Church, football and syncretism.

Where I’m from, everyone played football. And no, it’s not "soccer"—it’s FOOTBALL. The girls, of course, played ampe. I won't pause to explain the rules of ampe now, but I can tell you this: back then, we had no "gender problems" whatsoever; everyone had their game and played it with passion.

I played for a team called Soccer Revivals (Colts Division) in Mile 7, New Achimota. Our home ground was the St. John’s Grammar School Park. Looking back, we didn’t just have a childhood; we had a series of mystical encounters.

The Rituals of the Pitch

Before every match, we would crowd into a room with a spiritualist named Hangba. He would ritualistically throw eggs; depending on how many broke, he would "read" the scoreline of the upcoming game. From there, he built our strategy. He’d tell us exactly how many goals we needed in the first half to avoid a "lost course." He was right often enough to justify his permanent seat at the table.

Hangba would give us oils to rub into our feet for luck and protection against injury. Our Number 9 always received a double portion of the oil—after all, the weight of the goals rested on his boots. Hangba was more than a mystic; he was a "super-coach," appearing at training grounds to give instructions to players and technical staff alike. I’d tell you we had great players, but that goes without saying. In those days, I didn’t know a single footballer who wasn’t legendary in his own right.

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The Fracture and the Prophecy

Eventually, I left Soccer Revivals for a local team in Dome. During training one afternoon, I fell and snapped my radius. My mother, frantic and disturbed, took me to see a spiritualist. The verdict was swift and chilling: I was never to play football again. The seer claimed the witches in my family would use the sport to destroy my "bright future."

With one sentence, that dodgy, grey-haired oracle terminated any hope I had of becoming the next Abedi Pele. In hindsight, I’m not sure she did much damage—many of the guys on my team who were infinitely more talented (including the real Ayews) never made it to the professional stage either.

The Fallen Mystic

Years later, as an adult, I was driving past the ABC junction when I spotted a familiar face. It was Hangba. He had gone mad. He was barefoot, unwashed, and wandering aimlessly. A wave of nostalgia hit me; I wanted to stop and relive those glorious years when we toured Accra playing for nothing but the thrill of the game.

But I kept driving. I couldn't stop wondering: how does a man who supposedly summoned spirits from the netherworld, a man who held our destinies in his hands, end up like this? Had the spirits deserted him?

In Ghanaian society, stories of spirits retaliating against those who fail them are common. In my own spiritual wanderings—and I have wandered more than most—I have found few traditional deities driven by forgiveness. If you fail, you pay the price in blood or sanity. Perhaps Hangba missed a step, and the spirits "did their thing."

The Reality of Syncretism

I only found the answer to this African dilemma when I found Christ. Looking back at the vibrancy of Colts football, it’s staggering to think how many young boys were initiated into spiritism. Many never outgrew it.

We were "Christians" who went to church every Sunday, yet we lived in the pocket of syncretism. The reason is simple: a lack of depth. For many, Christianity is just another tool in a spiritual toolbox. If one ritual fails, they turn to the next. This is a challenge the modern church rarely acknowledges, let alone addresses. Consequently, the pews—and even the pulpits—are often filled with people who claim to follow Christ while still tethered to the idols of the past.

A piece from the coming autobiography; I & I testimony in support SD-21—the Sound Doctrine Conference.

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Sound doctrine, truth and salvation

 

There is not a single contributor to the New Testament that was not concerned with accuracy of the word. This ought to be the case if scripture is what we believe it is as Christians. The whole salvation enterprise (I.e. man’s hope for the future) depends on it. If indeed one is saved by what he believes, then he must of necessity believe the right thing. Sound doctrine ensures and secures salvation.

