Religious Marketing is Not a New Idea

. . . Jesus/Y'hshuwah went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.   John 2:13b-16

Of course we'd never expect to find sheep and oxen for sale at the local church, but considering those were "worship aids" at the time, there is a new perspective to glean.  How many books, tapes, CDs, and cups of coffee for that matter; are sold Sundays before and after the "contemporary" service?  There's hardly anything modern about the sale of religious products in the house of worship.  What's changed, is the marketing concept that it now, somehow pleases our Heavenly Father.  Messiah made his feelings very clearly known about this.  Since he's the same, yesterday, today, and forever; a religious building with merchandise and a focus on money is not pleasing to The Father or His Son.