Who Decides?

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people." Proverbs 14:34

If righteousness elevates a nation, the question becomes, "What is right and who should decide what is right (or wrong)?"

Have you ever wondered who decides what is right (or wrong)?

Is it the White House that makes that decision?

Is it the Congress that decides what's right?

Is it the Supreme Court who decides what's right?

Could it be the prevailing public opinion that makes that decision?

How can a nation be exalted by righteousness unless there is a clear understanding and agreement of what is right?

You can't have a card game or a ballgame unless everyone agrees on what rules will guide the game.

When the Founding Fathers faced this big question in the formative days of our nation, the rules were being made by a powerful, arrogant, and greedy King of England. Most of the Colonists felt that intolerable to the point of rebellion and revolution.

In their inspired wisdom, the Founders agreed that the rules by which this new nation would be governed should be the ones given by the God Who created the planet. They phrased it like this: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Doesn't it make sense that the One Who created the race should also create the rules by which that race should live? Shouldn't the One Who has never been wrong and never been less than perfect be the One who makes the rules for His creation to live under?

Obviously, the Founding Fathers felt strongly that God, as Creator and as eventual Judge, should be held as the Sovereign Law-Giver and Judge of mankind.

Sounds right to me!

What do you think?

June 26, 2016

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him." Luke 5:1-11

We know these are four of the first followers of Jesus. I can't help but wonder what number I am! Have you ever thought of that?

Not that it really matters, but God knows!

The fact these four fishermen became convinced in their faith and began following Jesus is significant. I don't want to discount that or diminish it in any way, but there is another important point I want to make in this intriguing story. It is significant that He called them but it is equally significance HOW He called them!

Jesus came preaching along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and a crowd gathered. The longer He preached the larger the crowd grew. Soon He was backed up to the very water's edge and he continued to preach. While he preached the throngs listened and down the shore several fishermen were listening in as they cleaned their nets.

That illustrates the first phase of following! Following begins with listening. "Faith comes by hearing", Paul wrote to the Romans. Christianity is an informed religion. Jesus wants willful followers and you can't commit to what you don't know.

As the crowd continued to grow and Jesus ran out of shoreline He moves down the beach and asked one of the fisherman for permission to use his boat to preach from. Peter agreed to interrupt his net cleaning and loan the Lord his boat.

That's the second phase of following: loan Him your boat. Jesus saw the fishermen listening and asked them to invest some time in his ministry. It was an interruption and an inconvenience for Peter but he agreed to loan Jesus his boat.

Jesus preached from the boat as Peter, Andrew, James, John and the rest of the crowd continued to listen and learn from the Teacher. And when Jesus finished teaching He then asked Peter to head out to the middle of the lake and do some fishing. That leads to the third phase of following: Take Him fishing.

Peter had gone fishing thousands of times but he had never done it in broad daylight. That's just not how you fish. So, therein is the significance of this step of following Jesus. Jesus was asking him to do something he had done many times but do it in a totally different way. Jesus was asking Peter to trust him.

So, Peter tossed the nets into the sea probably feeling a little silly and wondering what all his fishermen buddies on the shore were thinking. But Luke tells us that something totally unexpected happened. When they went to pull the nets back up they couldn't pull the nets back up because there were so many fish it would take two boats to get them all back to shore.

While his fishing buddies were scrambling to get the fish in without breaking the nets or sinking the boats Peter fell to his knees before Jesus and worshiped Him. In that moment Peter saw who Jesus really was. And when he saw Jesus clearly he also saw himself for who he was.

All of those wonderful and miraculous things happened because Peter decided to trust Jesus and do something in a way he had never done it before!

So, after they got the catch into the boats and the boats into the shore Jesus looked at Peter, Andrew, James and John and issued the call to the fourth step of following: Leave your nets.

They did. And they followed. And they fished for men. And you are part of the catch!

Four phases of following Jesus:

1) Sit and listen
2) Loan Him your boat
3) Take Him fishing
4) Leave your nets.

Are you following Jesus?

What's your next step?

