Day 1

 

Hebrews 9:13

The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

 

On the subject of Christianity and culture, an authority on it is the late Dr Byang Kato. I would recommend is book – Theological Pitfalls in Africa. He was the general secretary of the association of evangelicals of Africa and Madagascar. He preached to us in our Carols services at the university when I was the chairman of the University CU. Then he immediately went for holiday in Mombasa and he died there and so never preached to others after that. But he left us wonderful materials that have continued to affect us in Africa. Many writings want to glorify traditional culture even at the expense of the authority of the Bible.

Somebody else called Professor Mbiti wrote African Religion and Philosophies, which was kind of praising our African traditional religion and how similar it is to the Bible. Kato  says, yes, there is something good with us but no, it will bring you down when you mix Christianity and our beliefs with our beliefs seen as an equal authority.

In another writing that I googled, he said, let African Christians be Christian Africans. The problem is many of us in Africa is being Africa Christians instead of being Christian Africans. By this Kato did not mean that African Christians should rid themselves of their cultural practices. He does not even suggest that we stop our customs and copy western culture along with the western faith. No, no, no. He did not mean that Africans should copy others.

Africans should not remain cultural and spiritual Africans while doubling with the Bible. He did not mean Africans should take their culture and mix it with Christianity. He meant they should pull out and become Christians but continue to practice anything African that agrees with the Christian faith.

Therefore, as a Christian in Africa, you should not remain cultural and spiritual African, and then double a bit with Christian rituals, and some Christian religious practices, then you call yourself a Christian. You will not then be a Christian at all. Regulating pivotal between these two extremes of either rejecting all African traditions or accepting all of them and yet claim to be a Christian, scriptures has a middle way.

Kato says it is God’s will that Africans on accepting Christ as their saviour become Christian Africans not Europeans. Africans who become Christians should therefore remain Africans wherever their culture does not conflict with the Bible. But it is the Bible that must judge every African culture customs. It is not the African culture that will judge the Bible. Wherever there is a conflict between our African traditions and the Bible, the culture must give way to the Bible.

Day 2

 

Hebrews 9:25

Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own

It is very important to understand that unless you are a biblical Christian, you are likely to start thinking that there is no difference between African religion and Christianity. But we are not the only ones who have this choice. In the Old Testament there was a man called David. And David did something interesting. When his child was sick, he could not eat, he spent time in prayer and fasting. Then after some time he realized the servants were behaving differently. So he asked, tell me the truth. Has the boy died? They were afraid of telling him, wondering, if he was so mourning in such a big way before the child died, if we say he has died he might kill himself. You know the story, isn’t it? And he was told, yes, the boy has died. He then went inside, washed and celebrated as he anointed himself, and told them to bring him food. He was celebrating.

People wondered, was he going mad? How can he eat instead of mourning knowing the son is dead? He told them, your belief and traditions have a problem. Before the child died, I was praying God to heal him. Now the child has died, he cannot come back to me. It is only us who can go where he is. Is it any wonder he accepted Gods will? Celebration time had come.

This was so un-cultural, we say in vernacular, they saw with teeth...monaga na magego, …they were seeing with their mouth. That is how different our culture is from the Bible.

The day my mother died I had a similar experience, not too long ago. She was having cancer and was in hospital. I saw her on a Friday and on Saturday morning I was speaking in a marriage retreat at the Methodist Guest House hoping to see her later. My intention was to finish preaching and go to the hospital to see her. And on that Friday, she was looking like she was improving. So, I was sure I was going to see her again. That is the way I felt.

But as they were singing the song to invite the speaker, my phone started vibrating. Then a thought entered my mind, since I do not know what the phone call was about, just dash out to find out and then come back in time to speak. So, I went outside and called the number. The voice said, it is the hospital and they wanted me to go to the hospital immediately. I said, there is something I am doing just now, if my mother is alive and is there something I can do to prolong her life, I am dropping and coming immediately. But be honest; is she alive or dead? The nurse was reluctant to tell me, but finally said, your mother has just died this morning. I said, thank you for the information. Now I am not coming. I will finish what I am doing first. I am coming after I finish.

