Interesting Green: December 2018

Source Website: https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/young-entrepreneur-overcame-obstacles-bag-success
By Cheow Sue-Ann, The New Paper, 24 December 2018 at 06:00 am

PHOTO: Miss Mandy Chan put her university plans on hold to design and produce a bag.
TNP PHOTO: JEREMY KWAN
Picture posted by Cheow Sue-Ann, The New Paper on 24 December 2018 at 06:00 am
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtSluS6kGvF3n2vpbMFc1ZzvWcvuMH4T9YMPpndYOOQ557TSdUOY2JhRBwSxmmzVyKFx4G3sZiUY7R4JfwrGO1dI06Dn8_5FV9Kts0J9LEgIvF8h4W8LqiFyfxngkHuoftMX6kwOhBR0/s1600/NP_20181224_SCYOUNG24__4504635_1.jpg
https://www.tnp.sg/sites/default/files/styles/rl780/public/articles/2018/12/24/NP_20181224_SCYOUNG24__4504635.jpg
https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/young-entrepreneur-overcame-obstacles-bag-success

Young entrepreneur overcomes doubts and doubters to launch multi-purpose bag.

At 22, Miss Mandy Chan has two successful Kickstarter crowd-funding campaigns under her belt and has sold over 10,000 bags to people in 22 countries.

As one of the co-founders of local backpack company Bow, Miss Chan has chosen an unconventional - and difficult- path.

After graduating from Victoria Junior College in 2014, Miss Chan decided to take a gap year to launch her business.

It was tough as her parents wanted her to go to university. So at 19, Miss Chan found herself financially cut off.

She said: "They did not support the idea. If I wanted to do it, I'd have to fund it myself ."

To get funding for Bow, the teenager took on three jobs, working to earn money to put into her first product, Quiver, a multi-purpose bag .

She quickly went from having four figures in her bank account to having to borrow thousands of dollars from friends.

Miss Chan also found that she had to prove herself to an often dismissive business world.

She said: "When we met our first manufacturers in China, they saw how young I was and their faces fell. They quoted us ridiculous prices and told us to show them a concrete business plan before they would work with us."

She had to quickly learn to hold her own in such meetings.

But it wasn't just the negotiation process that she had to learn. Miss Chan said: "I would do everything, from carrying boxes of stock to the warehouse, to learning to do our own accounts."

FACING FAILURE
One of the hardest lessons was facing failure.

She said: "I put everything - over 11 months of work - into our first prototype.

"And no one wanted it."

Back then, she would hit the streets pitching the product. Not only did people not want it, some even mocked her .

One man told her directly: "You are wasting your time."

That was a breaking point for Miss Chan.

"I had been on the streets for hours and people kept telling us to give up. I went home and cried. I thought I should just forget it. But then I remembered my promise to myself - to give my best no matter what."

Ms Chan decided to get help from experts in rejection – insurance agents.
“I asked them how they faced rejection day in and day out. They told me that I would never know, I might get rejected, but someday, someone will say yes.”

Miss Chan said that when she looks at her friends enjoying holidays with their families, she wonders why she chose the difficult path - but said it is worth it.

She said: "Last July, we were able to give ourselves a salary. It was an amazing feeling. While it is stressful knowing that people rely on you for their livelihood, I feel proud that I can now pay the people who work so hard for us."

"And few things feel better than having people who use our bag tell me they liked it."

Bow's second Kickstarter campaign - for the Quiver X - was launched on Nov 23 and reached its ＄15,000 goal in 12 hours. It now has ＄60,000 pledged.

Miss Chan said: "I never expected this, and we are going to keep pushing ourselves."

PHOTO: FACING FAILURE
One of the hardest lessons was facing failure. Miss Chan said: "I put everything - over 11 months of work - into our first prototype. And no one wanted it."
She said: "I never expected this, and we are going to keep pushing ourselves."
It is a very rough working world, seeking fulfillment with defying efforts, but without any certainty.
Picture posted by pichotgallery2018h - The walking death (Zombie)
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https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/naked-woman-covering-eye-with-steak-licking-blood-from-face-picture-id200240861-001 - (gettyimages-200240861-001-1024x1024.jpg)

http://pichotgallery2018h.pw/zombie-naked.html

By Cheow Sue-Ann, The New Paper, 24 December 2018 at 06:00 am

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Reference

[1] Cheow Sue-Ann, The New Paper, Young entrepreneur overcomes obstacles and doubters to bag success, posted on 24 December 2018 at 06:00 am, https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/young-entrepreneur-overcame-obstacles-bag-success

