Healing sun

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Malachi 3-4; Psalm 64

TO CHEW ON: "But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings..." Malachi 4:2

Here we have a picture of Jesus as a sunrise. What a stunning image. Watch Him as He breaks over the horizon, His rays like wings that spread radiant light, warmth and healing.

[The word for healing used here is marpe'. It means restoration of health, remedy, cure, medicine, tranquility, deliverance, refreshing. Marpe' comes from the verb rapha' - to heal, cure, repair - "Word Wealth," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1273.]

An article in my Bible explains further, "Salvation is God's rescue of the entire person, and healing is His complete repair of that person as marpe' illustrates."

Note some instances of rapha healing in the Bible:
- It refers to the healing of a soul that has sinned in Psalm 41:4.
- It refers to the healing of a broken heart in Psalm 147:3.
- It speaks of just plain healing (physical, emotional and spiritual) through "His stripes" in Isaiah 53:5.

I love Clarke's commentary on our healing Sun verse:

"With healing in his wings - As the sun, by the rays of light and heat, revives, cheers, and fructifies the whole creation, giving, through God, light and life everywhere; so Jesus Christ, by the influences of his grace and Spirit, shall quicken, awaken, enlighten, warm, invigorate heal, purify, and refine every soul that believes in him, and, by his wings or rays, diffuse these blessings from one end of heaven to another; everywhere invigorating the seeds of righteousness, and withering and drying up the seeds of sin. The rays of this Sun are the truths of his Gospel, and the influences of his Spirit. And at present these are universally diffused"

 Let's claim that healing today for broken bodies, and sin-sorry and sad hearts while we anticipate the day when we see this Jesus-Sun face to face, and all healing will be complete:

"Your sun will never set;

      your moon will not go down.

   For the Lord will be your everlasting light.

      Your days of mourning will come to an end." - Isaiah 60:20 NLT

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for healing that characterized Your ministry on earth and for how the Gospel made alive by Your Spirit brings healing to lives and bodies still today. Help me to be an instrument of Your healing to others. Amen.


PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 64

*************
 Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cheap religion

"A Message for the Priests"
by B. Picart & G. Gouwen

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Malachi 1-2; Psalm 63

TO CHEW ON: "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand." - Malachi 1:10 ESV

It sounds like Malachi is invoking the shutdown of the temple! What is the reason for his drastic suggestion?

Malachi prophesied during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, when worship abuses were rampant. As we read Malachi 1 closely, we begin to understand his almost unbelievable message to the priests of his time. He exposed their practices which were making a mockery of temple worship:

1. They offered blemished animals (Malachi 1:8).

2. They "snort(ed) at" rather than respected the temple rituals (Malachi 1:13 ESV).

3. They allowed the people to go back on their promises to offer the best of their flocks, accepting, instead, their inferior offerings (Malachi 1:14).

Though we no longer do the rituals and sacrifices of Malachi's day, there are parallels and lessons for us in his message:

Our lives are now the "living sacrifice" we offer to God (Romans 12:1). Are we giving God our best? The best part of each day? Our best effort? Our best years?

What about the rituals we do keep, like the Lord's Supper? Are we participating with gravity, mindful of its significance? Or do we take part as a rote celebration without examining ourselves and our relationships (1 Corinthians 11:27-32)?

Finally, do we keep our promises to God, perhaps made when we're in trouble? Or, when everything settles down, do we go back on our vows?

As the Bible dictionary writer says it:

"Cheap religion avails nothing....sacrifices given grudgingly are displeasing to God. Better a temple closed than filled with such worshippers" - International Standard Bible Dictionary on Malachi.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for these sobering thoughts from Malachi. Help me to apply them to my life today. Amen.


PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 63


The Bible Project  VIDEO: Malachi (Read Scripture Series)



************
Scriptures marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV® Text Edition: 2016

Four reasons to stay the course

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Malachi 3:13-4:6

TO CHEW ON: "'Your words have been harsh against Me,' says the Lord,
'Yet you say, "What have we spoken against You?"
You have said, "It is useless to serve God;
What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance
And that we have walked as mourners,
Before the Lord of Hosts?"'" Malachi 3:13-14


Have you ever thought - what's the point of living for God? Does God even know that I alter my lifestyle to please Him? Does He care? That seems to have been the thinking of Israel, especially of the faithful few that resisted the nation's general backsliding during Malachi's time.

We don't have to understand all the prophetic details in God's reply to catch the gist of encouragement to His disheartened followers. Let's listen in and get hope for our lives from the four reasons He gives them to stay the course.

1. You are remembered.

"So a book of remembrance was written before Him

For those who feared the Lord

And who meditate on His name." Malachi 3:16

How comforting to know that God writes about us in His book. One can't help but think of other references to such books — the book of our days from Psalm 139, or the Book of Life with our names written in it, mentioned in Revelation.

