HELP!

WHERE CAN I FIND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

by Witness Basera on Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 9:41am HELP WHERE CAN I FIND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST My Prayer is that one may catch what this note says, the simply truth that we need Jesus back on our Pulpit. with no excuses, justifications and politicking. When one does a casual analysis of material preached on the pulpits of today or on the written material of today, they will have a peculiar observation. The following is a rough summary of pulpit and written materials:
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A good percentage of sermons cover needs of the saints. Prosperity, health, power, anointing, favour, deliverance. In other words, the sermons and also the altar ministry focuses on the needs and challenges faced by the church. Somehow there is an acknowledgment of the various challenges believers face. Servants of God, as such, have sought to meet or rather propose from the pulpit divine solutions from the Word of God. A good percentage centres on the needs of the organised church. Service, prosperity, giving, anointing, acceleration, church governance. The organised church needs people to serve, to give and finance the work. The sermons and also altar ministry focuses on these needs of the organised church. Without stretching it, the organised church has sought the Word of God for teaching, preaching that equips saints to do the work of ministry. A very good percentage is n motivation and encouragement. Get ready, Rise up, Its your season, God is About to do it for you, Breakthroughs etc. The church needs motivation as it presumably faces challenges and needs the five-fold to equip, stir up, anoint and release people to face life and win. A good percentage centres on organisation specific or preacher specific emphasis. Faith, The River, The Presence, Prosperity, Healing, etc. In other words, a particular emphasis which may be church specific and not kingdom specific is drummed forward. When one is in the particular church, there is nothing else to hear. When one is outside, they actually wonder why the fuss with this one teaching. A good percentage centres on the prophetic. We all acknowledge that there is and its important too, a valid and an expansive restoration of the prophetic. Of course with a few stretches and over emphasis here and there, the prophetic is back with a bang and here to stay. Balance and judgement are needed. A small percentage centre on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the subject of this note.

Reasons for a dire absence of the Lord Jesus on our pulpits

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The message of Jesus doesnt emphasis Prosperity. Contrary to popular belief, Jesus DID NOT talk more about MONEY and BUSINESS more than anything else! When Jesus did talk about money, He was not flattering, He was tough. In fact the Lord actually said that money is worse than the devil, in a sense. To Jesus, the devil is a thief, a robber a killer. When you check Jesuss teaching, He never had problems with the devil. He actually didnt talk much about him!! BUT, He says, no one can serve both God and Mammon! Wow! In other words, the devil can be bad, but money can compete with God for worship!!! No wonder Paul says the love of money is the root of all evil!! wow!

Ladies and gentlemen, the over-emphasis on money and how we can use scripture to get it has a flaw. This is why, for those who preach, you will realise that when you go ballistic on money sermons, it is impossible or pretty hard to flow in the anointing and prophetic afterwards!! I know there will be some seniors out there who will dispute this. I wont object to further education. But somehow there is a general drying of the atmosphere when we go prosperity mode galore. In fact churches that emphasis prosperity are well known for the absence of a dynamic flow of the Holy Spirit and the Divine Presence! The message of the Lord Jesus doesnt meet the needs of the people. Contrary again, the message does meet the needs of the people. Our challenge as preachers is to be relevant. And speak to the real needs of the people. And address real issues. These days people do not come to church looking for Jesus. They come with a problem, with a need, with a situation. As such need centred and challenge centred messages abound. We expound the Word on those needs, the aim being to present the Word which doesnt go back void to the situations. Wonder why we are stuck at the level of Confessing the Word, Prophetic Declaration, Receive it by Faith. When we confess and there is no change, keep confessing, by faith and patience the Word works! People will migrate to churches which seemingly have more potential to meet needs. No wonder the chief excuse used by people when they move churches is meeting of needs. They report that the messages were no longer benefiting them. The message of the Lord Jesus doesnt build a mega church. Mega churches arise, largely on the gifting and abilities of the founder. Also they arise on the organisation and orderliness of the ministry. When these mix, with hard work and the season of the Lord, a Mega church is in the making. But to sustain it, and keep the numbers coming, we go back to the needs. The needs keep them coming. With a need specific ministry, you will have people come. Cause hey, them needs dude, them plenty exsir. An analysis of mega churches reveals that most members are not clearly Christian. In fact big churches have in their ranks people who cause the church to be spoken badly of. Influence or visibility attracts many things, including bad ones. Also most church migration is to big churches from smaller churches. Just to show shortages of personnel, someone commented that when a good guy moves to a big church, he will be involved highly soon, very soon. Because it is as it were, he was waited for; there was a vacancy for him. But truth is, many needers, few Christians!

