If you’re visiting this blog, then you’re probably both a Jesus-lover and someone who likes to see people getting saved.
That’s awesome, because you’re in good company in this online community here at Not Ashamed of the Gospel :-).
As a Jesus-lover like you, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about how we can do our part in getting people saved on the Internet. I’ve been pondering several different types of questions like:
How can people be drawn to Jesus online? What kinds of things should we be sharing with them? What are people struggling with and how can we reach out to them?
I was pondering these questions when BAM – the answer hit me like a ton of bricks when I was reading my Bible this morning!
Here’s the thing…
I wrote a recent blog post about how we can love people into the Kingdom on the Internet.
In it, I asked you what you’re thoughts were about this subject. Many of you had some great ideas.
I had some good ideas myself but then I was reminded of something that a friend used to tell me.
I have a wonderful friend of mine, Bartley Forsythe, who always used to give me this great advice. He would say:
“Not every good idea is a God idea.”
-Bartley Forsythe
That’s some insanely awesome insight right there! Go back and read it one more time.
The Difference Between a Good Idea and a GOD Idea
You and I can come up with good ideas all the time. Do we have a problem we need to solve? Do we have a goal we need to achieve? Then we’ll think about it and analyze it until our brains go ka-put!
Then we put our good ideas into action only to be disappointed by the results :-(.
Why?
Because what seems to be a good answer sometimes turns out to be not the one that God wants for us.
A Reminder About God Ideas
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
-Isaiah 55:8-9
God’s Idea of Evangelism
I was reading this morning in the gospel of John about Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well. If you need a refresher of this touching story, you can click here.
If you remember, Jesus told her that she had 5 husbands in the past and that the man that she was with currently wasn’t even her husband.
This woman was so touched by the love and compassion of Jesus, that she was converted right on the spot and she went and told her whole city:
The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men:
“Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
-John 4:28:30
Now check out verses 39-41:
“And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’”
So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word.
BAM – That’s Tt!
As you see from the passage, many people came to Christ because of the woman at the well’s testimony.
She went around and told others about Jesus and as a result, many people came to Him and got saved.
And that’s one of the answers to how we can get more people into the Kingdom!
Questions for you: Is your testimony somewhere online? If it is, please share it in the comments section because we’d LOVE to check it out and share it.
Also, would you ever put your testimony on the Internet? Why or why not?
Here’s my testimony about how I was a Christian, then became a Christian, and then became a…
[image via Brad Castenada]
Comments 38
My testimony, “This prodigal son came home” can be found at http://dgcoy.me/2011/04/16/this-prodigal-son-came-home/
That’s wonderful Derrick, thank you so much for sharing your testimony with us. Looking forward to reading it 🙂
Great article Peter, and right on! I agree that having a testimony to share online is an important part of drawing people to our Lord.
I have two versions that I use frequently. One is a short (ish) text version that I have saved on TwitLonger, and available at this link,
http://tl.gd/hcqc93The other is on my blog page, here, https://mylordisjesus.wordpress.com/2012/05/12/a-sinner-finds-grace-2/I use both of those for the project I am involved with that I told you about earlier.By the way, I shared with someone today my idea that video links are clicked more often than blog links and he, with his internet marketing experience, confirmed this. That’s something to consider when deciding what kind of testimony you want to share.God bless,John
Amen to that John, thank you so much for sharing your testimony with us!
I also had seen all of the data that has been coming out of social media and it confirms what you were just saying. People click way more on videos than on anything else. Second on the list is pictures and then third are links.
Blessings to you John on all the ministry that you are doing for the Lord, and may the Lord allow you to bear much fruit for His Kingdom 🙂
I would love to share highlights of my testimony, which can be found on my website athttp://www.djceecee.com/Pages/SpeakingEngagements.aspx. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted & saves those who are crushed in spirit. Amen!
That’s awesome, thank you so much for sharing your testimony. I’m going to go read it right now 🙂
WoW.Thats me!!That’s what the HolySpirit nudge at me & shown me.been getting responses back.Glory 2 God.Cause I have my own personal testimony.Thanks for allowing me 2 post.
