Fish Tales 05/26/2016

What "can" you do?
 
In the every day life of a disciple maker there are challenges and great things.  Not everything is perfect or goes perfectly as planned.  There are many ups and downs.  You hope it is more like the stock market.  We have to view it over a period of time.  What we are looking for is the "trend".

It's not always what you are doing, but the direction you are going.  As disciple makers we must regularly remind ourselves that disciple making is a process or cycle.  While it has results, the focus is on the process.  A number of years ago we worked along side CRU.  Part of the focus was getting a decision.

When that didn't happen, people got frustrated.  Some decided to quit.  Others pressed forward.  Success was gauged on the results.  We found that this was not healthy.  The cycle of discipleship (diagram)  is focused on "faithfulness" as the main metric for success.  There will be fruit.  From time to time you can still get frustrated or down in the process.  Even Jesus asked his followers, how long must I still be with you?

We have to ask ourselves, What "can" you do? Emphasis is on "can".  When we get frustrated in the process or the results or people just not getting it. Our mind tends to think on obstacles and barriers.  The people won't... They don't get... They like listening, but... Where the multiplication? We are doing the stuff, where's the magic?

What can you do?
Think about it.  Write it down.  Say it loud. 

I've had to have this conversation with myself and others.  Then I pray.  I go to a place and get quiet.  Share my frustrations and concerns with God.  Then I read his word.  I talk to Him about it.  I might cry.  Yeah, I said it.  I ask God to show me what's happening.  He reveals what I have done and can do.  Then I go do what I can.  I leave the rest to him.

When we arrive at the throne of grace, he will not list all the metrics we are concerned about.  He will address our faithfulness to his will.  So, continue to do the process.  Plant seed. Water it. Care for it.  Trust that this foolish process will yield what God desires of it.

Be encouraged. Go Fish!

Fish Tales 5/19/2016

Barracuda!

How many of you now have the song by Heart playing in your head right now? Besides that song, I remember an interesting run-in with an actual barracuda while snorkeling in the Keys.  It was very unsettling.

We were swimming around and enjoying the clear water and seeing all the colorful fish and plants.  It was exciting.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw something flash.  About ten yards away from me and my son was about a five foot scary fish with big teeth staring at us.  I wanted to walk on water at that moment and get the heck out of there.

Honestly, most of the church feels this way when they see JWs and Mormons heading to our doors. Some people, not me, like to argue with them.  I heard that some will turn the lights off and go hide.  We have to stop looking at these people like barracudas!
It's an opportunity. 

JWs in particular are trapped.  The Organization uses guilt and fear to keep the people in check.  They use mind control techniques to convince them that the Watchtower is the "true" church.  Only through them is salvation possible.  They are truly in bondage.

We must strive to be learners and find ways, not to win arguments, but to win souls.  You will definitely grow in your knowledge of the Lord as you engage these people.

Be encouraged. Go Fish!

Fish Tales 5/9/2016

Into the Darkness

One of the things we do as followers of Christ and fishers of men, is go where others don't or won't.  That is nothing to brag about.  Many of the places we go to have very evil people.  They have the appearance of kindness, but they are not.

When the Kingdom of Light encroaches upon the Kingdom of Darkness, we have to use caution.  Several of the areas are known for drugs, prostitution and poverty.  It's really not much difference than high end communities other than it is in your face.

The Kingdom of Darkness is marked by brokenness.  One neighborhood has had a number of shootings, beatings, stabbings and a decapitation.  This is not even overseas.  It is in the good ole USA.  Other places you hear and see the normalcy of violence.  People are quick to fight and fights escalate to stabbings or shootings.

During an outreach a car almost hit three little children and the father yelled at the driver.  The car stopped and two men jumped out not to apologize, but to fight the one who called out their wrong.  The very next day a woman shot her boyfriend in the head for selling her television set.  Fifty yards from where we had our tent the day before.  People are a mess, a hot mess.  They need Jesus, the King of the kingdom of Light.

Paul states that we are at war in the Spirit world in his letter to the Ephesians.  Jesus calls us  to be light in the darkness.  We have to go.  We have to bring the light to them.  Jesus warns us that we are being sent like sheep among wolves.

