Matthew 21:12-13 NKJV

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

In other Scriptures and in other translations it says, “Do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” “Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace.” “Stop making my Father’s House a place of business.”

See John 2:13-17 in the NIV, ESV, NLT, and NASB

Well, back in that time period, The Temple of God was a physical building built by human hands. It was a physical location they went to. It was the house of God. And it was to be a place of prayer and of worship of God and of sacrifice and offerings to God, and of surrender to God to do his will. It was a place where the Scriptures were read and taught to the people. And it was a place of learning and growing in one’s faith in obedience to the Lord.

The Temple of God today shares many of the same characteristic traits as the Old Testament Temple, only it is not a physical building built by human hands. It is not a physical location to go to. It is the hearts, minds, and lives of those who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, who have denied self, died with Christ to sin, and who are, by the grace of God, walking (in conduct) in obedience to his commands, all in the power of God. We the people of God, by faith in Jesus, are the house of God in whom God dwells by his Spirit.

And we are to be people of prayer who genuinely worship our Lord in truth and in righteousness and holiness. And we are to sacrifice our lives to God and to his service. And we are to live holy lives pleasing to God, which is our reasonable and acceptable worship of God. And we are no longer to be conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but we are to be those who are changed in heart, mind, and behavior, by the Spirit of God, via faith in Jesus Christ, by death to sin, and by walks of obedience to his commands.

The Temple of God today is the church, the people of God who are of biblical faith in Jesus Christ. And our gatherings must reflect the character traits of the Temple of God and its biblical purpose, and they must not be turned into marketplaces and places of business to be marketed to the people of the world. Our purpose for gathering together should not be to entertain and to draw into our gatherings the ungodly of the world. But the purpose of our gatherings should be for our mutual edification and encouragement.

And if we are presently in a gathering called “church” which has turned “the church” into a place of business to be marketed to the world, because “the church” has united and partnered with the world and with the ungodly, we are instructed in the Scriptures that we are to come out from among them. We are not to partner with them in turning God’s house into a place of business, but we are to gather with the body of Christ for the purpose of helping one another to die to sin and to obey God and to live holy lives.

[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]

For when we gather together as the body of Christ, the church, we are to be following the leading of our Lord Jesus in what to do and in what to say and in how to conduct our gatherings reflective of God’s purposes for his church. God has assigned body parts for all of us within his body, and he has gifted us all with Spiritual gifts which he intends for us to use for the mutual encouragement and spiritual growth of one another. And we are to be speaking the truth of God’s word to one another for our edification.

As well, we are to be warning one another against “Wolves in Sheep’s clothing” who are out to destroy the church via their lies, their trickery, and their cunning and craftiness, so that none of us go after the lies while we reject the truth. And we are to be teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. And we are to be gathering together and exhorting and encouraging one another every day so none of us will be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

[Acts 2:14-18,42-47; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:12-16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20]

Zeal for Your House

Based off John 2:17; Psalms 69:9
An Original Work / August 1, 2016
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Zeal for Your house, it consumes me.
Lord, I love my times with You.
I love to worship You and sing Your praises.
Time in Your Word brings me closer to You,
List’ning to You speaking to me,
Gently guiding me in truth.

Lord, You are my life’s example,
Showing me how I should live.
I love to walk with You where’er You lead me.
No greater joy have I when serving You.
Loving, giving, resting in Your strength,
I’m yielding to Your will.

Zeal for Your house, it consumes me.
See the church turned upside down:
Marketing ventures taking place of worship,
Men of the gospel turning into clowns.
Gospel message made appealing,
So the world will feel at home.

Lord, we need a great revival.
Turn their hearts, Lord, back to You.
Open the blind eyes, turn them all from darkness,
Lord, to the light. May they return to You,
Turn from their sin, forsake idols,
Be restored to God again.

A House of Prayer
An Original Work / May 4, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love