Category Archives: God’s Will

AMAZED, Bible, Choices, Decisions, Enemies, God's Will, Gospel, Relationships, Scripture

WHY I NEVER!

GALATIANS 1:6

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel,”

Have you ever been incredulous about something? You know, you just couldn’t believe that someone would do such a thing. Down here in the South, we say, “Why I never!” to show such astonishment. Some things are just hard to believe, even if you see it for yourself.

Paul was “amazed” that the Galatians had turned from the truth of the Gospel which he had taught them to some other form. When Paul called it a “different” gospel, he meant it was totally different, a different kind. Most scholars agree that this shift must have happened relatively quickly after Paul left them. Paul was often followed by men who wanted to add to Paul’s teachings. They must have been just waiting for the opportunity to swoop in and pervert the true Gospel.

APPLICATION

We have to stay true to the Gospel as it was presented to us. That’s why it is so important for you to get into the Word and study it. That’s why you need to be discipled by someone. You are also supposed to be investing in someone yourself, teaching them to follow Christ’s teachings. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable men who will be qualified to teach others.” That is so critical to keeping people informed and growing.

The word Paul uses in today’s verse “deserting” can also be translated as “switching sides.” What if a star player on a team decided during half-time to switch sides and play for the other team? That would be foolish. He had been trained by his team’s coach. He had been taught all the plays. If he switched sides, he would be playing against the very things he had been taught.

Don’t let anyone teach you anything contrary to God’s Word. Check them out. Make sure whatever you hear can be verified by the Word. Too many people fall for any slick teaching. If the preacher sounds good, he must be telling the truth. If he has thousands of followers, he must be right. Listen closely to what he is saying.

Keep me loyal, Lord, to Your teachings. Help those who fallen prey to false teachings.

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Bible, Evil, God's Will, Rescue, Safety, Salvation, Scripture

RESCUED

GALATIANS 1:4

“who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,”

We’ve all heard stories of people who have been rescued from a life-threatening event. Some were rescued from a near drowning. Others may have been pulled from a wrecked vehicle. Each and every rescue had at least two things in common – the rescued and the rescuer. Today’s verse is the same. Let’s look.

Paul says in verse 4, speaking of Christ, “who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us.” It is always good to look at the original language of a passage if you can. The Greek word for “rescue” means a complete and total rescue. Jesus completely rescues us, not just half-way. When God does something, He does it perfectly, wholly, completely. Our salvation is no different.

APPLICATION

What does this mean for us? The very fact that He rescued us means we have value to Him. He willingly died for us. We are important to Him. Psalm 139 tells us that. Verse 17-18 say, “17 How precious also are Your thoughts for me, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.”

Did you know that? God is always thinking about you. If He never gave a thought about you, would He have sent His Son to die for you? I don’t think so. John 3:16 tells us what He did for us. You know that verse, right? And how about Luke 12:6-7? “‘Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.’”

So, my friend, believe God when He says He loves you. He completely rescued you from this “present evil age” through His Son. You and I may still have to live in this world right now, but we have been set free from its grips. Sin no longer has power over us. We have been rescued. We have been delivered. We are free. Praise the Lord!

You are my Rescuer, and I am eternally grateful.

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Battles, Bible, Conflict, Correction, End Times, Family, Fighting, God's Will, Home, Love, Relationships, Scripture

FATHERS AND CHILDREN

MALACHI 4:6

“‘He will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and strike the land with complete destruction.’”

One of the things we teach in the ministry I am serving with, Every Man A Warrior, is father-son and father-daughter time. Most men don’t spend time with their children, thus the breakdown of relationships. When fathers do spend time with their children, they need to do a few things. They need to make it safe, ask questions, make it about them, pray with them, shut up and listen and finally, speak building blocks of truth in their lives.

Isn’t it amazing that Malachi talks about father and children in his very last sentence? He is still speaking about Elijah (whom we mentioned in yesterday’s blog). We are not told how he will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children or the children’s hearts back to their fathers, but he does. Why? So the Lord “will not come and strike the land.” Let’s look closer at what this means.

APPLICATION

When family units breakdown, society crumbles. I am not just talking about the single households. I am talking about the extended families – Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Parents, children, aunts, uncles, cousins. The biggest breakdown today is faith, or should I say lack of faith. When one person in the family is walking with the Lord and others are not, it can cause extreme division.

