Christ Is Victor
September/October 2000 Vol. 13, No. 5
"My
House Shall be Called the House of Prayer"- Mark
If we ask a man on the street to identify a house of prayer, I wonder what he would say. Probably, he would point to a place where charms are sold and weird counsels given, and call it a house of prayer.
The very conception of House of prayer has totally disappeared, in most countries. A house of annual festivity of one sort or another, or a house where devotees dance with their bodies smeared with oil or bright colours, or a house which resounds with chants not easily understood- yes, you will find. But what is a House of prayer and where is one to find it? Surely not in modern Christendom!
Someone took me over to see a very beautiful church building in the
A church without a prayer meeting is a dead church. You and your children are not going to get anything of lasting value from a prayerless church.
What is known as the church is a body of believers, who have found in Jesus forgiveness of sins and deliverance from sin and pray effectively from their hearts; withal, enjoying true and loving fellowship with each other.
Where there is true love, there is always genuine concern and heartfelt prayer. Now, that is what the Lord Jesus wished to see in the temple. But alas! He heard only the bleating of the sheep, the dolorous cooing of doves kept there to be sold as sacrifices, the vigorous and vociferous haggling over purchases and the jingling of coins at the moneychangers. You can well imagine what a shock and sorrow all this noisy cacophony of voices and sounds must have been to Him!
"My house shall be called the house of prayer for all people." Jesus found the temple to be anything but a House of prayer. There was neither the atmosphere of prayer nor were there men intent on prayer there. The heart of the Saviour was filled with anguish and abhorrence and He cried, "Ye have made the house of prayer a den of thieves."
I don’t know how commercialism and a money-motive slowly and imperceptibly attaches itself to a religious cause. Then it soon develops into a stranglehold and be sure, it is all downhill, from that point. Where prayer was wont to be made, it is fights and arguments instead! Where there were godly and upright men before, crooks and clever dissemblers take over. Thereafter, a heartless commercialism holds sway over what was meant to be a spiritual institution, or a place where the weary and the heartbroken find peace with God and rest. I’m sure there are still some right-thinking men, who are well and truly fed up with the manner in which religious places of worship have become the seats of moneymaking racketeers. These temples do not promote holiness of life but are hotbeds of immorality and vice. Thugs and thieves do not come here to pray and repent, but to express their appreciation for a religious system or deity who, they feel, has helped to fill their coffers with money, regardless of its being ill gotten.
A temple is a House of prayer, where sin is rebuked and from which men return wholly transformed. Men who had gone there under the grip of alcohol return with an abhorrence of liquor, and crooks turn into straight-living men. They have had an encounter with God in the temple and their lives have been transformed. This transformation or new life penetrates deep into the total-life of the recipients. Where he was a failure as a father, he begins to make amends. In the place of a home-wrecker, we have now a homebuilder—a man who can be trusted as a true and faithful husband, anywhere he goes. Yes, meeting the Lord Jesus produces in you a change of life which thrills you and makes you wonder at yourself.
On the other side of the picture, you see men who approach a religious festival, with the grossest of motives. They never once heard that a visit to the temple should be with the firm intention of praying and getting right with God. Such an idea is novel and totally alien to many people in our world today.
While walking through the majestic St. Peter’s in
Standing in a long line of waiting people, who had traveled great distances to get a fleeting glimpse of a famous gilded idol, a young man told me that he had indulged in grossly unclean deeds, in broad daylight! His visit to a fabled temple had only worked him up to a state of uncontrolled bestiality! A den of thieves indeed!—where men are robbed of their virtue and women of their virginity.
It looks as though, currently, in the name of religion, almost anything can be done. What a tragedy!
The Lord Jesus, who had come into this world to die for mankind’s sins, was heart-broken, when He saw the temple of His day devoid of prayer and true godliness. Nor did He get paralyzed by the scene of prolific wickedness- He cast out the wicked from the temple and cleansed it.
When we are washed in Jesus’ Blood, the dynamic of God’s holiness takes hold of us; the uncleanness and wickedness around us hides its head in shame and flees from us. There is something vitally wrong with a Christianity that cannot change the world around it and usher in purity of life, where none existed.
The thieves and evil men are turned into soul-winners, when Jesus comes in; and a scene of total spiritual desolation and moral bankruptcy is changed into a scene of spiritual revival and renewal, when you repent before the Crucified and Risen Saviour who is waiting to cleanse and receive you. Oh, may the Living Saviour bring a cleansing wave of revival over homes and nations.