Fear not! These are the most fruitful places.  You will grow in your dependence on and confidence in God, his Word and his Spirit.  You will grow more confident in yourself as a mighty gospel warrior.

Be encouraged.  Go Fish!

Fish Tales 5/7/2106

Keeping the Blessing in mind,

This week has been a tremendous week.  There have been excitement and challenges in a variety of ways.  That's discipleship.  It has its ups and downs.  There are times it goes sides ways.  Some weeks it goes really well like this one.

Some days you get frustrated and freaked out.

Nothing goes well and you just want to say, "how come you just don't get it already?" (shaking them, in your mind) As those days come and go we need to remember that God is discipling us in the process.  We are growing fruit internally to ourselves.  We are learning to resonate with the farmer who toils in the heat planting for a future harvest.  We need to keep in that in mind. We are being blessed and shaped by God in that process.

Matthew 5:19 it speaks of us being obedient which is one level of blessing.  Even if you teach part of what is commanded, not the goal, there is blessing in that.  But, the greater blessing is teaching other people to obey. (Matt. 28:20) This is much different than, knowledge transfer.  People own it. Obey it and teach others to do the same.  That's the greater blessing.

Anyone who has attended seminary know that they train you to transfer information.  The pedagogy of discipleship, really takes on more than a lecture format.  I'll save that for a future article.  The goal for discipleship is that one learns to obey and follow Jesus. We and our disciples will receive the Better Blessing both now and in the future.

Be encouraged.  Stay focused. Go Fish!

Fish Tales 5/4/2016

Flexibility

One of the things you have to keep in mind, is that you need to be flexible. 

Like a quarterback, you need to develop the ability to "check down" as the play unfolds.  The quarterback comes to the huddle and looks at his playlist on his wrist.  He picks a play.  He has other plays available and can change them as he sees the defense.

The plays are designed to work a specific way, but there is room for error and change.  While trying to execute the play both barriers and opportunities come.  A good quarterback can make changes quickly.

We too have to remain flexible and develop our own check down list.  When you are in the harvest, everything is not cut and dry.  Frankly, it's a mess.  You can set up a Discovery Bible Study in a home and no one is home when you arrive.  You have a choice, get mad, sad or frustrated or work your check down list.

Today we did just that.  We were really excited to meet with a new person.  Turns out they were called into work.  We decided to follow up with some people in the next complex.  We found another new person, prayed for them and shared the good news.  No time wasted. No frustration.  We just continued to fish in the pond we were in.

Save yourself some pain.  Develop flexibility.  Intentionally write out a check down list.  You will be happy you did.

Be encouraged.  Go Fish!

Fish Tales 5/3/2016

Which comes first the chicken or the egg?

We go out into neighborhoods on a weekly basis to share the good news of Jesus Christ and make disciples.  It is a training ground for leaders, pastors, and anyone that wants to learn how to reach people that need the Lord. It's "live-action discipleship".

When out in neighborhoods, I often take an apprentice so they can learn "on the job".  They often ask what comes first? Is it an A, B, C or 1,2,3 process? Yes and No.  Sometimes both.  Sometimes it all happens at the same time. There is a process, but it flexes to the audience and the Spirit.

Many times while prayer walking we find someone like Pam and Bill.  They both were happy for prayer.  They both share deep stuff.  We prayed for them and then asked them, Do you feel near or far from God? As they respond we share how we came to faith (Our Story) and gospel presentation (God's story).  To God's glory the both drew near to God that day.

They then invited us back to study the Word together and to be discipled.  That's how it usually happens, really.  No kidding!

Other times we have engaged people like, Jak.  He is from another faith background. Jak is very inquisitive.  He is loaded with questions.  We spend a few months going to his home and sharing true stories from the Bible.  We ask Jak questions and he asks us questions.  We are both pressing deep in the Scripture. We are being tested and growing.  Jak is being exposed to deep truths of the Word.

Some come to faith and are discipled and some are discipled into the faith.  Either way the result is the same.  The end goal is that they become healthy disciple makers. This is a process.  It takes time.  So Endure.

 Get out there and Go Fish!

Fish Tales 4/28/2016

Person of Peace - Answered prayer   

In an apartment yesterday, we were prayer walking with expectation that God would give us a person of peace.  This person would receive prayer.  They would receive our message.  They would show hospitality.  There would be a draw.

