Thanks to Cindy Hanson’s comments about my testimony, a light bulb lit up inside me:
“… nice story, glad yours ends with cash, my experience, however, is the true gift besides salvation, is being a husband and father to your family and offering love and kindness to the community you live in. Not saying money isn’t a good payout,but I believe it to be a rare one. I too am glad you visited your insurance man. God rocks. (Cindy Hanson)
Believe it or not, I have not paid much attention lately to the fact that the Lord brought $50,000 to my publishing company after I was saved on May 20, 1985. It somehow gets loss in the shuffle over the years.
Now, at the time it was a BIG deal. I even daydreamed that maybe I would be this successful Christian businessman with a jet, flying to Full Gospel Businessmen’s meetings across the nation, giving my testimony on prosperity. But hey, give me a break, I was a baby Christian; this was where I was at. Maturity takes time.
Cindy pointed out that receiving cash as a part of the salvation experience was a rare happening, but is it? What do scriptures reveal?
Now when He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
But Simon answered and said, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”
And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
…When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken.
…So when they brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. (Luke 5: 4-6, 8-9, 11
I do not believe in the so-called prosperity gospel, but the facts are that Peter, Andrew, James and John dropped everything and followed Jesus because the Lord blessed their fishing business. The fish meant money in their pockets and food on the table for their families. It was what they desperately needed, and the Redeemer used their needs to capture their hearts.
Jesus said:
If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works…(John 10:37-38)
Think of all the masses of people crowding around Jesus wherever He went. Do you think these people were thinking about eternal salvation and forgiveness of sins? No, almost all were not. Most needed healing miracles or food or something. And Jesus met them where they were at so that He could capture their hearts.
Now, the revelation that I received because of Cindy’s comments concerns us Christians and how we evangelize homosexuals, perverts, drunks, drug addicts, gangs, prostitutes and the like. We tend to hold our noses, point our fingers at their sins and tell them that they are “rotten sinners going to Hell.” No wonder they don’t like us, right?
How would Jesus evangelize these groups?
Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. (Luke 5: 3)
Jesus climbs into people’s boats (their lives), discovers their needs, meets their needs…and then, day by day, cleans them up.
Wow! Hello Larry Who! I need to follow His example.
Larry Who 
Great word ,and I don’t think we have yet to get the full understanding on this issue. He wants us blessed ,to be a blessing.Problem is we sometimes have gotten side tracked.[so human] But maybe we are beginning to mature a little,huh? Thank you Larry for the other ‘Word’,it really was an answer to prayer. Your a blessing. Cheryl
Hi Larry,
you picked one of my favorites, evangelism!!
Now I think you are catching on here to who I am, I love discussion, a master at moving the spirit into maturity (mine, but if you want to come too, the more the merrier) BUT…
I should look it up now, but it’s late, I believe all those fish they caught were dropped… yes, I just reread that part you acknowledged this in your blog… never to be cashed in by them… they just took up and followed Jesus, just like that. No calling the wife, kissing the kids.. just went…
a miracle is a miracle and we all are pretty blown away when we see one! Check this out… they had this faith before knowing what Christ was going to do. And that was a penny miracle!! But they had to see the miracles. Christ had to set the stage. He had to authenticate who he was without drawing too much attention… or letting on what prophecy he would fulfill until later… and even then the ‘guys’ didn’t get it.
Here’s my epiphany for the year… living on this side of the cross, we HAVE to take it on faith. it’s not to say we don’t receive miracles, we do, everyday. I myself have escaped death more than once, who knows why God would spare me! But He does. And I take it on faith that it’s because he loved me so much to give me His only son. THAT is a miracle worth more than the world could offer.
So, then, I wonder if it would have been cool to be alive back then and have seen Christ for myself… and I hear ‘the whisper’ the ancient knowledge, we were all chosen to be alive in this time because we’d have great faith. However, I stand by my original comment, I’m holding out for His love. Being a romantic, I don’t need anything else.
This faith of mine, loves everyone, even the jerk at the office… THAT’S a miracle. This faith also ‘washes the feet’ of those around me because, what a blessing to be someone else’s miracle.
