Go. Fish.

Though I haven't been for some time, I love fishing. Whether on a boat, or standing on a shore, there's
something about being on the water, casting a line, and (hopefully) reeling in a catch. Of course, I'm one of those who fish for leisure. When Jesus called His disciples, however, he chose from among men who caught fish to survive.

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. (Matthew 4:18-20)

A couple things about fishing. First, when you're fishing the way Peter and Andrew were fishing, it's not a leisurely kind of thing. It's not a simple matter of dropping a line and waiting for your bobber to disappear. It's hard work, and it's work done with a sense of urgency. For Peter and Andrew, if you didn't catch fish, you didn't feed your family. 

So, Jesus wasn't inviting these men -- nor James and John, the fishermen He called next -- on a vacation. He was inviting them to work. But a work of more eternal importance than mere food. Jesus would later tell these men, and the rest of His disciples -- indeed, each of us who call ourselves by His name -- go into the world and make more disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). We were, like Peter, Andrew, James, and John, called to catch Men in Jesus' name. And this calling isn't to simply drop a line and see who bites, but to drop a net and actively pursue.

It's important, too, to understand that occupation was and is a part of identity. These men weren't just a couple of guys. These were fishermen. That's how they were known. Jesus was, in changing what they did, redefining who they were. This is just as true today. If we are Christians, the discipling of others isn't merely one of the things we do -- it's a part of who we are.

The second thing about fishing is that it requires movement. Whether for food or fun, if you actually intend to catch fish, the first rule is, go where the fish are. We can't catch men by sitting in a church pew and waiting. We need to see where the fish are gathering, and then cast our nets wide. 

Now we could stretch this metaphor until it breaks, discussing bait, methods... even the depths of the water. But what's important to Christ is that we go. And fish.

Planting Seeds

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” (Matthew 13:1-9)

Today is Plant A Flower Day. Although, if you're in Wisconsin, it may be a good idea to plant it inside for now. But another way to celebrate today is to remember we, as God's faithful, are sowers of another, more vital seed: that of God's word. Jesus explains the above parable in verses 19-23:

When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.  But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Now, when you and I sow God's word, we don't know what the soil looks like. We may not know the work the Spirit is doing in the heart of the one to whom we're speaking. But God asks us, nevertheless, to sow. Sometimes, we are prompted be direct about it: to come right out and talk to somebody about the love of God. But even with our lives, we sow. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 7:16, followers and false prophets alike are known by their fruit. This is a theme repeated throughout the New Testament, in fact. 

We are sowers, and the seed we scatter comes in many varieties. We can't know, always, the condition of the soil -- the hearts of the ones we reach. What we have to do is be certain of what we sow. Is it
love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness? Is it the word of Hope, and the Gospel of Christ?

If so, don't be discouraged! We won't reach everyone we want to reach right away, in the way we want to reach them. But in the hearts of some, there will be understanding. And where there is understanding, there is a crop -- a yield of many times what was sown.

It's our job to scatter the seed -- let God work with the soil.

NOTE: On another day, we'll talk about what happens next: the cultivation of a good crop. In faith, as in farming, scattering the seed is step one.

Run It Up The Flagpole

There's a good chance you've heard the expression, "run it up the flagpole and see who salutes." It means to float a thought or idea and see whether it gains any traction. It's an expression used often in media, which is more or less built on doing exactly that.

As a broadcaster, it's part of my job to come up with ideas for promotions and gimmicks, not only for my show, but for the station as a whole. It's actually an important part of a lot of jobs.

When I was first back working in radio, I remember asking a co-worker about an idea I had. "I like it," she said, "you should bring it up to [the General Manager]."

"What if he hates it," I countered.

She shrugged. "Worst he can say is 'no.'"

And from that point, I was bold in presenting ideas, good and bad. Because, after all, the worst anyone could say was, "no."

So the question is, where is that boldness when it comes to telling others what Christ did for me? What is it, exactly, that I'm afraid of?

2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." 

Remember when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples hiding in the Upper Room? They were emboldened. They came out of hiding and preached the Gospel of Christ and, yeah, some people said no. Some people even said they were drunk. But three thousand said Yes! That's three thousand people who came to know Jesus Christ in a personal way, who were saved from sin, and death, and Hell, whose lives were changed, all because of a group of men who were unafraid to speak up. 

So, why not run the Gospel up the flagpole and see who salutes? You may discover a brother or sister you never knew you had. Or, more importantly, you may even be the one who plants that seed in the life of another, and introduces him or her to the Love and Grace of Jesus Christ. The worst they can say is "no." 

But, if you pray for them, and ask God to grant you boldness and clarity, maybe they'll say "yes." 


