A Personal Testimony is... - A public recounting of my religious conversion or experience.
- It's communicating to others how and why I became a Christian.
- It's telling people about my relationship with Jesus Christ.
- It's witnessing to those around me about what God is doing in my life.
It's personal because it's MY story. It's not his story or hers... it's not yours... it's mine. It's about my unique encounter(s) with God. It's filled with details and emotion because I've experienced it.
"When I think of the goodness of Jesus
and all He has done for me,
my very soul cries out 'Hallelujah!'
Praise God for saving me!"
Tonight I attended a local Celebrate Recovery meeting where some new friends of mine were ministering on "The Father's Love." The speaker for the evening shared his personal testimony. Wow! What a story.
I don't think there's anything better
than hearing someone's personal testimony
of how they came to know Christ as Savior.
This particular guy was young - in his twenties -- and had pretty much hit bottom. He woke up one Sunday morning, severely hung over from a night of partying, lying on his living room couch. His sister and daughter had gone to church that morning and left the television on with the volume turned all the way down.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Jimmy Swaggart preaching on television. A message appeared at the bottom of the screen for the hearing impaired. It read:
Want a new life?
1. Confess to God that you are a sinner.
2. Repent from your sins.
3. Ask Jesus to come into your heart.
Although he couldn't hear a thing the preacher was saying... He desperately wanted a "New Life!" He knew he would forget what to do, unless he wrote those three things down, so he grabbed a piece of paper, jotted them down and followed through. By the time his sister came home from church, he was saved, not to mention, delivered from drugs and alcohol. How awesome is that?
One of the greatest testimonies of all time can be found in Daniel 4.
It is the personal story of King Nebuchadnezzar -- the world ruler of his time -- and how he came to declare that God is higher than all... including himself.
He didn't always think that way. I encourage you to read this compelling story. Ultimately Nebuchadnezzar shares his testimony to all the leaders of the then known world. I kind of think of this as the first official tract ever released with the intent to evangelize the world!
So, what's your story? How did you come to know Christ as your personal savior? Have you ever told that story to others? When was the last time you did that?
Years ago, when I was co-pastoring a little church in Rhode Island, I remember sitting outside, on a warm summer evening, with a small group of people, testifying of the Goodness of God. Even back then, I was notorious for asking people...
"So... What's Jesus doing in your life?"
I'll never forget this one guy's response. "Sister Gail," he said "You always have a fresh testimony! I have a testimony, but it's five years old and I don't tell it very often. You have a new testimony every time I see you!"
You've got to have fresh testimony! Don't get me wrong... our personal testimony of how we got saved is always special, not to mention, it's a powerful evangelistic tool! But God doesn't stop once your saved. He's just getting started! The Red Shoe Project
is evidence of that!
"When you seek me and search for me
with all your heart,
then you will find me." says the Lord.
Jeremiah 29:13
I want to encourage you to always be ready, at a moment's notice, to share your personal testimony or a testimony of what God is doing in your life right now! People so desperately want to know the truth. They want to know that God is real. They want to believe that it's not about Religion... that it's about a Relationship with the Living God!
How will they know if we don't tell them?
I'm testifying daily, in RED shoes!
Gail
