For the Love of Self

They say that over half of the world’s population goes to bed hungry every night. Due to drought, famine and economic instability in many countries, the citizens are extremely poverty stricken. There is no recourse of Social Services providing financial support to those that have nothing in many of these poorer countries. You simply starve. In the Western World, the poor are very well taken care of. The welfare system

tries to make sure that everyone has food and shelter; however, even with the best of systems there are always some who fall through the gaps and have nothing. While this system was originally created for a good purpose, today many have found ways to cheat the system by collecting “free money” from government agencies when they really are capable of working as in the case of some people fraudulently collecting disability pension while being in perfect health. I have also known some people who have found ways to collect two welfare cheques. People have found many ways to take a good system and abuse the kindness of the benefactors. Unfortunately, due to the abuse, this system has also created many very lazy people, who see a way to do nothing And still get money to live on. They are not familiar with Paul’s counsel of, “If any would not work, neither should he eat.” 2Thess. 3:10. Many of these people have no self-respect left as their whole life revolves around how to cheat the system. Even if they don’t cheat, they simply are too lazy to look for work any more and they live from one welfare payment to the next. The free money may not be very much, but it is sufficient to keep them alive. They have no aim or purpose in life other than to eat, sleep, watch TV, play computer games, or engage in some other meaningless activity in their lives. One day merges into the next. They lose real track of time as the days and years continue on in their endless cycle. Once a person gets to this point, there is little anyone can do to help them other than take away the source of the problem – the free money. These people are completely self-centred. They have no care or concern for any one else around them. All they want is their own comforts and pleasures as the days pass them by. This is not the true ideal that God created man for. When God created man, He put him in the Garden of Eden to “dress it and to keep it.”Gen. 2:15. He gave him useful work.

In Part 1, lat month, we saw how selfishness is manifested in many negative ways in the Christian life. However we are encouraged to “love our neighbour as ourselves” and therefore we are to love what Jesus can do in and through us. Our righteousness is as filthy rags, but Jesus wants to put His robe of righteousness around us because He sees some value in us.

We are instructed to lay our glory in the dust. Also “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” Romans 12:1. “We must fall upon the Rock [Jesus Christ] and be broken before we can be uplifted in Christ. Self must be dethroned,” DA 57. Once we have completely emptied ourselves of our own selfish, human desires and plans, then God can do mighty works in us. There are many positive things that Jesus wants to do through us.

Although the religion of Christ may look to unbelievers as a road fraught with pain, misery and sorrow, this is really not true religion. While it is true that the road to heaven is a “strait and narrow” road, with dangers and temptations along the way, true Christians will not be found gloomy and morose. Our hearts can be filled with peace and joy. And although we deny ourselves all earthly pleasures, Jesus has something more fulfilling for us. He picks us up, and wraps His robe of righteousness around us and gives us self-respect. He makes something of us.

Now we will look at some positive aspects of “self. We will see what God values in a person’s self and what He wants to develop in each of His followers through His Spirit. A lot of these are not natural in the heart of man. Man is naturally selfish.
The process of sanctification is compared to a journey along a strait and narrow road and also to a race that must be run. (1 Cor 9:25-27)

Chi this road to heaven we are to dethrone ourselves. Give up our selfishness. We are to pray like David, “Lay mine honour in the dust.” Fs 7:5. We must realize that we can’t malic one step in the right direction without Jesus so we may as well give up trying on our own.

Self abasement
– to reduce or lower, as in rank,office, estimation.
One of the first steps is to lower our rank in our own estimation. We are not as good as we perhaps have thought we were.
“The conditions of salvation for man are ordained of God. Self-abasement and cross bearing are the provisions made by which the repenting sinner is to find comfort and peace. The thought that Jesus submitted to humiliation and sacrifice that man will never be called to endure, should hush every murmuring voice.” 3T481.

Self distrust
– to not rely on ourselves orsome quality or attribute -we possess, oron our talents
Once we have lowered our rank in our estimation we will not dare to trust in ourselves. Who would trust in filthy rags? They are fit for nothing more than to be burned. We would not dare to trust in anything in our natural man. We see that without Christ we are as the unconverted man in Romans 7:19 who says, “For the good that I would do I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” Who would trust this sort of man? That is what we are without Christ. We must not trust ourselves no matter how many talents we may have.

