UNDERSTANDING THE AVENGING SPIRIT (MWEYA WENGOZI)
This teaching is written by the leading of the Holy Spirit in response to a question from a brother ministering to people who claim to be oppressed by the ngozi spirit.
A few decades ago, just after I finished writing my O levels in Zaka village, the Holy Spirit began speaking to me about the different kinds of evil spirits, and what He said about the avenging ngozi spirit changed my view of life.
This is the first time I am sharing this message, and I pray that the Lord will speak to you and enlighten your understanding through the Scriptures.
The concept of the ngozi or "avenging spirit" is rooted in the traditional beliefs of the Shona people of Zimbabwe, where they are understood as the spirits of those who have died violently or unjustly, seeking retribution against the living.
The phrase "avenging spirits" is a literal transliteration of the Shona "mweya wengozi" (spirit of vengeance). Ngozi means 'a curse' - a summoning of divine or supernatural power to send injury upon; to imprecate evil upon someone, or 'danger, peril' - a situation or condition that poses a risk of harm or injury.
It goes without saying that while both the reality and operation of the avenging spirit are true, the beliefs and customs associated with it from the African traditional religion are not consistent with the principles of the Christian faith in the Bible.
They are shrouded in mystery and deception powered by witchcraft, and the ngozi spirit with its ever-increasing demands is impossible to appease as it's punishments are renewed from time to time with worsening repercussions.
In this teaching, we will explore the reality and operation of the ngozi spirit unraveling it's association with deception and witchcraft in the African traditional religion based on the teaching of the scriptures.
We will look at the law of vengeance in the Bible and explore how those who are being oppressed by this spirit can find their deliverance through Christ.
THE IDENTITY AND REALITY OF NGOZI
The ngozi or avenging spirit, is the manifestation of an unclean spirit of unresolved grievances, particularly those stemming from acts of violence or injustice leading to murder.
In African Traditional Religion, particularly among the Shona people of Zimbabwe, the concept of ngozi is intricately linked with notions of justice, retribution, and the spiritual realm, including what is often referred to as witchcraft in Western contexts.
In Chivanhu, ngozi is known as an avenging spirit of the deceased, invoked when a grave injustice, notably murder, has been committed; to restore balance through retribution.
This spirit does not act as an independent entity but is often seen in Chivanhu as a manifestation of collective ancestral or community spirits ensuring justice where societal or legal systems have failed.
In the Shona culture, ngozi spirits are considered real and potent, believed to cause misfortune or even death to the descendants or relatives of the person who committed the offense (typically murder) against them.
The ngozi spirit operates through the perpetuation of cycles of vengeance and unresolved conflict. It disrupts the harmony within families and societies until the restitution of appeasement is made.
Ngozi afflicts the killer's lineage until a form of restitution is achieved, often through rituals involving compensation or acknowledgment of the crime.
This evil spirit seeks retribution for wrongs done by targeting the children of the wrongdoer; and demanding compensation from them to supposedly restore social balance and justice.
Unmasking the Gods of the African Traditional Religion aka Chivanhu (Humanism) in Zimbabwe.
A lot of Christians have not understood the real source and basis of the African traditional religion's beliefs when it comes to the avenging spirit, which makes it difficult for them to know how to handle cases where families are inflicted by the ngozi spirit.
To understand what the ngozi spirit truly is, we are going to look at the foundational spirits of the African traditional religion (Chivanhu - humanism) as practiced among the Shona people of Zimbabwe.
The information provided here in this section is not the opinion of the writer, but is a work of verifiable research findings gathered from different sources in live discussions, on the internet and social media.
Disclaimer: I did not provide the links to my sources because many of them are based on African traditional religion's beliefs and some of my readers may not be able to exercise discernment and by swayed into believing falsehoods. The only source that will be mentioned directly in this teaching is the Bible.
In the Shona tradition, they believe in Mwari (God), but their god is not the same God of the Bible, who is the Creator of heaven and earth, and the Father of our Lord Jesus.
