Podcasts about jonahs

Complementary New Testament Passage:John 3:16-3 Sermon Outline: 1. The Helpful Message of Condemnation2. What is True Repentance?3. Legislation which Pleased the Lord4. God Relenting explains the Gospel Family Discussion Questions: Which city did Jonah preach in? What was Jonahs message? How did the people respond? What did God do when the people repented? Did God have to stop the punishment when the people stopped their bad actions? Why is the preaching of condemnation essential to the preaching of the Gospel? Why do Christians and churches shy away from doing this? We sometimes think of the two pathways (to hell or heaven) begin with people in a neutral place or even heading to heaven. Why is this wrong? The Gospel does not make innocent people condemned. Why is that important that we realize that? Why do we sometimes think that God must save people who repent or are sorry? What do the examples in the Bible of God relenting teach us about the Gospel? Did God have to save us? What then does this teach us about the love of God in Christ? How does this passage instruct the government? How does this passage teach us about what repentance is? How does preaching about Gods judgement help us to both fear and love Jesus more?

Complementary New Testament Passage:Matthew 12:38-42 Sermon Outline: 1. Call out to the one who disciplines you2. The greatest sorrow is to be cast from Gods presence3. The Lord is the Lord of life and resurrection from the dead4. Worship of the Lord contrasted with idolatry Family Discussion Questions: Why was Jonah thrown into the sea? How did God save Jonahs life? What did Jonah do when he realized his sin? What was Jonah most upset about as he was close to dying? What happened to Jonah is impossible without God doing a miracle. How does this teach us about Jesus? How is Jonahs experience similar to Jesus How is Jonahs experience different than Jesus How does the prayer of Jonah teach us about what saving faith in Jesus looks like? For those who are saved, who and what are we saved from? Describe some of the differences between worship of idols and worship of the Lord God? How is your own soul inclined to pay regard to vain idols, and how can this be resisted? Why is Gods love for the church called steadfast? What does this passage teach us about our ultimate final salvation in the New Heavens and Earth?

Complementary New Testament Passage:Mark 4:35-41 Sermon Outline: 1. Send to Preach to Enemies2. Found by the Judgement of God3. The Sea of God's wrath satisfied by one man Family Discussion Questions: Where did God tell Jonah to go? Why did Jonah not want to do that? What did Jonah try to do instead? What happened to the storm when Jonah was thrown into the sea? How is Jonah different from Jesus? How is Jonah similar to Jesus? What evidence in the Bible is there that the account of Jonah is historical? How does Jonahs sleep serve as a warning to us? How does Christs sleep serve as a comfort to us? What can we learn from this account of pagans correcting a member of the covenant? What do the raging sea and the description of Ninevehs wickedness teach us about Gods wrath? How is the story of Jonah a dark background which highlights the glory of Christs willingness to come to earth to rescue us? Why will God not merely forget about sins but requires the cross for our salvation? How does this story parallel the first half of the Philippians 2 Gospel (Philippians 2:5-11)?

JONAH was the most ancient of all the prophets whose writings have come down to us. He is supposed to have prophesied in the latter end of Jehu's or the beginning of Jehoahaz's reignThe author of the book is Jonah. His name (הָונֹי Yonah) means “dove.” Yahshua Messiah mentions Jonah, and the account of this book, as true history (Mat 12:39-41).In this study we will complete Chapter 2. We finished up in our last study here in Chapter 2 verse 2. We see that the sailors took Jonah and threw him overboard into the ragging sea. Once his body hit the waters we read that the sea ceased from her raging. However Yahweh isn't done with Jonah yet. Yahweh in verse 17 now ‘prepares' or in the Hebrew ‘appoints' a great fish to swallow Jonah up. And we see that Jonah is 3 day and 3 nights in the belly of this great fish. Now here in Chapter 2, we see Jonah praying to Yahweh, seeking forgiveness for the affliction that he caused by disobeying Yahweh.3   hadst cast = Did cast me. in the midst = In the heart. floods = Tides of water. billows and thy waves passed over me = I am submerged. 5   compassed me about = Surrounded me. even to the soul = Even for my life. Soul is the Hebrew word 'Nephesh' and means life. It is like our present day saying: "The ship went down with 300 souls on board." depth = An abyss. closed me round about = surrounded me. weeds = Seaweed.6   bottoms = Roots. earth with her bars = 'Shoel,' a land without return, (under) world. Jonah now dead and separated from his body, was spiritually in a place of holding. was = Substitute the word 'were.' You will notice that Jonah has written this all in the past tense, all the verbs (action words) are in the past tense, not the present ie: "didist, fainted, cried. . ." Jonah remembered his rapid thoughts as he was dying and wrote them down later after being resurrected. about me = Around me.  for ever = Eternally, or so Jonah thought at the time. yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption = Brought me back to life. What this is saying is that Jonahs life would be restored to his body, in other words, Jonahs body would not (at this time) die and decomposes.8    observe = regard, or heed. lying = empty. forsake their own mercy = do not heed their chastisement. forsake = not to heed. Hebrew. 'azab. Compare Gen. 2:24. mercy. = Hebrew. hesed. A homonym, with two meanings: (1) lovingkindness, as in Gen. 24:12. 2Sam. 7:15. 1Chron. 19:2. 2Chron. 6:14. Psa. 103:4, 8, 11, 17, &c.; (2) correction, or chastisement (Lev. 20:17, a wicked thing bringing down punishment). Job 37:13 (mercy = chastisement, synonymous with "correction" in preceding clause (margin rod)). Prov. 25:10 (put to shame: i.e. by correction)10    Once again in the Hebrew manuscripts we see the Hebrew word ‘eth', signifying that Yahweh/Yahshua Messiah hand to playing an important role into the salvation of Jonah.Jonah is resurrected alive onto the dry land, and in the next chapter we see that he goes about doing as Yahweh had told him to, thus through Jonah's warning, Nineveh repented of its sins. In this we have another 'type' of a Messiah in Jonah. Just as Jonah died and was in the innards of the fish, being resurrected three days later.Join me as we go Chapter by Chapter, Verse by Verse, Unraveling the Words of Yahweh!Have any questions? Feel free to email me; keitner2024@outlook.com 

I understand that Ephesians 5:1-13 is a difficult section in the Bible, for at least 50% of the men and about 25% of the women in churches across America view porn at least once a month. To listen to three weeks of sermons on Bible verses that address sexual sins when you already feel defeated is surely discouraging. According to one study, 43 percent of Christian men and 20 percent of Christian women acknowledge that your exposure to porn (and any sexual sin for that matter) has worsened their relationship with God.[1] What that means is that some of you not only feel stuck and defeated, but you also believe that you are far from God and that He is so disgusted by you he wants little or nothing to do with you. I want you to know that if I just described you, you have bought into a lie! One of the titles given to the devil is the accuser and what is said of him is that he is, the accuser of our brothers and sisters... the one who accuses them before our God day and night (Rev. 12:10). Jesus said of the devil that, He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). The devil is both master accuser and master liar, and he wants nothing more than for you to believe that your ongoing pattern of sins is making you more inaccessible to a Holy God whose wrath is being stored up against humanity for sins such as sexual immorality, impurity, and greed (v. 3). It is for the above reasons that I wanted to spend so much more time on Ephesians 5:14 then we were able to last week. What you must remember is that Paul is not writing to non-Christians in his epistle to the Ephesians, but to Christians whose most dangerous adversary exists in their own flesh. It is the thing that the apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 7:14-23, For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold into bondage to sin. For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, that the Law is good. But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person, but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my bodys parts. What is important to point out is that Paul was not paralyzed by the tension and struggle he experienced with sin in light of his relationship with Jesus, for it is in what he wrote in response to the war he experienced within that should help us to appreciate Ephesians 5:14-21. What are we to do with the evil that is present within? Listen to what Paul writes in Romans 7:24-25, Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. I have four points that really serve as a plan to keep you from spiritual apathy that can result in the atrophy of your faith and relationship with Jesus. I will spend all this sermon on the first point and next week, we will look at the remaining three. However, I want to list my four points so that you know where we are going in Ephesians 5:14-21. Here is a pathway I believe the apostle gives us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that will keep you from spiritual apathy and atrophy: Run to Jesus as your only advocate (v. 14) Use your time wisely for what matters (vv. 15-16) Live with an awareness of Gods will for your life (v. 17) Be intentional about what you consume into your mind, soul, and heart (vv. 18-21) Apathy is the kind of thing that happens when you are so paralyzed by shame that you stay in your shame instead of allowing it to motivate you into repentance. Repentance is never stagnant but always mobile in the direction where Jesus can be found. Apathy is what happens when you give up and are no longer interested in moving forward. Spiritual apathy, if left untreated, will lead to spiritual atrophy. Spiritual atrophy happens when your shame renders you spiritually immobile. Run to Jesus as Your Only Advocate (v. 14) Ephesians 5:14 is not so much an appeal to non-Christians to find Jesus, but for Christians. Most commentators/scholars agree that verse 14 is most likely a verse from an early church hymn quoted by Paul that was familiar to the Christians in Ephesus. What I find so fascinating about the placement of verse 14 is that it is sandwiched between verses 3-13 that address the need to refuse to participate in the useless deeds of darkness and 15-21 that encourages the Christian to live wisely as children of light. Here is what I think was going on and why I believe Paul felt the need to write what he wrote in Ephesians 5:3-13. I believe that there were some Christians who were spiritually and morally apathetic towards certain forms of sexual immorality, impurity, greed, filthy and foolish talk, and vulgar joking. Not only were they apathetic, but their apathy resulted in a type of spiritual atrophy resulting in their participation in certain forms of sin, which Paul listed. In a very real sense, there were some in the Ephesian Church, as is true in churches today, who were slumbering in certain sins. One of the many reasons why I believe this is the case is what is written in Romans 13:11-14, Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore lets rid ourselves of the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Lets behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and debauchery, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. As is true with many of the hymns and praise songs you are familiar with, the one quoted in verse 14 is infused with language from the Bible. In fact, there is so much packed into verse 14, that I could preach multiple sermons just on this one short verse, but I will not do that. What I will do is share four scripture passages with you that will open Ephesians 5:14 up to you in the same way they probably did for the Christians in Ephesus. I am not going to say a whole lot about the verses, I only want you to see them for reasons I believe will be obvious. So, here we go: Here are two passages on what is waiting for those who have been redeemed by Jesus: Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you. (Isa. 60:1-2) And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. (Dan. 12:2) Here is a passage on how the redeemed should respond to God as a Father who loving disciplines His children: Do not rejoice over me, enemy of mine. Though I fall I will rise; Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a light for me. I will endure the rage of the Lord Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, And I will look at His righteousness. (Mic. 7:8-9) There is a fourth scripture passage I believe is tied to Ephesians 5:14, and it is found in Jonah 1:6. Before we look at that verse, you need to consider the story of Jonah and how he got into trouble after being commanded by God to go to Ninevah (the capital of Assyria) to preach about the coming wrath of God upon Ninevah; Jonah got on a boat to go the opposite direction from where God told Him to go. While in disobedience, we are told, the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea... (Jon. 1:4) which made life very difficult for everyone on the boat. While everyone on the boat desperately threw stuff off the boat to lighten it in hopes of surviving the storm, Jonah was sound asleep in the stern of the ship. Put another way: The prophet Jonah was asleep in his sin of rebellion. Finally the captain of the ship found Jonah sleeping and had some words for Jonah: How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish (Jonah 1:6). In summary, it became obvious to the sailors that Jonah was running from His God (1:7-14). When they asked what they needed to do to get Jonahs God to calm the storm, the prophet told them that they needed to throw him overboard (vv. 15-16). They tried to avoid throwing Jonah overboard, but it became clear that it was their only option, so they threw him into the sea, and while in the sea, the Lord designated a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights (1:17). While in the belly of the great fish Jonah endured the rage and discipline of his heavenly Father because he sinned against Him. Jonah called out to the Lord for help (Jon. 2:1-9), and God delivered His prophet by commanding the fish to vomit Jonah up onto the dry land (v. 10). Awakened from his proverbial slumber from the stern of the ship to the belly of the great fish, Jonah obeyed Gods will upon his life by going to Nineveh to preach the word of God to a people walking in the darkness of their sins and idols (3:1-9). The whole reason why Jonah fled for Tarshish when God told him to go to Nineveh is because of what Nineveh represented. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire whose army has been credited with some of the earliest forms of psychological warfare. Nineveh was filled with violent people who were guilty of some of the most horrible things against humanity. After Jonah preached his very brief message about Gods coming wrath, the entire city repented (see Jonah 3:5-10). Jonahs response was resentment and anger; this is what he prayed after God spared Nineveh from His wrath: Please Lord, was this not what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore in anticipation of this I fled to Tarshish, since I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in mercy, and One who relents of disaster (4:1-2). Against the backdrop of Gods promise of redemption for His people because of the shed blood of Jesus (Isa. 60:1-2; Dan. 12:2), how His redeemed people ought to respond to His loving discipline (Mic. 7:8-9), and Jonahs story of his rebellion and repentance, consider Ephesians 5:14 again: Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Conclusion Maybe you are like Jonah, while in your sin, you are asleep in it. Maybe you have slipped back into certain sins due to your spiritual apathy. Maybe your apathy has become spiritual atrophy. If you are truly a Christian, this 2 Corinthians 4:6 describes how it is you have been made alive with Christ: For God, who said, Light shall shine out of darkness, is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. You are here today, not by accident, but because it is time to wake up! The enemy of your soul wants nothing more for you than to remain in your spiritual apathy and atrophy, but today your heavenly Father summons you from the stern of your rebellious slumber: Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. So, how do you get up from your slumber? You must repent by calling your sin for what it is and by turning from it to Jesus. Listen to what the Bible says about your sin: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2) The Devil is a liar and the great accuser, but Jesus is a great savior and our all-sufficient advocate! We can run to Him in the spirit of Micah 7:8-9 and we can respond to our sins, failures, and even the devil himself: Do not rejoice over me, enemy of mine. Though I fall I will rise; Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a light for me. I will endure the rage of the Lord Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, And I will look at His righteousness (Mic. 7:8-9). One more thing I would like to point out that I find ironic about Jonahs story and ours. It is possible that the great fish that swallowed Jonah was some other creature rather than a whale, but in my opinion that is doubtful. I do believe that the great fish that swallowed Jonah was most likely a whale. A species of whale that is large enough to swallow a human and swam in the same waters where Jonah most likely would have been tossed overboard is the sperm whale which can grow up to 60 feet long. Do you want to know what else the sperm whale is known for? It is known for both being one of the few whales that vomit, and it is also known for what it vomits! The sperm whales vomit is called Ambergris (aka liquid gold). In the water, it is a dung-like smelly substance, but once exposed to the sunlight and saltwater, it develops a muskier (perfumed) odor. After Jonah was vomited up onto the shore, covered in Ambergris and saltwater under the Arabic sun, it was not the stench of death and dung that Jonah was covered in, but a fragrant aroma that was the result of the forgiveness of his heavenly Father that he did not deserve that resulted in his redemption! Oh dear Christian! Can you see the parallels of Jonahs story and ours? Jesus said, ...for just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights (Matt. 12:40). Jesus died a death we deserved for our sins, was buried in the belly of the earth, and three days later... He came out of the tomb for our redemption! Unlike Jonah, we are not covered by Ambergris and salt water under the hot sun! No, we are covered in something infinitely better! If you are a Christian, it is in Jesus, that you have redemption; listen again to Ephesians 1:7-8, In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. If you are a Christian, you are covered in the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and according to the apostle Peter: ...you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. My appeal to you is the appeal of Ephesians 5:14; do not slumber in your sin and do not stay there! Do not be apathetic towards those sins that the wrath of God is coming for and those sins for which Jesus endured that wrath you deserved. You are covered under the blood of Jesus and because that is the case, There is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). So turn, Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. [1] Keith Rose, How Porn Affects Church Attendance (Covenant Eyes; 2023)

I understand that Ephesians 5:1-13 is a difficult section in the Bible, for at least 50% of the men and about 25% of the women in churches across America view porn at least once a month. To listen to three weeks of sermons on Bible verses that address sexual sins when you already feel defeated is surely discouraging. According to one study, 43 percent of Christian men and 20 percent of Christian women acknowledge that your exposure to porn (and any sexual sin for that matter) has worsened their relationship with God.[1] What that means is that some of you not only feel stuck and defeated, but you also believe that you are far from God and that He is so disgusted by you he wants little or nothing to do with you. I want you to know that if I just described you, you have bought into a lie! One of the titles given to the devil is the accuser and what is said of him is that he is, the accuser of our brothers and sisters... the one who accuses them before our God day and night (Rev. 12:10). Jesus said of the devil that, He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). The devil is both master accuser and master liar, and he wants nothing more than for you to believe that your ongoing pattern of sins is making you more inaccessible to a Holy God whose wrath is being stored up against humanity for sins such as sexual immorality, impurity, and greed (v. 3). It is for the above reasons that I wanted to spend so much more time on Ephesians 5:14 then we were able to last week. What you must remember is that Paul is not writing to non-Christians in his epistle to the Ephesians, but to Christians whose most dangerous adversary exists in their own flesh. It is the thing that the apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 7:14-23, For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold into bondage to sin. For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, that the Law is good. But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person, but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my bodys parts. What is important to point out is that Paul was not paralyzed by the tension and struggle he experienced with sin in light of his relationship with Jesus, for it is in what he wrote in response to the war he experienced within that should help us to appreciate Ephesians 5:14-21. What are we to do with the evil that is present within? Listen to what Paul writes in Romans 7:24-25, Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. I have four points that really serve as a plan to keep you from spiritual apathy that can result in the atrophy of your faith and relationship with Jesus. I will spend all this sermon on the first point and next week, we will look at the remaining three. However, I want to list my four points so that you know where we are going in Ephesians 5:14-21. Here is a pathway I believe the apostle gives us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that will keep you from spiritual apathy and atrophy: Run to Jesus as your only advocate (v. 14) Use your time wisely for what matters (vv. 15-16) Live with an awareness of Gods will for your life (v. 17) Be intentional about what you consume into your mind, soul, and heart (vv. 18-21) Apathy is the kind of thing that happens when you are so paralyzed by shame that you stay in your shame instead of allowing it to motivate you into repentance. Repentance is never stagnant but always mobile in the direction where Jesus can be found. Apathy is what happens when you give up and are no longer interested in moving forward. Spiritual apathy, if left untreated, will lead to spiritual atrophy. Spiritual atrophy happens when your shame renders you spiritually immobile. Run to Jesus as Your Only Advocate (v. 14) Ephesians 5:14 is not so much an appeal to non-Christians to find Jesus, but for Christians. Most commentators/scholars agree that verse 14 is most likely a verse from an early church hymn quoted by Paul that was familiar to the Christians in Ephesus. What I find so fascinating about the placement of verse 14 is that it is sandwiched between verses 3-13 that address the need to refuse to participate in the useless deeds of darkness and 15-21 that encourages the Christian to live wisely as children of light. Here is what I think was going on and why I believe Paul felt the need to write what he wrote in Ephesians 5:3-13. I believe that there were some Christians who were spiritually and morally apathetic towards certain forms of sexual immorality, impurity, greed, filthy and foolish talk, and vulgar joking. Not only were they apathetic, but their apathy resulted in a type of spiritual atrophy resulting in their participation in certain forms of sin, which Paul listed. In a very real sense, there were some in the Ephesian Church, as is true in churches today, who were slumbering in certain sins. One of the many reasons why I believe this is the case is what is written in Romans 13:11-14, Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore lets rid ourselves of the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Lets behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and debauchery, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. As is true with many of the hymns and praise songs you are familiar with, the one quoted in verse 14 is infused with language from the Bible. In fact, there is so much packed into verse 14, that I could preach multiple sermons just on this one short verse, but I will not do that. What I will do is share four scripture passages with you that will open Ephesians 5:14 up to you in the same way they probably did for the Christians in Ephesus. I am not going to say a whole lot about the verses, I only want you to see them for reasons I believe will be obvious. So, here we go: Here are two passages on what is waiting for those who have been redeemed by Jesus: Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you. (Isa. 60:1-2) And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. (Dan. 12:2) Here is a passage on how the redeemed should respond to God as a Father who loving disciplines His children: Do not rejoice over me, enemy of mine. Though I fall I will rise; Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a light for me. I will endure the rage of the Lord Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, And I will look at His righteousness. (Mic. 7:8-9) There is a fourth scripture passage I believe is tied to Ephesians 5:14, and it is found in Jonah 1:6. Before we look at that verse, you need to consider the story of Jonah and how he got into trouble after being commanded by God to go to Ninevah (the capital of Assyria) to preach about the coming wrath of God upon Ninevah; Jonah got on a boat to go the opposite direction from where God told Him to go. While in disobedience, we are told, the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea... (Jon. 1:4) which made life very difficult for everyone on the boat. While everyone on the boat desperately threw stuff off the boat to lighten it in hopes of surviving the storm, Jonah was sound asleep in the stern of the ship. Put another way: The prophet Jonah was asleep in his sin of rebellion. Finally the captain of the ship found Jonah sleeping and had some words for Jonah: How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish (Jonah 1:6). In summary, it became obvious to the sailors that Jonah was running from His God (1:7-14). When they asked what they needed to do to get Jonahs God to calm the storm, the prophet told them that they needed to throw him overboard (vv. 15-16). They tried to avoid throwing Jonah overboard, but it became clear that it was their only option, so they threw him into the sea, and while in the sea, the Lord designated a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights (1:17). While in the belly of the great fish Jonah endured the rage and discipline of his heavenly Father because he sinned against Him. Jonah called out to the Lord for help (Jon. 2:1-9), and God delivered His prophet by commanding the fish to vomit Jonah up onto the dry land (v. 10). Awakened from his proverbial slumber from the stern of the ship to the belly of the great fish, Jonah obeyed Gods will upon his life by going to Nineveh to preach the word of God to a people walking in the darkness of their sins and idols (3:1-9). The whole reason why Jonah fled for Tarshish when God told him to go to Nineveh is because of what Nineveh represented. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire whose army has been credited with some of the earliest forms of psychological warfare. Nineveh was filled with violent people who were guilty of some of the most horrible things against humanity. After Jonah preached his very brief message about Gods coming wrath, the entire city repented (see Jonah 3:5-10). Jonahs response was resentment and anger; this is what he prayed after God spared Nineveh from His wrath: Please Lord, was this not what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore in anticipation of this I fled to Tarshish, since I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in mercy, and One who relents of disaster (4:1-2). Against the backdrop of Gods promise of redemption for His people because of the shed blood of Jesus (Isa. 60:1-2; Dan. 12:2), how His redeemed people ought to respond to His loving discipline (Mic. 7:8-9), and Jonahs story of his rebellion and repentance, consider Ephesians 5:14 again: Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Conclusion Maybe you are like Jonah, while in your sin, you are asleep in it. Maybe you have slipped back into certain sins due to your spiritual apathy. Maybe your apathy has become spiritual atrophy. If you are truly a Christian, this 2 Corinthians 4:6 describes how it is you have been made alive with Christ: For God, who said, Light shall shine out of darkness, is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. You are here today, not by accident, but because it is time to wake up! The enemy of your soul wants nothing more for you than to remain in your spiritual apathy and atrophy, but today your heavenly Father summons you from the stern of your rebellious slumber: Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. So, how do you get up from your slumber? You must repent by calling your sin for what it is and by turning from it to Jesus. Listen to what the Bible says about your sin: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2) The Devil is a liar and the great accuser, but Jesus is a great savior and our all-sufficient advocate! We can run to Him in the spirit of Micah 7:8-9 and we can respond to our sins, failures, and even the devil himself: Do not rejoice over me, enemy of mine. Though I fall I will rise; Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a light for me. I will endure the rage of the Lord Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, And I will look at His righteousness (Mic. 7:8-9). One more thing I would like to point out that I find ironic about Jonahs story and ours. It is possible that the great fish that swallowed Jonah was some other creature rather than a whale, but in my opinion that is doubtful. I do believe that the great fish that swallowed Jonah was most likely a whale. A species of whale that is large enough to swallow a human and swam in the same waters where Jonah most likely would have been tossed overboard is the sperm whale which can grow up to 60 feet long. Do you want to know what else the sperm whale is known for? It is known for both being one of the few whales that vomit, and it is also known for what it vomits! The sperm whales vomit is called Ambergris (aka liquid gold). In the water, it is a dung-like smelly substance, but once exposed to the sunlight and saltwater, it develops a muskier (perfumed) odor. After Jonah was vomited up onto the shore, covered in Ambergris and saltwater under the Arabic sun, it was not the stench of death and dung that Jonah was covered in, but a fragrant aroma that was the result of the forgiveness of his heavenly Father that he did not deserve that resulted in his redemption! Oh dear Christian! Can you see the parallels of Jonahs story and ours? Jesus said, ...for just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights (Matt. 12:40). Jesus died a death we deserved for our sins, was buried in the belly of the earth, and three days later... He came out of the tomb for our redemption! Unlike Jonah, we are not covered by Ambergris and salt water under the hot sun! No, we are covered in something infinitely better! If you are a Christian, it is in Jesus, that you have redemption; listen again to Ephesians 1:7-8, In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. If you are a Christian, you are covered in the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and according to the apostle Peter: ...you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. My appeal to you is the appeal of Ephesians 5:14; do not slumber in your sin and do not stay there! Do not be apathetic towards those sins that the wrath of God is coming for and those sins for which Jesus endured that wrath you deserved. You are covered under the blood of Jesus and because that is the case, There is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). So turn, Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. [1] Keith Rose, How Porn Affects Church Attendance (Covenant Eyes; 2023)

