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<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">“<b>TWO
ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Jim
& Marie Watt</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Tel:
<a href="tel:253-517-9195" target="_blank">253-517-9195</a> - Email:
<a href="mailto:jmbetter@gmail.com" target="_blank">jmbetter@gmail.com</a></b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Web:
<a href="http://www.2rbetter.org/" target="_blank">www.2rbetter.org</a></b></p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">April 6, 2013</p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">
<br></p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">
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</p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b>OCT
14 - MALACHI 1-2 - A PICTURE OF DARKNESS</b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b>1.
1:2-3a (1:1-5, ESV) JEHOVAH: HIS SOVEREIGN CHOICE BY
PREDESTINATION. <font size="3">“I have loved you,” says the LORD.
But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s
brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob </font><font style="font-size:8pt" size="1">3
</font><font size="3">but Esau I have hated.” </font></b><span style="font-weight:normal">You
are a Sovereign God, O </span><span style="font-weight:normal">F</span><span style="font-weight:normal">ather,
and as the Potter You do as You will with us, the clay. Your choices
are hidden in the mystery of Your will and purposes. You</span><span style="font-weight:normal">r</span><span style="font-weight:normal">
ways are past fin</span><span style="font-weight:normal">d</span><span style="font-weight:normal">ing
out. This is the nature of Your eternal Kingdom. We do not always
understand, but we do trust You implicitly, without reservation.
</span><b><i>Hallowed be your :name!</i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b>2.
1:6 (1:6-10) PRIESTS: DISHONOR JEHOVAH’S NAME. <font size="3">“A
son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a
father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear?
says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But
you say, ‘How have we despised your name?” </font></b><span style="font-weight:normal">Shame
on us Father, that we too pollute Your Name. So often we as leaders
are guilty of this. We would offer You </span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">our
best</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">!
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Your
:kingdom come!</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">3.
1:11 (1:11-14) PRIESTS: OFFERINGS OF HYPOCRISY AND CORRUPTION.
</span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“For from
the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the
nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a
pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the
LORD of hosts.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">There
is no name like Your Name in all the earth, Father! To give inferior
and unacceptable gifts unto You, dishonors Your great Name! Pure
praise and worship glorifies You. </span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Where
required, we amend our ways! </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Your
:will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">4.
2:6 (2:1-9) PRIESTS: JUDGMENT OF JEHOVAH UPON THEM. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“True
instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He
walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from
iniquity.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">In
the beginning Levi was jealous for Your Name, O great Jehovah Father.
But he departed from this carefulness. Eli is a picture of the
contrast with Phineas (Numbers 25:10-13). O forgive us wherein we
have walked carelessly like Eli. </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Our
:daily :bread Give us this day.</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">5.
2:10 (2:10-13) JUDAH: SINS OF THE PEOPLE. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“Have
we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we
faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?”
</span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Friendship
with the world is </span></span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">fornication</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
against God! Father forgive us for letting this enmity against You
enter our hearts and churches. Help us discern the enemy’s devices.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">And forgive
us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors!</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">6.
2:14-15 (2:14-16) JUDAH: SIN OF DIVORCE AMONG MEN. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">But
you say, “Why does he not?” Because the LORD was witness between
you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless,
though she is your companion and your wife </span></font><font size="3"><u>by
covenant</u></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">.
</span></font><font style="font-size:8pt" size="1"><span style="text-decoration:none">15
</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">Did he
not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And
what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in
your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your
youth.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Father
guard us from this ungodly sin. </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">And
bring us not into temptation.</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">7.
2:17. </span><span style="text-decoration:none">JUDAH: SIN OF HARD
WORDS AGAINST JEHOVAH. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">
You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, “How have
we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in
</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">t</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">he
sight of the LO</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">R</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">D,
and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of
justice?” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">These
are not words of Your Kingdom, Father: </span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">but
</span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Righteousness,
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">But
deliver us from the evil </span></i><span style="text-decoration:none">one!</span></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><u><b>NOTE</b></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><b>:
2:16 (2:14-16) DIVORCE: HATED BY JEHOVAH. </b></span><b><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“For
the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD,
the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD
of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be
faithless.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Divorce
- apart from fornication or an unbeliever leaving - verboten!</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">Quote
by Thomas Reade - </span></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">When
the Gospel was preached in these first ages of the Church, it was
revealed to the hearts and consciences of sinner with great power.
