"And the word of the Lord came to me the second time saying: What do you see? And I said: I see a seething pot; and the face of it is toward the north." (Jeremiah 1:13)
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"And shall I not spare Nineveh that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons (120,000) that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle? (Jonah 4:11)
On Sept 11, 2001, America experienced 911. This year, God speaks through the tsunami to His people concerning 411, based on the verse Jonah 4:11. In many ways, we will see through this terrible disaster which seems so much greater than the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy, that crucial aspects will be eliminated, minimized, or cut in half, as the church prays for a double portion of God's wisdom for authorities dealing with the tsunami victims, and the aftermath of it. Through faith God will work miracles, signs and wonders. He will perform miracles of provision.
I was recently encouraged when I heard Dayalan Sanders, victim of the tsunami, voice exactly what God has shown me. He said that he didn't have a corp of engineers to clean up the mess the tsunami made of his orphanage! But when God created the universe, He spoke the word and out of chaos came paradise. Flesh and blood didn't reveal that to you Dayalan Sanders! This is God's "new wave!" My family laid hands on the radio as he talked. Do you have a chaotic situation in your life? Don't just sit around and feel depressed, or complain about it! Speak God's word over it!
It's heartening to see the hunger on that boat with Jonah! The ships Master in the story of Jonah and the Whale did his best to give Jonah "an awakening," when he found him sleeping in the storm!" Jonah started preaching to the heathen about God even before he got himself thrown into the deep! But Jonah had already altered the direction given him by the Lord, and God viewed this as serious. For this God chastened him in a serious way. God knew where Jonah was going and what he needed to fully prepare him for what lay ahead. Sometimes your friends and relatives will alter the prophetic word FOR you, saying: Well...There are plenty of lost souls right in your own home town. Why don't you just get busy! Don't change one iota of that direction God gives you! Do exactly as God says! It's very important. This coming year believers will stand in the fire of God and be purified Those who defect like Jonah will see their hiding place turned into a boiling caldron.
There's a new level of faith for the operation of God, which will come about by violently (not half heartedly) taking the kingdom by force. By allowing Jesus to reign as Lord of all--not smugly allowing complacency to rule. Believe God for an increased measure of faith. It grows as you use it! Do you have a loved one who you know has the call of God on their life? Have you interceded in prayer but not seen this thing turn? Do what the Lord tells you. The Apostle Paul commanded a judgment on Elymus the Sorcerer for trying to prevent a convert from receiving Christ. (Acts 13:8) The judgment of God on Elymus was a manifestation of divine love. How do I know? Because God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance! (2 Pet. 3:9) God allowed Satan to test Job, but forbid his life to be taken. (Job 1:12) Sometimes God's people are too accomodating of evil! Use those gifts of the Spirit to a greater degree. Yeshua/Jesus said: Greater works than these shall ye do. Stop comparing yourself with others. Look into the face of the Master who made the sea into dry land, so the redeemed of the Lord could cross over.
In the wake of the tsunami tragedy, the news carried reports of child trafficking of young tsunami victims. A Spanish Christian newsletter entitled "Pressing On," carred an article describing Sri Lanka as a land with 40,000 child s. Extreme poverty and civil war have left many homeless and consequently the prey of crime rings. Children as young as three are captured. Others are sold for a few dollars by their impoverished relatives.
Did God allow the tsunami storm, to bring to light the extent of the child trafficking? Time will tell if progress had also been made toward U.S. invasion, toward the fulfilling of the many prophecies along these lines. Now is the time to pray that "there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed." (Luke 12:2)
THE CALL TO ABSOLUTE ONENESS WITH GOD
"He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit..." (1 Cor. 6:17)
One reason the body of Mashiach/Christ needs to be on guard for this defection syndrone, is because we are called to walk "even as He walked." (l John 2:6) Messiah said: I and My Father are one. We must feed on the Word of God, assimilate it and cleave to it as one flesh. The Lord said: I am the Bread of Heaven. We have a 5 year old. When I tell my little daughter Zani about the works of Jesus she immediately wants to try them out! Zani says: Tell me about God! I don't know the whole story! And what else did He do! Then what did He do after that?
You want the pin number to get it out of the bank of heaven? It's 777--Absolute oneness or fulness in Mashiach/Christ. He's still the God who met the needs of His disciples. Of the multitudes. Be joined to Jesus in whom dwells all the fulness of the Godhead in bodily form! (Col. 2:9) He that has the Son has the Father! He that's joined to the Lord is one Spirit! (1 Cor. 6:17) Now the Lord (Yeshua/Jesus) is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty! (2 Cor. 3:17) In the January 2005 ministry newsletter, we wrote that as we waited upon God for what to share with the Body of Messiah for the coming year, God began to speak to us through "water metaphors." These were the Story of Jonah, and The Days of Noah. Days before the tsunami as we were in prayer, God brought to mind a word given in 1998, regarding America and India, as well as a 2001 word concerning Jonah the Prophet, and the Jonah Generation, shared with our pastor. The recent tsunami, I see as further "struggles in the sea." There are things in scripture spoken of as directed by God, such as the wind, or whale in the book of Jonah. Then there are trials which God does not send, but allows or does not avert, for He purposes to bring good from the tragedy. One thing is for sure, there have been numerous prophetic words regarding the invasion of America by Asia.
