Go

Matthew 28:18-20 ^“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

 

In the ministry I am in Christian Mentors Network I have many opportunities to work with many men who all have unique personalities and gifts. God has and continues to do some pretty amazing things in the lives of men, real heart transformation. In this ministry one of the really awesome things God has done is He has allowed a group of men from different churches to be put together. These are just men of all different ages that have stepped up to lead the mentoring at their church and this group continues to grow. It’s really been a blessing to work with these men and see God move in this group as it grows. This is a special thing God is doing these are just men in His church the body of Christ that chose to be faithful to what God has placed on their heart. They are 2 Timothy 2:2 men, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” One of the reasons God put this together is to support and encourage each other to stay focused on the vision, purpose, mission of CMN and the Great Commission. In leading this and being apart of many other things with men God recently led or stirred in me to look at the word go in this scripture. Now a few weeks later as things play out I have more understanding why He done this. What God can do in a person’s heart and in the lives of others and His church when we go on this journey the great commission and disciple each other. This is what the blue letter bible says of go in this scripture.

 

     to lead over, carry over, transfer

     to pursue the journey on which one has entered, to continue on one's journey

     to depart from life

     to follow one, that is: become his adherent

     to lead or order one's life

     a trial, experience, attempt

     to attempt a thing, to make trial of a thing or of a person

     to have a trial of a thing

     to experience, learn to know by experience

      beyond, on the other side

Being a disciple of Christ, following Christ or being connected to the true vine or abiding in Him would mean that you understand this command and try to live in obedience to it. Teaching and understanding this command is a big part of this and going is also a part. I think there is many ways this plays out in God’s kingdom and the body of Christ. Going does not mean every disciple is going to go to seminary and preach from the pulpit or be a missionary and go to another country. I think God will lead a person to what and how on the journey and everyone’s is different. I think you take and use what God allows you to take or have but a big part of the journey, trial, or experience is learning more about God and how He will provide in the areas of need or weakness. This process helps us become more like Christ, learn to trust Him and build our faith in Him. I think this can be a beautiful journey with a lot of joy but can also be a battle, hard and messy. The fruit that can be produced in our lives for going on this journey is to bring glory to God. John 15:8 “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” One of the great ways God takes care of us is He puts brothers in our path to help us in a very timely manner, His time. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

A scripture in the old testament really speaks to me or sort of parallels with this in a way. God was leading His people to the promise land He made for them. This was a very fruitful land that God made for his people. Deuteronomy 1:6-8, 20-25 “The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain.  Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates.  See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.’ And I said to you, ‘You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’  “And every one of you came near to me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come.’  “The plan pleased me well; so I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe.  And they departed and went up into the mountains, and came to the Valley of Eshcol, and spied it out. They also took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought back word to us, saying, ‘It is a good land which the Lord our God is giving us.’  “Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God;”

They sent 12 leaders to spy out the land. While there they brought back a grape cluster and other fruit so big it had to be carried on a pole between them. They also seen giants in the land they would have to fight in battle and chose not to go and fight for the land God commanded them to go and take that was theirs. By choosing not to fight this battle against these giants they wandered for 40 years until being able to enter the promise land again.

I think our promise land would be Jesus and walking with Him, the journey He has for each of us, His will for our life that will bring glory to Him. Eternal life that is available to all who believe in Jesus Christ and accept Him as their Lord and savior. I think walking with Jesus and going on the journey He has for us and obeying the great commission is a challenge for everyone and like in the old testament when they went into the promise land they had to fight giants. We will also have battles, struggles, things each of us has to face and that’s where we learn more about the great God we serve. John 10:9-11 ^“Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”

 

 

 

 

1 Corinthians 3:11

A few months ago the Lord kind of took me to this verse in a way. I went in to a two week time with not much going on. I had no agenda or reading plan or meetings just open to what ever God wanted to show or tell me. I think some of it was a reminder or confirmation and also some new things for me I think for where He is leading me. I wasn’t reading in 1^st Corinthians it just came to me in my time with Him.

