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Jesus entered the temple and drove out those who were buying and selling there, saying it should be a house of prayer. The temple was important to Jesus and he wanted it respected. He cleansed the temple at the beginning and end of his ministry, showing God's importance in worship. We should have reverence for the house of God and approach it with pure thoughts and holy motives. We should pray and meditate before going to church, focus on the Lord during the service, and apply what we learn to our lives. Music You are listening to the PHCC Daily Devotional brought to you by the Portsmouth Holiness Christian Church. Our topic today is Reverence in the House of God. And our scripture reading is taken from Mark 11 verses 16 through to 17. And it reads, On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he told them, he said, Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of robbers. Upon his entry into Jerusalem, Jesus headed to the place that meant a lot to him, the temple. There he had an encounter with the sellers and money changers. This temple was a place of great importance to him. When Jesus was a preteen, he spent most of his time at the temple when his family left the city. The temple was the spiritual center of the nation, and so it was the ideal place to go to teach people and minister to the spiritually hungry. At this time, it was socially acceptable for certain businesses to operate out of the temple outer courts. However, persons would have forgotten that although they were allowed to conduct business there, it was also a shared place with those who came to worship God. Although this was accepted by society and religious leaders, Jesus did not, and so he drove out the sellers and money changers who were making a mockery of things. This cleansing occurred at the end of Christ's public ministry. There was a similar cleansing also at the beginning of his ministry. This account can be found in John 2, verses 13 through 17. Both cleansings of the temple by Christ show that God is particular in regard to the worship and conduct of the worshipers in his house. God requires extravagant respect and reverence, for the sanctuary must be consistent. The sanctuary is a sacred place of worship, set apart for the service or worship of God. Therefore, let us be aware that we need to have the highest reverence for the house of God, and to understand that when we enter the Lord's house, it should be with hearts that are governed by these thoughts. God is here, and this is his house. Therefore, I must have pure thoughts and holy motives. This is the place where God meets with and blesses his people cooperatively. We should be deliberate about doing this for the spiritual growth of the church and the benefit of the uncles and our children. I challenge you. Are you attending church out of habit? Are you really drawing near to God? Are you really going to worship? Or are you just going because that is what you do on a Sunday? I suggest that you can do the following. 1. Pray and meditate before you go to church, asking God to give you a calm and worshipful spirit. 2. Ask him to lead you by his spirit and teach you by his word. 3. During the service, remain focused on the Lord only. 4. After the service, talk with your friends and family about what you have learned and apply them to your life during the week. Let us pray. Dear Lord, help me to be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and to offer to you acceptable worship with reverence and awe. In Jesus' name, Amen. You have just listened to the PHCC Daily Devotional. God bless you.