For the past couple of blogs, I have written about anger. I referred to Moses and David as examples of how to have proper, and righteous anger.

To finish up this little "blog series," I want to point out perhaps the most common example of a person having righteous anger. This example is also perhaps the most chilling and scary of any other example. That example and person is the account in the Bible of Jesus Christ and His cleansing of the temple. Not since the display by Moses shown in Exodus, do see such flashings of anger and passion. Only this is no display of a mere mortal. This flash of anger is from God Himself! I refer to this example to serve as warning to all who are part of Christ's church today.

" It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem.

In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money.

Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables.

Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, 'Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!'

Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: 'Passion for God’s house will consume me.'"

-John 2:13-17 NLT

Can you imagine it? Think about the stains of animal waste and dirt covering the beautiful temple building in which at one time the Shakinah (glory) of God actually dwelt!

Prayers and sacrifice usually went up from inside its walls. Prayers asking for the Messiah to come. The sacrifices were offered as a temporary appeasement of the wrath of God on sin, and as a symbol and picture of the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin-Jesus Christ.

Well, the prayers had been answered, for the Messiah was indeed there! What did He find on His arrival into the house that as part of the Triune God, He at one time inhabited? He found greed, gluttony, lust and defilement.

He did not react diplomatically, or with political sensitivity. The only thing He held back was the full extent of His anger and wrath, for if He did not, then no doubt all there would have been killed, instead of only being rebuked and driven out.

However limited His anger was, it was obvious to all He was serious about the situation.
What made Jesus so mad? Was He against buisiness and commerce? Did He have a personal score to settle? No, of course not on both accounts. What angered Him so, was the fact that what was intended for God, and His worship and glory had been twisted and perverted into nothing but a center for the system of the world.

Worshippers were replaced with Soliciters. Speakers reading scripture had been replaced by salesman calling out bargains on animals for sale, or for low rates on money exchange.

It was nothing but a giant marketplace, with no ministry occuring at all.

I wish I could say that this horrible situation was limited to this scriptural account, and that Jesus does not have to deal with this creeping up again. However, in His own church-His bride, there exists in many places, and at various times, this same perverted, sinful, and shameful system, in place of the proper one.

I am not talking about contemporary Christian music, praise bands, new Bible versions, or modern, laid back style of clothing.

I am not talking about culturally appealing, or engaging outreaches incorporated by a church.

What I am referring to is the dangerous mindset in local church bodies all over our nation that marketing is just as vital as the mission of the church. The philosophy of ministry that says "we will do WHATEVER it takes to grow our church." The mindset that leaves out references to the blood of Jesus, Him being the ONLY way to heaven, references to the judgement on mankind for sin and the penalty for it being Hell.

What I am talking about is compromise.

What I am talking about is churches that are not being the Bride of Christ, but instead are merely a corporation with a cross on the building(if it's not really offensive to its target audience) or the name church somewhere on sign or brocheure.

What I am talking about is churches holding hands with the world's system and philosophy while singing songs like "Turn your eyes upon Jesus."

For those churches, may I say, the same Jesus who raged about the house of the Lord being turned into a market, is the same Jesus who had some serious warnings to some churches about this kind of thing in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. He's the same Jesus who is LORD, and the true Senior Pastor of His church, then and now!

I don't know about you, but I don't want to see Him get mad like that in person!

No, I'm not perfect by the farthest strecth of the imagination! I have so much junk at times in my spritual life its a wonder I'm still here! I do not have this all figured out!

Thankfully, the God of wrath is also the God of love and mercy!

Nor am I saying that the church is not benefical, powerful, or that it is hopeless. It is still God's method for bringing people to Himself in the world today!

What I am saying to all of us Christians, is as the church, we must make sure our goal is first and forever proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord, and the only way to know the Father, and to enter His Heaven.

We must proclaim and protect the Holy Word of God, not man's ideas or self help supplements.

We must not be so caught up in getting people in our doors, as much as people being changed and encountering God as a result of our ministry.

We must not have Entertainment as a goal or focus of our being a church. Our focus must be on joining together in worship of our Groom and Lord-Jesus Christ.

Our goal is to bring as many lost people to Him, seeing them transformed by the Holy Spirit's power!

Our goal must be serving Him, our fellow believers, and our communities.
We must remember our purpose as the church- That is being the Living Temple for God to inhabit. Then we will see what our Lord Jesus promised:

"If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to Myself."

That's what I want to contribute to and see. Not the Righteous anger of Jesus, cleaning house!

May we all join together in truth and the Spirit's power, thereby avoiding that tragedy.

God bless,

Chris