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True story AMEN

Amen ❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉 and happy birthday Jesus Christ ❤❤❤ 0:42

*THE ARROGANT* Mal 3:13-15 “’You have spoken arrogantly against me,’ says the Lord.’ Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’ ‘You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly, evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’” *BACKGROUND/CONTEXT* With these passages, we come to the last section of Malachi which rebukes those who are refusing to receive God’s words in Malachi. The rest of the book will be words of warnings and the words for the future. Verses 3:16-18 tell us about those who feared God and took these words to heart, and 4:1-6 provide prophetic words of warning and comfort for the coming Messiah, and the ultimate judgement. *SPEAKING AGAINST GOD* _“’You have spoken arrogantly against me,’ says the Lord.’ Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’”_ This is a harsher accusation from YHWH, compared to 2:17 where the people “wearied” Him with their words. Now, God accuses the people of Israel of speaking ‘’arrogantly’’, or more literally strong or hard to Him. This is a far stronger indication of their aggressiveness towards God. Yet, they have the audacity to ask Him: “What have we said against you?” When speaking to an Almighty God, these are the words of people who have no respect or fear for Him. *THERE IS NO PROFIT IN SERVING GOD* _“You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?'”_ This tells us a lot about the condition of their heart. Their first argument is that the ‘’righteous’’ goes unrewarded. *“It is futile to serve God”* they say. Yet it is the direct opposite of what we find in the book of Ecclesiastes, which concludes that everything in this world is vanity and futile. Solomon ends his book with the only thing that matters, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Ecc 12:13-14. *“What do we gain by carrying out his requirements’’* - this phrase literally says “where is the profit’’ in following is commands. Their question reveals that the hearts of the people are fundamentally self-centered, not God-centered. They are view things from a worldly standpoint, not an eternal standpoint. As we read in Ecclesiastes, everyone will in the end face judgement. *‘’and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty’’* - while this seems like a strange statement, but the very actions of being sorry for our sins, and repentant, was to them like mourning and being sad (as in Ps. 38:4-6; Joel 2:12-17). Throughout the history of humankind, there are those whose sole desire is to ‘’eat, drink, and be merry’’, regardless of what God requires. Today, we even see this attitude becoming prevalent in society, drowning out the voices of reason. No one wants to be told that what they are doing is wrong. The motto of the world today is ‘’if it feels good, do it.’’ To them, people should be happy and take ‘’pride’’ in who they want to be or do. Life is about self-fulfillment and happiness. What makes them the angriest is to be told that what they are doing is somehow wrong. In fact, sin no longer gives a sense of shame, rather it is becoming a badge of honor. Matt 1:24-32 sums it up: ‘’Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die,*they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.* *EVILDOERS PROSPER* _”But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly, evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.” _ While the ‘’righteous’’ go unrewarded, their second argument is that the arrogant go unpunished Arrogant (Heb: _zêḏ_), means to be presumptuous, proud, or insolent. In this verse it means evildoers who are proud of it. They are insolent towards God, and only do as they see fit. As the people of Israel observed these people, they say the same thing that we often see today, “evildoers prosper.” The godless and rebellious seemed to enjoy success in life, in their families, businesses, and in relationships with others in the world. Therefore, the people of Judah coined a phrase, “the arrogant are blessed. Asaph penned Psalm 73, which is about envying the success of sinners. ‘’But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’’ However, in the end he realized the truth, ‘’ But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.’’ God promises over and over: The wicked will be judged. And we must realize that compared to eternity, this world is but a speck. *APPLICATION* How do often we compare ourselves to others, and desire what others have. That nicer car, the better job, more money, or more successful. Maybe they are stronger, more talented, smarter, more successful, better looking, has a happier family, and the list goes on. The Bible calls this Envy. Envy is a sin, and you can even find it on the list of sins in the passage in Matt 1:24-32 that we just read. The dictionary defines envy as: ‘’the desire to have a quality, possession, or other desirable attribute belonging to someone else.’’ Probably, all of us have been envious of others at times in our life, I know I have. However, the problem is that envy always leads us to unhappiness, resentment, and often erodes our relationship with God. In Malachi, the people were envying those who were openly arrogant. For those arrogant people not only prospered, but they put God to the test, and they escaped. Strangely, those who were speaking harsh words against God envied those who put God to the test and got away with it. Prov 23:17 ‘’Do not let your heart envy sinners. But live in the fear of the Lord always.’’ Here are 4 things that envy causes in our lives. *Envy Makes us Weak* - Envy is powerful, but it does not make us powerful. Instead, it weakens us at our core. Prov 14:30 says that “a heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” Envy causes us to be always running but never finding rest. *Love does not Envy* - Paul says: “’Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant” (1 Cor13:4). Love and envy cannot exist together. When you envy someone, you harbor hate in your heart for them and by wishing bad things for them. As Christians, our highest calling is to love God and love our neighbor. *Envy is a Sin and is Evil* - In the Bible, envy is seldom mentioned alone. Instead, it is usually included in lists of other evils. James says that “where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice” (Jam 3:16). Peter urges Christians to “rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind” (1 Pet 2:1). Paul lists various “acts of the flesh” with “envy” listed among other sins like “idolatry” and “fits of rage.” That verse continues to tell us that “those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal 5:19-21). When envy takes ahold in your life, other sins are likely to congregate with it and work together to destroy your life and the lives of others around you. *Envy leads to Hate* - Envy puts our eyes on people rather than God, and soon we start wishing evil for them because we begin to feel that God has cheated us while blessing them. Paul describes life without the influence of the Holy Spirit, saying: “We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another” (Titus 3:3). According to Jessica Udall, a Christian writer, ‘’Envy puts our focus on the wrong things-looking at others and resenting their blessings and success rather than looking to God and seeking his true and wise perspective on the world. The distraction of envy leads us down a path that is ultimately destructive to others and to ourselves. The antidote to envy is gratitude to God for what he has blessed us with and a love for others which rejoices in the gifts they have been given, knowing that God’s gracious gifts can never be exhausted, nor can his rivers of blessings run dry.’’

