Discover the profound impact of placing your trust in God's wisdom over relying on your own. Stephanie L Harrison invites you on a spiritual journey through the pages of scripture, imparting lessons from Proverbs to the teachings of Jesus, all to inspire you to live a life in alignment with God's will. Embrace the essence of wisdom found in leaning on the Lord, the significance of making choices that resonate with divine guidance, and the importance of personal engagement with the Word of God to navigate life's dichotomies.
As we traverse the landscape of biblical insights, we uncover the deep reverence due to God's covenant with us, reflected in the sacredness of the Lord's Supper and the covenantal dimensions of marriage. Gain perspective on the roles humility, service, and open-hearted response play in our relationship with the Almighty. The podcast is a call to honor God wholeheartedly, recognizing the covenant as a living sermon that shapes our spiritual and daily lives.
Wrapping up with a heartfelt prayer, I, Stephanie L Harrison, leave you with a message of encouragement and a reminder of the eternal blessings that await those who follow His path. This episode is not merely a listening experience—it's a roadway to refresh your faith and revitalize your commitment to a life of worship and reverence. Join us as we explore the transformative power of God's love and the wisdom of His Word.
Discover the profound impact of placing your trust in God's wisdom over relying on your own. Stephanie L Harrison invites you on a spiritual journey through the pages of scripture, imparting lessons from Proverbs to the teachings of Jesus, all to inspire you to live a life in alignment with God's will. Embrace the essence of wisdom found in leaning on the Lord, the significance of making choices that resonate with divine guidance, and the importance of personal engagement with the Word of God to navigate life's dichotomies.
As we traverse the landscape of biblical insights, we uncover the deep reverence due to God's covenant with us, reflected in the sacredness of the Lord's Supper and the covenantal dimensions of marriage. Gain perspective on the roles humility, service, and open-hearted response play in our relationship with the Almighty. The podcast is a call to honor God wholeheartedly, recognizing the covenant as a living sermon that shapes our spiritual and daily lives.
Wrapping up with a heartfelt prayer, I, Stephanie L Harrison, leave you with a message of encouragement and a reminder of the eternal blessings that await those who follow His path. This episode is not merely a listening experience—it's a roadway to refresh your faith and revitalize your commitment to a life of worship and reverence. Join us as we explore the transformative power of God's love and the wisdom of His Word.
I'm ready to go, ready for more. I'm ready for new like a straight out star. You already know I'm ready to flow.
Speaker 2:I'm ready to move. Hello, it is Stephanie and you are now listening into Inside Beauty Inspires, where we motivate, encourage and inspire through biblical principles. I want to definitely take this time out to shout out the ladies of ISI. You know, you guys get up each and every morning at 6 am with me and get into this word. We have Bible studies. We're learning more and more about who Jesus Christ is. We're learning a lot more about who our Father is, amen, and so I'm so excited about the word that God has given me to bless you, ladies and gentlemen, with today.
Speaker 2:But I want to start with reading this devotional. Okay, so the devotional that I'm reading says leaning on the Lord. Leaning on the Lord, and this is what it reads Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3-5,. We look to God for direction and understanding, because this world is notorious for mixed signals and unclear instructions. Our perspective is linear and limited, but God's point of view is perfect and endless. How can we fully trust ourselves when we are temporal and flawed? It is safe and best to put our trust in Him, even in our carefully crafted plans. Let's stay adaptable when God decides to intervene, because he always intervenes. We will always receive the greatest outcome when we remain positioned to receive God's direction instead of clinging to our own agendas. When the path becomes murky, god guides us through. Son of Solomon 8-5 offers us a picture of God's beloved coming out of the desert while leaning on Him. Let's lean on God today and trust he will guide us through that's wisdom. Wisdom is knowing that we can't do this life alone. We desperately need our Father to do what, to come through and show us His ways. He said it to me. It's plain to say Stephanie, I want you to give insight to my sight. What does that look like? Well, I can promise you it's not in the TV and it's not on in what you're listening to, if you're not listening to the word. You got to get into this Bible. You got to get into the Bible. A lot of people I've witnessed it. I see it all the time A lot of people take secondhand information and try to live their lives off of secondhand information, especially those that are trying to correct people with secondhand information.
Speaker 2:Listen, it is imperative that you get into the word and get to know Him for yourself. Who am I? I'm Stephanie L Harrison. I get into this word because I know that I'm drawn to it like a moth to a flame. I am. I'm just keeping it real, y'all. I love God. You don't love God. What's wrong with you? For real, for real, because you do know he's the giver and taker of life. You do know that he's the only reason why we have Jesus Christ as the Savior. Right, because, listen, when you get into this word, I'm just going to give it to you the way that I give it to them on the prayer call.
Speaker 2:When you get into this word, man, oh man, oh man, it will open up your eyes to a lot of things, especially wisdom. We've been in the book of Proverbs. Thank you, shout out to the Father for giving us wisdom for the month of January. Man, he blew my mind, man, because here's the thing we think we know. But wait, there's more. You don't know all there is to know until you open up this book.
Speaker 2:I said these books because I open up a lot of books. I open up the Bible. I got the commentary. I have devotionals. I do because I want to saturate myself in the word of God.
