Wake Up Jonah (Message)

Jonah 3:l0...Message Bible...God saw what they (Ninevah) had done, that they had turned away from their evil lives. He did change his mind about them. What he said he would do to them he didn't do. Judgment was coming but they had repented.

It was like God is saying to us today, “America can be saved and restored...if we will repent and turn back and obey the Lord's call of repentance and return to God!” God is our 'Only Hope' to save America.

Listen to the words of the Lord found in Matthew 24:37...The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah's. Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. They knew nothing...until the flood hit and swept everything away. So, most of the world and sadly the church are now living as was in the time of Noah most just going to church to have a good time, to fellowship, to listen to a good sermon and then just walk away not even knowing how to hear and heed the calls of warning from the Lord.

And, here's the interesting thing. Jonah instead of following the Lord's instruction to go to Ninevah ran in the opposite direction. He boarded a ship to Tarshish heading in totally the wrong direction in total rebellion seeking not to obey the Lord, his God. Due to Jonah's disobedience, judgment came upon the people on that ship. The storm came because God was trying to 'Wake up' His servant. And, just think, the non-believers had to go to the prophet to wake him up to get him to call on his God. Jonah l:6...The captain came to him and said, “What's this? Sleeping! Get up! Pray to your god! Maybe your god will see we're in trouble and rescue us.”

I feel right now a lot of the judgment and shaking that is coming upon America and on the world is because the church is asleep. He is trying to wake us up. A wild storm has formed around our nation. Even the unsaved of this world are calling to the church to wake up and call upon our God just as was in the time of Jonah. Will we have to be thrown into the sea of trials and affliction to wake us up before we also will obey the Lord, our God and rise up and take our place by His side in this hour?

Listen to these words from I Corinthians ll:29-32...If you give not though (or worse, don't care) about the broken body of the Master when you eat and drink, you're running the risk of serious consequences. That's why so many of you even now are listless and sick, and others have gone to an early grave. If we get this straight 'now', we won't have to be straightened out later on. Better to be confronted by the Master now than to face a fiery confrontation later.

There are much easier ways but if we do not listen and rise up and turn around, God will bring even more severe storms upon us or whatever it takes. But, this story of Jonah is another warning to us to awaken from our slumber, repent, and come into the will of God, to come out of Babylon, to repent of our hidden sins, to return to God with our whole hearts, to arise, and obey God's beckoning. If we don't, the Lord will have to shout and so even greater trials will come before us and just like with Jonah's whale swallow us up. We will be made to ride the waves in our great whale of affliction until, at last, we will obey the Lord.

Remember, judgment begins in the House of the Lord.

The Lord has been calling and now from the life of Jonah. What is your decision about your life?

Will we repent of our sin like Ninevah or will we just sit in our complacency and let judgment fall?

Will it take the heathen to wake us up as a still greater storm comes upon the earth? The Lord has been calling and warning. I believe in the next warning that He will have to shout through something even greater then 9/ll. What seemed at that time to be a mass revival was short lived. Speeches were made. Declarations given. But, one word was lacking throughout...Repentance! Without repentance, there is no forgiveness of sin and judgment must fall.

Choose this day whom you will serve...Choose life and live. Rise up now and obey the Lord today.

(Watch, Repent, Prepare, and Be Ready!)

Amen?