“A New Covenant in a New Way”

Scripture: Genesis 9:8-17

During Lent, we will be taking a look at how God continues to make new things in him out of the old things that are in us. In Revelation 21:1-6, we read about the new heaven and earth that will replace the old ones. We read about the new Jerusalem that will come down from heaven. We read “And the One who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.’”

Almighty God not only brings about the newness of this existence, but he is the Newness that we experience in this life. And since he is the author of all that is, it is his to do with as he knows best. As we begin our text for today, the waters of the great Flood have receded, but life as Noah and his family had known it had completely changed. I have little doubt that these 8 remaining people were beginning to have major concerns about their chances for any continuation of life.
But the Lord proclaims that this will be the one and only time that he will destroy all life on the planet through water, and tells these few survivors – “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” (Genesis 8:22) He is reassuring humanity that not only will life continue, but it will continue in a way that is as old as creation itself.

But there have been some changes. Before the Flood, rain had yet to water the earth, or at least we have no evidence in scripture that it had existed, but now it would become a routine event. Before the Flood, veganism was the norm, but now, all food would be acceptable. Before the Flood, the lifespan of humanity, and possibly of all animals, was excessive – Noah’s grandfather Methuselah lived 969 years and Noah himself would be 950 at his death, but after the flood, God would limit human life to 120 years.
Some things would continue as before, but other things would change radically. And in the change, God’s newness would reign.

Read Genesis 9:8-11

Covenant was a new concept, too. But then, there was never a need for God’s promise before this. In the Garden, he had a true and full relationship with the Man and the Woman, – an official covenant wasn’t needed then. But the relationship would be broken, not by God, but by the humans, and the world would proceed without either a relationship or a promise for many years.
Now, we read that this new covenant that God offers is for all life, not just humanity. Every creature who survived on the ark would enjoy the promise. And this new covenant establishes a boundary for God – that he will never again cover the entire earth with water as a punishment, that he would never again destroy life in order to start fresh – he would create a new way to make humanity new without ending the life that was before. Forgiveness and redemption would become the way of new relationship between God and the people of earth.
But there would be a problem! Isaiah 43:25 – “I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” God’s forgiveness is so complete that not only does he forget the sin, he forgets the specific forgiveness that is tied to it. The entire episode is erased from the Lord’s memory! Good news for us, but what about his covenant? If God no longer remembers the sin, and if his response to sin is also eliminated, how will he remember that he promised to hold his anger against sin in check? What if he forgets his promise about no more floods that destroy the earth?

Read Genesis 9:12-17

God creates a reminder to help him recall the covenant! The promise is vitally important, the promise is eternal, the promise is unbreakable - it isn’t just with Noah and his family, but with all creatures – human and animal – for all time. It must never be forgotten, and yet, the Lord has put himself in a position that might cause him to forget! And isn’t it interesting that the reminder is set so creation can see it, too?
The rainbow was a new thing. Since rain had never before fallen from the sky, there had never been a means to refract the sunlight, and therefore, no separation of the color components of the white light. From out of the destructive rains that had once brought the Flood waters, God plans to give us a sign of peace.

Ancient civilizations saw the rainbow in a totally different way, though. The “bow” was seen as a divine weapon that fired lightning bolts upon the earth. But does the rainbow’s promise now overshadow its recognized judgment? Or does it now represent a promise of peace that keeps the divine judgment under control? We have to remember that without the storm clouds, and without water droplets in the atmosphere, there can never be a rainbow. The move from divine judgment to divine restraint has been put in place. It has become, as the New Interpreter’s Bible says, “an important sign of God’s ongoing, deep commitment to the life of the creation”

Creation set in motion a Godly plan that would bless every living being in all the earth. Unfortunately, and even though the Lord knew what would transpire, human sin caused a disruption, a break in the plan – one that we could never set right again. If the rift was to be healed, it would be up to God to do it.
We like to think that the Created Order was a once and for all event, but as we can see, humanity keeps breaking it, and God has to keep fixing it. You might think that Almighty God could create us so that we would never go astray, but he knew that if that happened, we would not be the people that he wanted us to be. We were never intended to be robots who had no choice but to do the Divine bidding – he wanted us to be thinking beings who would want to follow in his way, who would choose to follow his way. But we don’t live in his will, we can’t live in his will, and so the Great Plan had to include a way for us to live in him just the same.

Redemption and forgiveness would be that way, but it must always come at a price, and paid with a payment that must be perfect and complete. If we attempt to make restitution, it is never perfect and never complete, so we have to do it over and over again. Israel would come to know that, as sacrifice would become a routine matter, and for most, it would lose much of its focus. The only redemption, the only effective sacrifice to God would have to be made by the Lord himself.

Covenant may look easy on the surface, but the kind that God offers is deep and complete and sure, and we not only struggle to understand it, but we can only strive to truly live within it – we’ll never actually get there! The truth is that it is only be God’s grace that it can work its way within our lives.

To express his covenant in a simplified way, God is offering to exchange our old sinfulness for his new forgiveness instead of forcing his old destruction upon us. So what do we do about it? In the Wesley Covenant Worship Service (c.1780) that we have on New Year’s Eve each year at Campville, we pray this prayer together:
I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on Earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.

In response to the Lord’s covenant with him, Wesley offered one in return, and I believe that John did everything in his power to live every word of it, in every moment of every day.

Can our response to the Lord’s offer of peace be any less?

"Preparing for Jesus" - Ash Wednesday

Zechariah 3:1-8

Our oldest son has had learning disabilities since birth. Throughout his early life, he was in special education classes, which helped him immensely. He finished high school, and after a couple more years in the BOCES program, he began a job at Achieve.
When he got home after his first day at work, we asked him how the day went. He was somewhat less than positive about the experience, so we tried to reassure him with “That’s OK. Tomorrow will be better.” He looked at us with a surprised, almost horrified look on his face and replied “Tomorrow? How long do I have to do this?”
As you can probably imagine, he was less than overjoyed when we answered his question!

Very few people like change, even though our entire life is focused on preparing for it! Each year we spend in school is focused on preparing us for the next year. School itself - whether we are attending high school, or college, or trade school – is intended to prepare us for the job market. Every job we begin is, hopefully, preparing us for a promotion. Even those 9 months of “womb time” have only one purpose – to develop us, to prepare us, to enter into life in this world.

Lent is also a time of preparation for the Day that is yet to come. And this is one of the most difficult of all changes that we must be ready to accept.

Read Zechariah 3:1-2

The high priest Joshua is standing before the Seat of Judgment where Jesus is sitting, and where Satan is waiting. Satan has every bit of proof that he is guilty as charged – evidence that began on Joshua’s first few days of life, right up until this Day of Judgment. Joshua is, without a doubt, guilty, and the Accuser can’t wait to remind the Judge of every misstep, every thoughtless word, every sin that he had ever committed. Joshua was quaking in his boots!

But as Satan steps forward to begin elaborating on the charges, the Judge stops him in his tracks. He is brought up so short, that he never gets to speak a single word against the man. Is Joshua guilty? Did he know that he was guilty? Absolutely! But by the mercy of the Court, his sentence is overturned. The fires of hell were ready to consume him, but they never had a chance to do their deed.

Notice that there was nothing that Joshua could say in his defense, and there was nothing that Satan could say in his condemnation. Romans 3:28 – “We hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.” Not only is there nothing in the law that can save us, but the law has no voice in our condemnation, either. The only issue at hand is faith in Jesus. The Judge who sits on the Throne of grace is our only hope of acquittal. And by that faith, we, too, can be “snatched from the fire” of condemnation.

What did Joshua have to do to prepare for this experience? He could do nothing except live a life of faith in Yahweh.
What do we need to do to prepare for this experience? There is nothing that we can do, either, except live a life of faith in Jesus Christ.

