Our Praise as Incense (5/22-24)

22-24 May 2015 – Our Praise As Incense – Manna By Dorothy Callies

Malachi 1:11 NCV: "'From the east to the west I will be honored among the nations. Everywhere they will bring incense and clean offerings to me, because I will be honored among the nations,' says the Lord All-Powerful."

Question: How would God find the nations, the Gentiles who would bring the incense to Him? Malachi, the prophet gave message to the priests that God was not pleased with them. They failed to keep up the fire upon golden altar and with incense inside the golden censer that brings the sweet-aroma of special perfume designed by God. They failed to offer the perfect animals. They did not fear Him nor show any revere to His name.  (Malachi 1:6-8,12-14; 2:1-4)

Malachi 1:11 fulfilled the prophecy 400 years later, what God was looking for the kind of spiritual incense which was worship, praise and adoration in the Spirit toward Him. The book of Acts 2 began with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon 120 believers. Their prayers became "the sweet-smelling aroma incense" as they worship God in new prayer languages the believers had not been taught before.

Thousands of people from other nations came to celebrate Passover and to join the annual festival of Pentecost at Jerusalem. The people who lived in Jerusalem heard the powerful noise that came from the Upper Room where 120 disciples were speaking in different languages. Multitude came together and some groups were surprised to hear their own languages from where they were born from other nations and that from the disciples who lived in the area of Galilee, only know two languages, Hebrews and Greek.

There were about fourteen nations from Asia, Media, Rome and Crete, where people came from with their own languages plus the Greek language. Peter saw them being confused and amazed at the disciples speaking their languages about the wonderful works of God. They asked what does this means.

Then Peter stood up and gave the answer to what God was doing (Acts 2:14-42). The key verse 39 was God’s promise and it fits well with Malachi 1:11 that 3,000 souls were saved. They came from nations, East and West and they honored God with their prayer offering which became an incense to God as they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Since then God’s Spirit is still moving today. Are you being filled with the Holy Spirit? Let your praise become as incense to Him.

Song: Let Our Praise to You Be As Incense

Let our praise to You be as in-cense.

Let our praise to You be as pil-lars of Your throne.

Let our praise to You be as in-cense

As we come be-fore You and wor-ship You alone,

As we see You in your splen-dour

As we gaze up-on Your majesty,

As we join the hosts of an-gels,

And pro-claim together Your holiness.

Ho-ly, ho-ly, ho-ly, ho-ly to the Lord.

(Brent Chambers, Praise Chorus Book by Maranatha! Music)