Jonah 3:5-10 But God had other plans!

Our God is merciful and long-suffering. He wants no one to perish but to seek Him in the salvation He gives in Jesus Christ. There are no sins that cannot be forgiven except for calling the indwelling of Holy Spirit evil and not the divine anointing of a holy God for those who believe. 

Jonah only wanted to not look like a fool. But God had other plans! 

It is never too late to turn your life around!

James 2:17 (ESV) "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

Because genuine faith produces love for others, it makes a difference in the way we live and impact the people around us. When we were poor and needy, lost in our sin, Jesus didn't pass us by and say, "I hope everything works out!" 

Genuine faith produces love for others. More than a ticket to heaven someday, faith means being the hands and feet of Christ to a world longing for hope today. First5

As the old man walks the beach at dawn, he notices a young man picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Catching up to the youth, he asks a simple question, "Why are you doing this?”

The boy answers that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun.

"But the beach goes on for miles, and there are millions of starfish. How can your efforts make any difference?”

The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and threw it to safety—into the ocean past the breaking waves. 

“It makes a difference to this one," he said.

Here’s what I know: We can make choices that matter, that make a difference. To this day. To this encounter. To this conversation. To honor the truth that love will set us free. Sabbath Moments 

When Jesus saw the religious hypocrite, he exposed every self-righteous mole and pimple. “All their works they do to be seen by men” (Matthew 23:5 NKJV). This is the working definition of hypocrisy: “to be seen by men.”

We must do good works. And some works, such as benevolence or teaching, must be seen in order to have an impact. To do a good thing is a good thing. To do a good thing to be seen, however, is a serious offense. Here’s why: hypocrisy turns people away from God.

When people enter a church to see God yet can’t see God because of the church, don’t think for a second that God does not react. “Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding” (Matthew 6:1 MSG).Max Lucado

Jonah 3:5-10

3.So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? 10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it. The New King James Version

The city exhibited trust or faith in God, as evidenced by a change in behavior. The custom of wearing sackcloth usually demonstrated an individual’s act of repentance. Jeremiah called on his generation to repent, commanding the inhabitants of Judah to put on sackcloth in mourning due to the coming of the great nation from the north. The king of Nineveh wore sackcloth to demonstrate his repentance upon hearing Yahweh’s announcement of imminent judgment. 

Nineveh’s repentance is universal, with both man and beast crying out to God for mercy. The Hebrew term here has the core sense of turning around. Here and elsewhere it is used with the idea of repentance. This contrasts sharply with the adamant refusal to repent that is the typical response that Israelite prophets received at home.  

The Assyrians were famous for their violence. Faithlife Study Bible

The term used for God here is the general term for deity. The fact that the writer does not use the personal name for God here may suggest that the Ninevites had a short-lived or imperfect understanding of God’s message. History bears this out: We have no historical record of a lasting period of belief in Nineveh. Eventually the city was destroyed, in 612 b.c. 

The king’s edict reached all of Nineveh.The reversal of the threat to destroy Nineveh depended solely on the grace and mercy of the Lord. At times, the announced judgment of God is not His real intent. Such announcements usually include offers of mercy and forgiveness The Ninevites’ repentance moved the Lord to extend grace and mercy to them. The NKJV Study Bible

There was a wonder of Divine grace in the repentance and reformation of Nineveh. The Ninevites hoped that God would turn from his fierce anger; and that thus their ruin would be prevented. They could not be so confident of finding mercy upon their repentance, as we may be, who have the death and merits of Christ, to which we may trust for pardon upon repentance. They dared not presume, but they did not despair.

Hope of mercy is the great encouragement to repentance and reformation. Let us boldly cast ourselves down at the footstool of free grace, and God will look upon us with compassion. God sees who turn from their evil ways, and who do not. Thus he spared Nineveh. We read of no sacrifices offered to God to make atonement for sin; but a broken and a contrite heart, such as the Ninevites then had, he will not despise. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Jeremiah 18:7–8 The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.

Joel 2:14–16 

Who knows if He will turn and relent,

And leave a blessing behind Him—

A grain offering and a drink offering

For the LORD your God?

Blow the trumpet in Zion,Consecrate a fast,

Call a sacred assembly…

2 Chronicles 20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

Jeremiah 18:11 “Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.” ’ ”

Daniel believed God

Our good works are done because  of our great love for God and the salvation that He gives in Jesus. We share His heart for all His creation knowing that He wants no one to live for eternity without Him. We love because He first loved us.

Hebrews 13:16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

The gospel was and will continue to be preached to all people and nations until Christ returns. By faith our forefathers obeyed God. We who have taken God at His word enter into rest. 

We are saved by faith. 

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

In grace we live without legalism. It has nothing to do with our church attendance, monetary gifts or our good works it is everything to do with Christ. God’s Grace  is alive and working in us through Holy Spirit the moment we believe.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Jesus is the Word made flesh.

Without faith it is impossible to please God for the person that comes to God must believe He exists. We take God at His word. We don’t have to defend Him all of creation speaks of His glory. We serve a living God.

We have been purchased with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!”

Everything needed for salvation was done.

“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable,” Madeleine L'Engle wrote. “But to grow up is to accept vulnerability. To be alive is to be vulnerable.”
And there is a voice inside of me that says, “Do I have to be?”

Sometime the world hurts too much, and vulnerability is not always fun. It is in our vulnerability and humility that we find the strength and the power to take care of one another.