I understand that Ephesians 5:1-13 is a difficult section in the Bible, for at least 50% of the men and about 25% of the women in churches across America view porn at least once a month. To listen to three weeks of sermons on Bible verses that address sexual sins when you already feel defeated is surely discouraging. According to one study, 43 percent of Christian men and 20 percent of Christian women acknowledge that your exposure to porn (and any sexual sin for that matter) has worsened their relationship with God.[1] What that means is that some of you not only feel stuck and defeated, but you also believe that you are far from God and that He is so disgusted by you he wants little or nothing to do with you. I want you to know that if I just described you, you have bought into a lie! One of the titles given to the devil is the accuser and what is said of him is that he is, the accuser of our brothers and sisters... the one who accuses them before our God day and night (Rev. 12:10). Jesus said of the devil that, He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). The devil is both master accuser and master liar, and he wants nothing more than for you to believe that your ongoing pattern of sins is making you more inaccessible to a Holy God whose wrath is being stored up against humanity for sins such as sexual immorality, impurity, and greed (v. 3). It is for the above reasons that I wanted to spend so much more time on Ephesians 5:14 then we were able to last week. What you must remember is that Paul is not writing to non-Christians in his epistle to the Ephesians, but to Christians whose most dangerous adversary exists in their own flesh. It is the thing that the apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 7:14-23, For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold into bondage to sin. For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, that the Law is good. But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person, but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my bodys parts. What is important to point out is that Paul was not paralyzed by the tension and struggle he experienced with sin in light of his relationship with Jesus, for it is in what he wrote in response to the war he experienced within that should help us to appreciate Ephesians 5:14-21. What are we to do with the evil that is present within? Listen to what Paul writes in Romans 7:24-25, Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. I have four points that really serve as a plan to keep you from spiritual apathy that can result in the atrophy of your faith and relationship with Jesus. I will spend all this sermon on the first point and next week, we will look at the remaining three. However, I want to list my four points so that you know where we are going in Ephesians 5:14-21. Here is a pathway I believe the apostle gives us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that will keep you from spiritual apathy and atrophy: Run to Jesus as your only advocate (v. 14) Use your time wisely for what matters (vv. 15-16) Live with an awareness of Gods will for your life (v. 17) Be intentional about what you consume into your mind, soul, and heart (vv. 18-21) Apathy is the kind of thing that happens when you are so paralyzed by shame that you stay in your shame instead of allowing it to motivate you into repentance. Repentance is never stagnant but always mobile in the direction where Jesus can be found. Apathy is what happens when you give up and are no longer interested in moving forward. Spiritual apathy, if left untreated, will lead to spiritual atrophy. Spiritual atrophy happens when your shame renders you spiritually immobile. Run to Jesus as Your Only Advocate (v. 14) Ephesians 5:14 is not so much an appeal to non-Christians to find Jesus, but for Christians. Most commentators/scholars agree that verse 14 is most likely a verse from an early church hymn quoted by Paul that was familiar to the Christians in Ephesus. What I find so fascinating about the placement of verse 14 is that it is sandwiched between verses 3-13 that address the need to refuse to participate in the useless deeds of darkness and 15-21 that encourages the Christian to live wisely as children of light. Here is what I think was going on and why I believe Paul felt the need to write what he wrote in Ephesians 5:3-13. I believe that there were some Christians who were spiritually and morally apathetic towards certain forms of sexual immorality, impurity, greed, filthy and foolish talk, and vulgar joking. Not only were they apathetic, but their apathy resulted in a type of spiritual atrophy resulting in their participation in certain forms of sin, which Paul listed. In a very real sense, there were some in the Ephesian Church, as is true in churches today, who were slumbering in certain sins. One of the many reasons why I believe this is the case is what is written in Romans 13:11-14, Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore lets rid ourselves of the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Lets behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and debauchery, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. As is true with many of the hymns and praise songs you are familiar with, the one quoted in verse 14 is infused with language from the Bible. In fact, there is so much packed into verse 14, that I could preach multiple sermons just on this one short verse, but I will not do that. What I will do is share four scripture passages with you that will open Ephesians 5:14 up to you in the same way they probably did for the Christians in Ephesus. I am not going to say a whole lot about the verses, I only want you to see them for reasons I believe will be obvious. So, here we go: Here are two passages on what is waiting for those who have been redeemed by Jesus: Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you. (Isa. 60:1-2) And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. (Dan. 12:2) Here is a passage on how the redeemed should respond to God as a Father who loving disciplines His children: Do not rejoice over me, enemy of mine. Though I fall I will rise; Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a light for me. I will endure the rage of the Lord Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, And I will look at His righteousness. (Mic. 7:8-9) There is a fourth scripture passage I believe is tied to Ephesians 5:14, and it is found in Jonah 1:6. Before we look at that verse, you need to consider the story of Jonah and how he got into trouble after being commanded by God to go to Ninevah (the capital of Assyria) to preach about the coming wrath of God upon Ninevah; Jonah got on a boat to go the opposite direction from where God told Him to go. While in disobedience, we are told, the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea... (Jon. 1:4) which made life very difficult for everyone on the boat. While everyone on the boat desperately threw stuff off the boat to lighten it in hopes of surviving the storm, Jonah was sound asleep in the stern of the ship. Put another way: The prophet Jonah was asleep in his sin of rebellion. Finally the captain of the ship found Jonah sleeping and had some words for Jonah: How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish (Jonah 1:6). In summary, it became obvious to the sailors that Jonah was running from His God (1:7-14). When they asked what they needed to do to get Jonahs God to calm the storm, the prophet told them that they needed to throw him overboard (vv. 15-16). They tried to avoid throwing Jonah overboard, but it became clear that it was their only option, so they threw him into the sea, and while in the sea, the Lord designated a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights (1:17). While in the belly of the great fish Jonah endured the rage and discipline of his heavenly Father because he sinned against Him. Jonah called out to the Lord for help (Jon. 2:1-9), and God delivered His prophet by commanding the fish to vomit Jonah up onto the dry land (v. 10). Awakened from his proverbial slumber from the stern of the ship to the belly of the great fish, Jonah obeyed Gods will upon his life by going to Nineveh to preach the word of God to a people walking in the darkness of their sins and idols (3:1-9). The whole reason why Jonah fled for Tarshish when God told him to go to Nineveh is because of what Nineveh represented. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire whose army has been credited with some of the earliest forms of psychological warfare. Nineveh was filled with violent people who were guilty of some of the most horrible things against humanity. After Jonah preached his very brief message about Gods coming wrath, the entire city repented (see Jonah 3:5-10). Jonahs response was resentment and anger; this is what he prayed after God spared Nineveh from His wrath: Please Lord, was this not what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore in anticipation of this I fled to Tarshish, since I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in mercy, and One who relents of disaster (4:1-2). Against the backdrop of Gods promise of redemption for His people because of the shed blood of Jesus (Isa. 60:1-2; Dan. 12:2), how His redeemed people ought to respond to His loving discipline (Mic. 7:8-9), and Jonahs story of his rebellion and repentance, consider Ephesians 5:14 again: Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Conclusion Maybe you are like Jonah, while in your sin, you are asleep in it. Maybe you have slipped back into certain sins due to your spiritual apathy. Maybe your apathy has become spiritual atrophy. If you are truly a Christian, this 2 Corinthians 4:6 describes how it is you have been made alive with Christ: For God, who said, Light shall shine out of darkness, is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. You are here today, not by accident, but because it is time to wake up! The enemy of your soul wants nothing more for you than to remain in your spiritual apathy and atrophy, but today your heavenly Father summons you from the stern of your rebellious slumber: Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. So, how do you get up from your slumber? You must repent by calling your sin for what it is and by turning from it to Jesus. Listen to what the Bible says about your sin: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2) The Devil is a liar and the great accuser, but Jesus is a great savior and our all-sufficient advocate! We can run to Him in the spirit of Micah 7:8-9 and we can respond to our sins, failures, and even the devil himself: Do not rejoice over me, enemy of mine. Though I fall I will rise; Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a light for me. I will endure the rage of the Lord Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, And I will look at His righteousness (Mic. 7:8-9). One more thing I would like to point out that I find ironic about Jonahs story and ours. It is possible that the great fish that swallowed Jonah was some other creature rather than a whale, but in my opinion that is doubtful. I do believe that the great fish that swallowed Jonah was most likely a whale. A species of whale that is large enough to swallow a human and swam in the same waters where Jonah most likely would have been tossed overboard is the sperm whale which can grow up to 60 feet long. Do you want to know what else the sperm whale is known for? It is known for both being one of the few whales that vomit, and it is also known for what it vomits! The sperm whales vomit is called Ambergris (aka liquid gold). In the water, it is a dung-like smelly substance, but once exposed to the sunlight and saltwater, it develops a muskier (perfumed) odor. After Jonah was vomited up onto the shore, covered in Ambergris and saltwater under the Arabic sun, it was not the stench of death and dung that Jonah was covered in, but a fragrant aroma that was the result of the forgiveness of his heavenly Father that he did not deserve that resulted in his redemption! Oh dear Christian! Can you see the parallels of Jonahs story and ours? Jesus said, ...for just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights (Matt. 12:40). Jesus died a death we deserved for our sins, was buried in the belly of the earth, and three days later... He came out of the tomb for our redemption! Unlike Jonah, we are not covered by Ambergris and salt water under the hot sun! No, we are covered in something infinitely better! If you are a Christian, it is in Jesus, that you have redemption; listen again to Ephesians 1:7-8, In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. If you are a Christian, you are covered in the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and according to the apostle Peter: ...you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. My appeal to you is the appeal of Ephesians 5:14; do not slumber in your sin and do not stay there! Do not be apathetic towards those sins that the wrath of God is coming for and those sins for which Jesus endured that wrath you deserved. You are covered under the blood of Jesus and because that is the case, There is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). So turn, Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. [1] Keith Rose, How Porn Affects Church Attendance (Covenant Eyes; 2023)

Pastor Adolfo shares an inspiring message on the transformative power of obedience and the consequences of running from God's call, as illustrated by the life of Jonah. Drawing on his own experiences as a missionary and the vivid biblical account of Jonah's flight, Pastor Adolfo challenges us to confront the "Jonahs" in our lives that cause storms and hinder our spiritual journey.

