A Day in the Temple

"It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  

Matt 21:13

 

Within a cash register tape's width of the front door, the merchandising begins. Scripture verses dress up ceramic flowers and figurines. A dove logo makes a standard purple candle into a “prayer candle.” Tiny red-and-white life preservers announce that "Jesus Saves." Bookmarks, bracelets, and assorted bric-a-brac ask "What Would Jesus Do?"   Hmmm, what would Jesus do if He walked into one of these stores, or worse, into the lobby of some of our churches?  Is our faith now defined by the merchandising industry?

 

OK, I won’t crack too hard on the nail-cross pendant business, but I think the bigger question that begs to be answered is this:  How do we present our faith to the world around us?  See the issue that day in the temple was not that it was a sin to sell something to a person of faith, but rather the effect that it had on those who came to worship the Living God.  

 

Join us Sunday as we look at a day in the temple.

 

Till the whole world hears...

 

Pastor Clay