HOW WILL GOD GET OUR ATTENTION?

[We may ask this: “How could Jonah pray or breathe in the stomach of the fish?” Very easily, if our Abba Father so willed it. Let us remember; the whole thing is a miracle: it was God that had prepared, and spoke to the fish, and caused it to vomit Jonah upon the dry land. All of this is a miracle. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!] “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God…When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple…I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. WHAT I HAVE VOWED I WILL MAKE GOOD.” (Jonah 2:1, 7-9) [It is so much better to obey the Lord when He has something for us to do!] “And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” (Jonah 2:10) [Many times David would get into situations that could have easily ended his life. What did he do?] “In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple HE HEARD MY VOICE; MY CRY CAME TO HIS EARS…He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. HE RESCUED ME FROM MY POWERFUL ENEMY, from my foes, who were too strong for me.” (2 Sam. 22:7, 17-18) [However impossible it may seem to do what the Lord has asked of us, IT IS CERTAIN HE WILL EMPOWER US TO ACCOMPLISH HIS TASK; but we be careful to never put Christ’s power to the proof for our gratification of a vain curiosity; or even for the strengthening of our faith, when all we have to do is trust and obey!] “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, WALKED ON THE WATER AND CAME TOWARD JESUS. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “WHY DID YOU DOUBT?” (Matt. 14:28-31) [Thank you Abba father for our great hope!] “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. HIS DIVINE POWER HAS GIVEN US EVERYTHING WE NEED for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them YOU MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (2 Pet. 1:2-4)

Be blessed as you praise The Lord, knowing that HIS DIVINE POWER HAS GIVEN US EVERYTHING WE NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN HIS DIVINE NATURE! -Bill Stockham

James Price [06/19/2015 5:33 PM]
Over the last few months I have heard several sermons from the little book of Jonah. It holds fascination and creates imagination that one would get in a fairy tail. In all of these sermons there was no background given of it’s location nor any question of it’s validity.
Nineveh was a big city by the standards of those days [ about 120,000 ] and it might well have taken three days to have walked it’s longer distance but the big question comes from it’s location which is near modern Mosul in Iraq and sets on the Tigris River. The Tigris is a long river and has a lot of fish goddess stories written about it but it does not appear large enough to have a fish big enough to swallow a man. Surely the modern preacher needs to point out this information that has be available now for well over a 100 years.This means that we have to revisit the boat and the storm story for the Tigris is narrow enough that bridges was built over it.
Most bible students set this story at 862 B C and it is believed that the ancient city existed in 6000 B C which is of course predates the Garden of Eden story by some 2000 years.
The modern preacher should know all this about Nineveh and should share this with his listeners. Why else are we paying them salaries and hoping that they will share with us the things that are known?