"HOW to CATCH FISH" - A Dream
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
---------------------------------------
"How to CATCH MANY FISH"
(-DIVINE INSTRUCTIONS in a DREAM)
-by Irvin L. Rozier
"Come after me and I will make you fishers of men." (Mk 1.17)
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.
After this dream, the Lord moved me from the church I was at
(sitting on the bench, mostly), and placed me where He could use
me... Street preaching, nursing homes, radio, flea markets,
restaurants, highways and biways... I also had much spiritual
warfare with the enemy....
-------------------------------------
"And They CALLED THEMSELVES FISHERMEN"
-Author Unknown.
A group existed who called themselves fisherman. There were
many fish in the waters around. In truth, the whole area was
surrounded by streams and lakes filled with fish. And the fish were hungry.
It came to pass that week after week, month after month, and year
after year those who called themselves fishermen met in meetings;
they talked about their call to fish, the abundance of fish, and how
they might go about fishing. They carefully analyzed what fishing
meant, urged fishing as an occupation, and declared that fishing
is always to be a primary task of fisherman.
These same fishermen built large, beautiful buildings for local
fishing headquarters. Their plea was that everyone should be a
fisherman and that every fisherman should fish.
In addition to meeting regularly, they organized a board to send out
fisherman to other places where there were many fish. The board
was formed by those who had the great vision and courage to
speak about fishing, to define fishing, and to promote the idea of
fishing in faraway streams and lakes where many fish of different
colors swam. Furthermore, the board hired staff and appointed
committees and held many meetings to issue statements on
fishing, to agree on what new streams should be thought about.
Large, elaborate and expensive training centers were built with the
original and primary purpose of teaching fisherman how to fish.
Over the years, courses were offered on the needs of fish, the
nature of fish, how to recognize different fish, the psychological
reactions of fish, the various backgrounds of fish, and how to
approach and feed fish. Those who taught had doctorates in
"fishiology" Further, the fisherman built large printing houses to
publish fishing guides. Presses were kept busy day and night to
produce materials solely devoted to fishing methods and
equipment. Meetings were arranged to talk about fishing. An expert
speaker's bureau was also provided to schedule special speakers
on the subject of fishing.
Notwithstanding all this activity, it was noted that fisherman
themselves did not fish: they pleaded for fishing. The boards did not
fish: they planned for fishing. The teachers of fishiology did not fish.
They explained fishing. The expert speakers did not fish. They
preached about fishing.
However, after one stirring address on "The Necessity of Fishing",
one young man left the meeting and went fishing. The next day he
reported that he had caught two outstanding fish. He was honored
for his excellent catch and scheduled to visit all the big meetings
possible to tell how he had done it. In fact he quit his fishing in
order to have time to tell about the experience to the other
fisherman. He was also placed on the Fisherman's General Board
as a person having considerable experience.
Now many of the fishermen made sacrifices and put up with all
kinds of difficulties. Few were well paid for their service on the
boards and training centers. Some lived near the water and bore
the smell of dead fish. They received the ridicule of some that
made fun of their fisherman's clubs and the fact that they claimed
to be fisherman, yet never fished. They had doubts about those
who felt it was of little use to attend and talk about fishing. After
all, were they not following the one who said: "Follow Me, and I
will make you fishers of men." (Matt 4:19)
It came about that one day someone made the outlandish
suggestion that those who did not fish were not actually fishermen - -
no matter how much they claimed to be. Someone actually asked:
"Is a person a fisherman if year after year he never catches (or even
tries to catch) a fish? If he is not fishing, can he be following?"
Those who called themselves fishermen, and their boards and
committees and training centers and speakers, were all very hurt
by that question.
What is your excuse for not fishing?
--------------------------------------------