Jesus at the Temple
Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were
Matthew 21:12-13
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.’
Since I have been attending meetings at my church I have been haunted by the above passage. In our PCC meetings we can spend 4 minutes talking about how god is working in the local community and then spend 40 minutes talking about how we are loosing money.
The church body seems to be more focused on money and less focused on god. I do wonder if God is punishing the church for being so focused on if the church is profiting and less focussed on how the church is helping the local community.
God Disciplines His Children
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as children? It says,
‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child.’
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined–and everyone undergoes discipline–then you are not legitimate children at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had parents who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! Our parents disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ‘Make level paths for your feet,’ so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Hebrews 12:4-13
Reading the above passage I do wonder if god is discipling the church for forgetting him in all our decisions. I can see many decisions which have been made with out his input, for any church to succeed it really needs to put God at the centre. Asking God where it needs to go and embrace where he takes them. If something goes wrong or doesn’t work it’s just god telling them that what they are doing is not what he has called them todo.
How many churches asked themselves
What and Where is God guiding us toward?
I can tell you for sure, my church doesn’t ever ask that question they seem happy for the congregation to dwindle, just as long as everything stays the same. But on the other hand when something new does spring forth and numbers rise they ask is it making a profit.
At the back of my church there are:
- A letter asking for the congregation members to increase their giving.
- A Form for a donation for the restoration of the Church Organ.
- A box for contributions towards paying off a loan which the church took out to paint the entire church.
So much emphasis on money. God seems to be set aside. has any one asked has the money stopped coming because of this very fact. The church has become a den of thieves only focusing on that which god detests. Money is the root of all evil. It is a man made concept and has no place in God’s kingdom.
I am not saying the church doesn’t need money. I’m just saying they need it less than they need God’s approval. I really believe that when the church is less focused on money and more focused on God, that God will start providing for his people, for his church.