Seriously, when people are granted worldly gifts that’s great! I love that because God really is cool and speaks to us in ways we’ll see it. He is relevant to each of us in our own time. I wish I could receive a big cash settlement for my surrender… but He knows for me it would take care of bills and be over. It wouldn’t blow my mind. I would never use it to evangelize. Because I am the fisherman, who in blind faith dropped all my fish to follow Christ. I still have bills to pay, children to feed, but I’m not a money motivated person.
We all get amazing gifts, and I’m willing to bet, Larry, there is one or two up your sleeve that you haven’t noticed yet. gifts that will outlast any cash in your wallet. and when it hits you, if it hasn’t already, you will clamour to give it away to anyone who is willing to receive it. because ‘a light loses nothing when it lights another candle’
Keep going. I’m enjoying your blog, this IS one of those gofts by the way, I hope you don’t mind my own ramblings… which truly are for my own benefit, I too am crafting ideas.
Peace and care to you! Cindy
Cindy Hanson,
I, too, love a discussion. You said:
“I believe all those fish they caught were dropped … never to be cashed in by them… ”
I disagree.
In verse 7 of Luke 5, it states that Peter called his partners (James and John, the sons of Zebedee) and they filled both boats.
In verse 9, they talk about the catch of fish. And in verse 11, it states that the boats were brought to land.
So, did they leave the fish in the boats to stink up the Sea of Galilee and rot? And thus ruin these business assets. No, I don’t think so because in John 21, Peter went fishing in his boat again. And these wooden boats had to be kept in shape by responsible people while the disciples were following after Jesus.
You said:
“they just took up and followed Jesus, just like that. No calling the wife, kissing the kids.. just went…”
Although verse 11 in Luke 5 states that “they forsook all and followed Him”, this probably does not mean that they did not go home, talk with their wives, settle up their business affairs and then head out in a responsible manner. Because to do otherwise, they would have denied the faith and acted worse than unbelievers (1 Tim. 5:8).
well, Larry,
You are correct, it doesn’t say they didn’t take care of the fish or their families first. It doesn’t say anythig at all, we are left to guess. That would have smelled pretty nasty! 🙂
I did take the time today to through each gospel in the first call for disciples. and we really are off on a tangent about what happened to the fish!!! :)LOL I do this in my classes too, don’t feel singled out! 🙂
With that said, I would imagine you are correct that the ‘bounty,’ it was taken care of by someone. The pull of the call in the story leads ME to understand the fish as a bounty, were irrelevant, as the point was they were to be fishers of men. They witnessed a miracle and were moved to learn more. I think that is a pretty fascinating call.
I am enjoying this… this happens to be exactly where I am at in one of my studies!! Thank you for making me go back!!! I am terrible at memorization, I pray God doesn’t hold that against me!
Now Timothy… 1Tim. 5-8 refers to taking care of relatives… that is a good call to reference here. As the purpose of the church in these texts leave instruction from Paul to taking care of the widows, elders, children and slaves, by those who have money.
Further into chapter 6, specifically vs. 5- 8, you’ll also note a warning against the love of money, and then to go on for more instruction about wealth, vs. 17-20. All of Timothy is a jewel from Paul!!
This was a serious time for Timothy, left to take care of church in serious spiritual trouble…
you speak it beautifully that Jesus ‘gets into the boats of our lives’.. and THAT IS how he evangelizes today… through us. (you used ‘would’ and I propose he ‘does’) I won’t make a promise that if they just believe enough, have enough faith their troubles will disappear. you are so right on that he meets each of where we’re at… and knows even better than oursleves what we really need. If it truly is money, than that is what you get, but God has such a different vantage point and grants us what we truly need.
We don’t need to be so serious. Scripture isn’t a battering pole. Fun is a good thing!
I love digging in and finding scriptures relevance for today, as it never lets me down.
Thank you Larry, for the great conversation. My apologies for not being respectful of the fish…
My ‘bounty’ is my labor, my time. I would imagine that would have been a lot to just leave without taking care of it all first.
Have you read my last poem, I think you might like this one too…. I’ll be back! and try not to be so controversial!
Cindy,
Just a reminder: the revelation that I received came because of your digging around. So, I am indebted to you. Thanks
the hole is getting deep then!!!
this has all been superior ‘coffee talk’