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A Whale of a Tale Comes To an End

In spite of Jonah’s rotten attitude, the people of Nineveh listened. They’d never heard the message before. They had no idea God loved them and wanted to grant them forgiveness. A great revival broke out, and the entire city—including the government—repented and turned from their wicked ways.

Why were they so quick to believe? Two reasons:

1. The message was simple. The gospel—when preached in pure form—is always simple. It’s easy to understand. Reverend Billy Graham is known for preaching the gospel in a simple and easy-to- understand manner. And that’s why thousands have come to know Jesus over the years through his crusades. The gospel doesn’t need to be “fancied up” or doctored with humor and statistics. If we’ll keep it simple and just share the Word of God, people will respond!

2. The messenger was real. Can you imagine what Jonah must have looked like when he was vomited up on the beach? In the three documented cases of men being swallowed by whales (two by whales and one by a whale-shark), all three men emerged in the same condition: Due to the gastric juices in the stomach, they looked like hairless albinos—pure white with not even an eyelash or eyebrow to be found. Jonah was a living testimony! How could people not believe him?

That’s encouraging, because it proves we don’t have to be perfect to be used by God. Jonah was able to testify, “Hey! I’ve been in the pit of a fish for three days and three nights. Yeah, I’m bleached, but I’m alive! God has been merciful and gracious to me, and He wants to offer grace to you as well.”

You’d think Jonah would have felt privileged to have been used by God is such a mighty way. But instead of rejoicing over what God had done in a wicked city, Jonah was angry at God. We can imagine a conversation something like this:

“See, God! This is exactly why I didn’t want to preach forgiveness to those people. I knew if they repented, You’d forgive them and save them from their sins. And what about the destruction I predicted? Now it’s not gonna happen, because they’ve turned from their wicked ways, and I look like a fool talking about something that didn’t happen!”

Not exactly an attitude of gratitude, huh?

Know It!
Even though Jonah was used to usher in one of the greatest revivals in the world, he’s still known as the reluctant prophet. Determine not to be a reluctant follower of God! You don’t have to come across to your unsaved friends as perfect—only perfectly forgiven. They will listen! Just keep it simple.

Read It!
Jonah 1, 2, 3, 4.

Pray It!
Tell God you want to follow Him wholeheartedly and don’t want to be a reluctant disciple. Ask Him to help you fall so in love with Him that you’ll obey Him immediately.

Saturday, May 24
A Holy Car???

We all know that WWJD stands for “What would Jesus do?” But let’s use our imaginations. It could stand for “We want jelly donuts!” or “What would Jesus drive?”

Hmmm. What would Jesus drive? What kind of car would catch His attention? Several people have speculated, and as you can guess, there are a variety of opinions.

Some believe Jesus would tool around in an old Plymouth, because the Bible says, “God drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden in a Fury.”

But according to Psalm 83, the Almighty clearly owned a Pontiac and a Geo. The passage urges the Lord to “pursue your enemies with your Tempest and terrify them with your Storm.”

Maybe God favors Dodge pickup trucks, because Moses’ followers are warned not to go up a mountain “until the Ram’s horn sounds a lost blast.”

Some scholars insist that Jesus drove a Honda but didn’t like to talk about it. As proof, they cite a verse from the Gospel of John where Christ tells the crowd, “For I did not speak of my own Accord.”

Meanwhile, Moses rode an old British motorcycle, as proved by a Bible passage declaring that “the roar of Moses’ Triumph is heard in the hills.”

Joshua must have driven a Triumph sports car with a hole in its muffler: “Joshua’s Triumph was heard throughout the land.”

And, following their Master’s lead, the apostles pooled in a Honda: “The apostles were in one Accord.”

The real issue, of course, isn’t what kind of motor vehicle Christ would use to get around town, because He has chosen to use an entirely different vehicle. He has chosen you! So think about it: How are you doing at getting Christ where He needs to go? Let’s go through a quick checklist. Are any of these warning lights blinking?

• FUEL. Are you fueled up? Yes, this comes from the Bible. The more time you spend reading it, the more spiritual fuel you’ll have in your tank. It’s silly to risk driving on an empty tank. If you’re going to be a vehicle Jesus uses, make sure your tank is full!

• SPEEDOMETER. Check your speed. Are you moving too slow? Are you recklessly cutting in front of others to get ahead? Christ wants to bring balance and consistency to your life.

• VIEW. Check your windshield. How’s your view? Have you allowed pollution, garbage and things of the world to obstruct your view? Christ wants you to see Him as a “wiper blade” that continually cleans and clears your vision. But you need to do your part; don’t attempt to drive through the trash thinking, It won’t effect me. It will. Every time. Keep your view clean!

