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The Power of Your Testimony

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If you are a Christian, your testimony—the story of how God stepped in and changed you through His Son—is a direct reflection of the undisputable, life-changing power of the Gospel. It’s one of the most effective tools in our evangelism toolbox. Before you got saved, there was an “old you” who was caught up in sin and didn’t know or have a relationship with the Lord. But now you have been changed by the goodness and mercy of the Lord. You can glorify God and magnify His message by telling others about how He changed you.

Sharing your testimony is much like being called to take the witness stand in court. Witnesses are bound by law and an oath to tell the truth about what they know and what they’ve seen. What would happen if the witness took the stand, was asked for his or her testimony, but never opened his or her mouth? I’m not sure the judge would be pleased with that type of response!

The same scenario happens every day in the “court of public opinion” (a.k.a. your everyday world). There comes a time when you will have to do more than wear your favorite Christian T-shirt or a cross necklace, or carry your Bible around at work or school. Sooner or later, you will have to open your mouth and speak. You have to testify. You have to tell what Jesus has done in your life. First Peter 2:9 lovingly explains:

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Write It Down

Let me encourage you to do an exercise that I believe will help you to tell your story. Take out a piece of paper, or you can do so in the study question section at the end of this chapter, and divide it into three sections and label them. These represent three distinctive times of your life:

Section A is your life before you became a Christian.

Section B explains how you became a Christian.

Section C describes your life since meeting Jesus.

Now begin to write out your testimony in each category. (You might need three separate pages, and that’s okay.) Section A should be easy because everyone seems to remember how they used to be before they met Jesus! Section B may be a bit more challenging, as not everyone has had a “Damascus Road” experience like Paul did in Acts 9. But every believer should be able to explain when and how they got saved. Section C will detail how God changed you—the areas of your life that God completely rearranged for His glory, and the fruit or evidence of this transformation.

The apostle Paul gave us a great example of this very exercise in Acts 22. In Acts 22:3–4, we find Paul’s “Section A,” which is his life before he met Jesus. He wrote, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison.”

Nice guy, right? Persecuting Christians to their death. And you thought your first section was rough! You might have done some bad things before you gave your life to Jesus, but I doubt killing Christians for pleasure was one of them!

Paul’s “Section B,” where he explained how he got saved, is found in verses 6 and 7. Here is his testimony:

“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’”

As I said before, perhaps your experience wasn’t this dramatic. Not everyone literally “sees the light,” audibly hears the voice of the Lord, and is blinded for a time like Paul was. But you need to be able to explain the miraculous moment when you finally became a believer in Jesus Christ and surrendered your life over to Him. Then Paul continued his remarkable story in verses 12 through 16, explaining that a devout and highly-respected man named Ananias came to see him. “He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. Then he said:

‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’”

Who was your Ananias in your own salvation story?

Who explained the Gospel to you, or invited you to church or Bible study? Where were you when you first heard the Gospel? Or what was the catalyst—the sermon, event, or prayer—in which God touched your heart? Was it at a youth camp, a Christian retreat, or beside your bed one night as you were crying out to the Lord? Did it happen while you were listening to a sermon on the radio, television, or Internet? Who gave you your first Bible? When and where did you get baptized, and by whom? Whatever your unique story may be, spend some time writing down your Section B, using these questions as your guide.

The remainder of Acts 22 is “Section C” of Paul’s life. Jesus appeared to him a second time and told him in verse 21, “Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” And for the remainder of Paul’s life, he was faithful to this calling. His “Section C” was filled with many hardships and challenges, but also with great miracles and teaching. Paul became one of the greatest ministers of the Gospel, leading many to salvation and starting influential churches throughout the ancient world.

As you write down your “Section C,” ask yourself:

– Who am I now in Christ?

– How is this in contrast to who I was before?

– How has God changed me?

– How is He glorified in me?

– What fruit is displayed in my life? (See Colossians 1:10 and Galatians 5:22–26.)

– How is the work of the Gospel evidenced in my life?

Why is this a good exercise?

