Casting Out Into Deeper Waters

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."

-Luke 5:4, 5

After spending some time teaching and ministering to the people, the Lord Jesus said to Simon (later to be called Peter), “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets…” I don’t know a great deal about fishing, but that certainly sounds like good advice. You haven’t caught much at the present depth, so the next step is to go deeper. Hopefully, the application to life in this verse is apparent. When we find that at the present depth we are not catching much in terms of fulfillment, happiness, and joy, then the next step we should try is going deeper. The problem is that people often seek to go deeper into the wrong direction. They launch into something which the Lord never intended for them to do. It could involve all sorts behaviors which are contrary to the Godly life to which we have been called in Christ Jesus. For the follower of Christ, the invitation is to cast out deeper into a relationship with the Lord Jesus.

Peter confessed to the Lord that they had fished all night, but had caught nothing. However, they would follow the Word of the Lord and let down their nets. Do you see what’s going on here? Following the confession of disappointment is the obedience to the Lord’s Word. Failure to do what the Lord has told us to do is a guarantee that the net remains empty. Faith involves taking heed to what the Lord has instructed. Rather than wallow in despair over an empty net, we become proactive – we are obedient to the Lord’s command and we cast the net out into deeper water.

Hearing God’s Voice

The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!"
Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

-I Samuel 3:10

The prophet Samuel of the Old Testament had the unique distinction of being a young boy when he first heard clearly the voice of God calling him into His service. Something else which we see in Samuel’s life is what can happen when a child is completely dedicated to God. Perhaps you are familiar with the account of what took place; a woman named Hannah had no children, and as she prayed, she promised the Lord that if she had a son, then she would devote that son to God. Later, when Samuel was born, she made good on her promise and brought him to the temple and gave him back to God. Can you imagine the devotion behind this sacrificial act? I wonder how many of us could have done that. Hannah’s faith in God motivated her to decisive action and she was blessed because of her faith.

Samuel then grew up in the temple and became a great spiritual leader among the Israelites. He was faithful to God throughout his life. Never was there a time when he walked away from what God had told him to do, even when doing so was unpopular. Even though he was disappointed in the people at times he remained a servant of God among them. We do well to stop and take a good look at the devotion and leadership qualities of a godly man like Samuel.

Being Thankful for What God has Done

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful...
-Hebrews 12:28

On this day of Thanksgiving, consider how easy it is to be frustrated over what we don’t have rather than thankful for what we do have. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ will produce in us thankful and grateful hearts regardless of what is going on in our lives. And as a result we are thankful – for what we have, as opposed to being upset over what we do not have. What follows is this; if we are thankful for what God has given us, then we will be thankful for what He has done. Because of Jesus, God didn’t condemn us, but rather He has redeemed us. God did not cast us away, but instead He drew us unto Himself. The Lord has not destroyed us – and believe me, He could have, but rather He has forgiven us through Christ. And God even took matters a step further; He has not only forgiven us, but He has adopted us as His very own children. Can an adopted child share in the inheritance with those who were begotten? The answer is, absolutely. Romans 8:17 says, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Because of what Jesus did for us upon the cross of Calvary we are heirs to a fortune; a fortune greater and of more value that anything we could ever find in the world.

The question for us today is, are we truly thankful for what God has done? Let us make sure that we are ever thankful to God for the great works He has brought about in our lives, and that come what may, we will give Him all the praise and all the glory.

Carefully Examining Our Lives

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

-II Corinthians 13:5

The Bible teaches that we need to very often take stock of our lives; that is, examine ourselves carefully, and if we find anything there that is not of God, then we are to remove it from us. This kind of self-examination aides us and keeps us in the faith, and from straying away from God. We are called by God to be ever moving forward towards what the Lord has called us to do; we are not to stop growing, learning, and going forward with Christ, but rather we are called to grow in all aspects of the faith in ever increasing measure. Is it possible that someone could be out of the faith and not realize it? I will say that it is possible for someone to have drifted way out of God’s will and not realize it. The reason being, that it happened so slowly that the person was hardly aware of it. Sin and ungodliness crept into the person’s life slowly, subtly, and the person didn’t realize it until he or she was far gone. By stopping and taking stock of our lives we can seek with God’s help to determine where we are in our walk with God. It behooves us to take a hard look at such areas of our lives as attitude, outlook, and personal conduct. Is my attitude towards others and life in general all that it should be? Is my attitude one which brings honor and glory to God? If not, what must I do to correct my attitude? Negative, hateful, and judgmental attitudes will always hinder our forward progress in the faith, but a positive attitude does the opposite.

Is my overall outlook on life one which enriches my faith or detracts from it? Am I surviving life or am I living life to its fullest?

Are our lives being lived in a manner that bring honor to God, or is He being dishonored in any way? Is there some secret sin which is hindering our walk with the Lord? If so, it must be confessed and abandoned.