You got it Kathy, we are excited to see your testimony! Do you have a link to it for us to see on the Internet?
My testimony is I had a near death experience.went too hell,also I am the woman that had the issue of blood for many yrs.
Wow, that’s a great testimony – thank you for sharing 🙂
Have you installed Askimet to keep spam out? If you did, you wouldn’t have to approve your comments. Unless, of course, you are filtering hate. Your blog is very conducive to discussion. it is a bit of a shame to wait for your approval in order to see what people are saying. Would you consider opening things up a bit more? Never mind. I think I get it. My last comment had links in it, so it probably looked like spam. Oops. 🙂
You got it Tereasa, I just have it so that I have to approve links because you never know what kind of links somebody might be sharing 🙂
That’s pretty cool that you figured things out, your’e a smartie 🙂
That’s awesome Tereasa, thanks so much for sharing your testimony with us here. I’m going to be clicking on it and checking it out. I’ve already visited your blog several times and I love what you are doing 🙂
The first time my friend gave me that quote I was totally floored and it took me by surprise. It really changed the way I look at things and it has helped me to filter things out. I’m glad that it had an impact on you 🙂
The answers to the questions you’ve asked today can be found in my comment above. Just follow the links.
That is so cool Gary, thank you so much for sharing it with us. I’m sure people are going to be blessed. I’ll be checking it out in just a few…
You rock!
Here is mine; Cj Whosoever Avery; Chapel Flock…we have started a page with testimonies with more to follow…..and I plan to post also some of the video’s I have seen on You Tube also. Feel free to share it, and post as you have noted, and if anyone would like there testimony posted on Chapel Flock, we would love to have them. I have some coming, people are writing them, but do not have them yet. Our files are in Adobe .pdf….blessings
http://www.chapel-flock.com/catalog_2.html
That is so cool, thank you so much for sharing that page with us. We’ll be sure to check it out. To God be the glory!
In my testimony for some years could not talk of it to public groups, but did one on one. While praying one night I prayed Lord how can I serve You, with this past history that people can use against me? I heard the Holy Spirit say; Share your life in the public as a testimony, bring it into the light, than they cannot use it against you. Cj
That is so awesome CJ! That is so like the Lord to bring things into the light. I know of some brothers and sisters who don’t share their testimony because they are ashamed of their pasts. But I think it’s very powerful when you’re able to speak about your past sins and about how God healed and changed your life because ultimately, it gives God the glory.
I forgot to answer one of your questions in your comment Tereasa, strangers call me Peter but friends call me Pete. So for you, please call me Pete 🙂
My testimony is simply two words – One Name – Jesus Christ! Anything else is just my history and since I am a New creature (EVERYDAY) then I have no history – My job as His beloved is to Lift His name above mine and simply I must decrease He MUST Increase!
I think it’s okay to tell others about your history if God leads you to do so. Especially if it will cause you to be able to relate to them. We see that this is something that the apostle Paul did and is also described in Revelation 12:11.
That’s wonderful, thank you so much for sharing your testimony with us 🙂
Jesus just show love to that woman without judging her. A lot of saved people want people to be save when they clean up their act. People want to feel love regardless of their situation.
I used to be very judgemental person, but God took my heart of flesh and gave me his heart of flesh. I grew to understand God’s love for us is unconditional, he loves us all! But dislikes the sin in us.
God has done such a marvelous work in my body I’ve been diagnosed with Poly Cystic Kidney Disease. (pkd) this year its nineteen years. And this is the best year of my life, God has given me His peace as I went through my pain. Yes I said went, one day I cried out to Him saying, I trust you, and I serve you and this pain is too much for me. You are my Father and you can help me when i’m in need, and I am in need! The pain still kept returnning I was put on medication to help me cope, but I kept praying and reading and sharing no matter how I felt. As time went by I noticed my pain became less. I have’nt been to my dr to have a test done, but I have claimed my healing in Jesus name by saying I AM HEALED WITH HIS STRIPES I AM HEAL…
This scripture is my strength: Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.
Wow, this is such a powerful testimony! I totally believe also that God healed you. With men it is impossible but with God, all things are possible. Thanks for sharing your story and your insights with the community here at Not Ashamed of the Gospel, they were very edifying.
Yup. Mine’s at tweets@God, http://tweets2God.wordpress.com.
Awesome, thanks so much Ron for sharing it with the community here at NAOTG, you rock!
Here is one of mine that I post on fb as a note.
Didn’t expect the title of this coming from me huh? I am led to tell my testimony about abortions. An abortion to get rid of a child that would otherwise lead a miserable life December 1993 I found out in the desert of Somalia that I was pregnant. I was overjoyed! 1) I would finally be going home 2) I would have a baby that no one could take away. You see 3 1/2 years earlier I was pregnant. I wasn’t going to tell my mother, because if anyone knows my mother they knew she would flip. I was 15 years old when I found out. She found out. The conversation went like this “OH NO!!! You are having an abortion. You aren’t bringing any babies in this house.” I went into the bathroom and cried. I didn’t want an abortion. I guess she heard me crying because she asked, “Do you want this abortion?” Well I remembered the earlier conversation and took it to mean if you don’t get the abortion, then you can’t stay here. So I replied with yes. Thinking back, would she have kicked me out? No!!! She just didn’t want me to struggle, having a child at such an early age. I was heartbroken! I had nightmares, would see kids that were the age mine was supposed to be and thought “Awww I wonder what my child would look like.” Today, my child would be almost 21. WOW! Fast Forward back to December 1993. I called my mother and told her that I was coming home early, she asked why. I told her. She said “I told you to use birth control, you are going to ruin your career” and then she hung up. There was not one person that wanted me to have the baby. NOT ONE PERSON. Well went to my 1st appointment and the doctor informed me that the anti-Malaria medication that I had taken was detrimental to the fetus. She advised me to get an abortion. WHAT????? She said my child would have webbed feet and hands if it had hands or feet. I was devastated but refused to get an abortion. She got upset and said that I was selfish to bring a deformed child into the world. I should be preapred for my life to be over because a deformed child would ruin my life. I eventually had to change doctors because she kept insisting on an abortion and how selfish I was. Once my mother realized that I wasn’t going to get an abortion, she became this overprotective grandmother, controlling what I ate and all of that. Her mind had been changed. I never told anyone what the doctor told me, not even my mother. I believed that God would give me a healthy baby. Today, that baby is 16 and has hands and feet and thinks webbed feet would have been cool. LOL!!! When the doctor tells people to get an abortion because of deformity or genetics, trust God! You never know what your child may become. Today, my son is serving God, witnessing to Muslims and Mormons trying to show them that our God is real. An abortion to save the life of the mother I remember finding out that I was pregnant again 9 1/2 years later. WHY LORD??????????? Yes, I made a mistake and had sex, but why am I pregnant?” Is this my punishment? I couldn’t afford another child at the salary I was making. I didn’t have the patience to have another child. The last labor was so horrile, I can’t go through that again. What will people say??? I am supposed to be serving you Holy and Pure. What will the church say? What kind of reproach am I bringing on God? I was miserable!!! I was contemplating abortion. The night before I was to call to make the appointment, I had a dream. The dream was me on the table having the abortion and I died! Okay Lord! I won’t get the abortion. I prayed for a miscarriage. Don’t look at me crazy! Yes, I prayed for a miscarriage! Once I made up my mind that I wouldn’t have the abortion, God stepped in. I received a job offer making double what I was making. Okay what about the church? Oh they talked and talked. Some even told me that I shouldn’t have it! They said “what will others say? you are single having a baby out of wedlock. Judgment is coming on you.” Five months into the pregnancy, I started having severe pains. I went to the emergency room and was told that I was hemmoraghing internally. I said is the baby okay? Sure the baby is fine, it is you. If you continue to carry the baby, the hemmoraghing will continue and you will lose too much blood. It isn’t good! You should consider an abortion. I said No. They said well you will continue to hemmorage and eventually lose the baby and maybe your life. So, I went home on bed rest. I felt my baby punch so many times, it was like she was hitting the fast bag used for boxing. I thought, “Wow my baby is fighting for her life.” That single moment changed my entire train of thought. I cancelled the idea of wanting a miscarriage. I repented and prayed for my baby and I. I had sonograms that showed that my stomach was full of blood. I continued to pray. One day, 2 weeks later, God said “All is well!” My next appt showed my test results were fine, so the doctor ordered a sonogram. There was no more hemmoraghing!!!!! ALL WAS WELL!!!!!! What is I had listened? Today, my daughter is 7. She is also telling people at school that if they don’t repent or if they continue to act the way they do, they are going to hell. She has encouraged me at times. This is a note to those that are at the end of their ropes or someone is telling them to get an abortion because of WHATEVER reason. TRUST GOD!