Will you take the next step?

June 25, 2016

"Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him."  Luke 5:5-11

Four steps, or phases or stages of following Jesus are portrayed in this dramatic story of the call of His first disciples. I have been tracing those steps!

First there is the listen and learn phase. Scores of people gathered on the shore of the Sea of Galilee to listen to Jesus and learn from His teaching. Among them were four fishermen who would become followers; Peter, Andrew, James and John.

The next step was illustrated when Peter agreed to loan Jesus his boat so Jesus could use it to preach from. This moved Peter from a passive listener to a participating partner in the ministry of Jesus and all it took was a minor inconvenience on Peter's part.

In yesterday's post I shared the third step, doing what you always do but doing it Jesus' way. Peter went fishing during the say after not catching anything the night before and did it only because Jesus wanted Him to.

So, follow begins with hearing truth, then taking some time, using your talents and then by turning it all over to Jesus!

That brings us to today's episode of the story!

When Peter decided to do something he had never done before and something he had serious doubts about - cast his fishing nets into the lake in broad daylight out of obedience to Jesus - he experienced a miraculous catch of fish!

It took two boats to haul in the catch and they barely made it to shore!

Wow! Who saw that coming?

Peter didn't! He went from worry to wonder in a few minutes flat! When he saw the "scale" of the catch he simply fell at the feet of Jesus in surrender!

It was the goodness of God that brought Peter to repentance!

This is where Peter became a follower. This was the beginning of a life-changing relationship. He left his nets, he left his boat, he left the only life he had known and turned over the business to his family.

So, that's how following happens! Step by step!

What is your next step?

Go Fish With Jesus

Following Jesus is a walk of faith. As a walk of faith, it happens in steps.

Those steps are revealed in this familiar story told in both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke.

The first step is to listen and learn.

The second step is to loan your boat.

That leads to the third step which is to go fishing with Jesus.

“When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”  Luke 5:4 

A couple things are going on here. First, I think Jesus wanted to repay Peter for letting Him use the boat. But more importantly, He wanted to reveal more of Himself to Peter. So, He asked Peter to do something he had done thousands of times but to do it in a little different way – HIS WAY!

Here’s Peter’s challenges with it, he had just finished cleaning his nets which is no small task after an entire night for fishing.

To make things worse he had fished all night when you are supposed to fish and caught NOTHING – so now this Rabbi wants him to go during the day?

"Simon answered, 'Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything." Luke 5:5a

Peter was feeling like a failure because he just got ten shut out and here Jesus has drawn a large crowd so everyone would be watching this fishing boat going out to fish during the day – they would think he’s crazy. And then when he came back in with wet nets and no fish it would ruin his reputation.

THIS WAS PRETTY HUGE BECAUSE WHAT WAS HANGING IN THE BALANCE WAS WHETHER PETER WAS WILLING TO TRUST JESUS IN THIS ONE THING! WAS PETER WILLING TO DO THIS ONE THING HE HAD DONE A THOUSAND TIMES BUT DO IT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE JESUS SAID SO?

But Peter had listened to the sermon and had loaned out his boat so why not trust this Jesus in this one thing just one time?

"But because you say so, I will let down the nets." Luke 5:5b

Peter decided he would take a chance this one time and risk looking foolish just to see what would happen.

Again, think about what hung in the balance as Peter made this decision. We only know who Peter is today because he decided to trust Jesus this one time by doing something he always done but doing it Jesus' way because Jesus asked him.

Just as this was crucial for Peter it is also huge for you because maybe this is where you find yourself this morning as you consider your next step in following Jesus. Maybe He is calling you to trust Him to do something in a new way - His way.

Peter went fishing with Jesus.

What will you do?

June 23, 2016

"One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat." Luke 5:1-3

Jesus calls you to follow. 

What does it mean to follow?

Following involves steps. If I were to follow you or if you wanted to follow me it would require keeping in step with the one you're following.

So, when Jesus calls you to follow Him He is not expecting a leap of faith but simply a series of steps that are indicative of a desire to follow.

