Fishing for a Coin

The tax collectors came to Capernaum and asked Peter if he and Jesus were going to pay the temple tax (Ex. 30:13). When Peter went into the house to inform Him, Jesus spoke about the tax before Peter could say anything. He told Peter to throw a hook into the Sea of Galilee and the first fish he caught would have a coin in its mouth, which was the amount to pay the temple tax (Matt. 17:24-27).

 

If you’re single and wonder how you’ll find the right person to marry, or if you’re unemployed and need a job, Matthew 17 shows how God can make a divine appointment to meet your need. If God can lead a fish to a man, He can lead a woman to a man, or a man to a woman, or a jobless person to a job.

 

Jesus knew about the need before Peter told Him. Matthew 17:25 says Jesus spoke to Him first about the tax. Even though Jesus wasn't outside to hear the conversation, He wanted Peter to know He knew of the need before he asked. “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matt. 6:8).

 

Jesus told him to throw out a hook, not a net. Jesus didn’t tell him to throw out a net and sort through all the fish one by one. He told Peter to throw out a line. Many times when God wants to provide, He asks us to throw out a line. He may ask you to fill out a job application, make a phone call, or move to a new location.

 

Peter had no control over which fish would bite on his hook. All he could do was throw out a line, hold the pole, and trust God to put the right fish on the hook. After you obey what God says, you may need to patiently wait for Him to make the divine connection. “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him” (Ps. 37:7)

 

Out of the thousands of fish in the sea, only one had a coin in its mouth. Peter cast out his line and waited for a nibble. His cork began to bob and then disappeared under water. He pulled back on his pole, lifting the fish out of the sea. When he opened its mouth he found a stater inside, the exact amount to pay the tax for Jesus and Peter.

 

The only way it could have been more miraculous was if he took the coin out of its mouth and the fish said, "TA-DA!" The right fish was at the right place at the right time with the right amount. God's divine appointments never disappoint.

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net  

6 Things Most People Don't Know About Heaven

 God could give us many exciting details about eternity, but we couldn’t understand them at our current intelligence level. Most people know God will wipe away all tears, there will no longer be any death, or mourning or crying or pain (Rev. 21:4). Heaven will be a place of eternal joy and perfection. Here are 6 things most people don’t know about heaven.

1.    We will not sleep for all eternity.  We sleep because our bodies grow weary and tired. We will never be tired throughout eternity, so there will be no need to sleep. God never sleeps: “He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4).

2.    God will increase our knowledge so that we will “know fully.” When we stand face-to-face with Jesus “then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known” (1 Cor. 13:12). We will need this knowledge for the assignments we will carry out.

3.    Our bodies will shine throughout eternity. “When He appears, we shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2). In heaven our bodies will become like the body of Jesus after He was resurrected and glorified. “His face was like the shining of the sun in its strength” (Rev. 1:16). Our resurrection bodies will literally shine with brightness, just like Jesus’. “The righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt.13:43). Daniel wrote: “And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3)

4.    We will meet every redeemed person who ever lived.  You will sit down and dine with those whom you have read about in the Bible. “And I say to you, that many will come from the east and the west, and recline at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 8:11). If you are a Christian, you are reading about yourself in this passage. We will literally meet all the people who have been redeemed throughout the history of the earth and since we will “know fully,” we will know them by name

5.    We will have job assignments throughout eternity. We would be bored if we had nothing to do throughout eternity. The kingdom of God will be composed of different ranks and positions (Luke 7:28, Rev. 19:16). We will be rewarded for every good thing we did on earth after being saved (Matt. 10:42). “Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matt 25:23). Our rewards will be our assignments in heaven. Positions throughout the kingdom, from least to greatest, will be assigned according to how faithfully we lived on earth.

6.    Our eternal dwellings will not be like our earthly houses. Jesus compared our temporary houses on earth with eternal dwellings in heaven. He said, “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9).  Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). In heaven we won’t need houses with roofs to protect us from weather. We won’t need bathrooms or bedrooms. We won’t need a garage (no cars in heaven). We won’t cook so no need for a kitchen, refrigerator, or stove. These are literal structures for each believer, but as to what their function will be, we will find out when we get there. Earthly homes serve an earthly purpose, and our eternal dwellings will serve a heavenly purpose. www.makinglifecount.net 

For more information about life in heaven, read my book Making Today Count for Eternity.

