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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