Fill-In Notes: https://churchlinkfeeds.blob.core.windows.net/notes/39900/note-207560.html CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION Was there ever a time in your life (or someone you love) where you hit rock bottom, a dark place or felt desperate? if so how did God get your (their) attention? When you think of a dark time when you were desperately struggling, were you slow to repent of your self reliance and turn your life choices back over to God? If so, why so slow? Which of these true better resonates with you most? a. Jonah was thrown into sea as a result of his own disobedience, but Jesus willingly went to cross for our disobedience. b. Jonah spent three days in belly of fish, emerging to continue Gods mission but Jesus spent three days in tomb, rising to bring us eternal life fulfill Gods ultimate mission of salvation. c. Jonahs deliverance points to Gods grace mercy, but Jesus resurrection secures it for all who believe.

Fill-In Notes: https://churchlinkfeeds.blob.core.windows.net/notes/39900/note-207560.html CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION Was there ever a time in your life (or someone you love) where you hit rock bottom, a dark place or felt desperate? if so how did God get your (their) attention? When you think of a dark time when you were desperately struggling, were you slow to repent of your self reliance and turn your life choices back over to God? If so, why so slow? Which of these true better resonates with you most? a. Jonah was thrown into sea as a result of his own disobedience, but Jesus willingly went to cross for our disobedience. b. Jonah spent three days in belly of fish, emerging to continue Gods mission but Jesus spent three days in tomb, rising to bring us eternal life fulfill Gods ultimate mission of salvation. c. Jonahs deliverance points to Gods grace mercy, but Jesus resurrection secures it for all who believe.

Fill-In Notes: https://churchlinkfeeds.blob.core.windows.net/notes/39900/note-207560.html CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION Was there ever a time in your life (or someone you love) where you hit rock bottom, a dark place or felt desperate? if so how did God get your (their) attention? When you think of a dark time when you were desperately struggling, were you slow to repent of your self reliance and turn your life choices back over to God? If so, why so slow? Which of these true better resonates with you most? a. Jonah was thrown into sea as a result of his own disobedience, but Jesus willingly went to cross for our disobedience. b. Jonah spent three days in belly of fish, emerging to continue Gods mission but Jesus spent three days in tomb, rising to bring us eternal life fulfill Gods ultimate mission of salvation. c. Jonahs deliverance points to Gods grace mercy, but Jesus resurrection secures it for all who believe.

Fill-In Notes: https://churchlinkfeeds.blob.core.windows.net/notes/39900/note-207560.html CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION Was there ever a time in your life (or someone you love) where you hit rock bottom, a dark place or felt desperate? if so how did God get your (their) attention? When you think of a dark time when you were desperately struggling, were you slow to repent of your self reliance and turn your life choices back over to God? If so, why so slow? Which of these true better resonates with you most? a. Jonah was thrown into sea as a result of his own disobedience, but Jesus willingly went to cross for our disobedience. b. Jonah spent three days in belly of fish, emerging to continue Gods mission but Jesus spent three days in tomb, rising to bring us eternal life fulfill Gods ultimate mission of salvation. c. Jonahs deliverance points to Gods grace mercy, but Jesus resurrection secures it for all who believe.

Fill-In Notes: https://churchlinkfeeds.blob.core.windows.net/notes/39900/note-206976.html CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION What kind of people have you come to believe are too evil or wicked to receive Gods mercy? Have you ever experienced (or seen) the way God sometimes uses affliction* to get our attention? What happened? a. *v4 the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. 3. Its easy to believe that God was punishing Jonahs rebellion by arranging a fish to swallow him. How is it more accurate to interpret the fish as Gods mercy instead?

Fill-In Notes: https://churchlinkfeeds.blob.core.windows.net/notes/39900/note-206976.html CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION What kind of people have you come to believe are too evil or wicked to receive Gods mercy? Have you ever experienced (or seen) the way God sometimes uses affliction* to get our attention? What happened? a. *v4 the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. 3. Its easy to believe that God was punishing Jonahs rebellion by arranging a fish to swallow him. How is it more accurate to interpret the fish as Gods mercy instead?

Fill-In Notes: https://churchlinkfeeds.blob.core.windows.net/notes/39900/note-206976.html CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION What kind of people have you come to believe are too evil or wicked to receive Gods mercy? Have you ever experienced (or seen) the way God sometimes uses affliction* to get our attention? What happened? a. *v4 the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. 3. Its easy to believe that God was punishing Jonahs rebellion by arranging a fish to swallow him. How is it more accurate to interpret the fish as Gods mercy instead?

Fill-In Notes: https://churchlinkfeeds.blob.core.windows.net/notes/39900/note-206976.html CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION What kind of people have you come to believe are too evil or wicked to receive Gods mercy? Have you ever experienced (or seen) the way God sometimes uses affliction* to get our attention? What happened? a. *v4 the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. 3. Its easy to believe that God was punishing Jonahs rebellion by arranging a fish to swallow him. How is it more accurate to interpret the fish as Gods mercy instead?

Wednesday Evening Message

Ready to elevate your microgreen game? In our latest podcast, we answer your questions on growing and selling microgreens. Discover ways to handle growth challenges—useful tools and training manuals can help manage the extra workload. Learn about pricing for restaurants—reach out to distributors, set reasonable prices, and see your microgreens featured on menus. Brighten your crops! Adjust lighting schedules based on crop needs, and try shorter durations for specialty crops like pea shoots and sunflowers. Explore the white vs. purple lights debate—find out why purple lights are better for microgreen growth. Join us for an educational episode with your host, Jonah Krochmalnek of Microgreens Consulting! FREE RESOURCES: Microgreens Mastery Growing Guide https://www.microgreensconsulting.com Starting A Microgreens Business Easily From Home Jonah.freedomfarmers.com Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@microgreensconsulting/ https://www.instagram.com/microgreensconsulting/

I dagens avsnitt pratar vid Jonah Andersson som är en van utvecklare, konferens-talare, Meetup-fixare, utbildare, MVP och nyss utsedd till Developer of the Year. Vi pratar om vikten av förebilder och hur man kan locka fler tjejer och kvinnor till tech-branschen. Vi tar också en titt på Azure Developer CLI (azd) och hur det kan underlätta mycket i utvecklingsarbetet, inte minst när det kommer till deployment och DevOps. Jonahs bok hittar du här:https://www.amazon.se/Learning-Microsoft-Azure-Development-Fundamentals/dp/1098113322/Jonahs blogg:https://jonahandersson.tech/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In week 4 of the Rescue series, Pastor Clayton continues in Jonahs journey and shows us in scripture how God shows Ninevah mercy despite their wicked ways. If you would like to know more about the movement of Jesus, we would like to invite you to visit us at www.metachurch.tv.Support the show

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Annemieke Bosman praat met schrijfster Eva Keuris over haar roman Alledaags geweld. Alledaags geweld Van de ene op de andere dag wil Heleens zoon Jonah haar niet meer zien. Heleen begrijpt er niets van, maar kan niet anders dan Jonahs contactverbod respecteren. Na een jaar belt hij haar. Inmiddels is hij verhuisd naar een dorp bij haar in de buurt en heeft hij een nieuwe vriendin, Floor, die zwanger is van hun zoontje. Alsof er niets gebeurd is maakt Heleen ineens weer onderdeel uit van Jonahs leven. Ze kan het goed vinden met Floor, die zich wat verloren voelt in het dorp, zonder rijbewijs, zonder werk, met kind. Floor neemt Heleen in vertrouwen over haar relatie, die niet altijd zo liefdevol is als het op Instagram lijkt. Terwijl Floor twijfelt of haar escalerende ruzies met Jonah normaal zijn of een symptoom van een toxische relatie, wordt Heleen geconfronteerd met de naakte waarheid over haar huwelijk met Jonahs overleden vader en over hoe dat Jonah heeft gemaakt tot wie hij is. Alledaags geweld is een indringende roman over hoe menselijk onvermogen van generatie op generatie wordt doorgegeven en steeds in een andere vorm terugkeert.     Eva Keuris (1978) schrijft voor verschillende tv-series, film en theater. Met haar debuut Over het spoor won ze de BookSpot Schaduwprijs 2018. In 2020 verscheen de tiendelige Storytel Original Het zwarte water, die inmiddels ook is uitgebracht in Vlaanderen en Duitsland.

Jonah 1- 1-3

We are continuing our series on the book of Jonah. David looks at the inconsistent character of Jonah and how it contrasts with God's character of love. Jonah is reluctant to go to Nineveh becuase as Jonahs says, "I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity."

Jonah 1:1-6

Jonah 1: 1-3

Join us as Pastor Tim Aguilar teaches on the story of Jonah.

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Pastor Michael shares how we need to pray for the "Jonahs" in our lives and how as a church we need to focus on the positive aspects of those around us, instead of critcizing their failures.

