Jonah - Bounce Back! \o/

*JONAH 2*

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord His God from the belly of the fish, saying,

“I called out to the Lord,
out of my distress,

    and He answered me;

out of the belly of Sheol I cried,

    and You heard my voice.

For You cast me into the deep,

    into the heart of the seas,

    and the flood surrounded me;

all your waves and Your billows

    passed over me.

Then I said, ‘I am driven away

    from Your sight;

yet I shall again look

    upon Your holy temple.’

The waters closed in over me to take my life;

    the deep surrounded me;

weeds were wrapped about my head

 at the roots of the mountains.

I went down to the land

whose bars closed upon me forever;

yet You brought up my life from the pit,

    O Lord my God.

When my life was fainting away,

    I remembered the Lord,

and my prayer came to You,

    into Your holy temple.

Those who pay regard to vain idols

forsake their hope of steadfast love.

But I with the voice of thanksgiving

    will sacrifice to you;

what I have vowed I will pay.

    Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Introduction: I came home last Friday coz my sister asked me to babysit while they were out in Fresno scouting it out in preparation for their big move in June (I'll catch you up later). Saturday night my lil sis, my mum and I did a movie marathon (watched 3 movies!! which I'll blog about in a bit) so when it came to Sunday morning I didn't feel like going to church in the morning - well for that reason (sleepiness) and also coz I'm always wanting more than that... more than what it has become -♥-> (post: What is the Church?) But I'm glad I went... We were late but we got to come in for the last worship song before the pastor came up ~"All my Fountains"~ and it totally spoke to my soul (take a listen in that link). It was my first time hearing it but music has a way of penetrating straight into the heart by passing all other barriers and so it always has a powerful impact on me when God uses it to speak to me ~ so yeah that song just put me in a state of praise-- and in that state nothing else mattered - it didn't matter how I came in, what I did in the past, it immediately set my gaze to the One who sits on the throne, my Maker, Father, Redeemer, Hope and Joy. So yeah it's always a good thing to gather and worship God, next was the sermon...

 "How to Bounce Back After Rock Bottom"

So I guess that church (Calvary Chapel Murrieta) had been going through the Book of Jonah which is pretty short and they were in Chapter 2. I have a relationship with this particular book and it's complicated :P but having it come up again at this service made it clearer - coz I was forced to face it again. So this is how chapter 1 begun: "Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord."

The subtitle above was the title of the sermon. The pastor shared this quote, "Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom."- Gen. George Patton then he gave steps on how to bounce back when you hit rock bottom which he then expounded on in the remainder of the service... wait a minute the only step I wrote down was: Cry Out and the 3 questions to ask ourselves and God which are: 

1. Where am I? So in chapter 1 Jonah fled from God on a ship then God sent a storm after him, Jonah knew that he was the cause of the storm so he told the men to throw him overboard (they were praying to their gods and nothing was working which is when Jonah 'came out'). So yeah when he was thrown into the stormy sea he thought that he was going to die but he found himself in the belly of a great fish.
2. How did I get here? I kinda explained that in the previous point but why was he on that ship in the first place? Oh yeah he was running away from God. But he had to realize that God brought him to the belly of that fish not to destroy him but actually to help him. Sometimes we need to hit rock bottom so that we can look up to the source of our help, God. So that's why God let's some stuff like this happen, to humble us and to equip us with His strength so all the glory goes to Him. 
3. What's my next move? Jonah decides to turn to God in prayer -check it out in chapter 2 above. By the end of the prayer Jonah is ready to sacrifice His will for God's will. Cool that was the end of the sermon- well that's all my notes but how does all that apply to me and to us?

______________________________________________________

He Won't Relent Until We REPENT!

"Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord." (Jonah 3: 1-3)

So after Jonah's crazy experience and God's grace and deliverance, once he got on the dry land he choose to obey God. So here comes my complicated relationship with this book... so after the summer I went back home coz I was done with my major so automatically I was done with UCSB though I clearly knew that I had not done what God told me to do, what my heart was yearning for... So when I went back home I knew in my heart that God was calling me back to SB and indeed He was (post: Last Holiday). When I turned to His Word, I opened to a verse in Jonah and I knew what God was telling me through it: #DestinationSB. I also saw Victor Bell's fb status, something like: "It aint over when you say "I'm done" but when God says "Well done."

To be honest, I wish that God would just give up on me coz I've failed so many times... for Jonah he ended up doing God's will the second time around which resulted in the salvation of an entire city (120,000+ people!! Revival!!) and just as important if not more, his own restoration to God's presence- relationship with God- and awakening to God's real identity (LOVE~ fiery, relentless, merciful, unconditional, great! post: GOD is). God's call is irrevocable but yeah we do have the free will to choose how we will respond -- and the consequences of our decision could be devastating!! This morning while lying in bed I turned to Luke which was another serious wake up call from Jesus -I had read Luke 12:28-59 but I'll highlight these verses for now:  “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning... You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more."

