From the desk of
®
JOHN BRADSHAW
December 2022 Dear friend in ministry,
“I will make you fishers of men.”
Years ago I lived near a beautiful lake which was famous for trout fishing. The area billed itself as the trout fishing capital of the world, and with a lake the size of the Hawaiian island of Molokai, and dozens of rivers brimming with rainbow trout, angling was a very big deal. I learned while living there that, for many people, fishing required teamwork. Charter boats took people to the best spots on the lake, fishing guides led anglers to the hottest places on the rivers, stores sold equipment and gave advice, and people gladly shared fishing tips. The local radio station even aired a daily fishing report. Sometimes, it takes a village to catch a fish. When Jesus invited His disciples to follow Him, He made a special promise. “I will make you fishers of men,” He assured them. There are two things I see in this. One, a person who takes the name of Jesus becomes a fisher, searching for others to lead to Jesus. Two, being a successful fisher of souls often takes teamwork, people helping people, working together to reach others for Jesus. I want to thank you for teaming up with It Is Written to grow God’s kingdom. We can do much more together than we could do solo. I want to share two stories with you that illustrate that God is using us—together—to grow the population of heaven. Let me remind you of Ted’s story, shared in our spring issue of Impressions. Earlier this year, It Is Written conducted evangelistic meetings in the Pacific northwest. When Ted arrived on opening night, he was greeted warmly by a lady at the door of the church. “We’re happy you’re here!” she said enthusiastically. Ted scowled. “Well, I’m
Ted’s baptism. PHOTO BY BEN DALUSONG