There are various theories concerning the tsunami, but regardless of it's origins, or the wickedness of Asia; the word of the Lord concerning her is this: "And shall I not spare Nineveh that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle? (Jonah 4:11) God is calling us deeply into His word, and away from the traditions of man, that cannot hold us in the storms of life. 1) Oneness of God i.e.Yeshua haMashiach/Jesus is Lord. (John 10:30, Col. 2:9) 2 Cor. 3:17-18 2) Oneness with God. (1 Cor. 6:17, Eph. 5:32) 3) Oneness in covenant relationship with the Body of Mashiach/Christ. (Eph. 4:4)
EARLY DETECTION OF THE DEFECTION SYNDRONE
Defection such as Jonah's comes in stages. In Jonah's case, it was a rapid descent. Jonah went down to Joppa. (1:3) He went down into the hold of the ship. (1:5) He went down to the belly of the whale. (1:17) He'd received a prophetic word. Some people use the very excuse that they didn't really understand the prophecy God gave them anyway, as an excuse not to obey the word of the Lord. Prophets are sometimes mocked by those who say: They're no prophet! Or that word didn't make a lick of sense nohow!
There was a situation in my own life a number of years ago when I sought the Lord on a word, but could have pressed it further and should have! God gave me a word of knowledge several years ago, concerning an impending accident. He said: "Go through the door. The angels are here to help you." He said: "Behold, I saw Satan fall as lightening from heaven." I believe now that the Lord wanted to spare ud from this trial entirely. At the time, I prayed it through. But didn't investigate the entire word as fully in scripture as I should have. In the investigating of it, was also the means to avoid the tragedy entirely. My child and I were in a car accident three days later. Following the accident, I searched the scriptures and metaphors given, and God enlightened me. I know more now about the Secret Place of the Most High. (Psalm 91)
You look at a ship on the water, a group in a car, a boxcar on a train and with spiritual eyes see the unseen. What do you do? Search it out with God. Don't reason it away! The Spirit of the Lord teaches or reveals many things to us. But we do not always listen as carefully as we should. Or sometimes we are forgetful hearers. God gave me the phrase in prayer: "Candle in the wind." It reminded me of a prophetic word for England several years ago, in which God said that they would put flowers in the streets. This came dramaticly to pass with the of Princess Diana. The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of the belly. (Prov. 20:27) Don't allow that candle to be ed out by the storms of life. Guard the sacred flame of life given to you by God. You are of more value than many sparrows!
SEARCHING OUT A THING
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. (Prov. 25:2)
We see some prophets in scripture conversing with God about messages from the Lord which perplex or trouble them. When the Lord said to Jeremiah that He ordained him as a prophet to the nations before he was ever born, Jeremiah said: Ah Lord God I am but a child! (Jer. 1:5-6) But the Lord said: Say not I am but a child, for you shall go to all that I send thee, and whatever I command thee thou shalt speak! Be not afraid of their faces. I am with thee to deliver thee. (Jer. 1:8) The Lord showed Habakkuk the sins of the people until the Prophet complained to God: "Why do you show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? Robberies and violence are before me. And there are that raise up strife and contention. The law is slack. Judgment NEVER goes forth! " (1:3-4)
In the story of Mashiach/Christ's birth, we observe that the wise men who came from the east had what the scriptures call "an excellent spirit" in them. (Matt. 2:1) They wanted to "search out" certain prophecies of scripture. They watched for the time of prophetic fulfillment. The Prophet Hanukkuk says this of prophecy: At the end it will speak and not lie. The closer you get to the fulfillment of a thing, the clearer it becomes. The Lord frequently shows us signs long the way, that we might hope in God. The Lord doesn't have to answer these questions, but sometimes we lack answers simply because we don't seek the Lord concerning them.
It was a common practice in biblical times for people, and particularly prophets to search out a word given to them by the Lord, or a prophecy of scripture. When God gave His prophets a message, they brooded over that prophetic word like a mother hen, until God brought it to pass. Where this is neglected today, it's because the recipients don't understand the nature of God or of prophecy. They may have seen abuses in spiritual manifestations and lost faith in communications from God. God wants to "lift up" the genuine prophetic word in these last days by honing the spiritual perception of His people.
In searching ones own heart to detect the defection syndrone, don't just say "Well Bless God I'm not backslidden," without remembering the many times in scripture that God spoke of His people being backslidden when they were still attending Temple worship services. In Finney's Revival Lectures, he warns the backslider in heart. The Holy Spirit reveals even these things to the people of God.
AVOIDING THE JONAH SYNDRONE AS PASTERS & PARENTS
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. (Prov. 22:6)
It's important as parents that we train up our children in the way they should go. When they are old they will not depart from it. This means teaching them to "walk even as Yeshua/Jesus walked!" (I John 2:6) I received this phrase "Candle in the wind" as I was waiting on the Lord in prayer, in the pre-dawn hours. Over breakfast, our child wanted to put a couple of candles on her breakfast, and light them. It wasn't her birthday or anything. This seemed unnecessary. My immediate reaction was that I didn't want to. Then God spoke into my heart. As I lit the candle and we watched it's flame burn together, a draft caused the flame to flicker. Then came a teaching from the Lord on guarding the heart.
Yesterday morning, Zani grabbed a small book purchased for her when she 2 or 3. (She is 5 now) It's called: The Child Of God: Advanced Theology For Very Tiny Persons Vol. 1. She whisked it into the photo copier and pushed the button, and made herself a copy. As I was rebuking her for "playing with the copier," with a desperation, she lifted the lid and ed it from the copier, cutting the page into 4 pieces. Each had a fruit of the Spirit on it. Gentleness, Peace, Patience and Self Control. (Gal. 5:22-23) She said: I want Daddy to give these out to whoever needs them.
