By Wilfred Kushure, Mupositori wekuMasowe
Politics is going on and everything around it is wilting. Once again we find ourselves a punching back of the ruthless and uncaring.
Our condolences to the Maisiri family for the death of Christpowers. He was a Mupositori born and bred in an Apostolic family. We greatly feel hard done and very, very sad. May Christpowers’ soul rest in peace.
I will put into context the prophecy said to have been said by prophet Masedza as reported in the Myzimbabwe online magazine. I will elaborate and say more by way of commenting on the spiritual meaning of the said prophecy.
The prophecy is correct but isolated and therefore it lost its true meaning and relevance on our national issues. I say this as a member of one of the Apostolic churches, Jowani /Johane Masowe WeChishanu/ YeChishanu .
The prophecy story came out during the week beginning Sunday 24 February 2013. It quotes one Johannes Ndanga who is said to be a Church President (not of Johane Masowe obviously).
The paper reports Ndanga as having said that the ACCZ which according to him includes a Jowani Masowe sect would like to vote for President Mugabe, “…to fulfil a prophecy by Johane Masedza, founder of the Johane Masowe church”.
It further reports that Ndanga said “as the ACCZ we stand guided by the 1934 prophecy by prophet Masedza that Mugabe would rule this country until he dies hence we will support him at the elections to ensure the prophecy comes to pass.”
That assertion by Johannes Ndanga wrongly exposes Johane Masowe and all its members to rigorous political scrutiny especially during this period where political activities are peaking.
That assertion paints all Masowe people as being represented by this Ndanga on the same expressed views. That assertion wrongly represents us as a people or as a church with a political agenda.
That assertion misrepresents baba Johane and drags Johane Masedza’s name into shallow agendas of cheap politicking. Johane Masowe is much bigger than these mischievous utterances.
Maybe an earlier version of Ndanga’s rhetoric that, “It was prophesied way back in 1934 by the founder of Johane Masowe church that Zimbabwe was going to have a leader like President Mugabe who will only be removed by God,” which came out in the Herald of 5 February 2013 is closer to the truth.
At least that assertion mentions ‘removed’ which is correct according to the prophecy said then and what we can only wait to see if it comes to pass. But again the name Mugabe is not part of Johane’s prophecy but Ndanga’s own construction.
First and foremost we do not have a president in Johane Masowe and Ndanga does not represent us or our views. Johane Masowe is a Spiritual church and all its things are led and dictated spiritually.
We have widely reckoned leading figures like aWhimbo (Juwani Lukias), aIsrael, aLawrence etc but even these acknowledge that they are spiritual leaders and not leaders in their personal capacities.
In Johane Masowe, first is the Holy Spirit, second Dare/Church council and then Apostles in which group the ‘leader’ falls under. But in all purposes and intents, we do not have a Church President as reported.
And vaNdanga is not a President of our church and I wonder if he is even a member of Johane Masowe church. Johane Masowe is not affiliate to any organisations.
Johane Masowe is a stand-alone spiritual church that does not belong to or is not part of any formalised structures and or organisations. We do understand that in the wider space of things some of our members find themselves affiliated one way or the other or choose to affiliate their sects to some organisations.
However according to our church doctrine we are not allowed to affiliate to anyone or any organisation. Those who have done that could have done that out of fear of the political juggernaut presently in our midst. But all the same that is straying and it is not according to our church gospel.
Johane Masedza prophesied about the Chimurenga war of liberation and did prayers about it well before any Political Nationalist movement/organisation was formed. Johane prophesied that the Black people would win that war and a Black president would rule ‘Southern Rhodesia’.
And YES! Johane did prophesy that, THAT black president would rule ‘Southern Rhodesia’ until when he is REMOVED by the Holy Spirit. (not this ‘until his death’ politicking).
But please note;
- The prophecy was about a first Black President of independent ‘Southern Rhodesia’ and Johane did not mention any name.
- Johane / Masedza said that “murume iyeye” would not be removed from the presidency by man. True, that is what was said by prophecy in our church.
- Coincidentally it is President Mugabe who happens to be that person (murume iyeye).
