Connecting Points

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Today’s Topic: Are We Living In Disobedience?

Today’s Text:  Acts 16:31-34 (ESV)   And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³² And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³ And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. ³⁴ Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

On Tuesday morning I had breakfast with a post-graduate student who is a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Brought up in a works and sacraments based religious system, she had discovered the truth of faith in Jesus Christ as the only means of salvation from sin through a connection with fellow students involved in a faith-based campus ministry.

The reason we were meeting was to discuss baptism – true biblical baptism by immersion as a public testimony to one’s saving faith in Jesus Christ. As I listened intently to her testimony of faith, I interrupted her as I wiped tears of joy from my eyes. I asked her why she had not been baptized sooner. Her simple reply revealed something to me that I want to address today. She said, “Because it was never taught as a part of my discipleship training.”

As we talked more the joy of what God was doing in her life now overcame my initial reaction to what she said. But as the hours went by after the meeting, it began to weigh on my heart. Why would we in the so-called “modern” church age de-emphasize the fundamental command of Jesus for all disciples to be baptized? What do we believe He meant when He said, “Go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you?” How can we teach them to observe all the commands of Jesus when we ignore the first command of discipleship that He gave?

Throughout the New Testament, without any confusion of the truth of salvation by faith alone without any works of man or any sacrament of the church, people who were saved were baptized, and it happened as soon after their salvation as possible. Let’s be very clear – baptism does not and cannot save anyone from their sin, at any age. But let’s also be clear about this truth – baptism is a command of God to be celebrated and experienced as a part of the salvation experience, and disobedience limits the potential for the Holy Spirit to fill our lives, just as any disobedience to God will do.

I believe that the church has de-emphasized the importance of baptism as a result of cultural pressure to be more accepting of everyone’s personally selected belief system. Someone, in some religious system eons ago, decided that baptism wasn’t important, or that it was erroneously granted the status of being a means of receiving the grace of forgiveness. As well-intentioned people continued to live public lives of faith, personal experience was elevated to a place of priority over the command of Jesus. The church began to accept disobedience as “normal” because other areas of people’s lives didn’t appear to be all that bad of an attempt to be Godly. I’ve known dozens of people – maybe hundreds – who I will see in heaven who have never been baptized by immersion as a testimony of their personal faith in Jesus Christ . But the truth is that every one of those people, whether living in ignorance of the truth or not, has been living in disobedience. (Keep reading please before you get angry…)

Again, to clarify, I have been baptized and I live in disobedience at times as well. I do not always obey everything Jesus said. The point is not to condemn one area of disobedience as more significant than any other, but to be sensitive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. When I sin through willful disobedience, I hear the Holy Spirit convicting me. I know I must repent and turn from that disobedience. Only then will the fullness of the Holy Spirit be restored to my life. Only in obedience can we have intimate fellowship with our one and only Holy Father in heaven.

The same is true about baptism. It is only in obedience and in accordance with God’s truth in Jesus Christ that we can have a complete and full relationship with God. Can we be saved without baptism? ABSOLUTELY. Can we be all that God intends us to be without obedience? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

On Sunday, September 29^th, right after church, no matter how cold it is, I will be baptizing this young woman in the Chippewa River. She is excited. I am thrilled. She is in obedience to Christ by being publicly baptized by immersion as a testimony of her saving faith in Jesus Christ. I am in obedience by baptizing her as a part of her discipleship. Maybe you want to join us and be obedient to Christ as well.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Monday, September 09, 2013

Today’s Topic: Is It What We Really Want?

Today’s Text:  Revelation 22:7 (ESV)   “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”               

Revelation 22:12 (ESV)
 “Behold, I am coming soon…”

Revelation 22:17 (ESV)
The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

Revelation 22:20 (ESV)
 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

I hope it was just a fluke. I’m going to assume that it was because people were so deep in thought about what they were hearing that they just forgot to respond outwardly. If not, then we may have a problem.

Yesterday during the sermon there was a clear statement made about the joyous and glorious return of Jesus Christ to gather His true church to their eternal reward. Silence ensued.

Really? Silence from the very people  Jesus is coming to get? I was a little shocked. I think it showed. I said it again, and the response was enthusiastic, but it made me wonder how many times in my own life I need to be reminded to keep my eyes, my heart, and my desires on the return of Jesus Christ rather than on the things of this world.

Earlier in the service we had sung a couple of songs, one of which was the chorus of “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” In that song we sang these words – Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in His wonderful face; and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” I wondered what happened in the 15 minutes between singing that and hearing it preached.

