MONEY CHANGERS

John 2:13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:

15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;

16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.

Matthew 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Now here is 2 witness saying the same. 
I have seen this in great abundance in my walk with God. I have been to camp meetings and church organizations that were selling bible studies, books, bibles, tapes, women hair bows and much more. They were selling all of these things that made them plenty of money. Out of ignorants, I have bought these things, but thanks be to God, he showed that the buying and sellings the things of God are the "mark of the beast"

So saying this I would like to share this with you all. Thanks be to God and his son Jesus Christ.

Eze-022:022-As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you.
022:023- And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

022:024- Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.
022:025 -There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.

022:026- Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

Jer.-005:030-A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
005:031- The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

Those who had been trusted with the spiritual well-being of the nation were guilty of treachery against their God. The prophets had rejected God’s word and were prophesying only good things to come. The priests were governing the people by their own ideas rather than by the word of God. The same thing is happening in the land today.

They made few moral standards, same as to-day, telling them it’s alright just do what you think is right for you. The thing about this the people were happy to have it that way.
The false prophets were preaching a message of false security. Instead of them warning them of a necessity of repentance they told them there was nothing to fear.

Jer.-006:014-They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.[ see they were telling them there was nothing to fear because there was going to be peace in the land. Telling them not to worry that God was a loving God and that he was not going to bring judgment on them.}

1Thess.-5:3- For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Jer.-7:3- Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. [Amend your ways -God gives another call to the people to repent of their evil ways, however as long as they believed they were secure because of the temple and it’s ritual, they saw no need to repent. God is sending out the same call today as he was in the days of Jeremiah, he is giving a chance for you to amend your ways.

007:004 Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. { see they were trusting in these temples the same as to-day and God said they were trusting in lying words.} 
Jer-7:08 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. { see they were trusting in these temples and the lying words of the prophets and priests and God said it was not going to profit them.

Jer-7:9-10-007:009- Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;
007:010- And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?

The people were committing all kinds of sins then on the Sabbath they came to the temple and stood before God deluding themselves into thinking they were secure in God’s love for them. This same sort of spirit is in our churches today when people who rebel against God and still feels secure as long as they go to these temples and are deceived by lying words. And most of the time the preachers are committing adultery and all these other things that were spoken in vs. 9. That is the reason that they can not preach against these things because they are doing them their-selves,

Jer-7:11- Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD. { Den of robbers- robbers often used a den to hide in and to plan their next crime. What Jeremiah is saying these people were coming to the temple to offer sacrifices that they thought would hide their sins from God. At the same time, they were planning to continue in their sinful ways.

Jesus quoted part of this in Math-21:12-13 where he overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seat’s of them that sold doves. {doves represents the Holy Ghost so what this is saying is that they were selling the Holy Ghost and spiritual things of God.} Jesus makes it clear that God’s house was meant to be a house of prayer. A place where God’s people could meet with him in devotion, prayer, worship, singing praises.
Jesus’s greatest concern is for holiness, sanctification within his church. He died that it should be without spot or blemish.

The church must be a place of prayer and communion with God. Christ will condemn all who use the church, the gospel or his kingdom for personal gain, glory or self-promotion. It must not be profaned by making it the means of social advancement, monetary gain, entertainment, having chicken bar-b-ques, yard sales, car washes or showmanship. Whenever God’s house is so used by worldly people, it once again becomes a den of thieves, God house is a place of worship.

I came out of a church that has spent over $30,000 on the kitchen and that is not counting the $80,000 they spent on the sanctuary. Now tell me God get’s glory out of this when they could have given this to the poor and needy. Instead, the pastor of that church got the glory. They say well look what so and so done. Once again let me say God is not in this stuff. I also asked the pastor to help me help a family in the church that was having a hard time. I was a new convert at this time. The pastor told me and these are the words he said" bro. Larry, the church can not help them because they do not pay tithes." Now how does that make a new convert feel? I was disappointed and I did not and will not ever forget it.

