"Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the merchants and their customers. He knocked over the tables of themoneychangers and the stalls of those selling doves. He said, 'The Scriptures declare, My Temple shall be called a place of prayer, but you have turned into a den of thieves.' " Matthew 21:12-13....."Zeal for My Father's house consumes Me." John 2:17....."Knowing that we are His Father's house makes that verse (John 2:17) very profound indeed. Jesus will zealously pursue communion in you, even if it means overturning some tables. There are to be prayers and holy fellowship in that holyplace."Chris Tiegreen
Heart tables. Where have we set them up? Where have we cluttered the house of our hearts with the things, attitudes, values of this world? Whose business is "transacted" there; that of the Spirit, or the flesh? What outrage does this "business," these treasures bring to the heart of Christ? In that heart that is to be His Home, His dwelling place, what tables have we set up that rob Him of His glory, adoration, dedication, and true fellowship? What "good things" have we put on display that rob us of He who is best, and rob Him of the worship He not only deserves, but commands?
Since we tend to live on the surface spiritually, we think of these verses as pertaining to selling things in the church sanctuary. No cookies, Mary Kay or Avon, and no raffle tickets. We can be rigidly diligent in these. Yet, in our inner lives there can exist no end to the amount of tables of idolatry we have set up. Ambition and advancement. Materialism and pleasure. Ministry. We can find ways to justify these and don't have a great problem with them being up front. It's the unjustifiable tables that we have to try to hide in the back. Greed, lust, unforgiveness. An obsession to control, be it spouse, child, all other people, even God. They're there, and they're holding all the "goods" connected with them. All of them keep us from His fullness, His Life, and the worship due Him. All of them have no place in His home, our hearts, and all of them will He seek to overturn.
Heart tables. Where have we set them up? Where have we cluttered the house of our hearts with the things, attitudes, values of this world? Whose business is "transacted" there; that of the Spirit, or the flesh? What outrage does this "business," these treasures bring to the heart of Christ? In that heart that is to be His Home, His dwelling place, what tables have we set up that rob Him of His glory, adoration, dedication, and true fellowship? What "good things" have we put on display that rob us of He who is best, and rob Him of the worship He not only deserves, but commands?
Since we tend to live on the surface spiritually, we think of these verses as pertaining to selling things in the church sanctuary. No cookies, Mary Kay or Avon, and no raffle tickets. We can be rigidly diligent in these. Yet, in our inner lives there can exist no end to the amount of tables of idolatry we have set up. Ambition and advancement. Materialism and pleasure. Ministry. We can find ways to justify these and don't have a great problem with them being up front. It's the unjustifiable tables that we have to try to hide in the back. Greed, lust, unforgiveness. An obsession to control, be it spouse, child, all other people, even God. They're there, and they're holding all the "goods" connected with them. All of them keep us from His fullness, His Life, and the worship due Him. All of them have no place in His home, our hearts, and all of them will He seek to overturn.
What are our tables? Can we confess them? Can we allow Him to be set loose in our hearts, His home, that He might cleanse His Temple, our heart? And after He has done so, will we, by His grace and power, refuse to allow them to be set up again......ever? If you have truly entered into a saving, transformational relationship with Christ, He roams your heart today. What tables will He find and overturn? What hindrances to worship and fellowship will we bid Him to remove? He cannot abide the presence of those tables. He must cleanse our heart Temple. Will we have it? Will our hearts really be His house of prayer?
Blessings,
Pastor O
Blessings,
Pastor O
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