Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"
Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism - where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?"
They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men’ - we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet."
So they answered Jesus, "We don’t know."
Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
Don’t you love the way Jesus messed with the chief priests’ and the elders’ heads? Here these guys were - excuse me, these powerful men - ready to trap Jesus once again. They were absolutely sure they had Him this time. Here He was, this nobody from Nazareth , this uneducated, unemployed carpenter, teaching the people in the Temple . Who did He think He was? He had no credentials. He didn’t graduate from seminary. He didn’t come from a good family. He certainly didn’t come from a respectable town. Who gave Him the authority to come to the great temple in Jerusalem and teach? The chief priests and elders were going to put Him in His place. They would show Him up to be a fool in front of the people. And that would shut Him up.
But their plan backfired. Jesus presented them with a question, rather than answering theirs. He asked by whose authority John had baptized. The priests and elders were stuck between a rock and a hard place. If they said, "God", then Jesus would ask why they hadn’t believed what John had said. If they said, "Man", the people would turn against them, because the people believed that John was a prophet. So the priests and elders found themselves neatly painted into a corner, with no way out. And they betrayed themselves for the fools they really were.
People today are no different from the chief priests and elders. They look for outward appearances. They look for credentials, for degrees, for earthly signs that someone has the authority to teach or to act or to speak up for Jesus Christ. But the point is that you and I have authority - through Jesus - to speak and act for Him… no matter what our educational level is… no matter where we live or who we hang out with or where we work… no matter what we look like or how well we speak or what kind of clothes we wear or how big our bank account is or what kind of car we drive… God has given us authority through Jesus Christ to speak and act in His behalf. Our authority doesn’t come from man. It comes from God. How much are you exercising your authority?
When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked.
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
The disciples were amazed when they saw how fast the fig tree shriveled up. Their reaction, in itself, is a little amazing. After all, these were the very men who had watched Jesus turn gallons of water into fine wine, heal the lame, and give sight to the blind. These were the very men who had, just days before, watched as Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead after he had laid in the grave for four days. How could these men be surprised that Jesus could cause a simple fig tree to wither? Because those men weren’t any different from you and me.
Jesus does one miracle after another in our lives, delivering us from the brink of disaster over and over again. And yet, each time He does so, we’re amazed. Every time a prayer is answered, we’re astonished… just as though we’d never seen anything like that before! Every time a miracle happens, we’re either amazed - or we don’t believe it’s really a miracle. After all, that kind of thing went out with the disciples, right? And, if we do believe, that belief lasts only for a moment, then passes away like the wind.
But Jesus said to them, "If you had faith, you could do the same thing I just did to that fig tree. If you truly believed, and didn’t doubt that it would happen, you could say to a mountain, ‘Move over there!’ … and that mountain would leap up and move at the sound of your voice!”
The problem is, we do not believe… we do not truly believe in God’s power. We do not believe that we can be delivered from illness or death or any form of personal disaster. To be quite honest, most of us have more faith in the cars we drive than we do in Jesus and the power that He can manifest through us and our prayers. The difference is, that car was made by men, and it will break down. It will run out of gas. It will get a flat tire, or worse, have a blow-out when you’re doing 70 on the interstate. But Jesus will never fail you or me. He is always there, waiting for us to believe… to have faith in Him and His power.
There is one caveat to this lesson… there will be times when what you ask will not be done, no matter how much faith you have. Why? Because what you are asking is not within God’s will for your life. For instance, take a look at Paul. Paul had a “thorn” in his flesh. We do not know what that “thorn” was - only that Paul had some type of physical ailment that he really wanted to be delivered from by God. I do not believe that you could find anyone who has ever lived who had more faith than Paul, and yet – even though he asked three times – God said, “No!” It was not Paul’s lack of faith that caused God to say “no” – it was the fact that what Paul was asking for did not fall within God’s will for Paul’s life. Paul understood this, and realized that God’s eternal vision was greater than his limited human vision, so he accepted God’s refusal to heal him and continued on with the life’s mission to which he’d been assigned by God.
If you’re walking hand-in-hand with Jesus, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you through every moment of every day, then you will usually know whether what you are asking is within His will or not. If you are convinced that it is within His will, then say to that mountain, "Move!" And then wait, with no doubt in your heart or mind, fully expecting that mountain to get up and go where you told it to go!
