The Value of Your Testimony

Not every Christian is called to preach from a platform, to children or youth, or on the mission field. Not everyone is gifted to regularly speak in front of groups of people. Every Christian, however, has something so valuable, yet often overlooked: their personal testimony of what God did for them to bring them to a saving knowledge of Christ. Since no two testimonies are alike, what you have to share will vary, in some measure, from what others have to say.

What is a testimony? A testimony is testifying (telling) to what God has done in someone's life. It usually includes sharing how that person came into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It can include what God is now doing in that person's life, as well as what differences God has made, since becoming that person's Heavenly Father.

Everyone Christian has a testimony, whether it has ever been shared with someone or not. Everyone who values his/her salvation experience has a testimony worth sharing. Everyone includes you, whether you think it's valuable or not.

What God has done in your life is valuable to God and, hopefully, to you. Jesus paid the ultimate price for your salvation (with His Blood). Now that's something worth sharing.

I was part of the so-called Jesus Movement, that started in the late 1960s. Even though I never killed killed anyone, never spent time in jail (by the grace of God), took drugs, or engaged in premarital sex, I was still a sinner in need of a Savior. Once saved, I got around other Christians, some who had been through some "stuff." While attending a Christian school, I heard numerous students tell of how God delivered them out of this or that lifestyle. What a thrill to see a life redeemed from sin and washed clean for Jesus.

Unfortunately, there was a tendency to "rate" testimonies: the darker the other life, the more glorious the testimony. Delivered from drugs, promiscuity, and satanic worship? Praise God. Been a Christian since as far back as you can remember? That's nice. Ho hum.

Regardless of that former life, your testimony is valuable to more people than you think. Someone is waiting to hear what God has done in your life. Your personal testimony is often more easily related to than many sermons and is, hopefully, shorter.

So, what's your testimony? What has God, through Jesus Christ, done for you? Are you willing, as opportunity arises, to share your (brief) testimony? Then ask God for opportunities, and always be ready to tell what the Lord has done for you.

Sharing your testimony with this ministry might be a way to get started. You can share your testimony with us at: info@hubertgardner.org. I'd certainly like to read yours.

It May Be Time To Change Mirrors

Mirrors provide a reflection of how we look on the outside. We all use mirrors to check hair, ties, and general appearance. Personally, I'm glad for mirrors. Without them I would have missed the spot on my shirt, the hairs needing spraying or, worse, the unnecessary object in my nose. God has a mirror, in a manner of speaking. It's called His Word. Looking into God's Word allows us to see ourselves on the inside as God does, to get a glimpse of how we look in Christ, in God's sight. And we all look a whole lot better in Christ, than out. I know I do.

It's alright to have a good appearance, naturally speaking. More people ought to pay attention to how they look on the outside. At the same time, let's not forget to see ourselves in God's mirror, in the light of God's Word-especially the books of Romans through Revelation. These are the books written directly to Christians. It's here that we can get a true picture of how we look to God, and how He wants us to look before the world, those who are without Christ.

After all, we're His representatives in the earth, to those without Christ. And what better time to show Christ to the world than at Christmas?

If your only focus is your outward appearance, it may be time to change mirrors. It may be time see yourself in God's mirror, to focus more on how you look to God-and others, in Christ.

God's Busy

God's a busy Person. Just think about it: He's created a universe that He's keeping in order. He created Earth, the crown jewel of our universe. He created a wonderful Plan of Redemption for all Mankind, then sent His only Son to consummate it through His death, burial, and resurrection. On top of all that, God is continually watching over His every Word to make sure they all come to pass. Okay, so God's busy. After all He's, well, God. But is He too busy watching over the universe and His Word to have an eternal interest in you, in what you're doing?  Is God too busy to want-and be able-to help you get from where you are to where you want to be?

I don't think so. In fact, I know so. How can I be so sure? Because the Living God, Who is upholding the universe He created,  loves me with an everlasting love. He loves you with the same love that He loves Jesus with (John 17:23). It's so, so believe and accept it. God has an intimate interest in you. To take this one step further, He is now the Heavenly Father of all those who have believed on and confessed Jesus, God's Son, as Lord of their lives. Is God your Heavenly Father? If so, great. If not, He can be.

