JONAH

MEMORY VERSE:  Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. Jonah 1:5

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Micah 4-6

Christ did not save you, to live your life as you please. He does not save for the fun of saving. He saved us, so that you and i, can live a life pleasing to Him. After He saved the woman caught in adultery, He gave her an instruction. John 8:11 says she said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. That instruction, ‘go, and sin no more,’ is for all of us. Go, and fight no more, quarrel no more, curse no more, disobey your parents no more, accept bribe no more, participate in exam malpractices no more,  commit adultery/ fornication no more , steal no more , beat your wife no more. Christ is saying, ‘I have saved you, go, and do those things i saved you from no more.’

Yesterday, we saw what happens when a fellow boards a ship with a ‘Jonah’. At first, everything will be fine, after a while, a storm will arise. If the fellow is not prayerful, he may lose his wares and other valuable possessions. Today, we will look at the character of Jonah .The first thing, i want you to know is, anyone can exhibit these characters even Christians. God sent Jonah to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, to a people despised by the Jews. Jonah would rather that Nineveh be destroyed than that city have an opportunity to repent and be spared. The Assyrians were a cruel people who showed no mercy to their enemies, and Jonah wanted them out of the way. This man, Jonah, thought he had a choice or say in the will of God for the people of Nineveh. He forgot that the will of God is not an option: it is an obligation and an opportunity. Anyone who thinks (s) he has a choice in the will of God for his or her life or the life of others is a ‘Jonah.’ When we run from God’s will, we always go down. We may end up sacrificing safety for danger and peace for storm. Jonah is also a sleeping Christian. Whilst everyone prayed, Prophet Jonah snored. Jonah 1:5 says then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. Are you awake? Do you observe the growing darkness on earth? Things that used to be an abomination 30 years ago are now what we celebrate today.  Twenty years ago, if a brother should fornicate, maybe he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, he will start to cry. Today, the same brother will pat himself on the back and gist his friends. The goal of every believer used to be heaven, but today, it is blackberry phones and the latest Range Rover. Can you tell the season we are in? Do you know we are at the end of the world? Do you still fast? Do you still have your quiet time? Do you still witness? Do you still give to the poor? Does your heart still prick you when you tell little white lies?

PRAYER POINT: Father, please wake your church up from her slumber.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

IN SHIP WITH ‘JONAH’

MEMORY VERSE:  And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. Jonah 1:7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Micah 1-3

One subject, the word of God lays emphasis on is association. Proverbs 13:20 says he that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Who you walk, talk, live, invest, partner or travel with, can either make you or break you. Psalm 1:1 says blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. There are people you should not walk with, if you do not want problems. One of them is people that do evil. Psalm 34:16 says the face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 

Another one is ‘Jonah’. In Jonah 1:1-3, God sent Jonah to Nineveh, a wicked city, to preach to them. Instead of going to Nineveh, he went to Joppa and boarded a ship going to Tarshish. As they travelled, the Lord sent a mighty storm that almost broke the ship (they were travelling in) into two. Panic broke out in the ship; everyone began to run helter skelter. To lighten the ship, people started throwing their wares into the sea. You see, lightening a ship stabilizes it in rough seas. When that did not work, they cried to God. It is funny how people only remember God when they face challenges. Whilst crying to God, the Lord opened the eyes of one of the mariners. Jonah 1:7 says And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. They took Jonah and threw him into the sea. Immediately, the storm seized. Sadly, they could not recover the wares they had lost. There are many suffering today because they are in ship with ‘Jonah’. There are many, who are going through pains because they are in ship with someone, who is not supposed to be on that ship. (By God’s grace, tomorrow, we will talk about the man Jonah). As singles, pray very well so that you do not get married to ‘Jonah’. Before going into business with anyone, pray so that you will not be a business partner with ‘Jonah’. Not until the people prayed, the Lord did not reveal ‘Jonah’ and as long as ‘Jonah’ was in the ship, they will never know peace. The following, indicate the presence of ‘Jonah’ in a ship:  Presence of storms; loss of peace of heart; loss of properties; lives at risk; etc.Right from the day, that fellow moved into your house, you started having problems at work. From the day you employed that staff, your customers started complaining.  From the moment that customer started doing business with you, your business started going down. From the moment, that brother proposed to you or that sister came into your life, you have been going from one challenge to another. These are all indicators that you are in ship with ‘Jonah’.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please open my eyes, so that i can see all the ‘Jonahs’ in my life. Also, give me the wisdom needed to path ways with them.

QUESTION: Are you still keeping records of your life?

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.