Jesus the Messiah the Foundation of the Early Church

Laying the Foundation for Joy

1 Peter Chapter 1:1-12

The Apostle Peter (the Rock) was the son of a man named Jonas who was also a fisherman and Peter took up the occupation of "fisherman" on the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee). Peter and his brother Andrew were partners of John and James. Notice how God had placed these men in this place to be used of the Lord.

Although Peter may not have been as rich as James and John, he did have hired servants and his position did bring him in contact with men of education which Peter probably lacked so Peter was not as worldly as some.

Act 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

We should keep in mind Peter and John and the Apostles were called ignorant not because they had no education but only because they had not attended a rabbinical school.

Peter had first made his home in Bethsaida but then he moved to Capernaum to a home somewhat larger than the average homes of that day.

This home may have belonged to Peter's mother in law.

Peter left all these things behind to follow the Lord Jesus Christ!

Peter would have spoken in a form of Aramaic probably aligned with the Syriac.

If you have a Syriac Bible translated into English, besides the “thous” and the “thees” it is almost identical to the King James Bible.

The Hebrew language was used mainly by those who had been trained in the rabbinical schools.

We will notice that the Lord Jesus Christ had no problems at teaching and understanding any of the language differences.

We can better understand that phrase "cloven tongues" as the Apostles new only one language the slang version of the Syriac, yet when they spoke everyone understood in their own language.

Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Act 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

So let's see Peter after he had received the Holy Spirit:

*****1Pe 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

Who was Peter writing to?

Peter was writing to the Christian Jews and other Christians who were scattered because of persecution!

Act 8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Some of these Christians did find a way to stay in Jerusalem and some of the Apostles elected to stay in Jerusalem for them and they too met with death.

Peter had three names used by the Lord.

Peter was called Simon or Simeon which means he had been circumsized according to the Laws of Moses.

He was called Cephas (a stone) given to him by Jesus Christ, our Lord.

He was called Peter, which is the Greek equivalent of the Syriac name Cephas of which he was also called.

I believe Jesus will give us a new name according to how He thinks of us, just as He did to Peter.

As Christians we are all strangers in this world, because Heaven is our true home!

*****1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Who are the elect? These are all the Body of Christ, called the Saints of God. Not as the Roman Catholic do, but all those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior after being called of God and Baptized into the family of the Church.

Father God calls each of these His Jewels!

Mal_3:17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day "when I make up my jewels"; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

How do we know we are the elect?

We have been and are continuously being "sanctified" by the Holy Spirit!

We have been washed in the blood of Jesus!

Election is the source of salvation!

Again election is being called of God,

Saying yes to the truth of Jesus, washed in His blood,

Being filled with the Holy Spirit!

Having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!

Being the elect means we are being obedient to the Word of God and connected to God by His GRACE!

God's Riches At Christ's Expense

You see if God loves believers this much, to actually choose us out of this world and elect us to be His very own chosen people, then God will look after us and take extreme care for us!

No matter what else is going on in this world God will provide for His elect children!

God has foreknowledge which means no matter how far we can see into our future God has already seen it!

God knows exactly what all men will do and when they will do it, but God knows the past, the present and the future, all at the same time!

God sent the Lord Jesus Christ to die for our sins!

Act 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

God knew the response of the people to the Messiah then and He knows the response of the people to the second coming of the Messiah and most of all God knows those who love Him!

This is the very reason that we can read the Word of God and know it is true!

The foreknowledge of God is a wonderful truth of God that we can depend upon as believers!

The Book of Revelation is all about reveling our future and the future of the Jewish people!

Why did God allow all the things to happen in the past if God knew all these things?

God wants a people, "of their own free will", to choose to live with Him throughout eternity!

You see, God is willing to go through the pains of rejection in order that some, a small remnant will choose to live with Him forever!

God knows that love, His love, is His greatest trait and most of the world would never understand His love!

Rom 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

Rom 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

Rom 9:24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

Though all we see now is hate in our world, this does not negate the fact that love is the greatest force that exist upon this earth, of course besides our prayers.

Nothing teaches us love better than the words given by the Holy Spirit to the Apostle John.

1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1Jn 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

God is determined to see these things through till completion!

We may not understand everything in the plan of God, but we do not know the things God knows.

God just ask us to trust Him and this trust is called "Faith"!

We must understand that all things do work according to the purpose of God!

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

We must also know that God has great plans for those who have chosen to spend eternity with His Son!

1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Again we see that word "love".

Remember what is God's purpose?

God is seeking all those who freely choose the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and choose to live with Him throughout eternity!

