G. S.

Harken

Christian Culture, and

G. S, Harken

Christian
The christian culture must not be confused
with any ancestral norm, like the polygamous
tendencies of the patriarchs, no, not with the
socials, like in the suit wearing by pastors,
nor with the misinterpretations of leaders
and peculiarity of instances for which a

Culture,
The Kingdom Realities
solution was proffered as in the case of Moses
to the Israelites on divorce.
Easiest way to understand what constitutes
christian culture is to see if the practice:
* Gives glory and worship to God alone. and
Not self, another human or thing. However,
if the act has not its root in the will of God
The Kingdom Realities
as revealed scripture, it cannot glorify God.
* Is an act of love towards your neighbour.
It does not enslave him, defile, humiliate,
tempt or kill him.

G. S, Harken
G. S. Harken

Published and Printed By:

19, Ladipo Kuku Street, off Allen Avenue, Ikeja-Lagos.

e-mail: obeckavif000@yahoo.com Tel: 08023899687; 08055986712
the order of the book a
*why I write
1. the impending doom for the believer
2. the unsuspecting hand of satan
3. the need for the christian to know these.

CHAPTER ONE
*Christian Culture
G. S. Harken
Christian
(the challenges of misunderstanding)
a. the christian way is culture, and the word culture is not demonic
b. it is the way christians must live in all aspects. what constitutes it and its
benchmark.
c. men protects their culture out of nostalgia, pride and identity, christians, by divine
edict must abide by theirs

CHAPTER TWO
*The Dangers of Misunderstanding
Impure culture
absence of the Holy Spirit
non-effectiveness of the church and the believer
God’s wrath and eternal damnation for the believer

CHAPTER THREE
Culture,
The Kingdom Realities
and
*The Causes (what has placed the believer and the church in this position)
Leadership unrighteous purpose.
brethren’s fear, ignorance and pride

CHAPTER FOUR
*The only remedy
right gospel, teaching and living, to bring about The formation of Christ
epilogue: A ‘gospel’ to all christian leaders
(the way of cain, error of balaam
and the rebellion of korah)

19, Ladipo Kuku Street, off Allen Avenue, Ikeja-Lagos.

e-mail: obeckavif000@yahoo.com Tel: 08023899687; 08055986712
q d
Copyright C 2013 by G. S, Harken
All rights reserved. No portion of this publication
may be used without the express written consent
of the Publisher.
ISSN:2315-8522
Printed and Published in Nigeria by:
obeckavif
19, Ladipo Kuku Street,
off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos.
0802 389 9687; 0805 598 6712
Cover Design by: Jorge-Belief Eleh
Dedication
This book is dedicated to the sweet and
loving memory of my elder brother and
friend, Mr. Babatunde Olusola Apampa,
popularly known as Mr. Tee and Uncle Tee,
respectively..
It was he God spoke through, telling me,”If
you do not put down in writing what the
Lord has made you to understand for others
to benefit, you would not have fulfilled your
ministry.”
So, I hope by this I am meeting up., Lord!
Acknowledgement
 Prologue

Why I write
-An Impending doom for the non-vigilant believer

I N THE PRESENT, THE “Satan is a real being though not

fate of many in the faith visible to man, not discernable to the
(Christianity) lies in natural senses, his operations and
critical danger because the equals works are. Denying his existence
denying God’s. God revealed
faith has been compromised. his personality, objective and status.
If God were to judge by the He is the real enemy of man. His
attitude of church goers inside greatest achievement yet, is making
man to believe he is a myth, an
the temple or church house, illusion. Unfortunately, it is fatal to
especially in the orthodox live in this perception.”
assemblies, over fifty percent
would triumph. In there, they
are at their best behaviour, holy even.
The other day, a woman was practically drowned in
condemnation for lighting a cigarette inside the church
02 Christian Culture and Kingdom Realities
house.
‘Abomination!’ Some screamed.
In another incident, a continuum drone of protest went
on in a senior pastor’s office against a temporary
permission to reside in the church house he granted a
new convert who used to be a prostitute within the
environs of the assembly.
I have become fascinated with the passion with
which ‘supposed’ believers guard the sanctity of the
temple(church building) while the faith values are left
unattended, largely ignored to the detriment of the faith
they professed. These same people, when outside the
church house, you may not be able to distinguish from
unbelievers by their lifestyle and conducts. Many will
boldly tell you “Christianity is of the heart.” If only they
know what is at them!
The Invisible Hand of Satan
OVER THE YEARS, since the triumphant resurrection
of the Lord, Satan has launched several assaults on the
faith. Beginning with the threat of the Sanhendrin, the
then Jewish parliament, on the then small band of Christ’
disciples by arrests and floggings, through Herod’s
killing of James and Peter’s imprisonment to the
escalated determined push by the Jewish plebeians,
buoyed by the successful killing of Stephen, to silence
the gospel, which really was the first major wave of
persecution in a large scale championed by notable
Christian Culture and Kingdom Realities 03
persons like Saul of Tarsus who later became a major
proponent of the faith. It snowballed into that ferocious
animalistic sweep by the emperor Nero who lit up
believers like tars.
According to Foxe, “Under Nero, in A.D. 67, the
barbarities exercised on the Christians were such as even
excited the commiseration of the Romans themselves.”
Foxe wrote. “Nero even refined upon cruelty, and
contrived all manner of punishments for the Christians
that the most infernal imagination could design. In
particular, he had some sewed up in skins of wild beasts,
and then worried by dogs until they expired; and others
dressed in shirts made stiff with wax, fixed to axletrees,
and set on fire in his gardens, in order to illuminate them.
“He began a new wave which, beside making burn-
fire of believers, got to unleashing of dogs, bears and
lions, gladiator like, not to fighting this time, but to
feeding on chained and staked games of believers.”
That went on for centuries till he (Satan) perhaps got
frustrated when he saw how sacrosanct this was making
the faith. He changed tactics, and through Constantine
introduced the infamous strategy of subtilty, an art in
which he has become an expert. On this page he sits ever
since, only changing the game colours when one begins
to wear off.
As in the Arian heresy, (the Arian heresy were the
teachings that were spearheaded by Arius, an Alexandria
Roman Catholic priest of Libya descent, who among
many others argued that to put Christ at God’s level
equals worship of many Gods which is against the
monotheistic position of Christianity.)
A great schism engulfed the Catholic world. (At this
time, the Roman Catholic Church was made to look as
the true and only Christian body. Another subtle move of
Satan. Even presently, many still claim it is the mother
church to all churches.). The mother church, if it must be
acknowledged, was that gathering of disciples at the
upper room in Jerusalem who were the first recipient of
the Holy Ghost baptism at the Pentecost immediately
after the resurrection of our LORD.
But see what the the roman catholic church got to:
“The Catholic Church declared in the Fourth Lateran Council that:
“There is one universal church of the faithful, outside of which
there is absolutely no salvation”, a statement of what is known as
the doctrine of Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus.
(We know with certainty that salvation is received by believing in
the Christ Jesus, and not belonging to an assembly or church).
The church is further described in the papal encyclical Mystic:
Corporis Christi as the 'Mystical Body of Christ’
According to the Catechism, the Catholic Church professes to be
the 'sole Church of Christ', which is described in the Nicene Creed
as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. The church
teaches that its founder is Jesus Christ, who appointed the Twelve
Apostles to continue his work as the church's earliest bishops.
Catholic belief holds that the Catholic Church “is the continuing
presence of Jesus on earth”, and that all duly consecrated Catholic
bishops have a lineal succession from the apostles. In particular,
the Bishop of Rome (the Pope), is considered the successor to the
apostle Simon Peter, from whom the Pope derives this supremacy
over the Church. And more, described in the papal encyclical
Mystic: Corporis Christi as the 'Mystical Body of Christ', the
Catholic Church holds that the one Church of Christ which in the
Creed is professed as one, holy, catholic, and organized in the
world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is
governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in
communion with him.
In the Mortalium Animus of 6 January 1928, Pope Pius XI wrote
that “in this one church of Christ no man can be or remain who does
not accept, recognize and obey the authority and supremacy of
Peter and his legitimate successors” and quoted the statement of
Lactantius: 'The Catholic Church is alone in keeping the true
worship. This is the fount of truth, This is the house of Faith, this is
the temple of God: if any man enter not here, or if any man go forth
from it, he is a stranger to the hope of life and salvation.
“Accordingly, the second Vatican Council declared: “Whosoever,
[…] knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by
Christ would refuse to enter or to remain in it, could not be saved).”
From within this Roman Catholic Church, another
persecution started. Targeting first the Bishops and
clergy. This was in emperor Constantinus’ (son of
Constantine the great) era. The celebrated Athanasius,
and other bishops, were banished, and their Sees filled
with Arians.
Enters the period, under the guise of Christianity,
where more enormities were committed than ever.
“Disregarding the maxims and the spirit of the Gospel,
the Papal Church (Roman Catholic), arming herself
with the power of the sword, vexed the Church of God
(the true body of Christ comprising of all true
worshippers in Spirit and in truth) and wasted it for
several centuries. A period most appropriately termed in
history, “the dark ages." The kings of the earth, gave
their power to the "Beast," and submitted to be trodden
on by the miserable vermin that often filled the papal
chair, as in the case of Henry, emperor of Germany. The
storm of papal persecution first burst upon the
Waldenses in France.
Popery brought various innovations into the Church,
and overspread the Christian world with darkness and
superstition. Some few however, who plainly perceived
the pernicious tendency of such errors were determined
to show the light of the Gospel in its real purity, and to
disperse those clouds which artful priests had raised
about it in order to blind the people and obscure its real
brightness.
Principal among these was Berengarius, who, about
the year 1000, boldly preached Gospel truths, according
to their primitive purity. Many being convicted, assented
to his doctrine, and were on that account called
Berengarians. To Berengarius succeeded Peer Bruis,
who preached at Toulouse, under the protection of an
earl, named Hildephonsus; and the whole tenets of the
reformers, with the reasons of their separation from the
Church of Rome, were published in a book written by
Bruis, under the title of “Antichrist.”
By the year of Christ 1140, the number of the
reformed was very great, and the probability of it
increasing alarmed the pope, who wrote to several
princes to banish them from their dominions, and
employed many learned men to write against their
doctrines.
In A.D. 1147, because of Henry of Toulouse, deemed
their most eminent preacher, they were called
Henericians; and as they would not admit of any proofs
relative to religion, but what could be deduced from the
Scriptures themselves, the popish party gave them the
name of apostolics. At length, Peter Waldo, or Valdo, a
native of Lyons, eminent for his piety and learning,
became a strenuous opposer of popery; and from him the
reformed, at that time, received the appellation of
Waldenses or Waldoys.
Pope Alexander III being informed by the bishop of
Lyons of these transactions, excommunicated Waldo
and his adherents, and commanded the bishop to
exterminate them, if possible, from the face of the earth;
hence began the papal persecutions against the
Waldenses.”
The Need for the Christian to Know
PLEASE TAKE PROPER NOTE of Foxe’s comment,
“Popery having brought various innovations into the
Church, and overspread the Christian world with
darkness and superstition...” This exactly, has continued
today via the introduction of ‘various innovations,’
accentuated by eloquent speakers who for greed, fame
and sometimes ignorance have become veritable tools in
the hands of Lucifer.
“But the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some in the
church will turn away from Christ and become eager followers of
teachers with devil-inspired ideas. These teachers will tell lies with
straight faces and do it so often that their consciences won't even
bother them. They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to
eat meat, even though God gave these things to well-taught
Christians to enjoy and be thankful for. For everything God made is
good, and we may eat it gladly if we are thankful for it, and if we
 ask God to bless it, for it is made good by the word of God and combat this evil, we'll go back nearly thirty years,
prayer. If you explain this to the others you will be doing your duty
as a worthy pastor who is fed by faith and by the true teaching you when those four innocent lads from Liverpool,
have followed.” 1 Tim 4:1-6. TLB England, the Beatles, were just starting out.

It is in this light I write this treatise to expose one of

Satan’s subtle strategies in his war on the Saints in the
guise of culture. The Devil knows he has not won when
he kills a believer without him renouncing his faith. He
is very aware that like Stephen, dying, having not
renounced the faith is akin to putting him on a highway
to heaven. Certainly, that is not what the devil wants.
Carrying through to kill a faithful believer is only to
coarse the others living into renouncing the “Christian”
faith. That is the only profit he can get from killing
believers. When he comes in the cloak of blackmail,
emotions, advantages, and weakness to derail people,
he most often can easily be detected. But in intellectual
disguise, he has been deft and unfortunately successful.
Like the Henericians; let us not admit of any proofs
relative to religion, but what could be deduced from the
Scriptures themselves. Let us resist the infiltration of our
souls by the Devil through culture, in his bid to take it
over like he is doing with the Roman Catholic Church
via Opus Dei.

For the past thirty years, Western society has been

under the gun of a deliberate plan of cultural
warfare, with the purpose of eliminating Judeo-
Christian civilization as we know it. These plans
must not succeed. So that the reader can better
 Culture
1
The Challenges Of Misunderstanding

E V E R Y P E O P L E So then, brethren, stand firm and

have a history,

and culture. There are no

hold fast to the traditions and
instructions which you were taught
traditions, customs by us, whether by our word of mouth
or by letter.
2 Thess 2:15 AMP
people on earth today without
a culture, because a people
without a culture is a people without beliefs and a people
without beliefs do not exist.
It is strange that whenever the word ‘believe’ is
mentioned, people automatically become apprehensive,
because they feel the subject of God as creator is about to
be introduced. We have forgotten that aside the
relationship between man and the Creator, faith is still in
action in other aspects of life. So, people must believe.
Even the Atheists believe on some things and based on
these beliefs they live their lives. This order of living
guided by ones beliefs is truly what is being termed
culture today.
But the dictionary has defined culture as "The
beliefs, values, behaviour and material objects that
constitute a people's way of life." This is true, but a more
objective look at it will reveal culture as ‘the values,
behaviour and material objects that constitute a people's
way of life based on their beliefs.’ Because culture
emanates from beliefs. It grows and develops from the
standpoint of "these are the consequences of my
actions." And when those consequences are analysed
and valued based on the pronouncements of a supreme Christianity
Is A Culture
being (deity), leader or cause, as the case may be, that

one believes in and he is therefore subjected to, or a
conviction reached from certain calculations or
conclusions based on one’s beliefs, a lifestyle or conduct
evolves. The lifestyle arising from this, is a culture.
T
HE WORDS, ‘people,
group, community, ’ Dynamism of the word of God is not
in it changing or taken on a new
are pseudonyms to meaning but the individual by deeper
describe a collection of understanding seeing its relevance
persons with a common belief and application in a supposed new
scenario
or beliefs. So, if a people,
group, community by their
belief(s) have a lifestyle that can be termed culture, then
the followers of Christ Jesus who are commonly referred
to as ‘Christians’, as will also be the case in this treatise
from this point, who can also be referred to as a people,
group or community, have a culture.
Culture, to some believers, should be associated
only with the way of the ‘ancestors’: the way our
community outside the Christian sphere do things. To
these, the Christian way does not mean culture. So,
whenever the issue of culture arises, what comes to their
mind is that lifestyle of ‘our’ people outside
Christendom.
Interestingly, some in this group will flinch if the
word ‘culture’ is attributed to christianity, because to
them, it can only be fetish acts. To these I say, ‘the word
‘culture’ is as English as the word ‘church’ which has
become synonymous which the Christian faith today. If
the English translators had chosen to keep the word
ecclessia, the Greek word for church, and the word
church become only associated with political gatherings
et al, it would also had become anathema today to this
same group.
Dominant usage had attached a number of words to
the environment, people and things they are mostly
attributed to. Words like divination and shrine are
readily associated to the occult world; prime minister
and chairman to politics; bishop and deacon to
christianity and chime to clocks for example.
SOME OTHERS see culture as a “colourful, but
unharmful, distinguishing features of a people that
should not be allowed to die” though something
different from christianity. This group even see
christianity as “a threat to our culture” to put it their way.
This much a University lecturer told my cousin, a pastor
of a Christian assembly, when they were reasoning out
the issue of wearing of trousers by women.
Someone wrote, "Culture is the characteristics of a
particular group of people, defined by everything from
language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and
arts.” This is very true. Culture is an embodiment of all
that a person does in life. And for the Christian this
applies verbatim. The way Christian must think, speak
and act or react are very defined. Words like etiquette
underlines this truth. The Christian life has rules.
For example, on:
thoughts:
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix
your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right,
and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things
that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Phil 4:8-9. Holy
Bible, New Living Translation
speech:
“Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy
come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of
knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.” 1 Samuel
2:3KJV.
actions:
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love
your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use
you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your
Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on
the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on
the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward
have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye
salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do
not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as
your Father which is in heaven is perfect”. Matt 5:43-48.
KJV;

EVIDENCE ABOUNDS that cultures evolve, are
modified, and sometimes completely changed, because
peoples beliefs, convictions, evolves, are modified and
sometimes changed. As it is observed of the American
society, “Today, in the United States as in other countries
populated largely by immigrants, the culture is
influenced by the many groups of people that now make
up the country."
This is also true of every society, a new people enter
with their beliefs or convictions, soon some others are
attracted to it, invited or forced sometimes. And most of
the times the new are fused with the old with
modifications where they consider necessary, and a new
culture has begun. This is the most ways cultures are
today. A fusion of many attractions, convictions and
calculations.
As beautiful as it may look, innovative and probably
harmless as it conveys, this also being the way most
Christians today live: a fusion of Christian rules with
ancestral norms together with the current fad or trend, as
reasons teaches, it is tragedy for the believer. Because, it
cannot apply to Christian culture, the bedrock of the
Christian culture is constant. It cannot be modified or
changed. And we will soon understand why.
Dynamism of the word of God is not it changing or
taken on a new meaning but the individual by deeper
understanding seeing its relevance and application in a
supposed new scenario. For example, if the believer
shall change from wearing of shokoto/danshiki to
flannel shirt/trousers, it must remain that the dressing
must cover him up very well to appear decent and not
lascivious.
The Christian culture is different from the culture
practiced in the community, or society, whose origin or
source is not from belief in the one and only Creator
God. In the second epistle of Paul to the Corinthian
churches, we see these instructions of God:
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what
fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath
Christ with belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an
infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for
ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, i will dwell in
them, and walk in them; and i will be their God, and they shall be
my people. wherefore come out from among them, and be ye
separate, saith the lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and i will
receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons
and daughters, saith the lord almighty. 2 cor 6:14-18. KJV.
The demand for a different lifestyle on the Christian is
clear from the above statement.
 Misunderstandings
2
-The Dangers

