Paul Email -5June13- Malachi 3&4

How you doin? Stacey is SO smart. We finished the Old Testament today. Malachi 3 & 4. WOW! So heavy. While reading Malachi 3, I noticed something before and after the "money" verses.

“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.  Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.“But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me.  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.  I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty.  “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty. “You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the Lord. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’ “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?  But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’” (Malachi 3:6-15)

The 1st part I noticed was the heading in my Bible, "Robbing God". I've heard these middle verses plenty of times when discussing tithe. But the 2nd bold part (3:13-15) is under the same heading. Now we're thinking this may be speaking about more then money. Stacey shares that she thought in the natural money is implied, but in the Spiritual, offering our self's as a living sacrifice is implied. COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!! I agree completely. Talking smack on God is robbing Him of praise and glory. Sounds like the scouting report of the enemy. By offering our self's completely, God will, " throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't think this means our bank account will explode, but we may. Praise God!!!!!!