JONAH and ISIS - there is a connection.

Jonah is the reluctant prophet who did not want to go and preach Good News to the people of Nineveh. He was not scared of them, lazy, or unprepared. He knew that God would do what God does best - God would show them mercy and save them. What's wrong with that? Well, Nineveh is in present day Syria, you know, the land of ISIS. Get it now? Many of us do not want mercy and salvation for this terrible group of terrorist thugs. Right!? It is more than a coincidence that this group destroyed the tomb of Jonah. This morning a young prophet/youth minister friend of mine said the biggest need of the student generation is their desire for mercy. They long for it from their parents, their teachers and friends. They experience it in very few people, so his team seeks to show mercy and teach them all about it through words and actions. Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful..." (Matthew 5: 7).

One of the hardest things to do is to show mercy to those we deem evil and have brought pain into our lives. Yet God is calling present day Jonahs to go to Syria and bring Good News even to ISIS. This morning I read of a Japanese Christian who wanted to go and his government revoked his passport.

There is someone in your circle right now that needs mercy. Will you share the very mercy that God has poured into you? Are you a judge, a Jonah or a merciful servant? What's the connection for you?