Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Jonah believed in the power
of his own free will, so much so that when the Lord commanded
him to go to Nineveh and preach, he acted according to his corrupt
nature, bought a ticket on a ship going the opposite way to Tarshish.
Jonah was confident in his own ability to circumvent the will
of God. Little did he know that he was
actually traveling in the exact path which the Lord had marked
out for him, nor did he know that the mode of transportation
which would ultimately take him to the city which the Lord had
appointed for him to go. Not long after he paid the fare
to Tarshish and settled in for a comfortable voyage, falling
fast asleep, the Lord sent a tempest which threatened to destroy the
vessel he was riding in. The men in the ship, according
to their superstition, cast Jonah overboard. I am sure that he
was certain that he would drown in those storm-tossed waters.
Yet the Lord had prepared a huge fish and put it in the right
place at the right time to swallow him. His salvation from drowning
was not at all what he pictured, and the horrors that gripped
him in this designed life preserver could not have been anticipated.
Many free will advocates will opine that Jonah could have gone
directly to Nineveh and avoided this trial, yet it was necessary
that he be in that fish, because it was necessary that he might
be used as an illustration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead. For as Jonas was three days and
three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the son of man be three
days and three nights in the heart of the earth. As a child
of God, it was necessary that he be brought to the end of himself,
confessing salvation is of the Lord. Thus the Lord sent Jonah
to Nineveh to preach unto those who dwelt there. We read in Paul's
epistle to the Romans of those whom the Lord will send to bring
the glad tidings of the gospel to those he is predestined to
receive it. For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call
on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they
believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they
hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things. We see this manifested as Paul
and Barnabas were sent to preach to the Gentiles in Antioch. And
when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified
the word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed. Those whom the Lord sends are
sinners just like those to whom they are sent. We also are men
of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should
turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven
and earth and the sea and all things that are therein. Let
none be lifted up with pride. Wherefore let him that thinketh
he standeth take heed lest he fall. And for this reason the
men whom the Lord sends are often ignorant and unlearned men. And
if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing
yet as he ought to know. The Lord sends men to preach
in order to confound some men, as well as to illuminate others.
For we are unto God a sweet saver of Christ in them that are saved,
and in them that perish. To the one we are the saver of
death unto death, and to the other the saver of life unto
life. And who is sufficient for these things? For the preaching
of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto
us which are saved it is the power of God. Those whom God
sends can have but one message. But God forbid that I should
glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the
world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For Christ
also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that
he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but
quickened by the Spirit. For there is one God and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Those whom
the Lord sends must do His bidding. They are not free to do otherwise.
For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of. For
necessity is laid upon me, yea, woe is unto me if I preach not
the gospel. They are not chosen by men for
this task, but rather compelled by the Spirit. No one can prevent
that which God is pleased to ordain to occur. So shall my
word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return
unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall
prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. Have you heard His word? For
a free CD containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email
to forthepoor at windstream.net