The last command of Christ before His departure was for believers to go into the world and spread the good news (the Gospel) exactly as He had taught it[1]. This was a necessity because God’s incarnation into the world (as Jesus Christ) was aimed at saving man-kind from his descent into the Devil’s abyss. It is the message that through knowledge of Him and His work that is to accomplish this goal. This “downward spiral” was the consequence of man’s rebellion against God in agreement to suggestions from the devil[2]. Man essentially became an agent of God’s enemy because he believed a lie. God in His mercies however, extended a hand of salvation through His death and resurrection. Unless man gets the right message and tunes in to the truth of Jesus Christ, he remains on the descent into eternal death. Perhaps the most vivid of this image is captured by the fact that man has been called to a restored relationship with God and its attendant eternal life; yet he believes he been called to earthly riches—something that characterizes every false promise of the devil.

The truth that saves man is Jesus himself[3]. The word of God is the only truth there is. Anything else that claims to be truth must be grounded in Him alone. This idea may not have been clear enough to some. This is obvious because the supposed custodians of the scriptures rejected Truth when He arrived. They had bought into a lie and therefore cannot recognize Truth even if it became a man, stood in their midst and directly corrects their lies. He tells them categorically;

 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”

- John 14:6

 

He continued by telling them them he had authority to forgive sins[4] and that anyone who sees him has seen the father[5]. He told them consistently that He is the Son and God is the father and that they are one[6]. He confirms the trinity to mankind by introducing the Holy Spirit[7]. For these truths, they sought to kill Him[8] instead of believing Him. It ought to be seen that those who have drank too deeply from the well of lies, must of necessity seek to extinguish truth in its smallest manifestations. Ironically, those who claim to be its representatives are also those who seek to extinguish it. This must explain that Jesus’s encounters with the Pharisees were always a clash between lies and truth (i.e. life and death). It is only in those moments that we see a combatant Jesus. To those who are truthful enough to accept that they are lost sinners, He was the gentlest and the most charitable of all souls. No man, if indeed they are sane can claim to be without sin. Why did the Pharisees not know this? This question is answered by the most zealous of them;

^“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” — Romans 3:23

 

By this time, he had encountered truth and had been transformed[9]. The encounter with truth transforms men by renewing their minds. This is what is referred to as regeneration and cannot happen apart from truth. And when it does, salvation is guaranteed.

Truth begins with the recognition that one is a sinner and that he needs the salvation of Jesus who is in fact, God the son in flesh and had come into the world in fulfillment of the promise made thousands of years earlier. And that scripture is His word and He is His word. This should explain why lies did not survive any of their encounters with Jesus. His word gives life and saves. When an adulterous woman was about to be stoned to death under the legal lies of the Pharisees, Truth only needed to speak. She was not only saved, those who sought to kill her walked away in the shame of their own sins. That was truth in action and it shows that unless truth brings salvation, lies will ensure death. This should make a case for salvation and the role sound doctrine plays in the larger scheme of things. SD-21 the Sound doctrine conference will for the first time in West Africa create an opportunity for a conversation on the importance of sound doctrine. Those who will be part of it will be showing their love for Truth—Jesus.     Go to part 3

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[1] Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16 [2] Genesis 3:1 [3] John 1:1 [4] Matthew 9:6 [5] John 14:9 
[6] John 10:30  [7] Acts 1:8 [8] John 5:18 [9] Paul of Tarsus encountered Jesus in the Damascus incident and was changed forever (Acts 9)

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Sound doctrine and apostasy

One of the chief concerns of the New Testament is the end times or the “last days”. Between Christ and the apostles, the text spends a lot of words articulating the things that will characterize the period. The expression “last days” itself has been a source of controversy. One cannot number the voices that have claimed knowledge of the exact day on which Christ will return. From heretics like Charles Taze Russell[1] to a reformer like Martin Luther, men have failed to heed the warning of Christ to not meddle in such matters[2].