8 Reasons we need the Message of Jesus back on our pulpits 1. 1. The Revelation of Jesus is Christianity.

When they were first called Christians in Antioch, the reason was their Christ likeness. Not their church, not their confessions, not their dressing, but their likeness to Jesus. We have people who glean on the bible to be a talisman for their success, but very few believers who follow Christ. When there is a shortage of Christ likeness, we must be surely embarrassed to call ourselves Christians indeed. We actually do not deserve the title! 1. 2.
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The message of Jesus produces people who can endure suffering.

What most people seek in church, truth be told, is a talisman for success. Having sought it elsewhere, they come to the church for another try. On the other hand, the church is exposing reasons for other people success as rightfully wrong. People are using the

occult, Satanism, to succeed. People use demons, consult spirits to make it. As such, the church is exposing all this and rightfully so. People cheat, bribe, lie to succeed and the church is exposing this. Yet, in exchange, we are saying, there is another way of success which is cleaner. True indeed, but presented in a tricky way. Tithes, offerings, seeds, sacrifices, first fruits, partnerships, covenants, gifts, pledges, havens, ministering to servants, opening year seeds, end of the year seeds, etc. In all this the seeker who comes in, sees no Jesus Christ. He participates in all this as he seeks an answer, a solution. Its a sure formula, which as some preachers rightfully put it are principles which even the unbelievers can use and make it!! Wow!! No wonder even unbelievers can make it. But when suffering comes its hard to endure . Enduring is for those who have met Christ. Suffering is no piece of cake for anyone. But to those who walk with Him, He gives them peace, not as the world gives. We dont need more money, we need more Jesus. And all these things will be added unto us. By the way, seeking the kingdom first is not tithes and offerings only!!! Oh Lord! Help us! When people seek we even tell them that they need to seek the kingdom first by supporting the work of God, financially!! I believe in financing the work of God. Please get me in the right context here. The message of the Lord Jesus will bring in more Labourers.

1. 3.
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There is a shortage of genuine labourers. Most churches will lament that there are many people are in ministry who are in it for money. One of the cries of most bishops is a shortage of qualified men and women through whom they can plant churches or expand the portfolios of the work they have. Need centred ministry will produce people who will aspire to meet needs too. When they cant meet needs they refer to their Bishop! Have you heard of churches which have head quarters elsewhere, with very shallow pastors in the field? All they do is quote the Man of God. Some use his clout to get by, and those branches will be pathetic and a shame presentation of the church of the Lord Jesus. Carrying the name of a powerful church but a shame even to the whole faith itself. We need people who have seen Jesus. Those who have met with Him, can survive anywhere. These can hear God for themselves. These can sacrifice their lives unto death for the Lord. Also prosperity teaching makes it hard for people to leave their jobs to serve God, how else will they make money? Also, prosperity teaching makes us become part timers in service. Needs ministry keeps us dependant on the preachers. On the other side, needs ministry half bakes people. They know what God can do for them and what they need to do to get it. Real Christians seek to know who He is.

1. 4. The message if the Lord Jesus will bring back meaning of Praise and Worship.
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That song which says when the praises go up His........... Comes down. What comes down? For most of us, its His blessings. If its the Glory, even that too has issues; we want it with connotations too. Praise and worship, ladies and gentlemen needs redefinition. Its about a person, the Lord Jesus. We have digressed from its original meaning. Hello? Please, dont give me that look, please! You know yourself that you have not really enjoyed praise and worship or

actually been able to praise and worship in church lately! Oh yes you do admit it dont you. You have complained to your husband something is missing in church but you dont know what it is. Havent you said that? In fact when the Spirit of God moves you are no longer sure whats going on!! Lets go back to Jesus. Meaning will come again. The Message of Jesus will make many portions of the bible make sense.