“The first thing to be learned by all who would become workers together with God is the lessons of self-distrust; then they are prepared to have imparted to them the character of Christ. This is not gained through education in the most scientific schools, ft is the fruit of wisdom that is obtained from the divine Teacher alone.” DA 250. And therefore Jesus chose unlearned fishermen as some of His disciples because they had not been schooled in the traditions and erroneous customs of the Jewish leaders of their day. They had no great wisdom of their own that they could trust. They trusted solely in Jesus.

Joshua was a successful leader of Israel in their conquest of Canaan due to his great anxiety and self-distrust. His fears were removed when Jesus came to him with the assurance from God that, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Joshua 1:5.

Self humiliation
– to lower the pride and self-respect
The definition here implies a humiliation that is brought upon one’s self. We need to keep ourselves humble rather than others doing it for us. If we get proud and lifted up, the Lord will find ways to humble us and we may not like the ways He brings. The lessons will be humiliating and may be more exposed than we would like, however it would be much better if we would pray and ask the Lord to help us humble ourselves.

“Every day we need the discipline of self-humiliation, that we may be prepared to receive the heavenly gift, not to hoard it, not to rob God’s children of His blessings, but to give it in all its rich fullness to others.” 7T 273.

Self renunciation
-the formal abandoning of a right.
As soon as we have sinned, we have lost all rights to life. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3:23. Yet there are people alive still on this earth, and there are also people who have been translated to heaven after living on this earth. Why? It is nothing within a person – only by the love and mercy of Jesus who shed His blood for our sins. We have no rights at all to life, “He was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, but we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death, which was ours, that we might receive the life, which was His. ‘With His stripes we are healed.'” DA 25. Our punishment that we deserve that we may have the life that He deserves. When we contemplate such love, who would not be willing to give up all their rights? Our only right is death. Yet Jesus reached down to lost humanity with a love that is greater than death. He gave us something that we had no right to have.

“Every individual, by his own act, either puts Christ from him by refusing to cherish His spirit and follow His example, or he enters into a personal union with Christ by self-renunciation, faith, and obedience.”5T 46

“Man’s great danger is in being self-deceived, indulging self-sufficiency., and thus separating from God, the source of his strength… It is not only at the beginning of the Christian life that this renunciation of self is to be made. At every advance step heavenward it is to be renewed. All our good works are dependent on a power outside of ourselves; therefore there needs to be a continual reaching out of the heart after God, a constant earnest confession of sin and humbling of the soul before Him. Perils surround us; and we are safe only as we feel our weakness and cling with the grasp of faith to our mighty Deliverer.” MH 455.

Self sacrifice
-to dispose of, regardless of profits
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1.

What do we have to dispose of? A sinful, polluted heart.
Many do not want to sacrifice their selfish heart – they love the things of this world and should they give their hearts to the Lord it would mean sacrificing worldly pleasures. There is no place in heaven for them.
Some don’t dare trust in God for their material comfort. They hoard their goods to themselves – only to find them burn in hell fire in the end. Much better to sacrifice on this earth to gain treasure in heaven – treasure that will last forever.

“God calls for self-sacrifice. This will bring not only financial but spiritual prosperity. Self-denial and self-sacrifice will work wonders in advancing the spirituality of the church.” 6T 102.
“Few appreciate all that Christ is to them. If they did, the great love of many would be expressed, the anointing would be freely bestowed. The expensive ointment would not be called a waste. Nothing would be thought too costly to give for Christ, no self-denial or self-sacrifice too great to be endured for His sake. DA 565.

“Perfection of character cannot possibly be attained without self-sacrifice.” 9T 53.

Self surrender
-to yield to the possession or power of another. To give oneself up to the power of another.
“He who would build up a strong, symmetrical character, he who would be a well-balanced Christian, must give all and do all for Christ; for the Redeemer will not accept divided service.” AA 483

Jesus asks us to trust Him. Give ourselves to Him. We must be careful who we surrender to. We must surrender to Jesus — not to anything or anyone else on this earth. We will have one power controlling us or another. Either we are fully on the Lord’s side or we are against Him. There is no middle ground – we will be led and controlled by one power or another and the choice is ours to whom we want as our leader and in control of our lives.