I have been restless because each time I go to God He fills me up by refreshing me with His Word but at that point I also need to obey it (share it) and if I don't I'm literally running away from God's presence just like Jonah... the sharing part is what has been hard for me coz of relationship issues (relationship with myself and others... and also just being disorganized. This song says it all: (I sung it with Maria while couch surfing in her room. I hadn't heard it before but it was what I needed to hear) ♫ If you're scared that you don't matter, if your lost and need to be found. If you're looking for a savior, all you gotta do is turn around. No one listens to you anymore, and your heart has broken down. You don't need to move, love has come to you, all you gotta do is turn around. All you gotta do is turn around. ♫

So yeah God has grace for us so we don't need to live with regrets about our past mistakes but when He does convict us and pursue us with His love we need receive his Grace and repent instead of taking His Grace for granted... that's when God gives me stricter warnings like the one I've shared above in the book of Luke.

______________________________________________________________________

CORPORATE APPLICATION: ARISE! PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD!!

JESUS IS COMING REALLY, REALLY, REALLY SOON!!! The Signs are all around us and I've shared some of my visions and other people's as well (and I have a lot more to share coz I'be been silent/rebellious/restless for a little over a year now yet I've seen so much confirmation and some of the visions from the past already took place). We are in a NEW ERA, we have been hearing the groans of creation and it's about to get LOUDER especially in America (huge earthquakes, tsunamis, signs in the heavens....) So Church, it's time for us to WAKE UP!! Our salvation is so much nearer than when we first believed. Many people don't like to hear about judgement coz they don't think God can let such things happen... God tells people to share hard stuff like these not to bring fear but the fear of the LORD which leads to repentance ...but believe it or not we all want to see revival in our land--the masses coming to Christ - but we shall not see such great awakening unless it starts with the church. Look at all the revivals in the past- it begun with repentance and reformation in the church. We need more of God- we need to admit that through fasting, praying and interceeding and He shall come through and show us His glory!! And errrrbody will behold it! :D This message of encouragement and warning is not just for me, not just for church leaders but for the entire body of Christ for both individual and corporate application. We really are living in and going into an exciting time - yes the warning and reality of consequences of our actions, and even the extents that God is willing to take to pursue this nation is real serious and urgent- and it's time for all of us to confess and repent on behalf of ourselves and our nation. I am so full of HOPE though we are living in a time of urgency and distress we have security in the peace of God and we will see His glory descend in a greater way than never before.

So what's the application: Repentance- It's time to give our whole hearts and all that we are to God and His Kingdom :-)

1. Watch and pray- When Jonah was in the belly of the fish for 3 days he prayed and probably was fasting (unless he decided to have sushi lol) and after he repented he went to the city of Ninevah and shared the invitation to repentance and it says the city believed God and caled for a corporate fast- they mourned over their rebellious ways, confessed and repented and God relented from the judgement He was going to bring. And in the New Testament, Jesus kept telling His disciples this in the Gospels when time came for His death and also when He was prophesying about His return. So yeah prayer and intercession is crucial in this hour. Praying for ourselves (talking to God. It's all about relationship and intimacy) and praying with each other, for each other and others is also super-important. We need each other, there's no other way to get through this next season... God is making us One (We are One body of Christ after all) and One with Him -purification which also involves being married to the Lamb) so this involves refining/purification for us to be able to live in Love (Fullness of Love= Fullness of God). So yeah, let's make prayer (individual and corporate prayer) a priority and a habit. Start a prayer meeting, join one, pray all the time, about all things, with and for all people  near and far =)

1. Love Boldy and Sacrificially- So in Acts 1 the reason Jesus told his disciples to wait on Him was because He wanted to baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire so that they could not only proclaim the Kingdom of God with boldness, signs and wonders following, but also that they could live it, live in love --radical love that attracted people daily, and love that took great risks for the sake of the Gospel being spread to all. Love deeply, especially the body of Christ, and especially out of your clique. 
2. USE YOUR TALENTS AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS FOR THE KINGDOM- Do you have a  voice? Can you sing? rap? spoken word? write? dance? act? blog? Use facebook? Tweet? Instapost? And all the other social media stuff? Are you alive? Whatever gifts and talents you may have - yes even natural like the ability to speak or write... you don't even have to be super-creative, just as you are You are important! and God made you the way you are for a reason. And You are also living in this time and place for a reason and now is the season to Arise! We need to die to ourselves and make Jesus famous! Yes now especially because He is coming SOON! also tomorrow isn't promised to anyone and though we have our eternal security in Christ, things in the world are changing and stuff's gonna go down  and yes it will be a life and death situation for many people :'''((((( (Once again this is not a call to freak out but to first of all repent, then interceed for others and spread the Gospel (Truth and Love) to our loved ones and everywhere! For real, start a blog, post videos on youtube and such... It's time to extend worship outside the 4 walls of the church or our rooms. Let us worship the King of Kings boldly and with great joy and expectation! K, let's do this!! It's TIME to SING A NEW SONG! =D

So I've been feeding you posts in the *meantime* as I gathered courage to share what's actually on my heart (which is what God wants me to share as well) but that turned into * MEAN TIME* coz I was straight-out being selfish (thinking about myself- how people will receive what I have to share... but no, really how they'll receive me) so I'm sorry for the selfish procrastination of this act of love, I'm super-sorry to God first and foremost then to y'all. K, let's cross-out the *mean* coz it's *!*TIME*!* #AriseAndShine #LetMeHearYourWARcry!! "Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor" (Isaiah 52:1a)  It's Time to Put On the FULL Armor of God!