I know that there are many – too many – days that I have my eyes, my heart, and my desires firmly fixed on the things of earth. It happens so much that I must ask myself the question “Is the return of Jesus what I really want?”

Let’s see –

• More sin versus no sin. That’s one for His return.
• More financial stress versus streets of crystal clear gold and a mansion made by the hands of God just for me. That’s two for Jesus.
• More emotional stress from loneliness, rejection, and the pursuit of self-worth versus seeing the face of Jesus while His arms of love wrap around me and the only tears ever will be tears of joy. So far the return of Jesus is pitching a shut-out.
• More issues with health versus an eternally perfect body. This is getting embarrassing. Earthly things are growing strangely dim.

I could go on, but we all get the point. The Spirit of God says “Come.” The Bride of Christ – His church – is supposed to say “Come.” Everyone who is longing for satisfaction in this life is to realize that earthly things cannot satisfy and invite Jesus to come. I am to consider the coming of Jesus to be more important to me that any other upcoming event in my life.

Is it what we really want? Well as for me, YES!!!

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Friday, September 6, 2013

Today’s Topic: Oops!

Today’s Text:  Daniel 5:27 (ESV)  You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting;

Don’t use a screwdriver as a hammer.

Don’t use a knife as a screwdriver.

These are just two of the lessons I’ve learned the hard way. To be honest, there were many times that both substitutes worked, which only fueled my pride. It was that pride that eventually led to a time when the substitutes failed and the project ended badly. I’ve said “OOPS!” too many times.

Everything that has been made has an intended purpose. Granted, some things are multi-functional, but that was intended by the designer. When we use things for purposes that were not built into the original design, we can get into serious trouble.

That’s what happened to King Belshazzar in Daniel chapter five. Belshazzar was the son of King Nebuchadnezzar, whom God had humbled. His son knew what had happened. Yet Belshazzar rejected the work of God in His life and became proud – so proud that during a showy celebration he ordered that all of the vessels of gold and silver from the temple in Jerusalem be brought out and used as common serving and drinking utensils at the banquet.  In his pride and desire to show off his wealth and power, the king chose to take things that were designed solely for the Lord’s work and use them for personal gain.

Immediately God responded. His hand wrote something on the wall that no one could read except Daniel. Here’s Daniel’s perspective on what happened.

²² And you [King Nebuchadnezzar’s] son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, ²³ but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored. ²⁴ “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. ²⁵ And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. ²⁶ This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; ²⁷ TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; ²⁸ PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” Daniel 5:22-28 (ESV)

“OOPS!”

That night Belshazzar died, and Cryus became King. All because of pride, which always precedes a fall.

“OOPS!” I’ve used some of the Lord’s things for personal gain.

“OOPS!” I’ve taken money from my tithes and offerings to pay bills or buy new things.

“OOPS!” I’ve not followed through on pledges and commitments because my pride saw ways to use those resources for myself.

“OOPS!” I’ve lost the use of some things because God has immediately responded and taken them away to get my attention fixed back on Him alone.

“OOPS!” My heart has been weighed in the balances and been found wanting.  What a horrible condition. Oh how I never want that statement to be true of me again.

Today, dear Lord, I commit myself again to your Holy Spirit’s correction to create in me a humble heart, so that all you have given me will be used for its intended purpose to serve you and not me!

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Today’s Topic: Enduring Love

Today’s Text:  Psalm 107:1 (ESV) Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

This morning I stopped at the hospital to visit a man God brought into my two years ago. He has become a good friend. He is succumbing to the ravages of cancer.

I met with the family on Tuesday after they had heard the options from the doctor. After careful thought and prayer, this is what my friend wrote this morning on Facebook…

I am having a hard time trying to figure out when or how to make a final announcement to all my friends and family. I guess now is as good as it gets. As most of you know I have been fighting stage IV prostate cancer for almost 3 years now. Last Monday the 25th I was admitted for respiratory distress. My cancer has taken a serious turn and involved my liver and lungs. I am now experiencing liver failure and told I have 1 to 4 weeks left. I will be going into hospice care and letting the Lord Jesus take the wheel from here. I Love you all and just want to thank you for being part of my life and having impacted my life by being there. Everyone of you are special to me. I will monitor FB as long as possible but probably will not have a lot interaction from now on. Again I Love you and thank you for your love and friendship. God bless you all!

