What Is Going On
In Your Temple?
We are all familiar with the story of Jesus cleansing the temple of the money changers. Jesus went into the actual temple of His day to cleanse it of all that had been allowed to enter and defile it. As we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit we are also responsible to ensure that we remain cleansed of anything that may defile God’s house.
Whose Business Are You About?
First, He drove out those who bought and sold. What do you buy and sell in your temple? Do you merchandise the things of the world or of the Spirit? Do you trade within your temple issues of unforgiveness, bitterness, offense and resentment? Even worse, do you set up tables to trade gossip and ill will toward others or do you foster love and forgiveness in your heart? Remember, it is always a heart issue!
In the Amplified Bible Mark 11: 16 reads, “And He would not permit anyone to carry any household equipment through the temple enclosure [thus making the temple area a short-cut traffic lane].” Do you take shortcuts that result in you carrying worldly resources through your temple?
Today there are so many things that could constitute “household equipment.” Television, radio, internet, iPods, cell phones, texting and tweeting all consume our minds and our time to the point that it can be difficult if not impossible to spend quiet time with the Lord. If your daily focus and habits are consumed by today’s ‘equipment,’ you will be trading much more on the things of the world. Do you stay so connected by cell phone to people that you use up all of your minutes and have none remaining for conversation with the Lord? We have jammed the airways with mindless chatter
Remember, your life may very well be the only Epistle someone reads. How you live and treat others reflects to people whether you are about the Lord’s business or your own worldly pursuits. Do you reflect time spent in relationship with Him? Do you mirror Him or the world?
What You Do Affects the Whole
I have spoken with countless people across denominational lines. Some are on intercessory teams or in ministerial positions in their church. They admit that they do not read their Bible with any regularity, do not have a consistent personal quiet time with the Lord, and do not pray frequently on their own. This is shocking but true. At least I was shocked to find this out initially. I know we all slip at times. I am talking here about long term lack of commitment to the things of God. The lack of sustained personal commitment to the things of the Lord leaves the corporate temple of God open to thieves that would render it ineffective as a whole.
The body of Christ has long been hemorrhaging the power and authority given to her by the shed blood of Jesus Christ because the thieves of worldly pursuits have been allowed to enter and take up residence in our individual temples. When we come together corporately, these thieves multiply. We have forgotten our first love and traded Him for the wiles of the world. As the whole is as strong as the sum of its parts, so the church is as weak as its weakest link. If we are weak individually we will be weak corporately.
Commit Today!
In the times we are in with wars and rumors of wars, apathy permeating every sector of life, the disintegration of family and community values, we as Christians must stand strong in our faith and all it should entail. If we do not hold fast to the profession and the walking out of our faith it is for naught. If we are not living our faith in everyday life we affect few around us for Christ and we ourselves fall into a state of being lukewarm at best.
Without a firm foundation, daily watering through the Word and consistent prayer we will fail. We can not get by on just a quick Our Father. We have to rise up in this time and stand strong in the authority and Holy Spirit power given to us. We have to guard our temple individually and be the good stewards we are charged to be as followers of Jesus Christ.
If you can relate to having any thieves in your temple, commit or re-commit today to clean your temple from top to bottom. Sweep it clean. Wipe it down with the blood of Jesus. Remove anything not of the Lord. Place Him first, above all else in your life. When you forget or displace your first love your heart becomes fractured. Your witness becomes diluted and marred. Return to your first love with fervor. Remember, He first loved you! Remember every day to Whom you belong. Know His love and bring it to the world. God bless you and keep you this week and always.
Quotes to Ponder This Week
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” ~Jesus, Matthew 7:13-14
“So they came to Jerusalem. And Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then He taught, saying to them,“Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.”
~Mark 11:15-17
“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place-unless you repent.” ~Jesus, Revelation 2:4-5
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” ~1 Corinthians 3:16-17
“…may [you] be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” ~Ephesians 3:18-19
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” ~1Peter 2:9-10
“We love Him because He first loved us.” ~1 John 4:19
A Prayer Request
Thank you for your continued faithfulness to pray. Please keep all who serve our country, our diplomatic corps, our servicemen and women and their families in prayer for salvation and safety. They are our front-line on the battlefield, let us be their front-line in the spirit. Also, let us cover all who have come home wounded that they and their families will receive the kindness, help and support they need to go forward in their lives. May the Lord bless them and keep them safe.
Pray for all throughout the world for hedges of protection against radical Muslim extremists and all forms of terrorism. We have long prayed for spiritual victory over radical Islam in Esther’s Warriors Ministry. We now see the reality of this threat come to the forefront in this time in world history.
Please pray for all in authority over us, for the full truth to come forth concerning Benghazi. We as Americans and the families of those murdered in Benghazi deserve to be told the truth. Pray that God will open doors to let the truth on all that has been hidden flow for all of us in this United States of America! The truth shall keep us free.
Pray for peace in Israel. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for Christians throughout the world who face violence and death for their faith.
May God richly bless the United States of America, bring to light every single crooked place and keep her safe. May we arise united once again as One Nation Under God in this auspicious season in our country’s history. We continue to pray for truth to prevail as we saturate this country in prayer and stand for all that is right in America and for all of us who call ourselves American. These are treacherous times and now more than ever we must maintain our walk. Fail not in this hour. #Pray for America.
Please Join Me in Prayer
Father God, We thank You that You have placed us here in this season. We repent individually and corporately of every thief we have allowed into Your temple. Grace us to eliminate all that is not of You. Teach us to walk in Your ways and be the light in the dark to all we encounter. Guide our every step that we look neither to the left nor the right but keep our focus solely on You. Cleanse each heart and let it beat in rhythm with Your heart for Your people. We thank You that You keep Your hand on America. Forgive our sin and heal our land that we will remain One Nation Under God. We pray this in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen and Amen.