{"id":23049,"date":"2021-11-14T09:50:50","date_gmt":"2021-11-14T14:50:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/?p=23049"},"modified":"2021-11-14T09:51:10","modified_gmt":"2021-11-14T14:51:10","slug":"what-a-resounding-testimony-will-do-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/what-a-resounding-testimony-will-do-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"What a resounding testimony will do for you"},"content":{"rendered":"

A resounding testimony of faith in Jesus Christ will get you into more trouble than you\u2019ve ever been in, in yo<\/strong>ur life.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You thought we were going to say how good life would be if you went \u201call in\u201d for the Lord and told everyone about Him?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say it again\u2026<\/p>\n

A strong outspoken witness for the Lord Jesus Christ will box you into a corner and make you put up or shut up.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why you ought to do it. That\u2019s why you ought to erect a neon sign in your front yard declaring that \u201cJesus is Lord at 203 Garden Cove\u201d or wherever you live. You ought to put a Bible on your desk and wear t-shirts that celebrate Jesus and put Him in your conversation.<\/p>\n

Pray in restaurants before meals, speak to waitresses about their spiritual welfare, and witness to your colleagues at work.<\/p>\n

So live and speak that when someone wants to attack the Lord Jesus Christ and can\u2019t lay hands on Him, they start looking for you. (Acts 5:41 comes to mind.)<\/p>\n

In declaring yourself for Jesus, you ought to remove your safety harness and throw yourself totally into God\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n

Quit being so cotton-picking careful.<\/p>\n

What are you afraid of?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Tell people you\u2019re a Christian and that it\u2019s the best\u00a0decision you ever\u00a0made and that to know Jesus is the best thing on the planet.<\/p>\n

Keep doing it and then watch what happens.\u00a0 It might be painful, so be strong.<\/p>\n

We have a couple of stories, one from a longtime friend and the second from God\u2019s Word.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Diane tells this story about her family.<\/p>\n

There was a time when their children were small and times were hard.\u00a0 Diane had quit work to be a stay-at-home mom, and they were trying to make do on Philip\u2019s salary from the department store.<\/p>\n

As if life were not already complicated enough, Diane got sick and had to have a battery of tests and medical treatments. The condition was on-going and the costs were frightening.<\/p>\n

As the one who paid the bills, Diane always made sure they sent the clinic a payment of some amount each month. However, it hardly put a dent in the total bill, which kept increasing.<\/p>\n

During all this time, they never missed tithing their income to the Lord through their local church.<\/p>\n

One day, they received a phone call from the clinic.\u00a0 \u201cWe appreciate that you pay toward your bill each month, but we are going to have to ask for one-half of the total now. Until you do, you can\u2019t charge anything more to this account.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was a blow. They began praying in earnest about what to do.<\/p>\n

About this time they received word that Philip\u2019s parents were coming to visit.<\/p>\n

His mother and dad had never understood why Philip and Diane had continued to give a full one-tenth of their income to the church when they barely had enough to live on.\u00a0 In fact, they criticized them for doing so. Diane says, \u201cThey were skeptical, even antagonistic, about our commitment to the Lord and our church.\u201d<\/p>\n

As they prayed, they began to see a way out.\u00a0 They could borrow the money from Philip\u2019s parents until their income tax refund arrived in a few months.<\/p>\n

They hesitated, because their tithing testimony had said the Lord would provide for their needs. And now they would be borrowing from someone unsympathetic to such convictions.<\/p>\n

Diane: \u201cHow could we ask them without making God look bad? Without having them doubt even more our commitment to Him? and especially God\u2019s willingness to provide for our needs?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were so concerned about protecting our testimonies and the integrity of God before their eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

And yet, borrowing from Philip\u2019s parents seemed to be the only way.<\/p>\n

They decided in order to lessen the anxiety, they would ask\u00a0for the money as soon as the children went to bed.<\/p>\n

That evening, as the young parents went upstairs to tuck the little ones in, Philip\u2019s mother said she had something to discuss with them.<\/p>\n

Diane: \u201cMy heart was pounding. I kept asking the Lord to help me discern His plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

They gathered in the living room with Philip\u2019s mother, and she began to speak.<\/p>\n

God had answered their prayer. But not as they expected.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhilip and Diane,\u201d mother said, \u201cAs you know, my parents died recently. And they left me their estate.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a sizeable inheritance.<\/p>\n

She continued, \u201cI know you have quite a struggle financially. And you are such wonderful parents to these precious little girls.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s obvious that everything you make goes into your expenses, and you are not indulging yourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

She wanted to give them money.<\/p>\n

The gift paid the entire medical bill and more.<\/p>\n

Diane: \u201cNo one but the Lord knew about our need. We had told only Him.\u201d<\/p>\n

They never did get around to telling the parents that they were within a hair\u2019s breadth of borrowing money from them.<\/p>\n

The Lord had provided. Their faith and obedience were confirmed.<\/p>\n

Diane: \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t trade the hungry years for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, the story from the Bible.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the 8th chapter of the Old Testament book of Ezra.<\/p>\n

