From: "Phil Rembleski" <PHIl@rescuechurchofchrist.org>

To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"

Cc:

Sent: Thu, Dec 5, 2024 at 5:40 AM

Subject: 12-5-24 THOUGHTS

12-5-24   THOUGHTS

In a prayer of Sir Francis Drake,  we find the words “Disturb  us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore.”      Jesus says to Peter below...  "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch."  The KJV has “Launch out into the deep,..”  Our reading ends with Jesus telling them “"Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men."   Could we paraphrase...  “Get out of your comfort zone and make disciples...  ?”   It speaks to me!   How about you?  There’s an old saying about Nero fiddling while Rome burned.   We need some sobering now and then.  I love each of you...

Luke 5:1-10      Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret;  2  and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3  And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. 4  When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." 5  Simon answered and said, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets." 6  When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; 7  so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. 8  But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  9  For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken;  10  and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men."

My Prayer:
Sober us, O God, when our zeal subsides and we lose eternal perspective. Restore our faith and our mission.  Remove our self and replace it with You, so that we might see clearly what matters.  Seeing...  may we respond with powerful love and humility.  You gave us Jesus, O God, may we give ourselves.  Help us to stop wavering on this subject, and give us confidence and boldness to make disciples!  Give us compassion to minister to those in need.  Help us to be real at all times and in all ways.   Keep us in prayer.    In the name of our Lord and Savior,    Amen.