26/06/2024
*DON'T TRY TO PRESERVE WHAT GOD HAS DECIDED TO DESTROY*
_(Kindly read Jonah Chapter 1 and 2)_
PNUR Global Day of Fasting and Prayers 27/06/2024
_The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God …"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs Jonah 2:5-6, 8NIV_
Praise Master Jesus Christ. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have a living God who we can always approach. We are also grateful that He has graciously granted us access every Thursday for PNUR Global Day of Fasting and Prayers. I want to let you know that we are here on appointment. Our God is expecting us. He will be embarrassed if we did not come and let me tell you, there are plenty of miracles and prayer answers awaiting every member of this family as we pray today.
Our main text today gives a clear picture of what Jonah went through as he was thrown out of the ship while he was on his way to Tarshish.
He was thrown out of the only partially safe place at the time. The raging storm was sent from God and its target was Jonah. That means that any location Jonah found himself will not know peace. I like to warn you today about the kind of people you keep around you and those you hang out with. If you ever discover that the person or group of people you are positioned with have issues with God; and I say this without any regret or fear of harm, the best you can do is to leave them alone. If they are occupying a space you have control over, then push them out. To allow such persons around you is to cause yourself great harm.
This is the honest advice that Moses gave to his congregation
_Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. He warned the assembly, "Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins." So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children and little ones at the entrances to their tents Num 16:25-27NIV_
I warn everyone reading this that has issues with divinely constituted authority to hurry up to make peace. When Moses stood with the elders, it means the constituted authority on earth, and the Lord Jesus Christ said that whatever they bind on earth shall be backed up by heaven. (Matt18:18) Fighting against heaven’s constituted authority is same as fighting against heaven.
This situation does not permit you to be sentimental or emotional. You cannot preserve what God wants to destroy. The sailors that were with Jonah felt sentimental and emotional about it and it almost cost them their lives. They had already sacrificed their goods by throwing them into the water but it was not enough.
_The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?" "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you." Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before Jonah 1:11-13NIV_
Beloved stop making sacrifices that will be counted for nothing before God. Yes, there are those who read me today that are still in the place of making sacrifices that only serve to provoke God’s anger the more. Once God has concluded about a thing, then let His will be upheld.
As a pastor I have found myself in the place where I was acting more compassionate than God. I was trying to fix people that God has thrown out. I was working hard at building things that God has announced, “Destroy it!” over. I can tell you out of personal experience, it is futile but hard job.
You may ask me, “Where is our heart of divine compassion, if we can just throw Brother Jonah out because he sinned?”
Hear me beloved child of God; God is not through with Brother Jonah but it is just that His plan for him does no longer include you. The sailors had brought him to that heart of the deep sea and that is where their assignment ended. When Jonah chose to go to Tarshish, God decided on the next route he must follow and still do what He the almighty God has determined. Yes, Jonah must do it. The day Jonah bowed the head was the day he gave away his freedom to choose.
Let every child of God reading this take note here. If you think that you can still go about it anyhow you like, you deceive yourself. That day you accepted Jesus Christ as savior was the day you also accepted him as Lord. The Holy Spirit has taken over and it will do you good to surrender.
Let everyone called into the ministry hear me; you lost your right to choose the very day you said, “Yes Lord!” Maybe like Jonah, you have amassed wealth and so you can now pay your fare to wherever you like. That is okay but to “Nineveh” you must go. The route is what we are going to discuss but the destination is fixed. If you surrender yourself to God’s mighty hands, you will soon come forth as a masterpiece but if you deliberately flaunt your money and liberty anyhow you like, you will just add a few more paragraphs to your story but we will still meet you at the shores of “Nineveh”
My hands tremble as I write this!
Now let me explain further why you must put away that man who knows that he has divine calling but is delaying; yes, you must put her away who has confessed to you that this relationship is not what God wants for her but that she loves you so much that she disobeys God. You must put them away because at the end, I mean after God has destroyed your business because of him; yes, after God has ruined you because of her, God will still continue with them as He did with Jonah. All attention will shift to them in the divine program and we will only mention you in the passing as we now talk about those sailors. We never heard if they were able to set sail again. If those goods were not theirs, we are not told how they could sort out their creditors. Were they able to buy another ship? All these questions are not answered but God continued with Jonah.
Pull your two ear lobes as I tell you this, “Let him go! Push her out!”
Now, back to Brother Jonah. Science will never give such a man any chance for survival.
From the ship in a turbulent tempest into the roaring sea.
From the roaring sea into the belly of a fish.
Still within the belly of the fish down to the foot of the mountains that were in the very heart of the deep sea.
Still in the belly of the fish that was in the foot of the mountain that was in the sea he was wrapped up by seaweeds.
From such a position in life, Jonah could still pray. My hands are shaking! I feel this anointing now!
Brother Jonah, how dare you still raise your voice in prayer while you are wrapped up by seaweeds that were in the foot of the mountains that were in the deep seas that was caught up in a very rough tempest?
He says, “My knowledge of my kind of God”.
_And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits Dan 11:32KJV_
Brother Jonah says –
I know the kind of God I have. He may be angry but He is full of mercy.
I know the kind of God I have; yes, I have sinned but when I pray and pour out my tears, His heart of mercy will reach out for me.
I know the kind of God I have; my position may be such that no one can find me, but when He gives the command, the difficult situation shall turn around and become my vehicle.
I know the kind of God I have; let the witches and wizards bind me in their coven but whoever swallowed the child of my God will continue to fast until they release me. Yes, they have no other choice than to do so!
I know the kind of God I have; there is no limit to His power.
I know the kind of God I have; He does not need a man to be the God HE IS
I don’t know your position now but if your God is same as the God of Jonah, then you just need to step out now in holy faith.
Our text says that those who worship any other gods forfeit the grace that could be theirs. When they turn their heart away from Him, they also turn away from the coming good.
_This is what the Lord says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. Jer 17:5-6NIV_
The good news today is that you are among those that have put their trust in this all-powerful God.
_"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jer 17:7-8NIV_
That is why I encourage you to continue in the place of prayers.
I will send the Prayer Collection to assist you later.
Make sure you join the fast.
Make sure that you set aside time for prayers.
Make sure you encourage other people to join us.
If this is your first time to join PNUR Global Day of Fasting and Prayers every Thursday, kindly send me private message, so I can add you to our ministry WhatsApp platform
You should know that I am praying for you
Emma your brother [email protected]