Month: May 2010

Let down your nets

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

                Then he got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s (Peter’s), and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And he sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  When he had stopped speaking, he said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

                But Simon (Peter) answered and said to him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at your word I will let down the net.”  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

                When Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5: 3-8.)

 INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                The disciples had just finished fishing and had caught nothing; they were cleaning their nets for the day.  Jesus tells Peter to push out one last time and drop the net.  Peter doesn’t want to, but he obeys Jesus and once more put’s out to sea.  The result is a catch that no one could have ever imagined, and we see Peter’s understanding of who Jesus is and what he can do, drastically transformed.  He is humbled and falls down to esteem the Lord.

                Peter is able to witness a miracle because he chose to listen to Jesus, and chose not to allow his experience as a fisherman, or his own intellect or reasoning to compete for his obedience to God.  Peter did not expect his boat to nearly sink because of the weight of the catch.  Peter did not push out in to that sea because he was hoping to catch any fish at all; he pushed out in to that sea because he was being obedient to Jesus Christ.

                None of us woke up this morning to discover that our car wouldn’t start (at least I hope not.)  The mere idea would never have popped in to our heads because we all automatically expect them to run.  The same is true of the light switches we will use today, and the alarm clocks, and the telephones, and anything else we rely upon for our daily activity.  We trust them.  To me it is interesting, that we can trust a small cell phone, a computer, even our own instincts and abilities, but when it comes to trusting Jesus Christ we need to constant convince ourselves he will or is working in our lives.  Peter was a doubter because he was relying on his own knowledge and understanding, and forgot about the power of God.  How can a person rely upon their’ own power, and remain obedient and reliant upon God’s power?

                Today, we need to lose our own understanding and replace it with a trust in Jesus Christ.  We need to let go of what we are trying to do under our own ability and power and allow God’s power to work in our lives.  As we have learned from this scripture, the first thing that needs to be done is we must trust in God, even when it doesn’t make sense to us.  Then we must be obedient to what God is calling us to do.  Is there some area of your life where you are trying to control something; to gain a desired result on your own rather than relying upon God; you might be seeking love and attempting to gain it in worldly ways.  You might be seeking a career, and you find yourself using the tactics of those who do not know God to get ahead.  The situation is different for all of us, but the message and the solution are the same.  God has called us to do what he is asking, and often times, relying on him is difficult, because we must stop relying on ourselves.  May we all choose to rely upon Him.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, help us all to discontinue our attempts to control our own lives and help us to give them completely over to You.  Jesus we want so desperately to be obedient, so please help us with this.  Holy Spirit, give us the trust we need to witness the miracles that You want to do in our lives.  Please reveal to us where we need to trust You fully and completely.  We love You Father, we thank You, and we trust You, and we ask all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.

Generosity

~ aydinhartt

JESUS SPEAKING

                “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs from the rich man’s table.  Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom.  The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades (hell), he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’  But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’  Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my Father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’  Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’  And he said, ‘No, Father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’  But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead’” (Luke 16: 19-31.)

 

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                Jesus reveals the reality of hell, laid out plainly for us in this parable.  He speaks of Abraham, who is the original Father of all of the Jews that live today.  His children are the people that God chose to send prophets and messengers too.  Jesus describes heaven and hell, and what paths lead to each place.  The man who has a wonderful life, a life filled with luxury is a man who is doomed.  Those who are oppressed in this life; those who find more value in loving others instead of chasing after wealth and beauty; those who have faith in Christ, will receive a reward in the life to come.

                The greatest hope for any Christian is the hope in eternal life.  We give up the comforts in this world because they confuse our purpose, and you can’t love a house, a car, or a bank account, but they can get in the way.  Had the rich man known that on the other side of death lay eternal torment, he would have changed his life.  He might have invited Lazarus in to his house, and taken care of him, and loved him.  The man, being a Jew, knew that the prophets spoke of a time when he would be judged.  The man did not believe in God nor the prophets that claimed God had sent them; and he certainly never knew that when he died he would be in hell; the truth, if accepted causes a person to change.  In this man’s case, he denied the truth, but denying it didn’t stop the reality of judgment from happening.

                Imagine for a moment, that you suddenly become aware that an earthquake has rocked Los Angeles and one of the overpasses has collapsed; imagine that it is the middle of the night and all of the lights in the city have gone out.  Now imagine that you are near the on ramp where thousands of people are pouring on to the freeway that will lead them to their death.  Would you warn them?  Would they believe you?

                Today, God has made it clear to everyone that there is a heaven and a hell.  For some there will be eternal life, and for some there will be eternal death.  He has warned us, and those who believe him change directions, but those who don’t believe him will continue traveling toward their own destruction.  Telling people the truth is an act of love, whether they choose to listen is up to them.  So the question we each have to ask us today is; do we believe Jesus Christ?  Can we trust what he has told us?  Do we believe someone who was raised from the dead so we might believe?  The answer to this question leads to one of two places, and I pray that we might all choose the place of comfort rather than torment.

                “Heavenly Father, we come before You today, and we ask and pray that You will give us the faith that we need to live for You.  Lord, we put our trust in You, and in Your Son.  Lord give us the Hope of things to come, and help us to see the light that awaits us if we take Your path.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.