Sermon Nuggets Mon Jan 2 Middle East Unrest
Verses - 1 A prophecy: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.
2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD.
“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’
“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
4 Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.”
But this is what the LORD Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the LORD. 5 You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the LORD—even beyond the borders of Israel!’
Middle East Unrest
Is 2012 the year Jesus returns? Harold Camping was wrong last year. All modern day prophets claiming when Jesus is returning are wrong, but one of these years someone is going to get it right because Jesus is coming again. So many of the signs of the coming have been fulfilled and are being fulfilled.
One prediction that has been ongoing is the animosity between Israel and the Arab nations. For 1,000s of years this has taken place.
In the news are the responses of the presidential candidates and their positions on the tensions in the Middle East and in particular with Israel. There has been much controversy over the place of the Palestinians and the Israeli conflict over land and the displaced people.
The place of Israel in the future history has been part of major controversy among Christians as it relates to the prophecies of the Scriptures. Regardless how the Israeli government acts many Christians will support whatever they do based on Gen 12:3 "I will bless those who bless you and him who curses you I will curse."
There is no question that God has been at work among the nation of Israel long after the New Testament days.
Since 1948 this tiny nation has been at the center of heated international and religious debate. Amos 9:14-15 "I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel... I will plant them upon their land and they shall never again be plucked up out of the land which I have given them, says the Lord your God."
Since the 1967 war where Israel captured land from the Arab neighbors whose right to the land is the issue. Palestinians seethe with anger over the loss of their homes and their rights. Many of them lost everything at great personal injury and abuse. Peace talks are seeking to settle political differences which most will agree is one of the most frustrating and changeable situations on earth. The hatred between Jews and Arabs, between Israelites and Moslems have been bitter from the time of Jacob and Esau.
The number one obstacle to political peace is nationalism, because it insists on the denial of the right of the other nation to exist. The peace that is spoken of in the Scriptures however is of a much different origin. Even Christ put the talks on a different level than geographic boundaries. It had to do with the boundaries of the heart. The peace that lasts now and through eternity is when Gentile, Jew and Arab; black, white, and Indian are holding hands in prayer and worship and homage to the one King of Peace, Jesus Christ.
Indeed as we shall see in this book of Malachi how God holds people, especially the nation of Israel, to the standards of justice and godly righteousness. I believe that the state of Israel holds a special and unique role in the future of God's kingdom, but the focus and the attention can be misdirected from the Spiritual principles God calls them and us to.
People of all ages and walks of life are out of touch with God today. This book gives some insights into how lifeless faith can be revitalized. It has a tremendous impact for a decadent, complacent and apathetic religious nation.
Malachi declares divine love and calls people to a complete relationship with our Creator. This can become a means of our re-evaluation of our relationship and responsibilities to God.
Perhaps this is a good reminder in New Year of the long term work of God fulfilling His plan and the short term manner in which He calls his people to justice, righteousness, and commitment.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Jan 3 The Prophet
Verse: Malachi 1:1 A prophecy: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.
Introduction to Malachi
The word Malachi means "my messenger" in Hebrew. There are some who will debate whether or not Malachi was the name of the prophet or if it was the job this prophet had. If the prophet's name was not Malachi then we have no idea what it was. Since the Word identifies him as Malachi, my messenger, there are many times when the name properly is also identified with the task one performs. That was true of Jacob who was called Israel, or Abram whose name was change to Abraham, or Naomi who took the name Marah, meaning bitter. Names had a prophetic message in and of themselves. I believe Malachi the messenger of God if he did not have that name before, took that name as part of his prophecy to be heard.
Because of the lack of information about the writer such as parents or place of birth, or occupation, or history, it is not important for us to know a great deal about the man other than what the writings imply of his character. He was zealous for God and wrote in a way that spoke to his readers, or spoke in a way that communicated creatively and artfully the truths of God.