Once we have chosen to do this thing, God begins the sanctification process by sending the Holy Spirit to live within us therefore sealing us as His children.

2Co 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

God would not have repeated Himself these 3 times if this was not His intention and His truth!

The most important thing we can do is to respond to the Holy Spirit when He begins His work within us!

It is by the Holy Spirit that we are set apart for salvation!

It is by the Holy Spirit we are trained to live a life in Heaven that is totally different than this life we have on earth.

In the end when we are completely sanctified, we will be "glorified", ready to be obedient to the Lord throughout all eternity!

You see God wants the very best for us!

2Co 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

You see this is the way "grace" is multiplied toward God children!

It is those chosen of God who are washed with the blood of Jesus, filled and sealed with the Holy Spirit and sanctified who are the very ones who bless God!

*****1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

There is no way to improve on what the Holy Spirit is teaching us in this passage and Peter knew it when He penned it!

We must only believe!

God does not just give us hope, but He gives us a living hope, which means it is not a dead, lifeless hope, that is in this world and those who trust the world.

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The hope that we had when we were in the world!

Our hope is in the promise of God which says we will live with Him forever once He calls us home!

The source of that hope is in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

We should say Lord because He is our Lord!

Jesus Christ is our Lord!

He is Jesus the Carpenter of Nazareth!

He is Christ the Messiah of God was the promised Deliverer!

When we follow the Lord Jesus Christ, God becomes our Father as He is the Father of Jesus. Two parts of the Holy Triunity, adding to the Holy Spirit which makes the three parts, the three persons!

How are we blessed of God?

We are the blessed of God's entire creation!

We are blessed in His Son Jesus!

We are blessed by the Angels!

We are blessed by God's called ministers!

We are blessed by the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We are blessed by the Word of God!

We are blessed in His promises!

We are blessed in His salvation.

We are in blessed in being adopted into His family!

We are blessed in being at peace while we remain in this world!

All these things are the most wonderful things we can know while we are alive!

Eternal life exists nowhere else certainly not on this world!

Eternal life can only come by and through the Lord Jesus Christ!

Jesus Christ is perfect, and it is by Jesus Christ we can have the perfect victory!

We have been begotten which means God has made us to be "new creatures".

All we see in this world is destruction and death.

We are born as babes in an evil and wicked land, we live in a cruel world in a life that soon seems too short and then we die!

By the Lord Jesus Christ we are "born again" into a new life that will not be on this earth but in the Glory Land!

This great blessing of God came by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ!

This great blessing came by the "resurrection" of Christ Jesus showing that He is even Lord over death!

Just so we can get a glimpse of our blessings, verse 4, we are born again to an inheritance, a shared inheritance with the Lord Jesus Christ!

What is so good about our inheritance? It is incorruptible, it is undefiled, and it will be there when we get to Heaven.

It cannot perish! Things on earth come as new and fade with oldness but not our inheritance!

Who makes sure these things are ready when we get to Heaven?

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

We know that the Lord has to power to do all these things!

2Co 5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

2Co 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

We know that whatever comes against us and whatever lies the Devil tells our Father, Jesus is right there to intercede on our behalf!

Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.

God hides us from trouble that we do not even know about:

Psa 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

This is the kind of power that gives us the hope of the truth of our salvation!

It is in all these things that we can rejoice in the truth of God!

*****1Pe 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

We know that life is full of trials and temptations! Anyone but a child can look around and see that this true.

To go along with these things there are the sins of omission and sins of commission as we are all sinners.

Life can be harsh many times, and this is just as true for believers and unbelievers. The believer can add to these things the hatred for Jesus Christ that is many times taken out on His believers!

We must understand that this world we live in operates opposite of God! The world will hate those who choose to believe what God has to say!

Peter is writing to all believers.

These believers in the day of Peter had to flee from their homes because of their love for Jesus Christ.

Jesus said these trials and temptations would only last for a season.

Because all these things are true, then we can rejoice because this is just another way that we know the Word of God is true!

Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The darkness of our world is a fact and we should not deny it!

The two things that hold us together should be our love for our Savior and "faith" in the things He has done to bring to us His gift of salvation.

*****1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

The fact is, God will allow certain trials to test our "faith"!

God knows what He is going to do all the time, but He will test us so that we can know if we are for real.

When we know we are real, we can do the work God has ask us to do, without regret.

We must come to ourselves knowing that we are for real and then dedicate ourselves to the Lord!

It is these trials and temptations that will draw us closer to the Lord!

