“Having a husband who does not believe in the Lord and involved in African traditional worship of ancestral spirits and appeasing the dead, what should I do as a wife if he insists that I go together with him.”
Response:
After it became apparent that some members in the church were of the idea that going with the husband if he insists as a way of showing submission and then praying for God’s protection and not giving heart to the proceedings, Apostle Howard came in with Scriptures from Matthew and 1Corinthians where Christ and the early preachers would show people that following Him was not to be compromised in any circumstances. Issues of trying to serve marriages in those circumstances are thus promoted by people who are not quite enlightened that such demonic engagements would not help at all. People can open themselves to demonic affliction by participating in anyway in such rituals hence it is only obedience to God's Word that can save even our marriages in the first place. There is a time when people have to choose between Christ and their parents or their spouses or their careers.
Matthew 10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 10:36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Following Christ means sacrificing all; Jesus taught that those who left lands, wives etc for His sake will gain more in this earthly life and eternal life in the ages to come. He taught that one should not love anyone more than God. Paul the Apostle also teaches that the unbelieving husband or wife can go if he chooses to go in incidences where we have found freedom in Christ but they wouldn’t stay.
1 Corinthians 7:13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. 7:15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 7:16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
On submission, Apostle H. Tundu taught that it is only submission in doing the good things that are routinely, morally or spiritually tolerated by God. He gave an example of a story in the newspapers where a husband engaged his wife to sleep with other men to raise money saying you cannot say you just submit and commit sin.
