In His sovereignty, God chooses the timing to expose and cleanse what has become corrupted by demonic activity in His people. He will tell us to clear out anything that gives people the wrong impression of who He is and how we should represent Him. He will address the religious and political spirits infecting our families and faith communities. 

It’s not a mission for the faint of heart. But whether timid or intimidated, we must accept this challenge, personally and corporately.

When Jesus entered the Temple grounds, He saw the money changers at work selling what they defined as more acceptable animals to offer as a sacrifice, ripping off those who came to offer their sacrifice to God. 

Jesus had seen this practice of greed and fraud before. He Himself may have experienced being ripped off in the same way. But now, when moved by the Holy Spirit, He said, “Get these things out of here!” (John 2:16). 

He didn’t respond with “I feel like I should someday remove the money changers and their wares.”  He formed a whip and chased the money changers out of the area, turning over their tables and spilling their coins on the ground. His action was a straightforward and immediate demand, expressed with a passion for God’s House – “Get these things out of here!” 

Peter, Paul, and the other apostles felt the same way about perpetrators who were after the people’s money for self-enrichment, influence, and power. It was a spiritually dangerous game to play. It was also spiritually and morally dangerous for leaders who tolerated and/or benefited from such activity.

Standing for truth and honesty requires that we be willing to challenge anything that gives the Lord a bad name and makes us even look like the merchants of the world. 

And if not challenged when our love of money is first exposed, an infestation takes place. We will justify our actions until our conscience is seared and we no longer heed or hear the Holy Spirit’s quiet conviction. We become slaves to sin. We will use anything to feed that addiction, including the very gifts God gave us.

May we accept this ongoing challenge until the Lord returns. He is coming back for an uncompromised Bride. We will need to continually examine our intent and be grateful for Him to examine our hearts, motives, and actions. May His nature be formed in us. May we be continually cleansed and purified by His truth. May we be devoted only to Him and nothing else.