Mal 3:11-12 “I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.” *CONTEXT* This verse is a continuation of vs 3:10, where God tells His people to bring in the whole tithe, and then challenges them to test Him and to see that His promises are true. He reminds Israel His promise in the law, that they will be blessed, rather than cursed if they follow God’s law. In reality, God is trying to get Judah to understand, it not about the “tithe” in financial terms, rather it is about obedience and a change in attitude and behavior. The nation needs to respect the covenant Law and repent or their sin. God is expressing that “robbing” is not the problem, rather it is a symptom of a deeper and more serious disease, and only by returning to God in reverence and fear would they find the cure. *YHWH WILL REBUKE THE DEVOURER* _“I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.”_ The terminology “rebuke the devourer” doesn’t mean that God is casting out some sort of evil spirit, rather he will put an end to the diseases and pests which are devouring their crops and put an end to the famine by bringing good weather and rain. In Deuteronomy, Moses provides a list of blessings from God if His people obey the Law, and a list of curses if they neglect it. One of the curses reads: “You will sow much seed in the field, but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it. You will plant vineyards and cultivate them, but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them. You will have olive trees throughout your country, but you will not use the oil, because the olives will drop off.” Deut 28:38-39. *ALL NATIONS WILL CALL YOU BLESSED* _”Then all nations will call you blessed,”_ The promise of Israel being a blessing to “all nations” is a theme seen throughout Scripture. It started with God making a promise to Abram “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and *all peoples on earth will be blessed through you*.” Gen 12:3. God repeated this promise several times to Abraham, and made the same promise to his grandson Jacob “*All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.*” Gen 28:14. This same blessing would again be quoted by Peter in Acts 3::25 and by Paul in Gal 3:8 400 years after Malachi, Jesus, the promised Messiah appeared. Shortly after his birth, when he was taken to the temple to be presented to the LORD, an old man named Simeon approached them. Simeon was told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. When he saw Jesus, he prophesied: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which *you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.*” After Jesus was crucified, before he ascended into heaven, he gave a command to a group of Jews who had followed him: “*go and make disciples of all nations*.” And from those 12 men, millions, if not billions have been blessed by receiving the gift of salvation offered from the Son of God. Two more Jews, Paul and Barnabas, were preaching in Pisidian Antioch stated: “For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, *that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth*.’” That same Paul, while in prison wrote a letter to the believers in Philippi which stated ”that at the name of Jesus *every knee should bow*, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and *every tongue confess* that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:10-11). Later, John, another follower of Jesus wrote “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but *also for the sins of the whole world.* 1 John 2:2 Last, we see the ultimate result of that blessing: “After this I looked and there before me was a *great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language*, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” Rev 7:9-10 Indeed, “all the peoples were blessed” through Abraham and God’s people. *A LAND OF DELIGHT* _“for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.”_ *APPLICATION* Whatever country you came from, whatever your politics, and whatever stance on world events, Scripture tells us that the land of Israel still belongs to His children. There are many who believe in “replacement theology”, which says that the Church has replaced Israel as God’s chosen possession. However, we find little support for that in Scripture. The promise given to Abraham was an everlasting covenant, and if there is still one Jewish person left, then the covenant still stands. Remember, we just read a few days ago in Malachi 3:6-7a: “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.” Therefore, God never changes, nor does his promise to the Children of Abraham and Jacob. In fact, Paul tells us in Romans 11:1-2 “I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.” So, as Christians, how should we relate to the Children if Israel? *Pray* - Psalm 122:6-7 tells us to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!” *Bless the Jewish People* - As God promised in his original call to Abram “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” *Understand The Times* - Whether one likes the policies of the current Israeli government is irreverent. Many governments have policies we don’t like. However, YHWH foretold through the prophets, that He would bring His children back to the land of Israel. The most amazing miracle, is the fact that Jewish people, through thousands of years of war, scattering around the world, persecution and holocaust still maintain their identity. And now, after the terrors of Hitler in World War 2, Jews from all over the world fled back to the land of Israel that was given to their ancestor Abraham. The nation of Israel is again the home of the Jews. We can think of no greater sign in the world today, that indicates that God is still in control. As what Scripture often refers to as “that day”, is nearing, we need to Pray, Bless God’s people, and understand the times. Here are some scriptures to consider: Isa 11:12: “He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” Ezek 37:11-14: In the vision of the dry bones being raised back to life, the LORD declares “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off. Therefore prophesy, and say to them, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.” Ezek 37:21: “Then say to them, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land.” Joel 3:1-2: “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land,” Amos 9:14-15: “I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the Lord your God.” Zech 12:9: “And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” John 4:22: “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.” Rom 11:29: “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable”

Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the LORD Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” *BACKGROUND/CONTEXT* As a reminder, the issues Malachi prophesied against, were also recorded in Nehemiah, although from a different perspective. Historically, we know that Nehemiah went to Jerusalem in 445 BC with permission from King Artaxerxes to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He became the governor of Judah for 12 years. In 433 BC, Nehemiah returned to Artaxerxes. Sometime after that, but before the king's death in 424 BC, Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, and again assumed his role as governor. Malachi was written during Nehemiah’s absence, probably close to his return to Jerusalem. During Nehemiah’s absence, Neh 13:4 tells us: “Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah, and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new wine and olive oil prescribed for the Levites, musicians and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.” When Nehemiah returned, he “learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God. I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah's household goods out of the room. I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense. (Neh 13:7-9). Apparently, the tithes were being neglected, and the rooms were being used for personal use by the priests and their cronies. Nehemiah also learned that what tithes were coming in were not going to the Levities. As a result, “all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields”. Another words, they needed to support themselves. And the temple and the worship of YHWH was neglected. Therefore, Nehemiah acted: “So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts.” (Neh 13:11). And probably with the help of the Prophet Malachi and his authority as governor, we read: “All Judah brought the tithes of grain, new wine and olive oil into the storerooms. I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zakkur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because they were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.” Neh 13:12-13 The tithes began to come in. Jewish Tradition tells us that afterwards the Jewish priests became obsessive about keeping the Law to the letter. *INTO THE STOREHOUSE* _“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.”_ Warren Weirsbe tells us that “There were special storage rooms in the temple for keeping the grain, produce, and money that the people brought to the Lord in obedience to His Law. If people didn’t want to carry heavy produce all the way to the temple, they could convert it into cash, but they had to add 20 percent to it just to make sure they weren’t making a profit and robbing God (Lev. 27:31).” *TEST ME* _“’Test me in this,' says the LORD Almighty”_ Testing the LORD in the Bible is a slippery proposition. When Jesus was being tempted by the Devil, he quoted Deuteronomy 6:16 when he said “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to test.’” When we view the actual verse in Deuteronomy it reads: ““You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.” The key to understanding prohibition of testing is to know what happened a Massah. Here, the people were testing the LORD’s patience by grumbling against Him: “And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” Exod 17:7. The Hebrew word for test is _ nâsâ_ which means to prove, tempt, or attempt to do something. In Malachi, the word for test is different: _ḇâḥan_, which generally means to investigate, examine, or scrutinize. It has the connotation of making a trial or test. Essentially, God was telling the Israelites to check it out, try obeying the Law, and prove that the covenant promise is true. When God initially enacted the tithe tax, Scripture tells us that it was put into place so “that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.” Deut 24:29. Paul gives us of a similar promise in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15: Generous giving to supply the needs of God’s people will overflow into blessing to the giver and in thanksgiving to God. Such generosity is one way we put our faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. *BLESSINGS FROM HEAVEN* _“and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” In Malachi, the LORD uses very similar descriptions as was written is in the Law. Deuteronomy 28:12-14 tells us “The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands” Obviously, Judah had not been paying attention to the commands, otherwise they would have been very prosperous as God promised. God is challenging Judah to obey His Law, and just watch the LORD fulfill His side of the covenant. *APPLICATION* Israel existed to serve God, and the tithe was much like a tax to pay for and support everything that went into the service and worship of God, i.e. the temple, priests, synagogues, teaching, legal interpretation, etc. The nation was a theocracy, not a democracy. Therefore, we shouldn’t consider the “Tithe” to be a legal prescription for Christian giving. We as Christians understand that everything we own belongs to God. We are just stewards of what we have been entrusted with. As mentioned yesterday, what we give, we on God’s behalf. And what we keep for ourselves should be highly valued because it is His personal gift to us. However, the New Testament does provide important principles for Christian giving. Here are some of those principles. *Give Generously* - “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” 2 Cor 9:6 *Give Consistently* - 1 Cor 16:2 “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” *Give Proportionately* - 1 Cor 16:2 “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” *Give Joyfully* - 2 Cor 9:7 “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” *Give to Store Up Treasures in Heaven* - Mat 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” *Give Sacrificially* - Heb 13:6 “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” And “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4 *Misuses of giving.* - Using God’s blessings to enrich ourselves, 2 Cor 9:11 “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” - Giving to be noticed by others. Matt 6:2-4 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Unfortunately, sometimes preachers use this verse to say that if we tithe, then we can expect blessing beyond our wildest imaginations. Sometimes, they encourage people to give, primarily so that they can be blessed, and become rich. This concept is quite twisted from the truth. God promises to meet all our needs, but not necessarily all our “greeds,”

