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"Now as He walked by the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother
casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come
ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they
forsook their nets, and followed him." Mark 1:16-18
The "net" is whatever we may use to draw to ourselves the fulfillment and satisfaction
that we seek.
Simon and Andrew were casting their net to catch fish. When Jesus came, He used
words that they could easily understand. He told them that if they would follow
Him, He would make them a "fisher" of men.
Notice that Jesus did not say He would show them "how" to fish for men. Rather,
He said that He would make them to "become" fishers. The emphasis was not on methodology,
but rather on the Lord's desire to draw them to Himself, in order to change them.
We Must First "Have"
in Order to "Give"
"And hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the
earth." Revelation 5:10
The emphasis is on our being made ready to reign, not on the fact of reigning.
Many place great emphasis on the program (net) that is used to accomplish a certain
purpose, rather than seeking to develop the ability to rightly use the program.
We cannot give what we do not have. Therefore, it is very important that we spend
quality time in the presence of the Lord and develop a strong spiritual relationship
with Him.
Only then will we "have" in order to "give."
Becoming a "Witness"
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and
ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria,
and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Acts 1:8 KJV
The word "witnesses" can be translated "sample."
For example, I once asked the salesperson in a large carpet store if I could have
a sample of a huge roll of fifteen foot wide carpet. He cut out a piece and handed
it to me.
Because he had cut a piece from the end of this carpet, the entire fifteen foot
area was lost. But I had asked for a sample. Therefore, he gave me a piece of the
real thing, which was costly to him, rather than something that was similar.
Here, the Lord is placing the emphasis on our becoming a "sample" of Himself, developed
through an ongoing personal relationship with Him. Often, the emphasis has tended
toward two extremes, either "asceticism" or "activity."
In the early church, there were those who became known as "Desert Fathers." They
considered the world to be so wicked that they went out into the desert and lived
in caves so they could be separated, and as a result become "spiritual."
But Jesus said that we were not to hide our light under a bushel. We are to be in
the world, but the world is not to be in us. Rather, our light is to shine before
men. We are to become a "witness" of the life and ministry of Jesus by becoming
a "sample" of Him, a piece of the real thing in the place of need.
The Process of Becoming
The president of a Bible school had a reputation for being a very spiritual man.
A student decided he would find out if this was true. He went to the president's
office and began fumbling with a bottle of ink and then "accidentally" spilled some
on the president's suit.
The president began to get agitated, as he had cautioned him to be careful with
the ink. But he gained his composure, smiled and said it was alright. Soon, the
ink disappeared, as it was made to do this and was harmless. The student then told
him he was just checking to see if he were as spiritual as others said and left
satisfied.
In our becoming a sample or a "demonstration" of the presence and power of the Lord,
there will be many occasions in which it will be easy to be otherwise. Jesus said,
"I will make you to become." This is a processing of the Lord to prepare us to rightly
respond in these situations. Thus, those who are to rule are presently being prepared
for this purpose.
As we allow the cross to become effective in our lives, and we die to our feelings
and reactions, and allow Jesus be seen through our lives, we will indeed begin to
catch "fish."
"Being" Rather Than
"Doing"
The other extreme is "doing." To many, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is considered
to be "power for service." These place the emphasis on going out to do witnessing,
which may result in running without the message.
Peter probably heard the word "fishing" and did not realize all that he was about
to experience in being "processed" to become the witness that the Lord intended
him to be.
When Peter told the Lord that he would die for Him, Jesus responded that instead
he would deny Him. Peter reacted, but soon learned differently. We tend to promise
the Lord many things, which we are incapable of doing. But the Lord has provided
a way for us to go beyond these cycles of failure - "Follow Me and I will make you
to become."
As we allow the Lord to do a deep work
within our lives in cleansing and purifying our motives, we are changed as the "power"
renovates and recreates our lives to reflect His life. Only then there will be nothing
in us to react.
Letting His Presence
and Blessings Become Evident
It has been said that no one can "get our goat" unless we have one. As a child,
I remember how kids would tease and pick on certain other children. Later I came
to understand that these were being picked on because they reacted. The greater
the reaction, the more they were picked on, as other kids enjoyed the reaction.
The enemy of our spiritual life also does this. When we react to dealings or problems
and put on a show, the enemy gathers to enjoy our reaction. But if we have our feet
on the Rock, and understand that we are being processed, the enemy will be defeated
and will leave, as there will be no reaction to enjoy. Jesus said, "For the ruler
of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me." (John 14:30b)
In effect, Acts 1:8 reads, "You will receive power...to become." The desire of the
Lord is to so change us that only His life will be seen. Therefore, all we need
to do is to say, "Lord, I am available and willing to receive."
Only then will we become the "message" that people will respond to; our lives so
changed by the power of God, that His presence and blessings are evident.
Wade E. Taylor
http://www.wadetaylor.org
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The
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