http://www.missionofhopeministries.com/
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10 KJV
Are you ready for a real change? I promise you it won’t be anything like what the politicians are offering us today. Have you ever wondered just what it will be like when the LORD JESUS arrives here on earth to establish His Kingdom? We can rest assured of one thing, our environment and way of living will be much different from there on out. I often tell people to be careful of what they pray for because the LORD just might answer your prayer. I say this when I hear someone ask for something out of a frivolous heart. I feel that is what most people’s prayers are, frivolous. I do not think they put their prayers to too much thought because of their off handed requests are not really expected to be heard much less answered. I say all this because of the repetitive prayer we are taught to say from time to time. The Lord’s Prayer is one of the most repeated prayers known in all of Christendom. Be very careful, the LORD hears everything we say and repetitive prayers are an absolute bore to Him. The LORD encourages us to avoid those type prayers at all possible times.
“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” Matthew 6:5-7 KJV
I feel if we would just stop and for once realize that the Lord’s Prayer will someday become a reality, we would most definitely consider what we are praying for. Thy Kingdom come? Really? Do we realize our way of life will be changed forever? Our president has many times offered change to us at our request but when the LORD JESUS returns to set on King David’s throne, change will most assuredly come about, and I mean drastic changes from what we are used too. Just when are these changes going to take place? Well, the Bible gives us a clue as when this will happen.
“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 11:15 KJV
The seventh trumpet is the key as to when things will begin to change for the born-again believer in the LORD JESUS Christ.
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” I Corinthians 15:51-52 KJV
As I said before, the seventh trumpet is the last trumpet and the key to these immediate changes for the child of God. Are you ready for change now? But we that know Jesus as our personal Saviour will know change, drastic change and change for the good, peaceful, and precious life that we all will experience for the very first time. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” This what we pray for isn’t it? Then why aren’t we ready for it?
I spend a lot of time in my studies of the Bible attempting to speculate on just how it will be when the LORD returns to establish His kingdom. Of course I refer back and forth to the Old Testament and New Testament of the Bible to ask and seek the little tidbits of clues of the Kingdom. Things like, just what kind of change are we talking about here and where is the kickoff point? First of all, I feel that all mechanization will cease because of the exhaustive war of the Beast which is defeated at the Battle of Armageddon.
“For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee (the LORD Jesus Christ) shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.” Isaiah 60:12 KJV
Trust me when I tell you, he (the Beast of Revelation) will throw everything in the world that is at his disposal at the Coming Christ in all His Glory. I hope any of you are not in the military at this point because you will be numbered with the dammed. I also suspect that all industrialization will come to a grinding halt due to the exhaustion of resources such as oil and the oil refineries that have also been destroyed by the LORD’S coming in all His brightness. No more oil? How will we live? Trust me when I tell you, you won’t have a need for it anymore when the LORD is here. The bankers and the money changers won’t be around anymore to take advantage of us with their dirty little ponzey schemes that have robbed every one of us in the past of all our labours. In fact, I doubt there will be any tall building left standing to remind us of the fact of a lost civilization of the Western culture.
“For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactor’s righteousness. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.” Isaiah 60:17-22 KJV
What is it going to be like? I suspect from just reading the Scripture and what it says about the coming Kingdom that we will revert back to the agrarian society with the priest (you and I who are born-again) will perform the LORD’s bidding as He sets on the throne of David in Jerusalem. There won’t be any more competitiveness in the production of products or food. Manufacturing of all kinds of materials will not be needed therefore will not exist. Equality will be the norm amongst all nations. I imagine I will be assigned to a city of the LORD’s choosing to be a spiritual guide (priest) and adviser to perform those duties the LORD requires of me. I do envision the family farm will once again appear across all lands and the livestock will need handlers. The cattlemen will roam the ranges of the vast openness once again. The wild horses will once again rove free for us to choose from for our transportation needs. I doubt seriously the steam locomotive will even exist. I feel the clock will be set back to the time before the locomotive was invented. There will not be any need to wander very far from the assigned places the LORD JESUS puts us to live out our eternal lives at least for the first thousand years for the glory of God. There will be no need for long journeys except for the occasional pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship the LORD to make our presence known.
