"....We have toiled all night and caught nothing...." (Luke 5:5)
The NASB says, "....We worked hard all night and caught nothing...." This is your life and my life before we surrendered our lives to Jesus Christ. Let me say that surrendering our lives to Jesus is continuation process of the New Birth. "Unless one is born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God....Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Jesus never intended us to, "see," and not, "enter." It is all a part of the New Birth process. This is not a "two stage rocket."
Why has "evangelical" Christendom left off the second statement concerning the, "Kingdom of God." I believe the answer is quite simple. People want to be "saved from," not "saved for or to." Humanity wants to receive, but humanity does not want to give, viz., surrender. I wonder how many of us realized when we "went to the altar," said "the sinner's prayer," received Jesus that He gave His all for us, and requires all from us. Most Twentieth and Twenty-First century gospel is, "Just say this." It does not say, "You can have all of Jesus when Jesus has all of you." Most of it today is "flower-child" gospel. "It doesn't matter what you have done, what you do or will do, Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." They have made the "fine print" unreadable, if it is there at all. "Whoever desires to come after Me...."---- then what? "....let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."
Back to our text. "....We worked hard...and caught nothing...." This is modern Christendom, losing members, losing money, losing the "culture war," supporting Trump. I have shared before that when some of the contemporary, "top" young evangelists were asked to give the Biblical basis for the Gospel message, they could not. Again, it is a "flower child gospel." Jesus' command, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch", is what our Lord Jesus Christ is saying to modern Christendom, "Go where I tell you; go where I am." I repeat: I use the term "Christendom" because most of it is not the Church. It has evolved over the centuries into a religion of convenience, a religion which will sell, receive popular support, but not, "the faith of Jesus." I so desire to get back to, "follow Me," to the degree I may myself have departed. I pray for the contemporary Church to so desire.
Has Christendom gone too far? Is it too late to recover what has been lost? Can we still, "deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me?" Have we passed out tracks so long with a "half gospel" that to proclaim, "the faith of Jesus," would be too great a shock to our system? Jesus says, "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also...." If I am to be "where Jesus is," I, "must follow Me (Jesus)." I have said before, I have been to many leadership conferences. I have yet to attend a followers' conference.
Father, in Jesus' Name, forgive me to the degree I have been guilty of what I have written. I do so want to be, "where [You are]." Holy Spirit, help me to, "Launch out into the deep." Amen.
The NASB says, "....We worked hard all night and caught nothing...." This is your life and my life before we surrendered our lives to Jesus Christ. Let me say that surrendering our lives to Jesus is continuation process of the New Birth. "Unless one is born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God....Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Jesus never intended us to, "see," and not, "enter." It is all a part of the New Birth process. This is not a "two stage rocket."
Why has "evangelical" Christendom left off the second statement concerning the, "Kingdom of God." I believe the answer is quite simple. People want to be "saved from," not "saved for or to." Humanity wants to receive, but humanity does not want to give, viz., surrender. I wonder how many of us realized when we "went to the altar," said "the sinner's prayer," received Jesus that He gave His all for us, and requires all from us. Most Twentieth and Twenty-First century gospel is, "Just say this." It does not say, "You can have all of Jesus when Jesus has all of you." Most of it today is "flower-child" gospel. "It doesn't matter what you have done, what you do or will do, Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." They have made the "fine print" unreadable, if it is there at all. "Whoever desires to come after Me...."---- then what? "....let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."
Back to our text. "....We worked hard...and caught nothing...." This is modern Christendom, losing members, losing money, losing the "culture war," supporting Trump. I have shared before that when some of the contemporary, "top" young evangelists were asked to give the Biblical basis for the Gospel message, they could not. Again, it is a "flower child gospel." Jesus' command, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch", is what our Lord Jesus Christ is saying to modern Christendom, "Go where I tell you; go where I am." I repeat: I use the term "Christendom" because most of it is not the Church. It has evolved over the centuries into a religion of convenience, a religion which will sell, receive popular support, but not, "the faith of Jesus." I so desire to get back to, "follow Me," to the degree I may myself have departed. I pray for the contemporary Church to so desire.
Has Christendom gone too far? Is it too late to recover what has been lost? Can we still, "deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me?" Have we passed out tracks so long with a "half gospel" that to proclaim, "the faith of Jesus," would be too great a shock to our system? Jesus says, "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also...." If I am to be "where Jesus is," I, "must follow Me (Jesus)." I have said before, I have been to many leadership conferences. I have yet to attend a followers' conference.
Father, in Jesus' Name, forgive me to the degree I have been guilty of what I have written. I do so want to be, "where [You are]." Holy Spirit, help me to, "Launch out into the deep." Amen.
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* Read of France's long-standing opposition to the Jewish State (code for, "We hate Jews")
* October Mission to Berlin, 5-27
* Read of France's long-standing opposition to the Jewish State (code for, "We hate Jews")
* October Mission to Berlin, 5-27
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
