Answering the call of God

The Call of God Are You Listening

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Samuel’s Call to the Ministry

Book of 1 Samuel Chapter 3

This call to Samuel was not a call to be a servant of God, this had already been established.

This call of God was for Samuel to be a prophet of God.

There were only a few true prophets of God.

Today there are no true prophets because we have the complete Word of God which tells us of God’s prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled.

The combination of Judge and High Priest would no longer exist on earth.

The Lord Jesus is our true High Priest, our true Judge, and the soon coming King of all His creation.

It would be Samuel who would usher in the era of the kings.

It is the First Book of Samuel that describes to us the beginning of the monarchy of Israel.

What is the truth of today? God still raises up good people to join in the battle of wickedness and evilness in this world.

At the age of twelve Samuel was called to be a prophet of God.

Samuel was not doing anything remarkable.

Samuel was not doing anything extraordinary.

Samuel was just fulfilling his duties as a servant of God.

God does not call great men and women; God makes great men and women of those who are diligent to serve Him.

Moses was dead and buried and no such man as Moses was around to lead Israel.

God had used a few good men to save Israel from time to time, but the people of Israel for the most part ignored the Word of God and chose their own way.

Jdg 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Israel had become a lawless and corrupt society.

The Word of the Lord became very precious in those days!

We should understand that God will always have a remnant of true believers until the Day of the Rapture of the Church.

There was a great need for God to call someone to lead Israel.

The greatest problem for Israel is the same problem of the Church today, the Word of God is being ignored!

*1Sa 3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

The Bible claims to be the inerrant Word of God and it is, but few believe this anymore.

The Scriptures are not cunningly devised fables!

As Christians, our faith is determined if we stand on the truth of the Scriptures or not!

There is no wisdom of man that can compare to the wisdom of the Lord!

Joh_21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

There is no knowledge greater than the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ!

I am convinced that the Lord Jesus knows me perfectly, and has great concern for my welfare!

The Word of God is the most valuable commodity upon the face of this earth.

Nothing can be very valuable if it does not contain the truth.

It is every day that we see the truth ignored in our world today, especially in America!

It is not only the words that are true in the Word of God, but truth is the design of the Word of God.

From the design of the Word of God, we see the means for the restoration of our souls!

A restoration of mankind from the effects of moral evil and a restoration to a condition that is superior to that in which we were originally created!

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

To be made in the image of God is to become a Christian, being like in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was and is the image of perfection.

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature!

2Co_5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Gal_6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

This is the truth of the Word of God!

It is the Word of God that makes us humans upon this earth and saints upon receiving the truth of the Gospel!

When we have the Word of God, we have no need of prophets who cannot know unless God tells them.

The Word of God is the most precious thing we can have today!

*1Sa 3:2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
1Sa 3:3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

We should understand that as Eli was getting older his eyesight was failing him, especially as the daylight turned to night.

Samuel was still called a child, so he was no older than 12 years old.

Both Eli and Samuel slept in the Tabernacle, but not in the most holy place where the Ark of God was located.

That seven branched lamp in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple, was to be prepared for burning every day so that it could burn through the night and through the day.

Exo 27:20 And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.
Exo 27:21 In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.

This lamp had to be refilled every morning and every evening so, by this lamp going out it shows that it must have been just before daylight that the Lord began to speak to Samuel.

*1Sa 3:4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
1Sa 3:5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
1Sa 3:6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
1Sa 3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

A replacement for Eli was desperately needed for Israel to move forward, and God was now calling for his replacement.

We need Bible believing men in the pulpits of the Church today. Men who will take the Word of God to the world.
We need Bible believing missionaries today who will be the legs and the voice of God to the world.
We need Bible believing Christians today, who will take a stand on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and then stand unmovable!

Wickedness, immorality, and corruption are trying to take over this world.

Our leaders promise us our freedoms, yet they serve corruption and are now in bondage to it!

2Pe_2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

Once a man or woman succumbs to corruption, it leaves no door to escape. They must be removed!

A call was issued to Samuel and when a call comes from God, there must be a response.

God’s call to Samuel came before daylight after he and Eli had gone to sleep.

Samuel slept near the Ark of God, but not in the same room where the Ark was located.

