JONAH 4:1-5 DISASTER STOPPED

INTRODUCTION

THE WRITINGS OF JONAH BRINGS FORTH SOME VERY INTERESTING AND DYNAMIC CHARACTERS OF WHICH JONAH OF WHICH JONAH HIMSELF IS CHI

WE MEET JONAH DOWN AT THE PORTS WHERE THE BOATS ARE DOCKED STANDING IN BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS

WE KNOW THAT JONAH IS IN FACT, GOD’S MAN-THAT GOD HAS CALLED HIM AND PREPARED TO USE HIM TO ENACT HIS WILL AMONGST THE PEOPLE; HIS WILL BEING GOD’S WILL

THAT GOD DOES NOT CALL US TO OUR OWN AGENDA TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE THINK IS MEANINGFUL OR PURPOSEFUL; IT’S QUITE CLEAR IN THE BOOK OF JONAH

HE CALLS US TO HIS DIVINE WILL AND DISPATCHES US

HE CALLS US ACCORDING TO HIS DIVINE PLEASURE AND SENDS US OUT AS SERVANTS AND INSTRUMENTS THAT GOD’S PURPOSE MIGHT BE EXECUTED IN THE EARTH

AND THOUGH GOD IS SOVEREIGN, AND THOUGH HE IS ABSOLUTE, AND THOUGH HE IS GOD ALL BY HIMSELF, IN THE MIDST OF HIM CALLING US TO DO HIS WILL HE HAS IN HIS GRACE AND GREAT WISDOM INCLUDED WITHIN US IN OUR HUMAN CAPACITY, OU OWN WILL AND RESPECTS OUR WILL TO THE DEGREE THAT HE ALLOWS US TO MAKE CHOICES

AND HERE LIES THE TROUBLE

HOW COME GOD DID NOT MAKE US LIKE ROBOTS WHERE HE COULD PROGRAM US TO DO CERTAIN THINGS AND WE WOULD JUST DO THEM INSTINCTIVELY WITHOUT ANY HUMAN INVOLVEMENT

BECAUSE WHEN OUR HUMAN WILL GETS INTO THE MIDST AGAINST GOD’S WILL, THE OPTION CREATES CHAOS AND OFTEN DELAYS THE PROCESS

I HAVE MISSED THE MARK THAT I SHOULD HAVE HIT YEARS AGO BECAUSE I DETOURED ON A SIDE TRAIL THAT WAS BROUGHT THROUGH A COMMERCIAL THAT FLASHED IN MY SPIRIT FROM MY WILL THAT SUGGESTED PERHAPS YOU SHOULD GO ANOTHER WAY

I BRING JONAH TO YOU WHERE THE BOATS ARE DOCKED SO THAT YOU COULD SEE MANY OPTIONS

AS THERE ARE IN LIFE, EVERY BOAT GOES IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION FROM THE SAME PORT

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT AND THE POWER TO CHOSE THE DIRECTION YOU WANT TO GO

BUT IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING THAT CHOICE, UNDERSTAND THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL AND WHEN EVERYTHING IS SAID AND DONE, HE WILL HAVE HIS WAY

JONAH DECIDES THAT HE DELIBERATES BETWEEN NINEVEH AND TARSUS

NINEVEH IS WHERE GOD WANTS HIM TO GO; TARSUS IS WHERE HE HAS DECIDED TO GO AS AN ACT OF HIS HUMAN WILL

GOD’S WILL OR MY WILL

HE DECIDES THAT HE IS GOING TO GO IN MY OWN WAY, AND HE DOES

HE BUYS A TICKET TO TARSUS; GOD DOES NOT STOP HIM

HE TAKES HIS BD AND PUTS IT ON THE BOAT BUT GOD WILL NOT STOP HIM

HE RESTS IN HIS CABIN WHILE PREPARING TO GO TO TARSHISH

AND THEY SET SAIL BECAUSE SUCCESSFULLY FOR TARSHISH AND GOD DOES NOT STOP HIM

WARNING US THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE ABLE TO GO FORWARD DOES NOT MEAN HE WILL GO FORWARD YOU WERE RIGHT