Things That Hinder the Bride's Maturity(Audio)David Eells - 7/10/22Satan Reads Minds & Inserts Thoughts David Eells I was asked this question: Can you substantiate in Scripture where it is written that Satan can put thoughts into our minds? My answer was: In order for Satan to put thoughts into our mind he would also have to be able to read our minds. I will try to explain this in a moment but first you might want to entertain another question: Can anyone substantiate with Scripture that Satan cannot put thoughts into our mind or read our mind? Since we can't do this then we shouldn't believe it because it is not Scriptural. (1Ch.28:9)... The Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts... In the spirit realm thoughts are audible to the mind of God and demons. God and demons can in turn impart the gift to read minds. I have read the thoughts of men by the Holy Spirit. A man once asked me if I knew what he was thinking. At that moment the Holy Spirit gave it to me and for several minutes the man was awed at the power of God.  Also when I first went to a full gospel Church I witnessed Christians exorcising a demon-possessed man who thought he was a woman. He also demonstrated the ability to read minds when the unbelieving Christians asked for a demonstration. He did say that it was easier to read the mind of one person there and pointed to the only person there who was not filled with the Spirit even though he did not know anyone there. Familiar spirits or spirits of divination in magicians, wizards, mediums, etc. have demonstrated the power to read minds in front of audiences of people. We wrestle with principalities and powers in the mind. {Eph.6:11} Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. {12} For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places].... {17} And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We see here that with the renewed mind of the Word our thoughts are guarded as with a helmet because we wont accept foreign thoughts. We are then able to take back our thoughts and cast the enemy's thoughts down. {2Co.10:3} For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh {4} (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds), (The principalities and powers hold the strongholds in the thoughts of the mind.) {5} casting down imaginations (thoughts), and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. We win the battle by rejecting the enemy's thoughts and replacing them with God's thoughts. We are at peace with God when we are full of His thoughts and our minds are guarded from the demonic attacks that cause outward actions of sin. {Php.4:6,7} In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Satan is able to insert thoughts within our thoughts. {Act.5:3} But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back [part] of the price of the land?  {1Ch.21:1} And Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. Now here we can use a little Holy Spirit reasoning. How could Satan insert thoughts unless he knows the context of your thought? If you went into your computer to edit a program, how could you insert the right codes unless you could read the context of the computer's program? If you just inserted a code anywhere without knowing the program you would make a nonsensical statement and anyone would know that someone inserted something that was out of place. So it is with us. If Satan or demons inserted something nonsensical into our thoughts then everyone would know that they are at work. They do their best work undercover and they know it. How would Satan be able to tempt us if he was so dysfunctional? We would know it was him immediately. How then would it be temptation? Now here is the really important thing. Our battle does not depend on whether the enemy can read our mind or not. It depends on what he can do about what we know. When we read Job we clearly see that God has put restrictions on the Satan's ambitions for Job. Satan has to obey God's rules of engagement even when he knows what we think. Satan admits he did not have the power to get at Job because of God's hedge and the same is true of us. (Job.1:9) Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for naught? (10) Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.  It is not important for our thoughts to be hidden from the enemy when he can do nothing about them. And he can do nothing about our thoughts unless by them we give him permission for we have authority over him. {Luk.10:19} Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. {20} Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. It doesn't matter what the demons know that we know for as sons of God we are their lords just as it was with Jesus. {Joh.20:21} Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. {Mat.18:18} Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind (forbid) on earth shall be bound (forbidden) in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose (permit) on earth shall be loosed (permitted) in heaven. Faith permits the sovereignty of God to be manifest through the body of Christ and forbids Satan no matter what he knows of our thoughts. Jesus' condition for receiving His benefits are plain: "As thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee" and "According to your faith be it done unto you" and "Thy faith hath made thee whole". As we believe, God's benefits will be given. Unbelieving thoughts and actions forbid God's benefits to us because He has made a condition and He cannot lie.  Unbelief permits Satan to continue administering the curse. (Mk.6:5) And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. (6) And he marvelled because of their unbelief. Even Jesus was forbidden to do mighty works for those who would not believe. Whether we know it or not, we are constantly forbidding or permitting Satan, demons, and God's angels by our thoughts, words and actions. Since all authority in heaven and earth was given to Jesus and He in turn delegated it to disciples, where does Satan get his authority? He gets it from our unbelief, words and disobedience. Adding to or taking from God's Word in thought and deed permits the curse by Satan and forbids God's blessings for us or through us. This is by God's design to motivate us to come into agreement with Him. (Rev.22:18) I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book (19) and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. So in coming into agreement with God we forbid Satan to administer the curse to us. So to win this battle we have to cast down the thoughts of Satan that are sent to get us to give him permission to destroy us. 2Co 10:3-5  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh  4  (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds),  5  casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Many think that the reason God gives the gift of tongues is so that Satan cannot understand what we say to God and his purposes will be thwarted. This is false. Satan and his fallen angels are much smarter than Christians give them credit. They certainly know the "tongues of men and of angels" or they couldn't communicate with one another and put thoughts in our heads. {1Co.13:1} If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.  When prophecy is uttered in one's own language the mind, doctrine and desires are permitted to be involved in what is said and the Word is polluted as 1 Cor. 13 says, "for we know in part, and we prophesy in part". In other words, the Prophecy can be part God and part man. However, the reason we speak with tongues is so that WE will not know what we are saying and will have no carnal reason to change it. In this way it will be a pure Word of the Spirit. {Rom.8:26} And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for [us] with groanings which cannot be uttered (by man); {27} and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God. Satan finds it easier to conquer us when we are distracted by vain things that have no eternal value.   The Immature and Distracted Will Miss the Bride Joe Brits - 6/26/22 (David's notes in red) Just after the meeting this morning, Father gave me this dream: (Joe is being represented as the Man-child in this dream because of his name, Joseph, which means, “Jehovah has added”. Joseph was a very clear type of Jesus, the Man-child, in the Old Testament.) I was sitting in a bus with a bunch of people who were with me. (I believe that this bus represents the larger UBM bus that we have seen in many dreams.)  A very pretty lady, who's name means, “Wished-for child” in her early 20's was sitting to my left. (She represents the Bride body who wishes and longs for the fruit of Jesus to be born in her.) I knew a brother whose name means, “Noble" was there too, but I could not see him. (Representing the Spirit of Jesus in the Man-child reformers. Jesus said to His disciples, “You are my brethren…")  The bus pulled away and the very pretty lady said to me, “Our sister is still outside”. I looked and saw that the sister, whose name means, “Youthful”, was busy on her cell phone. (This youthful sister represents the “little sister” of the Bride spoken of in Song 8:8-9. Like in Esther, The immature are not ready to be with the Bride and will miss the corporate bus because of distractions.)   I could not see her face because she was looking in another direction. (They are not focused on sanctification and the more important things of the Kingdom, hence they are looking in another direction.) I said to the very pretty lady, "We will see her again”, and I put my left arm around her to reassure her. She put both her arms around me while we drove away. (Representing the Agape Love of the Bride and Man-child.) End of dream. (The Bride will cling to the Man-child as they enter the wilderness tribulation together.) I asked the Lord for a verse by faith at random for the "very pretty lady”   and I got: Mar 9:13  But I say unto you, that Elijah is come, and they have also done unto him whatsoever they would, even as it is written of him. (This verse is speaking of John the Baptist who preceded and prepared the way for the Man-child, Jesus, in the Spirit of Elijah. Since the Man-child is born out of the Bride, then, in a type, the First Fruits Elijahs of the Bride Body will make way for the coming of Jesus in Man-child reformers in our day.) I asked the Lord for a verse by faith at random for: the “youthful" cell phone lady and I got:  Zec 1:6  But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? and they turned and said, Like as Jehovah of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us. (The more we pay attention to God and His Word the sooner we will mature and come out of trouble. Psa 81:13-14  Oh that my people would hearken unto me, That Israel would walk in my ways!  14  I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn my hand against their adversaries.)    Bondages Make Victims Anonymous - 6/27/22 (David's notes in red) The dream started with me walking past a birdcage that looked like the one I have in real life. (The cage represents bondage that would keep us from escaping.) In the birdcage I saw a large black snake about 2 inches thick with something in its mouth. (The snake in the birdcage with the bird in its mouth is a warning of the enemy trying to swallow us up in their witchcraft prayers against us. Me must pray and intercede against their schemes and attacks.  Psa. 56:1-6 Be merciful unto me, O God; for man would swallow me up: All the day long he fighting oppresseth me. 2 Mine enemies would swallow me up all the day long; For they are many that fight proudly against me. 3 What time I am afraid, I will put my trust in thee. 4 In God (I will praise his word), In God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid; What can flesh do unto me? 5 All the day long they wrest my words: All their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, They mark my steps, Even as they have waited for my soul.)  Then, next to the birdcage, out of the bushes, came a second yellow snake with a few thin gray stripes about the same size as the black snake. (The color yellow represents fear and cowardice and the grey stripes represent death. The faction are cowards who back bite and attack behind our backs in darkness. Psa 11:2 For, lo, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string, That they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart. And Psa. 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Through Satan's accusers comes much distraction and temptations such as Jesus, Joseph and David had to endure.) The snake came moving towards me. The next moment it turned around and then turned back in my direction and struck at me. (These deceivers feign and manipulate but cannot be trusted.) I tried to defend the strike with my hands. Then I woke up. I started praying in tongues, and got peace after a while. (The second snake part of the dream is explaining the first part. We are the bird. But we are delivered out of the power of darkness so we should bind these demons and pray it down.) I received a word by faith at random for this dream: Jer 30:20  Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me; and I will punish all that oppress them. (God is going to punish these snakes who are continually persecuting and oppressing the righteous.)   Spirit of Legalism Trying to Kill the Body Winnie Osegueda - 6/30/22 (David's notes in red) I dreamt that I was at my mother's apartment on the second floor of the apartment building. (The Mother Church that we are born out of.) While I was there, I had a vision of a man in a black hoodie with a knife attempting to enter and come after me to kill me. (As we will see, this man in black represents a spirit of Legalism which is often in the apostate mother Church and tries to steal our liberty in Christ to kill us spiritually. Gal. 5:4 Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace.)  Because I had this vision, I was aware he was coming. I opened the door and could see down the steps that the man was coming into the entrance of the apartment building on the first floor. (The first floor represents our flesh nature which is closest to the earth. This is where the spirit of Legalism gains entrance. 1 Co 15:46-49 Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.) I quickly ran out and left my phone behind. (Fear and legalism will sever our communications with the Holy Spirit represented by the cell phone.)  I ran up the stairs to the neighbor Wanda's house on the top third floor of the building. (Wanda means, "shepherdess; wanderer”. Jud 1:10-13 But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they destroyed. 11 Woe unto them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. 12 These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 Wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved forever.) I began to knock on Wanda's door to let me in; telling her that there was a man in the building with a knife coming after me. The knife the man had was straight, but curved downward at the tip with two very sharp points, shaped like an upside down letter U. It looked almost like a gutting knife. Wanda finally opened the door. We closed the door and I told her about the man with the black hoodie in the building. I told her to keep it down because she was making a lot of noise, kind of stomping and jumping a little bit, freaking out, and I didn't want the man to hear us.  All of a sudden I realized that on the left side of Wanda's apartment, where the kitchen is supposed to be was a large glass wall and sliding door. The man was right outside the sliding doors entering into the apartment. (Job 3:25 For the thing which I fear cometh upon me, And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me. ) Even though I had left my phone in my mom's apartment on the second floor, I somehow had a phone in my hand, and I attempted to dial 911. (Psa 118:5-6 Out of my distress I called upon Jehovah: Jehovah answered me and set me in a large place. 6 Jehovah is on my side; I will not fear: What can man do unto me?)  Wanda told me that she didn't think it was a good idea for me to call the police because her friend Don didn't agree with calling the police, but I called anyway. (Donald means, “World ruler”. Satan is the god of this world and doesn't want us calling on Jesus to save us out of our situations. He wants to trick us into relying on legalism and self justification for our salvation.) I saw the man bring up the knife towards Wanda and he forced her to get into his car. (If we don't fight the spirit of Legalism he will destroy us and take us away from our Savior.) I now looked over to the right of the apartment building, and the wall was gone and there was now a large opening. So I left the apartment as I was dialing 911. (We must leave the unsanctified apartment by staying in touch with the Holy Spirit who leads and guides us.) I told the police the street that I was on so that they would find me. In the meantime, I decided to hide inside a restaurant that was kind of like a diner which was on the other side of the street. (This restaurant represents the safety we have when we abide in Christ who is the Bread of Life.)  I went inside the restaurant and entered the women's restroom. (The restroom represents the process of sanctification where we rid ourselves of the spiritual waste of the flesh nature.) There were a lot of different women in there and I told them about this man in the black hoodie. All of a sudden, the women pulled out their own knives similar to the knife that the man with the hoodie had, except the handle was white, and they stepped outside to confront this man and fight him. (A multi gifted Church body is a great help to defend us from our enemies. We must fight off legalism with the sword of the Word so that he will not separate us from Christ or one another. Psa. 118:7-8  Jehovah is on my side among them that help me: Therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. 8 It is better to take refuge in Jehovah than to put confidence in man.) As they marched out of the diner, they marched towards the right and they began to sing very loudly. (Like the praisers in Jehoshaphat's Army that defeated Israel's enemies.) Then I woke up very suddenly. I don't remember what the women were singing, but when I woke up, the song that was playing loudly in my spirit was a song that we sing sometimes at our meetings: Ah, Lord God, Thou has made the heavensAnd the earth by thy great powerAh, Lord God, Thou has made the heavensAnd the earth by Thine out - stretched armNothing is too difficult for TheeNothing is too difficult for TheeGreat and mighty GodGreat in counsel and mighty in deed Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothingNothing is too difficult for Thee  I asked the Lord for a few verses by faith at random and received:   Psalm 118:14 (14-19 for context) The Lord is my strength and song; And he is become my salvation. 15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous: The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. 16 The right hand of Jehovah is exalted: The right hand of Jehovah doeth valiantly. 17 I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord. 18 The Lord hath chastened me sore; But he hath not given me over unto death.  19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will enter into them, I will give thanks unto the Lord.Isaiah 26:4 (2-7 in context) Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth faith may enter in. 3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee. 4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord, even the Lord, is an everlasting rock. 5 For he hath brought down them that dwell on high, the lofty city: he layeth it low, he layeth it low even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust. 6 The foot shall tread it down; even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy. 7 The way of the just is uprightness: thou that art upright dost direct the path of the just.Romans 4:21 (19-25 for context) And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb; 20 yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned unto him; 24 but for our sake also, unto whom it shall be reckoned, who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.   Strive to be Free Debbie Fenske - 6/27/22 (David's notes in red) Just before the evening meeting I felt I just needed to lay down and shut my eyes for a while. I did, and I began praying for our meeting. As I paused, I heard the Lord speak the word, “Liberated.” I prayed in the Spirit for only a couple moments, and then I heard the Lord say, “Strive to be liberated from all of this world's hold on you. I desire liberation for you. How I desire that all of My people desire liberation from this world. But so many hearts are not set on Me. They are bound to this world, and everything that they allow it to offer them. This world which is only a ball of matter that offers to My people nothing that matters, will soon be going down, and they will go down with it.”It was hard to hear the Lord say that. I heard a cry in His heart for His people who are so deceived and so captured by the strength of this world and all the false securities it offers them. I felt a strong sob coming up from deep in my belly, and I had to sit up on the edge of my bed and let out these great sobs, with tears.  I told Him that we so often read about His strong wrath but His mercy, peace, consolation, and Joy should also be remembered. He allowed me to feel just a tiny part of His grieving heart for His children because He knows that His grief will turn to strong wrath. He knows He will have to pour this out on those who have desired their own way; bondage to this world rather than receiving His liberation from it. (This is like the bird in the cage who was swallowed by the snake in the dream above.)   We Must Lay Down Our Idols Marie Kelton - 3/26/22 (David's notes in red) I was asking the Lord one day to send me a husband, but only when I was ready for one. Today, while I was at work, I heard the Lord say, “Why don't you lay it down?" Then the Lord gave me an open vision of Him sitting on a throne. He was wearing all white and was really huge. All I could see was his legs and His sandals. I saw myself place a little black idol, that was like a small statue of a person at His feet. I knew that the Lord was going to smash it. Then the vision ended. (The only way is, Mat 6:33 Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.”)    Idolatry and Distractions Keep the Church Imature Joe Dobrozsi - 6/27/22 (David's notes in red) I wanted to contact you because I saw this sign again in the parking lot at work today. Last year, about three times, I saw what looked like another planet or something that seemed to cover the moon to where there was just a sliver of the moon visible. (The moon or Woman Church, cannot reflect the light of the Son/sun because the earth has come between them. i.e. The Church is looking at the earth or the worldly instead of the Son. This represents worldly idolatry or distractions keeping the Church from maturing. We have to behold the Son to reflect Him and come into His image - 2 Co 3:18) (I don't know if it's a vision or real), but every time I have seen this sign, the sun is getting ready to rise and that is something that really stands out to me the whole time. (We haven't had this many eclipses so this is a spiritual vision. We just received a dream of the immature missing the Man-child/Bride bus because of distractions. This is a good exhortation to run after Jesus because time is short to be chosen.)    Distractions Cause the Bride to Miss the Man-child  Claire Pienaar -  6/23/22 (David's notes in red) I was in a steak grill house, and I was with a group of people (This restaurant represents the fiery trials of the flesh.). The group of people were celebrating me, but I don't know why. I was given the best seats, goodie bags, and so much food and praise. I could not understand it. (These represent worldly distractions and flatteries which, as we will see, can cause the Bride to miss her appointment with the Man-child.) All I wanted was Richard, my first love (Richard was my first boyfriend, and in this dream, he and Riaan, my husband, were morphed into one character. Richard means “mighty ruler” and Riaan means “little king” so I think these men represent a corporate body of Jesus, or the Man-Child reformers.). (This is what makes her the Bride . She is always desiring to run after Jesus, her first love despite all the distractions of the world and the enemy.)  I went looking for Richard. I went to a shop where Riaan and I had once bought blue jeans and I waited there for him. (The Bride is only interested in running after Christ and walking in heavenly places, as represented by the blue jeans).    