Daily Lesson for Thursday 2nd of November 2023

Jonah’s story is more than amazing. The fact that God could save the Ninevites in spite of the poor witness of Jonah is a stark reminder that our role is merely to be a conduit for God, who alone can convict and convert hearts. It is a reminder that God seeks only willing and humble messengers who will follow His direction.

The call is there. God is looking for willing volunteers. We are to answer that call by submitting to His leadership, listening to hear His voice, and then choosing to obey whatever He tells us.

The story of Jonah also reveals God’s love for people who live where His love is not felt and His voice not heard. Just as God had pity on Nineveh, He has pity on the millions populating the cities today, where buildings replace trees and flowers, and constant noise makes it difficult to be still and listen. Of Nineveh God said, they “do not know their right hand from their left” (see Jonah 4:11, ESV). God needs messengers who are willing to take His message of hope to those overwhelmed with the busyness and ugliness of life.

Isaiah heard a voice saying, “Who will go?” What will your response be?

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/23d-05-here-am-i-send-me/

Daily Lesson for Wednesday 1st of November 2023

“Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm” (Jonah 4:1-11:2, NKJV). What a beautiful prayer on the part of Jonah. Or was it?

Jonah had such a deep hatred for the people God sent him to that he felt it was better that he die than to lose face when the failure of his doomsday preaching against Nineveh was revealed. Jonah wanted Nineveh to be the next Sodom and Gomorrah. He was hoping for God’s judgment on these hated people. When it didn’t happen, his worldview was being shaken to the core, and Jonah would rather die than allow his world to be turned upside down.

For the second time in the story of Jonah, God confronts him, not with a sermon or a saying but with an experience. Worldviews are not formed on demand. Nor do they change because we hear something new or different. Worldviews are often formed and changed based on life experiences and how they are interpreted or explained.

The new experience God gave was to help Jonah recognize his own distorted worldview. God made a plant miraculously grow large enough in one day to offer sufficient shade to protect Jonah from the blazing sun. Jonah was grateful, not for God, who performed the miracle, but for the plant. Rather than seeing this as an unmerited miracle, he saw it as an appropriate and well-deserved blessing that followed his good works. When the plant died, it was a misfortune that caused Jonah to grow angry and insecure in his self-worth, and his thoughts grew suicidal.

The experience is followed by God’s voice of gentle correction, helping Jonah see how foolish it was for him to value a plant more than the many thousands of men, women, and children in Nineveh, as well as their animals.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/23d-05-our-excuses-uncomfortable-confrontations/

Join It Is Written Sabbath School host Eric Flickinger and this week’s featured guest, Amy Whitsett, as they provide additional insights into this week’s Sabbath School lesson, “Excuses to Avoid Mission.”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxaLPDCsUNs?si=WMc67WyqbH8nqwTe&w=560&h=315]

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/5-excuses-to-avoid-mission-it-is-written-discussions-with-the-author/

You can view an in-depth discussion of Excuses to Avoid Mission in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. Click on the image to view:[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00hqoez_CAw?si=zeCBB1bQcZ9iGHrp&w=560&h=315]

With thanks to

Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/5-excuses-to-avoid-mission-hopess-video-discussion/

Daily Lesson for Tuesday 31st of October 2023

Jonah’s experience in the belly of the fish (see Jonah 2:1-10) was a dramatic show of God’s love and mercy, and Jonah’s prayer reveals that he didn’t miss God’s message of love. But just because he had had an incredible encounter with God didn’t mean that his old thought habits or attitudes would easily change, even though he went to Nineveh anyway.

Whatever Jonah’s personal feelings about the Ninevites, he preached what God told him to, and the results were astonishing. The Ninevites were moved to repentance! Yes, Jonah had to go through a lot, to do what he didn’t want to do, but when he did it, God was glorified.

Thus, God’s mission is carried forward on the shoulders of those who are willing to sacrifice, even if reluctantly. Our values must give way to God’s priority for the lost. Like Jonah, we sometimes harbor prejudices that keep us from reaching out to a person or group.

Having to face our prejudices requires humility. Mission also requires time and emotional energy. Investing in others’ lives and truly caring for them can be taxing. In an age when we are stressed keeping up with our own lives and problems, providing emotional support can seem just too exhausting.

And finally, being involved in mission often requires that we change how we feel about and use our money. Whether related to providing care for people, purchasing literature and outreach materials, or paying for services or conveniences to free up time for mission work, there are expenses related to mission. Whatever form it may take, mission work requires sacrifice.

The good news is that in spite of Jonah’s inadequacies, God worked powerfully in bringing the Ninevites to repentance. Sadly, Jonah did not share in the blessing of heaven’s joy.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/23d-05-our-excuses-inconvenience/