Page 131 - BACK TO BETHLEHEM
P. 131

Look what Peter does in John 21:7, “That disciple
        therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’  And
        so when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer
        garment on,” for he was stripped for work, “and threw himself
         into the sea.” He was on the boat fishing and he had his shirt
          off.  Perhaps it was a warm day.  When John said, “It’s the
        Lord,” Peter put his shirt on and jumped in the water.  Wouldn’t
        you think you would take your shirt off to jump into the water?
              This part is not in the Bible. My mind is crazy; it’s just
        what I think. I think he tried to walk on water. He failed the
        first time and he said, “I won’t take my eyes off Jesus this time.”
        So, he got dressed and stepped off the boat and he had to swim
        to shore. I can imagine Jesus laughing on the shore.
              I have to learn that I can’t do it. I have to learn that He
        can do it. Then I have to learn that He does not need me but He
        wants to use me.  Look at John 21:9, “And so when they got out
        upon the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid, and fish
        placed  on  it,  and  bread.”  When  he  got  to  shore,  Jesus  was
        already cooking fish. He didn’t need Peter’s fish. He had fish
        already. Where did He get it? Did He create it? I won’t go into
        all of that. What I want you to see is that Jesus doesn’t need Ed
        Miller and He doesn’t need you. He didn’t need Peter or his
        fish.
              Watch what the Lord does in John 21:10, “Jesus said to
        them, ‘Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.”
        How precious is this; “Bring some of your fish and put it with
        my fish!” He doesn’t need us but He wants to use  us. What
        can I bring Jesus? The only thing I can bring Him is what He
        puts in the net. He gives it to me so that I can give it back to
        Him.
             In this miracle after the resurrection, notice that the net did
        not break. When Jesus does the fishing, none of the fish are
        lost. I remember when I was beginning to know the Lord and I
        was fishing the wrong way, I spent most of my time repairing
        the nets. The nets kept breaking. This program didn’t work. I
        had to try a different program. They weren’t coming to hear
        me. I had to set up some kind of a gimmick. Before the
                                                                     129
   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136