Mainly because I have found that the people who actually write out their story become more confident in telling it to others. Plus, it is always good to recall all that God has done in your life, giving Him all praise and glory. The story of a changed person is a powerful thing. If you would like to see the most powerful tool of evangelism besides the Gospel itself, just look in the mirror. You may appear to be an ordinary person, but you have power inside of you. You are living proof of the Good News of Jesus Christ. You have been irreversibly and radically changed by Jesus. It’s difficult to dispute the evidence of a transformed life.

 

Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of “Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith” (available on Amazon) and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church, which has three campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area—Porter Ranch, Woodland Hills, and Agua Dulce. You can connect with Dudley at dev.fishhookcms.com/ and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

What Happens When You Pray?

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Is there someone in your life you hope will come to know Jesus and be saved? Pray for that person! God hears your prayers. Pray boldly. Pray consistently. It could make an eternal difference in a person’s life—even if it takes years and years for you to see the results. Let’s take a look at four spectacular things that happen when the component of prayer begins to be activated in your life:

1. Prayer Will Shift Your Heart

Complacency and apathy have no place in the hearts of those whose lives have been radically transformed by Jesus. We must carry a deep concern for those who are lost and spend time in prayer for them. When you pray earnestly for people who need salvation, something begins to shift inside your heart—just as it did, literally, for John Hyde the Christian missionary to India who prayed such passionate prayers for souls to be saved that his heart shifted in his chest.

Paul was also very passionate about prayer. In Romans 10:1, he wrote, “Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.” In Romans 9:3–4, he made a stunning statement that he was willing to be cursed and go to hell forever if through that one decision, his entire brethren would come to know Jesus Christ. Later, we learn in Ephesians 3:8–9 and Galatians 2:9 that God appointed Paul to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles (everyone who is not Jewish by birth). And in 1 Timothy 2:1–4, Paul urged believers to pray to God on behalf of all people—whether they are in high positions or low.

John Hyde and the apostle Paul teach us that prayer nurtures, develops, and increases the burden in our heart for lost people. Today, would you say this prayer? “God, please forgive me because I have been indifferent to the lost people around me. Please shift my heart to be like Yours, deeply concerned for those who need salvation. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”

2. Prayer Opens the Door of Opportunities

Have you ever wanted to share your faith with someone but you felt as though there was a wall standing between you and that person? Or perhaps you’ve tried, and you end up feeling as though a door was slammed in your face. (Or maybe a door was literally slammed in your face!) I’m sure many Christians have experienced this, and it’s easy to become discouraged or lose hope that you can make a difference. But let’s examine for a moment a key in Colossians 4:3. Toward the end of his letter to the believers living in Colossae, Paul wrote, “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ . . .”

Prayer is the key to opening new doors of opportunity to share the Gospel. We know that God opened the door for Paul to share the Good News with both Jews and Gentiles, women, men, prison guards, and kings. I believe that it pleases the Lord when we pray and ask Him to open the door for His message of truth. We demonstrate our willingness to be used as His vessels. I also believe God will respond in a powerful way by opening doors, moving things around behind the scenes, and providing a way where no way seemed possible before.

3. Prayer Gives You Boldness

When doors of opportunity open, not everyone is ready to charge through them. Some people wouldn’t hesitate to move forward at the sight of a divine appointment unfolding before their eyes. But others could find themselves in a Jonah type of response—hightailing it in the opposite direction! We discussed in the last chapter that the number one thing that keeps people from sharing their faith is fear. But the good news is, not only does a life of prayer open doors, but it also gives you a supernatural dose of boldness to carpe diem—seize the day!

This is exactly what happened to the disciples right after Jesus was taken up to heaven. The Bible says in Acts 4:31, “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

In Ephesians 6:19, Paul urged the church at Ephesus to pray for him that he would boldly fearlessly preach the Gospel. Like a fresh, bubbling spring of water, boldness to speak God’s Word will flow from the inside of you when you pray. Then those divine intersections become a lot less scary and much more inviting!

4. Prayer Will Give You the Words to Say

Okay, so now you’ve got a heart that’s burdened for the lost. God has opened the door of opportunity to share His message, and He’s given you boldness through prayer. What are you going to say to someone who needs Christ? We find one of the greatest encouragements with regard to this question in Isaiah 50:4: “The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.”

