Why I Like Malachi and More from Malachi

We will finish up Revelation in a bit. I thought it important to study the Nativity accounts and see that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah and how those involved responded to God’s call for them to participate in that great event. The only one that responded to God’s call in a not quite appropriate way was Zacharias. We could say that his Christmas present was a lesson in faith and not to doubt God and not to doubt that God can use anyone for His purposes that He chooses- no matter what their personal circumstance might be. It this time of the year that we “get on fire” for the Lord and that is great but, how long does the fire burn? Does the flame begin to flicker and go out about mid January and not rekindle again until Lent and Easter come around again?  How is our faith between these two most important Church Holidays? I am not only speaking about our faith but what about our service for the Lord? Does it  wane and we become lackadaisical in our efforts to advance the kingdom or even in our prayer time and devotional and Scripture reading?  I know my prayer life and devtional time tend to become sporadic during the off times between Christmas and Easter.  I read through the entire Bible every year, and I have had to do, what I call, marathon reads to catch up with where I should be at times. We have been looking at the opening passages in the book of Malachi and he is warning the people and the religious leaders about the coming judgment because of their laxness in offering sacrifices and not giving the best animals that they had . Well, today, we do not sacrifice animals, but we do give money, time, our skills and abilities in service to the Lord, but are we not guilty of the same things when we give money that is left over? Do we just volunteer to do things that we have time for?  Do we tend to stay in our comfort zone and not take a risk?   Where is the sacrifice in doing our service when it is convenient for us, where is the sacrifice if we just give what we think we can afford, where it the sacrifice in doing the same things we have always done ? And this question are essentially what Malachi was speaking about - 

Malachi 1:9-10

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁹ “ But now entreat God’s favor,
That He may be gracious to us.
Whilethis is being done by your hands,
Will He accept you favorably?”
Says the LORD of hosts.
¹⁰ “ Who is there even among you who would shut the doors,
So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain?
I have no pleasure in you,”
Says the LORD of hosts,

“ Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.

V10- “shut the doors” In a choice between service without gratitude and no service at all, God chooses the SECOND.  The word ‘pleasure” here describes God’s desire to smile, even to laugh with joy, at true worship from a godly people.  

¹¹ For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down,
My name shall be great among the Gentiles;
In every place incense shall be offered to My name,
And a pure offering;
For My name shall be great among the nations,”
Says the LORD of hosts.
¹² “ But you profane it,
In that you say,

‘ The table of the LORD^[b] is defiled;
And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’

v 11 “great among the Gentiles” God would one day receive praise from all nations, even the gentiles would be offer praise while God’s own people were profaning His Holy Name.  (Psalm 87, 117)

v12 “you profane it” The people were God with contempt by their careless attitudes concerning their offerings. 

¹³ You also say,

‘ Oh, what a weariness!’
And you sneer at it,”
Says the LORD of hosts.

“ And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick;
Thus you bring an offering!
Should I accept this from your hand?”

v13- The demands of God were neither understood or appreciated, they seemed to mere busywork.  ”Stolen… lame… sick..” The gifts of the priests were not presentable, some were stolen goods, and others were animals that were useless.  To sacrifice something of no value was not a sacrifice at all. 

¹⁴ “ But cursed be the deceiver
Who has in his flock a male,
And takes a vow,
But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished—
For I am a great King,”
Says the LORD of hosts,

“ And My name is to be feared among the nations.

v14- Can anyone really deceive God? The deception is only in the eyes of the deceiver.  ”I am a great KING” The reputation of the Lord among His people was to have been the means whereby all nations would be drawn to worship Him as well.

So as we move from Advent into Christmas, lets keep our worship sincere and honest.  Let us make sure that we are worshiping with the proper attitude and with an open mind and a receptive heart- and no matter what your gift to the Christ is – make sure it is the very best- He deserves nothing less from His people. 

Have a blessed and joyous celebration of Christ! 

