Aurora Magazine Oct- Dec 2021

October- December 2021

Issue: N0. 9

Aurora Magazine The #1 Christian Lifestyle Magazine www.auroramagazine.net

The Prodigal Son

by Michael Hume

Exclusive Interview with Gifted I. Peniel

Who? Me? Anne McDaniels

God’s sacred spaceship and man’s stewardship Bridget Mburu

GRACE A d wo b a A d d o - B o a t e n g INSPIRING |

F AIT H |

R E VE AL ING

|

TRUTH |

INTRIGUING

Our Staff Editor In Chief Adwoba Addo-Boateng

Interview Gifted Peniel

Writers Ann McDaniels Bridget Mburu Becky Bradley Ken Barnes Finding God in the world of videogames Adwoba Addo-Boateng

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Contents

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Adwoba Addo-Boateng

Editor’s Note: This is the last episode for the year. And we want to thank Him for his grace and his endless love.

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aurorachristianmedia@gmail.com

God shows his love to us irrespective of how far we have gone away from him.

Talks about the authority that God has given us to serve him.

God bless our readers too, thank you for being a part of our mission to share hope in Christ.

God Bless! Have a Merry Christmas!

The Prodigal Son

Your Signet Ring

We thank all the volunteers who have worked with us tirelessly to reach the unreached with the word of God.

24 Grace The fullness of the Holy Spirit

God loves you so much!

God’s sacred Faithful Until Forsaken Prove there is a God Interview Who? Me?

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Grace 1 John 4:19 NIV” We love him because he first loved us” Grace is unconditional love that is love from God that we are undeserving or we haven’t done anything to merit it. Grace is love beyond us. Grace is not based on what we do or what we do not do. Grace is what God is and he gives us himself, his whole being.

God expresses his love through grace. Romans 5:8, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God is love and God gave us the best gift of love that is his son Jesus Christ that through him we may have life.

He that spared not his only son, but delivered him for us all, Why won’t he along with him graciously give us all things (Romans 8:32) If God gave us his best why should we work for the little things we desire. Christ is the culmination of the law, so that there may be righteousness for everyone that believes. The word is near you ; it is in your heart and your mouth and in your heart. (Romans 10) When we accept God and believe in him, he gives us the gift of faith walking the rest of the journey with us. Ephesians 2:4-9 Because of grace and mercy we have the privilege of entering into a relationship with him.

Grace is the power of the Holy Spirit working fully in us. Does the Holy Spirit have you? May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13 NIV)

Written by Adwoba Addo-Boateng

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Written by Ken Barnes

Your Signet Ring “But

when this happens, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, I will honor you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant. I will make you like a signet ring on my finger, says the Lord, for I have chosen you.

I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!” (Haggai 2:23 NLT) When God called Zerubbabel to his task, he became like a signet ring on his finger. A signet ring represented authority. If God has called you to a task, God has authorized you to act and speak on his behave.

A signet ring was used by a king to sign documents or give authenticity to proclamations, edicts, and the like. Jesus Christ is the all-powerful signet ring on the hand of the Father. All authority was given to him in heaven and on earth. When God calls us, and we obey, we become like a signet ring on the hand of Christ. Christ’s authority rested on submitting his will to his heavenly Father; our authorization rests on the subjection of our desires to that of Christ’s. Christ wears our ring to accomplish His will, not ours.

Jesus sealed his authority when he chose his Father’s will rather than his own on the Cross. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Luke 22:42 NLT). Christ achieved this standing through one momentous event on Mt. Calvary. Our stance emanates from a series of events where our will becomes progressively subservient to his.

Your signet ring on the hand of the Father will have great authority when your heart’s desire is like that of Jesus in the garden, not my will but thine.

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“Perhaps

God’s sacred spaceship and man’s stewardship Lessons from Eden, Ancient Israel & Jesus Bridget Mburu

like most people, I was decades into my walk with God before I started to get some semblance of understanding of His Holy Scriptures and their relevance throughout history and today.

To me, the Old Testament was a bunch of strange laws, wars, various lists and parades of dead people’s names, and difficult to understand prophesies.

The New Testament - minus the Gospels - was a bunch of do’s and don’ts. Therefore, I pulled verses out of context and tried to live my life by these randomly selected instructions and promises.

God is faithful!

But God in His mercy arranged for me to start attending a Bible teaching church where I encountered a women’s Bible study teacher who was so well versed in the Bible and it’s teaching, that I was

mesmerized. My mind was struggling to keep up with everything I was learning, so much so that when the class ended, I went straight home and took a nap. It was like I had eaten a heavy meal, except this was spiritual, not physical.

Not only that, but the realization of how Biblically illiterate I was, was astonishing.

After processing some of what I had learned, I contacted the Bible teacher and asked her to coffee and said to her, “I want to learn the Bible like you. Please help me!” And she did. Thus began my journey of learning and unlearning and growing and trying to practice what I learned.

I learned about who God is, who I am in Him (my identity in Christ) and themes in the Bible which I never knew existed.

The Bible finally, finally, started making sense. No longer did I read the Bible out of obligation or to get a “hit” to help me navigate whatever situation I was going through, but it came alive! I realized that in the Bible, God is telling a continuous story which points to Jesus; that the Old Testament is foundational to understanding the New Testament; and that like Adam and Eve and ancient Israel before us, God is continuing Hisstory with you and me today.

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The Bible finally, finally, started making sense. No longer did I read the Bible out of obligation or to get a “hit” to help me navigate whatever situation I was going through, but it came alive!