God will instruct your tongue to speak exactly the right words to those who are weary and weak in spirit! What an incredible promise! This type of divine instruction comes by two actions. First, by spending time in God’s Word. Second, by praying and asking God to give you the right words to say. Like Isaiah, morning by morning may you wake up with the desire to hear from the Lord as He instructs your tongue what to say.

Learn more about the power of prayer in evangelism through Pastor Dudley’s new book, Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith!

 

12 Years After “The Secret” and There’s Still No Substitute for the Gospel

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Since its release in 2006, a self-help book called The Secret has sold more than 19 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over forty-six languages. The premise of the book is that you can create whatever you want by using the power of your mind. It is a self-centered philosophy that is actually nothing more than recycled Hinduism and New Age folly. Many people think if Oprah endorses something, that makes it okay.

According to the book, to attract your perfect weight you just think it in your mind and then you become it! (Oh, if that only were true—I would have six-pack abs and a full head of hair!) The book also suggests that everyone has his or her own personal genie standing by with a “your wish is my command” policy.

I want to share with you what one fan of The Secret wrote—not to poke fun, but to demonstrate how far the world has come in creating substitutions for a relationship with Christ:

The one thing that stuck with me was the Genie. I immediately felt a connection to this concept. I drew a Genie with a handsome face, a look of satisfaction and a perfect body to compliment it.

He is there in my room on the wall and he is like the most perfect thing that ever happened to me! Be it exams, relationship problems, health problems, or just something I am scared of, I just tell it to Genie and believe that he will manage it somehow.

After telling my problem to Genie and asking him to take care [of] it, I just stop thinking about it. Somewhere in my heart I feel that he’ll take care of it, and trust me, he has never failed me once! He is my universe, my personal Genie and he fulfills all my wishes, no limitations.

When I read this testimonial, I can’t help but feel both sadness and frustration that such a simple book could lead so many people astray. Jesus Christ—not an imaginary genie—is real and alive (Ephesians 1:19–20). He is the one who truly cares and asks us to cast all our burdens upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). Hebrews 1:3 puts it this way: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

In its futile attempt to be the answer for all of mankind’s needs, The Secret fails to address the most basic reality of life: death! If the Law of Attraction really worked, then no one would ever die or suffer from disease, because most people would like to live forever. This fact became painfully clear when a viewer of the Oprah show, after seeing two episodes dedicated to The Secret, wrote to Oprah to “announce that she had decided to halt her breast-cancer treatments and heal herself with her mind.”

The Secret is Out

The truth is, God offers eternity through Jesus Christ alone (John 3:16). His living words are the only words of eternal life (see John 6:68 and Hebrews 4:12).

All other religions began with people asking, “How can we get to God?” That’s a very good question. And in the attempt to find an answer, many different people came up their own moral system. They said in essence, “Let’s do these things to get to God. And if we do enough of these good things, we’ll get to heaven.” (Or, in new age thinking, “find peace within ourselves.”)

In Christianity, God looks down from heaven and wants to redeem mankind. So, He left heaven and came to this earth in the form of a baby to bring salvation to the earth. His name was Jesus. He lived thirty-three years and never committed a sin. Then He died on a cross as atonement for our sins so we could have eternal life. No other man in the history of the world—and certainly not a make-believe genie—has ever done such a thing for humanity.

No Substitute

There is no other substitute for Jesus’ love. Every other attempt falls devastatingly short because it will have zero ability to change our hearts, cure our sin, or impact our eternal destiny. Christ’s love is our true motivation, and it propels us toward greater feats than we ever thought possible. We will share His truth with the world so that as many people as possible can have a relationship with God and spend eternity with Him in heaven.

That’s what being “Compelled to Tell” is all about! It’s a passion that will get us out of bed in the morning better than any alarm clock, deadline, or sales goal. It’ll help us endure pain, sorrow, and hardship in order to tell others about the best thing that has ever happened to us.

Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of “Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith” (available on Amazon) and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, California, which has four campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area. You can connect with Dudley at dev.fishhookcms.com/ and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

Boldness to Share Your Faith Begins with Humility

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When you become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), God wants to give you a brand-new perspective, a promising future, and an everlasting hope. One important byproduct of this awesome transformation is a new wardrobe as well! What I mean is this: You exchange your old, dirty, raggedy clothes—which represents your former and sinful ways—for clean, gleaming, new clothes—which represents your justification and sanctification through Christ.

