HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS

HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS He set up shop for the day. Business was booming and he had no reason to complain. Thanks to the new prophet in town. Such a popular guy and very well-liked, at least by the regular people. What did the merchant care, as long as he could sell his wares? He did not have to go into the temple. Just stayed outside and sold his goods. He had grown over the years, from selling doves and pigeons to changing money, then lending money to desperate folk. His sons operated the other shops whilst he sat over the money bank. From all indications, the day was different; the crowd of worshippers were more than usual. Rumour had it that the new prophet was coming by. But nothing prepared him for the events that ensued, nothing! The prophet came, whip in hand, and chased every trader out. He drove and scolded them, so angrily it was unbelievable. He overturned all the tables. What was that? Bewilderment everywhere! His accusations were serious: He labelled them thieves and robbers. He accused them of desecrating his Father’s house. He even stated that the house should be used to pray for all nations. Who was that man? What nerve! Did he not know business had gone on at the temple for ages? How dare he? Next thing all the sick folk and smelly fellas now had access to the temple. The greater surprise, they came out clean, whole! Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the moneychangers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.” But the leaders were indignant. (Matthew 21:12-15 NLT) Jesus went into the temple and chased out everyone who was selling or buying. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of the ones who were selling doves. He told them, “The Scriptures say, ‘My house should be called a place of worship.’ But you have turned it into a place where robbers hide.” Blind and lame people came to Jesus in the temple, and he healed them. But the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses were angry when they saw his miracles and heard the children shouting praises to the Son of David. (Matthew 21:12-15 CEV) My friend, what brings you to Church: business, worship, social networking, fraternising? What? Picture a crusade ground; before you get into the place of worship, you would walk by different merchants selling all kinds of wares. Many never make it into the temple; all they do is, hover around the anointing. Let us wax spiritual a bit. We ought to remember that we are God's temples. Dare I ask, what goes on in our temples? Are we buying and selling or busy doing every other thing but the very thing for which the temple was built? What does Church spell to you: a place of business or a place of worship. What do you do in Church: trade, scam, prospect, serve, worship, or intercede? Jesus said, 'my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations' What are we to do in Church? Pray, intercede, bring the nations before God, heal the sick, exalt the Lord and not use His name to trade or do business. God promised, if we sought His Kingdom, all other things would be added unto us. Besides, all those things that men run after are what the Gentiles do. How can we who have the promise of God's kingdom carry on as the Gentiles do? That will be debasement, and we should resist it. Ours is a higher call, a higher life. Beloved, if Jesus stopped at your house today, what would He do? Will he overturn tables, chase, rebuke, or would He endorse your activities?