And as he [Jesus] taught them, he said, “Is it not written:
” ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?
But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.'”Mark 11:17 (NIV)
Is your church a place of prayer for all nations?
Why, when walking into many modern churches are we brought into a commerce-like atmosphere, instead of a prayer-like atmosphere? I walk into the church and have the option of going to the coffee shop and buying specialty coffee drinks, bakery goodies, soups, and sandwiches. Next I pass the bookstore, where I can pick up the latest in fashionable Christian books, Bibles, and paraphernalia. When special guests speak or lead worship, there are stands set up to hawk their CDs, t-shirts, and more.
I enjoy those things. It’s convenient and fun to have such trendy things at your church. But I am brought to the realization, through Jesus’ rebuke, that our love of money is harming our love for God and for the nations.