Our Testimonies
Our testimony is our giving evidence of what God has done in our lives, and our
witnessing what God can do for anyone, because God is not a respecter of
persons.
Moses speaking to the Israelites as he gave them the ten commandments, tells
them in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “and these words, which I command you this day, shall
be in your heart. And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk
to them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you
lay down, and when you rise up”. They were told to teach their children, but after
Joshua died it says “Israel served the Lord Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all
the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of
the Lord Yahweh what He had done for Israel” (Joshua 24:31). Then in Judges 17:
6 and 21:25 the Bible says “in those days there was no king in Israel, every man
did that which was right in his own eyes”.
David rehearsed his testimony as re recited how God had caused him to defeat the
bear and the lion, he was then able to defeat the giant (I Samuel 17:34-37) “and
David said to Saul, your servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion,
and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. And I went out after him, and smote
it, and delivered it out of its mouth and when it arose against me, I caught it by its
beard, and smote it, and slew it. Your servant slew both the lion and the bear, and
this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the
armies of the living God. David said moreover, the Lord Yahweh has delivered
me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out
of the hand of this Philistine, and Saul said to David, go, and the Lord Yahweh be
with you”. The outcome was that David defeated the giant and took off his head.
David encourages himself (I Samuel 30:1-4,6-8) “and it came to pass, when David
and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded
the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire. And had taken
the women captives, that were therein, they slew not any either great or small, but
carried them away, and went on their way. So David and his men came to the city,
and behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives, and their sons, and their
daughters, were taken captives. Then David and the people that were with him
lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David
was greatly distressed for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all
the people was grieved, every man for his sons, and for his daughters, but David
encouraged himself in the Lord Yahweh his God. And David said to Abiathar the
priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray you, bring me here the ephod, and Abiathar brought
from there the ephod to David. And David enquired at the Lord Yahweh, saying,
shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And He answered him,
pursue for you shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all”. You
overcome when you encourage yourself by remembering what God had done. You
even have testimonies of how God kept you alive even when you were living in sin.
David in the Psalms declared God in his life (Psalms 9:1) “I will praise You, O Lord
Yahweh, with my whole heart; I will show forth all Your marvelous works”; and in
Psalms 26:7 it says “that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all
Your wondrous works”.
James tells us that “Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he
prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth by the space
of three years and six mouths. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain,
and the earth brought forth her fruit”. God gave Elijah a word and as he declared
“as the Lord Yahweh God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be
dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (I Kings 17:1) and the Lord
Yahweh protected Elijah sending him first to the brook, and fed him there, then told
him to go to Zarephath, for He had commanded a widow woman to sustain you,
when he got to Zaraehath, there was a widow there, but she was about to make a
fire and fix her last cakes for her and her son, but as she believed the prophet and
made the cake for him first the meal and oil lasted. In the third year, the word of
the Lord Yahweh came to Elijah saying “go show yourself to Ahab, and I will send
rain upon the earth”. Elijah heard a word from God and believed and stepped out
on it and God kept him.
We have talked over the past few weeks about Joshua, Gideon and Moses, we
can learn from their testimonies. Even Samson although he made many mistakes
to the point that he didn’t know that the Lord Yahweh was departed from him, but
the Philistines took him and put out his eyes and make him a slave. When he
repented and returned to the Lord Yahweh, as the Philistines were making sport of
him, Samson called to the Lord Yahweh and said, O Lord Yahweh, remember me, I
pray You and strengthen me, I pray You only this once, O God that I may be at
once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson said, let me die with
the Philistines, and he bowed himself with all his might, and the house fell upon the
lords, and upon all the people that were therein, so the dead which he slew at his
death were more than they which he slew in his life” (Judges 16:20-30). This
should give hope to those who have been beating themselves up over what they
have done.
There are many testimonies written in the Bible, some people call them stories, but
as we realize as it says in Romans 15:4 “for whatsoever things were written
aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the
scriptures might have hope”. These testimonies are there to give us hope, and
encourage us to trust God. As we study to show ourselves approved of God,
rightly dividing the word of God. We are to learn from the things that happened
before, looking at God’s blessing or judgment in the lives of His people.
Revelation 12:11 says “and they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the
Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives to the
death”. Your testimony is what God has done in your life. The believer’s life and
word also serve as a testimony to the world. Sometimes your testimony can be
given just by the life you live.
Jesus says “if a son shall ask break of any of you that is a father, will he give him a
stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask
an egg will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts to your children, how mush more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Luke 11:11-13).
Jesus tells us to wait for the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:8 “but you shall receive power
after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me both
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the
earth”. This has implications for all believers. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that
gives us power to witness and give our testimonies to others. Don’t be ashamed at
what you did before you gave your life to Christ, that is another trick of the devil to
keep you from giving your testimony. Your testimony gives hope to others that
hears it, letting them know that God is alive and willing to help you in times of
trouble; and it also gives you encouragement to stand in the hard times. As you
remember what God has done in the past, you will have confidence of what He can
do in times of trouble.
If you don’t know if you have asked God for the Holy Spirit, let’s take time right now
to ask your heavenly Father for the Holy Spirit. Remember, we are told to “be filled
with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). And remember the Bible says “it’s not by power,
nor by might, but by My Spirit says the Lord”.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: August 15, 2008
Our testimony is our giving evidence of what God has done in our lives, and our
witnessing what God can do for anyone, because God is not a respecter of
persons.
Moses speaking to the Israelites as he gave them the ten commandments, tells
them in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “and these words, which I command you this day, shall
be in your heart. And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk
to them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you
lay down, and when you rise up”. They were told to teach their children, but after
Joshua died it says “Israel served the Lord Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all
the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of
the Lord Yahweh what He had done for Israel” (Joshua 24:31). Then in Judges 17:
6 and 21:25 the Bible says “in those days there was no king in Israel, every man
did that which was right in his own eyes”.
David rehearsed his testimony as re recited how God had caused him to defeat the
bear and the lion, he was then able to defeat the giant (I Samuel 17:34-37) “and
David said to Saul, your servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion,
and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. And I went out after him, and smote
it, and delivered it out of its mouth and when it arose against me, I caught it by its
beard, and smote it, and slew it. Your servant slew both the lion and the bear, and
this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the
armies of the living God. David said moreover, the Lord Yahweh has delivered
me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out
of the hand of this Philistine, and Saul said to David, go, and the Lord Yahweh be
with you”. The outcome was that David defeated the giant and took off his head.
David encourages himself (I Samuel 30:1-4,6-8) “and it came to pass, when David
and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded
the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire. And had taken
the women captives, that were therein, they slew not any either great or small, but
carried them away, and went on their way. So David and his men came to the city,
and behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives, and their sons, and their
daughters, were taken captives. Then David and the people that were with him
lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David
was greatly distressed for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all
the people was grieved, every man for his sons, and for his daughters, but David
encouraged himself in the Lord Yahweh his God. And David said to Abiathar the
priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray you, bring me here the ephod, and Abiathar brought
from there the ephod to David. And David enquired at the Lord Yahweh, saying,
shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And He answered him,
pursue for you shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all”. You
overcome when you encourage yourself by remembering what God had done. You
even have testimonies of how God kept you alive even when you were living in sin.
David in the Psalms declared God in his life (Psalms 9:1) “I will praise You, O Lord
Yahweh, with my whole heart; I will show forth all Your marvelous works”; and in
Psalms 26:7 it says “that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all
Your wondrous works”.
James tells us that “Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he
prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth by the space
of three years and six mouths. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain,
and the earth brought forth her fruit”. God gave Elijah a word and as he declared
“as the Lord Yahweh God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be
dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (I Kings 17:1) and the Lord
Yahweh protected Elijah sending him first to the brook, and fed him there, then told
him to go to Zarephath, for He had commanded a widow woman to sustain you,
when he got to Zaraehath, there was a widow there, but she was about to make a
fire and fix her last cakes for her and her son, but as she believed the prophet and
made the cake for him first the meal and oil lasted. In the third year, the word of
the Lord Yahweh came to Elijah saying “go show yourself to Ahab, and I will send
rain upon the earth”. Elijah heard a word from God and believed and stepped out
on it and God kept him.
We have talked over the past few weeks about Joshua, Gideon and Moses, we
can learn from their testimonies. Even Samson although he made many mistakes
to the point that he didn’t know that the Lord Yahweh was departed from him, but
the Philistines took him and put out his eyes and make him a slave. When he
repented and returned to the Lord Yahweh, as the Philistines were making sport of
him, Samson called to the Lord Yahweh and said, O Lord Yahweh, remember me, I
pray You and strengthen me, I pray You only this once, O God that I may be at
once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson said, let me die with
the Philistines, and he bowed himself with all his might, and the house fell upon the
lords, and upon all the people that were therein, so the dead which he slew at his
death were more than they which he slew in his life” (Judges 16:20-30). This
should give hope to those who have been beating themselves up over what they
have done.
There are many testimonies written in the Bible, some people call them stories, but
as we realize as it says in Romans 15:4 “for whatsoever things were written
aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the
scriptures might have hope”. These testimonies are there to give us hope, and
encourage us to trust God. As we study to show ourselves approved of God,
rightly dividing the word of God. We are to learn from the things that happened
before, looking at God’s blessing or judgment in the lives of His people.
Revelation 12:11 says “and they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the
Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives to the
death”. Your testimony is what God has done in your life. The believer’s life and
word also serve as a testimony to the world. Sometimes your testimony can be
given just by the life you live.
Jesus says “if a son shall ask break of any of you that is a father, will he give him a
stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask
an egg will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts to your children, how mush more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Luke 11:11-13).
Jesus tells us to wait for the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:8 “but you shall receive power
after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me both
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the
earth”. This has implications for all believers. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that
gives us power to witness and give our testimonies to others. Don’t be ashamed at
what you did before you gave your life to Christ, that is another trick of the devil to
keep you from giving your testimony. Your testimony gives hope to others that
hears it, letting them know that God is alive and willing to help you in times of
trouble; and it also gives you encouragement to stand in the hard times. As you
remember what God has done in the past, you will have confidence of what He can
do in times of trouble.
If you don’t know if you have asked God for the Holy Spirit, let’s take time right now
to ask your heavenly Father for the Holy Spirit. Remember, we are told to “be filled
with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). And remember the Bible says “it’s not by power,
nor by might, but by My Spirit says the Lord”.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: August 15, 2008
