Being Used by the Lord, Experiencing God's Glory

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’” (Mark 11:1-3)

This was a colt that no one had ridden, a colt that no one wanted to use. But God wanted to use this most insignificant colt, and the disciples spread their cloaks and branches on the ground for the colt to walk on. These cloaks and branches were not spread for the colt, but for the Lord. That is, when we are used by the Lord, we experience glory with God. God could have chosen a thoroughbred horse, but He chose a colt instead. God’s intention was very clear, because if Lord Jesus had chosen a priceless thoroughbred, the colt would have been miserable.

Many of us are like the colt, seemingly not very useful in this world, not from a powerful or famous family, and perhaps living on the fringes of society. However, Lord Jesus wants to tell us that we can share in God's glory through serving Him. Lord Jesus’ intention is that what people do not use, God will use to manifest His glory.

Yesterday, while leading prayer, I had a strong feeling that God would show His strength and His glory in our weakness. What we feel we cannot do ourselves, God enables us to do, even with a hundredfold return, which is a wonderful grace. Stepping on the cloaks and branches on the road, the colt entered the holy city with Jesus. I believe that when the song of Hosanna is sung, people will remember the colt. We may think of ourselves as insignificant, but if we are greatly used by God, we can share in God's glory.

Those Who Cannot Be Used by the Lord Will Be Cursed

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. (Mark 11:12-14) In the morning as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” (Mark 11:20-21)

This fig tree withered the day after it was cursed. Jesus used this event to tell us that what is not used by the Lord is naturally cursed. It cannot prosper. Even if it prospers, its life is not complete. A colt, used by God, manifests God’s glory. A fig tree, unable to be used by God, is cursed. Jesus wants to tell us a spiritual principle: even if it is a fig tree, if it cannot be used by God, cannot bear the fruit that God wants, it is cursed and its life will wither. So today, we need to rethink what we are doing with our lives. If we are not living to be used by God, we will be cursed in the future and will naturally wither and die. You may feel innocent: I didn’t do anything! The fig tree didn’t do anything either, but because it was not used by God, it was cursed.

The Lord's Temple Is a House of Prayer

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 taught 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.’” The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. (Mark 11:15-19)

We build God’s temple as a house of prayer, because prayer enables God's abundance to come to His people. But the priests began to rent out the temple for business. People did not pray there, but exchanged money and did business. The church and God’s temple should be places that distribute blessings, places for people to pray. However, because of the merchant mentality, it became a den of robbers. In their merchant mentality, they saw God’s temple as a property, how many units it could be divided into to rent out, how much money could be collected; they saw money. It was this merchant mentality that angered Lord Jesus. So Jesus used rough means to deal with this merchant mentality in the temple.

The chief priests here may have loved the Lord very much, but they had a merchant mentality inside, feeling that building a church required money. I have been defiled by this merchant mentality for a long time, until God completely broke me and I completely rejected this mentality. Bringing the merchant's logic system into the church provokes Lord Jesus' anger. So the church never invests. The church is not a place for investment, the church is a place to build an altar, a place to bring God’s power down from heaven through prayer. Prayer can obtain many graces, but people do not go to obtain these graces, instead pursuing money. I have seen some church leaders lead brothers and sisters to do multi-level marketing, and then call it beautifully, saying that God let me do multi-level marketing, if I don’t do multi-level marketing, how can I live without money?

The mentality of a priest and the mentality of a merchant are completely different. The mentality of a priest is: I am a priest of the Living God, I build an altar of prayer on this land, and this land will be blessed. It is impossible for this land to have no money, it is impossible to live in poverty, and it is impossible to suffer the curse of poverty. The mentality of a merchant is: building a church requires money, I don’t have time to pray here, I want to go out and earn money, and after I earn money, I will buy a place for the church. The mentality of a merchant is an extremely chaotic state of faith, and the church must resist this merchant mentality. The chief priests here did not have the mentality of a priest, but the mentality of a merchant. People who are money-oriented cannot worship God. Either worship mammon or worship the true God; those who worship mammon cannot worship the true God, and those who worship the true God will never worship mammon. Mammon is the merchant mentality, and the spirit behind mammon is called the spirit of mammon.

