 Good morning everyone. Welcome to today's session. Today we are going to study on two books from the Old Testament that is the book of Jonah and the book of Micros. Yeah, so even before we go to the start of the session and join in, we can start our session with the word of prayer. Am I audible? Dear God, we thank you, we praise you, we love you. We come into your presence, Lord, as we study on these two books, the book of Jonah and the book of Micros. Lord, you will cover me and you will speak in for me. You will make these two books very simple that we can understand and we can remember. And Lord, I pray that Holy Spirit come move in midst of us, no matter from where we are, Lord, out of this class. You will teach us, you will lead us. Thank you, Father, for doing every word that we can understand and grasp your word that make well as a seed in our hearts. In Jesus' name we pray Amen. So we all know this book of Jonah. It's not something very new. Okay, so I just want to know what is our learning from this book? What do we know from the book of Jonah? Is it the story of Jonah, of the whale, or is it the story of the people of the world? I think the importance of being obedient in God's presence. Yes, thanks. Thanks, John. You went to the point. Yes, it is important to be obedient to God's point. It's more than the story of the people of man away. I think it is the story of this one. We can relate ourselves with Jonah because it's just not Jonah at 70. So let's see, let's go through this book and see how we can relate ourselves with Jonah. I'll just give you a brief background. The name Jonah in Hebrew means dove. So the dove is a symbol of peace. In times of Noah, we see Noah sending out this bird from the ark to signal the end of the flood. And later we see in the book of Lettuce, the doves were used for sacrifice at the temple. And later, even in the book of Isaiah, we see the dove symbolizes the one of Moons. So in the New Testament, we see the doves come. And also we see that when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus during the time of his baptism, we see the Holy Spirit came in form of a dove which descended upon Jesus. And whoever was present, they heard the voice of Father affirming that Jesus was his beloved son. So in the book of Jonah, it's collected as one of the 12 minor prophets of... ... and the book of Jonah as its own right in our Christian Old Testament. Well, Jonah lived during the reign of Jerubo once said, where it tells us the Hebrew prophet named Jonah, who was the son of God, who was sent by God to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh, but tries to escape this divine mission and he runs. Now, can we tell you, why did Jonah run away from this mission? What made him not to go to Nineveh, but go to Daesh? The land that was far. Or God asked him to go to East Iran towards West, totally opposite direction. He didn't want the enemies of Israel to be rescued. Like God is showing kindness if they would repent. So he didn't want that for them to be rescued. Yes, that's right. It's not that Jonah didn't have heart for people, but that he didn't wanted the enemy nation to be rescued. He didn't want. Jonah was okay if God forgives Israel, though he was prophesying to the Israelites, he was all okay for God to forgive Israel. Jonah, being a prophet, he was not ready to... You know, except the fact that God wanted to save Nineveh, because Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria. And Assyrians were against Israel. They always wanted to invade Israel and later on when we studied the book of Micah, we can see how they come and invaded Israel, the northern part of Israel. So here we see like God is asking Jonah to go and tell the people to repent and change so that I can forgive them and save them. But Jonah was not ready to accept that fact. Because throughout when we studied the book of Kings, or even Chronicles, we see throughout the book that God destroyed the enemy's kingdom. You know, gave Israel to go and invade other kingdoms. But you know, never have I seen that God forgave them. God wants to save those people. But this was something very new. And you know, he wants to run away from God, so he could not accept it. He wanted to go in a different direction. But God did not, you know, love that to happen. And even though Jonah turned away and he went to a different direction. Okay. Did God change his decision? Did God change his decision? Yes, ma'am. Did God change his decision? In what way? In what way? God said, okay, because Jonah went to a different place. That's okay. Let the people of Nineveh stay like that. Or did he say, okay, if Jonah was not ready, I will raise another prop, another man of God who can go and do my work. What Jonah didn't do, I can ask somebody else to do in place of Jonah. Did God do it? No, ma'am. God turned Jonah himself only. God wants him to do his purpose. God wanted to change Jonah inside out. God wanted to show that he is God of mercy. We see, there are a few important scriptures here, P verses. Can I request one of us to please turn to Jonah chapter 2 verse 1? Can I request one of you to please read? From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. When I was in trouble, Lord, I prayed to you and you listened to me. From deep in the world of dead, I begged for your help and you answered my prayer. Yes. Okay, can we request one of us to please turn to Jonah chapter 2 verse 6? Jonah chapter 2 verses 6. Jonah chapter 2 verses 6. To the roots of the mountain, I sank down. The earth beneath buried me in forever. But you bought my life up from the pit. Oh Lord, my God. Jonah chapter 2 verse 9. And one of you take Jonah chapter 3 verse 10 and the other take Jonah chapter 4 verse 10 to 11. Jonah chapter 2 verse 9. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have bought, I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord. Salvation comes from the Lord. And in chapter 3 verse 10, what does he say? When God saw that the people had stopped doing evil things, he had pity and did not destroy them as he planned. And Jonah chapter 10 to 11. Jonah chapter 4 verse 10 to 11. But the Lord said, you have been concerned about this wine. Though you did not tend it or make it grow, it sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left. And many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city? Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much. Well, when God sent Jonah to go to Nineveh and he disobeyed God and he went the other side. So after he boarded the ship, what happened? When he boarded the ship, there was a great storm and the storm was so huge. It was not subsiding. The men in the ship tried doing many things. They threw the wheels out to get the boat back. Things didn't go well. So what they did, they put lots to find out what was happening. And the Lord fell on Jonah because they believed in the sloths and it rightly fell on Jonah. Jonah knew what was happening. Jonah was fast asleep and all that. It was a great escape. He thought, okay, this is all that was happening around. Let me just escape. But when people told Jonah what was happening and the Lord fell on him, he agreed. He confessed. He said, I'm running. You know, I'm running from the Creator God, the God of creation, from the Creator God. And he knew within him like that. He didn't want to escape anymore. And what he said is, you just throw me into this water. Why did you throw me into the water? Jonah knew that there will be a body of God that he will save him. He will actually come from the water and he will be rescued and he will be taken to Nineveh. Is there any kind of repentance in that? Oh Lord, I made a mistake. I chose a different question. He said, I'm sorry, forgive me, take my soul and save these people. Did he say something like that? And he said, what happened? Why did Jonah throw me into the water? We all are leaders. You can share your views. It helps us in our class. Was it easy to Jonah to convince the people around him to throw him into the water? I think it was basically Jonah knew that it was because of his sin that this is happening. Yeah, so he was also concerned of the fact that there were other people in the ship who were praying to false gods. Yeah, he knew that God can save. Yes, as Farshish also said, thanks to the people who say it's not very easy and it was not easy for people to throw him into the water. But here we see a description of the clear picture of what was the thought process in Jonah but then he said, maybe I'm the cause and because of me I don't want other people's life to be in stake so Jess put me into the water and it will be an end to the storm. So the people took him and they put him into the water but then the people were scared of the God and when they put him into the water and they saw the storm would stop immediately there was a car in the sea they prayed to the God. Farshish also said, God let not his man's life come to pass for we are innocent. Does it also remind us of something? Does this also remind us of something? Ooprade let his blood do not come upon our hands. We remember a conscious style this way when Jesus went through the time of dry saying when people are saying kill him, kill him he also said he's a innocent man I don't see anything in him to put him to crucify him so he washed his hand and he said, let his blood do not come upon there are some instances where the scholars relate Jonah's incidents with Jesus the time of channel when they put a lot of effort Jonah, sorry, they put a lot of effort on Jonah and they put Jesus clothes as a lot many scholars relate many things to Jesus but Jesus himself related to him well Jonah was thrown into the water God sent him big fish big fish the book of Jonah says big fish but in the book of Matthew it says big whale God sent a whale and it swallowed Jonah in Matthew 1240 it says that he was in the whale's belly for three days and three nights and Jesus also related to him and saying so shall the sun be inside the earth for three days and three days and Jonah woke up in the belly of the fish and now, and now it's time for God which didn't happen when he was in the ship when the storm hit he didn't do anything he was just watching everything that was happening around him but something happened when he was inside the belly of the fish he confessed his disobedience and he told God that he would accomplish the task the Lord had called him to there's a change of heart that which was stubborn I will go opposite direction of what you have told me I will not go to that any land to I cannot take that being safe and here there's a change of heart in the belly of the fish sometimes when it happens to us there's a change of heart during the time of Troy and then when it changed when there was a transformation we see that God had instructed the whale to vomit Jonah exactly on the dry ground of Nenemi for three days and three nights he comes out of the fish and he is even lacking in the land of Nenemi to his amazement and also his disappointment the people of Nenemi