Malachi 3:6-7a “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.” *BACKGROUND/CONTEXT* Sometimes, when we are studying the Old Testament, it is important to hop into our metaphorical helicopter, and get a much higher and broader view of Scripture as a whole. One of the first thing we notice is that the Old Testament and the New Testament are very different in many ways. They are written in different timeframes, different languages and with different points of reference. However, when we examine whole picture closer, we find that those differences are complementary rather than conflicting. Let’s look at some examples: • The Old Testament is the foundation, the New Testament builds on that foundation. • The Old Testament contains prophesies which are fulfilled in the New Testament. • The Old Testament provides the history of a people, the New Testament focuses on a person. • The Old Testament predicts a Messiah, the New Testament reveals the Messiah • The Old Testament promises physical blessings, the New Testament promises spiritual blessings • The Old Testament reveals how paradise was lost through Adam, and the New Testament shows how paradise was regained through the second Adam (Christ) • The Passover lamb in the Old Testament becomes the Lamb of God in the New Testament • The Old Testament gave the Law, the New Testament fulfills the Law • And there are many more. Source of list: www.gotquestions.org/difference-old-new-testaments.html When I mediate on these things, I realize how consistent and powerful our God really is. He had a plan all along, and we can read about how it unfolds in all of Scripture. It tells the story from the beginning of creation, to a new heaven and a new earth. So, as we continue our study in Malachi, keep in mind this complementary nature of the Old and New Testament. *THEREFORE, YOU ARE NOT CONSUMED* _“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”_ While we have meditated about the immutability (unchanging) nature of God a few days ago, the focus of this verse is why Israel is not destroyed. The Hebrew for “destroyed”, _kalah_. is used more than 200x in the OT and conveys the meanings of annihilated, consumed, devoured, or perished. About 1500 years before Malachi, God made a covenant, or promise to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In Gensis 17:7-8, God promises Abraham: “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” That “everlasting covenant” is probably the only thing that kept the unchangeable, promise-keeping Yahweh from utterly destroying the nation of Israel. Otherwise, the promised Messiah, Jesus, would never have been born. For that too was a promise given to Abraham: “and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Gen 12:3 *YOU HAVE TURNED AWAY* _”Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them.”_ As sad as Israel’s history is, it all self-afflicted. There is an interesting dilemma here for us to ponder and meditate on. God’s justice and integrity should have required Him to eliminate the people of Israel because of their habitual unfaithfulness to Him. However, at the very beginning of Malachi, God reminded the “descendants of Jacob”, that “I have loved you.” As it seems, God’s love, mercy and promises, are more important to Him than His Justice. *RETURN TO ME AND I RETURNED TO YOU* _” Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty.’”_ Here is an old saying: “When God seems far away, guess who moved?” In this passage, YHWH is calling the people to repent and change their ways, thus returning to Him. Because of God’s unchanged fidelity and patience with his children, God is again giving them the opportunity to return and restore their relationship with Him. The word “return” (Heb. _šûb_) expresses a complete change of direction, in this case back to YHWH. This is a key theme in the Old Testament, which regrettably is repeated over and over. This call echoes that of the first lines of the Word of the Lord given to Zechariah: “The Lord was very angry with your ancestors. Therefore, tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty. Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors? (Zech 1:2-6). Similar pleas were given by earlier prophets such as Jer 30:20-22, Hos 14:1-8) *APPLICATION* Ezra, who was a contemporary to Malachi summed up what Israel’s response should be to God’s call to repent. “I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.” Ezra 9:6-7 A few lines later we also read: “What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins deserved” Ezra 9:13 This is what a repentant heart looks like. Do you find yourself committing the same sins over and over? Are many of your difficulties and problems self-inflicted? We are told in 1 John 1:9, that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is true, however if you find that if you turn around and keep sinning, then you are doing the very same thing that the Children of Israel are doing to God. Confession is not just saying the words, it is about true repentance and changing your ways. If you are stuck in this cycle, God is calling to you too: “Return to me, and I will return to you.” Read again Ezra 9:6-7 and lift your face to God and repent. Then, act on that repentance with the power of the Holy Spirit.

CHRIST HAS ALREADY RETURNED AND HIS NEW NAME IS BAHA'U'LLAH AND HIS FAITH IS CALLED THE BAHAI FAITH. REVELATION 3:12..."MY NEW NAME".

You make several divisions of the commandments of Torah based upon the majority, Christian-interpretational tradition but I would challenge you to read Leviticus 18-20, the heart of the Torah, to understand that God Himself makes no such division, evidenced by the way the commandments are intentionally mixed together and homogenized. Every commandment of God remains applicable, Yes even in the New Testament, and for all of eternity. Yet the secret is that not every commandment is applicable to every person, in every time, in every location. Proper Biblical discernment, through the Ruach haKodesh, is necessary for understanding applicability. Care to hear more?

