Mexico here we come!

Tickets have been purchased - we'll be on our way. Still a few months to go though. We'll be away from 14 August to 9 September, stopping in at Madrid, London (England for about 2 weeks), Mexico City, Queretaro and back. Yay!!

It's only Tuesday!

Its only Tuesday and I feel like I won't make it through another day, let alone the week. Being a two day working week, bracketed by public holidays and extra public holidays, doesn't stop the work of a full week having to be done. I have just finished preparing for a bi-lingual funeral tomorrow morning; have tried to find time to pray for an intense counsellling session coming up mid-day tomorrow; am juggling the hours available in the day to be able to visit one of our members in a psychiatric clinic; as well as prepare for a bible study. Add to that making bookings for our trip to England and Mexico later in the year, and final arrangements and tasks for Ian's wedding on Saturday, it really feels as if the sky is falling down.
Praise God that I have a hard head!
Where's the Panado??

Response to a Different Perspective on Zimbabwe

RESPONSE TO THE MESSAGE FROM HENRY D. JACKSON: April 2008
It should be a positive thing to have someone saying we must turn to God, provided that his views are balanced and realistic. We must remember that this person has been living in the controlled environment of Mugabe's censorship for a long time. I do not want to quench his faith, as this is all that most people in Zimbabwe have left. Nevertheless, there are some weak points in his thinking that should be corrected; otherwise he might give people incorrect thinking patterns and unrealistic expectations.

I have taken a few extracts from this sermon, and wish to make a few comments:
1) Quote:
"the west, coming in and pouring billions of dollars into the country, will shatter the spiritual platform which has been built here."
This is simply not true. It assumes that all aid from other countries is evil. It assumes that money is evil. However, it is how we use money that is the point, not money itself. There are many organizations that are involved in Zimbabwe and will be involved in reconstruction that are Christian-based and managed by genuine caring people.
The implications of Mr Jackson’s statement are that:
a) Zimbabwe does not need aid and reconstruction, but can do it alone, with its "phenomenal potential", most of who have left the country;
b) Aid from somewhere else (Chinese aid?) is more desirable than that from "the west" (And I am not sure what is meant by "the West").

2) Quote:
“The West”.
This term and the way in which it is used is reminiscent of Mugabe’s propaganda. It is not clear what is meant by the term. Presumably he means primarily the USA. Possibly he means all other countries, except the similar communist countries and dictatorships such as Russia, Cuba, North Korea, etc.

3) Quote:
"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."
Democracy did not exist in the Roman era. The crowds were quite possibly the Pharisees "Rent-a-Crowd'. I also question the validity of extrapolating from the exceptional circumstances of the time of Jesus's crucifixion, and assuming that the circumstances in Zimbabwe are similar. Democracy has many flaws. Mugabe has always claimed to rule by democracy, but it never has been even a reasonable approximation in Zimbabwe. I am not sure if it was Churchill who commented correctly about democracy, but I remember the statement went something like: "Democracy is an inefficient form of government, but the alternatives are far worse."

Mr Jackson has defined no alternative of a system of government to offer, except to refer vaguely to "God's farming" and "God's mining". (Whatever those terms may mean). I do not know what is intended here, but sometimes these terms are used by people with good intentions but little experience of farming or little knowledge of science. I am aware of some organizations that advocate farming systems which do not use modern techniques, such as fertilizer or insecticides. I perceive this as a kind of reaction to technology, and the implication is that we must stick with the old-fashioned systems. It might be considered to be in the same category of the Luddites, who destroyed mechanical looms when they were invented; or about the suspicion given to the invention of the umbrella when it first appeared; or the dark prophecies attached to instant coffee when it was first marketed?

4) Quote:
"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."
I do not see Zimbabwe as a jewel, but as a disaster area. Spiritually, too many of the people, especially those in power, have rejected God and followed either the ways of their ancestors or foreign philosophies such as Marxism. The leadership of some of the established Churches has been discredited. There are of course some very fine Christians in the country, but their influence is very limited. Perhaps it might be more realistic to liken the situation in Zimbabwe to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Revelation Chapter 6).
They were conquered (White Horse); they made war and continued to worship violence (Red Horse); they are now suffering starvation, which has nothing to do with droughts (Black Horse); they are also entering the era of Pestilence and Death (Pale Horse); the believers will be persecuted for their faith.
But then again, it might be an invalid comparison to trace similarities between the End Times before the Day of Judgment, with the situation in Zimbabwe today?
Nevertheless, the effects of sin (rebellion against God and disobedience) have logical consequences...and a similar pattern of events can easily follow: rebellion, leading to war, leading to starvation, leading to death.
This pattern was shown under Stalin after the communist Russian revolution. It was also shown under Mao Zedong after the communist revolution in China. I think that Napoleon was part of a similar trend.