While we are "Born Again" we share our new man with our old life, and we can have rejoicing in the new man and heaviness of temptation in our old man!

Isa 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

Another thing we must understand is, as long as God is chastening us, it shows His great love for us!

2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Heaven and the things of Heaven are eternal!

*****1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Today my heart and my faith are my eyes. If is cannot lord the Lord without seeing Him, how can I say I have "faith"?

It is because I can see my Lord in my heart, that I can defeat my trials and temptations!

I also know that if I go against my God in any way, I am committing treason!

If we die without God, we will be exiled and cut off from God forever.

Go back and read about God's creations, because none of these things will be in Hell, except the unbeliever!

God created Hell for the unholy trio and the fallen angels, only the unbelievers will join them there of their own choice!

Each of them will have gotten an opportunity to come to the Lord but rejected His offer!

We all have the strength to conquer our trials and temptations, but many Christians walk around defeated. A defeated Christian is of no value to the work of God!

It is the "Love of Jesus Christ" that gives us strength to claim victory over all obstacles upon this earth!

When we fail because of disobedience we are rebelling against our Lord!

If we love Christ enough, we will take a stand with Him!

If our faith is real, we will stand with Him!

If we have that unspeakable joy of our salvation, we will stand with the Lord!

Joh 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Joh 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Joh 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Resting at the end of our faith is our salvation!

*****1Pe 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

Even today, the practicing Jews and the true Muslim are looking for a Messiah, but both are looking for some man to claim to be the Messiah.

Jesus Christ was and is, God in the flesh and He is coming again in strength and power.

They do not understand a personal relationship with God.

To the Jews, they will see the truth at that time!

To the Muslim, they will be disappointed because they serve a false god who has no power to do anything!

Salvation is having a close personal relationship with Jehovah God, peace restored like the first days of Adam, when God walked with him before sin entered into this world.

Lucifer had already sinned in Heaven, and he by temptation, caused Eve to sin who was the cause of Adam's sin!

The prophets of God could not see that personal relationship that God wants with us all.

The plan of God is so marvelous, that it hides in plain sight for all those who reject it's truth!

Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The prophets searched each other's writings to see what they could find about "Grace" and "Salvation".

*****1Pe 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

We already know that the Spirit God would guide these prophets in any manner He chose to reveal the truth of God.

The prophets revealed that the Messiah would come into the world to die.

The Messiah would take the guilt of the sin of man and bear the judgment of all men's sin!

Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

The Jews had missed this Prophecy.

Then the Messiah would be raised from the dead and be exalted to the throne of God.

Isa 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Isa 25:9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

These are not the only Scriptures, there are others, but we can see that Peter now knew the truth, and all the Jews should have known this truth, but the Priests, the Levites, rejected these truths.

*****1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

God has caused "Salvation" to be destined to all future believers in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the truth of the Scriptures!

Upon a profession of faith in the work of the Lord Jesus, The Messiah, the Holy Spirit would immediately take up residence in each believer and this one thing the angels cannot understand.

Angels as powerful as they are will never know Holy Ghost conviction and neither will they ever have the "fruit of the Spirit"!

As Christians we are no longer in bondage to this world

Gal 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Gal 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Salvation has come to each and every believer, no matter who they are or where they come from!

It costs us so little, but the rewards are so great, that it takes a fool to reject the truth of God.

It takes a fool to reject the Lord Jesus Christ!

Amen

Let’s Pray!

God Keeps His Promises

Promised Rewards

Book of Malachi Chapters 3-4

Have you ever noticed that the Lord comes right to the point, He does not beat around the bush as some say, I praise the Lord that He does this!

This also a great example for every Pastor.

Right is always right and wrong is always wrong and wrong is sin!

Jas_4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

We cannot fool God and it is a terrible sin just to attempt to fool God.

God proves this to us with all these examples in the Old Testament.

God's ears are always open to what we say.

God's eyes are always open to see what we do.

God does not look upon the outside of us to judge us, He simply looks into the heart to see if we are real Christians!

When we think we can tell God what to do, we tread on dangerous ground!

We must understand, God is very strict on our behavior!

*****Mal 3:13 Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?

Mal 3:14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?

Mal 3:15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

Mal 3:16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

Starting at verse 13 we can see, that these are the ways we can tell that the course of this world is not following the will of God.

It is obvious today that our own government has taken the stand that anything spoken in the Word of God is evil because it does not fit into their agenda.

This is the battle our President faces, and we all must stand on the Word of God.

It is not vain to serve the Lord the benefits are immense!

Psa 116:8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

Psa 116:9 I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

Psa 116:10 I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

Psa 116:11 I said in my haste, All men are liars.

