I read from Malachi yesterday. It was as if the good Lord allowed me to move away from the things I was accustomed to reading each day to come across the book of Malachi again.
God knew how discouraged I was. I wasn’t so discouraged that I lost my faith. I wasn’t so distraught that I felt as though all is lost. Knowing Jesus is Lord of all and trusting in Him through the good times and the bad times is something we believers always want to cling to. I just had a different kind of a battle hitting me the night before I reread Malachi.
The battle had been going on for a season. It seemed as though every day brought people asking for prayer for their loved one that is sick or prayer because a loved one has died. I was even sent an email telling about a young boy that was murdered. It is great for us to request prayer. Each prayer over a sorrowful thing alerts us to what is going on around us. Thank the Lord He told us to cast our cares on Him. I couldn’t bear these things on my own.
There are times when my heart cries out to God for all those that are ailing. My mind kept trying to recall all the people that needed prayer while I was thinking about the sad way the little boy was beaten before he died. I thought about the man that murdered the little boy and what his family must be going through. In Part 1 I wrote about how to spot a bad guy and I posted some Scriptural references that explain there will be people like this during the last days. I had personal struggles after being exposed to a really bad guy. I’ve been prayed for for a healing of my emotions because of how distraught I was to see how evil some people really are. My personal struggles aren’t nearly as severe as the people I was hearing about. I just had so many reminders of some nasty things someone else did going through my mind on top of hearing about other people having terrible things happen to them.
You see, I was discouraged because of the true reports given about how cruel some people are and how sad it is that they don’t seem to be repenting or turning from their evil ways. It was upsetting because as we say sometimes it just didn’t seem fair that the little boy’s murderer is able to live and be happy while those who loved the little boy are grieving and trying to make sense of it all. If they are caring Christian people they will forgive the murderer but they surely won’t want him to be able to harm another person.
Sweet and innocent people were stricken down and it some times looks like the culprits go free.
Those were the feelings I was having the night before I read Malachi again.
There are people that do horrible things to others and sometimes it seems as though they won’t step up to the plate and correct their past.
We are in this world but we are notof it are some of our favorite words during these trying times.
If we don’t keep our eyes on Jesus and keep faith alive that reminds us of the eternal future for believers we will miss the moments of peace and joy God wants us to have.
Jesus said his kingdom is not of this world. There will be no lasting satisfaction this side of heaven.
I was discouraged but not forsaken. When I read from Malachi certain sections stood out to me that helped me cope with the former moments of distress. It is my hope that you will be helped when you see what helped me.
I will make several notes that came to my mind when I read through the book of Malachi. If you want to review it before reading these notes do that. When you see the parts that talk about one who treats the wife of his youth with contempt remember that God wants a holy union with us just like he wants a holy union between a man and his wife. God is not pleased when we won’t fulfill our commitments to Him. I believe this is only one reason why the Scriptures point out God’s disgust in a man for breaking faithfulness with his wife.
A man is cursed if he vows to give his best to God but he ends up giving his worst. Making a vow to God should be something a Christian desires to fulfill. When you vow to give God your best sacrifices (whether you promise to give funds or whether you promise to do what is right and good to your fellow believers) you should follow through with your promises.
God knows when a man deals treacherously with his wife. It is stated that a man must not deal treacherously with his wife.
Putting away a wife and dealing treacherously with a wife goes along with putting on violence with his garment.
Don’t weary the Lord by saying that everyone that does evil is good in the sight of the Lord.
Don’t weary the Lord by saying God delights in the doings of a bad guy.
Don’t wonder where the God of judgment is.
The Lord will return.
There will be a purification and purging process.
Judgment is coming.
God will be the witness against the sorcerers, adulterers, liars, those who oppress widows and orphans, those that turn aside the stranger, and those who do not show the fear of the Lord.
God does not change.
God desires that men will return to Him. He says if you return to Him He will return to you. Makes me think of the New Testament words about drawing near to God for then He will draw near to you.
God wants people to quit robbing Him. A man robs God when he isn’t giving His best. This surely means more than simply giving 10% of your income. When all of Malachi is read it is clear that God cares about what kind of sacrifices you are giving to Him.
It is wearisome to the Lord if a person says that it is vain to serve God.
God will remember those who remain faithful to Him even though they may not clearly understand how it sometimes appears as though wicked men go free.
God wants us to keep being faithful.
Those that fear the Lord shall be remembered. These people who revere the Lord will have a place in a book of remembrance.
Those that fear God will belong to Him. They will be like treasured possessions.
There will be a distinction between the bad guys and the good guys. You will be able to discern who serves God and who does not serve Him.
There will be no root or branch left belonging to the bad guys.
The day will arrive when those who do wicked things will be like stubble.
Those that fear God will have healing.
Those that fear God will leap like calves let out of the stall.
The bad guys will be tread down. The wicked ones will be like ashes under the soles of your feet.
You could say that GG stands for Good Guy and BG stands for Bad Guy.
When you watched old Western Movies on TV they’d say the GGs wore white hats and the BGs wore black hats.
Don’t you wish it was that easy to tell the good guys from the bad guys? It would be nice.