Speaker 2:I know I don't know all there is to know about life. But I tell you, who does? God and His Son, jesus. And he said in His words he came that we have life and have it abundantly. Well, what's the problem? Why aren't we experiencing this life, and experiencing this life abundantly? Houston, we have a problem. What could it be? A manufacturer's problem? No, what do we say when things are messed up? Is it a user era? Yeah, what do I mean by that? Well, you have to do something. It's important that we make an honest effort to get into the word of God. It's not user era. He knows who he made us to be, but if we're not applying the words that he has for us to give those to His children, to those he chosen, then we're going to be lost out here trying to navigate this world and do everything the world's way.
Speaker 2:God doesn't operate that way. So in the book of Proverbs right, we see two different types of ways of living, and he illustrates it. He gives it to us plain. You know, last week I talked about Proverbs 3, 5, 6,. Lean not to your own understanding, but in everything you do, acknowledge Him and he will direct your path. That is a real thing. But the more that you go through the book of Proverbs. You see, wisdom is something that was with God, and if you have the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, trust and believe, you will have wisdom, you will have understanding. You won't have to cross this T and dot this I when you just follow what His commands are, and they're not burdensome. What do I mean by saying they're not burdensome? He doesn't require a lot of His children. He wants us to Matthew 6, 33. What does that look like? Seek first the kingdom of God and all of His righteousness, and all of these things shall be added unto you.
Speaker 2:The problem isn't that this book isn't what it says. The problem is that we're not applying the word to our life. That's the truth. We should be surprised when we're in this word and we don't see this word bring out what the promises are of the Father. That should surprise us all. That means what's the purpose? What's the point? I said it this morning. What's the point of me getting up every morning seeking God's face if this book is not what it says it is, if he isn't who he says it is?
Speaker 2:See, he started talking to me about those that are going on to be with the Lord, our great patriots. We have Moses, we have Abraham, we have David, just to name a few. All of these men had the spirit of God on them. They all were messengers of the word. The people had to know whether they came from God or not. But if the people aren't reading their word, they're not going to have an idea. Well, I take that back, because you will, because there's nothing hidden about the word. He tells us the heart of the word in our hearts, but it's very evident to who has wisdom and who has foolishness. He paints the picture. He paints the picture. As a matter of fact, he gave me Malachi.
Speaker 2:So today we're going to get in the book of Malachi, and you guys are probably like you know, I've never read the book of Malachi me either. So I find it quite interesting that it's the last book of the Old Testament and we're living in the last days, whether we believe it or not. Look around you, look at the news. It's all around us. The evidence is here, okay, so he's giving it to us so that we can know the difference. He says he wants his children to be saved. He wants his children to know that he is who he says he is. He says my sheep. My sheep know my voice, a strange voice, they won't listen to. That's what his word tells us. Okay, so let's get into this word. We're going to go to Malachi, chapter one.
Speaker 2:Malachi, chapter one says this is the message that the Lord gave to Israel through prophet Malachi I have always loved you, says the Lord. But you retort Really, how have you loved us? And the Lord replies this is how I showed my love for you. I loved your ancestors, jacob, but I rejected his brother, esau, and devastated his hill country. I turned Esau's inheritance into a desert for Jack, esau's descendants and Edom may say we have been shattered, but we will rebuild the ruins. But the Lord of Heaven's armies replies they may try to rebuild, but I will demolish them again. Their country will be known as the land of wickedness and their people will be called the people with whom the Lord is forever angry. When you see the destruction for yourself, you will say truly, the Lord's greatness reaches far beyond Israel's borders.
Speaker 2:Let's talk about it because, again, this is the message from the Lord through Malachi to the people. It says the Lord's message through Malachi begins with I have loved you. Now that's good news, but things go downhill from there to it, the people respond how have you loved us? In other words, we hear what you're saying, god, but we're not seeing what you're talking about. In light of their day to day experiences, it didn't look like God loved them. So, to their question, god replies by reminding them of Jacob, of Isaac's sons, esau and Jacob. I love Jacob, but I hated Esau. These two brothers gave birth to the two nations, israel descending from Jacob, and Edom descending from Esau.
Speaker 2:Let's get into it. Let's get into it, because guess what? Y'all that can be very that can very well be today. Oh, yes, it can. I mean, some people don't believe that God is real because of the things that they go through in their life. Some people turn. They turn away from him because they're like you know, if you love me, you wouldn't take me through this. If you love me, I wouldn't have to go through the pains, the sorrows, the ups and downs, the twists and turns of life. I'm here to let you know and shed some light, that God still loves you. God still loves you.
Speaker 2:But of course, we all have a choice. And you know another thing, while I'm on the subject, a lot of times people say I don't hear from God. You hear from God. How do you hear from God? Well, it's easy. Open your book. Open it up to the Old Testament and you will hear your father speak. That's why the Bible says seek first the kingdom of God, because when you start to seek him, you will find him. When you seek him with all your heart. Let's keep going.
Speaker 2:It says in the Bible this love-hate contracts has to do with selection, choosing something. How many times have I said this? I say it all the time, I say it all when I say y'all. I say this all the time. I say it all the time Everybody has a choice. At the end of the day, there's only two. There's only two. There's life and death, there's blessings and curses. And even he's illustrating it from the very beginning of Genesis. Let's keep talking.
Speaker 2:It says choosing, choosing, it's the most important piece of the puzzle, and everybody has a choice. It says, for instance, jesus tells his followers they cannot be disciples unless they hate their own parents. Jesus isn't contradicting the Ten Commandments with this statement. Rather, he's saying that if you have to choose between your family on one hand and God on the other hand, you should choose God. Likewise, believers must choose Christ over any competing claims. God chose Jacob, that is, israel, to establish a covenant relationship with him and receive his blessings. He selected them for a purpose to be a light to the nation. Go to Luke 14. Let's go to Luke 14.
