TUESDAY October 20, 2026

Having a Good Testimony

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
Revelation 12:11

The day I was saved, I had intended to kill my wife and kids, but the Lord intervened. When I hit the television with the butt of my gun, Chuck Smith was preaching, and I just broke down and asked Jesus into my life. Many people could not comprehend it––even my wife did not believe me at first. I would show up at parties with a big Bible. Honestly, I did not care what they thought about me. I mean, what could they really do to me?

In the hippie days, bookstores sold fish necklaces with the Greek word Ichuys in the center, which meant “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior,” The fish came in different sizes. Guess which one I picked! Yes, I bought the biggest one that looked like a tuna with a leather strap. I did not care in the slightest; I wanted people to know that I was a Christian.

I still carry a Bible with me wherever I go. Ephesians 6:10-17 describes the full armor of God, where the Word of God is likened to a sword: ...and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).  Listen, I am not ashamed of the Gospel. I wanted my friends and family to be saved. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 1:16 NIV, said: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Once I was saved, I went home to tell my mom and dad that I had become a Christian. The first thing I did was to apologize to my father. I had always been so angry at him because of the way he treated my mother. My words were not received well, and they no longer wanted to talk to me or my family. Sharon said, “We cannot give up on them,” so we prayed for a long time. Then, one Sunday morning, after preaching in West Covina, I gave an altar call. I opened my eyes and saw my father standing right in the front to receive Christ. Over time, all my family and friends were saved. Seriously, our lives speak louder than our words.

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
~Daniel 12:3 NIV~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!