If you arrived to this study by way of the Tell me the story of Jesus program ... You probably feel encouraged to learn more because of your increased awareness of the Holy Spirit, and that's so
exciting! We will be taking a small field trip before we begin our Jesus and Jonah study on the Sign of the Prophet Jonah and the 3 days and 3 nights prophecy ...
If you have read about the Holy Spirit, you may have high expectations that each time you commune with the Holy Spirit
you're supposed to get this intense feeling of euphoria. Well, that
simply isn't the case. We may not have the administration which
requires it like Moses or David or Elijah or Isaiah or Daniel, so
don't start thinking that something is wrong if the clouds don't part
and messages aren't written across the sky when you invite Him to be
with you.
Let me explain it to you this way. You love your
spouse more than anyone else in the world, yet you feel differently if
you're sharing an emotional moment together than when you're putting
away the groceries. That doesn't mean you love them any less or that
they love you any less when they're stocking canned goods in the
pantry. In fact, just knowing they're there is all the comfort you
need and it's not necessary to have fireworks or even candle light
dinners every night of your lives to make sure the other knows of your
love for them.
If you don't feel shivers up and down your spine every
time you pray, that doesn't mean you're not Spiritual. The Holy Spirit
knows your heart. He knows your desire to know Him and to share His
company. He's there, so don't worry.
Now with that in mind, let's go back to our Jesus and Jonah Sign Seekers quest seeking answers to the Sign of the Prophet Jonah and the 3 days and 3 nights prophecy story. We pick up where Jesus was talking to the scribes and pharisees. After Jesus
explained again about how your fruits (words and deeds) come from your heart, they asked
Him to show them a sign (to prove that He was the Son of God).
Here are some sign seekers. Jesus answered ... This evil generation wants to see a
sign, but no sign will be shown to it, except the sign of prophet
Jonas (Jonah). Just like Jonas was in the whale's belly for 3 days
and 3 nights, the Son of man (Jesus) will also be in the heart of
the earth.
Here we find the comparison of Jesus and Jonah and how Jesus gave the sign seekers a sign to watch for. The Sign of the Prophet Jonah and the 3 days and 3 nights is to be prophecy of what Jesus would endure as well. When Judgment Day comes, the people of Nineveh will stand up and condemn this generation because they repented when Jonas
preached warning to them, (Jonah
3:1-10) and you have one greater than Jonas
preaching to you. The queen of the south will also stand up on
judgment day and condemn this generation because she came from the
uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and one
greater than Solomon is here.
The queen of the south is the queen of Sheba. Sheba,
also known as Saba was southern Arabia. The queen heard of the wisdom
of Solomon and she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon because she
didn't believe what she heard about Solomon being the wisest man that
will ever live, but Solomon answered all her questions and she
conceded that he was wiser even than what she had heard (2
Chronicles 9:1-9).
The Jesus and Jonah Sign Seekers Mystery is beginning to unravel. - The Sign of the Prophet Jonah and the 3 days and 3 nights prophecy was simply Jesus telling them that He would die and rise
again after 3 days and 3 nights, and even though He is greater
than Jonah, the scribes and Pharisees still won't believe in Him, so
Nineveh will be witnesses against them in the day of judgment.
Likewise, they were testing Him, as the queen of Sheba tested Solomon,
and even though He is greater than Solomon, they won't believe the
wisdom that He speaks to them.
Then Jesus went on to say, When the unclean spirit
is cast out of a man, the unclean spirit walks through dry places,
looking for rest, but finding none. (You can study more about
evil spirits which originated in the days of
Noah's ark.) Then
the spirit says to itself, I'll go back to my house (the person) who I
came out of, and when he (the unclean spirit) arrives (returns), he
finds it (the person) empty, swept and put in order. Then it goes and
takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself
and they enter into the person and live there. Now the person is in worse
condition than before. That's how it will be with this wicked
generation.
In other words, when we allow an unclean spirit
within us by partaking of the world and they are removed by our CHOICE
to follow Jesus, the spirit wanders looking for another body to
overtake and eventually comes back to the body he was in. IF it is
clean, he can't get in so he goes and gets seven other spirits worse
than himself to help him get into this person. They LURE this soul
until they are allowed back in. Now fear not, cuz we have choice as to
whether the spirit(s) are allowed back in or not. We will experience
the lures but we can just say ... NO.
Another Jesus and Jonah Sign Seekers field trip ... At the risk of sounding repetitive, these LURES come
in all forms, whether it be television, thoughts, friends whispers,
books, music, drugs, anger, money, etc. An unclean spirit will use any
way it can to gain access to a person so they can feel again.
Aren't you so glad that you have the Holy Spirit to help you? You
can't lock yourself in a closet to escape all the methods that satan
uses to try and win your soul, but you do have the most powerful
weapon in the world, the Holy Spirit. He doesn't contain uranium or
have any kind of atomic, nuclear, biological or chemical capabilities,
but He can sure whip an evil spirit!
The Jesus and Jonah Sign Seekers Mystery is solved - The Sign of the Prophet Jonah and the 3 days and 3 nights prophecy meant that Jesus would be in the darkness for 3 days and 3 nights when he died up until His resurrection. This Jesus and Jonah Sign Seekers fulfilled prophecy proves yet again, that Jesus is Lord.
CONTINUE
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