SERIOUS ACTION: Silence Isn't Always Golden......SERIOUSLY?!?!?!

But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on  board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.

⁴ But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. ⁵ Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship.
But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold. ⁶ So the captain went down after him. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives.”



¹⁰ The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the Lord. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned. ¹¹ And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?”
¹² “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.” Jonah 1:3-6, 10-12

This week we will be wrestling to our responsiveness or lack thereof to SIN.  And how and why Jesus challenged us in Matthew 18 to SERIOUSLY DEAL WITH OUR SIN.  During today's culture and toxic political climate Christians all over feel the need to SPEAK UP and exercise their RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH, in hopes to make, cause and spur change in the WHITE HOUSE, but what about THERE HOUSE?  Where is it that Satan has come onto your ship (Like Jonah did in direct disobedience to God's call) and intentionally went to sleep while chaos is occurring in your home?  Is it where the television is being worshipped more than the WORD?  Are the kids so brainwashed into believing THEY should have a boyfriend/girlfriend since everyone else does that has you at odds with one another?  Do you spend more time gossipping then spreading the gospel?  Does the American Dream have your pursuit, over the WILL of GOD? 

Jesus told us the gouge out the eye that is causing us to stumble, and cut off the hand/foot that is offending us.  Jonah knew he was the very reason for the anger of God fallen upon that ship and it's shipmates but he did nothing, except later instructed THEM to throw him overboard (not that him being willing to just jump off to save them).  Sin is willing to take you, and anyone else down with it.  Jesus and Jonah both suggested you do something about the SIN (the reason for the storms in your life)....the question is ARE YOU GONNA DO IT?  Sure silence is golden in the movie theatres....but is it really treasured when it comes to dealing WITH YOUR OWN SIN?  If your desire is to spend eternity with the FATHER...then deal with it!  OTHERWISE you have the RIGHT to remain silent regarding your own sins and spend eternity with the father of lies.

Unless your house is perfect....(He who is without sin....) I'd suggest you work on your own SIN (removing the beam out of your own eye), before you call on that of others, and try loving them into righteous living through your example, cause if you do it right they'll ask you....."Why, How is it you can _______________________ when all this is going on.....??????   LGLP