I built the first 38 years of my life on the wrong foundation. While some of the things in my life were good per say they did not last or hold up. Definitely glad for this finally happening in my life so I could receive the true eternal foundation in Jesus Christ that never fails. Isaiah 28:16 “Therefore the Lord GOD said:" Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable.” Before you can build anything of eternal value you must have the right foundation Jesus Christ. Praise God for His plan, the Holy Spirit, sending Jesus, His kingdom, and being able to have eternal life in Heaven where we will walk with God. Praise God for the prophets, the apostles who started the church and His Word, the bible.

The thing that spoke to me in this time is 1 Corinthians 3:10 “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.” God took me to but let each one take heed how he builds on it. We need to take heed because like it says our work will be tested with fire. Fire separates and tests the value of our works. Will it have value and bring glory to God. So it is very important for a man to take heed how and what he uses to build with. What gifts, talents, abilities time, and resources, etc. has God given but above all to know how special and loved we are by God so we can love and bless others. It has been my experience that every person has been given much from the Lord it just needs to be discovered , understood, nurtured, an opportunity, and available or willing. Each person is responsible for what they have been given. Matthew 25:14-30 is a good scripture to read to help us understand that there is a responsibility to use what we have been given. This is how the blue letter bible defines heed in the Greek word βλέπω blepō 991.

1) to see, discern, of the bodily eye

    a) with the bodily eye: to be possessed of sight, have the power of seeing

    b) perceive by the use of the eyes: to see, look descry

    c) to turn the eyes to anything: to look at, look upon, gaze at

   d) to perceive by the senses, to feel

   e) to discover by use, to know by experience

   2) metaph. to see with the mind's eye

   a) to have (the power of) understanding

   b) to discern mentally, observe, perceive, discover, understand

   c) to turn the thoughts or direct the mind to a thing, to consider, contemplate, to look at, to weigh carefully, examine

   3) in a geographical sense of places, mountains, buildings, etc. turning towards any quarter, as it were, facing it.

When a person accepts Christ they are reborn spiritually and receive the Holy Spirit, God and Jesus is inside you. There are scriptures that teach us this, John 1:12-13 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” 1 Corinthians chapter 2, 2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13-14, Colossians 1:27. Being reborn and having the Holy Spirit helps us to have a mind like Christ. See things not from a worldly perspective or worldly wisdom but God’s way and understanding or wisdom from God. Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” I really like this verse in the ESV because it says that by testing you may discern what is the will of God.

I can only write what God is speaking to me. Someone else may have a different view because of who they are. Having the Holy Spirit and hearing and reading God’s word is what changes us and helps us understand God’s will and who we are in the Lord. But I also know it is the journey or experience or testing that is a big part of helping us know who we are in Christ and how he wants us to build in his kingdom. I think for me and most men I know or have spent time with this does not happen only in meetings and is not easy, it happens on a journey with your master. Being taught over and over and taking spiritual gift test are helpful but also being led, the journey, experience walking with the Lord, failures, help us discover and have understanding what God wants to do through us. God has shown me that even my life before I knew Him from when I was a kid and experiences plays a part and is used in discovering his will and how he wants to use me. 

     In a geographical sense of places, mountains, buildings, etc. turning towards any quarter, as it were, facing it. Becoming like Christ, God’s timing, learning, waiting, maturing and having more understanding and wisdom. I also think there is time when you go and take your journey, you turn toward the place or area He wants you to be in and you take the word of God your sword, gifts, talents, and experiences and use them for his glory and Kingdom. I really try to seek the Lord and discover as I walk with Him. I think this is a pretty special process that takes place in a person’s relationship with the Lord. I can remember when I first started to discover and learn more of who I am in the Lord. It is really hard to put that time into words but it was and still is a very special intimate thing that happens in my relationship with the Lord. I know the ministry Christian Mentors Network that I am in can really help a person in this process. Anytime you have a mentor or brother to walk with you to help you have a deeper relationship with the Lord and apply the Word of God to your life will help discover on your journey. I have an opportunity to work with men which is a huge help in my own growth in the Lord. I also get to watch God transform men’s hearts and help them discover who they are in the Lord. To watch a man have an opportunity, vision, plan, purpose, and the tools to go on the journey to further God’s Kingdom and invest in others is very special to me and continues to be for men. To watch a man change before your eyes and then be used by God to bless others regardless of age, personality, or what they have been through is a very cool God thing. To reap we have to sow.

