I feel kind of awkward after 48 years, I've been pastor here and thank the Lord that things
changed and thankful for the privilege that Pastor Enrique had given me this morning to
break the better life to you.
of his saints. And we just read Malachi chapter 3, but verse 16 of Malachi chapter 3 is where
I've chosen my main thought. Verse 16, Malachi chapter 3, then they that feared the Lord spoke
And the Lord harkened and heard it, and a book of memos was written before him for them
that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name.
The multitudes that turned from the Lord, when the laws of God had forgotten, there
was still a remnant, small number, that feared the Lord.
In fact, the Lord, he preserves a remnant.
Made a plea with the Lord Lord just go ahead and take me out says don't let that woman do it
the Queen
But the prophet of course lived in her day Malachi did one thing were not pretty Marley
Few days ago
Just a few days ago, a week or so, it hadn't been that long, Glenda and I attended a wedding,
came in and crashed the wedding party, right after the wedding was over. These two lesbians
came and got the mic and they would give their little spiel why their way of life was
better than our way.
Well, it's sad.
That they got in, walked in, and with their mic, they made their little spill, or their
little plea for their way of life.
The folk I got to tell you, things are bad in that respect, and haven't gotten any better.
All kind of laws are being dictated and what have you to protect that kind of people.
But let me tell you this much
We go but what the Lord said is right and wrong
And there's no way you can make wrong right especially in this case
But the thing struck me is how what kind of
Day we live in that a person can walk in like that and get the mic and
kind of make their plea for
The ungodly way of life
But that's the day we live in and that's why I want to
Hopefully today to inspire you to
Make your life count for God and
Ignore the wrong way
But as we look at the people here in Malachi day the manner which they distinguished himself from the world
But we need to be different from the world on Monday and we are on Sunday
That does thank you in a moment
But these people this remnant in Malachi they feared the Lord they reverence God
The scripture says the fear of the Lord
the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. When Moses came
before Pharaoh, and he said to Pharaoh, he said, God said, let my people go. Remember what Pharaoh
is the Lord that I should obey his voice. I'm the king of Egypt.
Folks get a lot of people have that attitude toward God.
Who is the Lord? I can tell you who he is. He's the one that put us here.
And he's the one that because of the price that he paid, we're going to get to live with him forever.
And we see that day as it approaches the day of the Lord.
And these people that we're reading about in Malachi saw that and had that precious hope.
They respected the people did, the remnant.
For God is the one that has a final say on all things
Not just what we pick out or choose
These people fear the God's wrath a righteous judgment
Therefore they complied with God
They believed in doing God's business God's way. Now. Let me say that again
They believed in doing God's business God's way
The Lord gave us the road map the book
And to me there's no other book but this book
And we need to adhere to it
The Lord wasn't wasting this time we hope when he gave us the book
Many days the Bible said we're gonna stand before God and the books are gonna be open
Some people think that it's the 66 books of the Bible, but nevertheless the Lord knows
what books they are.
He didn't tell me exactly here, but he told me enough.
But in every age there's been a remnant of people of God.
They're spouses
God said I've had enough no going to destroy
Mankind from the face of the earth
But God looked on no one's told him to go ahead and build that Ark because the flood was going to come
That God was going to bring judgment on the earth. I don't know how much y'all thought about that before or not
But God had to bring judgment because men are mankind himself rejected God
But you think about it a moment
When those floodwaters or the flood begin to come down and destroy the earth.
Think about all those little precious little children like we see here today.
What happened to those little children?
Yeah, they died.
But they were transferred to be with the Lord
Little children don't go to hell folks
You've got to reach an age of accountability we call it
But little children are gonna be with the Lord forever
We hate to lose little fella
wife and I lost a little guy
Almost 50 years ago now 40 some odd years ago
If you lose a child, you'll never forget it."
The doctor called and said, we don't think a little guy's going to make it.
He doesn't live two days.
He didn't make it, but he's in a better place than I've been for these last 40-some-odd
years.
That's why we adore these little fellows because they're innocent, and we need to recognize
that.
