Jonah finally did obey God and fulfill his vow as a spokesman for God. Yet we still see a hard heart in Jonah as he preached. The Scriptures tell us that Nineveh was a 3 day walk around the city. That's a large city even in today's standards. Yet we find that Jonah only walked one day through the city preaching. It is as though Jonah walks straight through the city to just give it a once over if you will. This means that about 2/3 rd of the city did not hear the message at all.
Now, in spite of the half hearted effort of Jonah, we see that the city repented! The movement within the city was great enough that it reached the ears of the King and he issues a decree that everyone was to fast, pray and repent! Sort of sounds like a modern day politician watching the opinion polls if you ask me.
Here is where the story gets very interesting. The city repents to the point that the Lord holds back His judgement and does not destroy them. Since the Lord can see the heart we are forced to concede that they must have truly repented, at least to the fullest of their understanding. These Ninevites were a ruthless people that were so violent that the surrounding peoples hated them with a vengeance. Yet they repent at the preaching of Jonah. The sad truth is that we do not find any proof that any of the Godly people of Israel came to teach, disciple or mentor these people. With this void in teaching and training in the word of God we find that they revert back to their old ways in 1 generation. Approximately 37 years after the preaching of Jonah and the staying of Gods wrath we find that the Ninevites attack the northern kingdom of Israel and destroy them. Then in 612 BC the King of Babylon teams with other kingdoms against Nineveh and not only conquers them, but totally destroys the city down to the foundations. The city was lost for 2000 years never to be inhabited again. This was the fulfilment of Gods warning to them.
What would have happened to both the Ninevites and Israel if they had only reached out to them and trained them in the word of God? What would history look like if Jonah and his fellow countrymen, would have seized the day? In their hatred of the Ninevites they sealed their own destruction and revealed their own wicked hearts. It was this hard hearted issue that God points out to Jonah in chapter 4 of the book of Jonah. God proves Himself in this little book as the one who forgives and judges. He is righteous and holy in the display of both.
Are you helping someone else grow in their faith today? Is there a void of real discipleship in the church today? Are you being a part of the solution? Christ commanded us to "Make Disciples" not to work harder so we can get a raise. Did I just do a little meddling just then? If there is a moral void in the church today, who is at fault? If marriages are falling apart in the church at the same rate as those outside the church, who is at fault? If "Christians" are falling back into their old habits and ways, who is at fault? The story of Jonah, Israel and the Ninevites is one that maybe we as American "Christians" should take heed in. Before we start blaming the government, or people groups for the trials in this world maybe we should look into our own hearts and ask, are we doing everything the Lord has asked of us?
Don't just do what God says, put your heart into it. Look for ways to fulfill the ways of God in your life and those around you. We do not need a newly spoken word from the Lord, we have the scriptures. Jesus said the "if you love me you will keep my commandments". So, we have our work orders for the day, "make Disciples". Be one today. Help a fellow believer grow in their faith. Pour your life into another and watch the fruit of your labor as they start to help others. Now that's a garden worth working in and a pay raise that will reap eternal returns.
Just my Thoughts
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
See Jonah Pray
The story of Jonah is a story of a man called by God to preach His word and yet he runs from the presence of God and refuses to preach the message given to him. I'm sure that anyone reading this will know the story of Jonah and the whale. Jonah runs from God and finds himself as the first passenger on a submarine. It is during this dark time in the belly of the whale that Jonah prays to God and admits his rebellion. We also see is this prayer a reference to his crisis prayer as he was on the verge of drowning. At the bottom of the sea with the weeds wrapped around his head he finally calls out to God.
I think this is the most sad part of the story. Jonah could not have gotten any lower before he prays to the God he knows! What causes a person to run from a loving God? What is it in us that we are willing to sink so low before we will admit our failure? The obvious answer is sin, but if we believe in Jesus and profess to follow Him, why do we have to fall so far before we turn back to Him?
