People coming to Christ in India.

By Tom Shanklin

God’s work done God’s way brings God’s results.

I don’t believe those words are original to me, but they came to mind as I was reading the story of a great catch of fish in the last chapter of John’s Gospel.

“Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.” John 21:3-6, KJV.

Like Peter and the disciples, sometimes we fish all night and catch nothing. Our personal desires, our methods, our plans, our self efforts fail to produce results. But when we hear the Lord’s voice and follow His fishing instructions, we can expect to bring in a great haul of fish (souls).

Jesus seemed to have a great penchant for demonstrating His supernatural fishing techniques to Peter. In a very similar story in the 5th chapter of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus, in the early days of His ministry, is using Peter’s boat for teaching the people. After He was done teaching, He told him to launch out into the deep for a catch of fish.

“Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.” Luke 5:4-7, KJV.

These are very similar stories. In both cases the catch was great, but in Luke’s Gospel the disciples only partially obeyed the Lord. He told them to let down their nets (plural) but they only let down their net (singular). The result was that the net broke. They had great results, but there was also an unnecessary personal cost. You see, we must do God’s work…but we must also do it God’s way.

How often do we get direction from the Lord to do something for Him and then we set out to accomplish it in our own strength and our own way? The result is that we may catch some fish, but the stress and strain of the project may break our nets. The project may drain our bank account, cause problems in our relationships, and stress to our nervous systems. We may feel like our lives are coming apart at the seams as we strive to fulfill God’s will. This is why it’s so important to wait upon the Lord, not only for His general direction, but also for the specific instruction on how to accomplish His will.

In both of these stories, we see that partners were needed to help them to bring in the great haul of fish. While fishing with a hook and line (personal witnessing) may not require a team, bringing in a large haul of fish requires a number of people to bring the nets to shore. Likewise, our evangelistic efforts could not succeed without your encouragement, partnership, financial support, and prayers. Your collaboration with us in this ministry is so essential and much needed.

More Good Reports from India

We continue to receive good reports from our mission to India last November. The following is from Pastor Deva of Calvary Commission India: “How have you been and sister Susan? We miss you, especially when we hear testimonies of what God has been doing through you. I recently met Pastor Abraham in a wedding, he testified that couple of girls’ weddings have been arranged. Remember, you prayed! He also told about the healings that God has done in the old woman. Also, you encouraged in our church Bro. ________ to take Baptism. He took baptism this week. We Praise God! He comes from a Hindu Background.”

Signs of Life in Southeast Minnesota

Susan and I came to the Lord in the ‘70s during the Jesus movement, which was a great awakening among young people during that time. It happened while we were living in Houston County in southeastern Minnesota. We moved from the area in 1982, but have continued to minister there off and on since that time. In 2003, we established a church in Spring Grove under our ministry, and I usually preach there once a month. The people have been faithful to meet and pray for a fresh move of the Holy Spirit in their area. Recently, God opened a door for the people of the church to start a new Bible Study in the nearby town of Caledonia. As many as 15 hungry, seeking people have been coming to the Wednesday night meeting, asking questions, studying the Word of God, and praying. God has been answering prayer and meeting needs. Please pray that revival will spring up once again to southeast Minnesota, and that we will know how to cooperate with it.

“Help! I Want to Lose Weight!”

We have been working on Susan’s new book, “Help! I Want to Lose Weight!” Susan has done a great job of capturing the picture of the inner turmoil in a person’s life when they have a problem with their weight. Many of us will be able to relate to her stories of her early life and struggles with weight. But the book doesn’t leave us there. It goes on to relate how she lost over 80 pounds and has been able to keep it off for nearly four years with the help of the Lord. You will enjoy the pictures of her as a child, too, and the before and after photos of her weight loss. Please pray with us as we put the finishing touches on this book. We hope to be able to offer it to you soon.

Prayer Needs

We want you to know how much we value your prayers. I believe we are carried forward on the wings of the prayers of God’s people. Please agree with me for:

Our upcoming meetings. Pray for the Healing Service we are planning here in Mankato on March 10 (see details below). I am convinced that the Lord wants to heal His people and demonstrate His love in a mighty way.

Open doors. Pray that God will open new doors for our ministry in the U.S. and around the world. My heart is stretching out in prayer for new nations and for the multitudes who are without Christ around the globe. I believe that we can reach them with the power of the Holy Spirit and with your help. Pray that many will come to know Jesus in this hour.

Boldness and Strength. Pray that we will be bold to proclaim the glorious Good News wherever we go and that we will have a great anointing to teach, preach, and bring healing to the people. These are the things that Jesus did, and this is what we are called to do in this hour.

You are Loved!

Precious partners, you are loved by the Lord and by us. We pray for you continually. We lift up every request we receive by mail or email, and we also pray for you by name as the Holy Spirit prompts us. Some of you we don’t often see. Some of you we have never seen face to face, but you are in our hearts, and we are holding you up in prayer that our God will strengthen, encourage, and bring all the good fruits of the Gospel into your lives. Thank you for standing with us as we go forward. Your support and prayers are making an impact, and together we will continue to take this Gospel to the world, in Jesus name!

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