“And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” Daniel 7:27 KJV
“And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:6 KJV
“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:10 KJV
The LORD desires us to enjoy our life but how can you enjoy something you can never have in this life? In this life people cannot get enough of anything. They cannot get enough money, property or real-estate, perfect health, satisfaction of the fruit of their labor, or anything else the human heart desires or lusts after. Why do you think people are greedy, jealous, hoarders, and the list of human undesirable traits continues? Let’s face the facts; we can never be satisfied as long as we are in this human body just because of the truth that only the soul was ‘saved by grace’ but not this body. This is the reason the body has to go back to the dust from whence it came. This also the very reason we struggle from day today with human emotions that tear us down into temptation. Trust me when I tell you, Satan knows our weaknesses, and he uses them against us every day we live. It is Christ in us that gives us the victory each day over this flesh. In the Kingdom you will discover that there won’t be any such cravings or lusting after the former things of this world.
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” I Corinthians 15:50 KJV
The fact is we all have an appointment with the death angel.
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:27-28 KJV
But that is a good thing for the child of God. It is imperative that we make the exchange of bodies so we can be physically promoted into the Kingdom of God. We are just waiting for the transformation to take place just like in God’s nature on earth, we are taught by example of the caterpillar who awaits his glorious transformation into the beautiful butterfly. As born-again Christian’s we are card carrying members of the House of God, the Kingdom of Christ, but the transition has yet to be made. The Holy Spirit that resides in your heart right now is that Seal that God has placed upon all of us that know Him. Once again, the physical transition will take place at the Second Coming of Christ Jesus (I Corinthians 15:51-52). Even So, Come LORD JESUS.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Singularity
www.missionofhopeministries.com
“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:...” Ephesians 1:9 KJV
There is a word that is floating around with increasing interest that I have discovered. The word is singularity. I looked up this word because the idea of it is used in the biochemistry industry, also Nano-technology industry, and manufacturers of prosthesis or artificial limbs. Interesting isn’t it? It simply means something that is unique, unusual, exceptional, distinctive, or remarkable. All technology today is most astounding to say the least and fits all these descriptions. In my investigation of this word I found that it has been around for quite some time but funneled through science-fiction movies and books written based upon theory and some fiction. Non-the-less, in the last ten years it has gained popularity and momentum. I feel that the rapid increase of the technology electronics and robotics manufacturing world has been gaining steadily to the point of humanizing machines. As I stated before, this isn’t anything new to the Sci-fi buffs but it is amazing and most remarkable to realize this is going to be the near future. I fully understood the 21st century was really here when I saw the Honda Robot on display and demonstrated on a stage for the world to witness. It is quite amazing to say the least. In the world of robotics, it is their underlying fantasy to bring about a merger of the two, robotics, and human tissue, thus in a word, singularity. You think this is fantasy? Have you ever wondered what stem cell technology is really all about? When I saw the ear and skin that was grown in a laboratory at a college as a biological experiment, I knew that the Third Reich of Adolf Hitler and his team of doctors and scientists dream of a master race was still on the minds of chemists, doctors, biologists, and politicians. So, it seems the age old desire of man becoming a god hasn’t faded away at all. Do you have any idea what a government could do with an army of these super-human robotic, Robocop, type people? I feel it would be the ultimate nightmare of WWII played out. Believe me, men in high places are longing for this to happen and are not wasting any time in the advancement of Robocop, I-Robot, and Bicentennial Man, in which the family robot finally achieves his goal by being declared human by a Court of Law. Along with others watching this growth of technology, I feel this will be a reality by 2020 because of the rapid advancement of technology in all fields of science. This is exactly what it is, the insatiable quest for knowledge without knowing full well what the consequences will be. I have always thought that knowledge to scientist, biologist, and all other academics is somewhat like giving a loaded gun to a child just to see what he can do with it regardless the consequences. Just because they are adults and have a value system of the dangers involved does not mean that they will avoid risks. No, even when the risk of disaster looms they will go forward anyway and give their theories a trial run without knowing the outcome. This was before my time but does anyone remember the trial tests of the Atom Bomb? Does anyone know of the maimed servicemen and women of who lives were destroyed bringing that apparatus of destruction into being? It would be in the thousands of citizens of the U.S., and nobody wants to know because of the shame and disgrace it would conjure up among citizens. And so it goes with any and all technology that mankind has a hand in because wherever mankind goes destruction and heartache follow. Mankind always justifies his evil deeds using the good he can perform after the fact of destructive acts he has already committed against humanity. Somewhat like the Vietnam tragedy. It is just our nature to be this way and nothing outside of Almighty God can change this human calamity.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9 KJV
“O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” Jeremiah 10:23 KJV
As I see things, the strategy of Satan from the outset of being cast out of Heaven has always been to throw the proverbial wrench into God’s master plan everywhere it would be possible. Satan has doggedly and relentlessly conjured up counterfeit people to install them in strategic places of his choosing. All these attempts of course, are allowed by Jehovah God but somehow still works along with the master plan of the ages. It is most amazing to see how God still makes things to work in His favour despite the evil setbacks Satan awards us with.