The scriptures are clear that if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive our sins. In spite of our faithlessness, God is always faithful. What He says He will do, we can be sure that He "will" do it. How far is too far in our waiting to call on Him? The scriptures also talk about the judgment of God. It seems that we constantly want to test the patience of God. In our day of adrenalin junkies, it would be wise to not go to the edge of God's patience. When we get to the very bottom of our lives and then look up to the Lord He is always there to forgive, but the climb back up can be a long one. Even though God saved Jonah and used him to preach and bring revival to Nineveh I believe he still held the scars of the partially digested skin. I have seen people brought back from the edge of destruction by the grace of God and yet still carry the scars that now proclaim God's mercy. God will and can take our destroyed lives and make something beautiful and useful out of them. Our past even though it never goes away, God is able to use it and change our perspective on our own lives and His ability to restore and use us.
Today, I would rather not hit bottom before I decide to look up. Today I want to start off by praying to the Heavenly Father that I know loves me. Today I want to end my day by praying to the Heavenly Father who helped me through the day. Today I want to plan on starting my climb tomorrow from a better position than I started from today.
"Prayer" It can make all the difference in everything in your life today. Why wait until you hit bottom. I don't know about you but I would rather ride in a sail boat and be able to have a better view of the sunset than ride in a submarine and stare at the walls.
I think I'll stop writing now and go talk to the Father....
Just My Thoughts,
RiceBurnerMonk
I think this is the most sad part of the story. Jonah could not have gotten any lower before he prays to the God he knows! What causes a person to run from a loving God? What is it in us that we are willing to sink so low before we will admit our failure? The obvious answer is sin, but if we believe in Jesus and profess to follow Him, why do we have to fall so far before we turn back to Him?
The scriptures are clear that if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive our sins. In spite of our faithlessness, God is always faithful. What He says He will do, we can be sure that He "will" do it. How far is too far in our waiting to call on Him? The scriptures also talk about the judgment of God. It seems that we constantly want to test the patience of God. In our day of adrenalin junkies, it would be wise to not go to the edge of God's patience. When we get to the very bottom of our lives and then look up to the Lord He is always there to forgive, but the climb back up can be a long one. Even though God saved Jonah and used him to preach and bring revival to Nineveh I believe he still held the scars of the partially digested skin. I have seen people brought back from the edge of destruction by the grace of God and yet still carry the scars that now proclaim God's mercy. God will and can take our destroyed lives and make something beautiful and useful out of them. Our past even though it never goes away, God is able to use it and change our perspective on our own lives and His ability to restore and use us.
Today, I would rather not hit bottom before I decide to look up. Today I want to start off by praying to the Heavenly Father that I know loves me. Today I want to end my day by praying to the Heavenly Father who helped me through the day. Today I want to plan on starting my climb tomorrow from a better position than I started from today.
"Prayer" It can make all the difference in everything in your life today. Why wait until you hit bottom. I don't know about you but I would rather ride in a sail boat and be able to have a better view of the sunset than ride in a submarine and stare at the walls.
I think I'll stop writing now and go talk to the Father....
Just My Thoughts,
RiceBurnerMonk
Monday, July 6, 2009
See Jonah Run
Jonah ran from God and he became the first person to ride in a submarine. My guess is that is was not a comfortable ride. In the account of Jonah we are told that he ran but not why he ran. We do know that Jonah admitted that he understood that God was compassionate and that if the people of Nineveh repented that God would forgive them. What drove Jonah to hate these people so much? Here we have a prophet of God that is willing to die before he sees a group of people repent and follow the same God he is following. Wow, now that's a sad thing to have written about you for all people to read.
A few weeks ago I saw a video clip from "Penn Says" about a man that gave him a bible. Penn Jillette admits that he is an Atheist and that this gift did not change his mind. He also says that if you really believe in Jesus and God, how much do you have to hate someone to not tell them about Him? Wow, do you think that all Christians should watch this clip? This comment comes from an admitted non-believer and calls out Christians as hateful if you do not tell people about Jesus.
