Friday, October 05, 2012 - Malachi

Friday, October 05, 2012
Malachi

The book of Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament. It's not
the last book of the OT in our chronological Bible, but in traditional
Bibles, it's the last book of the OT. Written almost a hundred years
after the reconstruction and dedication of the second temple, the book
of Malachi reveals an Israelite nation that had once again, strayed
from God. The people had lost their heart for God and as a result, had
fallen deep into sin. A few of these sins are as follows:

1. The priests offered blemished sacrifices to God. In other words,
the priests were giving God the injured, lame, and diseased animals –
the ones that were useless to them in the first place. The priests
thought, "Here you go God, you can have our scraps. We're going to
keep the choice animals for ourselves." The priests had become
arrogant and developed a casual attitude towards the worship of God
and observance of His Holy standards. By not putting God first and
giving Him their best, the priests had become selfish and the people
they shepherded followed suit.

2. With careless insincere spiritual leaders, the people as a whole
naturally fell away. Divorce became rampant. Sound familiar? Between
40-60% of new marriages in the US today will end in divorce. In
Malachi 2:16, God said that the man who divorces his wife "does
violence to the one he should protect." Violence. Only God can teach
us genuine faithfulness. When you know in your heart that "We love
because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19), then you gain the ability to
love selflessly, not selfishly.

3. The people withheld their tithes from God. By not giving God 10% of
what God had given them in the first place, the people demonstrated
where their allegiance rested; on themselves. They failed to see God
as their provider. They failed to see that by withholding their tithe,
they were showing God who there god was – money. Their heart was
attached to their money, not God.

All of these sins are an issue of the heart. Thankfully, the book of
Malachi doesn't just end at exposing a sinful heart. It also speaks
about restoration through the coming Messiah. Christ would come and
refine and purify the hearts of those who believed in Him. In the time
of Christ's birth, the prophet Simeon said, "This child is destined to
cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that
will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be
revealed." (Luke 2:34-35) Let's not allow sin to harden our hearts, or
we will fall. Let's allow Jesus to refine and purify our hearts so
that we may walk in peace and uprightness.

"But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise
with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed
calves." (Malachi 4:2)

God Bless,
Anthony

October 4: Esther 5-10

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012

Esther 5–10

 

 

Today’s passage continues the triumphant story of Esther, who exemplifies the Bible’s teachings on opportunistically using the gifts that God has given us for His work and glory:  “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)  Her obedience to and love for Mordecai allow for God’s sovereign plan to bring condemnation on Haman, whose prideful exuberance prompted him to create his own gallows.

 

In yesterday’s reading, Mordecai urged Esther:  “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.  For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish.  And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (4:13,14)  Mordecai trusted in God’s sovereignty but urged Esther’s faithfulness in this crucial moment.

 

The events of our life and our very being are not accidental or coincidental.  Rather, God has specially created you so that you would serve and honor Him:  “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)  Like the ancients commended for their faith, we are mere pilgrims here on earth:  “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.  And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:13-16)

 

The Bible also instructs us to take advantage of the gifts He has given – for His glory.  In Colossians 4:5,6, Paul teaches:  “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”  Our words should build others up and exalt God, not tear others down.  In Luke 16:9, Jesus exhorts us to be wise stewards of that to which God has entrusted us:  “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”

 

Esther’s wisdom in dealing with both Haman and the imminent decree show her precise judgment and Mordecai’s wise coaching.  Although God does not receive mention in the passage, we can see the beautiful interplay of His sovereign will and the faithfulness of His servants.  In short, these events, like those in our lives, came together to give Esther and Mordecai the opportunity to bring honor and glory to God and their fellow Jews.

 

 

QUESTIONS

 

1.  Do you see life as coincidental or part of God’s sovereign plan?  In light of that question, do your present struggles and challenges appear different in your eyes?

 

2.  What does Haman’s fate indicate about the ultimate judgment of all people?

 

3.  Are these particular areas in which you sense that God is calling for faithfulness on your part?  In what ways have you, like Esther, “come to [your] position for such a time as this?”  If you are unsure about this, would you like to seek God’s wisdom on how to carry out the mission to which He’s called you?

 

________________________________________
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2) Facebook:  http://on.fb.me/tc6jkS

Ester

The story of Esther happened almost 2500 years ago, but while reading this ancient plot that Hollywood directors love, it sounded too familiar. A powerful ruler rises up and decides to have all the Jews killed in all his lands. The world went through that in World War II.

