The least is the greatest.....by Peter Cunningham

Peter Cunningham

Peter started the session by reading from Matthew 6:2 “Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.”

How should we pray then? There are some specific needs that we can ask from God. We have to continue praying and God will answer our prayers.

Mark 1:14 – 15 “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Matthew 4:17 “From the time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Matthew 12:28 “But if I cast out demons by the spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

Acts 28:30 – 31 “Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.”

The difference between the 4 gospels and the Book of Acts is that Jesus was preaching and said The Kingdom of God is near while in Acts, it says that the Kingdom of God is here.

Matthew 11:11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of woman there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” If Jesus says “I tell you the truth”, He is about to tell you something that you don’t know – something astounding, a revelation.

The least is the greatest and this revelation is very encouraging for the Operation Trumpet Call farmers.

Summarised by Molly Manhanga

"How can we activate?" by Scott Marques

Scott Marques challenged the church leaders with “How can we activate?” and poured out his heart with all his usual passion as he sounded the Trumpet Call again. He said, “This is a time when God is going to give us capacity, and he has given us a mandate to be like Him! Jesus’ passion is for those who don’t know Him. Let’s do away with the rubbish that gets in the way. Scott reminded us that we must turn back to God. God is in absolute control, and our diversity reflects His glory and we are to be reckless in our love for each other.” Scott urged us not to be disconnected, but to really unify in the faith, which will lead us into faithfulness.

Scott exhorted us that it is time to roll up our sleeves because God has given us a key in agriculture. With the heart change there is action to be done. We need to be fully ready for the big events in September. He described the wonderful plan to have 55 discipleship modelling and training centres ready throughout the nation, so that a multitude of farmers can come and see how to farm God’s way on the foundations He has laid. This momentum is to lead up to the Global Day of Prayer, and the National Celebration Day. We need to be praying for the rural folk, and it is going to be tough.

We need to act practically ourselves, and God is showing us the “how” bit-by-bit. Scott then reminded everyone of many of the principles and steps of Foundations for Farming in his inimitable fashion. We pray that the passion for God can ignite us in all that we do.

Prophetic background for Zimbabwe by Brian Oldreive

Brian Oldreive

Brian said that National Transformation comes at a very significant time in our nation’s history, where we can see how the Lord has prepared us for our own rebuilding process. We have been through a chastening and refining time for the last twelve years, and the Lord is especially removing the rubble in the hearts of God’s people called by His name.

Other prophetic indicators are:
• Our entrance point to transformation, and our premier social indicator should be the elimination of systemic poverty, is confirmed in the Isaiah 58 blueprint we have been given for the rebuilding model.
• We should concentrate on teaching and demonstrating the kingdom, from which Jesus will build his Church.
• Our Marketplace Ministry entrance point is through Foundations for Farming, which teaches the very poor farmers how to provide food for themselves and a surplus with which to feed the towns and cities. This faithfully and profitably produced surplus will kick-start the development of other aspects of the national economy. This is to be done primarily through the churches, thus confirming collaboration between the Marketplace and Pulpit Ministries.
• The whole upside-down kingdom process must be founded on the humility and unselfishness of Jesus. This would lift up Jesus to the entire city and nation, and will ensure the quality of the rebuild and the longevity of our Christ-likeness as well.
• The efficient implementation of plans and technologies is not a “given” in Africa, and that the Lord has shown us that we must teach and demonstrate faithful stewardship at all levels, as well as a generosity of Spirit, which will lead us to the wholeheartedness that glorifies God in all that we do.
• If we truly turn back to God and sincerely acknowledge Him in all our ways, the Lord will use us to show that He chooses the foolish to confound the wise and the weak to shame the strong. Our transformation from the depths from where the Lord will deliver us to the heights of where He can take us, may well astound the nations around us and even the world, and we will be able to make disciples of nations.
• Nehemiah wept over the ruination of Jerusalem, received a rebuilding plan from the Lord, and then managed to do two significant things: The people unified and all started to build together, and they all focussed on the building process for a season. This unity and focus enabled those huge walls to be built in only 52 days, even under siege, which is a construction-engineering miracle. The time span for the rebuilding of our nation will be determined by the unity and focus of God’s people in Zimbabwe, whether it be 52 weeks, 52 months or 52 years.

"Not MY will Lord, but YOURS"

Nation Builders - For such a time as this......

It's important to understand the state of your nation and to see what needs to be built. Esther understood the peril and danger of her nation. We need a vision of where our nation needs to be built up.

Nation builders know their nation through supernaturally insight or factually. When God calls you to the Nation, He puts it in you and it comes out of you naturally. Look at what has brought your nation to the state it is in now and know why she is ill at ease with herself. What is God saying to you about your nation? Listen to Him, understand the times and where we are.

Perennial message: The heart of God is always to bring transformation. See the end from the beginning, know where we are and where we are going. When we know the end from the beginning, we can go through anything. It's important to know the challenge you're up against. People need to be restored. Value human beings and speak up on behalf of those who cannot speak.

