Jesus Cleanses Us
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”John 2: 13 - 22
18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again
in three days.”20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build
this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?”
21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he
was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had
said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
John 2: 13-22
A Thought From the Pastor
I met a pastor from downstate this week for coffee and our purpose was to transition Trent and Myrissa, a couple from our church who are leaving our church family to move downstate to reconcile their family which had been separated due to their previous lives of chaos and addiction. It was a true joy for two pastors and Trent and Myrissa to discuss how God will continue his work with them at a new location but that we are all part of God’s “big” family.
The pastor of the church downstate and I met briefly before Trent and Myrissa arrived at the coffee shop. He introduced himself and then told me that he was a “recovering Pharisee.” I had an idea what this might mean from a theology aspect, but asked him to expand on what he meant. He related that he was a Christian for over twenty years and was performance based in everything that he did in his spiritual life. His boss asked him one day “Are you ever satisfied in life and why don’t you have any joy in what you do?” This struck him deeply as his boss wasn’t a Christian and viewed him in this manner. The pastor took a spiritual inventory of his life and quit his successful career. He enrolled in seminary and let the Holy Spirit invade his life and cleanse him of his checklist mentality. His found he was alternating between toxic pride on his successes and crushing shame with his failures. He now leads a growing church downstate that is bringing people to God everyday and his humility and love for his mission for God were evident in his discussion of this new life.
We are reminded in John 2 that we all need to let Jesus cleanse us of anything that is not Holy. We need to trade self righteousness for Christ’s righteousness. It means admitting that our neat, tidy, well-behaved life cannot save us any more than outright rebellion. We need to tear up our spiritual scorescard and let God’s grace invade our souls and cleanse us.
A “recovering Pharisee” must invite Jesus to walk through the temple of their own heart and allow him to flip the tables of our self-righteousness and our desire to have control and always “look good” for others. The beauty is when Jesus cleans out the clutter of religion that we often use to “be holy,” we will begin to experience the freedom of a relationship with Him and start living from the inside out. This disruption and change can turn our lives into a house of worship and rest. Aren’t you ready to let Jesus invade your temple today?
Prayerful Planning
- Thank you to everyone who took time to volunteer with the Emmet County Fair this week. It was a very productive week and the financial resources from the week will be used to support our community luncheon and food pantries. It was a family effort and we are blessed to have Mary Ann organize such a big undertaking. Give Mary Ann a big hug today!
Plans and Events at PCOC
- 8/31 - Community Kitchen @ 11:30 - 12:30 @ PCoC.
- 9/2 - Women’s and Men’s Bible Studies @ 6:30 pm @ PCoC.
- 9/3 - Church Prayer Group @ 10:30 am @ PCoC.
- 9/4 - Bridge Street Service @ 6:30 pm @ The Bridge
Purpose For This Week
- Pray that we would seek to follow Jesus.
- Pray that we would learn to live as His disciples.
- Pray that we would find joy in following him and becoming his disciples.
Praise Reports & Prayer Requests
- Please continue to pray for Trent and Myrissa as they are moving downstate to be closer to their families and the opportunities it will provide for reconciliation with their children. Please pray for this transition and that God would place them in a church community and that they would be able to trust God during this time of transition. Plese conntinue to keep the health of Myrissa and her baby in your prayers as well.
- Please pray for Ruthie Eby and her continued health problems. Please pray that they can determine causes and that Ruthie will return to her previous health. Please cover the Eby family during this time as well.
- Please continue to cover many of church members in prayer that are walking in recovery everyday. Pray for their strength in this battle and that God would provide the strength to say sober.