With these thoughts in mind, let us look at the plan God has for His children. The LORD God Jehovah has a plan in place for each of His children and it will culminate when the LORD Jesus Christ returns to set up His Millennial Kingdom on earth. It will all begin when the “catching up” or rapture, that the Apostle Paul describes takes place. The reason for this rapture is to consummate the Marriage of the Lamb (Jesus) with the Bride (the Church of born-again believers). This is the spiritual sense of the term, singularity. The Bride of Christ and the LORD Jesus will be together forever into eternity from this point on never to separate again. We now are spiritually one with Christ as we live out our lives on earth but not physically. Our lives will change in the moment of a twinkling of an eye as we are metamorphasized with a new and glorious body the Apostle Paul describes in I Corinthians chapter 15.
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.” I Corinthians 15:20-27 KJV
“Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:...” Ephesians 2:5-6 KJV
As it stands right now we as born-again Christian’s are waiting in the wings for these things to happen. Thus we wait with hope and anxiously look forward to the return of Christ Jesus. At this juncture the Bride of Christ will be physically in the presence of the Prince of the Kingdom of God.
“And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” I Corinthians 15:49-54 KJV
“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:...” Ephesians 1:9 KJV
There is a word that is floating around with increasing interest that I have discovered. The word is singularity. I looked up this word because the idea of it is used in the biochemistry industry, also Nano-technology industry, and manufacturers of prosthesis or artificial limbs. Interesting isn’t it? It simply means something that is unique, unusual, exceptional, distinctive, or remarkable. All technology today is most astounding to say the least and fits all these descriptions. In my investigation of this word I found that it has been around for quite some time but funneled through science-fiction movies and books written based upon theory and some fiction. Non-the-less, in the last ten years it has gained popularity and momentum. I feel that the rapid increase of the technology electronics and robotics manufacturing world has been gaining steadily to the point of humanizing machines. As I stated before, this isn’t anything new to the Sci-fi buffs but it is amazing and most remarkable to realize this is going to be the near future. I fully understood the 21st century was really here when I saw the Honda Robot on display and demonstrated on a stage for the world to witness. It is quite amazing to say the least. In the world of robotics, it is their underlying fantasy to bring about a merger of the two, robotics, and human tissue, thus in a word, singularity. You think this is fantasy? Have you ever wondered what stem cell technology is really all about? When I saw the ear and skin that was grown in a laboratory at a college as a biological experiment, I knew that the Third Reich of Adolf Hitler and his team of doctors and scientists dream of a master race was still on the minds of chemists, doctors, biologists, and politicians. So, it seems the age old desire of man becoming a god hasn’t faded away at all. Do you have any idea what a government could do with an army of these super-human robotic, Robocop, type people? I feel it would be the ultimate nightmare of WWII played out. Believe me, men in high places are longing for this to happen and are not wasting any time in the advancement of Robocop, I-Robot, and Bicentennial Man, in which the family robot finally achieves his goal by being declared human by a Court of Law. Along with others watching this growth of technology, I feel this will be a reality by 2020 because of the rapid advancement of technology in all fields of science. This is exactly what it is, the insatiable quest for knowledge without knowing full well what the consequences will be. I have always thought that knowledge to scientist, biologist, and all other academics is somewhat like giving a loaded gun to a child just to see what he can do with it regardless the consequences. Just because they are adults and have a value system of the dangers involved does not mean that they will avoid risks. No, even when the risk of disaster looms they will go forward anyway and give their theories a trial run without knowing the outcome. This was before my time but does anyone remember the trial tests of the Atom Bomb? Does anyone know of the maimed servicemen and women of who lives were destroyed bringing that apparatus of destruction into being? It would be in the thousands of citizens of the U.S., and nobody wants to know because of the shame and disgrace it would conjure up among citizens. And so it goes with any and all technology that mankind has a hand in because wherever mankind goes destruction and heartache follow. Mankind always justifies his evil deeds using the good he can perform after the fact of destructive acts he has already committed against humanity. Somewhat like the Vietnam tragedy. It is just our nature to be this way and nothing outside of Almighty God can change this human calamity.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9 KJV
“O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” Jeremiah 10:23 KJV
As I see things, the strategy of Satan from the outset of being cast out of Heaven has always been to throw the proverbial wrench into God’s master plan everywhere it would be possible. Satan has doggedly and relentlessly conjured up counterfeit people to install them in strategic places of his choosing. All these attempts of course, are allowed by Jehovah God but somehow still works along with the master plan of the ages. It is most amazing to see how God still makes things to work in His favour despite the evil setbacks Satan awards us with.
