One Woman's Testimony: "Jesus is better than Sex!"

By David Ryser

Forget love.  I’d rather fall in chocolate.  (Author Unknown)

I was preaching in a series of meetings at a church.  This in itself was unusual.  I’m not too popular a choice to preach at a traditional church.  But I’d met the pastor by phone several months previously and gotten to know him, and appreciate his heart for God and his church, over the course of many conversations in the weeks following.  I had finally agreed to come and minister at the church, though it had taken some convincing.

The pastor was very persuasive.  Not through eloquence.  Through persistence.

This church had a habit of regularly inviting guest speakers to come and entertain the people with their teaching, prophesying, and working of signs and wonders.  As a result, this congregation had received good teaching and had seen God move mightily in prophecies, miracles, and healings.

But receiving information and watching someone perform spiritual parlor tricks does not equip…or mature…people in God’s kingdom.

On the first night of meetings, I felt God had placed me on a very short leash.  He’d told me to minister His power to one person, and then stop.  I told the congregation, “You’ve had all kinds of people come and minister the word of God and the power of God to you.  And it hasn’t made one bit of difference either in your church or in your lives.  It doesn’t advance God’s kingdom in your community if I can flow in the Spirit.  Your town will be impacted by God only if what I am carrying gets into you.  Because if it doesn’t, then it will leave with me just like it came with me.  God allowed me to do what I’ve just done to prove I can do it.  But He’s not going to allow me to do another thing here until I can convince you to flow in His power yourselves.”

As I said, I’m not a popular choice as a church speaker.

Then I began to share with the congregation what God wanted them to be and what He wanted them to do as His people in that city.  I explained that while Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12a), so are they (Matthew 5:14a).  I took them to John 3:8, and showed them that this verse is speaking about them (John 3:8b).  Then we went to John 7:37, 38 and showed them that they are called to pour the Spirit of God…and His life, and His love, and His power…from out of their spirits.

Ministering the life, love, and power of God is not rocket science.  We need to drink of Jesus until we are full to overflowing.  Then we go out and leak on somebody.

At the end of the service, one woman was standing in the middle of the church with a look of total wonder on her face.  She kept repeating, over and over, “I’ve got it!  I’ve got it!”  I didn’t know what she’d gotten, but she certainly seemed awed by it.  I decided whatever was going on, it was between her and God.  So I left it alone.

Later, the pastor filled me in on the woman’s story.

It seems that in her earlier life, this lady has been the Mary Magdalene of the community.  In every way, both biblical and traditional.  She had since become a Christian, and was growing in her faith and in her love for Jesus.  Her conversion and subsequent change of lifestyle had gotten the attention of the small town.

For the remainder of the two weeks of meetings, this woman continued to receive powerfully from God.  She was instantly healed from a problem in both of her ears that had severely impaired her hearing.  God regularly moved on her in ways that left her reeling under the weight of His presence.  When God would come into the meetings, she would be a mess.

It was so much fun to watch.

Toward the end of my time in that place, I saw this woman coming into the church before one of our last meetings.  I greeted her by name, gave her a hug, and asked her how she was doing.  She was positively beaming!  She was so excited!  She said, “I was talking to my friend today.  And I told her about Jesus!”  I said, “You did?  What did you tell her?”

I will never forget her answer.

“I told her:  ‘Jesus is better than sex.  Like when you are with a man?  Jesus is better than sex.  He’s all over me.  Would you like to feel Him?’”

I was so struck by her answer, so impacted by the honesty and purity and innocence of her heart, and so refreshed by her genuine expression of joy, that I laughed with pure delight.  I said, “Good for you!” and gave her another big hug.

You see, she had taken the Spirit of God who filled her to overflowing, and then she went out and leaked on somebody.  And she didn’t use religious language.  She spoke the language of the heart into the life of another person in a way she could understand it.  Just thinking about it gives me goose bumps even now, many months later.

So how is this woman doing now?

Well, whatever it was she got way back in that church meeting, she still has it.  She’s grown in her walk with God.  She continues to share Jesus wherever she goes.  When she messes up, she is quick to repent.  Among other traits of her past life, this woman had a terrible temper.  So bad, in fact, that people feared her.  Does she still get angry?  Yes.  But when she does, and when she notices that a person is becoming afraid of her, she will drop down on her knees…in front of the person…in public…and ask God--out loud--to forgive her.

Does that sound like genuine spiritual fruit to you?  It sure does to me.

By the way, is Jesus really better than sex?  Not only is Jesus better than sex, but…at my age…He’s a whole lot more predictable.

Responses to this article are welcomed.  You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com