22/05/2011 - From condemnation to blessing

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“The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.” (Malachi 1:1)
God’s message must be thorough, that’s the reason why we cannot talk only about blessings; it’s our duty to make our people ponder on the responsibility of living a holy life. Well, he who does not speak about holiness – a virtue required of all Christians – will never see responsible doers of God’s work.
The “Gospel of instantaneousness.” doesn’t attract followers fully committed with the Word of God. The high priests in the biblical times used to offer defiled food and blind animals to the Lord on His altar; yet, the Most High said that it was a wrong attitude (Malachi 1:7-8) and He also wished the door was closed to them because He wouldn’t accept any offerings from those men. The same happens to those who lay any sort of offering on God’s altar today. He obviously wants to be honored with our offerings, but we must check out all of them beforehand; our offerings will tell whether we really love Him and His work or not. May our offerings never be any insult to God who owns everything!
Our Father’s table is holy; we can find the food for our souls on it, strength for our spirit and the power to defeat our enemy. When we value God’s table we please Him and He allows us to achieve our goals with no barriers; after all, we’re standing before Him to do His will.
Many husbands were being unfaithful to their spouses in those days. So, prophet Malachi was used by the Most High to reprimand them and make them renew their covenant with Him. God’s already given us His point of view on divorce: He hates it (Malachi 2:16). Therefore a married couple must understand that their alliance is eternal in every way.
As for finances, Malachi was the most used prophet to talk about that matter. Actually, nobody else has ever spoken so much about
tithing as Malachi – and tithing is the very reason for our prosperity. He was determined to say that when we refuse to give back to our Creator ten percent of our income we’re stealing from Him since they’re of His ownership. Malachi also stated that, as a divine command, those who fail to give tithes are under a curse. Yet, he also said that those who are faithful will have the windows of the Heavens open, and God will pour numerous blessings on them (Malachi 3:6-12).
Besides those teachings, the prophet also went on saying that those who serve God must be different from those who don’t. Many are getting it completely wrong because serving the Lord has nothing to do with being religious, but it’s about being doers of the Word. He who isn’t enjoying those blessings granted to him on the cross of the Calvary is putting the Lord to shame; He’s the One who arranges everything so all His children can be holy, healthy, prosperous and happy. So, my brethren, it’s our duty to enjoy all the good things at our disposal.
In Christ, with love,
R. R. Soares