Author Archives: gonelikeashadowatevening

Affection, Affliction, Altars, Apologies, Bible, Bitterness, Crying, Emotions, Flesh, Forgiveness, God's Will, Grace, Relationships, Scripture

WHAT A SHAME!

MALACHI 2:13

“And this is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and sighing, because He no longer gives attention to the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.”

Our sinful behavior has effects on others. Sometimes we are not aware of the effect. Other times we are well aware. We see the damage it causes. We hear the anguish in the other person’s voice. The hurt we cause because of our sins weighs heavy on the Lord. He sees their hurt and holds us accountable.

The Pulpit Commentary says this about this verse, “Not only did they marry heathen females, but they divorced their own legitimate wives to facilitate such unholy alliances.” Thus, the tears that are staining the altar come from the priests’ legitimate wives whom they have divorced in order to marry the foreign, idolatrous wives. It was a travesty that Ezra dealt with earlier, but they had lapsed back into.

APPLICATION

Is this you? Have you caused someone else harm by your actions? If so, repent of that. Ask forgiveness of both God and them. There is nothing sweeter than forgiveness when it is offered and received, when two parties are able to mend their broken relationship. God is pleased by such expressions of agape love.

Look back at today’s verse at the last phrase. It says, “because He no longer gives attention to the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.” Our blindness to unforgiveness and unrepentance leads to this. God will not accept our offerings. God will not hear our cries to Him. Our sin separates us from the very One we need most.

If you have ever experienced such an event, you know how painful it can be. To be unforgiven or to be unrepentant can lead to hardness and callousness. Only God can break through this. Matthew 6:14 says to us, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,” We also read in Colossians 3:13 we read, “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Be like Jesus this week. Make things right with someone whom you have offended or has offended you. That makes God smile.

Lord, forgiveness is hard, it seems. But You sent Your Son to die to forgive me. Now, that’s hard.

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Accountability, Deceit, God's Will, Heart, Integrity, Offering, Scripture

YOU CAN’T BRIBE GOD

MALACHI 2:12

“As for the man who does this, may the LORD eliminate from the tents of Jacob everyone who is awake and answers, or who presents an offering to the LORD of armies.”

Man, when we are in tight places, we’ll make all kinds of bargains with God. You may have heard the expression, “there are no atheist in foxholes.” We think if we are sincere enough, if we say it through enough tears, then God has to believe us. We forget that God can see right through those veiled vows.

Malachi warns the people in today’s verse of the same thing. He is referring back to yesterday’s verse when he says, “who does this.” “Who is awake and answers” refers to both passive and active sins, those who committed the sin and those who just stood by and watched. And then they went and offered sacrifices to try to gain God’s favor. God knew their hearts.

APPLICATION

How many times have you done this? Be honest, now. You went out one weekend and partied hard, sowing some wild oats. Then you are at the altar on Sunday morning begging God for a crop failure. Now, maybe you were truly sincere at that altar, maybe you were truly remorseful. But you have to remember that God knows the intent of your heart.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 says, “9‘The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it? 10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, to give to each person according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.’” You can’t hide your heart’s intent. So, stop trying to do that.

I have found the best practice is to NOT DO THOSE THINGS, lol. I realize sin will be present in our lives until we go to glory. But we seriously can live lives that are holy and devoted to Him. How? By submitting daily to His will, you and I can avoid most of those bad decisions. We will give Him glory and praise Him for all our choices that honor Him. Practice that today!

Lord, I praise You for knowing my every thought. Help me stay focused on honoring You.

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Abiding, Belief, Bible, Commands, Following, God's Will, Intimacy, Marriage, Salvation, Scripture

THE WRONG MARRIAGE

MALACHI 2:11

“Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.”

There are a lot of marriages that should never happen. People who jump into a marriage often jump out. Some people think if they live together first, they will have a better chance of staying married. You know, the old take the car for a spin first mentality. Those marriages often don’t make it either. So, what’s the secret?

Well, we see in today’s verse one think is obviously a problem. The priests had married foreign wives, which had been strictly forbidden long ago. Why was this banned? Because they brought in their idols and corrupted the people. The priests were given even stricter marriage laws than the people. Leviticus 21:13-15 tells us, “‘13 He shall take a wife in her virginity. 14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or one who is profaned by prostitution, these he shall not take; but rather he is to marry a virgin of his own people, 15 so that he will not profane his children among his people; for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.’” Pretty clear, huh?

