Category Archives: Bible

Abundance, Bible, Blessing, Commands, Gifts, Giving, Money, Scripture, Tithe, Treasures

BAD GIFTS

MALACHI 1:8

“‘And when you present a blind animal for sacrifice, is it not evil? Or when you present a lame or sick animal, is it not evil? So offer it to your governor! Would he be pleased with you, or would he receive you kindly?’ says the LORD of armies.”

I used to work for a ministry that had several thrift shops. These thrift shops operated solely on donated items. People can be very generous when they want to be. Occasionally, however, we received some “gifts” that weren’t so nice. Things like used underwear and used mattresses just can’t be sold. That meant we had to discard them. You would not believe the amount of things we simply had to throw away because they were not saleable.

Man, oh man! The Lord lets the priests have it in verse 8 today. He accuses them of presenting blind, lame and sick animals. These items were not even appropriate for their governor. Why would they think He would accept them? God had strict guidelines for what kind of animals could be presented as offerings to Him. Leviticus 22:22 told them, “Those that are blind, fractured, maimed, or have a wart, a festering rash, or scabs, you shall not offer to the LORD, nor make of them an offering by fire on the altar to the LORD.”

APPLICATION

Now, you are probably saying, Carl, I am not offering animals to Jesus. You’re right, absolutely right. But let me ask you this. Are you offering your seconds to Him? God still requires us to offer our best, our first fruits to Him. What are you holding back? What are you saving for yourself that belongs to Him?

Romans 12:8 addresses New Testament giving. “or the one who exhorts, in the work of exhortation; the one who gives, with generosity; the one who is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” Jesus demands more than the tithe. He demands it all. Sound selfish? Not at all, because He gives it all back to you many times over.

How about your time? Are you robbing God of that too? Carl, I’m just too tired on Sundays to go to church. God understands that. Carl, I really have to work today to make more money. Stop the excuses. Stop offering the bad gifts. Give it all to Him. He deserves your very best.

Father, I offer my all to You today. Take it and use it however You desire.

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Bible, Glory, Honor, Praise, Reverence, Scripture, Sincerity, Truth, Worship, Worthy

DEFILED WORSHIP

MALACHI 1:7

“‘You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, “How have we defiled You?” In that you say, “The table of the LORD is to be despised.”’”

Worship is something I take seriously. I hope you do also. In my ministry experience over the past 4+ decades, I have seen quite a diversity of worship. Some has been pointed more at man than God, unfortunately. As I preach or sing in worship, it is my prayer that everything done is pointed heavenward.

The Lord is chastising the priests of Israel because of their manner of worship. They were bringing defiled offerings to Him, and He was not pleased. Their excuse was that since the people were not taking it seriously, it did not matter what they did. They missed it. They were wrong.

APPLICATION

So, how do you know if you are doing it right? By listening to Him. By making it all about Him and not you. If you are a singer, sing to the Lord. If you are a preacher, preach to draw people to Christ, not yourself or your church. If you are sitting in the pew or chair, forget about yourself and concentrate on Him. If we shy away from the truth, we have despised worship as much as those priests who brought defiled offerings.

Psalm 96:7-9 is a beautiful picture of worship. “7 Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courtyards. 9 Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.”

Now, if we do that, we are truly worshipping. This Sunday, as you are in church, reflect on today’s verse and this Psalm. Check your attitude at the door. Spend time BEFORE you go to church worshipping in your Quiet Time. Prepare your heart for worship before you ever set foot inside the church. Let Jesus see your heart and feel your reverence.

O Lord, my God, You are too wonderful for words. I worship You.

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Allegiance, Bible, Blessing, Commands, Fatherhood, God's Will, Honor, Love, Scripture

HONOR THY FATHER

MALACHI 1:6

“‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the LORD of armies to you, the priests who despise My name! But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’”

I had a great dad. My dad was not a perfect father, but I never doubted for a second that he loved me and would have done anything in the world for me. I showed my dad honor by visiting him, by listening to him, by listening to his advice. In fact, as I got older, I would often run something by him just to give him the opportunity to give me advice, whether I needed it or not.

In verse 6 today, the LORD is beginning a chastisement of the leaders of Israel, the priests. We will see in the following verses in the days to come how they were dishonoring the LORD. But in today’s verse He just reminds them of their obligation to honor Him, just as they would honor their earthly father. The word “honor” is a Hebrew word that means numerous, rich, honorable, to make weighty. Interesting definition, huh?

APPLICATION

I am instantly reminded of the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12) which says, “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged on the land which the LORD your God gives you.” Do I need to remind you that this is a commandment, not a suggestion. And this commandment is the ONLY commandment that comes with a promise, a promise to prolong your days. That’s a pretty good reason to honor your parents, isn’t it?

How do you show honor to your father? So many families are fractured today because of dishonor. So many fathers are wounded because of it also. Did you realize when you dishonor your father you grieve his heart? When we dishonor God through our sins, it grieves His heart. Our earthly father relationship is supposed to mirror our relationship with the Father.