“Christ has given us His life as a pattern, and we dishonour Him when we become jealous of every slight, and are ready to resent every injury, supposed or real. It is not an evidence of a noble mind to be prepared to defend self, to preserve our own dignity. We should better suffer wrongfully a hundred times than wound the soul by a spirit of retaliation, or by giving vent to wrath. There is strength to be obtained of God. He can help. He can give grace and heavenly wisdom. If you ask in faith, you will receive but you must watch unto prayer. Watch, pray, work, should be your watchword.” 2T 426/7.
“God has given us intellectual and moral power, but to a great extent everyone is the architect of his own character.” CT 222.

Self denial
-Refusal
Once we have decided who we want as the leader of our life, we must refuse the other, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. The enemy will come to us over and over again with his enticements to worldly honour, gain and comfort. We must refuse him every step of the way and choose to follow Jesus.

“We are not safe for one moment in cherishing indifference and carelessness in regard to our soul’s salvation. Many will have to arouse and change their course of action if they are saved. The perils of the last days are upon us. Connection with divine influence through a strong, living, working faith, can alone make us to be labourers together with God. Those who would shun the self-denying, self-sacrificing part of religion, will never be partakers with Christ in His glory. There must be prayerful study and determined effort on the part of all who shall win the crown of life.” 2SM 212.

“As our first parents lost Eden through the indulgence of appetite, our only hope of regaining Eden is through the firm denial of appetite and passion. Abstemiousness in diet and control of all the passions will preserve the intellect and give mental and moral vigor, enabling men to bring all their propensities under the control of the higher powers to discern between right and wrong, the sacred and the common. All who have a true sense of the sacrifice made by Christ in leaving Its home in heaven to come to this world that He might by His own life show man how to resist temptation will cheerfully deny self and choose to be partakers with Christ of His sufferings.” 3T 491.

When we deny self, all we are denying is that which is harmful to us anyway, whether it is diet or worldly pleasures. Jesus has given us a better way and the way of the cross leads home.

“Do you talk of self-denial? What did Christ give for us? When you think it hard that Christ requires all, go to Calvary, and weep there over such a thought. Behold the hands and feet of your Deliverer torn by the cruel nails that you may be washed from sin by His own blood!” IT 160.

When “the Lord sees their self-denial and He gives them success and victory.” 2SM 180.
Now that we’ve laid our glory in the dust – God can use us because He sees value in us.
Often God will test a person before giving him an honourable position as in the case of Joseph. He had to endure the humility of prison life that he was totally undeserving of, before he could be a humble ruler in Egypt.
King David had to live the life of a fugitive from his own father-in-law, King Saul, before he was crowned king of Israel. He would be a more effective ruler after suffering the humility of life on the run. Death was haunting him around every comer. He had to learn complete trust in God. Now he was exalted to the position of king and for the most part he was a humble and successful ruler. Although he made mistakes along the way, he came to the Lord in humble confession. He saw his need of Jesus.

Also Moses was very skilled after learning much in Pharaoh’s court, but he did not learn the most important lesson and that was the lesson of humility. This took him forty years to learn by tending sheep in the wilderness. Now he was ready to take his position at the head of the nation of Israel and lead them to the Promised Land.

God often leads us through humble and trying situations before raising MS up. He wants us to see that there is nothing good within us, and we need to put our whole trust in God. He says to us now, “Shake thyself from the dust; arise,” Isa 52:2.
“he that humbleth himself himself shall be exalted.” Luke 18:14. I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isa.58:14.

Self appreciation
– to increase in value.
God does not create trash. He creates beautiful people, marred by sin, but He came to correct the problem by giving His Son to die for us. When we see that we are nothing without Christ, and we truly seek to understand God’s will in our lives, we will start to appreciate what He can and will do through us.

