Thought you all would enjoy my visionary experience with Jesus earlier today. It is still so real, it is burned into my memory forever. It was more than a vision. It was an encounter. I love it when I am where reality truly is with Him! God is so awesome. He loves to make His Word alive to us and through us!
-Susan
“Fishing With The Master”
The air was warm and inviting. It was so surreal, listening to the water gently lapping at the boat as I leaned against the side of the railing. I could feel the wind gently brushing my face and I smiled as I felt it’s sweet embrace. The water made lapping sounds as it gently sucked at my feet in the bottom of the boat. I wriggled my toes in my sandals and the water ran between my toes as it gently poured up and over my toes and then around my feet. “It was good to be here again,” I smilingly thought to myself.
I felt a gentle tugging, and my attention was abruptly brought back to my task in front of me. I looked and I had a fishing pole in my hand. It was not mine, but a borrowed pole. There were many poles lying unused at one end of the boat, and I had been given this one to use. It was long and slender with many carved joints placed at various intervals in the tan pale shaft. I was gazing at the pole when I suddenly felt another jerk on my pole. I jumped and sat upright and shook my head fully alert.
Jesus was laughing at me. I looked at my pole and there was a fish on my pole! I was so astounded that I gasped and I fumbled to pull it in. Awkwardly at first, I jerked the line and slowly I methodically started to pull it in. As I drew the line in, I could feel the weight of the fish as it tugged resistingly at the end of my pole. Excitement stirred within me as I felt the shiver of a thrill of having caught this wonder. I laughed with joy at the feeling of awe, at this unexpected moment and the rush of anticipation swept through me over the new catch for the day!
Jesus laughed even more. I looked over at Him and He was so full of joy watching me and my bumbling progress. He seemed to be enjoying me more than my first catch! His beard was gently moving as he laughed and the breeze caught it just so, so that you could see the gold’s and the brown’s light up his face when the sun’s rays caught them in their light. His eyes twinkled at me and he was enjoying both my awkwardness and my wonder. I then laughed with him and relaxed. He then pointed towards my pole.
I looked back at my pole, and I quickly caught myself for not paying attention to my task at hand. I reached down and began to hurriedly pull the line in more. I was getting wet as I did, and the water was running down into my sleeves. I hurriedly pulled my sleeves up jerkily and grasped the pole even tighter. Soon, I could hear the splashing of the fish as it neared the surface of the water and I quickly leaned forwards to get a better grip on the boat. I brushed my knee on the seat and slid my arm over the side of the boat.
Out in the water ahead of me was a splashing frenzy. I pulled the line in more and began to see the head of the fish as it emerged from the water. I t was a big fish. It was a fighting and tugging at my line with all it’s might. A thrill shot through me as I watched it’s chaotic approach, and I shrieked with delight. For a moment I didn’t know what to do next. But then, I gasped, and oh, oh yes, I remember. I grabbed my net. I reached for my net and lowered it under the fish. I was getting all wet as I brought the fish in further into the boat. It was splashing me and my tunic and my hair. But, I was determined not to lose this fish!
With all of my strength, I gripped the net firmly and pulled the fish onto the ledge of the boat. I then gripped the side of the boat with my other hand and jerked the net over the side of the boat fully into the bottom of the boat. I sat down heaving and gasping with triumph and shrieked with delight at my catch. Jesus eyes were twinkling and he was grinning with his hands raised. The sun was shining behind him and as I looked at him, it looked like the sun was radiating all the way through him. I gasped at the glory of him. He smiled and said, “Let’s see what you have caught.”
I jerked back to my self, and looked down. “Oh, Yes”, I said, fumbling. I looked down and saw that I had caught a big round flat fish. It was heaving and jerking in the bottom of the boat. It was brownish and flat and had silvery grey scales and it had bulging eyes and pinkish gills. Some of the scales shimmered with pinks as the sun caught the silvery scales in it’s light. There were spots on the fishes scales here and there and it had scars on it’s body. It was very large and it protested wildly at it’s being taken from the water. Jesus reached over and took it from the net and he lifted it up into the air to look at it. It flopped around suspended on the line. Then it suddenly relaxed and it rested. I gasped, and wondered, “How can a fish rest on the line out of the water?” Jesus smiled.
Jesus then said to me, “Take it off of the line.” I reached up and took the fish. I slowly opened it’s mouth to remove it and I was shocked to see that another fish was inside of it’s mouth. This big fish had eaten another smaller fish and I had pulled them both in together on one line! I laid the big fish down in the boat. I took the other fish out of the larger fish’s mouth. The smaller fish was just like the bigger fish but it was more colorful. The bigger fish must have watched the other fish bite my line and then the bigger fish swallowed the other fish. So I got double for my effort. “What a bonus!” I thought.