The Mwari (god) of the African traditional religion is a fallen angel who rules over the water kingdom, known as Dzivaguru (the Great Pool), and is believed to give rain and control fertility.
Dzivaguru is believed to be the greatest ancestor of the Shona people, and the high god above all others, in charge of the universe (the endless pool).
Dzivaguru is said to manifest both as male and female either as Zuva (the sun) or as Njedzana, Ruchenje, Jenaguru or Rikati (the moon). He is a god of darkness and of light, and a god of the skies and of the earth. His symbol is made of the feathers of the hungwe bird (fish eagle), and is also known as Shiriyedenga (bird of heaven).
The Shona people believe that Mwari Dzivaguru is the heavenly creator who created his representative Musikavanhu (the creator of people), another god and fallen angel in the Chivanhu religion.
After being created, the Shona people believe that Musikavanhu fell from heaven and landed at a place now known as Mabweadziva (the stones of "Dziva" - shortening of Dzivaguru), or Matopos (stones from "matombo"), or Njelele (a specific type of bird), or Matonjeni. Another name for the shrine is “Malindidzimu” (the sacred place for our ancestors).
The Shona people claim that after falling, Musikavanhu had a dream of birds flying in the air and animals moving on earth. When Musikavanhu awakened, what he had dreamed was a manifest reality.
It is said Mwari Dzivaguru then instructed Musikavanhu about what he could and could not eat.
He could eat fruits and vegetables, but he was not to touch the animals, and animals, too, were not to eat each other.
This is the foundation of animal totems and the regulations that forbid eating of totems. Some say Musikavanhu slept again, and as he did so a snake moved over his body.
He woke up feeling strange, struggling to breathe, and his male organ was like a snake. A voice told him to go to the pool. He went and met a beautiful woman who looked like him sitting motionless on a stone by the pool.
The voice told him to touch her. He did and she came to life. The snake moved across her body, and she also felt what he had felt earlier.
The voice told Musikavanhu how he must behave, and how he must honor Mwari. And when he had finished the work set for him by Dzivaguru, he would return to heaven.
Before he went to heaven, he instructed his children (the Shona people) to obey the laws of ancestral worship as given to him from Mwari Dzivaguru.
The Shona people believe that no one has the authority to call unto Mwari directly without following the protocol of expressing grievances, thanksgiving or petitions to the totemic spirit and god of their family through spirit mediums who are possessed by ancestral spirits.
In northern Zimbabwe, Mwari Dzivaguru is contacted through spirit mediums or totemic and ancestral spirits; in other parts of Zimbabwe, he speaks to the people through an oracle.
The spirit mediums or oracles will ask the totemic spirit of the dead to pass on their message on their behalf to the members of the family who died before them until the message gets to Musikavanhu, and then Musikavanhu gets the message to Mwari.
It was said that anyone who violated this spiritual law would develop leprosy as the name of Mwari Dzivaguru was believed to be holy and beyond everything.
The Bible reveals that the true God divided the nations of mankind using different languages under the divine guardians (fallen angels) which they had submitted themselves to in their disobedience to God at the building of the Tower of Babel.
Genesis 11:8-9 (WEB), "So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of all the earth. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth."
Deuteronomy 32:8 (MSG), "When the High God gave the nations their stake, gave them their place on Earth, he put each of the peoples within boundaries under the care of divine guardians."
God gave the Shona speaking people the land now known as Zimbabwe, under the rulership of the spirit of Dzivaguru and his representative, Musikavanhu.
Zimbabwe is a nation in Southern Africa, and the fallen angel who rules over Africa (identified as Egypt in the Bible) is Leviathan, the flying dragon that rules over the water kingdom (sea).
Isaiah 27:1 (WEB), "In that day, Yahweh with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan, the fleeing serpent, and Leviathan the twisted serpent; and he will kill the dragon that is in the sea."
Ezekiel 29:3 (MKJV), "Speak and say, So says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon who lies in the midst of his rivers, who has said, My river is mine, and I have made it for myself."
The word "Pharaoh" comes from the Egyptian phrase "per-aā," meaning "great house." So, Leviathan is the biblical identity of Dzivaguru (great pool) who ruled over ancient Egypt through the office of Pharaoh (great house).