But again, in every age, even when Elijah, I mentioned one of the ghosts, there's, everybody
turned against you but me, and the Lord said, no, it's not so.
And thank the Lord that he does do that today
But these people thought upon the Lord's name
They meditated upon God
And they look forward to the coming of Jesus
And you'll read that whole chapter of Malachi and you'll find that that was their precious hope
was the coming of our Lord.
But their meditation was sweet to them and influenced them.
They desired to honor God.
That was their aim.
But if we go on or anyone, it should be the God that made us and
sent His Son to die in our place.
But they desired to honor God. That was their aim. And they spoke again of God often.
They talked about what they thought about. Out of the mouth, men's mouth comes
the truth, a word of truth. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh, the Scripture says.
But the purpose of their conversation was that they might stay together, and if we as
a church need to encourage one another as we do the Lord's work and as we see it grow
along the way, we've got much to be thankful for, and thank the Lord for the revived spirit
that we see among Springcrest.
I thank the Lord for you that have fought and still fighting for the truths of the Word
of God.
But these people kept together, and they spoke kindly one to another.
They encouraged one another that they might not whack cold, but we all need encouragement.
She said to me yesterday, and God bless her. She said, I feel like just laying down and not waking up anymore
She has just lost her loved one yesterday and she said that pile on all the other things
But anyway, keep caring in your prayers. She really needs it
But God dignified these things
He took note of their conversation
He was present with him
not only
Does he hear me and curse him today?
But thank the Lord he sees me and bless him as they do
But whatever you do for the Lord
Doesn't go unnoticed
Don't feel like you're wasting your time when you're serving the Lord
But the Lord kept an account of them
He doesn't need to as you and I would write make a have a written record, but he told told him he had a record of them
That they might know is and keep a record
The reason
He's one of these days Lord gonna say well done
that good and faithful servant
Come and inherit the things that are yours
Every man is going to be rewarded
accordingly
Quite often we
Believe in the scripture where it says God's gonna judge you God gonna judge you in the two manners
Those that receive Christ are gonna be in the judgment seat of the same
But you're gonna be rewarded as the Lord said according as our work shall be
But the Lord promised him a future share in glory
He said they shall be mine
When I make up my jewels
Don't think about that a moment your jewel to him
Don't ever give up
Keep on serving the Lord here regardless of the things that life comes your way.
Folks, I'll share with you some of it, some of you know of it.
I mentioned about losing the son, I lost my other grown son who stood right here and gave
And a few days later, he was down on the beach at Surfside.
He and a fellow that he was training on the job, and the guy picked up a club while my
son was asleep.
He hit my son in the head, brain damage, and the doctor said he wouldn't go make it.
I kind of understand how Lord Savior's father gave, you take an only child, folks, and that's
what Jesus was.
They only begotten.
And God gave his son for me and my sons, and we're going to live together forever.
All those thoughts and things, we, by the way, that happened July the 28th, 1983,
The Lord knows what's going on. But the Lord promised us a future share in the Lord's glory.
And the faithful, again, are called God's jewels. Those who love the Lord,
Even from the dirt
Last week we stood
for the Todd back here
His mother was real faithful to the church for years and
We stood and placed her in a grave and we watched that
Apparatus that they used to lower the casket the dust of the earth, but
The Lord said, dust thou art, and dust thou shalt return, did I what he said?
Before we can't carry the old flesh with us.
We don't want to carry the flesh with us, the Lord has got a better body.
He'll confess us publicly.
But when iniquity was bold and bare-faced, his people stirred up themselves.
They strengthen one another and focus on what we need to do as brothers and sisters in Christ
Is hold each other up in prayer and in a way we can
But I want to remind you if you study the scriptures of this precious word of God
You'll find it in every age has been a remnant
But if you're saved, if you are saved, it's going to be in a day that a backslidden people,
the scripture teaches us that, judgment day comes, and it's coming, folks.
And the Lord is going to take care of things.
That's why we can stand confident and say,
blessed be the name of the Lord.
May God add His blessings to the thoughts that's going on.
And thank you for the time you've given me.
Pastor and Ricky, thank you so much.
God bless you.