So is this all there is to it – trusting in the loving mercy of Almighty God? Not exactly.

Read Zechariah 3:3-5

By God’s mercy, Joshua had been spared from his rightful condemnation, but sin was still staining his life. And not just a few specks of dirt, but his entire body was clothed in filth! He has already been saved from the Satan’s condemnation, but now he must be cleansed of his sin.

Have you ever known someone who lived as though faith in Christ was the last act of salvation, and that now it no longer mattered as to what they did or how they lived? If we take Joshua’s experience to heart, we know that the admonition in James’ epistle is right on – James 2:26 – “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” Faith in Christ is not the end – we need to begin living this life as though our Christian faith truly means something to us! James isn’t telling us that our good works, and the rejection of our sinfulness, makes us right – he is saying that evil, the filth of our earthly existence, is incompatible with Christian living. And this is what the prophet Zechariah implies with the removal of the high priest’s filthy clothes.
We have to allow the Spirit of God to redress us in attire that is worthy of the Holy Presence.

Read Zechariah 3:6-8

Do you remember that time when you had cleaned your kids up to go to church, or for a visit to their grandparents, and before you could get yourself ready, they got outside and discovered a whole new patch of dirt to play in? That is what the Lord is cautioning Joshua about – that now that he has been cleaned up, don’t go out and get yourself into some “new filth”.

Matthew’s call to us to live the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) is about this same issue. First, become a disciple of Jesus – be a follower who is discovering just who this Jesus is and what he can mean for your life. Second, make a commitment – be baptized - to the Lord. And third, begin studying and working toward a right life in Christ. Cleaning up our act is an ongoing process, one that John Wesley referred to as Sanctification. From the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior, until the moment we draw our last breath, we will have a constant battle with sin.

“If you walk in my ways and keep my commandments”, then you will have a place with me.

But how do we prepare to walk in the way of Jesus? How do we strive to keep his commandments? It isn’t all that easy, is it?

A couple of months ago, I was in a prayer meeting that was focused on revival in our community, and a longtime friend began praying the story of Lazarus. (John 11:1-44) Remember the story? Lazarus had taken sick, he died, and was buried, and four days later, Jesus showed up at his tomb. He orders that the tomb be opened, and he calls to his dead friend “Lazarus, come out!” And much to everyone’s amazement, the man walks out of the tomb and into the light of a new day. But his story doesn’t end there – he was still all wrapped up in his grave clothes – and Jesus orders that they be removed.

This reminder struck me so powerfully, that I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind. And as a matter of fact, I am using it to help me shed my own “filthy rags”. Whenever I notice that an un-Christ-like thought is beginning to enter my mind, or I begin to do something that I suddenly realize isn’t of Christ, I name those thoughts or acts as my “grave clothes”, and ask the Lord to help me shed them. And so far, it has helped me a lot!

And just as Joshua, and just as Lazarus, could have objected to this ultimate re-dressing, so can we. But Lent is a time to begin getting rid those objections, to begin intentionally seeking the Lord’s help to get our lives back in line with his. Beginning this evening, I want to encourage everyone to start naming each and every one of your own sins, as soon as you realize that they are working their way back into your life, as “grave clothes”, and ask the Lord to remove them from your spirit.

Will you join me letting the Lord work to prepare you for a true life in him? Jesus is the Branch of God who has come to re-cloth us in glory! We need his glory, but have no further need for our grave clothes. Let them go.

“Confidence in Faith”

Scripture: Hebrews 10:19-25; 32-36

An African Pastor and an American Pastor were discussing their churches, and in the course of the conversation, the African mentioned that his church, as well as many African churches in general, were experiencing tremendous growth in both faith and numbers. The American was especially impressed, and asked his counterpart “To what do you attribute this incredible growth?”
The African pastor replied. “We are very focused on three aspects of faith: first, we have complete confidence in the truth of Scripture; second, we have complete confidence in the teaching of Jesus Christ; and third, we have complete confidence in the power of Prayer.”
The American pastor, realizing the simple truth of what his new friend had just taught him, humbly rededicated his ministry to proclaiming and teaching these truths to his own congregation.
- A personal experience, as related by Rev. G. Terry Steenburg, former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Owego, NY

Could faith be any simpler, or truer, or more powerful than that?