APPLICATION

So, how does this apply to us today? Well, we may not bring idols into our homes, but we can be unequally yoked with someone. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:14, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” If you want to read more on that, read verses 15-18. Wow!

When we marry someone who is not a believer, they will almost always weaken our faith, not strengthen it. But Carl, I can win them to Jesus. Then do that before marriage, not after. When we are married to a fellow believer, our priority is Jesus. As we grow closer to Him, we grow closer to each other. You won’t find that kind of spiritual intimacy with a non-believer.

So, what do you do if you find yourself in lopsided marriage? Go to the Word. Ask the Lord how you can lead your spouse to Jesus. Of course, pray daily for your spouse’s salvation. Most of all, exhibit Jesus to them. Live like you know Jesus. Your behavior and lifestyle will do so much toward leading them heavenward. There is always hope. Believe.

Father, I praise You that You have given me a loving spouse who loves You more than she does me.

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Admonished, Apologies, Battles, Bible, Confession, Family, Forgiveness, God's Will, Hurts, Love, Power, Reconciled, Restoration, Scripture

SIN IN THE FAMILY

MALACHI 2:10

“Do we not all have one Father? Is it not one God who has created us? Why do we deal treacherously, each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?”

Family dynamics are hard. Some families seem to have no troubles at all from the outside. But if you were able to peer into the real family, you would see hurt feelings and squabbles. Why? Why do families, who share the same blood, fight and not get along. It’s simple – it’s called sin. Period! Exclamation mark!

Look at today’s verse. Malachi points out the failure of the people. When he says, “Do we not all have one Father,” he may be thinking about the Shema Israel in Deuteronomy 6:4. “Hear, Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” They were in the same family – God’s family. God had called them His people. But they were sinning against each other which was in effect sinning against God.

APPLICATION

Isaiah 6:5 says, “Then I said, ‘Woe to me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of armies.’” That is why we sin against each other. Isaiah saw it. We are all sinful creatures. In our case, as believers, we have the solution to all this sin – Jesus. He has covered our sins. He has given us the power to stop blaming our sins on someone else.

I believe Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:26 applies here. “And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it.” Just as we all cheer for our family member who gets that award or makes the game-winning score, we also all suffer when one family member is fighting with another. This kind of in-fighting can kill a family.

There is only one solution to this – return to the foot of the cross. Forgive one another. Reconcile the family. When we “deal treacherously” with each other, whether it was intentional or accidental, the wounds are real and must be dealt with. Come together to Jesus. He can heal all wounds because He was wounded for us.

Father, forgive our in-fighting as family. Help us show love and compassion to each other daily.

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Accountability, Accused, Admonished, Bible, Modeling, Obedience, Reputation, Scripture, Testimony, Witnessing

YOU AIN’T NO GOOD

MALACHI 2:9

“‘So I also have made you despised and of low reputation in the view of all the people, since you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in the instruction.’”

I can remember growing up in South Georgia and overhearing the “old timers” talking about some men in our small hometown. They would often say, “He is just ain’t no good.” For those of you not accustomed to Southernize, that means they were not good. These individuals had proven to be untrustworthy and prone to bad behavior in the community.

The Lord saw the same in the priests who had violated His covenant with the tribe of Levi. They had consistently ignored or twisted the Law to suit themselves. Therefore, the Lord had allowed the priests to sink to a level of disrespect and of low reputation among the people. Their privileged status was tattered.

APPLICATION

How is your reputation? How do others see you? As believers in Jesus Christ, we have a model to follow. We need to be the best representatives we can possibly be to the world. Think of one area in which you are struggling right now. Ask the Lord to help you with it so that you can improve your witness to others.

I have a friend who came to Christ but still struggled with smoking cigarettes. He always felt convicted and knew this habit was costing him in his testimony. When he finally gave it to the Lord, he was able to quit. He no longer smells like a chimney (lol) and has a stronger testimony of what the Lord can do for you.

Just take a look at what Paul said in Philippians 2:14-15. “14 Do all things without complaining or arguments; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world…” How can I add to that?

Father, guard my thoughts and actions so that I may be considered “above reproach” by You.

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Abiding, Allegiance, Bible, Choices, God's Will, Loyalty, Obedience, Scripture

TURNING FROM THE WAY

MALACHI 2:8

“‘But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have ruined the covenant of Levi,’ says the LORD of armies.”

Call me a nerd, but I like the Star Wars movies and the spinoff shows. One of the most recent spinoffs is “The Mandalorian.” The main character is basically an inter-galactic bounty hunter. I don’t have space here to go too deep into the plot and subplots of the show, but I wanted to mention part of his creed which is spoken at least once every episode. It is “This is the Way.” This creed guides his decisions and actions. He must maintain this “way.”

The priests of Israel have turned from “the way.” God says so right there in today’s verse. And their turning away has “caused many to stumble.” This goes directly against what we saw in the previous two verses (verses 6-7). God says they have “ruined the covenant.” That’s a pretty heavy charge against them. God does not make false charges, so we know this was true. We also know He is a covenant keeping God.

APPLICATION

One of my biggest fears as a Children’s Pastor was that I would do something to cause one of the children under my watch to stumble. Jesus said it well, didn’t He? In Luke 17:2 He said, “‘It is better for him if a millstone is hung around his neck and he is thrown into the sea, than that he may cause one of these little ones to sin.’” I don’t know about you, but I am sure I couldn’t swim with a millstone around my neck.

We have such a high responsibility as believers to lead others toward Jesus, not away. Most of us are so careful with what we do, but we do not always watch what we say as carefully. One little word could cause someone to shun a life with Christ. They are looking for something different in us, a life that is not perfect but is different.

May I encourage you to say “This is the way” as you live each day with Christ? Make your way a holy way. Make your way one that reflects Jesus. Make your way His way. If you do that, you will draw others to Jesus. They will see you as different and want to find out how to get what you have. Keep the Way.

Show me Your Way each and every day, Lord. I want to lead others in it.

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Allegiance, Bible, Calling, Commands, Decisions, Following, God's Will, Messages, Scripture

GOD’S MESSENGER

MALACHI 2:7

“‘For the lips of a priest should maintain knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of armies.’”

I surrendered to full-time ministry at seventeen-years-old. Shortly after my salvation I heard God’s call on my life. I have to say that I didn’t really understand what that meant. Here I was a teenager who has given his life to serve the Lord wherever He may lead. Through all these years (I’m in my 45th year of service) I have never doubted His calling. It hasn’t always been easy, but I have always been one of His messengers.

In part two of my memory passage (Malachi 2:6-7), the Lord reminds the priest of two other responsibilities – that his lips should preserve knowledge and that people should come to them for instruction. Why? Because they are His messengers, sent according to His direction to lead the people of Israel. That was a weighty role and one not taken lightly.

APPLICATION

2 Corinthians 5:20 says, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” The Greek word for “ambassadors” there means a trusted and respected ambassador who is authorized to speak as God’s emissary. So, we are given this responsibility as believers in Christ.

Therein lies the rub. Did you see what that word meant? It said an ambassador is to be a “trusted and respected” person. That’s where so many of us fall short. We don’t live our lives worthy of this calling. We don’t live trusted and respected lives. We don’t represent our God as we should with our lives, so our messages fall short.

I try to make sure my life is reflective of the Gospel every day. Do I always succeed? To be honest – no. Some days I fall short. I am not as Christlike as I should be. But I know my talk is only as affective as my walk. The same is true of you. Be God’s messenger. Be worthy of His calling.

I am honored to be Your messenger, Lord. Help me walk worthy of that calling.

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Abiding, Bible, Calling, Commands, Following, Justice, Peace, Scripture

THE ROLE OF PRIESTS

MALACHI 2:6

“‘True instruction was in his mouth and injustice was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and justice, and he turned many back from wrongdoing.’”

When I read today’s verse, I said, “Hey, I know that verse.” Malachi 2:6-7 is one of the passages we memorize as leaders with our ministry, Every Man A Warrior. In fact, this passage was one of the very ones my boss drilled me on over and over. I have pondered this passage many times, so I am thrilled to share my thoughts with you.

The Lord is still speaking in today’s verse. He is reminding the priests of their roles. They were to have true instruction in their mouth. Nothing false should come forth. They were to ensure no words of injustice should fall from their lips. They were to walk in peace and justice, and most importantly, turn many from their sins.

APPLICATION

Did you know that these duties apply to every believer? Wait a minute, Carl. We aren’t priests. Oh no? God calls you that. You are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). Take a look at those expectations I just listed for the priests. Which of those would not apply to you? Speaking truth? Walking in peace and justice? Turning others from sin?

