Jonah emphasized that it is important to follow God's words exactly. Rules for holy living are explained in Colossians 3 and believers are told to put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these things that holy anger of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience (v. 6 NIV).


It's difficult for me to consider God's anger after seeing His great love, but He must come as He has promised, and we are told to rid ourselves of anger, rage, bad feelings toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from our lips! (v. 8 AMP).

Verses 9-14 (NIV) describe what I believe the patriarchs were wanting us to understand.

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

I guess I could say, as Paul did in Philippians 3:12, I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Apprehended, according to Strong's Concordance, is taken from the word meaning "to take eagerly, i.e., seize, possess." It also means to "attain, come upon, comprehend, find, obtain, perceive, (over-)take."1

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:12-14)

I have been apprehended, completely possessed with a Spirit - the Holy Spirit. I have been apprehended of Christ; I have been apprehended of His anointing. I have been seized by the Holy Spirit, and I am compelled by God's love and compassion to tell His people that Jesus is coming.

Source: Heaven: Close Encounters Of The God Kind by Jesse Duplantis.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers