Once I almost caught this fish that was so big you wouldn’t have believed it. A three foot long bass which weighed 30 pounds. You should have seen it.

Well, he wasn’t actually that big back them, four or five pounds maybe, but that was 40 years ago and I’m sure he’s grown since then.

I was wading in water that had backed up from Lake Millwood because of flooding. My little brother Charley fished close by. Suddenly I hooked Moby Dick! We fought and fought until I finally reeled him almost in.

His dorsal fin protruded from the water in front of me as his tired body seemed resigned to the inevitable. The battle was almost over and I saw myself in the Nashville News, holding my conquered foe up for all to admire. You should have seen my grin in that imaginary picture.

If Charley and I had been rich enough to have a dip net it might have happened that way, but just before I reached down to try to get the monster out of the water he shook his head and my lure popped high into the air.

A primal scream tore itself from my inner being. Ah, it hurt to lose that trophy! He swam away with a fishy smile on his lips.

Since then I’ve seen fish that resembled my feisty enemy. They hung on the wall, plastered for eternity by a good taxidermist. The colors of these fish are right and their eyes seem to flash the nasty look of a self-respecting black bass.

But, it’s not the same. Those wall posters are dead. My fish is powerful and alive (and still growing after 40 years!).

A lot of people’s Bible doctrine is like that. They could answer 100% on a written test which asks how you come to know the Lord Jesus and have eternal life. “You repent of your sins,” they scribble, “then you put you faith in Christ Jesus and what he did on the cross.”

Right! But, when you see their life you say, “They’re as dead as a taxidermist’s bass.” People who say they are Christians but don’t try to follow his teachings or bend his words to suit their purposes have wreaked a good helping of mischief in the world. (Of course, they’ve had a lot of help from others who make no claims to faith).

Does you faith make a difference in your life? Are you trying to follow the Lord’s commands with the help of his Spirit in your life?

Or, are you just a dead fish hanging on the wall … spiritually speaking?

It starts with an infusion of life into our spiritual death. If you haven’t met him yet, repent of your sins and put your faith in Jesus-Christ.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” (John 3:36 (NIV, ©2010)

If you know Him, live like it! There are enough spiritual stuffed fish in this world. Live it!