Power to be a Witness [Ministry Update]
Practicing the gifts of the Spirit at home group in Mahtomedi, Minnesota.
Dear Friend,
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, MEV)
The first chapter of Acts tells us that after His resurrection Jesus showed Himself alive by “many infallible proofs.” There are also many other biblical and historical proofs of His resurrection.
But Jesus knew that His followers would need more than historical accounts to prove that He is alive. They would need the power of the Holy Spirit. The early church turned the world upside down with the power of God that operated in their lives. How much more do we need that power today in a world that is filled with chaos and confusion?
Every Christian has the Holy Spirit in salvation, but there is a baptism (immersion) of the Holy Spirit to empower you to be a witness. That’s why so many miracles are recorded in the book of Acts and why so many came to the Lord in such a short time. The Holy Spirit was activated, not only in the apostles, but the whole Church.
I want to encourage you to open your heart and ask God to fill you up to overflowing with the Holy Spirit and give you power to be a witness. This power is not just for preachers, it’s for every believer in the body of Christ. It’s power to share what Jesus has done in your life. It’s power to live for Him. It’s power to pray and see results. It’s power to move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you get so full of God that He begins to spill out to those around you. The world needs you to demonstrate that Jesus is alive!
Moving in the Gifts of the Spirit
In February, we taught a 4-part class on “Moving in the Gifts of the Spirit” in two separate home groups in our area. It’s encouraging to see people embracing the fact that these gifts are for every believer in Christ.
We taught on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and each of the nine gifts of the Spirit from 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. We then took time to practice moving in the gifts, allowing people to pray and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit while ministering to one another. One of the home group leaders, who has been a Christian for many years, said he had never participated in this type of exercise. He said that he often had been prompted by the Holy Spirit to minister to people, but seldom followed the promptings. Now, he is encouraged to begin to move with the Holy Spirit and to expect results.
Ready to Go!
I was led to keep our ministry close to home in February and March, and as it turned out, it was a good thing. For one, with all the winter storms we have been having, it would have made for a lot of treacherous travel. And second, we became a one-car family on February 1, after hitting a deer and totaling my car on the way to one of the home groups.
Finding a replacement for my car turned out to be quite a challenge. With the increased price of used cars, we found it difficult to find a vehicle that we liked in our price range. I spent hours searching for cars online, sharing my search results with Susan, and then traveling to test-drive cars, which never failed to disappoint.
Well, you can rejoice with me and Susan (who is much relieved) that we purchased a car on March 23. It’s a 2013 Lexis Hybrid. These cars are very reliable and get good gas mileage. Plus, it’s just a very nice car! I kept getting words from the Lord from people that my next car was going to be very nice, and I was wondering how that would ever be … but it came to pass. May God use this vehicle for His glory!
I’m looking forward to continuing to expand our outreach this year to strengthen more churches, encourage more believers, and reach more people with the Gospel. If you would like us to come to minister in your church, help you with an outreach to your city or town, or minister in your home group, please Contact Us. Have Bible (and Lexis). Will travel.
Update from Benin
The building project for the Bible School at Danzounmey is going very well and nearing completion. The concrete roof has been poured and the pit for the septic system is completed. Also, people have been coming from all over Benin for a monthly 3-day prayer meeting at the site of the school, where people have been getting saved and healed, and some have been receiving a call from the Lord to enter the ministry. Praise the Lord!
Apostle Issac Clossou also gave me an update on The Tabitha Project, which is training young women as seamstresses, The goal of the Tabitha Project is restoring the women of Benin to life spiritually, emotionally, financially, socially, and physically. Rev. Clossou reports that they now have two apprentices, plus the instructor. The sewing center is presently operating in the Clossou’s home, but they hope to move the center to Danzounmey, where the Bible School is located.
Tom Shanklin Ministries has been providing ongoing support for the Bible School and the Tabitha Project, as well as support for other ministries in Europe, Africa, and Asia. We are amazed by what God has done with the help of those who are led to support this ministry. It’s a great privilege to be involved in God’s great plan to spread the Good News around the globe!
Let’s Pray for One Another!
Please continue to pray for Susan and me that we will continue to fulfill our mission. Pray for our health, our family, new and old open doors, and total peace. We want to minister out of the overflow of the Holy Spirit, by allowing Jesus to have His way with us. Visit our prayer page to learn more about how to pray for us!
Susan and I are praying for you every day. We pray that you would grasp all that God has for you and that you would experience the resurrection power of Jesus Christ every day of your life.
Onward!
Tom