Links

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https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/young-entrepreneur-overcame-obstacles-bag-success

Source (book): "God in Pursuit", Chapter 3, Question 1, Page 44.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012

PHOTO: In what way was Jonah a "non-practising" theologian?
When the storm broke and the pagan sailors started crying out to their own gods, the only man on the ship who knew the true God was in deep sleep below decks. In a ship full of frightened, desperate sailors, he was the only 'atheist'. And he was sleeping soundly - just like the disciples in Gethsemane, who were unaware that the most significant event in the history of the world was about to take place (Matthew 26:40-46). The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible at the time of Jesus, notes that Jonah was snoring away. Perhaps that was how the sailors found him amid the commotion and noise of the storm. No wonder the captain, upon finding the sleeping prophet, chided him: "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish" (Jonah 1:6).

Jonah's answer - "I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land" (Jonah 1:9) - was very good. It was theologically sound, and it would have scored an "A" on any religion examination. Notice, however, that while the sailors immediately recognised the significance of those words and were terrified (Jonah 1:10), Jonah said it matter-of-factly, as if it was no big deal. The pagan sailors realised the impact of the doctrinal statement coming out from Jonah's mouth better than he did himself. While it shook the sailors to the core of their souls and drew a response, it had no impact on Jonah whatever.

Worse still, before declaring that God made the sea and the land, Jonah had told the sailors that he was running away from this very same Lord. It would be foolish to run away on land from a God who made the land, for He has the power to bring about an earthquake or other phenomenon to catch the fleeing person. And it would be equally foolish to flee from a God who made the seas. He can easily turn the whole ocean into a watery grave for the fugitive.

Jonah's answer to the questions posed by the fearful sailors was, "I worship the Lord" (Jonah 1:9). The Hebrew word for "worship" is better translated as "fear"; the prophet had declared that he feared the Lord, but his words sounded empty when measured against his disobedient actions. Jonah's actions "made a mockery of these words and compounded his sin". The reluctant prophet was guilty of an obvious incongruence (out of place) between his doctrine and his decisions. Later, in chapter 4 of Jonah, we will see how the prophet again shows that he is a "non-practising" theologian. He professed to know that God is compassionate, but failed to show any compassion for the repentant people of Nineveh.

How can Christians be guilty of the same thing?
We can become so jaded (tired) about our words of faith! That our doctrines can become empty creeds, and our profession of faith so hollow, that we no longer tremble, because we make God so familiar. Yet this can happen when there is a gap between our profession of faith and our practice, between our affirmations (proclamation) about God and our actions, and between our creeds (faith) and our conduct.

It is easy to become like Jonah. We can sing wonderful songs of praise to God and profess to know Him, but our daily lives may show otherwise, or show that we do not care much about what we have declared.

What effect does it have on individual Christians, the church, and society?
Our doctrinal statements can remain theoretical or ritualistic, and have little impact on our actions and choices in life. Like Jonah, we can become "non-practising" theologians - people who are unable or unwilling to turn doctrinal language into devotional life. And we can forget that God loves everyone - including our enemies.

How can this be resolved?
God showed His heart for the nations by saving the pagan sailors while pursuing the renegade prophet. He did not treat them as collateral damage (deaths, injuries, or other damage inflicted on an unintended target) - like movie depictions of the police caring little about any damage or loss of life incurred by the hot pursuit of their quarry. God is not like that. They were not condemned to die, abandoned to their impotent idols. They were as much sinners as everyone else, but God was ready to forgive them if they turned to Him in repentance.

This is the hope that we have today, just as people did in the time of Jonah. It gives certainty to the "maybe" that the captain expressed when he told Jonah to pray to God, "Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish" (Jonah 1:6); and the "may" that the king of Nineveh said when he issued an edict to the people to repent, saying, "Who knows? God may yet relent" (Jonah 3:9).

God is not out to destroy people, but to save them. He does not condemn sinners to eternal punishment without first extending His grace and mercy to them. For those running away from God in either disobedience or ignorance, there is always a chance to return or to turn to God in repentance and faith (cf. Jeremiah 36:3, 7; Zephaniah 2:3). And when that happens, God is always hospitable and generous - just like the father who embraced and welcomed his prodigal (wastefully extravagant) son home (Luke 15:22-24).

