Category Archives: Accountability

Abiding, Accountability, Battles, Bible, Commitment, Family, God's Will, Marriage, Relationships, Scripture

GOD’S MODEL FOR MARRIAGE

MALACHI 2:15

“But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And why the one? He was seeking a godly offspring. Be careful then about your spirit, and see that none of you deals treacherously against the wife of your youth.”

Marriage is such a joy. I pray your marriage is as much fun as mine. Now, I don’t want to give the impression that mine if perfect. It is far from that, but it is so much sweeter when my wife and I are yielding to Jesus. The days we don’t do that, we struggle a bit. We have to constantly remember what we are modeling for others – God’s model for marriage.

In today’s verse, Malachi gives a hint of that. Who was he referring to in this verse? Many scholars agree that it was Adam who was given Eve as his wife. He was given the Spirit when God breathed into his nostrils and gave him life. He was given Eve for companionship and to produce “godly offspring” to populate the earth. God intended marriage to be centered on Him. Remember, He walked with them in the garden before the fall.

APPLICATION

Our world has tried its best to destroy the institute of marriage. We have condoned every sort of “marriage” and called it normal. We have forsaken the marriage of one man and one woman. We have made it easy to get out of a marriage if it does not suit us anymore. Jesus spoke against this in Matthew 19:3-10. Take a few minutes and read those verses. Jesus did not pull any punches there.

If you are struggling in your marriage and the “D” word has come up, stop right where you are. Go to the Lord and talk to Him about this. Don’t just listen to your friends or lawyer. Go to the Great Counsel. He has all the answers. Honor your marriage as God intends. He can help heal those wounds. He wants to repair your damaged marriage and remake it into His model.

I want to share again with you a commitment we teach our men in our ministry (Every Man A Warrior). It says, “It is my privilege to show my love for Jesus by caring for my wife – to love her, to show her honor, to try to understand her and to give up my life and rights for her.” That can be applied both ways in a marriage. If you are married, love your spouse today as Jesus does.

Father, I know I fall so short of your model for marriage. Give me the strength and wisdom to follow Your example.

Standard
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.

Standard
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.

Standard
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.

Standard
Accountability, Belief, Bible, Curses, Emotions, God's Will, Heart, Knowledge, Scripture

I KNOW YOUR HEART

MALACHI 2:2

“‘If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,’ says the LORD of armies, ‘then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart.’”

Unfortunately, I have had the bad experience of trying to help an employee in their work but knowing that they would not change. I had one employee in South Carolina like that. I gave her multiple opportunities to correct her behavior. Each time she promised to change, but I knew in my gut she wouldn’t. In the end I had to terminate her employment, never a fun thing.

The Lord begins verse 2 by warning the priests what will happen if they don’t listen and take to heart to give Him honor. But look how He ends that verse. He says, “because you are not taking it to heart.” The Lord knew them. He knew their heart. He knew they would not turn from their ways. So, the curse would come, and they would pay the price.

APPLICATION

1 Kings 8:39 tells us, “then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men,” God knows our hearts as well as He knew the hearts of those rebellious priests in Malachi’s day. Actually, we are not much different.

Wow, that’s kind of harsh, Carl. Harsh, but true. We settle for the blemished offerings instead of offering God our best. We whine and complain about things if they don’t go our way. How are we any different if we don’t trust God’s heart. That’s the key, isn’t it? We have to trust His heart to lead us and guide us.

That can be a challenge sometime. God can lead us to do something that we do not want to do. Or He may lead us to just wait. That’s even harder. Proverbs 21:2 reminds us, “Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.” Don’t trust your ways, trust God’s. It’s always right.

O God, I praise You for knowing all things, including my heart.

Standard
Accountability, Bible, Calling, Commands, God's Will, Holiness, Integrity, Judgment, Scripture

YOUR TURN

MALACHI 2:1

“‘And now, this commandment is for you, the priests.’”