Speaker 2:One Sabbath day, jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of Pharisee, and the people were watching him closely. There was a man there whose arms and legs were swollen. Jesus asked the Pharisee and the experts in a religious law is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day or not? When they refused to answer, jesus touched the sick man and healed him and sent him away. Then he turned to them and said which of you doesn't work on the Sabbath? If your son or your cow falls into a pit, don't you rush to get it out Again? They couldn't answer.
Speaker 2:When Jesus noticed that all who had came to dinner were trying to sit in the seat of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice when you are invited to a wedding feast, don't sit in the seat of honor. What if someone more distinguished than you has been also been invited? The host will come and say give this person your seat. Then you will be embarrassed and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table. Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then, when your host sees you, he will come and say friend, we have a better place for you. Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests, for those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Speaker 2:Now listen. This is Jesus speaking. By the way, I'm just reading the word he's coming out of the book. It's in Luke 14. You go into it and read it for yourself. Okay, let's keep going. He turned to his host. When you put on a luncheon or a banquet, he said don't invite your friends, brothers, relatives and rich neighbors, for they will invite you back. For they will invite you back and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Then, at the resurrection of the righteous, god will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you. Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed what a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the kingdom of God. Jesus replied with a story. Let me tell you something, the reason why I love the Bible is because Jesus speaks. Speaking, he ain't got no cheerleaders. He said well, I'm going to just read Again. I have to remind myself I am reading the word right, because when you get into it, man, listen. This is where it said it's the best book you'll ever read in your entire life and it'll show you a whole new world.
Speaker 2:It says a man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banker was ready, he sent his servants to tell the guests come, the banquet is ready. But they all began making excuses. One said I have just bought a field and must be inspected, please excuse me. Another said I have just bought five pairs of oxen and I want to try them out, please excuse me. Another said I just got married so I can't come.
Speaker 2:The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. After the servant had done this, he reported there is still room for more. So his master said go out into the country lanes and behind the hedge is an urge anyone you find to come so that the house will be full for no one, for none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet. Now, listen y'all Okay. So you got that took over. He took it. Oh, he took over. Daddy did. He took over. And when I say he took over, meaning I was in the book of Malachi, right Again, book of Malachi. He loves his children.
Speaker 2:The book of Malachi is the introduction to the New Testament. He's given us the word. He's letting us know. Look, the Lord's message through Malachi begins with I have loved you. Now, that's good news because he has the Bible, tells us he, for he, for God, so loved the world that he gave his only forgotten son. He said who so ever shall believe in him shall not perish but have ever lasting life. That is what his words tell us. So he begins and tells me to go into the book of Malachi. I came to this book to talk about taking God seriously, but then, right in the very beginning, he tells me to go to Luke 14. Why does he tell me to go to Luke 14? Well, I'm going to continue to read it because I can see very plain today that the Father has a word and I need you to really understand what he's saying, because he came to set the cap is free, and all I'm here to do is to help you become free, because who the Son says free is free. Indeed, that's what his word tells us. Let's keep going. Luke 14, verse 25,.
Speaker 2:A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them if you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else your father and mother, wife, children, brother, sister, yes, even your own life. Flag on the play. Flag on the play. Well, I say flag on the play because most people don't look at it that way. See, this is what Jesus says. If you want to be one of his disciples, these are his descriptions. This is what he says If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else. Now, of course, jesus said this for a reason, and we're going to get into why he said it. Okay, the reason why I said flag on the place? Because most people ain't ready for the word to be given the way that Jesus be given. That's why the Pharisees they was looking at Jesus like yo. And who do you think you are? He just happened to be God's son. Let's keep going.
Speaker 2:He says otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone will ask that you. They would say there is the person who started that building and couldn't afford to finish it. Or what King would go to the war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 10,000, the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can't, he was sent a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.
Speaker 2:Salt is good for seasoning, but if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? Flavorless salt is good neither for soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. Now, I'm just a messenger. I'm just a messenger. Okay, I'm just a messenger. I'm going to go back to Malachi because I wasn't ready for it, luke. I was not ready. I promise y'all I wasn't, because guess what? Matthew 22 say the same thing. That's why I was like you know what? I see where you're going with this dad, but it's bigger than that. God wants you to stop playing at church and take him seriously. Yo, I keep for real. For real, I'm not sitting here speaking just to be speaking. I'm speaking with us as the Lord. Let's go back to Malachi.
Speaker 2:Esau was rejected because he rejected his birthright. Similarly, the wickedness and violence of the nation of Edom was well known. The Lord's response was to make Edom a wasteland. Though the wicked Edomite, my nice, vowed to rebuild, the Lord, with the mileage them, knocking them back down, should they try to get up? And how does God love Israel? Though they sinned and rebelled against him, god still had mercy on them. Though he cursed Edom, the Lord continued to pursue love and forgive Israel. Though he sent his people into exile, he brought them back. Israel, though, had forgotten the Lord's love and mercy. Let's keep going, because sometimes we forget what God has done for us. Sometimes we forget. I can give y'all an illustration right now about it. If you go, this is just go to Exodus 32. Whenever you get a chance and read that story and you'll see what I mean. You will see your father, you will hear your father, you'll also see Moses, you'll also see Aaron and you'll see the children. Let's keep going.