We know the Ark of God was a symbol of God’s presence.

Remember this call of God was not for Samuel to be a servant, he had already been given for the service of God all his lifetime.

This call was for Samuel to be a Prophet of God and a Reformer of his nation, and Samuel would have to accept this call personally.

God still calls men who can see the sad state of our world and devote their time to try to make positive changes to this world.

Positive changes can only be made when we return to the truth of God!

Samuel was just a young man, not yet a teenager, who had no concept of just how his nation had become but God’s call was sincere.

When Israel served God, all things went well for them.

When Israel turned away from God, then things did not go so well for them!

This is the same for any people, for God is no respecter of persons!

Moses was gone.

Joshua was gone.

There were no more Deborah’s in this day.

Israel, as a nation, had lost its faith!

God would return the soul of the nation of Israel through the soul of a child.

Psa_8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

The Lord Jesus repeated what the Holy Spirit had recorded in the Book of Psalms.

Mat_21:16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

Was Samuel some miracle child? No, just an ordinary child who had done nothing remarkable.

What did the Lord Jesus mean when He said we can only realize the beauty of His kingdom through the eyes of a child?

We know that God promises to make all thing new, and God has never broken a promise He has made!

We would have to go back to Genesis, in the beginning, to see the newness of our creation and most of this world rejects the truth of our creation.

But when we look at the first chapter of Genesis, we get a truer sense of the power of God, and the beauty of His creation, before sin entered into this world.

God would use Samuel to make Israel look back to its beginning and change their path to destruction.

Samuel would need to rely on faith, just as we all do!

There was no prophet from the time of Moses until Samuel, so God called Samuel to be that next prophet.

The Bible proclaims to be the Word of God and it is.

A prophet of God proclaims the Word of God in days to come.

A believer is one who believes the Word of God and believes the truth that the prophets of God have spoken.

The Bible gives us example after example of fulfilled prophecy the greatest one being Jesus Christ the Messiah and a new beginning.

In many ways Samuel will be a type of Christ.

The finger of God has touched the stars and that same finger has written to us the Word of God.

We can only wonder what Jesus wrote in the dirt that day when He was tested.

Joh 8:6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
Joh 8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
Joh 8:8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

This is just another reason the Word of God is so important to each believer, because in reality it is truly written by the finger of God, that same finger that makes all things new that same finger that has touched the stars.

Most of us cannot say we have heard God speak, but we can say we heard God speak to our heart.

If we do not expect God to speak to us, we will never hear Him.

In reality, we need to expect God to speak to us at any time and at all times!

Most of the time we are making so much noise, we cannot possibly hear God.

Paul wrote that we must study to be quiet and stay out of other people’s business.

1Th_4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

God speaks to us in many ways!

He speaks with the voice of reason.
He speaks with the voice of conscience.
He speaks with the voice of material nature.

Nature is a musical instrument played by the finger of God!

Is nature out of order today because of climate change?

The same processes that God put in place from the beginning are at work, our world is just feeling the effects of its age.

Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

We already know that things are only going to get worse because God says they will.

2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

If this world wants things to get better, then this world needs to turn to God and beg for mercy!

Samuel did not know the Lord at this time and Eli had not heard the Lord speak to him for a long time, but he understood that it was the Lord who was speaking to Samuel.

*1Sa 3:8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
1Sa 3:9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
1Sa 3:10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
1Sa 3:11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

Eli still retained enough sense of Jehovah to perceive that it was God who had been calling Samuel.

In earlier years, Eli may have heard the call of God, but remember the appointment of the High Priest was passed down through the family line of Aaron and according to the laws of Moses.

Immediately, Eli wanted to know what God had to say to Samuel.

In order for Samuel to receive the call of God then he would have to lie still and be submissive.

When the Lord wants to speak to us or if we are expecting the Lord to speak to us, then we cannot be running around all over the place seeming to be too busy to talk to God.

We must set aside some time to be with the Lord!

When we pray and make a request and then, as soon as we are finished with our prayer, we take off to do other things, why should the Lord give His response?

Some say we should at least tithe our time as well as our income.

If we take away eight hours for sleep, then we have sixteen remaining hours in the day. A tenth of that would be one hour and thirty-six minutes.