This is the second in a year-long series, "Celebrate Today." A collection of devotions based on celebrations, serious and silly, throughout the year.

Over the Hills and Everywhere!

You know what I love about Christmas carols? Everybody sings 'em. Agnostics, nominal Christians... if you are willing to celebrate Christmas, chances are you sing a Christmas song. And even if you don't, you still know 'em. Catchy little things, Christmas carols.

And -- and this is the part I love the most -- in doing so, whether or not they really mean it, they are proclaiming the birth of the Savior. They are declaring His lordship. They are telling the world.

And when it comes down to it, what Christmas is really all about, isn't merely being nice to one another. It isn't some esoteric ideal of "Christmas Spirit" or even a "spirit of generosity." It is really, when it the rubber meets the road, about telling the world Our Savior has come. That He came among us, that He died for our sins and rose again. That He is coming back. 

That,
Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born
And God sent us salvation
That blessed Christmas morn.

So celebrate, yes. Spend time with family and friends. Spend time worshiping our God and King. And then, Go, tell it!

You Don't Know Unless You Know

I have a sister who is now several months along in her first pregnancy. It's fun to watch her experience all those things moms-to-be experience for the first time, seven years now since the first time my wife experienced them. Yesterday, it was baby hiccups. She posted on Facebook about how weird it was to feel that tiny person hiccuping inside of her. "But it's Wonderful!"

A mutual friend, who has never experienced a pregnancy was curious: "Why is that wonderful?"

"Because," I started to answer, and stopped. How do you explain it to somebody who doesn't know? Especially when I, myself, have only experienced it vicariously, through my wife? I understand it. I've felt the baby hiccuping in my wife's womb, and have been pleased and awed and amused. A hiccup, as annoying as it is to an adult (and, let's be honest, probably an unborn baby, too!), is also a wonderful reminder of the little life growing within. Intellectually, I get it. But how do you explain it to somebody who has never had the experience. Why is it wonderful? "Because it is."

It can be just as difficult trying to find words to explain to people why your life is better with Christ. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to "always be prepared to give an answer" when people ask us about the hope we have. But how? How do you explain it to somebody who simply doesn't know? It's like trying to describe how something looks to somebody who was born blind.

In fact, Paul comments on exactly that problem in 1 Corinthians 2:14:

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

The truth is, without asking for the guidance that can only come from God's Holy Spirit, we ourselves can only touch on the outer edges of explaining our hope in Christ. Just as my wife, who experienced her own pregnancies, and my sister, currently going through it, were far more able than I to explain the simple joy of a hiccuping baby, it is only through the Spirit of God that we can begin to describe for others who God really is. 

Even then, it can be discouraging as your friend tries to understand what you're telling them, because, unless he or she knows through the experience of the Spirit, he or she simply can't really know.  Like my friend who won't fully understand pregnancy until she experiences it for herself, we can't understand God without being given that understanding directly from the source.

So, be encouraged. It isn't our job to guarantee understanding when we tell others what Christ has done for us. We simply need to let the Spirit of God speak through us and, when they're ready, He will give to others the understanding He has given us.

Jesus is (insert Political Party here)!!

It's been a hard lesson for me to learn that, no matter who is sitting in a Government seat at any given time in this country, that person was ultimately allowed there -- put there, even -- by God Himself (Romans 13:5-7). Republican, Democrat, or other, God is measuring these leaders according to His own plans -- the minutiae of which remain a total and complete mystery.

We're often tempted to say Jesus would have belonged to this political party or that organization. Nonsense. Jesus is neither Republican or Democrat, because He is above our petty politics. Sometimes, He even allows people into power with whom He completely disagrees (the mass murderer Herod comes to mind). Because -- and this is the real lesson I'm learning -- our nation is but a blip on the radar of History. In the eternal Timeline of Christ, and in the grand scale of His plans of Grace and Mercy, the political movements of this world mean so very little.

You and I must vote our consciences today. We must continue to work to the best of our ability to act as we believe God would have us act, even as we understand His plans may not be the same as ours. But even more important, you and I must understand what really matters: and that is Grace.

After dying on the cross and being resurrected; after providing a means for our sins to be separated from us, and for us to once again be called Children of God, Jesus' final instructions to us had nothing to do with politics, but everything to do with people.

"Go into the World and make disciples of all nations."

Love others as He has loved us, and present His love to them. Whatever our external circumstance, whether Christians face judgement and mockery, whether the final voting results lean Left or Right, all is just that: circumstance. It's just a setting in which to do what we must do. It doesn't change for one second our mission on earth to spread the Good News of God's great love and mercy to everyone, everywhere.