But you see, if she is not dead I would have needed to run. I would leave the preaching and go to do what is necessary for my mother whom I loved. But If she is dead, there is nothing that can make her come back even if I skipped preaching. So, before the song was over I slipped back, and I was invited to speak.

It was a marriage seminar, a happy occasion. Spoke to them, and they kept laughing, but when ten o’clock came, they were persuading me to stay a little longer for the tea time. I said, no, I can’t do that. They asked, why? Did you see when I went outside, they told me my mother had died. And they said, what? And the way we have laughed! I said, that is why I never told you. It is not your mother who is dead, it is mine. Why should I spoil your retreat? Now, it is time to go. And I went to plan how to bury my mother.

There is a belief system that causes you to behave in a certain way when your mother dies. When you become a Christian, especially when it is like my mother who is born again, I know she has gone to be with the Lord, and so it is a celebration of life of serving God. The funeral is not about crying, it is celebrating the life of my mother.

Day 3

Hebrews 10:4

It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins

 

Are you starting to see beliefs? how they affect behaviour? So in your behaviour I can tell whether you are a traditionalist or a Christian. And a crisis will help me to know what your true faith position is. If we call ourselves Christians, we need to take a bit of time evaluating our own belief system.

Look at the difference between African thinking and biblical thinking on various issues. For example on marriage, and family. There are ways people believe different from what the Bible says we should believe. You must seek to align your worldview with a biblical worldview if you are a Christian. And that way your behaviour and traditions will change.

Just to say a few more things about this worldview on death issue. A Christian is not allowed to talk to the dead but many African traditions expect it. That is why you cannot pour a little wine to the spirits of the dead when having a celebration as required by African beliefs .

let us see Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (NIV)

¹⁰ Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, ¹¹ or casts spells, or who is a medium or spirits or who consults the dead.

¹² Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.

The people of Israel were told that one of the reasons why the Canaanites were to be destroyed was the fact that they dealt with or consulted the dead. Have you seen on the list included among those condemned includes anyone who consults the dead? God says let the dead remain dead. You are not allowed to have any contacts with somebody who died. And if you do so, He has condemned you.

And yet that is the African culture everywhere. Just open the daily paper like Nation newspaper tomorrow morning. You will see many letters written to dead people. You have left us or you left us three years ago. You know they are not talking about the dead, they are addressing the dead.

Three problems with this; the Bible has told us we should never do that. You cannot deal with the dead. Number two, the Nation newspaper will charge you for it. Nation is not cheap. You are paying to write what the Bible does not allow you to write. Thirdly, you can’t sleep at night if you live talking to the dead. By the time you are writing to dead people they are visiting you in dreams. And I can tell you being visited by a ghost is frightening. If you write to somebody, surely, he needs to reply! on a light touch. So, he will come at night.

But the reason why we do not find anything difficult about it, it is because talking to the dead is part of the culture. It is so much part of the culture, it is a normal thing. And so, we follow it. But the Word of God is telling us the Canaanites were cast out of Canaan because of allowing communication between the dead and the living.

And remember we are talking about Christianity and culture. I am telling you, the Bible judges your culture. We can go to many, many other subjects where our culture and the Bible disagree just like there are others where they agree.

When you go to your clan meeting, is there a difference that gives you as a Christian difficulty in their thinking or do you think just like them and you enjoy the party behave just like them although they are non-Christians? Chances are the reason why you never have disagreements with them is because your thinking, although you claim to be a Christian, it is not Christian thinking, you are just like them.

If you truly become a biblical thinker, it is going to contradict some of their thinking, not because you are trying to be difficult, but because your beliefs are different from their beliefs. It is not that you want to spoil the meeting, but their beliefs are not your beliefs. It is important to understand that if you are a Christian, your behaviour will be different from that of other people since behaviour springs from belief.

