Category Archives: Testimony

Bible, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Messages, Scripture, Submission, Testimony

IN CONCLUSION

GALATIANS 4:31

“So then, brothers and sisters, we are not children of a slave woman, but of the free woman.”

How many times have you heard a speaker say, “In conclusion,” and then continue speaking for another 15-30 minutes? Preachers are notorious for that (I say that as one). Sometimes, the neatest conclusion is short and sweet. We don’t need to ramble. We just need to wrap it up!  Amen?

Paul wraps up his discussion in verses 21-31 with this last statement in today’s verse. The Greek word used for “So then” is a little conjuction, dio, which could be translated “therefore” or “wherefore.” Paul closes this discussion of the free woman (Sarah) and the slave woman (Hagar) by simply saying we are free in Christ. We belong to the promise made to Abraham and Sarah.

APPLICATION

How can you wrap it up today? We do not need to be dragging things out, do we? What do I mean by that? God had given each of us a message to deliver as believers in Christ. We need to learn to deliver that message succinctly and clearly. We do not need to preach a sermon to deliver the message. Tell what Christ has done in your life. Share your story.

Take a look at Paul’s testimony, which is told three times in the book of Acts. One of those is in Acts 26. I won’t put the whole text here. You can read that for yourself in verses 2-23. The point is – Paul wasn’t bragging on himself or what he had done for Jesus. He was bragging on Jesus. That’s our testimony. In conclusion, that’s all that matters – what He has done in our life.

We all need to have those two or three stories we can tell someone about the workings of Jesus in our life. How He answered a prayer. How He met a need. How we saw His healing power in the life of a loved one. We all have those stories, but we don’t file them away for quick access. In conclusion…keep it simple. Let the Holy Spirit speak through you. He will if you and I will submit to His leading.

Lord, I know I have the tendency to ramble. Help me keep my testimony short and sweet.

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Bible, Faith, Forgiveness, Righteousness, Salvation, Scripture, Testimony

FATHER ABRAHAM

GALATIANS 3:7

“Therefore, recognize that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.”

Do you remember the childhood song, Father Abraham? The lyrics were:

Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you
So let’s all praise the Lord.
Right arm!

You would progressively add the left arm, right foot, left foot, nod your head, turn around and sit down as you did these motions. It’s a fun song to sing with small children. But we often miss what it is teaching us.

In today’s verse, Paul is teaching us this very truth. We, the faithful, those who have placed their faith in Jesus alone are considered to be children of Abraham, the faithful father. As mentioned in yesterday’s blog, our righteousness comes solely through our faith in Jesus, not in any works we may do. It is faith alone in Christ alone. Period! Exclamation mark!

APPLICATION

So, what is faith? I was discussing this recently with a friend. He shared how he had this very conversation with his physical therapists. He explained to her that the Greek word for faith, pistis, means to be persuaded by something. We have all experienced that in some way or another. I have been persuaded to get on airplanes and have faith that the mechanic has checked it out completely. Some call that blind faith. Maybe it is.

1 Corinthians 1:9 says, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” That is why we can have faith in God – because He is faithful to do what He says He will do. So, it’s not blind faith. He has proven Himself over and over and over. All through Scripture we see His faithfulness. In our lives we have experienced it.

Today, share your faith to someone else. Tell them what God has done in and through your life. Tell them all about your journey with the faithful One. It’s one thing to preach the Gospel. It’s another thing to share life experiences that they can relate to. Be transparent and let God use you to bring others to faith in Jesus.

O Lord, find me faithful as You are. You have proven Yourself over and over to me.

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Bible, Miracles, Power, Salvation, Scripture, Testimony

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A MIRACLE?

GALATIANS 3:5

“So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”

The closest thing I have seen to a miracle was the birth of my two children. If you have never experienced that, it is truly amazing. How can a living being come from within another living being? How can that little being start breathing air for the first time? How does that little baby know to begin to breastfeed from their mother? It is truly a miracle that happens thousands of times every day.

In today’s verse, Paul continues to ask questions. This time he asked them whether God, Who gave them the Spirit and works miracles among them, did this by the Law or through faith. We know the answer is through faith, right? But what kind of miracles did God work among them? Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers says this. “The Greek means not so much ‘causes miracles to be wrought in your midst’ as ‘implants in you miraculous powers.’ The power to work miracles is regarded as a special faculty bestowed by God upon individual Christians.” 

APPLICATION

While we do not know what specific miracles Paul was referring to, we can make an educated guess based on the evidence throughout the New Testament. We know that Jesus performed miracles to draw the unbelievers unto Himself. I love John’s last verse which says, “21:25 But there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they were written in detail, I expect that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.”

