(Dealing With A Jonah Problem)

Jonah 1:1-3 (KJV)

1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and

he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto

Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

4 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship

was like to be broken.

VERY BREIFLY WITH THE HELP OF THE LORD AND THE GUIDIANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE PRAYERS

OF THE SAINTS I WANT TO REASON WITH YOU ON THE THOUGHT

(DEALING WITH A JONAH PROBLEM)

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

THE BOOK OF JONAH IS A AUTOBIGROPHY

WRITTEN BY JONAH ABOUT JONAH

JONAH LIKE MOSES WRITES ABOUT THERE OWN FAULTS

WHICH IS EVIDENCE THAT THERE WRITING WAS DESIGNED FOR GOD`S GLORY AND NOT THERE OWN

AND IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD

WEATHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT WE ALL HAVE A JONAH PROBLEM

FOR WE ALL HAVE SIN AND FELL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD

NOW YOUR JONAH PROBLEM MIGHT BE ONE THING AND MINES MIGHT BE ANOTHER

BUT WE ALL HAVE A JONAH PROBLEM

YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

A JONAH PROBLEM IS A DISOBEDIENCE PROBLEM

BECAUSE WHENEVER WE DISOBEY THE WORD OF GOD WE HAVE A JONAH PROBLEM

BECAUSE WHENEVER GODS WORD

SAYS BRING THE FULL TITHE AND WE PUT BILLS BEFORE THE WAYMAKER

THAT`S A JONAH PROBLEM WHENEVER WE PUT OUR LIKES AND DISLIKES OR OUR OPINIONS BEFORE

THE WILL OF GOD

THAT’S A JONAH PROBLEM

WHEN WE TRY TO AVOID PEOPLE AND DIFFICULT SITUATIONS

INSTEAD OF FACING THEM WITH THE SPIRIT OF LOVE AND LETTING GOD DO FOR US WHAT

WE CAN`T DO FOR OURSELVES

WE HAVE A JONAH PROBLEM

YOU SEE IN ORDER FOR JONAH TO FACE THE NINEVITES

JONAH HAD TO LET GO OF HATE

AND GROW BEYOND HIS PETTINESS AND SMALLNESS

YOU SEE HE HAD TO BECOME A FIXER INSTEAD OF A FIGHTER

HE HAD TO BECOME BOUNTIFUL INSTEAD OF BEING BOUND

HE HAD TO BECOME HOLY INSTEAD OF BEING HIGH

AS WELL HE HAD TO REALIZE THAT HE WAS THE VICTOR INSTEAD OF THE VICTIM

YOU SEE

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

WHEN GOD SAY STOP AND WE SAY GO

WHEN GOD SAY GO AND WE SAY STOP

WHEN GOD SAY MY WILL AND WE SAY MY WISH

YOU GOT A JONAH PROBLEM

AND IT`S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT A JONAH PROBLEM CREATES 3 PROBLEMS

1ST IT CREATE A DISTANT BETWEEN YOU AND GOD

BECAUSE WE HAVE MOVED FROM OBEDIENCE TO BEING DISOBEDIENCE AND TILTED AWAY FROM OUR

ANOINTING

AND BECAUSE WE HAVE TILTED AWAY OUR NIGHTS ARE LONGER

OUR LOVE FOR GOD AND ONE ANOTHER GETS CHILLY

OUR FAITH GETS COLD AND SPIRIT IS FROZEN

AND OUR PRAISE FOR GOD HAS DIED OUT

AND WE BECOME SET IN OUR WAYS AND LIFE BECOMES POINTLESS

YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

GOD WITHOUT MAN IS STILL GOD BUT MAN WITHOUT GOD IS NOTHING

BECAUSE LIFE WITH OUT GOD IS LIKE AND UNSHARPEN PENCIL -

AND THE REASON WHY IS -----LIFE WITHOUT GOD IS JUST POINTLESS

JUST LIKE THERE IS NO HAPPINESS WITHOUT LOVE

NO ANSWERS WITHOUT A QUESTION

NO RAIN WITHOUT A CLOUD

NO STARS WITHOUT NIGHT

THERE IS NO LIFE WITHOUT GOD

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WELL NOT ONLY DID JONAH CREATE A DISTANT HIM AND GOD

BUT THE TEXT REVEALS THAT EVERY STEP THAT JONAH TOOK WAS A DOWNWARD STEP

CAN I BORROW A SKINNY MINUTE AND TELL YOU WHAT I`M TALKING ABOUT

YOU SEE HE WENT DOWN TO JOPPA

THEN HE WENT DOWN TO TO SEAPORT AND PAID HIS FARE

THEN HE WENT DOWN TO THE HABOR WHERE THE SHIP WAS

HE STEP DOWN TO BOARD THE SHIP

AND WHEN HE GOT IN THE SHIP HE WENT DOWN INTO THE HUB OF THE SHIP

AND WHEN THEY THROWED HIM OVERBOARD

HE WENT DOWN INTO THE WATER

THEN THE BIG FISH CARRIED HIM DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA

HE WENT

DOWN—DOWN—DOWN--DOWN---DOWN

AND THAT MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IS WHAT SIN AND DISOBEDIENCE WILL DO

IT WILL CARRY YOU –DOWN—DOWN-DOWN -------DOWN

AND THE REASON WHY JONAH WENT DOWN

IS BECAUSE HE GOT ON THE WRONG SHIP AND WAS HEADED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION

AND DISOBEDIENCE AND SIN IS LIKE

DRIVING A CAR WITH NO G-P-S AND YOU DON`T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING

MAKING ALL THE WRONG TURNS IN THE WRONG LANE GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION

IT TAKE YOU DOWN –DOWN--DOWN--DOWN

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BUT NOT ONLY DOES A JONAH PROBLEM CREATES DISTANT BETWEEN US AND GOD