Thursday, December 15, 2016

Rules for Fishing


Mark 1:17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

I’ve always loved fishing. I remember as a little guy throwing a line out with red worms on the hook and pulling in a mess of feisty Blue Gull. I have great memories of taking a “six pack” charter boat into Mexican water and catching so many Albacore & Blue Fin Tuna, Yellowtail and Dorado that we filled the hold, and all the bait tanks with fish. We’ve always enjoyed trolling in our 12 foot aluminum boat with the 3 horsepower engineer  and now we venture out into the eastern Sierra Nevada’s Owens valley each year on a 3-generation camping/fishing trip with my dad and son in the Fall. An old co-worker once told me; “Fish live in the most beautiful places”. For many reasons, the fishing is always good, even when the catching is not.

Evangelist Dr. J. Vernon McGee talks about how Luke 5 tells of a time when the Lord Jesus climbed into Simon Peter’s boat and asked him to push it out a little from the land. What a pulpit! People could line the shore and listen. But, every pulpit is a “fishing boat”, a place to give out the Word of God and attempt to catch lost fish. Jesus told his disciples that He would make them fishers of men. That concept has always struck a cord with me and inspired me to be a witness for the Lord. This does not mean that you and I will catch fish every time we give out the gospel and the Word of god, but it does mean that the one on board must not forget the supreme business of life, which is to fish for the souls of people.

After the Lord had finished speaking to the people, He said, “Now we'll leave off fishing for men, and we're going to fish for fish.” He told Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let your net down. You quit fishing with Me; now I am going to fish with you.”

Luke 5:5-6 “And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all night, and have nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fish; and their net brake.”


McGee explains that there are many lessons for us here. Fishing is an art and there are rules for success: (1) You must go where the fish are. Get on top of the school and stay there. When the water is boiling, throw your bait there. (2) You must use the right kind of bait, so change type until you find the one that they bite. (3) You must be patient. Anything worthwhile is worth waiting for. (4) But, the most important lesson He is teaching us is that we must fish according to His instructions. Listen to your Fishing Guide. If we are ever going to win men and women for Christ, we must fish according to His instructions. Follow the rules for fishing and catch as many as you can ... it's limitless.


In Christ, Brian

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