THE SILENCE OF GOD DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU HAVE CHANGED HIS MIND, NOR DOES IT SUGGEST THAT YOU ARE IN HIS PERMISSIVE WILL

IN REALITY HE IS RESPECTING YOUR RIGHT TO CHOOSE, BECAUSE WHEN YOU CHOOSE ANOTHER DIRECTION OTHER THAN GOD’S , THIS IS A TEACHING OPPORTUNITY FOR GOD

WHERE DID YOU GET THAT FROM

THE BIBLE SAYS, THERE IS A WAY WHICH SEEMETH RIGHT UNTO A MAN AND THE ENDS THEREOF IS DEATH

YOU CAN START OFF GOING GOOD BUT IF YOU ARE NOT CAREFUL, IT WILL END UP AT DEATH EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE ABLE TO EXECUTE IT ITS ORIGIN YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TOLERATE IN ITS DESTINY BECAUSE SOMEWHERE ALONG THE PATH OF THE HUMAN WILL A STORM WILL ARISE

BODY

JONAH HEADS OUT TOWARDS TARSHISH AND EVERYTHING IS APPEARING GOOD AND YOU KNOW THE STORY AS WELL AS I DO

AND IMMEDIATELY AS HE GETS OUT AND GOES FURTHER AND FURTHER ALONG THE WAY INTO HIS OWN SELECTION AND HIS OWN HUMAN WILL, A STORM ARISES A FIERCE STORM SO CHAOTIC THAT HE PUTS IN DANGER EVERYONE THAT IS CONNECTED TO HIM

YOU SEE WHEN YOU BELONG TO GOD EVERYONE ELSE CAN SAIL IN A DIRECTION AND HAVE NO TURBULENCE AT ALL BUT WHEN YOU TRY TO DO WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING,BECAUSE YOU BELONG TO GOD, YOU CANNOT DO WITH WHAT OTHERS ARE ABLE TO DO

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BOAT, THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE PEOPLE ON THE BOAT, THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAPTAIN OF THE BOAT, BUT WHEN YOU GOT ON THE BOAT YOU CHANGED THE PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITY, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN

YOU ARE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE, CHOSEN BY GOD SELECTED FROM THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD, AND THOUGH HE RESPECTS YOUR HUMAN WILL, HE WILL ULTIMATELY PREVAIL OVER YOU

JESUS SAYS, NOT MY WILL BUT THINE BE DONE

JONAH OPERATES EFFECTIVELY FOR A WHILE, BUT THEN PUTS EVERYONE IN THE BOAT IN DANGER BECAUSE IN THE PROCESS OF EXECUTING HIS OWN WILL,GOD SENDS A STORM

HE IS NOT AFTER THE CAPTAIN OR THE CARGO

GOD WILL SHAKE OFF EVERYTHING, HE WILL SEND CHAOS, HE WILL ALLOW DAMAGE TO BREAK ON YOU, HE WILL ALLOW CARGO TO BE LOST, HE WILL ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE TO BECOME HYSTERICAL AND TERRORIZED

BECAUSE HE IS AFTER ONE PERSON

THE MOMENT THAT THEY FIGURED OUT, THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAPTAIN, BOAT, MECHANICS, THE ROPES UNDER THE BOAT, WORKERS, CREW, PASSENGERS, EXCEPT WE HAVE ONE PERSON WHO HAS ANGERED GOD IN THE SPIRIT OF REBELLION THEY GOT RID OF JONAH TOSSED HIM OFF THE BOAT

THE STORM CEASED BECAUSE THE LORD SAID, NOT YOU 3X’S

I WANT HIM

AND THE MOMENT THAT THEY SEPARATED FROM HIM THE STORM STOPPED

THEN, GOD SAYS ALRIGHT STORM REST, I DON’T NEED YOU ANYMORE

HE SENDS A GREAT FISH WHO SWALLOWS UP JONAH AND JONAH GOES INTO THE HELL THAT ALL OF US GO THROUGH WHEN WE HAVE SELECTED THE WRONG PATH AND THOUGHT THAT WE HAD GOTTEN AWAY FROM GOD AND GOD IS STILL THERE

