Story Value
Sunday’s Monday
It’s been a week of refreshing for me, as I attended two highly profitable meetings plus delivered 100 frozen meals. I love what God has me doing right now and ask for your prayers that He allows me to continue. Pat and I are so blessed to be where we are in God, with the hope of moving forward, closer to Jesus with the rising of every sun.
I was given the great privilege this week of sharing an article at our Brother Night Meeting, which I’d read for our Tuesday Bible Study Group. The article came from the In-Touch Ministries Devotional and it is titled, Our Testimony. This article impacted me for two particular reasons: first; personal testimony is strongly encouraged and exampled in our Brother Night Organization and second; those early terrifying thoughts that paralyzed my body every time I was given the opportunity to share. The bible tells me in 2 Timothy 1:8 (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. I came to a very profound realization early in my service to Jesus, I know very little about suffering! I have a little truism I use to cope; “My worst day ever, would be the best day some people will ever see.” This was liberating in a small way, but I listen to men speak of being in prison or having their house destroyed or even worse having a wife or child to die. My life couldn’t start to compete with what these guys have been through. Then there were those that had a horrifying story and yet had a humorous delivery of how God walked them through. All so much greater than mine, was the words I kept hearing from Satan, in-which ignited a fear in the very depts of my soul. I asked God what I should do, and He gave me, 2 Timothy 1:9 (NIV), 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. This helped my understanding, but my confidence was still severely lacking. Then one evening while in a Brother Night Meeting listening to a great testimony, God gave me His key to a joyful testimony. The words that came to me, were life changing! “I’ve heard a lot of people with stories of personal suffering that are a lot worse than mine; however, I have yet to hear a testimony that is any better than mine. Why! Because we’ve all been rescued by the Holy Spirit, Redeemed by the blood of Jesus and Received into the arms of God!” Hallelujah! It doesn’t get any better than that! I now stand on 1 John 1:3-4 (NIV), 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete. I am merely to share my testimony (story) everytime God prompts me to do so, no more, no less and He will do the rest. I have been awakened to the fact, that my time and actions while living inside the darkness is not my story, that’s my past. It is what I am doing today, in the now, at this very moment, that contains the true value of what God is doing in my life. I am that man in Luke 8:38-39 (NIV), 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. Jesus gave no thought of who or what the man was, He was only interested in who He had become! Just as this man my story started the moment Jesus cast off the old me and started me on this Journey of who I am in Christ. A story as unique as time itself, as intriguing as any other ever told and as loving as the purest love song. A story authored by God Himself, produced by Jesus and copy written by the Holy Spirit, with me as the subject. I am a one of a kind and the beauty of it all, so are you! Would you like to know the title of my story and don’t be shocked when it sounds like yours? 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV), Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! “A New Creation” written by Jesus, staring me (you). Now; share your God given testimony proudly, with all praise going to God!
HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS!
COMMENTS WELCOME…pal249@hotmail.com…02/24/2019