Sometimes bad odors get acclimated to our senses when our body takes over and utilizes "nose blindness." It's our body's way of considering a threatening smell non-threatening, and thus telling our brains to forget it. False teaching creeps in that way, and what happens when false teachings have persisted subtly for generations so much so our spiritual noses have developed its own nose blindness to it?

Sometimes bad odors get acclimated to our senses when our body takes over and utilizes "nose blindness." It's our body's way of considering a threatening smell non-threatening, and thus telling our brains to forget it. False teaching creeps in that way, and what happens when false teachings have persisted subtly for generations so much so our spiritual noses have developed its own nose blindness to it?

The Bible is about Jesus. And despite Jonah's glaring faults, Jesus voiced the ministry of Jonah only positively. That should color our interpretation of the prophet, and point us - as always - back to Jesus.

The Bible is about Jesus. And despite Jonah's glaring faults, Jesus voiced the ministry of Jonah only positively. That should color our interpretation of the prophet, and point us - as always - back to Jesus.

“Punishment? What’s that? You still believe that, Pastor? That there will be a judgment? A day of reckoning?” The people of Nineveh, firstly unaware of Yahweh, believe this man Jonah upon his entrance! We are, of course, materialists. That is, we tend to believe what we subjectively see, what can be detected with our five senses… So maybe it was easier and more in common for these ancient people to believe, interact and worship gods and spirits of all kinds. Perhaps they were more quick to believe Jonah about this God and His threat of punishment.

But IT IS as Jesus called His own hearers out in Israel hundreds of years after Jonah: “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign…"

“You expect us to believe that You, flesh. Blood. Homely. Before our eyes… is all powerful? Has authority? Has bearing on our lives? Prove it!” They demanded a sign

“but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”

“Punishment? What’s that? You still believe that, Pastor? That there will be a judgment? A day of reckoning?” The people of Nineveh, firstly unaware of Yahweh, believe this man Jonah upon his entrance! We are, of course, materialists. That is, we tend to believe what we subjectively see, what can be detected with our five senses… So maybe it was easier and more in common for these ancient people to believe, interact and worship gods and spirits of all kinds. Perhaps they were more quick to believe Jonah about this God and His threat of punishment.

But IT IS as Jesus called His own hearers out in Israel hundreds of years after Jonah: “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign…"

“You expect us to believe that You, flesh. Blood. Homely. Before our eyes… is all powerful? Has authority? Has bearing on our lives? Prove it!” They demanded a sign

“but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”

NWYM Supt. Jim LeShana joined Woodland Friends Church this morning in person to encourage us to be building together! (Audio was not captured first few minutes, look at Woodland Friends Church YouTube Page for this sermon if interested).

NWYM Supt. Jim LeShana joined Woodland Friends Church this morning in person to encourage us to be building together! (Audio was not captured first few minutes, look at Woodland Friends Church YouTube Page for this sermon if interested).

Is disobedience worth it? “Well. I don’t have to answer to God, so.” Yeah, now. And if He isn’t sending a fish after you that isn’t lucky-you. You’re missing out on so much more if He’s not reeling you in anyways. It’s telling God no to adventure. It’s telling God no to something both hard, and so totally worth it when you’re in the center of God’s will, plan and purposes. It’s telling God no to the fullness of joy. Listen: you can be in the most comfortable, lively, vibrant, distracting place ever with a million things at your fingertips, and inside you’ll still hear the screaming about the void in your life. Because you’ve maybe gone down, down, down to Joppa so as to go to Tarshish, instead of choosing Nineveh. And no matter how inviting Tarshish seems or how ominous Nineveh is, God has ways of making Nineveh your joy anyways, right?

Is disobedience worth it? “Well. I don’t have to answer to God, so.” Yeah, now. And if He isn’t sending a fish after you that isn’t lucky-you. You’re missing out on so much more if He’s not reeling you in anyways. It’s telling God no to adventure. It’s telling God no to something both hard, and so totally worth it when you’re in the center of God’s will, plan and purposes. It’s telling God no to the fullness of joy. Listen: you can be in the most comfortable, lively, vibrant, distracting place ever with a million things at your fingertips, and inside you’ll still hear the screaming about the void in your life. Because you’ve maybe gone down, down, down to Joppa so as to go to Tarshish, instead of choosing Nineveh. And no matter how inviting Tarshish seems or how ominous Nineveh is, God has ways of making Nineveh your joy anyways, right?