A Fish Out Of Water

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2016
8,847
4,503
113
#1
I believe it was Justin Martyr who once described Christians as being the fish and Jesus as the water.

We see for the fish to live, it greatly depends on water. Jesus is known as the living water.

John 7:38
38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

A water specifically fit for our human nature. Not polluted with lies and the decay of death. But a truth so beautiful that it contains eternal ramifications. It is in the polluted waters aka the world without Jesus where we find the souls who are lost, broken, or in rebellion. The pollution of the world has caused sickness, decay, corruption, and sin.

Jesus spoke to His disciples to come and follow me and I will teach to fish for people.

Matthew 4:19
19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

A fish without water, dies. A fish in pollution dies. Not only do we depend on the living water but we must be cautious as harmful theology, worldviews, philosophies, can pollute your Biblical worldview. These are the thorns and snares of life that can choke the believer.

Luke 8:14
14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches , and pleasures, and they do not mature.

We must remain in Jesus to live and we must guard our hearts against the pollution of this world. Amen.

Proverbs 4:23
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
 
P

pottersclay

Guest
#2
To go along with your whittie analogy I often tell saints that Jesus told us in being fishers of men that we do the catching but jesus does the cleaning.
Often time we tend to judge others wrongfully, it is said that he will finish the good work he has started.
 

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2016
8,847
4,503
113
#3
To go along with your whittie analogy I often tell saints that Jesus told us in being fishers of men that we do the catching but jesus does the cleaning.
Often time we tend to judge others wrongfully, it is said that he will finish the good work he has started.
I thought about how Jesus told Peter to go fish and where to fish. Peter listened even though skeptical and then they threw over their nets. The nets became so full of fish, the crew almost couldn't pull it back in.

All Peter had to do was to obey.
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
#4
It was Justin Martyr. It's good that we read the fathers, even though what they wrote was not scripture, it's important to see just how they understood scripture. Not that they are always correct but they had specific insight into the context and era of the Apostles.
 
P

pottersclay

Guest
#5
I thought about how Jesus told Peter to go fish and where to fish. Peter listened even though skeptical and then they threw over their nets. The nets became so full of fish, the crew almost couldn't pull it back in.

All Peter had to do was to obey.
There are 3 things needed to be successful in catching fish.

The right bait, the presentation of it, and patience.
When fishing for men these 3 things are provided by the Holy Spirit.
Can anyone provide scripture to prove these 3 needed things?
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
#6
There are 3 things needed to be successful in catching fish.

The right bait, the presentation of it, and patience.
When fishing for men these 3 things are provided by the Holy Spirit.
Can anyone provide scripture to prove these 3 needed things?
All we have is the gospel, and the Holy Spirit. Bait and presentation are errors of revivalism. We speak the Gospel empowered by the Holy Spirit. The catching is between them and God.

We can't turn Justin's statements into something they were not, they were not about evangelizing. They were about being baptized into Christ Jesus, water baptism. But not only baptised but staying, abiding in, and living in a state of immersion in Christ.
 
S

SophieT

Guest
#7
I believe it was Justin Martyr who once described Christians as being the fish and Jesus as the water.

We see for the fish to live, it greatly depends on water. Jesus is known as the living water.

John 7:38
38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

A water specifically fit for our human nature. Not polluted with lies and the decay of death. But a truth so beautiful that it contains eternal ramifications. It is in the polluted waters aka the world without Jesus where we find the souls who are lost, broken, or in rebellion. The pollution of the world has caused sickness, decay, corruption, and sin.

Jesus spoke to His disciples to come and follow me and I will teach to fish for people.

Matthew 4:19
19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

A fish without water, dies. A fish in pollution dies. Not only do we depend on the living water but we must be cautious as harmful theology, worldviews, philosophies, can pollute your Biblical worldview. These are the thorns and snares of life that can choke the believer.

Luke 8:14
14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches , and pleasures, and they do not mature.

We must remain in Jesus to live and we must guard our hearts against the pollution of this world. Amen.

Proverbs 4:23
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.

A thoughtful and well presented flow of words, encouraging and meaningful. I only wish the 'goody two shoes' who think they know better would go start their own thread instead of posting conflicting nonsense.
 
4

49

Guest
#8
There are 3 things needed to be successful in catching fish.

The right bait, the presentation of it, and patience.
When fishing for men these 3 things are provided by the Holy Spirit.
Can anyone provide scripture to prove these 3 needed things?
Is this one verse, or multiple?
 

