CSN - LightWing Messages - Sunday - 8/27/2023
Jonah Flees From the Lord
The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”
Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”
He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)
The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”
“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”
Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.
Jonah 1:1-16 (New International Version)
A CITIZEN SENTINEL’S MESSAGE:
Psychological fear is the greatest fear of all. Who hasn’t trembled in fear as his/her mind paints a vivid picture of all that could go wrong? We experience it from the time we are children. Our minds create horrible images of all the ways in which we might be embarrassed, or worse yet, physically harmed if we tread into some uncomfortable situation. We have all felt it.
The Bible is filled with examples in which our heroes of faith succumbed to psychological fear. Abram, out of fear, passed his wife Sarai off as his sister so that the Pharoah in Egypt would not harm him (Genesis 12). In the garden of Gethsemane, all of Jesus’ disciples fled, when Jesus was arrested, out of fear that they might be harmed (Mark 14). Peter even swore an oath, denying that he knew Jesus, his Savior, the Son of God, rather than risk being harmed when he was pointed out as being one of Jesus’ disciples (Luke 22).
Our main article, today, encourages us to be courageous. The author uses the account of Jonah to remind us that God wants to use us, even us, to intercede for others. Jonah fought God without success. In his weakness, God used Jonah to save so many in the great city of Nineveh.
Are we any better? Each of us can readily recall times when we took the easy way out by avoiding an opportunity that God has placed before us, to share our faith or perhaps to show a fellow Chrisian their sin. We are all in the same boat. A sinking boat.
Nonetheless, God is faithful. He continues to forgive us, all of us who trust in Jesus for our salvation. He is rich in mercy and forgives us for our lack of courage, for Jesus’ sake.
Out of love for God our courage should grow. We need to forget about our weaknesses and rely on God’s strength for our courage. All he asks of us is that we do our best. He promises to be with us and even give us the words to say. May our paper be encouraging to each of us as we seek to serve God in our own weak and inept way. May we always remember that He is able to use us, even such fragile vessels to carry this Word and his love to all people.
As always, we hope our readers would consider the messages in this edition relevant, meaningful, or helpful, and if readers know others who might value them as well, consider becoming one of our official LightWing messengers and please pass this newsletter on to those whom you feel would be able to welcome it. Or simply, please receive it yourselves. We have also mentioned in several past editions that the LightWing Messages have gone live, and we are happy that our Zoom calls are proceeding according to plan each Wednesday evening.
If readers are interested in receiving the Zoom link to the call, please send a brief email request to this address: d.jamzon@gmail.com We are leaving it up to you, if you would like to discuss today’s message more fully and learn more readily how to apply the message to real life, please take initiative and reach out.
These words are being freely offered to you and are intended to shine light unto our paths, as it was written: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18 - KJV
May God bless all of our readers and all of their loved ones. May God bless America!
May we, who are called by His name, humble ourselves (place ourselves daily in His presence with genuine humility) and truly appreciate with deepest gratitude His Mercy and His loving Grace. In return, may we receive his guidance to each of us, and transform our lives, so as to truly pursue the building of His Kingdom and promote His righteousness amidst such a storm in such a time as this.
From Strike Force of Prayer
The following contains only excerpts from the full message from the Strike Force of Prayer website, which the entire website is an offering of leadership tools for ‘prayer warriors’ or prayer workers. The message is too long to keep intact under our restrictions with Google distribution rules for this newsletter. But, it provides important perspectives and points for prayer and intercession for several realms in our nation and in our world at such a time. Thus, we shortened the entire ‘epistle’ from the Strike Force of Prayer. A full transcript can be found by using this link: Don’t-Be-a-Jonah - Cultivate-Courageous-Righteousness I Strike Force of Prayer
Don’t Be a Jonah! Cultivate Courageous Righteousness
“Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, ‘Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.’ Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.” Jonah 1:1-3
Jonah is a Cautionary Tale for Intercessors
Jonah is a profile in a classic mistake made by those called to be Intercessors; even anyone who is in a Covenant relationship with the Most High God. We can forget that personal circumstances are no longer just personal. They are situations and events where God has placed us to do His Will.
Are we seeking and listening to what is His Will in situations and challenges? God asked Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh, to change from their wicked ways or they would be destroyed. Jonah did NOT want this assignment!
