Friday January 20, 2017

Matthew 4:19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

I could say that when I was a fisherman, or thought I was, my net was full of holes. My "net" was ineffective in catching anything. Sin in my life had created those holes, and made my "fishing" very un-productive, to say the least.

But my net was able to catch something, and that was me. I was caught in the net of lies and deceit. My net of sin had wrapped me up in itself. And as desperately as I tried, I could not get out of it. I floundered in the water, barely able to keep my head above the water. Satan kept lying to me saying "You can do it. You got yourself into this and you have the strength to get out of it. At other times Satan lies told me that I would never be worthy of God's love, "Look at your life." "You have sinned for far too long, the Lord won't accept you. You are filth to Him." were the lie I heard. It wasn't until I had been "caught" for some time, struggling as I was that the Lord Jesus came into my life on Tuesday August 26th 2009 at 8:40 AM when I audibly heard my Savior say "Todd, I love you" and released me from my tangled mess. It was then that I realized that all Satan had told me were lies. It was right then that Christ started helping me to "prepare" my net.

My sins led me to prison, but it was there, that I had the time, if you will, for Him to work out His plan that He had for my life, even before I was born. The life that I had continually run from. He made it so that, now, when I cast my net, I would be able to catch others. Those who were sinning and to bring them in, to the family of Christ.

The old proverb goes like this, "Give a man a fish, and you will feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a life time." In my past life I would go to church and be fed for that day. I was looking to others to give me fish, so that I could eat, even if it was just for today. But I would return to my sinfulness on Monday. During the week I was hungry, desolate, alone inside. But my incarceration was God's way of showing me that I was a fisherman, and that my sinful life, that He saved through the shedding of His blood, was in my past and could now be used to lead others to Him. You could say that out of the ashes has come beauty. James 5:20 reads: "Let the [latter] one be sure that whoever turns a sinner from his evil course will save [that one's] soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins [procure the pardon of the many sins committed by the convert]." Amplified Bible.

I share my story, so as to share with you what Christ did for me and what He can do for you. Just as Jesus continually walked with me, even as I sinned, and called out to me. He calls out to you also. I want others to find what a great and awesome God we have, without having to hit rock bottom, like I had to do. I want others to see that no matter what was, or is, God loves you, and desires to have a relationship with you. I want you to know that what you may feel about yourself not being worthy to be in the presence of Jesus, is a lie perpetrated by Satan to discourage and demean you both mentally and spiritually. I pray that you read what I have written and know that Jesus died on Calvary's cross for your sins. He died so that you too can enter into His courts with thanksgiving. Christ wishes for you to have a life full of peace, the inner peace that only He can provide.Tonight I am throwing my "net" out there, in hopes of catching someone for Christ.