- It was however prophesied that he would eventually be removed, By God.
I would not have wanted to discuss this if it were not for some unscrupulous people who are carelessly trying to drag our church in the political mud. I don’t wish to sound political or side with any political ideologies.
What I wish to discuss here are facts and what we were told. I also will not tell everything because I do not wish to aid prophecy. Prophecy is divine by its nature and no man can ‘’ensure’’ it or ‘’ensure’’ that it happens.
Otherwise that prophecy loses its divineness. Remember this was prophecy we are talking about. It is not fact. It is something to wait for and watch if it comes to pass. Is it TRUE….? Maybe!
Until it happens then we can look back and say ‘zvakambotaurwa’. What else was prophesied about the same issues;
- That the political party represented by ‘murume iyeye’ would bear Jongwe on its logo (remember this was 1975 when the Chimurenga war was just starting from Mozambique bases. And remember Zanu PF’s first party logo was something different from the present). It happened.
- That ‘murume iyeye’ would take back land and give it to black people. It happened / it’s happening.
- That ‘murume iyeye’ would take back mines and give back to Black people. And that action would herald a completely new era….? It happened / it’s happening.
- That during all that period of the upheavals many people including vaPositori would meet with politically motivated deaths. It happened / it’s happening?
- That during all that time there would be great suffering and especially among the Christian community. It happened / it’s happening?
- That, watch and when you see Mazururandi (South Africa) get its own independence and you know kutonga kwababa kwaswedera (the Kingdom of God is near)!???
He did say a lot more. And almost all of the above has either happened or is happening or we can wait and see? We know it and we have always known a lot that is happening now. We also know a lot more which is going to happen very soon now and a lot more that is going to happen just after now.
We are very relieved about everything happening about the governance of our country because every iota of it is exactly according to what Johane prophesied a long, long time ago. Everything has so far happened accordingly in as far as prophecy in our church is concerned about the governance of our country.
Political processes must still be allowed free and open space to happen regardless of what one has been told or regardless of what one knows. That shows religious maturity and we in Johane Masowe are well mature and equipped to look and see as things take their natural course.
People must still be given enough room and freedom to exercise their democratic rights. Prophecy must prove itself independent of people’s deliberate manoeuvrings. Enough confidence must be given to prophecy and leave prophecy to come to pass or fail in the normal course of things.
Even though we have much more we know about what’s happening in our politics, we are religiously mature and confident that prophecies emanating from our church will determine themselves true or false without us having to play an active part to make it happen.
People like Ndanga must also understand and distinguish between prophecy and advocacy. Prophecy is not advocacy. When TB Joshua (May God Bless him) prophesies about a President from a Southern African country meeting with death before a certain month.
TB Joshua is not telling people to hunt and kill that leader. TB Joshua does not have to come to Southern Africa and ensure that leader dies and neither does Prophet Makandiwa (May God Bless him) or his followers have to go out to the countryside and dig and ensure that gold is found everywhere so that his prophecy is fulfilled.
You do not facilitate the happening of a prophecy. Otherwise it ceases to be prophecy. We may have to refer to it as Advocacy or something else?
Yes, we stand guided by Masedza’s prophecy but we do not go out there and ‘execute’ a prophecy in the guise of wanting it fulfilled. Prophecy does not require to be intentionally executed to prove it correct.
Otherwise we risk turning to be believers of the Gospel according to Judas Iscariot. We risk turning to be glorifiers of the crucifiers of Jesus the Lord and say that the crucifiers were merely executing or facilitating God’s plan and fulfilling Jesus’ death according to prophecy?
We then start asking, Did the people who killed Jesus commit sin? We then court controversy and unnecessary outrage and confusion about things of the Lord. That is unChristian.
Johane did not tell anyone to support President Mugabe. Johane prophesied that ‘’murume iyeye’’ would not be removed from power by any man but God…..(and he also said something about the gap in between…..or the inevitable gap after the present order of things.
We know all that and we are waiting to see then we can be free to talk about it and also refer to it and say ‘zvakataurwa’).
