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Tackling the ControVerse Pastor Sam Manyika
WHILE we live in a world bedeviled by numerous challenges on humans which force them to seek solutions so as to survive, including appealing to the supernatural in religious settings, the first priority and focus of the Christian faith, however, is not to deal with these challenges on an individual basis, but to restore man’s relationship with God through Jesus Christ. According to the order of divine priorities after the relationship is restored then God’s blessing, provision and protection become automatic benefits.

There has never been any ambiguity in the way that this principle and message has been communicated in scripture right from the Old Testament to the new.
25 “You are to serve Adonai your God; and he will bless your food and water. I will take sickness away from among you. (vii) 26 In your land your women will not miscarry or be barren, and you will live out the full span of your lives… Exodus 23:25
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Mathew 6:33

Nowhere in scripture is there any suggestion that individuals should seek after wealth, health and other such things.
In fact the word of God points to the fact that Gentiles or non believers are the ones who are always seeking after things.

31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Matthew 6:31

The scripture only exhorts people to serve, seek and submit to God so that they can become recipients of all the benefits that God’s word promises.
There are many religious and spiritual movements in existence today, they all have their goals as they propagate their beliefs and dogmas.

Currently many people are confused at what the actual mission of the Christian church is because of the different signals that are sent by those who claim to represent it.
While the bible is clear when it comes to its teachings on God’s expectation on man in the now, and his promises concerning both the now and the hereafter, a significant section of the current crop of preachers has only managed to cultivate a dangerous culture of greed, twisted prosperity expectations, self centredness and a fetishistic type worship which diverts focus from a living Christ to themselves, bottles of oil, water, pieces of cloth and other objects.

This in turn has produced a peripatetic type believer who is unsound doctrinally and is always on the move looking for cheap unauthenticated spiritual thrills and solutions.
This believer because of lack of a satisfying relationship with God through Christ the fountain of living water, who seeks to indwell all those who open the door to him, is always desperate and in search mode, thus fulfilling a prophecy in the bible of the last day religious individual who will always be running to and fro seeking the word because it is not indwelling in them and they did not develop a relationship with God when overtures for such were made towards them.

11 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but [a famine] for hearing the words of the Lord. 12 And [the people] shall wander from sea to sea and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord [inquiring for and requiring it as one requires food], but shall not find it. Amos 8:11-12

The first sign that a minister of the Christian faith is false or in error is when they emphasize the need to meet men’s needs rather than a restoration of broken fellowship between God and man. When you have an unbalanced doctrine which focuses only on the here and now, forgetting issues of eternity there is a problem. Man at the most may live a minimum of 70 years and maybe go on to be a 100 years old, but scripture clearly teaches that after that comes eternity. Eternity is a LONG time, actually it is endless. If someone can prepare for a period of retirement on earth it should not be difficult for them to understand the need to prepare for eternal life.

Any sound minister of the gospel understands that whenever man finds himself in any state of impoverishment, materially, spiritually or emotionally it will be related to the state of their relationship with God.

To remedy that condition a sound minister of the Christian faith will seek to see that breach of relationship restored so that every other aspect of that person’s life is also healed and restored.

Jesus declared that he is the way the truth and the life and that no one can come to the father except through him. When man embraces Christ and his subtitutionary work on the cross, they will have embraced God the father and are automatically restored into fellowship with him. This places them in a position of sonship. A position of receiving.

When Jesus stood at the mount of transfiguration, Moses the Prophet and Elijah also appeared besides Jesus.
Peter was so excited at the appearance of these great prophets that he suggested that they build booths on that mountain so as to abide in the presence of this manifestation.

However a cloud descended on them and a voice declared that Jesus was the son of God and that they should hear him. They fell down and when they next raised their faces the bible says they saw Jesus only. The prophets had been removed from the scene, that is significant.

4 Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters — one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. Get up, he said. Don’t be afraid. 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. Matthew 17:4

Apostles, prophets, evangelists and all other servants of God should be there only to point us to Jesus, they are not and should never be the focus of our worship although there is some honour due to them.

When we find Him, we find everything that we need.