The scriptures are clear on this subject. Jesus called all believers to be busy about making disciples, teaching them to obey everything He taught. We are also told that how can someone believe in Christ unless we tell them about Him, and how will they hear if we do not go? Where would the Church of Jesus Christ be today if everyone that called themselves "Christian", would just do what He commanded us to do? What if we tried to not beat the gospel into people but to lovingly share the gospel with them? What if we were to actually befriend people with the desire to share the gospel with them? What if we still loved people even if they did not accept the gospel message?
A few weeks ago I saw a video clip from "Penn Says" about a man that gave him a bible. Penn Jillette admits that he is an Atheist and that this gift did not change his mind. He also says that if you really believe in Jesus and God, how much do you have to hate someone to not tell them about Him? Wow, do you think that all Christians should watch this clip? This comment comes from an admitted non-believer and calls out Christians as hateful if you do not tell people about Jesus.
The scriptures are clear on this subject. Jesus called all believers to be busy about making disciples, teaching them to obey everything He taught. We are also told that how can someone believe in Christ unless we tell them about Him, and how will they hear if we do not go? Where would the Church of Jesus Christ be today if everyone that called themselves "Christian", would just do what He commanded us to do? What if we tried to not beat the gospel into people but to lovingly share the gospel with them? What if we were to actually befriend people with the desire to share the gospel with them? What if we still loved people even if they did not accept the gospel message?
The people of Nineveh heard a true message from a disobedient messenger and they believed. How many would believe today if we would just tell them? Are there too many people in the church today running from God? I'm not sure but there does seem to be a lot of storms out there. Maybe years ago they heard God call and now they are hiding in the lower regions of the boat trying to sleep it out. Maybe they do in fact "hate" their neighbor. Should read what the Scriptures have to say about that. Scary stuff if you ask me.
As I sit in my study preparing this message it makes me want all the more to get out on my bike and find some new friends that do not know the Lord.
How are you finding new friends that do not know the Lord? Do you have a friend that knows the Lord and has not told you? Call them out and ask why. It will help both of you if you have the courage.
Jonah ran but he did not win a medal for it. However, he could be listed in the hall of shame.
Just My Thoughts,
Riceburnermonk
As I sit in my study preparing this message it makes me want all the more to get out on my bike and find some new friends that do not know the Lord.
How are you finding new friends that do not know the Lord? Do you have a friend that knows the Lord and has not told you? Call them out and ask why. It will help both of you if you have the courage.
Jonah ran but he did not win a medal for it. However, he could be listed in the hall of shame.
Just My Thoughts,
Riceburnermonk
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Fireworks that work
As a fellowship we celebrated the 4th of July last night setting off a lot of fireworks. It was a blast, (pun intended) getting together with friends and family for the evening. I'm not sure how much we really spent on the fireworks but I would say that it was enough. We had some from our fellowship, some great friends that drove across town to come out and spend the evening with us and a few guests.
During our time setting off the fireworks one of my friends had one misfire and almost went off in his hand. I think that is why the instructions tell you to never hold a "Roman Candle" in your hand while lighting it. One explosion went off very close to his ear and he had to through it to save himself from a real injury. Most of the rest of the fireworks did however go off properly. That's nice since family owns the fireworks stand.
I had the chance to meet some new people last night and one of the families came to visit us this morning for worship. They came last night with one of the members of our fellowship and I was introduced to them just before we left the event. As I talked with them this morning they said that they really enjoyed the worship experience and were planning on returning. To me that made the whole event worth while.
Reaching out to people is a lot like setting off fireworks. There is that great anticipation of what you will see as you get the fireworks ready to light. Then there is the effort to get that little fuse lit in the dark, (some one should come up with a way to make those things glow in the dark). Once the fuse is lit there is the adrenaline rush as you move away hoping that what you are about to see was worth the money, effort and time. Sometimes there is that misfire that almost sends you off to the emergency room. That's never fun but we always come back for more fireworks. Most of the time the display of sound and color and lights is worth it all. When we reach out to new people we are never given a guarantee that the response will be a good one. But when you work hard at building relationships, risking your comfort zone and try to help point people to the one who brought peace into your life the end result is spectacular! So to all of you out there that like fireworks, try to light up a life this week. Light that fuse even though it's hard to see sometimes and step back to see if it was worth it.
