Jesus uses language that they are able to understand as he meets them where they are. He does this by asking them to follow Him, letting them know that what they have learned throughout the years will not go to waste but can be used when they follow Him too! This time it won’t be just catching fish but being fisherman for the souls of men using what they are good at.

Interpretation/Application:
 I thought to myself what is the function of a fisherman and how could a fisherman become ‘fisherman for the souls of men’?

 It made me think about the function of commercial fisherman:

In a way, some people do think about becoming a prisoner once they give their life to Jesus. But, I believe it is those who have not surrendered their wills to Him who feel that way. Those who do surrender find abundant life with Jesus.

Lost people get attracted to Jesus many times because of the lifestyle of those who already know Jesus and are known by Him.

Point 3:
It is not enough to have the best net if the net is not thrown in the water at the right place and time. This goes back to yesterday's devotional on timing.

In the same way, it is not enough for us to know Jesus and be known by Jesus to reach out to lost people, if we are just content with having Jesus as our best net and do not access the help Jesus provides to reach out to lost people at the right place and time.  Just as the disciples went out in faith while they threw their net for fish and believed in the profession they were in, ‘fisherman for the souls of men’ need to go out in faith, believing in Jesus and presenting Jesus to lost people at the right place and time.

It won’t always be easy to find the right place and time but fisherman keep going at it and so should ‘fisherman for the souls of men’. Eventually, just as fish are caught ‘lost people’ do come when we do not give up and keep presenting Jesus.

Point 4:
Usually, they need to work together as one drops the net and others help pull it up.

In the same way, just as one person may present Jesus to someone or multitudes, that person has just dropped the net in a ‘lost person’s life’. This is just the beginning where the seed has been sown. As others help pull the net, I am reminded of Billy Graham Crusades where ‘lost people’ are attracted to the net of Jesus and come to Him. While they come to Him, they are helped by tons of counselors to pull them up from where they were to ‘where they can be now’. Now, they are attracted to Jesus and come but are helped by people who know Jesus and are known by Him.

I learned reaching out to ‘lost people’ is not a solo job just as being effective fisherman is not. Jesus did not call Simon and Andrew individually but both of them together in utilizing what they are familiar with. Jesus loves pairs and working together :)

As this continues to happen, now ‘lost people who have been found’ are available to others to reciprocate what happened to them. Just as fish is eaten and people get nourishment after it is available to them, in the same way, now people who are saved can allow Jesus to work in their lives and bring spiritual nourishment to others.

I ask you now dear friends, how can you use your P.R.O.F.E.S.S.I.ON for Lord?
Dear friends,  I learned that Jesus wanted to use Simon and Andrew from what they had already pursued and were pursuing (being commercial fisherman) to make an impact for the Kingdom of God by becoming 'fisherman for the souls of men' This is awesome! In the same way no matter what you are studying or where you are working, look for ways to use your profession to reach souls for Christ. You can do it as you depend on the Lord Jesus Christ. Where you are can be used by the Lord to make an impact in and for the Kingdom of God. So never give up or never think you cannot be used. For when you make yourself available to the Lord, He will use you.

Pastor Hugo would remind me about a F.A.C.T check: Faithful, Available, Compatible, and Teachable. When you possess these characteristics depending on the Lord, He will use you wherever you are.  The Lord Jesus can use anyone in their profession when that profession is turned over to the Lord to make an impact for His Kingdom. 

When my sweetheart Chandra was working, she  would always use her profession in the hospital to reach souls for Christ by singing uplifting songs pertaining to Jesus Christ to bring hope, help, and healing to those in bondage to their diseases. I loved to hear her stories of how patients responded. She also uses her professional knowledge to limit my sugar intake, reminding me that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, etc.

 In closing, I want to share with you couple of true stories that happened in my life few semesters ago. I now work full-time as a floor manager for Sodexo, a job I love very much!  I get to interact with a lot of students and use that opportunity to minister unto them through different means.

How was I able to use my profession?

Area 1:
There was a young guy who was drunk at the bus stop at Forbes Ave opposite to the William Pitt Union wanting to go to Shadyside. He asked me what bus he needed to take to go there and I kept telling him that he was on the wrong side of the street if he wanted to go to Shadyside. He was so sure he was on the right side and just needed me to tell him the numbers. After awhile, I did not try to persuade him anymore. Rather, I decided to read my Bible.

