When even Fishes went to Church

   The word of God is so sweet and powerful that even nature is attracted by its power. Once upon a time there was a service at a Gennesaret seashore church. Jesus was the preacher.  His pulpit was a hired canoe belonging to a discouraged fisherman who was ready to fold up for bad business.  The man had "toiled all the night," it was reported, without a single fish.  He had the resources – good nets and a boat.  He had the strength and the experience.  He know the right time and place to do that business.  He toiled in the night in the deep sea.  He was not a lazy man who did nothing but wait to blame his failures on fate.  He worked had.  Yet, for all his labours at the right time in the right places with the right tools, he had the wrong results.

            When Jesus asked for his boat, he had no hesitation to loan out for free the unfortunate business boat.  In that boat he had known so much failure that if anyone thought he found a use for it, he was not going to hesitate for the fellow to try out his 'luck,' in case the boat would have other better uses.

           

That was the boat which became Jesus' pulpit during His sermon to the Gennesaret seashore congregation.  That failed boat was going to be very useful in the Master's hand.  In His hand, it became the instrument or avenue for a great miracle.  As Jesus preached, all the fishes which had fled even the high sea while Peter was on duty, began to draw close in their droves to hear the gospel.  They were all around the boat; they were everywhere under the waters, they were listening as Jesus preached.

           

Naturally, fishes – especially fishes of their category – usually stayed in the deep waters.  But today the Master of the whole universe was having church for once in their territory.  He was having church for once on water, not on land, and all the fishes had to troop down to church that day to hear their Creator's voice 'live' – a rare life-time priviledge.  The word of God is a powerful attractive force.

            After the sermon, the Lord was going to show appreciation to the despairing fisherman who had loaned Him his failed boat.  The fishes were to help the Master pay that debt.  So, while the men hurried home after church that day, the fishes remained behind to settle the Master's outstanding bills, sacrificially; with their very lives if need be.

           

Jesus then said to the depressed and nearly bankrupt fisherman: "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught."  That was too ambitious and too sweet to be true.  Peter protested: "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing."  In other words, "You are no fisherman.  We know these waters too well to know that this is no place and no time to expect any fish, let alone a draught.  We've already been through all those routes and can tell You that there is no business there."  But he had to check himself and add: "Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net."  And he did.  And to his lifetime surprise, it was as the Master had said. "The inclosed  a great multitude of fishes" so much so that their nets began to break.  The fishes had come to Church that day.

         

  If even fishes would go to church, how much more you? If fishes would travel so far to an unusual shore, from their far away places in the high sea, only to hear the Master preach, what about you?

            The word of God is a powerful force which attracts success and victory.  Success is drawn to follow God's word.  "Goodness and mercy shall follow me" (Psalm 23:6).

            Has your boat failed? Try letting the Master have it, and your empty boat shall come back to you brimming over with more blessings than an eternal night of toil may ever yield.  One cast of the net at the Master's direction will always be more fruitful that a lifetime to toil with the 'right' tools, in the 'right' places at the 'right' time, without the Master's guidance.

            Even fishes will come to church when the master has your boat.  As you do God's work, the fishes will come looking for you.  You may no more have to spend sleepless nights to toil chasing them about in vain.  Thank God, even fishes love to hear the word of God. What about you friend?

God bless you.

Receiving the Lord's Fresh Oil in This Season of Shaking

Transitions are a normal part of living. If we are growing and moving forward, we regularly experience them. Most likely you are right now in a transitional season of life. Look around at our world. The Lord has fresh oil for you during this season of change! 

We are in a time of severe shaking; politically, economically, socially, and personally. Confusion abounds everywhere. Everyone has a plan, and each plan seems to contradict and conflict with the others. Prophecy is becoming our reality "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven." [Hebrews 12:26] There is indeed a whole lot of shaking going on. But it is not all demonic! God is shaking things up to bring his people into a place of alignment with His purpose. Trust Him. The outcome will be glorious even when the transition seems tedious. Be encouraged: The Lord has fresh oil for you during this season of change!

Psalm 92 is for people who are going through a transition. If you notice the Psalm begins before the first verse with these words, "A Psalm. A song for the Sabbath day." So, this particular psalm (or song) was written primarily to sing on the Sabbath day. Why the Sabbath day? The Sabbath is a day of rest; a day set apart for worship, but it is also a day of transition. On the Sabbath, you are leaving one period behind and preparing to enter into a new. On the Sabbath, you say goodbye to yesterday and greet tomorrow. It is a day of change, a time of preparation.

