Good day. Let us begin reading the Book of Jonah. Though concise, this book is of paramount importance, for it highlights the character of God through narrative. The first chapter of Jonah poses the question, For whose cause is this evil upon us? Indeed, there is always a reason why calamity befalls individuals.

Observe human history closely, and you will discern a pattern: as man descends into wickedness, natural disasters and man-made catastrophes proliferate. Once society is mired in evil, heavenly tribulations and earthly calamities ensue. One might say that man-made disasters often precipitate natural disasters. Have you noticed this? Man's actions beget divine response.

Our God is one who both inflicts calamity and bestows blessings! Calamity plays a crucial role in one's life. Without misfortune, without moments of adversity, why would individuals seek God? Some may feel they have seen through life, finding it meaningless. But without hardship, would life not be carefree? Perhaps some would live indolently, clad in singlets and flip-flops, their waists adorned with a string of keys, collecting rent in their leisure, only to inadvertently slide towards perdition. Thus, calamity has significant meaning in life.

I. The Source of Calamity

In studying calamity, one discovers its origins are intrinsically linked to the wickedness of humanity. The conquest of Israel by the Assyrian Empire serves as a prime example. Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, played a significant role in this historical episode. God allowed the Assyrian Empire to conquer Israel, and Jonah was a prophet during that period.

Jonah harbored immense hatred for the Assyrian Empire. Assyria was notorious for its cruel penal codes and instruments of torture, a nation of exceedingly wicked people. However, we must understand that the Israelites were punished for their idolatry; God used Assyria to chastise them. The prophets of Israel continually prayed, hoping God would save them and punish the Assyrian Empire.

Eventually, God answered their prayers, instructing Jonah to go to Nineveh and cry out against its inhabitants, for their wickedness had reached His attention. God's purpose was for Jonah, the prophet, to go to the Assyrian Empire to lead them to repentance. Ah, I tell you, Jonah thought: Finally, God has heard our prayers. God dispatched Jonah to bring calamity upon Nineveh, and Jonah rejoiced. We, brethren and sisters, must be careful. If one does not know God in this life and remains ignorant of the source of calamity, it is a tragedy.

Man must humble himself before God! The Assyrian Empire commanded a vast territory. In those days, the Assyrian Empire was invincible, conquering and plundering. No one could stand before it, not even Egypt, which lost its prestige before Assyria. When man ceases to fear God, he becomes arrogant, and God sends calamity. As a result, God sent Jonah.

I tell you, the source of calamity is closely related to the wickedness of man! Once man becomes ignorant of his limitations, thinking he can conquer nature, I tell you, you cannot prevail! Do not think yourself great just because you have achieved a little success. What happens then? Even prophets encounter calamity! Without some adversity, man becomes complacent. I imagine that when people become arrogant, sprouting horns on their heads, growing hair on their faces, and wings on their backs, transforming into demonic figures, then calamity is imminent.

I wonder if my words are pleasing to God. May God have mercy. With the recent passing of the pandemic, we have yet to fully understand its origins and dissipation. This calamity from God is elusive. God sent Jonah to Nineveh to offer salvation. If you were in his place, would you be willing to go? I fear not.

Reflecting on the past hundred years of the Chinese nation, starting with the Opium War, the unfair treaties and the suffering of humiliation are heartbreaking. The tragic memories of the Nanjing Massacre are still vivid. Today, through our mobile phones, we can still see the disasters of historical enemies. If your historical enemy encounters a disaster again, would you be pleased? Or would you choose to save them?

In truth, God does not delight in sending calamity. When calamity strikes, we must be vigilant and avoid schadenfreude. For if we indulge in schadenfreude, calamity may befall us. God sent a prophet to save the enemies of Israel, a difficult task for the prophet. The Israelites had suffered endlessly under the iron fist of the Assyrian Empire, and the prophet had cried out day and night for God to bring calamity upon the Assyrian Empire. Yet, when God was about to bring calamity, He sent Jonah to save them. This internal struggle and contradiction is truly poignant. The prophet's resistance may well be a true reflection of what lies deep in many people's hearts.

