“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”  -Mark 1:17

Fishers of Men, fishermen, that’s what we are to be. You gotta love the imagery of the Bible, simple and to the point. I think sometimes the simplicity is what gets us, we just have to make things complicated, either that or we tend to overlook or downplay the simple truths of the Bible

I remember a few years back I was on a fishing tangent. I was trying to learn to do some new things, and fishing was on the list. I never really caught anything, unless you count the seaweed and the shoe I pulled out of the Sacramento River.

One day one of my young nephews invited me to go crayfishing with him. I had never been before, and I wanted to make sure I had everything I thought would help me catch a lot of crayfish. I can’t help but laugh at myself as I think back to all of the gear I brought with me that day, only to see my nephew walking up with just a five gallon bucket and some string. He took one look at my stuff and informed me that the only thing I needed out of all the many things I brought was a net.

I couldn’t argue with him after all I had never done this before,and although he was only 11 or 12 years old, I got the feeling he knew what he was doing so I just went along with him. I watched in amazement as he took the string and then pulled something out his pocket. It appeared to be something wrapped in a paper towel. Amazement turned to extreme curiosity, as he opened the paper towel to revealed what appeared to be several small chicken bones, and judging from the smell it was fried chicken that had just recently been eaten.

My nephew proceeded to break one of the bones and tied it to the end of the string he had. By now I was begin to question his ability to catch any crayfish, but I didn’t say anything, I just watched him as he worked. He tossed the chicken bone into the water, not too far out just near the shores edge. He waited for about a minute and then began to slowly pulled the string in.

To my surprise there were crayfish of all sizes clinging to the bone and the string and as he pulled the string there was even a trail of crayfish chasing after that chicken bone. I would have still been standing there with my mouth open, had he not summoned me to grab the net and scoop them up and place them in the bucket. Within a matter of minutes we filled that five gallon bucket with crayfish.

I learned a valuable lesson that day, and I constantly revisit and remind myself of what I learned that day. You see as Christians we are called to be fisher’s of men, but most times many of us are like I was that day…we show up with the right gear, the right text, the right sermon and our ten point lesson plans you name it we have it…but sometimes we just need the simple truth and a string to toss out a line and then reel it back in and then scoop up those who respond to the bait.

We forget that witnessing is like fishing, when you go fishing you bait & gear that is appropriate for the type of fish you are trying to catch…but when we go fishing for people we tend to think that the same bait and same gear works for all people…let me break it to ya…it doesn’t! We think that if we say all the right words, the people will automatically responds…not so.

I don’t know about you but I have yet to go fishing and stand up in the boat, and say “Fish I am here to catch you…Jump Into my Boat! and then the fish respond by jumping in the boat. I wish it worked like that…but it doesn’t. Likewise when it comes to people, you need to consider your audience, the “fish” you are trying to catch and then use the appropriate bait.

As fishers of men we need to be more clever, especially seeing that many people have a twisted view of God and Jesus. It’s time that we start following the Master Fisher and start reeling them in! Think on it…

Grace & Peace
Holy Ridaz

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety…

That simple passage from 1 Timothy 2:9, sometimes seems to be overlooked when some of our “sistas” are selecting their attire.  When we come together for fellowship, we really need to consider each other and not do things that might serve as a distraction…ladies you need to help your brothas in Christ,  you can look nice without revealing everything…

Real Talk…the only things we wanna see raised in Church in Hands…Ya Dig!  Act Like ya know!

I can admit that sometimes as a teacher I have been more involved with my content than with being in touch with the needs of my students/audience.  It happens to the best of teachers at times.  There is nothing wrong with being thorough, but at the same time we must learn to follow the example set by the master teacher, Jesus Christ.

Jesus always taught and ministered to the needs of the people.  He didn’t waste time giving them arbitrary facts that would not help them.  No He spoke directly to the issues and problems that they were facing.  Even when He dealt with people who were not sure of what their problem/need was, Jesus would skillfully expose their need in a way they coud clearly see it and He would then proceed to address that need.

A classic example is the Woman at the well, in John chapter 4.  Jesus not only reveals the woman’s need to her, but by the time He addresses it it does what “need centered teaching” does, it motivates or moves the student into action.  The woman goes into the town and compels everyone to come and meet this man who had just read her like a book.  Many people come from the town to hear Jesus and become believers as well.

Is your teaching/preaching/ministering like that?  When you are done are the listeners moved or motivated into action?   Your 27 points on the Book of Galatians might be informative and even intriguing, but when all is said and done does it help your students/audience with the needs they have?

If we want to be effective  when we are ministering to people, at some point we are going to have to connect with them and minister to their needs.  At some point we are going to have to follow the example set by Christ.   Let’s start meeting the needs of the people…

-one

Da Ridaz

Shacah – Arise

There’s an old cliche about not be able to see the forest for all of the trees being in the way.  We think that many Christians suffer from a similar condition…we can’t see Jesus for who He really is because of all of the ideas and notions about who He is.

We read all about the miracles He performed and the way He lived His life…and it seems we still are a bit confused when it comes to following His example.  I have often made the statement that “Jesus is a Copy Cat”  and some Christians are even ready to fight me for making such a statement…”Why what exactly do you mean by that!”  After getting them to calm down I explain what I mean.

Before I explain myself to you…let me ask you a question.  Have you ever noticed in the Gospels that Jesus always downplayed the miracles He performed?  It could have been some pretty good PR for Him and His boys to keep the crowds Hyped over the miracles…but Jesus never did that.  As cool as the miracles were…they were not His primary reason for coming.

All of miracles performed by Jesus had all being previously performed in the Old Testament by some of God’s Prophets.  Hard to believe huh?  I know your brain is going through the list of miracles right now…but what about the water into wine that was original right?  Yes and no…water into wine was new but changing an otherwise flavorless substance into something pleasing and tasty to consume…that was done before.  How about praying over a limited supply of food and seeing that food miraculously be multiplied?  Done before!  Well surely Jesus was the first to raise someone from the dead…nope that was old school also.

What’s the point?  Where am I going with this you ask?  It’s simple really…Jesus never really made a big deal about the Miracles because they were not His Primary focus, and He had no desire to be in the spotlight.  His Primary Focus was to complete the Will of the Father.

In the title I used the term “copycat”, but not because Jesus copied the Miracles.  I used the term because in essence everything we witness Jesus doing in Scriptures was the result of Him copying (or following) His Father’s lead:

Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. -John 5:19-21

So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.“ John 8:28,29

As I am typing this I am thinking about myself as a child following my own Father’s lead…I think of my own children following my lead…as God’s Children and followers of Christ, we should have the same stance that Jesus had…to take all of our cues on what to do and say from the Father…PERIOD! We need to be copycats…imitators of God the Father, in the same manner that Christ was.

Jesus gave us all a perfect picture of God the Father, He took all of His cues from Him…we need to do the same…it’s time we all became copycats!  Seriously we do…and the only thing we have to lose in the process is ourselves…

Think on it…..

Da Ridaz

Prayer succeeds when all else fails – E.M. Bounds

Prayer does not equip us for greater works – prayer is the greater works – Oswald Chambers

Prayer is never the Least we can do – A.W. Tozer

Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him – Hudson Taylor

The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.–Samuel Chadwick

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