Know In Part Podcast

Jonah The Praying Prophet: KiP - Episode 114

• KnowInPart • Season 6 • Episode 2

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Crushed by the weight of his rebellion, Jonah turns to prayer as a last resort. We witness the reluctant prophet's descent into despair and his ultimate realization that escaping the divine call is an exercise in futility. His prayer is not just a cry for help but a profound acknowledgment of that fact. We also witness the miraculous deliverance of Jonah from the belly of the great fish, underscoring the theme of redemption and God's unfailing grace. The narrative serves as a powerful reminder that even in our moments of deepest despair, turning to God in sincere prayer can lead to deliverance.

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Thanks for listening. God bless you.

SPEAKER_02

Uh, yeah, so this is the Knowing Part Podcast. It's a Christian podcast where we get together and have a Bible study, read through the word of God, and share our thoughts. I'm glad we back to knowing part.

SPEAKER_04

I mean, I like Kit, but uh knowing part feels better. Not the boys gone Bible. Look at this guy, man.

SPEAKER_02

You mean you make my work tough, man?

SPEAKER_04

Because now you gotta explice, now you gotta edit everything. For what? I'm stupid. Nah, don't say that. You do stupid things.

SPEAKER_02

But uh I wouldn't say this. Now we we we believe that the word of God is important, maybe not even maybe, the most important um book in the universe. Yep. All right, I'm sure everybody could agree. Um the fact that we do read it um sanctifies us, right? As the scripture says, let's sanctify them through your word. You know, God's word is truth, so that's why we do it. And people like to follow other people online. So our prayer is that other people you know, maybe follow us and do the same thing, which is open up the Bible and just read and discuss it. Yeah. I don't know it's it's not as fancy as those little dances, but I'm not gonna lie.

SPEAKER_00

I think it'd be dope to see that, other than us. Like, I would love to follow a podcast that does what we do.

SPEAKER_01

There are some podcasters that do it.

SPEAKER_00

But all right.

SPEAKER_02

With the whole thing, we know who's the Lord, it's the Lord.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's the Lord, of course, of course, it's always the Lord. You made a head, go ahead, la la, we play with you. Go ahead. It's all good, man.

SPEAKER_02

But to your point, uh, and there's I'm I'm actually, you know, pleased to see like a lot of different people. More more content, more godly content online, which is dope. Um, and yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, that's definitely what's needed. More Christian content.

SPEAKER_04

Revival's coming, man. Yeah, we need that. That's what I believe in. I believe revival's coming. I don't believe the book of Jonah just the the spirit always picks out books. There's a reason the Lord picked. While I was reading Jonah, I was like, you know why? Revival's coming. I really believe that. And I really believe that's why we're going through Jonah. Because revival's coming. That's it. Crazy. Straight up. It's coming. So everybody get ready. Especially the church. We don't want to be Jonah. That's why we're going through it. None of us want to be Jonah. When we get called, don't run the other way. Alright? Yeah, that's right. Whoever the Lord called you to go preach to, speak to, teach. It could be your family members, your co-workers, your neighbors, whoever. Don't run the other way. Alright? Don't be scared. The Lord is with us. So when revival comes, it's gonna be all hands on deck. Amen. So be ready.

SPEAKER_00

We ready. We ready. Amen. The Lord picks all our books be for a reason.

SPEAKER_04

But I'm not a prophet.

SPEAKER_02

That's true. Uh so let's quickly, we're in chapter two of Jonah. Yes. Um we'll quickly go through that. Um yeah, you know, we we I think the fun part about it is that we could definitely unconventional how we do it, but we could just get together and iron sharpen iron, and we, you know, read the Bible, and then we we we give our takes or we we give our opinions and certain things. And you know, sometimes we could get into this argument and back and forth, and we go into this deep rabbit hole, and um, you know, our intention is always to edify um because we're conscious of the mics and the cameras, and you know, if the camera and mic's off, we could talk crap all day because we understand each other, but other people that might be watching, they you know, they're not familiar with maybe you know the the dialect and the format the body language and the format, how we need the dynamics of of our relationship, but we we never want to try to lead somebody off the context.

SPEAKER_00

So instead be a Berean, go read it yourself, go study it.

SPEAKER_02

Definitely encourage that. You know, sometimes we might try to uh win a point instead of uh you know highlighting what the word says. So forgive us for that when we when we do that. But that's just who we are. I think that's the um, I mean, I think that's the personality of the show. You know what I mean? Like it's because it's happened in real time. Like we don't prep, we we prep individually. This ain't WhatsApp. It's not like we get together and be like, yo, Mike, you're gonna make this point, and we're gonna make this point. Nah, not like this the stuff that I'm hearing from you and you, yeah, I'm hearing it during this podcast, and sometimes I'm like, oh, I didn't see that. Or sometimes I'll be like, nah, I didn't agree with that. And you know, we we go to back and forth, but that's what it is. It's cool. I'd rather you know go back and forth about the Bible than you know, scary hours three or something. Nobody cares. What you said, scary who? I don't know, it's an album. You know, the popular things and and the the culture that everybody else talks about. Nah, definitely. Whatever you could do that too. But we choose to do this. Um again, I I think I'm just highlighting it's probably on my mind, certain aspect of the podcast that people might not get.

SPEAKER_03

Cause I uh go ahead, what you just gonna say, like um, uh I'm on board with what you're saying that um we all we we all do agree on one common theme. We may disagree on many other things, you know, um, but when it comes to like the acronym I like to use is doctrine. We all agree on doctrine, you know, which is the number one D, um, the deity of Christ, O for original sin, C the canon, T for Trinity, R for resurrection, I for the incarnation, N for the new birth, E for eschatology, the return of Christ. So it's like we all agree. We, you know, without a shadow of a doubt, salvation, the gospel, we all agree. But, you know, the other things that we come in, we may disagree because, you know, Christianity is not monolithic. You know, you may have we may have different opinions, different things, and and I think the scriptures were written in that fashion so that we could have discussions and that we could debate this, so that we could, you know, sharpen each other. And that's the problem. Like the, you know, that's where you know, that's how you end up getting cults out there where everybody agree on one thing, you know, and everybody gotta follow this one person that started this one movement. You know, in Christianity, we're not monolithic, we may disagree on things, you know. That's why you have, you know, arguments from ever since, you know, with Calvinism, Almanianism, you know, you got all these things. They're our brothers in Christ. You have a Presbyterian, you have this, you know, but on the core doctrine, they agree.

SPEAKER_02

The essentials.

SPEAKER_03

The essentials agree. The non-essentials, there's liberty, you know? And it's these are the non-essentials that we do. You see, we go back and forth and we banter, you disagree, we fight and all that. But you know, other than that, we agree on the essentials.

SPEAKER_00

And we we do it in love, man. Yeah, yeah. I love these dudes right here, man. I'm grateful for them, grateful for the teachings, because you know, I I grew up sort of under them, you know, in a way. They were saved before me, so I'm grateful for my big brothers in Christ, you know. But you see what we do, we love each other, man.

SPEAKER_02

No, amen.

SPEAKER_00

Amen.

