Topic: From Champions to Charlatans [Sunday May 1, 2016]
Text: Malachi 2:1-10
Key Verse: “The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity” (Malachi 2:6).
In those days when the use of wristwatches was uncommon, a jeweller had a little clock planted in his window. One day, for half an hour, at quarter past nine, the clock stopped working. Passing school children, noticing the time, hung around to play. People hurrying to the train looked at the clock and began to walk leisurely. Professional men, after taking a look at the timepiece, stopped to chat a minute with one another. Working men and women noted the time and lingered a little longer in the sunshine. They all became half an hour late just because one small clock stopped. They had depended on that clock till it malfunctioned and led them astray.
Like that small clock, the priestly office in Israel had such a powerful influence on the people. They taught and guided the people in the way of God by precept and personal example. But in the days of Prophet Malachi, the priests became so profane and contemptible to the people. They corrupted the word of God and led many astray. The Lord reproved them for their unfaithfulness and showed them the portrait of a priest as demonstrated by their forefathers (Aaron, Eleazar, Phinehas, etc. ) whose life and ministry should be marked by faithfulness, humility, obedience to God, truthfulness, justice, peace and knowledge. These priests had dragged the priestly office from a glorious height to the mud and proved themselves to be charlatans instead of champions.
This is the sad story of many pretentious ministers and professing Christians who instead of serving as light to others are misleading them by their precepts and/or practices. Such charlatans end up amassing divine wrath upon themselves just like the profane priests of Malachi’s day. How sad it is when ministries and churches that once maintained an enviable spiritual heritage eventually begin to produce ministers and members who are a mere shadow of their glorious past. God’s plan is that you should be a spiritual champion and not charlatan
Thought for the day: God judges us based on our walk and work, not by our heritage.
Bible Reading in one Year: Joshua 22-24
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
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