Christian
testimoniES
By:
Norm Rasmussen
Founder, Precious Testimonies
The
BEST Christian testimony website - which is it?
Or maybe the question should
be, “Where can I find the BEST Christian testimonies on the Internet?”
The answer is:
All
Christian testimony websites are the “best,” if they glorify our Lord
Jesus Christ, and they line up with the balanced (accurately translated - wisely
understood - wisely applied) Word of God (Holy Bible).
Whether a testimony website only has a few testimonies, or thousands, it makes
little difference to God. He is blessed that someone took the time to first
share the testimony, and secondly, that someone took the time to put the
testimony where the world can read it, or hear it.
Psalms 96:3 reads in the King
James version: “Declare His glory among the
heathen, his wonders
among all people.” When was the last time you heard network television
glorifying God (Jesus Christ specifically)? When was the last time you read on the front page in any
national newspaper about the glory of God? The “glory of God” doesn’t sell to
the masses, publishers have discovered. Yet if there was some kind of formula
that God would give to make the masses financially wealthy, or miraculously heal
them of terminal diseases … that would get a lot of coverage – providing it
didn’t require mentioning that making Jesus Christ one's Savior and Lord was a
prerequisite.
Who then, is going to declare
God’s glory among the heathen if the major media won’t?
Born again
Christians. Born again Christians testifying of what God has done in their
life. Individual Christians who are in tune with God’s heart to help
reach lost souls while there is still time because they have made advancement of
the Kingdom of God in the lives of people their
first priority for living, and all
else secondary. The Bible indicates that we
are rapidly moving toward a time where gross
spiritual darkness - gross spiritual deception - will cover the earth, and born
again Christians will essentially be silenced publicly, one must surmise. If you are a student of
God's Word, you know I'm not talking nonsense.
The Internet is one of the
most efficient and cost effective ways to “declare God’s glory among the
heathen” humanity has ever had. Statisticians say that about one and a
half million people are gaining access to the Internet every month. In
2006 alone, it was stated that over 1,000,000,000 globally have access to the Internet.
Those numbers continue to increase year after year, especially with cellphone
capability.
Precious Testimonies
is utilizing the Internet for this very thing:
Other than declaring God’s
glory to the masses, what other value do Christian testimonies have?
The Holy Spirit uses them to impart HOPE, FAITH,
ENCOURAGEMENT and often-times SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS
to others, and that is no small thing. Jesus-glorifying testimonies shared
by inspiration of the Holy Spirit are divine spiritual seeds
God the Father plants in those who are being drawn to Jesus Christ, and
spiritual nutrients to help disciples of Jesus Christ grow in
their relationship with Him after they have been saved - born again -
by Jesus.
Testimonies can also be
likened to signs along
the freeway -- they point you to where you want (need) to go. They are like the
golden arches outside of McDonald's, telling you from a distance where you can
buy some delicious hot fries or a yummy Egg McMuffin. Holy Spirit anointed
testimonies are like
appetizers before the main course meal, stimulating your taste buds. They wet
your appetite to make you want more of God -- greater intimacy with Him -
deliverance and healing in Him - greater growth in Him.
Born Again testimonies - Salvation
Testimonies,
when shared wisely, point people away from religious entrapments, and
communicate clearly that a personal relationship with God is God’s highest will
for everyone. "Religion" will suck the very spiritual life out of a person, which
is exactly what the devil wants. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is
what imparts the attributes of spiritual life to people, and the devil does
not want people knowing that.
Born Again testimonies
communicate what life used to be like for the person sharing it, and how
life-giving meaning and purpose of an eternal nature has been discovered.
Spiritual and emotional barriers get removed; addictions are overcome; hope, encouragement
and spiritual insights - spiritual priorities - can be greatly and affectively
imparted ... by the Holy Spirit using them and working through them, of course.
The Bible says that a born
again Christian is a new creation in God (See: 2 Cor. 5:17; Galatians 6:15). One’s born again testimony
shared in depth with humility and heart-felt appreciation and thanksgiving helps communicate to
seekers of God the Truth of what God can also do for them … if
they truly want to be transformed into a new spiritual creation as well ... where
real living starts!
Healing testimonies
can impart hope and faith to others who need a healing, especially if they are
written solely for the purpose of glorifying God, and not for the purpose of
trying to reinforce one’s doctrinal position/s regarding healing, though with
the balance of God's Word and communicated with wisdom, what can be wrong with
doing so?
Deliverance testimonies
can impart hope, faith and insight to others who need deliverance from problems
they have. Deliverance testimonies bring encouragement, as most all
God-glorifying testimonies do … something battle-weary believers are always in
need of from time to time. Though difficult to place a priority on ...
they also offer hope to the unsaved who are shackled in bondage/s ... and are
willing to let the power of God set them free through Jesus Christ.
Dynamic Answers To Prayer testimonies
encourage others in their prayer lives.