SPEAKER_02

So in chapter one, um, you know, it opens up with you know, a message from God to Jonah. And, you know, obviously, like you said, he went the other way, right? And in rebellion and disobedience, and we're we're seeing how far rebellion and disobedience could take you, right? And the direction it'll take you, it'll take you down. Um, and there's consequences. Um, especially, you know, I I put him in a special category because he had a job, he had a position, he had a ministry um that wasn't common, right? He was a prophet, right? His job was to, you know, uh speak the word of God to others. And on a particular um, like uh for this particular message or for this particular outreach that the Lord had for him, he didn't want to do it, and that was to go preach to the uh the Assyrians and the great city of Nineveh. He was like, nah, I'm good. He did not want to do it. So, you know, he left, went to the boat, went down to the boat, down to the lower deck, and he went to sleep. And you know, due to his rebellion, um, you know, the Lord is gonna have his way. And unfortunately, they there was other people around that got uh affected by it. Um you know, the Lord sent a great wind to cause uh you know rough seas for the boat, and you had these these pagan non-believers who didn't know what was going on, and then now they're part of the drama. Like they're being, you know, it's affecting them. Alright? Yeah. So what else? What else we spoke about yesterday or last week?

SPEAKER_04

I'm gonna edit that too. Oh bad. Um, yeah, that just um, like you said, he was going down. He just kept going down, down, down, because he was trying to flee from the presence of the Lord. You know, that was that was the main thing that pointed out, you know, that stuck out to me. That was his, that was the reason why he went to um Tarshish is to go from the presence of the Lord. The word of the God came to him and he he didn't want to hear it. He didn't agree with it, and he wanted to get away from God's presence. So he thought he could physically, you know, let me remove myself, let me go to the other, the furthest, the other furthest point to where I I'm supposed to be. And we just seeing God, you know, showing him, you can't flee from my presence. You know, he threw a storm at him, and you know, um the Gentiles on the boat, they understood this was this was God, this was something supernatural, and he was even aware of it. So it's just you know, trying to flee from the presence of God and realizing no matter where he went, the presence of God was everywhere.

SPEAKER_02

So, so finally, I guess the last it got to the point where something had to be done, right? And you know, he was like, Alright, well, you guys have to throw me off the boat in order for this to stop. You know, I'm of the position that you know, in his mind, he would rather die than repent right there. He would rather die than see the the Assyrians delivered. And he wouldn't repent. Like he was still in his stubborn, in his rebellion rebellion, even at that point. Um and you know, he he kind of shifted the activity of ending this to the other guys instead of the man of God being that spiritual leader. And we also read how they were praying and they were trying to figure things out, trying to get an answer uh using the spiritual route, even though they were pagans and they were worshiping gods that couldn't help them, but they were actually going that route, whereas the man that knew God, knew the true and living God, he wasn't really doing anything and he wasn't saying anything, and he wasn't willing to relent at that point. So to me, you know, I think he took the position of I'd rather die than have to repent. Because if he repents, he knows he's gonna have to go and do what the Lord said, which would um result in people that he hated getting delivered. That's the position I hold, and I think that's where we kind of had an agreement last week. An agreement or disagreement? I mean disagreement last week.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And ultimately, you know, at first they tried to resist to do whatever they can not to do that, because obviously it was something bad. But it got to the point where they did do that and they tossed them off the boat. And then it stopped. And just that experience alone um brought them to the point where they got saved because they believed this God. And we read that did they sacrifice?

SPEAKER_00

They made vows, right?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. So even in that situation, the Lord uh used that in order to save Saul, despite of the man of God, despite the prophet that the Lord used that situation to save Saul. So uh anybody any thoughts? Anything to add or take away?

SPEAKER_04

I mean, that's pretty much uh covered for the first chapter. And we're seeing, you know, it ended with the fish swallowing him up and him being in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.

SPEAKER_02

And the Lord prepared a large sea creature which is wild. Alright, so that's yeah, that's kind of where we left off. Alright, so chapter two. Short chapter.

SPEAKER_03

Did did we read that? Verse 17. I think we read that. Yeah, we read that. Yeah, you want to go through it again? I think yeah, we should. I mean, we should like include that with you know the first couple of verses of chapter two because we didn't.

SPEAKER_00

Cool beams. What do you want me to read to?

SPEAKER_02

Actually, just read 17. Let's we could probably discuss that a little.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, one of the things that you know people read and they say, oh, this book is fantasy, or how could this happen? And it it becomes a a point of uh contention. Yeah, a point of contention where people try to invalidate the book for what it is. I think this book is uh historical, it's uh literary and genre. Um, although we don't know the author, I believe the author is Jonah. Um but yeah. So um and throughout modern history, there has been instances where people got swallowed by whales, sperm whales, and survived maybe not for three days, they weren't there for three days, but uh it showed um scientifically that a person could survive within the stomach of a large sea creature. Whether this sea creature that the Lord prepared was uh you know, was a whale, uh a whale shark, like we don't know. It could have been some ancient dinosaur creature, we don't know. All we know is that it was a big sea water creature, fish, thingamajig.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and at the end of the day, it says here the Lord prepared it specifically for this. So there literally it could have been a lot more room in this animal's, you know, GI system, right? Like they're comparing this to what we know of today, which is wrong, right? This is why a lot of people say it couldn't have happened, but it doesn't matter because it says the Lord specifically prepared this fish, like this fish had one job swallow Jonah, right? Let him chill in your stomach for a few days and then spit him out. So this could have been a custom fish that there was only one ever made, right? So I just think you know, I just think that when you read it, read what the word says. Like the Lord specifically created this fish for that purpose.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, that's a great point. Yeah, that's a good point. And uh some of the historical things like you mentioned, the modern one was um James Bartley. That was also that was history of a guy that was, you know, um that was swallowed, and I think he was in the it was a it was a sperm whale, and then they were looking for he got lost at sea, and then eventually when they caught the sperm whale that it was a crew of them that was chasing him, right? They they dissected the sperm and they found him, and I think he was in there for like 18 hours or something like that, and he ended up in the ICU for like three weeks and recovered, and they say when they recovered, he was like totally white, pale from the gastric acids from the you know the whale. Another one was um was Luigi Marquez, who's a 56-year-old fisherman that that happened in April 2016. And you remember there was one very recently, um Michael Packard, who was a lobster fisherman off of Cape Cod. He fell into the water, yeah. And that yeah, that was in 2023. Yeah, yeah. Michael Ma Michael Packard was his name. And um, same thing, got swallowed by a well, but that one he got swallowed, and I think it was like within a few hours he got spit back up. And there was another one where um I forgot the name of this this one person, but um, he lost his dog, the dog fell off in the water, and then um a couple of days later there was a whale, and the the dog was lodged in the nostril of the whale and uh shot it out. And it's still alive, still alive. Wow, so so the thing is that these things happened. You could survive, basically. And you could survive, and I think God specifically allowed these modern things to happen to show us that listen and and something a little bit more like more um like technical, if you think about it, is that man created like uh submarines that carries tons of people, travel underwater for for hours, for days on end. So if man can make a submarine and have people survive in it, you're gonna tell me God can't have a whale for a specific purpose. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that's the thing. And you miss the whole point. Right. Right? Because they, you know, you bring up Jonah to somebody, they think it's about a whale. Or it's about a big fish. That's not the that's just not the point. But you know, I like when God allowed these things to happen in modern times, allow it to be witnessed and recorded, and it's a witness to his word to show you, like, alright, it's possible, scientifically, it's possible that a person can survive, you know, being swallowed by a large creature, sea creature.

SPEAKER_00

And what's crazy is that the they'll believe that we were created from nothing, from a big bang, right? But something because God says this, oh, that's unbelievable. You know what I mean? But they'll go and they'll believe something ridiculous about how we were formed.

