“For My name will be great among the nations, from the rising of the sun to its setting. Incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name in every place because My name will be great among the nations,” says Yahweh of Hosts. Malachi 1:11 HCSB
In one church where I served I was told a story of how the previous youth minister had served the Lord’s Supper at a camp. There was nothing wrong with serving the Lord’s Supper at the camp, but it was the way he served the Lord’s Supper that was questioned. He used Coca-Cola and saltine crackers for the elements of the Lord’s Supper and served them from an old cardboard box. Some people were furious when they learned of how the Lord’s Supper had been served. They did not think that it showed the proper respect and honor for what it represented – the body and blood of Jesus that was sacrificed on the cross.
This Scripture is very clear, claiming that the Lord is great among the nations and that every nation will bring incense and pure offerings to the Lord. For Christians, incense corresponds to prayers (see Revelation 5:8). Our pure offerings are our worship of the Lord. We are to show honor and respect when we worship the Lord (see Hebrews 13:15-16). The Lord’s Supper is an act of worship.
Challenge: As Christians we are God’s chosen people. We are to worship and praise God, recognizing that He is great among all nations. Does your worship show the proper respect and honor that the Lord deserves? As believers we are to make God the focus of our lives, both now and eternally. What incense or prayers are you lifting up to God to show your true spirit and attitude toward Him?