Jer.-8:7-Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD. { my people know not the judgment of the Lord- The people were ignorant of God’s law as same as today they are ignorant of the NT laws of God.

Their leaders so distorted the word of God and falsified its message that the people thought they could continue in sin and still be saved. This same thing is happening today, right now. We must beware of any ministers or leaders or anyone who teaches that those who continue in sin and rebellion against God will inherit the kingdom of God.

Jer.-8:12-Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD
{ I also know this to be true because I know this preacher that has been in an adulterous relationship and admitted it and still preaching and the people are listening to him and he is not ashamed of what he has done and probably is still doing and yet the people want it that way. He not only did not commit adultery one time but several times. He is now an assistant pastor and his son which is the pastor of a local church about 10 miles from where I live. His son and the son's wife are both living an adulterous relationship. What is so bad, the people in that church know this. }

The people were not at ashamed. They had reached a stage of apostasy where they would never repent; all shame and remorse of sin was gone. Churches of today have reached this same stage of apostasy because they have rejected God’s word and his holiness and the pastor allows all kinds of sin in the church. I know of one instance where this woman was in an adulterous affair and the preacher asks her to leave when he also was in an adulterous affair himself. She left that church went right down the road to another church. The pastor of that church knew what had gone on in her life and they elected her to be secretary of that church.

Several times God instructed Jeremiah not to pray for or intercede for these people.
Jer-7:16- Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee. 
Jer-14:11-14- Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good.

014:012 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. {WHEW, I hope you people see what this is saying}
014:013 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. { see he was saying there was no peace and they were going to see the judgments of GOD.} 
014:014 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.{ See these lying prophets and priests they say they are coming in the name of Jesus and he says he did not send them. Just because they come at you in the name of Jesus and it looks good don’t mean that it is right. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

The people so persisted in rebellion against the Lord and were so attached to their idols as some of you are that prayer will do no good. All who continue in sin should realize that a time will come when God refuses to hear your prayers and send the punishment their sins deserve.

In Jeremiah time when judgment came, the people had to know that it was happening to them because of their many sins. They were so accustomed to doing evil that they could not change and God’s spirit was no longer dealing with them.

Jer.-13:23 asks the question- Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. ( they were and you are also trusting in falsehood and lies.)

Jer.-14:14-16- Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.

014:015 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.

014:016 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them ( this is not only to you but to your whole family. Can you not see how God hates this way?)

The prophets prophesy lies- God’s people must be aware that some prophets or priests in their midst may prophesy lies and falsely claim to have a received a vision from the Lord. I am not talking about a true vision from God here as was spoken of in Joel and the book of Acts.

Mark 13:21-22- 013:021 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:{ I have had preachers tell me this is where to come boy are we having a move of God and God is pouring out his spirit over here. All the while were not lining up with the word of God.}

013:022 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. { see even these lying prophets and priests can also have signs and wonders and still not be of God.: This is what is going on today. They are living in adulteress life and the people think, well if they can, so I can. They have no shame and continue on just like nothing happened.}

Believers today must be aware that within the churches today there are pastors and ministers that are of the same spirit as were these false priests and prophets in Jeremiah’s time. If anyone comes to you preaching peace and prosperity get away from them as fast as you can because certain destruction is coming.

Mat.-23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. { see these ministers will outwardly appear righteous and they will have all kind of enticing words but will have lying lips. I have seen so many of these ministers that are like that. They will deceive you with these enticing word and lying lips. They will do anything to appear godly I also was deceived by these lies, But once God showed me I openly received it. I did not look the other way.}

Mark-7:15- Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. { see what they do they come to you acting as they are so humble and at the same time they are so full of hypocrisy and iniquity and as raving wolves.}

Is.-56:10- His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

056:011 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. {See as long as he gets his part 10% everything is alright}

056:012 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant { see the prosperity here that they are preaching as long as you pay your 10% everything is right with you and God. But stop paying it and you are on your way to hell.