In a reflective work prepared for the Pentecostal Messenger, Rev. Ming writes an honest and challenging piece that anticipates a miraculous catch of "fish" for a second-century PCG.
Spencer Ming
March 1, 2025
Topic:
Mission & Vision
In Luke 5, we witness the beginning of the character arc for one of our most beloved figures in the New Testament—Peter. Here, toward the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, we discover the crowds already flocking to Jesus, even pressing him up against the edge of the water while he tries to teach them. Now, on this occasion, Jesus looks out and discovers a weary fisherman, who had worked all night without making a catch, and effectively commandeers his vessel; Jesus actually teaches the crowds from the boat. When he finishes his message, Jesus turns toward Peter and urges him to let down his nets one more time. When he does, Peter catches such a large haul of fish that the nets begin to break.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. (Lk. 5:8-11)
This was a life-altering moment for Peter. From here on out, because Peter chose to follow Jesus, he would never be the same.
Even now, the Pentecostal Church of God finds itself in a legacy-defining moment, standing at the halfway marker of this Decade of Harvest. As we reflect upon Peter’s journey throughout this magazine, I want to offer this beloved Movement two specific challenges, or prophetic declarations even, that I believe can help us prepare for what lies ahead in a PCG 2.0.
DECISION #1: Never Settle For The Same
DECLARATION #1: “We’ll never be the same.”
Allow me to point out a few important details from this profound story in Luke 5…
Think about that. Peter had worked all night long and caught nothing. I like to imagine that Peter began talking to himself in this moment. “Who does this guy think he is, telling me to cast my net all over again? I’m the professional here! I know what I’m doing! And now it’s day time, and the conditions are stacked against me. And what is this about casting to the other side? That makes no sense! It’s not like the fish pay attention to which side of the boat they like to swim on… Nevertheless, Lord, at your word, I will let down my nets once again.”
Here’s the uncomfortable reality for us today. While God desires to do something special in and through us, He also asks that we become active participants in the journey! We can’t just keep doing the same old things and expect different results. We can’t just assume we’ve perfected the art of fishing, even after 100+ years of casting our nets. Impacting Eternity will never take place if we are content to only give missions offerings; we must also mobilize new missionaries and pioneer new opportunities in new fields! A Decade of Harvest will struggle to advance if we only express value for the next generation without also supporting their educational process. Values will only get you so far.
Values must be supported by behavior. The breakthrough doesn’t come simply by receiving a word and waiting patiently; the breakthrough comes when we choose to become active participants in the Promise. Peter may have valued a catch of fish, but it wasn’t until he cast his net on the other side that the change became reality.
Evidently, Peter had enough faith to believe that Jesus could do something about his rough night on the water, but he didn’t have enough faith to believe that Jesus could do anything about the rough edges on his heart. Here’s one thing I love about God: He’s not intimidated by our baggage. He’s not afraid of our hurts or our pains. He’s not scared of our trauma or our drama! Instead, He continues to chase after us, calling us with purpose and destiny!
Peter may have thought that he was destined to be a fisherman, but in the Kingdom of God, Peter would fish for men. Peter may have thought that he was finished, but through Jesus, he was only getting started. Peter may have thought that his sins disqualified him from service, but he didn’t know Christ could wash him clean. Peter may have thought he didn’t have enough talent, but Jesus still wanted to use him.
The same principle applies to this Movement too. Some may have thought that the PCG has failed one too many times, but let me assure you: the Holy Spirit is still moving powerfully around the globe and in our midst. Some may have bought into the pervasive inferiority complex that we aren’t big enough and don’t possess enough resources, but guess what? “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Pt. 1:3). And finally, some may have thought that our best days are behind us, but even now, He is still calling us to fish for men because He has good plans that offer future hope (Jer. 29:11)!
So today we have a decision to make: Will we hang our heads down, moping about what could have been or what we may have lost, or will we set our eyes on Jesus and cast our nets one more time, refusing to settle for the same?
I have fun memories in childhood of my dad taking me on a couple of fishing trips. I’m no fisherman, but now that my oldest son is almost five, I look forward to taking him out on his first fishing trip. Lately, I’ve actually been trying to research and learn about how to catch the different kinds of fish in my area.
Now, as you know, in America, fishing is a popular sport! And part of the sport of it is tricking the fish into biting the hook while utilizing an artificial lure. Once you catch the fish, usually you will weigh it and measure its length and maybe take a picture with it, and then you toss it back into the water. Catch and release.
One thing I’ve learned in my research is that good fishermen will prepare themselves with lures that cover the entire water column, from the surface down to the floor.
One of the reasons I love Peter’s story is because it’s so relatable. Here he is fishing for men, traveling with Jesus, preaching and doing miracles, and then it suddenly seems to all come to a screeching halt. In the midst of the chaos and uncertainty of Jesus’ arrest and impending crucifixion, Peter the fisherman is confronted with a lure set by Satan, and rather than keeping his eyes locked on Jesus, Peter finds himself in an atmosphere designed to distract his gaze.
Three lures cast by the enemy. Three bites on the hook. Is Peter a fisherman or is he the fish? Then the rooster crows, and Jesus turns toward Peter. The Teacher locks eyes with his student.
So here’s Peter with his head hung low, weeping in shame and guilt all over again. It all makes us think that, wait, maybe Peter hasn’t really changed. Maybe he is the same old fisherman after all. And when we witness old habits rearing their ugly heads all over again, maybe we could be tempted to think we’re the same old Pentecostal Church of God that we’ve always been...