God is still performing miracles today. He is working in and through believers to do these. Unfortunately, many of us in the Western world are too busy trying to explain away these miracles. However, in other parts of the world, we hear of miracles of healings and even the dead being raised. Visions are happening all over the Muslim world. Why? To draw unbelievers to Jesus.

So, every time you share the Gospel with someone, you are being used to deliver the miraculous saving power of Jesus. The Greek word for “miracles” is dynamis, which according to HELPS Word-studies means, “for the believer, power to achieve by applying the Lord’s inherent abilities.” We are simply the Lord’s tools to perform His miracles, if we are willing to be used. Are you?

Lord, use me to perform whatever You want to do. 

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Bible, God's Will, Modeling, Perfection, Scripture, Strength, Suffering, Testimony, Testing

WHAT ARE YOU SUFFERING FOR?

GALATIANS 3:4

“Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?”

Raise your hand if you are suffering right now? That wasn’t very many. Let’s try that again. Just kidding. I can’t really see your hands raised. But if I asked each of you individually that same question, you may respond in the affirmative. Perhaps you are suffering for your faith right now. You may face ridicule and scorn from family or friends. Your employer may harass you because of your Christian stance on issues. If that is your case, then Paul asks you a question today.

As Paul addressed the Galatian believers, he asked them this question we find in today’s verse. Many of them had suffered for turning to Christ. Some of them may have lost everything to follow Jesus. If they had not personally suffered, they probably knew someone who had. Suffering in the first century for Jesus was not an uncommon thing. Is it worth it today?

APPLICATION

In Philippians 1:29, Paul says this about the issue of suffering. “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,” How about Romans 5:3-4. “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,”

There’s a purpose in our sufferings. Recently, I was with someone who is going through a tough physical challenge. I told them that God allows us to go through things in our lives for a couple of reasons. One is to draw us to Himself. He will often use our life experiences to show Himself to us and call us into His family. Secondly, as believers, I believe He uses suffering to refine us and make us more like Jesus.

Paul is reminding the Galatians believers that their suffering was not in vain. God had brought them so far for a purpose. He had proven that He was all they needed. Why go back to the fleshly way of living? Why go back to trying to earn your way to heaven? God was and will always be all we need. He has given us direct access to the throne through His Son, Jesus. Simply rest in Him.

O Lord, You are all I need. I thank You that You consider me worthy of suffering for Your name.

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Access, Accountability, Battles, Bible, Devil, Opponents, Satan, Scripture, Security, Testimony

NOT FOR A SECOND

GALATIANS 2:5

“But we did not yield in subjection to them, even for an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.”

There are some things in life which you just can’t allow for a second. You can’t allow a match to be struck in a room filled with propane. The result would be devastating. Neither would you allow a fox into your chicken coop. There would be feathers and blood everywhere. Some things just can’t be tolerated. Period.

Paul goes on in verse 5 of chapter 2 to explain his complete denial of any suggestions or influence from those wanting to impose the Mosaic law on the Gentiles, thus altering the Gospel he has been preaching. Albert Barnes says this about this verse. “We did not submit to this at all. We did not yield even for the shortest time. We did not waver in our opposition to their demands, or in the slightest degree become subject to their wishes.” In other words, we do not give them an inch for we know they would take a mile.

APPLICATION

This verse is so applicable to us today. You may not see it at first glance but look again at what Paul is saying. We cannot allow the world to influence the Gospel. We must influence the world with the Gospel. Paul did say in 1 Corinthians 9:22b, “I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some.” I would encourage you to read that verse in context (verses 19-23) to get the full picture of what Paul is saying. He is not saying to take on the behaviors of those people.

We must relate to people and our world without becoming them. I can share the Gospel with someone without lowering my standards or accepting their vices. Ephesians 5:8 tells us, “for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.” We have to hold the torch of Christ high even though the world is doing everything it can to blow that flame out.

If the Lord has called you to someone or a group of people who do not hold to the truth of the Gospel, hold firm. Do not give in to their promptings to reduce the demands of the Gospel. Keep it simple and clear but hold the line. Don’t give in for a second. Satan loves to find those little cracks in the armor. Stand firm.

O Father, I will not give in with Your help. You sustain me and lift me up.

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Bible, Glorify, Glory, Praise, Reverence, Salvation, Scripture, Testimony, Worthy

GLORIFY GOD

GALATIANS 1:24

“And they were glorifying God because of me.”

What exactly does it mean to glorify God? Have you ever wondered if you were doing it right? I mean, who wants to do that wrong? Am I right? Well, according to Strong’s Concordance the Greek word doxa means “to esteem glorious.” Thanks a lot, Carl. That doesn’t really help. It means to value God for Who He really is. Only He is worthy of glory. We certainly aren’t.