II. When Calamity Strikes, People Know to Call on God

The role of calamity is beneficial, enabling people to call on God. The source of calamity comes from the wickedness of man, and when calamity strikes, people call on God. Do not think I am great; I am not great at all. When calamity strikes, people are unlucky! Alas, when misfortune befalls, even drinking cold water can cause toothache. It is truly arduous, with everything going wrong, and you can only call on God, seek God. For example, after a period of unemployment, the mortgage payments are nearly due, and the money is almost gone. When calamity strikes, people discover that money is useless, that money cannot help them.

What happens then? You will find that attending gatherings becomes proactive. Some will ask: Teacher, when can I serve God? But as soon as work goes smoothly, and they become busy, they will say: I have no time to serve God; I have no spare time. So that is how people are. Some say: Teacher, you are the same. Yes, I am the same. So calamity is good when it is about to strike, but avoid schadenfreude.

Know that God truly does not delight in sending calamity; He is forced to send calamity. If people call on God properly, why would you have to experience these calamities? If people properly revere God and show more mercy, why would you have to experience these things? I must tell you that German fascists were inhumane, and the Japanese war criminals in World War II were inhumane, devoid of compassion. In the fervor of war, they lost their minds, and the ultimate result was that they could not contend with God. God can cause them to perish.

When calamity comes, people realize they need to call on God. Whatever god it may be, people will call on their god. Jonah fled to a ship, heading to Joppa. He disobeyed God's will, choosing the opposite direction, trying to escape as far as possible. Many must have heard my words, which are my own thoughts, not those of others. At times, I feel helpless with people like him, and I can only pray for God's mercy. If not for obedience to God, I would try to stay away from him. May God have mercy! That is my innermost thought.

When God has given instructions, people cannot escape from God's grasp. I once did not want to be a pastor, nor did I want to rely on pastoral work for a living. I only wanted to find an ordinary job, earn my own income, and not have to look at the faces of the congregation. However, if you are arrogant and think that serving God is not good, God will take away your job. I tell you, those things that are meant to happen will happen. When the heart deviates from God, things become unpredictable, and things that should not happen will happen. Then people will ask: God, where are you?

Later, I felt that people were too wicked, and I had to return to serving God. When God sends down calamity, people should reflect properly. God does not want to directly destroy us but to destroy the factors that corrupt us. Resistance and obstinacy are part of human nature. We may have conflicts with family or friends because of our stubbornness. When the problem becomes unbearable, we turn to God again, seeking solace and redemption. What we need is to meditate and pray, re-examining our hearts.

For those who remain stubborn in the face of adversity, God's power can help soften their attitude, thereby finding a solution to the problem. Admittedly, accepting repentance is not easy, but it is an important step in getting out of trouble.

III. People Delight in the Calamity of Their Enemies

Furthermore, human beings have a natural inclination to feel anxious when encountering setbacks, and this anxiety often attracts more trouble. Whether we are ordinary people or those with special positions, we are easily influenced by our personal stances and biases. These stances can affect our judgment and behavior; therefore, it is important to maintain an open mind when facing difficulties. Through reflection and prayer, we can find inner peace and strength to better cope with the challenges of life.

So what does God say? Love your enemies! Oh, my enemies! God, please forgive me. In seeing enemies receive retribution, one cannot help but exclaim that God is a righteous God. As soon as people see their enemies being punished, they think: Oh, how satisfying! Thank God, God is truly righteous. Righteous? This is no joke.

Why did Jonah avoid God? Did he not know that he could not hide? He knew; he could not possibly not know. He himself said that he revered the God who created the sea and the dry land. Although Jonah knew these things, he could not get over this hurdle in his heart. God wanted him to preach the gospel to the Assyrian Empire; he hoped that God would find someone else, because he could not get over this hurdle in his heart, so he argued with God. Jonah said: I am not going; I cannot get over this hurdle in my heart. Please forgive me. Can God forgive you? He himself could not get over this hurdle.

What was the result? You are not going? Do you think God will let you go? God will not let you go. Brethren and sisters, if God has chosen you, that is Mingding Destiny! That is a certainty, like something welded together, that cannot be pulled out, that cannot be escaped. I tell you, no matter which church you come from, no matter how enthusiastic you once were in pastoral care, when those whom God has chosen encounter calamity, you must think carefully. I tell you, Chinese Mingding Destiny speaks of fate.

