Monday 3-8-10

Malachi 1:7-8

"7  Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.

8  And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts."

Real quickly just a couple observations. The children of Israel were offering these sacrifices that were obviously not the best. Let's take a look: "Ye offer polluted bread", "ye offer the blind", "ye offer the lame and sick". These "sacrifices" weren't sacrifices at all, they were what was left over, not even second place they were horrible animals. In fact God knows just how bad they are and he calls them evil.. he tells them to offer them to their governor. Why? I believe it was to make them think, because they knew that what they were "offering" to the Lord was so bad that even the government wouldn't want it. 

What struck me wasn't what I head a bunch of my life about "giving your best to Jesus". It wasn't about whether or not you wear a suit on Sunday. In the years past all I attributed to "giving your best to Jesus" was how someone dressed and if they knew bible lingo. It's not about that, God couldn't care less if I went to church with bluejeans or a three-piece suit. What God does care about is the heart, He wants all my desires and affection to be upon Him, He wants me to flee sin and be pure for him. How does this fit in to the passage? Well my dress right, talk right, act right isn't not what God desires, that is like offering him a lame and sick sacrifice, which verse 8 says is evil. According to John 15 if I abide in Christ and He in me then my joy will be made full, and I believe that that is what God wants.. for me to be completely satisfied in him, so that he would receive glory through my life.

Please pray for bro Tony Howeth and Mrs. Stacey Howeth. They are currently traveling to Ireland for 10 days if I remember their schedule right. Please pray that God's grace and power would be upon brother Tony as he preaches. Also that he would keep them safe in their various travels.

In Christ,