posted by Gregory Fish @ 5:03 PM
Welcome to my fishing hole. This is a place where I can relax, journal, write, read, etc. It's just the best "catchy" name I could come up with setting up this blog. Fish is my last name. I don't fish, I don't usually eat fish, but I do want to me a fisher of men as Jesus would want. Join me for some fishing!
I grew up on the mission field in Santiago, Chile, and then moved to Joplin, MO where I got married and graduated from Ozark Christian College. I now live in Brownsville, TX with my wife, Emily, and our three boys, Nathan, Elijah, and Samuel. I minister to the Spanish Congregation of Central Christian Church.
2 Comments:
I grew up in a church very much like the one portrayed in this excellent skit. It was only when confronted with the question..."If you were to die tonight, on your way home, do you KNOW that you KNOW HIM as your personal Saviour?, that I began argueing with the Holy Spirit. I listed ALL my CHURCH qualifications, most of which were in the skit, all but one, a 7 year perfect attendance pin. Yet...the truth was I was in no better shape spiritually, for all my religiosity than a man named Nicodemas who came by night to talk with Jesus. Jesus went right to the heart of Nic and me. "You must be born from above". Spiritually washed and renewed, and given a soft heart to replace my stoney, stodgy, religious one. A NEW life, the VERY LIFE of THE FATHER, put in me by HIM. Unexplainable, mysterious, but very real, and ssssoooo needful. I had confessed that I was a church member many times and nothing ever happened to me. But the moment I confessed to my friend oen day that I had decided to be a christian, and receive Jesus as MY Saviour, my life was forever changed. I was suddenly aware of the spiritual forces of good and evil at work around me, the Word of God became alive and interesting, and I wanted everyone to KNOW Jesus. I began to carry my BIBLE to church events and share Christ and the good message of receiving REAL LIFE from HIM by grace through faith. My church that I grew up in, actually called a meeting of the elders and suggested I find a church that believed in being "BORN AGAIN". I was AMAZED and bewildered then, as now, how far "Religion" had departed from the central message of the GOSPEL, which is...the mystery of CHRIST IN US. A life CHANGED by the power of God. I have visited Central Christian Church and know it is a fellowship of wonderful people whos lives have been touched by Jesus Christ. The skit is a not so gentle reminder that "Religion", does not give NEW LIFE. It can bring about different habits, friendships, and activities, but it is POWERLESS to save, heal, or deliver from the bondages of our fallenness. Only a personal faith in a personal Saviour can bring LIFE from ABOVE to your heart. Do you KNOW HIM today. Has there been a time in your life when HE touched your heart and maded it new. You must not settle for anything less. Religion is a trap more dangerous than sin, because it is so self deceiving. We "feel" better when we climb the ladder of performance, seeking to establish OUR OWN right standing with God, by filling our lives with activities of christian duty. TRUE Christianity is a personal frindship with Jesus. With the heart, man believes unto righteousness and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. Thank you to all who performed so well, and brought the message of the Gospel to light again. God Bless you. Good job. Love in Christ, Van Benson, Joplin, MO. vanbenson@msn.com
AMEN to that! I'm glad that the message came across.
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