What Christians should be known for

Posted on July 7, 2022 by jwfisch

(Click here for a video of John reading this Catch.)

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I’M FOR THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND HATE — a popular bumper sticker that speaks a volume of truth.

Every once in a while, it becomes necessary to refocus our sight. Who are we as Christians; what do we stand for; and what are we supposed to be doing? This has become increasingly hard to do and increasingly necessary in a society where Christians have become associated with causes that run far afield of what Jesus championed and the early church adopted. So much so, that before we can talk about what a Christian is, it becomes necessary to point out what a Christian is not, because the presuppositions formed by a culture war will color everything else you try to say and do.

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Hemingway slept here

Posted on July 6, 2022 by jwfisch

(Click here for a video of John reading this Catch.)

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Richard Mouw, President Emeritus of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, and our guest last week on BlogTalkRadio told a story about a janitor he got to know when we had a job as a night watchman. He related how he really didn’t like the janitor very much. He wasn’t very intelligent, he talked a lot when Rich wanted to do other things, and just basically irritated him. One night when he was chatting the janitor brought up somebody named Ernie. He went on and on about “Ernie” as if Richard knew who he was talking about. Finally Rich asked him who was this “Ernie” guy he was always referring to. “Oh,” said the janitor. “I guess I didn’t tell you, that was Ernest Hemingway.” Turns out that for three summers this janitor was Hemingway’s fishing guide on special trips. They were together all the time — even slept in the same tent. This definitely made a difference in how Rich viewed this person. 

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Celebrating the fifth of July

Posted on July 5, 2022 by jwfisch

(Click here for a video of John reading this Catch.)

Dear Catch Community Citizens:

You have probably noticed that the Catch website became unavailable recently. We found that this was a case of domain name theft, and only that. The Catch is still there and everything inside of it is perfectly safe, but without our domain name the public cannot access it… and you will see unhelpful error messages if you try.

All of your personal and financial information remains safe and untouched, and was never under threat of exposure.

Domain theft is a hard thing to track down and reverse.

Therefore, make note of our brand new domain name — www.catchjohnfischer.live — And it is Live!

______________________________________

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It is for freedom that Christ has set us free … But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:1,13-14

The Fourth of July here in America is all about freedom and independence. But the fifth of July is even more important. The fifth of July is when we celebrate what that freedom and independence are for.

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We the (fallen) people

Posted on July 1, 2022 by jwfisch

(Click here for a video of John reading this Catch

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In his book, We the Fallen People: The Founders and the Future of American Democracy, Robert Tracy McKenzie, PhD, and professor of history at Wheaton College, brings out the most important “Christian” thing about the Founding Fathers of America. Not that they were Christians (there is a lot of discussion about this with no real conclusion), but that one very important biblical doctrine greatly influenced their thinking, regardless, when it came to the founding of this country. And that would be the doctrine of original sin. 

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John and his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day

Posted on June 29, 2022 by jwfisch

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Ever had one of those days you wish you had just stayed in bed, or maybe gone for a drive in the country or something better than banging your head against the wall getting nowhere. Welcome to my day yesterday.

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This is our time

Posted on June 27, 2022 by jwfisch

(Click here for a video of John reading this Catch.)

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by Marti Fischer

I don’t think there is any way we can overstate the importance of our presence in the world and the urgency of our message to introduce the Gospel of Welcome — Grace Turned Outward — to Everyone Everywhere. 

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Posted in gospel of welcome, grace turned outward | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Friends forever

Posted on June 24, 2022 by jwfisch

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Here is the best news ever. The greatest truths are often the simplest and most profound, and it’s hard to get more profound than this: you and I get to be in this universe with God. Whatever happens, this is bottom line. You and I get to be in this universe with God. This transcends economic downturns, depressions, heartaches, sickness and death. We get to be in this universe with God. And we don’t have to wait until we die to realize it. We can realize it now. (Enoch realized this in this life, so much so that he walked right into heaven with God without ever dying! Genesis 5:24) Regardless of what we might be currently experiencing, nothing takes away from the reality that we are permanently, eternally tied to God through the love of Jesus.

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Posted in God's love, relationships | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Grace is unfair (thank goodness!)

Posted on June 23, 2022 by jwfisch

(Click here for a video of John reading this Catch.)

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But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.  – Luke 6:35

If you want to get a little taste of what God is like, try loving your enemies, lending money to those you know won’t pay you back, and then try being kind to ungrateful and wicked people. What does this do to one’s sense of justice and fairness? What could this possibly be about? Jesus can’t be serious about this, can He?

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Posted in grace | Tagged | 3 Comments

Needed: every day hero

Posted on June 22, 2022 by jwfisch

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This Catch will be brief. We have an unplanned visit to prepare for this morning, but I hope you were encouraged and instructed by our recent series revisiting the story of Gideon: Mighty Hero. And though he was a hero in freeing the nation from the Midianites, the rest of the story leaves much to be desired, which points to the fact that God is after how we live every day, not how we rise to meet special occasions. Gideon failed the every day test, not realizing he could live every day with the strength with which he faced the Midianites. Yes, even though this was the Old Testament and the Holy Spirit wasn’t indwelling believers as He is today, God was still available to those who wanted to follow Him. 

I also want to encourage everyone to listen to our BlogTalkRadio interview last night with Doug Stevens. Doug visited Uvalde, Texas shortly after the shooting there that took the lives of nineteen 10 and 11-year-olds and two teachers. Doug talks about the shock and grief of the people of Uvalde, of what comfort the scriptures and worship can be, and of our need to be available to come alongside Millennial and GenZ people who are depressed and isolated and who might be prevented from carrying out such horrendous acts if someone reached out and actually cared for them.

Posted in discipleship, Millennials | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The Golden Ephod

Posted on June 21, 2022 by jwfisch

(Click here for a video of John reading this Catch.)

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It happens frequently when someone is used of God in a mighty way that it can go to their head and make them start to think they are special and somehow above the law. They are particularly vulnerable to the sins of pride and self-righteousness. It was why God reduced the Israelite army to 300 lest they boast “that they saved themselves by their own strength” (Judges 7:2). 

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