Testimony of God

Below are only some of the verses within Psalms 119 which tell us about the testimony of God  (1Corinthians 2:1).  The word testimony  is defined as: 'statements that are used in a court of law to judge the legality of someone's actions.  These require first-hand experience because anything else would be rumor and not legal to present in court'.  The word of  is defined as: 'belongs to'.  Therefore, the testimony of God  is the testimony  which 'belongs to' God and that He wants displayed in our life.

One of the verses, below, lets us know that having the testimony of God  in our life is one of the reasons that He saved us.  Several verses, below, let us know of blessings which we will receive if we have the testimony of God  in our life.  In addition, another verse reminds us that we will be judged for our deeds  at the judgment seat of Christ  (2Corinthians 5:10).  The best way to have acceptable deeds  is to let God work through our personal life, which puts the testimony of God  into our life.  Simply put: we will not hear well done,  but will hear 'your life makes Me want to spew' (Revelation 3:16).  Thus, we have several God-given reasons to have the testimony of God  in our life.

In addition, to these verses from Psalms 119, we have three examples from the word of God which give us the testimony of God  that was in the lives of the people named.  The word of God literally provides their testimony.  One of the verses, below, tells us that the testimony of God  is faithful.  This means that if we do the same as the people recorded in the word of God, we can expect to be blessed as much as they were blessed.  None of the people were preachers and yet all were missionaries.  (There are several more people who are also recorded in the Bible who were similar but only these three examples were used in this message.  Please see the Message called Non-Preacher Missionaries for more examples.)

For too long we have been taught that only preachers and their families can be missionaries.  It is time that we stopped believing popular doctrinal error and started living according to the Bible.  In the verses quoted, below, certain words are underlined.  Please take the time to consider them as the underlining emphasizes the blessings promised.

• Psalms 119:2:  Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
• Psalms 119:14:  I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.  The way  is: 'how we get from one place to another place'.  This is how we get from not having God's blessings  to having them, which is what this message is about.  Knowing the way  to God's riches should be more desirable than knowing how
• Psalms 119:22:  Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.  Most people get upset when others treat them with reproach and contempt.  Here we are promised that God will remove these things after we allow God to put His testimony  into our life.
• Psalms 119:24:  Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellers.  The testimonies of God  should provide the guidance that the saved need in order to get God's blessings in this life and for eternity.  The saved should also be delighted  to have this guidance because they know the results that following this guidance produces.
• Psalms 119:31:  I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.  People who truly know and understand the testimonies of God  do so through personal study  of God's word and not just from listening to preaching and casual reading of God's word.  2Timothy 2:15 warns the saved that those people who fail to study  will be ashamed  while this verse requests to avoid the shame.  In order to avoid the shame,  the saved must study  God's word enough to know and understand and follow the testimonies of God.
• Psalms 119:36:  Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.  Covetousness  is the result of having our heart (treasure) focused on this world while having our heart inclined unto God's testimonies  requires us to have our heart (treasure) focused on the eternal spiritual reality.
• Psalms 119:59:  I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.  This is a promise of true Biblical resentence, which all saved know that God wants on an ongoing basis.
• Psalms 119:88:  Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth.  The word quicken  is defined as 'made spiritually alive or increased in spiritual life'.  The word lovingkindness  is defined as 'the attitude of heart required for God to offer mercy to sinners'.  In this verse we see a promise to God that we will respond appropriately to His lovingkindness  in quickening  us.  If we do not end up with the testimonies of God  in our life then we have not kept this promise and there is no motivation for God to continue to give us His lovingkindness  and for Him to continue to quicken  us.
• Psalms 119:95:  The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I will consider thy testimonies.  Here we see how to avoid destruction  that the wicked  plan for the righteous.  However, if God's people don't follow, as well as consider thy testimonies,  they will not avoid this destruction.
• Psalms 119:99:  I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.  When we truly meditate  on God's testimonies,  and how to get them in our personal life, God gives us increased understanding  of His word and of everything related to life and truth.
• Psalms 119:125:  I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.  Once more we see understanding  attached to God's testimonies,  which gives us two witnesses in the word of God and makes this something that all saved are to believe and obey.  If we do not do what God's word teaches us to do in order to get God's testimonies  into our life then we will limit the amount of understanding  which we truly possess.
• Psalms 119:138:  Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.  We can be sure that we will get the same results as people reported in the Bible if we do the same things that they did to get God's testimonies  into their lives.  We can be sure of this because God's testimonies  are faithful.  In addition, God's testimonies  make His people righteous and very faithful.  Therefore, anyone who claims to be obeying God's word and is not righteous and very faithful,  after a reasonable amount of time, is not truly following the testimonies of God.
• Psalms 119:144:  The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.  Once more we see understanding  attached to God's testimonies.  In addition, the phrase I shall live  can be applied to 'quality of life'.  Not only does having God's testimonies  in our life prevent an early death, but they also increase our 'quality of life'.
• Psalms 119:146:  I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.  Here we see one of the main motivations for God to save people.  God gets glory  from how He changes the lives of the truly saved and His changes puts his testimonies  into people's lives.  However, people who refuse to accept God's changes and God's testimonies  prove that God wasted His effort to save  them and we must question if they believed in vain  (Galatians 4:11).
• Psalms 119:167:  My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.  If we do not keep  ('ongoing obedience') the things of God's word, such as His testimonies,  then we do not truly love  God and God's word (John 14:15; John 15:10).
• Psalms 119:168:  I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.  Here we see the main reason to keep God's personal precepts and thy testimonies.  We will face judgment for the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad  (2Corinthians 5:10-11).  At that time, our ways  will be revealed to all of Heaven and we will receive reward or punishment that can include weekly tears for more than 1,000 yearss.  Thus, our future judgment is to motivate us to obey God's word and get His testimonies  into our personal life.

