Casting Your Net On The Other Side

Painting by Greg Olsen www.gregolsen.com

When Jesus encounters the disciples on the Sea of Galilee after His resurrection, we have this beautiful story of Jesus once again empowering the disciples to accomplish something they couldn't do on their own.  He tells the disciples to cast their net on the other side of the boat. The disciples are obedient and the result is an incredible haul of fish. As with any act by Jesus, chronicled by his disciples, there is an underlining reason or message for us beyond the miracle itself. Yet, we are left to speculate to the significance of this miracle. There is no definitive explanation offered in scripture. The disciples had gone back to fishing, to the the life they had before Jesus had called them to join him in being fishers of men. Jesus shows up and performs a similar miracle to the one in which he performed when he first met them.  You could easily say that the miracle was a wakeup call, a reminder for the disciples to continue their mission without Jesus and if they obeyed Jesus, their success would be bountiful.

But could it have also signified to the disciples and future believers, that they were now going to be fishing for men in different waters. They would be called in the near future to go beyond the Jewish race, beyond Jerusalem, to Judeah, Samaria and the ends of the world to do their fishing?  They would be fishing in the Gentile waters and the haul would be incredible.

And could there also be a message for us today?  Could it be that Jesus is calling pastors, church planters, and all followers of Jesus to cast our nets on the other side, into different waters? Could it be that the lack of growth in the church the past 20 years in the U.S. is because we have been fishing in the wrong waters?   

To be real honest, most churches do a very poor job of reaching the lost.  We have been fishing in an aquarium for the past 50 years.  Church has been primarily to and for Christians.  A pastor friend of mine told me the other day that he preaches consistently that their church is there to reach the lost.  He said he actually had one of his members come to him and say, "I really don't like it when you preach that we are here for the lost.  Pastor that is not true.  We are paying you to minister to us.  Our church is here for us Christians!"  I imagine there are many church members who feel that way, but would never come out and proclaim it.  When it comes to church, we have become more like country clubs rather than mission posts.  

With that in mind, do you think that Jesus is calling us to fish in another pond, to really try to reach those who are far away from God?  Could Jesus be telling us that casting our nets on the other side means spending our time, energy and resources in targeting those who do not know Jesus instead of to those who already know Christ?  Do you think that perhpas God is calling us to cast our nets back into the urban areas to reclaim what we have for the most part abandoned?  

We have been praying at The Missional Association that we can reach those in the urban areas of San Antonio who live in communities that are spiritually bankrupt. And God has sent our way several young men who feel God calling them to plant in urban San Antonio, to be missionaries in the city center.  It has been really exciting to work with these young men, to watch God transform lives and start to change whole communities. It is difficult work and requires a different mindset than planting in the suburbs.  But the harvest is plentiful and the need for workers is great. Please join The Missional Association in prayer for all of the churches and church planting movements that are commited to casting their nets into the waters on the other side of the boat, into the waters of the inner city, that we may reap an abundant harvest for God.  

The Illusion of Control

I find it amusing to watch those control freaks who make decisions to manipulate people and things so that they can feel as if they have exercised some control, even though in the long run their actions have no influence or even a negative affect on what they want to control.  

For example, football coaches at the end of a quarter, who try to "ice" a kicker by calling a time out right before the snap when the opposing team attempts to kick a field goal. There is no evidence that it works (causing a kicker to become more nervous and choke), and many times can backfire like it did recently in one of the bowl games when the field goal was blocked and the ball was recovered and returned for touchdown.  However, the defensive coach called a timeout right before the snap so the score didn't count and the next try was good.  This little exercise in the illusion of control cost the team 10 points. The real reason a coach feels compelled to call the time out is that it is the only thing a coach can do to have an impact on the kicker.  It just gives them the illusion of some sort of control. 

I see the same thing in the government's attempt to control the climate by passing regulations and trying to manipulate the lifestyle of millions of people.  It gives the regulators the illusion of control, a feeling that they are doing something when in reality they have little to no impact on Mother Nature and a negative influence on those they seek to control.

The problem with those who feel the need to exert control or have the illusion of control is that their actions can have very negative consequences on those they manage who lose autonomy with every bit of force exerted over them.  Often, the more control exerted, the more you diminish the potential of those you seek to control. 

