2019 Palm Sunday: Lifting the Veil of the Church

Palm sunday is an annual celebration of the Christian faith worldwide, marking how Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem as a king in preparation for his His passion.

From Mathew chapter 21 we see Christ humility by riding on a colt and how the whole city of Jerusalem stood still to welcome Him as a king; 7 And brought  the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set  him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments  in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed  them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that  followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he  that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10  And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved,  saying, Who is this? 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the  prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

It was this triumphant entry into Jerusalem that revealed to us the real secret behind the Church and how Christ desired it to be. Jesus Christ through the zeal of the Lord was the one who brought the prophecy to fulfilment as was prophecy by Jeremiah and Isaiah thus; 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. Jeremiah 7:11. 7 Even  them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my  house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be  accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house  of prayer for all people. Isaiah 56:7

LIFTING THE VEIL OF THE CHURCH 

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.- Mathew 21:12-13

Before this time, the temple which is also known as the church today was characterised with all sorts of practices and rituals, a typical example was the position that Christ Himself meet the church; first buying and selling was taking place in the temple, secondly money changers are busy changing money, thirdly special seats for those selling doves. 

Jesus entered the temple, consumed by the zeal of the Lord; He flog and overturned their tables and then lifted the Veil of the Church thus "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." yes this is the truth behind the church of God; the church is not a place where all things goes; it's a place where men seeking the face of God and find it without cost, it's a house of Prayers, signs and wonders vs.14. 

The truth remains that many and more of these sorts of activities are still going on in our churches today, from selling of holy water, holy oil, holy books, etc to demanding for money from the people through all sorts of offerings, prophetic seeds, etc. It is amazing to note that the church has left the main matters of which Christ called it and blessed it to do and has focused attentions to acquiring material wealth. 

Today, Churches own schools, hospitals, company even guest house; as important as all these maybe, they are not part of the mandate Christ identified the church with. Many churches has turned the church for personal gain through all these means and leaving the house and work of God to suffer loss.

Today, we have people that are in dear need of the word of God; they are people around us whose places of worship has been in ruins, they are people including church members who cannot even afford the school fees of the Church school not to talk of the hospital bills; so of what part has that in the revelation of of Christ towards the church? 

It was St. Peter in Acts that gave us more insight of the nature and attitudes which every church of Christ must possess thus: 42 And they continued stedfastly in the  apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in  prayers. Acts 2:42. The question is, is these attributes still found in the churches today? 

Finally, the church is built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and the revelation thereof is that it shall be called a house of Prayers and not a den of robbers where men enrich themselves in the name of church. If we must see true revival break out in the church today, we must go back to this revelation and question some of the things we have turned the church of God into. May the zeal of the Lord come upon His church. Amen