WHY GOD HAS NO FAVOURITES.
"Why God Has No Favourites" is based on a book
written by Jonah about 800 B.C. Quotes are from
the N.I.V. Bible and our comments are in brackets.
God in the person of Jesus Christ, took the
punishment you deserve for your sins by dying on
the cross. If you have asked Him to forgive those
sins and to be the controller of your life then you
are His person. Your mission is to pass His saving
love to others by letting Him live His life (in the
person of God the Holy Spirit) through you and you
can't pick and choose who you will share God's good
news with. That's what Jonah did so read on, and
learn from what happened to him.
God told Jonah to go and warn a city full of
unbelievers who were enemies of, and a menace to,
God's people.
But he ran the opposite way and got on a ship "to
flee from the Lord."
So God sent a violent storm that threatened to
wreck the ship. Panicking sailors prayed to
their gods and threw cargo overboard to lighten
the ship. Realising Jonah was the problem they
questioned him. He told them he was a believer
who worshipped the Lord, the God of heaven, sea
and land. They asked him how to calm the sea.
Throw me in, he replied. They did their best to
row to safety, failed, and the sea got rougher.
So they cried to the Lord "O Lord, please do not
let us die for taking this man's life. Do not
hold us accountable for killing an innocent man,
for you, O Lord, have done as you pleased." They
threw Jonah overboard and the sea calmed. The
men greatly feared the Lord, offered sacrifices
and made vows to Him.
God provided a great fish to swallow Jonah and
he was inside for 3 days and nights.
(Chapter 1)
Jonah prayed:
"In my distress I called to the Lord, and He
answered me, from the depths of the grave I
called for help and you listened to my cry. You
have hurled me into the deep, into the very
heart of the seas,...currents swirled...all your
waves and breakers swept over me. I said, I have
been banished from your sight; yet I will look
again" to you.
- "waters threatened me and the deep surrounded
me...I sank down."
But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord
my God.
- My life was ebbing away, I remembered you,
Lord, and my prayer rose to you. Those who cling
to worthless idols, forfeit the grace that could
be theirs.
But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice
to you what I have vowed I will make good.
Salvation comes from the Lord.
And the Lord commanded the fish and it vomited
Jonah onto dry land.
(Chapter 2)
(Now after all that wouldn't you think Jonah
would get it right? Well, just read on)!
Then God told Jonah for the second time to
warn the city. He obeyed and told them "forty
more days and Nineveh will be overturned." They
believed God, declared a fast and put on
sackcloth - even the king. He issued a
proclamation; man nor beast may not eat or
drink. All are "to be covered with sackcloth
(and) call urgently on God. Let them give up
their evil ways and violence. Who knows? God may
yet relent and with compassion turn from His
fierce anger so that we will not perish."
When God saw "how they had turned from their
evil ways, He had compassion and did not bring
upon them the destruction He had threatened."
(Chapter 3)
(Now, would you believe this) Jonah got angry.
He prayed to God. This is why I ran away in the
first place. "I knew you are a gracious and
compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding
in love - who relents from sending calamity." So
take my life, I want to die.
But God replied, "Have you any right to be
angry?"
Jonah went outside the city, made a shelter and
sat down to wait and see what would happen to
the city. God made a vine grow to give shade and
ease his discomfort. Jonah was happy about the
vine. But at dawn next day God provided a worm
which killed the vine. At sunrise God provided a
scorching east wind and the sun blazed on
Jonah's head. He said, "It would be better for
me to die than live."
But God said, "Do you have a right to be angry
about the vine?"
"I do," he said "I am angry enough to die."
But the Lord said "you have been concerned about
this vine, though you did not tend it or make it
grow." But the city "has more than a hundred and
twenty thousand people who cannot tell their
right hand from their left, and many cattle as
well. Should I not be concerned about that great
city?"
(Chapter 4)
So the message for you is that as God's person
you are to be a channel of His love to EVERYONE
else WITH NO EXCEPTIONS. The reason is because
He has NO FAVOURITES, He loves everyone the
same. And when He sends you to the last people
on earth you want to have anything to do with -
go!
Also remember that great prayers to God when you
are "going down for the third time," even when
miraculously answered, are no proof you'll get
it right for the Lord on your next assignment. A
close moment by moment relationship with Him is
necessary.
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