He is the god and father of the marine kingdom who placed his 'son' Musikavanhu in Zimbabwe to establish his kingdom from there.
So, the fallen angels Dzivaguru (Leviathan) and Musikavanhu, are the ones that the Shona people worship in the place of God the Father, and God the Son who is our Lord Jesus Christ.
Yet we know that God the Father created everything through and for Jesus Christ, including these angels that went rogue.
John 1:1-3 (TLB), "Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. He created everything there is—nothing exists that he didn't make. Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone."
Colossians 1:15-16 (WEB), "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him."
Dzivaguru and Musikavanhu are the fallen spirits that have produced the African traditional religion (Chivanhu - the Shona word for Humanism), and also the African initiated churches that incorporate traditional beliefs and customs into their various versions of the 'Christian' faith.
The Bible warns believers against these traditions, for in the name of "cultural identity" and "originality" through totems, many Christians are trapped into worshipping fallen angels.
Colossians 2:18 (WEB), "Let no one rob you of your prize by self-abasement and worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind."
The African traditional religion of Chivanhu or humanism is the basis of the seemingly good "Ubuntu" (Nguni word for humanism), the African philosophy among the Bantu (human) speaking people that says, "I am because we are," emphasizing community, interconnectedness, and mutual support.
Sadly many Christian ministers incorporate these beliefs into the doctrines and beliefs of their churches without verifying their sources, and as a result they impart the source spirits into their congregations.
As Christian believers and followers of Christ, we do not believe that people were created Musikavanhu the son of Dzivaguru. Neither should we accept that when people die they become spirits and join Dzivaguru's family of gods.
It is from these beliefs and faulty foundations of Chivanhu that the people of Zimbabwe are said to be afflicted by the ngozi spirit of the deceased victims of murder seeking retribution.
The concept of spirits returning to seek revenge does not align with Christian teachings on the afterlife.
The Bible teaches that after death, a person's spirit either goes to be with the Lord or awaits judgment, not to haunt the murderer's family and avenge itself on earth.
Hebrews 9:27 (WEB), "Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment."
The truth is that the dead have no part to do with the living, and neither do their spirits have any capacity to contact and interact with the living for any purpose.
The emotions of a person vanish when they die, making it impossible for the dead to seek revenge for the wrongdoing that they suffered on earth.
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, "For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no more reward, and even their name is forgotten. Their love, their hate, and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun."
So, the ngozi spirit operates in the lives of God's people through witchcraft, as witches and witchdoctors manipulate God's justice and the law of vengeance to their advantage.
Sadly, many Christians have relied on the information provided by the deceptive ngozi spirit itself to know what it is and to find a solution. You can not get tips on how to get freedom from your oppressor.
To be to know how to find deliverance and freedom for the victims of the ngozi spirit, it is fundamentally important that we first understand God's law of vengeance and then see how it is manipulated to empower the operation of ngozi through the practice of witchcraft in Chivanhu.
God's Law of Vengeance and the Operation of the Ngozi Spirit Through Witchcraft
God's Law of Vengeance in Relation to Murder Throughout the Bible
The concept of God's law of vengeance, particularly in relation to murder, evolves throughout the Bible, reflecting different cultural, bilical, and legal contexts.
It is a significant theme in the Bible. The first murder case we see in the Old Testament within the human family is when Cain killed his brother Abel.
The ngozi concept must pass the test of the Bible starting with the story of Cain and Abel, where Cain's act of murder against Abel led to a curse and an unstable life of wandering.
Genesis 4:8-12 (WEB), "Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him. Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” Yahweh said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground. Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. From now on, when you till the ground, it won’t yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth.”
According to Scriptures, God is the righteous Judge of the whole creation in the universe, and He has the sovereign right to exercise vengeance on all wrongdoing including murder.
Deuteronomy 32:35-36 (WEB), "Vengeance is mine, and recompense, at the time when their foot slides; for the day of their calamity is at hand. Their doom rushes at them.” For Yahweh will judge his people, and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone; that there is no one remaining, shut up or left at large."
Psalms 7:11 (WEB), "God is a righteous judge, yes, a God who has indignation every day."
After Cain murdered Abel, God required Cain to be accountable for his sin by asking him where His brother was. This is the same approach God used after Adam ate the forbidden fruit by asking him, "Where are you?"
Genesis 3:9 (WEB), "Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
The voice of God does not necessarily come audibly, but often questions the one who has sinned in a quiet way through their own conscience.
Romans 2:14-15 (WEB), "For when Gentiles who don’t have the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them."
God told Cain, "Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground," indicating that justice and judgment come from God, not from the spirit of the dead.
The life of the flesh of any living creature is in the blood, so God will require an account for the blood of any human being that is spilt from the murderer. This is why God did not allow His people to eat the blood of any living creature.
Genesis 9:4-5 (WEB), "But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat. I will surely require accounting for your life’s blood. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man."
Leviticus 17:14 (WEB, "For as to the life of all flesh, its blood is with its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, “You shall not eat the blood of any kind of flesh; for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.”
In God's justice system, no blood spilt shall go without being accounted for, nomatter how long it may take.
When a person commits murder, God will wait for as long as it will take for the generations of his children to fill up the measure of His wrath through murder, and the blood of all the deceased will be required upon the generation that fills the measure.
Matthew 23:29-36 (WEB) “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna? Therefore behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city; that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation."
The penalty for the sin of murder in God's law is death by murder, also known as capital punishment.
Genesis 9:6 (WEB), "Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image."
Leviticus 24:17 (WEB), “‘He who strikes any man mortally shall surely be put to death."
The Law of Moses revealed this as the principle of "an eye for an eye," which was meant to limit vengeance by ensuring that punishment matched the crime, not exceeding it.
This was a legal principle for the human judges ordained to rule in Israel by God, and was not a call for personal revenge to individuals.
Exodus 21:23-25 (WEB), "But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise."
The Law of Moses is the basis of death penalty for murder, emphasizing the sanctity of human life. But if the murderer repents, God will forgive the murderer and lessen the judgment.
When Cain asked for mercy, God did not kill Cain but marked him for protection. But Cain still became a fugitive and a wanderer. God's response to murder includes mercy rather than immediate vengeance and retribution.
Cain's murdering of Abel led to a divine curse rather than the manifestation of an avenging spirit. This narrative suggests that vengeance belongs to God, not to the spirits of the deceased (Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19).
The penalty for murder in God's law of vengeance is not the same thing as the compensation demanded from the afflicted family by the ngozi spirit.
The exact type of compensation depends on specific circumstances, and the demands made by the avenging spirit, which might be communicated through traditional healers or during community court sessions.
According to Chivanhu customs, the compensation paid by the family afflicted by the ngozi spirit to appease for a murder involves the payment of cattle beasts, to the family of the deceased.
The number of cattle can be substantial; for instance, there are cases where families were ordered to pay 27 cattle per murderer, leading to a total of 195 cattle in one instance.
In some cases, additional items like money, traditional cloths, other domestic animals, or even the murderer's young daughter could be offered to the ngozi spirit as part of the appeasement, though the latter practice is no longer legally or culturally acceptable
The compensation demanded by the ngozi spirit is an unjust balance and scale of the value of human life. Not even the whole world can compensate for the loss of human life.
Matthew 16:26 (WEB), "For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?"
God's disapproves such dishonest scales and delights in honesty and fairness. The manipulating of measurements by witches using the avenging spirit deceive the accused fami in appeasement is detestable to God.
Proverbs 11:1, "Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight."
Proverbs 16:11, "A just weight and balance are the LORD'S: all the weights of the bag are his work."
Proverbs 20:23, "Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord, and dishonest scales are not good."
The Law of Moses directly commands the use of honest measurements, and paying whatever is demanded by the ngozi spirit as compensation is a direct violation of God's commandments.
Leviticus 19:35-36, "You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight, or capacity. You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin; I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt."
