As Zimbabwe prepares to vote for its next president, there is a palpable sense of anticipation. The question on everyone’s mind is who will lead our country for the next five years. Will it be the charismatic Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), or the stalwart of ZANU-PF, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa? As a spiritual leader, my role is to encourage people to make their decision thoughtfully and prayerfully. Regardless of the outcome, we must accept that whoever assumes power has been placed there by divine will. Let us pray for peace throughout the election process and a peaceful transition of power if necessary. As Zimbabweans, we must remain united and vote wisely for the good of our beloved country.

1 Timothy 2:1-3 "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD WITH SAMSON

Samson is the last shophet (judge), and the most prominent warrior empowered and enabled by the spirit of the LORD in the book of Judges. Compared to Othniel, Gideon and Jephthah who only had one scripture reference of the spirit of the LORD coming upon them, there are four references for Samson:

Judges 13:25 “The spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.”

Judges 14:6 “The spirit of the Lord rushed on him, and he tore the lion apart barehanded as one might tear apart a kid. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.”

Judges 14:19 “Then the spirit of the Lord rushed on him, and he went down to Ashkelon. He killed thirty men of the town, took their spoil, and gave the festal garments to those who had explained the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father’s house.”

Judges 15:14 “When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him, and the spirit of the Lord rushed on him, and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands.”

Like Samuel the prophet, God prepared Samson to be a saviour and warrior for Israel from birth. The angel of God predicted his birth, and his parents dedicated him as a Nazarite to Yahweh (Judges 13:3-5). He is to be a Nazarite of the LORD commissioned to deliver Israel (Judges 13:5).

The spirit of the LORD moved Samson into action. The four scriptures referencing the spirit of the LORD coming upon him use the terms stir and rushed. This shows that Samson had no control over the coming of ruah (or the spirit of the LORD) upon him. He was controlled and moved into action by the spirit of the LORD each time a situation called for such action. The first instance mentions that Samson was stirred by the spirit of the LORD in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. He was stirred and led to come down to Timnah where he found a Philistine woman whom he desired to marry (Judges 14:1-4). This shows that the spirit of the LORD was starting to lay the groundwork for Samson to begin overcoming the Philistines and delivering Israel.

In the second instance, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon Samson when he was attacked by a lion on his way to Timnah to take his Philistine woman. With his bare hands he tore apart the lion into pieces as one could tear a kid (Judges 14:6). Upon his return from Timnah, he found the lion carcass filled with bees and honey. He took the honey and ate it with his family (Judges14:8-9). The killing of the lion did not make sense at this stage until the next episode when his wife disclosed the answer of Samson’s riddle “Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet” (Judges 14:14). The person who explained the answer to the riddle correctly was to be given thirty linen garments and thirty festal garments. Samson was enraged after his wife disclosed the answer to her people. It was then for the third time that we hear that the spirit of the LORD rushed on him, and he killed thirty men from Philistine, city of Ashkelon (Judges 14:19). Samson took their garments and gave them to the people who explained the riddle.

In the fourth direct instance of the spirit of the LORD ‘rushing’ on Samson, the ropes tying him became like flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands. With a donkey’s jawbone, he killed a thousand of Philistine men (Judges15:14-15). His kinsman had tied him with ropes and wanted to hand him over to the Philistines to avoid trouble.

Finally, the last episode in which Samson killed three thousand men and women of the Philistines including their lords (Judges 16:27) points to the empowerment of the spirit of the LORD upon him. His last prayer to the LORD points to this: “Then Samson called to the LORD and said, ‘Lord GOD, remember me and strengthen me only this once, O God, so that with this once act of revenge I may pay back the Philistines for my two eyes.’ And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. Then Samson said, ‘Let me die with the Philistines.” He strained with all his might, and the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So those he killed at his death were more than those he had killed during his life” (16:27-30).The prayer shows that Samson relied on the spirit of the LORD for strength. Secondly, his ability to push the two pillars holding the temple was extraordinary. This is evidence that the LORD’s spirit energized him with ‘ecstatic power’ to perform a supernatural feat in delivering Israel from its enemies.

Samson did not need an army to fight Israel’s enemies. He was Israel’s own army. Through the spirit of the LORD upon him, he single-handedly tore apart a lion (Judges 14:6), killed thirty Philistines in Ashkelon and took their garments (Judges14:19), broke the ropes tied on him and killed a thousand Philistine men with a donkey’s jawbone (Judges 15:14), and lastly, in his death, he killed three thousand men and women of Philistine including their lords (Judges 16:30).