When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked.
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
Have you noticed how little true faith is being exhibited in today’s world - especially by Christians? Oh, we’re a busy lot, keeping tabs on what Rush and Sean Hannity and all the other conservative talk show hosts have to say every day… watching the newspapers, and writing letters to the editor about the travesty that is going on in Washington… fretting and wringing our hands over an economy teetering on disaster… covering our cars with bumper stickers and fish symbols… arguing with our friends and co-workers about every issue… organizing church membership campaigns and fund-raising campaigns… picketing the abortion clinics… and some people have even been reduced to murder… doing what they claim is God’s work with their own hands.
How many of us get together on a regular basis, just to pray? How many of us have enough faith to pray that God will overcome the evil we see around us? And believe that He will? How many of us have enough faith in God to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that He has the power to right all the wrong we see going on around us? How many of us, instead, are reduced to man’s agenda and man’s methods in each and every thing we do?
Take a look at Noah. God gave him an impossible task. God told him to build this immense ark, out in the middle of the desert, without a drop of water in sight. That was hard enough a task, considering how huge it was. Noah’s neighbors probably thought he’d lost his mind. After all, it had never rained before, so why would water suddenly start falling out of the sky? And why would some lunatic build a massive ship in the middle of the desert? Noah couldn’t convince his neighbors, but he could build the ark, so he did.
But there was an even bigger task ahead. Noah was to gather up samples of every single animal on earth - male and female, two of some kinds and seven of others. Now think about that. Think about how totally impossible that would be to accomplish! Noah could have easily collapsed under the very thought of what God told him to do. Instead, he believed. He did the part God told him to do. And God took care of the hard part. God gathered up the animals and sent them to Noah. All Noah had to do was make sure they had an ark to walk into!
If you and I and all other Christians had the kind of faith Noah had… if we just believed God and did those tasks He set out for us… if we prayed diligently, without doubt… the animals would come… the mountains would move… the people’s hearts would be turned to Jesus. What we need to do is forget about man’s solutions to the world’s problems, and instead, do it God’s way… believe and pray and do those things the Lord has set out for us to do… and leave all the hard stuff to God.
Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States - a special day when we celebrate the beginnings of this great country, the day the Pilgrims set aside to give thanks to God for all He had done for them during their difficult time. With apologies to those readers who live around the world, please allow me to focus this day on this country that is my home. Much of what I need to say will apply worldwide, so read on…
We are in the midst of a difficult time in this country – a time that can be terrifying at worst and unsettling at best. Where the slogan, “It’s the economy, stupid!” was an amusing quip some years ago, it’s not so amusing today. The economy – not only in the U.S. , but throughout the world – is teetering on the brink of collapse. As any 20 economists what caused the problem, and you’ll get 20 different answers – AND 20 different solutions. To find two “experts” who completely agree about the scope of this massive problem would be a miracle. There seems to be nothing to do but hang on and pray.
In the midst of this mess, the U.S. has elected a new President – an historic event since our President Elect is a man “of color” – something that millions have longed for through the years, and whose election has caused tremendous rejoicing among many. At the same time, ours is a country divided – divided in such a way as it has not been since the 1860’s. Those who did not want this man to be President run the gamut of emotions from anger to outright fear of what is to come. Many of those who are concerned about what is to come do so not because of his race, but because of his lack of experience. Will the decisions he makes help or will they make things even worse? Others rejoice at his election, looking forward to the change that he promised throughout his long campaign. If there is one thing that is certain, it’s that there is a definite, deep division within this country.
To add to the feelings of insecurity, we are still at war with an enemy that can’t be identified by country or color of its flag… and we continue to be at war in two countries in the Middle East , with other countries in the region making war-like noises almost daily.
And, as if the economy, war and terrorism weren’t enough to deal with, the world has been bombarded with natural disasters in a magnitude that news commentators have grown fond of calling “biblical proportions.” Earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires and the tsunami of 2004 have taken an almost unimaginable toll of lives and property – far beyond anything we’ve ever seen before. Very few lives have gone untouched by either the ravages of nature or the abominable actions of evil men and women.
No matter where you live, pray for your leaders, as we are admonished to do by Paul in 1 Timothy 2:1-6, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men - the testimony given in its proper time.”