Later in the day a call came, that Grandma had sustained an injury and was in the hospital awaiting surgery. The grandparents have 4 children, and Dad is one of them. Grandma, who is nearly 90, had fallen and broken her hip in the autumn monthes. She had surgery and was supposed to use the walker till January. On January 16, as she was walking from her seat to take her place in the choir, she fell. They prayed for her and called an aid car, and she was taken to the hospital, where the surgery was performed in the late afternoon. Our children, yours and mine, are spiritually perceptive. It's us sometimes who need to "become as a little child that we might see the kingdom of heaven! How easy it is to quench the spirit of the Lord in another, instead of being sensitive and being used of God to fan it to a flame. What I see the Lord saying in this is this: "Tell ye the daughter of Zion: Behold, thy King comes unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went and did as Yeshua/Jesus commanded them. And brought the ass, and the colt..." (Matt. 21:5)
Biblical teachings frequently utilize under God's anointing objects which draw interest. As Jeremiah looked out over the land, God said to Jeremiah: What do you see? He said: I see the branch of an almond tree. The almond was one of the first to bloom in spring. God said: I will hasten my word to perform it. (Jer. 1:12) The children of believers are taught this way, but in western society, s are not. Messiah taught both s and children using visuals in his lessons.
It's been my opinion for many years, that the format of the average Sunday School "quenches the Spirit" of the children growing in the Lord as the young Prophet Samuel. This has been confirmed to us more than once. We were in England with a prophetic team. The leader said that God revealed to her that among Christian circles there was a lot of teaching going on, but not nearly enough training. Training is interactive. It allows the recipient of the training opportunity to demonstrate his growth and development, and doesn't "quench the Spirit."
JUDGING PROPHECY
Jonah judged prophecy. He just didn't judge it in the right way. How do we interpret prophecy including "allegorical prophecy?" Not by guess-work. Don't judge spiritual manifestations by the mind which is enmity against God. God's ways are higher than ours. It's an abomination that some are quick to mock the things they do not understand! First go to God's word and allow scripture to interpret. Don't interpret prophecies in the light of your own bitterness of soul. Cleanse yourself of the defiling influences, submit yourself to God, and Satan will flee from you. "Having therefore these promises dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Cor.10:7)
Spiritual defilment blinds ones eyes to the spirit of revelation. Yeshua/Jesus said: If any man will do My will, he shall know the doctrine...(John 7:17) Defection is not always as blatently obvious as that of Jonah. Ask God to make you more aware of the more subtle ways in which you depart from the commands of the living God. When he leads you to do a thing, do you alter it slightly in the performing of the task? If He says: Stop by this persons house and pay him a visit, do you immediately say in your heart: I'll write him a note! If the Lord says: Confront this person as to the sin in his life, do you say to yourself: I'll pray for him! If there's a provision in your hand that the Lord has shown you can serve a brother, do you withold it out of jealousy, envy or strife? God shows me in a vision another group of people, like dry desert mountains. The Lord says "These mountains will weep (i.e. in intercession) before these will. These very blocks to the furtherance of the gospel will be dealt with this year by the Living God! The Lord prophesied to me saying: The mountains WILL run down!
Secondly, as you study to show yourself approved unto God a workman that needs not to be ashamed, pray for an accurate understanding to rightly divide the word of truth. Make sure that your base is God's word, that it's your plumb-line. Judge everything else by God's book. Thirdly, if you don't understand the word, we learn from Habakkuk, that prophecies have a prophetic time, and become clearer the closer it gets to the time of their fulfillment. The Lord warned through a prophetic word a year and a half before the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy, and this word concerning "Islam At The Gates" was shared with pastors as we traveled in Canada. A second prophecy which spoke of New York is "The Branches of Your Lampstand."
There's a challenge to the people of God to be prayed up and spiritually minded. Not prayer less and distracted, so as to fight against the purposes of God. Work with those who preach and work righteousness, crying against wickedness. Don't war against them, but do exactly what God has called YOU to do! The day dawns and the Daystar will arise! (2 Peter 1:19, Rev. 2:28) But He is Truth. Truth must prevail!
SEEKING THE LORD IN TIMES OF TROUBLE
In America's early years, whenever troubles came, the people of God sought the face of God and enquired of the Lord like David, why this had befallen them. We should be sensitive to God's dealings with us not just as individuals, but as families and as nations. This is an excellent practice. The Jerusalem Post recently stated this concerning the tsunami and recent earthquake:
The earthquake that struck the Indian Ocean on December 26, triggering a series of huge waves called tsunami, "was possibly" caused by an Indian nuclear experiment in which "Israeli and American nuclear experts participated," an Egyptian weekly magazine reported Thursday.According to Al-Osboa', India, in its heated nuclear race with Pakistan, has lately received sophisticated nuclear know-how from the United States and Israel, both of which "showed readiness to cooperate with India in experiments to exterminate humankind."
What better time to seek the face of God and to believe Him for specific direction!
1) Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying:2) Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3) But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
4) But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
5) Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
6) So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
7) And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
8) Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
9) And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.
10) Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him. Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
11) Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.
12) And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
13) Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. 14) Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.
15) So they look up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
16) Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
17) Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying: Arise...And go.
JONAH THE GALILEAN
Jonah the son of Amittai is a type of Mashiach/Christ. His name means Dove. The "dove" which is everywhere the symbol of the "Mourning Dove," is an apt name for the Prophet who mourned for the welfare of his people. Amittai means "The Truth of God." Jonah was from Gath-hepher, a small village in Galilee, located in the tribe of Zebulon. He prophesied during the time of Jereboam II, which dates the book of Jonah at approximately the eighth century B.C. In II Kings 14:25 we read, "He (king Jeroboam II of Israel) restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of His servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet which was by (from) Gath-hepher.
ARISE & GO TO NINEVEH
2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. (Jonah 1:2)
At a time when Assyria was taking world dominion, and the giving up of Israel was about to commence because of idolatry, God sent His prophet to Nineveh, the capital of the imperial kingdom to preach His omnipotence, righteousness and grace. Nineveh was built by Nimrod (Gen. 10:11) and it's size is described as "a three days journey." (Jonah. 3:3) During various periods of Assyria's history, Nineveh was the capital. It apparently was the capital during the visitation by God through Jonah the Prophet in the eighth century B.C. (Jonah 4:6) Within a few decades Assyria became the dominent power in the region and carried Israel into exile. Nineveh's fall came in 612 B.C. about a century and a half after Jonah was there. When Haran, the last Assyrian city fell in 609 B.C. Babylon became the undisputed power. The prophets Zephaniah and Nahum prophesied accurately that Nineveh would be destroyed.
The substance of the "cry" against Nineveh is recorded in the book of Jonah as having been successful, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah. Jonah had an understanding of the history between his nation of Israel and Assyria. The Prophet Nahum describes Jonah's mission field: Nineveh was a city of blood. There were s, sorceries, robbery. The Ninevites were fierce and cruel. They burned their own children alive as sacrifices, and d s by skinning them alive and leaving them to die in the heat of the sun. (Nahum 3:1-4) The Assyrian army would descend upon the crops of the children of Israel like locusts, causing and widespread food shortage. Assyria became the chastening rod of the LORD to bring His disobedient children to repentance, when failed to heed God’s word spoken by the mouth of His holy prophets. Dagon the fish-god was a major deity of the Asyrians, who also ascribed their victories to their god named Asshur. The king of Nineveh dreaded no man's judgment. But there were things Jonah did not know. One was that as Jonah went forth by faith, he would be a sign to them. Lots of people think that it would be "cool" to hear God speak to them. But with hearing His voice, comes accountability. Jonah was a man who could hear God. But when the Holy Sp[irit required him to go to Nineveh, he did not respond affirmatively. We do not see Jonah working through his doubts and fears like certain other of the prophets, by discussing his feelings with the Lord. He doesn't want the job! As simple as that!
As we traveled through Colmar in 1994, God caught me up in the Spirit over the city and showed me a realm of faith for seeing whole cities come to Messiah. This spiritual dimension that takes cities for God, lay at the threshold of Jonah's ministry, yet he balked at it. In a measure it was present in the defying courageous faith of the people of Le Chambon Sur Lignon, France; during WWI, when an entire village of French citizens unified to save 5000 Jewish s and children from the Gestapo, at the peril of their own lives. "Many waters cannot quench love. Neither can the floods drown it. If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would be utterly condemned. Love is stronger than ." (Song of Songs 8:7)
SPAIN: THE MELTING POT
"Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord. (Jer. 23:24)
3) But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
Spain, to which Jonah fled was once proverbial for it's wealth, supplying Judea with gold and silver. At Joppa, Jonah paid his fare and obtained passage on a ship to Tarshish. Joppa itself was no resort area, having by nature no suitable haven. It had deep rocky cliffs advancing toward the sea. The north wind beat against the shore dashing the waves against the rocks. But a resort area didn't seem such a bad idea to Jonah. At least it might help finance his ministry! If God sends you to your enemies, the only way they are likely to support you, is if they get converted! And the conversion must take place where's there's a good ecomony. This is the middle class thinking of some people today. Well there was God looking out for Jonah! The Lord wanted to send His prophet to a thriving metropolis, that would increase his faith, just by reason of him being there! Jonah thought this calling of God over thoroughly, and determined that Tarshish not Nineveh was the place to go!
God said through the Prophet Ezekiel: This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall you be the flesh in the midst of it. But I will judge you in the border of Israel." (Ezekiel 11:11) Sometimes the judgment comes in the churning waters off Tarshish, amid a raging storm at sea.
Jonah took the transportation that was most likely to get him there safely! The ships of this region were some of the largest and strongest in the known world at that time. They had to be to transport the vast stores of cargo.
It was a copper smelting nation and the Phoenician traders brought the refined metal to the middle east to exchange it for other valuable commodities. Tarshish, named for one of the sons of Javan, was an ancient merchant city of Spain. As you seek the Lord this year in prayer, expect Him to give very definate answers, and to show you how to pray with prophetic accuracy.
THIS SHIP IS THE CALDRON (Ezekial 11:3)
Son of Man: These are men which devise mischief and give wicked council in this city. Which say: It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron and we be the flesh." (Ezekial 11:3)
In the book of Ezekiel, God speaks of the sin of security. He takes it to the nth degree, when He speaks of Jerusalem itself, the place where the Lord set His very name. For His people soon began to look at the actual Temple which was located there as reason enough for God to bless and protect the city. God said: Wrong! And the Spirit of the Lord lefted the Prophet into the heavenlies and showed him an eternal perspective.