Matthew 28:18-20 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Yoke

Matthew 11:28-30 ^“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

 

The Lord took me to the word yoke and this scripture in an interesting way about a month ago. I can tell when God is trying to show me something or speak to me because one thing He does is He will put the thought, scripture, or word in my mind and heart. Then usually He will keep bringing it to me in different ways, sermons, books, and in His word for a length of time. I don’t have to do it He does it.

 

A yoke is a wooden piece that fastens or joins two animals or oxen together at the head and neck. I went out for wrestling in 8^th grade through high school, I can tell you and you learn real quick where the head goes the rest of the body goes. When you are fasten or yoked to Jesus you become a team or one and join Him in the work He has for you. When you read the word of God and walk with Jesus you learn that Jesus is all about His Father’s will and business and you will be too. This is what Jesus told Joseph and Mary when they were looking for Him and thought He was lost when He was 11. Luke 2:49 “And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” At a conference recently an older man said in a workshop that God has spoken to him throughout his life. But God has never spoken to him about him or what he wanted. God always has spoken to him about God’s word and His business and Kingdom. When you yoke to Jesus you surrender your will and life to join and become one with Him. You are free from having to carry any other yoke from man or system or belief. Acts 15:10 “Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?”

 

      This is how yoke is defined on blue letter bible. 1) a yoke a) a yoke that is put on draught cattle

      b) metaph., used of any burden or bondage 1) as that of slavery 2) of troublesome laws imposed on one, esp. of the Mosaic law, hence the name is so transferred to the commands of Christ as to contrast them with the commands of the Pharisees which were a veritable 'yoke'; yet even Christ's commands must be submitted to, though easier to be kept 2) a balance, pair of scales

1 John 5:3 ^“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” Jesus is the creator of everything seen and unseen. He has all power and authority in heaven and on earth. When you accept Jesus you are a son of God and a joint heir of the King. You are on an amazing journey for the real King. The kingdom of God is put in your heart and you are put in the vineyard owned by the King and connected to the true vine, Jesus to produce fruit that brings glory to God.

 

In this the blue letter shows a contrast from the commands and way of Jesus compared to the Mosaic law and commands of the Pharisees. The word veritable means that it is a real yoke that man tried to carry. When Jesus came He freed us from that yoke and put the Kingdom of God in our hearts, sealed us with the Holy Spirit and made a new covenant with all who believe and accept Him as their Lord and savior. A person is able to obey God’s word and love others because of what Jesus and the Holy Spirit does deep inside of a person.

 

The pair of scales was interesting to me at first. I know that scales are for balancing and weighing. We are all different and God speaks to us sometimes differently. This is one thing that came to me thinking about this. When we are yoked to anything in a way other then fully yoked to Jesus I think the other yoke can pull or draw us from continuing to grow our roots deeper into Jesus. There is many scripture that speaks of this Colossians 2:6-7 “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” John 15:4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

 

In the beginning of chapter 11 Jesus is teaching to the crowds or multitudes about the His Kingdom. He was speaking to common people not rulers or leaders or people of higher stature. Jesus is teaching them about His kingdom and this new way. This was different than any other system, government, religion, or way of man at the time and is the same for today. Jesus came right in the middle of all this with a new way. It was so different look at who God used to pave the way for Jesus, John the Baptist. Jesus is telling the crowd who did you go to see, Matthew 11:7-9 ^“As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.  But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.” John the Baptist was Jesus cousin a man filled with the Holy Spirit while in his mothers womb. Raised in the wilderness away from any worldly or religious system. He dressed different then others, camel hair and ate different locust and honey. He preached about the coming of the Kingdom and Jesus to masses of people in the wilderness by the Jordan river by trade routes where people would travel. So I think this would be a bold loud clear statement that hey this is a new way and deal. I don’t think John came to mess around or for his own agenda.

 

When you yoke to Jesus you surrender your will and life and accept His plan and ways. This can be hard putting your complete trust and faith in Jesus. Jesus came to do the complete will of God and Gods ways are way different then our ways. Jesus said this of John the Baptist, Matthew 11:11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Even John while he was in prison doubted that Jesus was the Messiah and Jesus says in verse 11:6 “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” Jesus was and has always been a huge problem for some people and a stumbling block for the Jews. But He is God, our master and savior and salvation eternal life is found only in his name. Acts 4:11-12 “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

 

     You give your life to Jesus and stop building your own kingdom and help play a part in building God’s Kingdom. You surrender give up your ideal and agenda and learn and accept God’s way for your life. The word ideal means: Satisfying one’s conception of what is perfect. Existing only in the imagination; desirable or perfect but not likely to become a reality: in an ideal world. a person or thing regarded as perfect: you’re my ideal of how a man should be a standard of perfection; a principle to be aimed at. We desire and want to become like Jesus, He is God and the perfect man or example for us. We have the Holy Spirit inside us and the word of God to teach us how to become like Jesus. When we are reborn spiritually we have God’s nature, character, the fruit of the Spirit inside of us to help us become like Jesus. In verse 11:29 Jesus says let me teach you, because I am humble or meek or gentle and I am lowly at heart and I will give you rest for your souls. You don’t have to strive to be someone He didn’t make you to take on a yoke or ideal someone has in their mind of who you should be. We have to be careful we yoke to Jesus and not others ideas. Jesus says I am lowly at heart, the blue letter defines lowly as: Not rising far from the ground, as a condition, lowly, of low degree, brought low with grief, depressed lowly in spirit, humble. John the Baptist said in John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

      The Pharisees sure didn’t want to give up their higher position and ideal of what they thought the kingdom and Jesus should be like. The pharisees didn't want to give up their ideal of what they thought success was in their mind and except Jesus so the real power of God could work in their life. We are not the Pharisees but we can sure take on their nature and a yoke of other systems, beliefs or ideas of man. Jesus warned the disciples many times beware of the yeast or leaven of Herod, Sadducees, or Pharisees. We know that yeast makes things rise. Make sure the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31-31 which is compared to the Kingdom of God but is a small herb a humble garden plant. Grow more disciples lowly and humble like Jesus not an elevated hierarchy full of pride. Make sure the leaven or yeast in verse 33 is from the kingdom of Jesus and not any other system or idea from man. Sometimes I think we can get comfortable and forget that we are in a real spiritual battle against evil rulers, principalities, and hosts of darkness. They can operate and work within these other systems.

Matthew 11:25 “At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.” Babes or infants or child like was the people God chose to reveal Jesus and His most precious Kingdom to. They were humble, lowly, simple, and teachable. In the scriptures many times Jesus told the disciples you must become like a child to be reborn to receive the Kingdom of God in your hearts. The Pharisees must have looked at these people from their elevated position that was in their mind and seen them of no value but Jesus seen them as choice pearls. God’s ways are not our ways. God’s way of measuring and His value system is way different then ours. James 1:9 “But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position.”

       Luke 22:24-27  ^“Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.”  Jesus tells the disciples but not so among you and He said let him be as the younger. Hmmmm. Younger in this scripture means reborn, young, like a child, and new.

 

To be a disciple of Jesus and become like Him we have to die daily of us and be renewed daily in him. Our ideal and plan and way of thinking needs to be broken and sometimes stripped down to the foundation we have in Him to receive what He wants to give us and do through us. 1 Corinthians 3:10-23 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

testimony 2

I want to continue with testimony. Every believer is given a living testimony from their Lord Jesus Christ. A testimony is truth about something that the Lord has done in your life or through you. God has a reason for this and how He wants to use your testimony.  I don’t know all the reasons why, when, where and how God wants to use them but He does. Maybe God wants to use your testimony to reach someone who doesn’t know Jesus yet. Or maybe God wants to use your testimony to share with others in the body of Christ to bring healing, understanding, growth etc. One reason for sure that everyone and that means everyone in the body is given a unique testimony is to bring glory to God.

     I like the testimony of a demon possessed guy in Mark 5:1-20. He was in a place called Gadarenes, a region full of demonic oppression. Jesus meets and frees a guy from a demon inside of him who calls himself Legion which means many or an army. So he was possessed by many demons. But knowing something of this is not the important part, it is the living testimony Jesus sent with this guy to tell others. Mark 5:18-20 “And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.” This man wanted to go with Jesus and follow Him but Jesus had a different plan for him that would bring glory to God. It says in this scripture that the people marveled at what Jesus had done in his life. Marvel means to be wondered at, to be had in admiration.

In the last post while I was writing the verse John 1:18 came to me where the NLT refers to Jesus as the unique one. After the post I was reading in the book Vertical Church and James Mcdonald states “In the bible, Genesis 2:7 calls what makes us unique ruach, spirit or the breath of life.” Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Psalm 139:13-17 “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!” Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” God has created us all in His image and we all have a unique different personality for a reason to Glorify Him. We all have a journey and a testimony from God. No two are the same. It is a joy as we walk with Jesus daily to discover more who we are and others close to us and what God does in our lives.

 

The testimony given from the Lord to every believer is a beautiful thing that brings glory to God. I think with beautiful things that glorifies God sometimes comes difficulties and struggle. Satan our enemy doesn’t want the truth or God’s glory to be seen. Sometimes a testimony or what God does in a persons life is not always received by others. I think a lot of times the truth in a testimony is misunderstood, we will always be misunderstood by others, the people in the bible were misunderstood. No one even some close to you will not fully understand you like Jesus does, why He made you the way He did and what He takes you through.

 

One way to worship God is when we say the truth from our heart about what He has done in our life. We don’t have to change the truth of what God has done to please men. If it is truth it will glorify God. Trying to please others or change truth of what really God has done is not what God wants. I like Matthew 15 in verse 12 the disciples says to Jesus don’t you realize that the truth you have just said offended the spiritual leaders or Pharisees. Then in verse 18 Jesus explains that the words we speak from the heart is what defiles us which would include lying, false witness or false testimony. All of us or most of us in our walk will realize at times that we maybe have not been seeing things correctly until Jesus corrects us. If God gave you the testimony just say the truth mix it with faith and let God do the work. We do it to glorify and please the real King of our life Jesus Christ who is absolute truth, nothing false or hidden. John 4:23 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”

 

Another part of this is the struggles, trials, heavy burdens or hard times we go through in our walk with the Lord carrying our cross. This is the part of the testimony that is not always received or accepted by others. We are selfish beings, we want to hear only the good part and make a good showing in the flesh. Anyone who is a believer and reads the bible and try’s to follow Jesus knows you are going to struggle with many things and this is the part we hide. But this is the good part that also shapes us like Christ and brings glory to God. In 2 Corinthians 4 the apostle Paul I think speaks of this. How can you read the gospels and the apostle Paul’s writing and think other wise. 2 Corinthians 4:6-18. “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you.” (II Corinthians 4:6-12 NKJV)

I have been given something from God that I don’t in anyway deserve. I have been led by God to a ministry called Christian Mentors Network where we mentor and disciple men. I get to set across from Godly men everyday and hear their testimonies, struggles and what God has done in their life. This is a huge blessing in my life that helps me grow. About two years ago God somehow led me to have men over to my house from all ages and different churches. We have food, a fire if in the winter, brotherly fellowship, Some scripture from God’s word, and a testimony from one man of what God has done in his life. This is a very special time that helps the men and is glorifying to God.

