Archive for May, 2020
Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.
Proverbs 31:31, ESV
Women – made in the image of God – are to be praised and honored for their God-given gifts, especially as they honor God.
And the Church – the Bride of Christ and mother of the saints – deserves honor and respect.
Obviously it is better to meet in person, but, during times it is not possible or safe for everyone to gather, we should be reaching out to each other in other ways.
Keep in touch, brothers and sisters!Daniel
Our “This Sunday” series will be another a Corona Virus edition. For this Sunday here’s what you can do: Call on the Phone with One Another.
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Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
Psalm 42:11, ESV
This world is not our home. When this life drags us down, remember our hope: that Cbrist died for our salvation and will redeem this world, as well.
It is about time for a short message series.
For the past few weeks and over the next couple of months, I will upload short messages based on the book of Malachi. It will probably be eight total and based on the section divisions in the English Standard Version of the Bible.
No special titles. Just taking a quick look at what was said.
So read along with me, and let us study what Malachi said to his people about 2,400 years ago.
Remember that Malachi literally means “my messenger”, so he is God’s messenger, as all the Prophets were.
Chapter 1 was about God’s love for His covenant people – those who obey and love Him – versus those who refuse to listen to Him. The priests offered lame, sick, and injured animals as sacrifices, basically taking the Lord’s name in vain by calling it acceptable even though they were worthless gifts.
Chapter 2 can be called the passage about “bovine scatology”, because priests then (and many now) led people astray with false teachings. So God rebuked them and showed they are outside of the covenant.
Now, God rebukes not only the priests but any who practice what God said not to:
10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!
13 And this second thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16 “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26, ESV
We do not change our hearts to be good. God changes us and makes us new and good by His Holy Spirit. We join His work.
pray without ceasing
1 Thessalonians 5:17, ESV
This does not mean we are always on our knees, tucked away in a closet, eyes closed, or however we solemnly pray.
We must be in regular contact with God: reading the Bible, thinking about Him and His Word and Church, and, of course, talking with Him.
“But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:26, ESV
We are unable to save ourselves. To escape God’s eternal judgment and wrath, we need His salvation through Jesus Christ’s atonement.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope
Psalm 130:5, ESV
Fear and anxiety melt in the presence of God, who speaks to us today through the Bible and His Church.
Trust God and His Word.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13, ESV
We often give in to our own desires, but God empowers us through His Holy Spirit to respond like the Son: to turn to the Father, quote the Word, and escape temptations snare.
a simple man of God 