God does not lock us in a prison, condemning us to death row; we put ourselves in such prisons. His grace stands before the sinner, before a door that needs to be opened. This door is not latched, at least on the outside. Christ stands at the door knocking (Revelation 3:20). He will not barge in, but instead invites us to open the door from the inside. And when that happens, He comes in to have fellowship with us. While God was knocking on Jonah's door, He also knocked on those of the sailors. When they opened the doors, they discovered Him and His saving grace.
Picture posted by Europeana Collection - Jonah is under the wonder tree near Nineveh
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNGO91nL5_KbBu6Z_jxupVjXhjlMml4wvKS_SXEPa81z7LRTAb0skhdilfcwyc8mTVOkSI0n5eWFL44T3mAlFXTKAprCs9K1fKCZXK336JAbzLyyO6eJtaQoZbjCOSuWxuKdCSSPPiIQ/s1600/Jonah_1.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/X8o9U5ZY9El_LvGy4Q6HFhLbE1NisSatm2RpktIPp5Uk5LRrHFbaCXbcPpLe1Qejde2Vdfh9QcMY9V0Xn77_ER2x=s0 - (Jonah_1.jpg)
https://www.europeana.eu/portal/nl/record/90402/RP_P_OB_45_390.html

In what way was Jonah a "non-practising" theologian? How can Christians be guilty of the same thing? What effect does it have on individual Christians, the church, and society? How can this be resolved?

In what way was Jonah a "non-practising" theologian?
Jonah: A "Non-Practising" Theologian [1]
When the storm broke and the pagan sailors started crying out to their own gods, the only man on the ship who knew the true God was in deep sleep below decks. In a ship full of frightened, desperate sailors, he was the only 'atheist'. And he was sleeping soundly - just like the disciples in Gethsemane, who were unaware that the most significant event in the history of the world was about to take place (Matthew 26:40-46). The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible at the time of Jesus, notes that Jonah was snoring away. Perhaps that was how the sailors found him amid the commotion and noise of the storm. No wonder the captain, upon finding the sleeping prophet, chided him: "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish" (Jonah 1:6).

PHOTO: When the storm broke and the pagan sailors started crying out to their own gods, the only man on the ship who knew the true God was in deep sleep below decks. The captain, upon finding the sleeping prophet, chided him: "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish" (Jonah 1:6).
Picture posted by Elenice Vieira on 14 August 2014 at 19:22
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdr3yfUCkesGyUZQCfexuFcUGfxO-wTeWpPp7ZOtd0xdi6vTxhgeCeIfPppAR5U8EDwR2xFg8MT64wmI-pQ1sPtDjP_kO7rYwMvKJeoAONMHrZUjjXh2V7FgQpgj9f6bxoo3Eh72QTIY/s1600/Slide10.JPG
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCqsLI3rY7mkUV43cxGuhYWx2C9BmACbWp7EcQ6RqPaJU2PQHplFB2E6-hcLulMSPHEPBMQVFEvhizZdRAVXQ_SpQov0MYj35Ci6C8f26uo3Eo2DA0NR28AeNSFxA1opynDZaDJwqktg/s1600/Slide10.JPG
http://recursosdeevangelismo.blogspot.com/2014/08/jonas-4.html

Jonah's answer - "I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land" (Jonah 1:9) - was very good. It was theologically sound, and it would have scored an "A" on any religion examination. Notice, however, that while the sailors immediately recognised the significance of those words and were terrified (Jonah 1:10), Jonah said it matter-of-factly, as if it was no big deal. The pagan sailors realised the impact of the doctrinal statement coming out from Jonah's mouth better than he did himself. While it shook the sailors to the core of their souls and drew a response, it had no impact on Jonah whatever.

