giving this nation to us for an inheritance. We must take it. Now is the time! Organizations like “Farming God’s Way” are out there teaching people how to farm to produce quality crops. At the same time they are spreading the gospel at grass roots level. “Mining God’s Way” is another avenue God is opening – and even now the man to whom God revealed that truth has been asked to establish mining legislature in Afghanistan of all places, based on these principles. But that came out of Zimbabwe!

God has been tasking me to get involved with the municipality, setting up a technopark, and working with the city’s planning department in planning residential housing, water and sewer systems and many other things. I believe we are to get involved as servants, bringing meaningful change to our cities and our country – for the sake of reaching people in every strata of society. We are to move in quietly and humbly, but like a river of life bring life-giving water wherever we go. We are to love the unlovable, reach the brokenhearted, bring healing to the sick, minister to the poor, build houses for the homeless, teach the simple, make straight ways in the desert, and thus build up a highway for God to move upon our land.

The Scripture says about many of the Jews, “They did not recognize the time of the visitation of God”. What about us today. Can we recognize that God is visiting us in a most unusual way, and just like Judea of old, even right under the nose of an evil Roman occupation, He is giving us the nation as our inheritance!?

May I encourage you to open your eyes to the incredible opportunities God is giving, and to go all out for Him. Of-course, I don’t mean to minimize the suffering that many have experienced. I honour you for what you have stood for and the price you have paid. But I should note that suffering is not a new thing in the world of God’s kingdom. No work of God has ever been established without personal cost. I have also suffered – not nearly as much as some of you. But those things are of little consequence when compared to the glories of the kingdom to follow. Be encouraged

For those Christians outside Zimbabwe who say, “What can we do?” Find some trustworthy Christian organization in Zimbabwe and support them by supplying fuel, medical supplies and food. For the experts, doctors, engineers, teachers, etc, we need you here. Ex Zimbabweans especially – find outside support if you can, and come back, and throw your back into building the kingdom of God here. For outsiders who really want to help, how about supporting the salary of a few teachers for example. They earn a pittance here – in our area teachers would be earning between R100 to R200 per month. Instead of employing the teachers in foreign countries, why not help them to remain here in their profession, by making their burden more bearable.

For those inside the country. Open your eyes to the needs around you, and extend a hand to help. As you reach out to help those in need around you, I believe God will be very faithful, as always, to help you in your own need.

Folks, stop looking so sad. We have in our hands something bigger than we could ever have dreamed of. Lets take it with both hands!!!!

With love to you all

Henry D Jackson