Fishing for Dollars

What happened to the fish? We know what happened to the money. They spent it on taxes, but what about the fish? Did they release it back into the water? Did they filet it and fry it over a camp fire? Did they start a “Fishing for Dollars Fellowship Church?” Or did they mount it and hang it in their living room at home? The fact is- this incident was not about a fish. The fish was the submarine currier that delivered the cash. It was not an aquarium equivalent of the goose that laid the golden egg. Don’t canonize the slimy fish. Fish come and go, live and die, but God lives on. This entire episode is about the faithfulness of the Creator who made the fish. It’s about a God who goes out of His way to provide for His children. It’s about the ingenuity of the Maker who never runs out of means and methods to reveal how much He cares for us. Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote these words that reflect so much of the heart of God toward us although she does not reference God in what she wrote. She asked, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach…I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life…” That’s it. God’s love for us is measureless, and He expresses it in so many different ways. To the disciples, He expressed it by sending a fish to them with a mouth full of money. The Cross itself is a love letter written in crimson red for all to see and read. The Bible explains it clearly in these classic words. “Greater love has no man than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) And I might add….than a man send a fish with a mouth full of money to pay past due bills. So the question is, if this Scripture is not about a fabulous fishing for dollars story but really about an all caring God, what can we learn from it to add value to our lives today in our modern world? We learn the value of practicing blind obedience to God. We learn to obey. Disobedience comes naturally. Babies are not inoculated with disobedience serum or trained in the school of disobedience. Obedience, on the other hand, comes with trust and respect for the one who has authority. The disciples were frustrated and frightened over a tax liability that was coming due, and they had not money to pay it. They did the right thing. They took the problem to the Lord. Surely He would have a plan. He always did, but instead he said, “Go fishing for dollars.” To an astute business man this was not a stroke of genius. It was insanity spelled with a capital “I”. Conventional wisdom would have drafted a corporate resolution authorizing Peter to apply for a short term, low interest loan or Andrew volunteered to put his fishing boat up for “hock”. But they had learned the value of blind obedience to Christ, and this was not so much a test of faith as it was a test of obedience. They knew that if Jesus said it the deal was done. If you trust Him, obey Him and the fish with a mouth full of money will jump into your net. The net problem is mine. The fish problem is His. That’s blind faith in action. We discover opportunities for miracles in ordinary functions of life. Fishing was routine to these guys. It was not a week end recreational get away. It was their occupation and bread and butter. Catching fish was as common to them as a carpenter driving a nail, a house wife baking a pan of biscuits or a baseball player catching a fly ball. They caught fish all right, but they never caught one with money in it’s mouth. They didn’t expect a miracle in a slimy fish net. Miracles happen at the temple or at least in some exotic place but not in a fishing boat with mud and water squashing between their toes. But it did. Fishing for dollars re-trains us to expect miracles. Fishing, farming or in the factory. Look for an extra-ordinary God to do things for us in very ordinary places. We must overlook the ever present fear of failure. Look at it like this. The fishermen were required to untangle, repair and manually throw them into the water. No nets in the water – no fish with a mouth full of money. Fear doesn’t give God the chance to send that special “fish blessing” into the net if we are afraid of failing and refuse to throw out the net. Don’t be afraid to trust God. He’s got plenty of fish. He is looking for a net…..mine and yours. We come to realize that blessings from God can overtake us however dire the situation may be. To Jesus, it was as simple as going fishing. Don’t get bent out of shape and follow this simple plan. Practice blind obedience to God. Expect miracles in ordinary functions of life. Overlook the ever present fear of failure. Grab onto your faith. Faith gives man a harbor where he can drop anchor and feel safe….knowing God will show up in time. Fishing Together, Pastor Jimmy & Bob

Does the Shoe Fit?