2. You are His treasure.

"They shall be Mine," says the Lord of hosts

On that day when I make them my jewels." Malachi 3:17

Treasure (segullah) means personal property, special treasure. My Bible explains: "Malachi 3:17 speaks of the people God will regard as His 'jewels.' Man's treasure is material objects, but consistently in Scripture, God's treasure is human beings" ("Word Wealth" - New Spirit Filled Bible [NSFLB], p. 262).

3. You will get justice.

"Then you shall again discern

Between the righteous and the wicked

Between one who serves God

And one who does not serve Him." 3:18

This is a reassurance to those of us tempted to question God's fairness while unbelieving friends and neighbours prosper even as they flaunt behaviours that our consciences won't allow. "Sometimes believers tend to be spiritually nearsighted. We face the same temptation today as did God's people in Malachi's day; the temptation to look at ungodly circumstances around us and question God's integrity and character. We must not mistake God's patience for apathy" ("Truth-In-Action Through Malachi - NSFLB, p. 1274).

4. You will be healed.

"But to you who fear my name

The Sun of Righteousness shall arise

with healing in His wings." Malachi 4:2

Healing (marpe) means restoration of health, remedy, cure, medicine, tranquility, deliverance, refreshing. "Salvation is God's rescue of the entire person, and healing is His complete repair of that person" - NSFLB p. 1273.

God's eternal vision sees eternal outcomes. So let's stay the course of loyalty to Him, knowing that the outworking of all that comes our way is good.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for these assurances for those who are Yours. Help me to live my life with this eternal perspective in mind. Amen.

MORE: "When He Cometh"

The song "When He Cometh" is based on Malachi 3:17. William O. Cushing wrote it in 1856 and George F. Root wrote the music in 1866. Cyberhymnal tells an interesting story about it with a Canadian connection.

Hear it sung at a Gaither gathering with Joni Erickson Tada in this YouTube rendition.



**************

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.

Tithing: a practice that's blessed

Give in the old way or in the new!

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Malachi 3:1-15


TO CHEW ON:"'Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,'
Says the Lord of hosts,
'If I will not open for you
the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.'" - Malachi 3:10

Do you tithe? By tithe I mean give 10% of your income to God.

I know some people argue against tithing, saying that it is a form of legalism hearkening back to Old Testament times. However, I believe that it is a practice that carries on for us today (supported by Jesus in Matthew 23:23), and that when we give in such an accurate and consistent way, we benefit.

Three blessings of tithing are mentioned in today's Malachi reading:

1. Tithing supports the church (Malachi 3:10). Malachi phrases it "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse / That there may be food in my house..." Our tithes brought to the churches where we worship and are spiritually fed (the 'storehouse') means that they will flourish as headquarters for spreading the Gospel in our communities.


2. Tithing is grounds for God's blessing (Malachi 3:10). What sweet words from Him! Who of us wouldn't welcome an open heaven, and so much blessing we couldn't contain it?


3. Tithing frustrates Satan (Malachi 3:11). God says through Malachi, "I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes." For Judah He would do it in a very practical way by blessing crops and causing a bountiful harvest to the extent that she would gain an international reputation as "blessed" and known to be a "delightful land" (Malachi 3:12). Rebuking the devourer for us could be God's blessing and protection in a myriad ways from preserving our property, to keeping our machines from breaking down, to prospering us at work, to keeping our clothes from wearing out (the way God blessed the Israelites when they trekked through the desert during the exodus - Deuteronomy 8:4; 29:5; Nehemiah 9:21).

Of course our primary motive in tithing shouldn't be to get a blessing. As a sidebar article in my Bible explains:

"Nothing will keep a wise believer from tithing and giving, but he or she will never be found to tithe or give offerings just to get something in return. ... Do not be afraid to prove God with your giving; He is God and He will stand the test every time" - Oral Roberts in "God's Giving Plan Begins With Tithing," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1272.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for this clear teaching about accurate, systematic giving. Help me to understand how this is a spiritual as much as a monetary matter. Amen.

MORE: Is tithing needful for salvation?
If you are looking for arguments against tithing, you’ll find lots online. There are a multitude of books and articles that insist on things like tithing was only for the support of the priests (descendants of the tribe of Levi who had no land) and the poor, that it was only given as agricultural produce (never money), that Jesus’ mention of it (Luke 18:12) means nothing for us because He was speaking in a time before His death when the law was still in effect, and more.

My position is:

• Tithing is not required. It is not necessary for salvation. We are under grace.

• Tithing is a good place to start when figuring out what part of my income/substance I should give. When I tithe, I am reminded that all I have really belongs to God. Some challenge tithing of other things as well, like one’s time.