The Ninety-Second Psalm is written specifically for the transitional season. This Psalm holds important keys to your success. There are at least six keys to transition I see in this passage but primary among them is the promise found in verse 10, "You have anointed me with fresh oil." Oil in the Bible is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. To anoint means to "pour out" and "to smear into."  Anointing with oil represents the Holy Spirit coming to a person to enable him or her to accomplish what would otherwise be impossible for them.

When David was anointed to be king of Israel the Scripture says, "Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord came on David from that day forward." [I Samuel 16:13] It was the Spirit of the Lord that enabled David to kill the lion, the bear and the giant. It was the spirit of the Lord which enabled David to become all God proclaimed him to be. So, it is for us. We cannot do what needs to be done without the Spirit of the Lord being mighty in our lives. We need anointing! We need fresh oil.

Why "fresh oil?" It isn't because there is anything wrong with yesterday's oil (or anointing.) It was perfect for that season. But today we are in a new season, and every new appointment requires a fresh "ointment" from God. Far too often the church tries to deal with today's challenges by using yesterday's oil. But new challenges demand fresh empowerment. We read in Acts 13:9, "Then, Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit..." Paul faced a situation unlike any he had ever faced before, and as the Sorcerer withstood him, the text indicates that Paul received a fresh filling of the Spirit and a great miracle occurred.

Today you and I are facing greater challenges than ever before, but we need not be intimidated! We can expect to be "anointed with fresh oil." God has anointing reserved for the days we are living in. He knows what challenges lie ahead of you, and He is prepared to pour on you exactly what you need for this day. Do not be discouraged, and don't give into dismay. Those who walk with God will walk in His supernatural enablement. Nothing you will face in this season of shaking and uncertainty is unknown to God. He is ready for it! He has a plan, and His plan includes pouring on you fresh oil for the new appointments you face! Make seeking Him your priority during this season of transition and receive the fresh oil you need for the season.

Transitions are a regular part of our life, and I believe this word will help you navigate the changes. Take time to study Psalm 92 for yourself, and if you like, we have an audio version entitled, Navigating Transitions, available at www.KeithNix.net. I know you will be stirred and blessed as you dive deeper into this revelation!  

God bless you.

Why Revival Tarries...?

 Is anything greater than praying? Is prayer not the master key that opens all doors? the omnipotence that moves all mountains? Why do we not have revivals in our churches? Is it not because we do not pray? Why is our land oppressed? Why do the wicked rule us? Is it not because we do not pray?

      The answer would seem to be evident, that prayer is the only missing ingredient from our individual and collective lives,
 one factor responsible for our many woes. But a reading of 2 Chronicles 7:14 seems to reveal otherwise; it seems to indicate that sometimes we have put too much emphasis on prayer to the neglect of other factors on which successful prayer itself depends.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

     

Before prayers, a man has to ensure that he is a person of God; that he belongs to God; that he knows, and God knows, that he is God’s. Next, he has to be one called by the name of God. A name is what people call you. This then refers to two aspects of a person’s character: (1) Does God claim him as His? (2) Do people also know him as God’s? Do they know him enough as God’s to so address him? The two parts, then, refer essentially to the character of the one who can pray to bring results down not only for himself but also for his community.

      As creatures of God, everyone, just and unjust, is entittled some general blessings such as rainfall and sunshine from the Father in heaven (Matthew 5:45). But when it comes to praying for the land, not everyone is qualified.

      Anybody may ask some blessing for himself as an individual, and receive it from God. But when it comes to standing in the gap for a land, one needs more than the general rights which entitle everyone to God’s general blessings. One needs both to be God’s person, as well as be called by God’s name.

      In Matthew 16:13-17, Jesus did something that seemed to stress the importance of the kind of name one earns in society. During His baptism in River Jordan, Jesus heard the voice of God saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). In other words, God was testifying to everyone that Jesus was His. That is, that Jesus qualified as one of those He would imply by the term "my people." So, He belonged to God, and God belonged to Him. Yet that witness alone was not sufficient for Him. Jesus also wanted to confirm the second aspect of 2 Chronicles 7:14 - the name by which men called Him. In Matthew 16:13-17, therefore, Jesus asked His disciples two questions.

