I would like for you all to read Acts 22. Paul in his defense delivers his testimony to those who so adamantly opposed him. He delivers this testimony with confidence and boldness. He owned this testimony and was definitely able to handle the delivery with strength and assurance. We must do the same with our testimony. It is the absolute best witnessing tool you can use to tell people about Jesus. What He has done in your life is real and powerful. If it can happen to you, it can happen to those around you. The best way I know to prepare our testimony is simply to break it down into three components: 1) This is who I was. 2) This is what happened. 3) This is what I have been doing ever since. This is a great way for us to evaluate our life with Jesus as well. 1. Who were you? Have old things passed away? 2. What happened? What happened when Jesus Christ saved you? What happened when you came to grips with the fact that you were a sinner and needed Jesus Christ to save you and free you from the bondage of sin. There have been situations where people have sat down to write out there testimony and came to this part of the process and realized they have been in church their entire life, they knew the bible, they loved going to church, they even loved their mindset of Jesus. However, they could not remember ever surrendering their life to Jesus. Immediately, they got on their knees and ask Jesus into their heart and the blood of Christ wiped away every sin and every spot. Don't get confused I am not talking about you remembering the exact date or time. Many times this is difficult for lifers (those that have been in church all their life). However, was their a time in your life that you remember recognizing you are a sinner and you need this Jesus Christ you hear so much about. (If not get on your knees and admit to jesus that your are a sinner. Acknowledge that you believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and become Lord of your life. This means that you surrender control of life over to Jesus ask Him to fill you with His Spirit and proclaim with joy that your life is His). Finally, 3. What have you been doing ever since? There have been those who get to this part of the testimony and there is really nothing to write down. There is really nothing to say they have been doing for Jesus Christ. Their life has pretty much been the same. My advice, evaluate number 2. When God touches you, it is for a purpose and He expects you to be just as Him, about His Father's business. Again, I would like for all of you out there in blog land to read Acts 22 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2022&version=NKJV ) identify the three areas of Paul's Testimony. They are there and they are powerful. Then I want you to begin working on your testimony. The beauty of this outline is it can be given in 3 minutes, 30 minutes or three hours you just have to control how much detail you include in each part. So write your testimony begin owning it and the delivery of it. You just never know when you may be called upon to give it. Reaching for Him, Brother Big Daddy
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1 Corinthians 10:12-13 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Let him who thinks he stands take heed? Many times it is when we think we are the strongest that we have the strongest fall. We start thinking even believing that we are somehow purifying ourselves and that our willpower and our loyalty come from us. We are only fooling ourselves and it is a short walk from a great cliff. A cliff that leads to sin and conviction. We must recognize that everything good about us is the work of the Holy Spirit living and dwelling in our hearts. The Holy Spirit drives us to Jesus Christ. It is the work of the Spirit that leads us not into temptation. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that shows the door of escape as we face temptation. The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Jesus tells us that in Matthew 26:41. However, this does not give us the right to fall, it simply gives us eyes to see the battlefield. The Spirit of God living inside us will always be ready for the battle our flesh will be reluctant, weak and sometimes in rebellion. However, fight the good fight, feed the Spirit and not the flesh. Is your flesh weak, then pray. Is your flesh weak, then study the Bible. Is your flesh weak then assemble together with children of God and do Godly things. Is your flesh weak, then put on praise and worship music and sing to your King. is your flesh weak, then look for the door of escape and run through it with all you have. Jesus provides victory, reach out and grab it. Reaching for Him, Brother Big Daddy Whose heart do you hold in your hand? Most of us have more than one heart that so delicately rests in our hands and we make or break them on a daily basis. Our words, our tone of voice our attitude so powerfully effect those around us. You see the ones who have placed their hearts in our hands have entrusted their very existence to us. Emotionally, they have trusted us to love them, nurture them and care for them. They believe we will protect their hearts and they certainly trust that it will not be us that breaks their heart. Ephesians 4:29 commands, "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." Do your words impart grace? Are your words full of pure and holy things that Jesus would describe as edifying. Would Jesus look at your words and the delicate hearts that rest in your hands, (you know the ones, your spouse, your children, your best friend, your mother, your father) and look at your words to these individuals and say well done, well done my good and faithful servant. You have lifted these delicate hearts up and full of grace you have ministered with your words and your actions. You have allowed My love to flow through you and to these precious babies that I entrusted to your care. Would these beautiful words be what you would hear or would you get the stare of all stares. Would He say, 'what you have said to the lest of these you have said to me. The things you have done to hurt the least of these you have done unto me.' Dude I know this is pretty heavy stuff, kind of sad on this day of love to have the smack down laid on you. Well, deal with it! Get up up off your whining seat and get out there and tell them that you love them. Tell them they are precious to your heart and that you will hold their hearts with the strongest hands and will allow God to strengthen your abilities to nurture their hearts. Tell them they are a gift from god and you recognize to whom they belong and that you will fight the good fight in protecting them. Tell them they are amazing and beautiful. Tell that God created you to love them and that love them you will do with every ounce of strength that Christ Jesus has breathed into your lungs. Tell them that there is no one on this earth like them. Tell them in the words of Uncle Kracker, You're better then the best I'm lucky just to linger in your light Cooler then the flip side of my pillow, that's right Completely unaware Nothing can compare to where you send me, Lets me know that it's ok, yeah it's ok And the moments where my good times start to fade You make me smile like the sun Fall out of bed, sing like a bird Dizzy in my head, spin like a record Crazy on a Sunday night You make me dance like a fool Forget how to breathe Shine like gold, buzz like a bee Just the thought of you can drive me wild Ohh, you make me smile Hey I don't agree with a great deal of his lyrics but you gotta admit this song is a home run. Pretty Sheree, I dedicate this blog to you and your beautiful smile. You absolutely positively make me smile! I love you more today than yesterday but nowhere near as much as tomorrow! Reaching for Him, Brother Big Daddy John 15:11-15