About a year ago I wrote about being careful for there will be wolves in sheep clothing. I had no idea that I would come face to face with a wolf and I would go through a time of thinking he was a sheep.
What a wild lesson in going through the fire of what you speak? Another interesting fact about what I learned is that there are many wolves in sheep clothing and again I tell you they are in the churches as well as in the workplace. It is not as uncommon as you may think. Beware and be extra cautious and prayerful because these animals are sneaky. If you aren’t sure about someone it is probably best to steer clear of them until you are sure about them.
These people that walk in the churches pretending to love the Lord are masters at disguising their real motives. They can con lots of people for a while. If they are older they have had lots of practice using persuasive words to prey on innocent people. One minute they are seductively kind to everyone they meet and then when they have their victim alone they attack.
Watch out for these bad guys. Be alert and be prayerful asking God for mercy in your life and in the lives of those you care most about.
The words I’m sharing here are not words I found on my own. I’ve discussed this subject with many Christian people. Pastors, Christian counselors, Christian friends, and decent people that don’t like the ugly things bad people do recognize that this world has some very nasty spirited folks in it. Evil doers will lie, cheat, and steal in any way they can to achieve their goal. They are cunning and evil. They do not care about anyone except themselves. The Bible speaks of these self-lovers. Look at 2 Timothy 3:1-5, “1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
They are full of wickedness so much so that they will wear that mask pretending to do good. They will pour out the blame on other people in order to try ever so hard toget the attention off of themselves and the things that they are doing that is wrong.
I’ve pondered and prayed about some of these type of people. I sort of moved past the state of shock at how callous hearted they can be. It seems imperative to keep warning others because it is so prevalent today. Look at Verse 7 of the same Chapter in 2 Timothy: “7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” These people are fully capable of searching Scriptures and appearing as though they are actively and ever learning but they never come to the knowledge of the truth just like it says in verse 7!
Read some sentences made from Bible thoughts that will help you spot a true Christian. If a person does not actively show this good behavior on a consistent basis you are probably in the midst of a counterfeit Christian:
You will know them by their fruit -
A person that really follows after God will be one that will be seen fulfilling good promises they have made. That is part of being good. They will tell the truth for that is also a good thing. They will have real love, joy, and peace that does not easily dissipate. They will carry the peace even when they are not getting everything they want. Longsuffering will be theirs for they would not cause another person to suffer for their own selfish reasons. Gentleness, meekness, and self-control will be something they don’t just pretend to have in front of a church congregation or in front of their best friends. The fruit of the Spirit will be something they are well known for having daily & in their own home among the ones that live with them. Yes, the people that live with you will be able to report whether or not a person has the fruit of the Holy Spirit active in their lives. Those that follow after God’s Holy Spirit will not provoke others, will not envy others, will not lie against a brother or a sister, and they won’t desire vain glory. [See Galatians 5]
Be aware of the fact that it is becoming widely known in some churches that many of these wolves in sheep clothing are not showing how ugly spirited they are at church or even in the workplace. It is possible the people at church and the people in the workplace think these people are good hard working, kind, and gentle individuals. This is where the cunning part comes in to play. Take a look at what an online dictionary says about the word cunning:
adj.1. Marked by or given to artful subtlety and deceptiveness.
2. Executed with or exhibiting ingenuity.3. Delicately pleasing; pretty or cute: a cunning pet.
n.1. Skill in deception; guile.
2. Skill or adeptness in execution or performance; dexterity.
cun·ning(knng)
adj.
1. Marked by or given to artful subtlety and deceptiveness.
2. Executed with or exhibiting ingenuity.
3. Delicately pleasing; pretty or cute: a cunning pet.
n.
1. Skill in deception; guile.
2. Skill or adeptness in execution or performance; dexterity.
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These type of people use special skills to disguise the real inner being within them. They have hearts that are bent on evil and destruction. They follow the ways of the devil for he is the father and master of lies.
After coming in close contact with one of the most deceptive and disturbed people I’ve ever met I gave way to many tears for the souls of such people. I cried out to God asking Him to deliver such people from evil. At the same time I begged God to protect others from these evil minded people.
Many Scriptures were given to me to remind me that God will tend to the ones that do evil. Some of them will meet the Lord and they will truly be held accountable for every evil word spoken and evil deeds they have done. They will not deceive the Lord with charming words. Their sins will find them out. Some of them will be held accountable while they reside on earth even though they’ve tried for years in many cases to hide their wickedness. God will not allow them to get away with the horrible things they have done.
I confided in many close Christian people about my feelings. One Pastor gave me a Chapter in the Bible to ponder on and it is the same Chapter God had already given me. Ps. 37 begins with that reminder to not be fretting because of wicked people. Look at verses 34-37: “34Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.35I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.36Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.”
God reminds us to KEEP HIS WAY even if there are others that are doing wickedness. The wicked ones will one day be cut off & we will see it. Crazy people think there won’t be a day of accountability. Disturbed people walk away from the truth or they try to hide from it possibly because they really don’t want to know the truth. They will not be able to hide anything from God. They’ve never been able to hide things from God. Their sin will be found out. In many cases they’ve acted like a coward hiding their sins. They did their evil deeds in darkness and they really thought no one knew what they did.
