Author Archives: Steve

Pay It Forward – Malachi 3:10

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pay-it-forward2“Bring the full tenth into the storehouse  so that there may be food in my house. ‘Test Me in this way,’ says the Lord of Hosts. See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven for you and pour out a blessing for you without measure” (Malachi 3:10, HCSB).

The prophet Malachi accuses the people of Israel of robbing God (vs. 8) because they did not pay their tithes. The tithes were used to support the priests and Levites, whose ministry was essential if Israel was to be faithful to God in its calling as His chosen people. Because their land was cursed by drought and pestilence (vs. 9,11), they felt justified not giving their tithes.

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Jesus Loves Me, This I Know – Malachi 1:2

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Jesus Loves Me kids“I have always loved you,” says the Lord” (Malachi 1:2, NLT).

Malachi wrote to the Jewish exiles that had resettled in Judah probably sometime during the reign of King Darius of Persia (521-486 BC). Malachi begins his oracle by conveying the simple truth that God has always loved Israel.

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Holy Cooking Pots – Zechariah 14:20-21

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cooking_pot“On that day even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with these words: Holy to the Lord. And the cooking pots in the Temple of the Lord will be as sacred as the basins used beside the altar. In fact, every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. All who come to worship will be free to use any of these pots to boil their sacrifices” (Zechariah 14:20-21, NLT).

The last chapter of the book of Zechariah closes with visions of both the salvation and judgment that occurs at the coming of God’s universal Kingdom–“the day of the Lord.”

These last verses of the chapter and the book describe the pervasiveness of God’s holiness in His Kingdom. So much so that even the inscription on the harness bells of horses and the cooking pots in the Temple will be holy.

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Eternal Matters – Revelation 19:7-8

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BrideWithLongVeil&Groom“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints” (Revelation 19:7-8, ESV).

To prepare for a modern wedding, the bride-to-be starts weeks or maybe even months in advance to select a wedding dress, shoes, jewelry and other attire to wear at the wedding ceremony. Before the ceremony the bride-to-be will go to the beauty salon to have her hair done and have a facial and manicure so she can look especially beautiful for the groom at the wedding ceremony.

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For Such a Time as This – Esther 4:14

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world_in_hands“And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14, ESV).

The story of Esther is set in Susa, the Persian capital, during the reign of King Xerxes (486–464 BC) after Persia had replaced Babylon as the ruling power.

Some Jews had returned to Jerusalem where they enjoyed a reasonable amount of control over their own affairs as described in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Others, like those in the story of Esther, lived in various parts of the empire where they were often treated with suspicion and recriminations.

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Blessed To Be a Blessing – Zechariah 8:23

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BeABlessing“In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you” (Zechariah 8:23, ESV).

Zechariah prophesied about a day when the Lord would restore a remnant in Israel. When the restoration takes place, Jerusalem will be a prosperous and peaceful place and will be known by its faithfulness to God.

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Count Your Blessings – Revelation 14:13

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numbers“Blessed indeed, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” (Revelation 14:13, ESV).

Did you know the book of Revelation has its own set of Beatitudes that pronounce blessings similar to the ones in from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5? But, in Revelation these seven pronouncements of blessing are stated in several places throughout the book:

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The Test for True Repentance – Zechariah 7:9

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TrueRepentance“Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another” (Zechariah 7:9, ESV).

In 518 BC after reconstruction of the Temple was started but before its completion the people of Bethel sent representatives to Zechariah in Jerusalem to ask whether they should continue to perform ritual fasts commemorating the destruction of the Temple since the Temple was now being rebuilt.

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Holy Spirit Power – Zechariah 4:6

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NotByMightByMySpirit“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6, ESV).

The foundation of the temple had been laid after the initial return of the Jews from Babylonian exile, but powerful opposition prevented any further progress on rebuilding the temple for over fifteen years.

In a vision Zechariah saw a golden lamp stand supplied by a never-ending source of oil from two adjacent olive trees. When Zechariah inquired of the Lord what this meant, Zechariah was given a message addressed to Zerubbabel, the governor, who along with Joshua the high priest had been charged with the task of rebuilding the temple upon the Jews return from captivity.

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