As Christians we can be thankful that Jesus gave us freedom to make the right choices that would enable us to live the abundant life.  He laid out the values and the picture of that life by his example yet gave us wide latitude to live that life.  In contrast to the Jewish laws that had become an incredible burden on the Jews as the Jewish leaders sought to manage the lives of their people, Jesus said there were only two parameters, "love God and love others". And then God sent the power, through the Holy Spirit to help us realize this life.  

There is a small prayer that was made popular by Alcoholics Anonymous; God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. This small prayer packs a ton of wisdom, if we would only follow it, not just in our personal life but also in how we lead others.  Wouldn't it be a refreshing change if all of our leaders, church, government, and business, took this prayer to heart and equipped, empowered and encouraged those they lead to reach their potential without the need to control with tons of rules and regulations?

• What are the things that you feel compelled to control?
• How do you diminish the ability of those you lead by exercising control?
• How can you lead those you have been placed in authority over better with less control?  

Overcoming the giants in your life

Being a Baylor athlete and graduate, I've known what it is like to be the whipping dog, enduring years of getting beat down in sports.  Being a private Christian University presents quite a challenge in a league filled with giant state universities.  As recent as three years ago, many said Baylor didn't belong playing with the big boys. It was impossible for this private school to compete in the big sports. But something changed a few seasons ago, starting with the women's basketball team.  Baylor began to whip both the basketball and football Goliath's more than they lost.  And now, the little University that couldn't, has risen to the elite ranks of the college football and basketball rankings with their first BCS bowl game and national championships in women's basketball and an NIT championship in men's basketball. Exactly how Baylor accomplished this, not just in one sport but in the big three; football, and men's and women's basketball, would be a great study in overcoming what others perceived as insurmountable odds.

Malcolm Gladwell's book, David and Goliath tackles exactly that subject, the battles and victories of the weak over the mighty.. He uses a lot of examples and research to show that what many perceive as advantages may well be disadvantages and what looks to the world as a disadvantage may actually be to your advantage. Young David of the Old Testament dismissed the king's method of arming himself, (conventional wisdom), and used his unique slingshot skills to take advantage of a big, well armed, Goliath.  All were surprised that the little, undermatched David could conquer Golitath so easily.  But when you look at how he did it, you see that David used what was perceived as Goliath's strengths against him and his strengths were actually weaknesses.  watch Gladwell talk about David and Goliath 

Baylor has somehow taken its disadvantage (being a smaller Christian school) and turned that into an advantage to lure the kind of coaches and athletes to the school to make this remarkable turnaround that many believed impossible. The football team has transformed it's image into a entertaining, high flying, offensive team with contemporary, colorful uniforms.  Now high school athletes perceive that it is cool to be a Bear and when they come for a visit, they experience community, values and an intimacy that they may not get at other schools.  And winning makes it all the easier to draw the kind of athletes that you want. 

On the flip side is the giant University of Texas. The creation of The Longhorn TV network was perceived to be an incredible advantage for the Longhorns, so much so, that Texas A&M left the Big 12 as other schools cried foul!  But since the start of the network, the UT football, basketball and baseball teams have fallen to their lowest levels in decades. Now the jury is still out on how much of an advantage the network will actually be for UT athletics. Most everyone agrees (except Aggies) that Texas will return to the top and it may just be a coincidence that the football, baseball, basketball and women's basketball team's struggles have coincided with the start of the network. But could it be that the added responsibilities of the network to the coaches has affected negatively on their coaching? Perhaps starting such a venture has taken the focus from the games themselves. Who knows. But what everyone perceived as a huge advantage may actually be a disadvantage.

Another great example of what we believe to be a disadvantage, has actually been the stimulus to rapid growth of the Gospel in China.  The government's persecution of the institutional Church in China has caused the movement to go underground and grow rapidly through small groups. You may read about how Christianity has thrived in China in the face of massive persecution. 

read article on China house church movement

Gladwell's premise along with the many examples in the Bible, show us that perception is not always reality. What we often see as disabilities, problems, and challenges with insurmountable odds can often be used as actual advantages and the training ground that propels us to success.  The unique weaknesses in our life can become our greatest strength when we place them into the hands of God and allow Him to use them for His glory!  And sometimes what we think are great advantages, such as wealth, power and size can actually be weaknesses.  