- Excerpt from "Pray with Purpose" by Joshua Daniel, Published by Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship International
Where
Your Treasure Is, There Will Your Heart Be Also
You can’t carry a single penny, when you reach the end of your time. While leaving earthly sphere, all cash transactions stop here.
"…When he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." Matthew 13:45-46. Each of us is a collector. Some collect coins, stamps, baseball cards, paintings and the list goes on. If you analyze yourself you will find that you are a collector of "treasures". The Bible says where your treasure is there lies your heart. Are you wasting your time and money when not a single item can go with you after death? You need to obtain the only thing that you can have now and take with you when you die- Eternal Life.
Eternal life is possible from God as a free gift you can choose. Social work and doing good cannot buy you this eternal life. You can’t throw up a rope and climb to Heaven-it has to be dropped down. When you admit to your helplessness and hopelessness and call out to Him from your heart, He will listen and help you.
When you know that you are going to lose even your last penny, what have you to lose by calling on God’s mercy and pardon through Jesus? You only have eternal life to gain! Go ahead! Choose for yourself.
- by A.C. Johnson, M.D
Reality
Check
"For
the love of money is the root of all evil." 1
Timothy 6:10
"And
he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the
treasury."-Luke 21:1
Jesus looked at the treasury and at the rich people. He was assessing how
much of their heart and faith was going with their money into God’s
treasury. Many give to God; but there is no faith content in their giving at
all. Nothing in it contributes to the extension of the
We have had many kinds of people who helped us. Some served for their wages. Some chose to serve God with us. A man who served for many years felt depressed whenever he felt his finances were low. He left us and found a situation where he could earn much money. He did earn well, but his wife became sick. He himself became possessed with the love of money. Another servant who valued his stay with us later took the gospel to his village and brought much blessing to people. He spent his own money in this service.
When rich people empty themselves in God’s service, they are filled. God fills them with great joy.
At the time when people were offering to God, Jesus was watching. He saw a widow. She was really a widow. There are some ladies who have husbands, yet they are like widows even while their husbands are alive. Their husbands do not love them or care for them. They do not know to whom to cry during their trouble. There are some others who are in the same plight, but they do not murmur at God. "How can I glorify God in this situation?" The husband of Pandita Rama Bai died. Did she behave like a widow? Did she despair? How many missionaries were inspired by her prayers! She had great faith. When a saintly widow prays, it is a blessing. Even angels will obey such women. Losing the husband will not be a calamity to them. ‘I can serve God. I will not lose heart. I will make my children obey God,’ is what they would say.
Proverbs 4:5 ‘Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.’ ‘Take care of your heart.’ This widow took care of her heart. Solomon did not take care of his heart. When Herod built a big temple, the disciples pointed at the stones to Jesus. Jesus said all these stones would be broken one day. Herod was a murderer and adulterer. Yet he was building the temple. When those who live in sin give money to the Church their example does such great damage that the offering is not accepted by God. All the young people are influenced by the bad example. We should weep day and night to God.
Although David advised Solomon as much as he could, yet Solomon’s heart was distracted by the women he married. David had warned Solomon to take care of his heart. How is your heart? The widow’s heart was perfect when she gave those two mites. It was her all. Can you give all? Somewhere in some corner you want to have something you cannot give. The widow said in her heart, ‘God is with me and that is enough.’ Do you take care of your heart when you read popular magazines? When you move with people belonging to a high society do their clothes and life-style attract you? Do you borrow money to spend like them? Something is wrong with you. Take care of your heart. It is God’s treasure house. Out of it can come great songs which can inspire the whole world. Wesleyan hymns are great. I see my needs are expressed in these songs. They used to make me kneel down and pray.
Where is our faith? This widow was robust in faith. Jesus took note of it. When you have faith God takes note of it. When we came to this city, God gave us this promise: II Chron. 7:15 ‘Now mine eyes shall be open and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.’ Your prayer is never lost. The humble prayers of my wife and me are fulfilled now. Because of the element of faith in your prayer it will not be lost. God’s eye is fixed on your house. David lost that blessing once. You too can lose it. Real faith never loses contact with God.