This may seem like a lot of time, but the Lord is ready to hear us all day and every day at any time.

Paul said to pray without ceasing meaning we should always be in prayer mode, ready to hear from the Lord.

The call of God demands a positive response!

It should be our greatest thrill to know that the Lord God of all creation wants to talk to us, but He will not run us down. We must be willing to stop and listen to Him!

Samuel did not understand this at this time, but Eli did.

When we hear from the Lord it is something much more than just a voice!

We can feel a presence that we have never felt before.

We can feel the power of God and His power of love for us.

Samuel said, “speak Lord” “for thy servant hears you.”

Then and only then did the Lord get close to Samuel.

We must never reject the call of God!

At first, we may not understand, but God will repeat His call if we are willing to listen.

If we surrendered our life to the Lord, it would make these things easier.

Remember God first called us to salvation and few of us surrendered at that first call.

We can only reject the Lord so many times because God knows what is in our hearts.

The Scriptures say:

Mat_20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Mat_22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Many are called to accept the Lord Jesus Christ, but many have rejected this.
Many are called to repent, but many are rejecting this call.
Many are called to dedicate their lives, but many will not do this.

We are all called to serve but only a few are serving.

There are many other calls from God, but far too many of us reject the call of God at our own peril.

Today many are still called, but so many harden their hearts and turn away from God refusing to repent.

When we first hear the call of God, the most important thing we can do is, to listen what the Lord has to say!

God has a purpose for each and every one of us and a life without purpose is a terrible life!

The call of Samuel was far beyond anything we could imagine.

Samuel was called to be a Prophet of God!

The one thing we should remember about prophecy is that it may seem to be delayed by time, but it is already in progress!

The coming of the Lord may still be in the future, but the things that precede the coming of the Lord can already be seen today!

The war of Armageddon may still be in our future, but the little wars leading up to Armageddon are already in progress.

Our world will not see peace until the Lord Jesus Christ has returned and there will first be seven years of the most terrible things that this world has ever seen!

Samuel was still a child, but he was not too young to hear the judgment of God on Eli and his family.

In verse eleven, God told Samuel that He was ready to begin His judgment upon Israel and Eli.

In our next lesson we will see the judgment of God.

Israel will lose a great battle with the Philistines.
Eli’s two sons will both die the same day.
Eli will die of a broken neck when he hears the news of his two sons.

Most important, the Ark of God, the very symbol of God, would be captured by the Philistines and would remain in their hands only a brief time but the Ark would not return to the Tabernacle, until David was King of Israel.

If we want to suffer with this world, then just reject the call of God!

If we want to have our names written down in the Book of Life, then we must first answer the call of God!

A lot of things would happen during the years of Samuel.

Samuel was the last of the Judges of Israel and it would be Samuel who would anoint the first King of Israel.

Amen

The Renewed Mind

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Blessing of the Renewed Mind

Book of Ephesians 4:14-24

 

Last week we learned that God’s plan is that all the Church join in “Unity” according to the Word of God and the “Gospel” of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not only God’s plan but God’s commandment.

So, let’s all denominations lay aside the petty differences that have nothing to do with salvation and cling to a literal translation of the Word of God and go to war against evil in these last days!

If we have been “Born Again” into the family of God, we all have this in common.

Let’s lay foolishness aside and become mature Christians.

After all we all have a renewed mind that we are not using very well!

*****Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

When we are babes in Christ, we can be easily swayed by those who teach a false doctrine, but we must not remain babes. We must begin a growth into mature Christians!

The Word of God must be our compass in this life, for only the Word of God will lead us in the direction God has chosen for us!

There so many places of so-called worship today who deliberately will lead those astray who sit before them, by compromising the Word of God.

The means to defend ourselves from this is to study the Scriptures ourselves and we can defend ourselves against false doctrine.

1) It’s sad but there is still such a thing as “sleight of men”. These are deceivers, cheaters in the faith, men and women who will cheat us out of the truth of God.

2) There are still those who use cunning craftiness. These are also deceivers who act cleverly and have great sounding new ideas that are treated as the truth, but these things are only deceptions of the truth of God.

Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

We must obtain ourselves a sound doctrinal knowledge of the truth as it is in the Lord Jesus Christ!