They deferred not their repentance one day.</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">Our
Psalm for the Day: 104:33-34 (104) </span><span style="text-decoration:none">O
LORD MY GOD, YOU ARE VERY GREAT. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">I
will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God
while I have being. </span></font><font style="font-size:8pt" size="1"><span style="text-decoration:none">34
</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">May </span></font><u><font size="3">my
meditation</font></u><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">
be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Father,
we consider Your great creation; then all Your acts and deeds; then
we meditate upon You and Your ways. As we rest in contemplation upon
You, our hearts are awed!</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt">The
poem contains a complete cosmos: sea and land, cloud and sunlight,
plant and animal, light and darkness, life and death, are all proved
to be expressive of the presence of the Lord. Traces of the six days
of creation are very evident, and though the creation of man, which
was the crowning work of the sixth day, is not mentioned,m this is
accounted for from the fact that man is himself the singer. It is a
poet’s version of Genesis. We have no information as to the
author, but the Septuagint assigns it to David, and we see no reason
for ascribing it to anyone else. His spirit, style, and manner of
writing are very manifest therein, and if the Psalm must be ascribed
to another, it must be to a mind remarkably similar, and we could
only suggest the wise son of David - Solomon, the poet-preacher, to
whose notes upon natural history in the Provers some of the verses
bear a striking likeness.</font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">104:1.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Bless the
Lord, O my soul. </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">This
Psalm begins and ends like </span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">t</span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">he
Hundred and Third. When we magnify the Lord, let us do it heartily:”
our best is far beneath His worthiness; let us not dishonor Him by
rendering to Him half-hearted worship. </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">O
Lord my God, You are very great. </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">God
was great on Sinai, yet the opening words of His law were, “I am
the Lord your God”; His greatness is no reason why faith should not
put in her claim and call Him all her own. It is not “the universe
is very great!” but, “You are very great.” Many stay at the
creature, and so become idolatrous in spirit; to pass onward to the
Creator Himself is true wisdom. </span></span></font></font>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">104:4.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Who makes
His angels spirits. </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">God
is a Spirit, and He is waited upon by spirits in His royal courts.
Angels are like winds for mystery, force, and invisibility, and no
doubt the winds themselves are often the angels, or messengers of
God. </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">His
ministers a flaming fire.</span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
That the passage refers to angels, is clear from Hebrews 1:7; and it
was most proper to mention them here in connection with light and the
heavens, and immediately after the robes and palace of the Great
King.</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">104:9.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">You have set
a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to
cover the earth.</span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
That bound has once been passed, but it shall never be so again. The
deluge was caused by the suspension of the divine mandate which held
the floods in check: they knew their old supremacy and hastened to
reassert it, but now the covenant promise forever prevents a return
of that revolt of the waves. Jehovah’s Word bounds the ocean, using
only a narrow belt of sand to confine it to its own limits: that
apparently feeble restraint answers every purpose, for the sea is
obedient as a little child to the bidding of its Maker. Destruction
lies asleep in the bed of the ocean, and though our sins might well
arouse it, yet are its bands made strong by covenant mercy, so that
it canno</span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">t</span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
break loose again upon the guilty sons of men.</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">104:16.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">The trees of
the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which He has
planted. </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">The
trees uncared for by man are yet so full of sap, we may rest assured
that the people of God who by faith live upon the Lord alone shall be
equally well sustained. Planted by grace, and owing all to our
heavenly Father’s care, we may defy the hurricane and laugh at the
fear of drought, for none that trust in Him shall ever be left
unwatered.</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">194L28.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">You take
away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Note
here that death is caused by the act of God, “You take away their
breath”; we are immortal till He bids us die, and so are even the
little sparrows, who fall not to the ground without our Father.</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">104:34.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">My
meditation of Him shall be sweet. </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Meditation
is the soul of religion. It is the tree of life in the midst of the
garden of piety, and very refreshing is its fruit to the soul which
feeds thereon. </span></span><b><span style="text-decoration:none">(From
“The Treasury of David” by C.H. Spurgeon, abridged by D.O.
Fuller)</span></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
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