SPEAKER_03

You know, you know, and and you know, part of that I think is that is Satan. If you see one of the three, I think the three major books that Satan attacks the most Genesis, Jonah, and Daniel. I think those are three common books that's always attacked by people. Well, like even like liberal Christians will attack Daniel because they'll say, Oh, we don't think Daniel actually wrote it because the prophecies were so specific. This is someone who must have wrote it after these empires came into being. Right? Genesis, it's extremely attacked, you know. Um, and I think the reason is like Genesis is a Attacked by Satan because this is where we get the incarnation of Jesus. This is where we learn about Jesus with Genesis chapter 3 about the coming of the Messiah. And the beginnings. In the beginning. You know what I'm saying? A lot of things. I think Jonah's attacked because Jesus alluded to it about this resurrection thing. Like that's the sign I'm gonna give you. And he specifically says Jonah. So now Satan's gonna attack it. Daniel is extremely attacked because Daniel in 9.25 specifically talks about his second coming. So the books that are mostly attacked are the books dealing with Christ, centered on Christ, on you know his first coming and his second coming. So that's how I kind of like see it why these books are attacked so vehemently.

SPEAKER_02

Alright, so let's let's get into chapter two. Okay. Just read through it, right?

SPEAKER_00

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's belly, and he said, I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and he answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice, for you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the floods surrounded me. All your billows and your waves passed over me. Then I said, I have been cast out of your sight, yet I will look again toward your holy temple. The waters surrounded me, even to my soul, the deep closed around me, weeds were wrapped around my head, I went down to the moorings of the mountains, the earth with its bars closed behind me forever. Yet you have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer went up to you into your holy temple. Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. So the Lord spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

SPEAKER_02

So Jonah's prayer, uh, you know, when I read this, I was like, oh man, it's like a psalm, right? Very poetic, very psalm-like. So what's what's what's happening over here?

SPEAKER_04

I mean, he's in the belly of the fish, and to me, I think now he realized, like, when he can't flee from the presence of God. And I felt like um when they threw him overboard, I think he was at a point where he felt like that was the judgment of God. Like for being disobedient to God. Um he knew he had a job, he was disobedient. He felt like the storm was, you know, God's punishment. And you know, him getting thrown off the boat, I think he considered himself dead. You know, and this is why I felt like the fishermen, um, the sailors at the time, they were like, you know, don't charge this innocent blood on us, because we know once we throw this guy over, he's dead. But, you know, him being in the fish, I think he realized, like, nah, this is the this is God's grace. Like, I should be dead. Because when I got thrown over that boat in the middle of the sea, it during a storm, there's no way I should have survived. So I think this is where that prayer comes from. Where he realized, like, you know, God has preserved my life.

SPEAKER_00

Now he's praying inside of the fish, but all of these things that he's describing is that while he was in the water. Yeah, right. So before the fish swallowed him up. So the question that I asked too is they throw him overboard and immediately the sea's calm. Right? So is he in calm waters at this point?

SPEAKER_02

I mean, I I don't know, but the prayer, he's re So I feel like so. You said something yesterday about I keep saying yesterday. About um It seems so close. It seems so close. So you said say it again so you can edit it. The fish was the fish was grace. Right. I feel like that was the grace of the world. And after reading that, you're right. Because the Lord sent the fish to save him because he was drowning, right? And this prayer kind of, you know, certain parts describes the experience of seaweeds and him falling, and he's reaching that point, going lower and lower and lower. I think it even describes, like, right, seaweeds wrapped around my head. Right. And he sank. And your billows and your waves passed over me. Right. So now he's so I kind of feel like he's uh recounting the prayer inside the fish that he he was probably going through that in his head. He realized in his head, like, uh-oh, this is it. I have no more recourse. There's nothing else I could do. And what happens when everybody's in trouble and they have no more options? Cry out. They cry out to God. So he cried out to God while he was going through that process, while he was struggling, while he was getting caught up in the weeds, and he was going down, down, down, and he was like, Oh man, I'm going to die. Yep. And when that realization hit him, that's when he cried out to God and you know, asked for deliverance, and he asked for thanksgiving, and he he remembered the omnipresence of God. Yes.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. And no, I agree. And the question that I asked now, because when you read the end of verse 17 in chapter one, where it says he was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, some commentators say that at the end of the three days is when he's he started to pray. No. I don't know. And they say so. What I'm saying is what it sounds like here, he was rescued by being swallowed by the fish, and then he was he immediately started to thank the Lord for that. Right. Like he wasn't pridefully sitting in the belly of the fish for three days before, okay, Lord, now I'm gonna pray.

SPEAKER_02

Because the Lord, right? Verse 10, it says, the Lord spoke to the sea creature and invomited Jonah onto dry land. No, so this is after. But the Lord, even in chapter one, now I get the impression like the Lord prepared the sea creature to go rescue him from the bottom of the sea. Right. Because he was gonna drown. Because he was not like he he was done. He was dead. There's nothing else he could do. He reached the end of himself at that point, and the Lord sent the sea creatures to the sea creature to to um rescue him. And he said this prayer of what he was going through drowning in that process. Because, you know, you read it, it it talks about it. Yeah, and he's saying, Man, I'm not even gonna be able to gaze at your temple. Um like I'm not gonna be able to worship you anymore. Like the phrases that he's using is very Jewish in nature, right? So obviously, this book, the audience for this book is is the Jews, right? You know, so he he's kind of recounting, man. And it it was probably 25 seconds, it was probably you know 40 seconds of him going through that experience of drowning. I don't know if y'all y'all remember my drowning story.

SPEAKER_04

Yo, that's why I was gonna ask you to play. While I was reading this, I was like, yo, we're gonna have to go back to the joint. This guy's gonna have to give us the drowning story one more time.

SPEAKER_02

I think you may have to recount that. If we have any new it'll be as traumatizing for the guy, but but you know, it was something that's quick, but it feels like it's taking forever. Right. So and I think that prayer is just you know, the Lord is he his in his power and his omnipresence, he realized it and he actually in that struggle, in that journal, he cried out to the Lord and the Lord sent the fish.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, he said, I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and he answered me. And he answered me, yeah. You know, so like you said, he's recounting that moment of yeah, right. Like, and like you said, Ange, the sea could have been calm, but he was going down because the Lord is dealing with him. You understand what I'm saying? The sea the storm calmed down for the sailors, not for you, not for you, and it's like something like what Ralph said, like that storm that was inside. Right, he's he understands this is between him and God, and that's why I think even to the point where he was like, Yo, throw me over, because he's like, Yo, God is run is coming after me. You know what I mean? And now you guys are being affected, and it's but this thing is between him and God because God gave him the word, it wasn't about nobody.

SPEAKER_00

I still think that there was some repentance while he was on the ship.

SPEAKER_04

I don't I don't know if it was repentance. I think this is the point of repentance.

SPEAKER_00

The reason why I say that, because remember you were saying how he gave the responsibility to the dudes to throw them over, but here he said he he admits that it was the Lord who threw him over. Right. He says in verse 3, for you cast me into the deep. Right? So he knew the entire time that it was the Lord's will for him to be thrown over. So even at that point, he's walking in God's will by telling these the sailors, this is this is what has to be done to make things right. So I no, I was gonna the the thing now.

SPEAKER_04

Go ahead, go ahead. I'm on.

