House of God

 Matt 11:17
’‘My house shall be called for all nations the house of prayer’? But ye have made it a den of thieves.”

It was the practice and conviction of the church I was saved in to keep the house of God sacred. All exchange of money for whatever purpose was to be done outside the church walls. Food was not to be eaten inside the church sanctuary. This included the basement, and any edifice connected to it. The premise of these strict rules is based on this passage of scripture. I do appreciate the reverence and respect that was given to God’s house, even though I think they have taken this scripture beyond the purpose it was intended. We need to keep the place we gather together to meet God special. We have entered into the presence of God, we are on holy ground. The sanctuary is not a playground or the marketplace, it is a place to “take off our shoes”, lift our hearts, and hear the word of God. 
Like the fig tree that Jesus had cursed on its way to the temple, the Jews were not bearing fruit that was pleasing to God. Their hearts were full of greed and selfish living. They did not care about being true worshipers of God, they used their religion and the temple to pad their pockets. Jesus saw the hypocrisy and the fruitlessness of their lives and manifested His wrath against the way they were blaspheming the House of God. Like the fig tree He cursed and withered away, Jesus was demonstrating His displeasure and anger at the sin of His chosen people. They were all about appearing good on the outside, a tree with leaves, but hearts far from true followers of God. The Jews were not bearing the fruit that God intended them to bear. As believers, it is not enough to be called a Christian, but God desires that our lives bear fruit unto righteousness, living our lives to be like Christ.

Bearing Fruit in Old Age

Psalm 92:14  They shall still bring forth fruit in old age…

The days of man are numbered, and getting old eventually comes if God allows. How old do you need to be to be considered reaching old age? Yes, it has been said that we are as old as we feel, but at some point we all reach “old age” Physical appearance, the graying of the hair, the sagging of the skin, the bending of the shoulders, or the pace of our walk all can be indications that we have reached “old age”. Our body begins to wear down, our mind is not as quick as it use to be, and it appears that our usefulness to be used of God is diminished. God has a plan for each one of us as we grow older. We may no longer be able to do the things we were able to do in our youth, but this does not mean that we stop bearing fruit for the kingdom. God is faithful as we grow older to provide a way for us to be fruit bearer. He knows our physical limitations, but we can still be a light of hope and encouragement to those who follow our footsteps. May the prayers of the saints and the wisdom of old age be a guiding light to those who follow.