January 19, 2010 The Journey 31

"Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of Men."

Good Tuesday Schools day morning to you, my dear brothers and sisters. Yes, another Tuesday and another day we pray for our schools and all who have anything to do with them. One of the most important part of our schools are Parents, so remember please include them in your prayers. All so often parents do not get involved with their children, unless something goes wrong. In my years working for the schools I found the fastest way to get a parent's attention is to suspend their child from the school bus. Most all personal prayer requests are at the end of the writing, today I would like to bring this one right up front. A dear friend of mine whom I sang with in the old time gospel choir at Christian Life Assembly of God a few years back has stage four cancer. I ask that you keep Ronald Leidigh on the prayer list for healing daily even if you do not see it listed. I will give you updates as we receive them. I talked with Ron and his wife Donna (pray for her also) last evening and they are traveling to the Hershey Medical Center daily for treatments, and this alone is very tiring. Both of these folks are born again, and long on faith and Ron is very, very upbeat.

The Journey 31: Matthew 4:19 - "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." (NIV)

After our Lord Jesus prayed and fasted for forty days and forty nights and told Satan to get out of His life, He started to teach and preach. What was that first subject that He taught? Repentance my friends, repentance! From Matthew 4:17 - From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is near." (NIV) Where did we hear that before, this repentance thing? We heard it from John the Baptist as he was out preaching and teaching and baptizing before Jesus and even baptized Jesus. You recall that, I just wrote about it about a week ago, and if you would like to review this you can go to our blogspot where you will find the writings posted by our ministry partner Pamela Bower. (She even cleans up my spelling.) Check it out at carrythelight4Jesusblogspot.com.

Matthew 4:18 - As Jesus was walking beside the sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fisherman. (NIV)

Now this is when Jesus called on them to come and follow Him and He would make them fishers of men. Can you just think about this statement today? Let's say you were out working for Jesus, and we are all to do that, and on this day you wanted to find some men to help you. You see a couple of guys along a stream fishing for some nice trout and you call on them. Come with me and I will teach you to fish for men. On today's climate you at the least would get those dirty looks, and at the most you might get your face beat in. I brought this out to show a point of what sin and more sin has done to the word of God. It is sad when we must weigh our words so much in what we say. Even, and I have talked about this before, even the Rainbow in the sky has been given a new meaning by the gay groups. Folks, let me tell you that when Jesus called Simon Peter and his brother Andrew there was no thinking like that and those men just laid down their nets and followed Jesus. Going on, Jesus now walking with the brothers they came upon a boat... Listen how this went.

Matthew 4:21 - Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him. (NIV)

Now let me bring forth some thought here. None of the four men had any trouble laying down their nets and following Jesus. Had they heard about this man called Jesus and they wanted to work with and for Him? Were they just tired of fishing and just wanted to take a walk about? What about brothers James and John when they just walked away from their dad Zebedee, what were these brothers thinking? Did it go like this... Dad, we are going to take a short break and we will be back in a bit, and what did dad think? Boys, boys what are you doing, we have work to do here. Folks, I think that these men knew about Jesus and wanted to be with Him, but did they really know what they were getting into? Folks, I think it would be hard traveling with Jesus, let's face it, they walked everywhere they would go. Where would they sleep, what would they eat, etc. (let it up to me to think about the food part and a nice warm bed)? Now here we go, ladies and gentlemen, let me ask you to put your feet into the shoes of one of those four, and try and think about it as back then and not today when we already know so much about Jesus. What would you have done? Would you have put down the nets of your income, give up your business, and walk away from it all for Jesus, a really big walk in faith? Would you be able to do that? What would it really have been like? What would have you told your dad? Folks, even today if you have a good job and you are getting a nice income and someone offers you another job and you would really like to try it, it is a tough decision. What if the job fails, I have good benefits here, but I really like the other job maybe better, but what might happen in the future? What do you do? I would hope you would pray and pray about it and see which one you feel God wants you at, and which will in the long run help you and your family most and which job will let you best work and support the working of our Lord. Changing jobs is a hard decision for most, what if I fail, can I get the old job back, what happens IF? And the ifs go on and on and on. So you pray and trust in God to help you. Our daughter Danelle just did this, please pray for this new job she has.

But here we see these men being asked to follow Jesus and there is no offer of a contract, no offer for better pay, or bennies. Yes, it might be easy for us to look back and say yes, I would walk with Jesus, so then I ask this question, what if He calls you now? Would you lay it all down and follow Him? If you are married, what support would you get from home?

I know a young man who has worked and followed Jesus all of his life. He has talent on loan from God to be able to do many things including wiring homes, and he has this great tenor/bass voice and wants to work for Jesus and follow him. He has a peach of a wife who supports him in this mission for the Lord, and when I say supports this mission, I mean it in all ways. Go and work for the Lord and I will work helping to pay the bills when things are tight. But even before this man was out of high school the ground work was being laid for him to follow Jesus. His late parents supported him in this mission. When He started singing with a group back then it was done for the Lord and often required him to reach in his pocket and pay his own expenses. He still answers the call, and again often does not make enough on donations to cover the bills, but that does not stop him. This young man is just one of many I could tell you about, but you see, I know this man and I know his heart and above all, above the love he had for his late parents, above his love for his dear wife and his son and daughter, he loves Jesus. He still walks daily with the Lord, and he is still fishing for men (and women) to follow the Lord. He does it day and night, weekends, and when not fishing for men he works some part time jobs fixing wiring and other things to help pay the way. I met this fisher of men back in 1985 when he was a teen and he set an example for me. He is one of the reasons I started to sing for God, and there were others. This man truly laid down those nets and followed Jesus and still does today. Today he does it as one of the new Couriers, carrying out the mission that was started over fifty years ago by another group of fishermen who are still out there fishing for men (and women). I never had the chance to meet Simon Peter or Andrew or James and John (I will someday) but I have met this young man, even drove their bus a couple of times, and I am very, very pleased to know this young man who carries the Bible name of Timothy. If you get a chance to hear him sing, don't pass it up. As I said, his name is Timothy, we call him Tim, his last name is Beitzel and he will be coming soon to the Glenvale Church of God. I will try and have that date for you tomorrow. Maybe you can join me and watch and hear him and the Couriers as they fish for men.

Homework, today and tonight, think about what you would do if you get that call from Jesus that would say to you, put down your nets and come work for me, how would you handle it? What would you do?

Dear Father in Heaven, Oh how we really want to put down those nets and follow you, but we could make one excuse after the other and not do it. Lord, help those who are on the fence see that if they follow You, You will give them what is needed to get the job done. Lord, today I pray for our schools and all who have anything to do with them. Bless them all including all of the parents of school kids, help them all get involved, and Lord, please go into our schools on the hands and lips and minds of our kids and teachers and parents. We want You in our schools, please don't listen to the ACLU and those who want You out. Also, dear Lord, please be with Ronald and clear his body of cancer. Bless also his wife. Be also with the Saylor family and thanks for protecting Dan Saylor from a breakdown on the road. Be also with Harold and with Skip and all others on our list. And Lord, thanks for healing Edgar. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Go forth sharing your blessings and fishing for men and women in the name of Jesus. Tomorrow on fishing... Love ya, Pastor Dan.

Carry The Light Ministries
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