OzThoughts Monday 12th January 2009

OzThoughts Monday 12th January 2009

There is something relaxing yet exciting about fishing. Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take my son and one of my grandsons fishing. At fifteen, my grandson is still a novice fisherman. I think he has been fishing only about 4 times and maybe taken home only one fish. I could understand his excitement.

His excitement rose when he said “I’ve got one”. It was a flathead and I doubted it would be over the legal length. I measured it and it only went 34cm. I then looked at the tail and it had black and white stripes. It was a bartail not the dull brown with a black spot of a more common dusky flathead. The legal length for a bar tail is only 30cm while the dusky is legal to keep only between 40cm and 70cm. His smile got wider as I told him, he could keep it.

Simon and his brother Andrew along with James and his brother John were fishermen. As they did it for their livelihood, they without any doubt knew the excitement and relaxation but also the frustration and disappointment of a day or a nights fishing.

When Jesus came along, they heard his message: “Time's up! God's kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message.” I wonder if there was any outward sign that they heard and believed the message, and changed their life.

In one sense that does not matter because Jesus came to them with a new message, an invitation to follow him: “Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.”

We don’t need to wonder any longer. We read “They didn't ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed.”

There’s an example to follow. This week what is Jesus saying to us? Let our response be immediate and complete.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, at the beginning of this week, tell us what you would have us be or do for you. I pray that through our immediate submission to you, your Holy Spirit will be enable to use us in a way that brings praise to you. Amen

Mark 1:14-20 (The Message)

14-15After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee preaching the Message of God: "Time's up! God's kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message."
16-18Passing along the beach of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew net-fishing. Fishing was their regular work. Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." They didn't ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed.
19-20A dozen yards or so down the beach, he saw the brothers James and John, Zebedee's sons. They were in the boat, mending their fishnets. Right off, he made the same offer. Immediately, they left their father Zebedee, the boat, and the hired hands, and followed.

[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/songs/songs_047.mp3

Mine to rise when thou dost call me,
Lifelong though the journey be;
Thine to measure all its windings,
Leading step by step to thee.

Chorus
I am thine, O Lord and Master,
Thine to follow to the end
Thou art mine, O Christ my Saviour.
Guide and helper, lover, friend!

Mine to follow, even blindly,
Thine, O Christ, to go before;
Mine to try and scale the barrier,
Thine to fling an open door.

Mine to smile in face of failure,
Thine to gladden my defeat;
Mine to kneel and drink of Marah,
Thine to make its waters sweet.

Thine the sealing and revealing
All the outcome of my vow,
As I give thee soul and body,
Mine no longer, thine just now.
Authors: Susie Forrest Swift (1862-1916)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 510

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