Speaker 2:Malachi 1.6. The Lord of Heaven's army says to the priest A son honors his father and his servant respects his master. If I'm your father and master, we're the honor and respect I deserve. You have shown contempt for my name. But you ask how have we ever shown contempt for your name? You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. Then you ask how have we defiled the sacrifice? You defiled them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals a sacrifice, isn't that wrong? And isn't it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and deceased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor and see how pleased he is, says the Lord of Heaven's armies. Go ahead, bad God, to be merciful to you, but when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all? Ask, the Lord of Heaven's army Now again told y'all I had never read Malachi, but when I read it, boy what y'all hear he's speaking to us. He's speaking to his children the way he was speaking to his children. Then Listen Malachi 1, verse 10.
Speaker 2:How I wish one of you would shut the temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered. I'm not pleased with you, says the Lord of Heaven's armies, and I will not accept your offerings. But my name is honored by people of other nations, from morning to night, all around the world. They offer sweet incense and prayer offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of Heaven's armies. But you dishonor my name with your actions by bringing contemptible food. You are saying it's all right to defile the Lord's table. You say it's too hard to serve the Lord and you turn up your nose at my commands, says the Lord of Heaven's armies. Think of it Animals that are stolen, encripled and sick are being presented as offerings. Should I accept from you such offerings as these, says the Lord? Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king, says the Lord of Heaven's armies, and my name is feared among the nations. I'm gonna stop right there for one moment, because I know God's speaking. He really does want us to take him serious.
Speaker 2:Okay, when we got into the book of Proverbs. We're in the book of Proverbs, the month of January. The fear of the Lord is the first sign of wisdom. The problem with us is that we don't fear God. I said it, we don't. I do. I fear Him. That's why I get up every morning and seek His face.
Speaker 2:6 am. If I can be late to everything else y'all the ladies on the prayer call can tell you this themselves I can be late for anything else. When they come down to that prayer call, 6 am, I'm there Because who do I work for? Who is my CEO? Who really, truly runs it? God, what do I trust? Him or do I trust in man?
Speaker 2:The problem is too many of us trust our own selves other than trusting the Father, and too many of us do things for an applause, for an applause from the people. You wanna know what our biggest downfall is, people. He told me that last week. What do you mean? He told you. I asked the Bible says in Jeremiah 33, verse three call to me and I will answer you and I will tell you unsearchable things that you do not know. I called to him and he answers me. He said people, do you trust me, stephanie? I said yes, daddy, I trust you. Then be about your Father's business. Go forth and spread the good news. What's the good news? His son, the Old Testament, abraham, isaac, jacob, david. There's so many of heroes that have gone on to be with the Lord that are standing around watching us, you don't believe?
Speaker 2:Go to Hebrews. Hebrews one 11, I believe and I'm sorry if I misquoted that because typically I have the word right here, but it's in the book of Hebrews and it talks about a host of witnesses that's there waiting to cheer us on as we go on our journey, as we live this thing called life. But there's a way to a man we read that in Proverbs that they think is the right way and it leads them to their own demise. When you look at the book of Exodus 32, the Lord literally said my people. Before Exodus 32, he referred to the people as his. When he saw what they were doing, he told Moses quick, go down and get your people. I said flag on the plate, hold on, daddy. What do you mean, your people? You just said that these were your people. Now you're saying that they're Moses' people. He said they defiled themselves. It's in the scripture. You can read, matter of fact okay, god said go there. God said go Exodus 32,.
Speaker 2:When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron, come on. They said make us some gods who can lead us. We don't know what's happened to this fellow Moses who brought us here from the land of Egypt. So Aaron said take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters and bring them to me. All the people took the gold rings in their ears and brought them to Aaron. Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down and molded it into a shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed oh Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Hmm, how you think your father felt about that. This is still the same Moses that went over the pharaoh and said let my people go. Now all hell had to break loose for him to let the people go. They came through on dry land. They ate manna for 40 days and 40 nights. You mean to tell me that these people forgot who brought them out. Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced tomorrow would be a festival to the Lord.
Speaker 2:The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this they celebrated with feasting and drinking and they indulged in pageant rivalry. The Lord told Moses quick. Your people, whom you brought from the land of Egypt, have corrupt themselves. How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live. They have melted down gold and made a calf and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it. They are saying these are your gods, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Then the Lord said I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, moses, into a great nation.
Speaker 2:Now, I had to say it that way, because that's the way God gave it to Moses. The people forgot. They forgot how you gonna forget what God has been doing for you the whole time? How you gonna forget the person that God sent? How? But listen, because of the heart that Moses has Moses tried to pacify the Lord, his God. Why are you so angry with your own people, whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand? Why let the Egyptians say their God rescued them with the evil intentions of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people. Remember your servants, abraham, isaac and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them saying I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever. Exodus 32, 14,. So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people. Now that brings us to the end of Malachi. Okay, exodus is just the second chapter in the book, but because of Moses, god had mercy, god showed love, he did those things.
Speaker 2:Okay, when we go back over here to Malachi, it says God continues his case against Israel. A son honors his father and a servant his master. So the Lord asks where is my honor? Where is your fear for me Fear of me. To fear the Lord is to honor him, to take him seriously. Instead, his priest despised his name. That is his character and position. They thought little of him. How had they done this? After all, they'd been regularly coming to worship and bringing their sacrifices, but they'd been presenting defiled food on his altar. Their chosen sacrifices were blind, lame, sick animals. Instead of giving their best, they gave God their junk, their leftovers. If the president of the United States were coming over for dinner, you wouldn't dream of serving him leftovers. And as if to make the same point, god says that the Israelites wouldn't present such gifts to their governor, in spite of being quick to give God so little that people still expected his blessings.
