Who can tell what God will do?

Jonah 3:9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

We will continue today in our installment of blogs regarding Jonah. The story of Jonah is truly remarkable on so many levels. The mercy and grace of God often gets overshadowed in discussions about Jonah's ride in the big fish. When Jonah was finally released from the belly of the fish, a revival of biblical proportions took place. Jesus says that Jonah's arrival in Nineveh was a "sign" to the people (Luke 11:30). This prophet of God arrived in the city with a message of destruction; "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown". Jonah's message was not of the "repent or else" variety. It was merely a pronouncement of impending calamity.

And yet something remarkable happened. This city known for its wickedness and opposition towards the people of God had a great awakening. The king of Nineveh proclaimed a fast and instructed the people to "cry mightily unto God". When we fast-forward to the end of the chapter (3), we see that God changed his intentions based on their response. The book of Jonah sometimes presents a problem for those of us who demand that every ounce of theology be systematic. In this book, a prophet's message of doom does not come to pass. In this book, God changes his course of action based on human response. Did this take God by surprise? Of course not. But this shows that a relationship with God is dynamic- not static!

For me, one of the highlights of chapter 3 is this example of the king of Nineveh taking a chance on God's mercy. Remember that the people of Nineveh had no guarantee that anything would change their outcome. At this point, they could have simply mocked Jonah, or taken the attitude of "let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die" (I Cor 15:32b). But instead, they risk everything and cast their hopes upon the mercy of God. And they were not disappointed! Now contrast the people of Nineveh (those who had no promises or guarantees) with believers in Jesus Christ (those who have been given "exceeding great and precious promises" -2 Peter 1:4).

You cannot go wrong with God. Among our greatest fears, is the fear of rejection. But we have some wonderful and comforting promises from scripture that I want to share with you in closing.

Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Jam 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
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Salvation Is Of The Lord

Jon 2:9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

Last week we talked about 3 things that the Lord did on Jonah's behalf. This week we're going to look at Jonah's prayer from the belly of the fish. Jonah's prayer reads like a survey of the Psalms. If you have a reference bible, you will see that the prayer in Jonah chapter 2 contains many quotations from the Psalms. I won't bore you with providing all of the references- check them out for yourself! I do want to bring a few things to your attention however, and here they are:
Jon 2:3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

Remember how we emphasized the great lengths God went to in order to deal with this one reluctant prophet last week? Here, Jonah acknowledged that it was truly the LORD who threw him overboard (He just used the men on the boat as His hands and feet). So often we fail to see God's redemptive hand print on our lives. Jonah had some time to reflect on his situation, and acknowledged that God has a way of bringing us where He wants us to be.
Jon 2:4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

Jonah's current situation is dark, uncertain, and probably smelly! But in his prayer, he demonstrates faith that things will work out in the end. Jesus instructs us that when we pray, we should indeed believe that we will receive those petitions that we desire (Mark 11:24). Jonah probably had no verbal guarantees that he was going to worship in the temple again, but he had a confidence in the abilities of God. Many of us have a "wait-and-see" attitude towards faith, but the true order of faith is believe-then-see .
Jon 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

This is the tragedy of a life lived independent of God's will. One of my favorite teachers on prayer is Douglas Small. I once heard Mr. Small say (regarding prayer and the lack thereof) that often God is more disappointed for us, than He is "in us". Jonah's statement about those who observe or regard false ideologies is revealing. Those who do so, forfeit what could be theirs, if they would only receive it by faith. I'm reminded of how Jesus wept over Jerusalem and lamented their rejection of His offer of peace (Luke 19:41-42).
Jon 2:9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

Jonah praised God for his deliverance, and is ready to fulfill his obligations. He also confesses that salvation is all God's idea. This is Good News for each one of us. The bible declares that while we were yet sinners, alienated from God, unable to do anything about our plight- Jesus died for our sins! (please see Romans 5:6-8). We love Him today, because He first loved us! (I John 4:19). God took the initiative to save Jonah, even though Jonah ran as far as he could in the opposite direction.

