Knowing God

Called to be Fishermen of Men (Part IV)

Leave a Comment / Evangelism, Forgiveness, Knowing God, Sanctification / By

As I was researching how fishermen fish, I came across an article that stated several factors in choosing the right kind of bait for fishing. Some of those factors are water temperature, water clarity, fish activity levels, and light levels. Interestingly, those factors have spiritual parallels to catching “spiritual” fish.

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. Mark 1:16-20

Jesus called His disciples to become fishermen of men. To be a good fisherman, one needs to determine the right conditions and discern what is required to catch fish successfully. Water temperature, water clarity, fish activity levels, and light levels have spiritual parallels to when someone is ready to come to Jesus.

Water Temperature

Just as water temperature could be a determining factor in using the right bait for catching fish, we also need to be discerning of someone’s spiritual temperature. If a person is cold and distant, there is no need to push ourselves on them. We can be kind and cordial until such a time that they want to get closer. On the other hand, someone who is warm and interested in spiritual things is going to be like a sponge. They are hungry, and thirsty for truth and have questions. We need to nurture those people and help them find answers to their questions.

Water Clarity

Sometimes we don’t have clarity as to where someone is spiritually, so we need to be careful not to make assumptions about them.  Just because someone is agreeable, it does not mean they are ready. Also just because someone is argumentative, it does not mean that they are being rebellious and resistant to spiritual things.  Stereotypes could turn people away from us and make them feel judged.

Activity Level

If individuals live a very busy life, they may seem interested, but they may not be ready. We can’t chase people around and hope that we can get a few minutes of their time. We do our part in remaining constant and consistent, and when the person is ready to slow down to work on issues, we can make ourselves available to them. Sometimes, people slow down only when they are in pain, and as soon as their pain dissipates they go back to their old pattern. Hopefully, we can help them see that changes to their lifestyle and busyness will be necessary if they want to get to know the Lord and grow in God.

Light Level

People need to be willing to come to the light of Jesus if they desire change. They can’t stay in the shadows or desire to remain in sin and still want to walk with Jesus. Jesus will give a clean slate for those who are willing to come to His light and accept His forgiveness for their sins. For without repentance there is no remission of sins. Salvation is a gift, but sanctification will cost them something. We can’t lure them into the Kingdom by making it look so easy or have them be disillusioned about the cost of Lordship.

The Fish Need to be Cleansed

When we have the privilege of seeing people come to Jesus, then the hard work of discipleship begins. There is much cleansing and sanctification that is in store for them. This will require us to roll up our sleeves and patiently help those who want to grow in Jesus.

We have many orphan Christians out there who may have accepted Jesus at one point in their lives, but they need to be discipled. We can’t catch the fish and then complain that they smell bad and stay away from them. We need to develop a fatherly and motherly love for people, so we can willingly help them. If they allow us to walk alongside them, we need to help them grow up in God and become mature children of God.

Being fishermen of men requires faith, patience, consistency, and discernment. All the characteristics I have shared in the last four devotionals can be developed by any of us. They are not just reserved for a chosen few or those with special gifting and talents in these areas.

Lord we pray and ask that you would  develop us as skilled fishermen, so we can be effective in evangelism. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

The Light of the World

Leave a Comment / Forgiveness, Gentleness, Grace, Humility, Knowing God, Salvation / By

The significance of light in nature cannot be overstated. Light facilitates life and allows God’s creation to grow and prosper in a healthy way. Similarly, we need God’s light for our spiritual well being. Without the light of God. humanity is disoriented stumbling around in the darkness. Jesus declared Himself as the light of the world. He came to turn on the light in a dark world to help people see clearly and choose life! …

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Be Still & Know…

2 Comments / Be Still, Knowing God / By

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10

Definition of “Still” (According to Strong’s Concordance): to let drop, abandon, relax, refrain, forsake.

The Lord is calling each of us to be still before Him. Being still is not necessarily about lack of movement, but it is about abandoning our plans. It is refraining from trying to make something happen. It is about letting go of our agenda and resting before the Lord.

Interestingly, in the above verse, being still and knowing the Lord are connected to each other. That means if we want to know God, we need to be willing to be still before Him. We cannot be focused on our plans and agenda, and at the same time, allow the Lord to lead and guide our lives. In addition, We cannot have two masters. Either we are in charge and are calling all the shots, or God is on the throne and He rules over all our affairs.

In this hour, there is much unrest and uncertainty in the world. There is pressure to try to figure things out. On the other hand, it seems as if humanity is on hold. Everyone is watching and waiting to see how things are going to turn out in the next couple of weeks. People are waiting to see when they can get back to their normal lives.

During this past week, I noticed that a sense of restlessness and helplessness can creep in. We are so used to controlling our lives and day-to-day activities, that it is hard not to be in charge. We enjoy planning our lives months in advance and look forward to events or vacations. However, we can’t do them at this point!  Some of us have taken days off from work to spend time with family and friends who are graduating, having a baby, or getting married, but everything has come to a halt. Now we have to change our expectations and stay put!

This is a reminder of how little control we have over our lives, and just because God in His mercy has allowed us to plan our weeks and months ahead of time, it does not mean that we are entitled to it. Instead of being in charge of our activities, we need to remember God’s promises for us. Our peace comes from knowing and remembering who God is for us. Those truths will settle our spirits.

The above scripture is a great reminder that we have the opportunity to the know the Lord better when we remain still before Him. We may feel awkward about being still, but the more we practice it, the easier it gets. As Americans, we are not good at being still, but we can ask the Lord to help us. As we let go of our hopes, disappointments, and expectations, we will get to know the Lord better for who He really is. The fruit of knowing Him is that He will be lifted and exalted by His people, so they world can get to know Him! Lord teach us to be still, so we can know you better!