PHOTO: Jonah: A "Non-Practising" Theologian
Jonah's answer - "I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land" (Jonah 1:9), made the sailors immediately recognised the significance of those words and were terrified (Jonah 1:10). Jonah said it matter-of-factly, as if it was no big deal. It shook the sailors to the core of their souls and drew a response, it had no impact on Jonah whatever.
Picture post by James Philipps, Guest Author
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw17ijFoel2b4wVDwH0vcXPl1DFiUxg1Q4z_b12e2P8Shl6Loh4LzZGmHODsKrKAhmIgIFAI2bZc85N6J1TE-eomKoNHHiT76J7P2d6Iz4orqtRjy_qEyYhNUVLQkZRGuI_ch4szCc74g/s1600/Jonah_Thrown_to_the_Whale_LACMA_M.82.120.2-768x957.jpg
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Jonah_Thrown_to_the_Whale_LACMA_M.82.120.2-768x957.jpg
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/in-the-belly-of-lent-jonah-and-us/

Worse still, before declaring that God made the sea and the land, Jonah had told the sailors that he was running away from this very same Lord. It would be foolish to run away on land from a God who made the land, for He has the power to bring about an earthquake or other phenomenon to catch the fleeing person. And it would be equally foolish to flee from a God who made the seas. He can easily turn the whole ocean into a watery grave for the fugitive.

PHOTO: Jonah: A "Non-Practising" Theologian
Worse still, before declaring that God made the sea and the land, Jonah had told the sailors that he was running away from this very same Lord. It would be foolish to flee from a God who made the seas. He can easily turn the whole ocean into a watery grave for the fugitive.
Picture posted by Rachel Rosenthal on 29 September 2014
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAem7OONL-0zROl6hlJmcE_lFWl7SDOvES6imkKzNuKFlg1EjBbz9r96jGb-ODNWpWQ7T8XhPKC0Z3v7EVOw1gG4Kib3V_JKbYmoRIO4bDrQoeXc97fihB1_-mZfMSHzrBwETMwAkNuac/s1600/jonah.jpg
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/jonah.jpg
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-torch/our-prophets-ourselves-jonah-judgment-and-the-act-of-repentance/

Jonah's answer to the questions posed by the fearful sailors was, "I worship the Lord" (Jonah 1:9). The Hebrew word for "worship" is better translated as "fear"; the prophet had declared that he feared the Lord, but his words sounded empty when measured against his disobedient actions. Pastor and author Richard D. Phillips motes in Jonah and Micah that Jonah's actions "made a mockery of these words and compounded his sin". [15] The reluctant prophet was guilty of an obvious incongruence (out of place) between his doctrine and his decisions. Later, in chapter 4 of Jonah, we will see how the prophet again shows that he is a "non-practising" theologian. He professed to know that God is compassionate, but failed to show any compassion for the repentant people of Nineveh.

PHOTO: Jonah: A "Non-Practising" Theologian
The prophet had declared that he feared the Lord, but his words sounded empty when measured against his disobedient actions. Jonah's actions "made a mockery of these words and compounded his sin". The reluctant prophet was guilty of an obvious incongruence (out of place) between his doctrine and his decisions.
Engravings, and Woodcuts by Flanders, circa 1582 - Jonah Spat Up by the Whale
Picture posted by LACMA
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6SG9Ni6sK9iAMFJCjHjljfbRenXu97CgF2z_6jblKmArkgeiXfuN2XKw2EdruX8Wea_VFyc47G7CC5lKWTis-iJdRvIuQh8CNMj5JO3y9-sWKIcCGqCJka_lb8ygh1PJorhYn8UuSok/s1600/ma-53451-WEB.jpg
https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/collections.lacma.org-images/remote_images/ma-53451-WEB.jpg?nSHfOtuwSvl.sYNxPUB3NzDjw6QqtNyu
https://collections.lacma.org/node/243894

How can Christians be guilty of the same thing?
We can become so jaded (tired) about our words of faith! That our doctrines can become empty creeds, and our profession of faith so hollow, that we no longer tremble, because we make God so familiar. Yet this can happen when there is a gap between our profession of faith and our practice, between our affirmations (proclamation) about God and our actions, and between our creeds (faith) and our conduct.

It is easy to become like Jonah. We can sing wonderful songs of praise to God and profess to know Him, but our daily lives may show otherwise, or show that we do not care much about what we have declared.