Glory of God- Weighty importance and shining majesty that accompany God’s presence. The basic meaning of the Hebrew word kavod is heavy in weight. Thus it can refer to a heavy burden.

 

  

Testimony 1

God has been speaking to me over a long period of time about the importance of a testimony in a believer’s life. It has really become stronger of late and the timing of this seems right.

Jesus the Son of God, God in the flesh, came to be a living testimony of God and glorify God. He is God, John 1:1-4 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:18 “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” & “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.” Unique - Being the only one of its kind: Without an equal or equivalent; unparalleled. Unusual; extraordinary: I don’t know if this is the right word to use but I think Jesus is too awesome to put into words. We have the Word of God to describe Him and His living work in people lives, living testimonies. Jesus testified about God and glorified God in ways we don’t fully understand yet. His creations, birth, baptism, death, resurrection, starting the church, what He done in peoples lives miracles etc.

Jesus is a living testimony to God and is still living today in many different ways. One way is through is continued work in peoples lives. Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Jesus cousin John the Baptist came to be a living testimony to tell everyone of Jesus and glorify God. John 1:6-7 “God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.” John the Baptist also baptized Jesus and saw the heavens open and the Holy Spirit settle upon Jesus. Jesus picked 12 men, disciples who followed Jesus started the church and was a living testimony. Each of them was martyred because they followed Jesus and their testimony. The apostle John was the only one that lived to an older age but was exiled to an island called Patmos. Revelation 1:9  ^“I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus.” The 12 disciples walked close with Jesus 2 Peter 1:16-18 ^“For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes  when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.” 1 John 1:1-3 “We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus came to save and take away the sins of the world by His death on a cross and His blood. Revelation 12:11 ^“And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.” 1 John 5:6-12 ^“And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony.  So we have these three witnesses— the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree.  Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son. And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.”

 

What’s interesting is right in the temple where God’s own chosen people worshiped God and taught God’s word and law. The experts and teachers where Jesus, God Himself would go sometimes to teach and preach.  They at the time and some never did accept Jesus the living testimony and sacrifice that was sent to save them. They were teaching others about God and He was right there walking with them but would not accept Him. It says in John 1:11 “He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.” They refused Jesus their Lord and savior, Jesus death on a cross, accepting Jesus and carrying their own cross Jesus intended for them to carry to die to their self and be a living testimony to glorify God, and they didn’t accept being reborn and the Holy Spirit. In John 3:1-21 Jesus is having a conversation with Nicodemus, one of the Jewish religious telling him he must be reborn and in verse 3:10-11 “Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?  I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony.” These guys done everything in their power to cover the testimony and glory of God not to be seen. This is a stunt they pulled after Jesus was seen after His resurrection Matthew 28:11-15 “As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened.  A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe.  They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’  If the governor hears about it, we’ll stand up for you so you won’t get in trouble.”  So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today.”

 

This is really a reminder to me how we can read God’s word and become more knowledgeable which is a great thing but at the same time may not be aware of the supernatural work of God in so many peoples lives. A living testimony to glorify Him, that may be strange or unexplainable or may not fit into our system, box or way of thinking. Just a reminder!

 

So God went outside of their system, pride, power, knowledge, riches, and hard hearted selfishness. He chose 12 common men, fishermen and a despised tax collector. Men that were probably told by the experts of God’s laws, that they weren’t good enough. Then he poured His Holy Spirit and love and created in them a powerful living testimony to glorify God.

 

The converts in the early Church changed the world they lived in because of what they saw and heard. It was the power of the gospel that changed lives, not what they learned from mere teaching. This power drew people to Christ. Things happened that could not be explained as anything other than the activity of God. Os Hillman.

 

 

2 Corinthians 3:3-6 "Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts. We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.  It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.  He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life."