A father cares about his children. Although busy, good fathers make the time for their children. Good fathers are vitally interested in their children for who they are-not just what they can do for Daddy. God's that-and more.  God wants to be a part of every moment of your individual life, helping you to become and be the person He created you to be. He's made available the resources of Heaven to make it so.

Yes, God's busy. After all, there are so many things to do when you're God. Just remember though, that, because He's God, He can do so many different things at once, including taking care of you, hearing and answering your prayers, spending time with you whenever you want (hopefully often), and letting you get as close to Him as you want to be. As busy as God is, you can't get too close to Him; you can't know Him too well. Quite a Father, now isn't He?

God's busy-busy desiring your love, trust, fellowship, and needing you to help Him carry out His Plan of redemption in the Earth today.

It's time to get busy knowing the Living God Who's always busy, yet has all the time in eternity, so to speak, to live in and through you.

If you have not yet received Jesus as your Savior, click here to do so now.

To Hell With Religion

To Hell with religion. There, I said it. No apologies made, for religion is the worst thing that's ever happened to Mankind, outside of the Garden of Eden. Why is this? What's so bad about religion? Religion is bad for several reasons. Here are a few of them:

1.  Religion bases belief on experience. Every religion is based upon someone's personal experience that he/she came to embrace as truth. Enough convinced seekers later and, voila, a new religion is born.

2. Religion has no relationship. In religion, people pray, at best, to some mystical, far-off deity who no one knows on a personal basis. No conversation, no personal interaction, no intimate knowledge of a Living God because, in religion, none exists.  Fables, fabrication, and fairy tales, yet millions around the globe give their possessions, time-even lives-to follow what someone else told them is truth.

Spiritual blind leading other like-blinded.

3. Religion maintains its status quo through fear, intimidation-even death. With no relationship to draw from, religion  resorts to fear to keep its members. Fear of being isolated from those you're leaving. Fear of failure to merit approval of those in the know. Fear of forfeiture of reward in the afterlife. Intimidation-even death-is another tool religion uses to prevent once ardent followers from revealing insider secrets of the truth about its plans, purposes, and pursuits.

Do you have religion, or a relationship? Does your god love you as you are, or is unconditional love still on your bucket list of things yet to accomplish?

Check out my next post, as I talk about the opposite of religion, and what it means for you.

Don't Forget the Outside Information

"We have inside information" means that an organization has information not generally available to those on the outside. Inside information has come to light in recent years, often in reference to the stock market. Those with inside information see and know things other cannot, at present time, see in the same manner. In churches and other ministries, relying on inside information can also have unintended consequences. What do I mean by that? Relying on information/perspectives from only those on the inside, so to speak, robs organizations of an outside pair of eyes, the insightful perspective of someone on the outside, looking in.

Let's say you're the pastor of a growing church. Your messages are relevant, your technology is changing with the times, people are coming, and finances are solid. Good news, right? What ain't broke, don't fix, yes? Let's take a closer look.

Where are the ideas coming from? Whose ideas-whose suggestions-are being heard, considered, and, implemented? Is it just from those who have been there since the beginning, the ones who don't remember anything else? Or are you secure enough to risk the status quo's future through those who moved to where you are, through those who are too old for children's and youth ministry, but are career/ministry-minded singles yearning to be accepted for who they are-not for what they can do?

How many "outside" ideas are not just heard, but actually listened to? Many an organization has suffered from the delusion that only those on the inside have relevancy, then wonder why they fall short of their God-ordained destiny.

A good way to expose yourself to new ideas is to include those new to your church or organization, the outsiders. Get to know them for who they are, then for what they can do. In time their perspective may be just the answer you've been praying for. Choosing to rely upon just your inner circle produces unintended consequences of unintended comfort and convenience.

Here's some inside information: The answer you need may well be lying dormant in that "outside" person who's been coming, the one with outside information to propel your church/organization to the next level. Don't forget the outside information.

Now that's information you can grow with. So, what are you doing about it? What are you willing to risk to get the best answer?

The Only Cause Worth Bowing To

Everyone has a cause; everyone has some cause that he/she strongly believes in. It may not be the cause that you or I do but someone, somewhere, does. Whether it's the environment, social injustice, immigration, or something in the political realm there's a cause, it seems, for everyone. One doesn't have to look far at all to find one to believe in. Some, not liking what they see, start their own. Regardless of which cause-or cause you embrace only one cause is worth bowing ones knees to.  The only cause worth bowing to is the cause of Christ. The only cause worth bowing my knees to is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament the only person Shadrach, Meschack, and Abednego would bow to was God. In the New Testament Jesus was the only person the Apostle Paul was willing to bow his knees to was the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:14). That's pretty good company; my kind of folks.

I believe in other causes. There are a lot of good ones out there where you live, where I live. As a Christian I believe in helping other, in getting behind what someone else is doing-as long as it doesn't compromise or become more important than the furtherance of the Gospel; the advancement of God's great Plan of redemption. For the Christian, getting the Gospel out to those around us should that one cause above all other causes that causes us to bow our knees to God.

If you're a Christian, what cause (s) do you support? What cause (s) do you believe in enough to invest your time, resources, and prayers in? Where does the cause of Christ rate among the causes-if any-you support? Share your thoughts.

Which Camp Are You In?

Growing up, our family spent many vacations camping in Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, Maryland, and Virginia. After our site was secured, there was time to explore our surroundings. One thing to notice was a variety of car tags, indicating folks from other states had chosen to share common interests. God's Church, the Body of Christ is, in some respects, a campground of its own. People of different backgrounds joined together with a common interest: the cause of Christ being pursued over our own aspirations and dreams. In doing so we're exchanging our lives for the Life provided through Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.

Unlike those inclusive campgrounds of yesteryear I see far too many individual camps in the Church; groups having their own camp just to have things their way. Denominational camps, non-denominational camps, Word-of-Faith camps-the list goes on and on. All because of focusing on what divides us, rather than what unites us.

There are a lot of differences among camps within the Church, the Body of Christ. Some of these differences are extreme, to the point where my only fellowship with people is salvation, based on the shed Blood of Jesus. I know that there's so much more to the Christian walk than just salvation but, after all, isn't that the most important part? Even though I pray in tongues, walk in health, and am prospering financially, I still face a challenge. If I can't fellowship with those who are saved, but think that speaking in tongues is of the devil and that God wants them poor, what does that say about my love walk, about walking in love toward fellow believers? Not much at all. Not much at all.

The only camp that matters is God's camp. His camp has room for every believer-every person who has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and is following Him-regardless of anything else.  This doesn't mean giving up the rest of our blessings in Christ. It means focusing on the fact that our common bond is the Blood of Jesus Christ, shed for our sins to purchase our salvation.

How about you? What core beliefs have you set aside to fellowship with those who don't agree with you? What happened as the result of finding common "camp" ground?

© Hubert Gardner Ministries 2014-2024

Are We Using or Losing Them? Part 2

Continuing our previous post, Are We Using or Losing Them? Part 1: Even in the secular workplace a new addition usually has immediate access to secured databases, protocols, and information tools necessary to doing his/her job. Why not the Church? Why must young people be required to wait to serve in the local church? What are we afraid of? Is it that the "newcomers" will show us up? Will that "new kid on the block" intimidate us older ones with a skill knowledge we can only dream of? Are we serving with a clean heart or to establish "job security?" When will the Church learn that if you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted?

Perhaps your church has it all together. The Church as a whole, however, is in desperate need of change. Many of the people coming to your church-especially your youth/young adults-want to be used now, not months or years down the road. If not used now they may not be around months or years from now. Serving on a regular basis is a biblical reason to keep coming.

People make mistakes; it would be a mistake to have someone who's tone deaf run your sound system . After 30+ years of ministry, however, the greater mistake I see is not using the people you have who are waiting to serve right now, especially our youth/young adults. Can the Church really afford to let more young people observe the waters of opportunity, without letting them drink (serve) responsibly? Can the Church really afford to not change? If we don't how many of our talented children will be lost to the devil (and they will) because we were too arrogant, too proud, to afraid, or too stuck to change?

Some say that today's youth are tomorrow's leaders,  the church of tomorrow. Using that line of thinking, what is the minimum age of today's church? At what age will tomorrow's church be eligible for admission into today's? With the church of tomorrow is there, of necessity, the church of yesterday? Who decides who's too young-or too old?

At what point does the next generation become the current generation?

Do the words above describe your church, or merely a perception of the Church at large? What do you see as the answer? Let us know what you have experienced along these lines.