Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "revelation-2"
Slam the door!
“‘Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘nor will I accept an offering from you’” [Malachi 1:10].
I recall back in the day spending summer vacations and Christmas holidays and spring break—in fine, any free time I had from elementary school—staying with my maternal grandparents out in the country. They had a small farm with chickens and rabbits and corn and assorted other crops. They were surrounded by big old farms with pigs and cows and humongous acres of corn and soy beans.
My granddaddy built their home with his own hands, right after World War I. He was a carpenter by trade. The home was heated with a wood burning stove in the living room, and that was it for all the rooms! As for air conditioning, well, you held this cardboard in your hand and waved it!
Grandmamma cooked the food on her wood burning stove. Some of the tastiest, mouth-watering meals ever originated there. We hunted squirrel and rabbit to eat and fished for food too. Even frog legs were on the menu sometimes. The homemade bread and biscuits sung their siren song, compelling us back for more. It never gets better than that.
Well, both the front door and the back had screen doors attached to them. In the center of the door near the doorknob one end of a strong, heavy-duty spring was attached, with the other end attached to the doorpost. This kept the doorsfrom staying open: the spring action pulled it shut.
When the door was pulled shut by the spring, the door would slam loudly. In fact for being such a light-weight door, it sure startled the dickens out of us when it slammed! And God forbid anyone should be so jejune as to stomp out mad and slam the door on purposes Yikes! That was even louder.
In the prophet Malachi’s time the Israelites got caught up in apathetically going through religious motions. They completely lost sight of the Lord and ignored His Word. Consequently the Lord spent His time by Himself every day because His people failed to spend time with Him. This didn’t sit too well with Him then, and it doesn’t sit too well with Him today (cf., Revelation 2:2-4).
This playing religion on the part of the Israelites became so intolerable to our long-suffering God, that He uttered Malachi’s words we quoted above. He said in essence, “Slam the temple doors shut and keep those religios out of My temple! I don’t want their worthless offerings because their hearts aren’t in it. They live to please themselves, when they are supposed to live for Me. I am the King of kings, but they behave toward Me as if I were a dead carcass back in Egypt. Keep them out of My sight!”
Strong words, those...not the pleasantries I normally associate with church. Maybe I shouldn’t take God for granted. Maybe I shouldn’t rise up late on Sunday mornings and hie off to the church building, thinking I am doing God a favor by being there. He doesn’t need me. I need Him! He bestows the favors (i.e., grace). No matter what I do or how much, I am merely an unprofitable servant. At best I have merely done my duty.
So what will I do to get this right with the Lord? I know. I’ll diligently spend time alone with Him daily, with Bible open and hands folded in prayer. He can talk with me and I with Him. That is the definition of a personal relationship with the Lord. It’s during such times I receive His blessing, and then I can share the blessing with others at church and elsewhere. Anyone is welcome to go and do likewise.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
I recall back in the day spending summer vacations and Christmas holidays and spring break—in fine, any free time I had from elementary school—staying with my maternal grandparents out in the country. They had a small farm with chickens and rabbits and corn and assorted other crops. They were surrounded by big old farms with pigs and cows and humongous acres of corn and soy beans.
My granddaddy built their home with his own hands, right after World War I. He was a carpenter by trade. The home was heated with a wood burning stove in the living room, and that was it for all the rooms! As for air conditioning, well, you held this cardboard in your hand and waved it!
Grandmamma cooked the food on her wood burning stove. Some of the tastiest, mouth-watering meals ever originated there. We hunted squirrel and rabbit to eat and fished for food too. Even frog legs were on the menu sometimes. The homemade bread and biscuits sung their siren song, compelling us back for more. It never gets better than that.
Well, both the front door and the back had screen doors attached to them. In the center of the door near the doorknob one end of a strong, heavy-duty spring was attached, with the other end attached to the doorpost. This kept the doorsfrom staying open: the spring action pulled it shut.
When the door was pulled shut by the spring, the door would slam loudly. In fact for being such a light-weight door, it sure startled the dickens out of us when it slammed! And God forbid anyone should be so jejune as to stomp out mad and slam the door on purposes Yikes! That was even louder.