“A student may go through all the grades of the schools and colleges of today. He may devote all his powers to acquiring knowledge. But unless he has a knowledge of God, unless he obeys the laws that govern his being, he will destroy himself. By wrong habits he loses his power of self-appreciation.” COL 108

Self development
-to bring out the capabilities and possibilities of. To bring to a more advanced and effective state.
Once we’ve been brought down to nothing in our own estimation, we are not to remain there. Jesus wants to see growth. Not that we grow in pride and self-esteem, no, we grow up to a new creature in Christ. Just like the seed dies when it is planted and comes up as a beautiful plant – Jesus wants us to grow up to be a beautiful plant in His vineyard, bearing fruit.
Jesus sees much capability in a person that has yielded himself to Him. This is not the natural state a person is bom in, all this must be developed, and the earlier it is started the better it is. Never should we be satisfied with our spiritual condition as it is. “Aids to self-development must be given to the youth; they must be drawn out, stimulated, encouraged, and urged to action.” 4T 426.

Self improvement
– to bring a more desirable or excellent condition.
“Do something every day to improve, beautify, and ennoble the life that Christ has purchased with His own blood.” MH 591.

Jesus wants to bring us into a more excellent condition and therefore He will put His robe of righteousness around any one who is willing to yield himself to His service. The choice is ours.

It begins with our children. They need constant guidance and direction to continue improving. Never are we too old to learn. Parents should “improve every means within their reach for the intellectual and moral improvement, that they may be qualified to improve the minds of their children.” CG72.

“Those who are called of God to labour in word and doctrine should ever be learners. They should constantly seek to improve, that they may be ensamples to the flock of God and do good to all with whom they are brought in contact. Those who do not feel the importance of advancement and self-improvement will not grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ.” 5T 573.

Self help
-to cooperate effectively with, aid; assist.
“In acquiring an education, many students would gain a most valuable training if they would become self-sustaining. Instead of incurring debts, or depending on the self-denial of their parents, let young men and young women depend on themselves. They will thus learn the value of money, the value of time, strength, and opportunities , and will be under far less temptation to indulge idle and spendthrift habits. The lessons of economy, industry, self-denial, practical business management, and steadfastness of purpose, thus mastered, would prove a most important part of their equipment for the battle of life.” Thus important is the lesson of self.” Ed 221

The Lord can do great things for those who are willing to co-operate with Him. We cannot do it on our own, yet the Lord will not perform a miracle to change us if we are not willing. He will not take a man’s cigarettes and flush them down the toilet – the man must choose not to buy them and then God will give him grace to deal with the withdrawal symptoms. Neither will God take some money and put it in your mailbox daily if you are not willing to go out and look for employment. God is willing to help those who help themselves.

Self respect
-to hold in esteem or honour. To treat with consideration.
“Banish no longer your self-respect; for I have bought you with the price of My own blood.” TM520,

“Never forfeit your self-respect by hasty, thoughtless words. See that your words are pure, your conversation holy. Give your children an example of that which you wish them to be.” CG 219,

“He who wishes to preserve his own self-respect must be careful not to wound needlessly the self-respect of others.” GW 122

Jesus has much respect for us and we are to have respect for what He can do through us by avoiding things like the appearance of evil. Also we should be careful to respect others.

Our glory is laid in the dust. God has picked us up and given us purpose and direction in our lives – now He wants us to continue to grow in grace; to improve

Self knowledge – know yourself
-to be cognisant or aware of a situation, fact or truth.
“To know oneself is great knowledge. True self-knowledge leads to a humility that will open the way for the Lord to develop the mind and mould and discipline the character.” CT 419
“Self-knowledge leads to humility and to trust in God, but it does not take the place of efforts for self-improvement.” CT 67.
“Self-knowledge will save many from falling into grievous temptations, and prevent many an inglorious defeat. In order to become acquainted with ourselves, it is essential that we faithfully investigate the motives and principles of our conduct, comparing our actions with the standard of duty revealed in God’s word.” 2T 517.
It is important to understand our character, with the sins that easily beset us and the temptations that easily overcome us, and then to avoid those situations that would expose ourselves to temptations of that nature. Don’t be foolish – just because you have overcome an alcohol habit that has plagued you for years, does not mean that you can safely spend time with worldly family and friends frequently who are constantly drinking alcohol in your presence. Sooner or later you may fall.