Plans and Expectations

This time of year is one of high expectations, the problem is many times we set the bar way too high and then this results in failed expectations. We come from Christmas to the New Year- are you ready for Christmas? No, I am not ready for the shopping, the deadlines, the expenses, the gift wrapping, the cooking, the traveling, and why am I not ready? I did not prepare properly! Yet, I knew in January that Christmas was coming in December- that is eleven month to plan and prepare for all the things that need to be done! Ok- I admit it- one of shortcoming is I am an expert at procrastination and also am very skilled at rationalizing that procrastination- I will be in the stores on Christmas Eve doing the biggest part of my Christmas shopping- the good thing is I know what I am going to get for everyone and where it is at- does that count as planning? Anyway , save for the lines it won’t take me too long to shop. Ahh yes, those long lines…. patience is not one of my virtues either, I want to get in the store and get out of the store. But those lines are not really a problem- as with any problem is it actually an opportunity!  I have used the wait in that line to practice my Spanish with native speakers, and even the opportunity to witness the Gospel has presented itself- this time of the year is when more people are open to the gospel even more so than at Easter.  I used to let those opportunities go by and not speak, and that began to really bother me after several years of not saying anything- it took much soul searching to figure out why then one day, many years ago this verse from Romans jumped out of the page and tried and convicted me – it was because of shame or perhaps a better word would be embarrassment – why would anyone be embarrassed to be  a Christian to the point of not speaking out of that faith- anyway here is the verse:

Romans 1:16

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

And another passage with the same tought

2 Timothy 1:8

⁸ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,

Perhaps the real reason for not daring to speak the Good News, was a lack of faith.  It took me awhile to realize that I am not responsible for the results just the effort- perhaps the best gift you could give to someone this year is to present the gospel to someone that you know and you know that they need to hear it- it could even be a stranger waiting in a long line at the cash register is being more patient than you! You might think you did not succeed to do think that you failed- all things are on God’s timetable, not ours- you may find out later that your conversation had a huge impact on this person and through that person many were brought to Christ, all in God’s plan as was the baby in the manger so long ago- that changed the world is so many dramatic ways!  Our failed expectations may the success of God’s ultimate plan.  

Romans 8:28

New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according toHis purpose.

 

2 Timothy 4:5

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Have Merry and Joyous  Celebration of Christ!

Rev 19- Jesus and His Horse!

Christ on a White Horse

¹¹ Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had^[e] a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean,^[f] followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵ Now out of His mouth goes a sharp^[g] sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: 

      KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

This event is called “The Revelation”, this is the fullness of time, when Christ reveals Himself to the whole world.  What a sight this must have been for John to see!  Christ returning to earth riding a white horse with the armies of Heaven following riding on white horses.  This is the second in the book of Revelation we see the doors  heaven opened up, the first was the rapture of the church into heaven. ( 4:1).  The armies of Christ include all the redeemed in heaven, the OT saints, the church age saints, and the tribulation saints- they all return to fight with Jesus at the Battle of Armegeddon. Ultimately though, it is Christ alone that “treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God” executing His judgement of the people of the earth.  Jesus’ weapon is His Word, the sword from His mouth( v 15). The results of this battle are told in chapter 14- bloodshed for a distance of about 200 miles and as deep as a horse’s bridle.  Verse 11 answers the question in asked about the beast in Chapter 13 verse 4,”Who is able to make war with him?”   It is Christ Jesus that can defeat the beast.  V12- Eyes…. like a flame of fire, parallels the description of Christ glorified in 1:14.   Many Crowns- this shows that Christ is more powerful than either satan or the beast.  A name- in ancient times a name was more than a title, it revealed a person’s character. Brings to mind, Jesus renaming people, as in calling John and James “Sons of Thunder”.   No one knew except Himself- this means that there are parts of the character of the eternal and limitless God, that only God knows.  Such matters might be revealed at His second coming.  19:16- 

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

This is the One who is supreme over all earthly rulers. The phrase “Lord of Lords and King of Kings” is found in chapter 17 verse 14- this is in anticipation of His second coming.

