Are you one of those people who do a lot of research when they want to buy a product? If you are shopping online, it is crucial to read reviews of the item you are looking to purchase. These other consumers are sharing their experiences which can persuade you to buy, or not buy, an item. Personal experiences are a wonderful way to get information about anything.
Have you ever wanted to see a movie, but not really sure if it's worth buying the ticket, the popcorn, the drink, the snacks... so you ask your friends if they have seen it, and what they thought? Movie reviews are another "testimonial" that you can read to gain insight.
Infomericals are notorious for having "testimonials" for sharing positive experiences and rave reviews for whatever new item they are touting. Some people are so moved by these lavish claims that they buy the merchandise sight unseen and hope for the same results!
The Bible encourages the believer to share their experiences as well. We are told to testify of God's goodness and mercy. I am going to give you my top seven reasons you should testify!
1. Never stop talking about the goodness of God. Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Always watch for ways the enemy will try to stop you. Fear, doubt, anxiety, worry, feelings of inferiority are all tools of the enemy to stop you from sharing the good things God has been doing in your life. Do not let anything stop you from telling others what God has done for you!
2. Don't wait for an opportunity "someday" or "one day" to share how you have been blessed. Don't expect to go abroad and do great things for God as the only means to be His witness. Share your testimony in your own community; right where you are now, even if it's hard. It could not have been easy for the woman at the well to have shared her testimony but after she had an experience with the Master she wanted to share it with everyone! John 4:28-29 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?"
3. God gives you the power through the Holy Ghost to testify. Look for the people no one else is reaching. Who are the broken, the hurting, the desperate? Find the people who really need to experience Jesus' love and saving power. We have the ability to do this through the power of the Holy Ghost. Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
4. It should be a joyful thing to praise the LORD. It should be a happy time of sharing the goodness of God with fellow Christians. Let's tell saints and sinners alike of all the ways we have been blessed, helped, saved, delivered, set free, redeemed, and renewed because of our wonderful God. He is worthy to be praised and we should be happy to brag on Him and His great deeds. Psalm 32:11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
5. We get a testimony to share with others after we have gone through a trial. James 1:3-4 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Some things we go through will be hard, but God will be glorified when we tell others how we overcame. This can can increase the faith of others observing us, and in turn can strengthen our own spirit.
6. The Bible teaches us how we ought to share our faith with others. Mark 5:19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, "Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the LORD hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." This is Jesus' response when He had healed a man from demon possession. The man was so happy to be restored that he was willing to follow Jesus anywhere to proclaim what He had done. Jesus didn't let him do that. Jesus had another plan. The man was to go back home and tell his friends and those who knew him and knew what he had been like before he had been restored to health. He was to go back and tell them how Jesus had compassion for him and what all he had done. Jesus did a miracle for this man who had been living in the cemetery, among the dead, and clothes torn to shreds. He was a mess! Jesus completely transformed that man's life and he was never the same again! That was worth sharing and going back home to tell. He had a mission!
7. The importance of testifying about the goodness of God is so we can defeat the devil. Revelation 12:10-11 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now is come salvation, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death." We are told in this passage of scripture that the devil accuses us day and night before God. He is constantly running to God and telling on us for any bad thing we do, say, or think. He is trying to trap us so that God will be angry with us and cast us away, but we are born again believers so God will never do that! We apply the blood of Jesus to our lives and we live in the shadow of the cross. We proudly proclaim how God healed us, saved us, met our needs, made a way where there was none, provided the money for the bills we had to pay, put food on the table, clothed us, gave us a clear mind. There is no shortage of ways to thank Him. We must tell others. We have a duty to God to tell those who are discouraged and hurting that there is hope and Jesus is the way!
We were given the great Commission to tell others about the Lord. The final scripture for today's devotional is found in the book of Matthew. These are the words of Jesus!
Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
~Bridgett Owens
Friday, September 29, 2017
Friday, September 8, 2017
How Far Would You Go For Your Friends
Humans have a natural need to be loved and accepted. We want to have a loving family and caring friends around us. We want to be a loving family member and friend, as well. Not everyone has been blessed with a circle of friends or family members who truly care about them, but do you know the Bible tells us about a man who had four friends who cared about him so much that they did everything they could to get to Jesus and they did not let any obstacle get in their way? I believe we were told this story because that is what we are supposed to mirror in our own walk with God. We are to be the kind of friend or family member who has enough faith to do whatever it takes to present our loved ones at the feet of Jesus expecting nothing short of a miracle! Do you have that kind of faith? Let's read together about these incredible men!