T H E P R I N C I PA L

Christ is the
salvation of man, which
begins with the regeneration
My people are destroyed for lack of
goal of the gospel of knowledge; because you [the priestly
nation] have rejected knowledge, I
will also reject you that you shall be
no priest to Me; seeing you have
forgotten the law of your God, I will
of the soul. Now, the also forget your children.
regeneration is necessary Hos 4:6. AMP
because as it is clearly stated
in the scriptures, all of mankind have sinned, and fallen
short of God’s glory. The New Living Translation put it
thus: ‘For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's
glorious standard.’ Meaning, our lifestyle as a result of
sin does not meet up with God’s archetype. The
regeneration of the soul is the re-linking of the human
soul to the direct contact, influence or control of God’s
Holy Spirit which will enable the man to see,
understand, and walk not in vanity of the pleasure of this
world, but in accordance to the will of God, the
sweetness of which has never been understood nor
experienced before.
“Deep inside every man there is a private sanctum where
dwells the mysterious essence of his being. This far –in reality
is that in the man which is what it is of itself without reference
to any other part of the man's complex nature. It is the man's I
AM, a gift from the I AM who created him.
The I AM which is God is underived and selfexistent; the I
AM'' which is man is derived from God and dependent every
moment upon His creative fiat for its continued existence.
One is the creator, high over all ancient of days, dwelling in
light unapproachable. The other is a creature and, though
privileged beyond all others, is still but a creature, a pensioner
on God's bounty and a supplaint before his throne.
The deep –in human entity of which we speak is called in the
scriptures the spirit of man. For what man knoweth the things
of man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the
things of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God
(1Cor.2.11). As God's self-knowledge lies in the eternal
Spirit, so man's self-knowledge is by his own spirit, and his
knowledge of God is by the direct impression of the Spirit of
God upon the spirit of man.”
After a true regeneration, your life-walk is called
righteousness, the opposite of sin.
Sin cut man off from God’s presence. Man became
blind, blocked and dead to God’s way. Christ came and
delt with the issue of sin: the disobedient act of man that
offended God to the point of not only placing a curse on
mankind, but also withdrawing his fellowship.
This resulted to an emptiness. He lost the meaning
for living, he also lost the God-way to live. Hope was for
things temporal, and death’s sword hung permanently
over him. Life was a mystery leaving him in deep
despair and complete frustration. Desperately, he
searched for meaning, but because of the deep blindness
caused by sin he could only grope. Without contact with
the Spirit of God man could only grope. The knowledge
of God which equals knowledge to live and have life as it
should be is lost.
By Christ sacrificial death, the just demand, or
ransome required, for the putting away of the offence of
sin from man was met. Man is once again open to the
way of God. He can again understand and be able to live
up to the standard of God. Only, he must meet with, the
requirements of accepting, fully persuaded, and
embraced by faith the grace provision of Christ as his
saving grace from damnation as a sinner.
So, one of the main effect of the gospel on man who
has embraced it, is the sharp change that must come as a
result of the reawakening by the Holy Spirit. For the
spirit of man having been rescued from the clutches of
despondency, agony, which were on him because of
life’s seeming pointlessness as he beholds the endless
frustrating struggles to survive, the fleeting search for
peace, and battles the unsolvable natural disasters, ever
emanating new but dangerous diseases, injustices, the
futility of human efforts in solving them and that
mystical albatross called death. These all dissolves into
effervescency, ecstatic hope, and equanimity arising
from a confident assurance of goodness coursed into the
soul by a beam of enlightenment and taste of the true
reality of life, that the heart now recognises.
When this occurs there is manifest,
spontaneously, a new way of life as a response to the
understanding now had, very contrary to the natural
brutish human life we see today. Some people will wave
it off as a facade; a number yearn for it in awe; yet many
are offended by it. The offence coming not from any
wrong by this lifestyle, but that traditional hostility
between good and evil, light and darkness,
righteousness and unrighteousness, Christ and belial.
The ignorant is deceived into thinking the new
life is unattractive, void of the good things off life. How
wrong they are! Spurgeon has this to say of the new life
of the convert,
“Behold, how independent of outward circumstances the
Holy Ghost can make the Christian! What a bright light
may shine within us when it is all dark without! How firm,
how happy, how calm, how peaceful we may be, when the
world shakes to and fro, and the pillars of the earth are
removed! Even death itself, with all its terrible influences,
has no power to suspend the music of a Christian's heart, but
rather makes that music become more sweet, more clear,
more heavenly, till the last kind act which death can do is to
let the earthly strain melt into the heavenly chorus, the
temporal joy into the eternal bliss! Let us have confidence,
then, in the blessed Spirit's power to comfort us.
Dear reader, are you looking forward to poverty? Fear not;
the divine Spirit can give you, in your want, a greater plenty
than the rich have in their abundance. You know not what
joys may be stored up for you in the cottage around which
grace will plant the roses of content.
Are you conscious of a growing failure of your bodily
powers? Do you expect to suffer long nights of languishing
and days of pain? O be not sad! That bed may become a
throne to you. You little know how every pang that shoots
through your body may be a refining fire to consume your
dross--a beam of glory to light up the secret parts of your
soul. Are the eyes growing dim? Jesus will be your light. Do
the ears fail you? Jesus' name will be your soul's best music,
and His person your dear delight. Socrates used to say,
"Philosophers can be happy without music;" and Christians
can be happier than philosophers when all outward causes
of rejoicing are withdrawn. In Thee, my God, my heart shall
triumph, come what may of ills without! By thy power, O
blessed Spirit, my heart shall be exceeding glad, though all
things should fail me here below.”
Honestly, the Christian life is not denied of good food,
nor of pleasures which truly originates from the inner
state of a man, (this, the state of the mind, is what the
unbelievers struggles variously to gain by the various
indulgent in pleasure-trips or vices, such as partying,
binge drinking, sexual adventures, drug addictions, etc).
Neither is he denied the pleasure of sex, which is
available in marriage.
How right the scriptures is: it says in first
Corinthians chapter two, verse fourteen:
“...the natural man is not able to take in the things of the
Spirit of God: for they seem foolish to him, and he is not
able to have knowledge of them, because such knowledge
comes only through the Spirit.”BBE.
There is an ambience that comes with the new-birth or
conversion that distinguishes the believer. It is actually a
manifestation of a life now pleasingly meaningful. He is
changed, he is refocused, have new priorities, lives up to
different standards. These requires new rules and
obligations, but he gladly abides. The gospel preached
by the church is the change agent, the doctrines taught
within are the sustaining power.
THIS CHANGE is fundamentally missing in the
Christian of today. When you understand why man
fell short of God’s glory in the first instance, you
will see where the problem is.
Sin really is disobedience to God’s
commandments or demands. There are ways of doing
things in God’s realm. His holiness means a standard
nature that must not be compromised. Purity to God is
ultimate. The littlest shift or lowering is not admittible.
God departs or absents himself from a person or
environment where this standard is compromised. In
whichever soul God is absent, the vision is blinded and
the potential to live the godly life dies, leaving the man
pitiably game for the devil.
As established previously, Satan, invades subtly,
but overwhelmingly with the sole goal of corrupting the
believer to drive him perpetually into eternal damnation.
One of the tactics is to permanently keep the soul in a
habit that will abhor or repel the presence of God in his
life. Human culture fussed into christianity has achieved
this.
This is the unfortunate hecatombe, menace
Christianity faces now from this malady. Because,
disobedience, in the guise of culture, has put off God’s
presence from their gospel, the ‘coverts’ who really are
not converts, cannot experience the new nature which
alone can ‘take in the things of the Spirit of God.’ The
church now only have a form of godliness without the
power.
“For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled
by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those
things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according
to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set
their minds on and seek those things which gratify the
[Holy] Spirit.” Rom 8:5. AMP.
The church is therefore devoid of power and the essence
of the new birth which attracts the world yet restricts
them to mere admirers like in Acts chapter five, verses
twelve to thirteen:
“ Now many signs and wonders were regularly done
among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they
were all together in Solomon’s Portico. none of the rest
dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.”
ESV.
Is God working with the ‘believer’ that bows to the gods
of the land in respect of culture yet still profess
Christianity? What about that man who for tradition
takes that chieftaincy title? And that pastor also, who
bowed to the demands of the community to appease the
gods of the land to whom his wife was dedicated as an
Osu before he could marry her. Or than parent who will
bow to his community’s demand to conduct his
daughter’s marriage in accordance with the ancestral
rules, yet he is a christian?
 “And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy
God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out
of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods
before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven
image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above,
or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under
the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor
serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the
third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And
shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and
Misunderstandings
keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of The Gravity
the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him
guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Ex 20:1-7. KJV Go in through the narrow gate.
The gate to destruction is wide, and the road that leads there
Obviously, there will be issues with that assembly that is easy to follow. A lot of people go through that gate. But the
gate to life is very narrow. The road that leads there is so
worships the General Overseer rather than God. Many hard to follow that only a few people find it.
now pray through them instead of Christ. What belief Matt 7:13-14 CEV
originates these? Is it not an alien culture to the church to
ask the brethren to launch a book worth 200naira with
5,000,000naira? In Exodus, Deuteronomy, Haggai, God
asked the leaders to tell the brethren to give. He even
made the leaders specify the needs in wood, copper,
G ETTING INVOLVED IN A CULTURE OR A
way of life other than ‘The Way’ (God’s way), is
getting involved in ungodly practices, with the
dangers of eternal damnation hovering over such a soul.
A believer must live strictly by the rules, statutes, edicts
silver and gold. Does it not signify you can ask for a
million clearly and directly when needed? of God (that which God wills).
So, neither the church nor the believer is any longer In the near direct rule of God over mankind his
effective as a change agent, he is not even a candidate of ways were clear. Anyone working contrary to his rules
the kingdom of God. ‘Converts’ are only new club were punished accordingly. Mariam Amram went
members whose only new experience is religious leprous and was cast out of the camp because of her
mesmerisms in a glorified a new set of social circle language and conduct towards Moses her younger
peopled by cajoled co-operators in a life venture of an brother who was leader of the Israeli tribe, and Achan
individual labelled ‘founders, general overseers, senior had himself and his entire household stoned to death for
flouting God's order.
 These are clear statements of God's stand on his
ordinances which as we have established constitutes a
culture for the Christian.
The introduction to the book of Judges in the
English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible is very
interesting. It summarises a life pattern found in the
book:
* The people abandoned the Lord;
* God punished them by raising up a foreign power to oppress
them;
* The people cried out to God for deliverance; and
* God raised up a deliverer, or judge, for them.
The abandonment of God here was the lifestyle they
began to live contrary to God’s way spelt out to them as
written down in the Torah or Book of Law by Moses.
“Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was
with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their
enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to
pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and
oppressed them. But whenever the judge died, they turned
back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after
other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did
not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. So the
anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said,
"Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I
commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, I
will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that
Joshua left when he died, in order to test Israel by them,
whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord as
their fathers did, or not." So the Lord left those nations, not
driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the
hand of Joshua.” Judg 2:18-23 ESV
God is very defined in the way His creation,
particularly man, should live and conduct himself.
Adam’s fall was all about this: he(Adam) walked
contrarily to God’s instructions and rules. It was
thesame reason the Israelites from Egypt died in the
wilderness: they did not believe what God has said
will come to pass, therefore did not do what was
demanded of them. Same, was why He burned down
Sodom and Gommorrah, sack the Canaanite tribes,
sent the Jews into exile, destroyed the city of
Jerusalem and the Temple built to His name. He will
yet cast out anyone who will not walk in His way.
In the era of grace (a time, which is now, that
God tolerates extensively man’s insubordination, insults
and blatant disobedience), man has grown dull of
hearing. He has become so callous about his life, he sees
death as the only terror before him which he is trying to
overcome by devising ways to soften its dread. ‘Men
have tried to change the appearance of death’ Billy
Graham wrote. ‘We have changed the word ‘undertaker’
to ‘mortician’, we place bodies in ‘caskets’ instead of
‘coffins’, we have ‘funeral homes’ instead of
‘undertaking parlours’, and ‘memorial parks’ instead of
‘graveyards’. We try to soften the starkness of the last
rites, but regardless of what we call it, or how lifelike we
make the corpse through make up, the cold, hard, cruel
reality of death has not changed throughout all of man’s
history” He surmised in his book, ‘Peace With God.’
Today, there are solicited death; Medal of
Honour given to Soldiers; accolades and societal
veneration of Muslim suicide murderers(the family of a
suicide Jihadist is held in high honour in the Muslim
world, plus monetary remunerations given to them),
these among others as some ways death has been
thought to have been mollified.
If the ungodly thinks thiswise, it is most
unfortunate for the believer to follow suit. Death is not
just ceasing to be conscious on earth. The believer
should know and understand it goes way beyond. It is
eternal separation from God and all the sweetness
associated with His presence.
It is thesame as perishing as explained in
the“Family Radio” brochure: “When we search the
scriptures, we find that this word ‘perish’ as it is used in
John 3:16, does not mean annihilation. In our English
language when we say, ‘I will perish’, we think of dying,
of ceasing to exist. In the bible the word ‘perish’ has
another definition. The bible tells us that the wages of sin
is death (Romans 6:23). The living death that God has in
view is to exist throughout eternity in hell. That is the
predicament of rebellious mankind. That is what it
means to perish.
In the days coming, there are going to be a
barrage of convictions, positions and conclusions that
will be pouring upon society from religious groups,
social organisations, governments, etc, that will be
establishing new lifestyles or culture like the
Gay/Homosexual question, that could mean the
proverbial ‘death trap’ or the road to ‘perishing’ for any
believer that fails to understand that nothing outside the
will of God can inform his way of life or culture.
The difference between tribal, national culture
on the one side and Christian culture on the other side are
the consequences. Whereas, the former is most
promoted and being called for, mainly for the pride of it,
the later must be adhered to, otherwise the ultimate
objective of being a Christian may be lost.
“ Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear
(obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency,
Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill
temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit
(factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), Envy,
drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you
beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal 5:19-21
AMP
These vices are the lifestyles of many. and they are
ways of life being promoted by many cultures
today, consciously or unconsciously.
In the book of Colossians, God counsels and warns:
Away then with sinful, earthly things; deaden the evil
desires lurking within you; have nothing to do with sexual
sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires; don't worship the
good things of life, for that is idolatry. God's terrible anger
is upon those who do such things.” Col 3:5-7 TLB
Examples abounds: In dressing, there are wears that are
mere underwear with just a string across the shoulders
commonly called spaghetti hands that women wear
today. Many without bras which leaves their breasts
exposed. Outright lewdness, a thing condemned by God.
And that new entertainment craze tagged "idol".
Idolatry has gone sophisticated, from the carved image,
to human adoration.
 The West tops the list on this bill. Clubs such like Has it become so bland to the believer today
‘nudity clubs’ where members, married and unmarried about God’s judgement? How can he so forget and
go naked in public. Night clubs with naked girls dancing ignore the repercussions or punishment by God on all
(striptease), and sometimes having sex on stage litters disobedience?
our cities today, openly brandished and highly
patronised.
Our streets are designed with women dressed in
skimpy skirts. They call them mini-skirts, and blouses
with cleavages that also have their breasts highly
exposed. Majority of whom are ‘Christians’. Ironically,
the nakedness which Adam and Eve thought to hide
from God is now what his children flaunt before thesame
God.
Satan is most crafty and illusory. By this
potential, he has succeeded in continuing to manipulate
minds in order to destroy them. Today, in Christian
circles, there are cliques, sects and movements you can
easily identify by the lifestyles of the proponents.
Modern and Classic Parishes within one denomination.
Pentecostal and orthodox, Celestial and Catholic,
Sabbatarians, etc. All with differing cultures.
I will not be surprised to get criticised on the
points of definition of culture and selection of foibles in
Galatians chapter five verses nineteen to twenty-one to
depict some un-cultural traits a Christian must not
indulge. Mainly, we are easily drowned in the garb
called intellectualism that mostly overlook plainness
and rather look to mystery, believing nothing can be
plain. Another scheme of Satan. None will indulge in
sexual immorality if he believes in God Almighty.
 Chapter Three

