RECEIVING AND GIVING TESTIMONIES

We have been on the topic, ‘Receiving And Giving Testimonies’. In continuation of that, we shall be reading Acts 22:14–15 (NIV): “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from His mouth. You will be His witness to all people of what you have seen and heard”. This voice has come to you again this morning to remove you from doubt. You are anointed. The God of the Word has anointed you that you may know Him and have knowledge and understanding about Him. Also, to see who the righteous One is. You are anointed from within and you are in the Spirit. When you see the righteous One, it is a testimony that you are righteous. You have the gift of righteousness and you will never live in doubt. Sin cannot bite you or harass you anymore. You know what it means to be made righteous? You were made righteous not because you worked for it. As Jesus was made to be sin, He who knew no sin, so also, you were made righteous. It came to us as a gift. By one man’s sin, death reigned through that one man, much more will those of us who received God’s abundant provision of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life through that One man, Jesus Christ. It is God that made you to be righteous. Nothing can destroy that righteousness, it is a gift. The God of your fathers anointed you to know Him, to see the righteous One and to hear words from His mouth. You are hearing the voice of the Word that delivers and sets free. It is the voice of God; the voice of heaven. That you may be a witness to all men and women. What is our testimony for? Where are you giving the testimony? You are giving it before all men. When I say men, women are inclusive. Before all the males and the females. Ephesians 1:17–23 (NIV): “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be Head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way”. The glorious Father is giving the Spirit of wisdom, and of revelation that we may know Him better. We are getting taught of the Lord. My Father, who hath in heaven, is inside of us. We are joint-heirs, tied-up with the Father. We cannot do it without Him. As much as He cannot bear fruit without us, you cannot live without Him. What would life be without the Word? It would be lifeless, purposeless and useless. Life without the Word is vanity upon vanity. The Father says He will never leave nor forsake you. You see what you are in the eyes of the Father. He gives you wisdom and impacts revelation so that we may know Him better. When you know Him better, you cannot be deceived nor harassed. You know your right; your spiritual and biblical rights. I cannot be oppressed nor conquered because God lives in me and nothing can conquer God. We know the hope which we have been called; a living hope, hope that is alive, and the Spirit is a guarantee of the hope that is ahead. We are to be witnesses to all men, of what we have seen and heard. He called us and anointed us to know Him and to see the righteous One. Now, you are to testify. This sufficiency and competency we have through Christ before God. Our sufficiency is from God who has made us to be competent; to be a minister of the new covenant. And He says, ‘Go, tell all the people the full message of the new life’. He has made us to be competent, to be sufficient ministers of this new covenant; the covenant of love and life. Preach this message, in and out of season. To be ministers of this new covenant; not of the letter but of the Spirit. The letter kills but the Spirit gives life. The more you hear it, the more life is impacted. There is a revival. You bath in His love, bask in His life and revel in His wisdom. Mark 5:18–20 (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 own people 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”. You have a testimony in the name of Jesus. This man used what he had. He had testimony of deliverance and he did not go to get a better training nor education. He used what he had. If they tell you that you do not have better training or education, they lie. I tell you, you have more than enough in Jesus’ name. Your sufficiency is in God. You know Him and have seen Him. You will not keep quiet in Jesus’ name. You will testify. Your testimony is on fire and it will never grow cold in Jesus’ name. This man had just been delivered, he did not stop and go about the Decapolis, he had just been healed. What are we waiting for? How much more, you that had been born again for years. You have a greater testimony. A testimony of the Word. You have a testimony in Jesus’ name. He was free to exercise his right of testimony. Don’t stop them from testifying. You will testify about your deliverance, your breakthrough. Tell yourself that you are unstoppable. ‘I am not waiting for a better education or more training, I will use what I have now’. You are hearing and seeing the righteous One. The righteous One is awake in your heart and breathing into you. Where did Jesus say this man should go? He said go home and testify. Your family needs this testimony. He said go and be a testimony to all men and women. The man was a testimony to them all. This second man went home to his family, from his family to the Decapolis. He became a saint in the market place and his family. He couldn’t wait to share the testimony of what God had done for him. You will testify in Jesus’ name. I hear the testimonies, they are born. All that is waiting for you, they will be amazed at what the Lord is doing for you. Congratulations to your family. This man encountered Jesus, you will have a meaningful encounter. You will have a meaningful breakthrough, in Jesus’ name. God is in the Word, you are encountering your breakthrough, it belongs to you. This man was taught of God. You have been taught as regards to your former way of life to put off the old self that is being corrupted by evil and deceitful desires, to be made anew in the attitude of your mind and put on the new self that is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. You have been taught by God and the Word. You are trained in the Word. You can see Him and understand Him. You understand your dream, your visions and revelations. So many things are too deceitful. That was the way the forefathers were deceived at the Garden of Eden. Beware of the adversary, he came to steal, kill and destroy. There are so many things, they will flash around you; it is death, failure, disappointments, and cankerworms. Many have fallen victims, some have their lives destroyed. Some were beautiful, now they’re looking haggard and unkept. It is death. Don’t go near it or you would destroy your destiny. Those things