JONAH'S CALL

“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me” (Jonah 1:2 NKJV).

In this verse we have Jonah’s call and commission to duty. Thus, we want to note the waking, walk, ward, and warfare of his duty.

Waking - “Arise.” This is a rousing call to action which says, “Get going.” This may be too strong for most church members today who just want to sit and do nothing. Yet, we must move forward with the work of the Gospel.

Walk - “Go to Nineveh.” Going to Nineveh meant a walk of about five to six hundred miles for Jonah. Fulfilling our calling might not be easy and may require much effort just to get to the place of service. But every duty in life has its “walking” part.

Ward - “Go to Nineveh, that great city.” Nineveh was a hostile city to God’s people. It was the capital of Assyria, which eventually took the northern kingdom of Israel into captivity. Thus, Jonah was called to go to a place that was hostile and wicked. No one wants to serve in a difficult place. Most folks want to serve where they will be accepted and treated with high respect. But if we are going to do the will of God, we can expect assignments which will take us into hostile areas that will require much courage.

Warfare - “Cry out against it, for their wickedness is come up before Me.” Jonah was to preach against sin which was not a popular message to preach. However, Nineveh needed the message for they were very wicked. Our society also need to hear this message. Yet, there are few preachers that have the spiritual boldness and integrity to preach against sin. This failure has encouraged the increase of sin in our society. A pulpit that will not denounce sin will bring no revival to the society.

(Adapted from Butler's Daily Bible Reading 2)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“A minister, without boldness, is like a smooth file, a knife without an edge, a sentinel that is afraid to let off his gun. If men will be bold in sin, ministers must be bold to reprove!”

William Gurnall (1616 - 1679)

English Author and Anglican Clergyman

Word Study

Enslaved

In Titus 3:3 we read, “For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another!” (NASB).

Enslaved is the Greek word douleúō (δουλεύω =dool-yoo'-o). The word means to be a slave, to do service, be in bondage. In classic Greek douleúō carries the idea of being a slave or to perform the duties of a slave. In the Septuagint, douleúō also carries the idea of servitude. In the New Testament, douleúō means to be in the position of a servant and act; accordingly, to be subject and serve in subjection or bondage. Used in the absolute sense, it means to be deprived of freedom. Metaphorically, it is to be a slave to things such as pleasures. In a moral sense, it means to obey or be devoted to God or Christ.

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him” (2 Chron. 32:7 NKJV).

Did You Know…

Both Aaron and Moses died before Israel entered the Promised Land - Aaron in Num. 20:23-28 and Moses in Deut. 32:48-52. Both were refused entry into the Promised Land because of their disobedience (Num. 20:12).

Bible Quiz

In John 1, what did John the Baptist say upon seeing the Lord Jesus coming toward him?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: In the Parable of the Sower, what happened to the seed that fell on the rocky ground? It grew then withered (Mark 4:5-6).

Names For the Lord Jesus in the Bible

“CAPTAIN OF SALVATION”

"For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings!” (Heb. 2:10 NKJV).

1. Meaning – CAPTAIN OF SALVATION speaks of the Lord Jesus as the Pioneer, the One who opens the way, blazes a trail for others to follow.

2. Insights – The word translated “perfect” here means to complete, to accomplish something. The word teaches that for the Lord Jesus to redeem sinners, it was necessary for Him to suffer on the cross. This statement does not suggest that the Lord Jesus Christ was imperfect when He was here on earth. The Lord Jesus could not have become an adequate Savior and High Priest had He not become Man and suffered and died. By his death God qualified him to serve effectively as the priest of His people. It was God’s will that His Son had to suffer in order to effect the salvation of many sons.

Did You Know – Christian History

Frumentius was born early 4th Century in Tyre (modern day Lebanon). He was a Phoenician Christian missionary and the first bishop of Axum (modern day Ethiopia) who brought Christianity to the Kingdom of Axum.

As a young boy, Frumentius and his brother Edesius accompanied their uncle Meropius on a voyage to Ethiopia. When their ship stopped at one of the harbors on the Red Sea, local people massacred the whole crew, sparing the two boys, who were taken as slaves to the King of Axum. The two boys soon gained the favor of the king, who raised them to positions of trust. Shortly before his death, the king freed them. The widowed queen pleaded with Edesius and Frumentius to remain at the court and assist her in the education of the young heir, Ezana, and in the administration of the kingdom during the prince’s tender years. They remained and (especially Frumentius) used their influence to spread Christianity. First they encouraged the Christian merchants in the country to practice their faith openly, and helped find places where they could come together for prayer. Later on some of the natives were converted to Christianity.

When the prince came of age, Edesius returned to Tyre. Frumentius, eager for the conversion of Ethiopia, requested Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria, to send a bishop and some priests as missionaries to Ethiopia. Athanasius believed Frumentius to be the most suitable person for the job and consecrated him as bishop of Axum around the year 328. Under Frumentius’s influence, King Ezana was converted and baptized. King Azana then built many churches which caused the spread of Christianity throughout Ethiopia.

About 356, Byzantine Emperor Constantius II wrote to King Ezana and his brother Saizana, requesting them to replace Frumentius as bishop with an Arian bishop. Arians deny the divinity of Christ, and were engaged in a long struggle for power with the traditional, or orthodox Christians. Frumentius had been appointed by Athanasius, a leading opponent of Arianism. The king, however, refused the request.

Frumentius was a man beloved. After his death he became known as “Our Father” and “Father of Peace” - titles which the head of Ethiopian Church still wears today. Roman Catholics commemorate Frumentius’s day on October 27, but the Orthodox Church holds his celebration in November and the Copts in December. Ethiopian traditions also credit Frumentius with the first Ge'ez translation of the New Testament and being involved in the development of Ge'ez script from an abjad (consonantal-only) into an abugida (syllabic).

A Little Humor

A pastor preaching his first sermon at a prison said to the men, “I am happy to see all of you here.” Then as his text, he started reading from Heb. 2:3, “How shall we escape ...”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Salvation causes us to step out of sin’s slavery into security with Christ!”