Cause
Why These Errors
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you
[the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge, I will also
reject you that you shall be no priest to Me; seeing you have
forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.
Hos 4:6. AMP

C
HRISTIANS, by divine edict must live and
abide in the will of God (Christian culture). You
do have a choice, but your choice to live
otherwise is catastrophic, this much we have established
in the previous chapter.

ABUSE OF FREE WILL:

As much as the offer of free will is available to you,
God wants you to exercise it in doing His will. It is
sacrilegious to live otherwise, more criminal than
breaking constitutional rules of a country, its penalties
are graver. This is one truth that should drive the
believer to preaching the gospel, for the unbeliever who
does not even know of these is not exonerated.
 “The God who made the universe and everything in it is the
Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn't live in shrines made
by humans, and he isn't served by humans as if he needed
anything. He gives everyone life, breath, and everything
they have. From one man he has made every nation of
humanity to live all over the earth. He has given them the
seasons of the year and the boundaries within which to live.
He has done this so that they would look for God, somehow
reach for him, and find him. In fact, he is never far from any
one of us. Certainly, we live, move, and exist because of
him. As some of your poets have said, 'We are God's
children.' So if we are God's children, we shouldn't think
that the divine being is like an image made from gold,
silver, or stone, an image that is the product of human
imagination and skill. "God overlooked the times when
people didn't know any better. But now he commands
everyone everywhere to turn to him and change the way
they think and act. He has set a day when he is going to
judge the world with justice, and he will use a man he has
appointed to do this. God has given proof to everyone that
he will do this by bringing that man back to life." Acts
17:24-31GWT
THE DEFT HAND OF SATAN
The culture that streamed from worship of community
and tribal deities has assumed an iconic status having
been so elevated by humans eg, the new-yam festival in
the eastern part of Nigeria, the Ojude festival of the Ijebu
clan, traditional marriage rites, traditional burial rites,
etc. This has made it more compelling than God’s
command for many believers. Men, christians inclusive,
now fight to preserve human culture. They want it
retained, sustained, nourished.
Unfortunately, it is a game of Satan, and he seem to
be winning. In the introduction to this treatise, our minds
were drawn to the subtlety of Satan in his operations. He
is the real cause of the cultural mix-ups,
misunderstandings, and misjudgements.
As already noted, he does not make himself visible
for recognition as the hand behind the scene. It is his vital
tool in the game plan. He therefore operates in disguises
using tools and agents that can be either logically, or
scientifically attested as source or points of origin, to
hide his identity and the destruction intended. I believe
there is no one who will know Satan for who he is, his
goals or objectives, then see his hands in an act that will
continue with it.
I met a young man once, he claim he is a christian
but believes there is nothing real about Satan. My
response to him was, “You do not believe in God
because it is God who made me aware of the existence of
Satan and his status.” I have heard believers chide their
fellow brethren for their tendencies on satanic
operations. Some denominations are labeled ‘fall and
die’. While I do not subscribe to the ‘fall and die prayers
syndrome’ I am not fooled to not accepting the
underlying hands of Satan or powers of darkness in the
affairs of men, driving their negative actions, decisions,
perceptions and definitely the main factor to problems of
all sorts. My positional difference to the ‘fall and die’
movement is approach. Mine is powered by the word,
and faith in its(the word) revelation. For example, I will
never in prayer decree the death of an demon. I know it
cannot die by my decree but I will bind it, cast it out and
destroy its works or seeds of evil sown in a heart or
environment. I will not pay overly attention to satanic
workings, but I will certainly not be unconscious of the
enmity of the dark world and purposefulness to destroy
my destiny as I concentrate on God’s love to power my
responsive walk in Christ.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
1 Peter 5:8 KJV
“If the Good News that we preach is hidden, it is hidden only to
those who are lost. 4 The devil who rules this world has blinded the
minds of those who do not believe. They cannot see the light of the
Good News — the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is
exactly like God.” 2 Cor 4:3-5 NCV
“And the huge dragon was cast down and out — that age-old
serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, he who is the seducer
(deceiver) of all humanity the world over; he was forced out and
down to the earth, and his angels were flung out along with him.”
Rev 12:9AMP
How does the devil walk about? In full glare, clearly
visible to humans? How has he blinded the people?
Physically? Is it not in making them not to see what is to
be seen; not understanding the way they ought to to
understand? How does he deceives the world?
We need be careful. It is this same attitude of
reservation towards truths socially not fanciful,
logically not plausible that has enhanced the
machinations of the dark world in achieving its purpose.
“For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only
with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the
powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this
present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the
heavenly (supernatural) sphere.” Eph 6:12 AMP
“But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to
the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?” Acts
5:3 KJV
“And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number
Israel. And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go,
number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number
of them to me, that I may know it.” 1 Chron 21:1-2 KJV
The Holy Spirit made it clear through apostle peter:
“For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we
made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from
God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to
him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we
heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a
more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take
heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn,
and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no
prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the
prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of
God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1:16-21
KJV
Sitting inconspicuously under the flesh, governments,
social values, science, Satan deftly moves. The brother
or sister does not admit he is materialistic, neither does
the church understand the yoke of mysticism cast upon it
by Satan. “Somethings we cannot deny, God, angels:
evil angels or evil spirit entities. To the atheistic
scientists these evil angels might appear as extra
terrestrials, often with their own spaceships; to
evolutionists they might claim to be highly evolved
beings; to the lonely, they might appear as long lost
relatives speaking from the other side of the grave;
Jungian psychologists consider them 'archetypal
images” dredged from the collective consciousness of
the human race. Whatever description or definition fits,
whatever shape, whatever form it takes to win a person's
confidence and appeal to his vanity, that's the form they
take. And they tell the deluded seeker of truth whatever
he or she wants to hear until they finally have that person
in their complete control. Like a con game, in other
words, it is all a con game: eastern meditation,
witchcraft, divination, science of mind, psychic healing,
holistic education, deliverance, it's all the same thing,
nothing but a ruse to take over people's minds and spirits,
even their bodies.” So wrote Frank Peretti.
THE FLESH:
Revealed: The flesh is enmity with God. “[That is]...the
mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes]
is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's
Law; indeed it cannot.” Rom 8:7 AMP. in the
acculturation of the believer, satan uses the works of the
flesh to get mileage.
There is a seemingly glamour, fear, and pleasure that can
be derived from it. AS NOSTALGIA:- The simple
recollection of the past which in conversations, history
and memory tends to transmit a euphoric feeling, even
for truancy, wickedness and other absurdities is
compelling enough on some to stick to human norms
even when they are contrary to God’s way.
There is this memory I used to consider sweet. It was
of a festival in which was usually a dance parade I
participated in. In it we danced singing native choruses
that eulogises the community and the guardian deity
whom we then were venerating with the festivity. It use
to be eye-catching. Traditional doctors would arrive,
clad in raffia skirts, with amulets parceled in miniature
sheaths arrayed of cowries and stringed, to form patterns
adorning their legs, arms, and necks. Topped with head
gears of woven canes laced with feathers, porcupine
quills drilled through the jaws of some, combining into a
mystical costume. They appeared in processions
dramatising accomplishments and occultic acquisitions,
severing off heads of goats with bare hands, dancing
inside and upon burning coals of fire, shooting and
hacking at each other with guns, machetes and long
knives with no effect on the victim.
Then, there was the open indulgent in getting drunk
without rebuke from the elders, and license to fornicate
with anylady under the rule of ‘no woman must be
caught in the open.’ Some girls then use to deliberately
expose themselves to be caught. Today, enlightenment
helps me to understand that this displays were of
demonic acquisitions and all of those dancing were
worships of demons which we idolised. But the seeming
colour of it had made a number of Christian officers in
key positions today, among people who call for its
reestablishment without appreciating the implications.
Who will participate in these cultural festivals? The
same people we are to call to salvation and godly living?
AS PRIDE: The Yorubas have this act called ORIKI. It is
an act were eulogies are sang to and about a people or
person. It tells of the persons great lineage by its
reputation, exploits, potentials and dignifying
mannerisms. Many for this will participate in certain
events even if it glorifies the devil. it has gradually
seeped into Christian activities. In Christian functions
today, certain servants of God are recognised as
dignitaries with an oriki of their achievements and
connections.
There is this act of ‘my people’s culture is richer than
yours’ which really has birthed the commercialisation of
demonic worship today in the name of carnivals.
Because the argument deep down in the government
offices is if Brasil, Argentina with ‘almost no natural
culture are reaping from the little they have gleaned,
