The Right Side Of The Boat

"He (Jesus) said, 'Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some (fish).' When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish." - John 21:6 (NIV)

After hearing Jesus promise to rise from the dead, and actually seeing Him alive, the disciples went back to what they were doing before they met him: fishing. Certianly God will used our past experiences to teach us, but He always leads us forward - never back. When fear and uncertianty make us want to go back to the security of what we know, we end up like the disciples: "They went out and... got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing." (John 21:3 NIV)

But there's good news: God hasn't changed His mind about His purpose for your life. Notice how Jesus addressed the disciples: "Children, have you any food?" (vs. 5) Even though you may find yourself taking some steps backwards, you're still His child! Next he tells them "Throw your net on the right side of the boat... When they did they were unable to haul the net in because the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!'" (vs 7) That morning Jesus ate breakfast with them and removed their doubts and sent them out to change the world.

What the lesson? When we work outside of God's will, it's like fishing on the wrong side of the boat; we wear ourselves out and in the end have nothing to show for our efforts. Submit your life again to Christ today. Renew your fellowship with Him and allow Him to direct your steps! Don't shrink back in fear - move FORWARD in faith!

A View From The Mountain

"Jesus took Peter, James and John... up a high mountain." - Matthew 17:1 (NIV)

This "mountaintop" experience illustrates God's unique purpose in each of our lives. Notice three things...

1. Not everyone gets to go up the mountain.
Jesus picked the three who went. He didn't take everyone so nobody would feel slighted. And He didn't explain or apologize to the other disciples who stayed at ground level. God loves us all equally but He doesn't give us all the same assignment or experiences with Him. God makes the call, not us. So trust Him - He knows what He is doing.

2. Those who go up the mountian aren't necessarily wiser or more spiritual.
On the mountain, Peter once again sticks his foot in his mouth. He was sincere but he was sincerely wrong. Peter's error should remind us to resist the temptation to speak instead of waiting to hear what God has to say. It also reminds us that those who have unique assignments from God are not perfect.

3. God's plan is to feature Jesus, not you.
This is a lesson we have to keep learning over and over again. When the heavenly Father spoke to the disciples on the mountain, he said "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!... When they looked up, they saw no one expect Jesus." (Matt. 17:5-8 NIV) The greatest challenge of life is getting to the place where your focus is on "no one except Jesus". The only plan that will work out is the one He gives you. And the power you need to fulfill that plan comes from Him alone!

With Persecution Comes Growth

"As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word." - Acts 8:3-4 (NKJV)

There seems to be a troubling trend beginning in America. Persecution. It's important to remember how the New Testament church grew - through persecution. The same is true in one's personal relationship with God - it's the bad times that cause us to grow. Sometimes we recieve direction through persecution. Sometimes those who attack us are agents of the Lord, without knowing it. God uses them to get us where we need to be, then, like Joseph, we look back years later and say, "You meant it for evil but God meant it for good" (See Genesis 50:20). We cry because someone slammed a door in our face, but in retrospect we are able to say, "It was the best thing that could have happened to me."

If God is allowing you to experience persecution, it will ultimately be for His good, the good of others, or for your good. Your are the instrument through which He is going to bring it about. Understanding this is to gain a more mature perspective on life. Whether the battle is over your family, your finances, your health, your business, or your ministry, expect three things:

1. The closer you get to victory, the more intense the battle.
2. What matters is not your comfort, but what you're called to do.
3. Your victory has been ordained by God, so keep fighting!

Get Up, Get Over It, & Move On

I read Isaiah 54:4 in my quite time today - "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced... you will forget the shame of your youth."

As I reflected on this verse I was impacted by a few thoughts... you can't go back and change mistakes you've made in the past. You're not the same person and you will never be the same person again. You cannot re-live your previous marriage, your early childhood, or change your past mistakes. But there are three scriptural steps for getting up, getting over it and moving on:

1. Forgive what OTHERS have done to you (Ephesians 4:32)
2. Forgive YOURSELF for what you've done (Philippians 3:13)
3. Believe GOD has truly forgiven you and act on it (Isaiah 43:25)

Sometimes we hold on to the past because we think there is something there we think we still need. We cling to certian things because we fear we can never replace them. The fact is, God has SO MUCH MORE in store for you. If you've entrusted your future to God, you haven't seen your best days yet. There's more ahead of you than behind you, regardless of your age.

So in God's strength GET UP, GET OVER IT, and MOVE ON!

"Fear Not..." Pt. 2

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he describes a simple, two-part antidote for worry.

First, choose to trust God with every area of our lives. Jesus said, “Your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well what you need and he will it provide it if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to.”

Second, He encouraged us to decide to live just one day at a time. “Don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

No worries!

"Fear Not..."

Without a doubt, these are difficult times. Corporations are cutting jobs, 401ks are loosing value and mortgage rates are adjusting. In these challenging times it's important to remember one of the most often repeated commands in the Bible: "Fear not!"

The word "worry" comes from an old English word meaning “to choke or strangle”. Of course, that’s exactly what worry does to your productivity and happiness. It’s a self-defeating waste of time.

In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave four reasons for not worrying and the secrets of overcoming it.(Matthew 6:25-34)

First, WORRY IS UNREASONABLE. To worry about something you CAN’T change is useless. To worry about something you CAN change is stupid! And every time you review a worry in your mind it just gets bigger. Worry amplifies problems out of proportion. "Don't worry about the clothes you need. Life is more than what you wear.”

Second, WORRY IS UNNATURAL. You weren’t born a worrier. It is a learned response to life. In fact, you have to practice to get good at it. Fortunately worry can be unlearned. The only species in God’s creation that worries is human beings. We don’t think God will take care of us. “Bird don’t worry but God takes care of them. Don’t you realize you’re more valuable to God than mere birds?”

Third, WORRY IS UNHELPFUL. It doesn’t make things better.It can’t change the past. It can’t control the future. It only makes you miserable today. Worrying about a problem never solves the problem. “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

Finally, WORRY IS UNNECESSARY. God has promised to take care of you if you’ll trust him with the details of your life. As a child, if you asked your father for lunch money you never worried about where it would come from. That was his problem. Let God be God in your life! “God will take care of you, just have faith.”

In my next post we'll discuss how to break free from worry!