Psa 116:12 What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

We should ask ourselves, how are those so full of pride happy. They are only happy when they are persecuting the people of God!

They tempt God but He is quiet.

They provoke God and God is still silent.

They resist God yet they are still safe.

We should never forget that those that do these things are already sentenced to eternal death so they are not improving their relationship with the Lord at all and why should God say anything when He has already judged them?

God only pays attention to what His children are doing and to what His children are saying because it is God's children who can put a smile on God's face, and it is these things that are written in God's Book of Remembrance.

You see when we speak to one another of our salvation and of the promises of God and that we are only visitors here, because our home is in Heaven and how much we love the Lord, these are the things God wants to hear!

These are the things that are of delight to our God!

*****Mal 3:17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

How precious are God's people to Him, we are all like precious jewels! We can serve God alone, but we need each and every child of God to serve with us for the Church to do its work!

It is the fear of the Lord that binds, that fear being reverence for our Creator who decided He would save all those who wanted to be with Him and to trust Him.

Every Christian will be saved from the wrath of God.

When we think upon the Lord in the way that He approves, we will be with Him in Glory and this day may not be that far off!

God has promised He will gather all His jewels before He begins to deal again with the children of Israel, and He will gather all those jewels so we will all be together in the New Heaven and the New Jerusalem!

When the children of Israel think upon these same things, then they will return from their backsliding ways to serve the Lord!

*****Mal 3:18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Those who speak and act against the Lord will not be gathered but will suffer through out eternity.

We must be able to discern between evil and the good.

We must be able to discern between the righteous and the wicked.

We must be able to discern between the Christian and those who are lost.

When we see just how evil this world is, we will certainly know that the Word of God speaks the truth, and this will increase our faith!

There is coming a day of "judgment", and we should feel a relief that we have already been judged!

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

There is a judgment day coming, for those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ!

*****Mal 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

It amazes me that so many who are lost continue to say that a Loving God would never send anyone to Hell, when it is plainly written in the Word of God, so many times!

It also amazes me that so many who preach the Word of God leave these Scriptures out or never preach on these things when it is so plainly written in the Word of God!

What do we know about the Day of Judgment?

It will be a fiery day that burns as hot as the hottest furnaces!

Look what Malachi says.

Remember a true prophet of God must be exact in his prophecies!

We can just imagine a fiery furnace that is so hot, it will burn even those who come close to it.

Dan 3:22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Dan 3:23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Dan 3:24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

Dan 3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

Dan 3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

We should notice this superhot furnace cannot burn the child of God, but only the proud who reject God, and the wicked who go against the Word of God!

If we cannot love our families enough to try to show them these facts of the Bible, then shame on us!

We need to pray with all our heart to our Father in Heaven that He will send Holy Ghost conviction to all our family, all our friends, and anyone else we know that are lost in this dying world. Time will run out when the patience of God runs out.

There is so much difference for those who love the Lord!

*****Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

There is only one sun in our solar system though there may be many suns in God's creation.

The vastness of our sun is enormous, and we can feel more than its heat and its powerful light that removes all darkness.

We know that there is only one Mediator between God and man and He is the Lord of all God's creation and our sun is just a spec in the path of the Son of God!

You see if we have that reverent fear of God, and a certain fear of His enormous power, then when we cry out to God for His mercy and His "GRACE", He will hear us.

Remember "GRACE" is God's Riches At Christ Expense!

What does the phrase, calves in a stall mean?

Psa 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Psa 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.

Psa 92:14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;

Psa 92:15 To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

What do calves in a stall mean? They just eat grain and drink water and have no worries of what is happening outside the barn.

*****Mal 4:3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

We can tread down the wicked because having "faith" in the promises of God, then our "faith" can overcome the world.

1Jn_4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

When God burns all the wicked and evil, they will be only ashes under the soles of our feet!

When we by faith overcome the world, when we suppress our corrupt appetites and passions, and when the God of peace bruises Satan under their feet, then we can indeed tread down the wicked.

We will walk with the Lord after we have returned with Him, as He spreads His wrath all around this world!

1Th_4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus "will God bring with him".

There is only one way to be part of this group and this is to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior before the death of your body on this earth. Those who will return with Christ Jesus are all those whose name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life!

Rev_21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Now most people do not want to hear about "judgment" but God's judgment is just as true as God's salvation! plan!

In fact most people do not consider themselves to be a part of God's judgment, but God has already judged each of us!

Rom 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

Rom 6:21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Once I was saved, I was still a sinner, but I am no longer a servant of sin, I serve Jesus Christ!

God has made another promise to the Jews.

*****Mal 4:4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

Mal 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

What did the prophet Malachi teach these Jews to do until it was time for the Messiah to come, which would happen after the Prophet Elijah returned!

It was easy. Remember the law of Moses and do them!

What is the truth for the Christian? We do not give it much thought, but all the doctrine of God can be found in the first 11 chapters of the Book of Genesis. By adding all the 5 books of Moses, it would just as good for us to follow those.

I know the Laws of Moses were given to the Jews but besides the Law of the Sabbath that we do not observe, As we serve the Day of the Lord, which is Sunday, the remaining laws are good guidelines for everyone!

We should understand that if the Pentateuch fails then all the New Testament will fail!

The writings of the Apostle Paul are based upon the Laws of Moses.

Gal_3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Gal_3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

The Lord Jesus referred to the Laws of Moses many times.

If we reject Moses, then we must reject the Lord Jesus Christ!

Deu 4:10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.

Luk 1:50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

As far as the Church is concerned there is the great possibility that the Church will be in Heaven before the return of Elijah.

The return of Elijah is a sign for the Jews!

Elijah will come to reconcile the families of the world after the rapture of the Church.

This prophecy is not linked to chapter 3:1 which speaks of John the Baptist preparing the way for the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Prophecy of the return of Elijah is true because he will be one of the two witnesses who will come before the Lord returns.

The other I believe to be Enoch.

Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

Rev 11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

Rev 11:6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

Rev 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Rev 11:9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

Rev 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

Rev 11:11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

Rev 11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

If this man is not Elijah, he will be in the power and might of Elijah.

Men like Elijah and John the Baptist would be hard to miss, because they possess what most Christians lack today, "BACKBONES". They know what job they had to do and came to do those jobs loudly.

To be a forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ they must be perfectly fearless in this wicked world!

What is the job of this Elijah? To turn the heart of the fathers to the children. In today's world there are so many families who are without fathers and many of the rest are too occupied with getting an income.

Many children do not know what to do and they fall in the clutches of Satan who will in the end, will destroy them!

If these things do not go as the Lord demands, He will come with a curse.

Now we can accept what the Lord says is true, or we can go on doing as we do now!

God has already told us what He is going to do, and He will not waver until it is done, and He will be King Jesus for 1000 years.

The one thing is certain. There will not be as many as could have been in Heaven!

Isa 24:6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

We should understand, at the close of Malachi there at least 400 years where Judah and Benjamin were back in Judah and Jerusalem most always under the rule of a foreign power even though they tried their best to remain free.

Many were still dispersed throughout the Persian Empire including the other 10 tribes as the Old Testament closes out and God did not speak to His people for those 400 years.

Part of the prophecy of Daniel was fulfilled then the Lord came the first time and the remaining to be fulfilled when the Lord returns for the second time!

Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

God will do just exactly what He says, when He is ready to do it!

Amen

Let’s pray!

Remembering God's Mercy

Polluted Privileges

Book of Malachi Chapters 1-3

Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament

We have seen in our study of the Old Testament, where Israel would sin, and the Lord would chastise them over and over again.

Jehovah would scatter them across foreign soil, and He would allow them to return back to the Promised Land. These things happened over and over again, until God will chastise them one more time and then go away for 400 or more years and let the world see what happens.

All these things are still the plan of God from the beginning, but these things are beginning to sink in.

What was happening?

They doubted God's love.

They doubted God's Word.

They doubted God's great promises.

They doubted God's justice.

They doubted God's willingness to do anything for them.

They doubted God's willingness to do anything against them.

All these things happened because they had lost their faith.

They had forgotten the "mercy" of God, written in all the Old Testament!

All these things then led to rebellion against the Lord and they were blaspheming His Holy Name.

Whenever sin and doubt become our religion, corruption becomes evident in our lives!

Before we start there is a passage we need to look at:

There is a verse in the Book of Malachi that is not in our lesson today.

Mal 1:5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.

We can look at this Scripture both ways.

It could mean that the Lord's name will be magnified from all the border of Israel inward, and this will take place in our future.

It could also mean that the Lord's name will be magnified from the borders of Israel outward to all other nations, and we know that this will also take place.

Add this next Scripture:

Psa 83:17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:

Psa 83:18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

It is the Lord God Jehovah who is the Most-High over all this Earth who is getting no respect!

We can see this in America, and we see this in the modern day church.

The Book of Malachi was written by the Prophet Malachi and "Malachi" means "the messenger of the Lord".

