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Jonah 1:1-3 - The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me." 3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. NASU
He knows the people of Gath-hepher and I would say he became comfortable with his lifestyle there. The problem for Jonah comes when God wants him to leave his comfortable surroundings and go to Nineveh. God's Word doesn't always coincide with our Comfort Zone.
So what road, lane, avenue or freeway is enticing you to start down and get further away from God? There is always an avenue that will take you in the wrong direction. I like to watch the FBI shows that are on TV and when they go to arrest someone and he takes off they always shout "we've got a runner". Well, Jonah is a "runner". He is trying to run away from God. Jonah went down to Joppa and then down into the hull of the ship. He would soon find out that it is impossible to run from God when there is something He wants you to accomplish for Him. What is it that God wants you to accomplish?
Jonah knows this storm has come because he is running from God. He even tells them how to make the storm stop. He says to them pick me up and throw me overboard. The men don't want to do that because they are afraid that their god would hold them accountable for this man's blood. They cared more for Jonah than Jonah did for them or the people in Nineveh.
Jonah was a runner and he is soon going to find out you can't out run God. Don't be a runner as in a person who runs away from God. Be the type of runner that runs toward God. You will most likely be amazed at what exciting adventure God has in store for you. Many times you will have to leave your comfort zone. Are you prepared to leave your comfort zone for an exciting adventure with God? Think About These: God is like oxygen. You can't see Him but you need Him to survive. When God puts something on your heart that means it is on His heart also. Faith isn't a feeling. It's a choice to trust God even when the road ahead seems uncertain. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word
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Num. 1-4 - Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the LORD;…The people therefore cried out to Moses, The rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, "Who will give us meat to eat?..."
Num. 11:10-15 - Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each man at the doorway of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly, and Moses was displeased. 11 So Moses said to the LORD, "Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me? 12 "Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, … 13 "Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, 'Give us meat that we may eat!' 14 " I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. 15 " So if You are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once,… Num. 12:1-8 - Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married … 2 and they said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?" And the LORD heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.) 4 Suddenly the LORD said to Moses and Aaron and to Miriam, "You three come out to the tent of meeting." So the three of them came out. 5 Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward, 6 He said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. 7 "Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; 8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?" NASU
The LORD has used Moses to free the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, all of the extremely hard work the Pharaoh had them doing and now they are complaining about their living conditions. THEY ARE FREE! No one is beating them with whips and what are they doing? They are complaining. You start a business and treat your employees well. The news gets out that you are a great company to work for and people now want to work for you. You give some of these people a job. When compared to their old job the working conditions with you are fabulous. Where they were before was pure hell. In six months to a year these same people have now started to complain about you exactly like the Israelites were complaining about Moses who freed them from being SLAVES. You freed them from what they use to call hell and now they are complaining about you.
OT:6035 `anav (aw-nawv'); or [by intermixture with OT:6041] `anayv (aw-nawv'); from OT:6031; depressed (figuratively), in mind (gentle) or circumstances (needy, especially saintly): (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.) Listen, it only makes sense. Everyone is complaining to or about Moses'. The Israelites, Miriam and Aaron are all complaining about him. He is totally exhausted. He can't take it any longer. What does he do? He goes to the LORD and lays out his case. 11 So Moses said to the LORD, "Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me? 12 "Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers'? 13 "Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, 'Give us meat that we may eat!' 14 " I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. 15 " So if You are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once,… I ask you one question does that sound like a "humble person" or a "depressed person"? Depressed people want to die not humble people.
Have you ever wanted God to just give you a sign that you are on the right track? If yes, then you are a leader. Do you know what God did for Moses? He gave Him the sign he needed. You know what the sign was? It was affirmation. When you read Chapter 12 you will notice that God calls for a meeting. He wants Miriam, Aaron and Moses front and center. Notice what God says, "You three come out to the tent of meeting." Miriam and Aaron had been complaining about Moses'. They were saying, we are just as important as Moses is. Hasn't God spoken through us as well? Oh boy, they have crossed the line now. The bottom line is this God calls them out and lets them know that Moses is His Servant and He wants to know why they were not afraid to speak against His Servant.