I reached out and began to take the other fish off of the line and as I opened it’s mouth, the same thing happened again! There was another fish inside of this fish! I was shocked. My mind reeled. I looked at Jesus. He was intently watching me. His eyebrow was raised and He was waiting on me. I looked back at my fish. I gulped and shaking I slowly took it off of my line. This next smaller fish was a different type of fish. It was a long slender fish with pink scales and a silver body. It’s scales gleamed in the sunlight. It has small white gills and sharp little spine things on it’s head. It’s eyes were looking at me. I gingerly took it and began to remove it from the line. I opened it’s mouth, and underneath it was a really small fish! I couldn’t believe it! This could not be real! “I must be dreaming”, I said. This little fish was a light reddish color with tan and whitish scales and pinkish gills. It was thrashing wildly under my fingers. It did not want to let go of my line. It was a feisty little fish.
I tightened my grip on it and opened it’s little mouth with my finger and pulled at my line. Out of it’s mouth popped my line. On the end of my line was a small bright light. It was brilliant and it flashed radiantly in the sunlight. I was astounded at it’s glorious brilliance. I reached out and took the line in my hand and I held the light in my hand. It was a living, swirling light. It looked like it was dancing in my hand. I looked at it and all of a sudden, I remembered! I had seen this before! I looked up and there was Jesus sitting in the boat, leaning towards me. He was watching me intently. The sun was still streaming from behind him, and it seemed to radiate all the way through him again! “This was the same light that was on my pole!” I thought, stunned!
He then reached out and took the pole from me. He smilingly took my hands into His and He looked deeply into My eyes and said, “I have many, many fish. I know where every one of them are. I know how and when to catch each one of them. But what is really important to me are my fishers. You asked me to teach you to fish for men. I am here to teach you to fish. You are to fish with Me. I am the Light that draws all men. It is My Light within you, and My Life and Presence emanating from you, that will draw those that are destined to be Mine.
It is with Me that you will cast forth your line.”
The Vision ended.
Matthew 4:18While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
Mark 1:16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." 18And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
Luke 5:2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." 6And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." 9For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." 11And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
John 1:
40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). 42He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter).
Matthew 16:18And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
1 Corinthians 1:12What I mean is that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christ."
1 Corinthians 3:22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours,
1 Corinthians 3:4For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not being merely human?
Matthew 23:9And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.
Matthew 13:47"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind.
-Susan O’Marra
01-20-10
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“Fishing With The Master – Part 2”
The afternoon air was sultry and unbearably hot. I shifted uncomfortably on my seat trying to find a position that was less irritating, but could find none, so I finally gave up and sulked. Why was the weather so unbearable so early in the season? I mused. Alone in my thoughts, I winced as my thoughts drifted back to this morning. Surely there had to come a break in this soon, day after day, nothing gave way. The same result. No catch. No harvest. No good news to stir our hearts. Only work and heat and endless waiting, I thought. “Do you really want change?” I jerked at the sound of His voice. I sat up and blinked. I felt very foolish suddenly as I realized that the Lord read my thoughts. He only looked at me evenly, as He sat opposite me in the boat. I swallowed and said, “Yes, Lord. I do want things to change. It is tiring to fish all day and all night and not ever catch anything of merit.” He nodded and looked out at the sea. My eyes followed His. I scanned the sea but I could not see anything different than before. The waters were just as still. The air was just as hot and stifling. The day was just as long. There seemed to be no movement anywhere. The Lord just smiled and continued to look out at the sea.
I shifted in my seat and lifted up some trying to get some relief for my body as I had been sitting in this position for some time. My tunic stuck to me and I picked at it frustratingly trying to pull it away but it was no use, the damp air was in everything. This added to my misery even more, so I sat down again. I rested my pole on the edge of the boat and crossed my arms. I looked at the Lord who seemed so relaxed, that I suddenly sat up and asked, “Lord doesn’t it bother you that we have caught nothing?” He did not look at me, but He only said, “No.” I was shocked. I thought to myself, “He was the one that said we were to go fishing today. He was the one that said let’s go out in the sea. Follow Me, and I will teach you to fish for men. Now, here we are and no fish to be found!” I fumed. I fell silent. There was nothing to say. He didn’t care.