THE BIBLE SAYS THT JONAH PURPOSED IN HIMSELF THAT HE WOULD FLEE THE PRESENCE OF GOD

ISN’T THAT CHILDISH

ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD ASK, WHERE WOULD YOU GO TO FLEE THE PRESENCE OF GOD

GOD’S PRESENCE IS NOT JUST IN HIS PURPOSE, GOD’S PRESENCE IS NOT JUST IN NINEVEH, GOD’S PRESENCE IS NOT JUST IN RIGHT

GOD’S PRESENCE IS IN WRONG, GOD’S PRESENCE IS NOT JUST IN HOLINESS, GOD’S PRESENCE IS IN HELL

GOD’S PRESENCE IS NOT JUST IN CHURCH, IT IS IN THE NIGHTCLUB, GOD’S PRESENCE IS NOT JUST IN THE RIGHT CHURCH

DAVID SAID, IF I MAKE MY BED IN HELL AND THERE HE IS

YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT FOR HELL

YOU CAN WAKE UP IN HELL THAT IS A RESULT OF A SERIES OF BAD CHOICES

DON’T REBUKE THE DEVIL FOR THIS, THIS IS NOT THE WORK OF SATAN, ITS THE SAD CONSEQUENCES OF YOU HAVING IT YOUR WAY

THERE IS A WAY THAT SEEMETH RIGHT TO A MAN BUT THE END IS DEATH

JONAH FINDS HIMSELF SWALLOWED UP IN THE BELLY OF A FISH

THE FISH GOES DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAINS AND JONAH FINDS HIMSELF AT THE BOTTOM

HAVE YOU EVER FELT THAT YOU WERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAINS

YOU COULD SEE WHERE YOU COUKDN’T GO

OF THE MOUNTAINS

YOU CAN SEE OTHERS OPERATING IN A DIMENSION THAT YOU WEREN’T OPERATING IN

BUT YOU WERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAINS

HE WAS TRAPPED FOR THREE DAYS, TO SAYS YES TO THE LORD

WRESTLING TO SAY YES TO GOD

HE IS WRESTLING TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE

THIS IS A SECOND CHANCE IN A WORST PLACE

YOU COULD HAVE MADE IT FROM A PLACE OF COMFORT ON THE PORT BEFORE YOU LEFT, BUT BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T SAY YES UP THERE

THE SECOND CHANCE COMES IN A HELLISH CONDITION

SOONER OR LATER GOD WILL HAVE HIS WAY

JONAH SAID, OUT OF THE BELLY OF THE FISH I CRIED

I CRIED TO HIM OUT OF THE REASON OF MY DISTRESS

AND NOT ONLY DID GOD SEND HIM INTO A HELL, BUT HE HAD HEARD HIM IN THE HELL HE WAS IN

HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO BE HEARD IN HELL

IT IS WONDERFUL TO PRAY AT THE ALTAR OF THE CHURCH, WITH SINGING AND THE GOOD SMELL OF OIL

BUT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO PRAY OUT OF HELL

LORD, IF YOU GET ME OUT OF THIS ONE; I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE NEVER HAD TO PRAY THAT PRAYER

BUT I HAVE HAD TO PRAY THOSE SIMPLE, DESPERATE, FRANTIC PRAYERS THAT SAID I KNOW I BROUGHT THIS ON MYSELF, I KNOW THAT YOU TOLD ME NOT TO DO THIS

I KNOW IF I WOULD HAVE OBEYED YOU, I WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN IN THIS MESS, BUT LORD, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU WRONG

I LOVE YOU IN MY WEAKNESS, CHAOS, CONFUSION

AND I’M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW EVEN DISOBEDIENT, EVEN REBELLIOUS, EVEN IN A HELLISH SITUATION, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAIN, EVEN LAYING IN ALL THE DIRTINESS, I’M STILL YOUR CHILD

I MAY BE YOUR CRAZY CHILD, YOUR PRODIGAL CHILD, CONFUSED CHILD, I MAY EVEN BE YOUR CHILD DISOBEDIENT

I’M AM A CHILD OF GOD.

