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We are reading in Jonah Chapter 2. Now, Jonah is praying to the Lord His God. If you have run away, and if you have fled, that does not stop you praying.

When aboard that ship sailing to Tarshish, Jonah did not pray, but now in the belly of that great fish, Jonah is praying.

He prays phrases from the Psalms. Jonah knew his Bible. Jonah had stored up God’s Word in his heart. The old Word of God kept coming to His mind.

It was the Word of God that reassured Him that he was in God’s hands.

We have the language and prayer of a drowning…  ( Click for more )

Jonah would rather die than go to Nineveh.

Jonah knew that all this happened because of his sin. He knew he had to die.

Jonah has run away from God, having been called by Almighty God, and having been given a work to do.

If the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has called you, and has given you a work to do, never run away.

Jonah is not far into his Mediterranean cruise when a storm arises and the sailors realising who is behind this fierce violent storm, throw Jonah overboard.

Now, the men rowed hard, as they try to reach…  ( Click for more )

As he runs away from Almighty God and as he runs away from his calling, and as he sets out on this Mediterranean cruise, Jonah, the man of God, is asleep. Sin can make you sleep.

Many Christians are asleep to all that is going on around them – politically – economically – morally – spiritually.

What a picture! A rebellious church asleep in the midst of a storm – and you do not know you are asleep, until you wake up!

The church can make decisions and do things when asleep which she would not otherwise make when awake!

…  ( Click for more )

We come to Jonah Chapter 1 and verse 4, where all is well! That is how it looks, but it certainly is not.

I am away to Joppa – no Jerusalem for me – and no Nineveh for me.

I have found a ship and I have paid the fare, and off we sail. We?

God is coming too and he did not expect that.

There were various situations he did not expect, and Jonah is going to experience them over these next weeks.

Jonah is called by God and chosen by God – he is a prophet of God, having received a Word from God – having known something…  ( Click for more )

We come to Jonah Chapter 1 and verse 3, where, having been called by God, and having been given a very real work to do, Jonah arose, and he begins to run away from God – disobedient and reluctant.

He should have gone east – but he goes west.

This is God’s man turning his back on God.

Trouble begins when we do not go and do what God tells us to go and do, and the trouble usually and invariably grows worse and worse and becomes more serious.

Never try to run away from God.

You can run, but you cannot hide.

…  ( Click for more )

Last week I wrote a brief introduction to the book of Jonah. Today we move on, but do read and study the book of Jonah. It has many lessons to teach us about ourselves and about Almighty God, and do remember that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, pointed to Jonah as a sign of His own life and death and time in the grave, before being resurrected.

If you treat the book of Jonah as fiction then the main figure in the book is Jonah – is this why people find it hard?

If you treat the book as fact – as God’s Word – as the actual state of affairs –…  ( Click for more )

Some weeks ago I was making a fresh study of the book of Jonah as it was the basis of the Bible Reading notes which our dear folk use. If you are a Pastor or Bible teacher I do hope you provide Bible reading notes or Study Notes for their daily use. We all need all the help that is available.

The book of Jonah is part of God’s Holy Word, and it is part of God’s truth to us, and it has the same authority as any other book in the Bible.

The book of Jonah has suffered from many jokes over the years, so it has not been taken seriously or studied in depth in…  ( Click for more )

In Luke Chapter 6 at verse 37 Jesus had been speaking quite briefly and simply, but obvious and challengingly about giving. Last week’s piece dealt with that one verse.

You can almost imagine these disciples sitting there listening in blind unbelief, to what Jesus was saying, so right away Jesus tells an appropriate parable giving a relevant picture.

Can you imagine two blind men? One leading the other and they are trying to cross a busy road. That is one dangerous situation and Jesus makes that so clear in verse 39.