Scriptures tell us that the angles in heaven celebrate over the soul turned to Christ. My guess is that that celebration is better and bigger than the one we had last night.
Just my thoughts,
Riceburnermonk
During our time setting off the fireworks one of my friends had one misfire and almost went off in his hand. I think that is why the instructions tell you to never hold a "Roman Candle" in your hand while lighting it. One explosion went off very close to his ear and he had to through it to save himself from a real injury. Most of the rest of the fireworks did however go off properly. That's nice since family owns the fireworks stand.
I had the chance to meet some new people last night and one of the families came to visit us this morning for worship. They came last night with one of the members of our fellowship and I was introduced to them just before we left the event. As I talked with them this morning they said that they really enjoyed the worship experience and were planning on returning. To me that made the whole event worth while.
Reaching out to people is a lot like setting off fireworks. There is that great anticipation of what you will see as you get the fireworks ready to light. Then there is the effort to get that little fuse lit in the dark, (some one should come up with a way to make those things glow in the dark). Once the fuse is lit there is the adrenaline rush as you move away hoping that what you are about to see was worth the money, effort and time. Sometimes there is that misfire that almost sends you off to the emergency room. That's never fun but we always come back for more fireworks. Most of the time the display of sound and color and lights is worth it all. When we reach out to new people we are never given a guarantee that the response will be a good one. But when you work hard at building relationships, risking your comfort zone and try to help point people to the one who brought peace into your life the end result is spectacular! So to all of you out there that like fireworks, try to light up a life this week. Light that fuse even though it's hard to see sometimes and step back to see if it was worth it.
Scriptures tell us that the angles in heaven celebrate over the soul turned to Christ. My guess is that that celebration is better and bigger than the one we had last night.
Just my thoughts,
Riceburnermonk
Thursday, July 2, 2009
When a marriage fails
I just returned from a premarital counseling appointment that was a blessing. It feels good to be involved in a couples life when you believe that their marriage will be a success. As a pastor I see too often those that do not succeed. Did you know that the divorce rate among those that attend church is the same as those that do not? It's sad to think that 50% of all marriages will fail. What happens to cause this? Where are we missing the point?
In my years of experience I have noticed that a marriage will fail in most cases because of one of about 4 reasons. At the top of the list is "communication". Without good communication everything else is sure to be a struggle. Now I do not mean just hearing the other person speak their mind. I mean actually communicating your feelings and desires. Actually working at making sure that each one in the relationship understands what their mate is going through and what they really want in life. Even in "Christian" marriages I still see partners guessing what their mate is thinking or wanting. Maybe we should just read Ephesians 5 again and start to practice it. If you're reading this and your married, "Talk to your mate".
The other reasons I see marriages fail is because of either,
Money:
Religion:
Sex:
You can have problems in these areas and still work through them if you have good communication. If on the other hand you do not, then it's going to be an up hill battle.
Money: The problems I see in couples that revolve around money are usually because of debt, lack of a budget and lack of a financial plan. In our current financial situation in the United States this issue should be very clear. When you live beyond you income and plan on paying for debt with income from tomorrow you are asking for trouble. This is the kind of stress that will kill a marriage. Stress will suck the life out of everything around you, including your health and the health of your marriage. The lack of proper money management is a constant source of stress that will not go away with the next raise. It will not go away by winning the lottery or getting that inheritance. We simply find a way to spend what we have and mismanage it along the way no matter if we have little or much. It's the management of it that makes the difference. Dealing with money from a biblical perspective is in my opinion the best way. To oversimplify it let me say this.
#1. Stay out of debt and cut up those credit cards. THEY ARE ROBBING YOU OF YOUR FUTURE!
#2. Make a budget and do everything to stick to it. I just wish our government would do the same.
#3. Plan for the future. How will you deal with the money issues of sicknesses or disasters? They are coming you know.
#4. Discuss your finances on a regular basis with your mate. This is how you pay to live on this earth. Might be a good idea to keep the communication flowing, unless you just want to surprise your mate with the news that you are really in more debt than they thought. Not good for your marriage or physical well being.
