TILAPIA

WORD OF WISDOM
GALILEE ~ It was the scene of some of the most memorable events of Jewish history. Galilee also was the home of our Lord during at least thirty years of his life. The first three Gospels are chiefly taken up with our Lord's public ministry in this province. "The entire province is encircled with a halo of holy associations connected with the life, works, and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth." "It is noteworthy that of his thirty-two beautiful parables, no less than ninteen were spoken in Galilee. And it is no less remarkable that of his entire thirty-three great miracles, twenty-five were wrought in this province. His first miracle was wrought at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, and his last, after his resurrection, on the shore of Galilee's sea. In Galilee our Lord delivered the Sermon on The Mount, and the discourses on `The Bread of Life,' on `Purity,' on 'Forgiveness,' and on `Humility.' In Galilee he called his first disciples; and there occurred the sublime scene of the Transfiguration."

SOURCE: Easton's Bible Dictionary



[ta-lap-p-a]

That’s okay I can’t say it right and I look at it everyday at work. This is about tilapia and where they come from. The tilapia's I see come from Twain and are shipped to my store. They are also found in Lake Galilee. Lake Galilee is the world’s lowest fresh-water lake. It sets about 680 ft below sea level and is 150 ft at it’s deepest. It is only about 13 X 7 miles. Much of Jesus’ ministry was based around the lake, and 7 of the disciples were Galilee fisherman. During the New Testament times the lake was a rich fishing ground, the principal catch probably being tilapia or “St Peter’s Fish.”

Okay this really is not about tilapia, but I just wanted to threw it in, as I found it to be interesting.

The disciples were referred to many times as fishers of men. Just as they would go out into their boats, or even stand on the shores with their nets. They would cast in those nets and usually pull in a good harvest of fish.

Now as men following Jesus they would cast out for men, and usually pull in their nets full. And just as the principal catch was then tilapia now it was men.

Here is the point, they had to cast out their nets to catch fish. At the end of the day, the fishermen did not just anchor their boats. They would empty the fish and then clean and check the nets for repairs. They would do this when they got in to shore so they would be ready to take out the boats the next morning.

I used to watch Mr. Son, an old man, repair nets. He even let me patch a few. It is not slow work, but careful work. The net one repaired must be secure. The only way to tell the old net from the new was the color of the line used. Mr. Son would set the nets up in between two big trees in his yard to work on them. If the repair was not done properly, the net would tear and they would lose fish. Big companies called Mr. Son as replacing nets is very costly, and it is a lost and dying art. I could never get the hang of starting the repair, but once it was started I found it very easy to go in and out with the shank and mend the net.

Any net would not work. And any way will not work with man. Have you ever stopped to look at the way you got saved, and the person beside you never got it. Or your friend got saved before you, and you didn’t get it.

Just as with fish, different methods are needed to catch different men. But nothing will happen if the net is not cast out into the sea. The net also has to be ready to catch the fish.

For us to be fishers of men or women we must be prepared. When Jesus told the disciples to go out and not take shoes or an extra robe, or food, He did not mean to go unprepared. Being prepared means to have the Word stored up inside of you. If you have the word inside you, then God will give you the word to speak to fill your net. But if your net is full of holes, the fish will slip out and you will lose the catch.

So check your net and go fishing. Hope you catch lots of tilapia.

God Bless,
rECj/LJG

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY
Matthew 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.