I realized that in the Bible, God is telling a continuous story which points to Jesus; that the Old Testament is foundational to understanding the New Testament; and that like Adam and Eve and ancient Israel before us, God is continuing His-story with you and me today. ● The reason I provide the background above is to highlight how the theme of this article is the fruit of that learning and unlearning and how the theme is helpful in framing and transforming how we live our lives today. That theme, traced from Genesis (Eden) to the Promised Land to the New Jerusalem in Revelation, is this: God’s Sacred Spaces and Man’s Stewardship. This theme is based on the premise that God repeatedly creates a sacred space for Him and man to dwell together (temple), with the aim that man is to partner with God as a steward over God’s creation (as priest, prophet, king), how man repeatedly sins and fails, but ultimately how God does not give up on us and instead finds a way to redeem our failures. Let’s trace this theme. ● 1. Eden: God’s First Sacred Space & Man’s Stewardship ● We know that in the beginning, God, by the power of His Word and Spirit, created the heavens and the earth. He then created a sacred space called the Garden of Eden, which was a set apart space from all creation. ● He placed Adam (Note: “Adam” means mankind) in Eden and deputized man to have dominion over (steward) His creation on earth (Genesis 1 & 2). However, we know what happens next in Genesis 3: man sins and is exiled from Eden. ● The sacred space, the Garden of Eden, was a dedicated space out of all the earth, for God and man to dwell together, in other words, a temple space. God is a relational God as we will see as we trace this theme, and He therefore wants to dwell with/in man. He repeatedly makes His presence available to man in each sacred space, but man’s sin repeatedly breaks that communion and partnership.

● How do we know that God was dwelling with man in Eden when we don’t read about any worship, Bible study or prayer sessions? Well, we read in Genesis 2:15-22 (ESV, emphasis mine) that God “…put him (Adam) in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it…Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them.

And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name…So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.”

So here we have God putting man in Eden, bringing every animal to Adam for him to name them, and taking a rib out of Adam’s side to make woman and bringing her to Adam. That communicates intimacy: touching, talking, partnership and…presence! ● How does God command man to partner with Him in stewarding His creation in this Eden sacred space? Other than the examples of partnership we’ve already looked at above, consider this in Genesis 1:28-31 (ESV, emphasis mine), “And God blessed them (Adam and Eve). And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” ● The earth and all its fullness belongs to God, and He assigns man as a steward over it and a beneficiary of its bounty.

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● How do we know that God was dwelling with man in Eden when we don’t read about any worship, Bible study or prayer sessions? Well, we read in Genesis 2:15-22 (ESV, emphasis mine) that God “…put him (Adam) in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it…Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them.

And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name…So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.”

So here we have God putting man in Eden, bringing every animal to Adam for him to name them, and taking a rib out of Adam’s side to make woman and bringing her to Adam. That communicates intimacy: touching, talking, partnership and…presence! ● How does God command man to partner with Him in stewarding His creation in this Eden sacred space? Other than the examples of partnership we’ve already looked at above, consider this in Genesis 1:28-31 (ESV, emphasis mine), “And God blessed them (Adam and Eve). And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” ● The earth and all its fullness belongs to God, and He assigns man as a steward over it and a beneficiary of its bounty.

● Let’s also take a look at Genesis 2:5-9 (ESV, emphasis mine), “When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground—then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the East, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” ● Okay so what happened to end this happy fellowship and partnership? Well, we learn the whole devastating saga in Genesis 3. Basically, one of the commands God gives man is not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of God and Evil (Genesis 2:17), which man disobeys, causing him to be exiled from Eden. Remember that Eden was a set apart sacred space, so when man is exiled, he lives outside that space. ● A quick point of note: before God exiles him, God covers man’s sin through a blood sacrifice. Hmm…doesn’t this cause us to think of the Mosaic Law given in the wilderness and later, of Jesus’ own atonement sacrifice? Even though exiled from God's sacred space, God still has a purpose for man, and He makes provision so that man is able to fulfill his purpose of stewarding God’s purpose in partnership with Him. ● 2. The Temple in the Wilderness and in Jerusalem: God’s Second Sacred Space & Man’s Stewardship

● Many generations after Adam and Eve are exiled from Eden, we read in Genesis 12 that God calls a man named Abraham and tells him to go to a land that He will show him, which has come to know as the “Promised Land”. According to GotQuestions.com: “The promise of a land for God’s people 9

began in Genesis 12 when God appeared to Abram (Abraham) and told him that he had been chosen to be the father of many nations.

God promised to bless Abram and lead him into a land that would belong to his offspring as a lasting heritage. God later confirmed this promise to Abraham’s son Isaac (Genesis 26:3) and then to Isaac’s son Jacob (Genesis 28:13).” ● We have here a sort of redo of Eden whereby God selects a human to represent mankind, and creates a “Promised Land” sacred space on earth where God will dwell in the temple among His selected people. ● In Genesis 46, Jacob, his 11 sons (Joseph is in Egypt at this time) and their families leave the Promised Land because of famine and head to Egypt where they are reunited with Joseph.

The nation of Israel, God's set apart people (having grown from Jacob’s 12 sons), spends 400 years there until God rescues them from Egyptian slavery through His steward, Moses, and the Israelites start their journey back to the Promised Land. ● During the course of this journey, given that it’s been 400 years of Egyptian influence on the nation of Israel, God continuously seeks to reestablish His relationship and vision for mankind through this set apart people (a holy nation). God not only dwells in their presence through a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, but He also gives them instructions of stewardship and partnership. ● One of the first projects He has for them is to build a tabernacle, in the midst of their tent formations in the wilderness. In Hebrew, the word for tabernacle is “Mishkan”, which means “to dwell”. The tabernacle is to face east (Eden faced east) and put in it: the Ark the Covenant also known as the Ark symbolizing God’s presence, His Word in the form of the 10 commandments which He gave to Moses, imagery resembling the Garden of Eden, and other sacred instruments.

Exodus 25 provides details on what exactly was inside the tabernacle.