• OIL. Are your gears shifting and running smoothly? Only the Holy Spirit can make your relationships run smooth. If you’re having trouble with a specific gear, don’t hesitate to make things right.

Know It!
For you to be the vehicle God uses to transport Christ, you need to be constantly in tune with the Master Mechanic.

Read It!
1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Ephesians 4:31-32; Philippians 4:8.

Pray It!
Tell God you’ve never really thought of yourself as His vehicle, and ask Him to help you keep in tune spiritually.

Killing Her Softly

“Well, I know you’re just as excited as we are that Annette actually came to church with us last Sunday,” Beth began.

“Girls . . . you killed her.”

“What?!?”

“Wait a sec. She wasn’t at school today, but she’s got the flu. She’ll be out three days tops,” Nicole explained.

“Girls, you killed her,” Pastor Steve continued. “You know we’ve been talking about the Ten Commandments in youth group? Next week we’ll be discussing ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill.’ But the three of us need to talk about it before next week.”

“Pastor Steve, you’re coming from a different planet,” Nicole said. “I don’t get what you’re saying at all!”

“Girls . . . there’s more than one way to kill someone. Obviously, you’re thinking of physical murder. But last Sunday morning, you committed spiritual murder toward your friend Annette.”

“No we didn’t,” Beth stated. “She’s one of our best friends. We love Annette!”

“But you’ve already told me that her parents recently split up, she’s questioning everything, and she’s never had any kind of religious faith or been involved in a church,” Pastor Steve said.

“Yeah . . . and that’s why we invited her to church!” Nicole said.

“Like we’ve already told you, she’s been asking questions about what makes us different. And we thought she’d understand everything more clearly if we just brought her to church,” Beth continued.

“Exactly,” Pastor Steve said. “She needed to hear the sermon last Sunday. Girls . . . she really needed to hear the sermon! She’s spiritually hungry. She’s confused. Annette is searching. And last Sunday’s sermon was just what she needed.”

“So I’m glad she was in church!” Beth said.

“Why?” Pastor Steve asked. “You two talked to her and passed notes the entire morning. She never heard the sermon! You committed spiritual murder.”

“Wait a sec—“ Beth began.

“Hold on, Beth,” Nicole said. “Spiritual murder?”

“Spiritual murder,” Pastor Steve continued. “Annette came to church seeking answers, hope, direction. God desperately wants to do a mighty healing work in her heart . . . and He wanted to start the miracle last Sunday. But because you kept her from hearing the sermon . . . because you distracted her from what God was saying through our minister . . . you committed spiritual murder.”

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Beth said.

“Absolutely. ‘That shalt not kill’ isn’t inclusive of physical murder only. Girls, this is serious. You’ve interfered with God’s work.”

“Pastor Steve . . . I had no idea. . . .” Nicole said.

“Me neither. I feel terrible. I just wanted her to have a good time.”

Know It!
God’s commands are serious. Discipline yourself to knowing and obeying Him daily.

Read It!
Matthew 7:15; Matthew 9:12-13; Matthew 13:14; Matthew 19:14.

Pray It!
Ask God to examine your heart and to show you if you’re guilty of breaking this precious commandment.

Surviving the Great Tribulation II

As we take a look at the description of the Tribulation, remember that this isn’t fantasy or someone’s imagination gone wild. It’s not mere speculation. This is absolute truth coming straight from the Word of God. This is the beginning of what the Bible describes as taking place during the Tribulation.

There will be a world-wide war that will be so bloody that in one geographical area, the Jezreal Valley, the blood will flow to the bridles of the horses for 200 miles.

One-third of the population will be killed during this world-wide battle of Armageddon.

One-third of all the fish in the sea will die. One-third of all the ships on the high seas will be destroyed. And every person on the planet . . . every person on the
planet . . . who has taken the mark of the Beast will be covered with great festering boils that will produce enormous pain.

The seven seas of the earth will be turned to blood. Every river and every stream will become as blood. And there will be incredible hurt on this earth from which there will be no relief.

Uncontrollable fire will break out all over the earth and destroy everything in its path. Mighty men—kings, dictators and men of power and great resources—will literally gnaw their tongues in pain and crawl into caves and beg God to kill them.

The Bible tells us there will be so many earthquakes during this time that the islands of the sea will disappear. Can you imagine Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Tahiti, the Solomon Islands absolutely inundated with water?

Buildings will crumble and fall during these earthquakes, and tens of thousands of people will be buried alive. There will be a tremendous cataclysmic, catastrophic shaking going on!