I love that Paul shared this in today’s verse. The people of the Judean churches, once they knew of the change in Paul, were glorifying God. Albert Barnes says of this verse, “They regarded me (Paul) as a true convert and a sincere Christian; and they praised God that He had converted such a persecutor and had made him a preacher of the gospel.” Paul’s conversion was something only God could have done. Therefore, only He (not Paul) was deserving of glory.

APPLICATION

I am sure you have known people who were converted from a horrible lifestyle. We’ve heard of adulterers and murderers getting saved. We may know of drug addicts or alcoholics who have done the same. How do we react? We give God glory! When Peter was called before the Jewish leaders after being arrested for preaching about Jesus, he said in Acts 4:12, “‘And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.’” The same is true today.

When you hear of someone coming to Christ, give praise to the One who brings salvation to mankind. Don’t praise the actions of the one who was saved. Sure, encourage them. Walk with them as they begin their journey with Christ. But all the glory for their salvation goes to Jesus. Ephesians 2:8-9 is another of my favorite passages about this. It says, “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

That passage was written by Paul. He knew he had done nothing to deserve his salvation. He knew “it is the gift of God.” Coming out of a works-based religion, he knew his salvation in Christ wasn’t based on his works. It was all from Him. Only Jesus deserved the glory. And here, in today’s verse, Paul is praising God that the churches recognized that and gave God the glory. Will you glorify God today for all He has done in your life. He is worthy of all glory!

I glorify Your name, O God, Who saved me from the wretched life I was living and placed me into Your eternal family.

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Abiding, Accountability, Bible, Blameless, Encouragement, Following, Integrity, Ministry, Reputation, Salvation, Scripture, Testimony

YOUR REPUTATION PRECEDES YOU

GALATIANS 1:23

“but they only kept hearing, ‘The man who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.’”

I have had the opportunity to go back to my hometown church a few times to share about my ministry. Now, you need to understand something about me. I wasn’t always what you would call “ministry worthy.” My life before Jesus was filled with self. I wouldn’t call me a persecutor of Christians like Paul, but I didn’t want to be labeled as a “do gooder.” I kind of liked the reputation of a tough guy or at least as someone who loved to party. So, when I return now as a minister of the Gospel, those who knew me then raise an eyebrow or two.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, the churches outside of Jerusalem had heard about Paul, but didn’t know him. They would have been a little wary of this guy showing up preaching Jesus. They may have seen him as a threat, as someone who was trying to trick them. Paul is still laying out his story here in Galatians. He is telling them who he was and where he had come from. He wasn’t who he was before. He had changed, and Jesus was the One who had changed him and given him the message he was to preach.

APPLICATION

Have you ever met someone for the first time, and they told you they had heard of you? That’s happened to me a few times, and I usually reply, “Well, I hope it was all good.” Listen to me – our reputation matters, especially to a lost world. I love Revelation 12:11 that says, “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” Notice that phrase “word of their testimony.” Our testimony has an effect on people. I don’t mean you have to have this testimony of coming out of drugs or alcohol. Your testimony consists of when you accepted Jesus and what He has done in your life since then.

But back to our reputation. How others see us and hear about us matters. Proverbs 22:1 tells us, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” We are told in Ecclesiastes 7:1, “A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.” I could go on and list numerous verses on the importance of our reputation, but I will stop there. You can do your own study on that.

Why is our reputation important? Because we are representing the King of kings and Lord of lords. We are Christians – Christ like. We are His ambassadors who have been given a mission to carry out to a lost world. Paul had to overcome his bad reputation of being a persecutor of believers by showing them how he had changed. He had to love them. He had to share what Christ had done for him on that road to Damascus. He was faithful to the end, up to the moment he was martyred in that Roman prison. How about you? What is your reputation?

Let me never forget, Lord, that I represent You? I want others to know Whom I represent.

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Abiding, Appointed, Bible, Calling, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Listening, Messages, Scripture, Testimony

IN ME

GALATIANS 1:16

“to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,”

God has allowed me to minister to others for almost 45 years. My calling occurred soon after I was saved, and I served my first church at age 18. How did I know God was calling me to full-time ministry? He spoke to me through His Holy Spirit. He gave me a burden for the Gospel. It is hard to put into words because it happened internally. I didn’t hear this audible voice from heaven. He spoke to my spirit.

Paul explains his calling in today’s verse. We know of his conversion on the Damascus road detailed in Acts 9. But here he explains that internal calling. The Greek really explains this better. It says, “apokalysai..en emoi.” Let me explain. That reads “to reveal…in me.” The little word en is the key. It means it operates on the inside. Paul was telling us that God, through His Holy Spirit, spoke to him so that he could speak to others.

