45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; 46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.
REC̵ŎVERY, n. The act of regaining, retaking or obtaining possession of any thing lost.1
Recovering the spiritual temple of the soul of man was the mission of Christ, of which this external example provides the type. The Temple in Jerusalem, set apart by God to be the place of His manifest presence, had degenerated into a place of greed and self-serving. Christ called it "a den of thieves." Recovery requires the removal of anything that stands in the way of restoration. The purpose of the temple is expressed by Christ, "God's House of Prayer." It was not fulfilling that purpose and must be recovered.
Our souls are in dire need of recovery. Our earthen vessels are weak and feeble. Even the strongest man in the world can't stop a bullet to the chest. Yet, we walk around and degrade our bodies and fill our souls with junk. We live as if we're invincible. We crowd out the worship of God for the worship of created things. We need the mighty Jesus to barge in and take possession. It belongs to Him, by the way.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
Recovery requires regaining, retaking, or obtaining any possession of any thing lost. We've lost our awe of God's majesty. It must be regained. We've lost the wonder of answered prayer. It must be regained. We've lost the fear of grace, whereby we serve Him joyfully and yielded; it must be retrieved. We've lost the holy boldness to declare Jesus as Lord to a lost and dying world. It must be regained.
We need the conquering Jesus to manifest Himself in our souls once more and retake the ground we've given up to the enemy. Worship cannot take place in us so long as our souls are housing thieves.
Thieves steal our affection from God. They rob God of what is duly His by right of conquest. They embezzle our time and talent. They ransack our minds from meditating on His glory and splendor. They extort and injure our testimony and leave us bleeding on the side of the road, leaving us destitute of hope.
We need revival. We require that Good Samaritan to pass by and see us in our condition and restore us.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
Its time for an eviction notice. Jesus has issued it:
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
We are not greater in might and power than the world, the flesh, and the devil. But Jesus is. He has defeated death, the grave, hell, and Satan. Jesus is the "Stronger than he" and can "spoil" the house of thieves. He can recover us. He can restore us to a right relationship with God. He can clean our souls and make us fit for worship once again.
29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
Lord Jesus, we confess we've allowed the enemy to steal our joy, steal our devotion, and rob us of worshiping You in spirit and truth. We are weak, but You are strong. We seek You again, to right the wrongs in our hearts. Show us what must go in our lives that hinder Your working in us. Purify our hearts. Revive us again!
The Recovery of Praise
06/29/2020
Day 181: The Recovery of Praise
Luke 19:45–46 (AV)
45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; 46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.
REC̵ŎVERY, n. The act of regaining, retaking or obtaining possession of any thing lost.1
1 Webster, Noah. Noah Webster's first edition of An American Dictionary of the English language. 2006: n. pag. Print.
Recovering the spiritual temple of the soul of man was the mission of Christ, of which this external example provides the type. The Temple in Jerusalem, set apart by God to be the place of His manifest presence, had degenerated into a place of greed and self-serving. Christ called it "a den of thieves." Recovery requires the removal of anything that stands in the way of restoration. The purpose of the temple is expressed by Christ, "God's House of Prayer." It was not fulfilling that purpose and must be recovered.
Our souls are in dire need of recovery. Our earthen vessels are weak and feeble. Even the strongest man in the world can't stop a bullet to the chest. Yet, we walk around and degrade our bodies and fill our souls with junk. We live as if we're invincible. We crowd out the worship of God for the worship of created things. We need the mighty Jesus to barge in and take possession. It belongs to Him, by the way.
1 Corinthians 6:19
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
Recovery requires regaining, retaking, or obtaining any possession of any thing lost. We've lost our awe of God's majesty. It must be regained. We've lost the wonder of answered prayer. It must be regained. We've lost the fear of grace, whereby we serve Him joyfully and yielded; it must be retrieved. We've lost the holy boldness to declare Jesus as Lord to a lost and dying world. It must be regained.
We need the conquering Jesus to manifest Himself in our souls once more and retake the ground we've given up to the enemy. Worship cannot take place in us so long as our souls are housing thieves.
Thieves steal our affection from God. They rob God of what is duly His by right of conquest. They embezzle our time and talent. They ransack our minds from meditating on His glory and splendor. They extort and injure our testimony and leave us bleeding on the side of the road, leaving us destitute of hope.
We need revival. We require that Good Samaritan to pass by and see us in our condition and restore us.
Luke 10:33–34 (AV)
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
Its time for an eviction notice. Jesus has issued it:
John 10:10
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
We are not greater in might and power than the world, the flesh, and the devil. But Jesus is. He has defeated death, the grave, hell, and Satan. Jesus is the "Stronger than he" and can "spoil" the house of thieves. He can recover us. He can restore us to a right relationship with God. He can clean our souls and make us fit for worship once again.
Matthew 12:29
29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
Lord Jesus, we confess we've allowed the enemy to steal our joy, steal our devotion, and rob us of worshiping You in spirit and truth. We are weak, but You are strong. We seek You again, to right the wrongs in our hearts. Show us what must go in our lives that hinder Your working in us. Purify our hearts. Revive us again!