What an amazing testimony, thank you so much for sharing it with us Rena! I’m sure it’s going to bless so many people once they read it and they see how God is so good 🙂
Whether people repent of their sin or they don’t does not make any difference.
They will all go to Hell if they have not placed their only hope of Heaven in The Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Your little girl needs to hear about the love of God toward sinners in that He died for them to save them from Hell.
Sinners cannot turn from their sin without Jesus doing it through them!
It will just be moralistic therapeutic deism without complete faith in the complete work of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sin.
Repenting of sin will never save anyone.
Only JESUS saves!
My testimony may be a little different than most. I was a good little girl and wanted to please my patents and teachers. In Bible school we had a Hell fire preacher and at the invitation someone I knew to be a very good girl went down front. The Holy Spirit convicted me that moment of my sin and need for Him rather than my own efforts to be good. I was saved that day realizing my goodness was only leading me to Hell. I sometimes think that it may be harder for”good” people to realize their need for salvation than those who are immersed in obvious immorality. I’m thankful to my God for revealing my sin, and providing my means of salvation.
My blog uses everyday things to point to God in a manner that the unsaved can relate and believers can be encouraged. It demonstrates our need of Him and His provision for us. LifeinmyFathersworld.blogspot.com
For me hypnosis worked, though it took a lot of money and time. I hired a certified Christian hypnotist and, though I know I was hypnotized after a lifetime of atheism, I eventually believed in God completely. Note that this was coupled with a lot of praying, reading the Bible (for the first time), and going to Church for Mass and Devotionals. I had tried praying for years and not until hypnosis was I successful in finally believing without doubt.
Author
Can you please give me his number? I need to send him some new clients ? .
It’s a she and she’s on Long Island in New York. I realize that you may be joking though.
Because I gave her permission to do what’s ordinarily considered “unethical” (which is why it took more than the typical number of sessions) and the unethical aspect was “planting” ideas that I didn’t agree with into my mind. I don’t think she’d want to get into trouble with her peers. I had to sign an agreement not to divulge, etc.
The point is, hypnosis can work for those willing to challenge that their atheism is permanent.
I’ve already joined an RCIA class and intend to convert to Catholicism.
The thing that is the hardest for me, now, is dealing with my friends and family who have always known me as being VERY irreligious.
You are not saved from the eternal fire by believing there is a God. Your mind was the only thing changed. Your heart has to be changed supernaturally by God Himself. This will only happen when you trust Jesus took away all your sins on the cross and defeated the death penalty you are under by His resurrection from the dead.
I totally realize this as I, now, continually read Catholic literature and of course, going to Mass every week, and sometimes more, I understand this totally. In fact, with each Mass what I learn is implanted in me very solidly. I talk to God many times each day and night, through prayer, and feel His presence always in my heart.
Thank you for this clarification as others should know this also.
The Catholic Church as a whole does not trust Christ alone for salvation. That is why Martin Luther left them. So, sift all you hear through that fact. Some Catholics have been born again by the Spirit. Others are still dead in their sin cuz they do not believe their sins were already taken away 2,000 years ago.
bit . ly / studyromans is an awesome free audio study. You will never be the same after hearing how Jesus saves you!!!