As I parked the car at the hospital the Holy Spirit led me to the one-hundred seventh Psalm. After some wonderful conversation around the bed with him and his wife, I read the first nine verses to him.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! ² Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble ³ and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. ⁴ Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; ⁵ hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. ⁶ Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. ⁷ He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. ⁸ Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! ⁹ For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

When I was done reading, we talked about how the longing of the soul is completely satisfied by the love of God. God’s love is not a response to our actions or attitudes. God’s love is not a response to our work to earn it. God’s love is not limited by circumstances. God’s love endures forever.

God loves us while we have cancer. God loves us while we suffer for any reason. God loves us no matter what the condition of the world or the economy. God’s love endures forever, and it satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good things. God doesn’t promise to remove physical problems, but He promises to satisfy the longings of our hearts during the problems we face.

While everything around us may appear harmful, hurtful, and hateful, God’s love endures forever. God’s love is not delivered through any external event. Solutions to problems is not the means of receiving or recognizing God’s love. Fixing issues is not the means of experiencing God’s love. His love is delivered through the life-occupying Presence of the Holy Spirit. Love comes from the heart of God into the soul of man to flow out of man. God’s love endures forever, not matter what is going on around us, because His love is within us.

What a joy to know that my friend understands this. What a blessing it is to watch his life influence so many others to discover the truth of God’s love. What hope it gives us all to know the truth of God’s enduring love as expressed by the Apostle Paul when he wrote in Romans chapter 8 –  

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death… ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you…³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? …No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God’s love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Today’s Topic: Fresh Start

Today’s Text:  Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)  but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

They say that Spring is the season of new beginnings. Well, for me, Fall is the time of starting over. After a long summer of excessive distractions, it is now time to get back on track.

Don’t get me wrong, I was not distracted from the Lord; but I was distracted from the normal routine of early morning writing of these Connecting Points. Much was accomplished for the Lord’s work in those distractions as most were designed by Him, yet there was always something missing. I have come to realize that the time I spend in writing is extremely important to my spiritual health.

As I return to the office this morning from my latest adventure across the Midwest, I come with the determination to invest the first hour of my day in hearing from God and sharing with you what He is teaching me.

WAIT! What a horrible word. When used as a suggestion it seems impossible to do. When issued as a command we rise up in rebellion against it and demand an explanation of why. The mere sight of a construction sign on the highway that says “Flagman Ahead” sends sighs of frustration through the car.

We don’t like to wait. We don’t like to wait at stoplights. We don’t like long lines at the store, and in reality any line with more than us in it is long. We check all the open registers before choosing what we think will be the quickest line. If you ever see me in a store, don’t get behind me in line because I always choose the wrong one.

Yet waiting is a fact of life. We’ve tried to make it bearable. We now have countdown timers at intersections that let us know when the light is going to change. They are controlled by pedestrians who have pushed the crosswalk button. Now we get made when we see pedestrians at the corner.

We have created waiting rooms, and we have quickly learned that the time we will spend in them is directly proportional to the number of magazines available. And then there are those that have a children’s play area. Stay away from those or bring a lunch.

How many of us will admit that we are tired of waiting? My hand is raised, or at least it was prior to this morning when God revealed again to me the simple truth of a favorite verse of many of us. They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength. There’s that word – WAIT! Yet today the Lord showed me one simple point that will help me to connect to Him more intimately – Waiting doesn’t make us tired but actually strengthens us.

We waste energy by not waiting. We grow weary by not waiting. We create more problems by rushing in when God has not prepared us or the circumstance for our involvement. The energy spent is not only wasted, but not replenished, making us even more tired than before. God only promises strength to those who wait on Him. He only gives energy to those who are walking and running and working according to His purpose and in His timeframe. God only lifts us higher and higher to soar with Him when we spread our wings in the wind of the Holy Spirit.

WAIT! Before you make any plans today; before you step up in your own strength and wisdom to address any problem; before you insert yourself into any issue; WAIT! Wait for God’s wisdom. Wait for God’s timing. Wait for God’s permission. When He says go, then He will give sufficient grace to go all the way without weariness. When we are tired, it may very well be that we are working in our own strength only.

It is time to wait on the Lord! Enjoy it, and be renewed.

Pastor John

Dear Connecting Points Followers,

It appears over the last week that my WordPress account was hacked, and you may have received some rather nasty emails that appeared to come from me. My apologies. I believe the issue has been resolved, and we are back on line. It is possible that I will be changing blog hosts once I return from vacation. Watch for updates starting September 5th. Have a great and God-honoring day.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Thursday, August 01, 2013

Today’s Topic: Surprises

Today’s Text:  Genesis 48:11 (ESV)  “I never expected to see your face;”

It will be hard for me to ever forget this past weekend. It started on Friday morning, when I got one of the best surprises of my life. It was such a surprise because the basic requirement of surprise was met – it was totally unexpected.