In this seaside story of Jesus calling His first disciples we are able to discern the steps these fishermen took to become followers.

Yesterday, I pointed out the first step which is listening and learning.

With this lesson a second step is identified. The second step was Jesus asking Peter to loan Him his boat.

What is the significance of this next step?

First, there was a practical reason for asking to use Peter's boat. The crowd was large and growing larger by the moment. There were no public address systems and speaking over water amplified His words. So, by getting into boat more of the people were able to hear better what Jesus had to say in His sermon.

But there was another reason Jesus asked Peter to loan Him his boat. He wanted to see if Peter would trust Him with something as precious as his fishing boat.

Peter was exhausted since he had fished all night and then spent a couple hours cleaning his net. I'm sure he was looking forward to a meal and a nap. Now, this Rabbi needed his boat.

Out of respect to the Rabbi Peter let Jesus into the boat and pushed out a little distance from the shore.

Do you think Peter would be willing to trust Jesus with his life if he couldn't trust Him with his boat? I don't think so!

I can't speak for you but for me trusting Jesus happened one step at a time.

Step one is listening to Jesus and learning. When you listen to Jesus you learn more about Who He is but you also learn about who you are.

Step two is loaning your boat. Jesus will challenge you to trust Him in some small area. He will invite you to give faith a try.

That's how Peter began following Jesus! One small step at a time!

What is your next step?

Seaside Story

"One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets." Luke 5:1-2

I love stories about Jesus!

Don't you?

Never has there been a more compelling person on planet earth!

This is one of the captivating stories from the early years of Jesus' ministry because it records the calling of His first followers.

If you are a follower of Christ or if you are investigating what it means to follow Jesus you will find this seaside story particularly helpful.

Here's an important truth to get your heart and mind around. FOLLOWING JESUS ALWAYS BEGINS WITH LISTENING AND LEARNING!

The Apostle Paul later wrote to the believers in Rome:

"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." Romans 10:7

Jesus has no interest in people following Him out of blind faith. "Blind faith" is a euphemism for "ignorant faith". That is apparent from the very beginning of His earthly ministry as we see in Luke's account.

On the contrary, God has done everything He can to make His truth available through the Bible and through the history of the Christian faith to enable us to make an intentional and intelligent decision to follow Him.

So, Jesus was teaching along the edge of the Sea of Galilee to a large crowd of people who came to LISTEN and to LEARN about this new Rabbi from Nazareth. On the edge of this expansive gathering were several fishermen who were cleaning their nets after a night and early morning of fishing. While they worked they also listened and Jesus noticed.

Isn't it amazing that Jesus calls people like you and me to follow Him?

Aren't you glad?

And isn't it encouraging to know that before He calls us He speaks to through the Bible, through sermons, through Bible studies, through the testimonies of others AND through the Holy Spirit?

So, as you begin this day, will you listen? Will you learn? That's how He leads!

June 21, 2016

"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 fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”  At once they left their nets and followed him. 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, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him." Matthew 4:18-22

Maybe this has never bothered you but I have had a hard time with it.

These four fishermen (professional fishermen) just dropped their nets, docked their boats and walked away from their business just because this young Rabbi asked them to follow Him.

History records that they made a great decision in deciding to follow Jesus. But think about it, at the moment He called them and Peter, James, John and Andrew made an immediate career change.

When I think about walking away from a family business and leaving it just because some young popuae rabbi invited them to follow Him. So, you tell me - doesn't that sound impulsive or even irresponsible? I honestly don't know 

There must be more to the story than just what is written in this account from Matthew. I've a feeling that I'm missing something here. And sure enough, I WAS missing some important details about this story that Luke included in His account of the calling of the first disciples.

Here's the story:

"One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.  He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.  He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch. ”Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”  So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him." Luke 5:1-11

Oh! Well that makes sense!


Look what preceded His call to follow Him:

1) He built their faith
2) He built up their financial reserve so the business would survive without them
3) He called them to fish for men.

Jesus doesn't expect you to follow blindly but He does call you to follow!