In the dark confinement of the belly of a fish, Jonah reflected on some pretty deep theological concepts. No matter how dark or lonely your situation is, please don't stop praying. We too, will realize (through prayer) that God is always at work in our lives redemptively, even through the most painful of processes.

Until next time....
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Jonah and 3 Things the Lord Did

Jon 1:17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Even if you're not a theologian, you are probably somewhat familiar with the story of Jonah and the big fish. I guess it's only natural that the idea of a man living inside of a fish for several days captivates us. Now before you relegate this story as merely an allegory, understand that Jesus (the Son of God) interpreted the story of Jonah as being historically accurate and literal.

Mat 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold, a greater than Jonah is here.

So not only does Jesus validate the preaching and repentance that took place in Nineveh, but He also confirms the account of Jonah in the belly of the whale. Ok- now that I've gotten that out of the way....let's proceed!

The story of Jonah and the big fish is typically applied as simply a man running from God, and God getting him to do His will. There are many preachers who can relate to the story of Jonah because they wanted to do everything else but preach the Gospel, until God finally arrested them. But I have grown to appreciate the story of Jonah beyond the obvious implications of a man running from God. To me, it's a story about a God far more Sovereign than we could ever imagine- far more merciful than we could ever deserve, and far more loving than our finite minds could ever try to comprehend (try as we might)! I'm not going to address Jonah's "vacation" to Tarshish today. Instead, I'm going to focus on 3 things the Lord did in chapter 1 of Jonah.

#1- God sent a storm

Jon 1:4 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

This was no ordinary storm. This was not a result of atmospheric conditions being optimal for storm-production. This was a "Sovereign Storm". Now the beautiful thing about this storm, is that God designed the storm to save Jonah. Jonah has run as far as he can in the opposite direction of where God wanted him to be. But instead of allowing Jonah to "do his own thing", God pursues him. I don't enjoy the storms of life any more than you do. But I'm learning (ever so slowly) that God uses the difficulties of life to bring us closer to Him- not to destroy us!

#2- God caused the lot to fall on Jonah

Jon 1:7 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.

These pagan men on the boat with Jonah were crying out to their gods and decided to use the method of lot-casting to discern who was the troublemaker. God intends for Jonah to go overboard, so the lot falls on Jonah. There is an interesting scripture in Proverbs that illustrates this point:

Pro 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

Sometimes what seems like such a random occurrence, is not a coincidence at all! God orchestrates the events of our lives and uses whatever methods He deems necessary to get us where He wants us to be. (disclaimer: this should not be used as a proof-text for the divine approval of casting lots for decision making....it probably goes without saying but just in case.)

#3- The Lord prepares the fish

Jon 1:17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Instead of leaving Jonah in the sea to drown, the Lord prepares a fish to accommodate him (probably not Jonah's first choice). There are so many things I could say about all of this, but I simply want to point out the great lengths that God went to, in order to deal with this one man who disobeyed His voice.

We probably would have eliminated Jonah as a viable candidate, and selected a more suitable (and willing) vessel to carry out the assignment. But God pursues Jonah, orchestrates the events in and around his life, and gives him another opportunity to do what is right. Today, I want to remind you that God is more powerful and Sovereign than we give Him credit for. He is much more merciful than any of us deserve. And He loves us more than any of us can truly comprehend.

So whether you are in a storm, a seemingly random series of events, or in the belly of your fish- remember that God has your best interests at heart!

Until next time....
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What Does the Bible Say About Friendship?

We recently celebrated "Friend Day" at Liberty Worship Center. As part of my message that day, I shared 10 "FriendFacts"- basically, 10 Proverbs that deal with the subject of friendship. I thought I would share a condensed version of the Top Ten list for you today. These are not listed in order of importance- purely random.

1. In order to have friends, you must be friendly.

Pro 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

2. Choose your friends wisely!

Pro 13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

3. Don't be a "fair-weather" friend.

Pro 17:17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

4. Friends tell each other the truth (even when it hurts)

Pro 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

5. Friends don't use flowery words

Pro 27:14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

6. Friends don't betray confidences

Pro 17:9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

7. Friends are committed to making you a better person

Pro 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

8. Friends give good, godly advice.

Pro 27:9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.

9. Money issues can ruin friendships.

Pro 6:1 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, Pro 6:2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

10. One of the greatest values in a friend is faithfulness.

Pro 27:10 Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
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The Man in the Mirror

2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? (KJV)

Many of you are familiar with the myth of Narcissus. He's the young man who sees his own reflection for the first time and falls madly in love with himself (so much so, that he never leaves the pool of water where he sees his reflection and dies there). The Christian life calls for self-examination. We're going to talk about that briefly today.

Self-examination can be challenging because we are not always qualified to evaluate our own hearts. Here are just a few scriptures which indicate that:
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Pro 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.

The bible says that we really don't know our hearts. This is ironic, because I often hear the phrase "God knows my heart". This is typically a spiritual way of saying that we aren't going to do the right thing, but our intentions are good. We often judge others by their actions, but judge ourselves based on intention. The truth is that many times we are not aware of "why" we do things. The Lord is able to show us the purity of our motivations (or the lack thereof).

There is also the challenge of what I call "the comparison trap". We like to measure ourselves by looking at others (typically those who are not meeting the bare minimum requirements) and comparing ourselves to them. Sometimes we are like the Pharisee who prayed "I thank thee that I am not as other men are......extortioners, unjust, adulterers, .....or even as this publican." (Luke 18:11). We can always find someone who is doing a little worse than we are. Paul says that using others (even other Christians) as a means of comparison is not wise (II Cor 10:12).

So how do we undertake such a daunting task? Prayerfully, and with holy awe (Psalm 4:4. Psalm 26:2, Psalm 139:23-24)- with diligent search (Lam 3:40)- and an attitude to obey (Psalm 119:59). The Word of God will reveal our heart and its intentions (Heb 4:12). So take a moment today and look at the man in the mirror. You may or may not like what you see. But you owe it to yourself to see if you are truly "in the faith". Very few people would buy a new home without an inspection. And who among us would purchase a new car without taking a test drive? Should we be any less diligent in eternal matters?

There are benefits to self-examination. Paul said that self-examination can help us to avoid temporal judgment (I Cor 11:31). We will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, but many of us face needless chastisement in this life because we fail to "judge ourselves". John says that our prayer lives will flourish when our hearts are free from condemnation (I John 3:20-22).

Until next time....
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What's special about 24?

You thought this post was going to be about Jack Bauer right? Sorry to disappoint you my friends. The number 24 is significant to today's entry because it signifies a special year. The story of Abraham in the bible is one that inspires faith. As a matter of fact, his story personifies what it means to be justified by faith. Abram's (who would later be named Abraham) story begins at the young old age of 75 (Gen 12:4). God appears to him and makes him a promise that he will be the beginnings of a great nation. Abram's great desire was to have a child of his own (Gen 15:2). God promises him that he will have a child, and Abraham believes! (Gen 15:6).

But like all of us, Abram also has his questions about how the promise of God will actually come about. There's a lot of story I'm leaving out (huge understatement here), but for sake of time, I'm going to pick up 24 years after Abram/Abraham's initial encounter with the Lord. By this time, Abraham and Sarah have come up with what I affectionately call "plan B". Using their own deductive reasoning skills, they figure that they will help things along, and thus Ishmael is born. I wonder how many times we have tried to "help things along" in our own lives, and out of our impatience we have birthed an Ishmael of sorts.

Now Abraham is 99 yrs old, and the Lord appears to him again (Gen 17:1). God reaffirms his initial promise to Abraham, talks about the covenant of circumcision, and changes Sarai's name to Sarah (I would love to blog some time about the Lord's habit of changing names, but we'll keep moving for now). Then God speaks those words to Abraham which he had longed to hear:

Gen 17:21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

From God's perspective, 24 years are just a vapor. From man's perspective, 24 years can feel like an eternity. Even though Abraham laughed when he received this good news (Gen 17:17), it was most certainly a laugh of joy and awe, because Paul tells us in Romans that Abraham did not stagger at the promise of God (Romans 4:20). But I wonder how often Abraham was mocked during those 24 years. How many times was he the object of ridicule and scorn?