Read Hebrews 10:19-25

The author of Hebrews gives us quite a bit to consider in these few verses. First, some background on the references to the Temple. The “Most Holy Place”, also known as the Holy of Holies, was where the ark was kept and where it was believed that God resided. It was divided from the next room – the court of the priests – by a woven curtain that had no seams. The only person who was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies was the Chief Priest, and then, only after an extensive ritualistic purification. The curtain was, in fact, a barrier to everyone else, and it kept them, in faith, away from Almighty God. In Matthew’s gospel (27:50-53), we read that at the moment of Christ’s death, this curtain was torn in two, from the top to the bottom.

The book of Hebrews now tells us that by faith in Christ and by the shedding of his blood, all, by faith in Jesus Christ, have been granted access to the Most Holy Place – the very presence of God – and the comparison is made between the curtain and Christ’s Body. There has been a lot of discussion and controversy over how Jesus’ Body could be a barrier, a curtain, for us, but we all have to admit that the Lord Jesus and his teaching was, and has been right up to this day, a stumbling block for many. But for our purposes, let’s simply say that it is by the sacrifice of his own body that the way through the "barrier"", which is, of course, our sin, has now been opened. And Jesus is also seen as the “great priest” who is the access to God for all who come by faith in him. His priesthood, therefore, is far greater than that of humanity, as no one but one could enter God’s presence, and then only with a great deal of fear and trepidation. We have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and by that purification, and that alone, we can enter the presence – the heart – the love of God without any apprehension.

God in Christ has prepared this way to salvation for us, and by his promise, we can trust that it is true. And because we have this assurance from Jesus, we are to encourage each other by coming together for worship, for study, for fellowship, for prayer, and, in general, in many ways to encourage each other in faith expression. This is the focus that the African pastor in our story was referring to - faith in what scripture tells us about God in his three Aspects, faith in the sacrificial way that Jesus has prepared us, and the call to be in constant communication with Almighty God, in the name of Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-22).

Read Hebrews 10:32-36

“Do not throw away your confidence”. Not when you are subjected to insults, oppression, and persecution; not when a Christian friend needs you to support them in their suffering; not when you must stand tall with those who had been imprisoned for their faith; not when you have had your possessions taken by the secular authorities; not ever, because these trials and assets and struggles are of earth, and therefore are only temporary. One day, they will all be replaced with the most marvelous life and gifts and possessions that we could ever imagine. Those who believe in Jesus Christ, those who have surrendered their earthly ways to him, have a wealth and hope and peace that is totally and completely of Christ.

Is it easy to live this kind of faith? Not at first, but the more of yourself that you give, the more of Jesus’ strength and courage you will receive. And as we approach the beginning of Lent, this is the attitude and life that we must adopt. We are to truly live as disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be committed to his covenant mercy, and we are to study and learn and live his commandments (Matthew 28:18-20).

And as we come to him today for healing and restoration, and as we seek Christ’s setting us right again in this life, we must put our entire hope and trust in the power of Jesus. The woman with the hemorrhage believed completely; blind Bartimaeus believed completely; the Canaanite and Samaritan women believed completely; the friends of the paralytic man believed completely; and so have many others throughout the centuries. And by faith in Christ, prayers have been heard and answered.
Come today for healing, in complete faith.

At this point, a healing service was offered, with many folks coming forward for personal healing, as well as that for their friends.