Cinderella wasn’t invited to the big bash that was thrown by the Prince, but she went anyway. She didn’t whine and wait for opportunity to come knocking at her door. She crashed the party and became an instant hit. Her step mother was a proud, haughty individual who had two vain daughters in a previous marriage. Cinderella was forced to do all the house work to make life easier for the other women in the house, and after she finished her chores, she had no where to sit but on cinders. Thus she got her name. One day the Prince invited all the young ladies in the land to a ball from which he could choose a wife. Cinderella’s step sisters were invited and gleefully planned their wardrobes and taunted Cinderella by telling her that a mere maid could never attend the ball. As you might expect, Cinderella cried in despair as they all happily left for the grand evening in hopes of gaining the hand of the Prince in marriage. Her Fairy God mother magically appeared and vowed to assist the heart broken maiden to attend the ball. When she was finally ready to leave for the ball in her gorgeous attire, her Grandmother reminded her to return before midnight for the spell would be broken. She became so excited that she lost track of time and left only at the final stroke of midnight losing one of her slippers on the steps of the palace in her haste but was able to hold on to the other shoe. The Prince chased her but to no avail, but he did find the shoe she left behind and pocketed it vowing to marry the girl to whom it belonged. So the search began to find the damsel that the shoe would fit. Foot washing became an instant phenomenon. Long lines of giggling, giddy teen aged girls waited outside a shop that specialized in pedicures. Beauty after beauty tried the shoe on, but it did not fit until it was finally Cinderella’s time. The shoe fit, and Cinderella returned to the palace where she married the Prince. From this popular fairy tale classic, we discover an inspiring story book ending to an otherwise sad beginning. Rejects are rewarded. Nobody’s become some bodies. The last become first. The least become the greatest. That’s the clear, simple message of Jeremiah 29:11. God has plans for you that are beyond your dreams. He has a shoe that just fits you. He wants to pull you out of your poverty and give you prosperity. He has designs for you to succeed and not fail, to rise and not fall, to be on top and not on the bottom. He wills for you to do more laughing and less languishing, more singing and less sighing, more living and less dying. John 10:10 declares, “The thief comes not but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly.” Which shoe fits you? Refuse to wear the shoes that the thief provides. Wear the shoes that God has made just for you…it is living abundantly. Psalms 1:3 describes this life as one in which we can prosper in everything we do, but the shoe must fit for it to happen. They are: #1. Blessed (happy) is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly…(1) The shoe fits if we understand that a man can go wrong in many directions but right in only one. #2. Blessed (happy) is the man who does not follow in the way of sinners… (v.1) The shoe fits if we are willing to follow a path less traveled. #3. Blessed (happy) is the man who refuses to join the crowd of scorners. (V.1) The shoe fits if we are not a fault finder but a problem fixer. #4. Blessed (happy) is the man who finds delight in God’s Word. (v. 2) The shoe fits if we are not easily offended or discouraged. #5. Blessed (happy) is the man who controls his thoughts. (v.2) The shoe fits if we become an eternal optimist. This is exactly what God is saying in Jeremiah 29:11. He declared, “I know my thoughts I think toward you, saith the Lord….to give you HOPE IN YOUR FINAL OUT COME.” That is the eternal optimism we have in God when the shoe fits. Hope in the final out come. That’s what we believe and eagerly long for. We are going home with the King, and may I add….to live happily ever after. Wearing The Shoe That Fits Pastor Jimmy & Bob

Believe It or Not

Belief is the Genius of God planted deeply within each of us. It is God waiting and wanting to be recognized and released to do God Things in our lives. Philippians 2:13 declares, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and do His good pleasure.” Believe it or not! It’s so incredible that it is difficult for the human mind to conceive. God is in me. He resides there. He abides there, and He presides there as I give Him the opportunity. Helen Keller was aware of the Awesome God that dwells inside of us and proclaimed, “One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.” Believe it or not God has woven the impulse to soar into every fiber of your being. Jesus said it clearly in Mark 9:23. “If you can believe, all things are possible…” Moses didn’t believe that he had what it takes to lead people out of horrible bondage into glorious emancipation, but he did. The disciples couldn’t believe that a boy’s scanty sack lunch could feed a multitude, but it did with plenty left-over. We need a “believer instinct” revolution. One honest man in the New Testament recognized such a need and prayed, “Lord, help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) This man crashed into the wall of human logic and historical validation. He wanted to believe, but how do you believe in the efficacy of prayer when your son is suffering from a total lack of self control. He was a human wreck waiting to happen. Jesus said, “Believe it or not. I can do it.” The problem is not God’s. It’s ours. Our “believer” has been sabotaged. My prayer is: God help our unbelief. Believe it or not: 90% of the money you make with God as your partner is better than 100% without God. Biblical stewardship is the key to success with God. Make God a partner in everything you do. Everything belongs to Him, but He gives us 90% and asks for only 10% for Himself. It’s called tithing. It’s my way of honoring God. I don’t want to cheat my partner nor do I want to commit larceny with the God of the universe. If I cheat and rob, it will not be with God. I need Him. I depend upon Him. He gives me power to get wealth. He commands blessings to overtake me. He causes me to increase in goods. He blesses all the works of my hands. He opens up heaven and pours out blessings beyond what I can contain. (Deuteronomy 28:1-13) I will gladly give God 10% and keep 90% with the assurance that God is on my side, in my corner and rebuking the devourer of my finances, brings me happiness and prosperity in every area of my life. Believe it or not. It’s the best deal you will ever discover. In Malachi 3, God challenges us to try and see what He can and will do. Believe it or not: God is in control when circumstances deny it. On the very worst and last day in the life of Christ on earth, he was painfully and shamefully crucified. All evidence pointed to a calamity that was running completely out of control even to the Father. Nails riveted the sacred hands of Jesus. Pain ripped through His body like liquid fire shooting through His veins. A nasty crown of thorns was perched in mockery on His head, and finally a sharp lancet slashed a gash into his side and was pushed mercilessly under His rib cage. And there in bloody garments dressed, courted our love. It looked like a Divine debacle to the casual observer. But God was in control. The purpose of divine love become intelligible, the mysteries of prophecy unraveled and the great problem of human redemption was solved. Our horrible sins are submerged in His blood. All guilt was left nailed to the cruel tree. Condemnation is lifted once and for all, and the door to heaven is thrown wide open. Out of the worst----God produced the best. Yes! A thousand times YES! God is in control. Believe it or not-“If you can believe, all things are possible…” Believe it or not: There’s none so poor as he who knows not the joy of what he has. Just yesterday, a man made this observation to me. “Who would have ever thought 2 months ago that something like this could happen to me?” I know the man well. He has been one of the most vibrant, positive human beings that you will ever meet. He rose from the entry level position in his industry to become an industry leader. He is a proud veteran of World War II, has been a deacon in his church, married for more than 60 years, and has a beautiful daughter and enjoying a fantastic retirement. Then 6 weeks ago his right leg refused to cooperate. It swung loosely by his side and he drug it step by step to walk at all. There was a quick visit to the doctor’s office, an immediate set of tests and two hours later he was admitted to the emergency room at the hospital. HEMOTOMA. Blood on the brains. Some had been there for a few weeks. Parts of the blood were fresh. He was hemorrhaging from the brain as the exams were being conducted. He had brain surgery as soon as they could prepare him and schedule an operating room. Today he is walking, speaking slowly but clearly, regaining his cognitive control, developing occupational and day by day living skills. He’s glad to be alive daily. He finds great pleasure in being able to use both limbs in walking. He grins at a drop of a hat and looks forward to a complete recovery. Believe it or not - no belly aching from him. He knows the joy of what he has. He can’t drive, but he can breathe. He can’t run a triathlon, but he can put on his shoes, shave and feed himself. 2 months ago these “little” things were routine, but today, they are miracles. That’s what he has told people: “I am a miracle.” Believe it or not – you may have miracles all around you that you have forgotten. Don’t be so poor as to have forgotten what you have. It’s not what you have in your wallet that makes you truly thankful….it’s what you have in your heart.

Believing Together!

Pastor Jimmy & Bob

Super Size It!

When a regular sandwich is not enough, super size it. At McDonald’s, it’s your way of requesting a bigger burger, multiplying the golden brown fries and increasing the size of the slurping cup. It means give me more not less.

Elisha was one of the “super size it” gang. He was more than a punk, pimple faced kid with disrespect for his elders. He was mesmerized by Elijah’s greatness, and he asked God to “super size it.” The 14 miracles that accompanied Elijah’s ministry were breath taking, but he stuck his neck out and asked God to “super size it” He asked for a “double portion”, and God gave him 28 miracles before they sealed his tomb and mourners left him to rest in his grave.

God is a “Super Size It” God. He’s greater than our needs, and bigger than our problems. He’s God. He’s supreme. He’s sufficient. Psalms 86:10 declares, “For you are great, and do wonderful things: thou art God alone.”

Jesus alluded to this aspect of God in John 14:12. He said, “He that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also: and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto my Father.”

Phillip Brooks preached a challenging truth when he made this statement to the city of Boston. “It is time for Boston to get out of the peck measure into the bushel measure.”

Isaiah delivered the same truth in Isaiah 54:2. He said, “Enlarge the place of your tent…” In other words, he was demanding that God chasers make room for God to Super Size Things in their life. If you want a bushel blessing, then get a bushel basket and get rid of the peck measure.

My prayer is: “Super Size It, O God, in so many areas of our lives. Regular is not good enough. We want more.” Certain things should be givens when we pray this prayer. We want more of God, more faith, more prosperity, more of the Word, etc. but allow me to add to this list not to ignore it but to pray that God will also Super Size the following things in our lives.

O God, Super Size my resilience.

There is an excellent reason to ask for our resilience to be super sized. We all have set backs. They are common and frequently come at inconvenient times and from unexpected places. We therefore need bounce backs.

Jesus left no doubt about set back. He said, “In this world you will continue to experience difficulties….but you will be unshakable…” (The Message-John 16:33)

Unshakable and unstoppable. That’s what God promises: the ability to get through, get over and even thrive after trauma, trials and tribulations.

Take some down home advice from Marilyn Vos Savant. She said, “Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.” My prayer is: “God give us bounce back from every set back, in Jesus name.”

O God, Super Size my enthusiasm.

God give us “umph” to get over every hump and bump. “Umph” is enthusiasm. The word enthusiasm is derived from the word “entheos” which means GOD WITHIN!

If that’s what it means, super size it in my life. Give me a double portion. I want more. Regular is not good enough.

Charles Spurgeon said, “A blacksmith can do nothing when his fire is out.” It was to such people that II Timothy 1:6 was directed. “Stir up the gift of God, which is in you…” (KJV-II Timothy 1:6) In The Message it reads like this. “KEEP IT ABLAZE.

May God give you a zest for living today and super size it I pray.

O God super size my patience.

Let’s face it. I get in a great, big hurry, but God doesn’t. Patience is the virtue that makes it possible for me to operate on God’s time schedule not mine. Time and timing are vital to him, but it’s usually his time and timing not mine.

Patience means that I am living out the belief that God orders everything for the spiritual good of those who truly trust in Him. It means that I will not waver in my faith in God through the passing of time. He who waits on God never loses time.

The more patience I exercise the less likely I am to miss God’s best for my life. The Bible declares, “Knowing that tribulation works patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope…” (Romans 5:4-5) I love the way this same verse is expressed in The Message. “We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy like this, we are never feeling short changed. Quiet the contrary---we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit.”

I would like to leave you with these words. “Victory is not won in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later win a little more.” (Louis L’Amour)

Patience is the feet by which we continue to stand on the promises of God when time seems to be our enemy. Patience keeps it’s eyes on God not upon the clock.

Here it is in a nut shell. God makes a promise---faith believes it, hope anticipates it, and patience quietly and confidently waits for it. God, super size it I pray.

Praying For God To Super Size

Pastor Jimmy & Bob