CLEAN UP!

John 2:13-17
13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So He made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned the tables. 16 To those who sold doves He said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father's house into a market!" 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for Your house will consume Me."

Which describes your bedroom: clothes in piles on the floor, empty fast-food containers and books everywhere? Or the picture of pure organization?

If the first picture is your room, then you are probably a guy. Forget stereotypes. Eighty percent are just this side of livable. Now if you're married, I'll bet your room is a lot cleaner than it used to be!

Jesus liked to keep "His place" clean, so to speak. And when a lot of buying and selling started taking place in the temple, He cleaned house.

The area where all of this commerce commenced was the Court of the Gentiles. Non-Jews could go no farther into the temple, no closer to God's presence. An area that was supposed to be used for teaching had become a spiritual mini-mall, and Jesus took care of business.

Jesus wants to "clean house" in our temple too--both individually and collectively. The Bible refers to each Christian as a "temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 6:19) and to all Christians as living stones of a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). Jesus wants both temples to stay clean.

When the Pharisees challenged Jesus' authority to run everyone off, He pointed ahead to His resurrection: "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days" (John 2:19). (The Pharisees thought He was talking about the literal temple.)

When it comes to cleaning our temple, we can be like the Pharisees. We think in outside terms: We promise to pray more, read the Bible more, go to church or Bible study more.

But God wants to cleanse our temple on the inside--changing who we are instead of merely what we do. Only His Holy Spirit can do that.

That unmade bed and pile of dirty clothes is still your responsibility. But get God involved in cleaning your "temple." He knows how to get things in order. Pray and repent of the unclean things piling up in your heart. --John Carvalho

DESTINATION POINTS

*When was the last time I allowed God to "cleanse my temple"?
* What is the first thing He would address today? * Lord, only You can renew me through Your Holy Spirit. I open my life to You and invite You to cleanse me and forgive me of my sinful ways. Strengthen my faith to follow You.

LINKS:
Free In The Spirit
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0307

bottom line: The Holy Spirit helps us to see the dirt inside.

soul journey