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2016
8,847
4,503
113
#9
A thoughtful and well presented flow of words, encouraging and meaningful. I only wish the 'goody two shoes' who think they know better would go start their own thread instead of posting conflicting nonsense.
Nonsense to some may be enlightenment to others. In our walk with Jesus, we come by many thoughts and explanations of the Word. It us up to us to swift through the broth to find the meat and potatoes. Joyfully God's Word is active and living. The same scripture can teach me in my twenties while bringing further in-depth enlightenment in my sixties.
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
#11
I believe it was Justin Martyr who once described Christians as being the fish and Jesus as the water.

We see for the fish to live, it greatly depends on water. Jesus is known as the living water.

John 7:38
38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

A water specifically fit for our human nature. Not polluted with lies and the decay of death. But a truth so beautiful that it contains eternal ramifications. It is in the polluted waters aka the world without Jesus where we find the souls who are lost, broken, or in rebellion. The pollution of the world has caused sickness, decay, corruption, and sin.

Jesus spoke to His disciples to come and follow me and I will teach to fish for people.

Matthew 4:19
19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

A fish without water, dies. A fish in pollution dies. Not only do we depend on the living water but we must be cautious as harmful theology, worldviews, philosophies, can pollute your Biblical worldview. These are the thorns and snares of life that can choke the believer.

Luke 8:14
14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches , and pleasures, and they do not mature.

We must remain in Jesus to live and we must guard our hearts against the pollution of this world. Amen.

Proverbs 4:23
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
It's very interesting the running theme of water throughout the Bible. From the flood to the red sea crossing to Jesus and Peter walking on water, all the water described in Daniel's temple, from the begining creation all the way through to baptism.
 

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2016
8,847
4,503
113
#15
Water is the sustainable to life, jesus is the life.
Revelation 22:1-5
22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#16
I live in a city thats will probably not last for more than 50 years now because of the water pollution. The Kauri trees are dying because of the pollution in the ground water, and the harbour is not so clean anymore. We can't even swim in the beaches.

This is because the council/govt had sold out to the world. It's very hard to be a fish in this environment.
 

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2016
8,847
4,503
113
#17
I live in a city thats will probably not last for more than 50 years now because of the water pollution. The Kauri trees are dying because of the pollution in the ground water, and the harbour is not so clean anymore. We can't even swim in the beaches.

This is because the council/govt had sold out to the world. It's very hard to be a fish in this environment.
So what is creating the pollution? The harbor? Factories?
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#18
So what is creating the pollution? The harbor? Factories?
where do I start. its people. Humans!

old sewage system that cant cope, people cutting down trees, too many roads, too many cars, (still most of the cars are fossil fueled) too much runoff, because of now built up areas to cram more people in the city, not enough green space.
Factories that are wasting resources another factor but its more like consumerism where people spend too much and then waste it. Theres wayyy to much packaging on every single item that just ends up in landfill.

Country side is not much better. Dairy farmers are still bound to use chemicals, artificial fertilisers pesticides and herbicides agriculture, which creates waste as nitrogen run off leaches into rivers.

if you try to use organic practices, it goes against establishment modern ways of doing things. also the pressure to be profitable means that, all that organic food gets exported anyway, to fetch a higher price, totally negating what its grown for. Because then all this fossil fuel is used to ship or fly it to other countries lol.

clean green 100 percent pure nz is a marketing myth.

the govt actually banned plastic bags (good thing) but theres still a few rich people who then complain that they now cant use them to pick up their dog poo. (um...and you have a dog, why? other people really dont enjoy swimming in places where your dog has just pooed. )
 
Nov 15, 2020
1,897
362
83
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
#19
I believe it was Justin Martyr who once described Christians as being the fish and Jesus as the water.

We see for the fish to live, it greatly depends on water. Jesus is known as the living water.

John 7:38
38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

A water specifically fit for our human nature. Not polluted with lies and the decay of death. But a truth so beautiful that it contains eternal ramifications. It is in the polluted waters aka the world without Jesus where we find the souls who are lost, broken, or in rebellion. The pollution of the world has caused sickness, decay, corruption, and sin.

Jesus spoke to His disciples to come and follow me and I will teach to fish for people.

Matthew 4:19
19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

A fish without water, dies. A fish in pollution dies. Not only do we depend on the living water but we must be cautious as harmful theology, worldviews, philosophies, can pollute your Biblical worldview. These are the thorns and snares of life that can choke the believer.

Luke 8:14
14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches , and pleasures, and they do not mature.

We must remain in Jesus to live and we must guard our hearts against the pollution of this world. Amen.

Proverbs 4:23
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
who is Justin martyr when he is home ?