Get Back to Your First Calling

I have been stirred up by the Lord (and so have other ministries I know) that it is time to start “reaping the harvest”—and that requires everyone. So I am writing this article to you to try to get people to see it’s not a burden to win the lost, and you don’t have to be an “Evangelist” to win people. It’s easy if you are Spirit-led.
The article starts here, and my personal story is underneath.

God Is Calling Fishermen!

I have heard several strong words lately about looking again at your first calling. What was it that you first felt impressed to do? What was on your heart then? I think there are a lot of callings that have been sidetracked. It’s not that we are doing anything wrong—but we have picked up other things that are good, and even fruitful. And yet, we have dropped some of the things that God first gave to us.

Sometimes we have to take a look back in order to move forward. One thing I know: We have to start “going fishing.” Jesus said, “I will make you fishers of men.” He didn’t take one or two of the disciples aside and say that. He said that to all of them. You don’t have to be an “Evangelist,” as in five-fold ministry, to be a fisher. You just need to enjoy the Lord, stay under the anointing and be open to that fact that there are “fish” all around you. Keep your antenna up and you will know who you have a divine appointment with. I don’t believe you are meant to talk to everyone you see. You can be Spirit led.

I sit next to people on the plane every week. Sometimes I talk to them about their lives, sometimes I get to talk to them about miracles, and sometimes I get to talk about Jesus—but I don’t accost people with the gospel. Some people I don’t speak to at all. I fly in business class almost always, as I get super upgrades, and a lot of people don’t want to talk to anyone on the flight, so I don’t push it. He draws people. Sometimes He gives me something to say, and if they don’t “bite” I watch a movie. But I have plenty of supernatural things and adventures on planes and in hotels and all kinds of places.

But What If I Think Evangelism Is Not for Me?

We tend to think that evangelism is only for the “Evangelist” to come through and have some meetings where we invite the unsaved people we can drag along and hopefully they will get saved at the annual evangelism outreach. But you know, the Evangelist is listed with all the other ministries to “equip the saints”—not do the all evangelism for you.

God has called the “Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Evangelist, Teacher” to equip the saints and build up the body of Christ. These ministries aren’t supposed to do everything for us but rather teach the body how to do it. A prophet will teach people how to prophesy; a teacher will teach under the anointing, but he will also teach others how to do it. A pastor shepherds people, but he also teaches others and equips them how to do what he is doing; he recognizes others who have a shepherding calling and often takes them under his wing to train and teach them. The Evangelist is to teach the body of Christ and encourage them to win souls. He may have great evangelism meetings and crusades, but he also equips the saints and teaches them how to win the lost.

What I am saying is this: It is time for the church to go out and be aware that there are great rivers of fish, and we all have access to different rivers. Friend, if you are Spirit-led and lose your religious thoughts about it, it is fun and exciting and God is in it. Jesus is the Great Fisherman, isn’t He? He was the one who knew where the fish were (the other side of the boat). He can tell you where the fish are.

I have written the following (true) story because I want to show you what I mean. Don’t forget that sometimes you get to sow and sometimes you get to reap—just be led by the Holy Spirit and keep your antenna up.

The Wriggly Fish

I want to tell you the story of my “wriggly fish.”

A couple of years ago, when I was in the Hunter Valley doing a conference, some friends took me for a day out for lunch and shopping. On the way to this small town where we were heading, I had a vision in the car; I had a vision of a large, strong fish. The fish was on a hook, but it was wriggling like crazy. The Lord said to me, “I am going to give you a wriggly fish.”

Well, we had lunch and did some shopping—then we wandered along to the jewelry store. You know, I love antique jewelry. The owner of the store turned out to be my “wriggly fish.” He responded to us and talked—until I mentioned Jesus, and then he wriggled away. Then he would come back—and wriggle away if I said anything about Jesus.

We didn’t push anything—but over the next two years when I went back to Hunter Valley, I would go back to the store and check on my wriggly fish. The reason he was so wriggly was because he was the head of the Lodge there. But he always responded to me and my friends who live there. I had left him my Celtic Flames book the last time I was there.

On the way to the store this trip, I had another vision; I saw the large fish hanging on the Lord’s hook and he wasn’t wriggling, but he wasn’t dead either. He was ready. I knew that. So we did some shopping and then went to the jewelry store. We bought some things and chatted. Funny, he said they hadn’t been very busy, but when we went in, customers started coming in. He said he would pay me to sit there because the people came in when we were there.

When it cleared out, he said he had been reading my Celtic Flames book. He was very soft. I told him he was on God’s hook and needed to receive Jesus into his life. I asked him if I could pray for him and he stretched out his hand and put his hand over mine while I prayed. I explained it was an exchange: If he gave Jesus his life, Jesus would give him His life in exchange. I asked him if he wanted to pray and do that, but he backed off a little then, and I said he could do that on his own. In the car going back, I saw the big fish laying in Jesus’ arms … so I knew he was safe.