Waiting for the promise(s) of God can be so difficult. As the days, weeks, months, and even years go by- we are often tempted to lose heart. Many of us have settled for a "second best" alternative, because what God has promised us seems just too good to be true. The longer we have to wait, the more weary in well-doing we can become. One thing I want to point to your attention is this phrase "at this set time" in Gen 17:21 that I posted above. We are usually willing to theologically agree that God knows the end from the beginning. But I find that on a practical level, we feel that the same logic does not apply. When God appeared to Abram at age 75, I believe that he knew that the process was going to take roughly 25 years. I'm not so sure that Abram knew that though.

Many of us are waiting today. We're waiting for our lives to take a turn for the better; for health to improve, finances to recover, marriages to be restored, fractured relationships to be mended. Maybe we don't have a "thus saith the Lord" promise like Abraham to fall back on, but we do have the promises contained in His Word. They are promises of peace, of joy, of restoration and wholeness. God came to Abraham in year 24 and told him that He was still going to do exactly what He promised He would do in the first place. I don't know how long you've been waiting, but I wanted to tell you that the same is true for you and I.

Gal 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (ESV)

Until next time...
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Direct Your Heart Into the Love of God

2Th 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. (KJV)

We recently concluded our study of Paul's letters to the Thessalonian church. Paul encouraged the believers, corrected their theology, gave them practical commitments, and prayed for them. One of Paul's desires was that their hearts would be directed into the love of God. Why is this so important?

I believe one of the fundamental temptations we will face is to doubt God's love for us in any given set of circumstances. Jude says we are to keep ourselves in the love of God (Jude 21). This is not so much trying to earn God's favor as it is meditating upon what God has already done for us in Christ and abiding in Him. After all, John says that we love God because He first loved us (I John 4:19). Paul reminds the Roman believers that Christ loved us even when we were opposed to Him (Romans 5:8-10).

The Thessalonian church was under persecution (2 Thess 1:4-5). Adding to the problem was that they had received some misinformation concerning the end times and the coming of the Lord. So much so, that some had become shaken out of their wits (2 Thess 2:2). Paul corrected their misunderstanding(s) of eschatology and reminded them of his prior teachings to them (both in person and by epistle/letter). He requests their prayers for God's Word to continue to flourish (run swiftly). He then expresses his desire that their hearts would be directed into the love of God.

One of the oldest texts of the bible (Job) reveals one of Satan's chief strategies. We have the gift of hindsight, but Job had no such luxury. He is left with all sorts of unanswered questions about the nature of his sufferings, meanwhile he receives little support from his "friends". Looking back, we can see that the devil wanted Job to question and curse the integrity of God. I could be wrong, but I have a sneaking suspicion that his strategy has changed very little. We too, must resist the temptation to doubt God's love in the midst of difficult circumstances.

I'm so glad that Paul penned Romans chapter 8 under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for a variety of reasons. But in light of today's blog, I'm particularly glad that Paul reminds us that nothing we face in this life separates us from God's love. Paul goes through a number of worst-case scenarios (tribulation, distress, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, etc.) that we might possibly face and asks a question: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?". I like that Paul personifies these things (by saying "Who" not "what"). Trials are personal. They hurt!!!

And then Paul gives us the answer we're all longing to hear:

Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (KJV)

Paul's prayer for the Ephesians is that they would "comprehend with all the saints" (notice the element of community here- no Christian is the Lone Ranger) the length, width, depth, and height of the unfathomable love of God! (Eph 3:18-19). Perhaps you are in a difficult place right now, just like Job. You look to the left, to the right, but there seems to be no answers (Job 23:8-9). Sometimes there are no easy answers. Sometimes we feel as if we are groping through the dark, trying to make sense of it all. But one thing I know for certain- none of these things separate us from the love of God!

Direct your heart into the love of God and your perspective will begin to change; even if your circumstances don't immediately change.

Until next time....be encouraged!
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