Fishing – For Men?

By David A. Sargent

     Neal Pollard recently reported: “In July of 2001, Kjell Wilhelmsen was fishing for salmon on the Gaula River in Norway.  What he saw in the water took precedence.
     It was Jens Ovesen, a 246-pound man, who had been swept away by a strong current.  Wilhelmsen had fished that river for a quarter-century, so he knew the movements of that current.  He ran across a bridge and waited for Ovesen to come his direction.  Then, with his homemade lure, Wilhelmsen caught the burly 60-year-old by his rubber waders on his first cast.  He ‘used every fishing trick he knew to reel the big man without breaking his light line’ (via Associated Press, 7/29/01).”
     Ovesen’s helpless condition in being swept by the current reminds us of
our OWN condition in sin....
     Sin results from our bad decisions, and we can be “caught up” in it (Galatians 6:1), enslaved by it (John 8:34), and because of our sin, find ourselves headed toward certain death (Romans 6:23).
     But Someone came to our rescue! God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to this world to live as a man and then to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16; Hebrews 2:14-17).  “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were STILL sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8 NIV).
     In His death, Jesus paid the price for our sins (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 2:24).  Because of His atoning sacrifice, the “hand” of salvation is extended to save those who are drowning in the swift current of sin.  He will save those who will “take His hand” through their trusting obedience.
     Jesus will save those who place their faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  Then, as we continue to follow Jesus in the light of His Word, His blood continues to cleanse us from sin (1 John 1:7).
     Those who accept His offer of salvation are then called to become “fishers
of men.”  Jesus approached two brothers who were casting their nets into the Sea of Galilee for fish.  Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19 NKJV).  “They immediately left their nets and followed Him” (v. 20).  They joined Jesus in the work of “fishing for men” – saving them from destruction and offering them eternal life.
     Won’t YOU accept Jesus’ offer of salvation and life on His terms?
     THEN, will you join Him in fishing for men?
     It is the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ that will save when it is believed and obeyed (Romans 1:16; 6:3-4).  One way to share the “Good News” of what Jesus has done for us is by sharing Living Water.  See the archive for other presentations of the life-giving message: http://www.creekwoodcc.org/LivingWaterArchive.htm

- David A. Sargent, minister for the Church of Christ at Creekwood in Mobile, Alabama, is also the editor of an electronic devotional entitled Living Water."  To learn more about this excellent resource contact David via their website: http://www.creekwoodcc.org

* From “Fishing for Men” by Neal Pollard, in Daily Bread, Thursday, 3/13/14.  Neal serves as the minister of the Bear Valley church of Christ in Denver, CO.  See his articles on his blog: http://preacherpollard.wordpress.com

Jesus Has Left The Building

By Steve Higginbotham

     After Elvis would finish performing at one of his concerts, his fans would be left cheering for more, hoping that he would come back on stage to sing another song.  Then the P.A. announcer would make the statement, “Elvis has left the building.”  That was the queue to the fans that the concert was over and it was time to leave.
     Well, if I may use that phrase as a jumping off point, I think the church needs to realize that “Jesus has left the building.”  This leaves us with a decision to make.  Will we stay huddled in the building, practicing a very limited in scope, form of Christianity?  Or will we leave the building too, and follow Jesus?
     Friends, Jesus has left the building, and he needs his church to follow him and leave the building too.  Our assemblies of worship and study are wonderful.  And Jesus joins us in them.  However, Jesus doesn’t stay in an empty building all week long, just waiting for the next worship service.  Likewise, the church needs to assemble, but it also needs to follow Jesus and “leave the building.” 
     When Sunday’s over, let’s leave the building and throughout the week, engage society, challenge culture, call men to holiness, be lights in the workplace and at school, and point people to Jesus.

- Steve Higginbotham preaches for the Karns Church of Christ in Knoxville, TN. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at http://www.karnschurch.org

Put A Pebble In Their Shoe

By Steve Higginbotham

     "Have a personal Bible study with somebody?  Sorry, not for me!  That's just asking for a never ending argument."  If that's your view of personal evangelism and Bible study, maybe you need to rethink how you've gone about it in the past.
     Inevitably, during a Bible study, the time will come when you reach a critical point.  It's that time when you've shown a person to be inconsistent, or when you've shown a person a passage that contradicts what he was affirming.  The Scriptures have backed them in a corner.  What happens then?
     Well, what often happens next is that we drive and hammer that point home.  We don't let up, and we demand an answer or a retraction?  We want to claim victory for our superior logistic skills.
     However, the Bible teaches us to preach the word (2 Timothy 4:2), but it qualifies the way we are to do that.  We are to preach the word with “all longsuffering.”
     Friends, coming around to truth sometimes takes time.  Mulling something over, and weighing all the evidences may require more than an initial hearing.  Therefore, instead of being quick to claim victory, it would be much more beneficial to quickly tell the person with whom you're studying that he doesn't need to feel like he has to provide an immediate answer.  Encourage him to think about it.  After all, the point of a Bible study is not to "win an argument," but to learn the will of God.
     To sum it up, your goal is simply to “put a pebble in their shoe.”  Give them something to think about.  Leave a thought that nags at them, won't let them get comfortable, and won’t give them rest until they find resolution through further study.  Those with good and honest hearts will have to do something about it.  So let’s get after it.  Instead of demanding someone to say "Uncle," simply put a pebble in his shoe and let the word of God work in their heart...or shoe.  Give it some thought. 

 - Steve Higginbotham preaches for the Karns Church of Christ in Knoxville, TN. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at http://www.karnschurch.org

So You Can't ...

By Ruth M. Walish

So you can't a multitude feed -
Take some food to someone in need.
So you can't a lame man heal -
Drive him to church in your automobile.
So you can't restore sight to the blind -
Share your eyes and heart and mind.
So you can't raise the dead -
Comfort the living by sharing and yourself giving.
So at soul saving, you are not a whiz -
You can tall others of the One who is!

Source:
Unknown

Why Didn't You Let Us Know?

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"
The words came sad and low.
"Oh, you who know the gospel truths
Why didn't you let us know?
The Savior died for all the world;
He died to save from Hell,
But we never heard the story --
You didn't love enough to tell.

************************************************

How sad it will be in that great and final day when those in the world will have to face eternal judgment before Him who is longing to be their Savior. But it is equally sad to realize that those in the church will have to face judgment before Him who had sent them to share the good news of His great love and sacrifice with the world.

************************************************

Scripture: Luke 19:10; Matt. 28:18-20

************************************************

Source: Selected; adapted by David Bragg (1-12-90)