PHOTO: How can Christians be guilty of "Non-Practising" Theologian?
This can happen when there is a gap between our profession of faith and our practice, between our affirmations (proclamation) about God and our actions, and between our creeds (faith) and our conduct.
Picture posted by Paul Dallgas-Frey on 05 July 2001
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzispLjhOu3TWHZ4y4O0WRw3_78fqzEzWpkf4RsHF7docP8rgAl9lOPbIz5GqkyunJZ96s1tT4Iqx-mN6-aator7WT-6P8GCvYxLuCkjQN0wZM4RZkYxNxnJ5Snqmp9WdesDJ6wkxMK48/s1600/new-Jonah-runaway.jpg
http://www.essex1.com/people/paul/new-Jonah-runaway.jpg
http://www.essex1.com/people/paul/bible37.html

What effect does it have on individual Christians, the church, and society?
Our doctrinal statements can remain theoretical or ritualistic, and have little impact on our actions and choices in life. Like Jonah, we can become "non-practising" theologians - people who are unable or unwilling to turn doctrinal language into devotional life. And we can forget that God loves everyone - including our enemies.

PHOTO: What effect does "Non-Practising" Theologian have on individual Christians, the church, and society?
Our doctrinal statements can remain theoretical or ritualistic, and have little impact on our actions and choices in life. Like Jonah, we are unable or unwilling to turn doctrinal language into devotional life.
Picture posted by ap2001, FanArt
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTI3L1R-O3Sr8YHtaP9Ux9QIFfc0zjl8waNk2eztZe_mfE8jcxHry-M7o2pbjD9sVZ_Rxo19WPfgh_Ev3xmpVeLxr7LEu8k7Px7dyu3VWjdzvhQz-akuYc4CFZaNlRUCTrfMQydfGdl6o/s1600/whale-rider-56fa57ac5e1e4_1.png
https://fanart.tv/fanart/movies/1088/movieposter/whale-rider-56fa57ac5e1e4.jpg
https://fanart.tv/movie/1088/whale-rider/

How can this be resolved?
God's Open Door [1]
Many in Israel believed that God was interested only in His people, and that the rest of the world was merely fuel for eternal fire. Even Jonah seemed to have been guilty of thinking that God was the Saviour of Israel only. But nothing could be further from the truth. The book of Jonah reveals God's compassion for those who were outside His covenant people. The God of Israel is not a tribal God, but the God of the whole universe. All nations are included in His salvation plans. That is why He sent Jonah to the pagan city of Nineveh - He cared for the Assyrians, even though they were wicked and Israel's deadly enemies. This was revealed through a prophecy of Isaiah:

PHOTO: God's Open Door
The book of Jonah reveals God's compassion for those who were outside His covenant people. The God of Israel is not a tribal God, but the God of the whole universe. All nations are included in His salvation plans. That is why He sent Jonah to the pagan city of Nineveh - He cared for the Assyrians, even though they were wicked and Israel's deadly enemies.
Letter from Jesus saved by Betty Forde to Gods Compassion
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfHfTUzq1q4NkKnuZBxzU23_6JOOf-1Njasg47CFs-uvFsCXNsAzQ7U909sZGiuhXy8lSvDgbX7X2hBkltpP6iIFyTFNm-nZi6B8ZYEKNs_0u4-rwdiWAJKZYrJ2WNUJmjhZoCMtkgoQ/s1600/92e86e23db78e26c844b75a8fa3b5c75.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/92/e8/6e/92e86e23db78e26c844b75a8fa3b5c75.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/492159065524966262/

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance" (Isaiah 19:23-25).

PHOTO: Prophecy of Isaiah:
In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance" (Isaiah 19:23-25).
Picture posted by topmostwallpapers.com
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvAhCHuYFEgWLIk0rTfckmtFuUKkhrsaEvumKx1u8oH6LerqyThIzIzRTF5-UD4lUzNZMwLCTt2sNUysonlbcXTKMsQSwfnOcPLunUQEyTR-mfx0E3kiVwefSmSvFaBsAdp_YZRQP13s/s1600/lord-jesus-christ-hd-painting.jpg
http://www.topmostwallpapers.com/uploads/large/god-jesus-yeshu/lord-jesus-christ-hd-painting.jpg
http://www.topmostwallpapers.com/lord-jesus-christ-hd-painting/

This radical message would have challenged conventional thinking, but God showed His heart for the nations by saving the pagan sailors while pursuing the renegade prophet. He did not treat them as collateral damage (deaths, injuries, or other damage inflicted on an unintended target) - like movie depictions of the police caring little about any damage or loss of life incurred by the hot pursuit of their quarry. God is not like that. They were not condemned to die, abandoned to their impotent idols. They were as much sinners as everyone else, but God was ready to forgive them if they turned to Him in repentance.