Speaker 2:Do you want a first-class God while offering second-class worship? Come on somebody. Do you want a first-class job, first-class God, while offering second-class worship? Do you give him your leftover, time, talents, treasures, after you have little or nothing left? Are you unwilling to be inconvenienced by involvement in the church? Do you avoid sacrificing for fellow believers? You don't have to say you despise the Lord to convey the same point. All you have to do is give him your leftovers while you're also asking for his blessings.
Speaker 2:Now, come on, man. I told y'all I had not read Malachi. I'm studying the Word of God. I'm in the book and this is what he gave me. Now, clearly, daddy feels some kind of way. There's nothing impressive about drunken a basketball after you lowered the rim for 10 feet to 6 feet. Yet Israel had lowered the standard of worship and they were excited about the dunking. They were excited about dunking. In other words, because I'm reading from the commentary there's nothing impressive about dunking a basketball after you lowered the rim from 10 feet to 6. Yet Israel had lowered the standard of worship and they were excited about dunking the worship ball. The God wasn't impressed. I am not pleased with you and I will accept no offering from your hands. He is no ordinary king. He is in a class by himself. His name will be great among the nation. His name is great among the nation.
Speaker 2:The Israelites said the Lord's table is defiled and called it a nuisance. Sacrificing those lambs and spilling their blood was messy, smelly business. It made them weary, but they had forgotten that the sacrificial system was God's gracious means of dealing with their sins, so he could give them the provisions of his covenant. They were despising that which was the source of their life and blessing. Paul dealt with the similar defiling of the Lord's table when some of the Corinthians took communion in an unworthy way and died.
Speaker 2:So how do you approach the Lord's sub? Do you consider it a boring ritual? Remember, it's not a matter of merely eating and drinking, though worship-ly and participating in it. You're actually preaching a sermon. You proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Speaker 2:On Sunday afternoon, many people will devote themselves to watching a one-hour spectacle that will last at least three hours, but no one will ask for early dismissal. They have decided that a football game warrants their prolonged and undivided attention. How much more is the unique guide of the universe worthy of your undivided attention and devotion? He is a great king and his name will be feared among the nation. Don't give him your leftovers. Give him your best so you can experience his favor.
Speaker 2:Now again, this is the book of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. I saw it raining this word y'all, and knew I had to come and give y'all this word. I knew it, I knew it. It says the first half of Malachi is dominated by the word covenant. Few biblical words are more significant. The National Football League is approximately a $9 billion business. That's a lot of people, jobs, media and in today's society it's so much more. There's centerpiece of the game. Without the football, in fact, there is no game, and without the game, the entire system is irrelevant and will collapse. Covenant is a word often neglected and misunderstood, but it too often is the centerpiece. It says covenant is a word often neglected and misunderstood, but it too is a centerpiece. Your relationship to God's covenant will govern everything else in your life. Everything in your life will be governed by the Lord when you take him seriously. The problem is, people don't take God seriously. That's the problem.
Speaker 2:Let's go to Malachi 2. Malachi 2, listen, you, priest, this command is for you. Listen to me and make up your minds. To honor my name, says the Lord of Heaven's armies, or I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will curse even the blessings you receive. Indeed, I have already cursed them because you have not taken my warning to heart. I will punish your descendants and splatter your faces with the manure from the festival sacrifices and I will throw you on the manure pile. Man, listen. When I read that, I was like say what? Malachi 2. Then, at last, this is for. Then, at last, you will know, then at last you will know. It was I who sent you this warning so that my covenant with the Levites, the Levites, can continue, says the Lord of Heaven's army. Pause, y'all listen to me.
Speaker 2:If you go back to the book of Exodus 32, after Moses went back down there, he went down to the thing and he wrote the plaque that God had wrote the inscriptions on. He broke it, grinded it, put it in the water and he was furious, he was angry. Now, of course, this makes me want to go back to the book, because you know, I mean for real, y'all. See, I really do get excited about this word and I get excited to tell you about it because I want you to get what I'm putting down. But you pick up what I'm putting down because, see, I didn't even see this coming. But again, we're going to go here. Exodus 32, go back to it, scroll all the way down to 15. Exodus 32 15.
Speaker 2:Then Moses turned and went down the mountain. He held in his hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. These tablets were God's work. The words on them were written by God himself. When Joshua heard the boisterous noise of the people shouting below them, he exclaimed to Moses it sounds like war in the camp. But Moses replied no, it's not a shout of victory nor a welling of defeat. I hear the sounds of celebration.
Speaker 2:When they came near the camp, moses saw the calf in the dancing and he burned with anger. He threw the stone tablet to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain. He took the calf they had made and burned it. Then he grounded it into powder, threw it into the water and forced the people to drink it. Finally he turned to Aaron and demanded what did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them? Aaron, don't get so upset, my lord. Aaron's funny. Don't get so upset, my lord. You know yourself how evil you know. You yourself know how evil these people are. They said to me make us gods who are leaders. We don't know what happened to this fellow Moses who brought us here from the land of Egypt. So I told them whoever has gold jewelry, take it off. When they brought it to me, I simply do it into the fire. And out came the calf. Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control, much to the amusement of their enemies. So he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted all of you who are on the Lord's side come here and join me. And all the Levites gathered around him.