 “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority”
—Acts 1:7

In the revelations, the apostle John reinforces this all important point that all believers must observe with necessary reverence;

¹⁵ (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)

Men did not take heed. Failing spectacularly in their predictions, they missed the simple fact that the “last days” is a period that ends only with the return of Christ. No man (regardless of how plausible their analysis may seem) must dare predict a date. While Christ himself had warned against this as we have seen, He however, provided pointers by which believers are to recognize when the end was near. Interestingly, those pointers he provided begun to manifest very early after His departure. It was clear then; even the apostles were living in the “last days” much as we are today. The last days then is a period starting from the departure of Christ to the moment of His return. They are false prophets because in disobedience, they made predictions when Christ had categorically instructed against such pronouncements.

Among the pointers to be expected in the last days is apostasy, a departure from the teachings of Jesus and the proliferation of distorted versions of it. These are to be perpetrated by false teachers who as it will be around in large numbers. By the time Paul’s ministry took off, the attack had begun in earnest. Many will fall for it unless they stayed with the teachings accredited custodians of the Gospel. In keeping with the words of Jesus, Paul writes to his beloved Galatians and shares his concern;

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse!” — Galatians 1:8

In laying out the kingdom manifesto during the famous Sermon on the Mount[3], Christ warned very early in his ministry;

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” — Mathew 7:15

In the verses that follow, he provides a treatise on what it all means for those who will in disobedience follow them. It cannot be doubted from then on, that false prophets, false teachers, here referred to by Christ as wolves in sheep clothing will infiltrate the church. In the book of Acts, physician/historian and Gospel writer; Luke captures an important admonishment;

“ I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them” — Acts 20:28-30

Verse 30 of the above text is of great interest;

“Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them”.

Really? How does this not bother some people? They will rise in the church ad their agenda will be a selfish one. They will draw men to themselves. The indefatigable Peter shares a concern and a piece of advice;

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. — 2 Peter 3:17

Along came the game-changing Paul who had previously subscribed to the unsound doctrines of Pharisee-ism and was consequently persecuting Christ’s followers with never-seen-before zeal. After his rather dramatic transformation by the renewal of his mind[4], his ministry was characterized by the defense of the faith and a concern for the sanctity of the word. He writes to his protégé Timothy;

“ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” — 2 Timothy 4:3-4

Un-sound doctrine undermines God’s word and it’s power. It is the door way to false faith and apostasy. We become Christians because of something we believe. We miss it if what we believe happens to be wrong. False preachers and their false doctrines may not present themselves openly. That’s the whole point of being a wolf in sheep clothing. In between their language rest subterfuges and nuances that will in small doses pollute until they have crystalized into death. The devils main tool is deception and he has mastered his craft over thousands of years. From very early he made great strides. False teachings and half-truths by supposedly credible men of God are his Trojan horses and too many believers are flocking to them with itching ears. This generation may have seen more apostasy than the rest of history combined.  In the African church, the conversation about sound doctrine must begin NOW and SD-21 is the Launchpad. The apostasy of false teaching for personal gain has become the norm—just as Christ predicted. In the second instalment of this series, We will attempt to throw some light on the importance of sound doctrine and how it was handled by Christ and the apostles as well as the prophets of old as we gear up for the sound doctrine conference; SD-21. Go to part 2

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[1] Founder of the Jehovah witnesses)
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dates_predicted_for_apocalyptic_events (a comprehensive list of end time predictions)
[3] Matthew 5-7
[4] Romans 12:2

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Costa Chibwe; a step towards sound doctrine

 

The descent of the Gospel into pop culture forced a downgrade of Gospel music with it. In the old days you could tell the difference between church music and worldly music. The prosperity Gospel is erroneously man-focused and so is the supporting music. Indeed it seems the so-called new church with its false message attracts the world with its great bands and great music. Thus it is the music that leads for obvious reasons and whatever message it sold is held as the theological foundation of the new supposed converts. A typical example is the likes of Hill Song and Jesus Culture and the churches behind them. More popular than most rock bands, they have been the main attractions—not Christ. Sadly, these “fast food” churches behind these bands also preach an unhealthy Gospel that is light years away from sound doctrine. When they sing about love and God, you would think it is about a sensual relationship. One song writer actually wrote that God’s love is reckless[1]. No amount of criticism has provoked any form of repentance from this blasphemous line that millions sing around the world on a daily basis in supposed worship. There is indeed an important place for theology in art concerning the faith.

