Prophet Chiza takes Bulawayo by storm

BULAWAYO- Prophet Blessing Chiza has taken the city by storm, resulting in him commanding a huge following of over 5 000 people from Bulawayo and surrounding areas.

The Faith in God (FIG) Ministries Eagle Life Assembly leader shocked the nation when he predicted that Highlanders Football Club would win the Mbada Diamonds Cup in November last year.

The prophecy came to pass when Bosso beat How Mine 3-0 to win the prestigious Mbada Diamonds Cup at Barbourfields Stadium.

Pamela Shumba (PS) had a one-on-one interview with the prophet to discuss his prophetical journey.

PS: So who is Prophet Blessing Chiza and how did your career start?

BC: I am an ordained prophet of God, ordained in FIG Ministries by my father the Arch Bishop Apostle Asa Gurupira in 2011 after seeing my prophetic history of predicting accurate things. I started prophesying in the early 90s when I was still at school and at college where I was the chairperson of the Scripture Union.

PS: What do you attribute your huge following to?

BC: It is all because of grace and a calling from God. Where there's a calling people follow. So many good things such as testimonies, deliveries, miracles and healings are happening in the church and it is a demonstration of the power of God in action. People no longer want to hear the word, they want to see the power of God in action. They are tired of mere talk.

PS: What else do you do besides ministering?

BC: I am an author of books. I love to put my teachings in writing. Besides preaching and praying for people I write books. I have written four books including The Blessing Connector, Billionaire Principles of Prosperity, A Woman Then Left a Water pot.

PS: Tell us about your family

BC: I am married to Prophetess Tatiana. She is my Miss Zimbabwe and she is the most spoilt woman in the world. We have a son and a daughter Joshavia Jorah and Shiprah and we are expecting a third child soon. I was born in a family of three boys and three girls and I am the third born. My father is late but my mother is still alive.

PS: Some people think that many pastors, prophets and church leaders use church money to fund their flamboyant lifestyles. What is your comment on that?

BC: The reason why people have such perception is that there is no transparency in some churches, income and expenditure reports must be given to anyone who wishes to see them. Random auditing should be done by external independent auditors. Pastors must not be allowed to do accounts and finances  for the church. It must be done by professional people. The church must, however, give reasonable allowances to pastors but it must be done transparently. 2 Corinthians 9:7.

What people must know is that the bigger your ministry is, the better your lifestyle as a man of God. It is a law in the bible. Men of God are civil servants of the Kingdom of God and they must receive their living from the Gospel through tithes and offerings. Numbers18:21.

PS: Some people say you are flattering people to gain mileage and popularity through Highlanders Football Club. What is your comment on that?

BC: People say whatever they want because they do not know who I am. But the baptism of a prophet is the ability to turn a deaf ear to what people say. I obey God and I do not do things for people. I gained popularity already and this is evidenced by our church's membership of more than 5 000.

Highlanders' people love me, they love God and its actually an honour to be associated with our church. Their team has been improving because of God's anointing.  People are jealous but what they must know is that every team has its season and this is the season for Highlanders.

PS: There is a concern that modern day pastors have deviated from their mandate of promoting morality and addressing spiritual issues. What is your view on that?

BC: When we talk of modern day pastors we are referring to the new generation. God does not change but he is dynamic. Technology is advancing and it is important for pastors to match what is happening. That is why churches have to be on Facebook and other social networks to adjust to the modern world. On spiritual and morality issues it is written in the bible that there shall be many churches and it is expected that there would be a fraction of immoral people. It is prophecy fulfilled.

PS: You have given many prophecies that have left people perplexed. How exactly does God talk to you?

BC: It is something that you cannot explain in summary.  We teach prophecy in the prophetic school and it takes time for one to hear God and be a true prophet. I specialise in predictive prophecy and usually 85 percent of my predictions come to pass. I do not claim to be 100 percent accurate.

PS: You have spoken on the return of the Zimbabwean dollar but government has dismissed possibilities of its return soon. How exactly will that happen?

BC: I respect the government but as prophets operate in the spiritual government, which is superior to the physical government.  We can travel five years ahead of the person on the physical world and it is obvious that we cannot look at things the same way. The government must work with the local prophets because some of the problems are spiritual.

That is why they make plans, which they sometimes fail to implement. In the bible politicians and kings worked with the prophets for guidance. We have some of the answers which they are looking for. God has power to override economic principles even in 24 hours.

