Thur 7/19/12 Fish Stories 4

Jonah 1:17 - But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.  


Jonah 2:1 - From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord His God.  2 He said:  "In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me.  From the depths of the grave, I called for help and You listened to my cry. 3 You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me."  4 I said, "I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.  5 The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.  6 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.  7 When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to You, to your holy temple.  8 Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.   9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you.  What I have vowed I will make good.  Salvation comes from the Lord."  (NIV)

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters.  It is indeed Thursday and the day we pray for churches, Vacation Bible Schools, families and also church families. The little one in a coma, Devon Johnson, age 8, spinal meningitis.  Prayers for Barbara, Patsy, Betty Sterling, and Luella.

Praise Report:  We have been working a food drive this week with Red/Cedar and Dr. Lawrence Cox.  Food is coming in, and we should have been done last evening, some storms kept some away, so some more night come in this evening.  All in all, a great time to get food as our shelves were getting low ... GOD IS GOOD.

Special Announcement:  I have told all of you yesterday that we will have a special announcement about our ministry.  It will be separate, marked Special announcement.  Too long for on here.  On to the message.

Fish Stories (Day Four).  As you recall yesterday, we left as Jonah was thrown overboard into the raging sea.  So what happened next?  Let's look at the scriptures ...

Jonah 1:17 - But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

Three days and three nights!  What does that remind you of?  Let me see, Jesus was put on the cross, crucified for our sins and died, and on the third day was risen from the dead.  I want to take a look in the New Testament and see what might be said about this.  Matthew 12:  The Sign of Jonah.

Matthew 12:39 - He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign!  But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  40 - For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."  (NIV)

To understand this even more, please read Matthew 12:39 through 12:45.

Now we know that Jonah was swallowed up by a great or huge fish.  The Bible does not say whale, just a biggie.  So what happened when Jonah was swallowed up?  He prayed, and you can read over the prayer I have typed in.  It sounds to me like Jonah was talking to God (praying), telling God just what he had been through and how bad it was and at the same time was praising God for what was done ... "In my distress I called to the Lord and He answered me."  But the wording is not just praising God but also telling us that God answered him.  "He answered me."  Another example.  "From the depths of the grave I called for help and You listened to my cry."  Sounds like Jonah was reviewing all the things he went through before that big fish swallowed him.  Then it sounds to me like Jonah is telling God that he will make a sacrifice to the Lord.  Now remember Jonah had run from an assignment of God and was trying to hide out.  That is the reason for the storm.  Jonah also said, "What I have vowed, I will make good."  Sounds to me like he is repenting and then knowingly tells all "Salvation comes from the Lord."

How about you, since you were saved, as Jonah was, have you ever drifted and then repented and came back really pleading with the Lord to help you, to save you?  Maybe if I worded it like this, have you ever done a "backslide" or drifted away from God, even trying to hide an then at a low point in your life come back?

Think about those things and come back tomorrow and see what happens next.

Dear Father in Heaven, Thanks again for the messages, thanks for the food pantry, and please hear our prayers and please act on them according to Your will ... in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Now go forth and share your blessings.  Look for the announcement later today, might be this evening.  Love ya, Pastor Dan.