SPEAKER_02

I was and I was reading that too, and I was like, you know, I I totally agree with it. But I in in the format of how he's saying it, like the psalmist, the way he's kind of poetic, nature, and some of the things he said, you know, which is kind of kind of weird, not weird, but it it's revealing. Um to me, I I think he was in a position like the Lord put him in a position like that was the only thing you you gotta do.

SPEAKER_04

So it's it's weird, kind of like he's saying, you did it, but let me so this is a question because after last, like, you know, I was thinking about it, and when you was like, he should have prayed. You understand what I'm saying? Do you think that he prayed and the Lord didn't hear? Like when the sailors, when the sailors was like, Yo, sleeper, get up and pray.

SPEAKER_02

No, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04

Do you think that there was a do you think that he tried to pray and the Lord was just you know him?

SPEAKER_02

You don't think he was trying to, I think he was trying to get away from the Lord, like you said. No, I agree with that. So when when he's trying to escape from the Lord, escape from the Lord's presence, all of that is right, is is dead. Right. You know what I'm saying? Because he he made that decision. So I don't think he prayed. I think, like I said, I think they asked him, he was honest about everything. They drew straws, so they already know you're the culprit. Right. They interrogated him like he was in a court, and he fessed up and he was like, Yeah, but I still he was still dead set on his ways.

SPEAKER_00

He was, but I still think there was something going on because of the fact where they ask him, Who are you? and then he he says, I I I'm a Hebrew, I fear the Lord, the God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land. Like at that point, he's expressing who his God is. No, yeah. This isn't, you know what I mean? So I feel like there's something turning in him at that point, in the middle of this crazy storm, where his life is at stake now, and the fact that he told these people, listen, to you have to throw me overboard. That's the only way to make this right. I feel like there's something going on inside of him at this point.

SPEAKER_04

Now, with the thing I I I read it again, I don't think it was repentance, but I think it was a confession. Right? So when I read when I read it again, I'm I looked at it as salvation, right? Like when men are saved, right? Before we repent, we have to confess. Like the confession comes first. You have to confess to the point of you're a sinner. And I think this is like, you know, this is kind of showing us that progression of getting to the point of repentance, right? So when um the truth is presented to you, you confess that this is the truth. And I think we're seeing the progression with Jonah. Like, first the men was like, you know, it's because of you, we're here. He's like, Yeah, it's because of my sin that, you know, this storm is happening. And I think he confessed. You understand? And I think him, you know, saying I gotta get thrown overboard, he understanding that it's because of his sin that, you know, we're in this situation. And I think he, I think him saying, get, you know, throw me over into the sea, I think he realized that probably this is my judgment for being disobedient. You know what I mean? I've been disobedient to the Lord, I'm rebellious to the Lord. The Lord gave me a job, I didn't do it, and now this storm is my chastisement. This storm is my punishment. And I think that's where he was at. Like he was just like, you know what? I messed up at this point. I deserve death. I deserve to get thrown off this ship. I deserve whatever judgment that the Lord is giving me right now from the storm, and then you're seeing with the the Gentiles, like they were trying to roll, and it didn't appease the storm. So I think he got to that point where he was like, you know what? I deserve death. And I think you know, him saying, throw me overboard was him just, you know what, I rebelled against God. This is what I deserve. So I don't going back to what you're saying, I don't think it was, I think repentance came in the prayer. Like after, like when he got into the belly of the well and he realized that God saved him from even trying to kill himself, like, like understanding, like, yo, you know what, this is my judgment. I gotta get thrown off this ship to calm the storm. I'm dead. This is my life. And I think when he woke up in the belly, you know, three three days in the belly of the bell, he probably whatever came into conscience. He was like, Wow, the Lord heard my prayer. Because while he was drowning, I think he was like, This is my judgment. I'm gonna die. There's no hope for me. But he cried out to God. And going back to what you were saying, that's what God always wanted for him, just to cry out. And I think he got to that point when he was drowning. And also one thing that I'm you know, I want to point out the main reason why he was he went to Tarshis is to flee from the presence of God. And getting thrown over that ship, like when we read the prayer, it says, you know, he felt like he was in Sheol. He felt like he was in hell. And it's kind of like I feel like the Lord was like, You want to get away from my presence? Here's a taste of being away from my presence. Being out of the presence of God is hell. That's it. Like everybody who is in hell or who's going to hell is because you didn't want the presence of God. That is hell. And I think his whole focus was getting out the presence of God. And it's crazy how you know he says it. He says, um, then I said, I have been cast out of your sight. It's like he finally got what he, you know, what you wanted. Oh, this is what you wanted.

SPEAKER_02

What you thought you wanted. Right, what you thought you wanted.

SPEAKER_04

Like you was like, Oh, I want to be from the presence of God. You ran, you got into the boat, you went to Tosh it, you did all of that. You even thought you you even got, you know, threw yourself over off the boat, and God is like, Well, I'm gonna let you get a taste of not being in my presence. And it's like hell. And I think it's when he got to the end of himself to that point, is when he cried out. He's like, No, I don't want this. And you cried out to God, and then God, you know, uh uh saved him. But I think the whole point was to leave the presence of God, and I think that's what he got a taste of when he got thrown off that boat.

SPEAKER_00

But and I and I I listen, I I agree, and it doesn't say anything obvious, but I'm I'm not saying there was complete repentance on the boat, but what I'm saying there's a process I that's right, I agree. And he when when the Lord told him go to Nineveh and he got up and went the other way, there was no fear in the Lord or of the Lord at that moment, you know what I mean? Like, but in the middle of that storm on the boat where they were asking him who you know who's your God, he was like, I fear the Lord. And I feel like at that moment he was confessing. Yes, right? He's like, I fear the Lord. So there was something happening in his heart at that moment, right, you know, that needed to, you know, him, you know, to him to be thrown overboard to complete the process, right? But I do think that there was something happening. I don't think he was being thrown overboard, a prideful, you know, arrogant person at that point. I feel like there's something had switched, and he was like, like Mike was saying, now this is my judgment, now I'm gonna die. Yeah, but I do think something was happening on that boat. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

The only one caveat though, like I agree with a lot of things you're saying. The only one little nuance, so when you said um, I fear the Lord, like that is kind of like a creedal statement that most Jews like it's like, you know, I'm a I'm a Hebrew, I'm of the child of Abraham, I feel the Lord, the one true living God of the land and sea. It's like you know, kind of like part of you when people just repeat creeds. Okay, but you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_00

But why does that matter at that point?

SPEAKER_03

No, I'm just saying that it could have been that he was just like, This is who I am. I'm the Hebrew. We fear the Lord, not as He actually saying it. I feel the Lord like He's actually confessing or repenting at the evening, you know, but that's so you don't do we know that you well, the thing's that I mean, in terms of like the the credal statements, like we see it throughout, like you know, these guys always say when they say, Who are you? Yeah, I'm the Hebrew in you know that situation. With that, no, we don't know, like yeah, you know, I'm just saying that it could possibly be. I don't know.