why cant we the owners benefit from it.” Africans
naturally lay claim to idolatry as their thing. In the
government ministries where these are being
championed, a number of them are headed by christians.
Which takes us to the next point.
AS A SENSE OF IDENTITY: Several scenes streams
before me now as I touch this point. Scenes of bitter
quarrels during wedding, and burial ceremonies.
Political gatherings and educational seminars, where
arguments, rebukes and inflammatory orations are made
in defense and promotion of culture. “If we discard our
culture we are losing our identity” many will sermon. “If
you do not identify with a culture, you are not complete.
you are someone with no identity” Very true, I confess,
but to what culture should the christian identify himself?
or better still, to what power are you identifying
yourself?
These are some of the reasons people want to identify
with culture. and whenever the value in nostalgia, pride
and desire to belong is removed as a result of true
knowledge(light of God, revelation of the truth about
life), the advocacy dies, that ancestral culture is buried
and will remain dead with no consequences on the one
who abandons it. The Christian culture can only be
discarded at the peril of the individual.
AS FEAR:
The evil repercussions for disobeying human traditions
holds a sword on the raison d’etre of many, the direction
and focus of their lives. Their minds have been
overtaken by the thralldom of fear. When they stand at
the threshold of choice between obedience to human
culture and God’s, they capitulate for the former.
In the guise of culture, Satan has establish an
agenda of control to foist upon the believer an evil
paradigm geared towards the realisation of his objective,
eternal destruction of the soul of man.
There is an instance in the case of a woman that
lost her husband (an Ogume man of the Ukwuani
descent), one of the tribes that makes up Delta State of
Nigeria. The burial rites, in accordance to the local
tradition, demands shaving of her hair to the skin
(gorimakpa), residing in the forest alone for a month and
waking the village with her wailing every morning. The
belief is, failure to doing these will result in the death of
her children one after the other. Many for fear of this will
perform these rites that has no foundation in Christ.
As in the instance of a man, also from Ogume,
who boasted to eat the meat of a tortoise, an animal
worshipped as a god in the land, and that no harm will
come to him as is the common belief, because he is a
Christian. He did eat the tortoise, but died afterwards
after an attack of strange ailment attributed to has been
caused by the tortoise-god. A number of Christians in
that area points to this incident as to why they as
indigenes of Ogume must not eat tortoise meat as the
land demands, even though they are Christians.
Sermoning, we must ‘...give to caesar what belongs to
caesar and to God what belongs to God.’
AS IGNORANCE: The most common cultural error
that has invaded christendom today is that of idolatory,
which cuts across all the denominations, puritans and
all. It is a function of deep ignorance on the path of the
believer who follows the pronouncements of a leader to
accept and apply a teaching at odds with the scripture,
the only source also available to the leader to put forward
a norm. Deep seated ignorance in all who can read yet
resigns to mystical interpretation of simple instructions
for religiosity.
It is either faith in crucifixes, sculpted images, or
veneration of certain persons as ‘Saints’ and ‘Anointed-
Men,’ dead or alive as the case may be, or that of olive
oils, mantles, camp grounds and holy sites, because that
is what their leaders are teaching them.
These were the same issues Martin Luther
protested against in his infamous 95 thesis in his stand
against the Roman Catholic world that had then evolved
the culture of nuns, celibate priests, separation of into
clergy and laity, Robing of Priests and other Ministers in
the Body of Christ which still persist till date; purgatory,
exorcism, wafer-communion, etc. I t takes
canonizations, a ritual performed by the Pope for a
believer to become a saint. In 1982, Pope John Paul II
walked into heroic welcome by the Igbos of Nigeria on
the case of the ‘Beautification’ of Late Rev. Father Tansi.
The Igbos bloated for what they took as an elevation of
their race, to have a son on the road to being a Saint.
Who canonised Peter, Paul, Timothy and the rest of the
disciples in the Bible? Please read:
ACTS 9:13, 32; 26:10; ROMANS 8:27; 12:13; 15:25;
16:26; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:1; 13:13; EPHESIANS 1:1;
PHILIPPIANS 1:1; COLOSSIANS 1:2:
In the scriptures above, you will find the word saint is
commonly used to address all of the believers, not just
some dead ones on whom certain rituals had been
performed.
The nation of Israel has built part of its economy
round this Christian folly. A vast number throng the land
of the Lord’s birth annually to visit and worship at sites
regarded as holy. These are same persons who have
neglected themselves which are bodies housing the Holy
Spirit. Which is holy and more worthy of attention? The
ground that the Lord once walked physically or where he
lives presently?
Prophet Haggai was educated and taught by the
Lord on how a thing can become holy.
“In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the
second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord by Haggai
the prophet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ask now
the priests concerning the law, saying, If one bear holy flesh
in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread,
or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And
the priests answered and said, No. Then said Haggai, If one
that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be
unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be
unclean. Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people,
and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so is
every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is
unclean.” Hag 2:10-14 KJV
Holiness is the person of God. It is His presence in a
thing that makes it holy. And the continuous presence of
God in that thing keeps it holy. Once the presence of God
is absent either by God cutting off from, or the thing
being taken out from the conditions, circumstances, or
environment of God, it ceases to be holy. Thus, it applies
also to humans, defilement or insubordination will result
being cut off by God. A person can as well walk off the
presence of God out of ignorance or foolishness.
Multitudes in the name of prelates, founders and
pastors are merchandising the flock. It is sad that it is in
Christian countries that programmes of national view
has been created to choose winners as idols. Christians
watch it, vote for it and are participators. In Exodus:
...God spake ...saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have
brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou
shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness
of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth
beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not
bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy
God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of
them that hate me;” Ex 20:1-5 KJV
Isn’t the scripture suppose to be our guide in conduct and
practice? If so, what does the verses above stand for? Is
not idolatry when and individual exalts an object,
ideology, pursuit or person to the position of God in his
life: when it (the object) or him(the person) becomes his
driving force, centre of attention, attraction or that which
he devoutes more time because of how sacrosanct,
crucial he holds it?
Idolatry has become so traditional to the
believer, he is not at ease without it. A woman once was
prayed for by a group of pastors. They had devoted some
time to the prayers for reasons they think was necessary.
Afterwards, the woman offered money to the pastors in
payment for their services, but they refused and the
woman surprised, went away unhappy, soliloquising,
‘will the prayers work? I always pay for it, in all the
places I had been.’ obviously, the scripture, ‘...freely you
have received, freely give...’ has no place in the
Christian world of those pastors. It is also idolatry to
claim God’s glory by receiving what is due God.
AS IDOLATORY
Burial Ceremonies: Today, in the tribe I belong to, a man
dies and his children are tasked to give him a befitting
burial by purchasing a very expensive coffin, attire the
corpse in gold and silver clothing, slaughter cow(s) for
the merriment of mourners, rent multitudes of canopies
and chairs to shelter and seat them, buy numerous
drinks, engage live bands and comedian deejays, buy
gifts items of various categories to give as souvenirs and
dress in their best in the latest fashion. The burial is
judged by the worth and quantity of the food for the
attendees and the quality of souvenirs distributed.
It is interesting, when you discover these
ceremonies have come to be because of societal ratings
and acknowledgment via statements like: ‘Were they
able to bury their father?’ This is coming from those who
did not eat to their satisfaction during the ceremony. And
their satisfaction can be what is meant for five persons
going for one. Some will even say it to your face.
Funnily enough, many will borrow to achieve this burial
standard just to hear in the streets from the urchins, how
well they buried their father or mother. A massaging of
ego and glorying in the flesh. Many, glory after the flesh
Sometime ago, when my elder brother died, I
was counseled by an older cousin and an uncle to rent
what seem to me, a bourgeois number of canopies and an
executive like set of chairs for the potential crowd of
people that will grace the ceremony. and to cook
varieties of food to entertain supposedly mourners and
sympathisers. When I queried the rational for mourners
to be thus catered for, I was told simply but seriously “
that is what is being done by others and will be expected
of me”. Then I was told to have him, my late brother,
join-up with the family, as in registering as a member, by
paying some ridiculously high fee. To this I questioned,
‘Is he not a member of the family already?’ ‘Not until he
pays this fee will he be officially recognised,’ was the
reply.
Meanwhile, this official recognition is to have
the elders of the family gathered at the family ancestral
shrine, decorated with a mighty chain of gleaned skulls
of goats, a relic of a bunch of sticks swaddled in now
very dirty red and white clothes, heavily laced with
cowries, in an invocation ritual, with chants and
incantations, to announced the name of the new entrant
to the dead fathers of the lineage, a garb of the demons
that hold sway in that territory, with generous spills of
ogogoro, a local gin, and scratches of kolanuts as
libation. When I protested citing this ceremony involved
as an invocation of demons and initiation into idolatry, I
was told by my well meaning Uncle, an Elder in his local
Assembly, and my Cousin, a Deacon in the church, “if
this is not done, my brother’s children, who were very
young at the time, will be mocked in future not to have
buried their father.” ‘By who?’ I asked. I got no reply.
 Is my brother not truly buried without these
ceremonies? What is God position on these?

