Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Our Lord has filled my heart with a song of gratitude, having just returned from 2 weeks in the nation of India! Traveling around that nation, I was profoundly confronted by the fact that this is a nation that is absolutely blinded in the spiritual darkness of both Hinduism and Islam! I recall sitting in the airport in northern India; and I immediately became aware that I was sitting in a room among approximately 300 devout and radical Hindus, secular Hindus and many Muslims. As I begin to think about where I was, and why I was in India, I became overwhelmed with gratitude for this opportunity. I had been given this precious privilege to “bring light in the midst of this deep darkness”! God gave me the tremendous joy to teach the “Christ-centered Evangelism” workbook, in two different institutes for pastors and church planters, in two different areas of India. Our first pastor, Dr. Ron Herrod, has founded a “short term” Bible training institute for pastors in India. I was blessed by his invitation to teach the evangelism portions of their studies, in both Goa and Siliguri.
As I considered this great treasure of service which was given to me, I was reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 4:19; “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”. As I thought about the Lord’s converting “call of grace” in my own sin-deadened soul, I not only remembered who I was, when He mightily stepped into the profound darkness of my life, and turned on the Gospel light; but I was also amazed at the new creation that He made me to be, after His converting work in my soul! My Lord not only graced me to repent of what I was, (an agnostic and blaspheming musician); but He also performed another mighty miracle, by making “something” out of the nothingness of my former life! For He has called me and equipped me to be a herald of His glorious Gospel! It certainly did not appear to be likely, that an ignorant and arrogant drummer would become an itinerant evangelist; and then to be graced to be an instructor of pastors and church planters, literally halfway around the globe! How can this be? This is impossible? Well friends, it is absolutely true that this is impossible with men; but not with God! For with our God, all things are possible!
How can we fully fathom all that God will accomplish, when He mightily transforms a hopelessly, wicked heart, into a new creation in union with Christ! Just recall for a moment, that there was a point in the history of the creation of this planet, when the earth was without form and void; and darkness was over the face of the deep. But the Bible tells us “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters”. And God said, “Let there be light”; and God shined light out of the darkness, out of the formlessness and the void. Who could have possibly fathomed all of the majesty and the beauty of physical creation, which our Lord would produce? Who could have imagined all of the glorious things, which would burst forth from the darkness and void? Oh, but in the same way, who could have possibly imagined that the Living God would shine the light of the glory of the Gospel on the blinded mind of a New Orleans drummer; redeem him from destruction; crown him with the loving kindness and tender mercies of Jesus; and then, call him to be a preacher of the Gospel; and make him a fisher of men? Who would ever think that God would send that man to foreign nations all over this globe, on well over 135 foreign mission trips? And who would consider for a moment, that this former drummer would be teaching a study on biblical, Christ-exalting and Godglorifying evangelism, to pastors and church planters from 4 different nations; and from all over India?
When we carefully notice His words in Matthew 4:19, we understand that there is something for us to do, “Follow Jesus”; but there is also something to be done by our Lord and Savior. Jesus said, “I will make you fishers of men”. We will glory in the awesome work that the Lord Jesus will do in us, if we will but simply follow Him! Oh dear friend, if you have been caught and converted by the Lord, the work is only half done; until you are being used by the Lord to catch others! Jesus invites us to “Follow Him”, not merely so that you may be saved, or even that you may be sanctified; but so that you may be transformed into a “catcher of men”, yourself! And dear friend, you are not truly following Him, if you are not fishing for men’s souls. Every one of us is commanded to take up this occupation of being a “man-catcher”! Oh that the Spirit of God would raise up a mighty army of “master-fishermen” for the extension of the Kingdom of Jesus and the glory of God!
THANK YOU - OUR PRAYERS FOR YOU
Oh my dear brothers and sisters, my heart is absolutely overflowing with gratitude, for the precious privilege to serve among these men. Even as I am writing these closing words, their faces are flooding into my mind! I am so grateful that Dr. Herrod gave me this opportunity, to be a small part of this “short term” training institute. And I am so full of thanksgiving for every brother and sister that prayed and graciously gave, so that I could walk through this new “open door”! The Director of the Goa Institute, Pastor Jaison Job, a true servant of the Lord, told me that this teaching must go all over India. Friends, I am ready and willing to go, as long as I have breath! If you will stand with me in intercession and support, I will be willing to walk through every door that our Lord opens.
We pray for each of you, that you will be faithfully following Jesus in these perilous times; and that you will be set apart unto His agenda for your life, as a fisher of men. We pray that you may abide in an intimate union and living connectivity to Jesus, in these dangerous days. We pray that you might submit to Jesus, as your Lord and Master in every compartment of your life! We pray that you might drink in all of our Lord’s teachings from His Word; and that you might pour it into others. And brothers and sisters, as we obey Him in these areas, He has promised to make us “fishers of men” for the glory of our King!
Ed Lacy