SPEAKER_04

You know, and there's there's one more thing, too. You know, again, like I said, his whole thing was to flee the presence of God. When you read four, it says, Then I said, I have been cast out of your sight. Like, okay, now he realized, you know, this is what I wanted. God has given it to me. He says, Yet I will look again toward your holy temple. And I think, like you said, you just said something that hit um, you know, him being a Jew, the pre the temple was where the presence of God lied. Yeah, you understand what I'm saying? And it's not until you just said it, it hit like he was like, I'm gonna look it towards your temple because I I want your presence. I did like you said, I this is this is what I thought I wanted, and when I got it, I realized I don't want it. And I think him saying I'm looking towards your temple is him saying, Yo, I really is him telling God, I do want your presence. You know, because again, the main thing of him running away is to he was trying to flee the presence of God. And what's crazy is the word of the Lord came to him, and you know, you mentioned something last week where you was like, um, you know, God didn't tell him to throw himself off the ship. But it's like the way I'm looking at it is like how the Lord is speaking through him is through the works now. Now I'm gonna speak to you through this storm. I'm gonna speak to you, you know, you're gonna get thrown off the ship. You're gonna drown the well. All of these were like God was like, oh, you want to flee from my presence? All right, I gave you a word, or you think you could run away from my matter of fact, here's a storm. Here's the casting of the lots, here's getting thrown off the ship, here's drowning, here's the I like it says, I prepared all of that. I prepared the fish. I do the storm. It's like God is like, oh, you don't want to go against my word, or you don't think I can work in the actions? All right, I control everything. My presence is everywhere. I'm in total, I'm totally sovereign over everything. And I think God was showing him his power. Like, oh, you think you want to run away from me? All right, I'm gonna show how I'm everywhere and I control everything.

SPEAKER_00

And you know what's crazy about that too, where he says, I've been cast out of your sight. You know how many people wake up in hell, right? And they're and their entire life, they didn't want to have anything to do with God. Right, right. And then they all they wake up in hell, they get to this point where they're like, now I know what it's like to be cast out of your sight, God, but they don't have another opportunity to look towards the temple. Like it's a wrap for you. Like you're from now on, you're going to spend eternity not in the presence of God. You know, and that and that and that to me is the saddest thing that can ever happen to anyone. I got one question real quick.

SPEAKER_04

Do you think the do you think the you think the the the sailor's prayer had something to do with God preparing that fish? The sailor's prayer. Because it says like when you read it, it says, and do not charge us with innocent blood. Do you think it's like cause it's like because we're gonna see throughout the theme, like you said, the person who's supposed to be the man of God is running away from God, and it's the people who didn't have God, the pagans, they're the ones who's genuinely interacting with God. When they see God, they respond. You know, so it's like, you know, when I read it again, it's kind of like, you know, these guys, this prayer was genuine. They were like, you know, they said, therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man's life. Like, don't let us die. And it says, and do not charge us with innocent blood. For you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you. So, like, what we're about to do, we understand this is your will. Like, you know, he told us this is what we have to do, but I think it's like, we know when we throw this guy over, he's dead. Like, they everybody knew that, even Jonah. Like, everybody was like, Yo, dog, you're gonna die. And it's like they prayed this prayer so sincere, you know? It's like, why wouldn't the Lord honor it and be like, you know what?

SPEAKER_00

I don't see that.

SPEAKER_04

Why not? It was an honest, it was a sincere prayer.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, you're saying that if they wouldn't have prayed that. Then the Lord wouldn't have created.

SPEAKER_04

No, I didn't say that. I'm just saying that that prayer, again, we understand the power of prayer. It's just like with Lot, right? The Lord went to this to Sodom and Gomorrah, he saved Lot, but it tells you, you know, the Lord saved them because he remembered Abraham prayer. So it's just showing you, like, you know, and and the crazy thing about it is this happened before it tells you that the Lord prepared the fish. It was after these guys' prayer. Right. So it's like, why wouldn't the Lord had honored the prayer of these men who turned to him and they were sincere?

SPEAKER_00

So you're saying that within the time that they prayed and the time that they threw him overboard, God listened and made a fish. Yeah, why not? But because one in verse three it says, You cast me into the deep, meaning that this was the Lord's will the entire time. Right. And this was to me, it was the process of him getting to that repentance had nothing to do with other people's, you know, actions. It had nothing to do with those men's prayer. You don't think so?

SPEAKER_04

I I mean you don't think that people are saved because of the prayers of others? No, that had nothing. That wasn't about salvation, right? No, I'm talking about salvation. I'm talking about just his life being saved because it says, it says, do not charge us with innocent blood. And they knew what they were doing, they were gonna kill him. Yeah, I mean, we know that part. And he got saved. They didn't he would he didn't die.

SPEAKER_00

But I don't think that that their prayers was why the Lord created a fish when the entire time his his job was to go to Nineveh. Alright, no problem. So you're so you what you what makes you're making it sound as if they didn't pray, then the Lord wouldn't have created that fish and he would have died, and he would have never went to Nineveh. And I don't see that as No, I I don't I didn't say that.

SPEAKER_04

I'm just saying that. But that's what that's what you're saying. No, I'm just saying, like, like you, we had people that prayed for us. Did that say like you said, like your mother. 100%. Do you think do you think your mother's prayers were involved in your salvation? 100%. Why? Do you think that the Lord could have, if your mother never prayed, do you think the Lord would have still saved you?

SPEAKER_00

Um, I mean, like I like we talked about last night, there are things that have to happen in someone's life, I think, for your heart to be prepared. So by praying for someone, you know, I do think the Lord honors those prayers and causes your heart to be softened more, right? But you know, if the Lord knew from the eternity that at some point my heart was going to be softened, maybe I would have, maybe I would have been saved when I was 60 instead of being saved when I was 35. You know what I mean? But I those prayers from from from these these sailors, like I feel like one, God saved those sailors despite, you know, um Jonah's actions. And I think that God saved Jonah despite this the sailors' actions, because that was God's will all along was to save Jonah. So do I think the Lord heard those prayers? Of course, but do I think that those prayers was were specific uh into him making the fish? I I don't think so.

SPEAKER_02

I think that was so let me ask you guys a question just real quick. And I know we all read Jonah already, but like what do you think Jonah's like the story revival?

SPEAKER_04

I think that's one point. Revival, yeah, God's grace. I I feel like the main the main thing that I got from reading the whole book of Jonah is just the grace of God. You had a guy who was rebellious, who didn't want to do the will of God, and God you know was patient with him through the whole process, and like we're seeing even while God is dealing with this rebellious um prophet, he's saving people along. So, you know, throughout the whole book, I'm just seeing, you know, really the grace of God, how patient God is, and and how you know he uses his sovereignty to save men.

SPEAKER_00

I think Jonah is obviously a mover and a shaker, right? Oh, word you use that word? Like your man just messing with you, but I I think the whole entire book it encompasses God's will despite our disobedience to him. Like this his salvation plan is going to happen regardless, and people are gonna be saved regardless of our disobedience to him. And like I like Mike always says, I always see the grace in everything. So the grace that he sees, I see that as well. You know, and to me, even if if if it was chastisement, I think that even being chastised is God's grace, right? Because it gets you to to be where God wants you. So even God's chastisement to his sons and daughters is grace, is love, right? That's what it says, right? That's what it says. Yeah, so I I that's how I see the the book.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I mean, I see the same thing, you know. We're seeing the the patience, the grace, and the mercy of our perfect, holy, eternal God in direct contradistinction to uh selfish, hard-hearted man Jonah. You know, and despite you know his rebellious, you know, how God is always sovereign and he's always gracious and he's always loving and he's always merciful, and that you know, and that this whole book points to Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, that's another gospel. Yeah, that's another thing that I'm I'm seeing more and more as I read it more and throughout, I'm clearly seeing how the gospel is from the beginning of this book to the end of this book. So many points, and you know, we're I'll bring it out as we go on.

