Hey all! thank you for continuing to read all my blogs, this one is long overdue, and I apologize for the delay. I had no way of posting over the past month because of lack of internet. but here it is now, so enjoy! thank you for all your prayers and support!
The next house we went to had already been passed when we decided to go back and see if anyone was at home. When we knocked on the door, we were told to come in and found ourselves looking at an 18 year old laying on a couch watching a movie on the television. So we went into the room and sat down. We told him our names and he told us his. And one of the first things out of his mouth after his name was.
“I’m a prophet.”
That’s an interesting thing to say. So after a few more exchanges, we asked him how he knew he was a prophet.
He replied with something like, “I had a dream that an ancestor came and told me.”
Now to help you understand a little bit, or to at least bring you to the point that I understand about this culture, many people believe in the power of their ancestors. They pray to them that they will fix their problems, and/or intercede on their behalf to the Lord. The majority believe they are Christians yet they look to these false idols they see as their ancestors. They also go to what they call prophets, also called Sangomas. In English; witch doctors. The Sangomas pray to the ancestors for guidance and strength and call out sicknesses and such things, believing that if they please the spirits, the healings will occur. Since the Sangomas can talk directly to the ancestors and the ancestor spirits speak back, they are seen as very influential people in the area. No one wants to anger a Sangoma or any of the spirits for fear of being cursed.
So from this short lesson we see that Sangomas have a tremendous impact on the community. They are chosen from those that have dreams in which the ancestor spirits visit them.
This is what happened to this young man we met.
So we proceeded to ask him questions about what he believed and what he thought it meant to be a prophet. He knew English quite well and explained to us how the ancestors come to help those like him. He described to us how people come to him for help and he prays and receives answers to “help” them with their troubles.
And like so many told they are doing the will of God by their pastors, this man believes he is living in the Lords will. While still using his ancestors as the mediator between himself and the Lord.
Naturally we began to explain to him our beliefs of how Jesus is the ONLY mediator between God and ourselves. We mustn’t pray to anyone but straight to God because of what Jesus has done. How the New Testament tells us all that He has done for us and is the final sacrifice that we are in need of.
After talking for a little while more and sharing some other scripture verses with him, he, seemingly excitedly said, “Well I guess I should probably read the New Testament then.”
Unknown to us, the church he goes to does not use the New Testament and only uses the books and verses from the Old Testament that suits what they wish to teach.
So we came back the next day and gave him a brand new Bible, loaded with verses we had outlined for him to read and hopefully will think about and see that the Lord is the only one to be praised and that spirits have no power compared to the power of the living God.
