“Our Daily Bread” http://odb.org/

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie http://www.harvest.org/devotional

“Homily Grits Devotional” http://www.homilygrits.com/

Mark 1:16-18… And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. (NKJV)

These words spoken by Jesus to His first 2 chosen disciples, were like a giant magnet that drew them into Jesus’ life for the next 3+ years… These same words…“Follow Me”, and Jesus’ desire to make all of His redeemed children…“fishers of men”, should be the desire of every Christian’s heart…

Why are we as Christians so inept [See(1)] at obeying Jesus’ last spoken words, and a command to believers…before He ascended into heaven…Matthew 28:19-20… “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (NKJV)

Jesus commands us as Christians, to “make disciples” of those around us… But we cannot become effective disciple makers, unless we become disciples (followers) ourselves of the Lord Jesus Christ… (2)

Jesus tells us this, in…John 8:31-32… Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (NKJV)

Abiding in Jesus’ Word, means the true disciple of Christ understands, obeys, and then applies Jesus’ teachings that can best be learned by habitually spending time reading, and then digesting God’s Word…Matthew 4:4… Armed with the Word of God, Christ’s disciple should then put into practice what Jesus and His Word reveals as the inerrant truth God wants all of us to understand and obey…

But from my own life experiences, I can tell you that it takes more than just spending time digesting God’s Word to “become fishers of men”… I have read God’s Word virtually every day, since receiving a new John MacArthur (NKJV) study Bible for Fathers Day, 2 weeks after God graced me with salvation almost 12 years ago… Praise God for His patience and longsuffering with me !!

But I only shared the gospel of Christ twice in the first 7 years… What I was lacking was not head knowledge of the Word…it was a heart problem… God gives all of His redeemed children the Holy Spirit, at the moment God graces them with salvation… But for a Christian to be at their best at sharing the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…they must be be empowered and emboldened by the Holy Spirit…

I had somehow, over the first 7 years I was a believer, taken back control from the Holy Spirit… When I finally submitted my life to Christ (James 4:7-8), it was like a light switch had been turned on… From that moment in time until now…my hearts desire has been to share the gospel of Christ…and to help Christians understand the awesome supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, that is waiting for Christians to allow Him to control their lives…Galatians 5:16…

Look at Jesus’ disciples as a prime example of the Holy Spirit’s power… Jesus tells His disciples to wait around in the city of Jerusalem, for His Father to send down the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) on the Day of Pentecost…before they go out to share the gospel of Christ, in…Luke 24:49… “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (NKJV)

The disciples waited together in the upper room in Jerusalem (Acts 1:12-13), where they had partaken of “The Last Supper” with Jesus, the night before His crucifixion… Read about the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, in… Acts chapter 2 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts2&version=NKJV;KJV

Once the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit…they were empowered like never before to share the gospel of Christ, because of their Helper that God had given them to energize them, and to help them remember all that Christ had taught them…

John 14:26… But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (NKJV)

We didn’t spend 3 years like the disciples…listening to Jesus’ teaching and preaching to those around Him… But we have Jesus’ recorded Word with the 4 gospels of Christ…Matthew…Mark…Luke…&…John… The Holy Spirit will help Christians remember what God wants us to learn from the Bible, His inerrant Word… But we have to read the Word, in order for the Holy Spirit to help us remember the needed scripture…in order to be comfortable at sharing the gospel of Christ with those in need… 2 Timothy 4:2…

And then, after we have studied God’s Word…we have to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-20), and dependent on His help and His power, just like Jesus’ disciples…(3) The Holy Spirit will give us the right words at the right time, to share the gospel of Christ to those around us…with the same boldness and authority the apostle Peter and Jesus’ other disciples had… On Peter’s first sermon, after the Holy Spirit’s in-dwelling power…the apostle Peter preached a monumental sermon proclaiming the gospel of Christ… Scripture records that about 3,000 souls were added to Christ’s new church that day…Acts 2:41…

The same Holy Spirit that God sent down to Jesus’ disciples, can embolden us as Spirit filled believers…if we are armed with the Word, and dependant on the supernatural power and help of the Holy Spirit, to truly become fishers of men…

Heavenly Father, I pray that all of Your redeemed children would seek to embed Your Word into their hearts and minds… And then Lord, I pray that they would humble themselves before You, and allow the Holy Spirit to make them fishers of men… I pray for this fullness of Christ to make us disciples, capable of making more disciples… I pray that all of Your children will carry out Your command to make disciples of all the nations…in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…

Blessings in Christ, bruce r mills

Related articles:

(1) http://www.thewhyman.jesusanswers.com/about_1.html
(2) https://godsmanforever.com/2013/11/18/what-is-a-disciple-of-jesus-christ-11182013/
(3) https://godsmanforever.com/2014/03/22/power-from-above-ephesians-320-3222014/