Things transpired thus, and Jonah eventually boarded the ship. Clearly, God was observing all this from His throne. God said: Where do you intend to go? I directed you eastward, yet you head west; I instructed you to seize the dog, but you chase after the chicken. Consequently, God unleashed a tempest, and calamity befell all those aboard the vessel.

The ship's company was thrown into disarray, each beseeching their respective deities. Jonah, however, retreated to the ship's hold to sleep. He was cognizant of the source of their plight. Observing their discomfiture, he surmised that should the ship founder, it would be a welcome conclusion, a rendezvous at the ocean floor. Even then, he had no intention of yielding, displaying a nonchalant and dismissive attitude, seemingly indifferent to the prospect of death.

Jonah, as a prophet of God, appeared to disregard life and death, yet he could not surmount the hurdle of loving one’s enemies. Jonah still harbored a desire to witness Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire receive their comeuppance. He thought: God, I know what sort of God you are. I comprehend Your designs, You dispatch me there, and upon uttering the pronouncement in the streets, from the Emperor down to the commoners, they don sackcloth and ashes, repenting. And what ensues? You make a fool of me, proclaiming a calamity, yet in the end, You withhold it.

Jonah understood that God is merciful, yet he remained resentful, for his heart was fraught with conflicting emotions, aware of and yet frustrated by God’s arrangements, and so he lay down to sleep in the ship’s hold, preferring the depths of the sea to obedience. We, brethren and sisters, must recognise that God abounds in grace and compassion. God does not delight in inflicting calamity, for it is humanity that compels God to do so. Should you encounter some misfortune, hasten to turn back to God.

One sister lost her employment and remained without work for a considerable period. Even scientists may find themselves unemployed. I tell you, those who clean are less prone to unemployment than scientists. I say that God has already prepared a fitting occupation for you. Why does one become unemployed? It is due to human wickedness. Do not fault me for employing the term 'wickedness'; God yearns for our repentance, yet humanity persists in reliance upon its own abilities.

God wishes to impress upon you the inadequacy of your own faculties. Man aspires to lean on his own capabilities, but God is unwilling to permit such reliance, and thus bestows a modicum of tribulation. Even in a sector where unemployment is unheard of, you may still find yourself jobless. Therefore, I wish to impart to all that God possesses abundant grace and compassion! Jonah is a rather intriguing character. Jonah was acutely aware of God. He said: I shall not go; find another, for I loathe the Assyrian Empire. Man takes delight in the misfortune of his foes. Therefore, we, brethren and sisters, must gradually adjust ourselves, increasing our understanding of God.

In the face of misfortune befalling one's adversaries, people often experience schadenfreude. However, such an attitude is not pleasing to God. Recalling the biblical narrative, we observe Abraham, when confronted with the iniquity of Sodom and Gomorrah, cities which may have caused him losses, interceding with God on their behalf. If there were fifty righteous individuals within those cities, he hoped that God would show them mercy. This illustrates that God does not desire people to rejoice in the calamities of their enemies.

Four, Even in death, I do not wish for God to have mercy on my enemies

The story of Jonah also reveals the contradictions deep within the human heart; he would sooner choose death than wish for God's mercy upon his enemies. This reflects the complex emotions people experience when facing enemies of their ethnicity, even to the point of sacrificing themselves to oppose the enemy receiving God's grace. Jonah's attitude reveals the deep hatred he had for the Assyrian Empire, he would rather be thrown into the sea than see God pardon his enemies.

When disaster strikes, people often call upon God, but also tend to wish misfortune upon their enemies. Jonah, asleep on the ship, remained unmoved while others were in a panic. This reaction is surprising. In the eyes of God, people should transcend personal grievances and learn forgiveness and compassion, rather than become mired in the quagmire of hatred.

Jonah said: I know that I am the source of these calamities, because I am fleeing from the Lord God. Now, why escape from Jehovah? Jonah felt: I do not wish for this Assyrian Empire, the enemy of our nation, to receive the mercy of God. I am a prophet of the Lord God; I revere the Lord God.