The condition under which he writes shows a spiritual laziness among the people. During Malachi's day people were living in religious indifference. There was high divorce, adultery, reduced giving to the Temple, financial selfishness, disrespect toward spiritual things, marrying people of others faiths or no faiths.
This is the last book in the Old Testament because it is the last recognized writings before the coming of Jesus Christ.
Politically, after the Jews returned from Babylon, they spent 20 years to restore the Temple. Now a century after their return from Babylon the earlier prophecies about the glorious, restored nation were not fulfilled. Most of the Jews were still ruled by other nations. They had to pay taxes to Persia and give men into their armies. They had limited resources. They had crop failures, drought, pestilence, poverty, and on top of all this, although they had been taught that piety was rewarded with prosperity and wickedness with adversity, there were a group of godless men who became unscrupulously wealthy.
Malachi writes in a question and answer format. His style is like a Hebrew Socrates. He raised God's questions and then proceeded to give God's answers to the questions. The intent of the questions is for spiritual renewal and revival. God had a passion for the people and they were called to stop playing church, and have a passion for God from within.
Malachi gives 8 points to determine whether or not they are living in a proper, acceptable relationship with God. The course of this series will be reviewing these points for ourselves and individual lives.
As we enter into a New Year, be open to what God may be telling you and how you might have spiritual renewal in a greater way.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Jan 4 Religion or Relationship
Verse- Malachi 1: 2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD.
“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’
“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob,
Religion or Relationship?
When a guy meets a girl it is increasingly common to adopt the thought that anything is okay if you really love someone. When the date draws limits to the expression of love, the guy often says with indignation, "Well, if you really love me, you are going to have to show it! You must prove to me you love me by your actions."
That can be pure manipulation. That statement isn't even a loving statement; it is a very selfish one. Love can be used to express almost everything from loving a new dress, to a kitten, to a parent-child relationship, or a husband-wife relationship of love, to the love that God has for us.
The love of God has a term in the Hebrew as well as the Greek that is different than most other love. It is unselfish, freely giving to man who does not deserve it and only receives it as a gift. Across the centuries man has a hard time understanding that. This is the word used in verse 2. It indicates a close, personal relationship. It points to the heart of the covenant established between God and the people of Israel under Moses.
The theme of the book of Malachi is God's expression of deep love. He is like a loving father who yearns for his prodigal son and seeks to reclaim him back unto himself. It is the old story of love that is often unappreciated.
The people come back with the question, "How have you, God, loved us?" They were upset in the midst of their troubles. They complained about what God had not done. Is that familiar? They blamed all their troubles on him.
I remember one lady who was in the hospital with disease. When one of our chaplains came into the room, she said, "I have no reason to talk with you. If God were up there I would not be here."
Many blame God for all their troubles, disease, death, and financial loss. Many think they have received unfair treatment at the hands of God.
The people felt that God did not care about them, so they questioned why they would bother about God. They were filled with bitterness. They felt they had been forgotten by God. We see the results of their resentment to their situation. First religious fervor declined. Then morals decayed. They were practicing sorcery, adultery, false swearing, and more. Does that sound familiar?
I listen to so many testimonies even during the horrible experiences of various hurricanes, tornados, and earthquakes. It is during tragedies that many turn to God because there is nothing else to hold on to. They are the ones who will endure. They have a bigger picture of life than just the house and land and money. But like the wise man and foolish man it is the difficulties that reveal the strength of faith, or what the house is built upon.
The people believed if they only had to restore the temple and reinstitution the sacrifices of animals then God’s blessings would return to them. But building the temple with hearts far from God is like building on the sand. They heard the words, but doing them wasn't in their hearts only in their hands.
Many Christians today put lots of energy in building church buildings, and now half empty. The strength of a church is not in the buildings, or even in the multitude of religious activity; it is not in how many programs they have. We must ask again, Where is the heart?
