Tag Archives: followers

You have a commission, so what does that mean? (John 5:30-35), January 31, 2017

Today’s Podcast

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
A commission is an important document. It gives the holder the authority to act on behalf of the one who issues the commission. How does that affect us as followers of Christ?
Scripture
1. John 5:30-35
2. Jesus: I have not ever acted, and will not in the future act, on My own. I listen to the directions of the One who sent Me and act on these divine instructions. For this reason, My judgment is always fair and never self-serving. I’m committed to pursuing God’s agenda and not My own.

If I stand as the lone witness to My true identity, then I can be dismissed as a liar. But if you listen, you will hear another testify about Me, and I know what He says about Me is genuine and true. You sent messengers to John, and he told the truth to everyone who would listen. Still his message about Me originated in heaven, not in mortal man. I am telling you these things for one reason—so that you might be rescued. The voice of John the Baptist, the wandering prophet, is like a light in the darkness; and for a time, you took great joy and pleasure in the light he offered.

Devotional
1. In May of 1976, I raised my hand and took an oath of office as an officer in the United States Army accepting a commission issued by Congress.
  1. I serve to support and defend the constitution against all enemies
  2. I serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States
  3. The commission is for life, it doesn’t expire, and remains in effect unless withdrawn by an authority appointed by the President
  4. The commission gives the scope and boundaries of my authority as an officer in the United States Army representing the President and the United States as I fulfilled the responsibilities outlined in that document
  5. I proudly served on active duty for thirty years and continue to support my country under the authority and responsibility of that commission
2. Jesus had a commission from the Father while He breathed the air we breathe and stood on the dirt on which we stand
  1. Came to save that which was lost
  2. Came to be light to the world
  3. Came to heal and forgive
  4. Came to show the Father’s love
  5. Came to give a new covenant
  6. Came to introduce God’s spirit
3. Gave His followers a commission before He left to ascend to His Father
  1. Go
  2. Make disciples
  3. Teach them
  4. Do the things He did
  5. Live within the boundaries of the commission He gave
4. How are you doing with the commission God gave you? Are you living up to the terms of the commission He presented to you? Only you and God know the answer, but He will ask the question one day.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The way of the cross (Luke 20:46-47) December 29, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Song of Songs 5-6

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 20:46-47
Jesus: Beware of the religious scholars. They like to parade around in long robes. They love being greeted in the marketplaces. They love taking the best seats in the synagogues. They adore being seated around the head table at banquets. But in their greed they rob widows of their houses and cover up their greed with long pretentious prayers. Their condemnation will be all the worse because of their hypocrisy.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Do you know any of those? Are you one of those? You know, people that dig into God’s word just to trip other people up? They nitpick words and phrases to get their point across and condemn everyone around them for failing to see the message those words send us from God’s word. They stand firm on their conviction that what they say is absolutely true because they pulled it from the Book. And if God said it, it must be true.

Those people are right in one respect. What God says is true. But we have to be careful not to take His words out of context. The Bible says there is no God – that is if we stop in the middle of the psalmist’s thoughts. The rest of the words around that phrase says there is no God in a fools heart.

But those people are deadly wrong in the misuse of God’s word. They play with fire when they misrepresent God using His words to guide people in ways contradictory to the plan He has for us. Remember Satan used scripture often to entice people to do wrong. He even used scripture against Jesus to tempt Him to take shortcuts to His rightful place as Lord of all nations and all people. Jesus didn’t fall for it because He knew scripture and knew the missing parts. Because He knew scripture, Jesus recognized the fallacies in Satan’s arguments and recognized him for who he was. The tempter. The adversary. A lion roaming the earth seeking whom he might devour.

Those folks Jesus talks about look good on the outside. They are members of churches. They sit on boards and councils. They determine the direction denominations will go over the next years. They collect and spend the offerings that pour into the churches in the form of tithes and offerings. They teach and preach from God’s word, but it is often a perverted message that doesn’t share what God intends His word to share.