heard the message they may not be okay they just won't do what others are going to do they went and told him people don't know what repent and turn over the salvation of the Lord is at hand if you don't repent this is the punishment that will come upon you he kept declaring and this news when everyone listened he did the voice of this prophet all these days when we are studying on the other works of the prophets the major prophets we study we study the minor prophets they all were prophesied the people of Israel and the people of the prophesied they cried Ezekiel demonstrated and we see Hosea he demonstrated in this life and declaring the people of Israel to repent and change so that God can forgive us and save us but the people of Israel you know it didn't show any kind of giving heed to the voice of these prophets they in fact when we are mad people around them they never heeded the voice of what God was saying Jonah thought maybe it would be something like that even the people of Syria would also react in the same way but to his surprise to his appointment we see people listen they heard the voice of this prophet they believed on his word some of the scholars say that when Jonah was the king of the fish and he came to scripture some scholars say that his appearance was different because of the acid that was the belly of the fish and this made people to believe what he was saying yes this is the Lord who was talking to us that we need to repent we need to listen to his word and this people king of that place and along with the king and the people even the cattle repent it they also fasted and prayed seeking God to forgive for their sins and save their land and after Jonah preached to the people he goes he sits on top of the mountain and to watch the Lord destroy the city but then the Lord saw these people repent and ask for forgiveness God did not destroy this city but then God forgave the minute God forgave them Jonah was was not very happy he complained and God wanted to teach him to not being very happy and saving these people like because as he was sitting on the mountain top to watch over it was very hot he was hitting upon him and here got a wild plant to grow within a night over and then give him the shade from the sun in short time and he also sent a worm to open it from that wild from the plant and now again the sun is hitting him and he was very angry he was so sad he just grew his fresh and nice it was getting shade and this worm was hitting upon this plant so sad of this plant he has the heart to feel for the plant which is your soul then God is saying Jonah this plant do not have a soul and you are feeling sad for this plant which just you know sprouted and raised and gave you a shade from the sun from this plant but not for the people who have a soul should die not be merciful toward them I am a God of all I am a God of this earth I am a God of all creation God will be understanding God will be understanding saying that I am God of the Jew and also of the Gentile he is a God of all he is the God of all so yes that is not the scripture does not give us a clear picture that Jonah was able to understand and we were able to accept the decision of God and this is what God is bringing the news to you and me today so what we learn from this book is first sin is a sin because the scripture says the witness of sin is death and one of us read and one of us read that scripture yes it is Romans 623 can I read yes please Romans 623 for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord see the wages of sin is death after that what is not but what is the next slide the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord but the gift of God is eternal life though the wages of sin is death the gift of God is the eternal life so very clearly we see God telling God telling Jonah both Assyrians and Israelite needed a savior to save them we all need a savior to save us so this is what something that we need to learn just not Jonah even we that we need savior because the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is the eternal life and that we get only through the savior so we all need Jesus so when the people from in a way turn from the sin turn to God God's wrath subsided and our sin qualifies the complete destruction but God in his mercy through Jesus Christ he saves us he gives us this eternal life in Christ and we see another part here is no one can flee from God's time no matter how far we can run and Jonah we cannot run away from God's plan we you know God yes there is a call there is a purpose in our life God will accomplish this even the time delays but God will accomplish his purpose just like how God accomplished the purpose in Moses life in David's life the same God says no matter how far you can run but you cannot run away from me can you hide yourself from God David says where can I hide Lord from your presence even if I go to the deep of the earth you're there in the heavens you're there where can I hide there is no way that we can run away Jonah hide we cannot from the presence of God God is everywhere and the scripture says that his eyes runs two and four on this earth seeking his children God knows everyone scripture says even even the head head is numbered without his permission it cannot fall you know so cured God knows about us the very thought he knows the very word even before it would be formed on our mouth he knows so how can we run away from God's run we cannot the third point is looking at the Assyrians we may think you know okay the