We all have the responsibility to do these things. God has given us an incredible opportunity in each of these. When someone comes to you for advice, where do you turn? There is only one true source – His Word. Point them there. When asked your opinion on a matter, make sure you are speaking justly according to His Word. Getting along with others in your daily walk is critical. And by all means, share Jesus with the lost.

We are truly God’s priests today. We have a holy calling to uphold. What a privilege it is to be given these opportunities. Allow the Lord to use you this week. Do your best to fulfill your duties as His priest in the world today.

You have given me a holy calling, Lord. I take it up freely.

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Belief, Bible, Covenant, Fear, Love, Reverence, Scripture

WHAT FEAR

MALACHI 2:5

“‘My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and was in awe of My name.’”

There have only been a few times in my life when I was truly fearful. One of those times was on a very wet, muddy road up a mountain in Kenya. Another time was when I faced my first stem cell transplant. During both of those times I did not doubt the Lord or His presence, but for a fleeting second or two I began to rely on my own strength and not His.

The Lord reminds the priests that His covenant with Levi (specifically Aaron) was “one of life and peace.” It was everlasting. Then the Lord uses three different words that could be translated as “fear.” “Reverence” is mora which refers to a deed that should be feared. “Revered” is yare which means to be afraid, to hold in awe. And finally, “awe” is chathath, which gives us the picture of being prostrate on the ground. Do you think the Lord meant to say something about fear here?

APPLICATION

Fear still applies to us as believers, but not in a scary kind of way. No, our fear of the Lord rests in the love of Christ. Listen to these words in Isaiah 8:13. “Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself, and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread.” Proverbs 13:13 says, “He who feareth the Lord will be rewarded.” And I love Ecclesiasticus 1:11. “The fear of the Lord is honor and glory and gladness and a crown of rejoicing.”

What is your fear based in? Do you fear life and all the uncertainties it brings, or do you fear the Lord and trust His protection and guidance? When we have that spiritually healthy fear of the Lord, we are able to rest in His goodness. If things are not going the way we want them to, we can still reverence Him and fear His name.

God does not want us to be scared of Him. That is not the kind of fear He is talking about. But He does want us to have a high regard for Him and His commands. He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to believe He will do what He says. Do you fear Him that way? Try it this week. As you pray, tell Him how much you honor and trust Him. Then let your reverence build.

Father, I fear Your name and hold You in the highest reverence and praise.

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Accountability, Allies, Belief, Bible, Covenant, Coveting, God's Will, Ransom, Sacrifice, Salvation, Scripture

HIS COVENANT CONTINUES

MALACHI 2:4

“‘Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, so that My covenant may continue with Levi,’ says the LORD of armies.”

Covenants can be made and broken. Marriage is a covenant between two people who pledge to remain with each other for life. If they are both believers (which is preferrable, by they way), this covenant is made before God. He makes it binding in His eyes, only to be broken in death. As a partner in this covenant, God will never break it. He has covenanted with both the man and the wife to help them sustain this covenant together.

God’s covenant He refers to here in today’s verse was specifically with the tribe of Levi, whom He chose to be the priest for Israel. He has been addressing their behaviors and lack of following Him over the last several verses. God desired this covenant to continue through their sons to show His faithfulness to them. God knows this priestly line will be replaced one day with the Messiah who comes from the tribe of Judah. But that is for another day. Right now, He is concerned with showing them His desire to keep this covenant strong.

APPLICATION

God’s covenant with us, of course, is through Jesus. He gave Him as not only the sacrificial lamb to cover all our sins but also as our High Priest. He fulfilled the Law. He is Lord of the Sabbath. Look at Hebrews 8:6. “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, to the extent that He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.”

What are those better promises? What is this better covenant? Christ died once for all men. No more goats, lambs, oxen, turtle doves, etc. or needed. No more blood is necessary to cover the price of our sins. Once we accept the sacrificial death of Jesus and recognize Him as Lord and Savior, that new covenant is sealed between us and God. His Holy Spirit seals us in.

Are you in covenant with Him today? If not, now is the time. He wants His covenant to continue through you. His Son died for you and wants to be your High Priest. This new covenant is forever. It is eternal. It will never end. You cannot break it once you enter into it, and He never will. Come on in.

Father, I praise You for my eternal covenant with You through Jesus Christ, the final sacrifice.

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