PHOTO: God showed His heart for the nations by saving the pagan sailors while pursuing the renegade prophet. He did not treat them as collateral damage (deaths, injuries, or other damage inflicted on an unintended target). God was ready to forgive them if they turned to Him in repentance.
Picture posted by Schooling On The Rock on 07 January 2015
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fBpyU3TvlsUgSJFc0DfAAOf_sVROSzbxGXhs6lXIc325oGldQtxweg6nCbZL1xThq2N2V_KycfdLd223sH-aWoyi_ilrWIr26TlJj5UTboKFVSEUeuFw3npMiJu13QceQWPkOs1p9cQ/s1600/grace.jpg
https://schoolingontherock.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/grace.jpg
https://schoolingontherock.com/why-pain-gods-beautiful-grace/

This is the hope that we have today, just as people did in the time of Jonah. It gives certainty to the "maybe" that the captain expressed when he told Jonah to pray to God, "Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish" (Jonah 1:6); and the "may" that the king of Nineveh said when he issued an edict to the people to repent, saying, "Who knows? God may yet relent" (Jonah 3:9).

PHOTO: God is ready to forgive us if we turned to Him in repentance. This is the hope that we have today, just as people did in the time of Jonah. It gives certainty to the "maybe" that the captain expressed when he told Jonah to pray to God, "Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish" (Jonah 1:6); and the "may" that the king of Nineveh said when he issued an edict to the people to repent, saying, "Who knows? God may yet relent" (Jonah 3:9).
Picture posted by Ahsapev
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7uQTSegCxWOEIFOPbhKeWUe3ZUM0nkQPROpRuEiRGlVbbG0GVRabEXlABcDJfqm5ySRgKN9p7NWKZ-guEZSeMeh3CSXmXMNpbCBK62XKTeLrvg_WX45gaTKvh0HIzik4LvRZ8k2_iLZc/s1600/th.jpg
http://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.KFAkkACKAv2Oum0ROLfNkgHaGV - (th.jpg)
http://ahsapev.info/forgiveness-jesus.html

God is not out to destroy people, but to save them. He does not condemn sinners to eternal punishment without first extending His grace and mercy to them. For those running away from God in either disobedience or ignorance, there is always a chance to return or to turn to God in repentance and faith (cf. Jeremiah 36:3, 7; Zephaniah 2:3). And when that happens, God is always hospitable and generous - just like the father who embraced and welcomed his prodigal (wastefully extravagant) son home (Luke 15:22-24).

PHOTO: For those running away from God in either disobedience or ignorance, there is always a chance to return or to turn to God in repentance and faith. And when that happens, God is always hospitable and generous - just like the father who embraced and welcomed his prodigal son home (Luke 15:22-24).
Picture posted by 24h Catholic Newspaper on Friday, 19 August 2016 at 13:54
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqNcBWsCzfUougnFIaSLgefPQQwR8x2FmclbYFhxhGB9bARbhmhogDJPB0JXSV2EjVup8a_oP0M0QbgjwA9Qjpd7h4i2zlzp-rILnYKyLT8tE9alucDeLn9JtcNu_qQ4kLHpsHqt2CyI/s1600/MISERERE+CONFESSION.jpg
http://res.cgvdt.vn/ckfinder/images/2016/LCVCS/2067/MISERERE%20CONFESSION.jpg
https://báocônggiáo.vn/loi-chua/duy-vat-dang-toi-2071.html

God does not lock us in a prison, condemning us to death row; we put ourselves in such prisons. His grace stands before the sinner, before a door that needs to be opened. This door is not latched, at least on the outside. Christ stands at the door knocking (Revelation 3:20). He will not barge in, but instead invites us to open the door from the inside. And when that happens, He comes in to have fellowship with us. While God was knocking on Jonah's door, He also knocked on those of the sailors. When they opened the doors, they discovered Him and His saving grace.