The Book of Malachi was probably written around 433 BC just over 400 years before the time of Jesus Christ.

During these 400 years, Persia would fall to Greece and then Greece would fall to Rome, who ruled the known world when the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

I guess you have all heard the latest news from the Muslim, "that Palestine ruled Bethlehem at the time of Christ, so Jesus is a Palestinian Muslim".

It was Rome who first called the area around and near Israel, Palestinia, and the Jews were on the land at that time even though they again were a conquered nation.

Malachi was alive during the time Persia ruled the majority of the known world.

Malachi remained true to the Word of God, as did Ezra and Nehemiah.

The Book of Malachi remains as a Book of the Bible that calls God's people back to faithfulness.

We know that many in Israel were returning again to their old sinful ways by the words given to Malachi by the Holy Spirit.

Malachi also described the coming of God's Judgment.

Again as most of the other Prophets, the Book of Malachi gives us a glimpse into the Character of God!

It truly breaks God's heart for His children to return to sin!!!!!!!!

We see that we are deeply loved by God!

If we want to know what God is doing right at this very moment? God has His eyes on us!!!!!!!

So let's begin

*****Mal 1:6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

Mal 1:7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.

I believe God is asking this same question of us here today!!

What is the most common sin of God's people?

It is written right here in this passage. "We do not always show reverence to our Father in Heaven".

We do not always give God our very best, and the Lord will not accept our second best!

Remember, the Lord is sanctified, it is we who need to be sanctified.

We owe our allegiance to our Savior, we owe our life to our Savior.

In fact, we owe everything we have, physically and Spiritually, to our Savior.

Yes this includes our tithes, the very first part of any income.

Even in the Christian world, we have lost our fear of our Awesome God!

Yes, He is the God of love.

Yes, He is the God of creation.

He is also the God of all Power!

I believe when we first see Him, we may be hunting some place to hide from our terrible God, until He says, "peace be with you".

Deu_7:21 Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.

If we fear anything in this world, then we do not know how powerful is our God!

Anytime we go against God the Father, or His dear Son or go against the Holy Spirit, we have dishonored our Savior, who gave it all just so we would have the opportunity to spend eternity with Him!

If we make up our own laws to live by, we have said the table of the Lord is contemptible!

Where have we despised the name of God?

Here is what God said to these Jews.

*****Mal 1:8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.

If we have not given our very best, we have offered the blind to God for a sacrifice!

If the things we offer God are tarnished in any way, we have offered the lame and the sick!

If we try in any way to hold onto our hidden sin, God will not be pleased with us!

These are facts!

If we do not worship God in Spirit and Truth, we have not reverenced God.

If we do not adhere to all the Word of God, we have not reverenced God.

If we give in to our temptations, we have not reverenced God.

If we do not pick up our cross and follow the Lord daily, we have not reverenced God!

If we have not sacrificed our heart to the will of God, we have not reverenced our God!

If we have taken the name of the Lord in vain, we have shown the Lord we do not love Him as we say we do!

If the Lord does not live in our heart, we are not even God's child!

We should ask ourselves this same question! Will He be pleased with us?

What is God's answer?

*****Mal 1:14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

What is the actual truth? To worship the Lord in a way that goes against what He teaches us, is worse than not worshiping the Lord at all!

We need to take a moment and let that sink in!

What did God say to the Jews?

Isa 1:13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

When we just worship to be worshiping, we are deceiving ourselves!

If we forget God's "mercy", we have forgotten why we worship!

If we forget we are saved by "faith" we have forgotten why we worship!

If we have forgotten God's "judgment", we have forgotten it is the Lord that washed us in His blood!

What is going on in the modern-day church? We see the offerings to God without repentance!

It will just not work that way! We should think on "Faith" and "Repentence" as the first steps in the right direction!

We cannot just offer things to the Lord, thinking we can appease Him!

We must understand that we are full of sin as long as we are in these bodies of flesh, but we still cannot abuse God's "Grace"!

Repent, is a word we do not hear much of other than here at Gethsemane!

We need Pastors and Preachers to teach the truth!

*****Mal 2:7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

What is a true man of God?

1) He is divinely called: There is no such thing as choosing to be a preacher, it is a special calling of God!

2) He must be a man of profound reverence: This is a respectful, submissive, attitude toward the Lord God, built upon affection and esteem for the truth.

3) He must be a man of truthfulness: Because the Word of God is true and it must be taught as the truth, with no higher authority.

4) He must be a man devoted to his calling, unwavering.

5) He must be devoted to the Lord and this devotion passed down to his flock.