Self reliance
-confident, trustful.
“Men of power are those who have been opposed, baffled, and thwarted. By calling their energies into action, the obstacles they meet prove to them positive blessings. They gain self-reliance. Conflict and perplexity call for the exercise of trust in God and for that firmness which develops power.” MH 500.

People who shun
responsibilities because they feel they are deficient in ability to perform well, are not learning self-reliance. I have heard many excuses for missionary work, teaching lessons, preaching etc. such as “I don’t have a talent for this kind of work – this other brother is much better at it than I am.” How did this other brother become better? Perhaps they had a talent in that regard, but they also developed that talent and became self-reliant. Not that they don’t depend on the Lord any more, but they are able to perform the task that God gives them to do rather than deferring the duty to a more “experienced” brother or sister.

Help the poor not to always expect handouts constantly but to become self-reliant…. “Instead of encouraging the poor to think that they can have their eating and drinking provided free or nearly so, we should place them where they can help themselves. We should endeavour to provide them with work, and if necessary teach them how to work We are to educate the poor to become self-reliant. This will be true help, for it will not only make them self-sustaining, but will enable them to help others.” 6T 279

Also the youth need to be taught self-reliance from (heir earliest years. Their parents are not servants to them and the sooner they learn this the better it will be for them. In the family we all work together. “If they would stand in a position where they shall influence others they must be self-reliant.” CG 157.
We can become conquerors through Jesus Christ.

Self control
-to exercise restraint or direction over;
Especially in raising children there is need of self-control. “You should possess perfect control over yourself; then you can have better success in controlling your children when they are unruly.” 2T 702. The work starts with the parent. “Teach your children from the cradle to practice self-denial and self-control.” CT 127. .

“There was a decided failure in your education and discipline during childhood and youth. You now have to learn the great lessons of self-control, which ought to have been mastered in earlier days. God brought you where your surroundings would be changed and where His Holy Spirit could discipline you, that you might acquire moral powers and self-control to make you a conqueror. It will require the strongest effort, the most persevering and unfaltering determination, and the strongest energy to control self.” 4T 92.
“Strength of character consists of two things – power of will and power of self-control. Many youth mistake strong, uncontrolled passion for strength of character; but the truth is that he who is mastered by his passions is a weak man. The real greatness and nobility of the man is measured by his power to subdue his feelings, not by the power of his feelings to subdue him. The strongest man is he who, while sensitive to abuse, will yet restrain passion and forgive his enemies.” 4T 656.

Jesus learned self-control after fasting for 40 days in the wilderness. “In man’s behalf, Christ conquered by enduring the severest test. For our sake He exercised a self-control stronger than death…. We have nothing to bear that He has not endured.” DA 117. It is possible for us to leam self-control but it is not an easy task, especially if we have not been taught self-control from our childhood.

Self restraint,
To hold back from action. To keep in check under control.
Often people, especially young people get tired of the self-restraint that comes with serving the Lord. Ancient Israel many times were led astray by copying the way of life of the heathen around them who had no self-restraint. After many years of having God at the head of their nation they began to demand a king to rule them as the other nations had. “The simplicity and self-restraint essential to the highest development they sought to exchange for the pomp and self-indulgence of heathen peoples. To be ‘like all the nations’ was their ambition. God’s plan of education was set aside, His authority disowned.” Ed 49-50. There is danger today that youth will make the same .mistake and think that their higher education at school is of more value than God’s plan of education.

If you feel weak and simply can’t gain control over certain areas of your life, don’t give up. Jesus has promised strength but as with physical health so also with spiritual health. Exercise is essential and it will cause more strength to be obtained ‘The power of self-restraint strengthens by exercise. That which at first seems difficult, by constant repetition grows easy, until right thoughts and actions become habitual. Tf we may turn away from all that is cheap and inferior, and rise to a high standard; we may be respected by men and beloved by God.” MH491

Self restriction
To confine or keep within limits “The walls of self-control and self restriction should not in a single instance be weakened and broken down.” 4T 574. Paul writes, ” I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, 1 myself should be a castaway.” 1 Cor. 9:27.