We worked our way to the last building in the complex and saw two men on the second floor.  We asked if the would like prayer.  One, I'll call Luke, asked if we were Jehovah Witness.  We smiled and said, no. Luke came downstairs and took the book we had for him. (Lifebook)  He said he was spending time with the JWs going through the Bible, but it was not his background.

We asked if we could come back and share some stories from the Bible and talk about his thoughts on the JW.  He said, yes.  We gave Luke our number and made arrangements to meet again.  The next day we met.  He welcomed us into his home and he began genuinely asking great questions.

He then confessed that he had been praying that God would send someone to share with him the truth and walk him through the Scriptures.  Luke said, he was surprised how fast God had answered his prayers.  We then told him that we too had been praying for a person to disciple.  We all were very encouraged.

We decided to get together weekly for accountability and discipleship.

 Fishing is exciting at times!

Go Fish!

Fish Tales 4/27/2016

Brokenness

The more you "go" fishing, the more you encounter brokenness.  While at an apartment this week I ran into a young lady I'll call Gail.  She sat quietly on the steps of the second floor.  After talking to another lady that our team led to the Lord, I went up and spoke to her.

I told Gail we were here praying for the community.  We asked if she had anything we could pray about either for her or the community.  She opened up.  Really opened up.  Gail shared that her boyfriend recently passed away.  Her Grandparents died a year ago and her parents prior to that.  She also lost her dog.  If you added a bottle of Jack, it would have made for a perfect country song.

You could feel and see the brokenness of this lady.  We prayed for her and talked for about forty minutes.  We shared the gospel too.  She really appreciated to have someone to talk to and pray for her.

Listen, people are out in our communities every day that are broken.  They are trying to solve it by themselves.  They are self medicating to ease the pain that only God can heal.  But God, he can do it through you.  Pray for your community and ask God to show you where the gospel is not.  Ask where are the last, least and lost.  Where can you join him in the work of the harvest?

Go Fish!

Sharing to jws part one

I'm checking out "[[Witnesses for Jesus]]" App. http://subspla.sh/7279cdf

Introduction to NAMS

Seeing where the Gospel is not

Have you ever seen the movie, The Sixth Sense? The famous line, I can see dead people, rings in my mind. This young boy can see what others can't. I won't ruin it, but he helps another person see them too.

The boy doesn't understand why everyone can't see. As a pioneer, I find that believers don't see lost people. They also don't see where the gospel is not.

The primary things that Jesus tells us to do, are not being done:

Seek and save the lost.
Make disciples.
Preach to the poor.
Take care of the stranger.

People need help identifying, the who.  Here is what I do. I look at my circle of peeps, i.e. family, friends, co-workers and extended connections. (soccer, cricket, gym)

I write as many names without qualifying. Then I go further. I ask the questions, Where are lost people? Who needs Jesus? I start writing down places and names.

I watch the news. I drive in different parts of the city. I asks cops where the hot spots are. I pray and listen.

Before you know it you begin to to see lost people. Honestly you will be overwhelmed. The harvest is truly white and ready.

Please pray that God will help you see.

Until next time, go fish.

Picture of the Church

Reach Out Where You Are

Clay and his son Russell

Clay and Rosanna Hamrick, Jacksonville, FL are becoming known for teaching people how to reach the un-reached in their community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Clay, an Anglican priest leading Mosaic  International Church in Jacksonville, recently shared some highlights of Mosaic’s efforts. He usually takes someone from his congregation with him, or a couple of his children, and goes out to where people are–apartment complexes, outdoor festivals, and neighborhoods– to prayer walk and talk to people about Jesus Christ.

Rosanna serves up home cooking after Sunday worship with their Mosaic community

He, Rosanna and members of their congregation make regular visits with people who express interest in learning more about Jesus and the Bible, including many internationals living in their city. A team of students from Tallahassee recently came to spend the day with Clay learning how to do what he is teaching his family and congregation, and experienced similar results when they tried it out back home. Read more about Clay and Rosanna and the work Mosaic is doing on their website http://mosaicjax.org 
You can contact Clay by email homejax@gmail.com 

Christianese

Tina a former Jehovah Witness shares her experiences