God spoke of "appropriate vehicles" in the prophecy "Bells On The Horses." The vehicle you get to take to get you where you need to go is a very important thing. There are Jonah's of this very generation who appear for all practical purposes to be compliant sons of God. They are in a church, paying their tithes and involved in this ministry or that. They are applauded by men for their success. But spiritually, and deep in their hearts, they know that they have "booked a ship in Tarshish. (The world system or worldly minded church) They are not where God wants them. Staying where they are IS the great end time apostacy spoken of in scripture! Or in some cases, the place where you sit was a place allowed by God for a time or season, for God's specific purpose. But God has been dealing with you to take you to another place in Him. A place where you will prosper spiritually AND financially. But this will take faith, because it means being out of your "comfort zone" for a time. Like Jonah in the boat you may not be keen on the idea. But the whale's belly is what I see coming for a vast crowd of Christians in the coming year, if they don't listen up. They have made their choice based on other things than the calling of God on their lives. Things like security or creature comforts. Financial support, family or friends people wish to remain with, or a miriad of other things have drowned out God's voice. In some instances, their own busy or financially strapped pastors have "enabled" them to take the path of least resistence. Enabling is one sign of the "surfeiting and drunkenness" of Luke 21:34. Watch and pray! Only seasons of prophetic prayer in an individual's life or church will identify these. Does your church deviate from the word of God? Has God given you light in the scriptures that you have been fearful to disclose? Do you fear being rejected if you disclose the truth of God's word, or a prophetic event God has shared with you? If you don't belong to a church that has prayer meetings where you can really spend time seeking the Lord, get yourself into prayer of this sort. God wants to show you things yet future. (John 16:13) Only the knowledge of the Lord as the only God of Salvation and the decision to "Pay ones vows" will put you where God intends.
But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. (Jonah 1:4)
GENTILES, GOD'S LAW & DIVINE INTERSECTIONS
blockquote>"For when the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the Law, these, having not the Law, are a law unto themselves."
(Romans 2:14)
The heathen sailors that manned the ship all had a concept of sin in the eyes of their gods. Believers in eastern religions speak of humility, and other concepts show that counterfeit religion has gleaned a certain amount of light from scripture. At the first sign of trouble, we see them concerned and were not "prayerless or distracted." They were doing what they knew and were living by what light they had. As the storm arose, we see them respond in a very appropriate manner. They waste no time doing what they thought was prudent and practical, and it's to get this "sinner" out of their boat!"
Moreover they worked with an incredible unity to solve this problem, and to preserve what they felt was to the good of their own interests. They are heathen believers in many gods, but they do not discount this God of the Hebrews. The scriptures state that the heathen are without excuse, because the heavens declare the glory of God. The Ethiopian Eunuch believed in God and was reading scripture when Philip met him on the road. (Acts 8:27) Philip was sent so strategicly by the angel of the Lord to that very highway where the Ethiopian Eunuch sat in his chariot. Had he reasoned the instructions given him by the angel away and taken another route, the gospel would not have gone into the palace of Queen Candace at that critical time. In the case of Cornelius in the New Testament, he was a Gentile, who believed God was real and he was doing his utmost to serve the Lord by giving alms. Not only his prayers, but his very works came before God. (Acts 10:31) Peter had been meditating on a perplexing prophetic vision from the Lord, and doubting in himself, when the fulfillment of the thing began to unfold. (Acts 10:17)
Now in the light of the raging storm, straightening out this situation concerning the Hebrew Prophet and the King of Kings seems especially significant, and they are at this point anyway, in the position to be intercessors. In ignorance they'd received someone who'd offended God. They did not behave rashly and lay hands on Jonah so as to offend God by "Touching God's anointed or doing the Lord's prophet harm. They needed some direction from the Lord on what to do about this. (I Chron. 16:22) The loving kindness of God is seen even in the character of the crew of the ship which Jonah walked up the gang plank and stepped into. These were not just anybody. These men were specially hand picked by God to do His prophet good.
5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. 6) So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. /b>
JONAH'S AUTHORITY PROBLEM
Jonah's problem was not financial. At Joppa, he readily got out his wallet and paid his fare to a bustling seaport in order to flee from God's presence, and to avoid the calling of God on his life. No health issue prevented him from arising and getting himself to the terminal to catch his boat. Had there been a problem, the God who called him as a Prophet could have gladly healed him, enabling him to fulfill the call. Is anything to hard for the Lord? He delights to do those things which seem impossible to the natural man. It was as the the priests went forward bearing the ark of God, that the waters rolled back. The only "sleep disturbance syndrone" afflicting Jonah was the noise of the ship's Master yelling in his ear--disturbing his pleasant dreams of life in Tarshish: What is it with you? Get outa that bed right now--And I mean now! It was like leaving home a rebellious teenager whose Mom had a tough time getting him to get up for school, right on into boot camp!
There is no justifiable excuse for saying no to the Almighty who made heaven and earth. Deliberate disobedience such as Jonah's stems from an authority problem, and God used a Gentile authority figure in the region to which Jonah fled, to discipline this "son of God." We know the sea captain was not a Hebrew, because in calling on Jonah to pray that the storm be abated or calmed, he speaks of praying to "your God" and not to "our God," as the SHEMA states. (Jonah 1:6)
Jonah was self willed, and his own testimony sheds light on his willful rebellion. He knew God to be merciful and compassionate, and did not feel that God would bring judgment upon the wicked Ninevites. He may have perceived as prophets often do, further into the future than what God immediately spoke of. But the purpose for Jonah's call to Nineveh was based on God's will and purpose. Should I not spare Nineveh that great city? As God states, the capital of the Assyrian kingdom was also filled with thousands of young children. The repentance and revival which took place in Nineveh, was short lived.