The church today should not look at what human beings could do; rather, it should give room for the Holy Spirit to lead the way. In this way, the church could be in a better position to witness great salvation feats in these end times. The God whom we meet in the book of Judges is the same God who acts in Christ for our salvation. This work of salvation is progressive until the Jesus’ second coming, therefore, believers we still need the partnership of the spirit of the LORD to achieve God’s purposes of salvation on earth today. It is not something that can be achieved by our natural might nor power, but by the spirit of the LORD (Zechariah 4:6). The fact that some of the Old Testament judges’ names are listed in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11:32-34, believers today should imitate their faith to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

With the Holy Spirit, the ruah or ruach of Yahweh (the Spirit of the LORD), we can do great things for salvation and deliverance on earth during our time. Welcome Holy Spirit! Amen!

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 1:12 And the word of the LORD came to me, asking, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” “I see a branch of an almond tree,” I replied. “You have observed correctly,” said the LORD, “for I am watching over My word to accomplish it.”

This is what God says to believers. There is cleansing, sanctification and purification coming to the church. This is a cleansing similar to what David desired in Psalms 51:7 when he cried out to God saying, “Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” This cleansing refreshes the believers. It’s a time of refreshment for the church from the Lord (Acts 3:19). LORD’s refreshing brings blessings of health, revival, and prosperity. It is an exciting experience that causes the saints to prosper in all things in the same way we prosper in our souls (3 John 1:2). Imagine how you feel after a “good” shower or bath! This is exactly what believers will experience as a result of this refreshing from the LORD.

There is jubilation and joy among the saints who wait for the LORD. Like the disciples in Luke 5:1-11, you could have toiled the whole night trying to catch fish but caught none. Jesus came and asked them to use their boat. After teaching the multitudes of people from the boat, he asked the disciples to launch their nets into the deep. There was a big catch of fish. The disciples were amazed and jovial at the same time. This is what this refreshing time is all about. God will amaze us with his goodness. We do not need to think how breakthroughs in our lives will come about. The disciples believed and obeyed Jesus’ command to launch their nets into the deep and the result was a big catch of fish. In obedience and trust we will enjoy these abundant blessings from the LORD. The LORD had this message to Cyrus through prophet Isaiah, “I will go before you and make crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, who call you by name, Am the God of Israel” (Isaiah 45:2-3). This same prophetic message speaks to us today. The times of refreshing are opening up closed doors and bringing in hidden treasures and riches for God’s glory through us, his saints. This speaks of all types of blessings including financial breakthroughs that have been deemed impossible in a lifetime. God is making it possible in these refreshing times. Amen!

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Following Jesus Christ requires sacrifice!

“Following Jesus will cost you your popularity, friends, leisure time, traditions or family. The cost of following Jesus may be high but the value of being Jesus’ disciple is even higher. Praise God!” Cleto Mhuru

The following synonyms describe sacrifice: to give up; to let go; to offer, renounce, endure, surrender, kiss goodbye and part with.

DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS OF SACRIFICE

• To sacrifice may mean to give up something valuable to you to help another person (Examples – (a) Many women sacrifice interesting careers for their families. (b) Many parents make sacrifices to give their children a better education and life.
• To sacrifice also means to kill an animal and offer it to a god or gods (In the Old Testament the people sacrificed animals on the alter as a sacrifice for their sins. In the New Testament Jesus Christ was offered as a sacrifice for the remission of our sins. As children of God, Jesus was our sacrifice therefore we don’t need to shed any blood anymore!

1. God is pleased when we sacrifice to follow Jesus Christ. In Matthew 8:19-20 we read, “One of the teachers of religious law said to him, ‘Teacher, I will follow You no matter where You go!’ But Jesus said, ‘Foxes have dens to live in and birds have nests, but I, the Son of Man, have no home of My own, not even a place to lay my head.’ Also in Luke 9:23 – 24 we hear our Lord Jesus saying “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it”. We can see from these Scriptures that following Jesus is not always easy or comfortable. It will cost you your popularity, friends, leisure time, traditions or family. The cost of following Jesus may be high but the value of being Jesus’ disciple is even higher. Praise God! Jesus made this promise to His followers: “No one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life” (Luke 18:28-30). Following Jesus Christ promises 100% of this life and life to come. There is no greater blessing than this promise. Hallelujah!
2. God is pleased with a sacrificial attitude that puts everything we have at His disposal. In Matthew 19:21 “Jesus told him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Should all believers sell everything they own to follow Jesus? No. We are responsible for caring for our own needs and our families’ needs so we will not burden others. We should, however, be willing to give up anything if God asks us to do so. This kind of attitude acknowledges that all we have belongs to Him and is graciously given for our use or enjoyment. We are stewards, not possessors of it.
3. God is pleased with a sacrificial attitude that shows real love for others. In Romans 9:1-3 “In the presence of Christ, I speak with utter truthfulness; I do not lie; and my conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm that what I am saying is true. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed — cut off from Christ! — If that would save them.” Are you ready to sacrifice your time, money, energy, comfort, and safety to see others come to Jesus? Are you willing to bear others’ burdens, pray for them, fast for them and forgive even if it seems like swallowing a bitter pill? This is a sacrifice of love and obedience needed by God.
4. God is pleased with sacrificial living because it shows obedience and gratitude for His grace. Paul in Romans 12:1 exhorts believers to give their bodies to God as a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to Him.
5. God requires us to offer ourselves, not animals, as a living sacrifice. He wants us to lay aside our own desires and follow Him. He wants us to put all our energy and resources at His disposal and trust Him to guide us. We do this out of gratitude that our sins have been forgiven, not to earn our salvation or His favour.

“Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ Jesus, who loved us and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away our sins. And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to Him.”

“The most comforting thing is that each time I pray in tongues, I speak mysteries that cannot be understood by anyone even Satan and his demons. The joy of it all is that the conversation I am having in tongues is only between God and myself. Praise God!” – Cleto Mhuru

Speaking in tongues is a gift from the Holy Spirit. There are many Scripture references to speaking in tongues following the Holy Spirit baptism. In Acts 2:1-4, we are told that the disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in new tongues. In Acts 10:44-46, the Gentiles spoke in tongues exalting God after the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them. In Acts 19:1-7, the disciples in Ephesus received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues and prophesied. In Corinthians Chapter 14, Paul explained the importance, benefits and order of speaking in tongues. Verse 2 says “for he who speak in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.” On verse 4 he said that those who speak in tongues build themselves up in the Lord. What can we learn here about speaking in tongues?

1. The person who speak in tongues speaks directly to God not to people and no one hears him (even demons and Satan).  

2. The person who speak in tongues speaks mysteries in the spirit.

3. The person who speak in tongues edifies or builds himself or herself in the LORD.

There are two different types of tongues:

1. The first group of tongues are known languages which we all speak. The tongues spoken by the disciples in Acts 2:1-4 were literally the languages of other nations. They spoke the native languages of other nations without learning them (Acts 2:6-11). For example, it’s like speaking Chinese, Ndebele, Swahili, English, or Korean without taking any lessons to learn such languages. This is what happened on Pentecost.

2. The second type of tongues are “unknown tongues” OR “tongues that cannot be uttered” OR “unfathomable tongues” as explained by Paul in 1 Corinthians 14. These are tongues of angels and tongues of the Holy Spirit which when uttered, speak mysteries of God. These tongues are what we call glossolalia in Greek meaning unintelligible utterances. When we talk about praying with words that cannot be uttered, we talk about glossolalia. We should not mistaken glossolalia for battologeo. Battologeo is a Greek word meaning bubbling nonsensical repetitions as we see in Matthew 6:7. Glossolalia is a language of angels and the Holy Spirit which we use to speak mysteries and exalting God with. Through glossolalia, we edify and build ourselves in the Lord. Glossolalia has benefits whereas battologeo is detrimental or damaging.

What about interpretation?

Not all tongues can be interpreted. However, some can be interpreted. Tongues which can be interpreted are like the gift of prophecy, these are tongues meant to edify, strengthen, encourage and comfort other believers. When we speak in tongues in the church, we should do so to edify the church. Therefore, we should pray to interpret them (1 Corinthians 14:13). Interpretation of tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit given to believers, and we should desire it (1 Corinthians 12:10; 12:31). We should not forbid believers from speaking in tongues in the church. During personal prayer or devotion to God or praise and worship time, believers should feel free to pray in tongues just as others can do so in their mother languages. It is only when one is addressing to the congregation that we need to communicate in a language that can be understood by all. If one speaks in a tongue, it should be interpreted so that all benefit.

Why speak in tongues?

When you pray in the Holy Spirit, you build yourself on your most holy faith (Jude 1:20). In Ephesians 6:18, the apostle Paul exhorted believers to “pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition.” How do I pray in the Holy Spirit? I do this by praying in tongues. Romans 8:26 tells us that “we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercessions for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Groanings are not intelligible words, instead, they are incomprehensible and unfathomable. This is glossolalia – speaking in unknown tongues of angels and the Holy Spirit. This is when the deep calls to the deep (Psalm 42:7).

– When I do not know where to start from in prayer; I pray in the tongues. It is true that I do not know how to pray, but the Holy Spirit will helps me to pray. There is no better prayer than praying in the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues!)

– I feel revived, refreshed, strengthened and recharged after praying in the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues).

– The Holy Spirit removes all fear and assures me all is well after praying in tongues.

– I feel edified and my faith strengthens by speaking in tongues. Praise God!

– Most comforting is that each time I pray in tongues, I speak mysteries that cannot be understood by anyone even demons and Satan. The joy of it all is that the conversation I am having in tongues is only between God and myself. Praise God!

I am encouraging you to develop this habit of praying in the tongues of angels and the Holy Spirit, building yourself up in your most holy faith. Amen!