With these thoughts in mind, let us look at the plan God has for His children. The LORD God Jehovah has a plan in place for each of His children and it will culminate when the LORD Jesus Christ returns to set up His Millennial Kingdom on earth. It will all begin when the “catching up” or rapture, that the Apostle Paul describes takes place. The reason for this rapture is to consummate the Marriage of the Lamb (Jesus) with the Bride (the Church of born-again believers). This is the spiritual sense of the term, singularity. The Bride of Christ and the LORD Jesus will be together forever into eternity from this point on never to separate again. We now are spiritually one with Christ as we live out our lives on earth but not physically. Our lives will change in the moment of a twinkling of an eye as we are metamorphasized with a new and glorious body the Apostle Paul describes in I Corinthians chapter 15.
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.” I Corinthians 15:20-27 KJV
“Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:...” Ephesians 2:5-6 KJV
As it stands right now we as born-again Christian’s are waiting in the wings for these things to happen. Thus we wait with hope and anxiously look forward to the return of Christ Jesus. At this juncture the Bride of Christ will be physically in the presence of the Prince of the Kingdom of God.
“And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” I Corinthians 15:49-54 KJV
Sunday, October 2, 2011
"A funny thing happened on the way to Nineveh"
Reference Scripture: Jonah Chapter 1 – 4
www.missionofhopeministries.com
In this Bible Study of the Prophet Jonah today I wanted to bring into light a few pointers on what not to do when God sends you to the mission field. By using the example of Jonah, we will see he was God's disgruntle missionary.
Jonah was experienced with God and no new comer to God's works. We can attest to this according to II Kings 14: 23, 24, and 25, which reads:
“In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. He restored the coast (borders) of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.” II Kings 14:23-25 KJV
Jonah was a sign from God to the nation of Israel. Jonah was the man God had chosen for this particular time to preach in the accepted hour. As Mathew Henry has said and I quote;
“Thus God, in the darkest and most degenerate ages of the church, raised up some to be burning and shining lights in it; to their own age, by their preaching and living, and a few by their writings, to reflect light upon us in the last times.” {Unquote.}
This prophesy came to pass by the word of God through Jonah but for Jonah other assignments came from God who decided to move Jonah out of his comfort zone. God arranged it for Jonah to deliver a message to the Assyrian city of Nineveh. This is where Jonah ran into serious trouble with himself and God. Jonah was discovered to have no compassion for the people and was discovered to be a bigot. He considered that God's grace and mercy was not fit for these people and was a big waste of time and effort. Jonah eventually showed signs of being ashamed of his calling and was rebellious to God's desires of mercy for this people.
"But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry." Jonah 4:1 KJV
Cause and effect: How did Jonah end up in the belly of a great fish?
"They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy." Jonah 2:8
I have listed some reasons for his disdain. It seems Jonah changed his mind somewhere along the way to run from God according to verse 1:3:
“But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.” Jonah 1:3 KJV
The question is why? Maybe Jonah was afraid for his life or maybe hated these Gentile beasts, but never-the-less, returned to God's command with obedience and repentance. We can read chapter 2 verses 1-10 and see in the prayer when Jonah prayed he received sound wisdom when apprehended by God. The LORD is serious when He employs one of His children into service. Whether we like it or not is irrelevant, the job that we are assigned to has deep spiritual meaning from God and to us it is our job to gain wisdom and knowledge of the task at hand. Most certainly, when we are given an assignment from God it becomes a test of obedience and trust in the LORD to perform His will for both the sent and the receiver. In my experiences with the LORD, God’s volition most always seems to serve a dual purpose for the experience at hand in which everyone benefits.