“Those who do not overcome in little things will have no moral power to withstand greater temptations.” 4T 574. R is important to restrict ourselves from any and all temptations, whether Jarge or small. Avoid those things and places that cause you great temptations. Keep yourself within the limits of God’s love.

We’ve finally allowed Christ to complete!) control of our lives. All decisions we make are for Him. We have mastered our sinful natures, and have learned what is important in life. We now will follow principle rather than our feelings and worldly desires. We will begin to forget ourselves and live for others.

Self-forgetful
-to cease to remember “It was not enough for the disciples of Jesus to be instructed as to the nature of His kingdom. What they needed was a change of heart that would bring them into harmony with its principles. Calling a little child to Han, Jesus set him in the midst of them; then tenderly holding the little one in His arms He said, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall to enter into the kingdom of heaven.” The simplicity, the self-forgetfulness, and the confiding love of a little child are the attributes that Heaven values. These are the characteristics of real greatness.” DA 437.

“We should be self-forgetful, ever looking out for opportunities, even in little things, to show gratitude for the favours we have received of others, and watching for opportunities to cheer others and lighten and relieve their sorrows and burdens by acts of tender kindness and deeds of love.” 3T 539. We need to open our eyes and look around us and see others that need our help rather than busily going about our daily schedule, ignoring the needs of others around us thinking that *Tm in a rush, surely someone else will stop and help them.” Once we’re converted this thought won’t even enter our mind. We WILL stop to help.

Self-government
-the authoritative direction and restraint exercised over the actions of some people in communities or societies.
We all need to !eam to develop habits of self-government so that our thoughts may be brought into subjection to the Spirit of Christ. Let Jesus be the ruler of our lives and together with Hm we can have a government that will exercise restraint when faced with temptations. Our deeds will be guided and directed by One who will act in our best interest.
It is a great disservice that parents do to their children if “they do not teach them self-government, stability of character, and the necessity of a resolute, well directed will. Most children … are not taught the necessity of developing their physical and mental powers for some good purpose, to bless society with their influence, to be well qualified to adorn the Christian life, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God.” 2T648.

Self-mastery
-to conquer, subdue
“The requirements of God must be brought home to the conscience. Men and women must be awakened to the duty of self-mastery, the need of purity, freedom from every depraving appetite and defiling habit. They need to be impressed with the fact that all their powers of mind and body are the gift of • God, and are to be preserved in the best possible condition for His service.” MH 130. fti order to walk on the sea of glass we must have conquered and subdued our sinful, selfish human nature. Only through Christ is this possible – and He has promised to be with us through every trial and difficulty. Through Christ we can overcome every sin that easily besets us. Nothing is impossible for God. Let Him be your master as you learn to master every temptation that comes your way. You do not have to be controlled by sin, self and Satan. You can be controlled by Jesus and He has a great work for you to do – go and do it
You need a balance in your opinion of yourself.

“If you form too high an opinion of yourself, you will think that your labours arc of more real consequence than they are, and you will plead individual independence which borders on arrogance. If you go to the other extreme and form too low an opinion of yourself, you will feel inferior and will leave an impression of inferiority, which will greatly limit the influence that you might have for good. You should avoid either extreme. Feeling should not control you; csrcumslances should not affect you. You may form a correct estimate of yourseff, one that will prove a safeguard from both extremes. You may be dignified without vain self-confidence; you may be condescending and yielding without sacrificing self-respect or individual independence, and your life may be of great influence with those in the higher as well as the lower walks of life.” 3T 506.

“At the cross of Calvary, love and selfishness stood face to face. Here was their crowning manifestation. Christ had lived only to comfort and bless, and in putting Him to death, Satan manifested the malignity of his hatred against God. He made it evident that the real purpose of his rebellion was to dethrone God, and to destroy Him through whom the love of God was shown.” DA 57. ff we continue to retain our selfishness we have left off from following Christ. Satan’s selfishness began in heaven and it ied him to crucify Christ. We are partakers of this sin if we do not overcome and we crucify “the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” Heb. 6:6.

May God help us to maintain our self-respect but not become selfish and arrogant. We must examine ourselves daily to see if we are selfish or not because Jesus is coming soon, to take all His faithful unselfish followers home.
AMEN