The ship's Master was a Gentile living in Spain. Whether the Captain gave Jonah "a piece of his mind," or a word from the Lord, we aren't told in scripture. It appears to have been a little of both! From His mind came the thought to command this traveler named Jonah to: You get up outa that bed this very minute! Do something besides lay there and sleep when the ship was in peril. The wise sea captain who probably had many years experience, looked at Jonah laying all cozy like in the hold and retorted: "What do you mean by this O Sleeper? Arise! Call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us that we perish not!" His literal words were: "What is it to thee?" It was like a disease for the Captain to see Jonah just laying there amid such life threatening peril! Jonah's first mistake was when he "arose to flee from the presence of the Lord." (Jonah 1:3) Because God raised up not only this boat, crew, wind, waves, but also this Captain! The scriptures warn "Take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, drunknesness, and cares of this life, so that day comes on you unaware. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth! (Luke 21:34-35) This denotes a mental stupor--a spirit of slumber, such as Isaiah describes in Isaiah 6:10.
You know it's an dire emergency when travelers, with paid fare tickets are called on by the crew to assist in a situation, like Jonah was. When God gave me the prophecy to New York prior to the Sept. 11, 2001 Trade Tower ing, He spoke in this prophecy of a coming catastrophic event, in which they would need relief workers. God wanted preparation, so these relief workers would be born again and filled with the Holy Ghost! He wanted compassionate, discerning people to minister to these victims!
Though the Captain had already judged the situation and singled out Jonah's intercession as the possible solution, the crew decided to try one more thing to identify the problem, or to get further direction from God. Casting lots. Perhaps there was something notable about Jonah, such as his prophet's garb. One thing was certain. This was no ordinary storm!
The "Captain" in your lives is Yeshua/Jesus. He works in and through a number of means. But God will use leaders of every sort, and He says so in His word. So be praying specifically for these "mouth-pieces" God wants to use to speak to Jonah. And those to whom Jonah will give a word in the coming year. Don't be judgmental. Dare to seek the Lord and ask your God on your own behalf: In what area of my life am I being like Jonah? This year is a wake up all for the Jonah Generation. This very year a multitude of people will repent and turn to God and "pay the vows made to the Most High!"
A STORM BRINGS SIN TO LIGHT
7 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
"The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing of it is the Lords."
When Jonah rapidly fled to sea to avoid God's call, a terrible storm brought his sin to light. This "storm" which comes when God undertakes to expose sin, can take many forms, such as an trouble with the law, illness, marriage or family problems, debts. The recent tsunami quickly brought child trafficking to light, which did not begin with the tsunami, but had been advancing rapidly in the face of God, like a stench. The storm merely brought the sin to light.
The storm that brings sin of other types to light may involve family problems, civil authorities, or alcohol treatment, or a jail, or prison term in an individual's life. When God's judgment is over a nation, you may see a political storm or a series of them. Pay attention to specific locations which storms and natural disasters devastate. Jesus rebuked a storm and it subsided. It is not always God's will to totally prevent a disaster. He may lessen it's effect. If a storm seems inevitable, do exactly what God tells you. If you are a believer in Yeshua/Jesus, do not hesitate to believe God for divine protection, as the Israelites living in Egypt trusted in the protection of the shed blood of the lamb, as commanded by God. Seek the Lord for verification as to whether this is a judgment on sin. Though you take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost part of the sea, even there will God lead you and His right hand hold you. (Psalm 139:9) In Jonah's life, it was God's loving judgments and discipline in the face of Jonah's rebellion that brought the Prophet to his finest hour. Jonah later testified that as he was plunged beneath God's cleansing tide:
"The waters compassed him about even to his soul, the depthes closed me round about, the seaweed wrapped themselves about his head. He fell tumbling down, down to the bottoms of the mountains, the bars of the earth closing about him forever. As his soul was fainting within him, he remembered the Lord: and his prayer came into God's holy Temple. Salvation is of the Lord. I will pay my vows Jonah said. And immediately the whale vomited Jonah onto dry land." (Jonah 2:5-7)The heathen sailors cast Jonah out of their boat, but God did not forsake Him. As Jonah cried unto the Lord for salvation, God took him into the heavenly Tabernacle. The covenant keeping God restored Jonah's life and ministry, and make him an overwhelming success.
If you don't know this Saviour, listen to the words of the Apostle Peter: Repent, be baptized every one of you in the name of Yeshua haMashiach/Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38, Acts 8:16, Acts 10:46-48, Acts 19:5) The gift of the Holy Spirit is accompanied by speaking supernaturally in other tongues. (Acts 2:1-4, Acts 10:46-48)
In the Story of Jonah and the Whale, it's commendable that the heathen sailors with whom Jonah shared the boat, were open to understand spiritual things. As the story progresses, they actually prayed to Yahweh, made sacrifice and made vows unto God. (Jonah 1:16) Their response to the storm demonstrates to some degree their wisdom and understanding in casting lots. The Spirit of the Lord was brooding over the emergency, which although crucial, nonetheless shows forth the magnitude of the grace of God. The crew wished to behave in the appropriate manner. At times you can see God's dealings with the unsaved, as Apostle Paul observed on Mars Hill where idols filled the streets, including the shrine to the Unknown God. Paul did not openly rebuke or discredit them. Rather he stated this to them: I perceive the spiritual hunger in you. Him whom you ignorantly worship, declare I unto you! (Acts 17:23)
JONAH DISCLOSES HIS IDENTITY
8 Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? (Jonah 1:8)
9 And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. (Jonah 1:9)
In the narration, Jonah stated to the heathen crew that he was a Hebrew, and they didn't seem to have anti-semitic attitudes. Modern day Jonah's are going to find themselves dealing with issues such as this to a greater degree. Recently in news reports there's been an alarming increase of anti-semitism in various countries.