The ego-mind is a very clever coyote. It can talk us into false reasons why we are choosing not to take a particular uncomfortable action. Jonah was called out of his comfort zone. He and the Hebrew people did NOT like the Assyrians. That is a vast understatement. There were centuries of bad blood between the two peoples. Jonah would likely have been happy to see them rot. Also, if God’s word did not come to fruition, he would have egg on his face, discredited. Jonah responded to God’s call by fleeing the scene. Being an Intercessor is not an easy walk. Being a disciple of Jesus Yeshua is not an easy walk
It’s Not Meant To Be An Easy Walk
Early n in His ministry, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples: “Pick up your cross and follow Me.” "Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?’” Matthew 16:24-26
Ironically, Matthew 16:4 begins with Jesus chastising the religious men: “‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.’ So he left them and departed.”
What is the “sign of Jonah”? It is the Son of man rising from the ‘belly of the beast’. Resurrection. Redemption. Mercy. Then Judgement.
“But the LORD said, “You cared about the plant, which you neither tended nor made grow. It sprang up in a night and perished in a night. So should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well?” Jonah 4:10-11
The story of Jonah is a mercy - redemption - judgment foreshadow story. God sends His emissary to warn the people, to give them the opportunity to repent, change from their wicked ways and receive mercy. Then shall come judgment after free will has chosen its fate.
The story of Jonah is also a cautionary tale for God’s sons and daughters. Do not shirk responsibility for calling others to course correction. Do not allow personal feelings, biases, fears, emotions and agendas get in the way of doing God’s Will. Be radically obedient. Obedience means hearing and heeding.
The Key for Intercessors…
The key for Intercessors is that God uses His Intercessors to give others the opportunity to repent, change or correct their course, make amends.
We are God’s emissaries of repentance.
When we shirk this responsibility, we incur sin ourselves. We have taken on the repercussions of that inaction. If the person we were supposed to warn, confront or hold to right action, harms another person on account of our not interceding, we are responsible for that harm inflicted. It is as the watchman on the wall.
“If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.” Ezekiel 3:17-19
Cowardice is Selfish
If someone is being unethical, unlawful, abusive, deceitful, unfair, and we do and/or say nothing, we are condoning their behavior. We are depriving them of the opportunity to course correct and make things right. We are opening the door for them to abuse another person or party.
Cowardice is selfish. It impacts people and situations far beyond our own sight and understanding.
Running From God = Flesh Over Spirit
Jonah did not want to do the Will of God. He was in his own flesh mind. He did not want to be ridiculed or discredited. He did not want to be pilloried. He wanted to stay in a safe place in society. He did not want to go outside of his comfort zone. So he ran away from God, literally.
”Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the
LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to sail for Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.” Jonah 1:3
The Great Storm
When God calls upon us, especially to be a watchman, and we choose not to answer the call, there are repercussions. God came after Jonah on the ship bound for Tarshish. He came through a great storm that affected the entire crew on the ship. God was in the storm. If there is a storm in your life, is God in the storm? If so, for what purposes? Ask Him.
This is a huge moral lesson. Whatever we choose to do and whatever we choose NOT to do, has repercussions for those around us. “Sins of omission” is not just a religious concept. Jonah was guilty of a sin of omission. He chose not to obey God. He chose not to act when he should have. His choosing not to obey God’s directive affected many people, not just his own well-being. The lives of the other men on the ship were in peril.
As sons and daughters of the Most High God, Righteousness is our calling.
“Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. “Tell us now,” they demanded, “who is to blame for this calamity
that is upon us? What is your occupation, and where have you come from? What is your country, and who are your people?” Jonah 1:7-8
With Great Blessings Come Great Responsibility
To be in Covenant relationship with the Most High God is a privilege, an honor and a joy. It brings
great blessings, including protection, provision and favor. It also comes with greater responsibility. Even the non-Hebrew ship crew discerned this.
