God Told Us How To Testify

Deuteronomy 6:20-23 (New King James Version)
When your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD our God has commanded you?' then you shall say to your son: 'We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; and the LORD showed signs and wonders before our eyes, great and severe, against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his household. Then He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers.

As the scripture above says, God has given us the "pattern" for our testimonies. A testimony is your personal story, describing what God has done in YOUR life. Your family and friends, even a twin if you have them, haven't lived YOUR life, so they can't fully comprehend God's effect. That's why we are all directed to TELL OUR STORIES.

A testimony is in three parts:

1. I WAS _____________
2. THEN GOD _________________
3. NOW I'M ________________

Tell your story using this as an example. It doesn't have to be powerful, or use flowery language. But it MUST be told by the primary storyteller of your life: YOU.


© 2008 Scotty Ward

"Couldn't You Tone It Down a Bit?"

My message is different from most others. Some may find some of my blogs questionable, perhaps a bit 'harsh'.

Some people may cringe, some may be uncomfortable when they read about certain parts of my life. The issue (as I see it) is that these events have served to DEFINE me. I'm not a "cradle Christian"; I didn't grow up in the church. I AM without a doubt one of those eleventh hour Christians that the others get upset about (Matt 20). I AM the prodigal son that the older brother gets upset about (Luke 15). I AM the thief on the cross (Luke 23), the man from Gadara (Mark 5, Luke 8) and the Samaritan woman (John 4), the lost sheep and the lost coin (Luke 15), who have come to God's grace ONLY through the love and mercy of the Father, and NOT through my own efforts at achieving righteousness.

I AM, simply because HE IS (Exod 3:14). And so I can honestly speak FROM EXPERIENCE to encourage those other wounded, battered, beat-down people who think they're too far gone for God to care about.

I can't deny that my path has been different than everyone else's. In fact, it is BECAUSE of that long, painful path He's led me through, that I give Him that crazy praise I do (I'm crying at my desk as I type this). I owe God for my very breath.

And if He can do this for me, he can CERTAINLY do it for others who are still out there in the world. I may ruffle some feathers when I speak about myself; so be it. Some may look at me funny, or stop speaking to me. Some may even try to speak to my pastor; So be it. Nothing can change who I am and where God has brought me from.

It's no cliche when it comes from my lips: GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME.

I've probably said this in earlier blogs, but it bears repeating. When I accepted God's call to the ministry, I told him that I would do it even if it meant being an example. He saved me, and I'm a product of that loving salvation.

So I'll keep on praising Him. I'll keep on telling my story, even if it makes some people uncomfortable. I don't mean to make people upset. But it is, after all, my testimony to tell.

God Bless You All.

I love Jesus, but Haven't Always Been This Way

I was born and raised in Southern California, the third of four children born to Bill and Arlene Ward. Early in life, I had no solid Christian examples. My parents, grandparents, even aunts and uncles didn't attend church except for weddings and funerals. My earliest recollection of personal Christianity is from the age of ten, when I attended a local church alone, while my father waited in the car.

The lack of a Christian anchor was apparent in my adult life. I scored high enough on my S.A.T. to qualify for MENSA, became a leader and received awards in nearly every group I joined, but stumbled through multiple failed relationships. I fathered/adopted three children who all left to live with their mothers. It was clear my life was still unfulfilled, that I was still seeking God in my life.

God allowed my life to reach its lowest ebb in 1986. With my children stripped away in a custody battle, my career shattered, and facing a military court martial, I spent one night in a psychiatric hospital on 'suicide watch' (description: someone sits in your room while you sleep, to make sure you don't try to kill yourself). My life was screwed up beyond all hope; I couldn't deny it. So one night I knelt in my closet and surrendered what was left of this shattered life to a God I hadn't yet met, and asked Him for forgiveness and strength.

And that's exactly what I received. God saved me in a mighty way at age 35, and filled me with the precious Holy Ghost and called me to ministry at age 45. Since then, I’ve been on fire for the Lord. I know my ministry is still forming, but in the meantime, I serve as a member of the ministerial staff, personal writer for the pastor, superintendent of Sunday School, editor of the church newsletter, church email administrator, and audio producer and cameraman for the church media ministry (wow!). I’ve even begun a Christian ministry via this internet blog, where the reader is encouraged to keep at their Christian walk 'Yet One More Day'. God has truly blessed me with an abundance of gifts, and I use what I've been given to serve Him.