There are a few thing we can learn and see from the first half of this story. First of all let's look at Mordecai. A man from the tribe of Benjamin whose family had been in Babylon but returned to Judea territory. He loved Esther and raised her as his own, teaching her the ways of God and to honor and obey His law. As Daniel did a generation before, he did not bow to the rulers in power and was singled out for it. His obedience and worship was only for God. Even so, he lived our Romans 12 by still being a civil servant to the government. Even as assassination plots were heard he reported them, even though we are getting the idea that Xerxes is not the greatest king.

Esther sounds like a true foxy lady. Out of miles and miles of land and territory the king "choose" her to be the new queen. Sounds like God's sovereign hand to me. But really? 12 months of pampering even before she saw the king? Crazy talk. We can look to her as an example of humility. She did not let her beauty, new riches, new life or public adoration get to her head. She remained humbled and did not forget her dear relative, her people, and her God. She used the position she was in for good and for Gods glory. I have had these lines underlined for years, "if I perish, then I perish." Wow. That is some courage if you ask me. What an example...to stand alone in front of a ruler and society who hate God, his people, and commands.

And where is God??? We see his mercy and provision as the Jewish people have returned home and are reestablishing their cities, lives, and rituals. The temple has been rebuild and worship is taking place there again and it's worship is happening all over the lands. These pockets of Jews that are still dispersed are obeying God and standing apart from the "norm". God has allowed all these events to occur in the king's life in order for Esther to make her way to the king. God is present in every action to show His name and His glory, even when it's something ugly, He makes it beautiful. Even when in-humane laws are decreed that don't make sense, God has a plan.

I can't wait to read the rest tomorrow.
Thanks for always forgiving the grammatical mistakes too. Typing this on my phone :)

October 2

Zechariah 10:1-2

Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime;

it is the Lord who makes the storm clouds.

He gives showers of rain to men,

and plants of the field to everyone.

The idols speak deceit,

diviners see visions that lie;

they tell dreams that are false,

they give comfort in vain.

Therefore the people wander like sheep

opressed for lack of a shepherd.

 

Of all the verses in today's reading, these are the ones that stuck with me. They reminded me of my tendency to solve my own problems or to seek comfort in things of this world. How often do I wander looking for answers anywhere except for the one place I will find them?

 

When we need help, where else do we think we will find it? God created the universe and all that is in it. If we need rain, who better to ask the One who created the storm clouds? The help and comfort we may seek from things of this world (idols) will only leave us lost.

Sunday September 30th

Sunday September 30^th

Psalms 107, 116, 118, and 125

Before you read my response, I'd like to apologize for the lateness of this post. This week is full of exams and papers for me, and in my hurry to get back to work I forgot to email and post this on Facebook on Sunday. When I write a response, I type it in a Word document first so I can spell check it, then close out of it once I post. I just now found this one while saving and closing up the last of my papers and realized I never sent it. I'm really sorry. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this recap of Sunday's reading!

Today, instead of concentrating on one psalm, I'd like to share what I took away from each.

Psalm 107- Israel's restoration after punishment: This psalm focuses on how God time and time again forgave the Israelites and helped them when they needed it. The part of this psalm I'd like to focus on is the fifth stanza, specifically when it says "He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed." This whole stanza reminds me of two things, the first is how the very first time I was on my family's boat with my brother at the wheel, it was storming pretty hard and I was so scared that I closed my eyes and prayed until we hit the no wake zone. The second is a story from the New Testament. Jesus and His disciples are out on a boat when a big storm hits, rocking the boats and soaking the men. Then Jesus just tells the water to be still, and it becomes still. It's nice to see the parallel between the Old and New Testaments, I always think they're interesting.

Psalm 116- Praise for deliverance from the chains and death of captivity: This psalm focuses on how God saved the author of this psalm from some kind of near death experience. I'm not sure if it was illness, but illness is what I thought of when I read this. In one of my psychology classes, we were talking about how attitude affects your healing if you are sick. The worse your attitude usually the slower you heal, and I don't mean this in any miraculous healing sort of way like the man in this psalm, but studies are being done on cancer patients and their responses to treatment verses their attitude. Now, because of the scientific nature of these studies, the words "faith" and "hope" only exist in the realm of "positive attitude." But most researchers are finding that people with positive attitudes respond better to the treatment then people who already think it isn't going to work. This is more than enough to give me faith.

