O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy. (Habbakuk 3:2)
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of thieves.’ ”
Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”
And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” (Matthew 21:12-16)
We have sought revival in our time through pray, and I believe our Lord is saying there is a move of God coming soon to revive the church and His people in our land.
He is coming to restore His presence to His church, and in us as His holy temples. As the Word of God, Jesus is also coming to restore His truth in our midst.
Jesus is coming by His Spirit, and will move in our midst to make space in His church and and His people for prayer, for He is seeking for us to be a house(s) of prayer.
He is coming to make space for healing in our church and through us – not just for the whole, but rather for the broken.
He is coming to restore pure worship in His church and our lives, child-like worship that is from the heart.
This is revival in our midst.
He is making space by removing the ‘business’ of church, and the traditions of old. Turning the tables on those who have made church more about a business and an opportunity for personal gain, rather than being about Jesus, a place of prayer, and sacrifice for others. He is going to turn the tables on those who justify making gatherings more like a commercial operation on the basis that it helps you, with the pretence of godliness, having lost sight that first and foremost it is a place of communion with God, and His home.
He is moving upon our lives to uproot us from our comfortable ways, where we prefer those that make us comfortable, rather than those who are broken, and whose appearance does not speak of wholeness. This is not like the days of the Old Testament, where only those who are whole can make an offering. Jesus invites all into His house.
God is changing us such that worship is no longer more about man’s practice and something to listen to, rather coming from us with a heart of child like faith. This is not like the days of the Old Testament, where only those who are the designated priests can lead worship. Nor is it a worship song to listen to, it comes from each of us with child-like wonder.
Jesus Christ desire His church to be a place of His presence, prayer, healing, worship, and His word. So to He desires this in each of us. It is perhaps easy to look at the church as say, yes and amen to this word, but harder to honestly acknowledge that this message also applies to us individually.
Am I letting the business of life hindering His presence in my life, pushing prayer to the back burner as other things have higher priority. Do I really reach out to help and help others who have need around me, or only those who I am comfortable with? Is my worship from pure heart, or with an agenda. Does ny life reflect that there is only one true God, or am I on that throne?
God in His mercy will come to us in the name of Jesus and challenge us, even turning the tables on our busy lives, to renew our focus on Him.
There is a move of Jesus coming to restore His presence, His word, prayer, healing, and pure worship to us and His church, but first He will make space for this. Pray that our hearts will be so moved, such that we make space for God, and remove those practices, traditions, and comforts that shut out His revival.
For those experiencing such a revival, and struggling to understand the similar changes they are seeing in their lives, or their churches, being comforted in the knowledge that this is the work of Jesus, and out of the mercy of our Father He works in us to revive us.
This too is His blueprint, For surely in His coming He does a work first in His house, which is each of us (as He has made His home in us), and in broader body of Christ, often represented by His church.
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