Nineveh Repented

Nineveh Repented

Who has not heard of the story of Jonah and his three days and nights in the belly of the big fish? It is one of the most amazing events in the scriptures and even many non-believers know about it. We sometimes focus on Jonah’s preaching as the only reason the men of Nineveh repented in sackcloth and ashes. What else caused this pagan city to repent?jonah fish

It was more than just the message he delivered. He walked the streets of that massive city giving them the message God had given to him.  “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4).  The message was from God, but was there any way that any person could know that God was the source of the message?

The answer to this question is found in Luke 11:30). “For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation.” Jesus said that Jonah was more than just a preacher to the Ninevites—he was a sign. We noted in last week’s article that a sign is far more than an event which happens. It is a sign from God, and it has no earthly explanation.

How Jonah was a sign is not specified. Those sailors who tossed Jonah overboard and seeing the storm stop immediately saw truth and worshiped God. When that storm first came, they threw their cargo into the sea and reversed their course to return home (Jonah 1:13). There was no need to continue the journey. Is it possible they arrived, and their words prepared the way for Jonah? Is it possible that Jonah’s appearance showed he had been in that fish? Or was it some other way? Jonah was not just a preacher; he was a sign!

The miracles performed by the early Christians were a sign they were more than just “preachers.” Jesus said that those who believed and were baptized would perform miracles (Mark 16:16-18).  After Jesus ascended, “…they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the words through the accompanying signs” (Mark 16:20).

Why were there miracles in the exodus from Egypt? God was confirming His words with accompanying signs. Why did Jesus perform miracles? God was confirming His words with accompanying signs.

The Bible said that those signs would cease (1 Cor. 13:8-10). While we might think that more would believe today if they saw signs, think of the words spoken to the rich man in Hades. He wanted a miracle to be shown to his brothers. Was he right? “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded though one rise from the dead” (Luke 16:31). A failure to understand how God used signs can lead one to believe “lying wonders” today (2 Thess. 2:9).

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Sell it Not!

Sell it Not!

“Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.” (Proverbs 23:23 KJV)Sell It Not

Buy low, sell high is the simplest explanation of commerce and the market economy. Who among you has invested a lot of money in collectibles? I used to collect NFL trading cards – (anyone want to buy a Ryan Leaf rookie card?) There used to be some stuffed animals known as Beanie Babies, which were immensely popular as collectible items. Some people paid outrageous sums of money to buy some of the more limited-edition critters, thinking they will be worth more in the future and would bring a profit. The problem was that Beanie Baby collection turned out to be simply a fad and the collectibles market for stuffed toys collapsed. I had a friend who was into collecting those things, but he decided to unload everything he saw the value starting to decline. There are thousands of people today who are holding onto thousands of beaning babies apiece, hoping one day there will once more be a market for them. The deal was that whoever has them last, loses.

The truth on the other hand, never goes down in value. When one buys the truth and holds on to the truth, he or she naturally gains in wisdom, instruction and understanding. These things are what is truly valuable.

Read 1 Timothy 6:6-19; John 8:31-32

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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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Back to School

Back to School!

School starts soon! I can’t believe the summer has flown by so quickly. Just yesterday it was Memorial Day (it seems). We wish our children a very good school year. We hope they succeed beyond their wildest dreams. Yet, at the same time, education in secular matters is not the priority. We must recognize the supremacy of the spiritual (Matthew 6:33). Secular education should be tempered by spirituality. Paul said, “I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil” (Romans 16:19).back to school

The world is filled with people who had great education, were successful in life, but died dissatisfied with their accomplishments. This is because the world can never truly satisfy (Proverbs 27:20). We work to gain thinking that the next great thing, accomplishment, or deal will fulfill us. When it finally comes, it lacks the luster that we thought it had, and we move on to the next “next great thing,” and the cycle repeats itself. One day, if we’re lucky, we will wake up and decide that we must do something better with our life. The unlucky never arrive at that day.Proverbs 14:14 states, “The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.”

As we go “back to school” let’s not get so wrapped up in our secular education that we forget that the world and everything in it belongs to God (Psalm 24:1). Let’s prioritize the spiritual. Let’s remember that all the good things that we have come from God (James 1:17), and let’s seek to use those things to the glory of God, including our education (1 Corinthians 10:31).

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Miracles, Wonders, and Signs

Miracles, Wonders, and Signs

On Pentecost, Peter talked about “miracles, wonders and signs” which Jesus did as evidence that He was truly the Son of God (Acts 2:22). These words can be used to refer to the same event, but each of them emphasizes a unique aspect to those events. Take a moment to consider them.signs wonders miracles

They are described as miracles for they are not natural events which can occur and can be explained by mortals. They are far above this level and demand a super-natural explanation. When Jesus cured the cripple man the response was so graphic. “So that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this’” (Mark 2:12). There was no natural explanation that any mortal could give. It was SUPER-natural!

These miracles are described as wonders. This word emphasizes the impact they had on those who saw them. It was truly a sense of “wonderment.” When Jesus stilled the tempest, the apostles “…were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled” (Mark 6:51). It was God’s way of calling attention to His Messenger in an awesome way.

They are called signs because they bring another message when they happen. As seen above, they gave confirmation to the One who did them. They bear witness, and they testify. They are a message from heaven authenticating the one who performed them. This is why the apostles were empowered for each miracle, as sign of authority from heaven.

What is remarkable is that those in the first century understood some signs but failed to see the most important one. When they asked Jesus to give them a sign, He pointed out a grave situation in their lives which had an eternal consequence. The color of the clouds helped them decide about the coming weather. We express it this way in America, “Red sails at night, sailors’ delight. Red sails at morning, sailors taken warning.”

Jesus rebuked them saying, “Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times” (Matt. 16:3). Think of the hundreds, perhaps thousands, they had seen Jesus heal, but they ignored these signs of the time when the Messiah was in their midst.

This is why He refused to give the “performance” they asked for. They had seen the myriad of signs already given. He then called their attention to the ultimate sign—His resurrection after being in the grave for three days and nights. How did they respond to this event? They ignored it like they did all the other miracles, wonders and signs. Imagine being them on the Day of Judgment. However, do our lives show that we too can by faith see these signs and ignore them?

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