Date of message: 28 June 2002

Shalom, Boker-Tov ( good morning ),

It is now one year since I started this weekly email service. The Lord has been really exceedingly bountiful in His blessings.
When I started on 03rd July last year, I had no idea how this will turn out. All I knew was that He had given me the tools to start the writings and all I had to do was to be obedient to Him. My original mailing list consisted of close to 50 of my friends but now, by the grace of God, the list had grown. I am now sending to more than 100 people every week and some of you have forwarded the same mail to your friends. The message is now also on the website ( see the URL below ). It is being read by people in many countries - South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, USA and of course in Singapore.
Some of you have asked me why I am doing this and what I hope to achieve from it. The answer is rather simple. It is something that our Lord Jesus Christ gave me to do some time back in March 2001. At that moment, I did not make much notice out of it. In fact it was only about three months later while I was on my annual vacation and resting at home that I realized that He had already given me the instructions but I was too 'thick in the head' to listen and pay attention. He removed the wool over my eyes and caused me to see that all details had already been worked out and all I need to do was to step out in faith and start sharing.
Interestingly, each week when I commence my writing, I do not know how the message would end. As you have read in some of my earlier messages, at the very last minute, He actually changed my original subject matter and I ended up sharing something quite completely different. All I had to do was to submit my writing to Him and allow Him to inspire me.
There is an interesting account in the Book of Luke ( Luke 5: 1 - 11 ) where we find our Lord Jesus borrowing Peter's boat to use as a speaking platform.
1. So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret.
2. and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.
3. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
4. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."
5. But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."
6. And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
7. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both their boats, so that they began to sink.
8. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"
9. For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken;
10. and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men."
11. So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
Simon Peter and his friends spent the whole night the previous day out on the Sea of Galilee but caught nothing. That morning as they were washing the nets, Jesus approached Simon to borrow his boat so that He could make use of His strategic position on the waters to project His voice and minister to more people. After He had finished teaching, Jesus turned and asked Peter to put out to sea for a catch of fish. Simon was a seasoned fisherman and based on his experience, the best time for fishing would be in the night, not in broad daylight. Moreover, he and his buddies had spent one whole night out there but came back empty-handed. "What would a carpenter know about fishing?" thought Peter.
After hearing Jesus' teaching, he kind of obeyed Him although he was half-hearted about it. Jesus told him to let down the nets for a catch but Peter only used one net ( probably out of skepticism ). In addition, he must have used an old worn-out net because the net started to break when they reeled it in. If Peter had used one of those newer nets that he and his friends had washed in the morning, I doubt the nets would have been broken; they would probably have difficulties hauling in all those fish due to the weight.
Simon and his friends were shocked. A carpenter taught seasoned fishermen how to catch fish and the result was a "nets-breaking, boats-sinking" experience for them all. And all the time our Lord Jesus did not reprimand Simon or his friends for their skepticism and lack of faith. In fact, Jesus blessed Peter with a huge catch even before Simon decided to follow Him.
Our Heavenly Father is an extremely generous God. Throughout the Bible one can find His over-provision whenever He blesses. It seems that He longs to bless those whom He loves with much more than what they need or ask. And in the story above, all He wanted to do was to reward Simon for the use of his boat. What was required of Peter was to be willing to let the Lord use his resources, even though he was half-hearted about it.
Our Lord Jesus can do likewise for us. He is waiting to bless us whenever we give Him opportunity. Now you may ask why He does not force His way and use us even when we are not a willing party? Our Father is a Perfect Gentleman; He does not compel or enforce His way on us but He patiently stands outside the door of our hearts waiting for us to invite Him to use us.
Today, resolve in your heart to be used by Him and you will experience His bountiful blessings on your life.
The Lord blesses you and keeps you,
The Lord makes His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and all your loved ones,
The Lord lifts up His countenance upon you and gives you His shalom peace.
Numbers 6: 24 - 26

Have a blessed week ahead, shavrou-tov
Shalom,

Andrew L W Lee