Hearing the words that it is now your turn can be either delightful or terrifying. When the dentist says, “Okay, Mr. Willis, it’s your turn” I am a little terrified. I don’t like to go to the dentist. That’s nothing personal against the dentist. I just don’t like people in my mouth with power tools. And that whirring sound – now that is truly terrifying.

So, as we begin chapter two of Malachi, God is giving the priest a heads up. He says, “And now, it’s your turn, priests.” Actually, He says He has a commandment for them. We will see in the coming days what that is. (Hint, hint – it’s not good). Now, what is a commandment? Here, the better word would be “decree.” Listen up, priests.

APPLICATION

What is the Lord saying to us in this verse? Do you want to know what I found for me? God is calling me to attention. He is telling me to listen up, to pay attention, to do what He says. I know I am not a priest in the Old Testament sense of the word, but I  am a priest according to His word.

I Peter 2:9-10 calls us that. “9 But you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”

Are you listening, priests? Are you obeying all He has commanded? Are you leading well? Each of those is an important question that we must answer ourselves. If you are a believer, God has called you into His priesthood. Priests lead others to worship. Will you do that?

Father, I am blown away by your mercy. You have chosen me to be Your priest. Use me, Lord.

Standard
Accountability, Accused, Anger, Appeasement, Bible, God's Will, Indignation, Messages, Scripture

INDIGNANT FOREVER

MALACHI 1:4

“Though Edom says, ‘We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins’; this is what the LORD of armies says: ‘They may build, but I will tear down; and people will call them the territory of wickedness, and the people with whom the LORD is indignant forever.’”

Indignation is a strong and rarely used word, at least to me. I don’t see it much, and I certainly don’t use it very often. But it does give a stronger sense of anger than just saying you are angry. I guess I have rarely, if ever, been truly indignant. What did the Lord mean when He used that word?

Edom was proud and arrogant. They were intent on rebuilding, but God says that won’t happen. He even changed their name to “territory of wickedness.” That’s pretty strong. But then the Lord goes on to say, “with whom the LORD is indignant forever.” That word means to abhor, to be enraged, to denounce. I am sure glad the Lord doesn’t feel that way about me.

APPLICATION

How do we prevent that indignation from a righteous and holy God? Yes, God is love. There is no doubt about that. And no, God does not send people to hell. They do that to themselves when they reject Him. 2 Corinthians 4:4 reads, “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

No one wants God’s indignation. At least, I don’t think anyone does. But God cannot stand with sin. He won’t tolerate it. He is righteous and holy. So, if you want to escape the indignation of God, come to His Son. He will set you free from all the entanglements of sin you are living in. He will totally wash away your sins by His shed blood.

Wow! Indignation or Freedom. There is really no choice. Why would you choose to stay in the crosshairs of God’s indignation when you can have freedom in Christ? I pray you have made that decision. I pray you have given your life to Him. If not, do it today.

Thank You, Lord, for releasing me from Your indignation and replacing it with everlasting love.

Standard
Accountability, Bible, Judgment, Remnant, Scripture

JUDGMENT CONTINUES

ZECHARIAH 14:1

“‘Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoils taken from you will be divided among you.’” 

Sometimes you just know the hammer is going to fall. When you blow through a redlight only to see a police car sitting there. Or when you are hunting on a baited field and the game warden shows up (not that that every happened to me, lol). We can definitely bet on one thing happening – God’s judgment. It is coming on the earth, and people need to know.

Verse 1 of this final chapter in Zechariah continues the message from the previous chapter. Remember, there weren’t chapter divisions in the original manuscripts. The Lord warns the people that judgment day is coming. We don’t know the specific time of this judgment. Some say it was the Roman or Babylonian defeat of Jerusalem. Others say it is yet to come. But we know it is coming because the Lord said it.

APPLICATION

As I write this devotional, Israel is under attack on at least two fronts (north and south). We know God’s chosen people will face enemies in the latter days. They will all want to destroy Israel. We also know God has promised a remnant. That remnant is guaranteed.

We need to be telling everyone that judgment day is upon us. Now, before you start calling for a counselor to talk some sense into me, let me just remind you that this judgment is guaranteed by our God. It may be 100 years from now, or it could be tomorrow. Why wait? Why risk not being prepared? Why not tell everyone?