*ROBBING GOD* Malachi 3:7b-9 “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse-your whole nation-because you are robbing me.” *BACKGROUND* Yesterday we talked about the importance of the Old Testament, but often I have heard people ask, “how the Old Testament Law relate to us as Christians?” Found in the Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, the Law (or the Torah) contains more than 600 specific rules and regulations. Knowing this, The Law was given to Israel to establish the way they were to live in terms of their relationship to God, to the nation of Israel and to one another. In this way, Israel was to be set apart and holy, distinguishing themselves from the other nations and peoples of the world. As we know, Christ fulfilled the law, but does that mean that it is totally null and void? Is it now merely a historical artifact? Let’s examine a few facts. - The Old Testament Law is God’s fully inspired word for us. - The Old Testament Law is not God’s direct command to us. - The Old Testament Law is the basis for the Old Covenant with Israel - The Old Testament Law is not binding on Christians in the New Covenant, except where specifically renewed. - Don’t forget, the essence of the Law, e.g., the Ten Commandments, Loving God and Loving our neighbors is repeated in the Prophets and renewed in the New Testament. To understand the Law better, scholars have divided the Law into three distinct categories. Originally defined by John Calvin, the three categories are the Ceremonial Laws, Civil Laws and Moral Laws. *Ceremonial Laws* - is also called _hukkim_ or _chuqqah_ in Hebrew. Often translated as “statutes”, these were the laws that focused on Israel’s relationship to God. This included the sacrifices, “clean” vs “unclean”, and temple practices. They also governed the feasts and festivals to remember God’s goodness to Israel, circumcision, redemption of the firstborn and tithes & offerings among other things. Many of these Laws are chalked full of signs and symbols which point to the future Messiah. *Civil Laws* - Civil Laws are how the nation of Israel should he governed. It not only encompassed behaviors, but also punishments for crimes. This included laws governing public health, caring for the poor, contract law and restitution for harms. *Moral Laws* - or _mishpatim_, are Laws which were declared by God to be right and wrong. Often translated as “ordinances” these Laws are based on God’s holy nature, and include such things as justice, respect for others, and sexual conduct. The 10 Commandments are part of the Moral Law. As these Laws were given to Israel as a covenant for how they were to set them apart as a nation. Christians are under a New Covenant established by Jesus Christ, who essentially fulfilled the laws of the Old Covenant of the Jews. However, since the principles of the Moral law are what God deems to be right and wrong, breaking them are considered as sin. *HOW DO WE RETURN* _“But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’”_ I find this a rather sad question to ask by the people of Israel to God’s statement in the previous verse “Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.” It shows how far they have fallen, assuming it is a genuine question being asked from a desire to reconcile with God. However, it is more likely that they have no idea that they have done anything wrong, or worse yet they are asking it sarcastically. The word “but”, however gives us a clue. It signals a contrast from what God is asking, to their response. The New Living Translation puts it this way “But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’” In fact, it is more likely they believed that God left them, not the other way around. *ROBBING GOD* _“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’”_ To “rob” (Heb _qāba‘_) which means to take as plunder, defraud, or steal is used 4 times in this verse, and is only found elsewhere in the OT in Prov 22:23: “Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the Lord will take up their case and will _qāba‘_ life for life.” This is a strong word. Again using the word “but”, the Israelites seem to be an indication that they either don’t understand what God is talking about, or they are so calloused that they don’t care. *WITHOLDING TITHES AND OFFERINGS* _“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse-your whole nation-because you are robbing me.”_ When studying this passage, the first questions we need to ask are what is a “tithe” and what is an “offering.” Because we are told that without both of them, one is considered as “robbing God.” *The Tithe*: _Maaser_, the Hebrew word for tithe, as many of us know means a tenth part. In Scripture, a tithe specifically means: “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. Whoever would redeem any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value to it. Every tithe of the herd and flock-every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod-will be holy to the Lord. (Lev. 27:30-32). This has a rather broad meaning which includes all products from the land as well, such as olive oil and new wine. We also have to ask, why was the tithe given, and what was it used for. First, the tithe was given to the Levites, who served as temple workers, scribes, teachers, etc. (Num 18:21-24). In turn, the Levites were not given any inheritance in the Land of Israel, so they could not grow crops, raise livestock, and produce food like others. Rather, they were dedicated to maintaining and serving God’s needs. Also, the Levities took their portion of the people’s tithe, they also had to give 10%, or tithe what they were given. (Num 18:25-32). Lastly, every three years, the tithe was distributed to the towns across Israel to be given to the poor, destitute and foreigners who were in need. (Deut 14:28-29) In summary, the tithe was given to support the Levities, who in turn were expected to be serving God. *Offerings*: _terumah_ in the Hebrew, are also called “heave offerings.” According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, the _terumah_ was an additional offering meant for the priests. It was not to be measured by number or weight but was to be estimated based on the tithe. Since the priests had no land and received no income, this offering, together with certain specified portions of other offerings, provided them with the sustenance they and their families required. Therefore, not paying your tithes, meant you were robbing the temple, and those designated to serve God, meant that you were robbing God. This is the third time in Malachi where a curse is indicated. The first time it was evoked upon the swindlers who cheated on a vow (1:14). The second, priests were cursed because of the desecration of the altar and the name of YHWH. (2:2). Now “the whole nation” finds itself under a curse for not doing their part in paying tithes to support the Levities and disobeying God’s Law. Thus, blight and famine have been brought upon the land. A curse of God is the opposite of his blessing. God chose Abraham to bless him and to bless the great nation that would be his descendants. One of the commentators put it this way: “But great blessing brings great responsibility, and great blessing and great responsibility bring the possibility of great judgment. *APPLICATION* Robbing God almost seems like a strange idea! God owns everything. Yet Charles Simeon, a nineteenth-century Anglican preacher once began a sermon based on this text in this way: “Will a man rob God? Yet you have all robbed him! You!, and you!!, and you!!!” If you think about it, we rob God when we do not give him what we owe him. We owe him our trust, our love, our service, our obedience, our worship, and our sacrifice. In fact, we owe him ourselves, because he made us, and because he redeemed us through His son. Paul tells us in 1 Cor 6:20: “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” If we believe that we own everything that have, then we are naturally reluctant to give it up. However, if we believe that God owns all we have, then we are free to give it away on his behalf. And what we keep for ourselves should be highly valued because it is His personal gift to us. In the next video we will talk about the principles of giving as Christians. But for now, prayerfully ask yourself -- “Am I robbing God?”