We must be established in the truth!

We must see that our hearts are conformed to the truth!

We must walk in the truth!

It is Jesus Christ that is the head of the Church, which means that He is the only Head of true “believers”!

As we observe this world we see great evidence of those who deny the Lord Jesus and His truth!

2Pe 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

If you have kicked Jesus Christ out the doors of the church by ignoring what He has said, then you are no longer a church and cannot be part of the “Body of Christ”!

We must follow the Lord by “faith” in His promises, not the promises of some deceiver that teaches a false doctrine!

There are even those who say that the Messiah has not yet come. Yes, such fools still exist!

2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

There is more evidence of the first coming of the Messiah than you own birth!

We can see that we have been warned and we see these things today just as the Scriptures say.

We must grow up in the Lord.

Our Pastors must proclaim the truth.
Our Teachers must proclaim the truth.
We as believers must proclaim the truth and reject all those who compromise the Word of God!

Joh 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

We can only be sanctified by the truth!

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Our souls cannot be purified without the truth.

1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

The church cannot be in unity, until we know and claim the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our God!

If Jesus Christ is not your God, then you serve a false god!

We already know that God deals with us individually so as individuals it is our job to press for unity in the church.

There is only one Church!
There is only one Word of God!
There can only be one “Faith”!

We must speak the truth of God with love because it is the love of God that came to us in the form of Jesus Christ, the true Messiah.

And make a note, The Lord Jesus Christ is coming back, and it may not be very long.

We should never forget this truth!

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that (insert your own name) whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

The promise of His return:

Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you (insert your own name), I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church and this can never be changed!

*****Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

We must understand the Church as a united body and if your place of worship is not, then this must be the first goal of your place of worship.

An actual body of Christ.

The church is not to be some material or tangible body, but the actual Body of Christ, with Jesus Christ the Head!

The Holy Ghost, Christ filled Church is a Spiritual power upon this earth that will soon return to Heaven, it’s home.

The Church is alive with the Head, Jesus Christ supplying, the nourishment to each and every part of its body.

Col_2:19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

The Church is best described as the “Body of Christ”!

1Co_12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

As we learned from other lessons, each member of the Body of Christ is to be specifically placed by the Lord.

Each member must have the proper work assigned to him or her.

Each member is to perform that work according to the measure of faith that God has supplied to them.

Each member is to be coupled together so that everyone plays their own part without causing harm to the whole unit.

Each member is to be governed by one Will and one Intelligence which is from Heaven and is the Lord!

Each member is indebted to the Head and the Head lives for the body!

The Church is to work in harmony as the voice of God by using the Words that He has already given to us.

God’s Word will never change, and neither should anyone try to change it!

Isa_55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

The best example of the church is the human body that cannot function properly without each part doing what is was intended to do.

1Th 2:12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
1Th 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

If we know all these things, then we also know that we are not to walk like we are part of this world!

This is where we fail the most today!

*****Eph 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Eph 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

When we were lost we walked in this world searching for anything and everything that would satisfy our desires. Some may disagree, but this is the truth.

You can ask those you meet today who do not know the Lord, especially our young people and you will find that the majority will say this today.

They are all searching for things that satisfies their own desires. Much of this is immoral. Much of this is depraved. All of it is foolish!

When we walk like those out in the world we are walking against the Word of God!

We will lose contact with our Father in Heaven if we walk like the world walks!

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

A new creature of God the Father, will not be out in the world!

When we push God out of our minds, our mind become empty and void of the truth and be easily filled again with the evils of this world.

These will seek worldly pleasures, worldly possessions, worldly religion, and worldly gods.

Psa 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

As Christians we must never be afraid of being singular in this world!

We must understand that where there is ignorance of the truth, there will be no life, their understanding will be darkened.

To understand this is to begin to grasp hold of the truth.

A darkened mind is blind and unable to see God!

The darkened mind will give itself over to the world!

As Christians we are only better than those who are lost by the “Grace” of God.

As Christians we must still live our lives above those out in the world.

This is not thinking we are better than but just avoiding those pitfalls of sin that we have left behind for the Lord.

The unbeliever is spiritual dead and then doomed to eternal death, cut off eternally from God.

The unbeliever will always have hostile feelings toward the believer, no matter who they are!