But most of all, I love praising God, and telling others about how God saved a wretch like ME, so surely He can save them too.

I KNOW where my help comes from.

I'm God's Secret Weapon!

1 Corinthians 1:17-29 (NLT)
For Christ didn't send me to baptize, but to preach the 'Good News' And not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.
The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say,
'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.'
So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.
So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense.
But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

If you don't feel particularly "called" today, that's all right! In fact, if you're saved, and don't yet see God's plan in your life, that means God still has a great plan to use you! If the enemy knew what God knows about God's plans for his servants, don't you think he'd do his very best to take us out of the picture? But that's why the world doesn't know God. That's why those people in the world have such difficulty understanding (if they even try to understand) God's message of salvation. It doesn't make any earthly sense.

EXACTLY!

God's "sense" and man's "sense" are two entirely different things, because they're viewed from two entirely different viewpoints. Man looks at the outward appearance, while God considers the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7). Man looks to increase his individual possessions, while God looks for individual salvation (Luke 12:21). Man wants to "know everything" (2 Tim 3:7), but God is trying through Himself to give us all knowledge (1 Tim 2:4)!

If you're saved, you can rest assured that God has a plan for your life (reread the scripture above). Right now, you may not really comprehend it, but that does NOT mean God's plan is late, or missing, or faulty, or you've somehow been overlooked as God gave out his assignments. Quite the contrary! God may be preparing you THIS VERY DAY to tell someone about God's plan for salvation (that's called evangelizing, by the way). But God hasn't yet revealed it to you. But that's OK!

You're one of God's "Secret Weapons"!

Look at yourself in the mirror this morning, and in your best 'James Bond' voice, tell yourself, "I'm God's Secret Weapon!"

God Bless You!

Messed Up

The Lord let me see recently that being "messed up" is just fine with him, IF I allow him to use my condition for his glory. Let me explain.

I've often felt I have much intelligence, but not much of the Lord's Wisdom; lots to say, but little to say of Value; of some significance, but of little Worth.

Why? Because I've been told that my sin is too great for God to forgive. I truly believe he forgives my sins; that's the reason I can truly praise him as I do. But then it seems I turn around and commit the same sins over, and over, and over again. I feel I keep bringing the same sins to the altar, God keeps washing them away, and I wander off, inevitably to commit them afresh.

The discourager tries to stress to me that I'm in a cycle I will never escape. No matter how high God takes me, the earthly lusts will always return to dash me back into the pit, plop me back into the miry clay (Psalms 40:2 - He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.). I've been told (in my head) over and over that my freedom from the penalty of my sins may be brief and wonderfully inspiring, but I'll always return to my old ways, to the "law" of my body (Romans 7:23 - but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.)

And I've given heed to these mantras of discouragement, from the destroyer of the soul.

I'm MESSED UP. I'm a wretch. No doubt in my mind.

But WAIT.

John 10:10 - The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The man from Gadara was a mess too (See Mark 5). So was the Samaritan woman (John 4). Cast out by their people, left to wallow in their own muck, shunned (everybody had turned their backs on them) and living amid their own sins. But in both cases, Jesus turned their lives around, and through the redemption of their souls, they became two of the most effective evangelists in the Bible. The "normal citizens" who had turned their backs on these two, in essence became their mission fields. The outcast and the hopelessly messed up, when you add Jesus to their lives, had become extremely effective tools for the spread of God's kingdom.

Lord, I thank you for loving me enough to reach down into the miry clay of my sins, to look past what I DO, and see value in who I AM. I re-dedicate myself to following your lead in my life. Help me have spiritual ears, so I may hear YOUR Word, and not the words of the world. And keep my thoughts turned to you, Lord.

My life is worthless without you, but of infinite Value through you.

Hebrews 10:22-25 (KJV)
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Thank you, Lord. Thank you.

Fell Into a Funk, but Found the Fix

Recently one morning, I had what can best be described as a sense of "discomfort", or "ill at ease", and I couldn't seem to leave it behind.

My wife and I spent most of the previous afternoon/evening and all the night before just relaxing at home. No stress, no drama. The morning seemed to begin as normal, but then this "funk" settled over me. I felt so unsettled, I nearly called in sick to work. I thought to go to the church to pray, but instead got in the truck for work.

As I drove in, I called my wife and asked her if we could have lunch together. She does have such a calming effect on my soul. But lunch was hours away, and my feeling of unease persisted.

I arrived at work without incident, and spent a number of minutes reading the scriptures in my truck, but still I felt burdened.

Something beyond my consciousness was distracting me, and I emailed my prayer partner, asking his prayers that the Lord's will be done in my life (divine, not just permissive).

Wait a second. Philippians 4:6-7 gives both a description and a remedy for my situation. Here's what God says from the Amplified Bible:

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Thank you, Lord. The answer is not outside (day off sick, asking for prayers, etc). The answer is inside, where YOU dwell, Lord. You're telling me to be prayerful, be persistent, be thankful, and be specific. I gotcha.

The moment I grasped what the scriptures were saying to me, I immediately felt much better.

And I prayed: I believe I'll make it through the day, thank you, God!

Tell my Situation about God...

This is a tough concept for me to wrap my head around.

The Bible is full of people praying to God and asking for insight, wisdom, relief, and downright deliverance from their issues and situations. Even Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane prayed to his Father, saying "...if it be possible, let this cup pass from me" (Matthew 26). He brought his situation to God's attention through his prayers.

But Jesus also gave us a superb example of bringing God's word into the situation. In Matthew chapter 4, Jesus is tempted by Satan after having fasted forty days. He was tempted three times, but in every case, he quoted from God's word (specifically the Pentateuch, also known as The Law) in response to the temptation. Instead of telling God about the situation, he addressed his situation by speaking the Word.

Deut 11:18-19 - Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

It's important to learn God's word thoroughly. And I know I can't learn God's word through sitting in church and listening to the preacher. I will HEAR God's word, true. But there is more in the Bible than I will be able to learn from a lifetime of Sunday morning sermons. Sitting in church and listening doesn't sound the same as Deuteronomy above, where we're encouraged to "lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul". A casual acquaintance is obviously not what God seeks from us.

Deut 30:14 - But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

The "word" in this passage of scripture refers directly to "...his statutes which are written in this book of the law..." (v10). By getting close to God's word, I have a better chance of staying on track with God. Makes sense.

So I can see an in-depth knowledge of the Word of God allows me two advantages. First, it allows me a better chance of patterning my path according to God's will. Second, it allows me to carry His Word into my daily life and situations. Then, instead of praying to God about the situation, I may be able to speak to the situation from God's Word. By studying God's word, I prepare myself for the attacks that life dishes up.

Thanks Lord. You've encouraged me to study and study and study some more. Help me not to fall into complacency. Only you know what lies over the next hill, and you've given me the tools (through your holy Word) to deal with them. But I need to study today, to be equipped and prepared for tomorrow.

Sharing versus Preaching

I was at a gas station in Ft Washington recently, playing a CD from my recent sermon, and some woman commented (positively) on it. I pulled it out and gave it to her (which surprised her to no end), but it brought to mind how much my life impacts those around me.

I've been highly blessed to be around such spirit-led preachers as Pastor Hunt of New Community COGIC in Waldorf, but I also notice my preaching is of a somewhat different nature than the rest. Let me explain.

I'm so very thankful God saved me in 1993, but I admit I have difficulty living a saved life. For me, it's tough to stay saved each day, really tough.

I've heard some of the saints (including my wife) say they're 'saved, sanctified, and Holy Ghost filled' but if I were to try to say the same thing, I'd say I'm 'being saved daily WHEN I focus on God, in the process of BEING sanctified, and Holy Ghost filled WHEN my sinful nature steps aside long enough for God to have his way in my life'. Doesn't roll off the tongue quite like the others, does it?

Psalm 51 typifies the process of sanctification to me. Because only AFTER God has cleansed and purged me, 'Then, I will teach transgressors your ways.' But until then, I'm still in the 'wash cycle', as it were. And that's where I find myself, day after painful day.

When God called me to the ministry, I told him I would follow his call, even if my life only served as an example to those around me (in other words, if they observed my stumbling and re-turning to the cross over and over, they might draw hope in their own spiritual walk.)

I thank God for the grace and strength to be able to fall, get back up, and talk about it, even when I'm talking to a crowd.

I think that's why my sermons seem more like sharing, and less like preaching. God's words of redemption and love repeatedly soothe my sin-born heart and calm my sin-numbed ears, and I get enough strength to go through the process once again, but by submitting to God's call and sharing about my life all the while, I'm able to share the pain, the tests, and the reunification.

God allows me to be a walking prodigal son.

God loves a broken and a contrite heart (Psalm 34:18, Psalm 51:17). In me, he has a perfect subject for the lesson. A proud and independent man, brought up outside the church, yet constantly humbled through decades of failed relationships and continuous self-destructive behavior. God can take my proud nature, skinned knees, and abundant tears, and make a loving "story of redemption" out of them. What the enemy calls 'another failure, Scott', God calls his child, Scott.

So when I preach, I have mixed feelings about having an altar call. The reason? I want to throw myself at the foot of the cross right along with everyone else, my tears falling beside theirs. When they cry, I cry, because - perhaps like them - I'm coming forward as a miserable, broken, proud-to-the-brink-of-destruction sinner. We all approach with nothing but hope, and we leave with nothing less than our renewed souls.

I thank God for my life. I pray my pain gives others hope.

© 2008 Scotty Ward

Who Guides The Wind

I cried again. Dolly stood in front of about 30 friends from the church one weekend at our house, telling them what a wonderful husband and help-mate I have been in her life and especially during her surgery and recovery.

And I cried.

None of them could fully grasp the incredible change God has made in my life. Only I am able to stand in the present, look back at such an UNglorious past as mine, and marvel at the goodness and blessings that I currently enjoy. And my joy is complete when I realize Dolly and others are involved in my blessing.

I am profoundly grateful for every moment of my life, because without them I'd be a different person today. God has patiently and lovingly watched while I stumbled through failed relationships and shameful habits, calmly listened as I asserted time and again how much I didn't need Him to run my life, because I thought I was doing a pretty good job of running my life my way.

Only He could know how these seemingly random and undoubtedly painful processes happened to define my character, and refine my very being. He already knew where my life would lead, and He allowed events to occur which would more appropriately prepare me for the life I live today.

I claim nothing in this world. I know now that every act and event in my life occured with God's assent.

I've spent many years aboard the ship of my life with sails furled and hatches battened, fighting and enduring the fury of the storms in my life, not knowing that a Higher Power was there with me, gently waiting until I trusted Him enough to release my tight control, unfurl and hoist the sails a bit, and allow the wind to take me in unfamiliar directions, to unfamiliar destinations.

I thought I was steering the ship of my life through my own courageous, independent actions, but I never gave thought to Who guides the wind.

God Bless You.

Copyright 2009 by Scotty Ward

I cried - 'Intelligent man'

My wife told me a few days ago that a certain sister spoke about me to her mother. She was "born and raised" in the church, but since she had moved to this area, was attending our church, but hadn't re-connected with the same fervor she had when she was younger. As a result, she was sort of drifting: in church one week, out the next. Her parents (from what I've heard) tried to encourage her to attend services AND to partake in the para-worship activities, such as Sunday School.

I'm one of our adult Sunday School teachers. This young lady had sat in on a couple classes, and reportedly called her mom, all enthusiastic about Sunday School. The way my wife described it to me, this sister had said "Mom, this guy is REALLY SMART". I didn't hear any more on the discussion, but her words saddened me greatly.

Matthew 5:16 says I'm supposed to let my light (the original Greek word means luminescence, in the manner of revealing or unveiling; literally LIGHT) shine, so people will see what I do, and will understand my help, my power, my glory is in the Lord, so they too will give glory to God. But this woman was only able to see me, the 'intelligent man'.

There's still too much ME in me, Lord. John 3:30 (CEV) sums up my feelings: "Jesus must become more important, while I become less important." My prayer today is to become a nobody to man, to seek you all the more, to lose myself in you. To literally fade as a person, behind the wonderful radiance of your glorious presence. Let YOUR light shine through me and my life, Lord, so that others may see you and not me. I'd MUCH prefer being considered your child than an intelligent man.

1 Cor 4:7 (KJV) says "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." I want to be seen as a clay vessel, a capable but unworthy vessel, holding your most precious gift of light. Let me become small and insignificant in man's eyes, so that you are seen as even greater.

Amen. God Bless You.

Just Can't Beat God's Giving

If this hadn't just happened to me, I'd be skeptical. But I must share.

Recently, a visiting church came to ours in Waldorf. I struck up a conversation with one of the deacons from that church. We both have rather painful pasts, and we discussed how God seems to allow us to go through uncomfortable situations in order to prepare us for greater ministries. During our conversation, I mentioned I'm reading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren during my morning devotions. He hadn't heard of the book, but sounded interested.

I hadn't finished with my copy (still had a few chapters to go), but on Sunday I quietly (and with permission of his pastor) handed him my copy of the book. I gave freely, expecting nothing. I figured I could always buy another copy (some day), to complete my morning meditations.

Less than 48 hours later at work, on Tuesday morning, without warning or discussion, one of my teammates walked up to me and said "Hey Scotty, they're giving these away on the Pentagon concourse." and handed me a book.

Yep, you guessed it. Purpose Driven Life.

Glory to God. I guess I can continue my morning meditations in this book. There's apparently something important that I shouldn't miss in those last few chapters.

God Bless YOU.

People Are Like Dishes

Object lesson as I washed the dishes this morning:

People are like dishes. Some people come straight out of the box, all shiny and new. A quick rinse, and they're ready for God's use. But some of us have been in use for years or even decades, and need a little work before we're 'meet for the Master's use'.

We've been used in many ways, some even having been MISused. But here we are, chipped perhaps, scarred and marred, but not in pieces. Some dishes have been VALUABLE enough to have God glue us back together after a traumatic, soul-shattering fall. Sure, he could have dropped the pieces - what was left of our lives - in the wastebasket. But there was something about us that caused him to take the pieces of our shattered lives, and lovingly re-assemble them so they would again be useful to him. For those 'peculiar' dishes he had to rescue from many other dishes' fate, God seems to have a particular affinity, a specific reason, a definite purpose.

For some of us, we arrive with a lot of junk. Some of us were so used for so long, we have stuff 'baked on'. We've made the rounds. Some were used in the dirt of the garden. Some were used to hold greasy nuts and bolts. Some held water for the children's fingerpaints. Some were taken to a vehicle, used once, and then tossed into the trunk, seemingly to live out the rest of our existence in separation and darkness. We sit there dirty and dry, jostled around in the darkness, and wonder if we'll ever get back to the pantry, to be used at a meal, as our master intended. But God gathers all the dishes together unto himself. Without all of us, God can't complete his 'place settings'.

So he proceeds to clean. Some of us are especially dirty, so God needs to leave us in the hot, soapy water a little longer than the others. Some of us have baked-on and caked-on crud. Those, he applies a bit of 'fingernail', lovingly scrubbing (and scrubbing and scrubbing), until he decides we're ready to be used. Then he lovingly rinses us in the warm, living water. Some of us still have specks of the former crud clinging to us, so it's back into the soapy water, and a couple more scrubs, this time perhaps employing the scraper, just to be sure. We're rinsed again, and then dried with care.

He wouldn't have gone to all this trouble to clean us up, only to drop us now, would he? Of course not. So it's only after we GO THROUGH the cleaning (sanctification) process that God can fully use us. I praise and thank God for the 'new dishes', those he can just lift out of the box and use. But for those of us who've had the tests and traumas - and God is still applying the glue, soap, and scrubber - we should be extra thankful that he thinks so much of us to make that extra effort, so we can take our place at his table.

I leave you with this thought: When the master of the house is serving guests, are they given the newest, cleanest dishes? Absolutely. But the old, marred, sometimes cracked ones he reserves for his own special use, perhaps in his study while enjoying a particularly good book, or while in the shop, turning out other vessels on the wheel (Jeremiah 18). He does this because these old dishes have special meaning to him. We're never set on display at the banquet; we're lovingly used daily for all those 'quiet moments', just us and our creator.

We're all God's dishes!

© 2008 Scotty Ward

Is MY Testimony Really That Important?

I can't help sharing about Christ in my life. I've been so blessed, I'd probably bust if I DIDN'T share. But I know not everybody is so willing to share their testimony, their own personal STORY of how God saved them and changed their lives.

So it's only natural to ask, is everyone's testimony needed? Are we supposed to be sharing, or is it ok to keep my salvation "just between me and God"?

I went to the scriptures, looking for examples and directions concerning the sharing of our testimony.

2 Timothy 1:7-8 (NLT) For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News.

This scripture tells me that I shouln't be ashamed to tell others about God. Cool, so it is good to share. But do we really need to share? Back to the Scriptures:

1 Corinthians 2:1-3 (KJV) And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

OK, so Paul's example shows us that a personal testimony doesn't have to be dignified, polished, or perfect to be effective in helping others. But MUST I share?

Revelation 12:10-11 (AMP) Then I heard a strong (loud) voice in heaven, saying, Now it has come--the salvation and the power and the kingdom (the dominion, the reign) of our God, and the power (the sovereignty, the authority) of His Christ (the Messiah); for the accuser of our brethren, he who keeps bringing before our God charges against them day and night, has been cast out!(A) And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing].

Wow. This scripture from Revelations says that the blood of the Lamb AND the word of my testimony are what are going to allow me to overcome the enemy (the accuser). So am I SUPPOSED to share? The Bible shows that a person's personal testimony is an important component in overcoming the enemy.

In Mark Chapter 5, the man named Legion is delivered from his demons by Jesus in a powerful, dramatic way. Let's continue reading as Jesus prepares to depart the region. Verses 18-20 (NIV): As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

There it is. Jesus himself stressed how important it is to not only be delivered from our sin, but how we are charged to tell those we know about it! But for the skeptical readers among us, did Jesus tell more than this one man this important message? Yes, in fact he told all of us (through the disciples).

Mark 16:15-16 (CEV) Then he told them: Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world. Anyone who believes me and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe me will be condemned.

I hear it now: "Me? Preach? No way; that's for pastors!". Well, the Greek word translated into 'preach' is also defined as 'to publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.'

So MUST I share? I think Jesus himself made it clear. The answer is "YES".

So I encourage you to go tell one person today how important God is in your life. Your testimony is important.

Blessings to you and yours.

A Quarter and a Dime

A Lesson in Giving from a Six Year Old

During a recent Sunday at our church, my wife and I both doubled our offering amounts for Super Sunday. So when a leader asked us to give a little more for the pastor's aid offering, I knew I didn't have much left. I dug into my wallet, and found nothing. In desperation I dug into my pockets, and the only money I could find was $.35. A quarter and a dime.

Thirty-five cents. It seemed like such a small amount for a grown man to give, but it was all I could give, so I resolved that I would give it.

As they called for our section to stand, I stood and closed the quarter and dime tightly in my fist. I'd give, but I didn't want someone to see me, and think I was being "cheap". Then my granddaughter Kaylin filed past. She was smiling broadly, walking confidently, and there ceremoniously perched in the palm of her upturned hand was..

You guessed it: a quarter and a dime.

I relaxed the tight grip on my offering. If giving $.35 was enough to bring a smile to my granddaughter's face, it was enough to bring a smile to mine. I walked up and dropped my two coins in the Pastor's offering basket, flashing a big smile to the ladies from Pastor's Aid. They both flashed big smiles back. Apparently, they understood that I gave from what I had, no matter how large or how small. Once I released it, it was up to God to stretch and provide.

When I returned to my seat, I was singing happily, and probably looked like I had dropped a hundred dollar bill in the basket.

Thank you Lord, for the joy you give children. Thank you for parents who teach their children to give cheerfully, so us old folks can learn too.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (NIV) Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Comfort of the Scriptures

Good morning Jesus. Good morning world.

I gotta be honest. This blog is as much for me, as it is for those others who may read it. I plan to place thoughts, messages, and correspondence that will help the reader (including me) realize that they can make it yet one more day.

So let me lead off with one of those powerful scriptures. Romans 15:4:

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Here's the same verse in the New Living Translation:

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

We're here to be taught, to grow, to learn through the messages in the Scriptures. And these messages give us hope and encouragement.

Thank you, Lord.

Just give me Jesus

The Lord is sooooo good. I love to tell people about Him and what a difference He has made in my life. I wasn't always this fired up about Jesus. In fact, I spent the first 35 years of my life thinking I was a Christian. But then, in May of 1993, the Lord saved me in a wonderful way, and as I look back, I realize I had been nothing more than an "intellectual Christian"; Jesus was in my head, but not in my heart.

The Bible in Romans 10:9 says, "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Does it sound too simple for someone who created the universe, the world, and everything on it? Well, the Bible also says in 1 Corinthians 1:18, "the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

I admitted it long ago. No matter how much I study or how hard I work at it, I can not fully comprehend God. He's bigger than my tiny head can fathom.

But He's real. He loves me. And even though I've never deserved this awesome love, it's still offered to me.

It just blows my mind.

God Bless You.