He comes up to me and said that he liked to read the Bible too and told me that he loved ‘Revelation’. He asked me what my favorite passage was and I used that opportunity to tell him one of my favorite passages was in Proverbs 23.

 Then, I asked him if he would like to read a certain passage from there which was my favorite. He decided to read it with whatever comprehension he had while drunk and saying what it meant to him. Then he asked me what I thought about it.

A great idea is to ask people if they want to read the verses you want to share with them. This way they get to read Scripture for themselves.

I told him psychology talks a lot about the dangers of alcohol but the Bible already mentions them here. Finally, he looks at me and said, “You know, all these things I have experienced” regarding the dangers of alcohol. He was so awestruck with his experiences and what he was going through was already mentioned in the Bible even before Psych books came along.

Later, he gave me his number to keep in touch and gave me a big hug. Finally, he tells me that he was on the wrong side and decides to go to Fifth Ave to catch the bus. This type utilized a type of evangelism more than psychology but psychology did come into play. One of the Quiet Times I had, had to do with alcohol and is called A.L.C.O.H.O.L. You can access it by typing 'Previous Devotionals' in the search box.

Area 2:
My mission has been to ‘Counsel broken hearts with the love of Christ.” While I have had multiple opportunities to counsel students and non-students and see their lives change for the glory of God, I have utilized the principles I have learned in psychology but not the methodology of psychology. Rather I have focused on biblical counseling.

For example, a student would tell me how things were always going wrong for her and that she could never do anything right. She feels like she is a failure and so on. I would let her know  the more negative things we say to ourselves, naturally those get acted upon and we are in a rut where we started at because of our words affecting our self-esteem. Then I would take her to Scripture and tell her that the Bible talks about the words of our mouth having power to destroy or build. I would tell her that the Lord spoke and it came to be.

My basic point to her was that she needed to watch what negative things she would say about herself to others and herself. She was amazed. No, I was not emphasizing the power of positive thinking but emphasizing that there needs to be a transformation in our own thinking that is in line with Scripture then we will see positive fruit.

Area 3:
I have taken classes as a means to ministry. When we have exams, I pray to the Lord and prepare my own sample exams and post them on the EDUCATION section of Pittsburgh Standard so my classmates can access it. The ministry part is when Bible verses are embedded within the sample exam for students to read if they choose to. The exams have helped so many students. Anything we do, we can use it for the glory and honor of the Lord.

Area 4:
I had an opportunity to use my field of psychology to open a counseling session online. It was on Internet Relay Chat (IRC) years ago. A person came into that chat room and I talked with her asking how her life was and so on. She told me that she was not doing well. I shared with her a poem called "Never Forsaken" that the Lord helped me write. After talking, I asked her if she wanted to give her life to Jesus Christ and allow Him to work in her life and take care of her. She did, so I prayed with her by typing each prayer sentence and she typed it after me. It happened online and did not even see that person's face. It did not matter because the Lord used that moment to bring her to Salvation.

I used to wonder how she was doing and one day I received a snail mail about how her life changed. She told me that she was 25 yrs old and lived in California and because of her becoming a Christian, her husband came to know the Lord too and that she was pregnant with a child. This is awesome that she is a mother who knows Jesus Christ and can raise her child with Christian principles. She also sent me money to help me when I was doing full-time ministry with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

I thank the Lord for the opportunity to use my profession to counsel and minister to her and to see her soul saved!

Area 6:
Lord put upon my heart to write what I have learned in my solitary time with the Lord and share the study part with hundreds of students as a expositional devotional. There have been days that I did not feel like studying and sharing but I wanted to be obedient to the Lord and have done it. After I have done it, I felt I was so nourished by the Lord. What I did not know was going to happen, Jesus already knew. Jesus used the devotionals I posted online at http://www.pittsburghstandard.com as an instrument to bring students to come to know Him. As a former campus minister, I was glad to be able to write devotionals such as these to minister to believers and unbelievers.