Tomorrow, tell someone that Jesus loves them. Tell them He is coming again to take His bride, the church, all believers, with Him to glory. No one should want to be left behind. It will not be pleasant. Whatever is happening in Israel right now, it is a prelude of what is to come. Get ready!

O Lord, I want everyone to be ready to hear that trumpet and be ready to see Your face.

Standard
Accountability, Accused, Battles, Bible, Enemies, Evil, Holy, Innocent, Reputation, Scripture, Testimony

REMOVE ALL DOUBT

ZECHARIAH 13:5

“‘but he will say, “I am not a prophet; I am a cultivator of the ground, because a man sold me as a slave in my youth.”’”

One thing I truly hate is to be falsely accused of something. If I am guilty, I will admit it. I will take the consequences. But to be accused of something I haven’t done and have my name be called into question, well, that really bothers me. Of course, we can expect nothing less from the evil one. He loves to set up falsehoods against us. That is why we must live above reproach.

Today’s verse reminded me immediately of the prophet Amos. In

Amos 7:14 we read, “Then Amos replied to Amaziah, ‘I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs.’” Amos wanted to distance himself from being seen as a prophet. But here is Zechariah, we see this declaration a little differently. These people wanted to make sure they were not seen as a false prophet. They wanted no part of that.

APPLICATION

We need to be diligent in keeping ourselves away from actions or deeds that could call our testimony into question. I have to admit that I haven’t always done that. But I have discovered a little secret (it’s not a secret really). When I slack off my Quiet Times, I am prone to fall. I have to spend time every day in the Word and in prayer. That keeps my defenses up.

My memory verse this week is Psalm 34:4. “I sought the Lord and He answered me and rescued me from all my fears.” I must (and you must) seek the Lord daily. That means spending time digging out His Word and discovering His truths. Then we must meditate and memorize that Word and find ways to apply it to our lives. Doing those simple things each day helps protect you from falling along your walk.

That does not mean the enemy won’t try to malign you and bring your testimony into question. But if you are living holy, your life will be like Teflon, nothing will stick. Put that armor on each day and watch the fiery darts bounce off. Don’t give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27). Live above the lies.

Father, help me live in such a way that no attack of the enemy can find its target.

Standard
Accountability, Attitude, Bible, Boasting, Clothing, Deceit, Hiding, Humility, Scripture, Truth

NO MORE DISGUISES

ZECHARIAH 13:4

“‘Also it will come about on that day that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a hairy robe in order to deceive;’”

People are so good at wearing disguises when it comes to their walk with Christ. We wear masks that show us smiling, when inside we are crying. We tell everyone we are fine, but really we are beaten down and low. Why do we do that? Why can’t we be real to each other? God sees right through these disguises. You can’t hide your true feelings from Him.

The prophets who had confessed their sin of falsehoods would be repentant, according to the Lord here in verse 4. They would not wear the traditional rough, hairy robe as a sign of humility. They had done that far too many times falsely. They wore that in the past to deceive the people. They had really been proud and arrogant, claiming to speak for God, when He had not spoken.

APPLICATION

I am reminded of Jesus saying in John 8:31-32, “‘31…If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” Jesus did not expect us to hide our true feelings. There was no need to pretend with Him. Because He is the Truth, He expects us to live in the Truth. That means not wearing those disguises.

We do not need to pretend to be something we are not. But living this way makes you vulnerable. I know that is a risk. Revealing your true self can be risky. Do you trust the Lord? Do you think He wants you living in a way that is not true? I love what Peter says in 1 Peter 5:5. “…and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another,…”

Ah, there’s the risky part – being humble. See, those prophets the Lord was referring to in today’s verse were anything but humble when they were prophesying falsely and wearing that false robe of humility. Don’t go around wearing that either. But clothe yourself with true humility. Trust the Lord with your feelings. He can handle them.

O Lord, it is hard to let our guard down. Give us boldness to do so.

Standard