It is not God that causes this, it is their own ignorance of the truth!

Remember what Jesus said just before He gave up His life:

Luk_23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

They have chosen to be ignorant of the things of God.
They have chosen to harden their heart against the truth.
They will be responsible for their own eternal death!

God has provided, through His Son and the power of the Holy Spirit, the only means of eternal life!

Those that depart from the truth of God will only grow worse.

Mat 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
Mat 12:44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
Mat 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

*****Eph 4:19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Without God the more callous they will become!

They will no longer live by God’s standards of morality.

Lasciviousness is shameless conduct of any kind, wantonness, in most cases being completely vulgar, as far from “Grace” as possible.

In another place Paul wrote:

Rom 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

They no longer feel the pain of their sin and consider it just another acceptable way of life. What a travesty.

We see this all over America today.

We know that sin is contagious, but it also multiplies. The more we walk in sin, even more will we walk in sin!

Lasciviousness also brings “greed”.

A craving, a desiring to have more and more, hoarding all they can get and still craving more.

I believe this is what rules our world today.

But they are in fact in bondage to the things of this world, this has become their god!

2Pe 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
2Pe 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
2Pe 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

Enough of the unbeliever, we know a lot about them because we were once a part of them.

*****Eph 4:20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
Eph 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, “as the truth is in Jesus”:

What do we do as Christians after we have accepted Christ?

1) We repent; we renounce our previous lifestyle. This not partial but complete. We cannot have one foot in the world and one foot in Christ.

This is to be a complete moral revolution that can only happen by the Holy Spirit and our “Faith”.

To be honest, we need to daily examine ourselves to see if we are complying with the Word of God and the Commandments of Jesus Christ.

From time to time, we need to look in the mirror and see what we look like.

2) Self-discipline. To be a Christian is not always easy, it takes a personal effort but more important we must rely on the “Grace” of God.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

We must realize that we are renewed every day by the Holy Spirit and it is by the Holy Spirit that our mind is restored, and our vision cleared to see our Savior for who He is! The Greatest gift God could send to us!

3) We must wear the robe of righteousness of our Lord! It is very important that we know all we can about Jesus Christ, but it is even more important that we learn all we can from Him!

We must strive for that personal relationship with our Savior. He wants this relationship much more than we do so, our part is very easy.

The Lord Jesus is truly waiting with open arms to receive us!

We are to literally walk in Christ and not as men walk!

We must have a living spiritual union with the Lord Jesus Christ!

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Co 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
1Co 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

We are to put off the old man and put on the new man!

*****Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

That old man is that person we were before we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.

In this sense, our old man has already been put to death and we are made alive by Christ Jesus.

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
You see to put on Christ means that our Father in Heaven counts us buried with Jesus Christ and united with Him in the likeness of His death.

This is the true meaning behind baptism!

The deeds of the old man are put off.

Col 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

The power that evil had over our body of flesh is gone and we are no longer in bondage.

And notice it is our job to put off the old man, we are to exercise our own will because we have realized the truth.

God says the old man is dead, so we must also count our old man as being dead.

Rom_8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

It is now our job to reject temptation just as the Lord did when He walked upon this earth to become the perfect new man!

Even our mind will be made new and we will no longer have a reprobate mind.

We live in a world full of reprobate minds.

We are governed by many who have reprobate minds.

Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

It is only by the presence of Jesus Christ that our mind can be renewed. There is no other way!

When we receive the Lord Jesus Christ into our life, we receive His mind also. We truly have the power to reject temptation!

We truly have the power to focus on God and His Word.

We truly have the power to allow the Holy Spirit to work within us to make us a new creation of God!

2Co 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

The new man has been regenerated, renewed, “Born Again” when we become Spiritually minded!

We will be in fellowship with God through His Son.
We will be obedient to God’s will because we will realize the safest place for us to be is in the will of God.
We will be devoted to God’s service and work within the calling we will receive from God!

None of these things can happen without the power of God in our lives by the Lord Jesus Christ.

As the children of God, we can stand before God in the righteousness and the holiness of His Dear Son, Jesus Christ.

To put things as plain as we can, we can say we are now alive to God when we were once dead to God!