Alas, I tell you, this hurdle in the human heart is difficult to overcome. Jonah said: Throw me into the sea! As a result, the people hurled him into the sea. Don’t you find Jonah interesting? If you read the later chapters, Jonah particularly likes to say: Die! Once, someone was in a car accident, and was fine coming out of the car. But the person's heart was a bit hard, and said: Why didn't I die instantly? Listen to these words, there really are all kinds of people.

So Jonah suggested throwing himself into the sea, which means that Jonah does have some views on people's views on life and God. He said: Throw me into the sea! Why? Because he felt that there was not much meaning in living. So if you want to be a prophet of the Lord God, this is really a prerequisite. If a person is full of dreams and hopes for life, then he really cannot be a prophet of the Lord God.

Jonah's view of God is quite interesting. He knows that God does not want people to die, but to live. You throw me into the sea. Jonah's words have two meanings: if I die, I die! But God may not let me die; God wants to resurrect me from the dead. Then those people threw Jonah into the sea, and they were still saying that before throwing him into the sea.

“Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We plead with you, Lord, let us not perish for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” (Jonah 1:14)

These people, no matter what Buddha, Tao or god they worship, actually have some moral constraints, so that the sin of throwing Jonah into the sea will not be attributed to them. As a result, after these people threw Jonah down, the waves and wind calmed down. Everyone feared God and sacrificed to the Lord. Thank God! God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah, but when it swallowed it is unknown. Jonah may have swam in the sea for a while, we don’t know. Maybe a little water choked him.

As a result, when the big fish swallowed Jonah, Jonah was a little more sober at this time, in the belly of the fish. It is difficult for us to imagine how he breathed in the belly of the fish, there is no air. In fact, from a human perspective, he is already dead. But at this time his spirit is still alive. Even if there is oxygen in the belly of the fish, the stomach acid in the belly of the fish is enough for him to drink a pot, just like falling into a toilet pit. Fortunately, it was vomited out of the mouth, not pulled out of the ass.

If Jonah had been pulled out of the ass, it would have been bad. That was the whole process, how smelly it would be from the mouth to the ass. Anyway, the belly of the fish is also very stinky, I guess he has no air at this time. If he could breathe, he would inhale everything from the belly of the fish. At this time, Jonah prayed in the spirit and went down to the underworld, but that is another story.

Five, To be a prophet, we must have the heart of God

I was thinking, as Christians, we must never act according to our own will. No matter how clear your loves and hates are, you must have the heart of God. As a pastor, you must not be yourself, you must have the heart of God. I figured this out a long time ago. I tell you, I am still repenting! Alas, there is a spirit of evil in the bones, especially when serving, you have to turn yourself around to serve. Why? There are some rigid people in the church who have encountered some disasters and lived miserably. My heart is very complicated, after serving people I don’t know where to go. Even if I finish serving, I may not have a destiny. I am entangled in my heart, but in fact this does not conform to God’s will.

Later I realized that God’s discipline for me is very strict, and I still have to have the heart of God. I don’t want to experience the process of being swallowed into the belly of a fish. Even if only half of the process is vomited out, it is still disgusting. So I still have to have the heart of God. My meaning is not important, and my feeling is not important.

Do you know what I have been tempered into over the years? I have met many ungrateful people, but now thank God, I am numb. When serving, I still do it by faith. So, whether you are a pastor or a Christian, don’t take your own position so seriously, have the heart of God. Sometimes it is very uncomfortable to be attacked by others, but it is also numb. Why? Because the human heart is rigid.

Thank God for letting me suffer less disasters! So far, I have not experienced the terrible experience of being swallowed into the belly of a fish and then vomited out. Such a situation is really disgusting. I don’t want to avoid God either. God, if you want me to go east, I will go east, and if you want me to go west, I will go west. But sometimes, I still have resistance in my heart. God, I don’t want to learn from Jonah, I want to imitate Jesus, I want to adjust myself slowly.

We must often know who the disaster is coming upon us, often because Christians have lost God’s destiny. If Christians want to act, they should become Christians who follow God’s destiny. I tell you, you must love your enemies, because God is such a God in the first place. Loving your enemies is not because the enemies have received grace, but because you will receive grace. It is essential to have the mind of God.

May God bless everyone!