The Lord then turned around and looked at Me. His eyes flashed, and He sat upright in front of Me. He said, “I never said I didn’t care. I do care! I have always cared! But I have to wait until the fishing becomes more about Me, than it is about you. I have to wait until you finally realize that you cannot catch anything without Me. So, I have to wait until you understand that the harvest isn’t about you, or even about what you can or cannot do. It is about Me! I am the One that sets men free! I allow the adversity to burn pride out of you. For I cannot trust you until you are burned out and poured out, then I can fill you anew and finally use you. Many of My People make the mistake thinking that just because I call them into My boats with Me to fish upon My Sea, that it is about them, about their abilities and that I can’t bring in My catch without them. Every fisherman that I have ever called has had to be brought to the end of themselves, before I could ever show them where I have hidden My Folds. I have Great Folds hidden from men, for I know that which lies within deep them. I know the nature that lies within their hearts that has not fully died and that will seek to rise up even more in the end. So, I must wait till you have expended yourself fully and have wrought all of your works and have spent all of your wisdom. Then I can begin a great work. Such is the hour you now have come to. You are at the Helm of Great Change.”
“The Helm of Great Change?” I thought. “Yes,” the Lord said. I have allowed your catches to remain small so that you would seek after Me with all of your beings. Your whole desire must be for me and upon Me and not upon that which you will do for Me. When you desire what you can do for Me, more than you are desiring Me, then I cannot use you. I will not trust that which is precious to Me, to those who do not truly love Me.” This really hurt me to hear the Lord say this to me. I said, “Lord, you know that I love you, that I desire you, and that I do seek after you.” The Lord nodded, and said, “Yes, you do. But know that I am showing you something deeper here. Unless you are willing to fully die, to come to the complete and total end of who you are, then you cannot be Me to those I will send you to. You will not be able to draw them into My Nets. You will not be able to pull them into My Boats. I am the only One that draws men to Myself, but if I am not fully abiding and living within you, then I cannot draw men as I should. So, I have to wait till the process is complete. This is how much I love My People. This is how much I care about the lost and the broken. I will not bring them all in, until My Fishers are complete.”
“I am showing you this principle in this manner, because My People must understand that My delay is not due to My not caring, or about My not being able to do something about the world’s situations. It is more due to the lack of readiness and maturity in My Vessels. You are not ready. I have had to wait for you. So My Harvest waits. But it cannot wait anymore. The Hour is very late! The Waters shall roughen soon. I must quickly bring in the Catch before they are lost in the storms that will shortly come. You must rise up quickly now. I have waited till you were thoroughly frustrated and spent from your labors. I had to wait while you lost sight on the reason why you got in the boat with Me in the first place. Do you know why you forgot the reason why you are here?” I swallowed hard, and said no. He said, “It is because you took your eyes off of Me, and looked at yourself. When you do this, then you will think that you can fish without My help, you will then not know where to fish, so you will always bring in little.”
“This is why My Church is not bearing much fruit. They have taken their eyes off of Me. They have lost their passion for souls and for the broken and have become prideful of their abilities to fish, and of their techniques and their equipment instead. It is time to put these things aside, and to get My Heart. Then My real Fishing can truly start! I brought you here again to show you what I am about to do. It is time for a New Line to be drawn. It is Time for a New Net to be weaved. It is Time for a New Line of Sight to be established. It begins now.” He then stood straight up, and He walked over to the other side of the boat. “Come here,” He said. I got up slowly, stiffly. I walked over to His side and He pointed out to sea. My eyes followed His fingers. I strained to see what He was pointing at, but I could only see endless sea. There was nothing but water as far as the eyes can see. “Precisely,” the Lord said. “That is how vast My Mystery is. My Harvest, that I have patiently labored over and that I have brooded over all these years. I have nurtured every one. I know each fish by name. I know where each one is in My vast Sea of Humanity. I have tended to each of them lovingly. But I will not allow them to be brought in if they will not be loved and tended to as Me,” He said this angrily. I was taken aback by His anger and fervor.
His eyes flashed as He looked squarely at me. “I love My People. I died for all men. I will not bring them in only to be put to death at the hands of men again. No more! I will not bring them ashore! I asked you if you wanted change. I am asking this of all of My Church. Unless you are willing to change and to die to your desires, and to give birth to Mine, then I will not trust you with the New Wine. I will not pour out My Holy Oil on that which will only devour and spoil! I will bring sudden and intense change in this hour! For My Harvest can no longer wait in the Folds. I must bring them in to My House while it is still Day. So what I will now do, I will do suddenly and without reservation. A swift work will I now commence and I will initiate a new course correction that will test every heart. Only those which are wholly devoted to me, will take their seat in My Boats with Me. All else will sink in the coming storms and their vast shipwrecks will become the new norm. For I shall thoroughly cleanse My Threshing Floors, for great will be the Catch, so Great it shall be, that every Fisher will have to Fish as One Man in My Hand! Only as One Man in My Hand can the Fishing be now done. I am calling for My Fishers to come. I shall test everyone. Then the Great Fishing can begin, and My Vast Storehouse will be full again.”
