Roamns 1:16
"I am not ashmaed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who belives, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Testimonies are a vital portion of the faith journey in Jesus Christ. Testimonies speak of life transformation in Christ and reveal how proclaiming and demonstrating the love of God brings forth the Kingdom of Heaven in the earth. There are so many unseen and hidden stories at the center of God's ministry and we must learn to share them joyfully and boldly. The Bible says we will overcome the world by the blood of Jesus and the word of our testimonies.
It is impossible to share all the testimonies we have experienced because we continually experience new things in Christ each day. If you want to receive our monthly newsletter for continual updates and testimonies contact us at mjohns@re-christ.org and ask to be added to the electronic distribution list. Here are a few stories from over the years that seek to provide a visual and perception into RE-CHRIST MINISTRIES and its impact in the earth.
The testimonies we share on the webpage have names omitted or changed in order to protect the identity of the people we share, but the stories are real.
1) Jackie was a fifth grade student who struggled during her first five years of grade school due to a language barrier. When she first started the after school program she only knew Spanish and Spanish was the main language in her home. Through the school system and our after school program Jackie received love, encouragement, and academic support to overcome her challenge. Then in her fifth grade year she took control of her own destiny.
In the state of GA each student is required to pass certain academic skills test in order to move from elementary to middle school. Jackie's parents were concerned about her ability to pass the state required tests. Each week as her parents came to our English class we would pray for Jackie. During Spring Break, and right before the state testing, when all the other kids were having fun Jackie chose to work on math worksheets, her worst subject.
Finally, the test were given and the scores were returned. Jackie scored in the 95th percentile! She has since gone on to complete high school and enter college. This happened because a young girl heard and accepted God's love. In God's love she saw her worth and strength to overcome life obstacles.
2) A lady named Linda heard about our ministry and wanted to become involved. Linda is a speech therapist and has her own business. As she started working with the students she quickly learned her vocation was a perfect cross over towards helping the students become better readers. After testing her theory on several students who struggled the most with reading and reading comprehension, Linda trained other servant-volunteers how to use her teaching method. Pretty soon all of the 100 plus students were growing in their reading abilities.
In addition to this Linda was led by God to use her contacts in the medical profession to organize a medical surgery to repair a death student's hearing. The normal estimated cost of a surgery like this would have been over $100,000, but for this young boy and his family it was done free of charge. Amazing things happen when we follow Christ, engage our community, and use the resources God provides us to build the Kingdom of Heaven in the earth!
3) A group of middle and high school students gathered each Friday night for Bible study and fun activities. This particular night we were talking about the miracles Jesus preformed in Scripture. As we closed our study time and asked for prayer request Little J asked for prayer. His leg was in great pain and Little J asked for healing prayer. Sensing the Spirit's leading, Matt asked the students if they would like to see a miracle? Matt asked Little J if he wanted to be healed? He said yes? Then Matt asked the students if they wanted Little J to be healed? They also said yes. Matt instructed one of the students to place His hand on Little J's leg and declare healing in name of Christ. To everybody's amazement and delight Little J was healed. The situation captivated the hearts of the youth and brought to life the Scriptures we had just read.
4) A single mother of four, and one of the children is special needs, was being evicted from her apartment several weeks before Christmas. As Matt talked to the mother he felt the Holy Spirit say God would make a way to keep the family in their home. Matt knew this would be a major financial hurdle. Through his relationship with the apartment community Matt learned the amount of back payment needed and the amount of money necessary for the family moving forward to remain in their home. Matt also negotiated with the apartment community to waive certain fees.
The Christmas miracle was going to cost five thousand dollars. Matt did not have this money but began to share the opportunity with his church partners. In a matter of a week the money was raised, the family was allowed to remain in their home, and the church supplied a grand Christmas celebration for the family. The New Year yielded way to more blessings as another local ministry came alongside the family to help the Mom find a job, get registered for select government assistance she was not receiving with her special needs child, and supported them throughout the next year so the family could get back on their feet. The total investment was tens of thousands of dollars and countless labor hours of love, but the end result is priceless. This is what it means to bear one another's burdens and to be unified in the Kingdom of Heaven.
5) During the fall of one year RCM hosted brothers from all over the country to join us in a time of worship, prayer, and evangelism in our community. Over the two day period we witnessed 23 people accept Jesus as Lord, we witnessed numerous healings, and formed new partnerships with other local churches. Some of the healings included death ears opening, people of diabetes being healed, back pain, and neck pain. One young man flagged Matt down one morning in need of a jump start for his car battery. Matt shared the Gospel with him and the young man got down on his knees in the parking lot and asked Jesus to come into his life. The man healed of diabetes was used of God to become a translator for another Spanish speaker in the apartment community to hear the Gospel. This man too gave his life to Jesus Christ. This is power of the Gospel at work as people set their minds on doing the will of God.
6) A single Mom and her fourteen year old son were struggling to connect with a proper parental/child relationship. The son was disrespectful and wayward. The mother too struggled to love well because she was abused all throughout her life. Intervention was required as the son's choices crossed over into legal issues. Matt went to court with the family and during the hearing the judge wanted to release the son rather than sending him back to the Youth Correctional facility. The mother did not think she could care for her son. Matt moved by the Spirit, and a quick call to his wife for agreement, offered the Judge to release the boy into his care. Michael went home that day to stay with Matt and his family for two weeks as Michael's Mom had time to make preparations for her son's return home. Matt and Ashley remain in contact with the family and are continuing to support them. Michel recently finished trade school and moved into his first apartment on his own.
7) Matt led a small group of men on a mission trip to Africa. For six months prior to their trip the men would meet on a conference call for prayer concerning the trip. During the mission trip the men witnessed God saving hundreds of people as they went from village to village proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven. The missionary in Africa the team visited said he had not witnessed such fruitfulness. We a test to you the power of prayer and our need to be diligent and earnestly contending for souls and the mission God has empowered us to accomplish.
