Peter, Jesus, and a Boat

It starts off as just another normal day in the life of Peter.  At this point he was not a follow of Christ, he wasn’t one of the twelve disciples, he was just another ordinary man trying to do his best to provide a good living for his family.  The story picks up in Luke 5:1 where a multitude had gathered sometime around midmorning somewhere on the shores of Galilee to listen to Jesus preach.  At this point Jesus was beginning to gain quite a bit of notoriety among all the people especially since just a few verses prior to this He had healed everyone in the city (LK.4:40-41)! Wow!  We also know that Peter knew of Jesus because Jesus had healed Peters mother in law (LK.4:38-39).  So when such a large crowd gathered to hear Jesus, it became real obvious that Jesus needed a little more help with amplification.  What does he do? There on the shore, He sees two boats not being used.  The fisherman had left them to clean their nets and get them ready for another night of fishing.  However, fishing back then, as well as cleaning nets and boats was no easy task.  It was very demanding, very hard work.  So it’s fair to assume that Peter was not only exhausted from a long night of fishing and cleaning his boat and his nets but I’m pretty sure he didn’t feel like lending his boat to anyone.  But how could he turn away Jesus request?  He sees the people hungry and eager to hear Jesus preach.  Some were late for work, others decided not to go to work, kids stayed home from school, everyone both young and old, from all walks of life was just enamored with this Galilean preacher.  Also, weighing on Peters conscious was the recent memory of Jesus healing his mother in law.  So when Jesus needs a boat to use to speak to the crowd Peter figures the least he can do is turn over the keys to the real captain, the King of Kings!

Jesus climbs on the boat, speaks to the crowd (I’m sure it was an amazing message!) and then He gives Peter a command that would forever change his life. He says to Peter “launch out into the deep, and let down the nets for a catch.”  I wonder what Peter was thinking at that very moment?  Did he think, “  excuse me, you want me to let down these nets? Are you sure? These are the nets I just spent the last hour cleaning?”  Did Peter think, “are you kidding me, right now is not the time to fish!” I know when to fish and right now-midmorning is definitely not the time to fish!  Did he think to himself, “Jesus is a carpenter, He’s not a fisherman, He has no idea what He’s talking about.”  We can only imagine what thoughts ran through his mind but we do know that Peter answered and said, “Master, we have been fishing all night and we have caught nothing; nevertheless at your word I will let down the net.”

I really love this, at “YOUR WORD”; the bible says “faith cometh by hearing and hearing the word of God.”  When Peter launched out into the deep and when he let down his nets for a catch we see that Peter had a whole new problem on his hands. He almost lost his boat!  (Quick note: Don’t ever try to hold on to the things Jesus is asking you to give Him, no matter how valuable you think they are, if you hold on to them eventually you will loose them anyway!)  In just a moment of time, with one spoken word from Jesus, he had caught so many fish he began to panic, yelling to his partners and his friends to come out and help him.  His boat, his treasure, his most prized possession was sinking.  Wow what a moment!  This is the same Peter who knew how to fish. This is the same guy who grew up fishing the waters of Galilee and a few minutes earlier was complaining to Jesus that he had fished all night and caught nothing.

Here’s the problem.  A few hours earlier Peter was fishing by himself with the exception of a few hired hands but now the difference is Peter has Jesus, the creator, the King of Kings on his boat.  As a result, his business as well as the business of his friends goes through the roof! Remember, obedience is better than sacrifice.

My question to you today: Is Jesus on your boat? I’m not asking you if you go to church or if you’re a Christian, I’m asking you is Jesus involved in all that you do, in every area of your life?  Not just your Sunday morning but your “everyday”.  Is He involved in everything you do?  You see Peters fishing business was everything to him.  It was the way he made a living and fed is family.  But it wasn’t until Peter got out of the way and gave Jesus his boat that his life literally changed forever.

I want to encourage you today to stop whatever your doing and give Jesus your boat.  Give Him your business, your marriage, your kids; give Him every area of your life. Relinquish control today and allow Him to be the captain of all you do! I promise you; you will never regret it!

If Jesus is on your boat, then launch out into the deep, dream big and watch Him do things with you that you didn’t think was possible!

May Gods’ blessings cover you today!