Never allow the giants in your life to intimidate you. As you work to defeat or overcome them, God will use each one to help you become the person He created you to be and to accomplish what God wants you to achieve.

2 Cor. 12:9-10

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Our Works Colored In By The Father

I saw this wonderful post on Facebook and was fascinated by the drawings of Tatsputin. 

This father takes simple pictures drawn by his children and colors in the drawings while on the plane during business trips.  Whenever he returns home, his children always look forward to seeing the results.  

Check out these incredible drawings

As I scrolled down through the amazing drawings, I thought how great an illustration this is to what God does to our endeavors.  Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. When we put our labor and efforts into God's hands, the Bible says God will turn our lives and work into so much more, more than we can even imagine.  Even in times when we fear we are not up to the task, if we just obey Him, and try, God will take our simple efforts and add color so that our undertaking is often God's masterpiece.  

As I look back on my life, I am amazed to see how God has used circumstances and my puny efforts to bring about life change in me and in others. I never thought when I chose to follow God, that I'd be able to go to the places I've traveled and share the Gospel with the many I've been able to.  

However, I don't know the half of what God has accomplished through me.  We don't get to see the completed picture on earth.  We will only get to see the true extent of how much God has colored in our accomplishments when we get to heaven.  Won't we all be surprised (just as the children who drew the picture when they saw what their father had done) when we get to heaven and see the impact of our obedience to God and how he has magnified our efforts for His kingdom to His glory.  

When we feel inadequate or incapable of doing what God has called us to do, we should put our trust in Him, obey and leave the results up to our Father who colors in all of our works by and through His grace.  John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  

Four things we can learn from the Incognito - Martin fiasco

I have found the sensationalized story of the so-called bullying of Jonathan Martin by fellow offensive lineman Richie Incognito an interesting study in human behavior.   The story of this conflicted relationship between fellow NFL linemen blew up when when Martin took his problems to the press and the word "bullying" was used.  It has given the world a sneak peak into a locker room of the NFL and a study of a unique relationship between two athletes. Many are asking whether this relationship was an anomaly or whether it represents a bigger sample of life in the NFL. Others speculate whether a 350 pound man can really be bullied.  Not matter what you believe, there are some things we can learn from the story.

1) Leadership matters

Many of the Dolphins describe Incognito as the leader on the team.  He says that the vulgar language was just the way they communicated in the locker room.  But as the leader, Incognito fostered this kind of culture by participating in it.  He had the power as a leader to change culture but was either an instigator or complacent and allowed it to happen.  I don't believe all locker rooms have this sort of culture.  I am not naive.  I know that the language may not be what I would hear in my world, but this goes way beyond cursing.  There are many Christians in the NFL and many of them are leaders on teams.  I have a hard time seeing this kind of culture on a team that is lead by strong Christians.

2) Words mean something

What you say, even when you believe your words are said in love or in jest have an impact beyond your intent.  For example, I teach in a prison dorm each week which is a Faith-based dorm. There are 56 guys in this dorm living together, trying to learn how to live as Christians. One of the inmates is a short Honduran man who often leads worship in Spanish. He is a positive man who always has a smile on his face and I believe is sincerely loved by the rest of the guys. But he is very short and after he stands to answer a question, there is always someone who shouts out, "stand up"!  I know this is said in jest, and a lot of the guys laugh, but why would anyone point out a particular shortcoming over and over?  It is a reinforcement of a negative identity and is not the language you want to use to someone you love.  We learn this sort of language growing up.  It's sort of a way to prop oneself up, to make yourself feel superior by tearing another down.  And we can pick up the insecurities of others and often use them to remind them who is superior, even to people we are supposed to love and value, often times our own spouse.  The Bible has a lot to say about the tongue and the damage it can do.  Proverbs 12:8, Titus 2:8, James 3:5 ...But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.  It certainly has set Richie Incognito's life on fire.

3) Real love lifts up, does not tear down.

Incognito claims he said these things out of love for his friend Martin. It is a perverse way to show your concern for a friend.  1 Corinthians 13:4 reminds us what true love is...Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I don't find any of the these adjectives of love in the action of Incognito.  It is interesting that he describes himself as a good person, yet his actions tell another story.  We all can fall into the same trap, thinking we are one thing and yet acting quite the opposite.  Often we will continue to live in a state of denial until our actions are spotlighted and brought to our attention.  It helps to have another person who can tell us when we venture off course so we don't fall away from what we know is the truth.  If Richie had a Christian believer who cared for him, who could stand up to him and speak truth to him, things might have been different.  Obviously Martin wasn't strong enough to be that person.