Sex: This is the area that most people will not talk about to anyone. Not their pastor, friend, counselor, or even their mate. It is however the most powerful of issues in any marriage. It's not just the physical act that I'm talking about. It's the need to love and be loved and then the ability to express it. Everyone wants to be loved and to be able to love someone else in return. The struggle comes in the process of expression. This is why sex outside of marriage can be so destructive. The expression of love through the act of sex is supposed to be a special and intimate act of the deepest level. If that expression becomes anything less or worse, a sport to be enjoyed, you have opened up a floodgate of potential problems. This is why it's common knowledge that relationships change as soon as sex comes into the picture. If in a marriage there is a problem in the area of sexual activity, I can promise you that there is poor communication.
I have used a book by Gary Chapman called "The Five Love Languages" for years. I highly recommend it. It's not a sex book but more of a communication book that does touch on sex or intimacy and how we view and value it. I have found that people get married because they love someone. Problems arise in the area of sexual expression in a large part because people forget or never learn how to communicate those feelings in a way that their mate will understand. At the beginning of the problems we still love but can not figure out why we are struggling in expressing it. The arguments are usually misunderstandings that grow into huge problems that become harder to deal with.
Religion: This is the area where there is more confusion than one would think. I'm not simply talking about making sure that both the husband and wife are "Christians". Obviously, in my view that would be best. However, I'm talking about something slightly different. I'm sure I'm going to get some replies on this point. What I'm talking about are your life's values. It's the basic truths that you will not let go of even to the point of death. It's those truths that are at the very core of your view of life. This is where you could have a couple in a marriage that are both "Christian" and yet still struggle with "Religion". If your view is different from your mate and you believe that your view is the "Right" view, this could become a problem. How will you deal with grief when it comes to your door? Will your mate respond in the same way you do? How will you deal with the response of your mate when you do not agree with the way they are dealing with the same grief you are dealing with? Your "Life's Values" or "Religion" will play a huge role in your response to the struggles of life. Pain, disappointment, failures, death, sickness and struggles are a part of all of our lives. How will you respond when they come? Will you even be able to understand your mates response?
How can we overcome these issues to have a better chance to be successful in marriage? I propose that the key is Jesus Christ. When two people join their lives together and make their faith is Jesus Christ active in their marriage, their chance of survival sky rocket. When two people who are changing over the years find out that they have both been growing toward the same goal, they find that they have more in common late in life than they did when they were just married. I have found that couples that come to me for crisis marriage counseling are NOT doing the following:
Praying for their mate to be all that God wants them to be.
Working on communicating their needs and also understanding the needs of their mate.
Actively pouring their lives into others so they can experience growth.
Making their faith the central point in their marriage.
Regularly reading their bibles.
Communicating with their mate what God is doing in their lives and marriage.
You can even in this current cultural climate, divorce proof your marriage. Willing to put it to a test? Work on these areas and my bet is that you will not cross my door for crisis marriage counseling. I'll give you a money back guarantee on it. Give it try and I'll bet you will see an improvement before you know it.
Just my thoughts on it.
Pastor Paul
In my years of experience I have noticed that a marriage will fail in most cases because of one of about 4 reasons. At the top of the list is "communication". Without good communication everything else is sure to be a struggle. Now I do not mean just hearing the other person speak their mind. I mean actually communicating your feelings and desires. Actually working at making sure that each one in the relationship understands what their mate is going through and what they really want in life. Even in "Christian" marriages I still see partners guessing what their mate is thinking or wanting. Maybe we should just read Ephesians 5 again and start to practice it. If you're reading this and your married, "Talk to your mate".
The other reasons I see marriages fail is because of either,
Money:
Religion:
Sex:
You can have problems in these areas and still work through them if you have good communication. If on the other hand you do not, then it's going to be an up hill battle.