Jonah disclosed to the ship's crew that he was a Hebrew. What he didn't state was that he was a Hebrew "p-r-o-p-h-e-t." He may have been wearing prophet's garb. The scriptures don't say! But the heathen sailors were discerning enough to know that God didn't send a tsunami type storm against just anybody. This storm against their boat was because of Jonah. They decided to deal with the situation cautiously and prudently. God has these unique ways of showing his sons and daughters that they are "special," through the biblical concept called discipleship--Or sometimes chastening!" Some of the Jonah's out there are there because they believe they can avoid being loved to the dimension His loving discipline by out running Him!
The heathen sailors had some serious concerns for their own safety. But to bring themselves a blessed assurance concerning their own comfort and security, they recognized they would have to somehow appease the Hebrew God. There's a sense as they question Jonah, that the fear of these heathen men is partly due to the that they're perplexed about the decision Jonah made to board their boat in the first place. Jonah serves a God of p-o-w-e-r! The Prophet Jonah disclosed to them that his faith in the covenant keeping God remained firm. He is not afraid of the raging sea, because his God is the Lord, the God of heaven, Creator of the sea and dry land. Like Abraham who believed God would resurrect Isaac and bring His word to pass, if it was His will that he sacrifice him, Jonah believed that God would reach into the very depthes of the sea in order to get him to Nineveh. "Take me up and cast me forth into the sea, Jonah told the mariners on board the ship with him. And they did! (Jonah 1:15) Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows. (Jonah 1:17)
Some of you have a Jonah in your life that you have thrown out of the boat, so to speak. Perhaps you have never known the Lord, but you've cried out to God in your distress, believing He's there. And He is! Open your bible and read Acts 1-2:38-39, and you will learn how to receive Christ as your personal Saviour. Or you may not be a heathen, you just feel like one. It seems unloving to deal with Jonah in this way. He's not totally unknowledgable about God. He professes to know the Lord. Just not well enough to obey Him. And his presence is harmful to those about Him. He can be quite surley. You've remarried and have a teen and a younger child or two. He threatens you with: Just try it! I'll call CPS and get the kids taken away from you!
Some churches say: Oh we never do that, we let the Lord take care of it. There are various scriptural principles in God's word which teach Christians not to apathetically allow sin to run rampant, but to deal with it. Jonah may still be on board your boat, but having prayed, you are seriously considering a move of this sort for him. They may be a rebellious teenager or an erous wife or husband. It takes faith in God to deal with serious issues and their complicated forms. As a wife you haven't pushed it too far, because he earns a good living, and you fear you can't make it on your own. You must always do what God leads you to do and let the chips fall where they may! The Lord will take care of you! Pray and go where God sends you! Pastors or their ministerial staff can give you counsel. If there's physical or ual abuse, you may need a restraining order. Some of the ramifications of going, or staying, or throwing him or her out are covered in Je Riviens: I Will Return.
The Jonah's of this world may be very compliant when push comes to a shove. Or they might curse, whine, and tell you they'll go under. God is still on the throne. The Lord had a plan before Jonah got on board. The fact is God's will for Jonah didn't change when Jonah was removed. It was in process. The Lord chastens whom He loves, and He sometimes uses man to do it! The sailors who'd heard of the Hebrew God now, from Jonah, were responsible before the Lord for Him in their own lives.
BROUGHT FROM THE GRAVE TO THE LIGHT OF LIFE: THE SIGN OF THE PROPHET JONAH
10) Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him. Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. (Jonah 1:10)
There are people today, to whom the Jonah's of this life are a walking sign to them. They speak against them, when they should be listening to what they have to say! The very people presumptuously mocking them are in a dangerously similar position themselves. But the Jonah's are on their way up and these others are on their way down! The very fact that Jonah was consenting to God's judgment upon his life, and was in complete agreement to receive God's chastening as a son, put him into into a better position than he'd previously been. So it is with some of the Jonah's of this generation compared with the backsliders in the church pew.
There were various signs which God used to point to Jonah and his sin. These signs were rather rapidly interpreted by the heathen crew, who cried to God in their distress. The crew of this ship were thoroughly experienced with sailing in the midst of storms. But a storm of this magnitude had to have it's origination in a source that was supernatural.
