- Jan 1, 2024
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When I first got saved many years ago I thought a "testimony" was telling people who bad you were, going into gory detail about your life of sin in hopes some unbeliever might connect with you.
However in recent years the Spirit showed me that is not a true Biblical testimony, but more like what you'd hear at an AA or NA meeting.
I sum up my testimony in one or 2 sentences: I was into sex, drugs, rock & roll, and the occult, and have done some very wicked things, including blasphemy.
I want to give you the GLORY, not the GORY. Amen!
Acts 13:3
" Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands."
The testimony is unto the Word of His grace, the grace of God by which through faith we can be saved, if we receive Him.
1 Cor. 2:1
"And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God."
I am declaring to you the testimony of God, what God has done, and what God can do. I seek not my own glory, nor shall I glorify sin by example of how much and how long I did this or that.
2 Timothy 1:8
"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;"
Again, it is the Lords testimony. Do you know Paul, who could have boasted of his testimony in an entire lengthy book, summed it up in 3 verses in Philippians 3:4-14, the rest all glorifies Jesus?
Philippians 3:4-14
"Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless."
(There's what he did before he was saved. Now he writes this: )
"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
Hebrews 11:5 Enoch had this testimony, that he pleased God. That should be our testimony, that we should please God by walking in His Spirit that we not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
John was in the isle of Patmos for the testimony of Jesus in chapter 1 of Revelation. How about Rev. 12:11
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
How about what the mighty angel tells John in Rev. 19:10?
"And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
That's powerful! That is what a true testimony is. Yes, as in 1 Corinthians 6 I could list all that wicked stuff there, but then it comes to that verse following:
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
I don't want to glorify all that wicked stuff; rather, I renounce them, crucify the flesh, be transformed by the renewing of my mind. I don't even want to think on that junk! Why dwell in the past?
Amen! May we all have such a testimony, because a testimony to Jesus gives glory to Jesus, and exalts His power, and shares the way of salvation. Amen.
However in recent years the Spirit showed me that is not a true Biblical testimony, but more like what you'd hear at an AA or NA meeting.
I sum up my testimony in one or 2 sentences: I was into sex, drugs, rock & roll, and the occult, and have done some very wicked things, including blasphemy.
I want to give you the GLORY, not the GORY. Amen!
Acts 13:3
" Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands."
The testimony is unto the Word of His grace, the grace of God by which through faith we can be saved, if we receive Him.
1 Cor. 2:1
"And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God."
I am declaring to you the testimony of God, what God has done, and what God can do. I seek not my own glory, nor shall I glorify sin by example of how much and how long I did this or that.
2 Timothy 1:8
"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;"
Again, it is the Lords testimony. Do you know Paul, who could have boasted of his testimony in an entire lengthy book, summed it up in 3 verses in Philippians 3:4-14, the rest all glorifies Jesus?
Philippians 3:4-14
"Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless."
(There's what he did before he was saved. Now he writes this: )
"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
Hebrews 11:5 Enoch had this testimony, that he pleased God. That should be our testimony, that we should please God by walking in His Spirit that we not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
John was in the isle of Patmos for the testimony of Jesus in chapter 1 of Revelation. How about Rev. 12:11
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
How about what the mighty angel tells John in Rev. 19:10?
"And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
That's powerful! That is what a true testimony is. Yes, as in 1 Corinthians 6 I could list all that wicked stuff there, but then it comes to that verse following:
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
I don't want to glorify all that wicked stuff; rather, I renounce them, crucify the flesh, be transformed by the renewing of my mind. I don't even want to think on that junk! Why dwell in the past?
Amen! May we all have such a testimony, because a testimony to Jesus gives glory to Jesus, and exalts His power, and shares the way of salvation. Amen.