5) Quote:
"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."
Note that Mr Jackson states that "democracy and the evil influence of western materialism" will destroy God's plan. This is unlikely to be true. The comments under Item 3) apply here also. The assumption has been made by him that all things from the west are evil. This might be true for some of the agencies in "the west", but the main characteristic of "the west" is a great diversity of opinions and ideas, not the monolithic monster that has been created in the minds of the people by Mugabe's propaganda.

Mr Jackson does not tell us what God's plan is. I do not believe that God's plan for Zimbabwe has been the rule of Robert Mugabe. Rather I put the situation in Zimbabwe into the category of circumstances that applied as a result of the request by the people of Israel for a King like those of the other nations. God did not want that form of government for them, but they insisted on it. Then God let them suffer the consequences of their bad decisions. The people of Zimbabwe have made bad decisions. The consequences have been horrendous. God does not want them to suffer beatings, torture, starvation and death. If change does not come through democracy (however flawed), then it is likely to come through war, which will only bring more destruction.

6) Quote:
"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."
The comments from Item 5) apply here also. See also the comments about God’s Kingdom’ below.
Who must Morgan Tsvangerai go to for help? Zimbabwe cannot carry out a reconstruction on her own. If "the west" does not help, who will? The Chinese?

7) God's Kingdom:
This is often perceived to be a complex concept as we read about it in the Bible; and it has been interpreted in many ways, and even used in the wrong way by some politicians. Essentially, the Kingdom of God exists wherever God is King. This can only happen where people have given their lives to God through Jesus Christ. It is not a political concept. But it is true that the changed lives of believers can lead to significant changes in society.

8) Poverty and anti-materialism:
Poverty is not something desired by God, and there is no merit in starvation, poverty, disease or destruction of people's lives. But I also do not agree with what has been termed "the doctrine of prosperity" which implies that if we are in God's will, we will all be prosperous. The correct attitude to the material aspects of our lives should be an attitude of stewardship. We are looking after the resources God has given us, to use them in the best way to help others. If materialism turns us away from God, it is the attitude that is wrong; not the things themselves.

9) Spiritual opportunity and responsibility:
This is indeed a time of spiritual opportunity. Therefore Christians must be seen to be involved in trying to put things right in Zimbabwe. They must speak out to ensure that the new Zimbabwe will be constructed according to Christian principles as far as possible.
Mugabe would like to provoke war, because violence has served him so well throughout his life.
He should not be given that opportunity.

Regards,
Ned.

Witness Protection!

Communication?

A pony, a monkey, and a sparrow were all together in the forest.
The monkey was making a lot of noise - because that was what monkeys do.
The pony said to the sparrow: Please ask monkey to stop making so much noise.
The sparrow replied: Why don't you ask him yourself?
I can't, replied the pony. You see, I'm a little hoarse (horse)
!!!

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

LiveAMMO

What you see in the picture below is certainly not live ammunition. I removed the mousetraps from their 'hiding places' today and, as you see, they would not have caught mice or anything else! But scroll down for the real LiveAMMO

LiveAMMO

This is the band that Paul (my son) is in: Guitarists Paul (left), Neall (centre), Luke (right - obscured by keyboard); Marcus on drums; Kevin on keyboard. The 3 guitarists began practising together in our garage during the December 2007 holidays, and were soon joined by Kevin and Marcus. They now practise at Marcus' house, because his drums are permanently set up there. On Saturday they played for parents and family - and what remarkable progress they have made. They are producing a really good sound together. Their vision is to give the gospel message through music to youth in schools etc. Confirmation of the name that they have chosen for themselves comes from Isaiah 49:2 - He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.

I am in awe of what God does and how he works in lives - and I am excited at what I see happening among the youth. Paul, at the age of 8, said that he didn't want to play an instrument but wanted to carry on with theory of music. At the time he was excelling at playing the recorder even though he never (or very very very seldom) practised between lessons!! He continued with theory until the end of grade 9, when sport and school became too busy for him to fit it in any more - he'd also had enough by then! When Allan bought a guitar, Paul started to strum and play on it a bit. Then he bought his own just over a year ago (Allan having moved away to do his Internship), and has been making great strides with Neall's help. He plays every day - a good stress reliever after a long day of lectures and dissection and whatever else medical students are confronted with. My heart has been warmed as I have heard him gain confidence in his playing and expand his repertoire - not that I have said much - Mom's comments are not always needed!!!!

What excites me is that God just not bless us with talents - but he gives us the passion which drives us to develop and use those talents. What a mighty God we serve - there is none like him!