When you read through this description of the end times in the Bible, you can understand why His Holy Word says that in the last days men’s hearts will pale with fear. It will be a time of heart attacks, strokes and suicides.

The Bible tells us the Tribulation will last for exactly 84 months—seven years—and then Christ will set up His kingdom on this earth. During the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation, there will be widespread, worldwide peace and prosperity on the face of the earth. The great difference will be that the anti-Christ will now be in control. This is not the President of the United States, or the United Nations or some other world power as we now understand power. It will be the anti-Christ himself in control of the world’s scene.

Know It!
God isn’t a tease. What He says will happen, will happen! Are you prepared for the last days?

Read It!
Revelation 1-4.

Pray It!
Ask God to give you the assurance you need that you’ll spend eternity with Him.

Surviving the Great Tribulation III

As the anti-Christ controls the world during the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation, he will promote world peace and move us toward a world government, a world economy and a world military.

At some point, prior to the beginning of Tribulation, this powerful world leader (the anti-Christ) will sign a treaty with Israel that promises he and his armies will protect Israel for seven years.

I personally believe the day that treaty goes into effect will be the first day of the Tribulation. If you’re still hanging around, and you understand that there’s a world leader who has signed a seven-year treaty to protect Israel, you need to be very conscious of the day that treaty goes into effect. You can mark it on your calendar; it will be exactly seven years after that day that Jesus Christ will establish His kingdom on this earth.

The treaty will be broken by the anti-Christ himself. He will enter into this agreement with Israel to protect them for seven years, but after three-and-half-years, he’ll break the treaty. And when he breaks that treaty, all hell is going to break lose on this earth including nuclear and chemical warfare.

You may be wondering what kind of world events might take place that would lead up to the timing of this kind of catastrophe? Yet every day you see and hear about peace talks on the news. And there actually WILL come a day when someone is going to enter into an agreement with Israel to protect them. The person who does this will be the anti-Christ.

Even now, the Israelites are weary of the bloodshed, the warfare, the conflict and the terrorism. They’re tired of it all! The stage is set! We can almost imagine a conversation between this world leader and Israel: “Go ahead. Give up some of your land for peace, and I’ll protect you from your enemies.”

And Israel will be so tired of war and bloodshed, they’ll enter into some kind of agreement with this powerful world leader, and this treaty will be signed. They will have actually entered into a treaty with Satan himself. And when that treaty goes into effect, that will be the first day of the Tribulation.

In order to buy or sell anything during the Tribulation, you’ll have to take the mark of the Beast . . . which is the number of man: 666. You’ll have to accept it either on your forehead or on your hand. And if you do take the mart, you’ll be damned. And if you don’t take the mark, you’ll die!

Know It!
God is a King of wrath, but He’s also a King of love, grace and mercy. He wants nothing more than to bring you into a relationship with Him.

Read It!
Revelation 5-8.

Pray It!
Ask God to help you be confident in your relationship with Him and where you’ll spend eternity. Also, ask Him to help you keep from compromising in your walk with Him.

Surviving the Great Tribulation V

Imagine a time in the middle of the night . . . your child has a high fever, and you know the clinic down the street has the medicine to save her life. But in order to get the antibiotics, you’ll have to take the mark. And if you take the mark, you’ll be damned; you’ll be lost forever. You’ll have to make the choice to hold your compulsing baby in your arms while she dies and leaves this world; or you’ll have to choose to damn yourself by taking the mark.

If your friends and your spouse won’t serve God, you serve God! If your parents won’t serve God, you serve God. YOU serve Him! Satan is going to try to destroy everything that even reminds him of God. He’s going to pour out his violence across the world and unleash his hatred on the earth. His mission is to destroy anybody and anything that’s connected to the Lord Jesus Christ.

That’s a pretty strong picture of the end times, but it’s not complete. Know, too, that those who are left will abuse you and your children. They’ll insult you, rape you and dismember you. There will be no mercy!

So here’s the all-important question: If you won’t live for God now, what makes you think you’ll live for God during the Tribulation?

If you can’t say no to the devil today, what makes you think you can resist him during the Tribulation? Perhaps you’re thinking, If I realize we’re in the last days, and right in the middle of the Tribulation, I could hold on and repent. If I know that’s my last chance, I’ll repent and believe.

Check out the sixteenth chapter of Revelation. These people were not repenting. We don’t see them falling on their faces. Instead, they’re shaking their fists in the face of God and blaspheming Him. They’re blaming and accusing Him of allowing these things to happen.