● God also appoints a tribe of priests and a high priest to mediate between Him and the Israelites with sacrifices and offerings, including atonement for sin. Once again, we see that in order for man to dwell in God’s holy presence, God makes a way for sin to be atoned for, just as He did in Eden. ● While the Israelites are still in the wilderness, God issues this command to them in Leviticus 20:22 (ESV, emphasis mine), “You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.” Just like in Eden, we have God appointing a sacred holy space for Him and His people to dwell, and gives them instructions as to how to live in that space. Also like in Eden, God makes it clear that the set apart people will be exiled from that sacred space should they disobey His commands. The books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy give details on the instructions God gives. ● Note: In addition to the “Promised Land”, the land which God gives to the Israelites is also called the “holy land”. See Psalm 78:54 (ESV, emphasis mine), “And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had won.” And Zechariah 2:12 (ESV, emphasis mine), “And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.” ● After 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites arrive in the Promised Land, with the tabernacle, which contains the Ark of the Covenant and a non-portable physical temple is eventually built at God’s command by King Solomon. Not long afterwards, the Promised Land is split into two kingdoms: the Kingdom of Israel to the North with Samaria as its capital city and the Kingdom Judah to the South with Jerusalem as its capital city.

The northern kingdom of Israel is conquered by the Assyrians and the exiled. Later, the southern kingdom of Judah is conquered by the Babylonians and the Judahites are exiled and the temple is destroyed. The prophets Isaiah, Amos, Hosea and Micah all prophesy about these events urging Israel to repent.

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● Once again, what happened to end this happy fellowship and partnership? Well, while there are moments when Israel lives faithful to God’s commands, there are other moments when they fall into sin and corruption. In spite of God repeatedly sending prophets to warn them that they will be exiled if they continue in sin, the people do not repent and are conquered and exiled. God had no choice but to act on His promise to vomit them out as He said in Leviticus 20:22 (ESV, emphasis mine), “You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.” ● As a point of note, once the Judahites return from exile after 70 years, they do in fact build another temple in Jerusalem during the Persian Empire. This is the temple that existed during Jesus’ time on earth. The Persian Empire is succeeded by the Greek Empire and then the Greek Empire is succeeded by the Roman Empire. However, this temple is also destroyed by the Roman Empire. To this day, no physical temple exists in the Promised Land. ● 3. The Church (Us), God’s Third Sacred Space & Man’s Stewardship ● Is the third time the charm? Will man finally get things right and be the temple and be faithful to the covenant partnersteward relationship God created him to have with Him? Well, I'm afraid as we’ve seen, humans just don’t have a good track record. But God in His mercy, sends a sinless Man, His Son Jesus, to be the perfect example of communion with Him and Steward of His will on earth. Jesus is literally the embodiment of God’s perfect vision for mankind. The vision which Adam and Eve, ancient Israel, and us today, could never and can never realize. Let’s look at the ways Jesus redeems mankind’s failures. ● (1). Through His death and resurrection, Jesus becomes the perfect atonement, once and for all, for man’s sin. This is the story of the Gospels in the New Testament. This is how we obtain our justification, our right standing with God. Not because we are or can ever be sinless, but because Jesus as our

● representative is Himself sinless. Simply put, when God looks at us, those who are in Christ, He sees Jesus, not our sin. Jesus ushered in a new covenant! Hallelujah! ● (2). God has promised in 1st John 1:9 (ESV) that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is all because of Jesus’s perfect sacrifice. ● (3). Jesus, after He ascends into heaven to be sited at the right hand of God the Father, sends His Spirit to indwell all those who believe in Him, so that not only are they His temples, God’s sacred space, but so that they are empowered to steward His perfect will on earth. God knows that mankind cannot be perfect stewards of His will on earth without being empowered by His Spirit. I mean, is God brilliant or what? ● (4). Through the Holy Spirit, three main things are accomplished: ● The first is that God’s presence dwells in us, those who are set apart by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. We are God’s Mishkan, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God dwells in us and we dwell in Him. Individually, we are "mini temples”.

Collectively as the Body of Christ, we are the temple, a holy nation, composed of both Jews and Gentiles. ● The second is that we are each given various gifts to do the work of God’s kingdom. The list of these gifts can be found in Romans 12:6-8, 1st Corinthians 12:7-10 & 28, Ephesians 4:11, and 1st Peter 4:11. Ever wonder how you can go about doing the work of God’s kingdom? A good place to start is by looking at the gifts of the Spirit which you have been given.

● And the third thing accomplished is that God is able to make us into His image and likeness. This is accomplished through the process of sanctification, wherein when we obey and submit to the instructions in His Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit, we produce Fruit of the Spirit which reflects, or images, Jesus.

The Fruit of the Spirit is listed in Galatians 5:22 as: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, 11

self-control. As the Holy Spirit sanctified us, our hearts are changed to desire the things which God desires, i.e. the desire to please God. Our minds are renewed so that we have the mind of Christ. Having the mind of Christ means that we start to perceive things from His perspective, instead of leaning on our own understanding. Our heart and mind posture changes to one of humility & servanthood to glorify God, versus pleasing fulfilling our fleshly desires and glorify ourselves.

1st Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV) says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” The purpose of the indwelling presence and work of the Holy Spirit is not our glory, agenda, culture, perspectives, thoughts, feelings and so on, but rather, it’s for God to be glorified in and through us.

So yes, God’s vision in Eden is fulfilled. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, not only are we temples, with God dwelling in us and us in Him, but we are also empowered by His Spirit to be His image bearers and stewards, reflecting Him and being stewards of His kingdom on earth. Through His indwelling presence and the gifts and Fruit of the Spirit, we are His partners and stewards of His will on earth in our function as priests, prophets and kings. In every situation, good or challenging, our framework is this: God is with us and God is empowering us to not only do His will, but to reflect Him. As good as all that is, and it is, God is not done! We are after all, in exile on earth, as 1st Peter 1:17 and 2nd Peter 2:11 tells us. But there awaits us a New Jerusalem which will be for all eternity. The book of Revelations chapter 21 paints a picture of this New Jerusalem for us, which I’m going to have to get into another time since we have enough to process with the above.

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Faithful Until Forsaken Finding God in the world of video games

Oh Destiny 2… where to begin?