Evidently, in Jonah's mind, he shamefully began listening and agreeing with Satan. Jonah was so hardheaded he had to be told twice as we can read in chapter 3 verses 1- 10. Jonah was found disagreeing and arguing with an authority figure, Almighty God. How many times have we been caught disagreeing with the LORD in our plight of misunderstanding of His will for our lives? What are you going to tell God, He doesn’t know what He is doing? Or maybe He doesn’t understand the circumstances? It was also evident Jonah was rebellious to sound wisdom by turn a deaf ear to the LORD. Maybe Jonah was saying to himself; these people are so pagan there is no hope for them. These people are not worth the trouble. These people are going to get what they deserve. But, with a little more time to pass he began to think; there must be a better way, pausing and searching his heart. This way of life isn't for me. Jonah no doubt was dissatisfied and contemptible with current condition.
Jonah, disgruntle and under protest;
"And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." Jonah 3:4 KJV
At this point Jonah was proud to deliver this message of coming destruction because he wanted the prophesy to come to pass on this wicked people.
"And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not." Jonah 3:10 KJV
God is no respecter of persons, this is a biblical fact. It would do us well if we would consider that the Grace that was offered to us is offered to all when God deems so. God's unmerited favour is a free gift and God gives it where and when He wills it. God deemed it was time to offer it to Nineveh. What we sometimes fail to see with our spiritual eyesight is that God has a purpose for all people of the earth. That purpose is to come to the saving knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ. In Jonah’s day, the promise of the coming Messiah wasn’t known but by very few and most of the time only Jehovah God was in the forefront of being known as Almighty God. It wasn’t evident to Jonah that God had paved the way for him to enter into Nineveh. We can see this by the way the people received the Word of God from the prophet’s mouth. After Jonah was through delivering the message God gave him to deliver how did the people receive it? They didn’t throw tomatoes and cabbages at him did they? They didn’t run him out of town on a rail did they? No, it was quite the opposite. The people of Nineveh were immediately struck with the fear of God in their hearts and decided the best thing they could do to avoid this looming destruction was to too adhere to every word of the Prophet.
Let’s face the truth. Only God could do that and that was the preparation of the people for the sake of God’s GRACE towards them. Sometimes, people have to be put in the position to listen to sound reason from God. This is why it takes time and distance so God can do His works behind the scenes and away from the naked eye. Little do we understand that God is always working on our behalf and to our benefit? This is the wonderful love and grace God bestows to His children every single day we live. Then when we least expect it, we are surprised to learn just what it was that the LORD was doing for us. Just like a loving parent doing something special for their child, God sends us His personal blessings for us to see that God really does care for us and He loves us with an unconditional love, an agape love. God did the very same thing to the City of Nineveh. By sending Jonah, His handpicked prophet to them so they too could have the experience of God’s grace and love. As the story of Jonah goes on in chapter four we can see that when the people of the city turned and repented, God revealed His Grace by sparing the people and by establishing the fact that there is a God that everyone will have to face one day. The true and living God, Jehovah. False god’s can never conjure up the fear in a man’s heart the way Jehovah God can and does. And it is for a very good reason this happens this way. Jehovah God wants everyone in the world to know Him and get a reasonable understanding of Him so they can have a relationship with the living God and experience what millions of others have experienced, love and grace from the Creator, one and only God of the universe, Jehovah.
www.missionofhopeministries.com
In this Bible Study of the Prophet Jonah today I wanted to bring into light a few pointers on what not to do when God sends you to the mission field. By using the example of Jonah, we will see he was God's disgruntle missionary.
Jonah was experienced with God and no new comer to God's works. We can attest to this according to II Kings 14: 23, 24, and 25, which reads:
“In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. He restored the coast (borders) of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.” II Kings 14:23-25 KJV
Jonah was a sign from God to the nation of Israel. Jonah was the man God had chosen for this particular time to preach in the accepted hour. As Mathew Henry has said and I quote;
“Thus God, in the darkest and most degenerate ages of the church, raised up some to be burning and shining lights in it; to their own age, by their preaching and living, and a few by their writings, to reflect light upon us in the last times.” {Unquote.}
This prophesy came to pass by the word of God through Jonah but for Jonah other assignments came from God who decided to move Jonah out of his comfort zone. God arranged it for Jonah to deliver a message to the Assyrian city of Nineveh. This is where Jonah ran into serious trouble with himself and God. Jonah was discovered to have no compassion for the people and was discovered to be a bigot. He considered that God's grace and mercy was not fit for these people and was a big waste of time and effort. Jonah eventually showed signs of being ashamed of his calling and was rebellious to God's desires of mercy for this people.
