"And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My
house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a
den of thieves." Mark 11:17
The temple was originally a place where God was
worshipped, the people brought their sacrifices to Him, and the priest
interceded to God on behalf of the sins of the people. But when Jesus went into
the temple it had become a place of robbery, false worship, religious idolatry
and compromise. He ran the moneychangers out and proclaimed-- "My house shall
be called a house of prayer."
When Jesus did this, He brought back the revelation-- true
meaning and purpose-- of the temple. He also reestablished its mission. Not
only was what He did for back then, but it is for us today. The church/temple
has gotten away from where it originated. It is no longer a "house of prayer".
Most churches don't even have prayer meetings any more. Very little time is
given to prayer in the churches-- if any. Most churches have become places of
"robbery"-- the people are being robbed of the truth. The word of God has been
replaced with philosophy, humanistic wisdom, political correctness and enticing
words of man's wisdom. They have become places of false worship and idolatry--
worshipping their programs and leaders. They have become a place of
compromise-- holiness and righteousness is no longer the standard, instead
"anything goes".
How did this happen? How did we get away from God's plan
for His church? By neglecting prayer. That is the answer. When you neglect
prayer, the door is opened for every other thing to come in. So, how can we
change this? By praying. That is the answer. The lack of prayer caused it,
and prayer will heal it.
The building where we gather together we call the church.
But the church is each and every believer. When we neglect prayer in our
individual lives, it opens the door for the "moneychangers" and every other
false thing to come in. But when we pray, it will drive them out and set up the
purpose of God once again in our lives. Oh, that the Lord would give us as the
corporate body and as individuals who make up the body a revelation of becoming
once again a "house of prayer" and allow the Holy Spirit to reestablish
prayer within our walls and within our hearts.
Have a great day. When Jesus drove the moneychangers out
of the temple, He gave them the revelation of what His house should be-- a house
of prayer. Lord, give us that same revelation today.
For further reading:
Isaiah 56:7
Matthew 21:13
Luke 19:46
<>< <><
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
<>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine
Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking
from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email:mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
You are welcomed to make copies and
distribute them free of charge.
Email:mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to
your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to
do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business
Ministry.
No comments:
Post a Comment