Who's Cursing Our Blessings?
Given the rising levels of apathy, worldliness and worse within modern Christianity it's a fair bet to say we're failing to notice our very blessings are being cursed. Seriously seeking God through prayer and Bible study are on the decline. From abortion to divorce, traditional Christian values are being eroded before our very eyes. Millions of families are being shaken to their foundations. This and much more begs the question of who's responsible. Surely our ancient Adversary, unprecedented levels of temptation and original sin are culpable. Yet even so, scripture suggests the problem runs far deeper...
No Laughing Matter
I laughed along with a thousand Christian leaders when Tony Evans, the keynote speaker of a prayer breakfast, told of struggling with a reappearing stress crack in a bedroom wall that proved beyond repair so long as his home's foundation continued shifting. I've pondered the moral of his story.
The previous year's speaker was Bob Vernon, a former assistant chief of police for Los Angeles. An expert in law enforcement as well as a dynamic speaker, Mr. Vernon is in demand worldwide. His statistics of the cultural war's ravaging of America were impressive, so I counted it a privilege, when finding him alone for a moment, to ask where the most dangerous place in the world was to be today?
He responded that America's homes are growing increasingly dangerous, with domestic violence on the rise. Schools are also of such concern that many police precincts are being redrawing around them. When informed that in actuality the most dangerous place to be is in the womb of one's mother, that "Choice kills one out of every three" he sadly nodded in agreement.
In both cases, our guests' concerns mirror those of the psalmist who asked, "When our foundations are destroyed what can the righteous do?"
First and Last Words
In a relay race a track coach places his strongest runners first and last, with the strongest of the two running last or anchor. The same may be said for authors first and last words.
The Old Testament opens with God creating or blessing. In the Protestant Bible, the last words of the last chapter of the last Old Testament Book of Malachi ends warning of God destroying or cursing.
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." Malachi 4:5
A Few Observations
- Before the "great and dreadful day of the Lord" God will send Elijah (or the spirit of as with John the Baptist).
- Malachi is last of a long list of prophets giving advice along these lines. Notice it's God initiating the action. He will "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children" and vice versa.
- Apparently children and parents are at odds. Should this effort fail God will strike the earth with a curse. Notice it's God cursing, not the media or even the devil.
The question that begs asking is who turned God from blessing to cursing. The answer is We did. The next question is just what curse is Malachi warning of. Interestingly, this same Malachi goes into detail describing just such a curse.
"And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. If you will not hear, And if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to My name,” Says the Lord of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, Because you do not take it to heart. “Behold, I will rebuke your descendants and spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your solemn feasts" Malachi 2:1
Crucial Points
- Malachi's warning is directed towards God's people and their leaders in particular. This is a dire warning. The church is the Light of the World. If the light in Churchianity has become darkness, how great is that darkness...
- God promises to send a curse on His people, in fact says He has already done so. Such a warning suggest that the church was blind to their state. Perhaps they made excuses as to why their prayers were going unanswered, their children were being lost to the world and their solemn feast were ignored.
- God declares He will even curse their blessings...
Harsh words, with "cursed blessings" an ominous description of our current condition. "When our foundations are destroyed" aren't our pillars of blessing; personal salvation, family, church and community cursed to crack and crumble?
George Barna recently cited a study evidencing such structural damage. He reports up to 80% of Christian teens are dropping out of church by 20 something."
Who can deny our richest blessings are being plundered? When our homes and schools rank second only to a mother's womb as the most dangerous places in America, perhaps Malachi's words merit another look. In chapter two he continues:
"And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, With weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands..." Malachi 2:13
Whatever the offense, it seems of such amazing magnitude as to render heartfelt remorse, without radical life change, useless. Malachi continues:
"Yet you say, "For what reason?" Because the LORD has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant. But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit?" Malachi 2:14-15
Malachi now reveals our costly mistake of profaning, or treating as common, the holy. In this case it's the sacrament of marriage. America's sky-high divorce rate, even among professing Christians, certainly warrants this rebuke. However, as the LORD's prophet continues, he seems to have something more specific in mind:
"But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one?" Malachi 2:15
This question deserves very careful consideration. A continued curse on our blessings, rebuke of our descendants, the spreading of refuse on our faces and our solemn feasts, as well as God's disregard for our offerings and tears, weeping and crying all stand in the balance. Malachi provides his own answer:
"And why one? He seeks godly offspring."
America's war on weakness, particularly that which preys on youth, is revealed as a sure covenant with death. Seeking godly offspring, the LORD finds instead divorce, surgical and contraceptive abortion, child abuse and neglect, child and teen pornography, lewd music and movies, domestic and gang violence, drug and alcohol abuse all devastating the little ones that only yesterday He knit together in their mother's womb...
Will we, "hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches?" God, who's nature is to bless, not curse, bids us "come, let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet you may yet be washed whiter than snow. "
"When our foundations are destroyed what can the righteous do?" The Bible offers the perfect formula for repentance in 2 Chronicles 7:14, " if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
An Acrostic of Change
Today there are many opportunities for individuals, churches and organizations to have an impact on people within their communities. For some great simple pro-life ideas just click the link below:
Change
For an overview of being authentically pro-life click the link below. For an in depth report on serious church and denominational objectives and strategies to enable the church to have a comprehensive pro-life, pro-family and pro-mission strategy click the link below:
Authentically Pro-Life
Objectives