If you have not yet read It’s My Time then I encourage you to do so. The book reveals God’s overwhelming faithfulness in my life. It is my prayer that you learn to see His sovereign hand in your own life as you walk through my journey. In addition to the testimony itself each chapter is capped off with Red Zone Check questions that encourage you to engage with the Holy Spirit and craft your God story, your personal testimony, and to grow your relationship with Jesus. You don’t have to write a full book, but I encourage you to write something. Start a blog, write a devotion, or simply write a journal entry (or several). Then, share your testimony, speaking truth about what God has done in your life, with others. We are mandated by God to share the gospel with the world and the truth of the testimony God has written through our lives with others. It is through sharing these truths that hearts are led to faith in Jesus and the lies of the enemy are overcome. No one else has your testimony; it is unique to you and your life. Your story matters! You have no idea how God will use you or who He will impact through your life. So be bold. Start with some trusted friends or family members; then branch out, as the Spirit leads, and share your testimony with those who either don’t know God yet or who are working through their own tough journeys. If you consider yourself a seeker, perhaps curious but not sold out for Christ, I pray my story and these questions have revealed God working in your life and awakened your interest in pursuing Jesus, to find out what knowing Him could mean for you. I promise, it’s worth it.

The Rescue

 

I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to take the words that have been written in the pages of Its My Time and on this website to change hearts. By His grace, your eternal future does not depend on me or any talent that I may or may not have to recount my testimony or reveal the truth of the gospel. But your future in eternity requires a response. I would be remiss, with all of the discussion of the gospel in my book, if I didn’t actually present it in such a way that you can receive the precious gift of salvation. Since I was blessed to serve Christ through FCA, I think it makes sense to utilize the simple yet wonderful tool they came up with called The Four to communicate the gospel.

God Loves You

God loves you more than you can ever fully imagine or comprehend. He knit you together in your mother’s womb, gave you life, has a great plan for your life, and desperately wants a relationship with you.

 

Sin Separates You

Our sinful rebellion against God—doing things our way rather than His or thinking we know better—drives a wedge between us and God. He is holy and righteous and cannot be in fellowship with sin. Our sin deserves a just punishment, which is our death—not just physically, but spiritually. However, God loves us so much that He wants to reconcile us to Himself.

Jesus Rescues You

God Himself, Jesus Christ, came to earth, born of a virgin, to offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice that we could never be. Jesus drank the full cup of the righteous wrath of God as He hung on the cross and gave up His Spirit unto death so that we may be made alive in Him. He rose again on the third day, not only proving He was God, but also defeating death and Satan and breaking us free from the chains of sin.

 

Will You Trust Jesus

To receive this amazing, incomprehensible sacrificial gift that Jesus offers us, we must respond. John the Baptist came before Jesus as a precursor to prepare the way. He baptized for repentance of sin. It is imperative to grasp the gravity of what Jesus did on the cross, that we recognize that we should be up there instead. That is the penalty we truly deserve. Yet, He loved you enough to endure it for you. We must repent of our sin and turn from it. That pivot is from self-reliance to total trust and faith in Jesus Christ.

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved”
(Romans 10:9–10).

That declaration is not just an acknowledgement that we know who Jesus is. The demons and Satan all know who He is, but they refuse to submit to Him and will not make Him their Lord. Confessing “Jesus is Lord” is an outward expression of a submitted heart position where you put Jesus Christ back on the throne of your life, where He belongs.

If you want to receive the gift of salvation and make Jesus the Lord of your life, I encourage you to pray this simple prayer:

“Jesus, I believe you are the son of God, took on flesh, lived a sinless life and took the punishment that I rightly deserve. That you rose from the grave on the third day, conquered sin and death, and will come again. I want to repent of my sin and turn from it. I need you. I need you to change me from the inside out. You are the Lord of my life. I love you. Help me serve you and bring you glory all of my days.”

These are not magic words. The prayer of salvation can be prayed a lot of different ways and that’s really not the point. God knows your heart and if you’ve actually chosen to give your life to Him or not. If you just prayed this prayer, Hallelujah! This is the best and most important decision you will ever make in your life. Angels in heaven are literally celebrating right now and singing in praise because when you depart this life, you will live in eternal fellowship with God.

But it doesn’t end here. You are going to need help to walk this walk. We were never meant to do it alone. That is why God created the Church. I encourage you to find a Bible teaching, Christ following church near you and get plugged in. You need to be discipled by other, more mature believers. You also need to read the word of God for yourself. If you truly love Him, you will want to know Him and you will desire to follow His ways. Despite encouraging you to read It’s My Time or plug into Faith Forge media, nothing replaces the authoritative inerrant word of God. Getting connected to the Body of Christ, reading His word, and talking to Him daily in prayer are essential parts of life in Christ.

Please continue to check back in to FaithForge.org to see our new discipleship materials as they are expanded. It is our hope that you start a small group, at your school, in your community, with your peers and dive into the truth of God’s word with other believers. We want to walk with you on your journey and continue to help equip you for battle.

Faith Forge is a forum, a platform where Christian men and women provide content for other believers to sharpen their faith. Our goal is to help you forge inner strength and courageous character through the refining fire of the Holy Spirit and to equip you through Jesus Christ for spiritual battle. We are in a fight, and the enemy has come to steal, kill, and destroy. Arm yourself for battle and don’t wage the war alone.

Feel free to reach out to me directly with a prayer request or even a theological question at josh@faithforge.org. Stay plugged in through whatever social media outlet best suits your needs:

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