“Lessons from Jonah: God’s Way – Take It or Leave It”

Scripture: Jonah 4

For the past 3 weeks, our brother Jonah has gone through a series of ups and downs, of good news and bad, that most of us would never want to experience. The good news begins with the Lord’s calling him to a mission unlike any in all of history, but the bad news is that Jonah is totally opposed to it, so he tries to run away from Yahweh’s will. The good news is that God is ahead of him at every step of the way. The bad news is that instead of escaping, he runs into a storm at sea that threatens to kill him and all of his ship mates. The good news is that before the ship is destroyed, the crew discovers that it is Jonah who has brought about this calamity, and the next bad news is that they eventually throw him overboard in an attempt to appease God. The good news is that he doesn’t drown, which leads us to the next bad news - he is swallowed up by the largest fish in all of history. But good news prevails once again, and three days’ later, our prophet is deposited on dry land, right in the middle of a pile of “bad news”! This allows him to go to Nineveh and complete the mission that God had given him in the first place, and whether this is good news or bad depends on whether you are the people of Nineveh or Jonah.
Tragedy is avoided, and the entire city experiences God’s forgiveness, much to Jonah’s chagrin!

Now that is far more “good news and bad” than any of us have ever had to go through!

Read Jonah 4:1-3

Jonah isn’t just displeased with God, he is infuriated! A closer and more literal translation of these words of anger could be “It was evil to Jonah, and it burned to him.” He reminds God of what he had predicted before he ever left home, setting his own understanding above that of God. He understands all the attributes of Yahweh – those of graciousness and compassion, that he is slow to anger and filled with love, that God would much rather bless a people, instead of sending disaster on them – but he doesn’t like them being used on such a despicable people.
And he hates this about God. How dare he be such a forgiving God, especially toward people who Jonah detests? “Evil” is probably the very best word to describe Jonah’s heart at this time. He even prefers death over having to remember that he has just brought these brutal people to the heart of God!
He couldn’t escape from God, he wasn’t allowed to drown in the sea, he didn’t die in the stomach of the fish, he wasn’t killed by the people of Nineveh, so now he looks to the Lord to end his miserable life! This prophet of the Most High God decides that the Lord’s mercy would be put to much better use if applied to his murder instead of than Nineveh’s forgiveness.

Jonah would prefer that this city and all its people be destroyed instead of experiencing God’s gracious mercy, and he would prefer that his life be taken from him instead of being reminded of the extent of God’s love for all people. He not only wants to deprive the Ninevites of God’s grace, he refuses to accept it for his own life. How arrogant, how egocentric, how conceited can one person be?

Read Jonah 4:4-8

Isn’t it interesting that the Lord has very little to say regarding Jonah’s outburst? He doesn’t bring up the condemning attitude, or the attempted flight from his will, or his desire to die. Yahweh simply asks the prophet if he has “any right to be angry”. We might even read this as “Do you enjoy the all-consuming fire that’s burning within you?” God doesn’t condemn Jonah, he doesn’t even chastise him for his hatred toward Nineveh and the grace that was shown to them. Jonah is simply invited to reflect on the reasons behind his anger.

Have you ever been angry at God? What did he do, or didn’t do, that went against your desires? If we are honest with ourselves, every one of us should confess that we have been there at some point in our lives. It is never easy to follow God’s will and his ways, and we will never understand him! And when we attempt to justify God in a human context, it never seems to fit – it can’t fit! Isaiah knew this, and in chapter 55:8-9 we read of God’s word on the matter. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Jonah was under the impression that Yahweh should be operating under the same assumptions that he was – that Nineveh was evil and should be destroyed. Period. What Jonah forgot was that our God is a God of forgiveness and salvation and second chances, not a God of destruction and condemnation. John 3:17 – “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” It’s far easier to say “Lord, just wipe evil and all its followers off the face of the earth.” than it is to say “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:32-34)
Jonah’s vine, then, shows us the power of God’s will; the worm shows us the power of God’s will; even the blazing sun responds to God’s will. But Jonah? He prefers to die than to live within that inexplicable will.

Which of these approaches do we prefer?

