*MASOWE AND MARANGE SECTS*
(part 2 of 2)

–The SISTERS are another unusual feature of the VaPostori. Since celibacy is highly unpopular in Africa, an obvious question is how this group of women arose within the Masowe community. Dillon-Malone explains that this is another custom that goes back to African Traditional Religion. He says that spirit mediums sometimes required parents to devote their unmarried daughters to their service. These girls were called “wives of Mwari,” who lived in chastity during the time of their service. When he was in Port Elizabeth, Johane Masowe began to organize the Sisters as a group who accompanied him to pray and sing at gatherings as his spiritual “wives,” but who abstained from sexual relations as an expression of their devotion to God. As it became clear that the VaPostori would have to leave South Africa being chased away as illegal immigrants, the Sisters took on an increasingly symbolic value as the presence of God among them. “Johane, like Moses, had been given the privileged mission of leading the people of God to the Promised Land. . . . The ‘wives’ had become the ark of the covenant, the house of God, the guarantee of the saved remnant.” – This doctrine is opposed to Christianity, where the house of God is every believer in Christ, not just some elect special women, 1Cor.3/16, 6/19, 1Tim.3/15 and the guarantee of salvation is Jesus Heb.12/2 and the Holy Spirit Eph.1/13-14, not some women. White garments idea came from the Book of Revelations 19/8, book which Johane enjoyed.

–Masowe followers call their leader, Johane, ‘the word or voice of God’, that is the name of Jesus John1/1; also the ‘spirit of God’. Johane claimed he died and God raised him back from the dead, as a sinless person, to send him with a message for Africa.

–Some Masowe reject the Bible saying it is not the Word of God, some say it contains here and there some truths from God. They don’t accept archaeological proofs that prove the Bible didn’t change. Although we do not have the original documents (if we had them, many would worship them!!), we do have around 5,000 copies of the Greek manuscripts that were made very close to the time of the originals: 76 papyri, 250 uncials, 2,646 minuscules, and 1,997 lectionary manuscripts. This would total 4,969. No other book from antiquity possesses anything like this abundance in manuscripts. We also have writings of the disciples of the Apostles of Jesus (called ”early church fathers”), writings that confirm the Bible the way we have it today. See also the discovery of the Old Testament scrolls at the Dead Sea, which were hid in caves before Jesus was born and are just as the Old Testament we have today, no changes:
www.deadseascrolls.org
www.centuryone.com/25dssfacts.html

–VaPostori claim the Holy Spirit gives them TEACHINGS DIRECTLY; however, the first generation of ‘converts’ were accustomed to the Bible so these leaders claim to have teachings from the Holy Spirit but in fact they give them from memory; new converts receive these teachings from the previous generation; leadership meets at times to establish doctrine, helping out their ‘holy spirit’ in the job of giving teaching (as the ‘Covenant on the Nyota Mountain’ 1936 when they say a light came from heaven, Satan who is an angel of light 2Cor.11/14; many ‘spoke in tongues’, just as voodoo worshipers in Benin and Muslims can do; these are not proofs of Holy Spirit’s work). New leaders get teaching from older leaders then claim the Holy Spirit gave them those teachings, plus invented ‘prophecies’ controlling people’s lives regarding life decisions removing their free will and the possibility of a personal relationship with God; prophecies about future are not more than HOROSCOPE AND WITCHCRAFT, which demons faithfully accomplish with God’s permission to punish those who go to witchcraft (see Deut.13/1-5).
Some wear dreadlocks, in which they believe they carry ‘the transgressions of family members’, in opposition with the Bible’s view that Jesus has carried our transgressions Is.53/5.
These false prophets claim to receive from God new teachings: nobody is allowed to prove them wrong, but usually other leaders oppose them if they are too weird. Or they start their own weird group, as there are variations from one Masowe group to another.

–these ‘Apostols’ sects teach certain things from the Old Testament and some from the New Testament mixed with traditional beliefs; THEY ARE NOT CHRISTIANS, they are not born again and don’t believe in salvation by grace through faith alone in Jesus’ death on the cross Eph.2/8-10, John3/16. They are on the road to hell, even if they speak a lot about God and might have a certain morality and pray a lot. They do not have the Holy Spirit, but spirits of demons. It can happen that a born again Christian is fouled to believe in their religion and to attend their gatherings, just as it happens in many other religions, leading astray Christians that don’t know the Bible, which is inspired by the Holy Spirit 2Pet.1/20-21, Mat.24/24. If you have the Holy Spirit and allow Him to lead you, He will lead you to the Bible. The Bible doesn’t change, the word of men does change.

–Most Masowe believe that MOHAMED was a prophet to Arabs, JESUS a prophet to Jews and JOHANE MASOWE a prophet to Africans. What a confusion! Mohammed killed Christians and Jews and his Coran orders these acts! Is God the source of confusion, giving contradictory messages to different prophets? Islam is from Satan!!

–In Masowe Creed, they believe they should die on a Wednesday and be buried on Friday to meet with Jesus. – See more at: http://nehandaradio.com/2015/02/19/johane-masowe-way-of-worshipping-and-life-the-truth-vs-myths-and-lies/#sthash.2ms5JtDy.dpuf

–Johanne Masowe eChishanu sect believes in violence even against authorities – remember the January 2014 clashes with police and their leader being on the run; they also have weird beliefs and practices: belief that the breaking out of a war in Zimbabwe would leave him and his congregates as the only survivors and then this group would enter into “Canaan” where milk and honey would be flowing. It is also claimed that their leader would not allow his congregates to use cellphones claiming that in their “Canaan” there would be advanced technology where they would only use their palms for communication. Virginity tests would also be carried out by fathers. People kneel in front of these prophets as if they are gods. See more at:
www.manicapost.com/praesent-malesuada-purus-ut-arcu-porttit-euismod-etiam-rhoncus-4/#sthash.zsFeiVnT.dpuf

–Child marriages are becoming more prevalent among members of the Apostolic sects. This often involves young girls joining polygamous unions, a research by Plan International, a child-centred community development organization, has revealed.
–Tinotenda Hondo, organization’s gender advisor in Zimbabwe told RelZim.org  that Apostolic sect members from Johane Marange, Johane Masowe,  Johane Masowe WeChishanu and others use certain verses in the Bible to justify marrying more than one child girl.
 “Some of them even go to the extent of claiming to have been told by God in their dreams that certain young girls should become their wives, while others prophecy who they should get married to, ” Hondo explained. Paul’s saying, ”their god is their belly” Phil.3/19, can be adapted for these ‘prophets’ as such: ‘their god is their penis’.
A great read on Masowe, ”The Korsten Basketmakers, book written in 1978:
https://books.google.co.zw/books?printsec=frontcover&vid=LCCN78322378&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

Pastor Daniel