Bible: First business, wisdom book

ON February 21, Levison, a Herald rea-der e-mailed me: “Thanks for your Chris-tian programme updates.
“I attended Dr Bill Winston’s conference last week. It was awesome. I would like to find out if there was a DVD recording of the programme. Please assist. I need a copy for my library”.
Dear reader, I was not able to attend the open service at the HICC on February 16, and the breakfast meeting the following morning, but after watching the DVDs, I am in agreement with Levison’s remarks.
Dr Winston laid the basis for the church to move out of the denominational mode, into operating the kingdom way. It was prophecy galore as well. And, this is only possible through hard work from both parties.
Jabula New Life Ministries International, . . . Bishop Tudor Bismarck summed up the meetings: “the harvest determines the labourers . . . the harvest is ripe, so if you see a certain quality of labourer coming to a region you know that you can expect a certain type of harvest”.
Coming as it were at the beginning of the year, this international conference says so much about the state of the church in Zimbabwe, that it should take a leading role in tackling the nation’s challenges.
Dr Winston’s visit was also a positive endorsement of everything that Zimbabwe desires to be, and his message was, what God can do to you, He will do to another. What God has done to him, he can also do it for anyone in Zimbabwe, for “God is no respecter of persons”.
Bishop Bismarck registered surprise that both meetings were so well attended, although the event was arranged at short notice. Church leaders and captains of industry were there to tap into a man who did not equivocate about conducting every facet of life the kingdom (of God) way. The goodness of unity as recorded in Psalm 133 was herein demonstrated.
It was also surprising because this was Dr Winston’s first visit to Zimbabwe. The writer learnt that from the moment he alighted from his private jet, Dr Winston was amazed by the Zimbabwe he saw, which was so different from the Zimbabwe in the media, and he prophesied prosperity and abundance on the nation.
Remarks from Dr Winston and his team showed hospitality practiced at its best as recorded in 3 John 5-8: “Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that they may work together for the truth”.
In her opening prayer Pastor Chichi underlined an important element about international conferences: ” (They) came to be a part of Zimbabwe, and they are going to take back a good report. We are a safe nation, and we look after our guests very well”.
In some quarters, people have wondered how these visits by international men and women of God benefit Zimbabwe. That some of them are starting to come to Zimbabwe and witness first hand the state of affairs, is a good sign.
They are not politicians, so they have their own way of looking at issues and reporting back, even if it is only to their congregations and/or friends. This is why Bishop Bismarck said the harvest determines the quality of labourer. Ebenezer, Zimbabwe!
Dr Winston’s church has close ties with Zimbabwe, especially the Joseph Business School, where some Zimbabweans have already been trained in the US to start the programme locally.
The Joseph Business School Vice President in her brief said, “It’s a pleasure being in Zimbabwe, it’s like being home. Bishop and Pastor Chichi have been such a blessing for us in Chicago . . . Zimbabwe can be free Zimbabwe . . . we believe that the indigenous people of this land are more than equipped . . . what do you have in your house because according to the Bible, that would be the point of your deliverance . . . Spread the gospel so that we have Kingdom business people who will not be ashamed of building the kingdom of God”.
She continued, “You learn how to do business God’s way, how to be led by the Spirit; how to hear the voice of God; how to understand that the Bible is and was the first business book.
It teaches you how to set prices according to the word of God; it teaches you how to compete and dominate in your marketplace through the wisdom of God . . . You learn how to pray and how to do business on revelation and not information.”
John 17: 20-21 says: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
Phillip Yancey and Tim Stafford say that in this “famous prayer concludes a kind of commissioning. In it, Jesus turns over His mission to the disciples and by extension, to all believers who would follow”. The church in Zimbabwe seems to be on track, led of course by the Holy Spirit.
Forthcoming events
Event: Open Heavens Conference, Kingdom Word Ministries
Dates: February 24 – 27
Venue: Cnr Kwame Nkrumah & Leopold Takawira
Time: 17:30 – 19:30hrs
Theme: The house of Jacob shall possess their possession (Obadiah 1: 17)
Guest speaker: Pastor Justice Dlamini, Swaziland
Hosts: Pastors Rodney and Farayi Chipoyera
Contact: 0772 404 256/0778 073 940
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Event: Single Parents and Widows Conference
Dates: February 24-27
Venue: Karumazondo Farm, Marondera
Theme: Supernatural providence (1 Kings 17:19)
Host: Amai M Chipunza, School of Deliverance
Contact: 04-772830-1; 0714 127 391
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Event: Holy Mass to celebrate the life and works of Sr Sturmia Denk CPS, founder member, Monte Cassino Girls’ School in 1961.
Date: February 26
Time: 12:30pm
Venue: Catholic Cathedral, 4th Street/H. Chitepo
Contact: Sr Martina Gwavava CPS, 0772 441 470
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Event: Hatfield Worship Centre Conference
Date: February 29
Time: 1:00 – 5:00pm
Theme: Are you a “small house”; do you have one, are you seeing someone or is your spouse seeing someone?
Facilitator: Rev C Chidimuro
Venue: Hatfield Worship Centre, Elgin and Kilwining Road, Hatfield.
Contact: 0773 296 818/0772 674 850 or [email protected]
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Event: Mount Zion International Ministries Crusade
Dates: March 1-5
Time: 6:00 – 8:00pm
Venue: Stand 9611, Dindingwe Road, Mufakose
Speaker: Evangelist Robert Jambaya
Theme: Isaiah 61: 1; Matthew 28: 19
Contact: 0776277715; 0777735730
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Event: Alfa Ladies: Prayer and fasting “Camp Nzara”
Dates: March 4 – 6
Theme: Wrestling in Prayer (Ephesians 6: 10-12)
Speakers: Overseer C Chiyangwa, Pastor L Gatsi and Mai Zinyemba
Venue: AMFICC, Waterfalls
Contact: 0712 972 21; 0772 370 564
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Event: How to become a successful Christian entrepreneur – School of Champions
Speaker: Rev T O Chipunza
Date: February 28 – March 5
Venue: Park House
Time: 5:30am – 8:30pm
Contact: : 04-772830-1; 0714 127 391
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Event: National Women’s Conference
Dates: March 10-12
Theme: Arise and Shine: Beauty Restored, Destiny Fulfilled
Venue: Celebration Centre, Borrowdale
Host: Pastor Bonnie Deuschle
Speakers: Local and international
Contact: 0777 368 903; 0777 368 904.
To God is the glory, forever and ever! Amen!
Note to readers: Send your church’s special events conferences, anniversaries, crusades, book launches, etc: to [email protected] or [email protected] and in the subject line put, Divine Appointments.