God's Testimonies Towards His Missionaries

1. Church of Philippi:
1. 2Corinthians 8:1-5 records how God blessed them for participating in mission efforts even while they had a great trial of affliction...and their deep poverty.  Would God brag about the blessing that He is able to put in your life because of your obedience to His word through true Biblical faith?
2. 2Corinthians 11:8-9 says that these people supported Paul while he started the church in Corinth.  They moved to the mission field in order to get jobs and support Paul because they could not earn enough money at home to do so.  Would you do the same and get the same testimony from God at the judgment seat of Christ?
3. Philippians 4:15-17 says: Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.  Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.  They had fruit in their Heavenly account because of their sincere sacrifice to support missions.  Will you be an eternal pauper?  If you say no, then how much of a true sacrifice are you making in order to support missions?
2. Gaius:
1. The Bible records how God produced a testimony using his life.  Will God have a testimony from your life?
2. He was from Macedonia and traveled with Paul to Ephesus and was caught by the mob who wanted to hurt Paul and his companions but God protected them according to Acts 19.
3. He traveled with Paul as Paul returned to Jerusalem according to Acts 20.
4. He was Paul's host as Paul wrote the epistle to the Romans according to Romans 16:23.
5. 3John was written to him.  When he could no more travel he helped missionaries and traveling preachers.
6. God's testimony in his life:
• He's named several places in the Bible because he did the work of God and God could use his life as a testimony to others.  What is God's testimony in your life?
• He had God's protection only after he overcame fear and went to the mission field and prove his faith in God's protection by risking his life to do the work of God.  Are you too afraid to step out by faith and go to the mission field?  How will God use your life to produce a testimony if you won't go into possible danger and trust God for protection?
• God had one of the New Testament epistles written to him personally to encourage him, in his old age, to keep doing the work of God.  God also preserved this epistle to let us know that God really does record and reward those people who truly serve him.  What will God's record say about your life at the judgment seat of Christ?
3. Aquila and Priscilla:
1. We read about Priscilla and Aquila in Acts 18, Romans 16:3-4, 1Corinthians 16:19, 2Timothy 2:14 and 2Timothy 4:19.
2. Priscilla and Aquila are a married couple (Jews) who Paul met when he first went to Corinth (Acts 18) and established a church there.  According to 1Corinthians 16:19, they had a church meeting in their home, even though they were tent makers and not a 'preacher' or 'missionary couple'.  Later, they traveled with Paul to Ephesus and stayed there while Paul moved on.  After that, they expounded unto him (Apollos) the way of God more perfectly (Acts 18:26).  That is, they knew their doctrine well enough to straighten out a famous preacher.
3. In Acts 16:3-4 we read how they proved that they were willing to die for their faith.  They were active and influenced all the churches of the Gentiles.  They took the 'Great Commission' as a personal command from God, which it is, and literally took the gospel to all of the world.
4. In Acts 16:5 Paul greet the church that is in their house.  They provided the physical place for the church to meet.
5. In Acts 18:2 we see that they had returned to their home city of Rome and were obviously heavily involved in starting and/or building the church there.
6. So we see here an example of a non-preacher couple that is living by faith in Christ Jesus who were obviously important helpers of the ministry, soul winners, doctrinally sound and part of church planting teams.  They are one of our examples of what God wants from all people that are in Christ Jesus.  They were not preachers but they helped to start at least three churches as recorded in the Bible.  Will God say that your testimony is as good at the end of your life?

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