A year of divine sanitation – Part 1

Key Verse: Mathew 21:12, “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.” (KJV)

Anytime God is preparing to pass through the midst of His Children, one thing He usually requested for is spiritual sanitation. When God was preparing the people of Israel to cross River Jordan and enter into Canaan, the Promised Land, and taking possession of it, Joshua instructed the people of Israel in the Book of Joshua 3:5, “…Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”

The word ‘consecrate’ or ‘sanctify’ means ‘to bath and change clothes.’ This Bible imagery of washing one’s body and changing clothes symbolises making a new beginning with the Lord. God will not move and do anything in your life without consecration. The promise the Lord gave to the children of Israel when they consecrated themselves was wonderful, “for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Joshua 3:5).

Are there miracles you want God to perform in your life this year? Are there stubborn problems that have refused to give way year-after-year after so many prayers? God is asking you to sanitise yourself today and He will do amazing things in your life! God will give you incredible testimonies this year if only you can spiritually sanitise yourself today. Israel captured the city of Canaan and possessed it as a result of “Divine Sanitation.”

The consequences of living an unsanitised life are failure, judgment and death. An example in the Bible is the story of Achan. Achan’s sin brought about the defeat of Israel in the battle between it and Ai. Another consequence of the pollution brought upon Israel by Achan’s sin was that all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family to death and burnt their bodies. That is why the place Achan was killed is called the Valley of Trouble till today (Joshua 6:18-19; 7:1, 4-5, 25-26).

In Mathew Chapter 12, Jesus drove out people buying, selling and doing all manner of business including “Forex” Bureaus in the Jerusalem Temple built by Solomon with a whip. The temple was designed by God to be a place of worship and offering unto God Mathew 21:13). The Temple housed the Ark of Covenant in its inner court, which signifies God’s presence in the Temple. It was to be revered as holy and sacred. As a result of the market activities carried out by traders, the temple was thus polluted and needed “Divine Sanitation.” Jesus came with a whip and sanitised the temple.

It was after the divine sanitation of the temple that Jesus performed miracles in Jerusalem (healed the blind and the lame) (Mathew 21:14). The temple cleansing had eternal significance to restore true worship of God. The cleansing preceded the miracles. The Bible teaches in 1 Corinthians 6:19 that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit but you may have defiled it with lies, fornication, adultery, stealing and various sins you have indulged in.

Thanks be to God, Jesus’ redemption mission on earth is to cleanse/sanitises your body-temple free from sin, sickness, sorrow, pain, poverty, etc. All you need to do is to surrender your life today to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I pray for you that you shall harvest amazing testimonies this year.

Today’s Nugget: Jesus’ redemption mission on earth is to cleanse your body-temple
Prayer: I surrender my life to Jesus to come in and sanitise my life so that it will be a holy and acceptable sacrifice unto Him.
Prayer lines: call 08132133896, 08033452365, 08030664977.
E-mail: evangelgospel@yahoo.com
Dr. Chidi Okoroafor, General Superintendent Assemblies of God Nigeria.