Peter went fishing with an empty boat and empty nets, he returned with an empty boat and empty nets.
Then he went fishing again with an empty boat with empty nets, and this time he returned with 2 boats and nets full of fishes.
You can position yourself to have the same experience Peter had, Find out what happened in the time interval Peter’s first and second fishing trip that made the difference and made this miracle possible.
Question: Did Jesus have any needs? That’s an interesting question wouldn’t you say? Jesus was God’s Son, the firstborn among us all, so did He have needs?
Below I share 4 ways we see Jesus meet Needs from the gospels.
‘Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.”
Luke 6:47-48 NKJV
God had a purpose in mind before creating you (Jeremiah 1:5). And you will accomplish your purpose only in and with God (John 15:5).
When discovered and accepted a purpose influences life decisions, offers a sense of direction and gives meaning to life. Unlike purpose, a dream often originates from an individual whereas a purpose is predetermined by a Creator or Manufacturer. And while a personal dream may not always be one’s purpose, a purpose can very much become a dream when it is discovered, accepted and committed to.
Sometimes, a purpose can be connected to a vocation or personal ambition. For example, I have colleagues who I believe are called to be doctors. I don’t see them doing anything else than giving care and hope to people through medicine. They are good at it. they enjoy it, they are settled in it. I have also become very settled in what I believe God has called me to do.
In accomplishing a dream or a purpose one needs more than head knowledge. In their book, ‘Built To Last‘ James Collins and Jerry Porras provide a blueprint for building long lasting and prosperous organizations. And in Luke 6:46-49, Jesus teaches that the way to ensure a sure foundation is to build on Him.
Building On Sure Foundation
The strength of a building is its foundation. The foundation serves to hold the structure above it and keep it upright. A building without a solid foundation is most likely to collapse in adverse circumstances. In our present world, there is always a temptation to hurriedly get to the top, become the recognized owner of a building or an enterprise, to establish a presence, make a name, become known. There is really nothing wrong with that if we are moving at God’s speed and if we have a solid foundation (in God). But you know, going through the proper process that leads to the top prepares someone to be comfortably seated at the top and well equipped to withstand challenging times. Don’t jump the process, build on a sure foundation; build on the Word, follow the leading of the Spirit.
If we find our purpose in God, we will also become established in it, in God. We know we are building on a sure foundation when we pattern our lives and drive our dreams and purposes in line with the principles of the Word of God.
“ When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” Luke 5:4
Dictionary definition of ‘launch out‘ is;
…. “to make a start on a new and challenging enterprise, to throw or propel with force, to hurl, to set or thrust, a self-propelled craft or projectile”
Generally Deep means;
“extending far down from the top or surface, very intense, very extreme, far down in”
To quickly give a short background; Peter and his fellow fishermen had toiled all night without any catch of fish. They pulled their boats to shore in despair and disappointment. It was a difficult, tough, challenging and seemingly unproductive night of fishing without fish. Then Jesus says; … put the boat out a bit from land, move towards the deep end…
In this new season, if you hear the Lord saying to you; ‘launch out into the deep’, do not hesitate. Make a fresh start on that challenging enterprise, thrust forward against any resistance or opposition, propel yourself forward to reach well beyond the top or surface. Leave the simple things, take on the seemingly challenging or difficult ones.
Your net-breaking miracle could be in that challenging, seemingly difficult task. When you find yourself on the road less traveled, you’re unlikely to find many people there. Most people would prefer the shallow end, but you launch out a bit more into the deep. Hold on to the vision, do not lose passion. Reach deep and by faith press hard against all odds. Move beyond your feelings, your past experience, the strength of your natural knowledge, reach deeper into God. Pray a little more, just a little longer. Linger on the Word a little more, just a little longer. Go the extra mile as led by the Spirit of God.
Like Peter you can also say today; ‘nevertheless Lord, at thy word’. Inspite of what I see, feel or think, nevertheless, at Your Word Lord. Because Your Word says to launch out, I believe it and I launch out.
Sometimes, an experience of a heavy, weighty and overflowing miracle like Peter’s comes when you can look beyond apparent difficulties, challenges and oppositions. When you determine to reach deep, well beyond the top or surface.
When you have launched out into the deep, ‘let down your nets for a catch‘. Nets for a fisherman represents the tool of his trade. What is yours? What tools do you need for that God-given vision, business, trade or project. And how many do you need to use to become extremely and overwhelmingly successful? Are there new skills to acquire? New certifications? New walk of wisdom with the Holy Spirit?
As you launch out into the deep and aim to let down the nets, be certain that you heard Jesus clearly. He always gives specific instructions about the exact place to let down the net. Jesus knows exactly where your miracle lies, walk closely with Him.