SPEAKER_02

Two things, I guess, similar to what everybody said God's uh universal love. Right. And he's he's trying to show that, which is you know, we read that back in Genesis 12 um 12, 3 where he says, I'll bless those that bless you, talking to Abraham, but I'll curse the one who curses you, and through you all the people of the earth will be blessed. So we're seeing that work out right here. That all the people of the earth would be blessed. Right? The Lord chose one nation to be like evangelize the earth and save other people. So we're seeing that happen. That was God's will from the beginning, and somebody said it last week like the Lord don't change, right? But now we're just seeing, oh, you yeah, you said this back to Abraham back then. And there's also another problem that the Lord is highlighting to the nation of Israel is this national pride that they have. You know what I'm saying? And like Jonah. So it's kind of like I don't see Jonah as an evil dude, but when it came to that particular situation, because we read back in 2 Kings where the Lord used them and enlarged the land under an evil king. But when it came to that, Jonah was like, nah, yeah, that's not happening, Lord. Not your will, my will. Right. And he was like, he was totally opposed to that, and that was the problem. Right. And he represented a problem that was happening with everybody, because this book's audience is the Jewish people. No, I agree.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I mean, to add another layer to the complication, um, is that I'm like in terms of like with the national pride, is that could you imagine what Jonah was thinking? Because as we as we know that his contemporaries were Amos and Hosea, and Amos and Hosea were prophesying when you read their books, they were prophesying on the coming destruction of Assyria for them taking Israel captive and destroying the nation of Israel. So they're going into that. This is what's gonna happen because uh Assyria is gonna take the northern kingdom into captivity under Senekarib and Sargon II and you know and Shamaniser and all these different kings that um that the Assyrians went through. So I'm wondering that he chances are he's probably privileged to their prophecy that yo, this is gonna happen. These guys are gonna destroy the nation and spread them out, and now you want me to go save them? So you see, could you imagine what's going through his head when he knows what his boys are kicking? What because he because his boys are kicking to the nation, to the Jews. Like, this is the prophecy. If you, you know, if you don't change, this is what Assyria's gonna do to you, and then God is telling you, Jonah, you could tell the Syrians you need to repent. He's like, wait, hold on. Right, you know what I'm saying? So you're seeing all these layers as happening at the same time.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, no, you totally.

SPEAKER_04

And when we get to chapter four, it's gonna, like you said, it it it is he's gonna reveal it all.

SPEAKER_02

So so I don't see Jonah as a like a he was an evil dude. I just saw that he had this character flaw in him, you know, racism, right? Yes, you know, political pride that the Lord had to deal with and reveal.

SPEAKER_00

But ultimately that in itself evil? The desire for a million people to perish. No, that I agree. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02

But it's kind of like, and the reason I'm saying like he there was something in him that the Lord had to had to deal with, yeah. Right, and that thing, his will was he was not willing to break. You know what I'm saying? And we're seeing the Lord deal with it, and you know, from the opening of the first chapter, the Lord say, Yo, this is what you're going to do, and I'm gonna make sure you do it. But the overall story obviously is God's universal love, because he said that back in Genesis 12. He's like, Yo, everybody's gonna get blessed. My love is not exclusive to just Israel. Salvation is not exclusive to just Israel, but Jonah's like, no, it should only be exclusive to us. God, you got it wrong this time. I ain't doing it, I'm out. So that's the problem. So that's why when um even with the prayer, right? He's talking about oh man, thank you for delivering me. Remembering your your um omnipresence. He didn't say nothing about what he was commissioned to do. He didn't say, My bad, you're right. Those people deserve he didn't mention any of that stuff, he didn't mention it on the boat, he didn't mention it in the prayer inside inside the he was just grateful that he got saved, that the Lord saved him, and he's starting to remember who the God is and his qualities and how good he is. You know what I'm saying? So um I agree. Damn, I was about to say a point. It was based on what you said, so it's kind of like I compartmentalize this what Jonah's doing. It's just this one thing that he's like, Yo dog, I'm not breaking everything else. He was probably great. Like, I think he knew the Lord. I think he feared, yeah. I think he feared the Lord, genuinely feared the Lord. Right, right. I think he knew the God's word. No, all the he knew all of that, but this, yes, it's a problem. That was a problem, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

You see, the Lord is exposing it. And do you think that we all have that? We all have that with those issues.

SPEAKER_02

We're living in a society where that's so prepped.

SPEAKER_04

That's the language now, and that that's exactly what I think. That's why I think it's coming out, like even now with us. Like, like that prejudice, that pride, that national pride. You understand what I'm saying? Yo, the religious pride, all of that. Because, like he said, he mentions his holy temple, his holy temple. Like, I'm sorry to cut you off.

SPEAKER_02

You just said it and it came to my mind in his prayer, right? He says, in verse 8, those who cling to the veins of idols leave me behind, uh idols leave behind the gracious love. Even the way he spoke spiritually towards the immature spiritual people, which is what the people of Nineveh are. Like they don't know God, they've never had that. Yeah, they're wicked and all that stuff, but they didn't have the privilege that Jonah, you and your people have. You know what I'm saying? And the whole point was for you to go reach those people. That was the whole point from the beginning. Right. Jonah totally missed that. Yes. And I think Jonah represents the nation. Yes. Where they totally miss that. And God is like, yo, you're missing the point. What I'm telling you to go do shouldn't be weird. It's not outside of my will that I've told your forefathers. You go go and read it. You know, you know what Abraham said. You know what I'm saying? So now that's that's like the process. This is God being God, who he is, and then this is um God exacting his will, and this is Jonah be like, no, that part you're wrong. We gotta do it my way. Let them die. Let them be wiped out. Matter of fact, you should judgment on them. You know what I'm saying? So it's kind of I compartmentalize Jonah's rebellion specific to this particular situation.

SPEAKER_04

I agree, and 150%. I agree. That when I was reading it, because like I said, when we get to chapter four, it shows that. Very clear. You know, that was like, and it's crazy because he said, those who regard worthless idols, and that was an idol in his life. In his life, that was something that he couldn't let go. That made it to the point where he rebelled against God. You know, he he purposely went the other way to the point where he didn't even want the presence of God. That's how deep it's going. And God is showing him that. This thing that you have in your heart to the point where you're rebelling against me. I gotta throw a storm at you. You gotta get thrown off the you got all of this is happening to you because you won't let this one thing go. And this is why we're beefing right now, and that's what it was.

SPEAKER_03

It's so wild that you mentioned that I literally had a conversation with a guy today. Um man, make sure you do the accent too. So my man was, he had a uh, you know, I love Jesus hat on. And I looked at I said, Oh man, I love your hat. I love I love Jesus also. And then he came up to me and said, You know, you are chosen. I said, What? Yeah, that was bad. He said, Yo, yo, yeah, we don't root of all the Jamaican baby. Root of David. I said, huh? I said, root of David. And I just you know, I gave him the dumb look, huh? He said, Yeah, yeah. Then, you know, he went on as like, you know, Jesus was the seed of David and Solomon and you know, us, we are part of the heritage.

SPEAKER_02

I was like, What do you mean by us?