I had just left my office to go to another part of the church on an errand. When I emerged from the room I was in, I noticed a couple of people lounging around in the atrium of our new building. They had not been there two minutes earlier. I said hello to one of them and proceeded to move towards the next room I needed to search as I looked for the item I needed.

As I moved towards that room, one of the other pastors on staff here approached me and told me that there was someone in the church office that needed to talk to me. He made it sound very serious – so serious in fact that he said there was no way that he was going to attempt to talk to this person.  A chill of fear ran through me as I moved towards the church office.

When I entered I saw only the office administrator and a member of our church whom I knew was not the person waiting to see me because I had already spoken to him in the hallway. As I began to move towards my office, thinking it was strange that this person might already be allowed in there, the door opened, and out came Pastor Jerry Moser from our sister church on Bayou DuLarge in Louisiana.

I literally ran the last two steps to him and hugged him and fought back the spontaneous emission of tears from my eyes – tears of incredible joy. He was here to celebrate the dedication of our new building, even though he had told me two months earlier that he was not going to be able to come. The people who had arranged for him to come had worked hard to convince him, and they had all kept it a perfect secret. I was exceedingly surprised because it was totally unexpected.

There are a lot of applications I could make from this story. They range from having the right expectations to having no expectations at all. But here are a few that are running through my mind as I write, mainly dealing with the topic of surprises, and how some things should come as a surprise to us because we fully expect them to happen.

• We should not be surprised – in other words we should expect – that the people who do not know Christ and are still under the influence of their father the Devil will seek to disguise their identity by pretending to be followers of Jesus.  2 Corinthians 11:14-15 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.
• We should not be surprised when the world hates us, but rather we should surprise the people of the world by not participating in the same sinful lifestyles that they live. 1 John 3:13
  Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 1 Peter 4:4 (NLT) Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you.
• We should not be surprised that we have to go through tough times as a test of our faith so that God can refine us into the image of His Son Jesus. 1 Peter 4:12  Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
• We should not be surprised when Jesus returns. 1 Thessalonians 5:4  But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.

Your expectations determine your surprises. As you go into your day today, what are your expectations? Your answer to that will determine the level of surprise you experience if Jesus returned today. Look up and listen for the trumpet. It could happen any moment. And as you wait for it, live completely for the One who is coming again, so no one is surprised when He takes you with Him.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Thursday, August 01, 2013

Today’s Topic: Are You Ready?

Today’s Text:  Isaiah 56:8 (ESV)  The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, “I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.”

(NOTE:  While these thoughts may apply to you who do not attend Calvary, they are primarily designed for the people who do.)

Are you ready?

They’re coming.

God has promised to bring them.

Are you ready?

Are you prepared to expand the boundaries of your comfort zones?

Are you excited to weave new people into the fabric of your life?

Are you intentionally looking for new people to whom you can connect?

Are you ready?

Are you preparing yourself to resist the natural urge to stick to what and whom you know?

Are you encouraging your family and friends to consider the feelings of the new people God brings and  ease their fears by becoming their friend?

Are you ready?

They’re coming.

God has promised to bring them.

They are looking for a place to connect to God.

They need a connection to God’s people.

They need a connection to YOU!!!!!

Are you ready to be the people we have been appointed to be and join Jesus Christ in connecting people to God?

Connecting Points

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Today’s Topic: Complete Trust

Today’s Text:  Daniel 3:28 (ESV) ²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.”

Sunday after church I spotted a new family in the atrium of our building. I made a beeline for them as I had not met them yet. I introduced myself to the gentleman who was obviously the father of a little girl he was holding. After exchanging names and a handshake, I asked what the name of his little girl was. She turned her head from his shoulder, looked into my eyes, and lunged towards me with extended arms. As I took her into my arms, she nestled her head into my neck and gave me the warmest and most loving hug I had had since the one I got from my wife before we left for church. It lasted a long time. It was a moment of joy, but more than that it was a moment of complete trust.

As I talked to the parents, I discovered that this little girl didn’t go to everyone like that, but that she had displayed this incredible ability to know the trustworthiness of people based on looking into their eyes. I made an immediate connection with her, and this little downs syndrome two-year old is my new special friend.

