After confronting the Priests, in Malachi 1:6-2:9, and their failure to offer correct sacrifices, God now turns to the people and confronts their failure to keep the covenant that God made with His people. When the men of Judah divorced their Jewish wives and married foreign women, they invited foreign gods into God's sanctuary. God finishes this confrontation with the charge to "be on our guard" v.15-16. What do we allow into our lives that takes us away from God, rather than growing in relationship with Him?

This passage focuses on the obedience of Philip to share the gospel even when he didn't know all God had in store for him.  Philip (and us) can keep taking a step forward because God has proved Himself to be faithful, because we play a part in spreading the gospel, and because God can do great things.

It is easy to see church as a Cruiseliner, being comfortable of where we are, but the mission of the church is to be like a Rescue Boat where we look at the needs of others in bringing them the message of the hope in Jesus Christ.

Once we become a Christian, we are part of God's kingdom here and now, but there is still a 'not yet' aspect to it. There is still sin in our lives and brokenness in the world. We have freedom, forgiveness and fullness in Christ, but are still part of a world that is fallen, failing and fractured. Jesus is the King of a kingdom that has 'come near' and one that will come in fullness when He returns. He is the in-between king, and we must learn what it means for us to live as in-betweeners in that kingdom.

Is there any greater love than what God shows us? Even though we disappoint God on many occasions, His love for us never ceases. Nothing we do separates us from His love.