Jonah Chapter 2

Jonah Chapter 2

Jonah chapter 2 is a chapter that resonates with many people who have felt like the have hit bottom.  Perhaps it is an endless line of failure in relationships, jobs, or some earthly goal.  Maybe the issue is an addiction that got way beyond control.  The reality is that the people going through such things feel hopeless.  They feel as if they have reached the end.  This is the situation for Jonah.

Jonah Chapter 2 takes place in the belly of a great fish.  Jonah ended up in this predicament because of his disobedience to God.  His life appears to be about to end.  Thoughts certainly flying through his mind.  Jonah would be preserved in the belly of the fish for 3 days and nights – a type of Christ in the tomb.  What would you do if you were at the end?  Judas came to what he thought was the end and took his life.  Peter in denying Christ three times certainly could have felt the same.

In this peek at Jonah’s response to God’s discipline, we are introduced to humility.  When the bottom is hit, people need to be honest about how they got there.  They need to be honest about who provides real deliverance from an evil world.  When man humbles himself and seeks out the one who can truly help, there will always be hope.

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Jonah Chapter 1

Jonah Chapter 1

Jonah chapter 1 is a book that I have used many times to describe salvation.  It starts out with a proclaimed follower of God, the prophet Jonah.  He is disobedient to God.  How many people in this world claim God but do not obey?  Luke 6:46 – “Why do you call me Lord and not do the things I say?”  This book starts in the same manner.  A denial of Christ by behavior.Jonah fish

As Jonah chapter 1 progresses God provides earthly consequences for Jonah’s sinful actions of running from what was commanded.  Jonah was supposed to be headed to Nineveh, but was headed purposefully in the wrong direction.  God would raise the winds and sea in preventing Jonah’s will from being successful and in the process ensuring His own Will would be accomplished.

Upon the ship Jonah traveled, there would be preaching, hearing, calling upon the Lord, obedience, sacrifice, and salvation.  Jonah is a type of Christ and this chapter is just the beginning.  God ends up sending a great fish to swallow Jonah as the writing ends.  However, there are three more chapters of this book to cover and the next few lessons of Locusts and Wild Honey will cover exactly that.

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He Sees Your Worth

He Sees Your Worth

There are some passages in the Bible that you can read a lifetime and simply read over them without considering them closer.  In this lesson, an instance of this is examined.  It is funny how commentary after commentary, scholar after scholar, and one’s own blind trudge forward can miss what is quite simple.  This video is the start of looking at your worth in the eyes of God.  I will likely provide a follow up video later as there were simply some thoughts and passages I did not get to properly explore.

Self worth seems to have its extremes in life.  We can go from the extreme of being arrogant straight to the line of feeling like we have no value at all.  I believe we have all seen examples like this in family, friends, or community.  This Locusts and Wild Honey study comes out of Matthew 17 and 18 and attempts to look at the full passage to understand the message and context.  There are wonderful themes of forgiveness and compassion that are never skipped in this selection of scripture and certainly, they won’t be skipped this time either (even if i does take another recording!).

Remember, whether you have matured to the point of strong Biblical reliance upon your Lord or whether you are continually barraged with your own failings in this life, God cares for you deeply.  You have worth.

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What is Your Motivation?

What is Your Motivation?

What is your motivation when making decisions involving the Body of Christ, His Church?  If you are looking for a new preacher what questions are asked in deciding what to put in an ad seeking a preacher?  Are they about his appearance or education?  Are they about his spiritual knowldege?  Are you most concerned about how youth will percieve him?

What is your motivation when engaged in presenting the Lord’s Supper?  Is the focus on stirring emotion among the Christians partaking?  or is it upon the body and blood of the Lord?

When the congregation sings, is the focus upon the tempo, musical notes, and how the music sounds to the human ear?  Or is the focus upon humbling offering God the fruit of the lips?

Are you concerned more with the community seeing the good you are doing or spreading the good itself?  Is appearance or recognition your motivation?

Remember, God sees and knows your heart.  Is your heart wanting to Glorify Him? Great!  However, he will not be pleased if your actions do not operate in accordance with His Word.

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Why Should You Value the Bible?

Why Should You Value the Bible?

This Locusts and wild Honey Lesson raises the topic of why should you value the Bible.

Christians, you may have a great number of reasons would apply great worth to the Bible.  Certainly, we can all likely point to an aspect of our life that has been improved because of scripture.  I know that I am not the man I once was because the scriptures have molded me into something better.  Oh the stories we could tell and the joy that would be in them.

Those who are not Christians you may have a lot of questions about God.  You cannot see Him.  You cannot Hear Him.  It is said He is your creator.  People say He has given you life.  Evidently, everything you see around you is His.  Does this not cause you to want to seek Him out,  to understand who He is, what He wants, and what your very purpose is upon this earth?  Can you place a value upon that?  The Bible offers this very thing.

 

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