1. 5.
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The Old Testament, except for what preachers quote or use frequently is a mystery to many. Even the New Testament is a mystery. We read it but its a shock that we see nothing in it. The reason is that Jesus is subject of the whole bible. In fact the bible is so obsessed, in a sense, about Jesus its a mystery how we as a church can actually preach Sunday after Sunday and seldom centre on the Cross and Jesus!! From genesis, to revelation he is shadowed, typified, prophesied, examplified, expounded, exposed, followed, revealed as the Supreme revelation of God. In fact the Father is extremely pleased with Jesus, He actually has destined everything, everything to consummate in Jesus! Chapters upon chapters of the tabernacle, the temple, the gospels four in total, the genealogies, the prophets, Leviticus, will all become divine redundancy if their relevance cannot be justified by a corresponding fixation on the Lord Jesus. No wonder the bulk of people in the church, cannot read their bibles. Its not being immature, which is true for many, but its part of it, the other reason sadly; its the messages! After memorising all the verses on prosperity, healing, success, marriage, love, faith, favour, anointing, what else is there to read? Leviticus, oh no, the blood, ok, I know, shed for my sins blah blah blah, there I know what else is there to read in that book? The message of the Lord Jesus brings revival.

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Much of the church is having organisational waves of the presence of God. What I mean is it stays in the 4 corners of their church. Unfortunately the reason why it is not engulfing cities is because we have incorporated it into part of our marketing. Some other churches are not even having a wave of His presence, they are having organisational ecstasy. Prominent guest speaker, prominent musician, the names themselves are attractive and draw crowds on their own. We meet, we have a heck of a Holy Ghost party, then we go home and we dont change. The whole frenzy was on the speakers, nothing else.

But, when the Son of man is lifted up, he will draw man nigh unto Himself. 1. 7.
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The message of the Lord Jesus creates the True church.

We need people in the house of God, not so that we count them and shore up our church statistics. We need people to depopulate hell and populate heaven, not so that we have more hands dropping something in the offering basket. The seeker and need friendly church will struggle to Present Jesus in His fullness, the Lamb of God, the Lord of all. They will struggle with Jesus when He says, sell all and follow me, but will want to embrace Him when He says, give and it shall be given to you... The church in certain places is competing for the tithes and offerings of a few

saints so that they can survive or build or have multi faceted electronic, digital ministry dimensions! This is while the world burns. We cant reach to the world because for those who are doing well without Jesus, we run short of words. Our gospel is easier to him who has a need. Even the rich we try to look for a need, we ask if with all those riches, dont they fee empty? Ha ha ha!! Church ya Jehova Vekudenga! Jesu We Nazareta!! Jesus is needed back on our pulpits. We have numbers, but few of the true saints. They come only when we present Jesus in full. The message of the Lord Jesus makes Christianity distinct

1. 8.
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Motivational speakers, encouragers, leadership coaches etc, are hard to differentiate with some preachers today. This is because both the motivational speakers and preachers can speak exactly the same message in a business conference and a church conference respectively!! The preacher laces his homily with a few icings of scriptures here and there, to remain biblical. Wow! At this rate even Oprah who publicly doesnt believe Jesus is the only Way to God, much to the indignation and worthy rebuke by Pastor Benny Hinn, can fit in the church. Sad to say, people actually idolise Oprah and think she is a Christian!! Distinction! The Cross makes us distinct. Ladies and gentlemen, the Cross is foolishness to those who perish, but to those who believe it is power, unto salvation. That scripture that says work out your salvation with fear and trembling is tricky. To work it out you need power to do so. That power is from the Cross in its fullness.

Creation is awaiting for the manifestation of the Sons of God, Those who are Christ Like [Christians]. Probably you are a leader and a preacher in a way. Return Jesus to the centre of your life and ministry. Its not about us, its about Him. If the sun shines in brightness, the moon has something to reflect. If Christ is exalted, the Church has something to reflect. Ever heard of a quarter moon, half moon, and full moon? Even heard of a half sun, quarter sun? Exactly, the sun is always full. But the gloriousness of the moon is dependent on the amount of sun it reflects. Based on its own positioning versus the sun, it can reflect as much, same with the church. But there is a superior position, the one where we can glimpse Christ and see him in his fullness and truly be the light of the world. God bless you.