Lest we be surprised, our Lord talked about this in Matthew 10:21-22. “‘21 Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”

Another passage is in Luke 5. Verses 51-53 are Jesus’ words again. “‘51 Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’”

Now, before you decide to throw in the towel, look back at today’s verse. The Lord says through Elijah He will draw families back together in faith. I believe that. I know faith unites. May we all pray that for all of our families. May we be united in the love of Jesus and rejoice in what He has given us.

Father, thank You for this final promise in Malachi. Praise You for families and what they mean to You and eachother.

P.S. For my frequent followers, I will be taking a short break after today’s blog. I will pick back up on January 1. Pray that the Lord shows me where to go to next in our daily study. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Belief, Bible, God's Will, Looking, Messiah, Prophesy, Return, Scripture

LOOK WHO’S BACK

MALACHI 4:5

“‘Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.’”

Isn’t it exciting when you are told someone you know and love is coming to see you? I can remember as a child being told that my favorite uncle (Uncle Don) or my Grandma Carter was coming to see us. All us kids would get so excited. We would ask all kinds of questions: When are they coming? What time will they be here? Are they bringing us anything? (that was the important one, lol).

Elijah is going to return. The Lord said so right here. There are so many sources to read on this. Most, if not all, of the early church fathers (Tertullian, Cyril of Alexandria, etc.) spoke at length about this verse. We know John the Baptist came in the “spirt and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). But we are also told Elijah will return again “before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.” No one knows when, but he’s coming.

APPLICATION

In two separate occasions, Jesus spoke of John the Baptist as having come as Elijah. I encourage you to read Matthew 11:7-15. Jesus is pretty clear there to the people in speaking about John. And over in Matthew 17:11-13 we read these words from Jesus about John and the second coming of Elijah. “11 And He answered and said, ‘Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.’ 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.”

That’s a lot to grasp, isn’t it? Who and what is Malachi referring to as he gives us the Lord’s words in today’s verse? Well, this is probably one of the clearest prophecies we have from Malachi, in my opinion. Elijah will return before the Lord returns to judge the earth. This will be a post-rapture event.

You and I will not be here to see his return. We will be either already passed into glory or will have been raptured. Let me be blunt – you don’t want to see Elijah return. That will mean you will face this great and terrible day of the Lord. No one wants that. Come to Jesus now and meet Elijah in glory, not here.

I am thankful, Lord, for the promises of Scripture and the clarity of it.

P.S. For my frequent followers, I will be taking a short break when we finish Malachi after tomorrow’s blog. I will pick back up on January 1. Pray that the Lord shows me where to go to next in our daily study.

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Accountability, Bible, Conviction, End Times, Fire, God's Will, Judgment, Promises, Scripture

HOT DAYS

MALACHI 4:1

“‘For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,’ says the LORD of armies, ‘so that it will leave them neither root nor branches.’”

I am really enjoying the weather right now. I like cool and cold days. Why? Because I can always add another layer of clothing to keep warm. But in those hot summer days, it is difficult enough to take off enough clothing and still be able to go out into public. I don’t want to get arrested, lol.

A day is coming that will be the hottest yet. The Lord said it will be “burning like a furnace.” In fact, He said this day will turn all the evildoers into chaff, the ash that is left after an intense fire. Nothing will be left, even the root and branches will be gone. God’s judgment came that way then and still comes that way today. Nothing’s changed.

APPLICATION

I hunt on a piece of property that has been clear cut (all the trees removed for harvesting). Sometimes the lumber company will do a controlled burn afterwards to burn up all the debris left from the logging machines. I can tell they did that in some areas, but not in all. There are still a few trees standing and some logs and limbs lying around. It looks pretty barren as it is. I cannot imagine a scene like the Lord describes in today’s verse.

As believers in Jesus, we do not have to be concerned about being burned up into chaff. We will not face the wrath of God in judgment. Jesus took that upon Himself. As Isaiah says in Isaiah 53:4-5, “4 However, it was our sicknesses that He Himself bore, and our pains that He carried; yet we ourselves assumed that He had been afflicted, struck down by God, and humiliated. 5 But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; the punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”

That should leave you very thankful. As we close in on the end of Malachi (we started the last chapter today which only has six verses), take some time to reflect on the promises we have in a Savior who died in our place and then conquered death and is seated at the right hand of the Father. We certainly serve a glorious King.

Thank You, Father, for sparing me the punishment I deserve. Christ covered that with His blood.

P.S. For my frequent followers, I will be taking a short break when we finish Malachi in five days. I will pick back up on January 1. Pray that the Lord shows me where to go to next in our daily study.

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Bible, God's Will, Heaven, Promises, Remembering, Scripture

BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE

MALACHI 3:16

“Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened attentively and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and esteem His name.”

After two experiences with chemotherapy, my memory is not what it used to be. In times past I could remember a phone number if I had dialed it once. I could remember events on my calendar without problem. But now, I rely on written lists and my phone to keep me sane. I need a book of remembrance, perhaps.

The one spoken of in today’s verse is interesting. Now, the Lord does not need a book to remember things. He does not forget anything. That book is for us. Notice who it says it is written for. It says, “and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and esteem His name.” Their deeds were recorded. Ours are recorded. Let’s look at some other verses where a book or books are mentioned.

APPLICATION

In Daniel 7:10, Daniel says, “the judgment was set, and the books were opened.’ John says in Revelation 20:12, “The books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Back in Exodus 32:32, Moses says to God, “If not, blot me out of Thy book which Thou hast written;” David prays in Psalm 69:28, “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written among the righteous.” Finally, our Lord bids His disciples in Luke 10:20, “‘Rejoice in this, that your names are written in heaven.’”

Enough evidence of a book or books in heaven? I think so. We have nothing to fear if we are in Christ. Sure, some of our worthless works will be burned up, but our name is there. It is recorded. How? With the blood of Christ. When we give our lives to Him, our names are recorded. Our deeds may be written down, but our names are there. We are in the “good book,” lol.

I wonder if God thumbs through that book occasionally just to “catch up.” You think? Of course, He doesn’t need to, but maybe He just gets a little kick out of seeing what we have been up to. Oh yea, He already knows that, too.

I am forever grateful that I am in that book, Lord. Glance at it every once in a while.

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Abiding, Attitude, Bible, Blessing, Delight, Exalting, God's Will, Modeling, Peace, Scripture

SUCH A DELIGHT

MALACHI 3:12

“‘All the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,’ says the LORD of armies.”

I can hear it now. I have heard people say about someone else, “Oh, she’s (or he’s) such a delight.” What do they mean by that? Well, they mean they are nice to be around. They are pleasant to talk to. They make you smile when you are around them. Shouldn’t that be the motive for all of us – to be a delight. We should let “delight” pour out of every pore.

The Lord is restating His promise to the people. You see the land and the people were synonymous. Albert Barnes says this, “The land stands for the people upon it, in whom its characteristics lay.” Why do you think the conquering nations allowed the people to flourish there? Because they had heard of the promises of their God – that through them all the nations of the earth would be blessed. So, if the people were blessed, the land would be also, and that blessing would carry on down to them.

APPLICATION

 In Isaiah 62:2-4 we see similar words from another prophet. “2 The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name which the mouth of the LORD will designate. 3 You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal headband in the hand of your God. 4 It will no longer be said to you, ‘Forsaken,’ nor to your land will it any longer be said, ‘Desolate’; but you will be called, ‘My delight is in her, and your land, ‘Married; for the LORD delights in you, and to Him your land will be married.”

It is obvious from Malachi and Isaiah that the Lord wanted Israel to be blessed. Let’s jump to 2023. Is the land of Israel blessed today? I think so. They are a rich, fertile country. They are the envy of all the surrounding nations. They are a free people. I believe Israel is still the Lord’s delight, but they are lacking one thing – a love for Jesus. Sure, there are some believers there, but Christianity is a small minority.

Would you join with me this Christmas season in not only praying for the peace of Israel, but also that each person there would find true peace in Jesus? He is the only solution for the turmoil going on right now. Jesus is the One who bring all sides together in love. Is that too big of a thing to ask? I don’t think so. Pray big!

Father, bring Your Son, the true Peace, to Your delight. Let Israel experience revival.

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Bible, Giving, God's Will, Offering, Scripture, Tithe

WINDOWS OF HEAVEN

MALACHI 3:10

“‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and put Me to the test now in this,’ says the LORD of armies, ‘if I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.’”

My wife and I have tried our best to follow the words of this verse in our giving. I remember one time we were down to our last few dollars and our tithe was due. We, for some reason, had not been able to give it earlier. So, we gave it. Lo and behold, the next day we got a check in the mail that more than covered our tithe. Actually, this kind of blessing has happened to us more than once. God is truly a rewarding God.

