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“He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.” Psalm 107:14
Doubt, Certainty
Hesitancy, Confidence
Anxiety, Refuge
Sorrow, Rapture
Despair, Expectation
Depression, Exultation
Distress, Contentment
Grief, Delight
Heartache, Happiness
Anger, Mercy
Oppression, Compassion
Hardship, Blessing
Affliction, Solace
Misery, Exhilaration
Gloom, Joy
Tribulation, Delight
Chains, Freedom
Darkness, Light
Death, Life
Remember your chains. Remember where “Love” set you free.
“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.” Luke 5:4&5
The Bassett unauthorized paraphrase says, “Come on, Jesus! Any fisherman worth his Dead Sea salt knows that you catch fish in the shallows. Listen, you’re pretty good at the carpentry and you preach pretty good, … for a Nazarene, but leave the fishing to me.”
The fisherman telling the creator of the fish how to catch them. Pretty arrogant, huh?
Or was it? I think it may have had more to do with a comfort zone. Peter was used to doing things a certain way. It was familiar. It worked. Sure it didn’t work last night, but on the whole it worked OK. It’s just how things were done. Peter was a rock, they don’t move easily.
But Jesus calls for ministers in the secular market place.
“But I like it where I am.”
He leads us to the neighbor next door hurting through a divorce.
“Well, it’s easier to witness in church.”
He points us to public schools where the influence of Christian teachers is needed.
“I’m understood better at Christian Schools.”
He shows us prisoners of both death-row and skid-row who need to know life and sobriety.
“Those places don’t lend themselves to worship.”
We aren’t commanded to wait for the world to come the church, we’re to go to the world. Sometimes ya’ gotta fish the deep.
But I think Simon (Peter) had an even bigger attitude problem.
“But because you say so…” His head is down, he kicks at the dirt. You know, the way any six year old would. “Oh yeh! I’ll show you. I’ll do it your way, but just to prove you wrong. I may be fishing the deep on the outside, but I’m fishing the shallows on the inside.”
But, notice what comes from Peter’s ulterior motivated obedience in verse eight, “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’”
Sometimes we need to change our attitude in order to be obedient, but more often we need to just be obedient and let God change our heart.
“…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:21
I peered through the door in amazement. What I was seeing wasn’t possible. Seven people of different genders, race, and denominations were getting along. Well, it was more than getting along. They were enjoying each other. It almost seemed that they wouldn’t be having as much fun if one of them wasn’t there. They didn’t start until everyone was ready and always worked together until finished. Always making sure everyone participated. For this to be happening in a church fellowship hall meant that something was obviously wrong. They were…well…getting along.
Being inquisitive, and never passing up the chance to ruffle a few feathers, I cleared my throat, you know, the way you do to get attention.
“What’s up?” I asked, doing my best to mask my cynicism.
The laughing and giggling stopped as seven pair of wide four year old eyes peered up at me from a tangle of arms and legs. It looked like a game of Twister gone bad. They were obviously caught, but they didn’t know at what.
The bravest of the group offered a whisper, “Playing ‘Altogether’”, the little voice quivered.
“Looks cool”, I said. “How do ya’ play.”
“Well, umm…, I get on the slide first, then Bret gets on and puts his legs around me like this, then Latisia, then him over there…I forget his name, he’s from another church. ‘Onct’ everyone is ready, we go down ‘Altogether’. Watch.
And down they went. Whish! A blur of Osk-Kosh ba’gosh colors. Hands in the air until they reached the bottom, collapsing in another giggling, tangled mess of arms and legs. Untying themselves again, they scrambled back to the top of the slide. Down they went again, another tangled ball of arms and legs, then unwrapped themselves and back to the top. Over and over again. Never tiring and each one taking his turn at the front. No cooties, no “Ew, he’s touching me!”, just ‘Altogether’.
“Can I play?”, I asked, after looking to make sure no other adults were present. (I have a certain image of maturity, you know.)
“Sure. It’s better with more people.”
So while the adults were in the church debating the important doctrinal issues like budget, programs, carpet color, etc. I spent the rest of the afternoon playing “Altogether” and experiencing, for a brief time, the answer to my Jesus prayer that we be one…altogether.
“Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house’.” Matt 26:18
Several years ago I was asked to write a short tribute about a man I admire, but don’t know personally. I could pick whoever I wanted to, but he had to be a complete stranger. Keeping with my life goal of remaining outside of the box I picked the man who the disciples went to see about a room for the Passover Feast.
Sure, I don’t really know much about him. Was he young or old? Was he rich or poor? What was his family like? What did he do for work? If he lived today would he like sports, the Yankees or Red Sox? Would he like jazz, classical, or maybe rock? Republican or Democrat? Bapti-costal or Metho-byterian? I dunno.
The only thing that is certain is that he was a great man of faith. He knew the will of God so clearly that he was prepared before the disciples came to him. He didn’t have time to prepare for more guests. Jesus was reclining at his table just hours after he heard from the disciples. It would’ve taken several days to prepare for thirteen guests attending the biggest feast of the Jewish year! He would’ve had to live each day as if Jesus was coming that very day.
So here I am in 2008. Am I ready? Am I full of anticipation for His return? Do I live as if He’s coming today? He might, you know.
And when He does come, I’m going to look among the raised for the man who owned the room. Then together we can enter Heaven with the One we both admire the most.
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Matt. 25:40
Heart to God, Hand to Man. The battle cry of an army…The Salvation Army. A militant arm of the church. An army that not only embraces the unlovable, it seeks out the unlovely.
While women weep, they fight.
While men go in and out of jail, in and out, in and out, they fight.
While children go hungry, while families are homeless, while AIDS patients see no hope, while elderly are abandoned, while the inner city decays, while the mission field waits to here the Gospel, they fight.
While one lonely soul is blinded, confused and deceived they fight.
And the fight is impossible. To love the unlovely, to hug the sick, to find the lost, to point the blind to the Cross. To win the world for Christ. Impossible, except for the power of God.
Only as they keep their eyes on the cross can they see the lost. Only through the blood of Jesus can they save the unsaved. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can they fulfill God’s plan. Only as they seek God’s heart can they reach their hand to man.
Their fight begins on their knees, seeking God’s face.
And so they’ll fight. From their knees, and in the back alleys and streets; in cold, impersonal hospital wards; in dark, hopeless prisons; in homeless shelters and orphanages they’ll fight.
While one lost soul remains without hope, they’ll fight…they’ll fight until Jesus says, “Come home good and faithful servant.”