"But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry." Jonah 4:1 KJV
Cause and effect: How did Jonah end up in the belly of a great fish?
"They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy." Jonah 2:8
I have listed some reasons for his disdain. It seems Jonah changed his mind somewhere along the way to run from God according to verse 1:3:
“But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.” Jonah 1:3 KJV
The question is why? Maybe Jonah was afraid for his life or maybe hated these Gentile beasts, but never-the-less, returned to God's command with obedience and repentance. We can read chapter 2 verses 1-10 and see in the prayer when Jonah prayed he received sound wisdom when apprehended by God. The LORD is serious when He employs one of His children into service. Whether we like it or not is irrelevant, the job that we are assigned to has deep spiritual meaning from God and to us it is our job to gain wisdom and knowledge of the task at hand. Most certainly, when we are given an assignment from God it becomes a test of obedience and trust in the LORD to perform His will for both the sent and the receiver. In my experiences with the LORD, God’s volition most always seems to serve a dual purpose for the experience at hand in which everyone benefits.
Evidently, in Jonah's mind, he shamefully began listening and agreeing with Satan. Jonah was so hardheaded he had to be told twice as we can read in chapter 3 verses 1- 10. Jonah was found disagreeing and arguing with an authority figure, Almighty God. How many times have we been caught disagreeing with the LORD in our plight of misunderstanding of His will for our lives? What are you going to tell God, He doesn’t know what He is doing? Or maybe He doesn’t understand the circumstances? It was also evident Jonah was rebellious to sound wisdom by turn a deaf ear to the LORD. Maybe Jonah was saying to himself; these people are so pagan there is no hope for them. These people are not worth the trouble. These people are going to get what they deserve. But, with a little more time to pass he began to think; there must be a better way, pausing and searching his heart. This way of life isn't for me. Jonah no doubt was dissatisfied and contemptible with current condition.
Jonah, disgruntle and under protest;
"And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." Jonah 3:4 KJV
At this point Jonah was proud to deliver this message of coming destruction because he wanted the prophesy to come to pass on this wicked people.
"And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not." Jonah 3:10 KJV
God is no respecter of persons, this is a biblical fact. It would do us well if we would consider that the Grace that was offered to us is offered to all when God deems so. God's unmerited favour is a free gift and God gives it where and when He wills it. God deemed it was time to offer it to Nineveh. What we sometimes fail to see with our spiritual eyesight is that God has a purpose for all people of the earth. That purpose is to come to the saving knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ. In Jonah’s day, the promise of the coming Messiah wasn’t known but by very few and most of the time only Jehovah God was in the forefront of being known as Almighty God. It wasn’t evident to Jonah that God had paved the way for him to enter into Nineveh. We can see this by the way the people received the Word of God from the prophet’s mouth. After Jonah was through delivering the message God gave him to deliver how did the people receive it? They didn’t throw tomatoes and cabbages at him did they? They didn’t run him out of town on a rail did they? No, it was quite the opposite. The people of Nineveh were immediately struck with the fear of God in their hearts and decided the best thing they could do to avoid this looming destruction was to too adhere to every word of the Prophet.
Let’s face the truth. Only God could do that and that was the preparation of the people for the sake of God’s GRACE towards them. Sometimes, people have to be put in the position to listen to sound reason from God. This is why it takes time and distance so God can do His works behind the scenes and away from the naked eye. Little do we understand that God is always working on our behalf and to our benefit? This is the wonderful love and grace God bestows to His children every single day we live. Then when we least expect it, we are surprised to learn just what it was that the LORD was doing for us. Just like a loving parent doing something special for their child, God sends us His personal blessings for us to see that God really does care for us and He loves us with an unconditional love, an agape love. God did the very same thing to the City of Nineveh. By sending Jonah, His handpicked prophet to them so they too could have the experience of God’s grace and love. As the story of Jonah goes on in chapter four we can see that when the people of the city turned and repented, God revealed His Grace by sparing the people and by establishing the fact that there is a God that everyone will have to face one day. The true and living God, Jehovah. False god’s can never conjure up the fear in a man’s heart the way Jehovah God can and does. And it is for a very good reason this happens this way. Jehovah God wants everyone in the world to know Him and get a reasonable understanding of Him so they can have a relationship with the living God and experience what millions of others have experienced, love and grace from the Creator, one and only God of the universe, Jehovah.
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