To summarize chapter 1 of Malachi: The southern nation of Israel, Judah, was hauling God into court and charging Him with 2 offenses: a lack of love and justice. But, last week, we saw the priests (the pastor/leaders of that day) were the ones who lacked love: They were shaming God’s name by offering blemished [...]
The Old Testament could have ended with “hang tight, the next time you hear from Me will be when the promised Messiah has come.” Instead, the 400+ year intermission between the Old and New Testaments begins with an exhortation to remember and follow the Law, to believe God and not doubt. It’s not unlike the [...]
Doesn’t regifting show someone just how much you care for them? Exactly: not so much, whether or not you really do. It usually means you place little value on the gift, you won’t miss it. So hey, look what I got you! That’s what the priests were doing in worship in Malachi’s day, bringing sick [...]
Just as an iron poker left in the fire takes on more of the fire’s qualities the longer it remains in the flame, when you remain in and let your worship be ignited by God’s consuming fire, you catch and show more of His qualities. And worship becomes anything but bland, ordinary and dry. Worship [...]