FISHING FOR BIG SPUNKY FISH
"Follow ME
and I will make you
FISHERS OF MEN"
-Yeshua (Jesus)
Have you ever been fishing? If you have, and you ever got an exceptionally spunky and large fish hooked onto your line, then you know what REAL fishing is all about. There is a definite art to it. You see, it goes like this: in order to be able to successfully reel the big spunky fish in (without breaking your line of contact), you must "play him out." Which means you have to not only out last the stamina of the spunky fish, but you have to give him some slack in the line to run once in a while.
The reason for this is that a spirited and strong fish (if just reeled the fish in tightly) would probably just break your line and swim off -all the worse- hook and all!
So, what happens is that you reel this big spunky fish in some, and then let him run a bit. Then you reel the fish in some more, and let him run again. So that with each "reeling in" the fish gets a bit closer to being caught, but to relieve his panic of this, you let the fish have some freedom to swim. The big spunky fish reacts less intensely over time as you slowly through presistence wear him down. And each time, after you allow him freedom to play and swim around some, you can reel him in just a bit more. You must wear out a big spunky fish by out lasting his rebellion.
An experienced angler also has to know when to reel and when to let the fish have the feel of his run of freedom again. An experience angler can tell what to do by the reactions of the fish. The angler judges this by the way the tension is on the line between the angler and the fish. It is sort of like the line in the Kenny Rogers country song from the GAMBLER: "You gotta know when to hold 'em; know when to fold 'em." Eventually, after you have "played him out" you will be reeling your big spunky fish in; but normally, you will only do so, if you do it in a serious of steps like this.
Well, people are not fish, but when you go after some to bring the truth of the gospel into their lives; sometimes they the "big ones" can get "spunky." It is sort of like the old lumber-jack saying: "he bigger they are, the harder they fall!" It may sound bad to say it this way, but it is actually true: that when you are fishing for men, some are just -in a manner of speaking- bigger and spunkier to catch than others.
So, here I am, the fisher-lady, trying to hold on to and judge the tension on these three lines (and others) all at the same time! And I can tell you sometimes it is not only a challenge and a chore, but NERVE RACKING! If I did not know that I was not the only party on my end of the line, I might be tempted to turn loose and give up! But, I am NOT the only ONE on this end of the fishing line:
Comparing fishing for fish, and fishing for the hearts and souls of men to reel them in closer to GOD, there is ANOTHER at work with me on my end of the fishing line: The "RAUCH ha KODESH," or the Spirit of Holiness, sometimes called the Holy Spirit of GOD.
Whereas with fishing, the catching of the fish has mostly to do with the experience of the angler; with fishing for men, the catching has mostly to do with the SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD as we can clearly see in these quotes from the "Good News According to John," Jesus (or Yeshua, as his mother called Him) told a Jewish leader, who was seeking information about how to enter into the KINGDOM OF GOD:
YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN
JOHN CHAPTER 3 (NASB)
Then Yeshua (Jesus) told the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well:
... true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth;
for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
God is spirit,
and those who worhsip Him
must worship
in spirit and truth.
JOHN CHAPTER 4 (NASB)
"The PASSOVER FEAST was at hand," when Yeshua (Jesus) answered this question: "What can we do, that we may work the works of God?":
This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.
....
All that the Father gives ME shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
....
No one can come to Me, unless the Father Who sent Me draws him;
and I will raise him up on the last day.
....
It is the Spirit Who gives life,
the flesh profits nothing,
the words that I have spoken to you
are Spirit and are life.
John Chapter 6 (NASB)
As a "fisher-lady", myself, I learned some wonderful words of Jesus, which help reel spunky big fish in with less of a fight. It is this one where Yeshua (Jesus) is speaking in reference to God's will:
If any man is willing
to do His will,
he shall know of the teaching,
whether it is of God
or whether
I speak from Myself.
JOHN 7 (NASB)
WONDERFUL WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT!
TO THE SEEKING SOUL!
Basically because, what I hear Yeshua (Jesus) saying here is that:
If you REALLY want to know
then be sincere about it,
and you can check it out!
This is not a game, so you have to be sincere. But, if you are sincerely seeking God, and you are willing to follow Him; then according to Jesus' own words you can know:
YOU WILL SURELY FIND HIM!
Jesus (his mother called him Yeshua, which means SALVATION -in the present tense) actually said several statements to that Jewish leader besides: "YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN"? :
Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemous said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" Jesus answered,
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kindom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh,
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
JOHN 3 (NASB)
This is the reason that I comemented that in fishing for men, the catching has mostly to do with The SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD; and very little to do with the skill of those men He uses to do the fishing (other than the willingness of God's fishermen to fish). Because, actually, unless The SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD is actively calling someone to GOD, they cannot come and will not come! So, it really doesn't matter how good of a "fisher-of-persons" you are, you can't catch any without the SPIRIT OF GOD pulling on the line with you, then you can reel them in!
IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU KNOW GOD IN YOUR HEART:
Please pray for GOD'S SPIRIT to move in the hearts of men, women and children and draw them to HIM.
IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE AWAY FROM GOD,
OR
IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU DON'T KNOW GOD
(IN THIS PERSONAL WAY):
Please pray for "willingness" -which is a gift from GOD'S SPIRIT. You must be willing to come to GOD and be willing to follow His good way for your life.
AND IN PRAYING JUST REMEMBER ONE THING:
IF YOU ARE WILLING
HE IS ALWAYS WILLING!
I can tell you plainly that in my humble experience at this life, that trusting in GOD and following HIS Good Way for your life, is by far the best way to go.
"WHY?"
Because He created you! He created the world, and everything around you! He knows your future! Much more than that He made you for a purpose! And in order to be truly happy in this life He gives to you as a gift, you need to seek out your purpose. And the way to find your purpose you were created for is to seek HIM FIRST! Then He will show you your purpose.
Even if your purpose in this life is a rather difficult one, His Good Way for your life is best for you to choose to do, always! And that's why I am:
FISHING
FOR BIG SPUNKY FISH!
-Trusting (More Fully) In HIM,
-Sandy Lynn
COPYRIGHT: WWJD MEDIA
AUTHOR: SANDY LYNN PATTON
DATE: 12 APRIL 2005/3 ABIB (NISSAN) 5765
RIGHTS RESERVED: Permission Granted to recopy and distrubute
for non-profit use ONLY. All other rights withheld
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posted by W.W.J.D. MOVEMENT | 11:16 AM
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