God\u00a0was using a priest named Ezra (along with others, of course) to rebuild the Jerusalem temple destroyed in the days of Nebuchadnezzar.\u00a0 This great symbol of the nation and the center of their faith would inspire the people to righteous living and encourage\u00a0exiles to return and resettle the country.<\/p>\n

As the temple took shape, Ezra asked for priests who were willing to return to Jerusalem and take over the worship leadership (8:15-20). The Lord provided and many responded.<\/p>\n

Next, they would be needing the holy vessels returned to their proper place inside the temple.\u00a0 Chapter 7 tells how King Artaxerxes issued a proclamation releasing all the temple vessels\u2013stolen during the ransacking of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.\u2013back to the Jews.\u00a0 This was a miracle in itself.<\/p>\n

Chapter 8 tells how Ezra transported these stolen utensils back to Jerusalem. They had to be worth a king\u2019s ransom.<\/p>\n

But, the man of God had a problem.\u00a0 The route from Babylon to Jerusalem, many hundreds of miles, was fraught with dangers, thieves, unscrupulous townspeople, and other dangers of infinite variety.<\/p>\n

Ezra was frightened.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way.\u201d (Ezra 8:22)<\/p>\n

Oh? And why is that, Ezra?<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had said to the king, \u2018The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him\u2019.\u201d (Verse 22)<\/p>\n

Ezra had been bragging on God. His mouth had written a check he was now fearful of cashing.<\/p>\n

His testimony\u2013his boast to the king\u2013had painted him into a corner where he had to make a choice: either admit that he overstated the case or throw himself on the Lord for protection.<\/p>\n

He sought the Lord, then chose the latter. \u201cWe fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.\u201d (8:23)<\/p>\n

The rest of the story:\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cThus we came to Jerusalem.\u201d (8:32)<\/p>\n

God was faithful.<\/p>\n

What a resounding testimony will do\u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

–1) It will identify the Lord Jesus Christ as the Master of your life and everything of any value in you.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t say it if you don\u2019t mean it and intend to live by it. An impulsively spoken testimony of faith you do not have and commitments you don\u2019t intend to keep are worse than silence.<\/p>\n

However, \u201clet the redeemed of the Lord say so,\u201d said David in Psalms 107:2.<\/p>\n

The inimitable Dr. B. Gray Allison used to say: \u201cIf you\u2019ve got it, you\u2019ll tell it. Do you have it?\u201d<\/p>\n

–2) It will force you to put up or shut up.<\/p>\n

This kind of crisis can be the best thing that ever happened to you. Come through it victoriously and you will grow a mile overnight. Back away from it and you will be years in recovering.<\/p>\n

The process will be painful, you need to know.\u00a0 You spoke your testimony in a moment of sweet giddiness when the Lord seemed so near and all\u00a0your burdens had been lifted, and now, you\u2019ve been called on to live up to your faith or admit you are a hypocrite.<\/p>\n

And hasn\u2019t the world seen enough hypocrites?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s not give them any more.<\/p>\n

–3) It will capture the attention of the watching world.<\/p>\n

Outsiders and onlookers\u2013people who do not know the Lord, those who may\u00a0know the Lord but have never been challenged, and those seeking the Lord and unsure where to find Him\u2013will watch to see if things are as you said, if the Lord can do what you claimed.<\/p>\n

They are deciding if this God is one they ought to be paying attention to.<\/p>\n

You are exhibit A.<\/p>\n

–4) It will dare the enemy to do his worst.<\/p>\n

You are throwing down the gauntlet to him, daring him to test you. \u201dBring it on,\u201d you\u2019re saying.<\/p>\n

This is what baptism was intended to be, a public announcement to the world\u2013to the righteous as well as the enemies of righteousness\u2013that this one is publicly declaring for Jesus. Until that moment, you may have been hiding in the shadows, a secret follower of Jesus. But no more. You are going public, suiting up in the full armor, and carrying out His orders.<\/p>\n

You have just painted a target on your own back.<\/p>\n

That, I expect, is the reason most of us live for Him timidly, hide in the back recesses of the church, and keep our faith to ourselves.<\/p>\n

We hope that the Lord notices and the devil doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

–5) Going all out in your witness for Christ will honor the Lord.<\/p>\n

The Lord loves it when His people stand up and claim ownership by Him.\u00a0 He particularly likes it when they back up their words by living like they mean every word of it.<\/p>\n

On the one hand\u2026\u201cWhoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels\u201d (Mark 8:38).<\/em><\/p>\n

And on the other\u2026. \u201cGod is not ashamed to be called their God\u201d (Hebrews 11:16).<\/em><\/p>\n

Hey, Christian, don\u2019t you need a little excitement in your life? Aren\u2019t you tired of the humdrum of daily existence?<\/p>\n

Stand up for Jesus, step forward for Him, and speak up for Him.<\/p>\n

Now,\u00a0stick around\u00a0and let\u2019s see what happens.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A resounding testimony of faith in Jesus Christ will get you into more trouble than you\u2019ve ever been in, in your life. You thought we were going to say how good life would be if you went \u201call in\u201d for … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,61,43,41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-faith","category-obedience","category-stewardship","category-thanksgiving"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23049"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23049\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23060,"href":"http:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23049\/revisions\/23060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}