In that respect even President Mugabe himself may not need people who vote for him to ‘ensure’ a prophecy. I think that Mugabe could be more content with people who vote for him because they understand and buy-in his leadership and appreciate his value.
It would be mature and more meaningful to vote for him because of what he is than because of what you were told in some dream or prophecies?
Remember the issue is about removing and / or not removing. Your understanding may be as good as mine that removing may mean not voluntary replacement or may mean assisting change?
Johane said he would eventually be removed but not by man and that would happen during the lifetime of ‘murume iyeye’.
The ‘until his death’ insinuations are campaign gimmicks which we may forgive given the electioneering period we are in but still something we can vehemently challenge for its dangerous falsehood.
But Johane told us not to fight with government, not to belong to Political parties and not to actively take part in opposing the government of the day. Opposing government of the day and supporting that government are two different things.
I may not fight you but that does not mean I like you and / or I want you at all! If you fight me and I do not retaliate may not mean I am a coward nor does it mean that I may not retaliate.
Many times it defines me for what I am i.e. a humble patient and peaceful child of God who waits for The Father to intervene if need be.
In the Biblical times the Israelites did not fight with Pharaoh. Moses did not fight with pharaoh but merely demonstrated and convinced Pharaoh beyond reproach that he was on a Heavenly Mission and even Pharaoh with his earthly might would crumble, and Pharaoh crumbled!
But even then, Moses did not raise a finger against Pharaoh, but God did on behalf of His Chosen Few and Pharaoh crumbled. Did the Israelites fight for God? No. Did the Israelites have to vote for God? No.
Did the Israelites fight for or against Pharaoh? No. Did the Israelites campaign for and did they vote for Pharaoh? No!
The Israelites waited for their God through Moses to give them deliverance. And God’s deliverance came without the Israelites raising even a finger against the earthly ‘mighty’ establishments.
We are God’s people and we are not led by the Ndangas of this world. We are God’s people and we await our God’s divine deliverance. We are at peace with the universe and we do not fight for or against anyone.
God will fight for us and deliver us from the shackles of man when His time comes without the politicking outrage of the people like Ndanga.
Not opposing the government does not mean we were told to agree and / or support that government. (In fact baba Johane at one time actually told us not to worship with maNurse, maTeacher, maDhumeni, Mapurisa and any Government worker.
We do understand that was the colonial times but many can also tell you that baba Johane did not at any other later stage change His statements). What it means is staying aloof and let go the earthly kingdom order of things and concentrate on worshiping and serving only our One God.
Maintaining humility and abstaining and distancing ourselves from fights does not mean our government is good or not good and / or acceptable. It simply means we choose to ignore the earthly and concentrate on more useful things i.e. serving our God.
Also, abstaining from conflicts with earthly authorities does not mean being afraid of them. Governments are different from Political parties. MDC is not government. It may one day form a government. Zanu PF is not government.
It has been in Government since independence and has been sharing government for the past 4 years. If we choose to be at peace with a government of the day it does not mean supporting Zanu PF or MDC. We got that Order from baba Johane and not from Ndanga and his ACCZ.
If one day MDC comes into government we will be obliged to be at peace with MDC formed Government. But that will not mean we are obliged to support MDC political Party.
We have always been maintaining peace with Zanu PF formed governments but that did not mean and will not mean that we are obliged to support Zanu PF political party.
Johane Masowe is not a person but a church. Johane Masowe is not a politically affiliated entity but a God serving church. We look to God and do not look to man. ‘’Humambo hwedu huri mudenga haufanane nehumambo weBiritiyana..’’
We are serving a much higher purpose than Mr Ndanga’s purposes and we are serving a much Higher God than the petty issues of Mr Ndanga’s allusions.
We refuse to be dragged into politics. We refuse to be affiliated to earthly believing organs and people. We refuse to be led by an association President and we do not have a president in our church.
We as a church are not aligned to any political party. We are not short of direction. We are not short of leadership. We are not afraid. We are not wanting. We belong to Jesus and we give all Glory to the Blood of the Lamb and that Blood, a testimony to the evil of this world. All we want is, Peace!
Wilfred Kushure, Mupositori wekuMasowe