The Venom is Escopolimine attacks by The Saddam Hussein Rite in America

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*JUDGEMENT OF THE LORD* Malachi 3:5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.” *BACKGROUND/CONTEXT* In verses 3:2-4 God refined and purified the priests to make them holy, so again they can be able to rightfully perform their priestly duties. Now, in verse 3:5, God turns towards the entire nation of Israel and puts them on trial for His judgement. He uses the image of a courtroom where God is judge, chief witness, and the advocate for those who were oppressed by others. This metaphor of a courtroom is used frequently in Scripture, especially in the book of Jeremiah. “Let our *plea* for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us, for all this remnant-because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us- that the Lord your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do.” Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to the Lord your God according to your request, and whatever the Lord answers you I will tell you. I will keep nothing back from you.” Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful *witness* against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the Lord your God sends you to us.” *ON TRIAL* _“Then I will draw near to you for judgment.“_ Notice the “I”. This means that the LORD of Hosts is now speaking. As before, he is directly answering those who posed the sarcastic question “Where is the God of justice [or judgment]?” Using the image if a trial, God is judging those who had defamed his name, and violated his Law. The evidence had already been presented in Malachi 2:10-16, so the LORD is issuing the final verdict. The word “draw near,” _qâraḇ_ , means to approach for a cause. This evokes the image of a judge approaching the accused for proclamation of his “judgement,” _ mišp̱âṭ_, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree. Most believe that this passage is prophetic and will occur at the end of the Ages. Zec 13:8-9 tells us that only 1/3 of Israel will be saved, and Jeremiah calls it the Jacob’s trouble: “Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it.” Jer. 30:7. *QUICK TO JUDGE EVILDOERS* _”I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner”_ *A swift witness*: While YHWH may delay His coming for many years, when He acts, it will be swift and decisive. The sins mentioned have been constant problems throughout Israel’s history. Beginning with Moses, the prophets had continually warned the nation about these evils. We find that God himself is the “witness,”_‘êḏ_, which means that He is the one who provides evidence for the verdict. God’s testimony against his people includes five specific indictments for violations of the covenant. It can be broken down into moral issues and social justice issues. *Sorcerers*: Practitioners of the occult, such as witchcraft, black magic, and fortune-telling were widespread throughout the Near East, including Canaan. Such practices were strictly forbidden in the Law, (Deut. 18:10-14). *Adulterers*: Adultery refers to anyone who has sexual relations with the wife or betrothed of another man. Adultery can also be committed by women as well. It was forbidden in the law and was specifically mentioned in the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20:14; Deut. 5:18). As we see in Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi this continued to be a persistent problem in Israel. *Those Swearing Falsely*: This refers to perjurers, liars and ‘those who swear falsely’, especially under oath. It also was denounced by Moses in the Law (Lev 19:12) *Those who oppressed the disadvantaged*: workers, widows, and fatherless (orphans) in that society were particularly vulnerable to being taken advantage of by those more powerful than them. Mosaic law prohibited the withholding of wages from the laborer (Lev 19:13; Deut. 24:14), and guaranteed protection of the widow and orphan from mistreatment (Exod. 22:21- 22; Deut. 10:18; 24:17; 27:19) *Those who denied justice to foreigners*: While the ESV uses the word “sojourner”, the Hebrew word _gēr_, describes a person who has separated themselves from clan and homeland for any number of reasons. Thrust aside indicates that the foreigner has been denied justice in some manner. *AND DO NOT FEAR ME* _”and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.”_ The final statement in this verse is basically the “common denominator” of the crimes described above. In other words, if you are doing these things, then it is obvious that you do not fear the LORD. *APPLICATION* When the final judgement comes, Rev 20:11-12 describes it this way: _“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.”_ This is a truly ominous picture. Everyone who ever lived, will rise up and stand before the Throne of the Almighty. I mean EVERYONE. Rev 20:13 goes on to tell us: _“And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.”_ We will all be judged for what we have done. Romans 6:23 tells us that “for the wages of sin is death.” If we have sinned, we are condemned to death. I don’t mean we will just die (remember those being judged are already dead. Rev 20:14 continues _“Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.”_ Reading a little further, Rev 21:8 tells us something which looks very similar to what we just studied in Malachi, but it fills in a little more detail about what happens to those who are found Guilty. _” But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”_ But is there hope? I purposely skipped over a few verses which answers that question. Rev 20:15 indeed provides hope: _” And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”_ Here we see a second book called the “book of life” What is that book? Rev 21:27 calls this book the “Lamb’s book of life”, and Rev 3:5 tells us: “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” While we don’t know everything about this Lambs book of Life, we do know several things: 1. Our names were written in it before the foundation of the Earth (Rev 13:8) 2. Not all Books in heaven are the Lamb’s book of life (Rev. 20:12; Dan. 7:10) 3. Those who labored with Christ are found in the Book of Life (Phi 4:3) 4. One’s name can be blotted out of the Book of Life (Exod 32:32-33, Ps 69:28) 5. There was an Old Testament book of life (Exod 32:32-33, Ps 69:28, Isa 4:3, Mal 4:16-18) Now the question -- how do you make sure that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life? - In Hebrews 12 we are told that those “who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood” Or to be clearer, Rom 10:9-10 tells us “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

