Why Does Bill Rudge Use Personal Illustrations?
By KC Chenoweth
Throughout the ministry newsletters and Bill's books and tapes, as well as sound biblical teaching, you will discover many personal illustrations. Did you ever wonder why? There are several reasons that Bill writes and speaks in this fashion.
First, he uses personal illustrations to validate the reality and faithfulness of the God of the Bible. Bill's illustrations are documented by many eyewitnesses and he feels compelled by God's Spirit to share what God has done in his life and ministry. We are not certain why God has miraculously intervened in Bill's life the way He has from the very beginning of his walk with the Lord; however, the fact remains that He has,so Bill shares them with people throughout the world.
Everything Bill writes and speaks on is biblically based. The example of the apostle Paul is that he frequently shared his personal testimony to validate the Gospel of Christ and he also often told about what God was doing in his ministry (e.g. Acts 26; Romans 15:18-20).
Bill is not boasting in the flesh, but giving all the glory to the Lord. The Apostle Paul said, "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord" (2 Corinthians 10:17). In 2 Corinthians chapters 11 and 12, Paul went on to boast about his experiences in defense of the faith and to reveal God’s faithfulness.
In an age of distortion of truth and abject skepticism, Bill's accounts and testimonies are a powerful witness for biblical Christianity. They validate and help to unfold the reality of the God of the Bible to others who may otherwise not even be familiar with the word "Gospel."
For example, a lady who was in the New Age movement for over 20 years met Bill in California. She listened politely as he shared the evidence for the Christian faith, but when he began to share stories of some of the miraculous interventions that God has done in his life (such as "Saved by the Gift of a Soccer Ball"), she listened even more intently. She commented, "You must publish these accounts and share them with others!" This may one day become a reality in an upcoming book entitled The Impossible –– Testimonies of God's Faithfulness.
Bill ministers to people of almost every social and cultural background and education level. His many illustrations and accounts of God’s interventions and faithfulness help take the profound truth of Scripture and make it relevant and understandable to all people.
Another reason that Bill mainly uses his own personal illustrations is because in the early days of the ministry he used illustrations by other people, discovering later that some of their stories were exaggerated, distorted, or outright fabrications. Therefore, he is very cautious about using another person's illustrations and focuses mainly on his own, which can be documented, validated, and defended.
Some people are called to be theologians or philosophers. They focus on biblical interpretations or linguistics. While Bill loves to exegete the Word, he feels that the Lord has called him to focus on sharing testimonies of God's faithfulness from the Scriptures and his own life. As an ardent student of the Word, Bill daily engages in diligent Bible study and prayer and regularly fasts so that his messages and conduct are consistent with the Word of God.
Besides, it is not man's opinion that matters most to Bill, but God's. The Lord is the one that Bill will ultimately give a full account before and it is the Lord that Bill seeks to please and obey.
My husband Richard and I have been friends of the Rudges and volunteers at the ministry for over 25 years. We are eyewitnesses to many of the miracles and marvelous events that occurred over the decades of ministry events, mission trips, and daily life.
Indeed, Bill Rudge walks in humility before the Lord. It was revealed to him by God's Word and Spirit in the early days of his ministry that pride, haughtiness, bragging, and boasting would destroy him