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. It is so close to valentines day that you can taste the chocolate in your mouth, feel the melted stuff finger printing you and just ready to be cleaned. Ahh the season of love, and be my valentines, and I love "yous" everywhere. But here is my question, "What's love got to do with it?" Well let me give you the bottom line, EVERYTHING! Jesus our Lord and Savior commands us, yes commands us to love. It is so wild when you think about this; we negotiate our love, but the reality is we do not have an option to negotiate, we must love. God also commands us to do other things that we many times consider optional, for example, He commands us to be strong and courageous. It is a command not an option...Be strong and Be courageous. Here in John He tells us to love, He commands us to love. Then He says you are my friends...IF you do whatever I command you. Now sometimes that really kicks me in the gut because I really want to be a friend of Jesus. I absolutely love being a friend of Jesus. I think that is a totally great, awesome, powerful, mighty, unbelievable thing...a friend of Jesus; however, that little word with such a BIG meaning, IF! You are my friend, if you keep my commandments. So here is the deal go love today and be a friend of Jesus. Love, love, love, hey it is valentines eve so just do it! Now for that special someone in your life do something special for them today, they are expecting it tomorrow. Do something special today and tomorrow! In the words of Uncle Kracker let them "make you SMILE" today! Reaching For Him, Brother Big Daddy 1 Corinthians 13
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there isknowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. What a wonderful description of how we should be to our valentine as it fast approaches. This is how we should be not just to that special someone but to all our someones. This should describe how we treat people. This is how Jesus says we are to love. Get out there today and love life and love your people the way God said so! When you have difficulty, simply get on your knees and pray. He will show you how to love. He loved us first and and it is Jesus who empowers our ability to love. Reaching for Him, Brother Big Daddy Isaiah 58:10 NKJ
If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. Isaiah 58:10 NIV and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. I think many times our idea about church is centered on the church service. All that we think about and focus on in our quest to the right church home and the right church family is the service. It is reflected in our decisions. The music is not what I like. I don't like the way they close service and the list goes on and on. I think you should choose a church by what the church is doing. Are they teaching the gospel and are they taking the gospel to the people? Are they involved in the community? What are their plans for touching the hurting and afflicted? Not only should this be why you choose a church family but this is also how you should look at your walk with Jesus. What are you doing to serve? Again take your mind off the service. Some would say I serve the Lord because I have not missed a church service in three years. While I commend you on your loyalty and commitment I would ask you, what have you done as a follow-up to all the service time? Are you involved in the community and helping the needy and the oppressed. Are you extending your soul to the community? Are the needs of the hungry your concern or are you looking to the next time the church doors are open? Have you ever considered opening the church doors to help those who otherwise would not be anywhere around church? Are the less fortunate in yours sights so you and run to them not from them? We as the church must meet the needs of our community and take the message of Jesus Christ to those in need. May our churches have great services and may they be inspirational and moving. May our church services teach the Word of God and mold and shape people. But I pray we mold and shape people to get out of the pews, get on the field, deep into the needs concerns and presence of those without, those in need, those in pain. May we as Christians take care of our brothers and sisters. May we take food, shelter and clothing, but most importantly the message of Jesus Christ to the lost, hungry and needy. Not tomorrow but today. 1 John 3:17 "But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" If we have the ability to help someone in need and we do not how can they love of God be in us? I am not asking this question, Jesus Christ is in His Word. Stop thinking about it and begin doing something about it. You are His child, walking around empowered by His Spirit. Go therefore and be more than conquerors. Go do His work, His Way with His provision. Reaching For Him, Brother Big Daddy 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
If you are a child of God and have surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, then there was a time in your life that you made a conscience decision to follow Jesus Christ. You and I were once far off but the saving blood of Jesus Christ brought us near. So near that we stand today as children in His Kingdom. But I want us to understand this adoption brings about a whole new mindset regarding the world. The wall of separation mentioned here in verse 14 speaks of the wall of separation between the Jews and the Gentiles. This wall is a great wall and has resulted in much hardship and struggle. The blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross tore down this wall of separation through faith in Jesus Christ and made all believers brothers and sisters in Christ. However, there still exists a wall of separation between children of God and the world. If you are living for Jesus and not the world you will be offensive to those who are engulfed in the world and worldly things. Have you ever discussed with a co-worker, family member, or friend why you don't do this or that? Suddenly a rage comes upon them and you have absolutely made them furious because you are not smoking or drinking or having sex or whatever it might be because of your love for Jesus. "You are a Jesus freak and that is all you care about!" Well, yeah! But the reality is you have not said anything about them what they are doing yet you have offended. Your words become a mirror to them and they are offended. You did not intend it to be about them. The power of God is amazing and that is how He works. Your conversation does not have to be about sin. I have heard this statement said to someone pretty close to me, "all you ever want to talk about is Jesus Christ. It is always Jesus did this or Jesus did that, I mean you can't have a normal conversation." So who defines normal? The world wants to define normal and they want their definition to be the one in webster's and used by all, in fact they down right demand it. However, the book opened at the judgement seat of Christ will not be webster's dictionary. The BIBLE well be the book used to evaluate our life. If your life offends people, then be reminded there still exists a wall of separation between us and the world and it is only through the blood of Jesus that the wall is torn down. So be different. Walk the walk and make sure that the world is offended and your Savior. Reaching for Him, Brother Big Daddy |