The devil hates it when people have an exciting and vibrant, trusting prayer
life with the heavenly Father. It’s very difficult to have an exciting
personal relationship with the Creator of the universe if the devil is allowed
to shipwreck one's prayer life for very long.
Church Testimonies (including Cardboard
testimonies) are awesome ways to give God
glory that is due Him. An extension of Church testimonies is publishing testimonies of those very same people into
book/booklet form, and letting them go out into their respective community as
evangelistic tracts.
Evangelistic Jim Barbarossa and his pastor did this very thing: REAL LIFE
STORIES. This REAL LIFE STORIES
book has not only been an evangelistic tool in their community, but God is NOW
using that very same book as an evangelistic tool to help get people saved
around the WORLD! (Here is a link for those who would like to learn more
about this amazing evangelistic thrust:
http://www.precious-testimonies.com/StepByStepWorld/StepByStepWorldOutreachPraiseReports.htm).
Utilizing Cable TV Public Access
(where it is available). Most of the larger cities across the U.S. have a
Cable TV Public Access
Station where they will allow you to play videos for FREE, if you meet their
simple requirements. Precious Testimonies has used this open door
for years in playing weekly testimony broadcasts. (Here is a list of many
of the TV broadcasts we've been blessed to bring into the privacy of people's
homes through Cable TV Public Access:
http://www.precious-testimonies.com/General/p-t/PreciousTestimoniesTapeNumbers.htm).
The seeds of the Gospel Truth that have been planted in people by these TV
broadcasts are beyond human comprehension ... all to the glory of our Lord and
Savior.
Savvy business people realize
the value of testimonies of satisfied customers. They offer a degree of
proof
of the advertising claims of the business. Christian testimonies offer a
degree of proof
that God is real … that God has unlimited power to effect change in a person’s
life … that God is not removed from the affairs of mankind, no matter how much
evil and sin seems to be on the increase.
The devil hates it when born
again Christians share their testimonies. He hates even more individuals
and ministries who
create a website so Christian testimonies can be published for the entire world
to read and hear. The devil absolutely detests when Christians purpose to
“declare God’s glory among the heathen.” (Psalm 96:3). Why?
Because part of God the Holy Spirit's function in this dispensation is to
lift up Jesus Christ. When a born again Christian purposes to exalt the
name and the work of Jesus Christ with pure motives ... The Holy Spirit will anoint the words
spoken or written by the testifier. What the Holy Spirit anoints, it has
the blessing of God on it to accomplish what God desires for it to accomplish.
Certainly the preaching and
teaching of God’s Word takes highest precedence regarding spiritual matters.
Yet testimonies are like salt and pepper -- precious seasonings that make God’s
Kingdom
food its very best.
The devil has some common lies
he likes to impart to Christian believers regarding the sharing of their
testimonies:
1) “You are just on an
ego trip by sharing your testimony. Humble Christians live out their testimony
… they don’t have to talk about it!”
2) “God isn’t done with
your testimony, so wait until He is.” (Of course, the devil would
delight if you wait until you get to heaven before you start writing it
out!).
3) “You know you’re
going to fall back into sin once you share your testimony, and rather than risk
the embarrassment of it, wait awhile (and awhile, and awhile, and awhile . . .).
4) “You’re going to have
to live a lot more holy if you share your testimony, I hope you realize? People
will be watching you once you do. Don’t share it, and you won’t have to live so
holy.”
There is something else the
devil hates. He hates it when people send a testimony website ministry a
donation. Most testimony websites are started and maintained by one individual,
maybe two (husband and wife) -- did you know that? Few if any local churches
support them, and most people who read those testimonies on their website are
non-Christians (praise God!) who have huge fears of giving any
money to any ministry period. If they do give to a ministry, they want it
to have popular name recognition by the masses.
Most Christian Testimony
websites are operating in poverty status by most measurements. They are self-financed out of the
pockets of those who oversee them. Please consider sending a Christian
Testimony website one donation a year – just one. A
donation of $5.00 … one time a year … will go a long way of helping pay the
costs of maintaining that website … not to mention the encouragement that will
come to the individual(s) who keep that website in operation.
If a one-time donation of
$5.00 a year seems too extreme, please consider sending a donation of $1.00 a
year to one testimony website. Too extreme? Too risky? Too
costly? Would it be possible
to tuck away one dime a month for 12 months to have $1.00 to send to a testimony
ministry?
What so many people “assume”
is that others will send a donation to a Christian testimony website, so
God doesn’t need ME to. It is one of Satan’s greatest lies!
Of
course, right in line with that lie is another one that causes people to think
to themselves, “Well … if it is God’s will for that testimony website to keep
going, God will provide the finances, somehow, some way.
Therefore, I don't need to give to it.”
That kind of presumptive thinking runs pandemic,
thanks to the devil's lies.