Day 4

Romans 5:9

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him

But how do you tell what customs you can still be in and which customs you must stop? Simple rule; any custom that has spiritual consequence is part of traditional religion and just a custom. but the custom that does not bless you or curse you, it is just a custom, go on with it. For example, it is kikuyu custom to eat mukimo. But nobody will tell you, you are not blessed today because you ate mukimo or you will get a curse because for three months you have not yet cooked mukimo for your family. That tells you mukimo is not religion…out of traditional customs some are just customs while others are a belief system, and we stop all beliefs that contradicts biblical belief systems… Kuoguo umenye kwi maundu twikaga ma witikio na maundu tuikaga ma unduire. Ma unduire notuthii na mbere gwika, ma witikio tutige gwika.

And the critical success factor on this issue is, does customs have a spiritual impact? When your grandmother tells you, you know in your wedding you must do this, ask her, if I do not do it what will go right or wrong? Now, because she knows you are a Christian she will start being shy about explaining it. Tell her, cucu it is okay, just tell me the truth. I want to tell you there are many things we do during the weddings that have spiritual consequences. You know if you are a Mkamba there will be certain things that must be done, and some goats must die before your marriage in blessed the Kamba way. Am I right those of you who are Kambas? And if they are not done, your marriage is not blessed. And if you do them, everybody knows you are not blessed by Christ, you are blessed by the spirits …ngoma. Cucu and her agemates know if you do not do it you will get a curse.

So, we are saying you must go and ask yourself, is this practice just a practice or is it religion? How do I know if it is religion? Ask is there some belief system connected with it? Why do we do it?

Day 5

Acts 4:12,

¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

 

But secondly ask is the custom for or against what the Bible teaches? What is the motive of the custom? Is the motive in line with the scriptures? The custom itself maybe innocent, but why do you do the custom? That reason, is it a biblically acceptable reason? Please understand this, Christianity is an exclusive religion, it does not accommodate other beliefs . Does the custom you are talking about add or subtract to the Christianity?

 

So, given the message of acts 4:12 above, any time you hear of something else you need to do to get a blessing rather than the name of Christ, it is an addition or a subtraction from Christianity. But let me repeat, Christianity does not stop you practicing your traditions if they are just traditions, and they are not religion. That was the message of Acts chapter fifteen. There was a Jerusalem council in Acts chapter fifteen, and the question was, were the Gentile Christians to stop their customs to follow Jewish customs? Do Gentile Christians become Jews at salvation? Or do African Christians have to become Europeans when they become Christians? Acts 15:5 says,

⁵ Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.

 

Let’s skip over to verse twenty-eight. And the acts 15:28-29 summary of the discussion of the conference says,

²⁸ It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: ²⁹ You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these farewell things.

In other words, the answer to above question was, a Christian does not have to follow Old Testament customs. Paul’s argument was simple. Even you Jews are unable to follow your customs. How can you ask Gentiles to try something you have failed in? So, the message is clear; we are not saved to copy Jewish customs, that is why we are not wearing clothes like Aaron, because we are saved by grace through faith. So there is nothing requiring you to be stopping your customs to follow Jewish customs.

Check the Kikuyu customs and only customs that have religion in them, those that have unbiblical beliefs in them, you are supposed to leave.

Day 6

Acts 15

²⁹ You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell

 

Next, avoid any custom that involves blood. Where you must shed blood, whether of a chicken or a goat, the moment you hear there is a requirement for sacrificing, that is a no-go zone.

Acts 15:29 above, the gentiles were told, you are supposed to abstain from

food sacrificed to idols, number one.

Number two, you have to abstain from blood.

Number three, you have to abstain from meat of strangled animals,

and you have to abstain from sexual immorality.

You will do well to avoid these things. Are you hearing the Bible? A Christian cannot participate in a traditional ceremony if the food that is being offered because of certain unbiblical belief systems. A Christian cannot participate in a place where the sacrifice is being done.