In my country Ghana and indeed all of West Africa, Gospel music is now about what God will do to your enemies and how much money He will put into your pocket. It is also about how God will place you above your enemies. Worship is a show and many Gospel musicians from their own utterances do no differentiate between worship and inspiring people. The lifestyle of these Gospel musicians also leaves very little to be desired but that’s a different story for another day. It is an established principle of homiletics that the messenger is the message—most gospel musicians still have not received that memo.

Gospel Music must necessarily be about the GOSPEL; IE God, His mercy and the salvation it brings about. It is about Christ and His work on the cross; not people. It is on this framework that the love and mercy of God can be interpreted correctly. Repentance access the forgiveness that saves man from the claws of the enemy where eternal damnation is his lot. Repentance addresses the sin that is now in the DNA of man. This is the very essence of the Christian faith and the core of the message that must be reached to both the spiritually living so they can continue to thrive in Christ and the spiritually dead so they can be awakened in Christ. Sadly, it is also the message that has been drowned by the dross that we now call Gospel Music.

In the reform community however, this message is still loud and clear. At Kwabata Baptist Church in Lusaka where Rev. Conrad Mbewe (also known as the African Spurgeon; a champion of sound doctrine on the continent) is the presiding pastor, the Gospel is at its most pristine. It is among the ministering interns at Kwabata Baptist that we found Costa Chibwe who together with the fellow young ministers like Angel Francis has been serving with us for a while now at Hopeman Ministries.

Costa is not only a trained theologian being polished for sound doctrine at Kwabata Baptist under the Rev. Conrad Mbewe, He is also a recording Gospel Musician of the first order. Born and bred in Kabwe the Central Province of Zambia, Costa got saved in 2012 at River of Life Tabernacle Church after hearing the Gospel.  He went on to obtain a Bachelor’s of Art (BA) in Bible and theology from Central Africa Baptist University. He started singing and composing his music in 2006 and started recording in 2013.  He has released two singles to the glory of God; Twakumana and Lesa Mulelela which are currently available on YouTube. Costa is working on an album to be release in 2021.

 As we march towards a restoration of the Gospel in the hope driving out the darkness that has engulfed our continent, music and art of that matter is going to becoming increasingly important. It must spearhead the spreading the true Gospel that saves men and causes a transformation by the renewal of minds[2]. This is the reason that young theologically sound musicians like Costa are valuable to the cause. We asked some experts to share some thoughts on the quality of the music and it came out with an A+. Most importantly however, Costa walks with the champions of sound doctrine and is therefore as biblical as it gets. Our confidence is firmed that God is still building His Church[3] and that false doctrine is here only for a while. We have already seen the gates of hell crumbling with the expose of false prophets in Ghana and Nigeria in recent times. Zambia stands as the beacon of hope for Africa in this Ecclesia Africanus Reformanda agenda.

Costa’s latest release which is currently available on YouTube is complete with English subtitles for those who do not understand Bemba[4]. We encourage you to listen to it and take few minutes to share it on your social media platform in order that many more will be reached with the message of God’s love and the forgiveness that awaits those who come to believe in Him. God bless you abundantly. Please follow this link https://youtu.be/Qb9rSGUL9Ss

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[1] Cory Asbury

[2] Romans 12:2

[3] Mathew 16:18

[4] Bemba is the most widely spoken language in Zambia

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Of dogs and vomit - The reformation at 503. Part 3

The objective was to return to TRUE biblical Christianity ie; restore the Church that Rome had succeeded in colonizing and contaminating with its paganism and its attendant “works doctrine”. It was a restoration of the church described by Justin Martyr and the one revealed in the book of Acts. The ideals of this movement are what became known as the Five Solas. They define the foundation of what has come to be known as Reform Theology. Collectively called Sola scriptura, a summary of it would read;

Salvation is by grace(Sola Gracia-1) through faith(Sola Fide- 2) in Christ alone(Sola Christus-3) , to the glory of God alone (Soli Deo O gloria-4). The Bible(scripture) is the only authoritative source for understanding this and all other aspects of the Christian faith (Sola Scriptura-5).