But instead of trendy styles or expensive fabrics, Colossians 3:12 explains what your new clothes are made of: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

As a new creation in Christ with a new mission in life—to share Jesus and the Gospel with others—you now are to be clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These qualities are worth far more than an entire closet filled with designer suits or fancy dresses. I want to focus on humility because I believe it is a huge precursor to having the boldness to share your faith with others.

Where does humility come from?

When we as human beings are so prone to pride and egotism, how do we cultivate true humility in our hearts? James 3:13 reveals that “humility comes from wisdom.” You might be thinking, Okay, so how do I get wisdom? We find this answer in the book of James as well:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (1:5)

It’s surprisingly simple: pray for wisdom and it will be given to you—and out of that wisdom, humility springs forth.

C. S. Lewis wrote in his book Mere Christianity, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” When we think of ourselves less, it takes away the concern for our possessions, our reputation, and our safety when we endeavor to share Jesus Christ with someone. Paul’s declaration in Acts 20:22–25 is a beautiful example of this truth. He wrote,

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.

After Paul spoke these words to the Ephesian elders, he got down on his knees and prayed with them as they wept. What a heart-wrenching scene! Paul said good-bye to beloved friends and fellow workers in ministry, knowing he would never see them again. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that hardships and prison awaited him. And yet he forged ahead with his God-given task, unconcerned for his own future or safety. He considered his life worth nothing; his singular mission was to share the Good News.

Paul is an astonishing example to us all of humility and total surrender to the Lord’s will in order to bring the Gospel to lost souls. May we as Christians become completely humble as we endeavor to share our faith with those around us.

Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith (available on Amazon) and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, California, which has four campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area. You can connect with Dudley at dev.fishhookcms.com/ and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

Why God Chose Us—Not the Angels—to Deliver the Good News

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If God were to ask me, “Dudley, who do you think should carry the message of salvation to the world?” my answer would be an easy one. “Angels!” I’d say.

Why not? Angels have been used by God throughout the Bible to bring very important messages to people. In fact, the Greek word for angel can also mean “messenger.” In Luke 1:13, an angel delivered a message to Zechariah that his wife, Elizabeth, would give birth to John the Baptist, even in their old age. An angel told Mary she was going to conceive and bring forth a Child (Luke 1:35). An angel warned Mary and Joseph about Herod’s plot to kill their child and instructed them to leave the country (Matthew 2:13). The night sky lit up as angels announced the Messiah’s birth to the shepherds (Luke 2:13).

From the beginning of creation, angels have been very busy carrying God’s messages. Today books are written about them. Hollywood has put angels “in the outfield” and imagined people in crisis being “touched by” them. There’s even a baseball team in Los Angeles named after them! With all of their experience and fame, it just makes sense that angels would be the obvious choice to herald the message of redemption to the world.

But think about it. How many people do you know were saved because of an angelic visitation? Probably none. And I think there are two very important reason why God has chosen us—not angels—to share the Gospel with the world.

First, angels are busy with their own tasks.

Ephesians 6:12 reveals that there is a spiritual battle going on in the heavenly realms, dark against light. God’s angels are very likely involved in this battle (2 King 6:17; Jude 1:9; Revelation 7:1). Angels serve God (Psalm 103:20; Revelation 22:9). They are also busy praising and worshipping Him (Psalm 148:1–2; Isaiah 6:3; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 5:8–13).

The second and perhaps greater reason angels are not modern-day messengers of the Gospel is because angels do not have a testimony.

God has chosen us, not angels, to be His ambassadors of the Good News because angels have never experienced the weight or consequences of sin. They have never heard a sermon on salvation and then felt the convicting Spirit of God tugging on their hearts. An angel could never sing, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” Why? Because they have never been a “wretch.” They’re angels—not humans who live in a fallen world.

We, on the other hand, have a testimony and an ability to say to others, “Hey, my life used to be a wreck. I was trapped in sin just like you. Then one day I met Jesus Christ, and He changed my life. The same way He changed me, He can change you too.” This is important because people tend to be more receptive to someone they can relate to—someone who has been in their shoes. This is empathy, and it serves as an amazing bridge between two people.

Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of this:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Though we are not perfect like our Savior, the sin and struggles He saved us from are all part of our testimony. Jesus said that those who have been forgiven much, love much (Luke 7:47). Because of this, I believe forgiven sinners are powerful witnesses for God’s grace. David Wilkerson, the late pastor and writer, once said, “God uses people. God uses people to perform His work. He does not send angels. Angels weep over it, but God does not use angels to accomplish His purposes. He uses burdened broken-hearted weeping men and women.”

You and I may never be able to open up prison doors like the angels have done, or speak to prophets, or shut the mouths of lions, or ascend and descend on a ladder from heaven, or minister to Jesus in His darkest hour. But we have a song that the angels cannot sing! We have a message they are not qualified to deliver. As much as they probably would love to, and as much as they would obey, the Bible says God has given us—not angels—the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). God deemed it our responsibility to deliver His message to the world. You and I are called to be the spokespersons on His behalf and on behalf of His precious Gospel!

 

Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of “Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith” (available on Amazon) and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, California, which has four campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area. You can connect with Dudley at dev.fishhookcms.com/ and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

Soul Winning Made Simple

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The word evangelism can conjure up a variety of images and thoughts ranging from world missions to flashy televangelists. Many faithful church members would answer, “Evangelism? Oh, that’s something our preacher does on Sunday morning.”

Well, yes . . . and no.

Many years ago I heard one of the greatest definitions of evangelism, and to this day it has stuck with me: evangelism is nothing more than mouth-to-ear resuscitation!

What a great yet simple description. The Gospel of Jesus comes from your mouth to someone else’s ear—and brings life to a spirit who, without Christ, is dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1).

With typical mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or CPR, you don’t have to be a doctor or medical expert to administer it. Anyone can do it with the proper training. It’s the same thing with sharing the Gospel! You don’t have to be a preacher or possess a master’s degree from a Bible college. Any believer can share the Good News—effectively—with the proper training.

[Photo credit: U.S. Pacific Fleet on Flickr.]

I’ve written a book called Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith, to reassure you that evangelism doesn’t have to be complicated or intimidating—and you can participate in it every single day of your life once you have the right tools. Once you do, you will be able to win souls for the Kingdom of God.

What do I mean by that? Well, let’s take a look at what the Bible says about winning souls.

“Win as Many as Possible”

Although we don’t see the exact term “soul winner” in God’s Word, it most likely comes from two different Scriptures. The first is Proverbs 11:30, which says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.” The second comes from 1 Corinthians 9:19–23, where Paul wrote about humbling himself toward everyone so that he could “win as many as possible.” He wrote:

To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Four times in this passage Paul used the word win. He was using his influence and background to persuade and convince those around him to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord. He was competing for their souls. Do you think this came easily and without a fight, resistance, or conflict? I don’t think so. While recapping his life, one of Paul’s last words was that he had “fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 2:4).

The Battle is Real

Winning souls basically means to lead people to a saving knowledge of the truth. Think of the expression “winning someone over.” In that sense, you are convincing someone of something or gaining his or her support. Or consider the saying “winning someone’s heart.” This has a more intimate meaning of gaining a person’s affection or causing them to love you exclusively.

If you are winning souls, then you are a soul winner. I’ve often wondered why so many people back away from this term. Maybe it’s because the word winning constitutes a battle or conflict. I realize our society has fallen into a “can’t we all just get along” mentality, but the Bible says that there’s a war going on. Not a war against people, but against the dark forces in the spiritual realm (Ephesians 6:12). And these powers are doing everything possible to win this war. That same passage of Scripture, Ephesians 6:10–17, also says that we must put on the full armor of God. We wouldn’t need to wear armor if a battle wasn’t going on, right?

Here’s the thing: the church is not a “bless me” club meant to provide comfortable seats and feel-good messages for its members. Christian fellowship and community are absolutely important. But what’s more important is the church’s role to equip its members with the knowledge of the Word of God…so that we will boldly engage in the war that is taking place over the souls of mankind.