Consider these things before the Lord... might he give you understanding.

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“Putting our house in order today.”

 

By the content of a teacher’s instructions we have a clear idea of what a teacher thinks are the real needs of the students.

 

Illustration

 

After many months of confinement, I went to see my Doctor. My Doctor and I know about my sicknesses. We find ourselves almost in a class reunion talking about the same things in different words.

 

Then it hit me, “I heard these things before and I agreed with the treatment and here we are again and again talking the same thing.” Somehow, I was hoping that the doctor might change but he does not change the treatment except for adjusting plus or minus this or that medicine. He cannot change because my illnesses are the same. 

 

In a bout of sincerity, I told my Doctor, “I have been treating you like my congregation has treated me. They agree with the content of my sermons whole heartedly and enthusiastically, sometimes with tears of joy, but after the sermon is over they forget their resolution to obey.” (My Doctor laughed with delight and relief that others are letting me have a taste on my own medicine.)

 

Since we were in a happy mood, I asked him, “Since I am already in bed, can you check my filter and change my oil”. He laughed again and proceeded to check (…) and said it is in excellent condition. Yahooo!!)

 

If this sounds familiar to you, let me tell you that it’s a common practice to doctor ourselves physically as well as spiritually to play the role of Amateur Provinces. Bear with me one more time my friends because it is Sunday and I have no other message but the matter of Prayer.

 

As a Licensed and Ordained ministry of the Gospel of Jesus, I declare that Faith in Prayer According to the Word and Will of God is what our entire planet and its inhabitants need the most.

 

 What do the Teacher and Master think of our Prayer life?

 

“The Church as an organism or as an organization is either the House of prayer or a den of robbers.”

 

The Lion has roared, who will not fear, the Lord has spoken! Who will but not Prophesy?” Amos 3:8 God has spoken in Jesus.

 

Jesus is the Lion of Judah. God the Father said: “Listen to him.”

 

Jesus is the head of the church and believers are members of his body. “Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there.  He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a “den of robbers.”

 

To the best of my recollection, this is the only passage of scripture where the righteous anger of Jesus, who so loved the world, was manifested revealing the will of God in regard to his house and revealing men’s shortcomings in the church.

 

Yes, my beloved, “The Lion of Judah has roared.” Jesus has spoken.

 

The will and intention of God has been made crystal clear for all generations to prophesy that more than a house of business, the house of the Lord is supposed to be known as a house of prayer. God has provided plenty of reasons to pray.

 

Our attitude toward prayer will make each of us in the church either robbers or faithful children of God. Doctor Jesus will not change the prescription or seek to accommodate his will to our will.

 

As a loving father, a man does not have children in order to have more help in the fields to bring more food to the table. No, he has children in order to love them and have sweet communion with them.

 

In the same way our Father who art in Heaven has not created us to help him or to endlessly teach and instruct us, but to have sweet enjoyment of which Prayer is the umbilical cord.

 

GOD CREATED US TO LOVE US.

 

Should you fail to agree and accept this wonderful truth then you have condemned yourself to a subtle form of bondage whereby every act of yours is still the “good works” from which Jesus rescued you with a strong hand.

 

Adam and Eve robbed God from what was not theirs breaking trust and communion, and the human race is still paying the consequences.

 

But our Lord knowing that we were unable to pay such debt, he sent his son Jesus to take the blame and pay the cost of our reconciliation with God and one another on the Cross.

 

IT’S FINISHED. It’s been paid in full.

 

Therefore, not to believe such a great salvation is robbing oneself from the wealth that we have in Jesus.

 

A rich thief becomes poor again by robbing daily from himself. It is like a dog furiously chasing its own tail where success is nothing but a self-inflicted wound.

 

Today Arabs and Jews are shaking hands to give peace a chance. The children of Hagar and Sarah are smiling, one to the other as when they were young. If trust is established, then fear is absent, that is very important because as someone said, “You cannot love whom you fear.”

 

Pray for the peace of God’s people.

 

Today Let the Lord dwell in his house with his children. Start by entering into the closet of your heart and in the intimacy of that chamber give God what is of God, making memory of the Garden at the cool of the day.

 

This was the roaring of a fearful cub on duty.

 

Gerry Gutierrez.

 

PS. Pray to our Father in Heaven, “Your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as in Heaven.” The best prayer is to listen to him and just repeat after Jesus, “This, then, is how you should Pray.” Our need is the same and the message is also the same. Pray!!