I’m certainly not talking about every Bible scholar and every preacher who fills a pulpit. There are some great men and women sharing God’s word and doing their very best for the kingdom. But there are some that use their religious platforms for their own greed and power. They care more about the size of their wallet than they do the size of their heart. If you’re listening to God through His word, you can figure out who they are pretty quickly. His word does not steer you wrong.

Is there hypocrisy in my church? Unfortunately, I would have to say yes, there is. I can see it in the lives of some of the members. Is there hypocrisy in your church? If I were a gambler, I would bet a paycheck there are. And I would bet another paycheck that I’m not wrong in that assessment. Our churches are full of hypocrites. But that’s okay. Look who Jesus was talking to. He was addressing the scribes and Pharisees. The scholars who knew scripture better than anyone else. The leaders of the faith. They attended services faithfully. They participated in all the rituals faithfully. They gave their tithe and more faithfully. Yet Jesus called them hypocrites.

Did that stop Jesus from going to the temple to worship? Certainly not. Did it stop Him from participating in those same rituals? Absolutely not. He did them faithfully, understanding fully the reason behind those rituals. Did it stop Jesus from continuing to study God’s word and using it to support His messages to the crowds that followed Him? We see that most of His preaching took text from the ancient writings of the law given to Moses and the prophets and the writings that existed worship places of the Jews.

Jesus recognized the hypocrites wherever He went, but He still preached to them, healed them, ministered to them, invited them to follow Him. He never stopped them from being around Him to hear and witness the kingdom of God in their midsts. Jesus knew the only way to reach a hypocrite was to allow them to join into genuine, intimate worship. Until they see the difference between their fake religion and real righteousness, they will continue to fall prey to Satan’s lies. But when they draw near and listen, they have the opportunity to hear the message, make amends, repent of their hypocrisy and find their way back to God and His kingdom living.

Just stay in God’s word. You can pick them out. And when you do, be very careful that you don’t fall into the same traps they fell into. Stay rooted in the word. The whole thing, not just your favorite chapters and verses. The hypocrites will see your walk and maybe find a new way, a better way, the way of the cross.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Strange rules (Luke 18:31-33) December 22, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Song of Songs 5-6

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 18:31-33
Jesus: Look, my friends, we are going up to Jerusalem. Everything the prophets have written about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the outsiders. They will mock Him, disgrace Him, and spit on Him; they will scourge Him, and they will kill Him. And on the third day, He will rise from death.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Okay team, we’re headed to the Super Bowl. Here’s how the game will go. Once we get on the field, the other team is going to pound us into the ground. The referees will look the other way and won’t call a single penalty on them, though. In fact, when they run off side plays or have pass interference or blind tackles, we’re the ones that will get the flag, not them. By the end of the first quarter we’ll be down 21 to nothing and by the end of the half the score will be 45 to zip. But don’t get discouraged. That’s just the first half. They won’t be bringing their first string in until the second half, so it’s okay.

In the second half, the first string will be ready to play since we will be pretty tuckered out by then. Most of the team will be broken and bleeding on the sidelines within the first few minutes of the second half. I expect we’ll only be playing with about eight players total by the end of the third quarter. The rest will be benched because of injuries or they will just be so beaten up and exhausted they can’t make it onto the field anymore. But that’s okay. I’ll still be the quarterback and we’ll make it.

So at the end of fourth quarter, all of you will be in the locker room or on the way home. I’ll be the only one on the field and the refs will still be calling the game for our opponents. Nothing will be out of bounds for them. In fact, I expect they’ll even try to bring some brass-knuckles and lead pipes on the field just to make it interesting with only one player opposing them. But that’s okay, too. I’ll still be in the game for you and the Super Bowl will still be televised for everyone to see. So in the last seconds when they kill me and the score is 112 to 3, don’t worry. I’ve got this wrapped up.

You see, the world has these rules they play by, but there is a new owner of the NFL. He just bought all the teams and isn’t allowing any but him to influence or make the rules. He doesn’t really care what the scoreboard says or what the referees think they are doing. He owns the entire franchise now and he sets the rules. When the final whistle blows, he is the one who will hand the cup over to the winning team. He will have watched the whole game from a position where he can see every move, and even hear every word that every player and every coach says.

He’ll know everything that goes on down on the field and will determine who wins in the end. Oh, by the way, he gave everyone the rules a long time ago, but I don’t think very many people read his rule book. They decided to make up their own. That’s why the score will run up the way it will and all of you will need to run away and let them kill me. But like I said, don’t worry. Even though I’m out there not breathing, with no heartbeat, and they decide to bury me, that’s okay. There will be a lot of controversy over the game.

Our opponents will think they won because of the score and all of us gone, but the trophy won’t have been given out yet. So just stick around. This will get interesting. So we play on Friday this year instead of Sunday just to be different. The owner is trying to shake things up a little. And since the game will be pretty brutal and I’ll be a pretty messed up blob of flesh by then, they’ll bury me the same day. But what would normally be game time on Sunday, the trophy will be presented.

And guess who will get the trophy! Me. You guys can join in on the fun later, but I’ll get the trophy and all those guys that thought they won because they scored so heavily on Friday will just stand there with their mouths open. They won’t believe they lost the game, but that’s the way it goes. They didn’t write the rules. The owner of all the teams writes the rules and if you don’t play by his rules, you can’t win. He doesn’t care about scores, he cares about how you play. And since I did everything he asked me to do, I win. Period. End of conversation.

Well, it’s not a super bowl. And it’s not a game. But I hope you get the point. God gave us the rules a long time before any of us were born and He’s watching. He’s the one that determines who wins in the end. In fact, the winner has already been declared. Doesn’t it make sense to be on that team?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Is it worth it? (Luke 14:26-30) December 3, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Acts 21-22

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 14:26-30
Jesus: If any of you come to Me without hating your own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and yes, even your own life, you can’t be My disciple. If you don’t carry your own cross as if to your own execution as you follow Me, you can’t be part of My movement. Just imagine that you want to build a tower. Wouldn’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to be sure you have enough to finish what you start? If you lay the foundation but then can’t afford to finish the tower, everyone will mock you: “Look at that guy who started something that he couldn’t finish!”

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Sometimes we Christians give non-believers the wrong impression about the Christian life. We kind of let people think the Christian life is easy. Just let Jesus be Lord of your life and everything will be great from there on out. You’ll always have plenty of money. Friends will pour in from every direction. Jobs will fall into your lap. God will do incredible things for you all the time. You will always have a smile on your face because God is a God of love and He will make things perfect for you, right?

Well, that’s not the Christian life that I’ve experienced and if you ask most Christians, they will tell you that their walk has not been a bed of roses. The Christian life is not an easy one. Jesus hinted at the difficulties we would face as He talked to those who followed Him. He continually talked about suffering, taking up our cross, being despised by the world. He didn’t say much about easing through the world with lots of comfort. He talks about the rewards at the end, but until then, He indicates life can get pretty hard since the world doesn’t understand us and because of that failure to understand us and believe in Him, they will hate us intensely.

Jesus laid out the costs of following Him throughout His ministry. He scoffed at the wealthy because they put their faith in the wrong things. He told the rich they already had all that would come to them if they didn’t let go of their golden god and embrace the One, True, Living God. Then He said count those costs and see if you want to pay them before you sign up. I don’t think He wanted anyone to be disillusioned about want it means to be a Christian. He didn’t want anyone to think everything would turn out just the way you want when you decide to give your life to Him. Because it won’t.

We don’t know what just right means because we’ve lived in a tainted world that tells us our whole life what right means but the world is wrong. So what we think is right is probably not what God thinks is right. So expect to be disappointed sometimes. Expect to be angry at what God allows to happen every once in a while. Expect to scratch your head and wonder why things progress the way they do because they just won’t make any sense to you. But remember God is God and we are not. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what is best for us and His world. He knows how to make His plans work through our lives. And He will when we let Him.

When you count those costs, though, you’ll also find that the costs are well worth the price. The price is everything. It is all you have, all your material goods, all your dreams and aspirations, all your relationships, all of you. The cost of following Jesus is a commitment of everything you can think of and everything you can’t think of now but will pop up in the future. It’s all or none with Him. That is a pricey commitment. There is nothing else that will cost you so much. Nothing demands so much of you as following Jesus.

But in the end, when time finally comes to a close and the last tick of the clock has sounded, you will discover the cost has been infinitesimally small compared to the reward you receive. Despite the sorrow you might experience here, there will also be indescribable joy. An inner peace that can only be explained by the presence of God Himself living inside you. You will find that God really does meet your needs. Not your wants, but your needs. We often get our wants and our needs confused in our materialistic world, but God never does. He knows what you need and provides it at just the right time when we stay in the center of His will.

God also gives you opportunities to serve others as you serve Him. He puts you in places and situations at just the right time to share what He is doing in your life so that you can introduce Him to others in a way that allows His spirit to stir their hearts and so allow them to come to know His saving grace as you do.

Are the costs worth the prize at the end? Absolutely. But don’t be surprised by the cost of being a Christian. It will never be an easy life. God never told anyone who stayed in His will that He would make life easy for them. But He always promised it would be worth it. And it is. Trust Him. He never breaks His promises.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Who should we follow? (Mark 12:38-40) September 3, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – John 13-15

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 12:38-40
Jesus: Watch out for the scribes who act so religious—who like to be seen in pious clothes and to be spoken to respectfully in the marketplace, who take the best seats in the synagogues and the place of honor at every dinner, who spend widows’ inheritances and pray long prayers to impress others. These are the kind of people who will be condemned above all others.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

They look righteous, but they’re not. They look like they are in touch with God, but they’re far from it. They have all the right trappings, but clothes don’t matter. They can pray up a storm. Well, maybe not, but they now how to put a lot of good sounding words together that sounds like they reach to heaven. But they don’t. People see them coming and bow their heads. They like it a little too much. They always sit at the head table and frown if they’re not at the head table. Not such a great attribute on God’s character scale. They know how to raise money. Well, they know how to spend other people’s money, anyway. Temple projects and needs draw from the poorest of the nation because everyone wants to contribute as their rhetoric builds enthusiasm for their pet plans. Only they don’t give so much, except their name to the project.

Sound familiar? Know anyone like that? I’m afraid there are too many of them around in today’s world. Those who want to call themselves religious leaders, but for all their pomp and ceremony, they really don’t have the goods. They look nice on the posters. Their flashy smiles and quick wit draws huge crowds. But their message is really pretty empty.

“Just be good and everything will be okay.” Only that’s not what Jesus said. He said we must come to Him in repentance if we want to see heaven.

“Don’t worry about being too religious. As long as you’re better than most of the people around you, God will look out for you.” Only that’s not what Jesus said. He said none of us meet the standard. It’s only because of His shed blood we have any hope at all.

“Don’t worry about all that sin talk from the fundamentalists. God loves everyone. He won’t send anyone to hell.” Only that’s not what Jesus said. He said those who do not repent will find themselves in an eternal hell where the fire is never quenched and the worm never dies.

So who do we look to for guidance then? Who do we follow to make sure we’re on the right path? Who do we emulate to ensure we make it through the pearly gates and don’t get the same pronouncement Jesus gave the scribes who act so righteous?

It’s really an easy answer. Follow Jesus. If you get your eyes on anyone else, they are closer to God that you are. They are between you and God. Interesting thought, isn’t it? And God doesn’t want His relationship with you to go over, around, or through anyone else. He wants it with you. So just watch Jesus.

You say, but He’s been gone 2,000 years. He ascended into heaven and I can’t put my eyes on Him like His disciples did. How am I supposed to watch Jesus and be like Him?

It’s really an easy answer again. He left His word with us. His spirit inspired men to pen His instructions and those letters, those scriptures, have passed down through the generations. There are more and older copies of the Old and New Testaments than any other ancient book. And remarkably, well, not so remarkable, God did it, the oldest manuscripts all the way to the most modern all say the same thing. The scribes who copied and preserved God’s word were so meticulous in their work that manuscripts from 500 years apart in production are identical in content.

So just read His word. See what He has to say. Read the stories of His life as recorded in the gospels. Observe how He treated people, how He taught and shared the message of God’s love and hope for all who would listen. Watch how He dealt with sin as He forgave those who came to Him. He never condoned their behavior, but He forgave them and built relationships with them.

Then read the letters from His Apostles and disciples to the earliest churches. Read the instructions Paul gave his proteges. Listen to the words again and again until they become part of you. Follow Jesus’ example in thought, word, and deed. That’s how you emulate Him. Just read what He has to say and then do it.

Then carry on a conversation with Him every day, several times a day. Get in the habit of asking Him the direction He wants you to take. If you truly want to follow Him, He will guide you. God has a funny way of getting involved in our lives when we ask. He’s a good Father. He’ll give you advice. Just ask.

So who do we follow, Jesus and that’s good enough for anyone. In fact He’s the only one to follow.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Can you face Jesus’ baptism? (Mark 10:36-40) August 24, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 99-101

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 10:36-40
Jesus: What is it that you want?
James and John: Master, grant that we might sit on either side of You, one at Your right hand and one at Your left, when You come into the glory of Your kingdom.
Jesus: You don’t know what it is you’re asking. Can you drink from the cup I have to drink from or be ritually washed in baptism with the baptism that awaits Me?
James and John: We can.
Jesus: You will indeed drink from the cup I drink from and be baptized with the baptism that awaits Me. But to sit at My right or at My left is an honor I cannot grant. That will be given to those for whom it has been prepared.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Those followers of Jesus would be immersed in the same baptism Jesus was about to receive. But what was it? They really didn’t know and if they did, I’m not sure they would volunteer for it. I’m not sure I know anyone that would volunteer for the suffering Jesus would endure in the next few days. The Romans were really good at torture and causing intense, prolonged pain before execution. The fact that Jesus and the two thieves on the crosses near Him died on the same day the Roman soldiers hung them on the cross was an oddity. Seldom did their executions last a single day.

The Romans wanted their subjects to understand they were in charge and could cause immense agony for those that dared challenge Caesar’s authority. I expect the thieves did something other than just steal something. I expect they stole from a Roman official. That’s probably why they found themselves charged and sentenced with such a severe form of execution. Bandits were everywhere in Jesus’ day. Thievery was common. These two must have done something that caused the Romans to want everyone’s attention.

So Jesus asks His two Apostles if they are ready to endure the worst. They don’t know what He’s asking yet. They readily answer yes. We often jump to the same answers when we first meet Jesus. We answer quickly when we listen to a charismatic preacher or an inspiring sermon. We wave the Christian banner and quickly declare we will do anything for the kingdom of God. Bring it on! We will face anything and everything for Jesus.

But do we realize what we’re saying? And then do we stand by that commitment when the chips are down? Those questions are becoming more important every day. All we need to do is listen to the news and see the wickedness in our world to know the hatred of Christians and God in general is on the rise. People in this nation, that not long ago called itself a Christian nation, no longer want to wear that title as a nation. We have decided that calling ourselves a Christian nation makes us intolerant of other religions so we must be wary of using that moniker to describe us.

Of course, there is no such taboo on raising the awareness of other faiths. Any of the other religions are welcome to declare their tenets of faith and denounce the cause of Christ without interference. But Jesus promised us that would happen. He promised the world would hate us because of Him. So if you wear His name, you will be hated. If you declare Him Lord of your life, you will consistently be pushed aside and the world will do its best to defeat you.

Jesus promised His followers we would suffer in this world. But He also promised He has already overcome the world. He made this place and all that is in it. He has dominion over everything here. One day, all of creation, all of us, every person created will bow before Him and acknowledge that He is God and worthy to be praised. But until then, if we follow Him, expect to be immerse in the same baptism of hatred, suffering, persecution, that Jesus faced.

When you expect to face the worst and He allows you to escape from some of the persecution and suffering His Apostles and our early church followers endured, we can stop and praise Him for His protection and comfort. But remember, the church thrives under persecution. It grows exponentially as people see how God’s children face the transition from this life to the next, all the while with a heart full of forgiveness for those that act without understanding the nature of the evil they commit at the bequest of Satan.

Do any of us want to face the kind of suffering Jesus faced? No. And none of us will face that kind of suffering. We may die for our faith. We may lose everything for Jesus. We may carry our own cross and walk beside Him in carrying His message to a lost world. But He carried all our sins on His shoulders. We will never suffer the way Jesus did. We can rejoice that He set us free from the worst Satan has to offer. Death didn’t hold Him and He’s promised a resurrection for us, too, if we will follow Him.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

But I don’t like to fish! (Mark 1:17) July 5, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Kings 1-5

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 1:17
Jesus: Come and follow Me, and I’ll send you to catch people instead of fish.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Several years ago I had a couple of fishing poles. They sat in my garage. I think I used them twice in the years I owned them. I finally threw them away after they were broken in one of my several moves. I wasn’t sad. I might have been fishing twice in the last forty years. I’m not a fisherman. I really don’t much enjoy fishing.

Fishing isn’t a very exciting sport to me. I suppose if I was good at it and could catch fish easily and it didn’t take much time to get my limit I might enjoy it, but it never happens that way for me. The last time I went fishing I spent a lot of time baiting lines and hooks and caught…nothing. I saw a lot of water. Got a pretty good sunburn. And got pretty bored with the whole thing. Like I said, I’m not a fisherman. If I never wet another line, it wouldn’t break my heart. Fishing again is not on my bucket list.

So when I read in Mark that Jesus tells Simon and Andrew, “Follow Me and I’ll send you to catch people instead of fish.” I wasn’t so impressed. These were fishermen and I didn’t belong with them. They knew how to catch fish and probably enjoyed their jobs. Jesus was pulling them away from their livelihood, one in which they prospered. He was going to let them keep their jobs but change their catch. If I had been there, I would have been a visitor and frankly His appeal to fishermen would not have impressed Me. I would have just gone home.

Have you ever thought about that? Would you have jumped at the chance to follow if Jesus asked you to go fishing? Now, knowing what I know about Him, my answer would be a resounding yes, but before I knew Him? I doubt it. So where am I going with all this? What’s the point?

I think it’s important to understand who Jesus is talking to as He asks Simon and Andrew to follow Him. These two men are fishermen. They love to fish. They know just about everything there is to know about fishing. It’s their livelihood. They own multiple boats. They hire others to help in their business. These guys love fishing! Jesus uses their love to explain what He wants them to do.

If Jesus came to me to invite me to join Him the same way He came to Simon and Andrew, I think He would appeal to my love of teaching or my love of technology or my love of strategic planning. He would pick something I do that I’m currently engaged in and enjoy. I think He would invite me to do those things for Him and use those skills to bring others into His kingdom.

Jesus talked about agrarian things in His parables, fig trees, olive branches, sheep, harvests, because the people around Him lived in an agrarian society. They understood His metaphors. They knew the language and signs and symbols because they lived with these things every day. They grew gardens in their yards because that’s how they got their food. They had sheep in their fields because that’s how they got their meat. They lived the parables Jesus used to teach the people around Him.

Today, I think Jesus would use traffic jams and unions strikes and political campaigns and pollution generators and wind and solar powered generators and all sorts of things we see and hear every day to explain the kingdom of heaven at hand and God’s desire to show us His grace and mercy. I think Jesus would share with us in ways that speak to our hearts using tools that help us clearly understand just how He wants us to live and share the message with others.

He would call us to follow Him just as He called Simon and Andrew. But He might not ask us to be fishers of men. He might ask us to follow Him to be taxi drivers and carry people to the kingdom or pilots to fly them away to heaven or who knows what occupation He might use to help you or me better understand He has a specific role in mind for us. He created each of us with a purpose. God’s plan will be fulfilled and we can choose to be part of it or not. But if we choose to follow Him, He has a plan for us, too. He has work for us to do in His plan. We can be part of the good work He does.

I will bring others into the kingdom, but not as a fisherman. I just don’t like to fish. That’s not what I do. Jesus knows that about me. But He does know what I like and what I do best. That’s where He calls me and that’s where He uses me in His great plan. What a Savior, Master, and Lord we serve!

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
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