hi and welcome to new every day my name is Carrie and my name is jen and on today's show we're going to talk about how you get swallow cool you've got mad skills now hone them learn new skills or improve your existing ones with online video tutorials and training from Linda calm through our special link at cat five dot TV / Linda learn software technology creative and business skills you can use today to help you achieve your professional goals join today and start learning will give you this chance to try it absolutely free with unlimited access to all of the courses sign up now for free cat5 dot TV / linda hi and welcome back to new every day we're so glad that you've joined us again and we have an exciting topic to talk about this week we've talked a lot about missions in the past and we wanted to start a series that will take us over a number of weeks so Jen why don't you tell our viewers what we're going to be doing well one of the books of the Bible that has challenged me for the longest time has been the Book of Jonah okay every time I read the book of John I'm like uh because I feel so much like the Prophet I feel like so many times in my life God caused me to do something I'm like I don't know if I want to do that or um I don't I'm angry maybe that God is asking him talk to someone or like sometimes I just bold face no I men and I turn around and I go in the opposite direction and so often want to get to the Book of Jonah I'm just like okay Lord show me in my life where I'm like Jonah where even though you have called me by name to speak your word where am i running from you and specifically that's what we're going to talk about this moring so over the next four weeks we're going to look at the Book of Jonah so specifically each week we'll go through a chapter and so this week what's interesting is my chapter one is actually called a prophet runs from God which sounds so strange when you think of it because a prophet is called by God to tell a group of people what is on God's heart for them and so let me reflect a message the message the mere fact that this man Jonah who is a prophet of God runs from God this it seems strange so why don't we read the passage and then so even now we're going to ask the Lord to reveal to us what he wants to talk about as you read the passage and you can do the same when you're at home as you're reading along with us through Jonah one I am reading from the new version and so lord reveal your truth says as we read your word amen the Lord spoke his word to Jenna son of a Matai get up go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because I see the evil things they do but Jonah got up to run away from the Lord by going Tarshish oh that's difficult word to say well he went to the city of Joppa where he found a ship that was going to the city of Tarsus Jonah paid for the trip and went to board planning to go to tasha's Tarshish to run away from the Lord but the Lord sent a great wind on the sea which made the sea so stormy that the ship was in danger of breaking apart the sailors were afraid and each man cried to his own God they began throwing the cargo from the ship into the sea to make the ship lighter but Jonah had gone down far inside the ship to lie down and he fell fast asleep the captain of the ship came and said why are you sleeping get up and go pray to your God maybe your God will pay attention to us and we won't die then the men said to each other let's throw lots to see who causes this trouble to happen to us when they threw lots the lot showed that the trouble had happened because of Jonah then they said to him tell us who caused our trouble what's your job where do you come from what is your country who are your people then Jonah said to them I am a Hebrew I fear the Lord the God of heaven who made the sea and the land the men were very afraid and they asked Jonah what terrible thing did you do they knew he was running away from the Lord because he had told them since the wind and the waves in the sea were becoming much stronger they said to him what should we do to make the sea calm down for us Jonah said to them pick me up and throw me into the sea and then it will calm down I know it is my fault that this great storm has come on come on you instead the men tried to roll the ship back to land but they could not because the sea was becoming more stormy so the men cried out to the lord lord please don't let us die because of this man's life please please don't think we are guilty of killing an innocent person Lord you have caused all this to happen you wanted it this way so they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea and the sea became calm then they began to fear the Lord very much they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made promises to him the Lord caused a big fish to swallow Jonah and Jonas was inside the fish three days and three nights there you have it there you have it so Jonah received the word from God saying that he should go to Nineveh but he had issue with that and it doesn't necessarily say why Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh it just says that he arose and fled and left what gets me about that is that he being a prophet he knew he was a prophet so he should have known the character of God and he ought he says even when the Sailor said you know who are you where'd you come and he's like and I fear the Lord God if he feared the Lord God and knew that he could see everything and everything was in his control I just don't understand how he could reconcile and his own mine that fleeing was a good idea or that he would get away so I find that kind of interesting right off the get-go yeah we'll see I be part of the problem with Jonah is he didn't like his assignment okay he didn't want to go to Nineveh Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria and a Syria was a country that continually came up against Israel and they were violent but very violent like very violent yeah we'll just say very violent will let you google it because that way this Today Show can remain g-rated um and so what happened is Jonah got the assignment of go to Nineveh he was like these guys are mean like these guys are extremely violent they've risen up against us before they are enemies Lord why are you calling me to go to my enemy which has so many implications when you actually if we you know we could talk a whole show on what happens when God calls you to go and speak to