Moses is given the affirmation from God that will be the fuel that he needs to carry on to the next project God has for him. What do I know about leadership it is a very lonely job and most times it leads one to a state of depression and just when you think you can't go another day God comes to the rescue. When you think you're lonely you really aren't because God is closer than you know. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Luke 10:20 - "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." NASU
Well, they went out like He said and they were actually able to accomplish what He had asked of them. They come back all fired up. I mean they are excited. The exuberance is overflowing from them. They inform Jesus that even the demons have to listen to them when they cast them out in His name.
Jesus says, "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." If you have experienced some great accomplishment(s) in your life it is okay to be happy and excited, but don't forget Jesus said this, if you want to rejoice in something rejoice in this, "that your names are recorded in heaven."
It is easy for us to lose sight of our goal from time to time. So let me encourage you to never lose sight of the fact that if you are a Christian your name is recorded in heaven. This world is not our home we are just passing through. The best news we will ever hear is our name is recorded in heaven. When we think about that truth for 10-15 minutes it seems to make the troubles we face less stressful. In fact, I would say our troubles completely vanish when compared to the "good news" that our names are recorded in Heaven. I would like for you to say this to yourself numerous times today: Your Name, rejoice because your name is recorded in heaven. When I say it I will say it this way: Gary Serago, rejoice because your name is recorded in heaven. Now you say it using your name. Think About These: He who seldom thinks of heaven is not likely to get there. The road to heaven is never overcrowded. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Ps 71:5 - "For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth." NASU
The best way to gain confidence in your abilities is put them into practice. In other words, execute your abilities in the areas you need to increase your confidence. The more you practice or execute your abilities the more your confidence will grow. If you ever have the opportunity to watch a high school or college wrestling team you will see them doing something known as "drilling". When the wrestlers are "drilling" they are doing the same move over and over again to the point that it becomes automatic.
When I became a believer I was a few months away from turning 24 years old and I must admit I didn't immediately have 100% confidence in God in all things. It took me quite a few years to be able to say I have 100% confidence in God in all things.
How will your confidence in God increase? It has been my experience your confidence in God will grow as you walk with Him through your trials of life. Life has a way of putting some enormous pressures on us. Some of these pressures may be financial, health or family and they are so extreme we believe they are going to kill us. It is when we are experiencing these difficult times that our confidence in God has an avenue for growth. Don't detest the trials of life that you experience. Instead, see them as a great opportunity for you to increase your confidence in what God is able to do. To be the best you can be you need confidence in yourself and in God. Think About These: The strength that comes from confidence can be quickly lost in conceit. A good leader inspires men to have confidence in him; a great leader inspires men to have confidence in themselves. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Matt.10:1-4 - Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these…and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him. NASU
Judas was a popular name in the first century. Judas means "he shall be praised." I guess it is fair to say he didn't live up to his name. His last name isn't "Iscariot" as many people seem to think. Iscariot means "man of Kerioth." Therefore, Judas Iscariot was actually Judas the man of Kerioth.
As any athlete can tell you having the right coach is very important. As any coach can tell you having an athlete who will not only listen but they will also apply what is being taught is vitally important. Judas was associating with the right teacher and students so where did he go wrong? He was given the same power and authority over unclean spirits as the other disciples. He was able to heal every kind of disease and sickness the text says. Imagine all the good he could have done. He could have totally eliminated every leper camp he approached because he was given the power to heal every sickness and disease. How many people do you know that have many God given talents, have associated with the right people and yet, they have wasted these talents?
WOW! Why wasn't the perfume sold and the money given to the poor? Those words sound spiritual. How noble of Judas to think of all the poor people in the world. This proves that what a person says doesn't always reveal the contents of their heart. A person's actions will tell you more about them than their words. I am pretty sure we are in contact with people on a daily basis who say one thing and do another.
He could have given the money to Matthew to watch over it since he was accustomed to collecting money, but He didn't. The only way you and I are going to get spiritually stronger is when we face our temptations and conquer them. If you are facing temptations today don't pray that the LORD remove them. Pray that He will strengthen you to overcome them, to defeat and destroy them once and for all. Judas started out traveling on the right road, but some where along the way he took a wrong turn. It doesn't matter how you start it is how you finish. Think About This: A hypocrite never intends to be what he pretends to be. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word |
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