ZHILO CHRISTIAN LEADERS EQUIPPED

On Saturday 07 February 2015, 13 church leaders drawn from 6 churches in Ward 8 Zhilo community of Umzingwane District of Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe; were equipped by the Mission Brothers team on, vision and the church role in community development.

The Zhilo Christians are also in the process of establishing a community based organization that will foster spiritual and socio-economic and political transformation in the communities. Mission Brothers is offering technical assistance to the association.

Meanwhile Mission Brothers has received invitations to hold equipping seminars in Matobo, Gwanda and Insiza communities.

PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

Mission Brothers is calling on the Christian Community to join us as we pray for the Shalom Campsite and Ebenezer Agriculture College that are located at Maleme Ranch in Matobo District.

The ranch is under siege as some government officials are grabbing the land for personal uses as part of the new land grabs happening in Matabeleland South.

The Maleme Ranch is owned by a Christian farmer and has been having programmes that are helping over 200 families around the ranch area. The ranch is also housing the Shalom Campsite that has been used by churches and church groups for their conferences and campsites. The ranch is also home to Ebenezer Agriculture College that assists youths with key agriculture skills. The ranch is also home to the Turning Matabeleland Green, a Christian agriculture initiative.

We pray that the government overturns the offer letter for the farm and it continues transforming the communities through good works.

THOUGH THE FIG DOES NOT BLOSSOM

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither [shall] fruit [be] in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and [there shall be] no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God [is] my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ [feet], and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.” (Habakkuk 3 v 17 – 19).

We do not worship and serve God because He answered our prayers, because He blessed us, He performed a miracle, He told us a prophecy, or He did this and that for us. NO!
Even if God decides not to heal us, deliver us, save us, answer us, fight for us; we should and are going to serve Him still because He is God who should be worshipped (Daniel 3 v 17 – 18).
Our serving God is not conditional like buying bread, but it is a duty and a lifestyle.

Brethren lets serve and worship God even in the midst of a failing marriage, a collapsing business, a decreasing salary, a rejected project proposal, a negative medical report, an un-conducive situation, a depressing environment and a warring family.

Once we learn to be that faithful and true to God; He is faithful and just to direct our feet well (Psalm 91 v 11 – 13) and when we remain unconditionally faithful to Him, He will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4 v 19) and show us and take us to mighty and unbelievable things and places that we knew not (Jeremiah 33 v 3). If we could learn and trust God unconditionally He will do to us what we have never perceived before (1 Corinthians 2 v 9) and what He will do, we will not believe even if we were told of it (Habakkuk 1 v 5).

May the name of God be praise, Amen!
(…..Mission Brothers)

CHURCH TESTIMONY

Most people stood up and testified how God has generously blessed them with cars, happy marriages, promotions at work and money.
A simple teenage girl stood up and said, “Brethren I thank God for He has been good to me and He has richly blessed me, just last week God promoted me and I am now on Whatsapp…” The whole church went rumbling with laughter.
The girl continued in-amused, “Being on Whatsapp is indeed amazing and a huge step in my life: 1. Through Whatsapp I get motivational scriptures from the church group everyday and this builds my faith; 2. There are nearly 400 million people using Whatsapp in a world of more than 7 billion people, this means I’m better than 6 billion people; 3. I also read that Whatsapp is worth more than $19 billion and without me using Whatsapp the owner will be poor, a street kid or a thief”

Moral of the testimony
Be thankful to God for all things in life (1 Thes 5 v 18 and Ephesians 5 v 20) because all things however small and insignificant work for good to those who love the Lord (Romans 8 v 28). Remember if you are faithful and thankful on the little, God will give us more (Matthew 25 v 21 – 23) and “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away” (Matthew 25 v 29).

WHEN THE GOURD IS REMOVED

In Jonah 4 v 6-7 God prepared a gourd/vine to cover Jonah’s head and relieve his grief and Jonah was exceedingly glad. However, in the morning the LORD God prepared a worm that smote the gourd and it withered and when the wind and sun came, it beat on Jonah’s head and he was exceedingly angry.

God blesses us with things and people to cover our heads, our needs, necessities, shame and relieve our grief, worries, troubles and sorrows. All God’s blessings are for our benefit and they make us glad.

But to teach us a lesson, to help us grow, to enable us to understand, to encourage us to focus and to strengthen our faith; God attimes takes the blessings away and we are left exposed, in need, discouraged and affected.

Let us learn to accept and be thankful to God when He blesses and when He removes the blessing because His ways aren’t our ways and His thoughts aren’t our thoughts (Isaiah 55 v 8) as He has great plans for our lives (Jeremiah 29v11) and He will never allow a challenge above our faith to come our way (1 Cor 10v 13).

Have a blessed day and remember, the gourd may be removed but God isn’t removed. He is still God and will never leave nor forsake you (Duet 31 v 6) because He is the ever present help in times of need (Psalm 46 v 1).

(….Mission Brothers)