At one point this disc rarely left my console as I spent my limited gaming hours committed to knocking out all of the weekly challenges, maxing out my light level, and upgrading my favorite weapons and armor sets. But after spending countless hours fighting, grinding, upgrading, and simply investing into this game I had reached an inconvenient truth.

This admission is as painful and honest as I can make it… I simply didn’t want to play it anymore.

And there is a simple reason why that has nothing to do with the repetitive nature of the game or the limited gameplay modes. But before I get there I must insert a SPOILER ALERT for the three people that did not know about this development…

No matter what, God is still stretching out his hand.

It might sound silly, but in all seriousness Destiny 2 carried me through some dark and challenging times in my personal life. And my favorite part of the game was the constant shenanigans of the always hilarious Hunter Cayde-6.

While I can appreciate a simplistic, fun and shallow game as much as anyone, the main reason I play games is to experience the stories and characters that they bring to life. And when Bungie made the decision in

the Destiny 2: Forsaken expansion to permanently kill off Cayde-6, my favorite character in the franchise, the door began to close on my interest in the continuing adventures of the remaining guardians. Your mileage may vary here, but for me he was the most interesting and entertaining thread in the tapestry that makes up the Destiny universe.

His irreverent brand of humor combined with his reckless bravery to take on the most insurmountable odds came to an incredibly abrupt and brutal end, and from that point forward my disengagement with Destiny 2 began. I plowed through the storyline of Destiny 2: Forsaken hoping that there may be some magical “MacGuffin” that could bring him back, but it was all to no avail. His story was over, his voice permanently silenced, and all that remained was a universe had lost much of its luster. Much like the title of the expansion, I felt it was I who had been “Forsaken” by Destiny. A week of not playing went by, which turned into a month, and then an entire season of content was skipped.

This game that had been there for me when I needed a diversion now represented

only disappointment. As a logical gamer I understood the need to push the narrative forward into a new direction, but as an emotional human being I felt betrayed, and yes, as corny as it sounds, “forsaken” by Destiny. Cayde’s fateful last stand broke all of the love and goodwill that I had for this game that had once been my sole source of comfort. And I have never looked back.

Can we be forsaken by destiny?

He loves us and will never forsake us or leave us.

I wasn’t

just sad at his death or even mad that he was taken away… I was HURT. Hurt that something I had trusted to provide me solace and security had forsaken me after I had 14

been SO very faithful for SO very long. And the sad truth is that many people at various points in their life reached this exact same conclusion about our Heavenly Father. It is easy to follow Him when the skies are blue and the waters are calm, but when we find ourselves run aground in the shipwrecks of life we can feel forsaken by our Creator very quickly. How can the God that holds me safely in the palm of His hand allow such catastrophic events to take place? And how am I supposed to react when He both “gives and takes away” (Job 1:21)? One of the mightiest prophets of God in the Bible reached this exact same place, and I believe that somewhere within his journey from forsaken to faithful we will find the answers. ● The prophet Elijah occupies a special place in the Bible’s Hall of Fame (if there was one). He boldly challenged kings (1 Kings 21), called fire down from heaven (1 Kings 18), and his prayers both raised the dead and controlled the weather (1 Kings 17).

But in 1 Kings 19 we do not find this powerful prophet calling on God for miraculous displays of power… no, instead we find him running away as fast as he can mere days after his most incredible display of God’s favor yet. ● 1 Kings 19:1-4 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword.

Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” ● Elijah had LITERALLY just called fire down from heaven, defeated and put to death 450 evil prophets of the idol Baal, and physically outrun the king’s chariot to the city. I would call that a pretty good day, all things considered. But once a contract from the queen was placed on his life things went in a

downward spiral VERY quickly. Just as quickly as Elijah had arrived to celebrate the incredible victory that the Lord had accomplished, he was on his way right back out of town. He even dropped off his servant so he could face his final days of insecurity in complete isolation. So often this is Satan’s way in our lives… snatching defeat from the jaws of certain victory by engaging us in battle immediately after we have just achieved our greatest accomplishment. This was how he knocked the people of Israel off course immediately after they escaped Egypt back in the book of Exodus (Exodus 17), and he is doing it to Elijah here. covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.

Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel.

And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

Let’s unpack that for a minute. God did not yell at Elijah, shame Elijah, or blame Elijah (even though many of us are very quick to do so when someone around us falls into a crisis of faith). Instead, the Lord jumps right into reassuring Elijah that the fact he is STILL HERE means the Lord is not through with him yet. He puts Elijah right back on the path of changing the entire landscape of the world around him, starting with the anointing of two new kings as well as preparing his eventual successor, Elisha. And just to remind Elijah that he was NEVER actually alone, the Lord also reveals that there are still SEVEN THOUSAND people remaining on his side.

To his credit Elijah gets right back to work, with this crisis of faith fully in his rear view mirror. As both Elijah during his mountain cave experience as well as Jesus Christ on His cross both saw, their stories were FAR from over. Even when it seemed from a human 15

perspective that the final sentences in their life stories were being written by those who had their demise in mind, the Father is the One who calls us home. And similarly, even in the dark times we face, it is important to remember that our continued existence is the very proof that the final sentence in our story has yet to be written. The final appearance of both Elijah and Jesus Christ on Earth was their victorious ascension to heaven, not on their enemies’ terms but on the Lord’s. ● If you are reading this article then it stands to reason that you are probably still here on this planet Earth. And that means you still have a purpose to accomplish and work left to do.

More importantly, the stories of others are waiting for YOU to intersect with them to launch the next step in THEIR journeys.

Elisha, Hazael, and Jehu were waiting on Elijah to show up and press the “Start Game” button on each of their destinies. We just have to choose to move past the feeling of being forsaken, get close to the small still voice of the Lord, and hear what He has for us next. It’s time to move past the shipwreck that may have sent us running off to hide and seize the destiny that the Lord designed for us. He never abandoned us, He never left us alone, and He will NEVER forsake us. ● I’m not going to go back to Destiny 2, but it isn’t because I am still hurting from the loss of my favorite hunter. It’s because I am moving forward to try some different games, enjoy new experiences, and hopefully get to know some crazy new characters along the way. I am disappointed Cayde-6 isn’t coming back, but I am glad he was there when I needed him.

