Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

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 “Unless the LORD builds the house,
   the builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
   the guards stand watch in vain.”  [Psalm 127:1]

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Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.  He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”  “No,” they answered.
 The Lord Jesus met them by the Sea of Tiberius (Galilee). Seven of the disciples were together at the time--Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, James and John(the sons of Zebedee) and two others whose names we do not know.
Simon Peter decided to go fishing on the lake, and the others agreed to go with him.  This seemed to be most natural decision. That night they caught nothing. They were not the first fishermen to spend night fishing without success! They illustrate the uselessness of human efforts apart from divine help, especially in the matter of fishing of souls.
Jesus was waiting for them as they rowed toward the shore in the morning, although they did not recognize Him. Perhaps it was still quite dark, or perhaps they were prevented from knowing Him by God's power.
It is the same as if the Lord asked, "Young men, have you anything to eat?" Disappointedly they answered Him,"No."
As far as they knew, He was just as stranger, walking along the shore. Yet, in response to His advice, they cast the net on the right side of the boat, and lo and behold! A great load of fish. So many that they could not pull in the net! This shows that the Lord Jesus had perfect knowledge as to the location of the fish in the lake. It also teaches us that when the Lord directs our service, there are no more empty nets. He knows where there are souls ready to be saved, and He is willing to direct us to them--if we well let Him.



Miraculous catch of fish

 “He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.”  [John 21:6]

Miraculous catch of fish



 

"Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven"

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 “Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?  But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”  Then the man got up and went home.”  [Matthew 9:4-7]

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"Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven"

Four men came to Him, carrying a paralytic on a crude bed or mat. Because of the crowd, they had to tear up the roof and lower the man into Jesus presence. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."
When some of the scribes heard Jesus declare the man's sins forgiven, they accused Him of blasphemy within themselves. After all, only God can forgive sins, and they were certainly not about to receive Him as God!
The Lord Jesus read their thoughts, rebuked them for the evil in their hearts of unbelief, and then asked them whether it was easier to say. "Your sins are forgiven you." or to say, "Arise and walk."
Actually it's as easy to say one or the other, but which is easier to do? Both are humanly impossible, but the results of the first command are not visible whereas the effects of the second are immediately discernible.
In order to show the scribes that He had authority on earth to forgive sins, Jesus condescended to give them a miracle they could see.  Turning to the paralytic, He said, "Arise take up your bed and go to your house."
When the multitudes saw him walking home with his pallet, they registered two emotions-- fear and wonder. They were afraid in the presence of an obviously supernatural visitation. They glorified God for giving such power to men.
But they completely missed the significance of the miracle. The visible healing of the paralytic was designed to confirm that the man's sins had been forgiven, an invisible miracle. From this they should have realized that what they had witnessed was not a demonstration of God giving authority to men but of God's presence among them in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. But they didn't understand.
As for the scribes, we know from later events that they only became more hardened in their unbelief and hatred.
Do you believe Jesus Christ as the God who came into this world to die for your sins?



Paralyzed man healed

 “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”  [Matthew 9:2]

Paralyzed man healed




...But I come to you in the name of the LORD

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 “The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”  [1 Samuel 17:37]

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...But I come to you in the name of the LORD

The Philistines assembled their troops for war at Socoh of Judah.  Saul and the Israelite army assembled and camped in the Elah Valley, where they got organized to fight the Philistines.  The Philistines took positions on one hill while Israel took positions on the opposite hill. There was a valley between them. 

A champion named Goliath came out from the Philistine camp. He was more than nine feet tall. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore bronze scale-armor weighing one hundred twenty-five pounds.  His spear shaft was as strong, and its iron head weighed fifteen pounds.

He stopped and shouted to the Israelite troops, “Why have you come and taken up battle formations? I am the Philistine champion, and you are Saul’s servants. Isn’t that right? Select one of your men, and let him come down against me.  If he is able to fight me and kill me, then we will become your slaves, but if I overcome him and kill him, then you will become our slaves and you will serve us.  I insult Israel’s troops today!” the Philistine continued, “Give me an opponent, and we’ll fight!”  When Saul and all Israel heard what the Philistine said, they were distressed and terrified.

“Don’t let anyone lose courage because of this Philistine!” David told Saul. “I, your servant, will go out and fight him!”

“The LORD, ” David added, “who rescued me from the power of both lions and bears, will rescue me from the power of this Philistine.”

“Go!” Saul replied to David. “And may the LORD be with you!”

The Philistine got up and moved closer to attack David, and David ran quickly to the front line to face him.  David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone. He slung it, and it hit the Philistine on his forehead. The stone penetrated his forehead, and he fell face-down on the ground.  And that’s how David triumphed over the Philistine with just a sling and a stone, striking the Philistine down and killing him—and David didn’t even have a sword!  Then David ran and stood over the Philistine. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword, drew it from its sheath, and finished him off. Then David cut off the Philistine’s head with the sword.

David had no trace of fear as he responded to the giant's curses. He had complete faith that the Lord would give him the victory.


David Kills Goliath

 “So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.”  [1 Samuel 17:50]

David and Goliath




The Image of Gold and Blazing Furnace - Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

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 “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. ”  [Daniel 5:16-18]

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The Image of Gold and Blazing Furnace

King Nebuchadnezzar made an idolatrous image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He then summoned all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. So the provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: As soon as you hear all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.  Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

 Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,  and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?  Now when you hear the music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual  and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.  So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.  The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,  and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

   So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire,  the governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.  Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

 The three young men were unharmed. The fire had burned only the cords that bound them. Afflictions succeed in accomplishing God's purposes and setting us free from the things that binds us.  The king was so impressed that he forbade anyone to speak against the God of the Jews and promoted the three young men in the province of Babylon.

Are you taking a firm stand for truth like the three young men?

 

Walking in the fire

 “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods. ”  [Daniel 3:25]

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in furnace




RESULTS OF THE FLESH

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 “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;  idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions  and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  [Galatians 5:19-2]

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RESULTS OF THE FLESH

Listen! What kind of works does fallen human nature produce? There is no difficulty in identifying the works of the flesh.  They are evident to all. Adultery is unfaithfulness in the marriage relationship. Fornication is unlawful sexual intercourse.

Uncleanness is moral evil, sensuality. Lewdness is shameless conduct involving absence of restraint. Idolatry is not only the worship of idols, but also the immorality that accompanies demon worship. Sorcery is witchcraft, magic spells. It also include superstitions.

Hatred means strong feelings of malice directed toward individuals. Contentions are discord, variance, quarrels. Jealousies are distrust, suspicions. Wrath is outbursts of hot anger or passions.  Selfish ambitions are self-centered strivings to be number one. Dissensions are separations caused by disagreements. Heresies are sects formed by men with self-willed opinions.  Envy is displeasure at the success or prosperity of others. Murders are unlawful killing of others. Drunkenness refers to intoxication caused by strong drunk. Revelries  are riotous gatherings for entertainment, accompanied by drunkenness.

Paul warns his readers, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  The passage does not teach that a drunkard cannot be save, but it does say that those whose lives are characterized by the above catalog of fleshly works are not saved.

Why should Paul write in this manner to churches of Christians? The reason is that not all who profess to be saved are true children of God.

Let us examine ourselves in light of God's Word. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). 

ONE COMMAND

 “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  [Galatians 5:14]

One Command