As difficult as it might seem, considering all of the above, it’s time for every born again believer in Jesus to give thanks… yes, give thanks! No matter where you live, take a few moments today to reflect on what is happening – not only in the United States , but all around the world - and then to consider all the many things we all need to be thankful for – especially in times like these…
"I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High." Psalm 7:17
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." Psalm 28:7
"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." Psalm 30:11-12
"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are people of His pasture, the flock under His care." Psalm 95:1-7
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:4-5
"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:56-57
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him." 2 Corinthians 2:14
"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift (grace)!" 2 Corinthians 9:15
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of God because of you?" 1 Thessalonians 3:9
(All quotes from the NIV)
Make a list today of all the things for which you have to be thankful. You’ll be amazed at how long it is!
Today, no matter where you live, take a few moments to reflect on what is happening – not only in the United States , but all around the world - and to consider all the many things we all need to be thankful for – especially in times like these…
"I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High." Psalm 7:17
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." Psalm 28:7
"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." Psalm 30:11-12
"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are people of His pasture, the flock under His care." Psalm 95:1-7
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:4-5
"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:56-57
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him." 2 Corinthians 2:14
"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift (grace)!" 2 Corinthians 9:15
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of God because of you?" 1 Thessalonians 3:9
(All quotes from the NIV)
Make a list today of all the things for which you have to be thankful. You’ll be amazed at how long it is!
Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States - a special day when we celebrate the beginnings of this great country, the day the Pilgrims set aside to give thanks to God for all He had done for them during their difficult time. With apologies to those readers who live around the world, please allow me to focus this day on this country that is my home. Much of what I need to say will apply worldwide, so read on…
We are in the midst of a difficult time in this country – a time that can be terrifying at worst and unsettling at best. Where the slogan, “It’s the economy, stupid!” was an amusing quip some years ago, it’s not so amusing today. The economy – not only in the U.S. , but throughout the world – is teetering on the brink of collapse. As any 20 economists what caused the problem, and you’ll get 20 different answers – AND 20 different solutions. To find two “experts” who completely agree about the scope of this massive problem would be a miracle. There seems to be nothing to do but hang on and pray.
In the midst of this mess, the U.S. has elected a new President – an historic event since our President Elect is a man “of color” – something that millions have longed for through the years, and whose election has caused tremendous rejoicing among many. At the same time, ours is a country divided – divided in such a way as it has not been since the 1860’s. Those who did not want this man to be President run the gamut of emotions from anger to outright fear of what is to come. Many of those who are concerned about what is to come do so not because of his race, but because of his lack of experience. Will the decisions he makes help or will they make things even worse? Others rejoice at his election, looking forward to the change that he promised throughout his long campaign. If there is one thing that is certain, it’s that there is a definite, deep division within this country.
To add to the feelings of insecurity, we are still at war with an enemy that can’t be identified by country or color of its flag… and we continue to be at war in two countries in the Middle East , with other countries in the region making war-like noises almost daily.
And, as if the economy, war and terrorism weren’t enough to deal with, the world has been bombarded with natural disasters in a magnitude that news commentators have grown fond of calling “biblical proportions.” Earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires and the tsunami of 2004 have taken an almost unimaginable toll of lives and property – far beyond anything we’ve ever seen before. Very few lives have gone untouched by either the ravages of nature or the abominable actions of evil men and women.
No matter where you live, pray for your leaders, as we are admonished to do by Paul in 1 Timothy 2:1-6, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men - the testimony given in its proper time.”
As difficult as it might seem, considering all of the above, it’s time for every born again believer in Jesus to give thanks… yes, give thanks! No matter where you live, take a few moments today to reflect on what is happening – not only in the United States , but all around the world - and then to consider all the many things we all need to be thankful for – especially in times like these…
"I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High." Psalm 7:17
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." Psalm 28:7
"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." Psalm 30:11-12
"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are people of His pasture, the flock under His care." Psalm 95:1-7
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:4-5
"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:56-57
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him." 2 Corinthians 2:14
"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift (grace)!" 2 Corinthians 9:15
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of God because of you?" 1 Thessalonians 3:9
(All quotes from the NIV)
Make a list today of all the things for which you have to be thankful. You’ll be amazed at how long it is!