SPEAKER_03

And I said, and I said black people, you know, and I said, I said, uh Jesus died for us all, um, all of us, and we are covered by his sacrifice when he went to the cross was for all men. He's like, ah, he's like, nah. Then he went like this, I am black, but coming. I said, What? He said, I am, yeah. I said, Song of Solomon, one verse five. I was like, that wasn't Solomon speaking. I was like, that was the woman that was talking. He's like, you brainwash! You you idiot boy. Brainwash. I said, I said, yo, it's not about black. It's like, how are you talking about you love Jesus? And you pushing this black thing on me. It's about Jesus, right? It's not about your color or your complexion. It's about, you know, and you and he started, you know, going on. I don't want to go through the whole, but the whole thing's like that idol of his race, his nationality, his skin color supersedes. That's pretty much that is not the gospel, that is not Jesus, that is not God, because his color is more important than God, his race is more important than God, his people, you know, is more important than God.

SPEAKER_02

Yep.

SPEAKER_03

You know, so he so I'm like, yo, that that is idolatry when you've created your own God and you're proc professing to be a believer.

SPEAKER_02

So that's that's a big idol in 2023 going into 2024, especially in America. Right up people, you know, identify with whatever color, whatever nationality, politics, political party, religion, yeah, and y'all missing the whole point. Like you missed what the Lord said from the beginning, and that was the problem.

SPEAKER_04

That was the idol in his life. That's what he that's why he rebelled against God, B.

SPEAKER_02

Just selfish that the the it's about me. Like Jonah was Jonah's idol, his nationalistic pride and all that stuff, he was ready for 120,000 people to die for that. And the Lord came and was like, Yeah, you know those terrible people over there? They're reaching. And it's not like the Lord is not just, like, he's just. Right? If if he went, you know, obviously we'll get to it. Like, the Lord is just, he's perfectly just, but he's also gracious. And he was like, yo, these yo, those people over there, they're about to reach past the tipping point. Go and send him a message for me. And he was like, No. What he told him to do was totally in line with who God is universal love. Everybody has the opportunity to gain salvation through Jesus Christ. Everybody, even the worst of the worst, which the Assyrians were. Yeah, the worst group of people, they were still, it was still available to them.

SPEAKER_04

It reminds me of um who was that? Is it Corby Tamboon? With uh, you know, seeing the Nazi that was saved, and she didn't, you know, it it came to a point where, you know, after every all the atrocities, you know, the um the Nazis did to her people, she was faced with that to forgive him. Because he came to him and he came to her, was like, listen, I'm saved, I'm born again. And that was the struggle for her. And that's how I kind of look like the Assyrians. Like, you know, they at that time they were the Nazis. They were, you know, these people that, you know, did all these the evil group that did all these atrocities and killed millions and millions of people.

SPEAKER_02

It's worse if the atrocities against you and your people.

SPEAKER_04

Right. When you don't even have nothing to do with it. Right, right, right. Right, right. Right. And that's what it that's what it that's what it is. And that's how that's how you can kind of look at it now. It's like somebody who went through the Holocaust seeing one of these Nazi Germans saved. Or the Lord is telling, you know, somebody who is a Jew who went through the Holocaust, who got saved, go preach that. Yeah, go preach that to all those.

SPEAKER_02

Make it make it current.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02

Go to Gaza.

SPEAKER_04

Yep. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Go to the the Hamas. What's the name? Hamas. Hamas. I call him a Hamas. Yeah, you call the hummus. Hummits and trips. Hummus and chips. Go to Hamas, the Hamas terrorist group. We know what they did in October 7th. Right. Go preach. Right. Go preach the gospel to them.

SPEAKER_04

Or even African American, go to the white man. Right? All the stuff that he went through, you went through in slavery, and you know, that's something that you're holding on to. But if you're saved and you're born again, why are you not, you know, going out and preaching to the Caucasians? You know, sometimes that could be a barrier. I remember when I first got saved, I was on that pro-black tip very hard. And that's something the Lord had to deal with me. Just even opening my heart to even loving other races. You understand what I'm saying? I know exactly what Jonah is going through because I believe everybody, everybody goes through that. Because again, this is a world that we live in a world that is all about prejudice, racism, bigotry. That's how you were raised. A lot of the homes we were raised in, the parents, our parents, our grandparents, our uncles, the elders, they instilled and ingrained a lot of that in us. And when you get saved, you gotta kind of, you know what I'm saying? It's like Puerto Rican, it's like a Puerto Rican seeing a Dominican. You know what I'm saying? You know what, you know what that makes Puerto Ricans talk about. I'm gonna the Dominicans know their place. Some of the Porterbacks out there.

SPEAKER_03

Show the Dominicans some love, man, and your brother's you know, you know what that makes me think of? Um that perfect example of what we saw, the love of God, which uh we and we saw the backlash. Do you remember it was um his name was I just looked up real quick, Brent Jean. When he and when his brother got killed. He forgave Amber Geiger. Right? That police officer. Police officer, yeah. Yeah, and he and he said, Yo, I love you. You know, I whatever. And I just want to show you that, you know, God loves you. And then the judge gave her a Bible. And the thing is, is that you remember the backlash that the audience, that all the out, you know, the people is like, how could he forgive the police officer that killed his brother?

SPEAKER_02

See, I expect that. You go on social media, you see everybody's brain short circuiting. Right. When they read something like that. Like, yeah, because you're not, you're part of the world. That's right. That's how you're supposed to reposed racist. You are racist. You're all of those things because you're not saved, you're not regenerated. That's right. My problem is when people that claim to be Christians are Christians, and they have a problem with it. Right. And I'm like, I expect that from the Ninevites. Right. From the Canaanites, from the Hamites, which is which is how y'all behaving, right? That meaning that that spirit that you know non-believers unsafe people moved in. But you so you telling me you're born from above? You mean you got saved and you did nothing? Unmerited favor? And you're saying that you can't understand that? Right. So did you experience it for real? Right. Right. It's a great point. So why you can't understand it that the brother who's the brother whose brother got killed by this cop is able to forgive. So now, fam, getting the book.

SPEAKER_04

No, that's that's definite. And I think this book is put there for that. Because again, that's that's what, you know, I think that's what everybody who because we're all born in a nationality. And I don't care what nationality you in, there's another nationality that you got a problem with. It's always like that. From when you're young in the household, you're hit you're gonna hear it, and it don't matter. There's always gonna be these little things that, you know, like I said, the parents, the people around you, they're gonna say, and if you're saved, like you said, you're saved and you're born from above. Like, why is that still why are you still looking at those people a certain way? Why do you still have a problem even interacting with them or even going out there? Like, it's like again, you're in that spot of Jonah. And again, that was his that was his biggest problem. And that's an idol. Yes, that's an idol, that national pride that you have, like, yeah, I'm a Christian, but you know, before I'm a Christian, I'm I'm Irish. You know, that's I got Irish blood, and you go so hard with it, but understanding that, you know, like I said, throughout history, every nationality got a problem with another nationality. Do you is that wall totally torn down in your life?