In the prophet Malachi’s time the Israelites got caught up in apathetically going through religious motions. They completely lost sight of the Lord and ignored His Word. Consequently the Lord spent His time by Himself every day because His people failed to spend time with Him. This didn’t sit too well with Him then, and it doesn’t sit too well with Him today (cf., Revelation 2:2-4).
This playing religion on the part of the Israelites became so intolerable to our long-suffering God, that He uttered Malachi’s words we quoted above. He said in essence, “Slam the temple doors shut and keep those religios out of My temple! I don’t want their worthless offerings because their hearts aren’t in it. They live to please themselves, when they are supposed to live for Me. I am the King of kings, but they behave toward Me as if I were a dead carcass back in Egypt. Keep them out of My sight!”
Strong words, those...not the pleasantries I normally associate with church. Maybe I shouldn’t take God for granted. Maybe I shouldn’t rise up late on Sunday mornings and hie off to the church building, thinking I am doing God a favor by being there. He doesn’t need me. I need Him! He bestows the favors (i.e., grace). No matter what I do or how much, I am merely an unprofitable servant. At best I have merely done my duty.
So what will I do to get this right with the Lord? I know. I’ll diligently spend time alone with Him daily, with Bible open and hands folded in prayer. He can talk with me and I with Him. That is the definition of a personal relationship with the Lord. It’s during such times I receive His blessing, and then I can share the blessing with others at church and elsewhere. Anyone is welcome to go and do likewise.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Slam the door!
“Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering from you.” [Malachi 1:10]
I recall back in the day spending summer vacations and Christmas holidays and spring break—in fine, any free time I had from elementary school—staying with my maternal grandparents out in the country. They had a small farm with chickens and rabbits and corn and assorted other crops. They were surrounded by big old farms with pigs and cows and humongous acres of corn and soy beans.
My granddaddy built their home with his own hands, right after World War I. He was a carpenter by trade. The home was heated with a wood burning stove in the living room, and that was it for all the rooms! As for air conditioning, well, you held this cardboard in your hand and waved it!
Grandmamma cooked the food on her wood burning stove. Some of the tastiest, mouth-watering meals ever originated there. We hunted squirrel and rabbit to eat and fished for food too. Even frog legs were on the menu sometimes. The homemade bread and biscuits sung their siren song, compelling us back for more. It never gets better than that.
Well, both the front door and the back had screen doors attached to them. In the center of the door near the doorknob one end of a strong, heavy-duty spring was attached, with the other end attached to the doorpost. This kept the doors from staying open: the spring action pulled it shut.
When the door was pulled shut by the spring, the door would slam loudly. In fact for being such a light-weight door, it sure startled the dickens out of us when it slammed! And God forbid anyone should be so jejune as to stomp out mad and slam the door on purposes Yikes! That was even louder.
In the prophet Malachi’s time the Israelites got caught up in apathetically going through religious motions. They completely lost sight of the Lord and ignored His Word. Consequently the Lord spent His time by Himself every day because His people failed to spend time with Him. This didn’t sit too well with Him then, and it doesn’t sit too well with Him today (cf., Revelation 2:2-4).
This playing religion on the part of the Israelites became so intolerable to our long-suffering God, that He uttered Malachi’s words we quoted above. He said in essence, “Slam the temple doors shut and keep those religios out of My temple! I don’t want their worthless offerings because their hearts aren’t in it. They live to please themselves, when they are supposed to live for Me. I am the King of kings, but they behave toward Me as if I were a dead carcass back in Egypt. Keep them out of My sight!”
Strong words, those...not the pleasantries I normally associate with church. Maybe I shouldn’t take God for granted. Maybe I shouldn’t rise up late on Sunday mornings and hie off to the church building, thinking I am doing God a favor by being there. He doesn’t need me. I need Him! He bestows the favors (i.e., grace). No matter what I do or how much, I am merely an unprofitable servant. At best I have merely done my duty.