A friend of mine (a Luhya) when his father who was a Christian died, and the elders said they must kill some cows as part of funeral arrangements. Luhya traditions require when a great man dies, you have to kill some bulls. So, he asked the same question I am asking now: but why do we need to kill them? Is it so that we eat meat, it is okay. I am going to butchery and, I will buy enough meat. How many kilos are likely to be enough for the people coming? The elders started scratching their heads, because they were Christians and did not want to come openly and state that it is a Luhya belief they are following. So, they finally had to tell him, you know we must kill the bull here. When a great man dies some blood must be poured.

Now he was able to tell them, I now understand you. Now you have given me a good reason why not a single bull or even a chicken will die in my father’s funeral. All the meat will be bought so that you understand that even without shedding blood nothing wrong will happen to me and my father’s family. We are protected by the blood of Jesus.

The reasons why the cows die is so that the spirits of the dead do not disturb the living. But now pastors are even getting involved in those ceremonies, not understanding the traditional believers believe the blood is what has caused peace in that home. That is why my suggestion is, even if there is nothing wrong with killing a goat, when there is an issue about marriage or about death, buy the things from the butchery.

Because for you, you are just after meat not the blood. For the others they are happy some blood poured. Why do you want to mix their beliefs and yours? They will give glory to the spirits of the dead which should go to Christ. I am suggesting there is nothing wrong with killing a cow to enjoy normally. But then you must do it only when it cannot be confused as a sacrifice. Any ceremony to the spirit of the dead, is not a one to Jehovah. It is critical to understand that God wants you to keep away from these sacrifices.

1 Corinthians 10:18 -26 says

1 Corinthians 10:18-26 (NIV)

¹⁸ Consider the people of Israel: D: do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? ¹⁹ Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? ²⁰ No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.

²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. ²² Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

The Believer’s Freedom

²³ “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. ²⁴ No one should seek their own good, but the good of others

 

Do I mean that the food sacrificed to an idol is anything or that an idol is anything? No. But the sacrifices that are made by Kikuyus and Kambas and Luos, etc., are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to participate with the demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord in Holy Communion and the cup of the demons in your clan meetings. You cannot have a part in both the Lord’s Table and the table of demons. Are we trying to allow the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than him?

Are you getting the concern of Paul? You cannot participate in any of your unbiblical clan ceremonies and be a Christian. Is the Bible the one asking you to be in that ceremony or is it another belief? 1 Corinthians 10:8 says, but food does not bring us near to God. We are no worse if we do not eat and no better if we do. Be careful however that exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak brother. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you with all your knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So, this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge when you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience. You sin against Christ.

Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother and sister to fall into sin, I will not eat meat again so that I will not cause them to fall.

 

Day 7

Leviticus 17:11

For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

 

In other words, you are asking, why can’t I be involved and enjoy an unbiblical party? Because, not of your conscience, but because of the other people’s conscience. So that is why I will not be involved in marriage ceremonies like ngurario and yet it may be just a party of bringing the two families together. But the moment they call it ngurario, I will not give in to it. Why?

Please read in Jomo Kenyatta’s Facing Mount Kenya as to what ngurario is. When you say kugurara means blood has come out. So, you cannot have a ngurario without killing a goat. And once you do it, according to the Kikuyu beliefs, it brings blessings to your marriage. the Kambas have another name for something similar. For your marriage to be blessed, you must kill a goat or a sheep. So, for you, it may be just something to enjoy, for another person, once they see your marriage is blessed, they know the reason it is blessed is because the spirits of the dead were appeased.

That is why in a Christian marriage you should not kill a goat. Why? Your conscience may be okay killing the goat, but other people believe that because you have killed the goats there will be blessings. And yet the Bible has told us two things; number one, Christian ceremonies must not have any blood. Number two, that even if you yourself do not think there is a problem, it will wound another person’s conscience.

 

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