The mind, spirit of a pioneer

God as a lamp for their feet. Life experiences have informed me that many men and women chicken out when it comes to doing outstanding things. What humanity has to do is to have the courage to brand new courses in life and follow God’s vision in their lives. If a man discovers new things and goes to where no man dares to go, he becomes a pioneer of that field in life.
The Webster English Dictionary defines a pioneer as a person or group that originates or helps open up a new line of thought or activity or a new method or technical development. A man who brands a course and prepares the way for others, doing an exploratory work becomes a pioneer.
Taking the Webster Dictionary definition in perspective, I have discovered that Prophet Makandiwa is one of those Men of God who helped take the dimension of the prophetic ministry to where it is now in Zimbabwe. What is in the mind of a pioneer? This is a legitimate question that people ask. Many people with the desire to become pioneers in their respective fields of life would want to know the spirit that makes a pioneer tick. From the teachings of the servant of the Most High God, Prophet Makandiwa, pioneers are called to represent God and they carry a heavenly mandate in their respective locations of life. The Book of Judges 15:9-15, chronicles the life of Samson as a unique judge in Israel.
He was a man with a mandate from God to deliver and preserve Israel from the Philistines. No man of that time in Israel had that ability to fight wars by himself without an army giving him company. Samson was a warrior worthy thousands of soldiers and Israel did not understand him.
If my life experiences, I have learnt that people called pioneers draw criticism from various angles because of the uniqueness of their service. Pioneers are open books whose lives cannot be ignored. 
It is also not surprising to see the media develop a fixation on pioneers because they are celebrities in their own right. Samson became the talk of the day. Israel found it abnormal to understand even Samson’s birth.
I have seen people start unique business ventures in Zimbabwe and one thing I have noticed in all of them is that they do not fear. Pioneers’ are risk takers and entrepreneurial. They are divinely inspired. They are carried by faith in their journeys to exploit. The Book of Hebrew defines faith as things not seen but things hoped for. A pioneer brands a course and does not fear. Fear is a demonic police officer which arrests progress in one’s destiny. A person who fears taking up new challenges in life always remains in the valley of stagnation and defeat.
Therefore, God provides faith as a divine messenger sent to guide men and women to achieve lofty goals. A person’s self-evaluation and his or her standing in Christ Jesus will paint a picture of who he or she is.
I have also noticed in life that when one has confidence in Jesus Christ, he or she achieves great success.  There is tremendous power in the conviction that one can do something. The man who has great faith in God and in himself or herself is relieved from many uncertainties in life and his or her future.
The essence of this article is to direct people to believe that Jesus Christ is the greatest pioneer, who has birthed our faith in God. He did what no man or angels dared to do. I have also discovered that pioneers are not copy cats, they don’t prophesy because they saw one doing so. They prophesy because they are being driven by the infinite grace of God endowed in them. Jesus Christ did what no man or woman has ever done — to die for humanity’s sins. This is the essence of a pioneer. 
Pioneers inspire us and help us discover what God has deposited in us. Similarly, Prophet Makandiwa is to me and others, the beacon of pioneering light in him as a pioneer that God presented to me and many.
To benefit from the ministry of a pioneer, there is need to pay special and particular attention to that pioneer. Pioneers carry special grace and ability to give birth to great people, great communities and even great nations. We can’t be all Abrahams, but we can be his children. By being a pioneer in faith, Abraham became a father of many nations. Nations of faith are Abraham’s children. Pioneers have the ability to reproduce after their kind, are heavenly sent to redeem and to save.
It is unfortunate that people vent their anger and venom at pioneers. I have observed that people are critical to people who chart new courses in life. May we take our time to emulate and learn from the pioneers God gave them. Therefore, pioneers must not be victims of our anger, hatred and jealousy.
There is need to treat them with respect because God raised them to benefit humanity and the Body of Christ at large. Zimbabwe is a blessed nation to have pioneers in various fields.
One can be a pioneer in a family, in  industry as long as he/she is close enough to a man who has been there. Prophet Makandiwa is one of them who are epitomes in our country, he carries the mind and a spirit of a pioneer. God is mightily using him in giving hope to so many contemporary Christians from different denominations in Zimbabwe to discover what God has deposited in them through his profound teachings.
What you respect is what you attract. Respecting a pioneer will cause the spirit of a pioneer to come upon you. In his sermon, The Mind of a Pioneer, Prophet Makandiwa  said, if only people can allow God to work through them, He is capable of making them pioneers in various aspects of life, just like Samson.
If you change your mind today, everything about you will definitely change.
Every Christian who wants to become a pioneer should protect his mind from the fear of death through the following three major shields. First, if I am going to die why would God still accept my offerings and sacrifices for the future? Samson’s mother on Judges 13 verse 23 wondered why would God accept their seed if they were going to die? Second, If I am dying why then has God showed me this and that?
For example if you have survived so many challenges like life threatening sickness and persecutions! Third, If I am dying why am I still receiving promises from God through the preaching of the word, dreams and other means by which God communicates with man?
A pioneer must never be afraid of death, like Samson’s mother. A pioneer must know that he is controlled by the spirit of God that gave him the mandate.
l Pastor Rukwati is a serving member of the United Family International Church.