The trials of life, along with the challenges and temptations we face, all put our faith daily to the test. Without this frequent self-examination, we may find ourselves failing those tests. When the trials come, will we stand firm, or will we fall apart? Through a daily walk with Christ we can stand firm in our faith even during those times when we might otherwise have fallen apart. God is faithful, and He will empower us and give us the victory.

Trust in the Lord - Always

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.

-Philippians 3:1, 2

The high call of God in Christ Jesus is to rejoice in the Lord, and to do so in any and all circumstances and regardless of what is going on around us. Having hard times? Rejoice in the Lord. Going through some trial? Rejoice in the Lord. Are you feeling run down, discouraged, and fearful? The answer is to rejoice in the Lord. We rejoice because we know in all certainty whose hands our lives are in. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow. The Lord is in control, and He is still on His throne.

We also have the warning against those who were trying to take away the spiritual freedom of the believers. These were the ones trying to take the believers back into the yoke of the law and all its practices and observances. They were going about teaching that to be a Christian one needed to not only trust Christ, but also observe the law – perfectly. This was causing terrible confusion within the body of Christ. The implications are staggering for the believer who would get drawn into such convoluted thinking. Such a person would be trying to live under grace and the law, and that is not possible. We are under one or the other. The follower of Jesus is indeed under grace. That is why Christ came; that we might have the fullness of God’s grace in us.

Paul the Apostle was a firm believer in the truth that Christ Jesus would indeed supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). And Paul furthermore knew that having Christ was everything – the most important part of our lives. When we come to this realization, then we are on our way to walking daily in spiritual power and victory.

The Church’s View of Children: applying Jesus' attitudes

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." -Mark 10:14

The church of today should take a hard look at the manner in which we minister to children. Like Jesus, are we glad to have them with us, or are we bothered by the noise and clamor that often follows them? A congregation that seeks to be relevant will strive to make their church a place where children are always welcome.

Looking out across the congregation on Sunday morning, if I see mothers holding infants in their arms, it is truly a wonderful sight. During the sermon if I hear a baby crying I am not bothered in the least. In fact, it is music to my ears. The presence of children in the worship time is a sign of life, and where there is life the potential for growth is present.

A dear lady once told me the following story. Some years earlier she was attending a church in another community. One Sunday evening a young mother came into the worship service bringing her four small children ranging in ages from around five on down to an infant. During the sermon the children became restless and would not sit still. The baby in the mother’s arms began to cry and would not stop. The pastor finally leaned over the pulpit and asked the mother if she would please try to keep her children quiet. The young mother sat for a moment, and then gathering her children around her she rose from her seat and led them down the aisle and out the back door of the church. She was never seen nor heard from again.

This sad story illustrates the missed opportunities of failing to reach out to the children in our midst. If I accomplish nothing else as a pastor, my prayer is that I will bestow a blessing upon the children with whom I come into contact, including my own.

Jesus said that when we welcome a child into our lives it is as if we had welcomed Him. The Lord instructed the disciples not to hinder the little children, but to let them come unto Him.

Are our churches, homes, and hearts places where these, the least of our brethren, are welcome? If not, then let us take definitive steps to open up to them. Learning to see children as the sacred and valuable persons they are can enrich our lives in some incredible ways. If we can learn to have child-like faith and laugh as often as a child does, then truly we will be happier people for it.

(From, "The Invitation: Embracing a Happier Life," by Dan Birchfield, copyright 2009)

Who is the Greatest?

And he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." -Matthew 18:3, 4

When the disciples got into an argument about who was the greatest, Jesus had a child stand before them. Jesus said in Matthew 18:1-4 that if they wanted to be great in God’s kingdom then they must start by humbling themselves just like this child. The Bible says in Mark 5:41, 42 that when asked to heal the daughter of Jarius the synagogue ruler, Jesus did not hesitate to do so. When the Lord found out that the girl had died, He immediately went to the home and with a word brought her back from the dead. The Lord did indeed love the little children and demonstrated that love in tangible ways. Jesus modeled patience and compassion toward all children with whom he came into contact. Reflecting back over the years, the most regrettable moments for me are those in which I was annoyed with one of our children. Most parents, if we are honest, will admit that we have lost our tempers with our children and said things in a moment of frustration that we later wished we had never uttered. Whoever said that words couldn’t hurt us was not dealing with reality. Cruel and unkind utterances can sting as painfully as a physical injury.

Our children need all the love and affection we can shower upon them. We affirm our love for them by reminding them that we love them and by also demonstrating it to them. We make time for them, attend programs at school in which they are involved, show up at the little league games and cheer for them, and celebrate their birthdays as sacred and special days. Our children are God’s gifts to us, and no matter how tough things get as they approach adulthood, resolve to be ever grateful that they are a part of our lives. Devoted parents will frequently reaffirm that their children are persons of tremendous worth and unlimited potential.

(From, "The Invitation: Embracing a Happier Life," by Dan Birchfield, copyright 2009)