The greatest sign however, is that of which Messiah spoke, using the Story of Jonah as an allegory of His own , burial and resurrection, saying:
"For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whales belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. he men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold a greater than Jonah is here." (Matt. 12:39, Luke 11:29)
What we see is life out of . This is what it means to be truly converted to Mashiach/Christ. In dying we live. (Acts 2:38, Acts 8:16, Acts 10:46-48, Acts 19:5, Cor. 4:10)
11 Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. (Jonah 1:11
There's a certain respect for the Hebrew God and his prophet seen in the words of the sailors to Jonah: What shall we do with you? They have investigated enough to discover that they had a Hebrew on board, and things did not seem quite right. The Hebrew God was angry. Their response to this was: Let's not do anything to make things worse! If the problem is him being on board, then lets get him off the flight. They fear to do whatever they please. They expect that Jonah, whose errant behaviour is at the very root of the problem, himself holds the key to all of this. Jonah tells them to "Take me up and cast me forth into the deep, so that the sea will be calm for them, for this is what Jonah determined was God's will. And later, the Prophet prayed to God: For Thou didst cast me into the deep! (Jonah 2:3)
12) And he said unto them: Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. (Jonah 1:12)
The fame of Israel had gone throughout the nations. As a world power, Assyria was not unaware of the awesome power of Israel's God, evidenced by several of the comments made by the sailors. a) The command made by the Captain for Jonah to call upon God, may indicate that he was not unaware of Jonah's ethnic identity. b) God's reputation was not as the heathen gods. The Captain said: "If so be that God will think upon us, so that we perish not." (Jonah 1:6) c) The sailors believed in casting lots as a means of determining the will of God. When the lot fell to Jonah, they enquired further into his life, and background. They were interested to know why Jonah had done this. "For the men knew he had fled from the Lord's presence, because he told them." (Jonah 1:10)
13) Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. (Jonah 1:13)
The story of Jonah progresses from the point where the ships captain discovers Jonah asleep in the bottom of the boat in the midst of the storm. The heathen Captain had a "centurian type" faith. (Matt. 8:8) He seems to understand something of authority, as he advises Jonah to pray to his God that they might not all perish. The crew cast lots, and the lot fell identifying Jonah. At that point, the crew wanted to unload Jonah at the nearest port. Removing him from the ship in a small scow, they rowed hard to reach land. But God used the sea to war against them. They were taking an action against His will. God didn't want them to drop Jonah off at a destination city that was anywhere but Nineveh, where God intended him to go.
14 Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee. (Jonah 1:Jonah 1:14)
15 So they look up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. (Jonah 1:15)
Feeling that they had cooperated with God's will in the apprehending of Jonah, and turning him over to the righteous judgments of God, the heathen sailors prayed a final prayer that their own lives would be spared, and that God would not lay Jonah's "innocent blood" on them, because this was after all, the judgment of God upon His wayward prophet.
This very year some of you will be "cast out" of a position that has been a long stand relationship. A place of comfort and security. Your appropriate response is most important.
16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows. (Jonah 1:16)
Initially the sailors feared the ferosity of the tempestuous wind, and the raging of the storm. But God through signs, wonders and Jonah's personal testimony has brought them forth to the "Fear of God." It's a biblical truth that the marvellous signs and wonders God does, provide a revelation of God's person. In this case, the revelation extended to the sailors making a committment to the Lord, in the form of serious vows. It's incredible to see God work in the book of Jonah to touch all the lives on board that gallean. The men who at the beginning knew only to seek their heathen Gods, receive spiritual light on the journey, and move into it. Prior to the storm, Jonah seems content enough to be a passenger aboard the ship and to just "get there!" But as God opens the door, even in the midst of the storm which Jonah himself caused, he is given opportunity to share his faith, and he does so valiantly. The result of God's mercy and grace is that Jonah's ministry intended for another country, extends beyond that of Assyria to Spain itself.
17) Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17)
Now there's a fine kettle of fish, as the proverb says! God specifically "prepared" (mahnah—appointed, constituted, made ready) a great fish. The Hebrew uses three terms for fish, two being closely related: tan-neem and tan-neen. The first term generally is translated (though erroneously) as "dragon" in the KJV. Newer translations typically use "jackal," except in Ezekiel 29:3 and 32:2, where the creature’s habitat is aquatic. Monster is usually employed. The second term, treated more loosely in the KJV, is translated as "whales." (Genesis 1:21; Job 7:12), serpent, is an ancient word for for "snake" (Exodus 7:9,10), "dragon" (Jeremiah 51:34), and "sea monsters" (Lamentations 4:3). The third relevant term is "leviathan" —a transliteration of the Hebrew term liv-yah-thahn (Job 41:1; 104:26; Isaiah 27:1). The term leviathan" refers to a specific type of animal, the previous two terms (tan-neem and tan-neen) are generic and nonspecific like dahg. Isaiah 27:1 refers to leviathan as both a "snake" (nah-ghahsh) and a "monster," or "reptile." (NKJV) (tah-neen)]. In the vision God gave me for America and India, leviathan was "false religion" and people were exiting it! The sea is defined in scripture as the people, kindreds, tongues and nations.
It's the covenant action of our faithful God that He prepares everything needed throughout our lives, according to all His promises. As chastening is part of the Heavenly Father's relationship with mankind, He prepares all that is needed in the teaching experience. So God's word exhorts us all prophets, and God's entire prophetic body, to whom Yeshua promises: When the Spirit of truth is come, He will disclose to you things yet future. (John 16:13) "God deals with His own as sons, whom He chastens as often as he needs to. Therefore, lift up the hands that hang down, and make straight pathes for our feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way!" (Hebrews 12) There are phases or stages to everyone's life. As long as you are living, you will be a person in process. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23) If you have "missed the boat" in God's dealings with you, repent, and say: I hear Lord and I obey! Have you asked the Lord to forgive your sins, and to be Lord of your life? Have you been baptized by immersion in Yeshua/Jesus name? Have you obeyed God's command to receive the abiding power of His Holy Spirit? Read the command of Yeshua/Jesus in Luke 24:49 and quoted in Acts 1:8, and Acts 2:39 as being for all believers, and ask the Lord to fill you with His Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking supernaturally in other tongues. Don't give up until you receive! We grow as believers from faith to faith and God takes us from strength to strength. The goal is Christ-likeness, and as we mature in the Lord, we learn not to avoid those places to while God takes us to produce spiritual maturity in our lives. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the fulness of the stature of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13)
