I love to fish. Put me on a lake with a line & hook and I’m good to go for hours. The thrill of catching a “big one” keeps me on alert even when the fish aren’t biting. I like fishing with minnow’s best, but crickets or worms will work too. Live bait is my preference over any artificial lure. The fish seem to respond more aggressively to something alive rather than to lifeless artificial bait. Sure the artificial bait has tricked many fish to bite, but nothing seems to entice the fish to hold on, more than live bait.
As a Christian, I’ve been called to be a fisher of men. Lately I’ve witnessed some very disturbing trends within the pond in which I’ve been called to fish. It seems the American church of today prefers to fish with artificial bait, rather than the live bait that God has provided in His Son Jesus. We dress up our facilities with fancy rock walls and waterfalls in an effort to get the fish to bite. We make our pond so warm and inviting, appearing to be, just the right spot to feast. We lure them in with artificial bait that has no spiritual value, yet proves to have a super sharp treble hook. The shininess of the lure traps them and deceives them into believing its real. Just as a fish that has been caught by artificial bait, so is a person that has been lured into a church by flashy impressive worldly things. Few are able to free themselves from the snare of sharpness, and the majority are captured and feasted upon.
Artificial bait is designed to trick and deceive while “looking” and “feeling” like the real thing. Once the bait is taken the fish are hooked. Snared by deception they fight with all their might to be released, but few are successful. On the other hand, live bait is the real thing. When it catches it satisfies and nourishes. It fills and strengthens. It sustains and comforts. The Word of God is the bait that fishers of men use. But what about the hook in live bait you say? The hook of truth delivers and rescues and is none other than Christ Himself. The Word of God is bait that is alive and will nourish, and never deceive. The artificial bait of flashy impressive worldly things will only lead to more hurt and discouragement, but the live bait of truth will set free, deliver, and change a fish into a fisher of men forever! For goodness sakes if you’re going to fish for men, use live bait!