The book of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, reveals that not much has changed since the time of the prophets. Just like then, there are plenty of people looking for a spiritual leader - someone with the answers to life's hard questions. And just like then, there are plenty of people claiming to be trustworthy spiritual leaders. But claiming to be a good leader and being a good spiritual leader are two different things.

One test of our faith is seen in how we invest our energies and how we order our priorities. If we have a vibrant, active faith in God then our priorities will keep Him and His work at the center of our activities. But if our faith is weak and our image of God is of someone far away and disconnected from our lives, then our energy will be spent on people we can see and things we can touch- we'll invest in things with a return in this present life.

Pastor Pierre Rosa now turns to the book of Malachi - the last book of the Old Testament - to begin a series exploring our devotion to God. Malachi lived during the late fifth century B.C. and recorded the last prophecies of the Old Testament. After Malachi, God was still very much involved in the life of His people, but there would be no recorded word from Him for 400 years - until the Word himself, Jesus Christ, was born in Bethlehem.

To -throw in the towel- is a phrase from the world of boxing. When a fighter is taking a beating, and facing almost certain defeat, their support team can literally throw a towel into the ring to signal they are conceding the contest. We use the phrase now in everyday language to describe any time we have decided to give up, rather than press on to the bitter end.

In our last message from the series, Philippians and the Joy of the Lord, Pastor Pierre Rosa expounds on the Joy of God's Provision. When we hear the word -provision- it's natural to think only of receiving something from God or someone else. But God's provision is like a coin - with two faces. There is great joy to be found in BEING God's provision - and giving to others, just as much as there is joy in receiving God's provision. In the end, we are to live a life of gratitude as we consider the fathomless depths of God's love towards us.

Today we continue with our series from the New Testament book of Philippians, and Pastor Pierre Rosa uses the first nine verses from chapter four to teach us to Rejoice in Lord.----Our sources of joy may be found in many things or circumstances, but the Lord Himself is our greatest and most permanent source of rejoicing.

Today Pastor Pierre Rosa teaches us to Rejoice in Perseverance. The Christian life, described in the Bible, is never stagnant. We do not simply coast to the end. Paul makes that clear in his letter to the Philippians. Believers are called to press on - to learn and mature - no matter what our circumstances. And even as we near the end of life, we expected to continue to grow, and spend our last energies stretching toward the finish line.

Go to any metropolitan area, and given a bit of patience and ingenuity, you can almost certainly purchase fake Gucci shoes or a fake Rolex watch. It might prove embarrassing to you if someone finds out you don't own the real thing, but purchase fake medicine and try to treat a disease and you might wind up dead. As final as that may sound, imagine the devastating effect of a fake Gospel. That will leave you separated from God for eternity.

On today's program, Pastor Pierre Rosa focuses on the biblical view of manhood. Our culture's confusion about the role of men is growing by the day. Now, more than ever, men are allowed, if not encouraged, to avoid responsibility as long as possible.

Today, Pastor Pierre Rosa will teach us to rejoice in Godliness. To do that, we have to make a series of choices - embracing some things and abandoning others. This becomes a strategy for successful Christian living. But the most important part of our strategy is to choose to rejoice - even when we don't feel like it, something we can only do with God's help.