How Long Do We Carry Guilt Before God Forgives?

  After a person sins, how long does it take for God to forgive someone? A week? A year? Fifteen years? We’ll carry guilt until we know we’re forgiven. King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then had her husband Uriah murdered. 1^st degree adultery and 1^st degree murder. He thought he had gotten away with it, until the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to him.

Nathan told David a story about a rich man, who had many flocks and herds, and a poor man who only had one lamb. When a traveler came to visit the rich man, he was unwilling to take an animal from his own flock. Instead, the wealthy man killed the poor man’s lamb and served it to the man who was visiting him. (2 Sam. 12:1-5)

David blurted out in anger, “The man who did this deserves to die!” Nathan told David, “You are the man!” (v.7) Then the prophet reminded David how much God had blessed him, and anointed him king, and kept Saul from killing him, but David killed Uriah and stole his wife.

Immediately David was convicted of his sin. He said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin” (2 Sam. 12:13). Notice how quickly David was forgiven. It took one second. When David confessed his sin with a repentant heart, God instantly forgave him!

John Vianney said, “God will pardon a repentant sinner more quickly than a mother would snatch her child out of a burning building.” Yet many people carry their guilt for years because they don’t believe God is merciful and quick to forgive.

Psalm 103:8 says, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” If you believe the Lord is merciful, repent of your sins and receive your forgiveness by faith. Guilt instantly leaves when it meets God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Let today be the day the Lord set you free from guilt!   www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net 

The Terror by Night

Psalm 91:5 says, “You will not be afraid of the terror by night or of the arrow that flies by day.” I didn’t fully understand this verse until I went on an overnight camp-out with a couple of elders from our church.

In those days, we didn’t have cell phones, and we hadn’t checked the weather report before we left. We pitched our tent by a lake and were enjoying fellowship when we noticed black clouds approaching. At sunset, it started pouring, and within minutes we were in the middle of a dangerous storm. Wind was blowing 30-40 miles an hour and lightning was striking around our tent every few seconds. Psalm 91:5 refers to the “terror by night.” This was it!

As it kept thundering with loud booms, I actually thought we were going to die. I even envisioned the headline of our local newspaper: “Local Pastor and Elders Struck by Lightning. See Obituary, page 2.” I had never been this close to dying.

Then I remembered the disciples panicking in the boat on the Sea of Galilee when the terrible storm hit (Mark 4:35-41). Jesus asked them, “How is it that you have no faith?” They didn’t believe God was in control of the storm, and now that we were in the same boat, neither did we! Their fear of dying kept them from having faith in God.

“Listen, guys,” I told my friends. “The disciples probably felt like we do when they thought their boat was going to sink. God knows if this is our time to die.” We prayed together and then we started praising God as thunder boomed around us. Instantly supernatural peace filled our hearts and we weren’t afraid anymore.

Thirty minutes later, the storm had passed, and none of us died. But from that experience of “the terror by night,” we learned something we had only known in theory before. If you’ll praise God in the middle of the storm, God’s peace will fill your heart and your fear will leave.     www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net 

People Will Remember How You Made Them Feel

 We love to hear those three little words, “I love you.” Well, most of the time we do. Several years ago, millions of people received an email message with the subject line, “I Love You.” The message contained a computer virus. Once the recipient opened the email, the “I Love You” virus unleashed a program that destroyed computer files, and emailed itself to every address stored in the computer.

 On its first day, the “I Love You” virus reportedly crippled computer systems in Hong Kong before invading the British House of Commons, and then moving on to create confusion in the U.S. Congress and the Pentagon. By noon, it had reached home computers across the country and shut down the systems of large businesses. In the end, it infected more than 55 million computers. People will never forget how terrible they felt after being deceived.

Romans 12:9 says, “Let love be without hypocrisy.” That means we have no hidden agenda. The words “I love you” could be a cover for something sinister, like a destructive virus. Anyone can say “I love you” to get something they want.