Set ablaze for Jesus,

Your friend and Co-laborer,

Bernie Moore

Waiting on the Lord

“Wait on the Lord.”
Psalm 27:14

It may seem an easy thing to wait, but it is one of the postures which a Christian soldier learns not without years of teaching. Marching and quick-marching are much easier to God’s warriors than standing still. There are hours of perplexity when the most willing spirit, anxiously desirous to serve the Lord, knows not what part to take. Then what shall it do? Vex itself by despair? Fly back in cowardice, turn to the right hand in fear, or rush forward in presumption? No, but simply wait. Wait in prayer, however. Call upon God, and spread the case before Him; tell Him your difficulty, and plead His promise of aid. In dilemmas between one duty and another, it is sweet to be humble as a child, and wait with simplicity of soul upon the Lord. It is sure to be well with us when we feel and know our own folly, and are heartily willing to be guided by the will of God. But wait in faith. Express your unstaggering confidence in Him; for unfaithful, untrusting waiting, is but an insult to the Lord. Believe that if He keep you tarrying even till midnight, yet He will come at the right time; the vision shall come and shall not tarry. Wait in quiet patience, not rebelling because you are under the affliction, but blessing your God for it. Never murmur against the second cause, as the children of Israel did against Moses; never wish you could go back to the world again, but accept the case as it is, and put it as it stands, simply and with your whole heart, without any self-will, into the hand of your covenant God, saying, “Now, Lord, not my will, but Thine be done. I know not what to do; I am brought to extremities, but I will wait until Thou shalt cleave the floods, or drive back my foes. I will wait, if  Thou keep me many a day, for my heart is fixed upon Thee alone, O God, and my spirit waiteth for Thee in the full conviction that Thou wilt yet be my joy and my salvation, my refuge and my strong tower.”

Charles Spurgeon

Image From India Crusade

Image From India

Harvesting Souls in Pakistan

Please sow a financial seed and help us reap a harvest of souls in Pakistan.

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“The sweet psalmist of Israel.”

2 Samuel 23:1

Among all the saints whose lives are recorded in Holy Writ, David possesses an experience of the most striking, varied, and instructive character. In his history we meet with trials and temptations not to be discovered, as a whole, in other saints of ancient times, and hence he is all the more suggestive a type of our Lord. David knew the trials of all ranks and conditions of men. Kings have their troubles, and David wore a crown: the peasant has his cares, and David handled a shepherd’s crook: the wanderer has many hardships, and David abode in the caves of Engedi: the captain has his difficulties, and David found the sons of Zeruiah too hard for him. The psalmist was also tried in his friends, his counsellor Ahithophel forsook him, “He that eateth bread with me, hath lifted up his heel against me.” His worst foes were they of his own household: his children were his greatest affliction. The temptations of poverty and wealth, of honour and reproach, of health and weakness, all tried their power upon him. He had temptations from without to disturb his peace, and from within to mar his joy. David no sooner escaped from one trial than he fell into another; no sooner emerged from one season of despondency and alarm, than he was again brought into the lowest depths, and all God’s waves and billows rolled over him. It is probably from this cause that David’s psalms are so universally the delight of experienced Christians. Whatever our frame of mind, whether ecstasy or depression, David has exactly described our emotions. He was an able master of the human heart, because he had been tutored in the best of all schools–the school of heart-felt, personal experience. As we are instructed in the same school, as we grow matured in grace and in years, we increasingly appreciate David’s psalms, and find them to be “green pastures.” My soul, let David’s experience cheer and counsel thee this day.

~Spurgeon

Warangel India Crusade

What can I say? Words seem to fail me right now.  I am truly speechless as to what took place the last night of our India crusade.  Our Indian crusade director told me that he was astonished at what happened.  He has been in India his whole life and he said to me that he was amazed at the results we had because this was our first time conducting a crusade in India.  I was so humbled to hear such kind words, especially because they came from a man with so much integrity.

The last night of the crusade the crowd grew to over 25,000! I preached on the power of God! I shared on the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5.  I told the people that the bible says this woman suffered for 12 yrs and she spent all that she had on many different physicians but never got better, rather her terrible disease only got worse.  And then one day she heard there was a man claiming to be the Messiah, the King of Kings.  She heard this man was not only healing the sick but He was healing the sick of some of the worst diseases of that day including leprosy. I told these precious people that it doesn’t matter what their condition is and it doesn’t matter what has happened in their life, Jesus really wanted to touch them!  He wants to heal them from any sickness or past wounds. He is the great physician and He is the lover of all souls!

We saw thousands respond to the invitation to accept Christ! We heard many wonderful testimonies of miracles including the man that was deaf for years in his right ear.  The Holy Spirit opened his ear and he could hear clearly.  As you can imagine this man was so excited, as was also the crowd!!

For all of you who contributed to this crusade financially and prayerfully I really want to thank you from the bottom of my heart!  I am very honored that you partnered with us as we attempt to reap a global harvest for Jesus.  I am so very blessed to be able to do what I do and I certainly do not take this mission lightly!  Again I say thank you!

Final Report of our Pakistan Crusade

To all of our faithful partners,

Below is the report that our crusade director in Pakistan (Pastor Khalid Shaheen) sent to me.  We are so very grateful for what the Lord has done.  We give all the glory to Jesus!

Dear Evangelist Bernie and partners of BMM,

It is with great joy and privilege for me to send this report to you of the great harvest of souls that was reaped at our Pakistan Crusade.