These verses collectively underscore a biblical principle of integrity in all dealings, particularly in business and trade, highlighting the moral and ethical responsibility to be fair and honest.
Also in God's law of vengeance under the Mosaic system, the avenger was not a spirit, but a human being.
The Avenger of Blood in the Law
To deal with the complexities of vengeance and justice, Numbers 35 introduces the concept of Cities of Refuge where someone who killed accidentally could flee to avoid the "avenger of blood" until a fair trial could be held.
The avenger of blood known (Hebrew goel hadam), is a relative of the deceased designated under the Law of Moses to avenge the wrongful death of a family member.
There is no proof in the Bible to suggest that God would outsource the services of an avenging spirit to execute justice upon a murderer.
The primary role of the avenger of blood was to execute justice by killing the murderer of a relative, thereby avenging the loss and restoring honor to the family.
Upon learning of a family member's death, the avenger was expected to pursue the killer. If the killing was intentional, the avenger would seek to kill the murderer in retaliation
Numbers 35:19-21 (WEB), "The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death. When he meets him, he shall put him to death. If he shoved him out of hatred, or hurled something at him while lying in wait, so that he died, or in hostility struck him with his hand, so that he died, he who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him."
The law made a clear distinction between murder (intentional killing) and manslaughter (unintentional killing). If the killing was accidental, the avenger could still pursue the killer, but there was a system in place for protection.
Cities of refuge were established to provide sanctuary for individuals who had killed someone accidentally, thereby preventing the avenger of blood from executing vengeance until a fair trial could determine the nature of the killing.
If the killing was intentional, the community was not to allow the avenger to take revenge but was to carry out the punishment themselves, ensuring justice rather than personal revenge (Numbers 35:9-34; Deuteronomy 19:1-13).
Someone who killed unintentionally could flee to one of these six designated cities for safety. Upon reaching a city of refuge, the person would stand trial before the elders of the city.
If found to have committed manslaughter rather than murder, he could remain in the city safe from the avenger until the death of the high priest (Numbers 35:25-28).
If the person left the city before the high priest's death, the avenger could legally kill him without bloodguilt.
The cities of refuge ensured that justice wasn't served by immediate family vengeance but through a legal process, thus protecting the innocent from wrongful execution while still acknowledging the community's need for justice and retribution.
The death of the high priest symbolically allowed for the purification of the land from the blood spilled, and the manslayer could return home without fear of the avenger.
This shows a balance between God's vengeance, justice, and mercy under the Mosaic Law, aiming to prevent bloodshed while ensuring that justice was served.
Murder and Vengeance in light of Grace and the New Testament
If the Chivanhu beliefs and practices of Ngozi have no foundation in the Old Testament Law and justice system, how much less do they have relevance in the New Testament?
While Moses taught "eye for an eye" under the Old Testament Law, Jesus's teachings ushered in grace and truth in the New Testament.
John 1:17 (WEB), "For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ."
Jesus radically reinterprets the law of Moses, advocating for non-retaliation. He introduced a radically new ethic in the Sermon on the Mount, where He taught against the "eye for eye" principle.
Matthew 5:38-39 (WEB), “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also."
Jesus also instructed His disciples to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them (Matthew 5:44).
The teachings of Jesus are not about ignoring justice, but are about redefining personal response to aggression or harm from vengeance to forgiveness.
In the New Testament the role of the avenger of blood is taken away from the human family, and it is now solely in the hands of God who will not allow shed blood to go without being accounted for.
Luke 11:49-51 (WEB), "Therefore also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill and persecute, that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.’ Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation."
In fact, Jesus expanded the meaning of murder, stating that anger and contempt of the heart towards others are also punishable by judgment.
Matthew 5:21-22 (WEB), “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’and ‘Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment. Whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be in danger of the council. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna."
Here, Jesus showed the internal root of murder and God's concern for the condition of the human heart. If God's vengeance on murder is to be released on this basis alone, no living mortal would escape God's wrath.
If the ngozi spirit was the God ordained avenger of blood for murder in light of the condition of the human heart, the human race would have been wiped away into extinction by now.