Today, no matter where you live, take a few moments to reflect on what is happening – not only in the United States , but all around the world - and to consider all the many things we all need to be thankful for – especially in times like these…
"I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High." Psalm 7:17
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." Psalm 28:7
"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." Psalm 30:11-12
"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are people of His pasture, the flock under His care." Psalm 95:1-7
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:4-5
"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:56-57
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him." 2 Corinthians 2:14
"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift (grace)!" 2 Corinthians 9:15
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of God because of you?" 1 Thessalonians 3:9
(All quotes from the NIV)
Make a list today of all the things for which you have to be thankful. You’ll be amazed at how long it is!
Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.
The morning after He cleared the temple, Jesus was on his way back to the city. Even though He had spent the night in Bethany , most probably with Lazarus, Mary and Martha, He was hungry. With Mary’s industrious attitude, it’s a little hard to imagine Him getting out of the house without her feeding Him a huge breakfast. However, it’s a long walk to Jerusalem from Bethany , and scripture says that He was hungry. He saw a fig tree by the side of the road up ahead. Most likely, the tree was a large, lush one, since Jesus immediately assumed that it would have plenty of figs. However, when He got closer, He saw that there were no figs to be had…. only lots of pretty, lush leaves. When Jesus saw this, He said, "May you never bear fruit again!" And the tree shriveled up immediately, turning brown and dying.
Now, why would Jesus do such a thing? Sounds pretty self-seeking, doesn’t it, to curse a tree just because you’re hungry and the tree doesn’t have any fruit? But look a little closer. That tree represents the church and the individual Christians within it. What looks good on the outside, upon close examination, may be worthless - and fruitless. Just because a person dresses well, spouts a lot of scripture and Christian "lingo"… just because a person shows up at church every Sunday and serves on committees and does all the other "Christian" things we expect… that does not mean the person is "bearing fruit" in his or her life. If a person only appears to have faith, but doesn’t apply that faith in his or her walk, day by day, hour by hour… then that person is just like that fig tree - great to look at, but worthless in the kingdom of God .
The same goes for our churches. Although the Temple was beautiful to look at, what was going on inside was a "den of robbers." A church today can be housed in a beautiful building, but be dead inside. And it, too, is worthless in the kingdom of God .
Pray that your life - and that of your church - will be more than just beautiful on the surface…. that both will reflect a deep, close, intimate walk with Jesus, our Lord and Savior, and bear the kind of fruit that they should.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Matthew 7:16-20 NIV
Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them, " ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’"
The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.
"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him.
"Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read,
"’From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise’?"
And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany , where he spent the night.
Jesus was not happy. As He stepped into the Court of the Gentiles outside the Temple in Jerusalem , the scene before Him infuriated Him. The Court was crowded, even more so than usual, because it was the week before Passover. Huge crowds of people had gathered to worship, including the Gentiles who came from all over the known world to worship God. Because they had traveled long distances, they needed to purchase animals for the sacrifices. The local Jews saw this as a good money-making opportunity, in two ways. First of all, the only money accepted within the Temple confines was Temple currency — special tokens that had to be obtained from money changers. The money changers played on the ignorance of the people, inflating the rate of exchange and pocketing the difference. And, of course, the sellers of animals did the same, charging outrageous prices for the sacrificial animals. Instead of enhancing the worshipful atmosphere of the Temple , these people had turned the house of God into a "den of robbers." By their very actions… by their attitude… in fact, by their very presence… they were hindering the worship of the people who came there seeking God.
In so many churches today, we find the same type of hindrance to worship… activities and attitudes that, by their very presence, distract, dissuade and deter people who come to seek God. Take a look at your church… If a stranger walked in, would he or she immediately sense the presence of God? Or would that person find, instead, a "den of robbers" like Jesus found in the Temple ? Is the atmosphere filled with the Holy Spirit’s presence in the attitudes of the people and in the activities? Or is it not much different from the outside world, or… possibly… worse?
Now, this doesn’t mean that everyone has to walk around looking like they’re sucking on a pickle! Or that people can’t talk and fellowship during appropriate times… or that a church bookstore is a bad thing… it simply means that whatever goes on within the confines of a church building should be those things that enhance the worship experience of those attending, not hinder it.
If you find that, upon examination, your church is among those whose tables need to be turned over, pray about what you can do to help right the situation. We all need to make sure that our churches reflect Jesus… rather than being a poor reflection of the world.
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father Who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" Matthew 7:21-23 NIV