My “forsaken” experience with Destiny 2 and the loss of Cayde may have seemed harsh at the time, but enduring it set me free to experience so many other amazing games I wouldn’t have found time for if I didn’t move on. Similarly, it is only when we choose to leave the “cave of the forsaken” in our lives that we find that the Lord has SO much left for us to do. Listen to the still, small voice of the Lord… Your “destiny” still awaits you!

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Prove there is a God

By Becky Bradley Noah’s Ark is a familiar bible story whose images grace baby nurseries and daycares around the world. Songs of animals marching two by two into the Ark are sung in children’s churches. There is even a song about a playful unicorn who missed the boat—forever wiping out all unicorns. Even movies have been made about it; though some in the industry have forgotten that the only knowledge many people have of the bible is on their epic screen. They have in fact made fun of it; and, dare I say, purposefully mislead people away from the actual biblical account.

There are literally over 500 ancient stories about a worldwide flood. They range from Mesopotamia to the Americas. Their authors came from a time period when traveling was not always accessible because of the vast oceans between them and other cultures. So, how then did they become so similar?

Could they be based on a real event?

an opening, a window, below the roof that was 1 cubit (about 18”, or 45 centimeters).

He was to make a door in the side and make upper, lower and middle decks. Then Noah was to load it with provisions for his family and the animals.

When the ark was finished, Noah took his wife, 3 sons and their wives inside and God chose the pairs of animals (in some cases 7 animals of each kind) he wanted to preserve from every living land animal with breath. After they entered the ark, God closed the door, shutting out all the horrors of the coming flood and protected them.

Noah walked with God righteously.

According to Genesis chapters 6—9, Noah was the most righteous person on earth; a man who walked faithfully with God when the rest of the world was saturated in evil— including the animals. So, God gave him detailed instructions to build an ark out of cypress wood, with rooms in it and to coat it with pitch. He was to build it 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high.

(That is about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high, or in metric terms, 135 meters long, twenty-three meters wide and 14 meters high). He had to make a roof for it with

The rain fell hard and the fountains of the deep rose for 40 days and 40 nights covering all the mountains to more than 15 cubits (23 feet or about 6.8 meters) until every living creature God had made that was outside the ark was wiped out. Genesis 7:4

Then God remembered Noah and the wild animals and livestock and sent a wind over the earth that receded the waters.

After 40 days Noah opened the ark’s window and sent out a raven, but it kept flying back and forth. Next, he sent out a dove, who couldn’t find a dry place to rest. 7 days later he sent the dove out again, who brought back a freshly plucked olive leaf. He waited 7 more days and this time the dove did not return. Then God told Noah, his family and the animals to come out of the ark and repopulate the earth.

As soon as Noah disembarked, he made a sacrifice to God. And God placed a rainbow in the clouds as a reminder of his promise to never flood the entire earth again.

Now compare the biblical account of the flood to other cultures.

The Toltecs were a people whose kingdom was conquered hundreds of years before missionaries even knew about the “New World”. They lived thousands of miles and an ocean away from the Middle East and Mesopotamia, where Noah’s story originated. Yet, their story not only mimics Noah’s account, but actually dares to specify the exact years between the Creation of the world and the “Great flood”, and between the flood and the Tower of Babel!

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● In the Toltec account, 1,716 years after the creation of the world, a man named Coxcox and his family escaped a great flood in a toplipetlocali, which means “closed chest”. Which is actually a pretty good description of a sealed ark. (Biblical scholars believe the actual years between the creation and Noah’s flood is 1,656. That is only a 60-year difference from the Toltecs). ● After the flood, Coxcox and his family left the boat, and their descendants multiplied and wondered the earth until they found a place to build a “zacuali”, a “great tower”, to protect them in case the world was ever destroyed again. However, their language became confused. Whole branches of the descendants broke away from those who were not speaking their new language and wondered off in different directions across the earth. ● The Toltecs believed they started as a family of 7 friends and their wives who spoke the same language. The newly formed family crossed great waters, possibly an ocean. And for 104 years they lived in caves as they wondered far from their origins. Finally, they settled in Huw Hue Tlapian, (or Huc Huc Tlapallan) the Southern Mexico and Central American region.

According to the Toltec’s legend, their ancestors arrived there 520 years after the worldwide flood. ● The Aztecs believed Topi was a “pious” man. They believed their gods told him to build a boat to live in and that he was to take his wife and a pair of each animal into the boat. People must have mocked him, because the story said they thought he was crazy—that is until the floods came. Then they and the remaining animals tried to save their lives by climbing the mountains, but the flood overtook the mountains, destroying them all. When the rains finally stopped, Topi sent out a dove that did not come back. ● One Chinese story says Fuji, his wife, 3 sons and 3 daughters were saved from a flood that covered the mountain tops and repopulated the earth. There is even an ancient temple wall painting that shows Fuji’s boat in “raging” waters while dolphins swim around it and a dove holds an olive branch in its beak as it flies toward it.

Both the Chaldeans and the Babylonians tell of their gods’ instruction to certain men to build boats according to specific dimensions. Then they placed their families, 2 of each kind of animal, as well as provisions in their boats. The Babylonians even said it was covered in pitch, just like the ark. After the rains came and went and the waters started to recede, each man released a series of birds in order to find out if the earth was dry enough to come out. ● In Hawaii, the only good man left on earth was Nu-u (Noah?).

