Malachi

Be careful to not let certain books and certain texts get "type cast." This happens to actors frequently. They become so identified with a certain character, casting them in a different role becomes difficult because viewers only see them as a particular character. Malachi is often cast in our consciousness as the "tithe" book. But it is so much more!

One of the greatest gifts Malachi is to us is the lesson of self-reflection through the power of the Holy Spirit. In John 16, Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. In Malachi 1:2 reads, "...but you ask: How have You loved us?" In 1:7, "...yet you ask: How have we despised your Name?" And again in 2:14 and 2:17 respectively, "Yet you ask: For what reason" and "...yet you ask: How have we wearied Him?" And in 3:7, "...but you ask: How can we return?" And in 3:8, "...you ask: How do we rob You?" In 3:13, "...yet you ask: What have we spoken against You?" Seven pressing questions!

God wants to have a conversation with us, one that is prompted by the Holy Spirit, self examination! Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 13:5, "...examine yourselves..."

What questions are the Holy Spirit asking of you today?

Pastor Fred

Psalm 126-128

There are some great "proverbs" in these three Psalms! Let's start with Psalm 128...

Verse one proclaims, "How happy is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways!" I have a saying, as goes the husband/father, so goes the whole house. This first verse is speaking directly to the Dad and the "everyone" in verse one refers to the family. We see this as we continue to read. Verse three speaks of the wife and children, and then in verse six, the grandchildren. We must not let a secular society deceive us into believing the fallacy, "If I'm not hurting anyone else, leave me alone." We are always hurting someone else if we are not walking in His ways... especially our families!

Psalm 127 reminds us that no amount of human effort alone will succeed in walking in His ways. We have been in a series at our church entitled "Am I?" It is a play on words with Jesus' seven I Am statements in the gospel John. The idea is that if He is in us, and He most certainly is for everyone who has made a vow of devotion to Him (John 14:20), then we should be becoming more and more like Him throughout our lives. His I Am's should inspire us to ask Am I? This is the truth of Psalm 127, we are desperate for who He is in us to empower us to become like Him. He is in us not just to reveal the standard of life up to which we fail to measure...but to change us! As we yield to Him (Psalm 127), He will enable us to walk in His ways (Psalm 128).

And as we walk on this journey of transformation, may we not be surprised by the hardships and trials that await us. Psalm 126, verse five speaks plainly, "Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy." Bruce Wilkinson unlocks John 15 like no other in his book Secrets of the Vine. God's use of discipline and pruning are essential to our personal transformation.

Psalm 128, verse 5 wraps it all up...

"May the Lord bless you... so that you will see the prosperity... all the days of your life!"

Pastor Fred