The 24-year-old college student who invented the virus had no intention of spreading love around the world. He wanted to hurt everyone under the pretense of loving them. He obviously never opened the love letter from God which says, “Love is kind...does not act improperly... finds no joy in unrighteousness. . .” (1 Cor. 13:4-6).

If we say we love others, but slander them behind their backs, we are no different than the student who invented the computer virus. People will forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel. Today, when you tell someone “I love you,” they will probably not remember what you say, so make them remember how wonderful you made them feel. 

 www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net 

At What Price Will You Compromise?

An advertising agency calls a famous athlete and asks if he would pose with a bottle of Gordon’s Gin for a billboard campaign. The athlete replies, “I simply cannot do that because of my religious beliefs.” The executive says, “We will pay you $1 million if you will simply let us take your picture with our product.” After a long pause, the athlete says, “Hmm, let me think about it.”

He goes to his bishop, explains the million-dollar offer, and asks his advice. The bishop says, “Don’t do it! You would be setting a bad example for our young people and would compromise your faith.” The athlete calls the ad executive and says, “I’ve decided to turn down your offer.”

Two weeks later, the athlete is driving down Hollywood Boulevard and looks up at the billboard. He’s shocked to see his bishop wearing his black liturgical robe and holding a bottle of Gordon’s Gin. The caption says: “It is simply divine and has a heavenly taste!”

Some people will compromise what they claim to believe if the price is right. Before Israel conquered Jericho, God told the Israelites to destroy everything, but to keep all the gold and silver for the treasury of the Lord.

When the men of Israel invaded Jericho and started destroying everything, Achan secretly took some gold, silver, and a beautiful robe, and then hid them in the ground under his tent (Josh. 7:21). He thought he got away with it, but he forgot God was watching. His sin brought a curse upon Israel, and the only way for the curse to be lifted was to execute the person responsible. Achan was stoned to death, along with his family (7:24-26).

The phrase “every man has his price” suggests that no individual is immune to bribery or corruption, implying that anyone can be swayed to compromise given the right incentive. That’s true for many people, but not everyone. The only guaranteed way to not compromise your integrity is if your love for God is greater than the bribe you’re being offered.  www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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Deathbed Confession of a Hypocrite

Just before Thomas Randele died of cancer, his wife asked his friends to come by their home to say goodbye to a man they called one of the nicest and most honorable people they had ever known. No one had any idea that Randele called them together to make a shocking deathbed confession.

Randale confessed that 52 years earlier, when he worked as a bank teller, he stole $215,000 from the vault, which amounts to $1.6 million today. For over five decades he had been a fugitive, and wanted for one of the largest bank robberies in Cleveland’s history. The bank heist in 1969 didn’t capture the nation’s attention because everyone was focused on Apollo 11’s historic landing on the moon.

His wife and daughter were even more stunned when he admitted that Thomas Randele wasn’t his real name. His true name was Ted Conrad, and he had created that new identity to keep from being discovered.

Unlike the repentant thief on the cross who admitted he was guilty and accepted the punishment for his crime (Luke 23:41), Conrad admitted to his crime, but he wasn’t willing to do his time in prison. People who confess sins on their deathbed want to get rid of the guilt for what they did, but they don’t want to pay for what they did.

Something happens to us internally when we hide our sins in darkness. After David committed adultery and murdered Uriah, he covered up his crimes for about a year. During that time, he suffered physical and psychological sickness which he described in Psalm 32:3-4 and 38:2-3. After Nathan the prophet confronted him about his sin, David confessed, “I have sinned against the Lord,” and God forgave him (2 Sam. 12:1-13).

Confession is the beginning of the healing your soul. “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for each other, so that you may be healed” (James 5:16). It’s like opening a closet door, which allows the shining light to kill the dark secret that thrives inside. Darkness cannot live when it’s exposed to the light (Eph. 5:12-13).

If you’ve done wrong, get honest before God and own up to it. It may be embarrassing to admit, but the relief you’ll experience will heal your soul.  www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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