Church, Come Back to Christ

“And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be a house of prayer,” but you have made it a den of robbers.’

“And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.” (Luke 19:45-48 ESV)

See also Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-19; John 2:13-17

In John 2:15-17 it also says this: “And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, ‘Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’” 

Historically, these four accounts of Jesus driving out the moneychangers from the temple could have represented more than one account, but for the sake of looking at them as teaching us something biblically to apply to our lives today, that doesn’t matter here. So, I will not concern myself with that.

Okay, so what can we learn from this to apply to our lives today? Well, for one, the temple of God is no longer a building built by human hands. Now we who believe in Jesus with God-given faith are his temple, and he lives within us, in our hearts. So, God’s house is not a building called “church,” and it is not a church denomination, and they are not the church, we are. We the people of God are his church wherever we are.

So, “church” is not something you go to. And when we enter into those buildings called “church,” we are not entering God’s house, for we the people of God are his house. The church goes to various places where they gather together for prayer, for fellowship, for the breaking of bread, for the teaching of the word, and for mutual encouragement and edification of the body of Christ, as each part does its work. So we do go to gatherings of the church.

So, when this says that God’s (Jesus Christ’s) house shall be a house of prayer, this today is talking about us, the people of God. We as the people of God are to be God’s house of prayer. Prayer is to be something we do around the clock regardless of what else is going on. For we should have open two-way communication between us and our Lord 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We should be talking to the Lord and hearing from him as we wake and as we are going to sleep and everything in between.

Okay, so how can “we” be turned into a den of robbers? This would have to be speaking, I believe, of our gatherings. They (not all) are being turned into a den of robbers, and they (not all) are being turned into “a house of trade,” i.e. into businesses being marketed to the world just like any other businesses. And most in America appear to be also incorporated as non-profit organizations under the state. And corporations are businesses.

Since the gatherings of the church here in America have largely been turned into businesses being marketed to the world, they are also being turned into a den of robbers who are robbing people of the truth of God’s Word. For so many are now diluting and altering the gospel of Christ and the character of God/Christ in order to make them more acceptable and appealing to the ungodly and to human flesh. And so we have many charlatans serving as pastors of these gatherings who are teaching the people lies.

And if you are a person who is following Jesus with your life, and so you are not buying into the lies, but you are one who is speaking the truth of the gospel, and so you are also exposing the lies for what they are, then like Jesus you should be being opposed by these charlatans who masquerade as servants of righteousness, and you may be invited out of their gatherings, maybe even in ways that are underhanded.

So, what is the encouragement here? If you are party to these church gatherings which have been turned into a den of robbers and into a marketplace to be marketed to the world, then you need to get out. Flee Babylon! Don’t fellowship with the ungodly, for we are not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Find somewhere that you can hear the truth of the gospel and where they are following the Scriptures and not marketing books.

And if by attending these gatherings of these “houses of ill repute,” i.e. these dens of robbers, you have compromised your walk of faith in Jesus Christ, then I pray you will turn back to Christ to follow him wholeheartedly in pure walks of faith and obedience to him as Lord of your lives. 

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Church, Come Back to Christ

Video Talk

June 16, 2023

https://youtu.be/lYBsiC9Sa24 

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For Our Nation  

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

https://vimeo.com/379406352