The Lord promises blessings from heaven if they are obedient to give as He has instructed. He tells them in today’s verse to bring in the tithe which belongs to the Levites. This gift allowed them to spend their time in ministry and not have to return to their farms to survive (as we saw in an earlier time). The “windows of heaven” imply the blessing of rains needed to water their crops and provide for their livestock. And He closes this with the promise that it will overflow.

APPLICATION

The Pulpit Commentary defines the phrase “open for you the windows of heaven” this way, “The expression implies not only the removal of drought by copious showers of rain, but the diffusion of heavenly blessing in large abundance.” I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty good. Who doesn’t want “heavenly blessing in large abundance”?

But we do not give to get. Never forget that. We give out of obedience and because we love to bless our Lord. Maybe it’s time you take a look at what you are giving and why. We should also remember that as New Testament believers, the tithe (10%) is the starting point. 2 Corinthians 8:3-4 is a great example. Paul is sharing about the Macedonian churches’ desire to give. “3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave voluntarily, 4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints,…”

Perhaps, like the Macedonians, you give generously to missions. That is great. Bless you. But don’t forget your local church. I pray you are plugged into a body of believers weekly. That body has needs also that you can help meet by your giving. However and to whomever you choose to give, give generously and watch the Lord bless you.

Lord, I know You are not a “blab it and grab it” kind of God. But I believe You are a faithful God who will bless our obedience.

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Bible, Change, Dependence, Faithfulness, God's Will, Immutable, Scripture, Security

I DO NOT CHANGE

MALACHI 3:6

“‘For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.’”

Immutability – that’s a big word. What does it mean? The Miriam-Webster dictionary says it is something that is incapable of change. What do you know that is like that? I bet nothing. Weather changes. Nature changes. Economies change. Everything changes – except one thing. We see that today in our text.

God says very clearly, “For I, the Lord, do not change.” Period! Exclamation mark! Why is that important? Because if God could change, He would not be God. His whole character rests on His unchangeableness. Listen to what MacLauren says about this. “But the unchangeableness of God is the negation of all imperfection, it is the negation of all dependence on circumstances, it is the negation of all possibility of decay or exhaustion, it is the negation of all caprice.” And because God does not change, Jacob will not be consumed, according to our verse today.

APPLICATION

God loves you and will forever love you. That will not change. His decision to bring you to heaven based on your decision to follow Christ will not change. Salvation is sure and unchangeable. His covenant with us will never cease, just as His with Jacob did not. Psalm 102:27 says, “But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.”

I love what James says in his letter. In James 1:17 we read, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” No variation! No shifting shadow! God is the one constant you can depend on. When He says He will do something, He does it.

You may be thinking, “But Carl, aren’t there some verses about God changing His mind?” Yes, you are right. But those verses are conditional on man’s response, not God’s. God is consistent in season and out. You can depend on His faithfulness and steadfastness. When all else fails you, God will not. Lean on Him.

Lord, I know I can depend on You when everything around me is falling apart. Thank You, Jesus.

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Appearance, Bible, Christ's Return, Future, God's Will, Judgment, Promises, Rapture, Scripture

I’M ON THE WAY

MALACHI 3:1

“‘Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he will clear a way before Me. And the Lord, whom you are seeking, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,’ says the LORD of armies.”

Do you know what OTW means when you get a text message? It means On The Way. I have used that a few times, in fact, just the other day when a friend I was meeting texted me to find out where I was. Now OTW doesn’t tell anyone where you are. It is just a nice way to say that you will get there when you get there. Right?

Guess what? God told the people in today’s verse that He was OTW. He did not reveal when. He just said He would suddenly come to His temple. This verse is full of images and references to John the Baptist and Jesus Himself. But for the sake of staying in the context of Malachi, let’s stick with the fact that God did come, and judgment did fall on the people. The temple was destroyed, was rebuilt and then destroyed again.

APPLICATION

Do you believe Jesus is returning? He is OTW. We don’t know when, but He is. He told us so. In Luke 17:34-35 Jesus said, “‘34I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. 36 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.’” We just don’t know when He is coming.

That should not put us off from preparing for His arrival. Just like John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus’ first arrival into ministry, we need to be preparing the world for Him to return. Jesus told his disciples, “And He was saying to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’” (Luke 10:2) That is still true today.

In the ministry I serve, we are constantly looking for men who have a passion to disciple other men. We believe strongly the way to change a culture for Christ is to reach the men. Would you pray with me for more men to be called to full-time ministry to men? We want to reach the world for Christ and prepare it for His coming.

Father, we know Jesus is going to return. Give us direction to prepare the way for Him.

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