“I am a Hebrew,” replied Jonah. “I worship the LORD, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, “What have you done?” The men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.” Jonah 1:9-10
“What have you done?” The crew was incredulous, like “what were you thinking, running away from the God of the heavens?” Jonah may not have woken up one day proclaiming: “I am an Intercessor!” But he was a Hebrew and therefore a son of the Most High God. He was in Covenant with the God of the heavens, who made the sea and dry land. Therefore, he had an obligation to heed God’s call when God made a request of him. This is true of all of the LORD’s sons and daughters. We are held to a higher standard of moral and ethical living. Righteousness is our calling. Courageous righteousness is the fabric of our character.
Shirking Our God Responsibilities Has Repercussions
Jonah’s fate just went from bad to worse. In order to save themselves, the crew throws Jonah overboard into the turbulent waters. Can you blame them? “At this, they picked up Jonah and cast him into the sea, and the raging sea grew calm.” Jonah 1:15
3 Days and 3 Nights to Atone
Tests and tribulations in order to atone are often assigned the measure of three days and three nights.
“Now the LORD had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish.” Jonah 1:17
Jonah’s three days of atonement were a precursor to Jesus’ three days and nights of atonement on behalf of humanity. “From the belly of Sheol I called for help, and You heard my voice.” Jonah 2:2
Jonah went to Sheol. Jesus went to Sheol.
“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Matthew 12:40
Jesus fulfilled all righteousness. He bequeathed His inheritance of righteousness to us, that we should bring souls back to God the Father. Courageous righteousness is our inheritance and it is also our duty.
Editor’s Reminder: This is only an excerpt from the full message from the Strike Force of Prayer website. A full transcript can be found by using this link: Don’t-Be-a-Jonah - Cultivate-Courageous-Righteousness I Strike Force of Prayer
“I've Been to the Mountaintop”
By Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
April 3, 1968, Memphis, Tenn.
The following is a brief excerpt from a sermon Delivered by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Bishop Charles Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee. King was persuaded to speak by a crowd of dedicated sanitation workers because he felt compelled to restore nonviolence back to the movement in Memphis, and.decided that if the nonviolent struggle for economic justice was to succeed it would be necessary to follow through with the movement there. A full transcript can be found via this link: Martin Luther King Jr. | I've Been to the Mountaintop
…But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. And I see God working in this period of the twentieth century in a way that men, in some strange way, are responding.
Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness. One day a man came to Jesus, and he wanted to raise some questions about some vital matters of life. At points, he wanted to trick Jesus, and show him that he knew a little more than Jesus knew and throw him off base... Now that question could have easily ended up in a philosophical and theological debate. But, Jesus immediately pulled that question from mid-air, and placed it on a dangerous curve between Jerusalem and Jericho. And he talked about a certain man, who fell among thieves. You remember that a Levite and a priest passed by on the other side.
They didn’t stop to help him. And finally a man of another race came by. He got down from his beast, decided not to be compassionate by proxy. But he got down with him, administered first aid, and helped the man in need. Jesus ended up saying, this was the good man, this was the great man, because he had the capacity to project the “I” into the “thou,” and to be concerned about his brother.
Now you know, we use our imagination a great deal to try to determine why the priest and the Levite didn’t stop. At times we say they were busy going to a church meeting, an ecclesiastical gathering, and they had to get on down to Jerusalem so they wouldn’t be late for their meeting. At other times we would speculate that there was a religious law that “One who was engaged in religious ceremonials was not to touch a human body twenty-four hours before the ceremony.” And every now and then we begin to wonder whether maybe they were not going down to Jerusalem — or down to Jericho, rather to organize a “Jericho Road Improvement Association.”
That’s a possibility. Maybe they felt that it was better to deal with the problem from the causal root, rather than to get bogged down with an individual effect.
But I’m going to tell you what my imagination tells me. It’s possible that those men were afraid. You see, the Jericho road is a dangerous road… That’s a dangerous road. In the days of Jesus it came to be known as the “Bloody Pass.”
And you know, it’s possible that the priest and the Levite looked over that man on the ground and wondered if the robbers were still around. Or it’s possible that they felt that the man on the ground was merely faking. And he was acting like he had been robbed and hurt, in order to seize them over there, lure them there for quick and easy seizure. And so the first question that the priest asked — the first question that the Levite asked was, “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”
That’s the question before you tonight. Not, “If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to my job. Not, “If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?” The question is not, “If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?” The question is, “If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?” That’s the question.
Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation. And I want to thank God, once more, for allowing me to be here with you.
…I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind.
Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!
On April 4, the following evening, as King was getting ready for dinner, he was shot and killed on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. He had risked his life everyday he stood up to speak in the hostile and toxic environment of the ‘Solid South’ marching on a path of ‘dangerous unselfishness’ in his fight for Freedom.
Onward and Upward!
From YouTube: Martin Luther King Jr. - We Shall Over Come - posted 1/20/2008
From YouTube: MAHALIA JACKSON Live late 1960's We shall overcome - posted 2/25/2007
From Preston Morrison and upset the gram: Don’t be a Jonah. To be in the center of God’s will, you must go where He says to go, and do what He says to do.
From Natalie Grant - Praise You In This Storm (Official Music Video) - 9/17/20
From Jonathan Cahn: How God Uses Pain for Good | Overcoming Your Failures | Jonathan Cahn Sermon – 8/19/2023
From The Afters: I Will Fear No More by The Afters - (Official Lyric Video) - 10/19/20183
From World Outreach Church: Spiritual Warfare & the End Times [Not My Problem?] | Pastor Allen Jackson – 8/13/2023
From The Victory Channel - FlashPoint: Supernatural Reset Ahead! Tim Sheets, Dutch Sheets, Hank Kunneman – 8/23/2023
From Genie Deez: a History of "We Shall Overcome" 1/15/2020
From Steeljaw Scribe - YouTube: “Once to Every Man and Nation” - 5/24/2008
From The American Minute with Bill Federer: This day in 1963 The Civil Rights March on Washington DC happened, led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. - posted 8/27/2021
Podcast - From Dutch Sheets Ministries: The Approaching Storm | Give Him 15 Daily Prayer with Dutch | August 24, 2023
From Craig Huey (w/ video): Song of Hope: Christ is our Courage When We Worry in the Dead of Night – 8/23/2023
From The American Minute with Bill Federer: The Fall of Rome: - Is History Repeating? – 8/26/2023
What affects one, can affect all!
* News From The Growing Free Union -
From The ReAwaken America Tour: ReAwaken America Tour Las Vegas - Roseanne - Day 2 – 8/26/2023
From Washington Examiner: Republican candidates have sensible ideas for Medicare reform – 8/27/2023
From LifeSite News: 'We will not comply': Why a return to COVID lockdowns in America would fail - LifeSite
From CBN News: 'Sound of Freedom' Helps Fight Trafficking | CBN NewsWatch August 3, 2023
From The Good News Network: A New Study Finds that Performing Acts of Kindness Improves Mental Health Symptoms – 8/15/2023
* News From the States –
News From California -
From CBN News: Christian School Board Official Takes Bold Stand Against 'Government
Bullies' – 8/8/23
News From Georgia -
From Facts Matter with Roman Balmakov: Fulton County DA Gets Very Bad News – 8/25/23
News From Nevada -
From The ReAwaken America Tour: Remnant Church / Special Pastors for Trump - Las Vegas
News From South Carolina -
From LifeSite News: Abortions at South Carolina Planned Parenthood plummet 70% after heartbeat law takes effect – 8/26/23
News From Wisconsin -
From CBN News: Teen Arrested While Preaching the Gospel During Drag Queen Event – 8/7/23
Recommended Resources - follow the links…
Excellent Election Education Resource: US 2020 Election Fraud at a Glance
Excellent Non-Partisan Election Resource: Election Integrity Project California
Excellent Constitution Education Resource: LIBERTY TREE ONLINE UNIVERSITY
Excellent Citizen-Patriot News Resource: Steve Bannon's War Room
Excellent Citizen-Patriot News Resource: From Frank Speech - the Home of Free Speech
Excellent Citizen Comprehensive Resource: David Horowitz Freedom Center
Excellent Expose’ of Political Prisoners within the US: American Gulag
Excellent Source of CRT information for parents: Moms for America
Excellent Christian Homeschool Resource:
https://ed-exit.com/
Excellent Citizen Activist Resource: Precinct Strategy: Home
Excellent Guide to Protecting Families: A Guide to Protecting Your Family From the Coming Insurrection and Violence 1 ARE YOU SAFE?