TEST IS TAKING FROM JONAH 1:1:11, 2:2:10, 4:1-11
MEMORY VERSE: BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND KEEP IT" (LUKE 11:28)
There was once lived a man named Jonah. Jonah was told by God to go the city of Nineveh to preach to the people. But Jonah did not want to go. Jonah disobeyed G.od by not going.
Nineveh was across the desert, but Jonah walked the other way to the sea, where he saw the ship just ready to sail to another land.
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Jonah paid his fee for his journey to another destination that God did not tell him to go.Jonah went to the bottom of the sea to hide thinking that God won't be able to see him.
Jonah should have known that no matter where we are or what we are doing, God sees us. you can not run away from God because God is every where. God knows our thinking even where we are.
Jonah taught he has run far away from God and would not have to go to preach to the wicked people of Nineveh. Jonah taught he was safe and went to sleep.
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The wind began to blow and howl. the sky grew dark.
Big waves dashes against the ship. The sea was like wild,angry beast trying to tear the sheep to pieces.
Darker and darker grew the sky. Harder and harder blew the wind. the people inside the ship was worried and scared. they started offloading their goods into the water to reduce the weight of the ship. But the ship started sinking. The ship creaked and groaned and bounced on the waves. The sailors were terribly afraid , each one of them prayed to their idol, but of course that did not no good.
The ship master found Jonah asleep. He said to Jonah, get up and pray to your God, he cried above the howl of the wind.We are going to drown.
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How how could Jonah pray to his God when he disobeyed God. God can never help any one who is not obedient to him.
Jonah knew that the storm was all his fault. He knew he had disobeyed God and God is angry with him. Jonah told the sailors if they could throw him over board into the sea. The storm would stop.
They don't wanted to throw Jonah over board into the sea, but when the storm increased, they have to throw him into the sea.
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The cold wave covered him as he went down, down into the ocean. The storm stopped and the sea became calm and peaceful. Jonah taught that he will drown inside the ocean. But God is so merciful and created another way for him by making a special big fish to swallow Jonah.
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Three day and three night, Jonah was inside the fish stomach. Jonah started regretting why he did not obeyed God by Going to Nineveh as God said. He prayed and told God he was sorry that God should forgive him. He promised God that he would always obey if God would let him get out of the fish stomach.
God answered his prayer by allowing the fish spit out Jonah out on dry land and he went to Nineveh right away to preach the word of God to the people.
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God does not want us to run away as Jonah did. He want us to obey him when he call on us.
Let us mind Jesus the first time he asks us to do something for him.
When God leads make sure you follow because there is always a punishment for those who disobey God words.