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God is desperate to save He loves you and all people He made Look at His ingenious way of making a preacher willing to work God wants you so bad He is willing to even make a whale help He's willing to do what it takes to get people to listen |
 God
is desperate to save the people on this earth that He created with plans
of fellowshipping with them. Satan, a rebellious angel, was sent out of
heaven because of his terrible jealousy and pride and anger against God.
Since Satan is angry, he is determined to trick all the people he can so
that God cannot have any to save and take to heaven. Satan has been
telling so many lies about God that many people are afraid of God. They
are deceived by Satan into thinking God is not fair, He is mean and
unloving. Jesus came to live among us to show that God is not that way. |
| During the time of Jonah, God had noticed
one city was known for it's crime and wickedness. God sees
everything. We have cities in America that all know are full of
crime and wickedness. God will punish them but He is waiting for all the
honest to learn the truth about Him and choose heaven.
Well, Nineveh had the worst reputation. God looked for a preacher to go and warn that city that they had done so many horrible things God was going to destroy them. God looked around for someone who He could send to be the trusted preacher. He chose Jonah. He knew Jonah had a problem in his own thinking. God knew that Jonah would enjoy watching people punished. As a parent, I have a policy of only punishing my children in private. My motive in correction and boundary setting is to bring about behavior that is loving, honest, kind and thoughtful of others. If I destroy their sense of value by embarrassing them, I loose. To correct in public may bring an outward compliance but an inward rebellion. The child needs to know they are loved and respected. |
| Now God knew about Jonah's attitude
before he chose Jonah. His preacher man had some lessons to learn as well
as one to teach.
God likes to speak in a still small voice but He will do whatever it takes to get people to listen. He thundered at mount Sinai to get the Hebrews to listen. To Elijah, He spoke in a still small voice. God knew how he would have to frighten Jonah to get him to listen. God took the risks needed to get the attention of the huge city of violent people. That great city Nineveh was about 500-600 miles from where Jonah lived. Jonah heard God's voice. It frightened him to go preach to the violent people. |
  Jonah
heard the voice of God asking him to go to Nineveh and warn them that
because of their wickedness they were soon to die. He was afraid they
would all laugh at him. He did not want to go out of his comfort zone. He
decided he would go on a vacation in the opposite direction from Nineveh.
He got on a ship headed for Tarshish. He went down into the bottom of the
ship and laid down to go to sleep. He thought God would never find him
there. He forgot God sees everything done in secret. Angels mark every
thought, every word, every hand signal and every action. |
  Evidently
he was not short of money for a trip to Nineveh, he paid for the trip to
Tarshish. Immediately a big wind came up and the captain demanded Jonah
wake up and pray to God. Jonah did not expect God to hear him for he was
running from HIM. He insisted they just throw him over board. They tried
other methods like throwing all their boxes into the water to keep from
sinking. Finally they drew straws to see who was the cause of the storm.
The lot pointed to Jonah. He said it was his problem. He was running from
God. They were afraid and finally threw him into the water. Immediately
the water calmed down for them.
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Jonah washed off the smelly stuff and headed to do his work in Nineveh.
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| It is interesting that the men on the ship with Jonah, even though real strong and used to sailing the sea were extremely frightened by this storm. Jonah was too upset and feeling too guilty to care. He seemed to prefer death to working for God. |
| The men on the ship worshipped God and offered sacrifices to Him. They even made promises to God. (Jonah 1:16) |
 In
Nineveh, Jonah did not realize that it was the Holy Spirit that convicts
hearts. He did his work then sat to watch the city burn. The people were
under conviction that God was serious. They repented and changed their
ways. This made poor Jonah angry. God prepared a fast growing plant that
climbed quickly to make shade for Jonah. Then |
 God sent a worm to kill the
plant. It made Jonah sad because his shade plant died. This plant was a
parable or object lesson to tell Jonah the truth about himself. Jonah had
more pity on the shade plant than he did over thousands of people in the
city that he wanted to see burned up. God told him that He had a right to
forgive people who were really sorry for their sins. That was His goal in
sending Jonah, not to have a bonfire and burn people. |
 Jonah did not look at sinners as God does. God desperately wants to
save. When we become like Him, we will feel the same way. We will be doing
all we can to help people find the truth about God. |
 God has given to everyone a work.
If anyone turns from that
work and does the work of Satan, to defile his own body or to cause
another to sin, his work is cursed and has the mark of Cain. That person
needs to ask forgiveness and turn from sin. He needs God's help. Daily we
need to go to God for help in overcoming sin. God can work a miracle and
change the evil desires to pure ones. Nineveh turned from sin and God
helped them. Jonah needed God's help too.
If anyone turns from the work God gave them to do, defiles his body, or leads others to sin, he has the mark of Cain. |
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God is desperate to save. He loves you and all people He made. Look at His ingenious way of making a preacher willing to work. God wants you so bad He is willing to even make a whale help. He's willing to do what it takes to get people to listen. He called me three nights in a row in a dream asking me to preach the gospel to thousands. I argued that I was a certified family practice doctor working full time serving a big city Portland, Oregon. God reminded me of Jonah. I did not want the Jonah plunge. I am so glad I accepted His plan for my life! I, like Jonah have been studying at the feet of the King of the Universe. He has taught me His ways. I am still learning and plan to keep sharing through out all eternity. He had a bigger city for me to work. (the world) He has sent me out training my children that He gave after 13 years of Hannah prayers. Now He is training them using my hands. He taught me how to do web sites and reach into 120 countries with the stories of His love. He has gifted my children with ways to be a blessing too in this ministry. There is no limit to God's power if you are willing to work with Him. |
| Credits: My young son Kyle at age 10 began asking for the gift of art to help him do evangelism. He wants to be a preacher. Now at the age of 13 he is doing art every day for this web and helping others. His web site is: Advent3d.com |
Jonah went down until a big fish came by and swallowed him. He was in
the belly of the whale for 3 days. How stinky those old kelp leaves and
rotting fish must have smelled. He began to pray. God heard his cry and
made the fish vomit Jonah up onto dry land.