Malachi 3:6-12 – Robbing God
In another dispute with his people in Malachi 3:6-12, God gave his people of that day a lesson in generosity, which Christians need to learn as well, especially as it has been transformed by the coming of Christ.
Malachi 2:17-3:5 – He’s Coming
While the people cynically questioned God’s justice and longed for his intervention, in Malachi 2:17-3:5, God told them he would be coming in judgment after his messenger prepared the way. In the New Testament, we learn who that messenger was and what God did when he showed up, which was a shock to all.
Malachi 2:10-16 – Two Covenants
In the third dispute, found in Malachi 2:10-16, God accused his people of being faithless to his covenant with them by being faithless to the covenant of marriage. This timeless message calls each one of us to marry within the faith and stay faithful to our spouse.
Malachi 2:1-9 – Planned Obsolescence
As God continued talking to the priests in Malachi 2:1-9, he rebuked them for failing in their two duties: offering sacrifices and teaching. If they refused to change their ways, God threatened them with extinction. Although they lasted another 500 years, they eventually disappeared and became obsolete, once the perfect high priest offered the perfect sacrifice.
Malachi 1:6-14 – Only the Best
In God’s second dispute with his people, recorded in Malachi 1:6-14, he accused the priests and the people of despising him. After they objected, God demonstrated how they were cutting corners in their worship. Their failure points to the need for a perfect priest who would offer a perfect sacrifice for sins, which is just what we find in Jesus.
Malachi 1:1-5 – I Love You
As God’s beloved people were in very difficult circumstances and doubting God, the LORD spoke to them in Malachi 1:1-5 a simple message: I love you. After they challenged his love, God proved it, but not nearly as extravagantly as he has proved his love to us.
Acts 20:17-38 – Passing the Torch
In Acts 20:17-38, Paul passed the torch of ministry to the elders of the church in Ephesus. In his speech to them, Paul described the character of elders and their work of ministry. With a few such elders as Paul described, the church has the team it needs to fulfill the mission that God has given it.
Acts 15:1-31 – Come On In
As the number of non-Jewish believers in Jesus began to overwhelm the original Jewish Christians, some wanted to make it harder for non-Jews to become Christians. As recorded in Acts 15:1-31, the church met in Jerusalem to discuss the matter and reaffirmed that both Jews and Gentiles receive salvation in the exact same way: by God’s grace through faith in Jesus.
Acts 13:1-5 – Just Send Missionaries
In all times, and especially during a pandemic or persecution, it is better for churches to focus on making disciples, not on building and maintaining structures. However, some structure is necessary to send out missionaries to make disciples elsewhere. In Acts 13:1-5 we meet the first church that sent out its own missionaries.
Acts 10:1-48 – God loves THOSE people?
Although there was one lone Ethiopian who became a Christian, in Acts 10:1-48 a whole house full of non-Jews heard the gospel, believed it, and was baptized. Their conversion was a big surprise to the first Christians, all of whom were Jewish. Yes, God loved those people too.