So what will I do to get this right with the Lord? I know. I’ll diligently spend time alone with Him daily, with Bible open and hands folded in prayer. He can talk with me and I with Him. That is the definition of a personal relationship with the Lord. It’s during such times I receive His blessing, and then I can share the blessing with others at church and elsewhere. Anyone is welcome to go and do likewise.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
I recall back in the day spending summer vacations and Christmas holidays and spring break—in fine, any free time I had from elementary school—staying with my maternal grandparents out in the country. They had a small farm with chickens and rabbits and corn and assorted other crops. They were surrounded by big old farms with pigs and cows and humongous acres of corn and soy beans.
My granddaddy built their home with his own hands, right after World War I. He was a carpenter by trade. The home was heated with a wood burning stove in the living room, and that was it for all the rooms! As for air conditioning, well, you held this cardboard in your hand and waved it!
Grandmamma cooked the food on her wood burning stove. Some of the tastiest, mouth-watering meals ever originated there. We hunted squirrel and rabbit to eat and fished for food too. Even frog legs were on the menu sometimes. The homemade bread and biscuits sung their siren song, compelling us back for more. It never gets better than that.
Well, both the front door and the back had screen doors attached to them. In the center of the door near the doorknob one end of a strong, heavy-duty spring was attached, with the other end attached to the doorpost. This kept the doors from staying open: the spring action pulled it shut.
When the door was pulled shut by the spring, the door would slam loudly. In fact for being such a light-weight door, it sure startled the dickens out of us when it slammed! And God forbid anyone should be so jejune as to stomp out mad and slam the door on purposes Yikes! That was even louder.
In the prophet Malachi’s time the Israelites got caught up in apathetically going through religious motions. They completely lost sight of the Lord and ignored His Word. Consequently the Lord spent His time by Himself every day because His people failed to spend time with Him. This didn’t sit too well with Him then, and it doesn’t sit too well with Him today (cf., Revelation 2:2-4).
This playing religion on the part of the Israelites became so intolerable to our long-suffering God, that He uttered Malachi’s words we quoted above. He said in essence, “Slam the temple doors shut and keep those religios out of My temple! I don’t want their worthless offerings because their hearts aren’t in it. They live to please themselves, when they are supposed to live for Me. I am the King of kings, but they behave toward Me as if I were a dead carcass back in Egypt. Keep them out of My sight!”
Strong words, those...not the pleasantries I normally associate with church. Maybe I shouldn’t take God for granted. Maybe I shouldn’t rise up late on Sunday mornings and hie off to the church building, thinking I am doing God a favor by being there. He doesn’t need me. I need Him! He bestows the favors (i.e., grace). No matter what I do or how much, I am merely an unprofitable servant. At best I have merely done my duty.
So what will I do to get this right with the Lord? I know. I’ll diligently spend time alone with Him daily, with Bible open and hands folded in prayer. He can talk with me and I with Him. That is the definition of a personal relationship with the Lord. It’s during such times I receive His blessing, and then I can share the blessing with others at church and elsewhere. Anyone is welcome to go and do likewise.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Slam the door!
“Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering from you.” [Malachi 1:10]
I recall back in the day spending summer vacations and Christmas holidays and spring break—in fine, any free time I had from elementary school—staying with my maternal grandparents out in the country. They had a small farm with chickens and rabbits and corn and assorted other crops. They were surrounded by big old farms with pigs and cows and humongous acres of corn and soy beans.
My granddaddy built their home with his own hands, right after World War I. He was a carpenter by trade. The home was heated with a wood burning stove in the living room, and that was it for all the rooms! As for air conditioning, well, you held this cardboard in your hand and waved it!
Grandmamma cooked the food on her wood burning stove. Some of the tastiest, mouth-watering meals ever originated there. We hunted squirrel and rabbit to eat and fished for food too. Even frog legs were on the menu sometimes. The homemade bread and biscuits sung their siren song, crooning us back for more. It never gets better than that.
Well, both the front door and the back had screen doors attached to them. In the center of the door near the doorknob was attached one end of a strong, heavy-duty spring, with the other end attached to the doorpost. This kept the doors from staying open: the spring action pulled it shut.
When the door was pulled shut by the spring, the door would slam loudly. In fact for being such a light-weight door, it sure startled the dickens out of us when it slammed! And God forbid anyone should be so jejune as to stomp out mad and slam the door on purpose. Yikes! That was even louder.