6) He must be a man of intelligence, not worldly book learning, but the wisdom of God through knowledge of the Word of God.

God only has "one standard" for those He has called to preach the "Gospel"!

That one standard is "for" every Preacher, to guard the truth of the Scriptures!

What happens if they fail? They will face the "judgment" of God.

This also holds true for every teacher!

We have the law that came from God's mouth, it is the Bible, the preserved Word of God, from the original Greek and Hebrew text.

If not, we will fall into the curse of God!

God's blessing will turn into the curse of God!

That good Pastor will turn away from all iniquity.

A good Pastor will never depart from the truth of God!

*****Mal 2:8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

Mal 2:9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.

What had these priests done? They had perverted the Word of God to please great men!

They had twisted the Word of God to serve what God had forbidden!

They had only given the Law of God, that suited their own benefit!

Sounds just like the many who pervert the Word of God today and people say the Old Testament is not good enough for the modern-day Church.

Shame on all those who call themselves "called of God" yet they serve their own calling.

Jer 28:15 Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

Jer 28:16 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.

Jer 28:17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

How can a man preach about sin, when they are deliberately withholding their own sin to suit themselves?

The job of the Christian Minister, must bring all the Word of God, fearlessly, faithfully, firmly, and impartially!!!!!!!

They are never sent of God to tickle ears.

They are never to modify the Word of God to hinder its application to anyone just because of their social status.

They must present the Word of God as the perfect Word of God that it is!

They must never confirm men in their sins!

Even today we have gay pastors in certain denominations. This goes against the Scriptures!

We have multitudes claiming that God created them "to sinful lives" and therefore they need not repent to Biblical truth.

Each one of these who pervert the Word of God, will be destroyed and they will be accountable for their destruction of others, who believed them!

They will be rejected of God and condemned by the people they had misled!

Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Rom 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Gal_2:17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

What is the truth of these men?

*****Mal 2:17 Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?

When fake ministers and fake Christians call evil good and good evil.

When we ask where is the God of Judgment?

We must understand that these people will be held accountable for their foolish life!!!!!

Every minister is called of God to instruct us in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ who adhered to every law in the Word of God and did everything He set out to do for the glory of God!!!!!!!

That word "wearied" means these men are trying God's patience!!

Those who think along these lines today, really think that God does not care about His creation!

What is the truth of our God?

2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

We have to believe God knows what He is doing, and His patience will run out one day!

What did God say?

God said He would send John the Baptist to prepare for the Messiah.

*****Mal 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

God said He would send a real messenger because they were not His messengers!

These men knew about the Messiah, because they knew of the true prophets that they had rejected.

We should understand these people had seen the work of God take place in their own life time.

Malachi was a prophet sent of God in the days of Nehemiah.

They had seen the words of Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel come true in their lifetime.

Who can really say, what were they thinking, but it should be obvious, they were only thinking of themselves and they were not worried about the coming of the Messiah?

Malachi was the last prophet they would see for more than 400 years but they did not care at this time.

What do we know? The Temple had been rebuilt, the city of Jerusalem had been restored and maybe some places still showed signs of the destruction of Nebuchadnezzar.

The walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt, which gave them that sense of security and all these things had been dedicated to the Lord.

A Jew, Queen Esther of Persia was in a place to help the Jews for her life time and again thru her son who would also be the next king.

Some would think the Jews had everything going for them so why would the Levites act in such a way?

There are corrupt priest in every age and every life time just as there are, today! Even today no one is really concerned with the coming of the Messiah for the second and final time.

The prophet Malachi offered up the truth of God and the truth of the Scriptures!

*****Mal 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:

Mal 3:3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

All our hope rest in the Word of God which we have seen over and over again, God has proven to these people that He loves them, but he will not tolerate those who abuse the truth of God, nor those that teach them it is OK to do so!

In actuality Malachi 3:2 tells us of the First and the Second Coming of the Lord.

What was the world like when the Lord first came?

The world was under world-wide domination. First the Babylonians, then the Persians, then the Greeks and at the time of Christ, the Romans. (The Heathen)

For the most part the Jewish leadership had strayed away from the Word of God even though God will always have a certain group of people, a remnant, who will stay faithful.

What will the world be like when the Lord returns? Guess what, it will not be much different. All the Superpowers are flexing their muscles to see who will come out on top, and many Christians have left their 1st love and most of the rest can only be said to be "lukewarm" Christians.

What did Jesus say?

Luk_18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Add to this:

Luk_17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

Add to this:

Luk_17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

Anyone in their right mind can see that we are in those last days of the Church Age, and then these other things will take affect and the Lord Jesus will return just as He says!

