One of the things that really struck me during my visits to Israel and specifically Jerusalem, was the number of money changers everywhere. In Eilat, the southernmost town in Israel, one was in fact changing money to all and sunder at the corner of a busy intersection. We also made use of his services.
I was reminded of the passage in Scripture relating how Jesus visited Jerusalem and found the money changers as well as many other businessmen and traders dealing in the temple. He became so angry that He overturned the tables and, using a whip, chased them all out.
I was also reminded that there are some things that have remained the same as in Biblical times. Jerusalem still exists. Golgotha, the place of the skull, is still there. The Jordan river is still there. So are the towns of Bethlehem and Nasareth (now called Nablus) and the Garden of Gethsemane with its gnarled old olive trees.
In a Jewish Orthodox church in Jerusalem I listened to men talking business and women gossiping... I saw a man take a bottle of brandy from a little "cubby hole" in the pew in front of him and take a good swig! And I thought "no wonder Jesus got mad! No wonder He chased everyone out!"
Where and what are our thoughts whilst attending church services? Why do we attend them at all if not to worship God?
"Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, 'It is written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves." ' Matt. 21: 12-13
Fortunately, it is not only the negatives that have remained the same to this day and age...
Jesus, also, has remained the same. The miracles that He performs are the same even today. Although miracles of healing are absolutely wonderful to see and to experience, to me the most miraculous of all are the miracles that take place when God changes the hearts of men and women from being enslaved by sin to being devoted and living victorious lives to the honour of God.
A few days prior to our visit to Israel, a group of thirty-two people from nineteen different countries met in Bishkek, the capital of Khyrgystan, where we were privileged to be part of a Jewish evangelical musical festival that was held in the City Hall. This festival was specifically arranged by Jews from Haifa, Israel, to reach out to Jews in Khyrgystan and to preach deliverance to them in the name of Jesus.
Every morning, after a time of prayer, our group would invade the streets of the city and hand out invitaitons to the musical festival to as many people as possible in the time before lunch. I even handed one to a snake charmer - and he attended snake, basket and flute and all, sitting in the aisle, playing along with the orchestra! Every evening they would fill the City Hall to overflowing. The morning after the first festival meeting, the Office of the Minister of Culture contacted our leaders informing them that we would no longer be able to make use of the City Hall as a famous Khyrgystani poet was celebrating his birthday and the hall had been promised to him to read his poems to the inhabitants.
Of course, our leadership understood this to be a ploy to hinder God's Word from being preached and they set off to the office of the relevant Minister. After waiting some time to speak to the minister, the lift doors opened and a very important looking official stepped out. Thinking it to be the Minister of Culture, our leaders approached this man (who turned out to be the Prime Minister of the country) and set out to put the facts to him. During this conversation, the lift doors opened again and the Minsiter of culture made his appearance.
Well, the poor man never stood a chance. The Prime Minister spoke a few heated words to him and then assured our leaders that we would of course be able to proceed with our festival for the remainder of the time that we had hired the Hall. "Njet problem!" Praise the Lord!
Naturally Satan was not very happy with this outcome. So, on the third morning, the Office of the Minister of Religion contacted our leaders, informing them that unfortunately we would not be able to proceed with the festival as the Orthodox Jews had lodged a complaint that we were preaching in the name of Jesus!
Our leaders again set off to the office of the Minister of Religion this time. They assured him that the name of Jesus had been the focal point of a family feud beween Jews for 2000 years and that it really was not an important enough issue for him to worry his very busy head about; it was simply a family affair between brothers... After giving the matter some thought, the Minister gave his permission for the festival to proceed, provided we no longer mention the name of Jesus! Imagine that for a minute...
"Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name and look, you have filled
Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us! But Peter
and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom your murdered by hanging on a tree.
Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Saviour, to give repentance
to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so
also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him. "" Acts 5:28-32.
"And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and
preaching Jesus as the Christ." Acts 5:42
Well, exactly our sentiments! We proceeded as usual. I was so excited by this! I could not help but marvel that the work we were doing were seen as threatening enough by the evil one to want to put a spoke in the wheels! It was, in fact, exactly what had happened nearly two thousand years ago when the apostles were preaching the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
By the work of the Spirit and the love and mercy of God, more than 300 people, some of whom had previously not even heard of Jesus, the Christ, came to repentance and acceptance of the Lord Jesus during this festival in Bishkek, some 150 of them being Jews! No wonder Satan was unhappy. We have since heard that there is revival in Bishkek and that the body of Christ grows daily!
Thank You, Lord, that no matter what changes may have taken place during the ages, You are still the same yesterday, today and forever and that You are still capable of saving, keeping and protecting your own. Thank You that the book of Acts continues to be written in the hearts and lives of people as your Word is still being spread through the most humble of people, as we are willing and prepared to be used by You.
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