APPLICATION

Listen closely. You have to be changed on the inside before you have anything to say on the outside. Your testimony begins inwardly. God does a work in you. He begins to reveal Himself to you. Why? So you can tell others. It’s not for you to keep to yourself. Jeremiah the prophet described it this way when he said he just couldn’t keep God’s message inside. “Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire.”

What has God revealed in you? I can’t speak for you. Only you know that. But one thing is for sure – you won’t hear what God is revealing unless you are looking for it and listening for Him. I’m reading a book right now by Henry and Richard Blackaby entitled, “Hearing God’s Voice.” Now, don’t get spooked by the title. It’s not a mystical teaching. They literally look at how God spoke through the Old and New Testament to His saints. And they also talk about how God speaks to us today.

Are you listening? Do you want God to reveal His message to you? You see, if He does that, then He expects you to share it. Can you do that? Can you share God’s revelations to you? Sure, you can. He will do it through you. Just trust Him. He has something to say and wants to use you.

O Father, use me as Your mouthpiece to a lost world.

P.S. You can always know it is God speaking because if it is, it will be confirmed by His Word.

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Bible, Gospel, Messages, Repetition, Salvation, Testimony, Witnessing

LET ME REPEAT THAT

GALATIANS 1:9

“As we have said before, even now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”

Sometimes you just have to repeat yourself to be understood clearly. In our Every Man A Warrior ministry curriculum, we repeat the skills we are teaching the men over and over. When they memorize a verse, they say the reference (where it is from) before and after reciting it. Repetition is used by preachers in sermons to drive home points. Many of them say what they are going to say, say it and then say what they said. Repetition!

Paul clearly repeats himself here in verse 9. Remember there were no chapters and verses in the books of the Bible originally, so this letter to the Galatians was written just like you would write a letter or email or text. Of the fourteen times the Greek word for “have said before” is used, Paul uses it nine times. He liked to repeat himself. That word also means to predict or say beforehand. Paul repeats his statement to make sure he is not misunderstood.

APPLICATION

What does this verse mean to us? You and I need to keep telling the story of Jesus to everyone we meet. We need to share His love to a lost and dying world every chance we get. 1 Peter 3:15 is a good verse to memorize on this. “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, but with gentleness and respect;” Did you catch that? Peter said, “always being ready.” That means you have had to prepare. You can spit out those verses. You can share your testimony.

Let me encourage you to do your own word study on this. What does the Bible say about sharing the Gospel, about sharing your testimony? You need to have your testimony prepared to give in 1 minute, 3 minutes or 8 minutes. Share it according to the situation but share it. If you are a believer, you have a testimony. You have a story that needs to be told over and over. The more you share it the more comfortable you will be sharing it. Repetition builds skills, remember.

Set a goal this week to share your testimony and the Gospel of Christ with at least one person. Next week try two. Keep sharing. Keep testifying. Guess who you please. Not the preacher. Not your Sunday School teacher. You are pleasing the Lord Jesus. Remember the words of Paul in Colossians 3:23-24.
“23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward  of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

Lord, this week give me the opportunity to share my testimony and the Gospel to those who need to hear it.

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Accountability, Bible, Clarity, Commands, Scripture, Testimony, Truth

THE BRACKETS

GALATIANS 1:1

“Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through human agency, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),”

I entitled this devotional “The Brackets.” No, I’m not talking about the CFP (College Football Playoffs) or March Madness (NCAA Basketball Tournament). I am talking about those statements you make that are used to clarify a point. That’s what I did above. I wanted to make sure you knew what CFP and March Madness stood for. We do this all the time in conversation. We may not use the brackets in our speech, but they are there to clarify.

We see the same thing in the first verse of Galatians, which we are starting today. Paul begins this letter to the Galatians, whom we will describe later, by clarifying his position as an apostle. He says very clearly that he was appointed by Jesus and the Father. He even states it was God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead. He wants to remove all doubt of his authority to address them on the matters in this letter. Hang on, it’s going to be a great study.

APPLICATION

Are there some things in your life that need clarifying? We all have some. I know I do. We have to clarify why we said something to someone. We have to clarify why we did a certain thing. That’s okay. It’s good to be clear. Jesus even tells us so in Matthew 5:37. “‘But make sure your statement is, “Yes, yes” or “No, no”; anything beyond these is of evil origin.’”

James says something similar in James 5:12. “But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you do not fall under judgment.” Clear, simple remarks are always best. Then, if need be, clarify it to make sure you are understood.

I heard the story of Winston Churchill when he addressed the students at Harrow School on October 29, 1941. He began the speech by saying, “…never give in, never give in, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.” That’s pretty clear, isn’t. Nor should you give in to anything or anyone. Let the Lord lead the way this new year.

Father, I thank You for a new year. Help me be clear in all I say and do and when necessary I should clarify.

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