Tag: messenger

• Malachi 3: Refining

  
  

  Malachi 3: Refining

  Monday, March 7, 2022

  Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; and suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek.

  In several weeks we will witness again Christ’s passion and death. Let us prepare the temple of our hearts with God’s written Word. Today we choose a chapter and book in the Bible that we have never explored before. As we read, we allow the Spirit to open our ears to God’s words.

  My messenger is like the refiner’s fire, or like the fuller’s lye. My messenger will sit refining and purifying.

  In several weeks we will experience again the Easter miracle. Let us prepare our hearts and minds with the refining fire of Christ’s presence, the Living Word.  Today we compose a prayer of thanksgiving to the Living God for all that heals and sustains us each day. As we write, we allow the Spirit to open our hearts to God’s living presence.

  Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; and suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek.

  In several weeks we will experience again the phenomenon of Pentecost. Let us prepare ourselves to receive the Spirit in this special way. Today we spend time with someone who is suffering to allow the refining fire of God’s love to transform all mourning into joy.

  For more on Malachi’s imagery of a smelter’s fire of a fuller’s lye, enter the word refiner into the blog search bar and explore.  

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  Image from: http://wallpaper4god.com/en/background_malachi-310-blessing/

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  March 7, 2022

  Christ’s Passion, Easter miracle, fire, fuller, lye, messenger, mourning into joy, Pentecost, refiner

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• Hebrews 13:2: Unknowingly

  
  

  Thursday, August 13, 2020

  Hebrews 13:2

  Unknowingly

  Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels. 

  We love these stories of God’s messengers, these special beings who come to us to share important information . . . if we only have ears to listen.  If only we pause. If only we look.

  God says: So often my messengers return to me and say, “There was so much going on in his head that he just could not hear my voice”. And I reply, “Go again. He will hear you when he is ready. He still has nimble explanations for his circumstances. We cannot give up on him.  We must persist”. Sometimes my angels return to tell me, “She is too disbelieving. I stood before her and she walked right past me.  I spoke, but she did not give me the least bit of time”.  Again I reply, “Go again. She will hear you one of these days.  She has not yet come to the end of her hope. We cannot give up on her.  We must persist”. These reports are painful for us but still we persevere.  More often my angels tell me, “She was so grateful for your word!  She hung on every nuance and asked good questions”. Or they return to say, “He was desperate for your word. I had to repeat the information several times until he began to understand”. These are the reports that are easiest to hear and that bring us most joy. Yet, we endure with those in difficult circumstance because every lamb is important to me. No matter how lost. No matter how closed in. No matter how unbelieving. 

  We are so pressed for time, so un-used to believing, so immune to good acts and decent works that we unknowingly reject or pass by the very help that we seek. It is never too late to believe. It is never too late to apologize. It is never too late to change. God holds all the words we ever need. And God often sends these words to us on the swift wings of angels. Let us not miss them.

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  Enter the word angel in the blog search bar and explore other reflections.

  Use a Bible Concordance to examine the number of times in Scripture that angels deliver messages in the stories we so often hear.  Note how often these angels are received, and how often they bring help, healing and hope.

  Image from: http://www.gildedquillonline.com/products-1-37.html and http://www.forwardchristian.net/christianity-101/angels.html

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  August 13, 2020

  angels, healing, help, hope, hospitality, message, messenger

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