Read: The Taming of Godzilla (Bill's testimony)
Bill Rudge’s rebellious activities as a youth resulted in an indictment for vandalism. But eventually, through his dedication to weight lifting during his teen years, Bill became the instructor at a health spa, gaining notoriety in the karate dojo as “Godzilla”.
Trying almost everything imaginable, Bill still could not tame his restless spirit. The answer to his search for meaning and purpose was not found through any of his youthful adventures – including hitchhiking across the country to “find” himself.
Bill believed Christianity was for fools and weak-kneed sissies, but came to the realization that giving his life to Jesus Christ was the wisest and most courageous decision he would ever make. And on May 23, 1971, at the age of 18, “Godzilla” was tamed – his life dramatically changed through a personal encounter with the resurrected Christ.
Three months after accepting Christ, Bill and his young wife, Karen, were enrolled in Bible college. While there, Bill also served as youth leader for an area church, worked full time, and taught classes in physical fitness and self-defense at both the college and the YMCA.
Following graduation from Mount Vernon Bible College in 1975, Bill served as youth minister in High Point, North Carolina; then trained with Youth for Christ. In August of 1977, God led Bill and Karen to found the Bill Rudge Ministries of Living Truth, Inc. So began an incredible journey of faith: With no money or facilities – only a God-given vision and determination – it was destined to become an international outreach. While most thought the goals of these two young people could never be achieved, Bill and Karen believed God would be faithful to fulfill what He led them to do.
Bill could see that, even before accepting Christ, God’s hand was on his life, protecting and preparing him for his future ministry. God has used the experiences of Bill’s youth, his abilities and even the determination and dedication he had for weight lifting and karate, and miraculously increased and redirected them to be used for His glory. Since then, Bill has built his life and ministry on Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” As a result, he has overcome tremendous challenges and overwhelming obstacles as the Lord has done the impossible through his life and ministry.
From having been voted least likely to succeed (several times), to directing a growing international outreach ministry, Bill Rudge is now a worldwide speaker and author of a dozen books such as Reaching Your Maximum Potential in Christ, Overcoming the Giants in Your Life, Who Is This Jesus?, Overcoming Sexual Immorality, and Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ. He has delivered thousands of inspiring messages to churches, schools, colleges, seminaries, military bases, prisons, detention centers, hospitals, rallies, retreats, banquets, conventions, and pastors’ and leadership conferences throughout the United States as well as over 25 countries. Bill has led dozens of mission trips into remote and often dangerous areas to minister at conventions, churches, schools, leper colonies, hospitals and villages.
Bill is an ordained chaplain and a member of Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals. He has over 40 years of extensive research and ministry experience specializing in apologetics, health and fitness, fasting, spiritual warfare, end-time prophecy, evangelism and leadership training. His powerful testimonies testify to God’s faithfulness and protection in the midst of impossible situations.
Bill is a dedicated and determined man with an exciting background, a dynamic ministry, and tremendous goals and vision. Most importantly, Bill has a heart to follow God. He daily seeks to live under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and glorify his Lord with every aspect of his life. Bill has been married to Karen for over 45 years. They have two children and eleven grandchildren.
In his personal testimony, The Taming of Godzilla, Bill reveals how Jesus Christ transformed his life and how God took a person who was:
• totally committed to weight lifting and karate and made him totally committed to Jesus Christ;
• a victim of peer pressure and gave him the courage to stand alone, even in dangerous situations;
• out of control in almost every area of his life, but brought every aspect of his life under His control;
• rebellious and stiff-necked, but taught him to be surrendered and sensitive to God’s Word and Spirit;
• a liar, cheat, and thief, but enabled him to live a life of integrity;
• proud and arrogant and taught him to walk in humility and meekness before the Lord;
• continually quitting jobs and switching friends and girlfriends ... and gave him unwavering determination and commitment in ministry and marriage (over 45 years with the same wife and over 40 years in the same ministry);
• centered on self and pleasure (even to the point of believing himself to be god), and taught him instead the meaning of self-sacrifice and gave him the desire to know and please his Creator more than anything else;
• known as “Godzilla” – one of the hardest hitters in the karate dojo – to being known as one of the hardest-hitting speakers;
• hitchhiking across the country in rebellion against God to traveling throughout the U.S. and around the world proclaiming Him;
• a skeptical, smart-mouthed, street-wise kid, and convinced him of His reality; Who has done the impossible through his life and ministry and Who has given him a passion to proclaim the truth and faithfulness of Jesus Christ;
• voted least likely to succeed and without potential, to directing a growing international ministry, challenging believers to reach their maximum potential in Christ.
The Impossible documents the Lord’s miraculous intervention in Bill’s life and ministry as it shares amazing accounts of how:
• with no money or facilities, Bill and his wife Karen started what was to become an international outreach ministry;
• by stepping out in total faith and obedience, the Lord enabled them to build ministry centers valued at over a million dollars without any interest being paid;
• God kept the special outdoor outreaches they sponsored for ten years from ever being rained out – sometimes through amazing weather occurrences;
• the Lord fulfilled 100% of what He led Bill to do.
Many times the mission opportunities the Lord led Bill to accept seemed impossible to fulfill. Airline strikes, rioting, coup attempts, weather conditions, near-tragic accidents, and numerous other dangers and impossible situations stood in the way, but God always faithfully intervened to make the way possible and protected him in the midst of it. God’s intervention in apparently impossible circumstances resulted in dozens of documented miracles.
Bill has been threatened, attacked, put on “hit lists,” had spells put on him and frequently been in situations of extreme danger: nearly frozen to death in New Mexico; almost blinded when a car battery exploded in his face; bitten by a brown recluse spider; “terrorized” in an Arab country; nearly killed three times in Colorado; stranded hopelessly in India and Nigeria; found in the midst of a coup attempt in Haiti; led a feared voodoo witch doctor to the Lord during which time he was protected from being killed by three angry men armed with machetes and a lead pipe; after speaking in Jerusalem he was at the exact spot where 23 hours later the first female suicide bomber detonated herself; caught in the midst of a riot; the target of a failed robbery attempt in Lagos, Nigeria; escorted across Egypt by armed guards in a caravan of armed vehicles smuggled in and out of a country where it is forbidden to share the Gospel under penalty of prison or death; survived a violent four-vehicle collision following ministry in British Columbia....
Bill has faced numerous other dangerous, life-threatening and impossible circumstances, but the God of the Bible has always intervened, delivered him and brought the ultimate victory. Knowing that without the Lord, his family, staff, and supporters, he could achieve nothing, all that Bill has faced or accomplished only validates the reality and faithfulness of the God of the Bible whom he wholeheartedly seeks to serve and glorify with every aspect of his life – physical, mental and spiritual. Truly, Bill’s life and ministry present a tremendous witness of God’s mercy, faithfulness, protection and power!