Most all of us are familiar
with the little boy throwing back starfish into the ocean. Thousands have
washed up on the beach, stranded … and will die. A stranger sees the little boy
throwing starfish back into the ocean, one at a time while more keep washing up
on the beach, and asks the boy, “What good do you think
you are accomplishing by throwing those starfish back into the ocean? Surely
you don’t think it’s going to make any difference?” And the little boy replies,
“I’ll bet you it makes a difference to this starfish,” as he
tosses it back into the water.
What we can fail to realize is
that the starfish that gets thrown back into the water might well be the
starfish that God uses to create thousands and thousands of more
starfish that will help repopulate the ocean's supply of starfish. The
"principle of one" needs to be connected to Testimony websites in
helping them to stay viable.
It is easy for people to
rationalize: What good is $1.00 a year going to make to a testimony
website? ANSWER: If enough people each send a donation of $1.00 to a
testimony website, it might just be enough to keep one person enthused about
maintaining that website … and even keeping it on the Internet.
Discouragement runs high for individuals who have Christian testimony
websites. It is so difficult to get Christians to write up their
testimonies and forward them to Christian Testimony websites. Unless you
happen to be a big ministry with lots of laborers and plenty of finances to pay
those laborers ... it is difficult to get quality testimonies to publish.
Well … I think there are
already too many Christian testimony websites as there is!
Really? Some people think there
are already too many porno sites on the web, but guess what? They just
keep growing and growing. The devil doesn’t think there are too many porno
sites on the web … and he never will. The more porno sites there are, odds
increase that youth will stumble across them easier, and the temptation for
adults to view them will increase. Reverse the thinking: That would be a
nice problem for God to have, regarding Christian testimonies, wouldn’t it -- so
many Jesus-glorifying testimonies on the Internet that the youth and the heathen
keep stumbling across them no matter which way they turn?
For those of you on the Net
who are maintaining Christian testimony websites – God bless you!
For those of you who have, or plan to submit your testimony to get published
– God bless you! For those of you who print testimonies off
testimony websites and pass them along to others … God bless you as well!
You may be playing the most important part of all.
Lastly, but probably foremost
… those of you who are praying for Christian testimony websites … thank
God for YOU! The attacks of the enemy upon Christian testimony
websites and those maintaining them are increasing, as this shouldn’t surprise
anyone (See: 2 Tim. 3:12).
Thank you so much for your prayer coverage of testimony websites! Testimony
websites are doing the work of evangelism … something that sends
the devil into violent rage, because he knows how short his time is, and how
effective well-written Christian testimonies are! (Especially born
again testimonies, and deliverance testimonies).
It has been a prayer of mine for years that born again Christians
would start sharing their Jesus glorifying testimonies on their camcorders
and/or cellphones and
upload them to YouTube or comparative sites like Vimeo. I'm seeing that happen more and more, thank you
Father! Remember ... for all the reasons you might come up with to not put
your born again testimony on the Internet, THIS I can promise you.
God CAN'T use your testimony if you don't first give
it to Him to use. It's that simple.
Yet it's amazing how many Christians don't CARE whether God
uses their testimonies or not. Those would be considered baby, selfish
carnal Christians, only concerned about what God can do for THEM, rather than
what they can do for GOD in helping reach lost souls for Him. We'll always
have baby Christians coming into the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior up until the
return of Jesus Christ, but God desires they grow UP and stop being so selfish -
self focused - self consumed.
And for those of you who want to make a HUGE impact in this world
for the cause of Jesus Christ during your life, and you know how to upload video
footage onto video steaming sites? Look for other Christians you can videotape and put
their salvation testimonies on the Internet for God to use.
Not everyone will have the
call of an Evangelist. But … God desires that His people all desire to be used
in the harvest field of doing the work of evangelism. Any way you can support a
Christian testimony website that is glorifying Jesus Christ and pointing people
to the Truths of the Bible ... especially the Truth of
the Cross
... is helping do the work of evangelism (See: 2 Timothy
4:5) … and God will
reward you on the Judgment Day for it, you can be confident.
Be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain
in the Lord. (1 Cor. 15:58)
Thank you for desiring to help
reach souls for Jesus Christ!
Dear Reader - are you at peace with God? If not, you can be. Do you know what awaits you when you die? You can have the assurance from God that heaven will be your home, if you would like to be certain. Either Jesus Christ died for your sins, or He didn't (He did!). Are you prepared to stand before God on the Judgment Day and tell Him that you didn't need the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross to have your sins forgiven and get in right-standing with God? We plead with you ... please don't make such a tragic mistake.
To get to know God; to be at peace with God; to have your sins forgiven; to make certain heaven will be your home for eternity; to make certain that you are in right-standing with God right now ... please click here to help understand the importance of being reconciled to God. What you do about being reconciled to God will determine where you will spend eternity, precious one. Your decision to be reconciled to God is the most important decision you'll ever make in this life.
Hakuna maoni:
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