The oldest surviving disciple actually to have been with Jesus sat on a rocky prison island far from everything that was near and dear to him. What must have been going on in John’s mind as he found himself stranded on this desolate island? How did he wind up here, and like this, too? After … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Revelation 1:9-19; Matthew 24:4-8, Matthew 24:23-31; Revelation 14:6-12; Hebrews 11:13-16; Philippians 4:4-6. Memory Text: “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him’” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Have you ever felt that you were in … Continue reading –>
No More Resentment By Terri Saelee Imagine being 7 years old and fleeing for your life in a jungle. This was Jimmy Shwe’s life in the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar. Young Jimmy developed a deep resentment toward the authorities because of his experiences. At one point, lost in the jungle, he thought he would … Continue reading –>
Further Thoughts: “In the charge given him, Jonah had been entrusted with a heavy responsibility; yet He who had bidden him go was able to sustain His servant and grant him success. Had the prophet obeyed unquestioningly, he would have been spared many bitter experiences, and would have been blessed abundantly. Yet in the hour … Continue reading –>
Jonah seems to be more trouble than he is worth. Nineveh was dangerous, but in the story of Jonah the Ninevites don’t seem to be the problem. They understand the message and quickly repent. Jonah, the missionary, seems to be the weak link in this mission story. In this account, God pursues a reluctant prophet … Continue reading –>
Unfortunately, the story of Jonah doesn’t end with chapter 3. Read Jonah 4:1-11. What is Jonah’s problem? What lesson can we learn from his rather faulty character? Jonah 4 begins with Jonah’s anger toward God because his mission outreach was so successful. Jonah is worried about looking foolish. We find God taking the time to talk … Continue reading –>
Compared to any city or town in Israel, Nineveh is a huge city. It is an “exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent” (Jonah 3:3). Read Jonah 3:1-10. What is the response of this wicked place? What lessons can we take from this story for ourselves in our attempts to witness to others? While walking the … Continue reading –>
Jonah’s flight from God was not without problems. His short-lived “rest” was disturbed when God miraculously intervened with the storm. Jonah is saved from a watery grave by God, who orders a fish to save Jonah. However, it is only when Jonah finds himself in a forced three-day rest in the stomach of the big … Continue reading –>
Jonah was an amazingly successful missionary. At the same time, he was also a very reluctant one, at least at first. Whatever Jonah was doing, God’s call interrupted his life in a big way. Instead of taking God’s yoke upon his shoulders and discovering for himself that His yoke is easy and His burden light (Matthew … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Jonah 1:1-4:11, Jeremiah 25:5, Ezekiel 14:6, Revelation 2:5, Luke 9:51-56, Jude 1-25. Memory Text: “And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left — and much livestock?” (Jonah 4:11). One of the most interesting stories … Continue reading –>