reason for their sin is death and they need to be destroyed and God cannot forgive them one thing we need to know is God is the God of second chance God has a heart to forgive us it's not that only after the death of Jesus but from from the beginning as a God as a God who wants to redeem his people redeem his children that's the reason Tywin again is raising the offer it's a servant of God to proclaim tell the people not to sin repent so that he can forgive us even in the time of Moses we see God gave the most but in the same way he gave the law he also introduced the sacrifice so that whenever the laws introduced the sin has been measured because God knows that man cannot keep his law we will fall short we need to overcome that how to sacrifice so there was a covering given for our sin they should be a bloodshed so that's the reason he introduced the sacrifice where the animal can be sacrificed for the covering of a sin later but God had a plan of Jesus where once and for all the wages of a sin can be paid through Jesus Christ our Lord but there is a time but till that time he wants to save his people redeem his people protect his children it's mindful of us when the Sama says that God we are the apple of his eye truly we are the apple of his eye and we see that no matter how far we have gone from the salvation God can bring us back if God is concerned about the Assyrians about the genitals how much more will be concerned about us the fourth point we see is don't often get a negative impression from the other people looking at his selfishness but Jesus laid the attribute assigned to the church life plays you know a later role in Jesus' death and resurrection Jesus took the example of this man you see no matter how much we may have denied just like how Peter did when Peter denied Jesus but then Jesus never changed his mind oh Peter you denied me three times so let me change a different concept Jonah you ran away from my plan so let me raise another leader so that you may learn a lesson that you missed the opportunity that came your way God knows as a human he knows our weakness he knows our strength he is a God of understanding even in our selfishness even in our fear weakness whatever we may be God and he raises us to fulfill his God his purpose in our life as we study in this foundation the very first book fulfilling God's purpose in our life he says both of us should cooperate God and we God is always cooperated we need to work our part to cooperate with him so that we can accomplish his or our life we need to be ready we should not run away like Jonah but then we need to be ready because any which way God will fulfill his plan his purpose in our life but then it becomes much easy for both of us when we incorporate so the book of Jonah teaches us so much about the patience of God the perseverance of God the love and care that God has on the nation at the same time on the individual I feel more than the nation God had to talk up with the Jonah to make him understand today you and I are in the same way I don't know about you but me I am in this God comes to my level to teach me the way I can understand he talks to me the way that I can understand he teaches me through simple things around me the way that I could understand God would have to do that isn't it but then he chooses to do that because of the freedom he's given to that we may not comprehend to his wisdom but then he humbles himself to teach us in the way we can understand how amazing God is isn't it the God in the New Testament way I believe in 99 I run behind that one it is so true in Jonah's life and in our life today each of us are young we all have a story to share just like Jonah in different ages maybe we have run away we have gone very far but then God ran behind us restored us back to him and here he is nurturing us every day as you all are the student and I am the student in this class it's the Lord who is our teacher he teaches us as I teach it's not that I know everything from the Bible I'm just learning like you every day as I prepare to teach God teaches me and everywhere I see the heart of God the love the compassion that God has towards his children towards us, towards his people and it questions me am I carrying the same kind of love because we need to reflect God's love are we reflecting in our life are we having the mindset of God in the same way where we can show his love towards people can we change our mind can we change our heart are we hard in the heart and mind just like Jonah like how God can forgive and bless other people when they have wronged are we having a heart like God thinking big even when Jesus was crucified on the cross Jesus said Lord forgive them they do not know what they do and the same reflection we see the same kind of love flow even the first Martha even he looked up to God he is not looking at the people who are stoning him to kill him but he is looking at God and he is smiling with joy and he is saying Lord forgive them for they do not know what they do do we have the heart like them this is what God's love is are we reflecting God's love in our heart are we showcasing that in our life to our people to our family to our brothers around us is a question so the book of Jonah is asking us to carry the heart of God so with this we will move on to the next book we have taken lot of time and we can go on and on talking about the book of Jonah but then we should also go to the book of Micah give me a minute so the book of Micah the name Micah is a short form of Hebrew which means