When I share a prophetic word to the Body of Christ, or a challenging message or blog post, pointing out sin in the camp of God's Church, I am often confronted by a list of good things about whatever group/person/church/institution got pinched in the truth this time.

These lists often include:
-helping the poor
-supporting missionaries
-supporting ME (i live as a beggar, but I'm not going to hold back, no matter how big the check was)
-"changed lives" (a term that bears investigating)
-sending missionaries
-people who hate god, now attending services
-large attendances
-being nice people
-giving large charitable donations
-producing "tithers" (people who give away 10 % of their income...)

Solid. I agree. There are many good, neutral, wonderful, and helpful things going on. But was that the point? This is about Jesus, who goes by the name Way, Truth, and Life. It's all about Him!

Now, let's consider Jesus. His days weren't far off from ours. He also showed up at the big church (Temple) as well as smaller meetings (synagogues). He also taught there. He was popular from time to time (this is where it breaks down with me)... Think of his hearers, as he confronted the religious fraud that was being committed by the People of Israel against God. Yet they did many good deeds as part of their religious life, didn't they? Hear the trumpets? Time for alms!

Let's consider Jeremiah, too. Temple? Check. Synagogues? No. He had to stand at the gateways to share his prophecies over the flow of the crowd of the city... There weren't synagogues until after the Exile and Dispersion... How do you think people felt when Jeremiah said that their religion was worth less than nothing? when He spoke against the Temple, the priests, the false prophets, the bent teachers of the law?

Need more examples? Think about Amos--a fig-nipper from Tekoa. That country bumpkin had nerve. You'd hate to read that guy's blog! You'd want to click the "Persecute" button in his margin. Sticks and stones... Literally! Have you read that book? It will DESTROY our esteem for the outward religiosity that masques so much of the flesh-life today.

These and more, all spoke against the Temple and it's fraud.

YET!!!
Didn't the temple system cover impressive almsgiving?
Weren't there mighty good works out of that temple?
Weren't there "changed lives"?
Wasn't God's presence there?
Wasn't the Temple a physical sign to the nations of the Lord?
Weren't the poor fed there?

...yet it is out of that temple system that arose the persecution of the prophets and the cross of our Lord Jesus.

it was against that temple that our Lord prophesied. It was that temple that bore the rage of His zeal. (Jn.2)

Weren't widows fed, the poor clothed, and good deeds done out of that temple? Were there not plenty of righteous men and women who congregated there? (simeon and anna) Didn't our Lord frequent the temple to teach? Didn't the early church gather there?

so how come so many prophets came and exposed what was under the surface? How come they couldn't just be happy and not criticize?
God is jealous, that's why.