But we thank God for His grace through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, the just balance and scale for the compensation (atonement) of sin!
The atonement through Jesus Christ's sacrifice is sufficient unto forgiveness of sins, including murder.
Hebrews 9:26-28, "Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many."
Christ's sacrifice was a one-time act sufficient for all sins, including murder. His death on the cross was the ultimate atonement, not requiring repetition like the Old Testament sacrifices.
No sin, no matter how heinous, is beyond the cleansing power of Christ's blood.
1 John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."
Sin, including murder, separates one from God, leading to spiritual death.
Isaiah 59:2 (WEB), "But your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."
Repentance is key to receiving God's forgiveness the context of grace. Even for someone who has committed murder, it leads to the blotting out of sins through Christ's atonement.
Acts 3:19, "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
Paul, the apostle who contributed most to the Scriptures in the New Testament having been converted as Saul the murderer of Christians, describes himself as the chief of sinners, acknowledges that Jesus's mission was to save all sinners, regardless of the nature of their sins.
Galatians 1:13 (NET), "For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I was savagely persecuting the church of God and trying to destroy it."
1 Timothy 1:15, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."
Salvation through Jesus's atonement is by grace through faith, and is not by human merit.
Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
So, even someone guilty of murder can be forgiven if they truly repent and believe in Christ. All humans are sinners, but through Christ's redemption, all can be justified.
Romans 3:23-24, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
Jesus' sacrifice is enough to atone for all sins, including murder, when the sinner genuinely repents and believes in Him.
The emphasis is on the boundless grace of God and the sufficiency of Christ's once-for-all sacrifice.
But, this does not diminish the seriousness of sin or its consequences in earthly justice but speaks to the spiritual reconciliation with God.
This provides hope for redemption and transformation, underscoring that no sin is beyond God's forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.
Unlike the ngozi spirit which destroys many lives and still makes demands of compensation with material wealth, the Spirit of Jesus Christ does not seek revenge by destroying lives, but He seeks to save lives.
Luke 9:53-56 (WEB), "They didn’t receive him, because he was traveling with his face set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky, and destroy them, just as Elijah did?” But he turned and rebuked them, “You don’t know of what kind of spirit you are. For the Son of Man didn’t come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” They went to another village."
The New Testament also shifts the focus from human vengeance to divine justice, advocating for personal forgiveness and love over personal retribution, while still recognizing the role of civil government in maintaining order and justice.
The emphasis is on leaving judgment and vengeance to God, encouraging believers to overcome evil with good. This exactly the opposite of what is taught and practiced in Chivanhu concerning appeasing the ngozi spirit.
Romans 12:19-21 (WEB), "Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Peter advises believers not to repay evil with evil or insult with insult but with blessing, which is consistent with the broader New Testament principles of mercy and forgiveness.
1 Peter 3:8-9 (WEB), "Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous, not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult; but instead blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing."
The New Testament moves from a system of retributive justice to one of restorative justice, forgiveness, and personal transformation. Vengeance is not for the believer to enact but is left to God, with an emphasis on reconciliation and love.
While personal vengeance is discouraged, the New Testament does not negate the role of civil authorities in maintaining justice, for the state is God's servant and His "avenger for wrath" to punish the doers of evil.
Romans 13:1-4 (WEB), "Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. Therefore he who resists the authority withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment. For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the authority, for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil."
DELIVERANCE AND FREEDOM FROM NGOZI
Throughout this teaching we have seen the conflict between the beliefs and customs of Ngozi in Chivanhu against the scriptures and Christian faith.
We saw already that the Mwari (Dzivaguru) of the Shona people in Chivanhu is not the true God of the Bible, but is Leviathan - one of the seven heads of Satan the dragon.
It goes without saying that ngozi is a system founded on witchcraft, manipulation and deception and opposed to the justice and judgment system of the One and true, and ngozi preys on ignorant victims.
It is important that we explore the deceptive nature of witchcraft in Chivanhu when it comes to appeasing the ngozi spirit in order to find the right approach to effectively minister deliverance and freedom to the victims of ngozi.