who is like the eternal who is like the eternal it seems to me a reference to his name in Micah 7 18 that he is the author and his name means who is God like you pardoning iniquity the God who forgives us went beyond and the book of Micah is the 6th book of the 12 manner of it and it was written by Micah and the first in this book identifies that he is the author and and he is from this place called Mauritius Gath verse 14 says that he lived in a town called Mauritius Gath and Mauritius Gath in Judah located little about 20 miles southwest of city of Jerusalem and this was very close to where the prophet Isaiah and which may explain the similarities in the prophecies and Micah was known by the name over 100 years later during the time of Jeremiah then certain of the elder of the land rose up and spoke for all the assemblies of people saying Micah also mentioned prophesied the king of Judah and spoke to all the people of Judah and Jeremiah in the book of Jeremiah we read if you see chapter chapter 12 to 15 we see that how people raised to kill Jeremiah prophesied the doom of the Lord to Judah and if they don't repent and there was an outcry and there were other people also supported Jeremiah to kill and they related Micah's message before him and he was prophesying again the doom of the Lord but people and Micah he was prophesying he said guys if y'all don't repent I use the local people of Israel if y'all don't repent if y'all don't change transform and if y'all continue to do this idol worship and if y'all keep drinking and getting involved in the immorality of the sexual sin the day of the Lord as I said with Micah prophesied you know also they didn't yes they listen to him but they will stay and kill him but when Jeremiah prophesied the same thing to the people of Judah they were about to kill Jeremiah but then the other people you know a reminder of the elder reminded how can we kill him when there was another prophet also shared the message in similar way if we have spared him then we should also spare Jeremiah so they related Micah's prophecy and they spared the life of Jeremiah so that he can live so this way they were reasoning out in those days they were comparing and reasoning out so Micah the prophet Micah he prophesied in the 8th century there was 700 he prophesied during the king of Jotun Ahaz king Ezekiah he actually saying you know prophesied on the millennium of Christ he also prophesied on the location of Christ in Jerusalem and the three characteristics that God wants to see in our life and that's what Micah was prophesying to the people saying that there is a justice and when there is a justice there is mercy and hope so he is clearly mentioning that to the people so in chapter 1 we see the judgment is announced against Israel and in chapter 2 to 3 we see Micah announces judgment of the false prophets the rich and the powerful of the sin and the evil ways if they don't repent there is a judgment because the wages of sin is very low and they all like the false prophets and they were encouraged to make the people not elicit the voice of the false prophets and in chapter 4 to 5 we see the millennial reign of Jesus talking about the reign of Jesus Christ the judgment will come upon the enemies of Israel and in chapter 6 we see God causes against Israel impending sorrow and punishment for their sins God causes against Israel and we see impending sorrow and punishment for their sins and in chapter 7 we see future forgiveness upon Israel when they confess and forsake their sins they will be saved they will live in peace although in the book of Micah the prophet says when the peace God's peace is there they will forget about the wars that happen they will not be talking about it in the time of millennia and in chapter 3 verse 8 Micah says fill your strength with the spirit of God to declare how Israel has rebelled it's not very easy for Micah to prophesy people will stone and people will kill him to death but then the spirit of the Lord was upon him and he will strengthen to declare what was happening yes Micah accused them and he warned them about God's judgment upon Israel and at the same time when we are studying yes the prophets asked them to give them the word tell them there is a judgment for your sin but at the same time God is also giving them the message of hope if you repent if you turn away from your sin there is forgiveness there is a message of hope this is the gospel this is the good news and even today we take this good news and share it with others yes we all need a savior just like what Jonah is saying just like what Micah is saying to the people of Israel at the same time are called to be that mouthpiece it's not that we have to be any of the 5 calling 5 ministry that either it's not that we need to be an apostle or a prophet or an evangelist or a pastor or a teacher but then God is saying if you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and you have accepted and you have encountered and you have tasted the goodness of God we are supposed to share this joy share the good news with others so just like Jonah just like Micah God is asking us can you be my mouthpiece as the scripture says the harvest is huge but the laborers are not few God is raising laborers today each one of us in this class are not just an attending we are not attending we are not part of this college to receive a certificate and relax or just be content in changing ourselves even that was my thought as well as I say this to you Lord I will only focus on myself and I will