The Sunday Mail
WE toast to Archbishop Ezekiel Handinawangu Guti, for he is one of the doyens of the Christian faith in Zimbabwe.
He has “broken bread” in a number of nations and to date, the church he helped to found, Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (ZAOGA FIF) is now in more than half of the States that constitute the United Nations.
Over the years, Archbishop Guti has preached a message based “on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets and Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone.”
“A gifted evangelist, veteran pastor, veritable teacher” and Apostle, Archbishop Guti last Friday demonstrated to Zimbabwe and Africa that he is a man called to speak to the nations, including in higher education.
The commissioning of the Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University in Bindura by President Mugabe on March 18 proved that, and it was another milestone for ZAOGA FIF and Archbishop Guti as ZEGU became the 16th family member among members of the institutions of higher education, since Independence in 1980.
During the 2015 edition of Today’s Woman, I bought two books written on and by Archbishop Guti – “African Apostle” by Gayle D. Erwin, and “The Church and Political Responsibility: Preparing for the Next Generation – Pray for United States of Africa.”
These were among the dozens of publications that he has authored, and both books underscore Archbishop Guti’s commitment to Africa, under God, saying that faith without works is dead, as the Bible states in James 2:14.
ZEGU and other countless social institutions that ZAOGA FIF have set up under his auspices are testament of his commitment to the work that the Lord called him to do.
Below is an excerpt he titled “Africa will be Saved”, which is part of “The Church and Political Responsibility: Preparing for the Next Generation – Pray for United States of Africa,” and published by Egea Publications in 1994.
Archbishop Guti begins with this open-ended question: “Africa in future – where will it be?
He continues, “The answer depends upon the people of God on their knees, praying and knowing that Africa’s future is not in the hands of politicians, economists or financial institutions – but in your hands, a woman or man of God in prayer.
“The Bible says, ‘They who know their God shall be strong and do exploits’ (Daniel 11:32).
“Church-based statistics show that in the years to come, sixty percent of the world’s over three billion Christians will live in developing countries with Africa recording the highest.
“Jesus is the hope of Africa! All we need is the proclamation of Jesus as Lord. Prayer and participation of running the nation, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and teaching people of self-reliance.
“Some Western people are still organising to send missionaries to Africa. They think Africa is a pagan continent but it is not true. How can we change this mentality?
“We can change it by being self-reliant.
“To be self-supportive, we have to change the mentality of being dependent upon outside support. We must begin to teach our people the word of God and to work hard with their own hands.
“That will bring blessings to the people. They will prosper and support the church. They will run big businesses, bless the country and send missionaries from Africa to Europe; saying,
“Thank you for the education you gave Africa.”
“Now it is our time to bless Western nations with the true Gospel, which some of the Western countries have lost!
“But how can people support a church which has no life? The church of Jesus was a healing church. The church without Jesus Christ is not His church.
“Some churches have good education but no spiritual food to feed the inner man, thereby they do not grow. It is a problem to be without the power of God.
“It is good only physically but not spiritually. Man is both spiritual and physical, he needs both.
“Some years ago the churches were emphasising liberation, which was necessary at that time, but now it is over. We don’t need civil wars, which destroy property and the lives of people because it only benefits those people who sell guns to Africa, and other third world countries. What we need now is liberation of the colonial mentality.
“To stop this, churches must be a blessing to the politicians, ministers and the governments. Indigenous churches can take out the politicians’ fear of outside invasion.
“Third World people have suffered the problem of refugees enough. God help us. We all know that governments come and go, but the church is here to stay.
“Let the true church be a blessing and an advisor to the Government.
“But if your church is being backed by the enemies of your country, cut that relationship because your Government will have suspicion on your church and you are unable to bless the Government.
“It has been announced that 1993 was indigenous people’s year, therefore we indigenous churches must be awake, and teach our people to be self-reliant, and encourage them to form big businesses and big companies not just bottle-stores and groceries.
“Political independence alone will not set you free. To have freedom, you have to free yourself from the spirit of bondage.
“There are some black people who still blame their failures on what happened in the past and make excuses. That time has gone, now it’s our time to prove ourselves that we can do it. It is indigenous peoples’ year, every year!
“The purpose of radio and television should be to broadcast local educative programmes that teach our children to begin to believe in themselves, that black people are people of value too, and to encourage our children in finding their identity as black people.
“But instead, they always watch a white man and white woman kissing each other on the television who are not wife and husband. This does not help society.
“Psalms 101v 2-3 says, ‘I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set nothing wicked before my eyes. I hate the work of those who fall away. It shall not cling to me.’
“Someone has said Africans and Third World countries are like people lost in a big jungle because of not knowing which direction to take.
“They say Africans live an artificial life because most of the changes we see in Africa are not really their own changes. The changes are influenced by external powers.
“The church ought to preach hope. Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
“If God is in charge of history how can it be that Africa and other Third World countries could be abandoned forever? There is hope in Africa and Third World countries because of the God of heaven, who changes the history of the nations.
“I believe that the problem which Africa and the developing countries are undergoing is not permanent. God will raise Africa and bless it again, what we need to do is to preach love and peace, that will bring unity in Africa, that will win the bitter nations by love, not by guns, because guns bring hatred, but love brings peace and unity.
“Africa will recover. Time will come when the history of Africa will be changed. Once Africa is united, it is going to be a great and mighty nation on earth again.
“But the church as the salt of the earth must preach peace, love and joy. That comes from God alone!”
The “African Apostle” records Archbishop Guti’s 1957 prayer for Africa, where he implored the Lord: “I give myself to you and ask that you use me for your great works in Africa and that you use me for your glory. I pray that you lighten your judgement on Africa. Surely, you will not judge us as you would other countries where your great hand has been revealed . . . I, your servant Ezekiel, give my life to you that I may be called by your name.”
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