In the prophet Malachi’s time the Israelites got caught up in apathetically going through religious motions. They completely lost sight of the Lord and ignored His Word. Consequently the Lord spent His time by Himself every day because His people failed to spend time with Him. This didn’t sit too well with Him then, and it doesn’t sit too well with Him today (cf., Revelation 2:2-4).
This playing religion on the part of the Israelites became so intolerable to our long-suffering God, that He uttered Malachi’s words quoted above. He said in essence, “Slam the temple doors shut and keep those religios out of My temple! I don’t want their worthless offerings because their hearts aren’t in it. They live to please themselves, when they are supposed to live for Me. I am the King of kings, but they behave toward Me as if I were a dead carcass back in Egypt. Keep them out of My sight!”
Strong words, those...not the pleasantries I normally associate with church. Maybe I shouldn’t take God for granted. Maybe I shouldn’t rise up late on Sunday mornings and hie off to the church building, thinking I am doing God a favor by being there. He doesn’t need me. I need Him! He bestows the favors (i.e., grace). No matter what I do or how much, I am merely an unprofitable servant. At best I have merely done my duty.
So what will I do to get this right with the Lord? I know. I’ll diligently spend time alone with Him daily, with Bible open and hands folded in prayer. He can talk with me and I with Him. That is the definition of a personal relationship with the Lord. It’s during such times I receive His blessing, and then I can share the blessing with others at church and elsewhere. Anyone is welcome to go and do likewise.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
I recall back in the day spending summer vacations and Christmas holidays and spring break—in fine, any free time I had from elementary school—staying with my maternal grandparents out in the country. They had a small farm with chickens and rabbits and corn and assorted other crops. They were surrounded by big old farms with pigs and cows and humongous acres of corn and soy beans.
My granddaddy built their home with his own hands, right after World War I. He was a carpenter by trade. The home was heated with a wood burning stove in the living room, and that was it for all the rooms! As for air conditioning, well, you held this cardboard in your hand and waved it!
Grandmamma cooked the food on her wood burning stove. Some of the tastiest, mouth-watering meals ever originated there. We hunted squirrel and rabbit to eat and fished for food too. Even frog legs were on the menu sometimes. The homemade bread and biscuits sung their siren song, crooning us back for more. It never gets better than that.
Well, both the front door and the back had screen doors attached to them. In the center of the door near the doorknob was attached one end of a strong, heavy-duty spring, with the other end attached to the doorpost. This kept the doors from staying open: the spring action pulled it shut.
When the door was pulled shut by the spring, the door would slam loudly. In fact for being such a light-weight door, it sure startled the dickens out of us when it slammed! And God forbid anyone should be so jejune as to stomp out mad and slam the door on purpose. Yikes! That was even louder.
In the prophet Malachi’s time the Israelites got caught up in apathetically going through religious motions. They completely lost sight of the Lord and ignored His Word. Consequently the Lord spent His time by Himself every day because His people failed to spend time with Him. This didn’t sit too well with Him then, and it doesn’t sit too well with Him today (cf., Revelation 2:2-4).
This playing religion on the part of the Israelites became so intolerable to our long-suffering God, that He uttered Malachi’s words quoted above. He said in essence, “Slam the temple doors shut and keep those religios out of My temple! I don’t want their worthless offerings because their hearts aren’t in it. They live to please themselves, when they are supposed to live for Me. I am the King of kings, but they behave toward Me as if I were a dead carcass back in Egypt. Keep them out of My sight!”
Strong words, those...not the pleasantries I normally associate with church. Maybe I shouldn’t take God for granted. Maybe I shouldn’t rise up late on Sunday mornings and hie off to the church building, thinking I am doing God a favor by being there. He doesn’t need me. I need Him! He bestows the favors (i.e., grace). No matter what I do or how much, I am merely an unprofitable servant. At best I have merely done my duty.
So what will I do to get this right with the Lord? I know. I’ll diligently spend time alone with Him daily, with Bible open and hands folded in prayer. He can talk with me and I with Him. That is the definition of a personal relationship with the Lord. It’s during such times I receive His blessing, and then I can share the blessing with others at church and elsewhere. Anyone is welcome to go and do likewise.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
