I Am is calling you...

Please read the entire first chapter of one of the minor prophets, Malachi!! Go ahead and read it on the blog, or actually go get your bible, in whatever language your heart speaks, and highlight the parts that the Holy Spirit lifts off the page.  

Malachi 1

New International Version (NIV)

Malachi 1

 ¹ A prophecy: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.^[a]

Israel Doubts God’s Love

 ² “I have loved you,” says the LORD.

   “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’

   “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob,³ but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

 ⁴ Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.”

   But this is what the LORD Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the LORD. ⁵ You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the LORD—even beyond the borders of Israel!’

Breaking Covenant Through Blemished Sacrifices

 ⁶ “A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the LORD Almighty.

   “It is you priests who show contempt for my name.

   “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’

 ⁷ “By offering defiled food on my altar.

   “But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’

   “By saying that the LORD’s table is contemptible. ⁸ 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.

 ⁹ “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the LORD Almighty.

 ¹⁰ “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. ¹¹ My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD Almighty.

 ¹² “But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food is contemptible.’ ¹³ And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the LORD Almighty.

   “When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the LORD. ¹⁴ “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the LORD Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations.

Heaven knows that the might part about Almighty God always made me tremble with awe and wonder! God has always just impressed me with His majesty and His mighty Hand...!! Yes, He has been the King of glory to me, but had He been my prince of Peace?? There is no doubt that Point Loma Nazarene University is a very good school with wonderful programs that offer so much to those wishing to pursue excellence!! However, at the time I attended this university, the school was not exactly what I thought it would be! Were there Christians there?? Yes! In fact, there were actually a few Nazarenes in name, and some in name and practice at PLNU! Unfortunately, most of the students I had the chance to know did not know what it meant to be a Nazarene!  As my wonderful Grandmother Frances would say, "He who expects nothing will never be disappointed"!! O.k. Grandma, I know, I know...I was expecting a perfect little safe haven where I could be Jennifer and be totally accepted and even encouraged in my faith! Wrong, Jennifer! Don't do it, Jennifer...!! There is only one who will never disappoint you! It's me, Jesus cried out to me...It's me, not this school...Rely on me and I will not fail you...!! Now, here is my disclaimer in this part of my testimony: If you have had a different experience at Point Loma and if you loved that school, know that I think that is great!! I'm not against Point Loma at all, and I'm sure that the school blesses many!! Certainly, Point Loma is where the Lord first called me to be a missionary!! I'm simply stating that in my personal experience, I did not find what I thought I was going to find at PLNU. However, who should have I been looking for??? The I Am!!  I, who is the I am...am here..and I will be your peace...I will be your purpose..I will be your love...and you will rest in me and in my strength my words will not come back void as I use you as an instrument of my peace. Please take a moment to listen to the "I am" speak to your heart as He was beginning to speak to mine as a Freshman in College,

 Psalm 37: 3-4 reads, 


³ Trust in the LORD and do good;
   dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴ Take delight in the LORD,
   and he will give you the desires of your heart.

God will give you the desires of your heart...but first the text says...Trust in the Lord!! Trust in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart..!!  Only He knows what those are...!!!  So, here was Jennifer, a Classical piano major, desiring to be a performer, or perhaps a teacher professionally!! And???




What did God know that Jennifer did not!!! Everything...!!  God knew that Jennifer was not going to be still before the Lord, until He was truly Lord of everything!! God knew that Jennifer was not going to be a professional pianist, or even a piano major much longer! God also knew that Jennifer was about to discover the call of God upon her life; Jennifer was about to get a call to foreign missions. Would you like to hear how God broke into my plans and called me into His??? I'll leave you with a Scripture to ponder and I hope that you will join me on my next post in a few days.  
1 Thessalonians 5 reads that we are to,

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

 ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not treat prophecies with contempt ²¹ but test them all; hold on to what is good, ²² reject every kind of evil.

 ²³ May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.





Question? Do you believe that God's call is irrevocable??? Yes, there is a right answer...!! I hope to hear from all of you on this question...Blessings..