3) Where we get our identity is the key

Eleanor Roosevelt said "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."  This is true when your identity comes from Christ. When our identity is Christ, we can overcome any attempt to belittle us.  Both Incognito and Martin show their insecurities by their actions and words.  If they were followers of Christ, they would not feel compelled to speak obscenities and racial slurs to prove their mettle and toughness and there would be no need to compare themselves to others. A believer's identity comes from what God's word tells us, not what others say. A mature believer should have a healthy perspective of who they are and how they should conduct oneself resulting in a toughness that rises above other's attempts to tear them down.

What disgusts me about our politicians and the church

I try not to get political on my blog however I'm so disgusted with our politicians that I must express my discontent.  What angers me most is when our politicians or any organization, put their interests ahead of the interests of the people or the body in which they were created to serve.  I detest those who are more concerned with preserving their own power than doing the right thing.  When I hear that we must vote this way or get behind this movement because it benefits the party, I am immediately turned off.  

Both political parties are guilty of this.  The democrats are making a lot of policy, not to help our country but to either aid their own party or hurt the republicans.  Some of their actions border on violating laws or constitutional rights in order to preserve their political power.   Examples are the IRS scandal and Benghazi.  This really disgusts me!  

But I also get upset at Republicans when they put the party ahead of the good of the people.  I've seen the argument that any immigration action that gives a pathway to citizenship for illegals would hurt Republicans because the majority would vote democratic.  It doesn't matter what the right thing to do is, what is most important is what helps the party.  This disgusts me. 

I'm angered because It reminds me of the Pharisees and their self-preserving actions against Jesus and the early Christian church.  It is exactly the reason Jesus battled the Pharisees because he recognized their self-righteous, self-serving system that valued power over the needs of the people they were given the responsibility to serve.  

I'm disgusted when churches put building their own kingdom ahead of building God's kingdom.  It makes my stomach turn when a pastor enlists and uses people to build his own kingdom "in the name of God." I get queasy when I see a budget that is weighted heavily on serving the members instead of reaching the lost. 

It is so easy to lose focus and forsake your purpose.  The Pharisees did it, the church has done it, our political parties have surely done it, and I'm guilty also. It's an age old problem that began in the garden.  But that doesn't excuse anyone's selfish actions, especially our religious and political leaders, who were put into that position to serve others.  That is why it is so important to remember your purpose and your values. When you live and act from your true purpose, you are less prone to fall into the trap of serving yourself.  

Let's hold all of our leaders accountable to honor and stay true to their purpose and values.  And let us all remember our God-given purpose; to be salt and light in this dark world.  

Using Social Media to Share the Gospel

The world is becoming smaller every day and the opportunity through social media and the web to share the Gospel continues to explode.  But the biggest challenge for me is how to do this effectively, to actually bring seekers to Christ instead of turning them away.  There are three resources I ran across recently that can be a great asset for effective online evangelism. 

The first is ExploreGod.com.  This incredible website is part of a coordinated effort among Austin churches and organizations to share the Gospel with seekers.  The movement was started by a Christian with a passion to see people come to know Christ who put a couple million dollars of his own money to make it happen. From what I understand, over 300 Austin churches of all denominations are participating with sermons and small group curriculum to answer some of the biggest questions unbelievers have about Christianity.  The idea is to get people and groups talking about God. Members of the churches are encouraged to ask their non-believing friends to church and to their Small Group. The website answers tons of questions with well produced videos and written answers. It is a great resource for all Christians and seekers. 

Another website is yesheis.com.  This is a similar website to Explore God with great videos, cartoons, music, testimonies and other resources that help answer questions and comfort people who are in pain or searching for answers.  Here is one of the illustrated videos from the website that explains the basics of Christianity.

http://www.yesheis.com/en/v/what-christianity

Wanting some good advice on how to evangelize effectively and almost anything relating to the web and evangelism can be found at Web Evangelism Bulletin

How do you use the internet and social media to further the Gospel?