Church, It's Time to Get Radical

I was prompted to read through the book of Malachi this morning - and boy did I ever need it.  This short little minor prophet packs quite the wallop - calling out the people of Israel for their half-hearted, short-sighted, short-handed and lukewarm sacrifices.  Just read these passages:

"When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the LORD Almighty. (1:8)

"Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. (1:10)

He even is talking about the priests:

Because of you I will rebuke your descendants; I will smear on your faces the dung from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it. (3:3)

"But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi,” says the LORD Almighty.  (2:8)

He even takes on the topic of money:

"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. (3:8-10)

I was blown away how I have been bringing incomplete sacrifices to Him!  I have been offering him only partial offerings.  He demands - he deserves - our ALL!  I especially like that last verse: "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'."  You see, when we serve God - we are not the ones giving!  We are receiving!!  Here's an illustration:  What if your pastor asked you to serve by coming to wash his car twice a week?  You may say, "Well, OK: you're the pastor."  But then he says, "Oh yeah, I'll pay you $1000 a week to do it!"  Would you do it?  You bet your sweet little hiney you would!!

You see, God is the giver!  We are not the giver!  God gives us blessings and rewards.  I don't know about you, but I want that!!  You can take all of these things I posses and simply give me Jesus - they belong to Him anyway.  Church - it's time to get radical!  Are you willing to give Him everything and see what he will do?