look attractive, but they are dangerous. The adversary, he knows you will not come unless he packages those things to look attractive for you but the end thereof, is death. Don’t fall into the hands of the adversary. They are not food but he has packaged them in a way that people will run after them. You have been taught to put away the old self that is being corrupted by evil and deceitful desire, to be made anew in the attitude of your mind and put on the new self that is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Genesis 1:27 (NIV): “So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. Genesis 2:7 (NIV): Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being”. You are like God in the Spirit. The Spirit of God fellowships you. You are born of the Spirit of God. You can only worship Him through the Word in Spirit and truth. All scripture is God-breathed and it is profitable for teaching, for correcting, for rebuking and for training in all righteousness. God breathed into man and He became a living being. You are a living being. You have the life and the nature of God. You live in love and in the reality. You can be successful, you live for eternity. There is eternity in you. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must do so in spirit and truth. God is the Spirit and wherever His Spirit is, there is freedom. And may your spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord. You cannot be overcome. Can you remember one thing the Lord has done for you? What about your wife, children, brothers and sisters, the food at home, then we come to material things? When you have the kingdom of righteousness, every other thing is added. If God did not spare His only Son and gave Him up for us, shall He not…, you see how God cares about you. He gave up His best for you. Ephesians 5:18–19 (NIV): “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord”. 1 Corinthians 14:26 (NIV): “What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up”. What is your song for? Let the church be strengthened. What is your prayer for? To build up your faith that you may be strong. Go where your songs are going. The song is the Word expressed in melodies and in rhythms. Go where your song is going. If it says you should clap, clap. If it says you should sing, sing. And if the song says I should dance, I’ll dance. If the song says I should rejoice, I’ll rejoice. Don’t disobey your songs. It is the secret of your success and your prosperity. Say what the song is saying. Do what the songs says you should do. It would energize and refresh you. Whatever the song tells you to do, do it then you will partake in the blessings. Have you ever heard the voice of God? Listen to the songs and you will hear the voice of God. It is yours. The blessing that comes with the song, belongs to you. Speak to one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make melody, let your heart rejoice. Your heart is lifted and you are filed with the Spirit. Giving thanks to the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus. Do you find the blessings in the song? You do this in the assembly of people. The first man testified before all men. The second man testified to his family and the Decapolis. And we are seeing the third man, singing in Psalms, hymns and making melodies and the whole church is agog with the song. Sing! I tell you, when you personally sing, it edifies you than when people are singing to you. Because the bible says in Romans 10:10 (NIV): “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved”. You are built up and strengthened. When you are cooking, you can sing, when you are washing clothes, you can sing, when you are working you can sing. You are building yourself up. It is one of the great secrets to spiritual development. If you want to grow in the spirit, sing. Go and start singing. If you cannot compose, sing any Christian song that comes to mind, then one day the anointing of God will overflow. You are no more in the natural but in the spiritual realm. What shall we do then, when we come together, if everyone has a hymn, we should sing, if there’s a word of exhortation, hear it, if there is a revelation and prophetic releases, you should listen to it and keep steps with the Word. If there’s a dream or an interpretation, do all of these so that the body of Christ can be strengthened. You testify in the assembly of the saints, the righteous people. Acts 1:8 (NIV): “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When the time comes, they will look for you with the visas, in Jesus’ name. Any land you want go, it is God that sent you, you will testify to the ends of the earth. You should be ready. 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV): “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”. I tell you, in your readiness, God will back you up. You are not alone, He is with you. They will bring you before authorities and question you. And the inheritance, you share in the saints. You tell them about the redemption, the healing power of the blood, the saving grace and the remission from sin. How you were removed from the dominion of satan and how you were translated to the kingdom of light. Your redemption story, you begin to tell them. They will call you, be ready to share the full story and message of how you became a new creature in Christ. 2 Timothy 1:8–9 (NIV): “So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.  He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” We must not be ashamed of the gospel as some people do. Do not be ashamed of it, it is the power of Christ. I tell you, even kings, governors, presidents are happy to take the mic to talk about the gospel. Don’t fear even if you suffer for it, that fear is temporary. Keep a clear consciousness. Those who speak maliciously against your good life in Jesus will be ashamed that they slander you and that they are speaking evil about you. Don’t be ashamed nor worried about. It is better, if it is the will of God to suffer doing good than doing evil. If it is for the gospel that you are taken into prison, don’t be ashamed, God is with you and He will never leave you. Jesus also died for our sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring us to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, so do not fear nor keep silent. Acts 18:9–10 (NIV): “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” There will be miracles, signs and wonders. You have the anointing and you will speak for God. You will be all over the world. Therefore, take your visa. You will raise the dead and heal the sick, prosperity will find you. Praise be to God. Amen.