Moving the Mountains

I felt like the Lord gave me revelation through the scripture about 'moving the mountains' which would be encouraging to all those who are standing and praying for His bride.

And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” (John 2:14-17)

I wrote about this account, using Mark 11, in another post entitled Changes in the Church. Much of the church today has this similar issue - we are buying our peace (doves) by throwing money in an offering plate or purchasing books or chasing conferences, rather than going to the Source - our Father. I'm not saying these things are bad, but when they eclipse our devotion to or our recognition of the source, this is a problem. The Spririt will guide us into all truth - He will do it, not man. But I don't want to get off track here - I want to look at this passage in context - why the withered fig tree beforehand? What does moving mountains have to do with figs? What does overthrowing the tables have to do with all of this?

And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. (Mark 11:11)

This was curious to me - He went in looking (watchfulness), but the hour was late and left. To me, Jesus himself went in to survey the scene - to see the state of the then present reality of the temple. This is where we are today - many of us see the state of the church and see all of its dysfunction, missteps, misgivings, and pitfalls. We've surveyed the seen, but now what? The dry bones know they're dry. We must not fall into judgement and grumbling, but what can we do?

Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it. (Mark 11:12-14)

What what does the fig tree have to do with all of this? He cursed the fig tree along the way, and it was out of season....why?

"Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." (2 Timothy 4:2)

He's looking for fruit, in and out of season. Whether the church is in right order or not, we must be in right order with Him individually, both in and out of season. It isn't the church's fault we're not moving in all that we are called to. The other aspect of this is this instruction doesn't sound very glorious nor fun, but this is our charge - with longsuffering!

Then we see Jesus going into the temple and taking action, overthrowing the tables. He quoted Isaiah 56, but I want to give that passage some context here.

“ Also the sons of the foreigner
Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him,
And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants—
Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And holds fast My covenant—
Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
Will be accepted on My altar;
For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:6,7)

His house shall be called a "house of prayer" - this speaks of the house for today because he speaks of the "foreigners" - that is us as gentiles who are grafted in. These ones He will "bring to My holy mountain." The temple in that day did not resemble a house of prayer, nor did it look like a holy people.

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mark 11:20-26)

Jesus entered the temple to partake of fruit and found none. To the people who inhabitted the mountain, He spoke to the mountain and said for it to be rooted up - He overturned the tables and chased the money changers away! The temple was defiled - He identified the root and spoke to the mountain. We, too, must uphold a standard of His holiness, but without standing in judgement and falling into spiritual pride, believing we are "holier" than that of those still left in the church. We've been given grace, we must show grace. We must forgive and be longsuffering - this is why I believe Jesus followed the teaching on standing in faith with a word about forgiveness of others. For fear of extending this into the length of a book, I'll finish with this: we need our brothers, we need to invest in discipleship, and not leave others behind...we need each other in order to fulfill the callings and purpose on our lives - even Jesus submitted to the ministry of John the Baptist.

We must stand on His word, He is returning for a pure and spotless bride. He is looking to us to stand in faith, and move the mountains!