God will test you. Be faithful with one and He will entrust you with 1000's. God uses men and women to protect and build nations. For example: Joseph acted to feed the Nation of Egypt. Was he acting spiritually or politically? Esther acted to save the Jewish nation. Was she acting spiritually or politically? The prophets saved the nations. Were they acting spiritually or politically? The two are interwoven - the are one.

There is a difference between influencing a Nation and being a Nation builder. One can influence a Nation for good but Nation builders put systems in place i.e. systemic change that is fundamentally locked for generations. God places Nation builders in positions of power to challenge the Nation. It's time christians take up places in the public sphere. We are the vision holders for our nation. Why is it that so few christians or people walk this way? It is mundane! When standing in the gap, it is boring. The only time there is some form of excitement is when you are being attacked. There is a cost when taking this walk. It is everything to you but there is a cost. How serious are we in this walk? When standing in the gap, we need to stand firm at the beginning and still be standing at the end. We need to know who we are are and that there is a God in heaven.

We have a CALL. God will PREPARE me for it and He will COMMISSION me to do it. Be faithful in small tasks and this is an internal attitude. If we are faithful with the small tasks, God will add to us. It all requires HARD WORK. How hard am I prepared to work? I need to be at the right place at the right time and bring a large dose of hard work. How much am I prepared to pour out? I will labour for4 what I value.

Nations are changed by us standing in the gap, holding the line, making multiple decisions and saying "NO MORE" for my nation.
1. We need to grow in wisdom. This is complex, difficult and multi-facteted.
2. Have courage (Stand firm)
3. Have a vision (Know the beginning from the end)
4. Have a balance between what I see now and what I don't yet see. Labour for it now.

God is looking for a generation to stand in the gap, stand up for something. Great teams build up homes, church and spheres.

Summarised by Molly Manhanga

What is "Love Zim?"

"Love Zim" is supporting Trumpet Call, a partnership between the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe and Foundations for Farming to equip the Church to feed Zimbabwe.

The Call is ringing out to return to God, unite and help the poor by teaching them to farm in a profitable and sustainable way.

JOIN US FOR TRANSFORMATION IN THE NATION OF ZIMBABWE! Join the worldwide prayer day in support of Trumpet Call on 26 September 2010. The prayer chain links the Church in Zimbabwe with God's church worldwide.

Please don't break the chain!
Please don't be the missing link!

What is Trumpet Call and Operation Trumpet Call?

God is doing something extraordinary in Zimbabwe. The Nation is in a place where things are shifting and being redefined. God is positioning the Church to be at the Centre Stage with what He is doing in the Nation and this Transformation is being outworked through Trumpet Call and Operation Trumpet Call.

What is Trumpet Call? Trumpet Call is the prophetic Call to the church to unite in transformation, as Isaiah 58:1 declares, “Raise your voice like a trumpet.” It is the partnership between the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe and Foundations for Farming to call the church to lead the nation in transformation with the first step being to feed the nation of Zimbabwe through wholehearted commitment to God, each other and to the poor.

What is Operation Trumpet Call? Operation Trumpet Call is the physical incarnation of this call through the 55 model sites for Foundations for Farming around Zimbabwe, raising the banner of Trumpet Call and the Trumpet Call vision.

What is "Lovezim?" Read more on that next!

By Molly Manhanga

"Awsome response" with Mbonisi Malaba

Mbonisi Malaba

Following on from Scott Marques message on "Awsome Love", Mbonisi spoke brilliantly on Awsome Response at the Operation Trumpet Call field day held in Harare. He shared from Matthew 26:6 – 9 and Mark 14:3 – 9 on the woman with the alabaster jar.

Mark 14: 3 – 5 “And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, ‘Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.’ And they scolded her……”

Some were looking at the money that could have been made if the ointment was sold but money is a secondary issue compared to what the woman had seen in Jesus. She was a local prostitute and she came to Jesus, kissed his feet and washed hi
s feet with her hair. That is an awesome response to the King of Kings.

He who has been forgiven little, loves little. The woman sees an awesome God whose perfect love came to rescue sinners like us. She gives an extravagant response – an appropriate response for an awesome God. He who is forgiven much, loves much. The woman loved Jesus so much because she understood how much he loved her.

The Creator of the heaven and earth has loved me with all His heart, mind, soul and strength. When I understand this, it makes me want to love him more. It makes me give an emotional response, an extravagant response.

Mbonisi Malaba

Romans 12:1 – 12. We need to give our ALL to God who gave ALL. We love because He first loved us. Luke 7:48 – 50 “And he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ Then those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this, who even forgives sins?’ And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

We are saved and forgiven by God and our faith. Faith + nothing is how we come to God. For example; the two criminals hanging on either side of Jesus at Golgotha, one criminal got into heaven by faith alone and Christ alone. We get the righteousness of God and our souls need to soak this in.

Summarised by Molly Manhanga