The Relationship of Ngozi and Witchcraft
Witchcraft is the use of supernatural powers for evil and cruel purposes, including causing harm or death.
When someone dies, especially under mysterious or unjust circumstances, the act of summoning the ngozi spirit of the deceased to avenge for the murder is attributed to witchcraft.
Witchcraft is seen in Chivanhu as a catalyst for invoking ngozi because the unnatural death or suffering caused by murder requires supernatural restitution.
Rituals for summoning the ngozi spirit involve traditional leaders, witchdoctors (n'anga in Shona), or family members engaging in specific rituals. These rituals include consultation with diviners, sacrifices, and compensation.
Diviners are consulted in Chivanhu to confirm the presence of ngozi and to identify the wronged spirit and the cause of its unrest. This directly violates the Law and Covenant of God against consulting mediums and the spirits of the dead.
Isaiah 8:19-20, "And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."
There's a demand for compensation, in the form of livestock or other valuable goods, as a way to pacify the spirit and restore peace.
Offerings or sacrifices are made in Chivanhu to appease the spirit, which involve animals like cows, goats and chickens, or even the giving of a young girl as a wife of the deceased's (ngozi) spirit from the murderer's family to the deceased's family.
Such offerings and sacrifices are as an abomination of rebellion, witchcraft and idolatry in the eyes of the Lord God. The moment a Christian agrees to offer anything to appease ngozi, they have rejected God and will be rejected by Him.
1 Samuel 15:22-23, "And Samuel said, Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.
Once summoned, the ngozi spirit is believed to target not just the murderer but their entire lineage, causing misfortune, illness, and death until compensation is made.
This is purely the work of witchcraft without a foundation in God's law of vengeance or justice system, and should not be mistaken for the biblical laws of vengeance and justice by the faithful.
When confronted by circumstances that reflect the operation of the avenging ngozi spirit in a family, Christians should understand and address it as the deceptive spirit of witchcraft in line with the truth of the Bible.
Deliverance from the ngozi spirit can not come by obeying its demands, for one is a servant of whoever they obey.
Romans 6:16 (WEB), "Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?"
Most of the time the ngozi spirit is insatiable, because though it maybe pacified for a while, it can be reawaken with new expanded demands for compensation by witches in the family.
Unless the sin of murder is wiped away by the blood of Jesus Christ through repentance, generations in the family of the murderer will be taken advantage of by those who know how to manipulate the ngozi spirit for their own benefit by the laws of witchcraft.
Deliverance and Freedom from the Ngozi Spirit
Here are the steps to deliverance and freedom from the ngozi spirit:
1. Seeking the Knowledge of the Truth
By reading this teaching, you have taken the first important step towards deliverance and freedom from the ngozi spirits for yourself or others who might have fallen victim to it.
The main reason why Christians suffer from ngozi and other spirits related to the traditional religion (Chivanhu) is because they are ignorant of what is going on.
Hosea 4:6a (WEB), "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..."
Through knowledge the righteous believers are delivered from witchcraft and demonic oppression.
Proverbs 11:9 (WEB), "With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but the righteous will be delivered through knowledge."
Knowledge that brings deliverance and freedom from ngozi is of the Truth. This Truth is known by steadfastly following Jesus through His Word.
John 8:31-32 (WEB), "Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Jesus Christ the Son of God Himself is the Truth, and when you know Him you will experience true freedom.
John 8:36 (WEB), "If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed."
John 14:6 (WEB), "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me."
The ultimate deliverance from sin, including murder, is through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The overall story of the Bible points towards redemption from the sin of murder and its consequences through the life and sacrifice of Jesus.
Hebrews 10:10, 14 (WEB), "By which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all... For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified."
Jesus' blood is the final sacrifice for all sins
Hebrews 9:22, "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is enough to compensate the loss of any human life before God, and once you have believed in Him and repented from sin, you shall be forgiven and removed from the bondage of ngozi spirits.
Romans 3:25 describes Jesus as a "sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood," which shows God's justice in forgiving sins committed beforehand.
