Are You a House of Merchandise?
Dear Saints:
We continue our in-depth study of John 2. Today we see Jesus in the temple angered by what he saw going on. The people had turned the temple into a shopping mall. They were selling all kinds and making loans and receiving loans. Please read John 2:13-25.
Today, in the new dispensation, we are the temple of God. There is no longer a physical temple but humans in whom the Spirit of God dwell (only if Jesus is your Lord and Savior). As such, we must watch what goes on in us - the temple of God. We can be trapped in the same mentality and become a people who are more interested in making deals and acquiring all sorts. Instead, we should be what God intended for His temple, a house of prayer for all nations (see Isaiah 56:7).
How is your prayer life? How is my prayer life? Who are we praying for and for what? What are we praying for ourselves?
Are we so consumed with shopping and buying that we no longer have time to pray and depend on God our Father? We are busy charging everything on earth as if we will live here forever? Jesus is no longer the Master of our heart but we now have Mastercard and Visa in His place.
Imagine a person who traveled to another country for vacation and staying in a hotel. He goes on to buy everything and filled the hotel room and forgetting he is living the next week or sooner. He bought and charged things he will never be able to take going back to his home country. All he bought will be left behind and others will have it when he departs. My friend, that is us. Where our treasure is, there our hearts will be. Let’s invest in peoples' lives and the Gospel that will save people and last forever.
What is going on in your temple? Has the zeal of the Lord consumed you as Jesus was consumed to do the Father's will? And what is the Father's will for you and me? Is it to know Him, worship Him and make Him known to others? What are you and me pursuing other than God Himself? Why are we working and running so hard and for what purpose?
Lord, help us to stop, think and consider what we are doing. Jesus can still whip us as He did the people in the temple to get our attention. The tables can be turned down on us to get our attention. I thank God for the times of His loving rebuke. Are you going through one right now? May God’s grace be sufficient for you. Don’t blame the devil for every problem you are encountering.
“6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” Hebrews 12:6-8.
Eventually the physical temple of Israel was destroyed. The body of Christ was nailed to the cross (for the forgiveness of our sins, for we all have sinned). He was buried but He rose after three days as He had said in this passage.
“19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this [d]to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.”
The disciples believed. That is what God is asking from us that we believe Him, Jesus Christ, the true God. Everything else is a lie. Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth and only Life giver and life worth living.
Today and beyond, let's pray for someone and introduce them to Jesus so they may believe and be in relationship with God and have real life worth living. If you the reader, do not have a relationship with God, you can start now by believing Jesus and accepting Him as your Lord and Savior from sin and the wrath of God that is to come. Tell God to reveal Himself to you. God, surely will do so if you ask.
Lord, help us today and forever to live in you and be about your business instead of consumed with ourselves and the next thing to buy and acquire. Amen.
We continue our in-depth study of John 2. Today we see Jesus in the temple angered by what he saw going on. The people had turned the temple into a shopping mall. They were selling all kinds and making loans and receiving loans. Please read John 2:13-25.
Today, in the new dispensation, we are the temple of God. There is no longer a physical temple but humans in whom the Spirit of God dwell (only if Jesus is your Lord and Savior). As such, we must watch what goes on in us - the temple of God. We can be trapped in the same mentality and become a people who are more interested in making deals and acquiring all sorts. Instead, we should be what God intended for His temple, a house of prayer for all nations (see Isaiah 56:7).
How is your prayer life? How is my prayer life? Who are we praying for and for what? What are we praying for ourselves?
Are we so consumed with shopping and buying that we no longer have time to pray and depend on God our Father? We are busy charging everything on earth as if we will live here forever? Jesus is no longer the Master of our heart but we now have Mastercard and Visa in His place.
Imagine a person who traveled to another country for vacation and staying in a hotel. He goes on to buy everything and filled the hotel room and forgetting he is living the next week or sooner. He bought and charged things he will never be able to take going back to his home country. All he bought will be left behind and others will have it when he departs. My friend, that is us. Where our treasure is, there our hearts will be. Let’s invest in peoples' lives and the Gospel that will save people and last forever.
What is going on in your temple? Has the zeal of the Lord consumed you as Jesus was consumed to do the Father's will? And what is the Father's will for you and me? Is it to know Him, worship Him and make Him known to others? What are you and me pursuing other than God Himself? Why are we working and running so hard and for what purpose?
Lord, help us to stop, think and consider what we are doing. Jesus can still whip us as He did the people in the temple to get our attention. The tables can be turned down on us to get our attention. I thank God for the times of His loving rebuke. Are you going through one right now? May God’s grace be sufficient for you. Don’t blame the devil for every problem you are encountering.
“6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” Hebrews 12:6-8.
Eventually the physical temple of Israel was destroyed. The body of Christ was nailed to the cross (for the forgiveness of our sins, for we all have sinned). He was buried but He rose after three days as He had said in this passage.
“19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this [d]to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.”
The disciples believed. That is what God is asking from us that we believe Him, Jesus Christ, the true God. Everything else is a lie. Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth and only Life giver and life worth living.
Today and beyond, let's pray for someone and introduce them to Jesus so they may believe and be in relationship with God and have real life worth living. If you the reader, do not have a relationship with God, you can start now by believing Jesus and accepting Him as your Lord and Savior from sin and the wrath of God that is to come. Tell God to reveal Himself to you. God, surely will do so if you ask.
Lord, help us today and forever to live in you and be about your business instead of consumed with ourselves and the next thing to buy and acquire. Amen.
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