You may be estranged from your earthly father right now. You may even feel justified to do that. Biblically speaking, unless your father has abused you in some way, you are still commanded to show him honor. Listen to the Lord. Ask Him how you are supposed to honor your father. That will also honor Him.

I show You honor, my Lord, by honoring my father here on earth. Now, that he is with You, I show him honor by thanking You for him.

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Belief, Bible, Exalting, Joy, Love, Praise, Scripture, Worship

THE LORD BE EXALTED

MALACHI 1:5

“And your eyes will see this, and you will say, ‘The LORD be exalted beyond the border of Israel!’”

The Lord never ceases to amaze me. He has done such incredible things in my life these past almost 63 years (hint, hint! I’ve got a birthday this month). I shouldn’t be amazed. I know His character, but it seems every time the Lord “shows out” in my life, I stand amazed.

Judah is being addressed here by Malachi. In today’s verse, he tells them to stand back and look at what the Lord has done for them. And goes on to say that they should be praising and celebrating Jehovah God “beyond the border of Israel.” Guess what? That is being done. The Lord is being praised all over the world.

APPLICATION

How are you exalting the Lord today? I don’t know, Carl. I save all my exalting for Sunday at church. No, no, no! We are to exalt and praise the Lord every day. Psalm 104:1 says, “Bless the LORD, my soul! LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty,” How about Psalm 33:2? “Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.”

Nowhere in those two verses do you see any mention of only praising the Lord on Sundays. Every morning in my Quiet Time, I have a time of Worship as part of my prayers. I praise Him in words, in song and in silence. When we lift praises to the King of kings, He is pleased. Don’t you want to please Him?

Read Psalm 100 today. Meditate on each phrase. Take the time to dig in a little deeper. Then you can praise Him. He wants to reveal Himself to you. He often does that as we are lifting Him in praise. I am reminded of the hymn that says:

Praise Him! Praise Him, Jesus, my blessed Redeemer. For our sins He suffered and bled and died

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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.

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Access, Battles, Bible, Deliverance, Evil, Fear, God's Will, Hate, Love, Scripture

JACKALS EVERYWHERE

MALACHI 1:3

“‘but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and given his inheritance to the jackals of the wilderness.’”

I was leaving my home the other night, when out of nowhere this coyote ran across the street. Mind you, I don’t live out in the rural area of town. I live in a very urban area, surrounded by interstates and houses. Where did this little bugger come from? Better yet, where did he go?

In verse 3 of chapter 1 of Malachi, the Lord is pronouncing a judgment on Esau. Remember him, the twin brother of Jacob? The word “hate” is a strong word which we take in a very negative way. The fact is God had chosen Jacob in the womb to be the father of Israel. Esau could have done nothing to change that. His region and people would be destroyed five years after the Babylonians defeated Jerusalem.

APPLICATION

We make choices in life. Esau chose to go in another way. But after the story of him reconciling with Jacob, there isn’t much mentioned of him. It’s almost as if he just wandered into the wilderness where those jackals lived. The Hebrew word for “jackal” comes from the Hebrew tan, which means hideous monster or land creature. Are you living among the monsters? You don’t have to.

1 John 4:18 tells us, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” The Lord wants to bring you in from the wilderness. There is no reason to fear. There is no reason to live among the jackals. He has made you a home, a safe home, a refuge.

I love Psalm 18. Verse 2 says, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my savior, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” So, come in from the wilderness of sin and strife. Put your full trust in Jesus, Who came to give you peace.

Father, You are my rescuer. You have delivered me from the wilderness and the jackals.

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Bible, Chosen, Covenant, Emotions, God's Will, Heart, Love, Relationships, Scripture

I LOVE YOU

MALACHI 1:2

“‘I have loved you,’” says the LORD. ‘But you say, “How have You loved us?” Was Esau not Jacob’s brother?’ declares the LORD. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob;’” 

I honestly don’t remember the first time I told my wife, “I love you.” Before you start sending me emails (lol), it was a quick courtship. She knew she was going to marry me after our first date. I knew after the second, and I asked her to marry me on the third. God told us both to commit to each other. Our love blossomed quickly. I tell her daily that I love her because she needs to hear it and I need to say it.

I just love how the Lord starts his message to Israel by saying, “I have loved you.” In the Hebrew that is only two words, but two finer words could not have been written. The Hebrew word for “love” used here is the same word used in Deuteronomy 6:5. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Just as He loves, we are to love.

APPLICATION

1 John 4:19 tells us, “We love, because He first loved us.” Of course, we love Him. Look what He has done for us. He created us in His image. He gave us the Law to point us toward loving Him and loving others. He sent His only Son to die for us to show His love. What else do people need to see in order to see His love.

