WHAT BOAT AM I?

What do you know about boats? Were you ever fascinated with boats? Have you ever been on a boat? Whether you have or have never been on a boat, I am quite certain as a child, you would have folded paper boats and probably sailed them in the" longkangs" like I did. For the more fortunate ones, you would have probably owned a toy boat at least. For the love of it, I was caught stealing from my mom back in primary school just so I could own a boat and be the captain of my own boat. But alas, I was caught and I never did become a captain. What happened? My sister told on me. That was the one and only time I stole anything! The whacking did me a whole lot of good. Hahahaha!

There are all kinds of boats for all kinds of purposes. If you were to be a boat, what kind will it be? A sail boat? A sampan? Fishing boat? Speed boat? Or perhaps a cruise liner? And what will you do with your boat? In the Bible, Peter was a fisherman and I guess he owned a boat. Jesus borrowed from him once. His was a fishing boat and its purpose was to fish commercially. But after Peter had an encounter with Jesus, he left his boat and decided to be a fisher of men instead, working alongside Jesus. My point?

You and I, we have been saved by the grace of God. We were once lost in the sea of humanity, sailing around aimlessly until one day we met a "rescue boat" . The captain of that boat was Jesus. Today, we no longer sail around without purpose. If you and I were to be a boat today, we are indeed a rescue boat. It'll be fun to be a speed boat, or a cruise liner but this Jesus, He changed it all! Cos' out in the sea of humanity, there are lost souls yet to be found. Many are calling for help. Many are drowning. Can you too hear Jesus' call to be fishers of men? Can you or will you too, like Peter, turn your fishing boat into a rescue boat? The job is tough. The seas will be rough. But people need the Lord.

If I can be a boat, what kind of boat will I be? I would love to be a speed boat, but Lord, make me a rescue boat. In Jesus name, amen.

TO WHICH DOES YOUR LOYALTY LIES?

People follow people for two reasons. It is either the cause (mission) or the person (leader). If it is for the cause then they will follow the leader as long as the leader still carries on the cause. But when the mission ceases or fails, then the following ceases. However, when followers follow a person because they believe in that person, then even if the mission ceases, they will still be loyal and follow the leader. Which of the two has the better influence?

In Christendom, we have the church and we have Jesus. I have a question for you. Which are you following today? The answer may seem obvious but give this a thought. Which are you following today? To help clarify things a bit more, to which does your loyalty lie? This is not a trick question. It is however, a soul searching question. Too often I see Christians abandoning one church for another for whatever reason. The thinking is: "as long as I stay loyal to God, church does not really matter".  Well ... the way I see it, it matters to Jesus.

I think it matters that Christians love church because THEY LOVE JESUS as compared to people love Jesus because THEY LOVE CHURCH. Spot the difference? You see, when you love Jesus because of who He is, you will love His church and you will be loyal to both. But if your love for Jesus is because of your love for His church, then your loyalty will not lie with Jesus. You will keep chasing after the cause (church) not the person. My point?

Jesus, being universally supreme, is my sufficiency. Jesus is more than enough for me. I do not need to replace His supremacy and sufficiency with add ons. Christ and Christ alone is more than enough for me. I can and I will grow where I am planted. The reason I love my church? It's simply because I love my Jesus. I am a follower of Christ. In Him lies my loyalty.

His Sheep am I

You and I, we are Jesus' sheep. Not only do we belong to Him, we are followers of Jesus. He is our Shepherd. Sheep follow shepherd. Sheep recognizes the voice of the shepherd and the shepherd knows his sheep. Sheep feel safe around the shepherd and is provided for and looked after by the shepherd.

John 10:11

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep"

John 10:14

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me"

Now, wolves on the other hand are enemies of sheep. Wolves devour sheep. Wolves don't follow shepherd. Wolves follow an alpha. They are always on a hunt for their insatiable appetite. They love the smell and taste of blood. They prey on the weak and the injured. They travel and hunt in a pack and their game is to separate the prey from the flock in order to make the kill. Shepherds either chase of kill the wolves.

Matthew 7:15

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves".

False prophets and teacher may not be obviously noticeable to us. You can only tell by their spirit and their fruits. Jesus said you know a tree by its fruits. This is where discerning comes into play. If you walk sincerely and consistently with God, you will be able to discern what is and what is not of God. Today, false prophets may not come into the church as the church is guarded by the local "shepherd". They do however, appear in social media. There are all kinds of teachings via YouTube and websites hosted by these independent, self proclaimed prophets, teachers and mnistries. They are accountable to no one. Their interest in not the harvest fields, but the church (Christians). They come with revelations and prophecies. They are on the prowl. They are what Bible calls angels of lights.

Matthew 7:15-2015 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

You've been warned!