Not everyone's cup of tea...

Posted by: khrystleraine on: December 15, 2012

• In: Short Thoughts | That INNER Voice...
• 2 Comments

Is this not My Father’s house?
And Yet you are making it a Den of Thieves. (Paraphrased) 

As I was praying this morning I had two profound thoughts come to me.
One:Would I sacrifice my children for God as Abraham so willingly was prepared to do?

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

This will be studied deeper when I’m ready (or God says I’m ready.)
and Two:
Webpages are a great way to sell things. Good, bad or downright nasty.

They are an incredible source of information. We can reach millions with our ideas; words; thoughts; products. Without hardly trying.

But how many webpages have slipped into the ‘money-making’ guise? I use the term ‘guise’ because so many pages are touted as being informational; inspirational; humorous; expert advice etc…

Using a search engine, you search a term and up comes a page. Usually thousands, but only a very few actually contain what you are seeking.

You chose one of the results, click through and then spend at least a minute scanning the page for the article, wondering all the while, as you re-check the URL, “I thought it said there’d be a devotional on this…OH Here it is! Wow, that’s a lot of advertisement!” 

these I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
    a house of prayer for all nations.”

Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord.

Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he 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.’”

When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

I understand as webpages grow more popular they cost more to maintain and money has to come from somewhere. So they add a dozen or so ‘stalls’ to the outside of the ‘building’ in the inner ‘courtyard’. Every click brings a penny; every purchase brings a higher percentage of the pie.

Now that little home town corner where everyone gathers to share is a little busier. The main ‘newsletter’ is somewhere on the page, usually in the form of a clickable link to yet more ‘stalls’ on the second ‘floor’, as if by clicking through you have somehow become a ‘chosen’ visitor.

But, who is that person? We’ve never seen them before.
“Oh, no, they’ve been brought in to make things run smoother; to streamline the process. they have a lot of good ideas!”

You look around for a friendly face, but there doesn’t seem to be one. Puzzled, you go back to ‘search’ and try again. Unfortunately, it rarely changes.

Again, I understand the need to earn money to pay the bill so others may enjoy your site and you can reach millions more. I really do. So does God.

A worker is worth his keep. 

“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.

I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.

So, is it right to line our webpages with advertising? I don’t know. WHY did you start the webpage to begin with? Did you have a clear goal of earning money? or was it started as an outreach? Did you prepare the way before you opened for business, by ensuring you were under the umbrella  or did you go it on your own, hoping your ‘best intentions’ would bring approval? 

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.

Does the fact that you’ve grown so large validate your ‘intentions’? Do you see the ability to earn an income via the advertisements as ‘earning’ your keep?

I don’t know. I haven’t got any of the answers; God does. What I do know is as I was in my prayer time this morning, (which, BTW, I shall be returning to shortly) I felt prompted to write this in response to hearing (reading) that my ‘chosen’ devotional site has been ‘lost’. (Something to which I can totally relate.)

They are in the process of rebuilding it, and don’t get me wrong, it is an INSPIRATIONAL devotional site. Some devotions I ponder for days, others I disagree with. That’s okay, a devotion is supposed to make you think and focus.

But as I read the words that they didn’t have a saved copy of their mailing lists or a backup of the site in its entirety, this just flowed through me and I praise God and the Holy Spirit for it. I still don’t know what to make of it. I hope and pray it reaches the person or group it is suppose to. Maybe it’s me. I don’t know.

Father you call some to be preachers some to be laymen, but all to the belief and faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for your unfailing presence. I don’t know yet why these words and thoughts were calling so strongly that I had to put them to ‘paper’, but I trust and know You do. I pray that if they were meant for anyone in particular, they hear and understand your gentle nudge. If they were meant for me, I pray I unclog my mind and understand and listen. You are an awesome God. THE awesome God. Thank you, In Jesus’ name, amen.

*hugs*
luv khrys…

Related articles

• International House of Prayer || Prayer Room (zimirioffering.wordpress.com)
• Can You Hear the Call? – The Call to Establishment (jscotthusted.wordpress.com)
• Den of Thieves (mylyfen.wordpress.com)
• Biblegateway and the Emerging Church (christiandiscernment.wordpress.com) (Very interesting and, for me bears greater checking into…)

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