No one will be able to abide at His coming accept a few Jewish people, a remnant of what it could have been!

"And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness."

John the Baptist did pave the way for the coming of the Lord, but the coming of the Lord will be in two stages. At His first coming the Lord established the Church which was certainly pleasant unto the Lord, but it is at the Second Coming of the Lord when Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord!

****Mal 3:4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

Every age has its peculiar features. It is our duty to study the past. A knowledge of the past is often the basis of safety in the present, and stability in the future.

We should not be fooled, it is the days of old that created these present days and one reason is, we seem to never remember the mistakes of our past. No Age can begin for itself, since the time of Adam and yes Adam looked just like humans do today!

We cannot understand the present without acknowledgment of the past!

Today in America, there is a goal to erase the past, and this one thing will be the most foolish thing that could ever happen.

I should repeat myself there is a goal to erase only the portions of the past that does not fit in with the direction a certain group of people would have us to go!

It is History that teaches us, so we do not make the same mistakes!

Jewish history should have been the answer to the mistakes the Jews made at the time of Jesus Christ!

The days of old were full of Divine revelations.

What we should ask ourselves, just how many times should God ask us to "repent" until He moves on, and He will move on!

Eph_4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

What do we see in the past of the Jews?

The Bible is God’s record of the “days of old.” We may learn what He will be to us in our days, by what He was to men then. His faithfulness, mercy, and truth are written unmistakably on those wondrous days.

*****Mal 3:7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

God still says "REPENT"!

We must understand that as soon as a nation is prosperous in worldly things, it is at this point when they will begin to slip.

We have seen this over and over again in the Old Testament!

What is melancholy?

Full of misery; distressful; wretched; afflictive; that may or does produce great evil and grief; as a melancholy event.

Today we see a great falling away from the ordinances of God and the results is the nation we see today only a glimmer of what it could still be!

Malachi describes what happened to Israel when they continually had a similar falling away, even over and over again.

To repent is to return to the path of the Lord and never stray again!

It is not here a few days and then there a few days and then start all over again.

In the end we all have robbed God!

*****Mal 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

Mal 3:9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

We should understand that all we have actually belongs to God because He gave it to us!

By the Laws of Moses given to these of Israel, a tenth of all produce, a tenth of all the flocks and of cattle, belonged to God and "MUST" be offered to Him.

It is this tenth that was assigned to the Levites for their services at the Temple, and to the people for teaching them the Scriptures and their meaning.

In order for them to do this thing, they had to constantly learn the Scripture themselves.

Num 18:20 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.

Num 18:21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Num 18:24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

You see, it was not about giving to the Church as it was sustaining those who God had appointed the care of the Church on a fulltime basis.

Nehemiah dealt with this when he was Governor of Israel, and none of this tenth was for Persia because the king had stated that Israel would not be taxed.

Nehemiah had to return to Persia for a time that, some say was 3 years, but when he returned to Israel, he had to deal with this same things again.

You see we do not understand this process!

If we give God a tenth of what he has given to us, He will bless us by giving us more.

This is not a prosperity thing, like the more we give the more God gives, this is a blessing for being obedient!

Now this law was for the Jews, but it is also a guideline for giving to the Church for the same reasons!

In reality this is the first step in departing from God!

You see this in an outward sign of our inward heart for God!

When we do not support the work of God, how can we say we love the Lord with all our heart.

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.

This seems like such a little thing our tithes, but in reality, it reflects our love for our Savior.

This was the same meaning given in the Laws of Moses!

God is serious about this thing!

That curse meant they would have even less to give which meant they would have even less for themselves and their families.

Is this cruel? No it is just fact!

Rev_2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Our first love is the Lord Jesus Christ, if we cannot show an outward love for Him, how can we say we love Him with all our heart?

*****Mal 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

What was happening at this time in Israel?

The people were robbing God of tithes and offerings. (see how these are two separate things)

The priests were polluting God's altar.

They gave things to God that they would not give to their neighbor.

Yet they could not realize the evil they were doing!

You see sin brings its own punishment!

This tenth came about before the laws of Moses, all the way back to Abraham before Israel was even a nation, so how can we say that it does not apply to the Church.

Besides the tithe (a tenth) there is the freewill offering for specific needs of others.

We must understand that God as our Creator owns all His creation, and should not our owner reap part of the rewards that He gives us!

Here is another place in the Scriptures where God promises a blessing.

How can we turn down the blessings of God?

Amen

Let's Pray!