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By Tom Shanklin

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these [are] the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:7-8) And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14 NKJV)

It is not time to quit! We are living in troubled times, but it’s time to keep preaching this glorious Gospel of Christ. 

Jesus predicted the things that we are experiencing today. Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament words defines pestilence as “any deadly infectious malady,” Certainly the Covid-19 virus qualifies. The world is in turmoil. Families are hurting. Economies are reeling, This evil pestilence is doing its work, but God is still on the throne, and Jesus is seated at His right hand.

Jesus said that wars, famines, earthquakes, and pestilences are the beginnings of sorrows. These current events reveal to us that Jesus is coming soon, and we need to be prepared. The word translated sorrows could also be translated as “birth pains” or “pain of travail.” For those of you who have personal experience, you know that these pains mean that a new reality is about to come into the earth. We are in transition!

But Jesus says that before the end of this age comes, the Gospel of the Kingdom must be preached in all the world. That tells me that our business in this hour is to preach the Gospel … and not to be distracted. The Gospel is the only message that delivers from eternal damnation. With many lives hanging in the balance, there is nothing better than we can do with our lives than to preach the glorious Gospel of Christ. 

When it became evident in March that things were changing for churches and ministries around the world, the Lord spoke to me, “Keep ministering! The world needs you.” He also spoke to my heart, “Draw on me in this hour. Draw on my strength. Then you will have encouragement and hope to give to others.” I believe that this is a word not only for me but for the whole body of Christ. Let’s stay close to the Lord and keep going for Jesus! At the present time, we may not be able hold public meetings or travel to the other side of the world, but we can still reach people with the glory of God from right where we are.

This is the time for the Body of Christ to shine! This is the time to put our roots deep into Christ and to remain steady as the world reels to and fro. In this hour, I encourage you to look for ways to be a blessing. Continue to use whatever means you have to help others, whether it be a visit on the telephone, using the internet, writing letters, email, or texts, helping your neighbor, or prayer. Make a hot dish for a nurse. Speak a kind word to a clerk. Let the Lord guide you! Many hearts are open. Many are lonely. You can be a tremendous blessing in this hour! Let God’s love guide you!

I encourage you to stay close to the Lord. Don’t be consumed with news or entertainment. Stay in the Word. Pray in the Spirit and keep your spiritual ears tuned to heaven. He is a very present help in time of need. He says, “Be still, and know that I [am] God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10 NKJV) I believe that this crisis will pass, and we will be in an even better position to reach people for Jesus.

Susan and I with the Christian Center Logos Churches in Pilsen, Czech Republic in February.

We certainly were blessed with good timing for our mission to Europe in February, as the Coronavirus is spreading in Europe and travel has been restricted. We continue to receive good reports. Here’s just one email I received from a pastor we worked with in Poland:

“Your arrival was special to us, we have several signals of God’s touch and a prophetic word. We are a church that is in the process of reformation. For many years we did not have dedicated healing services. We prayed but we never emphasized healing. Today we preach and pray for the sick. Thank you for your service. Best regards,” 

Since returning home, we have had good meetings. At For His Glory Church in Spring Grove, Minnesota, I spoke on “Relationships in the Body of Christ” from Ephesians 3. I believe that now, more than ever, it is time for us to honest, righteous, and loving in our relationships in the Church, so that we can shine brightly in this dark world. 

This 10-year-old girl received Jesus as Lord and Savior at our meeting in Rice Lake.

We held a three-day revival meeting at Trinity Fellowship at Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Several people prayed for forgiveness, and one young girl received Jesus as her Lord and Savior. I spoke on salvation, our inheritance in Christ, and “Your Church can Touch the World.” I believe that our local churches are designed by God not only to be great centers for fellowship and encouragement but also as mission centers to reach the world for Christ. 

Susan and I ministered at Businessmen’s Fellowship in Minneapolis in March. I spoke on John’s declaration about Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) A five-year-old girl came forward along with her grandfather and prayed to receive Jesus as her Lord and Savior. (Photo at left) What a blessing!

Same Mission, New Methods

Since mid-March, our meetings have been postponed as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak and the government guidance concerning gathering. In one case, we had planned a Healing Service in a church in an Asian nation by Skype but was forced to cancel when the government shut down all public meetings. 

As a result of these changes, we have begun to minister more online. Susan and I are doing some short videos we are calling “Good News with Tom and Susan.” We also held an Online Healing Service. Susan and I preached the Gospel and prayed over many needs that were sent to us by email. We received this testimony from a pastor friend in Kenya, who got up at 3 a.m. in the morning to join us for the service.

“I am very grateful for the prayers you said for us. Already they God has begun healing. My mother was able to go to Church and she looks so active unlike before. She says that her chest pain and the cough has ceased. I believe she is healed. Thank you for lifting my family to God for healing and protection. Blessings upon you.”

Susan and I want to thank you for your continued support and prayers for this ministry. We are very thankful for you and you are continually in our prayers. We pray for the same blessings upon you and your family as we pray for our own family. That is appropriate since we are the family of God. Let’s keep moving forward with Jesus!