Jonah

Next week we will begin a short series on Jonah. I will not be doing the class but my friend Aaron will step into my place. We need to understand two things about Jonah.
First, though Jonah is about evangelism it is not about the fear of evangelism but the idolatry of making our nation or our family or our church or whatever the reason why we do not want to do evangelism.
Second, we need to notice that key verse in Jonah and maybe in all scripture is Jonah 2:9, "Salvation is of the Lord."
Two things to keep in mind while we study Jonah together.
And don't forget the fish, he only makes a cameo appearance, he is not central to the story.

Remembering

Yesterday was Remembrance Day in Canada and we Canadians are so grateful for what our military has done for our freedom.
However, I would like to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our faith. There are more people dying as martyrs than are dying as soldiers. We need to remember them. I am asking that anyone who reads this will take a day next week to pray and fast for the persecuted church and in particular the church in North Korea.

Why Fast?

It is interesting, at least to me, that Jesus' teaching on fasting follows His teaching on prayer. We do not fast so that God will answer our prayers. So then, why do we fast? First, according to Matthew 6:18 we fast for the pleasure of the Father. We fast for the Father, not others. Second we fast for the good of our souls. This verse also says that our Father will reward us.

When you fast

Next Sunday we are going to look at the teaching of Jesus in the sermon on the mount about fasting. Jesus says, "When you fast" not "If you fast". Fasting is not popular among Christians. Some say it smacks of legalism but they don't understand fasting. What is your understanding of fasting? Is it for Christians today?

Fathers and Temptation

Sometimes you read about fathers who have involved their children in their sin. I don't know how you feel but it should enrage us. How can a person of trust do this to an innocent child?
Does our heavenly Father do that to us? Remember that if an earthly father is good how much better is the heavenly Father. He may test us but He never leads us into temptation. So what does it mean when the Lord says in the prayer, "Lead us not into temptation."? The word means test. But we must remember that what God gives to us as a trial or a test is almost always used by Satan as a temptation.

Yield not to temptation

Growing up we used to sing this hymn. (I have mixed feelings about not singing it today):

Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin;
Each vict’ry will help you some other to win;
Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue;
Look ever to Jesus, He’ll carry you through.

Refrain:
Ask the Savior to help you,
Comfort, strengthen, and keep you;
He is willing to aid you,
He will carry you through.

Shun evil companions, bad language disdain,
God’s name hold in rev’rence, nor take it in vain;
Be thoughtful and earnest, kindhearted and true;
Look ever to Jesus, He’ll carry you through.

To him that o’ercometh, God giveth a crown,
Through faith we will conquer, though often cast down;
He who is our Savior, our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus, He’ll carry you through.

My first thought is that the second line of the first verse, "Each vict’ry will help you some other to win" is not true. That may be true if you are trying to beat a habit like biting your nails but it is not true about temptation.

Second, though the hymn writer doesn't say this there is the implication that we can overcome temptation in our own strength. He does not say this but that is what I believed that it said when we used to sing it. In fairness to the hymn writer he does tell us that it is Jesus who will carry it through.

Do I miss the hymn?

Temptations and Trials

When we pray the Lord's prayer we may wonder why it says that we should pray "Lead us not into temptation." We know that God does not tempt anyone but He does test us. However, trials have an element of temptation in them. When Abraham was tested he could have succumbed to the temptation to question God's goodness and not obeyed. That element is always present in any test. Does that mean that God is tempting us? No! But He is testing us.
So how did Abraham obey? Was it because he was strong? No! He obeyed because he was weak and he relied upon his strong God. We can overcome temptation when trials come by knowing that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. He has made a way of escape. Trust Him.