Happy 52^nd Anniversary ZAOGA FIF!

It’s that time again when the Forward in Faith Church family in the 112 nations and states commemorate the birth of our church.  As we celebrate the birth of this great movement that God has graciously made us a part of, it is important that we focus on the important issues.

Yes by the grace of God it has been 52 years, from the humble beginning in remote Bindura which at the time began with less than half a dozen people under a gum (eucalyptus) tree. As we celebrate lets be thankful to God for the man and women that He raised, and who have been obedient to the heavenly calling.

Our Father Apostle E.H. Guti paid a very heavy price. He had to overcome insurmountable problems that included family tragedies, betrayals, isolation, and persecutions by the religious establishment.  He had to rely and depend on God completely. In the book of Proverbs 22:28 we are admonished not to remove the landmark that was put here by our fathers.

In this 21^st century where we are under siege from the modern lifestyle it is important that there is no substitute for prayer. This church was born in prayer so it will continue in prayer. Let us not forget that it was in prayer that God appeared to our father Apostle E. H. Guti before he met a preacher and said to him “fear not, sin not”. Sin not, was the cornerstone that led to revival that has blanketed Zimbabwe, the region and now has spread like veld fire around the world. The message of holiness and the fear of God should continue to be heeded in our church. The angel who appeared to Ezekiel said fear not, sin not. The fear not is to live by faith. Let’s put our faith in God.

Our celebrations should also be a time of reflection.  We should consider the heritage we have been given and prioritize keeping and protecting it. There are things that can change and others that don’t change. It is important to distinguish between the changeable from the changeless. While methods, programs and technology may change the message does not change. The definition of sin and righteousness doesn’t shift with time. We still have to seek God the same way that those who have gone before us have done.   The foundations of prayer, the fear of God, faith, love, holiness, don’t change.

Lets us truly be thankful for the fruitfulness of the vision. ZAOGAFIF has churches now has seven fulltime Bible Schools in four countries were thousands have been trained for ministry. We have built children’s homes , for taking care of orphans . Ezekiel TV has been launched to capture the airwaves and to use them as a tool for transmitting the message of the gospel to the nations via satellite and the internet.

The vision is not limited just to meeting the spiritual needs of the people. In the past five years alone the church has undertaken massive projects that meet the physical needs of the people. In Waterfalls a suburb of Harare we have built a state of the art hospital. This medical institution also has a non-medical unit where those with spiritual needs will be ministered to through prayer and the Word.

The Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University is currently under construction in Bindura on a 100 hectare property. This is a university that will offer education in an environment and from a philosophy that reveres God. We have lots of preschools, two primary schools and two high schools. We also have schools in West Africa. There are hundreds of dressmaking schools throughout the southern Africa where people are trained to use their hands. ZAOGA FIF has many other resources that the community can benefit from but time does not permit.

Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness to the children of men. Psalms 107:8