Speaker 2:Now, the reason why I needed to come back over here to Exodus 32 is because what I was about to read in Malachi 2. I know we're back and forth, but I'm going somewhere with this. He going somewhere with this. Again, I'm just a messenger too. Let's start here in Malachi 2. It says I will punish your descendants and splatter your faces with manure from the festival sacrifices and I'll throw you on the manure pile. Then, at last, you will know it was I who sent you this warning, so that my covenant with the Levites can continue, says the Lord of Heaven's army.
Speaker 2:The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly reverent me and stood in all of my name. They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat. They walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many lives from sin. They've turned many from lives of sin.
Speaker 2:The words of a priest's lips should preserve knowledge of God and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven's armies. But you priests have left God's path. Your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites, says the Lord of Heaven's army. So I have made you spiced and humiliated in the eyes of all the people, for you have not obeyed me but have shown favoritism in the way you carry out my instructions.
Speaker 2:Now we got to take God's serious. We got to take God's I mean for real, for real y'all. We have to. It says are we not all children of the same father? Are we not all created by the same God? Then why do we betray each other, violating the covenant of our ancestors?
Speaker 2:Judah has been unfaithful and a detestable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. The men of Judah have defiled the Lord's beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols. May the Lord cut off the nation of Israel. Every last man who has done this yet brings, and yet brings, an offering to the Lord of Heaven's armies. Here is another thing you do you cover the Lord's altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn't accept them with pleasure.
Speaker 2:You cry out why doesn't the Lord accept my worship? I'll tell you why because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage. Vows then the Lord make you one with your wife, embody and spirit your head. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart. Remain loyal to the wife of your youth, for I hate divorce as the Lord of God's Israel. To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty as the Lord of Heaven's army. So guard your heart. Do not be unfaithful to your wife. You have reared the Lord with your words. How have we reared him, you ask? You have reared him by saying that all who do evil are good in God's sight and he is pleased with them. We have reared him by asking where is the god of justice? Now y'all again told y'all I don't be ready. I'm gonna be ready all the time for what the father be about to speak and say.
Speaker 2:But I need us to understand something because he's speaking though he is really speaking to that and I hope that you guys have ears to hear what the says the Lord. He's talking to us about the covenant that he made with his children. He made a covenant with us, y'all he did with his son Jesus. Okay, he made a covenant. Let's look at the commentary. It says God established, established many covenants in the Bible, such as the covenant with Noah, the covenant with Abraham, the covenant with Moses, the covenant with David and the new covenant through Christ. In Malachi 2, god speaks of his covenant with Levi, that is, the covenant made with the descendants of Levi who are to perform priestly duties to care for the tabernacle under the umbrella of the covenant that was governed, governed the sacrificial system.
Speaker 2:A covenant is no mere contract. It is a spiritual binding relation, agreement between God and his people. Covenants are the means by which God administers and governors, governance, his kingdom. A divine covenant provides covering it's like a divine umbrella. There is protection and provision under it. Though covenants, through covenants, god works out his kingdom agenda for the benefit of his people. The covenant of Levi was one of life and peace.
Speaker 2:Now y'all, I want you to listen to. Thank you, daddy. I just got to stop and say thank you God, because this is what I mean when he says the steps of a good man is ordered. You know, come in here and I give you the word, the way God gives it to me, and he's bringing this to your attention for a reason. There's a covenant that he made with us. He listed there was a covenant with Abraham, there was a covenant with Moses, there was a covenant with David and there's a new covenant through Christ. Wow, jesus, that's all I can say is wow. Because he gave me this word Exodus 32. He kept taking me to Exodus 32.
Speaker 2:I didn't understand. I started understanding. It's like okay, I'm sitting there going to Exodus 32 because I want to know what chapter, what verse did God, what verse did Moses be like, daddy, please don't do it. Reconsider, read some literature. He didn't say that. That's me paraphrase, but he paraphrase, but he paraphrase. Pacified him like no, god, don't, please, don't do this to the people.
Speaker 2:What were the Pharaoh's? People think you brought them out just to kill them. What about the promises? What about the covenant? This was Moses. What about the covenant you made with Abraham, isaac and Jacob. The Lord changed his mind.
Speaker 2:But wait, there's more. You see, everybody don't take this word seriously. I do. Everybody don't believe in his son. I do. The Bible says Me near called, few are chosen. I get it, but I want to have half the knowledge and understanding that I have if I wasn't reading my word. See, don't just be a hero of the word, you got to be a doer of the word too. The people for God. Who Moses was to them. God chose Moses. Moses told God he didn't feel like he was even capable of doing what he told him to do, but then he sent him a help, aaron. If you don't know the story, go to the book of Exodus and read it. He wants to inform you. This book is just not a book with words in it. It's life and death in this book, and we get to choose what type of life we want. That's why he gave us the book of Proverbs, because he wants us to have wisdom in all of our affairs. He wants us to know who sent who.
Speaker 2:A lot of times, things happen because people chose those things they defiled themselves. Is what it says in Exodus 32. They did it to themselves. Well, guess what People? We do it to ourselves too. Pride God hates pride. Satan got thrown out of heaven for pride. Yeah, people walk around, very proff. People walk around playing with this word like it's just something we do until the Father speaks and until God has His words and His ways. See, the problem is people don't fear Him. They don't think that there is no consequences to the things that they do. So they live their life not in fear of God. They're not fearful of Him. So what they get is what they get. I'm just giving you the word from how he gave it to me. This is what he said to me.
