The three-day experience in the belly of the big fish became a type of the death and resurrection of Christ (Jon. 1:17-2:10; Matt. 12:40). God provided and directed the great fish. Although there are accounts of people who survived at sea after having been swallowed by a whale, we must remember that God provided this … Continue reading –>
Go to Nineveh! was God’s command to Jonah. In the Old Testament the usual appeal to the nations was come to Zion. God’s original plan was for Israel to live their religion, making the nation so attractive that other nations would come to them for guidance(Isa. 56:7). Jonah, as a forerunner of the disciples in … Continue reading –>
Read 2 Kings 14:25. What does this tell us about Jonah? In what kind of light is he presented? Outside the book of Jonah, the prophet is mentioned in one other Old Testament passage, 2 Kings 14:25. Here he is honored as a prophet that predicted Israel’s recapture of territory taken by Syria. Jonah was … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Jonah 1-4, 2 Kings 14:25, Isa. 56:7, Isa. 44:8, Matt. 12:40, Rev. 14:6-12. Memory Text: I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right (Acts 10:34-35 NIV). The Jonah saga is the … Continue reading –>
The Philippines – by Nathalie Villanueva The Villanueva family were devoted to one another and their church. Napoleon, the father, often worked far from home. After a while, a pattern of late-night socializing with co-workers began. He began spending more of his paycheck and sending less money home. Lolita, his wife, grew concerned by the … Continue reading –>
Centuries after Naaman returned to his Syrian home, healed in body and converted in spirit, his wonderful faith was referred to and commended by the Saviour as an object lesson for all who claim to serve God. Many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet, the Saviour declared; and none of … Continue reading –>
The proof is in the pudding. That’s a common saying that has morphed into meaning you must actually try the food in order to know if it’s good or not. This week as we talk about The Unlikely Missionary, we will focus our attention on the proof of the pudding. This quarter we have the … Continue reading –>
Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant (2 Kings 5:15 NIV). In what way do these words help reveal the experience of salvation? See Rev. 14:12; 1 John 5:2-3; Rom. 6:1. It would have been easy for Naaman to return … Continue reading –>
The late evangelist Ron Halverson told a story of him knocking on a door one night in Harlem, New York. A young woman answered the door. She had grown up a pastor’s daughter, but had become a prostitute. The woman looked at the Bible in Halverson’s hand and said, “I’m not interested!” Quick-witted Halverson responded as she … Continue reading –>
Read 2 Kings 5:11-14. What does this account teach us about Naaman and some of the lessons he had to learn? What can we take from this for ourselves as well? Had the prophet Elisha personally met his prominent guest Naaman and employed exorcising gestures accompanied by magic formulas and other rituals so common in … Continue reading –>
Key Thought : God doesn’t always use the faithful and dedicated church members to witness for Him. He has used proud and boastful men and cross-cultural witnessing as well in presenting the plan of salvation. [Lesson plan for The Unlikely Missionary July 13, 2015] 1. Have a volunteer read 2 Kings 5:1-7. a. Ask class … Continue reading –>
The ministry of the prophet Elisha in the ninth century B.C. comes to us in a series of 18 episodes, extending over more than fifty years. His ministry was conducted mostly as the head of the school of the prophets and was largely public. It included displays of signs and wonders at both the personal … Continue reading –>