SPEAKER_02

I I I heard uh Tony Evans he he preached a sermon on that, and he broke it down where you know a lot of Christians they filter Christianity through their um identity, whether it's black or whether it's you know, whatever nationality you are, instead of it being the other way. Instead of filtering your culture, because listen, there's nothing wrong with the different cultures. Yeah, no, no, no. The Lord designed it that way, there's different flavors, different people, you got different foods, whatever. But you should filter your culture because everybody's culture got trash in it, trash behavior, you know. You gotta filter that through the lens of Christianity. Like your identity should be uh anchored in this new life that you received from heaven. That's your identity. Your identity is not black or this or that. So it's it's like a lot of people have it backwards. Sometimes it'd be like, oh, you go to a black church, I'll be like, what is that? Or they say, oh, oh, black is. I'm like, what's black love? And how is it different from love? From there's no other love. Love, right, right, from love. Love, love. Love, love. Yeah, how's black love different? And these are things that people say, and it's almost you know, people's brains get hacked. Social media, people just say it, you know, support black business. Why am I gonna get a discount? I'm I want to be fiscally responsible. I'm on the best service. I want to maximize, I want to maximize you a trader to your people.

SPEAKER_04

That's the you see itemized. Nah, baby. That's how you spend my spending power.

SPEAKER_02

Nah, man. What? You want me to do you a favor? Just say that. Say that. Nah, baby. Do me a favor. Nah, baby. But it no, no, what I and I'm joking, bro. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They're packaging it in this um prejudice, this racist, you know, marketing and branding, and almost guilting you if you do something wrong. I'm like your dog Martin off.

unknown

Right.

SPEAKER_02

All of that is wrong. So, and that is what Jonah is so anchored in that it's become a problem that he had to end up at the bottom of the sea. Like I said, before he he he called out to God and started remembering God. And God being gracious still delivered. Because you got a job to do. I ain't I ain't I ain't tell you to clock out yet. You still got a job to do.

SPEAKER_00

Have you guys ever experienced verse seven? When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord and my prayer went up to you into your holy temple. What you think about that, Ralph? Verse seven. Which one? Verse seven. Has that ever happened? Have you ever experienced that? Where your soul fainted, something happened to you, and it brought you like to where you wanted to be in the throne room. And the reason I bring that up is because it happened to me. Remember, we were talking a little bit about my when my tongue turned black. Yeah, you didn't. I never told him the story. Yeah, you never. But it was basically I this was this is what brought me to the Lord, you know, eight, nine years ago. I was in DR doing, you know.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, where was he at?

SPEAKER_00

I'm not gonna say that's why I brought it up. He wasn't in PR. He was in DR. I was in DR doing my dirt, you know what I mean? And um the the morning before we were supposed to leave, I'm in the bathroom brushing my teeth. I spit out you know the water, and it was black. So I'm like, what's going on here? I spit it out. I look in the mirror, my tongue was black. Yo, at that moment, literally, my soul fainted within me. Yo, fainted with it. Yo, I felt empty, like like my soul, because I was like, I got the black plague.

SPEAKER_04

It's judgment. You thought the judgment was here.

SPEAKER_00

I got the plague. This is it, I'm done. The Lord had been working with me weeks before, working in my life, weeks before that, where I was to the point where damn, I shouldn't even go to DR. But I was like, it's already paid. You know what? I'm gonna go anywhere, I ain't gonna do nothing.

SPEAKER_03

It was already paid, just like the Jonah Putin.

SPEAKER_00

Yo, yo, so I look in the mirror, I seen that, and it wasn't coming off. Yo, so I was like, yo, I was weak. I went to the bed in the room, I was like, Lord. Yo, so check it out. Yo, the Holy Spirit hit me there. He was like, sit down, relax, and Google what things can make your tongue black. So I'm like, because I was like, where's the ER? I'm in DR, like they're not gonna fix me here. So anyway, I look it up, and one of the first things that popped up was um Pepto Bismol tablets. I I was I was drinking a lot of uh Virgin Pina Coladas and it was giving me the runs. Okay, so I was taking Pepto Bismol tablets, so the bismuth in it, right? Yo, so when I read that and I was I put two and two together, I was like, Lord, that's it. You know what I mean? Yo, but I went from I was about to die. You remember the Lord. I remembered the Lord, like literally, I'm not lying. Right, right. Inside of me, my soul fainted. Like I was like, I'm done. I got some black plague from from doing what I'm not supposed to be doing. Yo, the next day, we flew in, so I went into my bedroom and it was a rap. Spent hours on my knees crying out to the Lord, praying, and and the Lord like embraced me in a way that I'll never ever forget. And that was the beginning of me walking for the Lord like on fire. But um, and that's what I think.

SPEAKER_04

I think like chapter one, we see a confession, and then chapter two, I think we're seeing you know, a repentance, but again, you know, as we go on, I think it's a progressional. I mean, I think that's what happens when you, you know what I mean? Like before you turn black, before you get saved, there were moments where you like you get them shocks. It wasn't that. Yeah, the Lord, the look like yours happened like boom, boom, boom. But I know there was moments, you know, even with me, like, you know, before I got there was more where you just you get them scares. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

I mean, I I think I told you guys about it.

SPEAKER_04

But you remember God.

SPEAKER_03

One of my scares, like, you know, messing with a shorty. Yeah, yeah. And then he almost got stabbed in the crib. Yeah, yeah. And then like she didn't tell me that she had a man, and the man walked in and uh started, you know, fighting the shorty, you know what I'm saying? And like he snuffed it, then I went like your Duke. You know, I was like, because I was about to be me anyway, I was about to bounce, you know what I'm saying? And um, but when he snuffed it, I was like, oh man, if Shorty ends up dying, it's gonna be on my conscience, you know what I'm saying? So I went and I stopped, went to stop the fight. And then my man ran to the kitchen and grabbed the meat cleaver. It wasn't even a knife, it was a and he charged me and swung. Wow, it wasn't like yo, like uh scaring. He charged me and swung. And I, yo, B, it was God's grace. I ducked that bad boy. And I ran out. Luckily, the thing is that the door was slightly open because when he came in, he was furious because a dude was up in his crib. Yeah, and you know what I'm saying? So it left the door partly, so yeah, it left the door partly. So I just jetted after that. I was like, yo, man, whatever happens, happens. Yeah, that's but that was the beginning of Lady, because my soul fainted, because the thing is I was so that's gonna be the name of this episode. And you know, the the wild thing, the thing that was running through my mind, because like because I was during like when I you know, um, you know, during residency, you you go talk to patients and ask them like, yo, yo, why'd you get shot? How'd you get shot? Why you get stabbed, how you got stabbed, and they was like, Oh, I was minding my own business, just standing at the bus stop. They're gonna lie. I was standing and minding my own business, and all I could think of, yo, they're gonna be I'm gonna be in the ER actually, yo, how you got this meat cleaver on your standing.

SPEAKER_04

But that's all you feel for number seven? What? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's all you feel about number seven. Oh, nah. Nah. Yeah. So you won't go into it? You won't forget it. We'll go into it later. Next, yeah, yo, because we are we yeah, yeah, we'll come back later. We're wrapping up. We're about to wrap up.

SPEAKER_02

So um, you know, uh, and what I'm hearing is how patient God is with us, how loving, uh gracious, gentle, even when we put ourselves in the worst type of situations, he's the same, he doesn't change. God is love. And if we experienced it, you know, for those that that have or confess that they have, you know, we have to live our lives uh working that out, right? Loving others and glorifying God through that. So um you know, God showed his love through Jesus Christ when he sent his son to die on the cross, and the reason that he did that is to save us from eternal separation, from eternal damnation. If you haven't accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will spend eternity in hell. As long as you have breath in your lungs, all you have to do is believe. You know, believe in Jesus Christ and you will be saved. So um that's our prayer. Um Thank you, everybody, and good night.

SPEAKER_04

Amen, amen later.