How did these ways of our ancestors evolved? How

unharmful are these colourful and distinguishing
features of our people?
These are some questions we must allow our
hearts to look into objectively in order to come out of the
dungeon this challenge has led us into.
There is no cultural practice today which is that
has not risen from a belief. In the Isoko people’ instance,
they believe in life after life. To them, certain things can
hinder the spirit of the dead from settling well in the after
life. One is improper burial.
Improper burial is a burial that has not been done
in line with rules and understanding from these beliefs.
Like, when Ujeh (a vibrant dance round the community
 The Foundation for the Christian Culture
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;
but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou
mayest observe to do according to all that is written
therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous,
and then thou shalt have good success.”
Josh 1:8 KJV
CHRIST’ lifestyle conformed to the will(word and
mind) of God in every aspect of life. This is the
foundation of the Christian culture, the word of God.
And Christianity must be a lifestyle in accordance to the
dictate or will of God.
What is called Christianity as at today, was initially
referred to as 'The Way' by the early adherents. This was
derived from Christ’ declaration found in the gospel of
John Chapter Fourteen, verse Six:
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,
* but by me.”
THE WAY, as not in a path to be walked through, but a
manner of life, conduct, and requirements that meets
with the demand of God for man to be able to fulfill
God’s demands on his life. This God made clear to
Joshua in Jos 1:8. Living a lifestyle that pleases Him. It is
the Way one is to live, as ordained originally by the
Creator.
If perhaps, the pseudonym ‘The Way’ has remained,
maybe then, the challenges of the lifestyle or culture of
the Christian would easily be handled. Though some can
query the anomaly of today’s Christian who is lost on
conduct because of a name no more in use with the
argument that the word Christian much more
emphasises a peculiar lifestyle.
The word Christian means ‘like Christ’, and
adherents of ‘The Way’ (the disciples) were first called
Christians in Antioch of Syria by non-disciples who in
that word were saying “these were living, behaving and
conducting themselves just like Christ Jesus,” then
famous among the Jews. It confirms and buttresses their
lifestyle to being thesame as Christ’s.
“Imitate me as I imitate Christ," instructed apostle
Paul. By these words we understand, both the leaders
and the led (in the body of Christ) are to imitate Christ’s
lifestyle and habits.”
So what is the lifestyle of Christ Jesus? It is in the
teachings of Christ(which in reality are revelations of
God’s will in its original design), assuredly exemplified
by his conduct as reported by the Apostles, and taught
further by them in words of mouth and sometimes by
letter that we will find Christ lifestyle.
“For I tell you, unless your righteousness
(your uprightness and your right standing with
 God) is more than that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven.” Matt 5:20 AMP.
You can see righteousness as conduct and
lifestyle.
“Jesus said to them, "Take care; be on your
guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and
Sadducees."...the disciples understood that
he was not warning them to guard
themselves from the yeast used in bread but
from the teaching of the Pharisees and
Sadducees.” Matt 16:6-12 GNT
“So then, brethren, stand firm and hold fast
to the traditions and instructions which you
were taught by us, whether by our word of
mouth or by letter. 2 Thess 2:15 AMP
“ And the Word (Christ) became flesh
(human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed
His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us;
and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor,
His majesty), such glory as an only
begotten son receives from his father, full
of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and
truth.” John 1:14 AMP
CHRISTIAN CULTURE, or way of life must be the way
of God. A read through the Sermon on the Mount unveils
this much. In strong words the Lord underline by
demand, a complete shift from certain practices the Jews
had imbibed either by misinterpretation or sheer
ignorance of the real directives of the law of God. For
example:
In Prayer: Christ condemned repetitions and
indiscreet public show:
“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as
the hypocrites are: for they love to pray
standing in the synagogues and in the
corners of the streets, that they may be seen
of men. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward. But thou, when thou prayest,
enter into thy closet, and when thou hast
shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in
secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret
shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray,
use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do:
for they think that they shall be heard for
their much speaking. Matt 6:5-7. KJV
On Fasting:
“Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the
hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they
disfigure their faces, that they may appear
unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They
have their reward. But thou, when thou
fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy
face; That thou appear not unto men to fast,
but unto thy Father which is in secret: and
 thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall
reward thee openly.” Matt 6:16-18. KJV
On public conduct and relationship with others:
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou
shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine
enemy. But I say unto you, Love your
enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for
them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you; That ye may be the children
of your Father which is in heaven: for he
maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the
good, and sendeth rain on the just and on
the unjust. For if ye love them which love
you, what reward have ye? do not even the
publicans the same? And if ye salute your
brethren only, what do ye more than
others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye
therefore perfect, even as your Father
which is in heaven is perfect. Matt 5:43-48.
KJV;
And attitude towards God:
THE LORD, in his teachings, states the original intent of
the Creator as against the practices that were on in the
Jewish communities (which supposedly should have
been the right culture, being a community that came into
being by direct instructions and guidance of God),
sometimes as emphasis to why a certain notion or
practice must be stopped, be allowed or be corrected. A
clear indication that ‘The Way’ (Christianity) must be in
accordance with the very will, dictate or statutes of the
Creator. Further, a number of the most definite
declarations ever made by the Lord corroborated this
acuity. Like the following:
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the
father, but by me.” John 14:6: KJV
Embedded in this statement is that there is a definite,
peculiar, and distinct ‘WAY’ to God.
It is the way of doing things as directed or approved
by God, and this is whichever way the Holy Spirit leads,
and the Holy Spirit will never lead contrary to the will of
God.
Now, the will of God is clearly revealed in the Bible.
In other words, the Christian culture is living in
accordance with the revealed will of God stated in the
Bible as interpreted by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, it is Christian culture not to fornicate,
envy, backbite, war, be lewd in dressing, boastful,
extravagant, tell lies, eat gluttonously, be lawless, etc, all
these, can be deduced from the scriptures: Galatians
Chapter Five, verses Nineteen to Twenty One and
Revelations Chapter Twenty One verses Eight and
James, Chapter Four, verses One to Two, beside other
scriptures.
It is also cultural for the Christian to speak in certain
manners as earlier stated, it is most binding on him in
regards to speech. Language is a fundamental part of a
people’ culture. God, the Almighty, for whom Christians
live is particular in language.
“Put away from you crooked speech, and put
devious talk far from you.” Proverbs
4:24ESV.
The Lord consider such persons worthless:
“A worthless person, a wicked man, goes
about with crooked speech” Proverbs
6:12ESV.
Also, the Christian position on the culture of same sex
marriage a development from homosexualism is very
clearly defined. It is outrightly ungodly, besides it being
very repulsive and base. No, child of God should indulge
in it as you will deduce from the following bible text:
“worse followed. refusing to know God,
they soon didn't know how to be human
either — women didn't know how to be
women, men didn't know how to be men.
sexually confused, they abused and defiled
one another, women with women, men with
men — all lust, no love. and then they paid
for it, oh, how they paid for it — emptied of
God and love, godless and loveless
wretches. Rom 1:26-27(from the message:
the bible in
contemporary “I t is Christian
language) culture not to
fornicate, envy,
backbite, war, be
All who indulge in such do not lewd in dressing,
know God and worse still do boastful,
extravagant, tell lies,
not understand how to be eat gluttonously, be
human anymore. It reveals a lawless, etc
fundamental truth: one that
does not know God cannot live
properly as a human and they will pay for it.
Why? God has commanded:
“ You shall not lie with a man as with a
woman; it is an abomination. [see 1 Cor
6:9,10.] Neither shall you lie with any
beast and defile yourself with it; neither
shall any woman yield herself to a beast to
lie with it; it is confusion, perversion, and
degradedly carnal. Do not defile yourselves
in any of these ways, for in all these things
the nations are defiled which I am casting
out before you. And the land is defiled;
therefore I visit the iniquity of it upon it, and
the land itself vomits out her inhabitants. So
you shall keep My statutes and My
ordinances and shall not commit any of
these abominations, neither the native-born
nor any stranger who sojourns among you,
For all these abominations have the men of
 the land done who were before you, and the
land is defiled — [Do none of these things]
lest the land spew you out when you defile it
as it spewed out the nation that was before
you. Whoever commits any of these
abominations shall be cut off from among
[his] people. So keep My charge: do not
practice any of these abominable customs
which were practiced before you and defile
yourselves by them. I am the Lord your
God.” Lev 18:22-30. AMP
And:
“If a man lies with a male as if he were a
woman, both men have committed an
offense (something perverse, unnatural,
abhorrent, and detestable); they shall surely
be put to death; their blood shall be upon
them. And if a man takes a wife and her
mother, it is wickedness and an outrageous
offense; all three shall be burned with fire,
both he and they [after being stoned to
death], that there be no wickedness among
you. [Josh 7:15,25.] And if a man lies
carnally with a beast, he shall surely be
[stoned] to death, and you shall slay the
beast. If a woman approaches any beast and
lies carnally with it, you shall [stone] the
woman and the beast; they shall surely be
put to death; their blood is upon them.”Lev
20:13-16. AMP
THESE TRUE Christian traits have always been
evident in the conducts of believers through the ages, at
least until now. This can be gleaned from the following
words of a statesman in a letter to his emperor over
Christian persecution.
“In A.D. 108, Pliny the Second, a man learned and
famous, seeing the lamentable slaughter of Christians,
and moved therewith to pity, wrote to Trajan, then the
emperor, certifying him that there were many thousands
of them(christians) daily put to death, of which none did
any thing contrary to the Roman laws worthy of
persecution. "The whole account they gave of their
crime or error (whichever it is to be called) amounted
only to this-viz. That they were accustomed on a stated
day to meet before daylight, and to repeat together a set
form of prayer to Christ as a God, and to bind themselves
by an obligation-not indeed to commit wickedness; but,
on the contrary-never to commit theft, robbery, or
adultery, never to falsify their word, never to defraud any
man: after which it was their custom to separate, and
reassemble to partake in common of a harmless meal."
If he had gotten right the prayer aspect, [Christians
don’t pray to Christ, they pray to God through Christ], it
would have been a perfect summation of Christianity.
In all, as simple and law abiding as the Christian
must be, he is not to compromise in matters that will
conflict with the fundamentals of his culture (God’s
will).
The Understanding
Christian culture however, must not be confused with
the ancestral norms as in the polygamous trend of the
patriarchs, no, not with the societal trends as in the words
clergy and laity, and suit wearing by pastors, nor with the
misinterpretations of leaders and peculiarity of instances
for which a solution was proffered as in the case of
Moses to the Israelites on divorce.
Easiest way to understand what constitutes Christian
culture is to see if the practice:
1. Gives glory and worship to God alone. Not self,
another human or thing. However, if the act has
not its root in the scripture, it cannot glorify God.
2. Is an act of love towards your neighbour. It does
not enslave him, defile, humiliate, tempt or kill
him.
As you will find in the summary of the law by
Christ Jesus. “Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest
commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love
your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the
Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Matt 22:37-40 NIV
To further understand Christian culture, some of the
revelations by the Lord in instances of conflicts in
culture or traditional practices will help. For example: In
the Gospel of Mark Chapter Ten, from verse Two:
Some Pharisees came and asked him, "Do
you permit divorce?" Of course they were
trying to trap him. "What did Moses say
about divorce?" Jesus asked them. "He said
it was all right," they replied. "He said that
all a man has to do is write his wife a letter of
dismissal." "And why did he say that?"
Jesus asked. "I'll tell you why-it was a
concession to your hardhearted
wickedness. But it certainly isn't God's way.
For from the very first he made man and
woman to be joined together permanently in
marriage; therefore a man is to leave his
father and mother, and he and his wife are
united so that they are no longer two, but
one. And no man may separate what God
has joined together." Later, when he was
alone with his disciples in the house, they
brought up the subject again. He told them,
"When a man divorces his wife to marry
someone else, he commits adultery against
her. And if a wife divorces her husband and
remarries, she, too, commits adultery."
Mark 10:2-12 TLB
This reveals that, in the sight of God, it is traditional for
the Christian not to divorce. Once married only death
can terminate the union. And it is not a question of the
Old Testament has been overruled, terminated or
become obsolete, rather, it is an issue of correction and
establishing the proper way as you will find in the
following:
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old
time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever
shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry
with his brother without a cause shall be in
danger of the judgment: and whosoever
shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in
danger of the council: but whosoever shall
say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar,
and there rememberest that thy brother hath
ought against thee; Leave there thy gift
before the altar, and go thy way; first be
reconciled to thy brother, and then come and
offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary
quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him;
lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to
the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the
officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I
say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come
out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost
farthing. Ye have heard that it was said by
them of old time, Thou shalt not commit
adultery: But I say unto you, That
whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after
her hath committed adultery with her
already in his heart. And if thy right eye
offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from
thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of
thy members should perish, and not that thy
whole body should be cast into hell. And if
thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast
it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that
one of thy members should perish, and not
that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away
his wife, let him give her a writing of
divorcement: But I say unto you, That
whosoever shall put away his wife, saving
for the cause of fornication, causeth her to
commit adultery: and whosoever shall
marry her that is divorced committeth
adultery. Matt 5:21-32 KJV
Again, we can clearly see it is unchristian to divorce,
save in the instance of adultery which can and should be
forgiven. Evident in the above passage are:
love(consideration) for the other man or woman; respect
and honour for life; upholding of the other’s dignity by
not undressing her/him in your mind, all of which are
worship or honour to the Creator who has ordained life.
who is to blame

