Embracing divine conviction to grow in faith | Messenger to Messiah, part 2

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:

I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!

So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.

**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **

Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!

Welcome to our journey through the book of Malachi, and specifically, lesson two of this six-part series. This lesson focuses on the challenging question, how do we respond when God confronts us with uncomfortable truths?

Malachi's message wasn't easy for the Israelites who received it, as God accused them of despising Him. The crucial question we explore is: "Lord, how have we despised you?" Despising, in this context, means dishonoring God, which is the opposite of what we were created to do. We must self-reflect to ensure we're not unknowingly guilty of this offense.

You are invited to purchase the workbook that contains everything you need to take your experience of the Book of Malachi deeper! For each of the six lessons, you will find a complete listening guide, questions to go deeper (on your own, with a friend, or a group), as well as a worksheet to study further themes. Go to https://www.gospelspice.com/malachi for more.

We will focus heavily on the concept of the "Lord's table," a term used to describe the sacrificial altar in Malachi's time, but for us in Christ today, it represents the communion, or Eucharist. The Israelites were reprimanded for offering blemished and stolen sacrifices, reflecting their lukewarm devotion. This challenges us to examine the quality of our own offerings to God and whether we're fully honoring Him in our lives, in Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Taking communion should be an act of sincerity and reverence. We must avoid taking it lightly or infrequently, as that's akin to despising God's hospitality. Approaching the Lord’s table requires self-examination to avoid judgment. It's not just about receiving but giving ourselves to God in gratitude.

In Malachi's time, the priests were supposed to be gatekeepers of the temple, ensuring proper offerings were made. However, they were complicit in the people's unfaithfulness. This serves as a warning for us since, in Christ, we're all part of a royal priesthood. We're reminded of our responsibility to honor God with our best, engaging in lives of qualitative generosity.

We also talk about the dangers of theological arrogance, encouraging us to approach mysteries of faith with humility. Misunderstanding or despising the Lord's table isn't just a personal error, but it can lead to broader consequences for our community and ourselves, as evidenced by Paul's warnings to the Corinthians.

God always intertwines His rebukes with hope and grace, and nowhere more than in Christ Jesus, our Savior and King. Despite His people's failures, He offers a path back to Him, emphasizing His desire for sincere worship and devotion. The message from Malachi remains relevant, inviting us to rediscover the joy of truly honoring God in all aspects of our lives.

We conclude with a prayer, asking for humility and repentance where we've failed to honor God as He deserves. By recognizing and addressing these areas, we're given the opportunity to mature in faith and deepen our relationship with Him, reflecting His glory in our lives. Amen!

We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Identity in the battle | Ephesians

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/372022/link/

Malachi: Messenger to Messiah

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/356130/link/

Wisdom from the Book of Proverbs

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/324347/link/

Come to the Table | The Feasts Jesus celebrated

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/309956/link/

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