I went to find a toilet in the dream. (Riaan: The Bride is the one constantly looking to cleanse herself of all defilement, to be perfect and blemish-less for her Husband, Christ). I walked through a very hi-tech call-center to get to the bathroom. (The hi-tech call center represents a constant communication with the Holy Spirit in order to receive the convictions we need in order to repent.) (Riaan: Yes, it is the high calling of God, to be made separate, pure and holy for Him)  The toilet stalls were elevated, about one story higher than the call-center. The stalls were made from completely transparent glass, and the doors only covered my middle section… (This transparency of nakedness represents repentance and the confession of sin. 1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. What disqualifies the wicked, is they cannot repent and confess their sins in order to be righteous. Narcissism, rejection, faction spirits put fear in people to Confess and Be delivered. And even then, some do not hold fast to the Gospel believing that Jesus took away their sins and gave them his life and so they do not mature because of double mindedness.) I walked back to the restaurant and when I realized Richard/Riaan wasn't coming, I was sad. I had missed his birthday. In the dream, the date that I had missed was the 23rd of March. (Son 5:4-6  My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, And my heart was moved for him.  5  I rose up to open to my beloved; And my hands dropped with myrrh, And my fingers with liquid myrrh, Upon the handles of the bolt.  6  I opened to my beloved; But my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone. My soul had failed me when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.) (It seems the bride receives gifts on the Man-child's birthday. (The birthing of the Man-child ministry is when the Lord returns "as a mighty one" in the Man-child by Word and Spirit to reward the Bride but there was a delay. Isa 40:10  Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him: Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. And Isa 62:11  Behold, Jehovah hath proclaimed unto the end of the earth, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, (the Bride) Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.)  I've just recently been reading in Esther (by faith at random), and I saw that in Esther 8:9 the same day and month in their calendar was used as the date I received in this dream of March 23rd.  Est 8:7-11  Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews.  8  Write ye also to the Jews, as it pleaseth you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring; for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse.  9  Then were the king's scribes called at that time, in the third month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews... 10  And he wrote in the name of king Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by post on horseback... 11  wherein the king granted the Jews that were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, their little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.) Back to Claire's dream: I made a way to leave the busy restaurant that was in a shopping mall, and got up onto the roof where a friend called Suzan was with me. (The Bride keeps looking for her Beloved.) She was so loving and kind and emotionally expressive and demonstrative with much hugging and squeezing my arm in reassurance (Riaan: Suzan means lily, she represents the reassuring love of Christ the Bride experiences when she leaves the world behind and strives for the heavenly. Song 2:2  As a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters).  On the roof I saw a helicopter that looked like an ambulance mixed with an ice-cream truck. I was waiting to go with it when it lifted up. (What the Bride needs now is lifting up and spiritual health so as not to miss our sweet appointment. We have already received in dreams that the coming of the Lord in His Man-child is awaiting the maturity of the Bride.) The scene changed and I walked through terraced paddocks, where I saw many black little calves. I came back to my bedroom in the dream and spoke to Riaan, who was on his knees praying at the foot of the bed when I arrived in our room. He said, “it sounds like Psalm 91 protection” and he started quoting the psalm to me. (Riaan: Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings; and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall.) (So when the helicopter/ambulance arises with the Bride she will have the Psalm 91 protection through the tribulation.)  Then I went back to the paddocks in the dream, and as I walked I knew I was getting closer to Richard/Riaan and the blue jeans.   I asked the Lord what the restaurant part of the dream represents, and received 2 Ch 6:29, (in context 29-31) what prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man his own plague and his own sorrow, and shall spread forth his hands toward this house: then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou knowest (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of the children of men); that they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.  I asked the Lord about the terraced paddocks and received by faith at random the word, “Mount Gilead” from Song 4:1 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; Thine eyes are as doves behind thy veil. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, That lie along the side of mount Gilead. (Terracing on the side of a mountain where flocks graze makes it possible for them to rest and to feed.) I asked for another verse at random about who Richard/Riaan represents and I received Song 4:4, Thy neck is like the tower of David Builded for an armory, Whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, All the shields of the mighty men. I thought it was too close to the previous verse I received, so I asked for another verse by faith at random and received the word “Gilead” again, this time from Jer 50:19  And I will bring Israel again to his pasture, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead. Besides distractions ego in the form of competitiveness holds the Bride back from maturity.    Competition Divides the Church Claire Pienaar - 12/17/21 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was in a really dark church in a very dark city, late at night. (This represents the Babylonish apostate church system that is at the end of the Gentile Church dispensation.) The church had so many things wrong with it. It had a golden altar (Representing Idolatry) and separate places for new believers, old believers, women, children, men, and elders. (This represents the denominalizations and divisions, sects or heresies that the Bible warns about in 2 Pe 2:1 But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, (Heresies are a self-willed opinion that causes division) denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.) It was eery due to the darkness that was coming in from the outside. (The apostate Church has let the darkness of the world and its ways inside.) (Riaan: Before the coming of the Man-Child Jesus, the people of God were in darkness for hundreds of years). Some young people came in, and I thought they were going to add some life to the gathering, but they were just there to wait out the storm that was raging outside. (Many who are young in the Lord start out in apostate churches because they believe there is an escape from the world and its curses there. They either stay and die a slow spiritual death or they come out and begin seeking the Lord and truth for themselves.) I tried to get to the “main” part of the church, but the older women of the church continuously tried to get me to come with them to their “women's fellowship”. I did not want to be taught by a woman and kept on looking for a way to exit without anyone noticing, so as not to offend. (Note: In Titus it tells the older women to teach the younger women Tit 2:4-5  that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,  5  to be sober-minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. But they are not to teach doctrines which a lot of Women's fellowships do.) I noticed they took the children out of the main church and put them in a separate room away from their mothers. (We saw in Titus that the mothers are the ones who are supposed to teach their children.) There was much fussiness and fussing between the mothers, the “caregivers” and the children and I could not understand any of it. I finally found a little red umbrella and decided to go outside. I didn't care if I was going to get wet or drenched or blown away in the storm, but I had to leave. Then I woke up. (I don't think this dream is for me personally as I've not been part of any institution for a long time, and I don't really subscribe to mainline denominational stuff... but it's a good warning for others, and a call to pray for those who still need to come out. I also think the Lord showed me this dream to confirm the darkness that is befalling the current institutionalized church, as is evident from the verses I received concerning it.).  I asked the Lord for a verse by faith at random. (She received a text that speaks of the coming David Man-child reformers to bring the Church back into Biblical order.)   Psa 89:25  I will set his hand also on the sea, And his right hand on the rivers. (In context 20-29)  I have found David my servant; With my holy oil have I anointed him: 21 With whom my hand shall be established; Mine arm also shall strengthen him. 22 The enemy shall not exact from him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him. 23 And I will beat down his adversaries before him, And smite them that hate him.  24 But my faithfulness and my lovingkindness shall be with him; And in my name shall his horn be exalted. 25 I will set his hand also on the sea, And his right hand on the rivers. 26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation. 27 I also will make him my first-born, The highest of the kings of the earth. 28 My lovingkindness will I keep for him for evermore; And my covenant shall stand fast with him. 29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, And his throne as the days of heaven. I asked the Lord for one more word by faith at random, and received Hos 13:2: And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding, all of them the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves. (This may represent the religious institutions who follow another Jesus.)   Warning of the Competitive Prophetic Spirit Garrett Crawford - 5/29/22 (David's notes in red) ...I began to tell my wife yesterday that none of the false prophets are speaking about this Nuclear event that the Lord showed me. None of them are warning of something so specific as this. They speak in vague loose language so after an event or calamity happens they can go back and say "See! I saw that! I warned of that!" But they only deceive themselves and their followers. (I want to be very clear I am not a prophet in any sense of the word) A true prophet is given specific details of events to come. Sometimes they know where and when and why.  I was telling my wife the false prophets in the church with the large audiences will be totally caught off guard by this event. It will shock them to their core, but afterwards they will surely take credit for seeing it in advance. They will scramble amongst themselves through their endless pages of vague prophetic nonsense and revisit hours of recorded speaking engagements to see what 2 or 3 lines can be strewn together to prove this was warned of. God's true prophets do not need to go to such desperate lengths. God's true prophet's words are few, prophecies are few but are etched in stone and are amazingly accurate. (Yet Many warnings in these days come from simple people with simple dreams, not from those who even promote themselves as a “prophet".) This weighed on my heart. Yes, I knew the tendencies of the false prophets but I also looked within myself with the utmost scrutiny. I cried out to Jesus saying, "Lord, search my heart. If there is any vain glory or self seeking spirit within me, reveal it and drive it from me." Revelations are not for boasting or receiving the praise of men. They are dangerous for many because the flesh loves to glory in itself and take credit for being set apart and special.  I did not want to be like the false prophets that travel from conference to conference, church to church stealing words from one another and slapping each other on the back. Yet even in this prayer my own self righteousness and pride was well at work within me. Sometimes we feel pretty good about seeing the flaws of others yet miss so much about ourselves. Many have made whole ministries of pointing out the heresies of the false church and it's leaders. All the while being completely self seeking and prideful themselves, but I digress. When I got home I was still thinking about how "no one" in the prophetic mainstream is specifically talking about this soon coming judgment. I felt like I was the only one with this understanding. I felt like a man on an island and although I knew not to go to the "false patriot prophets" as I call them. I did start to do some searching on youtube about a nuclear strike on New York City. To my surprise I did see quite a few dreams seeing pretty much the same things I saw. These weren't any of the who's who of the charismatic realm, they were nobodies like me. Just everyday people like myself with no title or authority just sharing dreams of judgment.  Some were quite amazing and detailed. I was not completely shocked as I know God always confirms things in the mouths of two or three witnesses, but I have to be honest after I watched these I felt a little unsettled within myself. I still felt something amiss in my heart. Almost like dare I say "a competitive spirit." I knew these people were not in the false prophet crowd, there was absolutely no worry there. But I felt a tinge of pride within me, I still wanted to feel like I was the only one.  I recall Elijah telling those on Mt. Carmel: I am the only one of the LORD's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. (Elijah failed to acknowledge what Obadiah had just told him earlier, "Hey there's still a bunch of prophets left in a cave, I have them hidden from Jezebel”) 1 Ki 18:3-4 Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD, 4 for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.   (Elijah got scared of Jezebel like everyone else and hid in a cave later.) 1 Ki 19:9  There Elijah entered a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.”  (Even there Elijah still maintained he was the only one doing God's will.) Everything he just said was true, except for the fact he was the only one still following God in such a horrible time of apostasy. God let him in on a little secret: "Nevertheless, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” I think we need to realize the fact we are all nobodies, none is more special than the other. In this time in history spiritual gifts are working in us all. It's just not rare to see the Holy Spirit giving dreams and visions to people anymore. We need to get off our self-imposed isolated high horse and just be like little children: humble, happy and content. Comparison is the thief of all joy, I don't know who said that but I see it around alot and it's fitting for this exhortation. But I also want to examine something else. I feel like the prophetic has become a sport. We are just tallying points to see who got it right more times, and in the end we can add up our stats and let everyone know we hear God better than others. The most important thing we must remember is that God does not want anyone to perish. He takes no joy in the death of the wicked. He gives us these warnings to share with others so that men may repent. Death is not something to celebrate, "getting it right" is not something to relish in. Having a dream or vision come to pass means nothing if we don't have humility and a longing for men to be saved. Are we all Jonahs? Do we want to merely operate in the spiritual gifts but are far more concerned with our track record?  Ask yourself are you willing to be called a false prophet in order that men will be saved from the very judgments you have so clearly seen? If you knew that the judgment you saw and were made to proclaim would be delayed or even stopped completely would you still proclaim it? If you knew you would be called "false prophet, lying spirit or deceiver" would you still speak? Until you are ready to be hated of men God can not use you. It's his mercy that he has not ordained many of us with prophetic giftings into the office of prophet. We could simply not take the heat.  Many of us (including myself) have no idea what it means to be a prophet or apostle. They are despised by the world, hated among the majority of the Church, and often find themselves alone in a cave. They are public spectacles and objects of wrath, humiliation and scorn. Forget everything you see in the mainstream Church,You-tube, or in movies. I can assure you Satan has deceived the minds of the lost and lukewarm Christians concerning this. One thing God told me long ago, "Garrett if you see someone that has prophet or apostle before their name, they usually aren't."  I can't take credit for the understanding laid out above though. It was only after having this dream last night that God gave me some insight about what exactly was going on in my own heart:   Satan Pits Brother Against Brother Garrett Crawford - 5/29/22 (David's notes in red) In this short dream, I was dressed in purple and gold. (The uniforms are the righteous garments of the saints. The purple represents royalty, the gold represents being refined in the fire. All of God's children should be wearing purple and gold.) (Representing being dressed in royalty. God promised Abraham that out of him kings would come. We are Abraham's seed if we hold to the faith of Abraham. Gen 17:5-7 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee.  And Gal. 3:6-9 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. 7 Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed. 9 So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.)  I was in the uniform of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team in an NBA arena. We were playing a game against another team. But oddly enough the other team was dressed in purple and gold too. They were also the Los Angeles Lakers. It seemed the same team was playing against themselves. (This represents a competitive, and in some cases, denominational spirit among God's elect that brings disrepute to the Name of Jesus.) I was a starter and the star on my team and I was scoring most of the points. I noticed Kobe Bryant was the only coach on the floor and it seemed he was coaching both teams. (Kobe in Hebrew is a form of Jacob which means supplanter or cunning.) Kobe Bryant's nickname was the "Black Mamba". (Representing Satan, the accuser of the brethren.) Kobe saw that I was scoring a lot of points so he substituted someone into the game. He substituted a man I went to school with named Adam Brotherton. I knew Adam was not as skilled as I was, he wasn't even a starter. (Adam Brotherton represents all our brethren in Christ who was the second Adam.)  As he came off the bench, I was not threatened by him, but then Adam began to match me point for point. Every time I scored, Adam scored. This went back and forth for sometime. I was pretty irritated and quite threatened by his ability to score just like me. When I watched Adam I saw no guile in him, jealousy or a competitive spirit. He was humble and just enjoying the game. I seemed to be playing against Adam, but Adam was simply playing the game as the game was meant to be played. He was smiling and having a good time. Then I woke up. (Scoring points is not bad, and it's not bad to be gifted. But Satan or the "Black Mamba" will use brother against brother to become competitive and often make one lose sight of just enjoying the game, that is when we start watching others too closely and insecurity sets in. Gifted Christians that know more then others will start to look down on less gifted brothers and think they are not as spiritual as them, therefore can't do the same things God has allowed them to do.  But God will humble older and more spiritual brothers by substitutes and allow these younger brothers to do things they themselves think only they can do. In the end we have to remember we are all brothers, we are all wearing purple and gold and we all play for the same team. We don't need to be competitive and threatened when God uses someone else. Satan wants us competing with each other and keeping score. There is plenty of time in the game and we all get a chance to shoot the ball at different times.)   The Bride Seeks the Prize of “High Calling of God in Christ Jesus” David Eells I've discovered that when it's really hard to turn the other cheek or to resist not him that is evil, it's usually because there is some competitive spirit, some pride, some judgment in our heart concerning the people who are coming against us. Our old man rises up, our pride rises up, that competition rises up and we want to retaliate. We don't want to bear that fiery trial; we don't want to bear that cross. But the Lord is teaching us that, when we submit to what the Word of God has to say concerning other people, our mind doesn't get stirred up emotionally against them.  Being emotionally stirred up makes it almost impossible to be obedient. The Bible tells us what we are to do concerning the “weak” brother: (Rom.14:1) But him that is weak in faith receive ye, [yet] not for decision of scruples (or “to doubtful disputations”). There are people who are weak in the faith, whose doctrine is not what ours is concerning the faith, concerning salvation, concerning the Holy Spirit and many other things.  Many times in our church life, we've been taught to judge these people, rather than do what God says, which is to receive them. (2) One man hath faith to eat all things: but he that is weak eateth herbs. (3) Let not him that eateth set at nought him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. (4) Who art thou that judgest the servant of another? to his own lord he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be made to stand; for the Lord hath power to make him stand. So Paul tells us that there are people who are weak in the Christian faith and that we're not to judge them. We're to give them the time to grow up. (10) But thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or thou again, why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God. I had experiences where the Lord taught me this.  The prize itself is to be chosen as the Bride as we will see. It is important to note that the Church is not the Bride as some simplistically say, but she is chosen out of the Church. Esther, the Bride, was chosen out of all the fair virgins of the kingdom to be the Bride of one who was at that time the ”King of kings” and this after Vashti was rejected because she did not obey the King. Also in SoS, the Shulammite, meaning "perfected one", was chosen out of all the women of the kingdom. Son 6:8-9  There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, And virgins without number. 9 My dove, my undefiled, is but one; She is the only one of her mother; She is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed; Yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. Also in Psa 45 the Bride raised up the virgins to know the Lord. Jesus always taught in His parables the Jewish Marriage ceremony in which everyone was accounted for in the Church. There was the Bride, the virgins who escort her to the grooms home after the marriage feast, the friend of the Bridegroom, and those receiving the invitations. In Revelation 19, the Bride had on a glorious lampros garment, meaning not only white but glowing. There we see that those invited had on a simple leukos garment meaning white. Of course the Bride does not receive an invitation to her own marriage. What are the advantages of Being in the Bride?   They sit next to the King forever in the highest Holy of Holies like the Bride in Psalm 45. In Joel 2, as righteous Jerusalem, they escaped the beast who captured the rest of God's people in a tribulation. They conquered the Assyrian beast to save God's people. In Esther she had the Love, respect and ear of the King and brought down the beast Haman and his people to save the people of God. In SoS she raised up her little sister, the rest of the people of God, to enter the presence of the King.  In the Gospels they raised up the Church and ordained the 5 fold ministries. In Rev. 3, as the Philadelphia Church of brotherly love, they escaped the hour of trial that came on the rest of the Church and the whole world. This is not a rapture, she is supernaturally spared for she is not under the curse as we have seen. They were given the name of the New Jerusalem. She is born from heaven and God's new name was written upon them.   Select Language Afrikaans Albanian Amharic Arabic Armenian Azerbaijani Basque Belarusian Bengali Bosnian Bulgarian Catalan Cebuano Chichewa Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Corsican Croatian Czech Danish Dutch Esperanto Estonian Filipino Finnish French Frisian Galician Georgian German Greek Gujarati Haitian Creole Hausa Hawaiian Hebrew Hindi Hmong Hungarian Icelandic Igbo Indonesian Irish Italian Japanese Javanese Kannada Kazakh Khmer Kinyarwanda Korean Kurdish (Kurmanji) Kyrgyz Lao Latin Latvian Lithuanian Luxembourgish Macedonian Malagasy Malay Malayalam Maltese Maori Marathi Mongolian Myanmar (Burmese) Nepali Norwegian Odia (Oriya) Pashto Persian Polish Portuguese Punjabi Romanian Russian Samoan Scots Gaelic Serbian Sesotho Shona Sindhi Sinhala Slovak Slovenian Somali Spanish Sundanese Swahili Swedish Tajik Tamil Tatar Telugu Thai Turkish Turkmen Ukrainian Urdu Uyghur Uzbek Vietnamese Welsh Xhosa Yiddish Yoruba Zulu Powered by Translate Printer-friendly version