Many are truly confused today as to the right way a

christian should live. Instances abound where christians
have compromised unknowingly their faith. the tool of
ignorance can be powerful. no wonder Satan keep
multitudes from reading the bible. if they don’t know
they can easily be manipulated. it is alarming, the
dependence on pamphlets and handbook more than the
bible texts. one fundamental lesson I got in my training
as a minister of the gospel is the reliance on the scripture.
it was made plain to me that the scripture is the supreme
court of appeal in the matters of faith. its stand is final
because that is God’s position. so, I seek the more to read
and to understand what is written in the bible.
Are the people themselves sometimes collaborators in
the shrinkage of that space of choice? this indeed is the
disquieting issue that triggered off
REMEDY:
CHRIST FORMATION IN US
I t takes water remaining (lingering, persisting) under
certain temperature for a time to be transformed into
ice. In being formed, the water will have to shed
energy for the molecules to come together for a closer
bound.
This same process you must submit to for Christ
to be formed in you. The temperature you must remain
(linger, persist, continue) in is God’s word. And it is the
practice of it that is the temperature, not the quoting or
recital: it is what Christ was referring to as ‘doing’ in the
gospel. Same thing He explained in John’s gospel,
chapter 15, verse 4-5: “Remain in me, and I will remain
in you. A branch cannot produce fruit alone but must
remain in the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce
fruit alone but must remain in me. "I am the vine, and
you are the branches. If any remain in me and I remain in
them, they produce much fruit. But without me they
can do nothing (Emphasis mine) NCV. It is dwelling
permanently in the Word/Spirit.
Note the shedding of energy. Under heat, the
molecules are loosed as they constantly vibrates by the
energy from the sun. When therefore it comes into zero
or a minus degree, the contrary temperature evaporates
the heat that had penetrated the fellowship of the
molecules which has created a distance between them.
As the distance disappears, a fusion of the molecules
occurs, forming a bond that manifests as solid water or
ice.
It is the application of the word that evaporates
the behaviour or custom of this world. as you live the
word of God, there is no more distance between you and
God. living the the word is akin to you as a molecle
sticking tight to Christ, another molecle. and usher in a
fresh newness in all you do and think. That way of
thinking and doing things is rooted in a nature(Adamic,
carnal, flesh), the moral fibre of every descendant of
fallen Adam. To do away with it will take the formation
of another nature. “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and
in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Ps 51:5 KJV ) King
David confessed.
“...it is no longer I who do the deed, but the
sin [principle] which is at home in me and has
possession of me. For I know that nothing
good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I
can will what is right, but I cannot perform it.
 [I have the intention and urge to do what is
right, but no power to carry it out.] For I fail
to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but
the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are
what I am [ever] doing. Now if I do what I do
not desire to do, it is no longer I doing it [it is
not myself that acts], but the sin [principle]
which dwells within me [fixed and operating
in my soul]. So I find it to be a law (rule of
action of my being) that when I want to do
what is right and good, evil is ever present
with me and I am subject to its insistent
demands. For I endorse and delight in the
Law of God in my inmost self [with my new
nature]. But I discern in my bodily members
[in the sensitive appetites and wills of the
flesh] a different law (rule of action) at war
against the law of my mind (my reason) and
making me a prisoner to the law of sin that
dwells in my bodily organs [in the sensitive
appetites and wills of the flesh]. O unhappy
and pitiable and wretched man that I am!
Who will release and deliver me from [the
shackles of] this body of death? O thank
God! [He will!] through Jesus Christ (the
Anointed One) our Lord! So then indeed I, of
myself with the mind and heart, serve the
Law of God, but with the flesh the law of
sin.” Rom 7:17-25 AMP
Paul explained.
Christ entrance into a life is the coming in of a new
nature.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a
new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.” 2 Cor
5:17. KJV
But as earlier elucidated, you must allow it to dwell in
you long enough to solidify. Now, the scriptures: Psalms
119 verse 11 and Joshua 1 verse 8 are not saying ice,
vault, or bank the word of God. If that is, it will not
perform its purpose. So, in James we see an awakening
in the query: “show me your faith without works ....”. the
work is the application of the word accordingly.
If Christ is yet to be formed in you, it means you
have not yet stayed long enough. The Apostles did and
Christ was formed in them as the Jewish leaders testified
according to Brother Luke’s gospel. They continued
with Christ for years. A number of times they stumbled,
like when James and John asked for permission to call
for thunder to fall on those who did not welcome the
Lord in that Samaritan village, Peter leading them out to
fish after the crucifixion of the Lord. yes, they stumbled,
but in rebuke they continued in Him by accepting the
reprimands. at Pentecost, they received an eternal aid as
reward for their perseverance and submission to
chastisement in the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
Ironically, my son who was yet struggling with
walking in obedience to the Holy Spirit, was the agent
the Lord used to describe this process to me. his name is symbolism. It took both animals to depict what Christ
Reginald. as beautiful and royal as the name is already, alone would accomplish when He died for our sins!
he still changed it spelling to rehjeenard, I bet it is all
about, mordenisation. In him I see myself in my youth.
how I it was all a flight of fancy.
this is the cultural solution for the believer.
no situation will be alien nor can be difficult to him,
because Christ lives in him (..not I but Christ who lives
in me..). he will react to every situation
one requirement of Moses' law was a strange annual
ritual involving two male goats. Both goats were first
presented to the Lord (lev. 16:7) the Hebrew high priest
then cast lots to select one of the two goats for an
offering. Next he slew the goat selected and sprinkled its
blood upon ''the atonement cover '' (lev 16:15). Those that did not meet with Christ Jesus in person were
taught by the Apostles or early Disciples as the Lord
What happened to the other goat? instructed. And those who were not taught directly by
The high priest laid his hands upon the second the Apostles has the documented words of Christ Jesus
goat's head. Then he confessed the sins of his people, and expounded teaching of the Apostles in the Bible to
symbolically placing them upon the second goat. A be informed.
person appointed for the task then led this goat away
from the people and released it into the wilderness. Once So, where does that practice of yours fit in?
the “scapegoat” had vanished from view, the Hebrew I will treat one:
people began praising Yahweh for the removal of their
sin.
When John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and How they were able to replicate the lifestyle of Christ
exclaimed “look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the can be seen from scripture:
sin of the world!” (John 1:29), he identified Jesus Christ “...THEREFORE GO AND MAKE
as the perfect, personal fulfillment of Hebrew scapegoat D I S C I P L E S O F A L L N AT I O N S ,
 BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF 1. Does a christian have a culture?
THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND 2. Is the culture of the land supreme over the
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND TEACHING commandments of God?
THEM TO OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE 3. Is there a new testament biblical culture that is
COMMANDED YOU...” “...THEN THEY different from the old testament biblical practices?
THAT GLADLY RECEIVED HIS WORD 3. When a christian is faced with the choice of
WERE BAPTIZED: AND THE SAME submitting to either the ancestral traditions or the way of
DAY THERE WERE ADDED UNTO God as stated in the scripture, which should be his
THEM ABOUT THREE THOUSAND choice?
SOULS. AND THEY CONTINUED
STEDFASTLY IN THE APOSTLES' In the recent past, two incidents occurred that best
DOCTRINE AND FELLOWSHIP, AND exposes a vacuum in xtianity today.
IN BREAKING OF BREAD, AND IN
PRAYERS. KJV”

