Friends,
On Sunday morning I preached on the whole book of Malachi in Harrisburg PA.  I am led to share with you a little bit of the sermon. In the book of Malachi, the Lord makes several declarations or statements.  One of them is “I have loved you.”  But we respond like the Israelites, “In what way have You loved us?”  God’s love is not a fussy love and not a sandal love.  By sandal love we mean whenever you want something, you love.  It is love based on opportunism.  What kind of love does God have for you and me? 

Love of Preference – (Mal 1:2)

God loved Jacob and hated Esau. It was a choosing love.  I would like to call it as love of preference.  God has chosen you on the phase of the earth to be His people and His treasures. ( Deut 7:6, 14:2) I have chosen you out of the world. (John 18:19) We love Him because He first loved us. I Jn 4:19)  What a love of God that chose people like you and me to be His children.  It is awesome.

Love of Protection – (Mal 1:4)

God protected the Israelites from the hands of the Edomites.  God even made them His enemies because of the troubles and teasing they gave to Israelites. God said, “ upon Edom I toss my sandal.” (Psa. 60:8)  Love also protects.  We have a God who guards us as an apple of His eye. (Deu 32 :10)  He protects us.

Love of Practicing – (Mal 1:5)

Yes we can experience God’s love.  We can boldly say that God’s love got proved in my life experiences.  God healed me, God saved me, God, God filled me, God taught me, God protected me, God blessed me, God guarded me, God enabled me to thrive and so on.  These are life experiences with One who loves us.  In Eph 6:24 His love is called undying love.

Prayer

Thank You, God< for Your unchanging love.  Amen

Praises & Prayer Needs

• Please continue to pray for Orissa persecution.  Manoj Digal incharge of our work there arrived Living Hope, Mount Zion with his family. Some of the photos of persecution are quite formidable.  Pray that those who persecute will know the Saviour.
• Pray for our travel from US to India on this Wednesday.
• Pray for the people of Delhi for they had series of bombs and 30 people reportedly killed.
• When Pastor Charlie preached in a mission conference, he spoke about India.  One little boy named Nate worked and earned $3 and brought to Pastor Charlie and told him to use that money for buying a Bible in India. Presently the cost of Bible is almost $3. He wrote on the envelope BIBLE MONEY.  Thank God for Nate.
• Continue to pray for our ministry needs.