"Who Sent You?"

 "Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?" (John 2:18 KJV)

  ""But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes."" (Malachi 3:2 NLT)

  A wonderful and beautiful way of looking at this question, if that is the way you want to look at it, is to imagine that the Jews had nothing to fight about, they simply wanted to know where Jesus received the authority to clean out the Temple. That is really not too hard of a question for such a bold move; not that it was something that happened before or they had a manual that told how to deal with such a thing, if it were to happen. 

  The basic principle to make, if we are looking to be taught anything from every bit of the Bible, is to be on guard; asking ourselves this same question for each and every new or strange word, whether it is just a simple sermon, a principle, or a practice. That is really not too much to handle, to just question where it might have come from, and who it is that made it up. 

  I have been know to get carried away with some wild ideas, like, who Mark is, or the three men I believe were responsible for the Book of Hebrews. These are basically notions that are taken from little hints, not based upon facts, but simply things that seem to make sense of what does not make any sense. That is what I believe we are looking at: some responsible people, who would like to simply know, what gives Jesus the right to clear out the Temple. 

  If you are paying attention, the little footnote in the NLT, "Concern for God's house will be my undoing," is pretty much the truth. This is a striking moment for both sides to begin working on those who will control the outcome; the devil being one of the sides; the Jews being them that are being worked upon. 

  That said, I will take this moment to say this very simple word: Guard your hearts and minds, because the world is moving into the church...

"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever." (1 John 2:15-17 NLT