The
online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen
&
Brooksyne Weber
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encouragement and exhortation.
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Thursday,
September 29, 2022
New York City
from air
Click
on photo to enlarge
"That
Great City"
Note:
We have not posted messages the last week due to our
trip to New England. I came back yesterday morning while
Brooksyne headed to Tulsa to visit her family for a
week. Thus these messages won't have the benefit of her
input and editing and I will be reading the podcast
solo!
Message
summary: Today let us
consider God's concern for the city.
"Should
I not be concerned about that great city?" (Jonah
4:11).
"Should I not also have compassion on Nineveh, the great city" (NASB)
"And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city" (ESV)
Yesterday
before sunrise I had a nice view of New York City from the air. Including the portion of western
Long Island and eastern New Jersey I imagine the photo
shows where over 10 million people live. If you enlarge the photo you will see
landmarks such as the George Washington and
Verrazzano-Narrows bridges. You can see Central
Park and even the speck of land
where the Statue of Liberty is.
Preparing
for ministry nearly 50 years ago now I had many options
as to where to serve but one I really never considered
was ministry in a city such as New York City. I grew up
in a small town outside of Kansas City Missouri and I've
never had much interest in being in a city other than to
visit.
But I am
thankful for those who minister in the city such as Jim
and Carol Cymbala, who have served the Brooklyn
Tabernacle since 1971.
Today let
us consider Jonah who was called to a city by God, "Go
to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it,
because its wickedness has come up before me"
(Jonah 1:2).
Well he
didn't want to go but God got his attention in a rather
dramatic way through a whale of an experience and he
reluctantly went and had remarkable success as the city
repented. But he wasn't happy about that and chapter 4
finds him stewing in his anger,
consumed with his own personal issues rather than a
concern for others. He really
wanted to see God's judgment!
But the
book ends with a question from God, "And should I
not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in
which there are more than a hundred and twenty
thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from
their left—and also many animals?”
"Who cannot tell their right hand from their left" likely refers to those who, spiritually speaking, cannot tell right from left. The verse shows that God takes pity on the spiritual blindness of the pagan. God’s desire is to extend His salvation to all who repent and turn to Him. (gotquestions.org)
Warren
Wierbe observes,
"Jonah
and Nahum are the only books in the Bible that end with
questions, and both books have to do with the city of
Nineveh. Nahum ends with a question about God’s
punishment of Nineveh (Nahum 3:19), while Jonah ends
with a question about God’s pity for Nineveh. This is a
strange way to end such a dramatic book as the Book of
Jonah. In the book God has the first word (Jonah 1:1–2)
and God has the last word (Jonah 4:11), and that’s as it
should be."
Our daily
text has been called the greatest missions verse in the
Bible and it surely reflects the heart of God and is a
model for us, "Should I not be concerned about that
great city?" The clear answer to this question is
surely, "I am concerned!" and Jonah and all
of us should be as well.
Today I urge each reader to take up the burdens of the hurting world, especially the cities, around us and live a life expressing in many ways, including our prayers, that also proclaims, "I am concerned!"
Today I urge each reader to take up the burdens of the hurting world, especially the cities, around us and live a life expressing in many ways, including our prayers, that also proclaims, "I am concerned!"
Be
encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen
& Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, we continue to
pray for the peace of Jerusalem and we
pray for the peace of Christ to rain
down upon the cities of our nation and
world. We pray for servants of the
Gospel who are taking the message of
salvation to the troubled streets of
our cities, for their safety and for
receptivity from those looking for
answers, the answers that can't be
found in our institutions of higher
learning or our divided political
landscape across America. Many express
their rage and anger through lawless
acts of vandalism, destruction, incite
fear, and the calamitous list goes on
and on. We pray for our elected
leaders to stand for law and order, to
be strong and courageous in
recapturing civility among the
rebellious throngs who resist the
established authority. We pray for
churches and ministries located in
these cities to prayerfully and
eagerly present the greatest
Authority, our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, who provides the greatest
Manual of all time, the Word of God
which gets to the hearts of humankind
to seek and to save those who are lost
in sin through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Our soul's diseases can be healed and
the ills of our country as well when
people's hearts are turned toward God.
Help us, we earnestly pray, in the
name of Jesus. Amen.Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"Prayer for the City"
Video Oslo
Gospel Choir
"Keep Praying"
Video
Maverick City Music Gospel Choir featuring Doe Jones &
Ryan Ofei
Some photos from our New England trip.
Thursday, our first full
day, was rainy but we drove around
Lake Winnipesaukee and up for a train
ride on the Hobo Railroad in Lincoln
New Hampshire. Brooksyne's highlight
was visiting with a Lucy impersonator
who travels around with this trailer
(from the old TV show "I Love Lucy).
From Lincoln we drove on the
scenic Kancamagus Highway and stopped
to see Sabbaday Falls.
A
pleasant (sort of!) walk in the rain
along this trail along the Kancamagus
Highway.
It will
be a week or two before the peak of fall
foliage in New England but we sure saw
the changes such as this tree along the
Kancamagus Highway.
Heading further north the
weather began to clear somewhat and we
saw this rainbow in the White
Mountains.
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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