Jonah 4 1 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, Isnt this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live. 4 But the Lord replied, Is it right for you to be angry? 5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonahs head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, It would be better for me to die than to live. 9 But God said to Jonah, Is it right for you to be angry about the plant? It is, he said. And Im so angry I wish I were dead. 10 But the Lord said, You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their leftand also many animals?

Jonah Schröder und sein Co-Founder Nick Koldehof konnten für ihre Kursplattform Triviar eine erste Finanzierungsrunde erfolgreich abschließen. Nun ist das Bankkonto gut gefüllt, sparen lohnt sich nicht und das Geld will gut investiert sein. Jonahs erster Ansatz: Leute einstellen. Nicht eine Person, nicht, zwei nicht fünf – Jonah setzt einfach mal auf über 10 Köpfe. Und damit fingen die Probleme an… Im Gespräch mit Jan geht es also vor allem darum, wie gute Führung gelingt, insbesondere im stressigen Gründungsalltag. Die beiden sprechen darüber, wie das Vertriebsteam organisiert werden könnte und welche Weichen das Gründungsteam stellen sollte, damit sich unter den Angestellten ein Teamgeist entwickeln kann. Selbstverständlich geht es auch um das Geschäftsmodell von Triviar, wie sich die Plattform vom Wettbewerb unterscheidet, welche Rolle Influencer*innen beim Wachstum spielen und welche lukrativen Nebenbeigeschäfte noch so in der Geschäftsidee schlummern…Hör dir diese Folge unbedingt an und nimm Wissen, Erkenntnisse und Anregungen für deinen eigenen Geschäftsweg mit! Jonah Schröder ist einer der beiden Gründer von Triviar und nun geschäftsführender Gesellschafter mit den Schwerpunkten Organisation und Prozessen sowie Marketing und Vertrieb. Auf der Kursplattform Triviar kann jede*r innerhalb kürzester Zeit eigene Live-Kurse erstellen und verwalten, um so die eigenen Fähigkeiten und Talente mit anderen zu teilen. Dabei ist es egal, ob der Workshop online oder direkt beim Anbietenden vor Ort stattfindet. [Gastgeber]  Dr. Jan Evers ist erfahrener Gründungsberater und selbst Unternehmer. Jan berät seit fast 20 Jahren Banken und Ministerien sowie wachstumsstarke Gründer*innen und Mittelständler – als Aufsichtsrat, Business Angel und Miteigentümer. Mehr Infos zu Jan: https://everest-x.de/profil/ [Redaktion] Mira Hische [Technische Bearbeitung] Erik Uhlendorf Weitere Themen -- LaborX Hamburg -- Ideencouch #22 -- Unternehmenswerte -- Unternehmensführung -- Plattformökonomie Über Die Ideencouch -- Die Ideencouch ist ein Podcast von EVEREST. Gastgeber ist Dr. Jan Evers. Wenn du selbst Gründer*in bist, dich Startups faszinieren oder du als Unternehmer*in an deinem eigenen Unternehmen arbeitest, ist dieser Podcast genau der richtige für dich. Aus den Gesprächen zwischen Jan und seinen Gästen wirst du praktisches Wissen, anwendbare Erkenntnisse und kreative Anregungen für deinen Unternehmer*innen-Alltag mitnehmen. Du lernst, wie sich Geschäftsideen und Geschäftsmodelle systematisch verbessern lassen. Garantiert! -- Du möchtest uns Feedback zu einer Folge geben oder selbst Gast im Podcast sein? Schreib uns eine E-Mail an  info@laborx-hamburg.de  Wir freuen uns auf deine Nachricht!  -- Partner -- LaborX --  Gründerplattform --  Firmenhilfe  -- Minicontrol  -- SmartBusinessPlan

