Life is full of ups and downs.

To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
brought my life up from the pit. (2:6)

God let him hit rock bottom. God allowed Jonah to get to the point of no return. There was no possible way Jonah could pull himself up out of that pit he had dug himself into. Jonah could not save himself. He could not correct his own mistakes. He could not hope to swim to the surface and somehow rescue himself from drowning. God waited until Jonah knew that God was his only hope.

And Jonah got it.

I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’ (2:9)

How does God view those who purposefully rebel against him? Sometimes he lets the consequences play out as they may. Sometimes the only way someone can truly be saved is when they get to the point of no return. Sometimes God has to wait until the rebellious one has no out, no plan B, no way of saving himself. So when God acts, there is no denying that it was only God. Salvation comes from the Lord and no one else.

Does that mean that God is unloving? Absolutely not! There are times that my sons have to learn some things through their natural consequences. I can tell my son not to touch the hot stove, but the best way for him to learn is to touch it. Once is all it will take. Then I step in to put ice on the burn and comfort my crying child. Love means the freedom to choose.

God never stopped loving Jonah even though Jonah was trying to run away from him. That’s why, to our surprise, Jonah’s prayer in chapter two is a Psalm of praise and thanksgiving, not a prayer of lament.

It’s just like what Paul describes in Romans 7:

     19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
     21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

We are saved not by anything we do, because we will just make a mess of things. We are saved by God and God alone. Just as Jonah was saved by the “great fish,” so we are saved through the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. When death seemed inevitable God rescued us from the bondage of death. We cannot save ourselves. Salvation comes only from God.

Here is a sermon form of my previous blog post and Sunday morning class that I am teaching.

What is the story of Jonah about?

Ask that in a Sunday school or church setting and the automatic answer is “A guy who ran away from God and got swallowed by a whale big fish.” Because we church-goers know the difference between an whale and a big fish. [insert smug-face emoji here]

Seriously. The whole story of Jonah is about a guy who got swallowed by a fish? Really? That’s all we get out of the story?

Do you know how much of the story is devoted to the fish? Three verses. Yes, three. Count them:

17 Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.

10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. (Jonah 1:17; 2:1 & 10)

The same number of verses mention the “leafy plant” God gave Jonah for shade. So should we say that Jonah is about a guy who needed a break from the sun?

The story of Jonah is not about a storm, a fish, a plant, or a worm. It’s not about pagan sailors or wicked Assyrians or a runaway prophet. The story of Jonah is a story about God. God is the main character. God is the plot. God is the twist. God is the climax. God is the resolution. God is the moral. Creation – both human and not human – is the supporting cast.

The story of Jonah is contained in 4 chapters totaling 48 verses. By my own count, God is mentioned approximately 58 times (God, the LORD, you, He, I, etc.). Fifty-eight times in 48 verses!

This is a story about God.

But what do we learn about God? I would say that we don’t learn anything about Him that we haven’t already learned. In fact the story of Jonah is only reaffirming in narrative form what God has already told the nation of Israel all the way back in Exodus:

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7)

God’s own explanation of his character here in Exodus raises certain questions: What does that look like in real life? What if we were to take that to the extreme?  Is there anyone God can’t/won’t forgive? Is his mercy and compassion limited to the children of Israel or does it apply to everyone?

In the story of Jonah we see God forgiving the sinful pagan sailors, the rebellious prophet Jonah, and the wicked citizens of Nineveh.

Who does God love? Who can God forgive? To whom is God faithful? To whom does God show his grace?

We all know the answer to those questions: “Everyone!” But Jonah knew the answer, too. It’s one thing to know the answer. It’s another thing to actually see the answer played out.

The ISIS soldier or the Samaritan’s Purse missionary – who does God love?
The raped woman or the rapist – who does God love?
The bullied or the bully – who does God love?
The one killed or the one who murdered – who does God love?
The preacher or the militant atheist – who does God love?
The nun or the lesbian – who does God love?
Israel or Assyria – who does God love?
Jonah or the pagan sailors – who does God love?

We are more like Jonah than we like to admit. He was a prophet of God. He knew God. He spoke for God. He was God’s servant. But then God called him to do the impossible, the unthinkable, the inconceivable! Jonah was called to take the word of the Lord to the archenemy of Israel.

It’s one thing to minister to the victims. It’s another thing to minister to the perpetrators. It’s one thing to comfort the abused. It’s another thing to comfort the abuser. It’s one thing to instill value in the kid who is bullied. It’s another thing to instill value in the bully.

It’s one thing to “love your neighbor and hate you enemy.” It’s another thing to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Jonah is the only biblical story I know of that ends with a question. It’s a rhetorical question, but one that calls the readers to action. It calls us to a change of heart, a change of understanding. It’s a question that urges us to see the world as God sees it. And if God should not be concerned about the wicked people of Nineveh, if God should not forgive the murderer, if God should not extend mercy to the rapist, if God should not show compassion toward to guilty sinner – then why should I expect him to do those things…with me?

The story of Jonah is about more than a big fish. It’s about a big God with a big love.

Have you ever “met” anyone online or over the phone? Online dating is HUGE right now. There are the familiar sites like Match.com or eHarmony, but new dating sites keep popping up all the time. ChristianMingle targets single Christians across the country. OurTime is geared toward those over 50. All told nearly 40% of single American adults have used an online dating service at one point or another. Of those on dating sites, around 66% have gone on an actual date with someone they met online. The result? About 1 in 4 have met a spouse or long-term partner through online dating. (source: http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/10/21/online-dating-relationships/)

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In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. (Hebrews 1:1-3)

Some have said, and I tend to agree, that the Old Testament is an argument about God – Who is he? What is he like? What is his character and nature? What does he expect of us? What makes him angry? How does he act in history?

They couldn’t know all the answers about God’s character any more than we can know a person we’ve only spoken to on Facebook. The had not fully experienced the presence and person of God, so they had to go on the things they did know.

And then God “moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, MSG). God introduced himself in person through Jesus. No more long-distance relationships. No more one-sided phone conversations. He came in the flesh to put all arguments to rest.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1-3)

John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, is making it very clear. God became flesh and blood. He could be touched, embraced, hugged, and hit. He ate, he drank, he partied, he cried. He was full of compassion and righteous anger. He could be embracing children one minute and flipping over tables the next. He was human to the most human extent.

There were those who were still looking at the old Scriptures to tell Jesus what God is like! But Jesus settles the argument. You want to know what God is like? Look to Jesus.

I believe Jesus’ ministry reached a climax on a mountain top in northern Israel. He took Peter, James, and John with him up the mountain. Then Moses and Elijah appear. This is like the Justice League for these young Jewish men. Moses represents the Law. Elijah represents the prophets. Peter, the loudmouth, speaks up and suggests building “tabernacles” for the three of them. He wants to honor Jesus right along with Elijah and Moses. Peter is probably thinking this would be a big honor for Jesus. He couldn’t be more wrong.

Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. (Mark 9:7-8)

God in this moment is definitively putting an end to the questions. You want to know God? Listen to Jesus. He’s not saying Moses and Elijah don’t have their benefits. But they could only give a partial revelation of God because God could only partially reveal himself to them in verbal form. Now, in Jesus, we see the whole of God’s nature and character.

Jesus himself made a similar claim:

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (John 5:39-40)

We believe in Scripture. We believe in the Bible. We believe that it is the word of God written for us so that we may know something about God. But we are not saved by a book. Scripture does not save us. Our word did not remain ink on a page. Our word took on flesh and blood.

You want to know God? Look to Jesus. You want to know what God is like, how he thinks, what he desires, and what detests him? Listen to Jesus.

The weather recently has been about as predictable as a 13 year old boy the last couple of days. Sunny for a while, then the clouds roll in, rain, thunder, lightning, chaos, panic, wet dogs, followed by sun and humidity the rest of the day.

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Who is my neighbor?

That is the most dangerous question anybody ever asked Jesus. And the answer changed the world.

I checked my social media feeds like a teenage girl on Sunday night and Monday. What would people be saying about Miley Cyrus this year? She did something crazy, something out of the box, something I’ve never seen before.

But the internet was silent. And Christians were silent.

What did she do? Check it out for yourself:

That’s right. Miley won the big award – Video of the Year – and had a homeless teenager named Jesse accept the award on her behalf. His speech was an eye-opening look at the plight of thousands and thousands of runaway and homeless youth across the country and in LA specifically.

Thousands of teenagers are living on the streets for various reasons. Some were kicked out of their homes, some lost their homes, some ran away from home. Whatever the reason, these kids are not going to go anywhere or make anything of their lives without someone to give them a hand up.

There are groups across the country trying to reach and help this particular demographic. Companies like Dry Bones Denver are making a big impact in the lives of street kids and homeless youth. But still thousands of teenagers packed with potential are slipping through the cracks.

Last year at this time the world was talking about Miley Cyrus. The Christian blogosphere nearly broke the internet. I wrote my own post about her infamous duet with Robin Thicke. We were quickly and passionately spouting out judgment and condemnation on Miley and all of youth culture.

This year, the world is silent. And Christians are silent. I have only seen one article shared concerning Miley’s acceptance speech. One. That’s not to say that more have not been written, but Matt Walsh certainly has not touched on it. I’ve not seen a Christianity Today blog about it; nor a Relevant Magazine insiders look into the speech.

The Church is silent, and that silence screams volumes to the world.

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Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1-2)

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? (1 Corinthians 5:12)

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)

There’s a song we sing in church sometimes, an old hymn called “Oh How I Love Jesus.” I grew up singing that song. It has a very simple tune and a very repetitive chorus – easy for a young boy to pick up on.

As I mature, both in years and in my understanding of faith, songs like this begin to bug me. Just take a look at the lyrics:
There is a name I love to hear; I love to sing its worth
It sounds like music in my ear; the sweetest name on earth


It tells me of a Savior’s love who died to set me free
It tells me of his precious blood – the sinner’s perfect plea


It tells of One whose loving heart can feel my deepest woe
Who in each sorrow bears a part that none can bear below


Chorus: Oh, how I love Jesus; Oh, how I love Jesus
Oh, how I love Jesus because he first loved me

Here’s the problem I am beginning to have with this song and others like it. It makes us feel good, but it doesn’t encourage us to do good. There is nothing in this song that would spur me on towards “love and good deeds.” Yes, Jesus came to save you, but he didn’t come to save only you. And he didn’t save you so that you could “go to heaven” some day. He saved you from this corrupt generation so that you could bring heaven here this day.

Yes, we should sing the praises of God our Father, Christ our Savior, and the Spirit our guide. By all means, our God should be glorified in song and praised through music. But as we do this we should also keep in mind these two things: 1) Our singing is to have a horizontal dimension as well as a vertical. In other words we are to “speak to one another” through our songs. We are to “teach and admonish one another” in our music. 2) God is glorified more greatly by a life well lived in service to Him. Our lives should reflect his glory. Others (read: non-believers) are supposed to be so taken aback by how we live that they have no choice but to “glorify [our] Father in heaven.”

I’ve often heard people complain that many modern worship songs sound more like sappy love rock ballads. And I grant you that many contemporary Christian songs played on the radio do have a certain “Jesus is my boyfriend” feel to them. But this is not new to the Christian music scene. “Oh How I Love Jesus” was written in the mid-1800s.

I’m not trying to totally dismiss our beloved hymns, either. I think that some of them simply need a fresh update with more theologically sound lyrics. What if the song went something like this:

There is a name I love to share
With those in deepest need
A name to lift them from despair
And show them grace indeed.


Oh, how I love others
Oh, how I love others
Oh, how I love others
Because Jesus first loved me


We love because He first loved us… And he has given us this command: anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4:19 & 21)

I haven’t written much at all this year. I go through seasons where I need to listen more than I speak and read more than I write. While I haven’t been writing much, I have been reading more than ever. I have never been one to breeze through a novel in a couple of days. I envy those “speed readers.” But at my own pace and leisure, the number of books on my list has grown significantly over the last few years. I’ve already read more books this year than I did over the total course of last year.

Here are the voices to which I’ve been listening. Here are the lives I’ve been living. Here are the conversations into which I have entered.

• The Battle of the Labyrinth, by Rick Riordan
• Bringing Up Boys, by James Dobson
• Ender’s Shadow, by Orson Scott Card
• The Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan
• What’s So Amazing about Grace? by Philip Yancey
• Shadow of the Hegemon, by Orson Scott Card
• The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan
• Twelve Ordinary Men, by John MacArthur
• Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton
• Odd Thomas, by Dean Koontz
• The Son of Neptune, by Rick Riordan
• Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs
• The Giver, by Lois Lowry
• Divergent, by Veronica Roth
• Indescribable, by Lois Giglio and Matt Redman
• The Mark of Athena, by Rick Riordan
• The Irrational Atheist, by Vox Day
• Dad Is Fat, by Jim Gaffigan
• Hollow City, by Ransom Riggs
• Darwin’s Black Box, by Michael Behe
• The Fault in Our Stars, by John Greene
• Shadow Puppets, by Orson Scott Card
• The House of Hades, by Rick Riordan
• Shadow of the Giant, by Orson Scott Card
• Shadows in Flight, by Orson Scott Card
• The Case for the Real Jesus, by Lee Strobel
• The Canon, by Natalie Angier
• Gathering Blue, by Lois Lowry
• Letters from a Skeptic, by Gregory Boyd
• Who Is This Man? by John Ortberg
• Messenger, by Lois Lowry
• Son, by Lois Lowry

He has shown you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

You want to make this world a more just place? Start with those right around you. Put your love into action in your neighborhood, at your workplace, at school, or maybe even perhaps at…church.

What would happen if everyone in your church took seriously the call to act justly?

What if next time you meet with your church, instead of asking “How are you?” you asked “How can I serve you? What do you need help with? How can I help? What can I do?”

Maybe it would begin to look something like this:

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. (Acts 4:32-34)

Lord, 
May we, Your people, act justly from day to day. May our eyes be opened to see the extreme needs of those all around us. May we seek your peace, may we show your love, and may we bring about justice when and where we can. Let us not be content to simply talk about justice or “love with words and speech,” but let us live out our love so fully that there truly will be no needy persons in our church.
Amen