Through faith in Christ's sacrifice, one can receive forgiveness. This includes the forgiveness of murder, as exemplified by the conversion of Saul (Paul) who was complicit in the murder of Stephen (Acts 9).
If you have not yet received Jesus Christ as your Lord, you shall need to do so as soon as you finish reading this teaching; for everything in it applies to believers.
2. Acknowledgment of Sin
The second step towards deliverance from ngozi spirit is the acknowledgment of one's own sin or the sin of a family member, and the impact it has on the deceased and their family.
Just as Cain was confronted by God about his actions, individuals must recognize the weight of their grievances and the need for repentance.
Acknowledgment of the sin of murder and its impact on the victims is essential to develop a heart of brokenness and remorsefulness required to make an effective confession of sin in repentance.
Psalms 32:5 (WEB), "I acknowledged my sin to you. I didn’t hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah."
It is essential to be broken in order to identify with the body of Jesus Christ that was broken on the cross, for this is the offering and sacrifice that is acceptable before God as compensation for the sin of murder.
Psalms 51:16-17 (WEB), "For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart."
1 Corinthians 11:24 (WEB), "When he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.”
3. Seeking Forgiveness through Confession of Sins
The third step in getting deliverance and freedom from the ngozi spirit is asking for God’s forgiveness by confessing of the sin of murder.
Receiving forgiveness from God is a crucial element in breaking the cycle of ngozi. In the case of Cain, God provided a mark of protection, indicating that even in his sin, there was a path to redemption.
Christians are called to forgive others as they have been forgiven by Christ, and to confess their sins which helps to be released from the hold and bondage of witchcraft through the ngozi spirit.
Matthew 6:14-15 (WEB), “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
1 John 1:9 (WEB), "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
In cases where the person who committed murder is no longer alive or is not able to confess their sins on their own, another person can effectively confess on their behalf to receive God's mercy and forgiveness as Daniel did.
Daniel 9:20-21 (NIV), "While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill, while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice."
Here, Daniel earnestly prayed for forgiveness not just for himself, but also for Isreal, his people.
Confession of sin allows the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed in gruesome murder for our salvation, to cleanse us from the stubborn stain of murder.
1 John 1:7 (WEB), "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin."
The confession of sins should not only be directed towards God, but also towards the aggrieved family of the deceased to foster healing and reconciliation, addressing the social dimensions of ngozi where justice and peace are sought.
James 5:16 (WEB), "Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective."
Victory over the ngozi spirit is guaranteed by silencing the accuser (devil) through the cleansing of the blood of Jesus Christ as we confess our sins (word of our testimony).
Revelation 12:10-11 (WEB), "I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death."
If you are the offender and have confessed your sins, you will receive God's forgiveness whether or not the people you confessed to forgave you. You don’t have to be forgiven by men to receive God's mercy.
4. The Prayer of Faith and Anointing by the Elders of the Church
The fourth step in being delivered from the ngozi spirit is by having an elder of the church with spiritual authority to pray for your deliverance and anoint you with oil for healing and restoration.
Mark 6:12-13 (WEB), "They went out and preached that people should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick, and healed them."
James 5:14-15 (WEB), "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."
Spiritual elders are ordained and empowered by Jesus with the authority forgive people's sins on His behalf, which is essential for breaking the chains of witchcraft curses and for casting out the avenging spirits.
John 20:21-23 (WEB), "Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”
While we acknowledge the existence of ngozi spirits, the method of delivering people from them involves prayer, calling upon the name of Jesus for casting out the ngozi spirit as demonstrated by Jesus and His disciples.
Luke 10:17-19 (WEB), "The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you."
Acts 16:16-18 (WEB), "As we were going to prayer, a certain girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. Following Paul and us, she cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!” She was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” It came out that very hour."
But the prayer of faith is to be directed against the demons of ngozi, which are not really the spirits of the deceased seeking vengeance.
Rather they are familiar spirits that were well acquainted with the person. Through the power in Jesus' name, one can claim victory over ngozi spirits and restore peace without having to appease them. Shalom.