Here's the deal: Sometimes we need to hold someone tight, even if we don't know what to say.
Sometimes we need to let ourselves be held tightly, even if we don't believe what is whispered in our ear.
Sometimes we must be very still, for an afternoon, and use our stillness as a prayer, a silent song to the heavens.
Sometimes we need to walk the dog, fill the bird-feeders, talk with a friend, or reach out to someone who feels isolated, under a dark cloud, and alone.

Passover, in Judaism, commemorates the Hebrews’ liberation from slavery in Egypt, their ultimate exodus to freedom, and the “passing over” of the forces of destruction. A story that shapes their values of religious freedom, caring for the stranger, and standing up to oppressive tyrants. The celebration of freedom. Sabbath Moments 

Christ in the Scriptures

The time is coming when God would gather His children to Him again. He would establish His messianic kingdom which would last forever. The God who directs the forces of history has not deserted His people. They must continue to trust Him. His promises of preservation and ultimate restoration are sure.

Daniel pictures Jesus as the great Stone who will crush the kingdoms of this world (2:34, 35, 44). With his love of imagery, the prophet also describes the Messiah as the Son of Man who is given dominion by the Ancient of Days (7:13, 14). Jesus is also portrayed as Israel’s Deliverer who will be cut off (9:25, 26). Daniel’s dreams and visions fill his book. It is quite likely that his vision in 10:5–9 is an appearance of Christ Himself (similar to what the apostle John describes in Revelation 1:12–16). Daniel’s precise prediction is unlike any other biblical writer’s. He pinpoints the birth of Jesus five hundred years beforehand. Based on what Nehemiah tells us (Nehemiah 2:1–8), the decree about which Daniel writes in 9:25 took place on March 4, 444 b.c. The NKJV Study Bible

2:34 You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. 36 “This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. 37 You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; 38 and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—you are this head of gold. 39 But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. 41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

7:13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

9:25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. 26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

10:5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude. 7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. The New King James Version

Revelation 1:13–16 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire

Daniel 8:18 Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.

Revelation 19:12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 this is the Good News

Pride and arrogance God hates. We must humbly use our knowledge remembering that Scripture warns us that it has a tendency to puff us up. 

Christ died and rose to allow us to know God’s agape love for mankind. It is always about His righteousness, His mercy and His grace. In Christ and  in the gift of the grace of God we live. 

Salvation is the gift of a loving God to His creation.

This is the Good News:

Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

There is the Old covenant given to Israel and there is the New Covenant of Grace available to all who believe in Jesus as Savior. In Christ all are welcomed into His salvation.

Romans 2:12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law.

James 2:5 (ESV) "Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?"

James wanted the Church to start viewing others as God does: as inherently valuable and loved by Him.  First5

A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood. Rachel Carson. Sabbath Moments

He sat near a gate called Beautiful. The man, however, was anything but. He couldn’t walk but had to drag himself about on his knees. “Peter and John looked straight at him and said, ‘Look at us!’” (Acts 3:4 NCV). The thick, meaty hand of the fisherman reached for the frail, thin one of the beggar. Peter lifted the man toward himself. The cripple stood and began to shout, and passersby began to stop. Peter explained that faith in Christ leads to a clean slate with God.

What Jesus did for the legs of the cripple, he does for our souls. Brand new! An honest look led to a helping hand that led to a conversation about eternity. Works done in God’s name long outlive our earthly lives. Let’s be the people who stop at the gate. Let’s look at the face until we see the person. Max Lucado

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. The New King James Version

Paul put himself at the service of others in order that God may use him to bring people to Jesus. He does not regard himself as a “savior,” but as an instrument through which someone might hear the gospel and be saved. He adapts to his audience (but not by compromising the gospel or his message) to remove any obstacles to their acceptance of the gospel message. 

Paul lived according to Jewish customs not to be saved, but to appeal to those who also lived according to the law. Paul was not obligated to live under the law; rather, he used his freedom in Christ to relate to those under the law (Jews). Paul did not think it necessary to observe the ceremonial commands of the law in relation to food but he did maintain the law of Christ. Paul demonstrated sensitivity to such believers, but he also desired that they mature in their faith. Paul is promoting a considerate evangelistic approach—one that accounts for different social circumstances, ethnicities, and religious convictions. Faithlife Study Bible

Paul put his ministry of the gospel above his personal desires. He was willing to conform to the customs of other people, whether Jew or Gentile, in order to bring them to Christ. For example, in order to relate to the Jews in Jerusalem he made a Nazirite vow in the temple (Acts 21:23, 24). Around those who were under the Law—the Jews—Paul obeyed the Law. Around those who were outside the Law—the Gentiles—Paul did not observe Jewish custom. Paul clarified this, however, lest anyone misunderstand his actions. He obeyed God’s law through obedience toward Christ. This was a broader law than the Mosaic legislation; this was the fulfillment of Christ’s will. The NKJV Study Bible

By preaching the gospel, freely, the apostle showed that he acted from principles of zeal and love, and thus enjoyed much comfort and hope in his soul. And though he looked on the ceremonial law as a yoke taken off by Christ, yet he submitted to it, that he might work upon the Jews, do away their prejudices, prevail with them to hear the gospel, and win them over to Christ. Though he would transgress no laws of Christ, to please any man, yet he would accommodate himself to all men, where he might do it lawfully, to gain some. Doing good was the study and business of his life; and, that he might reach this end, he did not stand on privileges. We must carefully watch against extremes, and against relying on any thing but trust in Christ alone. We must not allow errors or faults, so as to hurt others, or disgrace the gospel. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Acts 16:3 Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.

Acts 21:20–26 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs…