by Kevin Gonzalez

“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

Freedom is found in the precious blood of Jesus Christ,
Freedom is found when we share what He has done in our lives with others!

At the start of 2025, the Utah and Idaho District has been led by the Lord with the vision to be “Light Bearers.” By living as true followers of Christ, adhering to the scripture and practicing the Doctrine, we hold and bear the light of Jesus. That is what makes us different from the world, what we believe and practice, what’s on the inside will overflow to others around us, be it our family, friends, coworkers, and or to the person we meet at a coffee shop or restaurant. It is crucial for us to boldly shine the light of Jesus, in a dark world that is crooked and perverse; to not be shy about sharing the gospel or keep silent of what God has done in our lives and what He can do in theirs. As Philippians 2:15 tells us “that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” “When we stand up, stand tall, and shine His light, we become beacons—like lighthouses—guiding others through the darkness.” A lighthouse guides and is unwavering, built and rooted on the rock-for us that Rock is Jesus Christ.

Our District spans two states with additional mission churches located in two other surrounding states. From North to South our farthest churches have an average travel time of six hours. Considering this, the district youth board and I considered it vital to stay Rooted together and to be Rooted in Action. This year, our focus has been toward uniting our Sectors from the north, seeing that, sadly, some churches have few to no youth, we wanted to encourage them and support them being that at times, because of the distance, they may feel isolated. Many years have gone by in our District without sector services. We wanted to bring the Revival to these churches. The vision for this Northern Revival was to unite the sectors like never before! We wanted to have a focus on discipleship of local leaders through participation in the service, receiving a passionate Word, followed by intentional fellowship after. Beginning with a week of consecration as the essential foundation. The Lord moved mightily during our pre-service prayer and service. Oh, but, what a powerful shift took place in our program when two young ladies shared their testimonies! One of them shared she was diagnosed with severe depression, she felt she had lost all hope and worth. She sought counseling and began to feel better but said “I’m missing something in my heart.” It wasn’t until the presence of God filled her and freed her from that darkness that God healed her!

The second young lady shared she had comfort and counsel in drugs and alcohol. She lived and walked in both spiritual and literal darkness until a day came when her mother became extremely sick and was rushed to the hospital. The doctors announced that she may be possibly nearing the end. The young lady felt her life was spiraling, she was losing hope, and could not believe any of it was real. She turned to the only One that can give life, hope, and turn the impossible into the possible. She prayed unto the Lord to heal her mother and she would surrender her life completely to Him. The healing process began with her mother physically and the young lady spiritually. She found true comfort, counsel and freedom in the Lord. As they concluded, I could see the impact the testimonies had on the rest of the youth that listened which led to breakthroughs during the altar call, after the powerful sermon that was given.

This impact is eternal. When we share what Jesus Christ has done in our lives, we overcome the power of Satan, for it has the power to free others from their chains! “What Jesus has done for one, He can do for you.” Unity comes through testifying, as we realize that many of us go through similar situations and have more in common than we think. This unity continued into our fellowship at the park, where as I arrived and neared to join the rest of the youth, the Spirit of the Lord was in the midst and the experience is best captured as it says in Psalm 133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Later that same month we were informed that a couple of those youth were baptized in Jesus’ name!

My brothers and sisters, do not be ashamed of sharing the Gospel and stay rooted on the rock that is Jesus. If we want to see our friends and family loosed from the grasp of Satan we must profess what the blood of Jesus has done in our lives. If you knew that your testimony was the key to someone else’s freedom, would you share it?

About the Author

Kevin Gonzalez attends Sanctuary of Truth Church located in Twin Falls, Idaho where he serves as a deacon. He is also an MC and part of his church’s media team.