PS: We have heard reports on how much some men of God are worth. How much are you worth?

BC: I have not come to an extent of troubling myself to evaluate myself in terms of monetary value. What I know is that I am not a poor man of God. Money is not my problem because God is blessing me.

PS: Is it a must for a man of God to be rich?

BC: It is not a must but it is not the will of God for a man of God to be poor. It is your own revelation that makes you who you are. Poverty, prostitution, stealing and sickness are the root of poverty. So God does not want us to be poor. Deuteronomy 15:4, Psalms 34:10.

PS: Your wife is a prophetess. Is it by virtue of being your wife or she also has a calling?

BC: My wife started prophesying long back before we got married. She was known in the Scripture Union as a prophetess. She actually contributes to the accuracy of my prophecies and this has strengthened our ministry. I see nothing wrong with it because in the bible Isaiah had a wife who was a prophetess.

PS: There are some pastors who have broken away from your ministry and started their own churches. What are the reasons for their action?

BC: I now realise that God allowed them to go. I had 12 pastors and I am left with nine. I want to admit that when they left it was painful and at that time there was confusion in the church, which thwarted its growth. But now the church is stable and it has grown four fold.

PS: Are there any joint programmes that you do with prophets and pastors from different churches?

BC: I organise conferences where I invite different men of God and I acknowledge the gifts bestowed upon them by God. I also get invitations to teach people from other churches.

PS: Last year you prophesied that Highlanders Football Club was going to win the Mbada Diamond Cup, how does Christianity mix with football?

BC: God is interested in the crowds that support soccer. It is not about soccer but the crowds that follow soccer. It is a world of people that have been shut from the Gospel and it is through men of God that these people will know God. The Kingdom of God is interested whenever there are gatherings and so is the devil. That is why people fight while some die at stadiums.

PS: Which Zimbabwean soccer team do you support?

BC: I know it would be difficult for people to believe but I do not support any soccer team. I only support the Warriors.

PS: For the benefit of Christians and ordinary people out there, how does one tell the difference between a true prophet of God and a false prophet?

BC: In the book of Mathew, God tells us to watch out for false prophets.

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. A wolf can copy the skin of a sheep but it can never be able to change its footprints. So watch the foot prints. If you do not see the good fruit then that man is not a true Man of God.

PS: Many reports have been written about ‘men of God' who abuse their powers and are eventually caught in controversial situations such as sex scandals. What is your comment on such pastors?

BC: Such cases are going to increase. The bible says in the last days God is going to cleanse the pulpit. We are going through a purification process which is exposing men of god who are contaminating the body of Christ.  It is a flushing system so more and more people who claim to be men of God will be arrested. If one gets into a ministry for wrong reasons, that ministry will never grow and it will not last because God cannot trust you.

PS: How do you earn trust and faith from your huge following?

BC: Earning trust is not easy. The reason why people trust me is because I have a history. I came into Bulawayo in 2003. If I had come for money I would have left the church because I was poor before but I continued to do the work of God and people have witnessed that. They have seen my consistence and my faithfulness. Through thick and thin I have continued to serve God.

PS: So many churches are sprouting everywhere in the country and also many prophets have emerged. What is your advice to the thousands of people that are seeking God?

BC: This is spiritual. God is allowing a lot of churches to come to match the evil that is in the world. God wants the Gospel to be preached in all nations. Multiplication of synagogues must be expected. It's biblical prophecy that is being fulfilled. Many false prophets shall also appear and it is important to identify the difference between true and false prophets.

PS: We hear that your church purchased a 110 000m2 piece of land for $160 000. What are you planning to do with the piece of land?

BC: We want to construct a 30 000 seater state of the art church, a hotel, a 24 hour clinic, an orphanage, sports facilities, a computer school, a healing school, technical college and shopping mall.

PS: Why do you go to church in a convoy of cars with security personnel around   you?

BC: If you honour a man of God, God honours you as well. Sometimes there can be stampedes in church as people jostle for prayers. For protection security is crucial and in a mega church it is a necessity.

PS: What is in store for the nation in 2014?

BC: Zimbabwe must learn to believe in their prophets. This year will mark the beginning of good things in the country. It is a year of abundant rain and divine encounters. The Lord will also deal with corruption not only in churches but in the political and economic sector. We will see a lot of growth starting this year, although it requires a lot of hard work.