Nu-u made a great canoe with a house on it for he and his family, and filled it with animals. When the waters covered the whole earth, the other animals and people died. But they survived. ● Other stories have remnants of the people being rescued on the backs of a turtle, or in a round boat (which scientists have proven will not survive the ferocity of a raging flood) or on floating logs . . . I haven’t read all of them, of course, but the majority are said to have some element of Noah’s flood in them. ● For those who believe each of the stories represents local floods, and not a collective memory of a worldwide disaster, there is 1 point I would like to make, though it is not my original thought. If it had been a local flood the water would not have capped the mountains and then some. It would have had other ground surfaces to spread across as it drained. But a universal flood wouldn’t have dry land to escape to. ● The Toltec’s story of the mighty tower and the confusing languages is the only one I have found that, aside from the bible, has a plausible explanation as to why there are so many accounts of a tragic, worldwide flood in a time when it was next to impossible for scattered tribes to share their knowledge, faith and stories across vast oceans. Yet, there are elements in their cultures that dare us to not connect them to some common ancestor(s). A prime example is the early ziggurat (step pyramids) of Egypt and the Americas. How could ancient American tribes and peoples across the globe share the design of their buildings, culture and legends with such similarities?

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● And how do we know whose stories are closest to the original, if not the original? Well, for one thing, most of the stories leave out specific details that can be studied and even challenged by today’s experts. ● But that isn’t true when it comes to the bible. Unlike other stories, the bible holds quite a few scientific and geographical evidences within its chapters. But I am going to concentrate on only 2 clues in Noah’s story: the fountains from the deep and the amount of water in a worldwide flood. Genesis 7:11 says “all springs of the great deep burst forth and the floodgates of heaven were opened”. And Exodus 20:4 has a rather strange statement. “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in Heaven or on the earth beneath or in the waters below”. ●

I don’t know how aware ancient people were of the vast lakes, even oceans, below our crust, but the verse “all the springs of the great deep burst forth” meant there was power behind their emergence. They had burst out of perhaps miles of rock as forcibly and as suddenly as violent projectile vomit erupts from deep inside us.

● According to the Long Island Church of Christ, (in the USA) the water shot up from the cracks of the earth. As the water exploded from the cracks it carried with it great amounts of sediment. The animals, including marine life, would have been encased in sediment immediately; which would explain why closed clam fossils are found on the tops of the highest mountains and other animal fossils are found in a state of contorted shock. (Closed clam shells are an indication the animals were still alive when the sediment covered then). ●

So where did the fountains come from?

●

Dragon’s Breath cave is located in Otjozondjupa region of Namibia. It is the world’s largest non-glacial underwater cave in the world. Experts believe it is 430 feet deep, but they really aren’t sure since the cave is around 330 feet below the surface.

No one in the vicinity of it even knew about it until 1986 when explorers felt a humid breeze coming out of a hole. That’s how it got its name, Dragon’s Breath.

The ‘Lost Sea’ is the 2nd largest underground lake in the world (and the largest in the USA). It is found in the state of Tennessee.

It is so large people actually take “sea tours” on a boat. ● St. Leonard Lake also has boat rides. You can put it on your “things to see” in Switzerland. It is around 100 ft long and is the largest subterranean lake in Europe. ● Owey, in Ireland, is intriguing because it is a lake beneath another lake. It is around 650 feet below the top lake. You have to squeeze through a sinkhole and climb down into complete darkness. This lake is fed by both the lake above it and the ocean trickling through the collapsed cave entrance. But don’t worry, the walls on the way down actually glow when you shine your flashlight on them from bioluminescence; which is the emission of light by living organisms, according to the dictionary. ● And there are other underground lakes in China, Iceland and Viet Nam . . . plenty to help flood the earth in such a short period of time. ● According to Chief Cartographer at NSI, Inc., Mark Pringle, the flood’s effect on the earth lasted long after the earth had dried up. His job includes mapping the ocean floor. “Bathymetric” is the term he used in his video on evidence of Noah’s flood.

According to him, only 5% of the sea floor is really known and the rest is a mystery. But that is enough to show proof of a violent worldwide flood. He says there are signs on the bathymetric sea floor that can correlate with Noah’s flood. ● He reminds us that there were 2 worldwide floods, the first, literally, in the very beginning—when the earth was first formed. But when dry land appeared all that water had to go somewhere. The only real place to store that much water was in deep caverns and such underground. But what else is underground? ● Hot, molten magma. ● Imagine almost 2,000 years later, the water that had once covered the earth rising to the occasion, again; this time with the help of hot molten lava. The water quickly percolates, then

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● comes to a rapid boil, and finally explodes through the earth’s crust, shooting miles into the sky, until tons of water come crashing down on anything or anyone below—just as other sound-shattering fountains of the deep break through the crust, shooting as high, or higher. As the water builds, its weight pushes the oceanic crust down while the continental shelf begins to rise. ● But after it was all over and the waters began to recede, did the underground caverns have enough room to drain all the extra water above? ● According to an article called, ‘Huge underground Ocean towards earth’s Core’ by IFLScience, a study by seismologist Brandon Schmondt from the University of New Mexico and geophysicist Steve Jacobsen of Northwestern University, both in the USA, ringwoodite is a peculiar rock found inside the earth. A sample was found that is believed to be from 400 miles below the planet’s surface. Experts believe it represents an exorbitant amount of ringwoodite all over the world. The sample contained 1% of water. That’s not much, but ringwoodite is a rock that acts like a sponge. If the amount the experts believe is truly under the earth’s surface, that 1% sample could represent enough ringwoodite worldwide to hold 3xs more water than all our oceans combined. ● Now I am going to include something here that may seem rather strange to you, considering this is an article on Noah’s flood. And that, is the story of Peleg. Actually, Peleg is only mentioned in three times in the bible that I know of, and almost as an afterthought: in Genesis 10:25, Luke 3:35, and 1 Chronicles 1:19. Peleg was in the fourth generation after Noah.