Read Jonah 4:9-11

Jonah was angry at God. He was angry at the worm. He was angry at the sun. And I truly believe that he was angry at himself. But the Lord cares about the vine, and the worm, and the sun, and the people of Nineveh, and Jonah. Jesus would preach about the Lilies of the field and the birds of the air, and would tell us that as much as God cares for them, and gives them all of their beauty, and provides for all their needs, he cares even more for us. (Matthew 6:25-34) And as much as he cared for Jonah and the people of Israel, he cared for the people of Nineveh just as much.


Lent is nearly here, and the lessons of Jonah are certainly worth applying to our own lives during this time. The Lord calls each of us to be his messengers to the lost and hopeless of this world, and as much as we might think that they don’t deserve to know God’s gracious nature, we must also remember that we don’t either. And no matter how far we run, or how fast we run, or how convoluted a path we take, or how hard we try to hide, the Lord will patiently and lovingly guide us back into his way, even if we don’t like the process. Why does humanity think that they know more than God does? Why do we think that God should only care about us? Why do we think that God’s mercy should be regulated by our will instead of his?

Lent is an opportunity for each of us to examine our lives and our hearts. Our Christian walk is anything but easy, and it requires constant vigilance to ensure that we haven’t veered away from Christ’s path. So during the next few weeks, I want to challenge you to question the life that you are living. Ask yourself:

Does my life reflect the grace and mercy that is in Christ?
Am I living a life that glorifies my Lord Jesus, or am I trying to elevate my own prestige and position?
Do I have a growing relationship with Almighty God, or am I satisfied with the status quo?
Do I constantly strive to draw closer to Jesus, or am I keeping him at arm’s length?

I want you to read, several times if possible, the Gospel of John, then the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke during these weeks leading up to Easter. Set a goal of 5 to 6 chapters each day as your devotional time, and try to see yourself in each story, each parable, each teaching moment. And when you do, ask yourself “Where am I, who am I, in these verses?” You may not be comfortable with the answer, but if you answer honestly, and then work to set your relationship with God in the right perspective, I believe that you will be truly blessed.

Lent is a time of preparation. Don’t let it pass by without preparing.

“Lessons from Jonah: Forgiven and Employed”

Scripture: Jonah 3

From a Far Side cartoon: A bearded man stands at the front door, dripping wet, in rags. A woman opens the door and says, “For crying out loud, Jonah! Three days late, covered with slime, and smelling like a fish!... And what story do I have to swallow this time?”
- Homiletics OnLine

When we last left our wayward and “slime covered” prophet, the fish that he had just spent 3 long days in had just deposited him on dry land in a most abrupt and undignified way! In Jonah’s prayer, he had proclaimed that “What I have vowed I will make good.” But nowhere do we see him vowing anything to God, except that there was no way he was going to Nineveh! But he did readily admit that if he continued to cling to his “worthless idols” of fear and hatred, he would certainly forfeit God’s grace.
By this, I think, we can understand that Jonah’s vow was that he would renounce his hatred for the people of Nineveh, and would carry the Lord’s message to them. And this will be born out when we begin our text for today.

But before we begin, we need to consider just what it was that changed Jonah’s mind? Was it his fear that the stomach contents of the fish would be his last companion in this life? Or was it the realization that in God’s omnipotence – his overwhelming power and authority – that there was no way he was getting out of this mission? We aren’t told of the exact reason, and I’m not sure that there was any joy in his decision, but he agreed to go, none-the-less, and the Lord God Yahweh would accept this as Jonah’s confession and acceptance of the call on his life.

