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April 5

April 5, 2009 in 2009 with 0 Comments

Matthew 21:12-17

Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them.

How the Tables Have Turned!

Ron Musch, Co-Senior Pastor, Lighthouse Regional Church

The irony of this passage is striking. Those who were ritually expected to be in the temple were driven out while those who were ritually excluded were received.

The “den of thieves” was a place to hide after committing a crime. In Jeremiah’s day the people who came to the temple had no intention of seeking God’s forgiveness so that they might change their ways. They merely sought deliverance so they could continue in their sins (Jeremiah 7:8-11). The same was true here, but Jesus clears the way for people to genuinely meet God and be changed. What happens next drives home this truth.

“The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them.” (Italics mine.) They were ritually forbidden from entering the temple (2 Samuel 5:6-8)! Jesus tore down this barrier and healed those who boldly came to Him seeking change.

Too often we can fall prey to the wrong thinking that we must put on a good show when we come to Jesus. Jesus, who can see through this façade, isn’t looking for a good show. He is looking for people who will come to Him seeking to be changed. God’s forgiveness is designed to set us free from the things that hold us back so that we are free to walk in newness of life.

Is there an area of your life that needs to change? If there is, it probably just flashed through your mind…that is the Holy Spirit helping you. Come to Jesus. Ask Him to take control of that area and to help you change. Are you unable to spiritually see where to go or unable to walk in the direction you are seeing? Come to Jesus. If you draw near to Him, He will change and restore you.

Lord, take control of my life. Show me how to cooperate with the Spirit who desires to bring Your changes in my life. Hosanna (I request your help) King Jesus! I know you will answer when I call. Amen.

Dialog discuss: Researchers like Barna, Gallop, and others are finding it increasingly difficult to differentiate the behaviors and values of self-identified Christians from non-Christians with one exception-what they buy. Total sales of religious goods in America is nearly $7 billion annually. That is a whole lot of Tommy Hellfighter t-shirts, Jesus is my Homeboy underwear, and Fruit of the Spirit energy drinks. Skye Jethani, managing editor of Leadership

Spiritual Habits – Week 7

April 5, 2009 in 2009, Explore with 0 Comments

Continue this final week as Jesus sets His face toward the cross. Who we truly are is often exposed in times of stress and trial. This is true of Jesus, too, as we see His UP clearly in His prayers at Gethsemane, His IN lovingly shared in the Upper Room Maundy Thursday, and His OUT heart as He says from the cross, “Father, forgive these people, because they don’t know what they are doing.”

triangle

UP – Go to the 40 hours of Prayer this week. Ask God to give you eyes to see someone needing to be encouraged by the love and forgiveness of Jesus.

IN – Go to the Community Wide Communion Service Maundy Thursday. While you are there, extend a hand of love with an encouraging word to someone who has served you or encouraged your walk with Jesus during these 40 days of Lent!

OUT – Go outside your comfort zone, don’t keep the meaning and joy of this week to yourself. This week share with one person distant from God one place where Jesus has had meaning in your life.

ASKS ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE WORLD
“OUT” asks questions about your impact and contribution in the world. What inspires you, moves you, demands a response from you? Where do you want to touch the world? Where do you want to serve humanity? Whom do you want to see meet with God?

Consider the places where you are called to touch your world. On what are you motivated to spend time and energy? Do you work or study? Who are your friends that aren’t Christians? Where do you meet socially with those outside of church? Where are you involved with those outside of the church? What are your hobbies? The answers to these questions are an invitation to mission.

With whom do you engage in the world? What do you do to connect with the world? How do you connect with the world? Where do you engage with the world?