Amen

Jonah, Part 1

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Jonah; The Disobedient Prophet

Book of Jonah 1-2

When it comes to the true prophets of God there are some things we must always remember:

1) The words that they wrote came from the mouth of the Supreme God and should be treated as the Word of the Lord!

2) Their words are absolute, imperative and final and preempt all other laws!

3) They were commissioned by the Lord and their words are to be associated with their Commissioner!

We will read of a time in the life of God’s prophet Jonah, that he totally disagreed with God and we can be sure God told Jonah to include this in his writings.

I am sure that Jonah would have rather left some of these words out!

It would have been easy for God to just put good things in the Scriptures but they would not have seemed real.
God just teaches us the truths and gives us a view from both sides or I should say all sides.

The first lesson we will learn from the Book of Jonah is that you cannot run away from God.

King David put is this way:

Psa 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Psa 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
Psa 139:9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Psa 139:10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
Psa 139:11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
Psa 139:12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

Book of Jonah Chapter 1 verse 1

*****Jon 1:1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
Jon 1:2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

If you have ever tried to run away from anything you can understand Jonah.

Records show that at least a million people, mostly young juveniles, successfully run away from home every year. Most of these runaways end in devastation for themselves and their families.

Jonah was a runaway prophet!

Jonah was called of God to preach to the Northern Tribes of Israel just as Hosea and some others. He also had preached to Judah the wonderful Word of God.

Jonah felt that to preach the Word of God to the Ninevites was God asking to much. These were the enemies of Israel.

What is the truth of God?

Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

We all pretty much understand the plan of God but what we cannot understand is how God will go about completing His plan.

God says, it is not for us to understand, it is only that we have “Faith” and trust Him to do what is right.

Israel felt that God was the God of Israel but that He did not care for any other nation.

We already know that God sent His Son to save the entire world.

One day while Jonah was resting God gave Jonah a new commission.

We already know the God spoke to His prophets in dreams and visions and Jonah clearly understood what God had called him to do.

Even today God calls us to activities that we may really want to do.

The truth is, it is our duty to be obedient to God in everything He ask.

The physical side of us is just a tool for God’s use.

The most important part of serving the Lord is our willingness to do so!

When we are not willing to serve the Lord we will then become a tool in the service of others!

Nineveh was a great city not only because it was heavily populated but Nineveh was the capitol city of the great Assyrian Empire.

The city of Nineveh was probably 60 miles in circumference, more like New York rather than Jerusalem.

The Assyrian Empire was second only to the Empire of King Solomon in riches and royalty in it’s day.

Nineveh was established by Nimrod and the probable home of the Tower of Babel.

We know that the Assyrian Empire later fell to the Medes in the time of Daniel and later to the Babylonians.

But before these things could happen God was going to allow the Assyrians to destroy the Northern Tribes of Israel and scatter the remnant throughout that empire.

God’s plan for Jonah was to preach the salvation of the Lord so they would not be so harsh on the people of Israel.

God spoke through His prophets in that day but today God speaks directly to each individual!

Heaven is open to every people. There is only one race in the eyes of God. God sees “souls” and not the color of the skin!

Nineveh was a Gentile City and much hated by most Jews for this reason.

Jonah was assigned to go to Nineveh to warn them of the “Judgment” of God if they did not turn from their wicked ways.

In the days of Jonah the Assyrians were a dominant economic power but also a dominant military power and they were known to be a cruel, violent and wicked people.

**They were one of the most cruel people to have ever lived on this earth.

Nah 3:1 Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;
Nah 3:2 The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.
Nah 3:3 The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:
Nah 3:4 Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

History, and archeology has proven all these things to be true!

In reality this commission given to Jonah is much like the “Great Commission” given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jonah was one lone Jew sent into a city of over 600,000 cruel and evil people.

Until Jonah, no Jewish prophet had ever been given such a task.

Amos and Hosea also were prophets of that day but only Jonah was chosen for this particular task.

As believers our soul duty is to share the “Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ”!

Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

But Jonah rebelled against God.

*****Jon 1:3 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.

Jonah made a tragic decision, he rejected God’s commission.

The truth is, it is impossible to go to Tarshish if God sends you to Nineveh!

Jonah left his home.

Jonah left his nation.

Jonah fled from the Lord.