Speaker 2:It says but those covenants were intended to bring blessings. They also included sanctions If the responsibilities and guidelines of the covenant were not followed. Malachi delivers a warning from God, from the Lord, to the priest who are failing to honor His name. He declares I will send a curse among you because they did not take it to heart. They ought to have reverend the Lord, walk with Him in peace and fairness, turned meaning from sin and instructed the people. Instead, they had turned from the way and caused many to stumble by their instruction. Put simply, they had violated the covenant of Levi, in response to the Lord, despised and humiliated them. The flow of covenantal blessings was hindered and the hammer of covenantal sanctions was falling.
Speaker 2:Under the new covenant we have a better and eternal high priest. The author of Hebrews tells us our mediator, jesus Christ, can save those who come to God through Him. It's in Hebrews 7. He's not talking about initial conversation. He's writing to those who are already Christians, believers. He's using the word save to speak of deliverance. In history, the, the vitical priest, failed, but the high priest of the new covenant can bring God's promises to you. God has already blessed those who trust in Christ with every spiritual blessing. We're in the book of Ephesians, ephesians 1 to be exact. Spiritual blessings, whoa, yeah, w-o-e, whoa to Him.
Speaker 2:Who thinks this word is just some words in a book? How foolish. Your relationship to your mediator grants you access to all of his benefits. We won't even say his name, we won't even say his name.
Speaker 2:My God, today, dad, wow, I'm just in shock right now. You guys bear with me because right now, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. Ain't God playing God? Tired of His children playing church? He tired y'all for real. If you call by Him, you, then you know he tired. Those with the ear have an ear to listen, to hear what he's saying. This is real. I go hard for God because he is the Creator of my life. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I refuse to. As a matter of fact, the Father show y'all who I am. Gotta show you. I ain't gotta say nothing. His word will show who is who. You will know by the fruit that they bear is what the word says. Where is your fruit? Where is your fruit? We were in the book of Ephesians this morning because God said I want y'all to go to the book of Ephesians for the month of February and then y'all gonna go to the book of revelations. So I told the ladies this is what we doing.
Speaker 2:We're living in a day when divorce has lost its stigma.
Speaker 2:So I'm saying all of these things to say this it's time for us to start taking God seriously. It's time for us to start taking God serious. In Malachi, chapter 2, it talks about marriage. When I hear the word you know I just got married Shout out to Dre, my babe, I love you. You know it talks about marriage, and I'm just gonna read what the commentary says so that you guys can understand what I'm truly trying to convey.
Speaker 2:We're living in a day when divorce has lost its stigma. It is recognized as an acceptable and often unavoidable, even among many believers. As a result, couples often hedge their bets with prenuptial agreements or simply live together instead of marriage. In addition, some believers fail to see the spiritual dimension, dimensions of marriage and, as a result, marry unbelievers. Given our modern culture context, we need to know God's view on marriage. What I tell y'all. I said God says Stephanie, I want you to give insight to my sight. I said okay, dad, even though they have one father and one God, the Israelites acted chetrously against one another, profanying the covenant.
Speaker 2:Judah has even profaned the Lord sanctuary. How, by marrying the daughter of foreign God, in other words, jewish men were marrying non-Jewish women who were worshiped pagan ditties and brought their foreign gods into the Lord sanctuary. As a result, the Lord threatened to cut off, cut off from the tents of Jacob any man who did so. Moreover, though they covered his altar with tears, with weeping and groaning, he did not respect their offerings or receive them, because they disregarded the marriage covenant. God wasn't answering their prayers. That wasn't answering their prayers.
Speaker 2:Paul tells believers not to be mismatched with unbelievers, which would certainly apply to marriage. Marriage is a spiritual and conventional matter. When a believer marries a non-believer, there will be a clash of gods and covenants. Malachi and Paul agree Don't partner with someone who doesn't share your faith because you're going in two different directions. The people were in shock, wondering why would God not receive their offerings and hear their prayers? Because the Lord tells the husbands you have acted testuously against your wife, though she was your marriage partner by covenant. There's that word again covenant.
Speaker 2:Marriage between a man and a woman is a covenant before God. It's not merely a social institution, it's a spiritual issue. What does the Lord seek through the marriage covenant? Too many people think the purpose of marriage is happiness, but happiness is a benefit of marriage, not its purpose. The purpose of God's covenant is always the expansion of His kingdom in history. Through marriage and particularly, god seeks godly offspring. That means that having a child isn't about gaining a mini-me. God wants us to have and raise children in the kingdom in the knowledge of the Lord, so that His image is spread worldwide.
Speaker 2:Not only were the men marrying daughters of foreign gods, but they were divorcing their wives to do it. The CSB reads If he hates and divorces wife, he covers his garment with injustice. Other translations think that Hebrew is better translated as God declaring I hate divorce. Whichever is correct, it's clear that divorce is not to be a norm. God permits divorce in certain cases though. Yes, I want to put that out there. God permits divorces in certain cases. Look at Matthew 19 and 1 Corinthians, chapter 7. But it's not what he intended from the beginning. Moreover, it's clear that the men Malachi is confronting or divorcing for illegitimate reasons and therefore committing injustice. So call it what you like, but getting a no fault divorce and separating for irrecouncilable differences is not conventional Option in God's eyes. Is Tetris act, the spiritual consequences.
Speaker 2:Now y'all, I didn't mean for this to go over, but I gotta give you the word. God, have your way", it says the Lord continues telling the people they wearied him, how they complained that he was unfair. Everyone who does what is evil is good in the Lord's sight and he is pleased with them. In their eyes, god was blessing the sinners and afflicting the saints. How many people done said that?