Getting involved in a culture other than the godly way, is an ukwuani woman whose daughter was suffering
getting involved in ungodly practices, which a Christian insanity, stopped a team of young men who were
should not be involved preaching christ to her daughter. she claim it was
misleading
There is a people that adores the turtoise as a god. They
will never kill it. They will bury like a human when it
dies, with all the paraphanelia of burial ceremonies.

If this is the case,

Thus the Muslim has no regard for the Sabbath day
contrary to the christian. The pagan is comfortable with
many wives as the Muslim also. And the Atheist can say
"religion is the opium of the people". The Tiv man can
offer his wife to a stranger who is a friend to sleep with. It
is their culture.
Non effectiveness of the Churh

Absense of the Holy Spirit

The wrath of God and eternal Damnation

 joining
Nature: is strong, binding andvillagw church
deeply established
convincingly that manyobserving traditional
have surrendered to itsfestivals
power.
libationsand unbreakable.
Inconquerable, unchangeable, CHAPTER ONE
incatations *Christian Culture
invocations (the challenges of misunderstanding)
a. the christian way is culture, and the word
placement of ceilings on culture is not demonic
indigenes b. it is the way christians must live in all
akwakwa aspects. what constitutes it and its benchmark.
Understanding of culture also, will eradicate the
c. men protects their culture out of nostalgia,
opiri continuous
pride and identity, christians, mortgaging
by divine edict and subjugating of innocent lives
must abide by theirs in the name of coronations. Kings are crown as heads of
the communities they are to govern but beyond that, also
as heads of witches, native doctors of the land and
invariably as heads of the demon spirits in the territory. In
other words they are initiates into a cult where they
assume headship of the principalities by submission of
the principalities as a guise to accomplish their ulterior
motive, unknown to some of these candidates. this is
exactly the situation with the Roman Catholic Pope. at
* * * * * CHAPTER ONE
*Christian Culture
(the challenges of misunderstanding)
a. the christian way is culture, and the word
culture is not demonic
b. it is the way christians must live in all
Jorge-Belief
aspects. what constitutes Ogheneoro
it and its benchmark.
c. men protects their culture out of nostalgia,
Eleh
pride and identity, christians, by divine edict
must abide by theirs
 The Hazards James Cardinal Gibbons, a
it must be
Thetaught and enforced
Cultural
The South
Maladies
Is Vietnamese
seasoned, well-trained
the culturetroops of theatland
rangers.
the commandments of God? 2 Cor But
Pleikusupreme
they
over Archbishop said, Jesus
“wereCatholic
were like
whoWhat to Its
is Moreblame
pirates when they deserted. they had no commander
Hazards
our 6:17-18
which
Lord, founded but one church
Some
and no discipline. They threatened to kill civilians Romhe was pleased to build on
3:23-24
the culture of God is what
supreme are the This is one of the greatest challenges that
Reasons
Peter. therefore, any church that
Has Led To
along the highway, and they robbed them of money Getting
Misunderstanding
and automobiles.“AND
Behold, how independent CHAPTER
Ghost can make the Christian!
must
ONE
follower
of outward
for the
Cultural Error
*Christian Culture
Again
It is I
What
be

say,a
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they SO
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AND
if
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of
bright
NOTHING
unbelievable
THE LORD
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circumstances
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b.
use
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light
TO
what
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is
or
DO may
to
someSAYS,
today.
for
the
No
thefor
road.”
help
civilians
Holy
YOURSELVES
lifestyle
WITH
very
(the challenges of misunderstanding) love the other;
either
this
way
shine
WHAT
orderly
the
“YOUtodoes
servant
FROM
confused
cannot
pay
MUST
THEM.
foundation
he will
christians
truly
IS
and is a
recognise
serve
LEAVE
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UNCLEAN,
of Christ
or and
else
THEM
HAVE
stone
AND
he
the
must
I
is
one,
Peter as its
two masters:
not
live
therefore
the church
and
in all aspects.
cannot
will hold to
within us when itof is all dark without! WILL
How ACCEPT
firm, howYOU. I WILLhow
happy, BE YOUR FATHER, AND
a.belief
understanding as has
the christian team
way been established,
of soldiers
is culture, and thecanwordturnthen
intothe Christian
without way
calm, how peaceful awe
culturemay be,
is not
commander. when
demonic
How
YOU SHALL
the
couldworld
they
BE MY
shakeswhat the
terrorize
SONS
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and It Is
AND
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and
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notother.
Christians work of God.
YeMust Live
of life
b. it
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is
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the
culture
way christians must
THE LORD ALMIGHTY." GNT
live in all cannot
aspects. (the
serve faith
God ofand our fathers,
mammon. p62).The
fro, and the pillars of the earth are wereremoved!
fightingEven death itself,
to secure?
what constitutes
with all its terrible influences, has itno
andpower
its benchmark.
to suspend thebelieversapostle Paul said, “for other
c. men protectsBut their
that culture
is whatoutitofcan be for
nostalgia,
music of a Christian's heart,
without but rather
pride andunderstanding. makes
identity, christians,They that music
would
by divine edictbebecome
are like foundation
the no one can lay, but that
South
must abide Vietnamese
by theirs Soldiers without a commander. which has been said, which is
Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 3:11). There
is no other foundation but Christ!
Therefore, any church which does
not recognise Christ alone as the
foundation stone cannot be the
church of Christ.
HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness," says the Lord. By these words of Christ
we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free
from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus
Christ.

The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has
His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often
but care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to
understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ.”

What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you
displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a
virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to
define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles
of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities
and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone.

This is the greatest wisdom — to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the
world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to
court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and
to desire things for which severe punishment later must come. It is vanity to wish for
long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the
present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes
quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.
 I have given them thy word; and the
world hath hated them, because they are 2 Cor 6:14-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together
with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
not of the world, even as I am not of the righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
world. I pray not that thou shouldest communion hath light with darkness? And what
take them out of the world, but that thou
shouldest keep them from the evil. They
Essay on the Genius and Writings of
All of the traits in the verse Jonathan Edwards
mentioned For instance, the Isoko people. In marriage,
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, THE name
they are basically of Jonathan Today,
polygamous. Edwardsais held in
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, large numberprofound veneration by thinking men of all
of them have become
faithfulness, gentleness, self- control; parties; and this universal homage, when
monogamous not with
contrasted because they ofare
the obscurity his life and
against such things there is no law. (ESV) Christians the(for Christianity teaches,
peculiarities of his opinions, is one,
Although these instances were not encourages and enforces monogamy).
established culture, they were directives Some, are convinced, polygamy is not
healthy to the man and the nucleus family.
many are truly confused today as to the right way a christian
should live. instances abound where christians have
compromised unknowingly their faith by a misunderstanding
that
 Jorge-Belief Eleh

many are truly confused

today as to the right way a
christian should live.
instances abound where
christians have
c o m p r o m i s e d Christian
unknowingly their faith
by a misunderstanding
that Culture,
and
The Kingdom Reality

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