From: Beverly French [frenchb@vcss.k12.ca.us]
Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2004 6:44 AM
To: Heritage
Subject: August 29th Greetings

"Come and hear, all you who fear God,
 And I will declare what He has done for my soul."  Psalm 66:16

As Believers we are to constantly be ready to give testimony of Jesus Christ and the reconciling of man to God through the Cross. "But sanctify (set apart) Christ the Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you..."  1 Peter 3:15

How is the testimony to be given?
Unceasingly:
"I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem,
 Who shall never hold their peace day or night.
 You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent."  Isaiah 62:6

Empowered by the Holy Spirit:
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."  Acts 1:8

Without shame or fear:
The Apostle Paul reminds Timothy and us that:
"God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind.  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God."  2 Timothy 1:7-8

And what are the marks of a true testimony?
As we saw in our opening Scripture, it relates to personal experience; 'I will declare what the Lord has done for my soul.'

It recounts God's blessings:
"I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord
 And the praises of the Lord,
 According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us,
 And the great goodness...
 Which He has bestowed...according to His mercies,
 According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses."  Isaiah 63:7

It is shared among those who reverence the Lord and He hears: "Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name."  Malachi 3:16

It becomes irrepressible:
In the words of the Apostles Peter and John,
"For we cannot but speak the things which we have see and heard."  Acts 4:20

It is the outgrowth of faith:
"But since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written,' I believed and therefore I spoke,' we also believe and therefore speak." 2 Corinthians 4:13

All these Scriptures are concerning the speaking of the testimony.  However, unless the Believer lives his life in conformance with the testimony then the words of the testimony become mere words -- or as the Apostle Paul says, 'a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.'  Remember it is Christ in the Believer and His testimony that is to be expressed both in word and deed! And how can this be?  By the power of the Holy Spirit. "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." Romans 8:14

So I repeat 1 Peter 3:15 and add verse 16,
"But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame."

If you are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, Jesus says you are blessed and yours is the kingdom of heaven.  (See Matthew 5:10)

We are His and He is ours so we go forth in the power of the Holy Spirit and the joy of the Lord.  Hallelujah!