Speaker 2:How many of us have actually solved this and been like I do everything God tell me to do and they don't do nothing. And yet they think come on, let's keep it a jig. It's a real thing, because unbelievers prospered while God's people struggled, they protested, they protested. God is unjust. If we are honest, most of us have thought the same similar thing from time to time. In this particular case, god turns the tables on its accusers, as the entire book of Malachi shows that people were participating in religious exercises while neglecting a genuine relationship with the Lord. They went the covering of the covenant, the blessings, without being properly aligned under God. How fair is that? How fair, is that.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna stop right there. I'm gonna stop right there because I was trying to look. I was trying to go to.
Speaker 2:Matthew 25 on y'all right, but no, I'm gonna stop right there, because here's the thing Somebody needs this word, and I don't know who you are. I'm just a messenger. Okay, I'm just straight up a messenger for God. Think about why you're wanting a divorce. Talk to your father about it. That's number one. And stop right there, because, hey, I didn't see this coming, but it's a real thing. Y'all hearing these streets? Amos three says thank you, holy Spirit, you just gave me another. See how I be like wait, there's more.
Speaker 2:Amos three, listen to this message that the Lord has spoken against you, old people of Israel, against the entire family I rescued from Egypt. From among all the families on the earth, I have been intimate with you alone. That is why I must punish you for all your sins. Can two people walk together without agreeing on direction? Does a lion ever roar in a ticket without first fighting a victim? Does a young lion growl in a stand without first catching its prey? Does a bird ever get caught in a trap that has no bait? Does a trap spring shut when there's nothing to catch? When the ram's horn blows a warning, shouldn't the people be alarmed? Does disaster come to a city unless the Lord has planned it? Indeed, the sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants, the prophets. The lion has roared, so who isn't frightened? The sovereign Lord has spoken, so who can refuse to proclaim? His message.
Speaker 2:Announce this to the leaders of the Fisilis Dea and to the great ones of Egypt. Take your seats now on the hills around Samaria and witness the chaos and the oppression in Israel. My people have forgotten how to do right, says the Lord. Their fortresses are filled with wealth taken by death and violence.
Speaker 2:Therefore, says the sovereign Lord, an enemy is coming. He will surround them and shadow their defenses. Then he will plunder all their fortresses. This is what the Lord says. A shepherd who tries to rescue a sheep from a lion's mouth will recover only two legs or a piece of an ear. So it will be for the.
Speaker 2:Israelites in Samaria lying on Luxus, luxus, luxus, luxus, luxus, luxus, luxus beds, and for the people of Damascus reclining on couches. Now listen to this and announce it throughout all Israel says the Lord, the God, the Lord, god of Heaven's armies, on the very day I punished Israel for its sins, I will destroy the pagan altars at Bethel. The horns of altar will be cut off and fall to the ground, and I will destroy the beautiful homes of the wealthy, their winter mansions and their summer houses too, all their places filled with ivory, says the Lord. So the Lord is spoken. Y'all, I'm just a messenger. Again, this is inside. Beauty inspires man. Listen, take heed to what the father is speaking, because you know again, when I read this word, it tells me more about who I am. It teaches me more about who I am and how to see things for what they are.
Speaker 2:Okay, I didn't add anything to it and I'm not gonna take away anything from what the Lord says. To the Lord, the word is with with. I say all day, every day. I say the word says he'll never put those to shame who trust in him. He'll never put those to shame who trust in him. You see, God brought my husband to my life. I waited. The song that we played at my wedding was Wait for Love. I waited. I let God do it for me. I let God put me in a studio. I let God put me on the air. I let God. I didn't try to do this on my own. I asked my father to lead me.
Speaker 2:If I get up every morning and say Psalms 23, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the steel waters. He restores my soul. If those words that I read aren't true, why am I reading them? If I don't believe what it's saying, why am I in the Word? What's the point? What's the point? If the Word isn't what it is, what's the point? The Lord is my shepherd. I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows. He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right past, bringing honor to His name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Father God, I feel you right now For you are close beside me, you are riding your staff.
Speaker 2:Protect and comfort me. Peer a table for me in the presence of my enemy. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely, your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. These are my words of encouragement this morning. Hear my heart. The Father wants a relationship with you. You don't have to be perfect, he says in the Word. Jesus is the perfecter of your faith. He wants you to believe. He wants you to know he's real. He wants you to know he's here, that you're never alone. You're not waiting on God, he's waiting on you. The Bible says he stands at the door and knock. What do you think he's knocking on? He's knocking at your heart. The God wants to purify you from the inside out.
Speaker 2:It is a heart issue. So, no matter how bad we want to put things and say it's this and say it's that, I'm here to set the cap as free it's not that there are things going on inside of our hearts and the only way that we'll be able to see the promises is with the Prune. The Bible says only the Prune in heart will see His face. These are my words of encouragement today. I pray that this Word finds you. I pray that this Word revitalize you. I pray that this Word shows you how important it is to get into yours. This is Stephanie L Harrison signing off Inside Beauty inspires.
Speaker 2:Ladies and gentlemen, be safe out there in the streets. Keep the Word of God on you hiding in your heart and let God do a new thing inside of you until you can't see us now. Peace.
Speaker 1:New, new, new, everything new, new, new, new, new, new, everything new. Nothing rush everything. Everything new, new, new, new, everything new, new, new, new, new, everything new.