What is Jesus really saying? Look! If…  ( Click for more )

In Luke Chapter 6 at verse 38, we have this lovely and challenging parable or picture which many have proved to be so true over the years. It is about giving and it is a rather radical teaching on giving, but it comes from the lips of Jesus so we are on sound and solid ground. If people we disagree with it we can refer them to Jesus, and usually very few take up that invitation.

Love gives. It is possible to give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.

In verse 38, we have this illustration of the farmer bringing his cart from the fields at harvest time.…  ( Click for more )

A few months ago we were approaching a General Election, and many Christian people were turning to the Word of God, and meeting for prayer, as well as attending hustings, and speaking to the various candidates who were putting themselves forward for election to Parliament.

We have been reading in Luke Chapter 6 and studying those qualities and characteristics Jesus described for discipleship in the Kingdom of God. Society’s goals and aims can be quite different.

Over the weeks, in the lead up to the General Election, we heard much about fairness, and a fairer society. …  ( Click for more )

These are strong words from which people may recoil.

A young pastor is taught that a priority responsibility is to pray for those in authority.

Have you ever noticed that it is almost impossible to criticise a person for whom you are praying?

Before a man concerns himself with being an elder, leader or teacher, he is to be known as a man of prayer. He is to stand in the gap and prayerfully intercede for those in Government.

The word ‘intercession’, at that time, in the days of Jesus and Peter and Paul, was used for petitioning a king.

As disciples…  ( Click for more )

“If we can only get another government, a different government, then all will be well.” Not so. It needs more than that – much more than that.

Jesus has been speaking about the Kingdom of God in Luke Chapter 6, and what Jesus says is so very different from today’s ideas of Government. It was quite radical then, and it is equally radical today.

There is no political solution to a moral problem.

Isaiah spoke to the Hebrew people regarding their imprisoning exile in Babylon.

Bringing them back to the Promised Land was comparatively simple. …  ( Click for more )

In Luke Chapter 6 and at verse 20, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is preparing His disciples for service in the Kingdom of God. The following sentences are almost a series of contradictions but disciples soon realise that they are true and real.

Jesus Christ is speaking about the Kingdom of God, and what Jesus teaches can shake our way of thinking.

Follow Me and you will be blessed, but you will be confronted with conflict. You will face hunger - hatred - and rejection. You may feel like just wanting to sit down and cry. Don’t do that. Rather, rejoice - get…  ( Click for more )

We are in Luke Chapter 6. In these early Chapters, Dr Luke writes of how Jesus Christ has been healing people, wrestling with niggling criticisms from the Pharisees and legalists, and calling these twelve men to be disciples.

When you see people, and when you look at people, that can affect what you are going to say.

This passage deals with our relationships - with ourselves - with other people - with God. We go on to read of what is called the Sermon on the Plain and it deals with happiness in yourself, and harmony with others, and holiness before God.

We are…  ( Click for more )

In Luke Chapter 6 and at verse 12, we have the list of those men called by Jesus Christ to be His disciples and Peter is named first. From the outset, it would appear, Jesus has His eye on this man. Jesus saw the potential and realised his energies and abilities, when ultimately channeled in a different direction.

Peter emerges as the leader of that young Church of Jesus Christ and leaders lead for good or ill - well or badly. That meant persecution and imprisonment from the beginning. There is a Cross to carry.

The Father gave these men to Jesus, so that He could…  ( Click for more )

We are reading in Luke Chapter 6 and in verse 11, we learn how the plot thickens. Jesus Christ has healed a man who had a shriveled hand and now that man would be able to use what was previous unusable.

That is one of the reasons why God the Father sent Jesus Christ, His Son, into the world. Jesus Christ came to heal what needed healing, and to restore what was broken, and as Jesus performs this miracle His critics, who are furious at what Jesus did on the Sabbath, are now discussing and conspiring as to what they might do to Jesus.

This is what I find difficult in the…  ( Click for more )

Having looked at three other Biblical matters recently, we return to the Gospel of Luke and to Chapter 6. This passage and topic has caused so much trouble and particularly in Scotland. It is the matter of the Sabbath.