Numbers 32:23b, “. . . behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.”
I’m reminded of King David. David had an innocent man killed for his own selfish reasons. He was hopeful that he’d get away with his sin. He forgot about the omnipresence of God. He forgot Cain killed Abel, too. Cain was a marked man because he killed his own brother. David forgot that you cannot hide things from God. David didn’t even kill Uriah himself. David had it look like an act of war. We know God wasn’t fooled for a minute. Even though David was anointed as King of Israel and even though David was beloved of God he was held accountable for the terrible deed he had done.
It makes me think of another passage I was given several months ago. Proverbs 17 see verses 11-13, “11An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.12Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.13Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.”
The sword did not depart from David’s home and his wives were given to others because of the murder of Uriah. David’s life wasn’t taken but his sin was made known to all and it was recorded in the Bible. David tried to hide the evil deed but God knew all about it. What David did in secret God had exposed. God also saw to it that David was disgraced in public.
People should not think for one minute that God likes evil or that he rewards bad deeds. God is a forgiving God. David was forgiven after he repented but he did not go without punishment for the wrong he had done.
We won’t be elated to know wicked people are folding under the pressure of their own sins. It will not be something we want to gloat about although there is a sense of judgment that seems to come upon us when we think about it. Justice, righteousness, and judgment hits us because we desire goodness. We don’t want evil people walking around harming others. It makes me sad to know there are wicked people that won’t turn from their wicked ways yet it makes me happy knowing God won’t allow them to continue harming others forever. There is a time for judgment. There will be justice. It is right and good for this judgment to come even though some people are kind of hoping it won’t hit them.
My best friend was given passages of Scripture one day when we were talking about one who walks an evil walk. We talked about a man we know of who is seriously evil acting. We prayed about him and for him. The more he showed how ugly he could act the more we prayed. He walked among Christian people. He had that form of Godliness but he denied the power of God. He denied the power of God every time he acted like God couldn’t see the evil things he was doing. He did not show the fear of God at any time in my own opinion.
My friend opened up Old Testament Scriptures that talked about a high minded man that tyrannized others. The high minded man of the Bible was brought down by God’s own hand. The same God that brought down the one that terrorized others in the Bible is able to bring down those kind of men today.
I want to encourage others to know that God will not let evil doers live in the Holy City. Those who continue to walk in sin will not be in the Holy City terrorizing other people. They won’t be allowed in. The free gift of God cannot be earned by the deeds of men. If a man walks in church, pays a tithe, and pretends to be nice to the majority of the people he is around that will not earn him a seat in heaven. It won’t even earn him an itty bitty cabin. God’s Word plainly says that salvation is the free gift of God so that no man can boast. It also says that all have sinned and repentance is part of the plan of salvation. If a man repents of his sins he turns away from those sins.
A woman that lived near us one time used to say, “Liars will be fryers.” It was her way of telling children that liars won’t be in heaven. Revelation 21:5-8: “5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.6And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now tell me who doesn’t believe in a hell that burns with fire and brimstone? If you tell me you don’t believe there is such a place then you are telling me you don’t believe in the Living Bible. If you tell me you think liars, murderers, idolaters, whoremongers, and the list given in verse 8 will be in heaven then you haven’t yet believed in the words of God.
You may ask who will get to heaven then. Just recall that we are saved by grace & no one has lived sinfree except Jesus, the Son of God. Remember that the undeserved & unearned favor of God gives us salvation. If you believe in God and if you have been freed from your sins then you have repented and turned away from the evil & bad things. You will not be found doing bad things. You may have been a bad guy in your past but you definitely are not doing bad things now. A true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ turns away from the wrong. That is what repentance is all about. Repentance means turning away from all forms of sin. You may even think it’s impossible to stop sinning. It is possible to turn away from sinful deeds when you go to God for help. You acknowledge your past sins and you ask forgiveness. You wouldn’t even lie about your past sins. You step up to the plate and you aim for the ball. Your goal should be to hit the ball out of the park. You cannot hit the ball that hard unless you have totally turned your life over to Jesus by being determined that you won’t be a bad guy any longer. You won’t be a liar for you desire the truth instead of lies. You won’t follow the arm of the flesh for you will trust God to help you stop sinning and stop being the self-centered individual of the past. This will be a life long goal you have for yourself. A repentant heart wants to do the right thing and will change with God’s help. ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD!!!
There are wolves in sheep clothing. They are out there and they may be eating the bitter fruit of having their own way. They may have good days and bad days like the rest of us but deep in their spirits they don’t know rest. They won’t have rest until they finally & if they finally turn away from their sins. There won’t be any more fenceline walking. People that are very wicked have troubles with double mindedness. One moment they may think they are doing good and the next thing they know it they are walking with that strange soul-destroying spirit in them that does not revere God.
An evil man can be saved. A murderer, idolater, liar, and a thief can be saved if he will but turn from his sins. He must truly turn from the sin though never looking back. He can not look at his past and long to be there any more. It must be his delight to walk with God all of his days turning away from the past and all the things of the past that held him away from God’s eternal peace.
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