We will pick up on verse 17 next time and see the beast and his armies defeated.   Just a reminder to tune into Wednesdays 8-9 PM Eastern Time for a study on Luke’s account of the Nativity, we also have both Catholic Mass and Non Denominational services on air on Sundays at 10:00 am is the Catholic Mass and at 2:00 Pm is the Non denominational service and both again at 10:00 Pm is the Non denominational service and the Catholic Mass is at 11:00 pm – There are other great shows on too throughout the week as well as loads of good music throughout the day and evening and night ( we are on 24/7!)  by upcoming contemporary artists and oldies from well known bands and there is wide spectrum of genres to listen to. Until next time, May God richly bless you! 

Ii is OK to say, “MERRY CHRISTMAS!”

http://www.live365.com/cgi-bin/mini.cgi?station_name=ulcradio&site=pro&tm=2166

Preview of Wed’s show –

I will be discussing the genealogies of Jesus found in Matthew and Luke – and we will see that they different, and why this is not a contradiction.

Matthew;s gospel
16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. 

Luke’s gospel
23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli.

The genealogies of Jesus. They are found in Luke and Matthew. Last week we covered Matthews Genealogies, this week we will look at Luke’s genealogy of Jesus. The first thing that you will notice is that they are different. Matthew gives the line through Joseph, the legal line that shows that Jesus was heir to the throne of David. Luke’s gives the physical line through Mary and traces it all the way back to Adam. The common descendant is David.

Will have the study of Revelation up on Saturday.

Keeping Christ In Christmas

Keeping Christ in Christmas:

The number one way to keep Jesus Christ in your Christmas celebrations is to have him present in your daily life..Keeping Christ in Christmas is more about the way you live your life than the things you say—such as “Merry Christmas” versus “Happy Holidays.”

Keeping Christ in Christmas means daily revealing the character, love and spirit of Christ that dwells in you, by allowing these traits to shine through your actions. Here are simple ways to keep Christ the central focus of your life this Christmas season.

1) Give God one very special gift just from you to him:

Let this gift be something personal that no one else needs to know about, and let it be a sacrifice. David said in 2 Samuel 24 that he would not offer a sacrifice to God that cost him nothing.
Maybe your gift to God will be to forgive someone you’ve needed to forgive for a long time. You may discover that you’ve given a gift back to yourself.

Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian who survived extreme brutality in a German concentration camp after rescuing many Jews from certain death during the Nazi Holocaust, was later able to say, “Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free, and to realize the prisoner was you.”

Perhaps your gift will be to commit to spending time with God daily. Or maybe there is something God has asked you to give up. Make this your most important gift of the season.

2) Set aside a special time to read the Christmas story in Luke 1:5-56 through 2:1-20:

Consider reading this account with your family and discussing it together.
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3) Set up a Nativity scene in your home:

If you don’t have a Nativity, here are ideas to help you make your own Nativity scene:

4) Plan a project of good will this Christmas:

5) Take a group Christmas caroling in a nursing home or a children’s hospital:

6) Give a surprise gift of service to each member of your family:

Jesus taught us to serve by washing the disciples feet. He also taught us that it is “more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35 (NIV) The idea of giving an unexpected gift of service to members of your family is to demonstrate Christ-like love and service. You might consider giving a back rub to your spouse, running an errand for your brother, or cleaning out a closet for your mother. Make it personal and meaningful and watch the blessings multiply.
7) Set aside a time of family devotions on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning:

Before opening the gifts, take a few minutes to gather together as a family in prayer and devotions. Read a few Bible verses and discuss as a family the true meaning of Christmas.
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8) Attend a Christmas church service together with your family:

If you are alone this Christmas or don’t have family living near you, invite a friend or a neighbor to join you.
9) Send Christmas cards that convey a spiritual message:

This is an easy way to share your faith at Christmastime. If you’ve already bought the reindeer cards—no problem! Just write a Bible verse and include a personal message with each card.

10) Write a Christmas letter to a missionary: