Welcome!
Date: Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Today: You also must testify!
Passage: John 15: 26-27 NIV
26“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 27And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. (emphasis added)
Jesus wanted the disciples to testify about Jesus, after having spent enough time wit him
A good number of us like to be in church, but hate to be His witnesses, Monday through Saturday
14He appointed twelve-designating them apostles[b]that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15and to have authority to drive out demons. (Mark 3: 14-15, NIV – emphasis added)
Two questions to ourselves:
1. Do we spend time with Jesus, praying and reading the scripture?
2. Do we share the word/witness to others, about Jesus?
People like to talk about that which most people like to hear
There are things people want; but there are also things they need
Augustine was a man who lived AD 354-430; he was a bishop of the African Church in Hippo
He underwent a big, big transformation, through the word of God
Below is a great quote from Augustine:
“I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are very wise and very beautiful; but I never read in either of them, ‘Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden’” (from the book “Reading the Bible with heart and mind” by Tremper Longman III)
Testifying about our experience and knowledge of Jesus Christ can create big change in the hearers!
When Jesus was encountering Satan after his fasting, Jesus used the words of the Old Testament (scripture), to get him out
Jesus did not have to scream or yell at Satan!
If Jesus quoted the O.T and Satan just backed away, how come some people ignore the Old Testament these days?
The word of God is powerful!
Is Satan tormenting you? Start testifying about Jesus to others
You will see how Satan is backing away!
When the word of God is studied and preached/witnessed in the anointing of the Holy Spirit, sinners will be transformed to saints; sick will be healed; people shall be baptized by the Holy Spirit; demons will run away!
How much do we know the word?
One of the greatest problems of the church today is the ignorance/illiteracy of the word of God
In today’s church, if you read the word for 15 minutes a day, you can become a preacher-because only a handful spent even that much time with the word!
Many of us have “graduated” from the Bible, while we know almost nothing about the content or the charisma power of the word
The word became flesh and dwelt among us-that was Jesus
Now we have Bibles all over. We have many copies in our home, and then we have it in the computer, phone, car, everywhere!
But what is the use, if we don’t read it, only boast about it?
We need to start some Bible literacy Program in the Church(es)!
Commit yourselves to reading the word at least 15 minutes a day
You will see the difference!
God bless
BG
Prayer: Lord, I admit my ignorance of your word. Help me to get into a plan to effectively study the word, from today onwards. Amen