“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind,” Matthew 13:47 NAS

The language of Jesus is filled with pictures. As the Creator of all that is, He captured ideas like the Kingdom of heaven by painting word pictures to teach His followers. Pictures of sowers sowing and fishermen fishing. When He called fishermen to come follow Him, He promised to make them ‘Fishers of Men.’

In John 21 when the disciples had gone back ‘a fishing,’ Jesus encountered them and instructed Peter to cast the net in on the other side of boat. They had fished all night and caught nothing. They obeyed, and it says that the net became so full of fish they could not bring it to shore. They literally had to pull it alongside the boat, then drag it onto land. When they counted, there were 153 fish in that net.

I have read that Aristotle believed that there were 153 species of fish known in the world at the time. I don’t know. But we do know that when the church casts out their nets to catch men’s hearts for the kingdom that they will come from every people group on the earth. We know that when the Lord comes again, there will be people from every tribe, every tongue, and every people before His throne. We know that because HE has said so in His word. It is a done deal.

Still. It has always been His plan not to do these things on His own. When Jesus gave the ‘Great Commission’ telling us to go to every place, to every people to preach the good news, He promised we would not be alone. He promised He would be there, confirming our ministry through signs and wonders.

Wow. What a great promise! He does not sit and wait for His followers to go out and do the job. No, He goes out before us. By His Spirit, He is actively involved in EVERY part of the work of taking in the harvest: From the raising up and commissioning, to the outpouring of His Spirit on all flesh; on all men and women everywhere, regardless of background, creed or persuasion. He said His Spirit would pour out on ALL flesh.

All we have to do, is find our places at the net….and start pulling. Pulling TOGETHER, in the unity of the Spirit. Loving and serving one another as we pull that net in together. As One Bride, One Church, One People. His people.

These are unbelievable times. There are places the fish are literally jumping in the nets themselves, waiting for those who can bring them all the way into shore. It will not be done by one person, or even a few. It will not be accomplished by one organization, no matter how big or effective. This net, the huge global dragnet, will take each and every one who calls himself a follower of Jesus to come and stand at the Net. And pull. Together.

Come and find your place at the net. Jesus is waiting for you there.

~ Debbie Ecker