Romans 13:1💪is Strong🇺🇸Good Job❤A+SIR

NKJV 2 Timothy 4:8 Amen

I've seen it all. Dope describes my rhymes, making all you emcees cold drop like dimes. You know MCSC is back again, and battling me on the microphone is like committing a sin. Scott the Prophet King MCSC Scott the Illinois Seer

Malachi 3:3-4 “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.” *BACKGROUND/CONTEXT* The first part of Malachi was a severe rebuke of the priests and Levites for failing in their duties and disrespecting God and His name (1:1-2:9). Therefore, as leaders of Israel, it is not unexpected that they were singled out to be the first to go through the LORD’s refining process. Only after they are “purified” will they again be able offer acceptable sacrifices to God. *SITTING AS A REFINER* _“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver”_ Still speaking about the Messiah from vs 3:2, we are told that He will “sit as a refiner,” (or smelter) which is a container that is heated up in a furnace to extremely high temperatures. The precious metal is then placed into the smelter to melt into a molten liquid. From what I have read, ancient silversmiths had to take extreme care in their craft. They “sat looking into their small metal furnaces to determine from the color of the metal when it was pure (Ps. 12:6; Prov. 17:3; 1 Pet. 1:7). It was more technically intricate than the process used for gold. When the silver ore is molten, it gives off oxygen. It was treated with charcoal to prevent it re-absorbing the oxygen from the air as it cooled. If it did, it would lose its luster. When the process of purification was complete, and all of the dross burnt away, the silver suddenly became a liquid mirror in which the refiner could see his own reflection. As with the priests, Christians will too will be refined and purified, until Jesus’ image is reflected in us. The real question is how much silver will be left after all the dross and impurities are removed. If you meditated on 1 Cor 3:10-13 on Saturday, the “fire will test the quality of each person's work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved-even though only as one escaping through the flames.” *OFFERINGS IN RIGHTEOUSNESS* _“and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD”_ Regaining the ability to present acceptable offerings was the purpose of this purification. For an offering to be considered righteous, both the spiritual condition of the priest and the acceptability of the sacrifice, e.g. an “unblemished” lamb, are required. When the priests are refined and purified, only then could they properly instruct the people on offering acceptable sacrifices, rejecting any that didn’t meet God’s standard. Then they would be offerings of righteousness. *PLEASING TO THE LORD* _“Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.”_ Then the offerings of Judah would be “pleasing.” The Hebrew for “pleasing” is _‘ârêḇ_, which describes something as sweet and pleasurable. Something which brings a sense of joy. In other words, God will receive great joy from the people’s obedience and devotion to Him. David tells us in the Psalms: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.” Ps 51:17-19 D. Greg Ebie, an American paster and speaker puts it this way: “The people in Malachi’s day did not see their need for God. With prideful hearts they would bring their offerings to God fulfilling their religious duty, but they didn’t want God to change them. Instead, they wrongly accused God of not loving them of not being fair or just… Offerings don’t make the worshiper acceptable to God; the worshiper makes the offering acceptable through humility and brokenness. We need the power of God to transform our lives! God has achieved His purpose when we reflect His image. The beauty of Jesus is seen in all we do and say. Occasionally reflecting the image of Jesus is not enough; God wants to purify our lives, so we reflect Him in everything.” *APPLICATION* There are many parallels to offering pleasing sacrifices to the Church, and us as believers. Although we no longer bring animal sacrifices to the altar for forgiveness of our sins. Because Jesus became that sacrifice once and for all. However, the concept of offering acceptable sacrifices to God are still important in the Christian life. Here are four examples: *Sacrifice our Body* “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship.” Rom 12:1 *Sacrifice of praise* “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” Heb 13:15 *Sacrifice of doing good and sharing what you have* Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Heb 13:16 *Sacrifice of being rejected by men* As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1Pet 2:4 Are your sacrifices _‘ârêḇ_? Do they bring joy to our Lord Jesus Christ? Will they be able to pass through the refiners fire?