Money: The problems I see in couples that revolve around money are usually because of debt, lack of a budget and lack of a financial plan. In our current financial situation in the United States this issue should be very clear. When you live beyond you income and plan on paying for debt with income from tomorrow you are asking for trouble. This is the kind of stress that will kill a marriage. Stress will suck the life out of everything around you, including your health and the health of your marriage. The lack of proper money management is a constant source of stress that will not go away with the next raise. It will not go away by winning the lottery or getting that inheritance. We simply find a way to spend what we have and mismanage it along the way no matter if we have little or much. It's the management of it that makes the difference. Dealing with money from a biblical perspective is in my opinion the best way. To oversimplify it let me say this.
#1. Stay out of debt and cut up those credit cards. THEY ARE ROBBING YOU OF YOUR FUTURE!
#2. Make a budget and do everything to stick to it. I just wish our government would do the same.
#3. Plan for the future. How will you deal with the money issues of sicknesses or disasters? They are coming you know.
#4. Discuss your finances on a regular basis with your mate. This is how you pay to live on this earth. Might be a good idea to keep the communication flowing, unless you just want to surprise your mate with the news that you are really in more debt than they thought. Not good for your marriage or physical well being.
Sex: This is the area that most people will not talk about to anyone. Not their pastor, friend, counselor, or even their mate. It is however the most powerful of issues in any marriage. It's not just the physical act that I'm talking about. It's the need to love and be loved and then the ability to express it. Everyone wants to be loved and to be able to love someone else in return. The struggle comes in the process of expression. This is why sex outside of marriage can be so destructive. The expression of love through the act of sex is supposed to be a special and intimate act of the deepest level. If that expression becomes anything less or worse, a sport to be enjoyed, you have opened up a floodgate of potential problems. This is why it's common knowledge that relationships change as soon as sex comes into the picture. If in a marriage there is a problem in the area of sexual activity, I can promise you that there is poor communication.
I have used a book by Gary Chapman called "The Five Love Languages" for years. I highly recommend it. It's not a sex book but more of a communication book that does touch on sex or intimacy and how we view and value it. I have found that people get married because they love someone. Problems arise in the area of sexual expression in a large part because people forget or never learn how to communicate those feelings in a way that their mate will understand. At the beginning of the problems we still love but can not figure out why we are struggling in expressing it. The arguments are usually misunderstandings that grow into huge problems that become harder to deal with.
Religion: This is the area where there is more confusion than one would think. I'm not simply talking about making sure that both the husband and wife are "Christians". Obviously, in my view that would be best. However, I'm talking about something slightly different. I'm sure I'm going to get some replies on this point. What I'm talking about are your life's values. It's the basic truths that you will not let go of even to the point of death. It's those truths that are at the very core of your view of life. This is where you could have a couple in a marriage that are both "Christian" and yet still struggle with "Religion". If your view is different from your mate and you believe that your view is the "Right" view, this could become a problem. How will you deal with grief when it comes to your door? Will your mate respond in the same way you do? How will you deal with the response of your mate when you do not agree with the way they are dealing with the same grief you are dealing with? Your "Life's Values" or "Religion" will play a huge role in your response to the struggles of life. Pain, disappointment, failures, death, sickness and struggles are a part of all of our lives. How will you respond when they come? Will you even be able to understand your mates response?
How can we overcome these issues to have a better chance to be successful in marriage? I propose that the key is Jesus Christ. When two people join their lives together and make their faith is Jesus Christ active in their marriage, their chance of survival sky rocket. When two people who are changing over the years find out that they have both been growing toward the same goal, they find that they have more in common late in life than they did when they were just married. I have found that couples that come to me for crisis marriage counseling are NOT doing the following:
Praying for their mate to be all that God wants them to be.
Working on communicating their needs and also understanding the needs of their mate.
Actively pouring their lives into others so they can experience growth.
Making their faith the central point in their marriage.
Regularly reading their bibles.
Communicating with their mate what God is doing in their lives and marriage.
You can even in this current cultural climate, divorce proof your marriage. Willing to put it to a test? Work on these areas and my bet is that you will not cross my door for crisis marriage counseling. I'll give you a money back guarantee on it. Give it try and I'll bet you will see an improvement before you know it.
Just my thoughts on it.
Pastor Paul
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