Malachi 3

The Master You've Been Looking For

1 "Look! I'm sending my messenger on ahead to clear the way for me. Suddenly, out of the blue, the Leader you've been looking for will enter his Temple-yes, the Messenger of the Covenant, the one you've been waiting for. Look! He's on his way!" A Message from the mouth of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

2 But who will be able to stand up to that coming? Who can survive his appearance? He'll be like white-hot fire from the smelter's furnace. He'll be like the strongest lye soap at the laundry.3 He'll take his place as a refiner of silver, as a cleanser of dirty clothes. He'll scrub the Levite priests clean, refine them like gold and silver, until they're fit for God, fit to present offerings of righteousness.4 Then, and only then, will Judah and Jerusalem be fit and pleasing to God, as they used to be in the years long ago.

5 "Yes, I'm on my way to visit you with Judgment. I'll present compelling evidence against sorcerers, adulterers, liars, those who exploit workers, those who take advantage of widows and orphans, those who are inhospitable to the homeless-anyone and everyone who doesn't honor me." A Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

6 "I am God-yes, I Am. I haven't changed. And because I haven't changed, you, the descendants of Jacob, haven't been destroyed.7 You have a long history of ignoring my commands. You haven't done a thing I've told you. Return to me so I can return to you," says God-of-the-Angel-Armies. "You ask, 'But how do we return?'

8 "Begin by being honest. Do honest people rob God? But you rob me day after day. "You ask, 'How have we robbed you?' "The tithe and the offering-that's how!'9 And now you're under a curse-the whole lot of you-because you're robbing me.10 Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don't open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams.11 For my part, I will defend you against marauders, protect your wheat fields and vegetable gardens against plunderers." The Message of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

12 "You'll be voted 'Happiest Nation.' You'll experience what it's like to be a country of grace." God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so. The Difference Between Serving God and Not Serving Him

The Difference Between Serving God and Not Serving Him

13 God says, "You have spoken hard, rude words to me.

14 "When you said, 'It doesn't pay to serve God. What do we ever get out of it? When we did what he said and went around with long faces, serious about God-of-the-Angel-Armies, what difference did it make?15 Those who take life into their own hands are the lucky ones. They break all the rules and get ahead anyway. They push God to the limit and get by with it.'"

16 Then those whose lives honored God got together and talked it over. God saw what they were doing and listened in. A book was opened in God's presence and minutes were taken of the meeting, with the names of the God-fearers written down, all the names of those who honored God's name.

17 God-of-the-Angel-Armies said, "They're mine, all mine. They'll get special treatment when I go into action. I treat them with the same consideration and kindness that parents give the child who honors them.18 Once more you'll see the difference it makes between being a person who does the right thing and one who doesn't, between serving God and not serving him.

Malachi 4

The Sun of Righteousness Will Dawn

1 "Count on it: The day is coming, raging like a forest fire. All the arrogant people who do evil things will be burned up like stove wood, burned to a crisp, nothing left but scorched earth and ash-a black day.2 But for you, sunrise! The sun of righteousness will dawn on those who honor my name, healing radiating from its wings. You will be bursting with energy, like colts frisky and frolicking.3 And you'll tromp on the wicked. They'll be nothing but ashes under your feet on that Day." God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.

4 "Remember and keep the revelation I gave through my servant Moses, the revelation I commanded at Horeb for all Israel, all the rules and procedures for right living.

5 "But also look ahead: I'm sending Elijah the prophet to clear the way for the Big Day of God-the decisive Judgment Day!6 He will convince parents to look after their children and children to look up to their parents. If they refuse, I'll come and put the land under a curse."

Matthew 1

1 The family tree of Jesus Christ, David's son, Abraham's son:

2 Abraham had Isaac, Isaac had Jacob, Jacob had Judah and his brothers,3 Judah had Perez and Zerah (the mother was Tamar), Perez had Hezron, Hezron had Aram,4 Aram had Amminadab, Amminadab had Nahshon, Nahshon had Salmon,5 Salmon had Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Boaz had Obed (Ruth was the mother), Obed had Jesse,

6 Jesse had David, and David became king. David had Solomon (Uriah's wife was the mother),7 Solomon had Rehoboam, Rehoboam had Abijah, Abijah had Asa,8 Asa had Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat had Joram, Joram had Uzziah,9 Uzziah had Jotham, Jotham had Ahaz, Ahaz had Hezekiah,10 Hezekiah had Manasseh, Manasseh had Amon, Amon had Josiah,11 Josiah had Jehoiachin and his brothers, and then the people were taken into the Babylonian exile.

12 When the Babylonian exile ended, Jehoiachin had Shealtiel, Shealtiel had Zerubbabel,13 Zerubbabel had Abiud, Abiud had Eliakim, Eliakim had Azor,14 Azor had Zadok, Zadok had Achim, Achim had Eliud,15 Eliud had Eleazar, Eleazar had Matthan, Matthan had Jacob,16 Jacob had Joseph, Mary's husband, the Mary who gave birth to Jesus, the Jesus who was called Christ.

17 There were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, another fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and yet another fourteen from the Babylonian exile to Christ. The Birth of Jesus

The Birth of Jesus

18 The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.)19 Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.

20 While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant.21 She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus-'God saves'-because he will save his people from their sins."22 This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term:23 Watch for this-a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Emmanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").

24 Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary.25 But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.