Psalm 118- Praise for a renewed life: For this psalm, all I noticed was the repetition of the phrase "His love endures forever" and as I read it, my mind put a melody to it. For about four or five minutes I sat humming and couldn't remember any of the other words. Then I finally realized that I've googled less and come up with good results, so I searched and found the song Forever by Chris Tomlin, which I know we've done in the past. I'd just like to share it here, and fair warning, it's super catchy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVYcDOXczus

Psalm 125- Prayer of trust that foreign dominance will end: This psalm is short and sweet, stating that no matter how hard enemies try or even how many generations pass, God's love is strong and withstanding, which is a comforting, hopeful message.

Hope you all had a lovely Sunday!

And Monday and Tuesday :)

Gina

Monday October 1st Singing a New Song of Praise!

"How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him."
"Praise the LORD.  Sing to the LORD a new song."

These two verse in Ps. 147 and 149 really made me stop and think today.  Do I truly take time out of my day to ponder how good it is to sing praises to God?  Do I get busy and caught up in my day that I forget how good it is to praise the LORD?  Do I think of praising God as pleasant and good or as a task to check off my spiritual to do list?  Do I sing along to K-love out of a desire to lift up praise to God?  Do I ponder the words I am singing and use them as an offering of praise to the Lord, or is it more about how I like the songs that are playing and I am singing along without even giving thought to the words?  Am I like a broken record at times lifting up the same thing or am I seeing God's new mercies every morning and experience Him in new ways so that each day my song of praise is a new one?

I regret to say that I fail to see on a daily basis how good it is to praise the Lord.  How pleasing and necessary it is to my often dry and parched spirit.  Praise is not something that God needs to hear from us.  Praise is something we need to do to remind us of just how great our God truly is.  Praise is what helps keep me anchored during the storms of life because it reminds me who is at the helm whether my life is rough or calm.  If times are tough or things are going smoothly God never changes and is always worthy of my praise and my heart will always benefit from it.

These two verse talk of singing our praise to God.  Sometimes my heart is in despair and musical notes just don't seem to be able to form from my lips.  I don't think that a song of praise necessarily has to sound like something out of a Disney movie.  I think that true songs of praise are more from a heart of sincere adoration then a voice with a melody in it.  Songs of praise are spoken words of delight in who God is.  Just the utterance of them off our lips creates a melody that soothes the "singers" heart.  A few weeks ago we read the book of Job.  There was no song of praise on Job's lips because his view of who God was had been distorted.  He needed to be reminded of how great his God, his redeemer, was.  Once that happened Job's attitude changed (not his circumstance right away) and from his lips was able to flow a new song of praise to an awesome and amazing God who loved him more then Job had realized.

Despite my circumstances I want to remember how great my God is all the time.  I want the words I speak about Him to be melodies of praise lifted up from a heart of gratitude and delight.  I want the song on my lips to be new each day, fresh remembrances and gratitude to an enormously infinite, graciously giving, abundantly loving God who has new blessings and encouragement for me each and every day.

The key is to not let my circumstance steal my song.  Not to let the disappointments of life rob me of my melody.  Not to let the calm moments of life rock me into a songless slumber.  Instead I want to wake up every single day and say:

"It is good to sing praises to our God, and it is pleasant and fitting to praise him! Here is my new song."

Saturday, September 29, 2012

(Posted on behalf of Jon Lanuza
Saturday, September 29, 2012


First, I ask forgiveness for the tardiness of this reflection. Two days
late...

Psalm 79 is so rich in guidance and reminder and blessing. Firstly, it
deals with a topic so close to my heart - the persistence of my sinfulness,
and the even greater persistence of God's love. How comforting to be
reminded of the Israelite's repetitive sinfulness, even in the face of God's
unfailing blessing. He free them from the Egyptians, they declare it would
have been better to die as slaves. He passes them through the sea and
drowns their enemies, and they complain about food and water. He breaks the
rock open and water gushes out in a desert, and He sends bread and meat they
have but to gather, and they complain about something else. The persistence
of their sinfulness!

"Yet He was merciful;
He forgave their inquiries,
and did not destroy them.
Time after time He restrained His anger
and did not stir up His full wrath."

The start of the psalm is equally close to my heart. It admonishes me to
teach this to my children

"so the next generation would know them,
even the children Yet to be born
and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget His deeds
but would keep His commands."

What greater inheritance could I pass on to my children than a relationship
with our Lord?

Father, amidst the discouragement of the constancy of my sinfulness, remind
me please that Your love is more powerful than my sin. And help me to
nurture my children's relationship with You that they too might be
encouraged when they inevitably stumble.m

Jon Lanuza