someone you don't like mm-hmm and so Jonah's like and we get into this in the later chapters but Jonah and as we said he knows who God is but maybe this seemed out of character for him for his perception of God maybe he saw God as a God who is just and brings judgment on people who are wicked which he does but he wasn't seeing him as the merciful God that he is where God wasn't acting the way Jonah wanted God to act yeah oh oh that's messy yeah and so yeah Jonah just yeah that is a great question what makes us think that we can run from God mm-hmm what and I think sometimes we dabble in sin like maybe a young couple who's dating think they don't talk ahead of time of how far is too far or if I claim each other yeah we love each other so God will bless us in our sin because we love each other we're planning to get married so it doesn't really matter that we are not married yet we can go ahead and have sex before we get married but it's okay right so they think they can actually hide their son or their sin is acceptable and they won't receive punishment because of that and so when you say you know what makes us or want me to think he could flee from God I think we do we try it all the time we try to hide things from God or we try to oh I'll do that later this isn't really that bad no like mmm and maybe it's because you know we don't physically see the presence of God with us right so that accountability is not there but we have the Holy Spirit now who's supposed to bear witness that we are children of God and that we're supposed to act in a way that pleases him but there's not physical presence there and that's why it's so easy once you start to let little things into your life like those little foxes we talked about a couple episodes ago that they just come in and start you know pulling you away yes that is some slippery slope thing and so we have to be so careful that we don't let the foxes and you don't take the little nibble of the bait mm-hmm and think that all this is okay something interesting you know when thinking about Jonah and why he didn't want to go to Nineveh because they were enemies of the Israelites I wonder if he felt like this is righteous anger okay like when when when you see an injustice like the Holocaust it makes you angry as it should you know when Jesus saw the people buying and selling in the temple it made him angry because it was not right and I think we're supposed to get upset at things that are wrong like violence against people you know yeah like things like the Holocaust but he was probably thinking no this this can't be right mate but he knew it was a message from God at the same time yes so I kind of can sympathize with him there why he would wrestle with that um like the showing mercy yeah it's I'm off the hook yes yes Corrie ten Boom tells a story about the height ok so the book is the hiding place and you can buy it at amazon in a thong on amazon com ca ca it anyways it's the story of a young Christian family in Holland who hid Jews and wings of the Germans something they ended up being going to concentration camp and her sister ended up dying I know this is major spoiler alert it's still well worth the read totally anyways years later Corey is at a church speaking she's out of the concentration camp out of the concentration camp at a church speaking about how God I had just what she learned from this whole experience and God was actually using her right for teach people about reconciliation and forgiveness yeah and whatever and this man stands up and comes forward and she recognizes him oh yeah as one of the German guards at the concentration camp that she and her sister at yeah and he reaches out her stand and he said Frau Fraulein do you remember me I think is what he said and and she knew in her heart that God was asking her to forgive him but it was hard for her to do because how could hear was here was a man in front of her who she had seen just so much atrocity come from him and others like him but she knew that she said it her arms are like lead like she she almost could not extend her hand and forgiveness because it's like how could she you know and that's where I think the juxtaposition of the spiritual realm and the physical realm come head-to-head once that when things like that happen where God is asking us to do something that's so outside of ourselves so counterintuitive like forgive someone who's just killed your family and yet she prayed and asked God to give her the strength and when she said that she put her hand in his to extend for again she said it was like a flood of peace and love that came over her so she didn't she could have turned and ran she could have said no but she would have missed out on that blessing from God and so this is I think this is what Jonah is struggling with and like these are our enemies and you want me to tell them about you like and so and so he runs and he gets on the ship and a storm happened so the Lord is not letting him off the hook yeah I'm very interesting because I think in his hoping that he got on the boat that he literally would God would release him I honestly think he felt that God would release him from the call hmm and it's interesting because as we read in the chapter God did not let him off the hook yeah in fact he pursued him um and i love that the means by which God pursued him like he like a storm like a storm and we often think vote well why would God use a storm he's putting other people's lives in danger right because there's these sailors on the ship and they're like there's people's other people's lives at stake so that is an interesting thing to think about to jen is when we make a decision we make a wrong decision we're not the only ones affected I remember my dad saying to me and like we I didn't become a Christian till I was in my teens but after that and then my family came to Christ right he would say carry you don't send in a vacuum like when you thin you're not the only one affected and here these sailors that their life was in danger their lives were spared but interesting to that first he ran from the call yes and then he runs from the storm because it says yes um but Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship had laid down and was fast asleep he was able to just tune it out and go to sleep and I wonder if how do you deal with conflict or when when you know sin is in your life that you need to deal with do you find that you're quick to deal with it do you find that you're the first one to go to the person who has hurt you I know people say well it depends on what it is granted but I wonder how you deal with that hey Jen we were talking about that this morning and I said this is funny because when I was a kid and my mom told me this if I got upset or was offended or was in trouble I would go to my room and go right to sleep it was lighter say it was like escapism for me right you know it wasn't that I didn't care about it it was that I did care but I didn't want to deal with it so sleeping was a way of not thinking about it you know some people turn to drugs or whatever right but I went to bed right and we laugh cuz sometimes I'll just say oh I need a drink right need a drink of water but so often people will say you know I need a glass of alcohol or wine and and everything will just be perfectly fine and I I've had a friend that when she when troubles would come up in her home she would actually pack a bag and leave yeah she'd get in the car and drive away and it was like um if I'm gonna be here when you get back the problem will always be there when you get back and I think when obviously you know Jonah went and you tried to sleep it off well or he just figured I'm gonna die in my sleep cuz he was running from God so whether I get away to a far-off country or I die I will be released from what he I like I I feel like he's saying I would rather die then do what God is calling me to do there's no way I want him to have mercy on those Ninevites when he says that later on and we'll get to that in chapter 4 yeah he'd rather be dead so here he is he's choosing to abdicate everything and by going down and having a sleep and and I'm learning um that when the spirit actually wants you to do something there will be a stirring and it feels like you can't do anything else like it just it's in your mind it's in the snow or part of your body it's just like you cannot get it out of your head so either you have to go to that person and and deal with it or you know turn to God and repent and say I'm sorry but when the Spirit is really at work well you do have a choice you can drown out the spirit which is what Jonah tried to do and we do it so often by making ourselves busy by using some sort of narcotic of some form I'll take a sleeping pill hmm you know because sometimes the Lord gets this when we sleep right I'll just take a sleeping pill and I'll be fine i'll get up tomorrow we've busy up her schedule if I can just be busy enough I won't have time to do what God asks me to do mommy and we do that we get busy so we don't have to actually listen to God and do these collars yeah I won't have to call that family member and talk about this I won't have to call my boss and tell them you know I actually did I made this mistake again yeah I mean well I can share a story after but anyways so it's easy to avoid things it is so easy and we've even done this between us I like okay if I just don't say anything and then Kari has always said to me Jennifer your face tells me this do you wear your heart on your sleeve too I don't know and it's like shoots yeah and I'm like yeah or are you try and cover it up people try try and cut it up so i will share story okay so i had just started my nursing career are not too far in anyways anyways I i made a medication error and felt terrible about it and as soon as I did it the first thing that came to my mind and I was shocked I was like how am I going to cover this up how how what do I need to do and I'm embarrassed to say that but that's what first thought came to my head and I did deal with it appropriately after but immediately I thought and I didn't want to tell my manager and I didn't want to tell the patient and I was so embarrassed I didn't want to tell my colleagues and it all it was fine it was a minor error thank you God I told the patient I documented it I filled out the paperwork and I had to call my manager and tell them what happened and of course it goes to your mind like what if this was something the other drug and I gave killed up early oh my goodness but I immediately thought like how can I run from this you know you know what I'll go into a different profession I you know I'm gonna have to meet yeah I felt so bad but and it happens but that was my first thought how can I get out of this I got no God like I don't want to run that is so off my first responses and how can I get out of this yeah rather than taking responsibility Oh totally and so there he is in the bottom of the ship and everything's getting worse and worse and worse and so the captain comes down and shakes him he's like booty to cry out to God you fool yes and I love the fact that he's like get up and pray to your God maybe your God will pay attention to us and we won't die which is like haha it is our it was Jonah's god that was allowing this to happen or causing this to happen depending on how you perceive how God works and so there he is and Jonah comes up and it like okay let's throw loss to see who it is so explain what lot Sarge n K people no lots it's like throwing the dice yes I like pulling the short straw so you know if there was 20 of them on board so all in would be the same lengthy straws but one of them would be short yeah basically like you pull one you pull one right and like Jonah got the short straw yeah and they were using that Lots almost as like an opportunity for God to show them without having their hand involved yeah right yeah Kenneth yeah so anyway he got the short straw he got the short straw and then they said to him tell us who caused our trouble what's your job and he goes ahead and says I'm a Hebrew I feared the Lord and the men were afraid what did you do but it says in verse 10 they already knew that he was fleeing from God yeah they knew he told them hey guys I'm running away can I come along very interesting but then once he says it's me you're gonna have to I you're gonna have to throw me in the sea even then he doesn't take ownership and repent you know or throw himself in he puts the onus on them yes to throw him in yes yes actually that is interesting he is he doesn't jump he doesn't walk the plank no he's not taking any responsibility he does like he's totally abdicating everything I'm not gonna listen to God and I'm certainly not going to take responsibility for the fact that I'm not listening to God and he wasn't even gonna take his own life yeah they're gonna have someone else