Tag Archives: Testimony

Day 21: Testimony

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31 Days of Five Minute Friday Free Writes

“May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 3:5 (NLT)

Day 21: Testimony

As a teacher, I spent my career taking the broad, complicated goals given to us by the state and breaking them down into more basic, doable parts so that my students could learn step by step, building confidence until they could demonstrate mastery of a skill that at one time seemed overwhelming.  

As adults, we face complicated goals to conquer, too. The most important to me these days, is to live so that my life is a testimony to others. We’ve been given all the standards we need to be successful in God’s Word, but I’m going to be honest with you, like my Second Graders I’ve found myself overwhelmed by the voluminous, complex lessons and instructions within the Bible. Have you ever been there? Our desire is great but our confidence wavers. That’s why we need the Teacher.

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor a yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39 (NLT)

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 (NLT)

Jesus breaks living our lives as a Godly testimony down into basic, doable parts: Love God, Love others.

When our hearts, minds, and souls are focused on loving God, we begin to try to understand and live out those complex lessons and instructions in the Bible and in so doing that, our lives will bear evidence of that Godly love. Putting others above ourselves, loving them as Jesus loves us will also be a profession of our faith without us having to say a word. 

Is it easy? No. Can we do it on our own? Of course not. But, when we put our confidence in Christ and not ourselves, step by step our lives will demonstrate and express the love the world so desperately needs.  I don’t think it’s a skill we will master in this life but it’s one that we’ll get better at as we put love into practice. 

Love God. Love others. This is our life testimony!

Gather~Day 8~31Days2019

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“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” 1 John 5:11 (NIV) / Pixabay

 

Gather at the River

A small crowd gathered on the bank of the river this past Sunday to witness the baptism of some young people from our church family. Raindrops fell but spirits could not be dampened. Temperatures dropped but praises were raised. What a joy and a privilege to experience a person coming up out of the water into a new life in Christ!

“For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.” Ephesians 4:4-6 (NLT)

When I was a child, a group gathered with me as I was baptized, too. Water was sprinkled and at the front of the church that morning, through this act, I shared my testimony for the very first time as I confessed my faith in Jesus. Funny, I haven’t thought about that day for a long time so of course it has me pondering…”Glorious hope, one Lord, one faith”…have I continued to share** this testimony with those I gather with?

“And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross-not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. so we have these three witnesses-the Spirit, the water, and the blood-and all three agree. Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son.” 1 John 5:6-9 (NLT)

Jesus proclaimed God’s love for all people to the crowds who gathered around Him to listen, but He didn’t stop there. His actions on the cross affirmed all He had said. Do my, do our, actions testify as well? Do we:
~Put God’s will and the needs of others above our own? ~Jesus said, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Luke 22:42 (NLT)
~Forgive others? ~Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34a (NLT)
~Care for the grieving and the lonely? ~When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, ‘Dear woman, here is your son.’ ”  John 19:26 (NLT)
~Use the gifts God has given us to complete the plans He has for us, all the way to the end, even if it isn’t easy?~  Jesus said, “It is finished.” John 19:30a (NLT)

Yes, our words and actions should declare the message of eternal life through the truth of the Spirit, the water, and the blood of Jesus to as many as we can, so that one glorious day, we all can gather side by side at the beautiful, beautiful river flowing by the throne of God.

This post is written as part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Friday Free Writes Challenge. You can read posts from other writers on the same topics over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com I hope you know that I so appreciate you being here! God bless, Cindy

 

Mrs. P.’s Testimony ~ Five Minute Friday

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“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 6:16b (NIV) / Pixabay

Not long ago, I attended the funeral for a lovely lady in our community.  The eulogies given by those who knew her were warm and endearing.  The last person to speak was her son.  What he shared with us challenged me to take a look at my own life. Maybe it will challenge you as well.

After a time of exchanging cherished family memories that caused laughter and tears to spill out at the same time, her son then reflected on his mother’s prayer life.  He called her a “Warrior on her knees”! He shared that he’d often wondered how much of what had happened in the lives of his family was a direct result of their mom’s fervent prayers.  In addition, he was also curious about the number of bad things that hadn’t happened to them because of their mom’s fervent prayers. Then this grieving son asked a powerful question:

“Now, who will take her place?”

Who will take her place?  Who will take over where she left off? What a testimony to a life!  A woman remembered for her prayers; an intercessor, so dedicated, that her passing would leave a vacancy, not easy to fill. Just imagine… WANTED: Someone able to lift heavy burdens. Must be available all hours of the day and night. Dedication to, persistence, and confidence in results required. Needs to be prepared to work in private. Able to manage large case loads. Now, who will take her place?

Driving home after the service that question kept playing over and over in my mind and I started thinking about the testimony my life offers to those around me. Guess what? In the area of prayer, Worrier came to mind before Warrior!  Let’s be honest, NOBODY needs to fill that position!

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

I didn’t know Mrs. P. well.  I wish I had! This quiet, behind the scenes worker, a Sister in Christ, lived a life here that affirmed a great faith, declared her abundant love, and professed the power of prayer. Even from her Heavenly home, her witness has challenged me to spend more time on my knees than I do wringing my hands. I can’t think of a better testimony of a well-lived Godly life than that! Can you?

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

I’ve written this in memory of Mrs. P. to the prompt “Testimony” and have joined the other writers over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com 

I look forward to seeing the directions others have taken their writing in today.  I encourage you to click over and read for yourself! I pray Mrs. P.’s testimony has touched you in some way and if it has prompted you to think about your own life testimony, I’d love to hear about it! Just leave me a note in the comments! As always, thank you for being here!