But Peter’s story doesn’t end here. And I’m confident of this too: the story of a second-century PCG is still being written.
In John 21, we get the rest of the story. Interestingly, at the end of John’s Gospel, we witness another catch of fish, but the occasion and plot details are so unique that some scholars actually believe this is a second miraculous event on the Sea of Galilee. Similar to the first event, Peter finds himself out fishing all night without catching anything. But in contrast to the first event, this time Jesus has already died and resurrected, he does not get into Peter’s boat, and he merely calls out to his disciples from the shore. Initially, Peter and the other disciples don’t recognize Jesus, but when he told them to cast their nets on the other side and the fish began to miraculously fill the nets, it became pretty clear that this mystery man was in fact Jesus.
As we did in the first sea story, imagine Peter in this moment too. As the fish began to pile into the net, imagine the flashback he must have had to the original catch of fish. Imagine the gratitude he must have felt as he considered Jesus’ initial call to follow and fish for men and the testimonies he must have experienced to confirm the validity of that call. And then imagine the flood of emotion he must have felt while he was still working through his denial of Jesus... Interestingly though, in the first story, Peter wept over Jesus’ feet in shame. This time, instead of hanging his head or even continuing to fish, he dove headfirst into the water, swimming 100 meters to Jesus on the shore! Peter had made his decision. He would never settle for the same! AND, here’s the second decision or declaration for us today...
DECISION #2: NEVER GOBACK TO NATURAL
DECLARATION #2: “We’re never going back!”
When life gets hard or when we fail, many of us have a tendency to go back to the things that just feel natural to us. Introverts might shut themselves in, extroverts might push themselves out, we might scroll through social media just to numb ourselves from reality, or we might try to cope by diving into whatever hobby (or vice)seems most available at the time.
Honestly, we can’t blame Peter here for going out to fish again. He needed to pass the time. Maybe he needed to provide an in come to his family or supply a meal. It’s not necessarily bad that he’s out fishing. What’s bad, if anything, is that he positioned himself into an atmosphere of comfort. He’s doing what came naturally rather than pursuing the supernatural. He’s dwelling in a comfort zone rather than pursuing the stretch!
Here’s what happens when you routinely live in the comfort zone: you sit, sour, and soak in the muck of your situation. In fact, the comfort zone is really more of a comfort cycle! In the comfort zone...
PCG family, it’s time we get comfortable being uncomfortable! Sometimes you have to do something you’ve never done to get something you’ve never had. Sometimes the Kingdom in our midst must inform the bylaws under our belt. We will never witness a Decade of Harvest if our churches, districts, and ministry departments operate in silos; we will never Impact Eternity if our common language only belabors our numerical or financial lack; and we will never experience healthy leadership in a PCG 2.0 if competition and rivalry speak louder than our desire to transform communities with the Gospel. Sometimes we have to quit sitting in the boat and doing what comes naturally. Sometimes we have to dive in the cold water, swim, swim some more, and then just keep on swimming.
You have to give Peter some credit. As soon as Peter realized Jesus was nearby, instead of sitting and sulking in his comfort zone, he chose to get out of the boat, dive head first into the water, and swim toward the source of his redemption.
Jesus chooses to ask Peter a question: “Do you love me?” “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” And they do this whole exchange three times in a row. Three times Peter denied Jesus. Three times Jesus inquired concerning Peter’s love. What’s more, three times Jesus reaffirmed Peter’s calling.
There’s more to the three-fold question than what appears on the surface. Here’s what Jesus was really asking: “Hey, I know you failed a few times, but are you going to let your failure define you, or are you committed to keeping your eyes on me? As long as you keep running back to me, I am capable of restoring you and renewing you for Kingdom impact. As long as you humble yourself before me, you aren’t disqualified because I will qualify you and transform you into exactly who I need you to be.”
Can you sense our Savior saying that to us today? When he chooses you and calls you into service, he doesn’t easily let you go. This fishing exercise is not a game; this is no mere sport to him. When Jesus goes fishing for men, he doesn’t catch and release. He does not willfully toss us back out into the pond to fend for ourselves. His grasp is strong. You are his, and you are his treasure.
It is as if Jesus is reminding Peter: “Hey, I know you love me! But if you’re going to follow me, you can’t keep doing what comes naturally anymore! It’s time to shift!” Jesus was acquainted with the shift from natural to supernatural. During Jesus’ life and ministry, he shifted...
If this Movement wants to participate in the mission of Christ Jesus and experience the fullness of what he has for us in a PCG 2.0, then we have to learn how to shift away from what comes naturally too. We may have thought like Peter that fishing for men was enough, but now the Lord is calling us to shepherd some sheep also. We may have thought like Peter that it was enough to make a catch, but now God is challenging us to also feed and tend to that catch. Or, let’s make this a little more practical...
The overarching point is simple: We can’t stay here! In the first 100 years of PCG history, we experienced a miraculous catch of fish. Sure, there have been trials and challenges along the way, but I believe there is another miraculous catch offish awaiting us right around the corner. In fact, it’s already begun. Do you not see it?
But here’s the catch: When you follow Jesus, you follow him regardless of your preference. Just as Jesus called Peter out of his comfort zone, PCG family, he is now calling us out of ours. We can’t stay here. We have to stretch with expectation and participation. As we continue writing the story of a PCG 2.0, we have to make the tough decision: “We will never settle for the same. We will never go back to natural.”
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