Area 7:
In closing, there is a profession that is so important that every woman who raises a child becomes part of. I am talking about the profession of motherhood. I want you to think about your mommy and the life she gave you. A mom can use her profession of nurturing and raising a child to bring them to Jesus too! This is what happened to me!

Years ago, our mommy would read us Bible stories every night before we went to bed. There was one day I was watching a television program and the host talked about 'Accepting Jesus into your heart". I had no idea what that meant and asked my mommy what it meant.

My mommy took me aside to my bedroom and explained to me what it meant. My mommy then asked me if I wanted Jesus Christ in my heart. I told my mommy excitedly that I wanted Jesus in my heart. My mommy then wrote a prayer down on a 4*6" cardboard and prayed with me. I repeated the prayer and gave my life to Jesus Christ. Lord used my mommy to help me come to Jesus. I had severe asthma and said to myself if Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, what Jesus did then, He can even do now which means He can heal my asthma. After I gave my life to Christ and became His follower, my asthma was healed too!

These days the profession of motherhood is looked down upon by many in the Western culture but it is so noble as mentioned in Proverbs 31 too. A mom usually is the one that can influence their children to come to know Christ. That's what our mom did for all of us.

My mom has always been the best domestic engineer, making sure everything goes well at home. She raised 4 of us boys, 2 of us who are hyperactive including me. My hyperactivity could be because of the wonderful desserts my mom would always make that I would gobble up! Of course, that gave me a sweet tooth not to mention all my relatives stuffing me with sweets :) My mom ministered a lot to my dad too who is in Heaven with Jesus. Praise the Lord for the Lord's work! Amen!

Now for health reasons and especially because my darling wife wanted me to watch the sugar intake I was having, I cannot eat sweets like I used to. I know both my wife and mom will be happy when I don't eat sweets because that means less fat, etc.

Friend, it does not matter what profession you are in. Whatever your profession, it can be used for the glory of the Lord. Lord has used my mom to be a counselor to me which I have used to counsel others.

May the Lord use your profession for His honor and glory and may you know that He can inspire you and nurture you daily helping you in whatever area you are in this Spring of 2012 and forever! Amen!

“Please Remember Our Faithful Encouraging Savior Sends Inspiring Omnipotent Nurture” (P.R.O.F.E.S.S.I.O.N)/”How can you use your P.R.O.F.E.S.S.I.O.N for the Lord?”

Friend, opportunities will come as you decide to follow the Lord in the profession you are in. May you allow Him to work in your life!

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus thank you for the professions you have given us. Lord, I want to thank you that no matter what my major is, you can use me for your honor and glory to be a ‘mechanic for the souls of men’ , ‘scientist for the souls of men’, etc regardless of what I have majored in or am majoring in as I follow you. Thank you Lord, academics can be used for your honor and glory for all Truth that is out there is your Truth. Lord, when we do encounter things that are contrary to your Word please do help us. I thank you for using us to be an instrument so people can be saved  into your Kingdom. Thank you for being delighted to use us. Help us to be available for you always. And most of all help us to be faithful, available, involved, teachable, and humble. Thank you for loving us so much and dying for our sins. Thank you for coming back to life to save us. We give our lives to you and ask you for your help. I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior. Please be my Lord and personal Savior. Come into my heart and make my heart your home. Live in me Jesus so I can live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. Thank you Jesus for coming in and being part of my life. Clean me Jesus as I surrender my life to you. It is not easy for me and I need your help. Whatever your will, please give me the willingness and strength to rejoice in it. Thank you Jesus you have heard my prayers and answered me. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen

Lord Jesus, You are my all in all. You are my Prince of Peace, Rock, Savior, and Friend. You are my Holy Father guiding me through to live a life of righteousness, holy righteousness. Oh God, I need you more than ever. I need to feel your hands around me holding me tight. I need your love to surround me so that you can glow in my life. Help me please Jesus. I desire in your presence. Thank you for guiding me to live a life of righteousness. Oh God you love me more than ever. You hear my voice when I cry out to you. When I seek your face, you fill me up. You are my all in all. Thank you Jesus so much for your help no matter what I face, your grace is available and you take my case. Thank you for hearing us and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN! (Most of the prayer is from a vineyard song called “All in All”)