Professional Documents
Culture Documents
word of God
Unmasking the idolatry behind the
practice
By Ruvimbo Muchemwa
1
Contents page
Introduction 2
Chapter 1: Definitions 6
Conclusion 80
Glossary 85
2
Introduction
Notice the apostle does not just say all people but
uses the phrase all things to ensure that we
understand Christ’s supremacy and pre-eminence
over all creation, both within the physical and the
spiritual realms. In fact, instead of people yearning for
the likeness or image of animals and inanimate
objects, it is actually all of creation that
yearns and longs for the revelation of the true sons of
God (Romans 8v22-23)!
5
Jesus, that they may no longer live but that Christ
may live in them and through them. Yea doubtless,
and I count all things but LOSS for the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for
whom I have suffered the LOSS of all things, and
do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
(Phillipians 3:8).
Above all may this book lead the reader to that which
the apostle Paul refers to as “…the stature of the
fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13).
Thank you
6
Chapter 1
Definitions
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/totemism defines
totemism as, “belief in kinship with or a mystical
relationship between a group or an individual and a
totem.” The Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus
defines the word mystic as “Having beyond normal
human understanding or magical.” The same
thesaurus says the word mystical is synonymous
with occult, cabbalistic, dark.
Simon the magician did not even try to use his magic
to compete with the signs and wonders that God
wrought through the apostles but was convinced to
lay aside his magic and accept Jesus as Saviour.
However it seems he still craved the selfish power
that he had wielded over the city. The apostles had to
rebuke him firmly that the anointing was not for sale.
This shows us that magic is no match for the
earthquatic resurrection power of Jesus Christ which
He operates in us through the Holy Spirit. If first
century magicians were abandoning their magic for
Jesus why can’t we then abandon the ‘magical’ totem
culture for Jesus.
10
that He Has decided never to violate or leave
unfulfilled.
Prayer
Amen.
12
Chapter 2
13
Even John the Revelator, the disciple whom the Lord
loved, states that when He shall appear for the
second coming we do not know what we shall be like,
but one thing we know and it is that we shall be; like
Him (1 John 3:2). Is it not better to be like Him who
was tempted in all ways and yet without sin? Is it not
better to like him of whom God Himself testified
saying He is my Son? Is it not better to trust in Him
whose blood speaks of our redemption, deliverance,
liberty, prosperity and holiness? Is it not better to be
like Him who loved His enemies and even interceded
for those that were in the act of killing him on the
cross even as he felt the searing pain of the crown of
thorns on his forehead and the pain inflicted by the
nails in his hands and feet?
Notice that the apostle John does not say that we will
be like any other of God’s creatures. We won’t even
be like any of the angels though we will share their
spiritual state in that we will no longer have mortal
human bodies as we now do. We will have spiritual
bodies as described by the apostle Paul in 1
Corinthians 15:50-57. So is the likeness of an animal
preferable to likeness to God through Jesus Christ?
One cannot but marvel at such an attitude as Paul did
when he wrote to the Galatians, wondering what had
come over them to accept another gospel because
any other traditions combined with the gospel form
another gospel. Even when Paul wrote to the
Galatians it was because people wanted the physical
14
sign of circumcision to be made compulsory for all
Christians though it had been a shadow of what was
fulfilled in Christ and christians re now circumcised in
their hearts, rather than in their bodies.
Man was made with the glory of God upon him, the
likeness of God, the spiritual position of being closer
to God than any other physical being or spiritual
being. The apostle Peter even talks of man sharing
the divine nature of God (2 Peter 1:4). God loves man
so much that he sent His only begotten Son to die for
him, something he did not even do for the fallen
angels who rebelled against him together with satan
to become the evils spirits that try and deceive
humanity to distance themselves from God. See
Hebrews 2:16.
In other words they knew that all the glory and honour
for what Paul was doing, was due to God. They did
not praise or thank Paul, or his totem, but God. They
appreciated that Paul was a channel through which
the abundant grace of God was flowing and indeed
overflowing to the gentiles so that they too could be
reconciled to God. So next time someone impresses
you thank God because of him/ her or glorify God for
making that person do such an impressive thing. That
way you will guard your heart from idolatry.
Prayer
Amen.
21
Chapter 3
22
Does Christ not have enough attributes for us to
emulate that we would resort to emulating and
seeking to become in even the tiniest way like
animals? God forbid. If our fore bearers instituted
such practices in ignorance because they had not yet
received the gospel of Jesus Christ then we should
repent in dust and ashes before Almighty God and
seek forgiveness for such blatant idol worship. It
should suffice for us to be identified as the bond
servants and indeed willing slaves of the Lord Jesus.
24
It is well documented that even tigers, lions,
crocodiles, venomous snakes, huge beasts such as
elephants, buffalo, sharks, bears and so forth have all
been tamed by researchers, circus people, animal
enthusiasts and stunt men over the ages. Many
documentaries films and books have been produced
by National Geographic and other organizations to
demonstrate the fact. This shows the authority and
dominion that God put in humans even to control
animals more dangerous and bigger and powerful
than we are, yet there are still some people willing to
be fooled by the devil into leaving the worship of the
Creator for the worship of the creature.
28
In light of all this my challenge to you is simple: Do
you need any other spiritual power or entity in heaven
or on earth besides Jesus? Even angels are subject
to His authority, they worship him even as they did at
his birth in Bethelhem two thousand years ago. So
even those who worship and call upon thenames of
angels, or of any other human being are wasting their
time for He declared that no one has ever seen the
Father except him who came from heaven: Jesus
Christ. Why don’t you cast away all other gods and
follow Christ alone in faith.
Prayer
Amen.
29
Chapter 4
Doctrines of devils
34
the curse and barriers between us and greater
spiritual maturity.