You have probably heard people say, “How could a loving God send anyone to hell?” The bottom line is – God does not do that. He is loving them and offering them a way of escape. Only their unrepentant hearts lead them to hell. God is love, we are told in 1 John 4:16. “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

Do you know His love today? I pray you do. If you have not experienced the depths of His love, come to Him. Perhaps there is someone in your life who needs His love. Show them His love by the way you love them. God still uses people to perform His works. Love well.

God, You are love, and I want to dwell in it.

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Bible, Eternity, God's Will, Messages, Scripture, Surrender

THE MESSENGER

MALACHI 1:1

The pronouncement of the word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi:”

I remember the days when it was such a privilege to be asked by a teacher to take a message to the principal’s office. That meant they had trust in you. They believed you could handle the task. They knew their message was safe in your hands. They knew you would make sure the principal got your message. Hmmm.

This is exactly what we see in today’s verse, the very first verse of the minor prophet Malachi. This isn’t a long message given by the LORD to Malachi. The whole book is only 55 verses over 4 chapters. But it is a powerful book that will be fun to explore. Did you know the name Malachi means “messenger”? Yep, pretty cool, huh?

APPLICATION

Some scholars say that the name Malachi may have been made up. It may have just as easily read, “The pronouncement of the word of the LORD to Israel through a messenger:” For whatever reason, it is translated as a proper name – Malachi. So, tell me something. Could the Lord have just as easily sent you to give this pronouncement? Would you have been as willing?

This isn’t an easy message to deliver. But notice the words used. It does not say “against Israel.” No, it says, “to Israel.” That makes the words more palatable. Still, the role of a prophet had always been precarious. You never knew how the people would respond. They may humble themselves and confess or they may rise up in anger and stone you.

Listen, we have a message to give. It does not matter how we think the world will respond. We have to be God’s messenger. We must tell them that God loved them so much that He gave Hs only Son to die for them and give them eternal life (John 3:16). Will you be His messenger today? The world needs to hear from you.

O Father, You are the only message giver we can trust to give us the truth, no matter what. Thank You, Lord.

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Abiding, Bible, Eternity, Idols, Scripture

NO MORE IDOLS

ZECHARIAH 14:21

“Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the LORD of armies; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of armies on that day.”

I know I have talked about this before, but today’s verse calls for another discussion. I want to know what you worship. Carl, of course I worship the Lord.  That’s great. That is my prayer. But what else do you worship? Some people (not my wife, of course) think I worship Georgia football. Not really, but I can put too much emphasis on a game.

Today’s verse is the conclusion of Zechariah. We close the book on this minor prophet with this blog. So, how does Zechariah close his book? What did the Spirit say to him? Pretty simple, final words. The Canaanites he mentions here are long gone, but there remained idolaters. They were worshipped the wrong thing. Now they would all be gone. No more idolaters. Can you imagine?

APPLICATION

One day, folks, we will have no other object of our worship. Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess. Jesus is Lord and will reign forever. Hallelujah! Revelation 21:27 says, “and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

Where is your name written? What is your focus of worship? Who are you bringing with you? Are you allowing the “idolaters” around you die without the saving knowledge of Jesus. That phrase “there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD” includes all those unbelievers on this day.

I will admit that in the past I was an idolater. I worshipped the wrong things. My focus wasn’t on the Lord. But now…it is. My whole heart is given to Him. I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able. Amen? Amen!

We praise You, Lord. We worship only You. You are the King of kings and Lord of lords.

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Bible, Blood, Chosen, God's Will, Holiness, Holy, Offering, Scripture

HOLY TO THE LORD

ZECHARIAH 14:20

“On that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘HOLY TO THE LORD.’ And the cooking pots in the LORD’S house will be like the bowls before the altar.”

It seems everyone is trying “normalize” everything. Things we thought were abnormal a generation ago are now mainstream. Same sex marriage has been made equal with normal heterosexual marriage. Pregnancy before marriage is now accepted. Nobody bats an eye. We have “dumbed” down society to a level that is hardly recognizable.

That is not what is happening in today’s verse. In verse 20 of Zechariah 14, Zechariah is bringing these everyday items up to a level of holiness. Holiness isn’t brought down to their level. They are lifted up. That is exactly what the Lord does for us, isn’t it? He lifts us up out of the mirey clay, cleanses us and places us in the heavenlies.

APPLICATION

We need to do the same. We need to reach down and pull up the things that are unholy, change them through Jesus and declare them holy. 2 Timothy 2:21 says, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” Whew! Wow! “Useful to the Master.”

Let me ask you something. Are you useful for the master? Just like the bells on the horses and the cooking pots will be made holy, you may also be made holy through the blood of the Lamb. He wants to use you for His special tasks. He has plans for you. And He needs you to be a holy vessel, worthy of Him.

The great thing about us being holy is it is not up to us. We don’t have to do a bunch of works to earn it. We don’t have to keep 613 laws, drawn up by fallible men. We only have to rely on His holiness. We simply submit and let His holiness pour over us. Are you ready for some holiness on you?

Father, You are holy so I want to be holy. Use me as Your vessel.

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