But those were God’s winds. (The winds would not push that ship through the water)

That ship was sailing on God’s Seas. (The Seas would not bear him!)

Those whales new better than to reject God’s calling. (The natural world is directly under God’s command)

Luk 8:24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
Luk 8:25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
Luk 8:26 And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.

When we are disobedient to God it will always affect others.

*****Jon 1:7 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.

Now we are never to take part in a lottery but when all lawful means have been seen as worthless then we may have to seek other means.

Sort of like drawing straws or pulling a name out of a hat.

Even these things must be done in a Holy fashion and accompanied with prayer, and great reverence.

We must never treat such a thing as idolatry and we must never apply the Word of God to this action.

If we honor God as the moderator of such a thing, then we must respect the answer we obtain.

Jonah was in open rebellion against the Lord.

Jonah had made a deliberate decision to travel to Tarshish, which was probably to Spain as we know it today.

At that time this was as far away as any ship would sail and Jonah fled to Joppa a seaport to find his ship.

We will notice that any time we are disobedient to the Lord, we can endanger other people.

God also loved the Ninevites as much as Jonah and God would not allow Jonah to destroy his ministry and his life showing His great love for him also.

This ship had no longer left port until God brought a strong storm that endangered the ship.

Jonah became so seasick he went to the bottom of the ship to lie down.

Jonah found himself very weak and completely helpless!

The captain of the ship went to Jonah knowing he was a prophet of God and rebuked Jonah for not praying for the safety of the ship and all who were aboard.

What do we know about prayer?

Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Jonah was intended to be a prophet of salvation but instead he had become the minister of doom!

Jonah’s disobedience had destroyed his testimony.

The men of this ship worshipped the many pagan gods of the seas and they had come to the conclusion that the God of Jonah was showing His wrath.

We should remember as long as God is chastising us, He is trying to get us to change our ways. No child of God will ever see His wrath but chastisement can still be painful and it is still possible God will just take us on home rather than ruin His testimony or His message.

Jonah said it was certainly His God, Jehovah, who was the Creator of all things, including the wind and the storm that was causing the terror of that day.

These men were terrified to hear of such a God as Jonah worshiped but their question was why would anyone do such a thing as try to run away from such a God.

We should all ask ourselves this same question!

Why would anyone reject such a God as we have?

The only answer they had was that Jonah must be sacrificed so that they could live.

Jonah accepted that it was only fair that he would die for what he had done because not only would these sailors perish but all the Ninevites would also perish.

Certainly God would require his death!

These men tried their best to save Jonah’s life but no one can fight against God and win!

But God will take any situation and make some good come from it!

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God always knows what men will do!

*****Jon 1:15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
Jon 1:16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.

First God had to show these sailors that He was the true God as Jonah had said and He calmed the Seas.

We can just imagine how they felt when Jonah hit the waters the Seas became instantly calm.

God had shown His mercy and His grace to these men and it was time for them to make a choice and they made a sacrifice to the Lord and made (vows) not to worship any other god, only the God of the Jews.

God presents opportunities, it is up to us to recognize the work of the Lord and then choose the right way and repent just as these sailors had done.

Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Mat 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
Mat 7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

We are fools when we witness such things as these sailors did and not realize that only God could have done such a thing!

Christ Jesus showed this same power to the apostles.

Mar 4:36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
Mar 4:37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
Mar 4:38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
Mar 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Mar 4:40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
Mar 4:41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Most all of us in our lifetime have had a near death experience, whether it be a serious accident, a serious illness, a disease that could end in death, or maybe in combat, or a robbery, or an assault.

Over time we have realized that our only hope is in the Lord!

God usually will do one of only three things.

1) He will save us from that danger.
2) He will go with us through that danger and then deliver us.
3) He will carry us above that danger and take us on home to live eternally with Him in Heaven.

God had a special plan for Jonah!

It was God’s intent to cause Jonah to repent and do as he had been sent to do.

*****Jon 1:17 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.

What we see about God is that He always uses things that are part of His creation and not some out of this world object in His disciplinary actions.

God had used His control over nature to teach those sailors.

Now God uses a great fish to swallow up Jonah.

This was not some random fish that just happen to be swimming by but an especially prepared fish!