 

 Firstly, He asked, "Who do men say that I am ?" In other words, "By what name do they call me in this community?" They replied, "Some say You are Elias, others say You are Jeremiah. Some see You as John the Baptist." In other words, "Some call You Elijah, some call You Jeremiah, others see You as one of the prophets. They all see You in a proper light and they class You only among the best." Then He went further to ask the disciples what they thought He was. Peter called Him by His true name: the Christ, the Son of the living God.

      God had initially said in Jordan: "You are mine." But that was not enough for Jesus. He also wanted to ensure the `Part B’ of the pre-conditions stated in 2 Chronicles 7:14. He asked if He was called by God’s name, or if He was known by a bad name whereas He thought He was a good man.

      We can go further to infer from 2 Chronicles 7:14 that the people who are called by God’s name still have to do something more before they can start to pray revival down upon their land. They will have to humble themselves to pray. They cannot pray in pride. A proud people do not qualify to pray the kind of prayer that can bring healing down upon their land. That further stresses the fact of character for the one who may pray the kind of prayer that can bring down results to his land.

The kind of life you live is very important to the kind of prayers you can pray...

      Why does the Bible say in James 5:16 that the "prayer of a righteous man" - righteous man specified - "availeth much"? It is not just prayer that avails much. The quality of life of the one who prays is also a factor in how potent or otherwise the prayer can be. David states in Psalm 66:18: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear me." What was he saying? He meant clearly that if he should go to pray, with sin in his heart, no matter how fervent his prayer would be, the Lord would not hear him. In other words, it is possible to pray, while having sin in the heart. He states that the prayer of such a person will not be answered. The person may have a consistent and rigorous prayer life of about three hours every day, yet he would not have results commensurate with his input. He might say the right words, yet not be answered. Another who has no sin in his heart might say the same words, and get results. It means, then, that it is not just the words God answers in prayer. It means that the life of the one who speaks the words is also very important.

      In Matthew 6:7, Jesus further reveals that it is not our words that attract God’s attention. We are not heard for our "much speaking." "Much speaking" is the pattern of prayer for the heathens; but the fact that they speak more words (which also implies that they spend a longer time in prayer) does not mean that their prayers are effective. Why? They are heathens. They have iniquity in them. They pray more, but they lack the other very important factor of "righteousness" which makes prayer to avail much.

   Prays so much but is not righteous. Luke 18:9-14 indicates that also. Two men went into the temple each to hold a prayer meeting. The first was not a righteous man, but he had been doing many righteous works, such as giving alms, fasting, paying tithes, and generally living a moral life that was better than many other men lived. He presented those works of his as his certificate, as the reason why God had to answer him. The other man had no such credentials as fasting or good works to cite. He acknowledged his sins before God. We are informed in the end that the proud man, who did not humble himself to pray, went home with his problems, whereas the shorter prayer of the other man, even without the decorations of regular fasting, giving of alms, a moral life, etc, had a greater result.

   





The kind of life you live is very important to the kind of prayers you can pray, whether effective or not. It is not so much your words God answers in prayer, but your life also. Prayer is important. Let us emphasize it as much as we can. But the reason why we do not yet have a revival in our nation, in our churches, in our individual lives, might not be so much the absence of prayer as it is the absence of holy living. For prayers, we pray a lot. Prayer vigils, prayer conferences, fasting retreats, etc. Hardly any day passes without a person praying at least one minute for the land or his church. Multiply over 2 million Christians in the nation by that amount of prayer... or let us even take a very conservative figure of 1,000. Multiply 1,000 Christians praying at least 1 minute a day for the land, that makes over 16 hours of prayer. That is longer than the prayer meetings that we usually hold. I wonder how many single prayer meetings, prayer vigils, or prayer conferences have had a prayer meeting so long. Now let us do the same computation for any church. Multiply at least 50 Christians in the church by 2 minutes of prayer daily, that comes to 100 minutes, which is 1 hour, 40 minutes of prayer for the church daily, which is a lot of prayer time. So, it is obvious that a lot of prayer is being prayed. Why then is there no result? The answer is what we are here discussing - a discrepancy between the volume of words we speak in prayer, and the quality of the lives of the people who pray the prayers.

      We need to pray, but saying prayers is not all upon which the welfare of our nation or church depends. It also depends on the intensities of our holy lives. Amen.

God bless you.