Pastor Robert Bailey writes of how a pulpit committee interviewed him because his church was prospering. This caught the eye of one of the larger churches- they could give him a higher salary and better benefits. They told him they were seeking a preacher who would fill their sanctuary on Sunday with a large congregation. He told the committee that God did not call a minister to fill a sanctuary. He did call him to interpret and proclaim God’s Word. He wanted no one to worship the preacher, only Jesus. He did not get the call to come to the church.
Too often religion can get in the way of a relationship. The how we do worship becomes more of a focus than who we worship.
Do you love God with all your heart this day? Or is the extent of your love going through religious rituals without heartfelt relationship?
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Jan 5 People Groups
Verses Mal 1: “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
4 Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.”
People Groups
America has many people groups living within its borders. A people group can be just about any group of people who are identified by culture, race, religion or ethnicity. Often there are similarities, but we have learned that prejudice and racism can too often color our views that leads to discrimination based on outward characteristics than inward character.
When we read about the differences between Jacob and his offspring and Esau and his offspring, it raises understandable questions about how we are to look at Jews and Arab nations. Do we lump everyone into favorable or unfavorable characteristics? Does there appear to be a blessing of God more on one group than another?
How do we look on the nation of America and the blessing we have been graced with? It certainly seems God’s hand has been on our beginning and continuance of a new culture, But the Bible is clear those blessings and curses can certainly be conditional.
When Jesus came unto his own (Jews) His own did not receive him. But as many as receive Him to them He gave the right to become His children. (John 1:12) Never forget grace allows all people, all races, all tongues to be considered a new people of faith. But in the Old Testament His plan was revealed in the outward illustration of nations.
How do the Israelites know that God really loved them? One of the answers God gives through Malachi is "Jacob I loved, and Esau I hated." Now there is a hard verse in God's answer. The people of Israel are represented by Jacob and the people of Edom is represented by Esau. If you read only these verses, you can arrive at an incorrect conclusion that God loves only the Jews and hates the Gentiles, or at least the people group of Edom.
I believe this is the use of hyperbole to put the emphasis on how much God loves them. Just like the New Testament reference of Jesus to his followers that they are to love him and hate their wives mothers, children brother and sister does not call for emotional hatred, but ranking of preference. It is setting of priorities for higher purposes and goals. In Jacob's case, Gods' love signaled his election and his call for service, which was not the call of Edom.
We read the account of Esau and Jacob from Gen 25-28. As the story of the two brothers unfolds it is evident of conflict and human hatred are determined. The birthright appeared was sold to Jacob for a bowl of soup. It was not important to Esau. Even before he twins were born, God had declared to Rebekah, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples, born of you, shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger." (Gen 25:23), It is logical to draw the conclusion that God had seen Jacob as the one with the special endowments to be the head of the family and worthy to receive double portion of the heritage.
Now if you look at the lives of both Jacob and Esau you will agree with me that neither was worthy to receive the provisions of birthright and to undertake the covenant responsibilities. The only thing you can say for Jacob is he wanted it and Esau couldn't care less.
History showed Esau ran after women who were godless; Jacob sought the daughter of Laban. The nation of Edom couldn't care less about God, and the nation of Jacob as bad as it was had Joseph, chosen of God to be devoted and faithful unto the Lord. There is always the remnant, the few who seek the face of the Lord. They have preserved the heritage.
God sees from the beginning to the end while man views life in terms of moments. Esau's way of life invited the judgment of God. Edom, Esau's descendants, is pictured as people who set themselves against God inviting his judgment and destruction in many of the prophecies of the Bible.
The prophet’s reply was that if things were bad in Israel they were infinitely worse in Edom. The decisions and actions of my ancestors allowed me to be born in America with all the privileges that I presently enjoy and you too. The fact remains friend, we have received grace like no other nation in the outward and inward evidences of God. Can we take pride in that? No. We can take worship seriously however.
Since the two nations from the two brothers were so closely related, and their lands bordered upon each other, they might have been expected to share the same fate. Yet God had clearly given the advantage to Israel as anyone could see who would consider the unhappy recent history of Edom.