“The old covenant required 10 percent. The new covenant does not specify a percentage, nor do we. However, the new covenant admonishes people to give what they can, and tithing still provides an instructive point of comparison” - read all of “Is Tithing Required in the New Covenant?”

• Paul talks about how ministers of the gospel deserve to be supported by those who benefit from their ministry (1 Timothy 5:18). In the Old Testament that support came from the tithe. Tithing seems like a good practical solution to support the “house” but, again, it is not a law or requirement.

• Because the New Covenant is so much better than the old one, why limit oneself to giving only one tenth? That’s the point John Piper makes on this 7-minute audio file where he answers: “Is Tithing Commanded for Christians?”

***********Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Till Alzheimer's do us part?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Malachi 2:1-17

TO CHEW ON: "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." Malachi 2:15


Pat Robertson's answer to the question of what to do when a spouse has Alzheimer's sent shock waves through the audience of the 700 Club show. "He should divorce her and start all over again," he said. "Since Alzheimer's is a kind of living death," he went on, "divorce and remarriage wouldn't be violating the marriage vows of being faithful 'till death do us part.'"

Dr. Robert McQuilkin did the opposite. When this theologian's wife took ill, he stayed faithfully at the side of his wife of 40 years to the extent of quitting his job so he could provide around-the-clock care. He cared for her until she died--a total of 25 years.

Sickness is one of many reasons we could find, if we're looking, to rationalize breaking our marriage vows. But the Bible is clear that marital separation should be a rare thing. Here are some things the Bible says about the marriage bond:

• Husbands are to love their wives as themselves and as sacrificially as Christ loved the church, while wives are to respect their husbands (Ephesians 5:25,28, 33; Colossians 3:19).
• Wives of unbelieving husbands should stay with them, hopefully winning them to belief by their outer and inner beauty (1 Peter 3:1-4).
• Our prayers may be hindered by marital strife (1 Peter 3:7).

...and there's no expiry date on any of these.

PRAYER: Dear God, my heart goes out to people whose spouses are ill with dementia or any debilitating condition. Help me to find no crack in my resolve to be true to my husband, no matter what. Amen.


MORE: This story in more depth

ABC News story "Pat Robertson Says Alzheimer's Makes Divorce OK"

"Living By Vows" by Dr. Robert McQuilkin (download pdf of the article)

************
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cleansed and refined

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Malachi 3:1-12

TO CHEW ON: "But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner's fire
And like launderers' soap." Malachi 3:2

I wonder how the "day of His coming" will find us, will find me? Living, as we do, in a time when God is portrayed and viewed as more like us than different, will we too be shocked, speechless, struck down with awe and fear when He appears?

The images of God here are of soap and fire. Pictures of God cleansing and refining run through the Bible.

Cleansing / Washing:

• Naaman had to dip his leprous body in the Jordan River the prescribed number of times to be cleansed (2 Kings 5:10).

• God invites us to come to Him for cleansing from our sin (Isaiah 1:18) and idols (Ezekiel 36:25).

• New Testament writers remind us over and over that Jesus' blood cleanses us from our sin and sinful human condition (1 John 1:7; Hebrews 9:14; Titus 3:5).

Purifying / Refining:

• Job testified to God's purifying motive through his calamity and illness (Job 23:10).

• Testing is a sign of God's love and parenthood (Proverbs 3:12).

• Purifying may come through the difficult circumstances of life. Isaiah called these the "furnace of affliction" (Isaiah 48:10) and Peter the "fiery trial" (1 Peter 4:12).

• Testing serves to drive us to God and bond us in loyalty to Him as His people (Zechariah 13:9).

• Its end result is praise, honour and glory "at the revelation of Jesus" (1 Peter 1:7).

Isn't that last reference interesting! For instead of being fearful at His coming, if we have been cleansed and purified during our life on earth, His coming can be a time of anticipation, praise, honour, and glory.

Let's not be taken off guard at the trials that come our way, for they serve to ready us for His coming. I appreciate the light in which Leslyn Musch casts these verses in my Bible's commentary:

"In great mercy Jesus comes to us as the refiner and purifier of His people. It is a precious expression of His grace that He does not leave us in our sin, but promises to cleanse us. Today when you sense the conviction of the Holy Spirit, respond with repentance. Allow the Lord to purify you" - Leslyn Musch, Truth-In-Action Through Malachi, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1274.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to feel and know Your love through painful times of cleansing, purifying and refining

MORE: "...hemmed in with troubles"?

"There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!"  - Romans 5:3-5 (The Message)

Handel's Messiah Alert: Readers familiar with Handel's Messiah will probably recognize words from Malachi in that music. Handel used Malachi 3:1-3 in three of his choruses:

• Chorus 5 - "For Thus Saith the Lord of Hosts" (which also contains words from Haggai 2:6-7)

• Chorus 6 - "But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming?"

• Chorus 7 - "And He Shall Purify the Sons of Levi"