The widow’s heart was with God. It is good to have such a woman in any prayer group. John Wesley had some men who were sanctified and were so close to God that Wesley said he could not compare with them. He wondered at their sanctity. A woman like this, is a treasure. When a woman takes hold of God, she can be very sincere. If a man finds a wife who loves the Lord he gets a treasure. The widow was right with the Lord. Her face would have been bright and shining when she came to offer the two mites. We cannot tell how happy she felt when she saw Jesus.
Jesus did not want money. Yet He watched the offering of the people. He made a remark of commendation when this widow put in her two mites. Jesus looks at our heart. When Joshua commanded the sun to stand still God was with him. His heart was right with God. His voice was God’s voice.
How is our heart? How is your mind when you go to church? I always
considered my time in the Church precious. I listened to the message carefully.
Shall we be fully consecrated? Zech. 3:7;
-Late Mr. N. Daniel
Rich
in God
Mary Bosanquet was the daughter of a wealthy English merchant. She belonged to the elite. She wore the finest and the most expensive clothes and jewelry. Her father knew all the "right" people. Whatever Mary lacked she only needed to buy. What more could she want? But something like a bombshell soon exploded in the Bosanquet home. Mary was invited to attend meetings held by the Methodist Society. Without telling her father, she went to a service, then more services.
Then it happened! Wealthy Mary Bosanquet was converted. She felt as though she were floating on clouds. Oh, the joy of it! She told her father. He was ashamed that she was dropping out to join the Society of Methodists! How cruel, how ungrateful!
What was more, Mary invited her brothers to the meetings and spoke to them about their souls! She began to dress plainly like people in the Society of Methodists. That added insult to injury, and one day her father came to her with a demand.
"Mary, there is a promise I require of you. That is, that you will never, now or hereafter, try to make your brothers what you call ‘Christian’."
Mary replied, "Father, I dare not consent to that."
"If you refuse to consent to that, you force me to put you out of my house!"
"According to your view of things, I will do."
Her father chided, "You don’t appreciate what I provide for you; you wear the plain clothes of those people!"
How could poor Mary explain that she really loved her father and appreciated his interest and provision? But she was resolute in her reply: "When I think of the word ‘holiness’, or of the adorable name of Jesus, my heart seems to be on fire for God more than ever before. I cannot go with you any more to places of amusement; neither can I wear the expensive clothes you buy me. I must be God’s and His alone." Imagine a young man or woman being uplifted by the thought of holiness or the name of Jesus!
Mary’s father was furious and told her to pack her things. He summoned the family coach and soon Mary, with her belongings in one trunk, literally left home to follow Christ. Her young maid and companion, who was also a Christian, was allowed to accompany her. At the parting, Mary told her father of a promise God had given from Revelation 3:4.
"God has promised me that I shall walk with Him in white."
From the homes of the rich, finely gabled and terraced with servants’ quarters and lush, beautiful gardens, the coach traveled to Laytonstone where the homes of the poor stood. Mary’s new residence had two rooms, with a dismal view of chimneystacks and the filthy yards of her neighbours. She had not brought candles, and she borrowed a table and two chairs. But she had "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (Philippians 4:7)
Mary was driven to her knees many times, and there she found Jesus, the "fairest of ten thousand". The Lord reminded her with the words of the psalmist: "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up." (Psalm 27:10) The Lord kept His promise; He never failed her. Mary often said, "Why, I am brought out of the world, and I have nothing to do but to be holy for God: holy in body and in spirit. What a happy soul I am! Truly my abode is a bit of heaven."
Prayer meetings were held in Mary’s new home and one woman after another asked to join. Their numbers grew to such proportions that Mary appealed to John Wesley to send them a preacher for Sunday services, which he did. Mary took a number of children into her home, and about thirty adults. They depended wholly on the Lord for sustenance. God, the Father of the fatherless, never failed to supply their needs.
Mary’s father put her out of the family in 1760. Some 37 years later,
Henry F. Lyte was born in
Jesus, I my cross have taken.
All to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my all shalt be;
Perish every fond ambition,
All I’ve sought and hoped, and known;
Yet how rich is my condition,
God, and heav’n are still my own!
Let the world despise and leave,
They have left my Saviour too;
Human hearts and looks deceive me;
Thou art not like man, untrue;
And while Thou shalt smile upon me,
God of Wisdom, love, and might,
Foe may hate, and friends may shun me;
Show Thy face, and all is bright.
-Selected