Exiles on Assignment How do we build biblical worldview communities within our condition of internal exile, and under increasingly hostile conditions? Can we live with joy and confidence though marginalized? If you're caught between a host empire you cannot embrace and a church that has no worldview mission, where do you go? For much of recent history individuals and Biblical Worldview institutions could plan, execute, and flourish with their visions of a better world. That may no longer be the case in a few years. But don't despair. For in the midst of the chaos of a crisis comes opportunity. The history of the church tells us that crisis always precedes renewal, and the framework of renewal offers us new ways forward. A Non-Anxious Presence shows how that renewal happens and offers churches and leaders strategic ways to awaken the Church and see our culture changed for Christ. The question is: How? How can we engage a post-Christian society? How can we influence a culture which is desperate to press you into it's mold? This is not to say that God isn't at work in dominant culture. He has his “Daniel's” strategically placed to do His bidding in the “Babylon's” of the world. There are others who are being prepared to become “Esthers” (in Persia) and “Jonahs” (in Ninevah) and “Josephs” (in Egypt) – those who bring a biblical worldview to the culture, but within the culture itself. So our primary job is not to make everything “Christian” in culture. Our job is to live out a Biblical Worldview wherever we find ourselves and bear witness to the truth. But, there's no room for neutrality. The corrosive soil and polluted air of a secular worldview will have to be breathed by your children. You will face marginalization for living out a Biblical Worldview. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/shcc/message

Exiles on Assignment How do we build biblical worldview communities within our condition of internal exile, and under increasingly hostile conditions? Can we live with joy and confidence though marginalized? If you're caught between a host empire you cannot embrace and a church that has no worldview mission, where do you go? For much of recent history individuals and Biblical Worldview institutions could plan, execute, and flourish with their visions of a better world. That may no longer be the case in a few years. But don't despair. For in the midst of the chaos of a crisis comes opportunity. The history of the church tells us that crisis always precedes renewal, and the framework of renewal offers us new ways forward. A Non-Anxious Presence shows how that renewal happens and offers churches and leaders strategic ways to awaken the Church and see our culture changed for Christ. The question is: How? How can we engage a post-Christian society? How can we influence a culture which is desperate to press you into it's mold? This is not to say that God isn't at work in dominant culture. He has his “Daniel's” strategically placed to do His bidding in the “Babylon's” of the world. There are others who are being prepared to become “Esthers” (in Persia) and “Jonahs” (in Ninevah) and “Josephs” (in Egypt) – those who bring a biblical worldview to the culture, but within the culture itself. So our primary job is not to make everything “Christian” in culture. Our job is to live out a Biblical Worldview wherever we find ourselves and bear witness to the truth. But, there's no room for neutrality. The corrosive soil and polluted air of a secular worldview will have to be breathed by your children. You will face marginalization for living out a Biblical Worldview. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/shcc/message

In season three episode three we are joined by Ben Fasse! One of Jonahs friends from Syracuse University Ben has been training this year all alone with a goal to make the Division 1 team at Syracuse. Ben shares his story of always getting dealt a bad hand but he doesn't make excuses and is determined to come out on top!

Allerede som lite barn viste David Paul Brown aka Nathaniel Bar-Jonah at han hadde særdeles spesielle interesser og voldelige tendenser. Smaken av blod kombinert med en sterk seksuelle fetisj for kvelning og barn ledet til en rekke grusomme overgrep, kidnappinger og muligens også drap i løpet av hans oppvekst og videre liv. Og her er det bare å prise seg lykkelig over at man ikke var en av hans naboer som ble invitert på middag...Criminal Minds Wiki: Nathaniel Bar-Jonahhttps://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Nathaniel_Bar-JonahWikipedia: Nathaniel Bar-Jonahhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Bar-Jonah

Our favorite Radio Reverend is back with a sermon on the book of Jonah! The book of Jonah reads more like a fable or tall tale meant to convey a moral. The storm represents our anxieties and self doubt The fish represents the safe and secure places God can make for us And the final chapters represent Jonahs battle with forgiving himself.

Jonah 2 Often times when we rebel the results tend to never work out for our good. Jonah's nonchalant attitude and stubbornness leads him to become a man overboard, to settle in a dark place. Ministry, at it's heart, is not about the messenger, but about those who will receive the message. Jonahs 'great fish' reflects how it takes someone or something bigger than us to move us. His 'belly' experience represents not only a place of darkness, but a time of prayer and birthing into a new life. As Jonah, we too need to look again towards God's holy temple. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mandated/support

In episode 9 of the HSR Podcast we are joined by our friend and Jonahs classmate at Syracuse University Jelani Dowe where he shares his story and routines as well as what it takes to be great in his sport, boxing.

In this weeks episode Abe and Jonah reminiscence about their best and worst experiences working at their first Halloween Haunts. Join them as they talk about their evolution of scaring, how to deal with obnoxious guests and even Abe and Jonahs time dealing with a scandal.

We're starting our new series "Pray: Prayers of the People" looking back through some of the most powerful prayers throughout the Bible and how God is fulfilling and answering those prayers today. Laura kicks us off this week looking at Jonah's prayer. You can still access Sign-Up Sunday and sign-up for groups, village communities and teams. Head to https://www.telfordminster.org.uk/signupsunday For more resources like this, head to our website https://www.telfordminster.org.uk or follow us across social media at... https://www.instagram.com/telfordminster/ https://www.facebook.com/telfordminster/

Ein neues Buch von Simon Beckett verspricht Hochspannung – aber diesmal ist es kein neues David-Hunter-Abenteuer, sondern Beckett lässt einen neuen Protagonisten die Bühne betreten. Jonah Colley ist Teil einer Spezialeinheit und hat ein persönlich ziemlich krasses Schicksal: Sein Sohn Theo verschwand vor 10 Jahren spurlos. Jonahs bester Freund Gavin unterstützte ihn zunächst, allerdings zerbrach … „2099: Simon Beckett – Die Verlorenen“ weiterlesen

MY WIFE is out of the office tonight and i wanted to bring something near and dear to my heart and talk about mental health.

Pastor Michael Torres - Jonah 4:1-11 Wednesday, June 10, 2020https://calvaryitl.orgDonate: https://calvaryitl.org/donateYou can also donate via your phone directly by texting “itlGive" to 888-364-4483- Listen to audio via Spotify podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/1U1Y6LJUioUoayFRwmzgfy- Listen to audio via Apple podcasts: http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/calvary-itl-podcast/id1374484093- Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CalvaryITL

Pastor Michael Torres. Jonah 3:1-10. Wednesday June 3, 2020

We argue about certain topics to see who has the best answers to Jonahs questions. So come listen and internally scream about how wrong we all are.

Jonah 4

Jonah 3

Jonah 1-2