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Scary Times
�Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,� says the Lord Almighty, �and I will accept no offering from your hands.� Malachi 1:10 NIV
What a powerful and scary verse! Let me set the stage.
Times were hard for the Israelites. The land was dry. The crops were barely producing. The animals and even people were suffering. The enemies of the Israelites were prevailing in battle. The people, who had time and time again seen the delivering hand of God, were wavering in their faith.
They went to the altar of God, and instead of sacrificing their very best, they gave God their rejects. If they had prize sheep or goats, they kept these for breeding. It was their way of protecting their own investments. After all, they must have thought, in hard times it just didn't make sense to waste the best, of which they had very little, on God. (Oh Lord, forgive me for eve n having to type that!)
God would not accept their half-hearted worship! He said He would rather see the church doors closed than to be worshipped in such a way. Whew! That's tough stuff! I don't know about you, but sometimes my worship is half-hearted. Sometimes, especially during the dark days, through the valleys of life, my worship suffers. God just doesn't receive my best.
Let me ask you, if you and I, in whom Christ's Spirit lives, are the temple of God, is there ever a time when He would rather our church doors be closed? May we never again worship Him with anything less than our very best!
What a powerful and scary verse! Let me set the stage.
Times were hard for the Israelites. The land was dry. The crops were barely producing. The animals and even people were suffering. The enemies of the Israelites were prevailing in battle. The people, who had time and time again seen the delivering hand of God, were wavering in their faith.
They went to the altar of God, and instead of sacrificing their very best, they gave God their rejects. If they had prize sheep or goats, they kept these for breeding. It was their way of protecting their own investments. After all, they must have thought, in hard times it just didn't make sense to waste the best, of which they had very little, on God. (Oh Lord, forgive me for eve n having to type that!)
God would not accept their half-hearted worship! He said He would rather see the church doors closed than to be worshipped in such a way. Whew! That's tough stuff! I don't know about you, but sometimes my worship is half-hearted. Sometimes, especially during the dark days, through the valleys of life, my worship suffers. God just doesn't receive my best.
Let me ask you, if you and I, in whom Christ's Spirit lives, are the temple of God, is there ever a time when He would rather our church doors be closed? May we never again worship Him with anything less than our very best!
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