throw them in yeah yes so I think Jonah is simply trying to avoid at all costs what God is calling him to do mm-hmm like at all costs and often I've heard people who feel called into the ministry or to go on a missions trip and they know God is asking because it just keeps coming to mind they read scripture and it pops off the page they have conversations with people and they literally know that God is calling them into the ministry because the topic keeps coming up and some people say oh how do you know if God is speaking to you calling to maybe that's something we can do an episode on at another time but that's a good way of describing part of it Jen it just keeps coming up men's um and they actually like hush-hush it like they they know God is calling and they hush-hush it and they just keep going just like Jonah like God is calling God is calling God is calling God is calling and I think Jonah's like I know you're calling and they don't care yeah and I don't care and so when he finally said like what down for us he's like pick me up throw me in and the men try to find another way and then finally said we don't want to be held responsible because Jonah was John was putting all of this on them and being a decision mm-hmm and they had done absolutely nothing wrong and yet now they were responsible for cleaning up Jonah's mess mm-hmm ha yeah messy yeah and then after they throw them in God and His mercy sends the fish to swallow him yeah and then the sea calms and that it's a witness to those men at that time and says that they turned to God and offered sacrifices to him and then they feared God so interesting how that kind of turned around in their favor essentially it was a mercy of God that he allowed them to see his grace and his power yes and also that Jonah was swallowed in his mercy and you know what I'm thinking about because we're talking about how God is merciful merciful to those that we don't like or our enemies or whatnot I'm wondering about the men on the boat because even through Jonah's disobedience men came to know the Lord cap they they repented they fell and they worshiped God because it was like well he really is God I guess that challenges me to think okay even in my sin and disobedience God can still use me to reach people not that we're encouraging you to be there right away and run away but in the process of making things right because they said they they prayed and said please don't like it's almost at that point they realized that Jonah's God was God Almighty greater than their gods because their gods weren't doing anything mm-hmm so they prayed would you release us from the penalty of throwing him in and they came to know the Lord mm-hmm and so I guess part of my prayer would be God in spite of who I am would people come to know me but not would come people come to know you huh no Mike yeah and that's challenging like it reminds me that we don't have to be perfect that even when we sin God can you know cuz it says he works all things together yeah yeah and in Romans it says well should we send more so that grace should increase by no means no Jesus came to wipe away our sin and so we live through his power yes now so a good way to get swallowed swallowed up is by running away from God and literally we're going to get into this next week is when we allow ourselves to be swallowed by our sin or swallowed up when we run from God mm-hmm when we don't face our move on Facebook God is calling us when we don't face conflict head-on when we run from the voice of God then we ended up end up being swallowed whole and it can literally feel like you're trapped you're trapped there's nowhere else to go yeah and you know maybe you're experiencing some conflict now or something that you need to address and you've been running from it but don't let this moment pass in Acts it says that turn to God and repent that times of me of refreshing might come from the Lord and God says you can turn to him cast your cares on him invite him into the situation and watch him do amazing things we've both seen it in our lives and he can transform relationships he can pick you up out of the pit that you're in he can help you in school he can help you in your job he can he can help you have a new perspective on what you're dealing with and to start today because his mercies are new every single day so don't don't run from even facing God today yeah like turn to him right now wherever you are turn to him ah whether you don't know him or you do know him but you know you need to make something right yeah but with the Lord like today's the day day is the day and well why don't we pray on that note that 10 I agree all right you go ahead lord I am so glad that your mercies are new every single day even now would you forgive me for those times where I've heard your voice and turned away or where I have sinned and turned away from your voice telling me to come back and lord I ask in your name that you would meet all of our viewers that are watching right now wherever they are and through the the gentleness of your Holy Spirit that you would just let them know how much you love them and your desire to be with them in relationship and that there is nothing that can separate them from you there is no sin that is too big that that is so insurmountable that they cannot turn to you so Lord would you draw near to our viewers today encourage them today helping to turn to you and lord help them to listen to your voice and respond I ask this in the name of Jesus for the power of the Holy Spirit amen amen we want to thank you for watching and thank you to category 5 for hosting the show and to Robbie Ferguson our director and producer and thank you also to eco alkalines they are the batteries that power our camera and the other equipment that we use here and we also want to thank our new partner a new partner which is family christian stores there an online bookstore so you can get cushion music and books through this website and all the proceeds 100% a hundred percent of the proceeds go to supporting now one of the lines i said was widows and orphans so they go to support ministries that support widows and orphans so I'm like very cool so go online check them out through our website which is new everyday TV you can also follow us on stitcher so make sure you check out our facebook page and our website new everyday TV and we look forward to seeing you next week same place maybe the same time okay bye you