The only fishing I care to do is for men. “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). I may not have much skill, but I do apply myself to the task. If you share that interest, I hope to encourage you today. I wonder if one of the best fishing holes is often overlooked. 

Almost every Sunday, we have some visitors at church (no doubt churches vary greatly). Most will be saved, but some might not be. Consider that for most people it takes a bit of courage to walk into a new place where they don’t know others. “What will the service be like?” “What will the people there be like?” “Will I fit it?” Many more… 

Talk about fish jumping into the boat! Here is an opportunity to show believers and unbelievers the love of Christ and make them feel valued and welcome. Our motives are very important. We love them because Jesus loves them, not to fill pews. We want to minister to hearts similar to how Jesus was with the Samaritan woman at the well. Not just, “Welcome, hope you will come back.”

The challenge for most in the church toward visitors might be thoughts like this. “I don’t know them.” “What will I say?” The worst and most likely excuse is, “I’d rather talk to my friends.” Instead, seek them out before and after church and talk to them. Some pastors encourage people to be prepared to invite visitors out to lunch.

The visitors may never darken the door of another church again. May we love them because Christ first loved us. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:11). 

Side note: a Brother in Christ recently asked me what the best resource was for learning how to share Christ with others. I thought you all would have some good recommendations for me. ???

I’m guessing most professing Christians have thought about the downward spiral of the U.S. Ten years ago I would not have imagined the current status. I was saddened then, and deeply grieved now. The natural tendency is to look for who to blame. Only the Lord knows, but there may be some benefit in considering whether we might be culpable in some way. 

First, is there anything that might have the power to change the course of over 300 million people? Oh, my Brothers, yes indeed. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20).

There is power in the blood of the Lamb, and it changed a wretch like me. The saving power of the blood of Jesus is what is needed. Do we have our hand to the plow or the remote control or a movie channel? 

Are you aggressive in meeting people with the goal of sharing Christ with them?

Are our actions consistent with what we believe? Peter said he would die with Jesus. There appeared to be no doubt in his mind that he was committed to following Christ (Matthew 26:33). Yet a brief while later, he denied Christ three times (Matthew 26:70-75). 

You tell your wife you love her, but do you live it (Ephesians 5:25, 28)? That greatly affects whether she believes you or not. 

Do you believe God answers prayer? If so, do you pray? What do you pray for? Your best life now, or God’s will be done? We have the assurance that if we pray consistent with His will, He will answer.  

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:14-15).

Oh my brothers, we must pray, pray, and then pray more. 

When I am “engaging” someone and if they indicate they are a Christian, I will usually ask if they read the Bible. This week one answered, “not as much as I should.” This is a very common answer, just below “no.” Their answer to that question reveals something about where they are spiritually and how they might be encouraged.

Jesus told Nicodemus (John 3:7) that he must be born again. That means there must be a spiritual birth for a person to come into a relationship with Christ. Then after the birth, there must be growth, and that comes by feeding on the Word. The “milk of the Word” is essential. It is amazing, boundless, and to be craved.

“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (1 Peter 2:1-3). If a baby doesn’t desire milk, that is not good. Also, we should be concerned for anyone’s spiritual life if they don’t desire the Word.

May we all love and consume God’s Word everyday. It is amazing beyond measure.

Most have greeted someone they know with the wrong name. However, it is even more embarrassing to warmly greet someone by name and discover they are a different person entirely, and you have never known them. Hey, we are human and can easily make those sorts of mistakes. Right?

However, the worst of the worst is to not “recognize/know” God for Who He really is as revealed in Scripture. Many have shared their understanding (picture) of God, and sadly, that isn’t the God of the Bible. Their God is all loving, merciful, and forgiving Who excuses, understands, and winks at their sin. That is a god of their own creation, only partially correct. The God of Scripture is also just, holy, and righteous. As such, God hates and must punish sin. 

“These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes” (Psalms 50:21).

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).