Simplify II

Matt.18:^2-5 (MSG) “…unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom…”

Our third lesson in simplicity is from Luke 19:45-46 (please read). In this passage, the ‘church’ had now become a market place. We all have been to a market place, a lot of our malls can be categorized as such in the sense of chaos, rowdiness, everybody talking at the same time and a lot of confusion. God’s house is a house of prayer. God’s house is not a place for commerce. The church is not a place to buy and sell. Everything we do at God’s Favourite House is either for free, at cost price, or less than cost price – everything. There is nothing we do for profit. Our devotionals (both adults and children) for instance, are sold for less than the cost price.

There is nothing we do that is about profit, by God’s grace, and it was a deliberate choice we made. Most of our resources can be obtained for free online. I have made up my mind I will never sell God’s Word. It is a decision I have made based on the fact that My Father did not sell it so, why should I? There is nothing a man has that was not given to him. All the revelations, all the hours of praying, the Bible study – was it not given? Freely we have received, so we have to give freely also. The objective is to help people grow spiritually. At our God Will Do It Again services you will never find us selling anointing oil at exorbitant prices, just because we know it will be in high demand. That would be abuse and that is what Jesus is addressing in Luke 19:45-46. The point is this, God’s house should never be a place for profiteering.

It was believed only the animals sold at the temple were good enough for the sacrifices the people needed to make. Any other animal that was brought in was deemed unfit, everyone had to buy from the temple. Guess what? The animals being sold in the temple were about four times more expensive than the animals in the open market. A direct application would be to say, it is only the anointing oil bought from church that will work, and any other would not suffice. What is that? Jesus says, “My house shall be a house of prayer”. It must be for service, not profit. There are church consultants whose job is to tell you how much you can milk based on the size of your congregation. I say to them, we are not interested in making money, we are interested in making disciples.

Prayer: Father, I pray that my service in Your house will be a worthy sacrifice for Your glory and not about selfish gain, in Jesus Name. Amen!