When you can hear the Master say ‘launch out into the deep‘, be fearless, confident, trusting, believing and by faith, let down the nets. Great miracles follow when you hear and yield to the Master’s instructions and directions.
Praise God!
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Blessings & Love Always!
Thank You for Your Grace; Your graciousness and Gift of grace freely given to us. Grace bought us, grace keeps us and we glory in Your grace.
Thank You for Your Grace; divine strength and sustenance to remain undaunted, unflinching, persuaded and fully committed.
Crossroads can come to you even when you don’t create them (like this brother). Crossroads don’t have to be so difficult to handle, if we are led by the Spirit of God. Crossroads should be opportunities to enjoy sweet fellowship with the Holy Spirit as we walk with Him to lead us safely to our destination in God.
Anita grew up admiring her mother. Her mom was pretty, smart, industrious and most importantly served God. She never missed weekdays or Sunday service days. And she made sure Anita and her 3 siblings attended all services as well.
As a young girl, Anita hoped to be exactly like her mom when she has her own home. Not until she watched her parents’ marriage crumble for simple misunderstandings she thought her mom could have contained. Why couldn’t her mother forgive her dad? Why was it her mom that moved out of the home? What happened with all the Bible she carried and taught them to live by? Didn’t she remember anything about forgiveness at all?
Anger, bitterness and resentment grew in Anita. As far as she was concerned, there was no point carrying on with this Christianity talk. If a devoted Christian like her mom couldn’t forgive, it was pointless continuing to profess being a Follower of Christ.
Anita wasn’t going to fool herself and other people like her mother did. She decided she was done with everything Church, so she tossed her Bible aside.
The Lord directed Anita to one of Talk with Grace Obomanu’s Counsellors. Talking and counselling with Anita made her see why she cannot put her Christianity and love for God in ‘parking’ simply because her mother slipped. With a few sessions of talking with the TWGO Team, Anita once more appreciated the importance of a personal relationship with God.
Today, Anita is glad that she had someone to talk to, she’s fast rebuilding her relationship with God. And more importantly, she’s excited that things are going to be different this time because she’s going to know God for herself.
Praise God!
First published on ‘Grace Obomanu Blog’ 12/12/2018.
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
Luke 2:8-11 NLT
Jesus enjoyed Favor with God and Man. He had unreserved access to the Father and the men that needed to favor Him and move Him towards His destiny were in His corner. When you have Jesus, you already have Favor with God, you can approach God anytime. You can ask and receive anything in the name of Jesus. You are loved with an everlasting love.
When a young man is ready to marry, he wants everything to be right, especially the relationship between his mom and his bride-to-be. Most young men are apprehensive if they sense any tension between the 2 important women in their lives. That’s exactly how Joe felt.
As an only son, his case seemed more sensitive. His mother had kept him by her side most of his childhood and teenage years. All Joe really wants now is that his bride-to-be, Lisa, can manage the strong bond between him and his mom, but he didn’t know if she could. And it’s kind of unfair to pressure her into it.
Joe needed guidance. What would be the best strategy to bring these 2 women together? God led Joe to TWGO where he got an answer of peace.
When mothers worry about their son getting married it is because they’re afraid of losing their son’s love, attention and commitment. Mothers tend to share strong bonds with their sons, more so if they have only one son. Such fear, is most times taken away if the bride-to-be makes added effort to accommodate and accept the mother-in-law to be, as she would her own mom. She would need to lavish her with love, gifts and attention, without necessarily putting too much pressure on herself. These actions are important because they assure the older woman that her son won’t be lost, rather she can gain another love …from her daughter-in-law.
Joe encouraged Lisa to go the extra mile to accommodate his mom a bit. Thankfully, this strategy worked for them. A few months later, Joe and Lisa were successfully married. Joe’s testimonies and joy have been awesome. His mom and his fiancee, now wife, have become best friends to the point that they sometimes forget Joe is around the house as they indulge in their ‘womanly gists’ His mom also gave his wife a special pet name.
Praise God!
Sometimes mothers refuse to accept that their sons would become closely bonded to another woman. So they consciously or subconsciously struggle with letting go. At other times, a mother may be genuinely concerned about the kind of woman her son is trying to bond with. Whatever the case, it’s helpful when both mother-inlaw to be and wife-to be are aware of the possible impact a decision to tie the knots can have on the emotional and psychological wellbeing of a mom, especially when her son is an only child or an only son. Where there’s a sincere desire for peace and harmony, this awareness will help those involved to make little adjustments to accommodate one another.
First published on ‘Grace Obomanu Blog’ on 11/12/2018.
