Pointing Fingers

Malachi 1:9 KJV

And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.

The prophet points his finger at the priests of Israel and tells them to pray for God's grace upon the people because their carelessness about spiritual matters and their callous responses to the Lord are "by (their) means".

Remembering that the New Testament priest is the Christian it would be right to call believers to pray for the grace of God upon the world in which we live.

• It would not be wrong to accuse Christianity as a whole for the lack of faith, conviction and holiness in this world
• It would not be wrong to accuse Christianity for the "despiteful" attitude the world in general seems to have toward Christian faith

Christianity in large has had a nearly two thousand year opportunity to influence the world for godliness. Instead

• It created so called Christian kings, all under the teaching of the same Papal system, who fought and killed for larger kingdoms
• It brutalized anyone who disagreed with it
• It divided into camp after camp of varying denominations who each fought for the power to destroy the other denominations
• It compromised the teachings of the Bible and claimed it had an authority equal with the Bible
• It produced charlatans and wolves and spiritual thieves

I do not mean to say that all of this was done by those who were truly born again. Nor do I mean to say that there hasn't been an element within Christianity that has been pure. There were, all along those years, a faithful and honest group of believers, hidden often in the mountains and the caves and hated and persecuted in the world, but true to the Word of God. But even these have to a large extent compromised with the world for the past two hundred years. Popularity and the desire for worldly success have tainted their practice if not their doctrine. And the world has responded. It is the fault of the believer that the world is in the shape it is in.

And if Christianity as a whole is to blame, it is to a large extent because their preachers led it to be so.

• Preaching that is not biblical
• Fighting to be the top pastor among pastors
• Stealing members from other churches for the sake of their own success

It is "by (our) means" the world is where it is. So the prophet points the finger at the priests but he does not remove them. He rather challenges that it is their responsibility now to pray.

And that is where I believe we are today. Let all who see the sorry shape we are in accept responsibility. Let us confess our sin. Then let us bow before our God and pray for His grace in this world.

• Perhaps there may be a revival
• Perhaps some will turn from sin and worldliness

Perhaps before the Saviour comes, God's grace will shine through and a sweep of godliness will result in men and women genuinely coming to the Lord.