Encouragement

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Mark 1.17 "And Jesus said unto them, come ye after me and I will make you fishers of men."

One night as I was sleeping, I had an intensely clear dream. I had been meditating on the above scripture before I went to sleep. In my dream, I was driving down a straight and narrow dirt road. I passed by a stagnant pond and there with cane fishing poles were a couple of preachers I knew. The water they were fishing in was scum covered and dirty looking, and the hole they were fishing in was small.

I shouted to them from the road, "Come on! Go with me, I'm going to a really big lake to fish!" They replied, "NO! We are content fishing here; we catch one once in awhile."

As I drove down that narrow road, I observed small stagnant ponds all along the way. People were standing on the banks trying to catch fish. At each pond site, I would stop and ask the fishermen to come with me. The answer was always the same, "NO, we're content here. It's easy fishing, the banks of the pond are clean and even though the water is stagnant, we still catch one once in awhile."

I drove on down the road until it ended. In front of me was an old farm house surrounded by a weather beaten picket fence. An elderly man and woman were sitting on the front porch in their rocking chairs. When they saw me drive up, they got up and walked down the short pathway to the picket fence gate. The elderly gentleman spoke and said, "Sir, you can't go any further until you wrestle with that big old fish that is down in the well." I could clearly see the well. It was an old open style well built of bricks about five feet high and six feet in diameter. It had an iron grate covering the top. I went to the back of my truck, pulled out a heavy fishing line, and a gigantic hook. On the hook I placed a huge piece of meat. As I began to lower the bait in the well, I felt the Spirit of the LORD come on me. I also felt the presence of great evil. Well, I hooked that big old rascal and commenced the battle to bring him out of the well. The whole time I was fighting this fish, I was saying, "Help me Jesus, help me Jesus." I finally brought the great fish out of the water and tied off my line.

The ancient man and woman were watching the entire battle. When it was over, the man spoke and said, "Okay, you can go on behind the house now." I went behind the house, and O my what a sight! The clearest, bluest water (even better than Hawaii where I lived for three years) I had ever laid my eyes on. The beach was covered with clean white sand and there waiting for me was a top of the line fishing boat. As I drove off slowly in that boat, big, beautiful fish started jumping in the boat until it was about to sink! I then woke from my sleep and asked the LORD the meaning of this dream.

The LORD responded to me and said, "The road is the straight and narrow path that leadeth to life. Few find it. The stagnant ponds and fishermen represent the churches of today. They are content with their own little place and don't want to venture out to the unknown. The old fish in the well represents Satan who you will have to wrestle with if you want to catch much fish. The lake full of fish represents the world. The harvest is ripe but the laborers are few. Because you fought with and prevailed over Satan, you will be one of my expert fishermen and I will provide the way and open the doors."

As the LORD spoke these words of wisdom and encouragement to me, I was greatly encouraged and strengthened for the work He had appointed me to do.

Luke 5, verses 6,7 "And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink."

I had this dream in late 1987. Since that time, the LORD has used me greatly to "catch much fish". I have had many battles with the enemy, yet the LORD has always strengthened me and provided what I needed.

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