February 5 2018 – Click here to listen
Yesterday I spoke at Tabernacle Church in Sarasota. The auditorium was filled to capacity as I delivered my personal testimony as I’ve done countless times before. After the service numerous people came up to me including four people that were fighting addiction to meth. They thanked me profusely and told me they were greatly encouraged that if I could beat my addictions, then surely, they could as well.
I replied that it would not have been possible without Jesus. I went on to tell them my story is not about me, rather it’s about the power of God to transform anyone’s life.
Some twenty or thirty years ago I spoke at a fund raiser for homeless kids conducted by Covenant House in Atlanta Georgia. Afterwards this wonderful elderly black lady came up and hugged me and planted a big wet kiss on my cheek and exclaimed,
“You used to be a big old ugly caterpillar and now the Lord Jesus has done turned you into a beautiful butterfly. Praise God!”
I laughed and thanked her for perhaps the best compliment that I’ve ever received.
I was asked recently if I enjoyed giving my testimony. I replied that I am always ashamed of exposing what I did in my misspent youth, and it is difficult to recount it, but the rewards of seeing people come to follow Christ outweigh any shame I might feel. Many people are encouraged by it and undoubtedly that is why God has allowed me a platform to let people know that there is always hope in Jesus Christ and miracles do still occur.
Too often people are discouraged and deceived by Satan and become convinced that all the good things happen to someone else but never to them. They lose hope and are defeated by their own words.
I believe that it is up to us as followers of Christ to boldly speak up about Christ and what He has done in our lives. Person after person came up to me after the service Sunday to tell me of mistakes that they made that were forgiven by God and how He is now leading them down a wonderful path.
My suggestion to them is to tell others about it.
I posted an article to Facebook this morning,
in which now Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson was asked:
“How do you explain this, that nine years ago you’re coaching in high school and here you are with this trophy?”
Pederson replied, “I can only give the praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity and I’m going to tell you something: I’ve got the best players in the world.”
What a platform. He unashamedly gave Jesus the credit in front of maybe a hundred million people. How encouraging to all those high school coaches out there. Bravo!
Put Jesus first in your life today and experience the blessings that can only come from Him. Peace, Joy, and Love… And then tell everyone you can at every opportunity… You don’t need a big audience or a platform that spans the globe. ANYONE can tell their family members, friends, workplace peers, or even strangers in a restaurant, or on an airplane, or at a soccer game.
As that beautiful song tells us:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain, Over the hills and everywhere; Go, Tell It On The Mountain, That Jesus Christ is born.
Romans 10:14
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”