Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Wednesday April 8, 2009

The biblical events relating to Jesus during the last week of His Incarnate ministry have for near fifty years fascinated me.

As He entered Jerusalem the account tells us that after cleaning the temple of greedy thieves and hardhearted religionists, and announcing the purpose of His house is to be the house of prayer, he then healed several people of ailments far removed from the ability of medicine then or now to cure. In the midst of the high drama unfolding around Him, He took the time and effort to do something about the suffering of the helpless, thus delivering them from hopelessness.

On His cleansing of the temple, I have to admit to having heard some of the most outlandish ideas imaginable over the years. Actually the cleansing has nothing to do with church buildings for we are told that each believer in Christ is the temple of God, thus this action by the Lord has to do with His cleaning up the inner life of the believer and setting a continuous cleansing in action for the duration of life.

In the passage Christ gives one criterion above all others for the Christian to measure his or her level of commitment in following Christ. What is His stated purpose of His "temple?" A house/person of prayer.

In my now getting to be long life I have seen it all. People are experts on this, that or the other, and many a person who can raise money is the living end. Another is really good at manipulating the saints and wow, if we can only learn his/her secret, we too will be mighty in the Lord. During the course of my life as a Christian I have worn several hats that are deemed worthy in our world. At one time I was known as an up and coming young pastor. Also a good revivalist, and boy can that guy raise money. I was also called by names that would be unbecoming in a Christian piece.

To my chagrin I admit that throughout my Christian experience I have never been known as a person of prayer. Oh, I pray, but I know it is easier to get people to give money to a cause than it is to pray. It is my experience that it is easier to do anything noted as Christian work than to really pray.

When real prayer is going on in your heart, all the things of materialism, greed and larceny mentioned in the cleansing of the temple come to mind and you cannot really communicate with the Lord in the spirit until you deal with the actions and attitudes that He keeps bringing to mind. I would pray more often and with more fervency if He would back off on some things He insists on bringing up. He is NOT warm and fuzzy about hindrances to prayer. So, unless I am willing to surrender to His dealing, I actually feel better if I do NOT pray. For shame, for shame. It is only when I can truly sing Tinley's song, "Nothing Between" can I enter the joy of prayer.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2009 Use with credit

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