Read Jonah 3:1-5

The call to serve is given a second time, and Jonah obeys. Do you remember the original words of the call? “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” (Jonah 1:1) He was to bring the sinful nature of the people to light and to express God’s displeasure in the things they were doing, but Jonah’s message, at least as it is recorded, is different. He simply says that in 40 days, the city will be overthrown – no mention of why, no mention of who will do it, no mention of how they can avoid this fate! Jonah, if he was truly faithful to the Lord’s intended message for Nineveh, would have given them a little more information to work with.
But regardless of what was actually said, the people, much to Jonah’s chagrin, began to respond. We have to remember that this people were violent, brutal, cruel, and feared by every nation in the region. And yet, Yahweh’s message cut them to the quick. If it had been an invading army of overwhelming odds, they would have stood firm and resisted. If it had been an internal insurrection, it would have been put down without mercy. But when one, minor, unwilling prophet of Almighty God tells them that destruction is on its way, everyone – and I mean everyone (!) – fears the message, and begins to mourn over their impending demise. What is there about God that can have such a profound effect on such evil people?

This just goes to show us that when the Lord puts a plan into motion, there is nothing in all of creation that can interrupt it! Not Jonah’s attempt to run away, not the sailors’ attempt to drown him, not even the hateful and evil nature of the Ninevehites. Despite Jonah’s reluctant warning, the people somehow knew that God was serious! And Jonah’s worse fears began to come true. The people were beginning to acknowledge their sinfulness, and the most unexpected mass repentance of all time was about to take shape.

Read Jonah 3:6-10

Even the king takes the news seriously, and joins in with the fasting and mourning. And just in case there was someone who hadn’t begun to fast, he issues a proclamation that everyone – human and animal alike – were to participate. This is an abject and universal fear that had gripped this mighty city, and there was nothing that the people, nor the army, the administrators, the wise men, not even the king, could do about it.

Do we take God’s call on our lives - his message of warning that evil can only bring about destruction, that failure to follow his lead will take us down a perilous path, and that his way will always lead to life eternal – do we take that message as seriously as those people did? The problem is that we have a life that is just too easy! We don’t know war, we don’t know the fullness of oppression, we don’t have the fear that every day we live may be our last. Now don’t take me wrong – I have no desire whatsoever to be immersed in that sort of life, but I also know that our situation is just as serious as that of the people of Nineveh.
So when will we begin to take the word of God at face value? What will it take to convince us that the message of Jesus Christ is an offer of truth and personal love for us? The king’s decree that was given to the city was that the entire community was to give up their “evil ways and their violence.” And this cruel ruler of this most evil people in all the earth believed that if they all did this, that Jonah’s God just might relent – MIGHT relent – from his dire warning, and might show compassion on the city.
What faith! And we aren’t told if the king had ever even heard of the power and authority of Jonah’s God! But the kingdom did repent, and they gave up their evil ways, and God’s compassionate nature forgave the entire city.

What has Jesus taught us about forgiveness? There was that time when Peter asked him ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”, and some translations even say “seventy times seven”! (Matthew 18:21-22) Seven would have been the perfect and complete number of times to forgive, but Jesus tells us that our concept of a “perfect” forgiveness is never enough. Forgiveness must be offered as long forgiveness is needed.

Forgiveness is an act of God's grace, says Landisville pastor Sam Thomas. You don't forgive and forget; you forgive again and again and again.
-Valerie Weaver-Zercher, God's Crime Bill, www.christianitytoday.com.

And Susan Pendleton Jones writes:
We are pleased with the idea of a forgiving God, but not if it would require us to change our lives. Forgiveness becomes something we claim but fail to proclaim in our living. We too often sound like George Eliot's description in Adam Bede (the first novel published under the “Eliot” pen-name): We hand folks over to God's mercy, and show none ourselves.
-Susan Pendleton Jones, Forgiven and Forgiving, Christian Century, August 25-September 1, 1999, 801.

Jonah had been called to be the instrument of Nineveh’s repentance and of God’s forgiveness, and it wasn’t a comfortable task for him. And yet he did it. The Lord forgave his reluctance to serve him, and then used him in a powerful and unprecedented way.
And God will forgive you, too, when you repent of your reluctance to answer the call he places on your life! And then he will use you to carry his forgiveness to those who you know, without a doubt, do not deserve it.
Are you prepared to be the Lord’s instrument in faith?