It is that kind of trust that I want to have in my Lord and Savior. It is the kind of trust I see in the lives of three men from the book of Daniel, and it was obvious to those who lived around them and with them in their day.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had taken a stand against an incredibly arrogant king who had set up a huge idol for the people to worship. King Nebuchadnezzar had issued a nation-wide command that every person was to bow down and worship the idol whenever they heard music being played. If they didn’t, they would be thrown into a furnace and burned to death.

God’s three chosen men for that time refused to bow down, and the Chaldeans, the Pharisees of their day,  brought Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before the king for their punishment. King Nebuchadnezzar explained the rules to them, and the punishment for disobedience, and then asked them a question that revealed his arrogance – “And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” Or, to put it in the language of our current lives, “Is there really a god who can handle things better than I can?”

At this point I would be tempted to launch into an apologetic defense of the existence of God and take it upon myself to prove to the king that his views are wrong. But that would be equally arrogant. Instead, the three men of God simply respond, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

They are immediately whisked away to the fiery furnace that has been heated to seven times its normal heat, and as the door is opened to throw them in, the guards holding them are instantly killed. But not God’s men. The One and Only God of all creation, the King of kings and Lord of lords, has accompanied His people into the fire and it does not touch them.

When the king sees it, and has them removed, they don’t even smell like smoke let alone show any signs of burning. Then the king declares “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had so much trust in God that the declared two things to King Nebuchadnezzar – that God is able to save, and that God is worthy of trust whether He rescues or not. Based on his response to what happened, the king learned both of those lessons. True trust in God results in the yielding up of our lives, our ambitions, our dreams, our desires to serve the living God rather than serve and worship the god of self.

Go ahead, look into His eyes, and discover that He can be trusted with your life. Then lunge into His arms and stay there.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Monday, July 29, 2013

Today’s Topic: Don’t Forget the Net

Today’s Text:  Luke 5:4-6 (ESV)  ⁴ And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”  ⁵ And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” ⁶ And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.

It was a great vacation. I am refreshed, relaxed, and restored in my spirit. I had never been that far north into Canada before. The beauty of the wilderness filled me with awe and wonder at the mighty power and majesty of God. I saw moose swimming in the lake. I saw eagles soaring over the waters looking for food. I watched a beaver smack his tail on the water as he escaped the approaching boat. I got up close and personal with a loon as she protected her fledgling baby. Every experience made me consider the glory of the Creator who instantly made all things that exist with nothing more than His words.

While all of the glorious sights were thrilling, they were not the reason I was there. I was there to fish. And fish we did, with plenty of catching included. As my brother and I motored away from the dock every morning, our primary thoughts were not on what we would see that day, but on what we would catch. Every day was all about fishing.

Before we would start the motor we would run through a mental checklist.

• Lunch packed? Check.
• Tackle Boxes? Check.
• Fishing poles? Check.
• Nets? Check.
• Stringers? Check.
• Depth finder? Check.
• Gas tank filled? Check.
• Rain gear? Check.

Once we got out into the lake we did not want to have to return for something we needed to accomplish the mission, and the mission was to catch fish. All our thoughts and conversations were about fishing. We talked strategy. We talked technique. We evaluated locations. We analyzed weather patterns and wind conditions and lake structure. Everything we did was about finding fish and catching fish.

After a couple of days of doing that, God slammed me with this truth – I am not just a fisherman for this trip, but I am a fisher of men every day of my life. But there are many days when I leave the dock without my fishing equipment, and some days without even a thought of even going fishing.

Jesus has called us all to be fishers of men. Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19) He has given us all the same mission to cast the net of His Gospel truth over every person that we contact every day so that He can gather into the net those that He is saving from their sin. But many days we leave the net behind, and walk out into the world with a self-defined and self-serving mission on our minds. We become so self-absorbed in our own lives that even when an obvious lunker swims by ready to be caught, we miss them because we are looking at other things and are not prepared to catch them. We leave the dock without the net of God’s love and grace because we are so in love with ourselves.

The reality of that being true in my own life broke my heart. I realized how many days I get up, grab my coffee, and head out to conquer the day without a thought or prayer for all the fish that are waiting to be captured in the net of the King. I realize that underneath that reality there are two truths at work in my heart. First, I must admit that I am more concerned about my own life and maintaining its status quo than I am about the floundering fish around me. And second, that God doesn’t really need my net to accomplish His purpose. Both are wrong, and one is downright sin.

So I commit to making sure that my purpose every day is to look for fish, and to be prepared every day with the net of God’s love and grace. I will cast it out in every situation as I make contact with people, because it is what God has called me to do. He has called you to do the same.