Instant answers (just add water!)

Jonah 4:4&5

Very oftern we (and I include myself in this!) are SO eager to hear God's answer to our prayer requests, that if we don't have an instant reply we assume God's not listening.

This is crazy.

Just because something isn't fitting in with our grand scheme doesn't mean its wrong.

Jonah thought along these lines (as he would cuz its a human reaction) and when he didn't get his own way and couldn't run away from this situation, he decided that God should just smite him and be done with it!

Sometimes when God moves, not everyone is pleased.

When Jesus first started his ministry gig he was performing miracles in his area (which was Galilee). This, as you could imagine, caused quite an interset and it wasn't long before crowds were gathering in little Galilee.

The locals weren't happy with the increase in tourists and so they asked Jesus to leave!

Can you imagine being so self-absorbed that you would rather not be in the presence of the son of God?

Love you x

One step forwards, Three steps back!

Jonah 4:3

Dude! Jonah was angry with God, NOW he's feeling suicidal!

Just when it looked as if he was gonna learn from this experience, he slips right back into to stoopid mode again.

Jonah couldn't face serving someone who could do the kinds of things that God was doing.

He would sooner die.

This is Jonahs stuborness - TO THE MAX!!!

It also shows that Jonah had learnt very little. He still wants to run away - but this time, he looks to run not to another country but to the grave.

Don't live your lives with unresolved anger inside of you. It will catch up with you eventually. (and the longer its left to fester, the worse it becomes)

Maybe you watch enviously as other people go further in God than you.

Or perhaps you resent new-christians for their bright, fresh approach to faith.

Don't run and hide from God.

Take these problems and bad feelings to God a talk to Him about it.

Learn from your past.

Walk towards God.

Love you x

Scandalously good

Jonah 4:2

For all his weaknesses, Jonah did tell God what was really in his heart, even if it was ugly. He brought his frustrations to God's attention.

If you are struggling, depressed or disappointed, tell God.

He knows anyway, but He considers our expression of pain a moment of intimacy.

Use God as your shrink.

Its kinda ironic that the most amazing descirptions of God found in the bible came out of the mouth of such a bitter/enraged man like Jonah.

The minor prophet finally 'fesses up' to why he did a runner from God in the first place - he was frightened that God WOULD be true to His promise to forgive the Ninevites.

So why would anyone complain about such beauty and grace?

The answer is simple.

We want God to be gracious and forgiving to US - but not people who WE consider not worthy of it. (as if we have any grounds to be judgemental!)

Love you x

Mr. Angry

Jonah 4:1

Jonah was a little miffed.

He had gone to this place (that he really didn't wanna) and preached a 'half-assed' message (begrudgingly) and not only did these people listen to what he said, they also took it to heart as a whole nation.

Jonah has preached the shortest and most successful sermon in history and rocked the city with words of revival.

You'd think he would be happy.

The exact opposite. The writer is keen for us to understand just how angry Jonah was with God. First off there is a use of a literary device called a figura etymologia ( a double emphasis )

We see uses of this many times throughout the book of Jonah to show just how intense something was. (e.g. the sailors feared a great fear, Jonah was called to proclaim the proclamation, and now he was angry with a great anger!)

Take it from me. He's upset.

When we are frustrated we need to run to God not away from Him.

Love you x

The Mans gotsta do what the Mans gotsta do

Jonah 3:9

I was flicking through the channels the other day and I stumbled across the God channel (I would normally flick right past) but something made me hesitate. The broadcast was of some American minister preaching from the book of Isiah.

He was (in a round aboput way) telling the congregation to 'tell God what to do.'

His whole message was based on Isiah 45:11 ('concerning the work of my hands command ye me'). Do a double take on this passage; it's very clear that God is actually saying the opposite; that He is God, and will do what He will do. God invites and encourages our prayers and even suggestions but in the end, 'He is God'(Isa. 45:18)

Mission is about inviting everyone to have a relationship with God, to place their hopes, dreams and ambitions at His feet and allow Him to take charge of their destiny.

Here, in Jonah, the 'pagans' did better than the prophet

Similar to the 'pagan saliors' the king's decree expresses hope in God, rather than a demand (Jonah 3:9)

Pray with hope and don't pout when the answer doesn't come, or isn't what you wanted.

Love you x

Be careful what you pray for

Jonah 3:7&8

A lot of people would say that their main prayer request would probably be for growth within their church. However, this has a dangerous underside. Growth is not only messy and disruptive, but also hard work.

One of the most impressive examples of transition was made by the infant church, in allowing the gentiles to also hear the good news. (Acts 15:1-35)

This was a major shift in thinking.

So, say we pray for a more effective youth group/outreach program and suddenly masses of young people (maybe with drug/alcohol abuse history) start showing an interest in the church.

Christian parents (probably the very same people who prayed for the growth in youth!) begin to feel concerned for their 'sheltered' children.

What effect will these new kids have upon the old ones?

Who will influence who?

When God moves, the people most surprised by what He does are usually the guardians of His last move.

Have we seen this before?

Maybe in the new testament pharisees and religous teachers' reactions to the ways and teachings of Jesus Christ.

The scene in the book of Jonah must have looked kinda crazy.

People forcing their livestock to fast and also wear sackcloth!

Jonah had no idea on the impact of his reluctant message to the people of Nineveh.

