The Nugget:
Jonah 4:11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle? (KJV)
Jon 4:11 And am I not to have mercy on Nineveh, that great town, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons without the power of judging between right and left, as well as much cattle? (Basic English Bible)
Jon 4:11 How much more, then, should I have pity on Nineveh, that great city. After all, it has more than 120,000 innocent children in it, as well as many animals!” (GNB, Good News Bible)
Jon 4:11 Shouldn’t I feel sorry for this important city, Nineveh? It has more than 120,000 people in it as well as many animals. These people couldn’t tell their right hand from their left.” (GW, God’s Word translation)
Jon 4:11 In that city of Nineveh there are more than a hundred twenty thousand people who cannot tell right from wrong, and many cattle are also there. Don’t you think I should be concerned about that big city? (CEV, Contemporary English Version)
My Comment:
“TLDR”–a very mistaken attitude which means you will continue in darkness because you refuse to learn in depth something new that can change your life for the better! The acronym means “too long, don’t read.” Yes, this post is long–just over 1200 words. Those who think that way will suffer loss for eternity because they did not take the time and effort to learn what would actually help them greatly. Read on to learn life-changing, life-saving information.
Currently there is a revival taking place among students at Asbury College in Lexington, Kentucky. I pray that the Lord will continue to abundantly bless those students and their teachers and enable them all to commit their lives more fully to Him. I have seen reference made to negative comments regarding this move of the Holy Spirit of God. I believe there is no call for other Bible believing Christians (or anyone else) to be critical of this revival unless it were proven from the Bible itself that there is behavior or belief involved that is contrary to what the Bible clearly teaches. So far, I have not seen that.
Asbury College has a remarkable history. I like to think about the name Asbury, and to recall that Francis Asbury was a “circuit-rider,” a missionary-evangelist who rode many, many miles on horseback to share the Gospel message to the many groups who assembled to hear him.
We should all pray that God would send genuine revival to this nation and places all around the world. To change this culture and set it on a track that pleases God, we need revival. The kind of revival we most need is reflected in the following quotation I have placed in a note at 2 Kings 22:13 in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:
2 Kings 22:13
13 Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.
King James Version
“No revival is more to be desired than that of systematic, personal Bible study!”
To maintain the spiritual awakening and commitment produced during genuine revival, all involved must continue spiritual growth by becoming ever more grounded in God’s Word, the Bible.
To see this happen, we must do as Jesus commanded: make disciples (Matthew 28:19) by teaching them (Matthew 28:20).
I have placed extensive notes about how to make disciples in a series of notes I wrote for The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, starting at the key note at Jonah 4:11,
that great city. God’s great concern and compassion for the city is revealed in the book of Jonah, and confirmed by the following reference passages, which show:
Christ’s manner of sending his disciples into the city,
his own ministry to cities and single individuals within cities,
and his great compassion for Jerusalem.
Evangelism began from a city, Jerusalem (Acts 1:8).
Missionary activity began when missionaries were commissioned and sent forth from the church in the city of Antioch.
Paul spent quality time teaching God’s word in various cities, establishing adult men as permanent leaders and elders who would remain in the churches to continue the teaching after Paul went on to other places (compare Paul’s own instructions to Timothy in this regard, +*1Ti 4:16; +*2Ti 2:2).
Paul furnished converts a carefully balanced and sequenced spiritual diet, preserved most fully for us in the structure and sequence of the book of Romans:
Paul first emphasized doctrine (Romans 1—8), so believers would get the right perspective upon their own condition in the light of God’s character (%+*Mat 25:24 note), essential motivation for Christian service.
Paul next concentrated on prophecy, so believers would have a correct perspective on where God is leading in His total plan (Romans 9—11), and how He is absolutely committed to keeping His covenants and fulfilling His promises (Rom 11:29; Rom 15:8).
After thorough doctrinal and prophetic teaching, believers were ready for instruction in the practical application of spiritual truth (Romans 12—16), what Scripture calls the “meat of the word” (Heb 5:14).
The structure of Romans constitutes a plan for in-depth discipleship, an investment in the lives of individuals, where the person who is thoroughly taught in the word teaches everything he knows to those he is discipling.
Such instruction must not only be substantial in content, but must focus on teaching the disciple to be an independent, self-motivated student of Scripture, who knows how to feed upon, rightly interpret and apply the word of God (Dan 11:33 note. Rom 14:12, 2Pe 1:20 note).
The goal in disciple-making is to teach oneself out of a job. Independence, not dependence, is the desired outcome of instruction.
We must invest quality time with each person being discipled, and must not abandon new disciples after six months of instruction! Rather, we must continue to invest our life in their training for as long as they continue to desire spiritual growth, and for as long as the Lord enables us to be spiritually profitable to them, until they are equipped and are successful in discipling others.
Greater attention needs to be paid to the need for worldwide urban evangelism. But a truly effective missionary thrust must be supported by a strong home base consisting of churches that are thoroughly taught and practiced in the principles and doctrines of God’s word (+**2Ti 3:15, 16, 17).
The pastor’s ministry must concentrate on systematically teaching the Bible. His goal must be to develop stable spiritual leadership in the congregation.
To be more effective, churches need to be prepared to do unusual and unconventional ministry (something Jonah was not attitudinally and spiritually prepared for), to reach people where they are, at the times they are available.
A teaching ministry conducted by means of home Bible studies is one method to reach people presently outside of the church (+*2Jn 1:10). See related notes (+**Exo 18:21 note. 1Th 3:5 note. Heb 3:13 note. **Heb 6:9 note).
It is time to get serious about conveying to others the spiritual truth we have learned from the Bible. If we do not wake up others to the truths they need to know and live by found in the Bible, whole generations may be lost to the false philosophies and worldviews promoted by secularists in our schools, colleges, and the media. Be a blessing to others by sharing what you know when the opportunity arises (1 Peter 3:15).