In that day the Edomites were about as irreligious, self-sufficient people as could be imagined. They were profane and unrepentant, without ideals or humility. When Jerusalem fell to Babylon the Edomites rejoiced. Edom's territory was the rugged mountainous and desert land SE of the Dead Sea. Now Edom was being put under siege. They regarded the disaster which fell as only temporary and looked forward to re-establishing their life in that old environment and under the old conditions. Their optimism was similar to that of the people of the northern kingdom of Israel in its last days. Malachi said the end has really come and the ruin is permanent so that it will provide evidence for future generations of the wickedness of Edom and the justice of God.
Malachi's prophecy proved correct, historically. Edom never returned to her former lands. The Edomites remained settled in southern Palestine with their capital at Hebron and were incorporated by force into the Jewish commonwealth. It no longer exists.
Malachi's concern was not the fate of Edom but the illustration of God's love for his people and of his concern for moral values.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri Jan 6 – God’s Plan
Verses- Mal 1: 4 Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.”
But this is what the LORD Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the LORD. 5 You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the LORD—even beyond the borders of Israel!’
Introduction to God's Plan
God's plan was for Israel to be his servant people. Instead of humility because of their divine election, they were arrogantly indifferent to the love of God. God chose them to be the people who point all others to him as the one true God. Instead, they rebelled and spurned the love of God, and then they had the nerve to question the validity and reality of his love!
In spite of all the evidence to the contrary, God did still love the Jews, his special people. His love was sovereign love, it was an unconditional love; it was intimately personal love. Edom was not punished merely for what she had done to the chosen people but for her brutal violation of the moral law. They were, as a nation, under God's judgment. Let us not think for a minute that we as a nation can also be under God's judgment for our increasing violation of the moral laws of God.
Malachi tells them when the self-righteous Jews are sure that God does continue to love them, they will confess that he is great in majesty, power and grace. Even the non-Jewish people, the Edomites, the Gentiles, will know him as Lord. Then the prophet predicted that when the Jews see the finality of God's judgment upon their enemies, they will realize that God does indeed reign, and that in spite of all appearances to the contrary, the love which he once manifested to Israel cannot have changed.
If people will only lift up their eyes to look beyond their own immediate difficulties and observe what is taking place upon the great stage of world history, they will know that the greatness of the Lord extends beyond the border of Israel! (A look at vs. 11 predicts this.)
God's love does extend beyond the borders of the Jews. He wants them to know he still loves them. However, we must come to God on his conditions. God's love includes those beyond the institutional church would open their lives to his Lordship.
What does this have to do with us? Is it a prophecy that we can relate to? How can we see this with New Testament eyes?
First if you are a child of Jesus, been convicted of your sin and forgiven by trusting is Jesus death on the cross, stop complaining that God doesn't love you if things aren't going your way. That is a self-centeredness that affects most of us from time to time. If God has called you to Himself think about that salvation. You could be lost today and bound for hell except for the love of Jesus Christ. You could have been in another part of the world where the message is still not heard. Does God love you? You could be torn with sins that keep you bound instead of the hope of freedom from them.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ the situation that you think is so bad remember is the worst it will ever get. This life is as bad as it gets, for then the blessings of eternal life, and heaven, and the presence of Jesus is far, far greater than ever. If you are outside of Jesus' salvation this morning, this life is as good as it ever gets. You might as well live it up however you want, for it will never get any better. But then you face an eternity lost. Now ask does God love me? When we think of the consequences of the saved and unsaved it is a foolish question. That’s the point Malachi wants to convey to the people who are objects of God's love.
Secondly, sin is a reproach to any people. The wages of sin is death. Malachi declares that when the work of God is seen in his judgment on Edom, people will be reminded that God’s promises are true. When evil is punished, when vengeance and justice are finally executed, we know God keeps His word. Those who feel victimized and perpetrators get away with it, know that they will face God someday.
The church now has the message of salvation that the world needs to hear before it is too late.
Pastor Dale