This isn’t going to be a time of repentance; it will be a time of blasphemy and extreme confusion. Because the Holy Spirit will be absent from the world, you won’t know right from wrong then. It’s hard enough now to discern truth from evil. How in the world will you survive the Tribulation?

Know It!
It won’t be impossible to give your life to God during the Tribulation, but it will be extremely difficult . . . and it will cost you your life.

Read It!
Revelation 13-16.

Pray It!
Tell God you want to be sure your life is right with Him. Ask Him to point out anything in your heart that’s out of line with His will.

Surviving the Great Tribulation VII

Even though people will be saved during the Tribulation, it won’t be easy. The churches — as we know them now — will be closed. You won’t have a youth group to plug into. You won’t have a church to teach and challenge you. The churches will be non- existent; all out of business. You’ll no longer be able to subscribe to a Christian magazine, read Christian books or watch Christian videos. There will be no Christian music or Christian bookstores or Christian camps and mission trips.

You won’t know who you can trust, and you’ll be absolutely on your own! So the best strategy you can have to survive the Tribulation is to simply give your ALL to Jesus Christ right now.

If there’s any unconfessed sin in your life, if there’s anything between you and God, get it under the blood of Jesus. What’s that mean? Confess it right now. His blood paid the price for the lowest of sins and for all sins. Take it to Him. Give Him everything you are and everything you ever hope to be. Surrender totally to the authority of Jesus Christ. Let Him have absolute control of every area of your life.

The Tribulation is seven years. The Great Tribulation is three-and-a-half years. But hell is forever. And the problem with hell is . . . it’s real. It exists. And you spend eternity there—separated from your loving heavenly Father forever—if you reject Him.

Know It!
All around this globe thousands of people are dying for Him right now. We’ve been very fortunate in North America to have not suffered as other Christians have in other countries. But there will come a time when we won’t be able to escape persecution. When is that time? Will the Christians be raptured before the Tribulation begins, or will we have to endure the Tribulation? I’m not completely sure. But it would be easy to become sidetracked with those kinds of questions. That’s not the purpose of these past few devotional pages. There really is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. Are you ready to meet God? Are you ready to die for Him? If not, go face to face with Him right now.

Read It!
Revelation 18, 19.

Pray It!
Ask God to show you how to share your faith more effectively so that those around you may know Him in a personal way.

Are You Serious?

In October of 2000, a ranger for the Yellowstone National Park noticed a crowd of people, cars and trucks gathered closely together to view a nearby bear. As he approached the crowd, he focused his attention on a woman and her little boy. He noticed she was smearing something all over the boy’s face.

When the ranger approached her, he asked what she was doing. She stopped smearing the substance on the boy’s face momentarily to answer the ranger’s question. “I’m putting honey on him.”

The ranger, still confused, asked why she was coating her son’s face with honey.

Her response? “I want to take a photo of the bear licking it off his face!”

Fortunately, the ranger put an end to the woman’s photographic dream and sent them on their way.

It’s easy to read this true story and think, Wow! She was certainly a couple of sandwiches short of a full picnic!

But before you start to think she’s an isolated case of incomplete picnic lunches, read on.

A man who was drunk and out of cash, stopped at a gas station in Ionia, Mich., and demanded the two service station attendants hand over their cash. When they refused, the drunk threatened to call the cops on them! The attendants could see the robber was extremely intoxicated and stood their ground refusing to give him any money. The robber, obviously not thinking clearly, called the police and waited for them to arrive at the gas station.

As the police approached the scene, the drunk complained that the attendants wouldn’t give him cash, and of course, he was immediately arrested!

And you’re thinking, This guy wasn’t shooting with a full roll of film!

We have no trouble agreeing how ridiculous the above true stories are, yet it’s often much harder to admit how ridiculous it is for us to take matters into our own hands instead of allowing God complete control.

Think about it: Any time you try to “fix” something in your own strength, you too, are operating with an incomplete roll of film! God doesn’t ask you to figure it out, make it work, fix it or control it. He asks you to give it up, lay it down, place it in His hands. And even though we probably look stupid at times from His perspective, He loves us so much, He continues to see the good in us. He sees your potential and all you can be in His power.

Know It!
God will never call you stupid or laugh at you for doing something ridiculous. He loves you more than you can imagine, and He wants to make your life better by enabling you to fulfill your greatest potential.

Read It!
Proverbs 10:13-14, 17-25; Proverbs 26:18-20.

Pray It!
Seek God’s forgiveness for trying to work things out on your own. Thank Him for having the answers ahead of time for each trial you’ll encounter.