Be careful what you pray for. The answer may bring some surprises.

Love you x

Expect the unexpected

Jonah 3:5

We humans are strange creatures.

Non are stranger than the 'Christian'.

Here we see a collection of people that all believe in one set of facts and rules, and they still manage to royaly cock things up. Arguing about petty and insignificant things and loosing sight of the real reason we are all here (no . . . not to decide the colour of the carpark fence!)

Jesus (the perfect example of what we christians strive to be) taught us to love one another as we are loved by the Lord, and yet there is still bickering in the church.

I heard today that Hanover Hall was closing soon, due to lack of attendance and the age of those that do attend.

This is sad.

The message that Jonah voiced (no matter how depressingand pessimistic the delivery!) seemed to strike a chord with the Ninevites.

The word used to describe their new-found faith -'believed' - is the same term in Hebrew that describes Abraham's relationship with God.

This radical repentance came to a bit of a shock to Jonah.

The Assyrians were already a religous people; they shaped their national life in accordance with Ishtar (godess of war). But they would welcome other gods (if it suited their needs at the time!)

So was this 'turning' for real?

As we look further we see that the wear sackcloth and fasting (a sign of mourning) and throw themselves at the mercy of God.

This is indeed a miracle.

It IS difficult to pray for some people (maybe people we don't get on with). The conversion of some people may seem impossible.(check out www.headtochrist.com for the story of 'Head' from the band Korn's coversion to the christian faith) But to the God who can even raise the dead, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

Love you x

Surrender

Jonah 3:3&4

Mission calls us to live the message aswell as speak it.

It was an obedient Jonah who went to Nineveh.

He was calling to the Ninevites to surrender to the one true God, as he himself (for the time being!) was in the place of surrender.

I have heard people say "Don't look at the church, look at Jesus."

They are wrong.

God wants people to be able to look at us AND see Jesus.

I saw a guy the other day in Birmingham.

Preaching (if thats what you can call it!) the good news (if thats what you can call it!). He was yelling bible texts at passers-by. Screaming "REPENT!"

This guy is deffinately brave, but is he wise?

The gospel is GOOD NEWS: does this sound like good news?

This is kinda like Jonah's message to the Ninevites. His short outburst does not speak of any chance to repent, and there is absolutely no good news.

Jonah just echoes Nahum's dark announcement (Nahum 3:1-19), 'Here comes the judge - you're all doomed!'

Are our lives and words good news to others?

Love you x

Messy Mission

Jonah 3:2

In yesterdays past we touched on the fact that Jonah's second chance to go to Nineveh may not have been his ideal situation.

Since then I have researched into the Ninevites and why Jonah would be so reluctant to go.

Inscriptions found on Assyrian monuments show how vile and cruel a race they could be, particually following a victory in battle. Captured soldiers were horribly tortured before execution, often having their tongues wrenched out by hand.

Another method of the Ninevites involved pegging a man to the ground; the executioner then made an incision with a sharp knife, raising the skin inch by inch until the victim was skinned alive. These skins were then stretched out and displayed on the city walls.

This may seem a bit extreme, but relevent; mission is a call to love the unlovely.

We need to ask God to help us to love those we would naturally turn away from.

Like Lisa said on sunday night, go and talk to someone you wouldnt normaly approach.

Love you x

I hate fishing

Jonah 3: 1&2

God has given Jonah a second chance. He has taken him full circle in these crazy 2 chapters and is now saying "NOW will you go to Nineveh?!"

God uses second-rate idiots (He aint got nothing else to use!)

Time after time we see examples in the bible of how God used unskilled and occasionally obnoxious. Quite often we see how these 'lesser leaders' shrink back from their callings.

Stuttering Moses (Exod. 4:10-16), and Jeremiah feeling like a child doing a man's work (Jer. 1:6)

"The church is not a gallery for the exhibition of eminent christians, but a school for the education of imperfect ones."

(Henry Ward Beecher)

Hate is such a strong word but COME ON it's fishing!

To CHOOSE to sit in the freezing cold for days on end, going without basic sanitation and warmth so that you can hook a little fish, admire it (maybe take a photo of yourself with it) and then chuck it back in the water seems less than appealing!

But after speaking to a few people at work (who enjoy it), I have realised the main truth - you have to go and get them. No fisherman stands on the bank with a net hoping that the fish will obediantly hop in.

This is the same with our christian life (especially in evangelism).

When praying that people will show up at church on sundays we sometimes adopt the 'come and hear' approach, rather than the biblical 'go and tell'.

Of course living this missionary life-style can be costly. This way of living can cause you to be interrupted and driven out of your comfort zones.

There is no reason to believe that Jonah was any happier about the second call than he was the first.

Some people cry out to God "Send them in Lord!"

Perhaps God's reply is "Go to where they are, people!"

Love you x

Jonah 2: 9-10

I love this bit in the story.

When I was at younger at sunday school we where always told this story in such a 'nice' way. We heard of Jonah sat quite comfortably inside a smiling whale, and after he said "sorry" God told the whale . . .

" errm, excuse me Mr. Whale, could you be so kind as to gently spit out my friend?"

The fact is that Jonahs whinging and flawed repentance was SO annoying that it made the whale physically sick.

Can you imagine what a whale being sick is like ?!

That WOULD be gross !

Just a short one today kids . . . I gots some take away pizza waiting for me!

Love you! x