Jesus and His disciples are relaxing, strolling, getting away from the clamoring crowds and pressures, on the Sabbath. The disciples begin to pick some ears of corn, and they are accused by the religious legalists and Christ’s critics of harvesting. There were various legalistic prohibitions at this time, which were real burdens to the people,…  ( Click for more )

Having been asked recently about what Jesus Christ wrote on one occasion, and having been reading and studying and preaching through the book of Daniel, I share this with you before returning to the Gospel of Luke, where we have been for a number of weeks.

Immediately after Daniel explains and interprets the ‘writing on the wall’, Belshazzar, the king, promotes Daniel, making him third highest ruler in the Babylonian kingdom, handing over royal robes and a gold chain.

These gifts are worthless.

What is the point of being third highest ruler in a kingdom…  ( Click for more )

“The writing is on the wall.” We hear that phrase frequently, but few realise its significance. It comes from the book of Daniel Chapter 5.

There was a party going on, and getting out of hand. Belshazzar, the king of the Babylonian Empire, and a thousand guests, were partying in his Babylonian banqueting hall.

They were drinking from the cups which had been brought from the Temple in Jerusalem, thinking they would enjoy a little rebellion, and a game of disobedience.

I am told there can be a thrill regarding being blasphemous!

Have you ever seen things…  ( Click for more )

We hear this word all too frequently. It is a most convenient word, however few realise its true meaning. Radicalisation is the word to which I am referring.

We hear of young men, and women, being ‘radicalised’, and many gloss over its current significance.

Some may even wonder what can be done, if anything at all.

We leave our present studies in the Gospel of Luke, briefly, although we are not leaving Luke’s Gospel because it is in Luke Chapter 3 and at verse 9, that John the Baptist speaks about the axe being laid at the root.

As John prepared…  ( Click for more )

We come now to one of the trick questions with which the Pharisees and teachers of the law confronted Jesus.

In Luke Chapter 5 at verse 33, we see these religious leaders trying to set one group off against another. This is what I find difficult in the Bible – not the miracles – or the challenging teaching of Jesus – but the behaviour of the religious leadership at that time.

You would have thought the religious leaders might have been among His best friends, but they detested and hated Him, and within a short while they sought to kill Him, shaming Him…  ( Click for more )

In Luke Chapter 5 at Verse 27, we read of the calling of Levi. This is Matthew and he is at work collecting taxes, and he is called while doing his everyday work. Matthew would not be expecting anything special to happen.

Is this not one of the wonders of serving Jesus Christ and preaching the Gospel and teaching the Scriptures? We never ever know what is going to happen.

We learn of this as we read the book of Acts and we are taught these lessons in the letters. As we proclaim the Word of God we never know what He is doing.

Now, do remember that these tax collectors…  ( Click for more )

Turn to Luke Chapter 5 and Verse 17. The setting is that scene where Jesus heals the paralysed man.

The religious leaders were spiritually sick, and Jesus so wanted to heal them, but at this point He said and did nothing.

Is it not very difficult at times to remain silent? Do we not find it difficult to pray, and difficult to remain silent at other times?

In these passages in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is healing people - on His way to heal people - or coming from healing people – but Jesus also loved to teach.

When Jesus was teaching on this occasion…  ( Click for more )

In Luke Chapter 5 at verse 12, a man approaches Jesus Christ, covered with leprosy, or full of leprosy. Think of the pain - isolation - ostracism - lumps – twisted, distorted limbs, and lack of physical feeling.

He fell at Jesus feet. How undignified! He is begging Jesus for help. For years he would have become accustomed to begging and having to cry out "Unclean" everywhere he went.

If you are willing you can make me clean. Here is an open fervent sincere desperate request. There are times when we have to come to Jesus Christ in such a manner. …  ( Click for more )