We thank God that 4 days of evangelistic meetings have come to completion successfully and safely. We thank God for the mighty and wonderful things the Lord has done. Each night God moved mightily and a powerful anointing of the Lord was always present. There were thousands of Muslims who came to the meetings and made a public decision for the Lord and got healed.  Among the local churches there is such great joy and excitement to see these people saved and healed. Altogether in 4 nights of evangelistic meetings over 38000 people heard the clear message of the Gospel. Over 28000 people have made a decision for the Lord! We very much hope and trust that these people will be integrated in the local churches and many more new churches in surrounding villages will be established.  It is wonderful to know that the local pastors will do everything to hold on to these believers.

The Lord confirmed His word with great signs and wonders, healings and deliverance. Each night we heard faith building testimonies of God’s supernatural healing. Sunday, a boy name TAHIR who is 15 years old was mute since birth. In the meeting the Lord opened his tongue. The funny thing was, I asked him to repeat English words after me. His English words were clearer than his Urdu words. A friend of mine from the US clearly understood what he was speaking. He was jumping with joy. That brought so much joy and glory to God in the crowd. People were clapping and dancing to see this miracle. Another boy who was 8 years old and was born blind, his eyelids were completely closed that is until Jesus healed him! This was so amazing! His mother cried such happy tears for what the Lord had done!  A boy who is 10 years old had several small tumors in his stomach, got completely healed.  His mother raised up his shirt to show us. It was wonderful!  An elderly man who had been paralyzed for ten years and could not walk started walking to the pulpit. God has been so good to us!

Please pray:

• For the follow up work
• For Literature helping people to grow in the Lord
• Financial support of the new church planters

God bless and thanks again for your prayers.

In His Service,

Pastor Khalid Shaheen

Final Night Pakistan Crusade

4-25-10

Final Night

What can I say? Tonight was the climax of our 4 day crusade here in Pakistan.  We saw almost 12,000 people in attendance.  Thousands responded to the call of salvation and so many mighty miracles took place it was astounding!  We saw a 15yr old boy who was born mute and had never spoken a word in his life get healed tonight and speak clearly for the first time! He kept saying Jesus, Jesus, I love Jesus; it was truly spectacular!  Another miracle that took place was in an 8yr old boy.  He had tumors on his stomach and also had to carry around a “potty bag” due to his illness.  But his mother said that when we prayed for the sick she knew in her heart that the Lord was going to heal her little boy and He did!  This little boy looked up at his momma and said momma I feel all better.  His mother lifted his shirt to find that his stomach area was completely normal! I have a picture to show you!

God has been so good to us over these 4 days! Pastors kept testifying of how their people were so blessed that we came. They were so thankful.  If we wouldn’t have gone there may never have been a crusade in that city.  And as a result they may never have had a chance to hear the Gospel.  These precious people were filled with a fresh fire from Heaven! Their city will never be the same again.  So we will keep going, we keep preaching, and by God’s amazing grace we will keep winning souls and shaking cities!  None of this would have been possible without the precious prayers and financial contributions of those who believe wholeheartedly in soul winning!

Set ablaze by the love of the Holy Spirit,

Your friend and Co-laborer,

Bernie Moore

What a Mighty God We Serve…Pakistan Crusade Night 2

Tonight the crowd grew to over 8,000! The crusade director said they have to extend the temporary walls that have been placed up in order to accommodate everyone wishing to come. I preached on Nicodemus and the rich young ruler. These two guys had a lot in common.  Both had a lot of wealth, both had a lot of friends, were well respected among their peers, both lived according to the law, which meant they lived pretty good lives, both had built good reputations and both were searching for something money couldn’t buy.  Nicodemus came to Jesus by night seeking salvation.  The rich young ruler came by day seeking the same thing, salvation.  Jesus instructed them both on what they must do but it appears only one did it.  The rich young after hearing Jesus instructions turns and makes an eternal mistake…he walked away.  He walked away from the only one who could help him! He walked away from the very person he had been seeking and longing for.  And he did this all because Jesus told him that if he really wanted eternal life and that if he really wanted to follow Him all the way then he would have to give some things up! And the young man felt like there was no way he could do it.  As I gave the invitation, I asked everyone tonight, what man were they like? Were they like Nicodemus or the rich young ruler? All of us fall into one of these two categories.  Well it is safe to say that these Pakistani people fell into Nicodemus’s camp.  Thousands responded giving their lives to Christ! It was truly glorious!

I then prayed for the sick.  It appeared as if Jesus opened the windows of Heaven and poured out a big huge jar of healing oil all over the crowd. So many came up to testify of their healings.  Like, the mother who brought up her 10yr old son who was born with his lids closed.  He has never been able to open his eyes until tonight! Tonight he opened his eyes for the first time in 10 long yrs as his mother stood absolutely amazed at what God had done!  Then there was the man who came tonight carried by his friend because he couldn’t walk.  He hasn’t been able to walk for five months because he had absolute severe pain in his liver and stomach area and the doctors didn’t know what it was.  He said that he couldn’t take one step without severe pain shooting all throughout his body.  As a result from this terrible pain, his friend has carried him everywhere.  What a mighty God we serve! He is the same yesterday, today and forever!

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