PHOTO: God does not lock us in a prison, condemning us to death row; we put ourselves in such prisons. His grace stands before the sinner, before a door that needs to be opened. Christ stands at the door knocking (Revelation 3:20). There is no handle outside and can only be opened from inside. He also knocked on those of the sailors. When they opened the doors, they discovered Him and His saving grace.
Painting by Warner Sallman (1892-1968) - Christ at Heart’s Door
Picture posted by Pastor Ted's Blog on 19 July 2014
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGWDGd_cplihLTfSNxIF2cPuv7pHwtZMg6oCr24JJ8zonRvGdm5oPiqn-EOsAv2XN5m8Okva8kbZ_-TR3HNg3BSZvCQJEY0m1Ic80hMKj93asAWIAEX5c2_1WldJycxc13WLrYL6T7-8/s1600/Jesus-Knocking.jpg
http://static1.squarespace.com/static/559749ece4b01787e51f54c2/5668a37b2c34857e4689ade7/5668a37b2c34857e4689ae36/1449698171845/Jesus-Knocking.jpg?format=original
http://www.cityhopeboise.com/sermon-archive/knock-knock-whos-there

PHOTO: "Dear Lord, Please help us not to be a 'non-practising' theologian, making a mockery of our faith. We do not want to be like Jonah, professing to know that God is compassionate, but failed to show any compassion for the repentance of others.

We need your help to close the gap between our profession of faith and our practice, between our affirmations about God and our actions, and between our creeds and our conduct.

When we become so jaded about our words of faith, help us to care about what we have declared. And not to let our doctrines become empty creeds, and our profession of faith so hollow, that we no longer tremble because we make God so familiar.

Help us not to let our doctrinal statements remain theoretical or ritualistic, and have little impact on our actions and choices in life. We want to be people who are able or willing to turn doctrinal language into devotional life.

We want to remember that God loves everyone - including our enemies, and God is ready to forgive us if we turned to Him in repentance. This is the hope that we have today, just as people did in the time of Jonah.

Lord, thank you for your mercy and grace to save us despite our sins. We are grateful of that you are always hospitable and generous - just like the father who embraced and welcomed his prodigal son home. You do not destroy people, and does not condemn sinners to eternal punishment without first extending your grace and mercy to us. We want to open our doors when you knock so that you can come in and have fellowship with us.

We do not want ot lock ourselves in a prison, and be condemned to the death row. Help us to discover you, and your saving grace, so that we all can have our salvation, and have eternal life in heaven together with you, just like the sailors who were with Jonah.

Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!"
Picture posted by Christina Amtsberg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dmCzaIPcZeNfY9xPHv2L4TSToJz1WEst3gl-CAo80dXrI13pm7W7-dPglKEXUlQFXIZNjRND8YN80m5irtDuxtaDDJbQ-5Pu6E17kGv8dvJdd4mnSpRKP5DaVi2K3_B6Y8cRMSYWggg/s1600/9c466463ffa3edad884f0faf16aedf9c.gif
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9c/46/64/9c466463ffa3edad884f0faf16aedf9c.gif
https://www.pinterest.de/amsel42/

Reflection - God Saves - A Non-Practising Theologian
Question from source (book): "God in Pursuit", Chapter 3, Question 1, Page 44.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012

Also from the same author, Robert M. Solomon

"Faithful to the end", A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, @ 2014 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html

"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html

Reference
[1] From "God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, Copyright © 2017 by Robert M. Solomon, ISBN 978-1-62707-801-6, Part I: Jonah 1:1-17, Chapter 3 "God Saves", Page 37-41.

[15] Richard D. Phillips, Jonah and Micah, Reformed Expository Commentary Series, (Phillipsburg, NJ. P&R Publishing, 2010), 57-59.

New International Version (NIV), Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Isaiah 19:23-25 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+19%3A23-25&version=NIV

Jeremiah 36:3, 7; Zephaniah 2:3 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+36%3A3%2C+7%3B+Zephaniah+2%3A3&version=NIV

Jonah 1:6 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah+1%3A6&version=NIV

Jonah 1:9 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah+1%3A9&version=NIV

Jonah 1:10 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah+1%3A10&version=NIV

Jonah 1:1-17 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah+1%3A1-17&version=NIV

Jonah 3:9 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah+3%3A9&version=NIV

Jonah 4 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah+4&version=NIV

Luke 15:22-24 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A22-24&version=NIV

Matthew 11:28-29 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11%3A28-29&version=NIV

Matthew 26:40-46 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+26%3A40-46&version=NIV

Revelation 3:20 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+3%3A20&version=NIV