Malachi 3:2 “But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.” *BACKGROUND* The phrase “day of the Lord” is a common throughout Scripture. It usually refers to events that take place at the end of history (Isaiah 7:18-25). However, if you study the “day of the Lord” we discover that it sometimes indicates times when the Lord executes His righteous wrath. In the Old Testament, the day of the Lord often convey a sense of imminence, nearness, and expectation: “Wail, for the day of the Lord is near!” (Isa 13:6); “For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near” (Ezek 30:3); “Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand” (Joel 2:1); “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:14); “Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near” (Zeph 1:7). This is because the Old Testament passages referring to the day of the Lord often speak of both a near and a far fulfillment, as does much of Old Testament prophecy. Some Old Testament passages describe the day of the Lord as historical judgments that have already been fulfilled. (Isa 13:6-22; Ezek 30:2-19; Joel 1:15, 3:14; Amos 5:18-20; Zeph 1:14-18), while others refer to divine judgments that will take place toward the end of the age (Joel 2:30-32; Zech 14:1; Mal 4:1, 5). In the New Testament, “Day of the Lord” usually refers to God’s final judgement. (Acts 2:20; 1 Cor 5:5; 2 Cor 1:14; 1 Thes 5:2; 2 Thes 2:2; 2 Pet 3:10) and is alluded to in Rev 6:17; 16:14. Besides being a time of judgment, it can also refer to a time of salvation as God delivers the remnant of Israel, fulfilling His promise that “all of Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26), forgiving their sins and restoring His chosen people to the land He promised to Abraham (Isaiah 10:27; Jeremiah 30:19-31, 40; Micah 4; Zechariah 13). The ultimate or final fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the day of the Lord will come at the end of history when God, with wondrous power, will punish evil, fulfill all His promises, and save those who are looking for His judgement. *THE DAY OF HIS COMING* _”But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?”_ Malachi’s sarcastic audience, who professed to “delight” in the coming of the Lord, will not enjoy it at its coming. To them the day would be a nightmare rather than a day of restored prosperity. “But who can endure the day of His coming?” Amos 5:18-20 tells it like this: “Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light, as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?” Malachi asks, “who can endure” it and “who can stand when it appears?” In Malachi 4:5, he tell us it will be a “great and dreadful day.” Who, then, could stand in that day? Only those who stood with the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:13) and who had “clean hands and a pure heart” (Ps. 24:3-4). It is no small thing to long for the Day of the Lord. *REFINERS FIRE* _” For he is like a refiner's fire”_ When precious metals such as gold and silver come out of the ground, they are full of impurities. In ancient times, refiners were craftsman who sat next to a hot fire with molten gold or silver in a crucible being stirring and skimming the top to remove the impurities or dross that rose to the top of the molten metal. With flames reaching temperatures more than 1000 degrees Celsius, this job was a dangerous occupation. I am told that a refiner of silver, will know when his refining is complete as “there is a dramatic moment when [the refiner] knows that all dross has gone from [the silver]. Peering over it, the silver suddenly becomes a liquid mirror in which the image of the refiner is reflected. Then he knows that his task is done.” In Scripture the image of refining precious metal is often used as a metaphor of God purifying His people, to remove impurities. It is never an easy or comfortable process, but the result is pure gold. The prophet Zechariah describes a time of refining for Israel, which many commentators believe happens during the Great Tribulation in Revelation: “’In the whole land,’ declares the Lord, ‘two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’” Zech 13:8-9 *FULLERS SOAP* _” and like fullers' soap.”_ According to Nelsons Dictionary of the Bible, a fuller is “one who cleans, shrinks, thickens and sometimes dyes new cloth. The Hebrew word rendered as a fuller means ‘to trample’ or ‘to tread’, suggesting that action was a major part of the craft.” The fuller used “alkaline substances such a as white clay, putrid urine or niter” to clean the cloth, which is fuller's’ soap. The alkaline (or bleach) was stomped in the cloth to clean it, then it was rinsed out by trampling on it over and over in running or clean water. Afterwards, the cloth was dried by the sun. I remember seeing this firsthand in Varanasi, India. The launderers were beating and trampling the cloth in cement cisterns. Then. the white cloth was laid out on huge cement areas on the banks of the Ganges River to dry in the sun. Like a refiner’s fire was used to purify the metal, so fullers’ soap was used to clean (or purify) the cloth. The image of fuller’s soap is only used one other time in the Old Testament as it portrays that the people cannot wash themselves enough to remove the stain of their sin: “Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me, declares the Lord God.” Jer 2:22. Malachi is using a second illustration to indicate how the Messiah will cleanse us from our sin. Both refining metal and cleaning cloth is a harsh and painful process. There are other such metaphors used in the Bible representing God’s painful process of purifying his people. Pruning vines and threshing wheat come to mind. One interesting note, on the mount of Transfiguration, Mark 9:3 tells us Christ’s garments were whiter than any “launderer on earth can whiten them.” *APPLICATION* In 1 Cor 3:10-13 we read “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved-even though only as one escaping through the flames.” Take some time today and meditate on this passage. How is the quality of your additions to the building?

Enjoyed this. Amen and Thank you 🙏

2 Timothy 2:15 “STUDY to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” In the Greek; Study σπουδάζω spoudazō spoo-dad'-zo From G4710; to use speed, that is, to make effort, be prompt or earnest: - do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavour, labour, study. What Bible are you using?

AMEN!!!

Emmanuel.❤❤❤❤

Truth Amen

Amen

Nice beloved its so blessed study

Amen, lovely devotion. New sub

Amen, lovely devotion. New sub

Amen, lovely devotion. New sub

Amen, lovely devotion. New sub

AMEN my brother keep it up AMEN!!!

Yes and amen

Every day is a blessing

Wow

Das right Brody💙💯

Matthew 7:7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Thank you,.much appreciated 💙

Thankyou for the teaching,GOD Bless Us All

The Bible being fulfilled right before our eyes in the last days

This is happening right now

If the booze supplier stops drinking for instance ..whats in that for them!?!

Friends as a surrounding barricade against improvement

Can you please define sin ?

Amen 🙏 thank you lord Jesus christ Master for revealing this to your people

❤🙏❤🙏❤🙏❤🙏❤🙏❤🙏❤

Glory to God🙏🙏🙏

Thank you Very much Sir, May GOD'S GRACE Teach me Obedience

Nice 5.2.24

Amen

Thanks a lot, man. You are doing a good job. May I ask you, are you a baptist?)

My Lord Jesus Abba father Holy Spirit i surrender my future Lord Jesus make my way lord teach me Holy Spiri whatever I need in my life iam very difficult iam waiting for all paper work London please best bless me lord and give me that place were good work I waiting for your blessing all paperwork ka giving to your hand🤲🙏🇬🇧👏💕 amen

My Lord Jesus Abba father Holy Spirit i surrender my my life is your hand Lord Jesus amen amen