Prayer
Amen.
35
Chapter 5
37
Further proof that such Egyptian gods and their
worship is not right in the eyes of God comes from
the fact that God had to take his children, the nation
of Israel out of Egypt so that they could worship him
and only him. The reason why they were told in the
ten commandments to worship Jehovah only
stemmed from the fact that other gods such as the
totemic gods of Egypt from which they had fled
existed. Such gods were clearly defeated by Moses
as he unleashed the ten plagues upon the land of
Egypt. I will examine just a few of them here to
illustrate my point. The first plague was the turning of
the water of the river Nile into blood. The Nile was
venerated by ancient Egyptians and even hymns to
the Nile have been found in some ancient Egyptian
writings. The second plague was that of the frogs
which was to demonstrate that frogs were not in any
way divine as they were thought to be. A goddess,
Herqet represented by a woman with a frog’s head
was thought to be responsible for giving the breath of
life to all living things.
38
time. The ninth plague of darkness also struck down
many gods such as the sun-god, Ra, who was
thought to provide sunlight, warmth and productivity
and the Pharaoh himself was seen to be a human
representative of this god and thought also to be
divine hence the practice of erecting statues and
building temples in honour of and for the worship of
living and dead pharaohs. Another god associated
with the sun was Horus and Nut the goddess of the
sky was humiliated openly by being shown powerless
in the face of God’s clear authority over all these i.e.
the weather, the sky, and the seasons.
Prayer
Amen
Chapter 6
Provoking God
44
rapture them. In the same way many Christians are
just trying to graft onto their old belief system the truth
of the gospel. This is a recipe for error. The scripture
above in this paragraph tells us of becoming a new
creature and that all the ‘new things’ are of God. So
any practice which does not stand up or measure up
to the scrutiny of scripture should be discarded for the
prize of gaining Christ.
45
such like things do ye. (Mark 7:13 Read passage
from vs 1-13). This was after the Pharisees and
scribes challenged him, not concerning scripture, but
rather the traditions of the elders.
Prayer
Amen
46
Chapter 7:
48
they will be. I have spoken before of elephants and
buffalos being tamed and even domesticated. It all
shows the power and dominion that God put in man.
Yet some people want to lower themselves to the
position where they look up to animals for guidance,
inspiration and awe.
Prayer
Amen
51
Chapter 8
Understanding covenants
Prayer
57
Lord Jesus please forgive me for being ignorant of
the full meaning of totems and the use of praise
names and praise poems. In your Name I denounce
any totemic demon that may be claiming a covenant
relationship with me and my children. I nullify all these
covenants with the blood of Jesus. I know I am no
longer bound by them. I am free in Jesus Christ who
redeemed me.
Amen
58
Chapter 9
The bible says about the tongue: Death and life are
in the power of the tongue…(Proverbs 18:21
NKJV). We can use our tongues to declare our liberty
from demonic oppression and to denounce these
totemic spirits and the totems they hide under. We
should openly declare to them that we no longer
belong to them regardless of what might have
59
happened in the past and that any control they may
have had over us is no longer possible now that we
are the Lord’s and only His. We belong to no one else
and we will serve no one else.
60
confessing your allegiance to God alone and also a
verbal renouncing and denouncing of idols and other
gods. Verbally TELL the enemy that you denounce
him and all his wicked devices. DIVORCE him in the
way the children of Israel divorced the strange
women during the time of Nehemiah. The strange
non-Jewish women typify other allegiances that are at
conflict with our relationship with God Almighty, the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
64
Lord help me to gather the courage to denounce and
renounce my totem and any spirits that may have
disguised themselves in my life through this practice.
Enable me to walk in your statutes and not to let
anything in heaven or earth come between me and
you.
Amen
65
Chapter 10
70
us into the very family of God. He calls us no longer
strangers or just friends but actually His brothers and
sisters. Isn’t that wonderful! We have a Big Brother
in heaven! We will no longer be bullied by any
spiritual forces, we have Jesus to protect us and fight
for us.
Prayer
72
Lord Jesus I pray that you may cleanse me in the
inner man. I ask that you may cleanse my inner self
of all evil associations with any other god beside you.
I also pray that you may cleanse my heart and mind
making them free of any in godly thoughts or
emotions. Help me to use my will to decide to be
good and to decide to obey you and live for you.
Amen
73
Chapter 11
Bible imagery
Prayer
In Jesus’ Name
Amen
79
Conclusion
82
from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phillipians 3v20).
83
So my brother or sister ask yourself the question that
the crowd asked the Apostle Peter when he preached
at the day of Pentecost and they said to him ‘What
shall we do?’ His answer that day echoes throughout
the ages, ‘Repent!...’ So my brother, my sister, ‘What
shall you do?’ It’s about you. If you are reading this
book as an unbeliever please read Appendix One
which you may find helpful.
Be blessed
84
Glossary
87
Appendix One
Maybe you have read this book and you are not yet a
believer in Jesus Christ. You are not born-again. In
that case everything in this book will not make sense.
You need to seriously consider accepting Jesus. That
should be the starting point of any journey towards
reconciliation with God and godliness. Let me outline
a few facts that you may find helpful.
90
But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on his name (John 1:12). Repent all of
you therefore, and be converted, that your sins
may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing
shall come from the presence of the Lord (Acts
3:19).
Prayer of repentance
In Jesus’ Name
91
Amen
See the next page for what to do next now that you
have become a child of God.
92
Next Steps
93
for your life. The bible is our greatest source of
information on anything in our past, present and
future in relation to the will of God (Psalm 119:11,13;
2 Timothy 3:15-17).
95
Indicative Bibliography
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/totemism Accessed
on 27/01/08.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totem Accessed on
27/01/08.
96