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What's YOUR Testimony?????

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Saturday, September 6, 2008

A House of Prayer...

'My house shall be called a house of prayer...'

Remember the story of Jesus over turning tables in the Temple? Running out money changers and those selling the animals for the offering?

I watched an excellent video today, a sermon by Jim Cymbila from the Brooklyn Tabernacle in NY. He spoke an awesome message about God's House being a house of pray. It got me thinking- Do I treat God's house like I do my house? (Ouch! The dust in piled high at the moment and the kitchen needs a good scrub!) Am I really treating God's House (the church building) as a House of Prayer? I am going there with Him in mind and ready to devote myself to Him for the time I am there- placing my full attention on Him?

One thing that Jim pointed out in his sermon (though not his main point) was that the people that Jesus drove out of the temple were SUPPOSED to be there. You needed the correct money type (currency) to pay your taxes/temple fee and those selling animals there were needed. Many people could not bring animals from their home due to the distance and conditions. BUT the point Jim made was that they changed it from a heart of worship to a means to rip the fellow worshipper off. Charging and an arm and a leg for the sacrifice needed knowing that the people would pay!

SO- has my attention shifted from going to God's House for worship and time with Him to a social gathering or a just because it is Sunday?

My prayer:
Lord, I know that I have let the reason for going to your house slip away... why I go, I sometime don't really know! But I know that you want it to be because I want time with you. I want it to be for the time with you. I want it to be all about You, Lord. So Lord, please forgive me! Forgive me for making it in to something that it was not meant to be and help me make it all about YOU! All about You and what You want to do in and through me!
In Jesus' Name, Amen

I challenge you: Take a look at your intentions. Not just in going to God's House (your church) but in your daily activities. They can all be all about God and for God's glory! If you need to, ask for God's forgiveness. Ask Him for help to make him the center of it all!

2 comments:

Blue Tourmaline said...

wow! that is a tough thing to look at sometimes. It is a good reminder that God looks at the heart. It is so easy to just go through the motions sometimes!

rebecca said...

I was taught that our homes should be like a house of the lord (temples, churches, etc). It seems we go in and out of phases of it being that way too. We were reading scriptures morning and night and praying as a family, then we went on vacation and lost the habit (at least the consistency). But this is a great reminder that everyone needs to put forth effort to make the home a place for God to dwell.