Time to forth-tell not to fore-tell!

Dumi Mmualefe | Monday September 1, 2014 11:37

Prophesy, now more than ever before, needs to be engaged. Lately there are “prophesies” proclaimed that already says who will win this year’s general elections.

Do we need prophets to tell us who will win the elections or should we simply read the sign of times to see who will? Such prophetic claims do not only play on people’s minds for the ‘prophet’s’ own benefit but also suggest that God has already ordained some political party over others. If God has so ordained any one party then we may as well become a theocracy!

I have in the past proclaimed my ‘theocracy phobia’, Christian as I am. I would not want to live in a Christian theocratic country, in fact, if we were to become one I would be one of the first to ‘jump ship’ and seek refugee status in the nearest secular government run country. It is one thing to be oppressed, maimed and even killed by secular government people than those who will do the same in the name of God. With the former, one could have a recourse while with the latter it will be “God’s case- no appeal!”

The Christian Church should exercise its calling and indeed, gospel and prophetic imperatives within the context of secular political dispensation such as ours. The church as has been doing and done lately should pray for peace as we approach the general elections. Prayer, however, should never be used as an emergency exit for abdication of her gospel and prophetic responsibility to proclaim “thus says the Lord”!

The prophetic ministry of the church at times such as ours is to forth-tell and not fore tell who will win the elections. If you ask me the latter is a very simple task that God would not bother appointing women and men of faith for. It is also important to note and be alive to the truth that it will be folly for the Church to wake up to the challenge and calling to prophetic ministry on the ground that it is election year.

A prophetic minister who rises to the occasion at the time of the ‘silly year’ will be easily labelled partisan.

The prophetic ministry of God is never to be an event, an occasion but a lifestyle of calling. We therefore as ministers in God’s vineyard should be careful not to let occasions determine our hearing of God and forth telling of the mind of God on the socio-political and economic realities of God’s people! Prophecy takes place during a time of considerable tolerance.

This time is when those in power would not kill you or maim you for proclaiming “thus says the Lord”. It is in situations as the one we have in Botswana that prophecy in forth telling is abound. This on its own says we are still blessed as a nation, that we are not eliminated for forth telling. However, our prophetic messages should be based on the word of God and meant to build those “who have an ear to hear what the spirit is saying” to the people.

Apocalyptic times are those when the prophets are forced to go underground. These are times when the powers that be are not only intolerant but ruthlessly deal with anyone who says what they do not want to hear. Such are times recorded especially in the book of Daniel and Revelation. At times such as these the prophets speak in pictures and coded language in order to communicate only with those with an ear to hear what the spirit is saying!

The message here is meant to give hope and courage to press on, to toil on and endure hardship and possibilities of death believing that God would come “in person” to save the faithful.

The message further warns against co-option into the evil empire which Revelation symbolises with getting the mark of the beast “666”.

Prophets of God should know that there is life beyond October 24, 2014! They should know that even after elections God will still be God and therefore interested in the well-being and the shalom of God’s people. Let us not fool ourselves, even if the Botswana Democratic Party was to lose these elections the demand upon the prophetic ministers of God, that is, if they were of God will still be as real and relevant.

This I proclaimed in Serowe at the funeral service of GT that the UDC should not be under any illusion that if they are to win the elections those of us who are called to God’s prophetic ministry will keep shut. I have in the past at a Synod conference in Selibe-Pikwe reminded my Church the UCCSA that if the Church elects to be silent now when some things are not going right, next time if we are to have the worst government imaginable the Church would have no moral right to speak! Finally, as we approach the elections we must guard against any actions that can spoil the God-given tranquility that we are enjoying.

They will be circumstances that may tempt some to use violence or engage in actions that may disturb peace. Such we reject in God’s name, irrespective of the perpetrator. We pray for peaceful, free and fair elections and this we will have.

Any ungodly spirit of strife, confusion and violence we pray against and prophesy against in God’s name. May the good Lord bless all our leaders, may God visit each one of them and turn their hearts towards the values of Kingdom of God. May God’s face shine upon them and give them peace, the same peace they should reciprocate by sharing it and dispensing it to the people of Botswana! To God be the glory!