One of the Pastors at my church, finished the last sermon of a summer series on the book of Jonah. He mentioned that it ends abruptly, with God asking Jonah if He should not be concerned about the 120,000 Ninevites and animals in the city. We are left with no idea if Jonah eventually came to God’s POV, or remained angry that God did not destroy the Ninevites, who did not know, nor ever had a chance to know God.
The pastor pointed out that the Scripture is open ended because it is a question that we have examine for ourselves when we encounter our own ‘Ninevites’. Calgary is celebrating ‘Pride Week’ this week. He suggested that perhaps that sinful idea of LGBTQ perhaps took root because Christians in the former ‘Christendom’ have become complacent and take God’s blessings for granted, perhaps replacing faith in Him, with faith in our ‘stuff’ and not sharing the Gospel in a world that so badly needs Jesus.
He also mentioned Muslim terrorists. Generation after generation of them are taught the brutal, evil lies that Mohamed fell for and then taught. Is it any wonder they are so vicious. How many Christians share the Gospel with muhamedans in Canada and the West? Very few, yet God’s bringing hundreds of thousands to Him, through dreams and visions, in Muslim countries. We can choose to be like Jonah and ask God’s Judgement on LGBTQ and mohamedans, etc. or we can look at them through His eyes, ‘people who cannot tell their right hand from their left’, people who NEED to hear the Gospel. It is easy to react as Jonah did, but it is against God’s will.
The Pastor’s words hit home and more than a few congregants seem a little off-put by those words. We have been complacent for generations in the West, focusing on prosperity and keeping Jesus to ourselves. Years ago, when I was fairly new to my faith, I said that I wanted to be a ‘dangerous’ Christian. Instead, I settled for being a ‘comfortable’ Christian, a Laodicean Christian, like much of the church in the West.
As persecution begins in earnest, all who claim Jesus as Lord, WILL have to decide on ‘comfort’ versus Jesus’ will. Do I choose my career, house and family, or do I choose to follow Jesus? I believe that we are only starting to see the ‘great falling away’.
Great thoughts - thanks for sharing. I too fear that the time of great testing is upon the Church. There is a great apostacy underfoot, and there are some on this supposed pro-family forum who react violently at any attempt to defend traditional Christian values.