“I have tested and have tried you, and I have brought you here, because I have planned for you to live more abundantly in Me and to learn to fish in My New Waters. What you used to fish in no longer produces. That Season is over. My People keep trying to do that which has passed away. They must get New Manna from Me each day, to be able to transition into the next day. I am not just moving in stages anymore. I have begun to flow. You must know My Flow. That is where you will find the Fish. Not in what you know! It is found in Me, in My Flow, of where I Am! Look out and see what I see.” I followed His fingers again with my eyes, and tried to focus very intently on the waters. At first, I still could not see anything different. But as I continued to look, I began to see a slight stirring. It was like little ripples began to form. Then bigger ripples. Soon, yes, I could see movement beneath the waters. There! I saw a flash! Something moved! Suddenly, the waters began to shake. Then the waters exploded before my eyes and fish were jumping everywhere! Multitudes were teeming all around the boat. I was so stirred, I could only weep. Jesus put His arm on my shoulder and said, “When you look with your heart, and not with your head, then you can see My Harvest and it will not be dead.”
“But anytime you are in your head, then to you My Harvest is dead, and the Seas will only be still with no fruit for all of your labors. There shall be no Vision within those who have not My Heart. Without a Vision My People perish. I will not entrust My Harvest to a People without My Heart or without My Vision. So when you truly look and see as I see, then you know where to cast your nets and you know where to drop your poles and you know where to turn your Helms, as you move with Me. To you I can trust My Rich Bounty. I told you in My Word that if you followed Me, I would teach you to fish for men. You cannot learn to fish as I fish from other men. You learn to follow Me, as you see others follow Me, but I am the Master, and I draw all men unto Me. I will draw them to Me through you, if you will be sincere and keep your heart’s focus clear. It is time that I become the Head again. The Time to drop your nets has come. A quick work shall now be done. My Fishers shall assemble one by one, and then together, a great work shall be done.”
“Reach out your hand,” the Lord said to me. I put out my right hand towards the water, and suddenly a fish jumped up out of the water and right into my hand. I shrieked with surprise and held the fish apprehensively. Jesus laughed, and said, “Did you do this?” I shook my head no. He said, “I did it. I placed the knowledge within all things of Me. This fish is ordained to be caught by you. That is why it came at this time. It is time. It is not so much about you as it is about Me. It was drawn to Me within you. When I became greater than you, inside of you, then they knew what to do, they will came to you. It is that simple. The more that I grow within you, the greater the flow that will be drawn to Me within you. It will come to Me, because I have become in you, the greater Reality. I have now taught you how to fish with Me. This is My Harvest. This one fish was ready. More will soon come. Soon it shall become a Flood. You must quickly gather the Fishers, for the Great Flood is upon you and your nets shall break if you do not all participate. It is even at Your Gates. Get My Heart. See through My Eyes. You will know where to look when you have truly died. When you do see, the Fish will naturally come to Me. Change is upon you. My Ripples are moving; the Shaking shall increase even more. For the Leaping shall increasingly become like a Roar, and you shall cry out, Come Boats! Come Fishers! Come Nets! Come more! This is what I have been waiting for!”
I then looked down at the shiny silvery fish that lay peacefully in my hand and I held it to my breast because I was so moved by the Lords words. As I did this, the fish just disappeared! I looked down and I looked around to see if it had fallen. The Lord shook His head. “No child, the fish fulfilled its purpose. It went right into your heart. When you held it up to your chest, and you treasured it, it was then that your heart asked for My Best. I just gave you more of My Love for My Harvest. This is what I desire! This is what I require! Only those that will change, can I trust with My Reins. What else do you see?” I looked out to the sea again, and it then hit me that it was no longer sultry out and I didn’t feel miserable and it wasn’t as wearisome in the boat as it had been. The Lord nodded, pleased. He then said, “You have learned well, My Test has served its purpose. It is now time to move on.”
The vision ended.
Luke 5:2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." 6And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." 9For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." 11And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
Susan O’Marra
06-05-11