Prayer Can Obtain All Things

Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:22-24)

Believe that you have received it, and it will be yours – a most emphatic statement. All promises from the Lord Jesus are absolute. Some might argue against taking this statement in isolation, insisting on contextual understanding. However, regardless of interpretation, this statement stands firm. Jesus, through the example of the fig tree, provided his disciples with an exercise in faith. With a mere word, Jesus caused the tree to wither and die; with another word, he could command a mountain to relocate into the sea. No matter the magnitude of the challenges confronting you, even if these challenges resemble insurmountable mountains blocking your path, God shall dispatch mighty angels to remove them. The prerequisite lies in this understanding: whatever you ask, believe that you have received it, and it shall be yours.

Since the Bible states it thus, so shall we believe. A sister suffered from menstrual pain, and I believed that through prayer, she would certainly be healed. All her ailments would certainly be resolved. Some may ask, What if she is not healed? Even if not healed immediately, she will eventually be healed. We must begin to cultivate our faith in this manner, for as the Bible states, if one does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.

Unforgiveness Hinders Prayer

Should one find their prayers consistently unanswered, a thorough examination of their inner self is warranted. To receive God's promised blessings, one must harbor no unforgiveness in their heart. When wronged, immediate release is crucial, irrespective of the offense's magnitude. Holding onto unforgiveness erects a barrier, abruptly severing divine provision. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins.” (Mark 11:25-26) Therefore, Christians must never succumb to unforgiveness.

Authority Originates from God

These chief priests, engaged daily in managing the temple's worship, including prayers and tending to the temple lamps, remained oblivious to the significance of their actions. Unbeknownst to them, they were forfeiting a treasure of immense value. Infuriated by Jesus' overturning of the merchants' tables, the chief priests felt their income stream threatened, questioning the temple's operational sustainability and the sourcing of sacrificial materials. In reality, their motives were far from sacrificial, driven instead by greed and self-enrichment. Shortly after Jesus expelled the merchants, the chief priests reinstated them.

They asked him, “By what authority are you doing these things?” (Mark 11:28) The chief priests, remarkably, were unaware that God, present in their midst, possessed this authority, unaware that authority originates from God. Lamentably, some Christians among us, having witnessed God's work firsthand, remain ignorant. A brother once confided in me, Pastor, I must venture out to seek truth, implying its absence within the church. If truth is not present here, how then can God's works manifest in this place? Many may disapprove of me as their pastor, yet I am one who wields authority bestowed upon me by the Lord Jesus.

The establishment of this church is not attributable to my abilities but to my dedication as a priest tending to the altar. I engage in prayer on Tuesday evenings, Wednesday mornings, Friday mornings, and Saturday afternoons, and I lead pre-service prayers on Sundays. Recently, while reviewing the church's accounts for reconciliation, I observed the account balance approaching four hundred thousand. Though we are not a mega-church, God's presence is palpable within our community. This priestly devotion underscores the fact that money is not the primary concern.

Therefore, know that God is indeed present among us. Consider HL sister, who, having embraced our teachings, prayed for her mother, resulting in swift healing and the removal of idols from her mother-in-law's home. These chief priests, nominally in charge of the temple, questioned Jesus' authority upon his arrival. They, who had witnessed Jesus restore sight to a man born blind, now questioned his origins. It is lamentable that these priests and chief priests were oblivious to the authority of Jesus Christ.

These priests faced numerous unresolved challenges, necessitating the leasing of temple stalls for profit. However, they were unaware of grasping at trifles while forfeiting true value, focusing on the minor while neglecting the major. Jesus had no need to negotiate with them. “I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” (Mark 11:33) The implication runs deep. If you lack understanding, seeing without perceiving and hearing without comprehending, what purpose does it serve to impart knowledge? I share no connection with you; proceed as you wish. I imagine Jesus' profound lament: You, chief priests, managing my temple, remain oblivious to my identity upon my arrival in my own place. How utterly tragic.

Conclusion

One can embrace either a mindset of being used by God or one of not being used by God. Those who are used by God shall undoubtedly witness His glory. Upon encountering God in His own place, they shall surely experience His presence. Those who are not used by God, even with eyes to see and ears to hear, shall remain blind and deaf.

Hence, we ought to reconsider: Are we truly being used by God? Do we dwell within blessing or curse? Those used by God submit to divinely bestowed authority and do not question the pastor's authority to act. We are all recipients of authority, acting upon the authority granted to us by God. If our bodies serve as temples, do we harbor a merchant's mindset of exchanging small coins? If so, let us, through the authority bestowed upon us, excise it.