Malachi 1 - 4 (30th September) - Andrew

Malachi 1
“…’Truly, the Lord’s great power reaches far beyond our borders!’” - Verse 5

How many times have we read from the bible that our God is great in power and He can do the impossible, the things men can’t do, He can do?
If anyone of us feel that we can’t do something, wait… our God whom we depends upon and with His great power, He can turn the things we can’t do to the things we can do.
If anyone of us got some problems, emotionally or physically, let us not focus on how big our problems are, but let us focus on how big our God is because His power “reaches far beyond our borders”.

This part is directly from my bible (NLT version).
“The Lord Almighty says to the priests: “A son honors his father and a servant respects his master. I am your father and master, but where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have despised my name!
“But you ask, ‘How have we ever despised your name?’
“You have despised my name by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar.
“Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’
“You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t it wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor and see how pleasing he is!” says the Lord Almighty.
- verse 6 – 8

Scary isn’t it when God talks in this way? God wants us to be clean from inside out and not be like those animals which are either blind or crippled and offered to the Lord. We are a living sacrifices to the Lord, thus let us encourage one another and help each other to be righteous before the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Malachi 2
The Lord warned the priests as their guidance is not from God but it’s by their own strength, thus causing people to stumble into sins. And the Lord made a call to faithfulness.

“For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “It is as cruel as putting on a victim’s bloodstain coat,” says the Lord Almighty. “So guard yourself; always remain loyal to your wife.”
- verse 16

Enough said.

Malachi 3
The coming day of Judgement – In the end, the Lord Almighty will come and judge each one of us according to what we had done, good or bad.

“I am the Lord, and I do not change…”
- verse 6

Wonderful isn’t it? Our God Himself told us he do not change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

“Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him.”
- verse 16

Let us fear Him. Fearing Him does not mean fearfully fear Him, but rather staying close to Him and His words. Don’t we all want to have our name written on the scroll of remembrance? Then fear God.

Malachi 4
The coming Day of Judgement – God spoke about the coming Day of Judgement.

“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.”
- verse 2

Oh… don’t we want to be like someone leaping with joy and feeling so free during the Day of Judgement?