His only claim to recognition was is that he was named Peleg because in his lifetime the earth was divided. Some believe that has to do with the division of peoples because of the Tower of Babel and the language confusion. But the sentence says “when earth was divided” not when people were divided. ● According to KJVbible.org/peleg.html the days of Peleg migrations and changes in sea level,

● Peleg means a dividing by a channel of water and is also a root associated with the meaning of an earthquake. It means to split something. They believe the sea floors, forced downward by the flood to fill magma chambers beneath, would have put a strain between the oceanic and continental portions of the crustal plates. Consequently, tectonic pressures were redistributed. About 100 years later (Peleg was born 104 years after the flood) the strain would have caused the earth’s crust to rapidly split in weaker places. ● Peleg lived for 239 years. Did Noah’s flood actually have consequences for over 200 years after it receded? Did it weaken the supercontinent Pangea so much that so much that it finally split into 7 continents, not over millions of years, but in a biblical man, named Peleg’s time? Hmmm. ● For more than a year now, I have presented the Bible and science, not as enemies, but as comrades in proving the real Creator, our Father God’s existence. And still I have only gotten as far as Noah. I believe it would take a lifetime to show all the proof both science and the Bible have to offer. For that reason, I encourage you to continue the research. To dig deeper, with the wisdom God has granted us: to use the knowledge he has made available to us, and to encourage others to look beyond the teachings of a very fallible world and think for themselves. ● God is real. He is loving and kind, and wants us by his side. But he will not wait forever, for the sake of his children—those of us who accept Jesus/Yeshua into our hearts and seek forgiveness of our sins as we live a life that honors him. ● Just like with Noah’s flood; time will run out. And like the door of the ark he shut to keep his people safe, he will bring an end to a very cruel and unjust world. The events happening all around us correlates with prophecies from the bible. We are literally living out biblical prophecies of the end times. For that reason, I invite you to go over the evidence I have shown in the past issues of Aurora Magazine, and evidence others have to offer—as well as evidences you find. Then look inside your heart and accept Jesus as your personal savior; the only savior for all of mankind.

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1. How has life been?

Life has not been all that though. It has not been all that unbearable.

With the situation of things, it is not that easy. It is such a mixture of pain and pleasure, a blend of prickles and roses and an interfusion of sunshine and rain. It is through God’s grace that it has been so endurable and enjoyable.

inspiration to younger ones of this generation, one who they can look up to and emulate. I want to be a personality who will use her God’s given potentials to illuminate every domicile of the world she finds herself.

My vision is to impact this generation…..

2. Tell us about growing up?

It is the godly foundation and teachings through my parents that is assisting my growing, without going astray. Corrections and guidance through God’s words are also inclusive. Different motivations and guidance given by wonderful men of God also keep me growing in the path of the living God. They have been assisting me greatly to know more about God and abide more in His love.

Living by his word

3. What did you want to be to whilst growing up?

4.

My vision is to impact this generation, God-fearing ones and great achievers. I want to become someone who will empower this generation to succeed immensely in the way of the Lord and other aspects of their lives. I want to be an individual who gives hope and

What makes me smile the most is the undisputed assurance I have in Christ. It is the unmovable faith that I have in God that He’ll always be there for me and with Him nothing shall be impossible.

What makes you smile and what scares you the most?

Interview Peniel Gifted

● 5. What’s the best thing about being a Christian? ● The best thing about being a Christian is the awaited eternal crown in the eternal home for the faithful ones, who by His grace and mercy are count worthy. It is the full assurance that one has that after this life, there’s a glorious place above to live forever in bliss and happiness. It is the genuine belief that one’s final destination is not a place of gloom and sorrow but a place where the love of God dwells in peace and joy. ● 6. What’s your experience with Christ? ● The Lord Jesus has been so faithful to me. I have been overcoming during the period of challenges. He has been a sure succor that gives me divine strength, provision, protection, promotion and preservation. He fails me not. ● 7. Can you share some of the inspiration/motivational behind your poems? ● Life experiences both personal and general, both locally and globally, both disgusting and appeasing, natural entities like vegetation, lakes, sky and sun. Literary works of E.O Pariola, Mark Forsyth, R.E.G Armattoe, Dayo Ogunniyi, Wole Soyinka, FiFi Oladare, Kukogho Iruesiri Samson and other great writers ● 8. How has the Covid 19 Pandemic affected you? ● It has affected me positively. It gave me inspiration to read more books, learn more from God and develop my skills.

During this period, there were two great books I read that evoked the greatness that lies within me for outstanding impact. In addition, it is during this period that I grew more deeply in Christ and discovered the purpose I was ordained to fulfill. God inspired me to start a writing series during that period. Also, I was able to improve my Poetry skills and get them published in literary blogs and magazines. ● 9. What is the biggest challenge about pursuing writing as a career?

● The quiet time needed to bring out the ideas and write is a major challenge about pursuing writing as a career. Most of the time, the ideas require a cool atmosphere for them to flow easily and meaningfully, but different occurrences and engagements could just resist their flow. Thus, there’s need for a quiet time for writing to come out perfectly and meaningfully, and the time is not readily available. ● 10. Tell us about your monthly Christian Writing Series? ● My monthly Christian Writing Series is tagged “Living BY HIS WORD.” It is a writing series through which the gospel is being preached across the globe. Its aim is to bring generations to Christ and empower the saints to keep flourishing for His kingdom. It is absolutely FREE. I started the maiden edition this year January, and through the help of God, I have been able to publish 6 editions. ● You can get your copy by sending a message via my Facebook page @penielgifted. You can also like/follow for daily motivation and prayer. ● 11. What project are you working on? ● Currently, I’m working on Spoken Word Poetry. I’m an individual who likes motivating people through spoken words.

Thus, I’m embarking fully on the Spoken Word Project to motivate as many lives as possible whose souls need positive motivation to continue their lives' journey and live befittingly.

Starting out, last month I did a Spoken Word Poetry titled “WHY NOT TELL?” You can watch via YouTube @penielgiftedofficial and be blessed. Also, do like, share and subscribe as more wonderful ones are yet to be released.