This not the only time that God prepared a fish for His own use.

Mat 17:27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

Preparing a fish was a miracle in itself but the greatest miracle was that Jonah survived to write all these things down for us to study!

Now we should be clear, it is impossible for God to lie.
It is impossible that God can contradict Himself.
It is impossible for God not to stay consistent with His message.

As Jesus said, these are the signs of Jonah.

Mat 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Mat 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

Mat 16:2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
Mat 16:3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
Mat 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

And Jonah finally realized the one thing he had not done which was the most important thing of all!

*****Jon 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,
Jon 2:2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “you can pray anywhere” then it must be true. Jonah prayed from the belly of this “Great fish”.

This story is not a parable but the actual truth of the Scriptures. All we need do is believe and we can accept why God would do such a thing.

Jonah had no doubt that he was facing death!

It may be physically impossible for anyone to live inside the belly of a whale for three days but there is nothing to hard for God!

Mar 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

There are many who disagree about the truth of Jonah but the simple truth is, those that believe the Bible is the infallible Word of God have no problem believing the Book of Jonah!

To not believe in the Book of Jonah is to not believe in miracles!

The miracles that God does are all outside the possibilities of this natural world.

We worship a Supernatural God!

Why would God do such a thing?

1) The first thing is obvious. Jonah needed to be saved from drowning but he also needed to feel the irony of being in Hell. Jonah had condemned all the people of Nineveh to Hell. God wanted to show Jonah a taste of Hell without sending Him there. Jonah was indeed a child of God who could never really be sent to Hell because of God’s promise.

Jonah had been seasick on the ship, we can only imagine how he was now.

Jonah describes his journey in the darkness of the whales belly:

Jon 2:5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
Jon 2:6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

2) After a taste of Hell, the same Hell he had condemned the Ninevites to, God showed Jonah a taste of “Grace”.

Jonah got to see a true picture of God’s love.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Jonah would also be this picture of God’s love to the Ninevites.

3) The Lord used a “great fish”. Jesus said it was a “whale”, which in reality was a type of the death of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

There was also a fourth reason.

4) The Ninevites worshiped a false god they had named Dagon.

Dagon was the fish-god, Dagon had the body of a fish with the head and the hands of a man.

There was also a female version of this false god and this is where the Mermaid gets her start in folklore.

Jonah continued to pray.

*****Jon 2:7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

Jonah realized that God was listening to his prayer.

When we are in dire circumstances we may shut out hope but that is when “Faith” will take over.

When we realize that the Temple actually was a “type” of Christ, we can realize the only hope we have in this world is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Looking for the Lord with a constant expectation and with joy is the only answer to lusts of this world.

Jonah began to realize that his “faith” was based on his hope for righteousness which comes to those who have been filled with the Holy Spirit.

Jonah realized the hope that is laid up for us in Heaven comes from the Word of truth from the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jonah realized that we are saved by our hope, but that hope is not in the things of this world, for how can we place our hope in things that we can see and not God who we cannot see but know that He exists!

As Jonah looked toward Heaven in believing and faithful prayer, he realized his prayer had been heard and God was going to answer him but in his own time which in this case was 3 days and 3 nights.

Every thing God does is for some one to get an opportunity to hear the “Gospel” and all we need do is to obey His calling.

What is the truth of Jonah and to each one that serves the Lord?

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Jonah then became the first submariner.

*****Jon 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
Jon 2:9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
Jon 2:10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

The truth is the Lord will always hear us and help us when we face critical situations!

We must first repent of our sins and then call upon His name to be acceptable to Him!

The Lord will accept no one who lives in sin!

2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

The Lord gave Jonah a new life, a new beginning and a second chance.

It was the Lord who had led this whale to save Jonah and it was the Lord who led this whale to spew Jonah out as close to Nineveh as it could.

Jonah had been humbled and he would go to Nineveh and preach as God had called him to do.

Many lessons can be learned but we must remember that Jonah’s 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of this whale points to the “death’, the “burial”, and the “resurrection” of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are no Scriptures in the Bible that are not important!

This is another proof of our own resurrection!

Tit 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Another lesson we must learn is that we can save ourselves a whole lot of trouble just by saying yes to the Lord and not trying to run away from His calling!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!