only change myself I will see that I will lead my way in the way it pleases you but please do not ask me to share your word to anyone this was my thought me in a hard way and this is not what God wanted from me and this is not what God has touched me has saved me to focus just on me the minute I realized I surrendered said Lord change me give me the grace give me the strength you put your words into my mark because you know my weakness that I cannot speak if I don't know a person then the words won't flow if there is a number of people I cannot speak to everyone it would be like I don't know the language words won't flow in a sentence in one of the language would I speak in front of anyone yes I also face a challenge when I move to online I cannot speak in front of a camera not just now even before there are a lot of challenges just like me each one in the class may have your own challenges in different ways just like Jonah we may run away but here the book of Micah is saying I was strengthened by the spirit of the Lord when we seek God when we are willing to say Lord if you have brought this far you will give me the grace to overcome my weakness you will give me the grace to teach and share your word because this is your call this is your purpose you will put your words in my mark you did with the prophets they trusted God and they stepped it and we boldly proclaimed the word of God and the Lord may not be everyone but then people heard today you and I beyond our weakness and beyond our weaknesses when we trust God God will give us strength those days the spirit of the Lord is to visit them but now the spirit of the Lord is abiding within us forever we have the spirit of the Lord the spirit of the Lord strengthened Micah how much more the spirit of the Lord can strengthen us because we have Jesus with us the spirit of the Lord is in dwelling within never leave us and he is abiding with us forever so we have the privilege we have the opportunity to be strengthened and fulfilled and God is a promise he keeps his promise he will see in and through us he can change your situation if your situation is a barrier you can change that situation no matter what obstacle beyond there the minute we surrender to God we see God's call and purpose when accomplished in our life the only call that we have is for us to share this word of God share the goodness to people so that they can be saved the greatest miracle is not the healing not the deliverance not comforting those who are oppressed the greatest miracle is when the soul is saved because that is when the heaven rejoices the scripture says the heaven rejoices when one soul is saved if God can take so much of risk and you know getting Jonah from the ship and then if God can raise Micah to boldly declare the word of God the judgment is coming say repair asking you and me today to do that in our time God wants us in the name of Jesus to step out to share the good news to the people that Jesus died on the cross for you and me and he is mindful of us when we believe in Jesus we have eternal life with him this is the goodness don't worry about other persons understanding don't worry about any none of us but what we know we can share the gospel what we know what we experience that's what the disciples did what they know delivered Jesus whatever they heard and saw Jesus do they did Jesus says you shall do great and mighty things than what I am done and we see people moving in the presence we can only move in that area only when we step out we cannot ask God give me the power first then I will move no God say you step and you see me work in and through let's in faith see God but before that I will open to the class we are crossed our time I leave it open is there anything you would like to share talk from these two books that we study today and we can go into the time of prayer Sir John Brother Isaac anything you would like to add or good first dino thank you John can you lead us in prayer that's great Precious Lord we want to thank you for this time Lord we submit once again ourselves and thank you for reminding us the importance of being obedient in your presence of God Lord we pray to God that in every circumstances help us to be obedient to you, your word your what your spirit leads us Lord and help us to give utmost importance to your word as we are just being a messenger to share your word to the people around us God and help us to be humble help us not to take any pride in anything that we are doing we also thank you for the learning that we had from the book of Micah Lord Jesus that we pray to God that let's have that attitude of being so vulnerable in your presence and and pray to God that we would be able to execute what you want us to do in this world of God help us to deliver the message of hope to the people around us and pull people from every hopelessness to your marvelous light Lord Jesus we help each one of us to stand to stay on the course of God and we pray that you would enable us to do it and let your Holy Spirit work in us in a powerful way master Lord we thank you for this time we thank you for us Diana to help her to deliver this word to us master we give you glory and praise in Jesus name we pray amen thank you so much for coming in today's session and yeah tomorrow we will not have session we can meet next week okay so Wednesday we will not have class because we completed the portion call of honor you can continue to do your assignment we will meet next Monday okay so Abbas say thank you okay thank you good bless thank you