Surely it must have been an arduous task to write, knowing that his words would be the LAST words spoken about Jehovah God, that 400 years would pass until the coming of the Messiah.  As I sit in the darkness of the morning, I find myself contemplating how this long period of silence must have felt in their future.  Maybe they did not know it would last so long; maybe they knew.  Nevertheless, the prophets of old were passing away, and the coming of the Messiah was in the future.  For generations, the LORD’S prophets had said so, and now the generation of people living in the middle, in the silent time surely thought the prophets had lost their minds, had spoke nonsense.  BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL, and there remained a remnant who still believed.

It would be so long (400 years) but before the silence began, one of God’s prophets spoke the TRUTH; Malachi stepped into God’s story and wrote—

For so long, Satan had his way, deceiving the people, and he wanted to make sure the gospel did not go out to the people.  Today, Satan’s goal has not changed.  He is consistently evil in his desire to deceive, to steal, to take that which the LORD has placed inside each person:  The innate desire to know the Creator.

Satan (the evil one, the devil) wants to destroy, to kill, and to keep followers of Christ from reaching the unreached people groups. The crazy notion is that he will succeed IF WE REMAIN IMMOBILE, SILENT, AND AFRAID.

BUT WE SERVE A GOD WHO MAKES THE IMPOSSIBLE—POSSIBLE!

• Every prayer matters.
• Every gospel conversation matters.

God uses His faithful ones, their prayers, their Spirit-led actions to change lives and to advance His Kingdom.  John the Baptist was a forerunner Malachi spoke of in his writing, in what would become the final words spoken about the LORD before the silent period.

• When our lives are connected to Jesus, then we can be part of His Plan, God’s Plan.
• When our hearts are willing, then we can lead others to Jesus.
• When our mouths are open, we can tell others how Jesus came to save people from their sin.
• When we are willing servants (like God’s prophet Malachi), then we join Jesus in His mission.
• Look around where God has you.
• Befriend those who need a friend, who may be living far from home.
• Eat meals with them.
• Invite them to stay at your home.
• Share the gospel in a way they can understand.

Share time with others, with an open mind & an open Bible & the open-ended question:

What must one do with the TRUTH?

Among other faithful prophets who spoke of the coming Messiah,

• The prophet, Isaiah, spoke of John’s proclamation.
• Malachi, the prophet, proclaimed the coming of the forerunner to Jesus.

Four hundred years, a period between the Old and New Testaments, a time when many believe God did not reveal any new Scripture through the prophets.  This was a time of silence, primarily due to the absence of new prophecy.  During this time, the Persian, Greek, and Roman empires ruled.  Following the Israelites’ captivity to the Babylonians, the Jews were ruled by the Persians.  Then came Alexander the Great who stormed the region and brought a Greek language and culture that spread throughout the land.  It was during this tumultuous time the LORD ordained the Hebrew Bible translated into Greek.  There was the emergence of the religious groups:  the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  Although the region was controlled by the Egyptians, still a revolt occurred, one celebrated by Jews still today.  Nevertheless, the Romans, in all their might, gained control of Judea, and Herod the Great became the ruler.  He was present at the birth of Jesus.  While many Jews were not ready, not prepared to accept a babe in a manger as the promised Messiah, still HOPE remained.

What must one do with the TRUTH?

• One Must Accept the TRUTH.
• Believe in JESUS’ work on the cross and in the grave.  &
• Confess his sins committed against Holy God.

A-B-C:  A Simple and Profound Gospel