LETS TRY THAT AGAIN
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BELIEVE IT OR NOT!!
BELIEVE IT OR NOT!!
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO RIPLEYS?
I WOULD ALWAYS BY THE BOOKS FOR MY KIDS AS THEY LOVED TO LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT FACTS. MORE RECENTLY I DECIDED TO GO TO THE MUSEUM AND HAVE A LOOK AROUND.
ROBERT WADLOW THE TALLEST MAN MEASURING 8’ 11
TO WILLARD WIGIN WHO CREATES THE SMALLEST SCULPTURES THAT FIT INTO THE EYE OF A NEEDLE.
WILLARD AND WADLOW - PICTURES
JONAH IS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS THAT HAS A LOT OF CONTROVERSY AROUND IT AS IT IS UNBELIVEABLE THAT A MAN COULD BE SWALLOWED BY A FISH AND THEN SURVIVE AND NOW HERE HE IS PREACHING TO THE PEOPLE OF NINEVEH.
Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”
So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth.
Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water,
but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.
Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
A PROPHET OF NOTE, GIVEN AN EXTRODINARY JOB
And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
THERE IS SOMETHING THAT I COULD NOT PASS OVER THIS WEEK AS I WAS LOOKING AT THIS PORTION OF SCRIPTURE AND THAT WAS THE PHRASE IN VERSE 3
And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
BELIEVE
BELIEVE
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN BELIEVING IN GOD AND BELIEVING GOD
MAIN POINT -
The people of Nineveh believed God: CHANGE begins with believing God. As we believe Him and His Word
we have the power to transform our lives as He wills.
You can do many other things associated with repentance, but if they do not begin with believing on and trusting God, they are all useless works of the flesh.
i. You can't believe God apart from the Word of God.
If repentance is anything, it is not business as usual. When repentance comes, something has to change and something has to be different. In their case, the people of Nineveh took off their normal clothes and put on sackcloth - a thick coarse cloth, normally made from goat's hair. Wearing it displayed the rejection of earthly comforts and pleasures.
It means coming to God with passion and seriousness about your sin and your need for His mercy and forgiveness.
i. So much of modern "repentance," with its claim of excuses and reasons why we sinned, is really not repentance at all.
It is only an attempt to justify and excuse our sin. Nevertheless, you sinned or you didn't; if you did, there is no excuse, and if you haven't, there is no need to repent. Repentance and excuses simply don't belong together.
e. Yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands: Repentance means turning from your evil way and from the violence that is in yourhands. (BLB)
Repentance means to change your mind and turn from your previous sinful actions.
And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
BECAUSE THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY IS DOING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER AND EXPECTING IT TO CHANGE.
MUCH LIKE USED TO FIGHT CHANGE
ONLY TO REALISE THAT I WAS THE ONE THAT MADE IT HARDER
WHEN I LEARNED TO SURRENDER IT BECAME SO MUCH EASIER TO ALLOW THE CHANGE TO HAPPEN
NOW EACH CHANGE PRESENTS IT OWN CHALLENGES AND YOU CAN FIGHT IT AND END UP BEING BITTER AND TWISTED AND RESENTFUL OR YOU CAN EMBRACE IT AND ALLOW GOD TO BLESS YOU IN THE PROCESS
GOD CANNOT LOOK ON SIN AND SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG - HE WILL JUDGE IT AND SEE THAT JUSTICE IS DONE.
HOWEVER WE CAN COUNT ON GOD’S MERCY IN OUR SITUATIONS
GOD RELENTED FROM HIS PLAN - NOT BECAUSE HE IS A WISHY WASHY GOD BUT BECAUSE HIS WORD TELLS US THAT IF WE BELEIVE AND TURN FROM OUR WAYS HE WILL BE MERCIFUL.
and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it.
JEREMIAH 18:8
Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people.
The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms.
JEREMI
GOD DELIGHTS IN ME
I NEED TO DELIGHT IN HIM AND THOSE HE CREATED AROUND ME
WHEN I BELEIVE SOMETHING I CAN ACT ON IT WITH ASSURANCE.
JONAH BELIEVED THAT GOD CAN SAVE BECAUSE OF HIS MOST RECENT EXPERIENCE IT WAS MORE EVIDENT
but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.
JONAH 3:
MAIN TO DO
TAKE STOCK OF YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW
TAKE A MOMENT TO THINK ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE AT
LIVE LIFE FULLY AND RESPECTFULLY TO THOSE AROUND YOU AND IT BEGINS WITH YOUR FAMILY.
GOD IS CALLING YOU TO CHANGE AN ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR PERHAPS HE IS CHALLENGING YOUR UNBELIEF.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
BECAUSE YOU MATTER TO GOD - HE WILL GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO BRING YOU BACK TO HIM.
MY BOTTOM LINE
CHANGE BEGINS WITH ME
GOD