With these scripture-based principles, the church was freed from the iron claws of Rome. Luther translated the Bible into German and the timely arrival of the printing press would ensure that congregants finally had access to the Bible so they can read for themselves. They could now develop personal relationships with their God without the middleman-role of clergymen and dead saints whose preoccupation it seemed was to exploit them. After all; the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9). Rome did not like this idea and had previously thwarted every attempt to make the Bible accessible to the masses through persecutions, executions, and ex-communications among other things.

 

Contrary to the generally held view that Protestantism or the Reformation is the break-away of a wayward Church that Rome had mothered; the reformation is in fact a return to the original church that Rome had covered. Sadly, the church had descended back into the same obscenity that plagued and still plague the Roman Catholic Church. Churches like the Anglican Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches with their inherited mass, relics, and ceremonies are guilty of Roman Catholic near-pagan practices. The contradiction is made vivid when juxtaposed (as pointed out) against the description found in the Justin Martyr description. Thus; the church that Christ created was not what Rome carried forward.

In the Charismatic movement, the sale of the gospel is at an all-time high as god-like pastors and who are little popes in their own rights, ride on the back of the masses and continue with the most outrageous extortions schemes that scream – Catholic!. There is also an alarming sale of experience over the “Word” and church services have been overloaded with rituals and practices borrowed from the works driven religions. Personal revelations and church tradition have also been elevated above scripture just it was with the Roman Catholic Church and its many sects and orders. It is this later point that gave meaning to Semper reformanda (Latin for always reforming) –an expression that became (albeit at a later time), the slogan of the reform movement. It simply means always reforming. 503 years on, it is more important than it has ever been.

From the Old Testament through the New to the early patristic period down to today, it is clear that God’s people in a matter of time forget who and whose they are and get carried away by “strange winds of doctrines”(Ephesians 4:14 ).

Moses only had to turn his back for barely a minute for the Israelites who had witnessed God’s presence and provisions; to start worshipping a golden calf (Exodus 32). Solomon simply used the wealth and wisdom God had entrusted him with to depart from the ways of his father and break God’s very first commandment(1 kings 11, Exodus 20:3) in rebellion. Such cases as the downgrade of 1887 is a reminder that semper reformanda is imperative.  It is this return to that which was rejected by the reformers that is captured metaphorically in the title of this project. For it is not uncharacteristic of a dog to eat back that which it had vomited.

Unless the church is continuously re-examining itself in the light of scripture, it, in a matter of time, after every overhaul, starts on a downward spiral. It is for this reason that the commemoration of the 503^rd year of the reformation is of extreme importance. It will take us back to the very foundation of the church, helps us understand the ideals of the reformation, and affords us an opportunity for that all-important self-examination. This is how we can be rid of the many bugs that have come to plague her. This is how we can return to worshiping our maker and savior in truth and in spirit.

On the 31^st of October, several ministries that subscribe to the ideals of the Reformation and as such stand for true biblical Christianity are getting together to commemorate the Reformation. The event will also introduce the newly born Ghana Reform Network. You are cordially invited to be part of this historic event to the glory of God. We hope that you come to understand your faith better and be more rooted than ever. Most importantly, you can ask questions and receive edifying answers that help build your relationship with God. Join fellow believers all over the world on Hopeman Ministries’ E.A.R (Ecclesia Africanus Reformanda) Roundtable Discussion via Zoom. 
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God bless and keep you. For a full teaching on Sola Scriptura, please follow the link below. Sola Scriptura (Video lecture from R.C. Sproul)

More on the downgrade here: (https://jasonkallen.com/2015/12/spurgeon-and-the-downgrade-controversy/)

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