Malachi 3:10 - "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it".
1. THE CHARGE
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house".
(a) Tithing relates to our money. We are to give the LORD 10% of our total income.
(b) Tithing relates to our minutes. We should tithe our time. There are 168 hours in the week therefore 16.8 hours should be given to God. Some people can’t even give 1 hour on a Sunday!
(c) Tithing relates to our mind. How much time do we spend thinking about spiritual things?
The "storehouse" is the local church. "Meat" is a reference to whatever is needed to support the work of the LORD.
2. THE CHALLENGE
"Prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts".
(a) An imperial challenge – "prove me… the LORD of hosts".
(b) An impending challenge – "now".
(c) An impeccable challenge – "herewith" i.e. the tithes mentioned at the beginning of the verse.
3. THE CHANGE
"If I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it".
(a) First part of this change - the windows of heaven are closed but the LORD will open them. This is the condition of the Church in Northern Ireland. Heaven’s windows are shut tight. But they need not stay shut.
(b) Second part of this change - the blessing has all but disappeared but the LORD will pour blessing upon us. The word "pour" is to be carefully noted. It speaks of much blessing. It speaks of revival.
When heaven’s windows are opened multitudes are converted to Christ, crime rate plummets, drunkards & drug addicts are set free, pubs & off licences close, bad language disappears, sport becomes uninteresting in comparison to eternal things.
Visit us, Lord, with revival:
Stricken with coldness and death
Where is our hope of survival,
Save in Thy life-giving breath?
Sinners in proud exultation,
Lust of the flesh and the eye,
Bent on the soul’s desecration
God and His people defy.
Turning aside into byways,
Letting their ardour grow cold,
Many are leaving the highways
Trod by our fathers of old.
Lord, send us revival!
Let it begin now in me!
Gladly dethroning each rival,
Yield I my heart unto Thee.