● 12. Share your thoughts on “Christianity is all about selfless living?” ● As a follower of Christ, everything belongs to God because He’s the all in all. Whatever is done or success accomplished is not by power nor might but by the grace of God. Therefore, my service to humanity is a selfless one.

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The Prodigal Son Michael Hume Jesus told a parable about a man with two sons in Luke 15:11-32. The focus is on the one who, taking his inheritance early left the family home, wasting it in loose living, then finally coming to his senses. On realising that even his father’s servants were better off than him, he returns to his father with deep apologies.

His father welcomes him warmly and is really glad to have him home safe and sound.

So it was with me. I lived loosely and selfishly for thirty years, yet when I return to God, He welcomes me with open arms, instantly forgiving me all my sins. So it is with every male and female who

returns from living for the world’s values and ways and chooses God and His ways. God never condemns me, instead, privately and discretely, now and then He convicts me of my sin interiorly. God is so gracious, and loving, the Best Friend you could possibly have.

God wants all His prodigal sons and daughters back to live with Him in His house. He yearns for them and is hugely relieved, and greatly pleased, and rejoices when one returns home to live a Godly life.

All of us born on earth were born in sin caused by Adam and Eve except for Jesus who had no sin. Jesus died on a

cross to take away all our sins. He was in a tomb for two nights and rose in body on the third day to live forever.

He also raised us up immortal with Him. It is a mystery of God how an event happening about two thousand years ago is relevant, powerful and effective now and in the future. But it is and I have experienced it myself.

Jesus died once as a human/God sacrifice to clear us of all our sins, destroy Satan’s works in our lives, and reconcile us to God. He also showed by His public life what any son or daughter of God can do, and taught us how to live well before God.

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Jesus and God the Father are accessible now and in easy reach of each of us. They are only a prayer away. I said a prayer like this, “Dear heavenly Father, I am sorry for all my sins. I believe that Jesus died on a cross to take away all my sins. I now accept Him as my Saviour and Lord. Please come into my life now.” That began my relationship with God, and it is an amazing adventure.

I seek God daily in Bible reading and meditating on the Bible, and in prayer. The Holy Spirit has taught me the rest.

God the Father is a loving and Trustworthy Friend. He has all the characteristics of Jesus and a lot more. He is approachable, infinitely compassionate. Hugely loving and welcoming. He is really humble too.

Michael Hume. The Holy Spirit teaches you everything. Copyright belongs to author.

Article Source: WRITERS

http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN

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Who? Me? As an avid churchgoer since early childhood, I’ve heard on numerous occasions the story of Jonah and the Whale. I knew the events of this story as well as a blind child could walk through their home without bumping into any furniture. Later in life I learned a whale did not rescue Jonah, but the word of God used the term a great fish, a huge fish, a large fish or a big fish.

Therefore, you can understand why the human mind concocted the idea of a whale.

As a youngster full of naivety, I thought Jonah showed spunk and bravery. He was his own man and nobody was going to tell him what to do – not even God or so he thought. I listened to the story with innocent ears and peered through the soul of Jonah with eyes of simplicity. When the angry, scared and upset crew confronted Jonah and tossed him overboard right in the middle of the surrounded by miles and miles of cold, swirling muddy water, my breathing momentarily ceased, my eyes watered, and my stomach muscles tightened as I gasped in disbelief – no matter how many times I heard the story and knew the outcome. Visions of Jonah drowning were overshadowed when out of nowhere, God showed up to rescue him in the manifestations of a big fish. God is an ontime God, a great protector and supplier of what we need to pull ourselves out of horrifying dilemmas. God can bright light to any dark situation. These events transpired after God spoke to Jonah and gave him three unconditional commands: Arise. Go. Cry against.

By Anne McDaniels

These verbs require action as they are written in the imperative mood, but just not the action demonstrated at that time by Jonah.

The evidence from the word of God substantiates Jonah’s disobedience. Although the Bible does not say exactly what 26

● position Jonah was in when God first spoke to him, this was an inconvenient interruption? Since arise means to get up, when God spoke to Jonah, why did he go down to Joppa, get aboard a ship going down to Tarshish and then go down into the ship to sleep? Why didn’t Jonah initially go down on his knees in prayer? Did he try to take the easy, effortless, non-thinking way out? ● The word go is used 1542 times in the Bible. It means to come, move from one place to another, or to walk. From Joppa to the city of Ninevah was approximately 725 miles; however, Jonah boarded a ship going in the opposite direction. Since the Bible does not say Jonah’s exact starting point to Ninevah, I don’t believe it is important. What is more important is the fact of Jonah’s eventual obedience. Your location at the time of acceptance to what God has to say is insignificant, but your response is paramount. Ephesians 5:14-17 says “Awake, you who sleep. Arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

● In Mark 16:15, God commanded us to go, preach the gospel to all creation. When I learned about God’s commandment to go tell the thugs, the thots, the drunkard, the murderers, the adulterers, and many others different from me about his saving grace, I mentally ran. There are countless numbers of individuals needing to hear what God has to say about their past pain, their present predicaments, and their future entitlement. Therefore, we need to learn to be obedient to our Father, overcome our fear, and optimize our faith. ● A life of obedience to God: ● A. Says, “I love you through my actions,” (1 John 5:2-3) ● B. Conveys our commitment to Him (1 John 2:3-6) ● C: Glorifies Him in the world (1 Peter 2:12) ● D: Brings blessings for us (John 13:17).

● Ninevah is very similar to our 21st Century cities in the respect of their being stealing, senseless killing, covetness, idolatry, adultery, and many other disrespectful, horrendous crimes.

The wickedness of Ninevah was front and center in God’s view.

He called Jonah to cry against the wickedness that was prevalent in Ninevah. Why did God call Jonah out of all the prophets he had at his disposal? God knew his life’s circumstances and situations very well. As our Creator who is omniscient and omnipresent, knowing our human limitations, why would God call you or I to do a certain ministry?

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- Nana

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Sharing hope in Christ

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