GOD MADE THE FISH VOMIT EVERYTHING HE HAD EATEN JUST TO GET JONAH OUT

WHEN YOU GET IN A TRAP AND YOU BELONG TO GOD AND YOU FINALLY SAY YES THE WAY YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO SAY YES, WHATEVER GOD HAS TO SHAKE UP TO GET YOU OUT OF THAT SITUATION, GOD WILL GET YOU OUT OF IT

THERE ARE FEW PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT CAN TESTIFY, THEIR ARE SOME THAT COULD BUT WON’T TERE ARE SOME CLOSE CALLS AND NARROW ESCAPES AND MISHAPS THAT THEY HAD BEEN THOUGH AND IF THE LORD HAD NOT STPPED IN AND SHOOK UP THE WHOLE SYSTEM TO GET THEM OUT OF THE MESS, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN UTTERLY DESTROYED

AND SOME THINK WE PRAISE GOD BECAUSE WE ARE EMOTIONAL, CULTURAL, BUT THE REASON THAT WE PRAISE GOD IS THAT WE ALMOST DIED IN SOMETHING THAT GOD SNATCHED US OUT OF

WE NEED TO PRAISE FOR THE THINGS HE HAS DONE

THE FACT THAT GOD SENT 1 MAN TO NINEVEH SAYS THIS IS A VERY GIFTED AND EFFECTIVE MAN

FULLY EQUIPPED

NINEVEH WAS A GREAT CITY

IT WAS UNEQUALLED IN ITS ERA

NINEVEH WAS PROGRESSIVE

IT TOOK 3 DAYS TO WALK THROUGH NINEVEH

IT HAS ECONOMIC STABILITY, POWER CITY, WAS STRONG, INDUSTRIAL, POWER

NINEVEH HAD BEEN A TERROR TO THE JEWISH PEOPE AND JONAH DIDN’T WANT TO DEAL WITH THEM

BUT GOD DOESN’T NEED TO AGREE WITH YOU

SOME SAY NINEVEH WAS FOUNDED BY NIMROD WHO TRIED TO BUILD ATOWER TO HEAVEN

THEY WERE ROOTED IN REBELLION AGAINST GOD

WHY GO THERE AND TALK TO STUBBORN PEOPLE

WHY SHOULD I SAY YES WHEN I FIND THAT IT WILL NOT WORK OUT ANYWAY

AM I NOT SMARTER THAN GOD

DOESN’T GOD KNOW WHO NIMROD IS

DOES GOD NOT KNOW ABOUT THE WALLS AROUND THE CITY

DOES GOD NOT KNOW THAT I DON’T EVEN LIKE THEM

JONAH HAS TO GO TO NINEVEH TO PREACH TO NINEVEH

JONAH MUST HAVE BEEN A WONDERFUL PREACHER

GOD SEND ONE MAN WITH ONE VOICE

WHO WOULD HAVE TO STAND INTHE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND PREACH REPENT

THE MAN THAT WAS PREACHING THAT DAY WAS IN THE BELLY OF A FISH A FEW DAYS AGO

JONAH IS TELLING PEOPLE TO REPENT WHEN HE JUST GOT DONE REPENTING

THERE IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PREACHER AND THE PEW

THERE IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE THAN THE ONE PREACHING AND THE ONE WRITING NOTES

HE SENDS A REBELLIOUS PROPHET TO PROPHESY TO A REBELLIOUS CITY

GOD JUST SNATCHED JONAH OUT OF WHAT THE PEOPE ARE DOING

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF JONAH WOUD HAVE SINNED 5 YEARS AGO

PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO HEAR THAT I JUST GOT OUT OF TROUBLE MYSELF

HE CRIES OUT JUDGEMENT TO A CITY WITH SO MUCH IN COMMON TO HIMSELF

PEOPLE CAN HELP YOU IF THEY ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING

JONAH BEGINS TO PREACH, GOD IS GOING TO TEAR IT DOWN

GOD WILL TEAR IT DOWN

GOD CAN TEAR ANYTHING DOWN

PRIDE, SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, JEALOUSY

GOD CAN SHUT ANYTHING DOWN

TELL NINEVAH THEY HAVE 40 DAYS TO GET YOURSELF TOGETHER

TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR, YOU HAVE 40 DAYS

TO STOP ACTING FOOLISH, TO GET YOUR LIFE TOGETHER, STOP MAKING EXCUSES, PLAYING GAMES

YOU HAVE 40 DAYS TO SAY YES, SURRENDER, GIVE UP THE WORLD, SUBMIT TO ME, YOU HAVE 40 DAYS

TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR, I’M RUNNING OUT OF TIME

IF WE COULD SEE INTO HEAVEN, THE ANGEL HAS DRAWN HIS SWORD

IN 40 DAYS, GOD WILL TELL THE ANGEL TO THRUST IN THE SWORD

GOD WILL BRING JUDGEMENT IN 40 DAYS

I AM SO ANGRY WITH YOU THAT I COUKD USE THIS DISOBEDIENT PREACHER

IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT I USE

YOU HAVE 40 DAYS

GET YOURSELF TOGETHER AND DO IT NOW

I MAY NOT BE YOUR GOD B UT I AM THE GOD ABOVE ALL GODS, THE KING ABOVE ALL KINGS, THE LORD ABOVE ALL LORDS

JONAH PREACHED IT WITH PASSION AND CONVICTION

AND NINEVEH RECEIVED THE LAST CHANCE

AND JONAH FOUND A COMFORTABLE PLACE AND WAITED

TO SEE IF HIS PROPHESY WILL COME TO PASS

ISN’T IT FUNNY THAT PEOPLE WILL WAIT AND WATCH TOI SEE IF DESTRUCTION WILL HIT YOUR LIFE

HE DIDN’T JUST WAIT BUT HE MOVED THINGS AROUND SO THAT HE COULD SEE PROPERLY

AND HE WANTED TO SEE GOD DESTROY NINEVEH

BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED, NINEVEH CLICKED THE SWITCH OF GRACE

NINEVEH SAID EVERY HUMAN AND EVERY ANIMAL WILL GO ON A FAST, THEY FELL ON THEIR FACE AND TOUCHED GOD’S HEART

THE ANGEL WAS READY TO STRIKE THE CITY DOWN BUT THE ENTIRE CITY LAID BEFORE GOD IN REPENTANCE

AND I HEARD GOD SAY, IF MY PEOPLE, WHICH ARE CALLED BY MY NAME....

JONAH WAS WAITING FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CITY

JONAH SAID, I KNEW THAT IF I PREACHED AND THEY REPENTED THAT YOU ARE SO FULL OF MERCY

THAT’S WHY I DIDN’T WANT TO COME

WHY WOULD YOU SEND ME TO CURSE A CITY THAT YOU EXPECTED TO SAVE

I THOUGHT THAT YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO DESTROY THE CITY

AND GOD SAID, WHEN THEY REPENTED DISASTER STOPPED

WHEN THE ENEMY CAME IN LIKE A FLOOD THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD, BECAUSE IT IS NOT BY MIGHT, NOR POWER

LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SAY SO

NO MORE DESTRUCTION BUT DESTINY

NO MORE DISASTER IN YOUR FINANCES, IN YOUR BODY, IN YOUR MIND, IN YOUR FAMILY, IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS

DESTINY IN YOUR VISION, DREAMS, GOALS

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO POSITION YOURSELF TO RECEIVE THE FAVOR OF GOD THE NEXT 40 DAYS

YOUR DESTINY IS IN YOUR NEXT DECISION