Mark 2:1-5
And again He entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that He was in the house.
When Jesus is in the house, everyone should know it! Word got out that the Savior was there. The news spread that Jesus was there and for anyone who needed healing, saving, or even a miracle, they would have surely made their way to where Jesus was.
And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and He preached the Word unto them.
Everywhere Jesus went, when people found out, they would crowd in just to hear Him. Imagine listening to Jesus expound on the Scriptures, the Holy Word of the Living God and they were all wanting to be a part of that! Now, imagine, if you will, that this paralyzed man has four friends. Maybe he wasn't always paralyzed. Maybe they used to run and play together and they all could hang out and spend time together. It doesn't tell us in this passage all of the details but we know that these four friends heard about Jesus being in the house and they loaded up their friend and they were planning to have Jesus heal him. So picture in your mind this house FULL of people who were listening to Jesus preach. They may have tried to squeeze through but no one was budging. Maybe they even tried to explain to some of the people standing at the back door and no one was willing to step aside to let these men through.
Just how bad do you want your friends saved? How bad do you want them healed? How desperate are you for your friends' sake? What will you do to get them to the feet of Jesus? Let's read on as the scriptures talk about these friends for the very first time:
And they came unto Him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto Him for the press, they uncovered the roof where He was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
These guys are serious! They are not playing!! These four men must have started looking through the windows, trying to get an idea of where Jesus was standing. Up they go to the roof. They start pulling apart the roof! They start pulling up clay tiles and the man on the cot must have been scared...the roof was not the best place to be laying on a cot when you are paralyzed. He sees his friends, though, and they are stooped over, tearing off clay tiles and discarding branches and grass that was strewn over wooden beams. Can you imagine what was going on inside the house?
Jesus is standing up sharing the Gospel message and all of a sudden you hear some clay tiles being ripped off the top of the house. Jesus must have paused for a moment and looked up. Sure enough there was some daylight starting to come through as a hole was made to put the man on the cot through and down to meet Jesus. These guys didn't give up! They always knew that Jesus would do it, they just needed to get to Him! When one way was blocked off, they just looked for another way! They would not stop until they were able to lay their friend at the feet of Jesus and guess what? It worked!
When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." When He forgave Him, He healed him. It was that simple! Jesus saw the faith of this man's friends and based on THEIR faith, not the sick guy's faith; but THEIR faith, He was saved and made whole! Because of the faith and the action of these four men, the man on the cot who was sick and lost, was able to have an encounter with the Son of the Living God and Jesus made it all right!
Are you praying for a friend? Do you have a family member heavy on your heart? Don't give up and don't stop praying for them! Do whatever it takes to get your loved one to have a true encounter with Jesus. They will never be the same again! You and I are not who we once were, thanks to Calvary! The blood of Jesus paid the price for our sins and for our healing. Don't stop believing God for a miracle on their behalf. God is bigger than cancer! He is stronger than any sickness or disease! He is not alarmed or disarmed by any of the struggles and ailments that we face! He has conquered death, hell, and the grave! Jesus is the Victor and if you have the faith, He will do a wonderful miracle for your loved one when He sees YOUR FAITH!
God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
Mark 2:1-5
And again He entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that He was in the house.
When Jesus is in the house, everyone should know it! Word got out that the Savior was there. The news spread that Jesus was there and for anyone who needed healing, saving, or even a miracle, they would have surely made their way to where Jesus was.
And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and He preached the Word unto them.
Everywhere Jesus went, when people found out, they would crowd in just to hear Him. Imagine listening to Jesus expound on the Scriptures, the Holy Word of the Living God and they were all wanting to be a part of that! Now, imagine, if you will, that this paralyzed man has four friends. Maybe he wasn't always paralyzed. Maybe they used to run and play together and they all could hang out and spend time together. It doesn't tell us in this passage all of the details but we know that these four friends heard about Jesus being in the house and they loaded up their friend and they were planning to have Jesus heal him. So picture in your mind this house FULL of people who were listening to Jesus preach. They may have tried to squeeze through but no one was budging. Maybe they even tried to explain to some of the people standing at the back door and no one was willing to step aside to let these men through.
Just how bad do you want your friends saved? How bad do you want them healed? How desperate are you for your friends' sake? What will you do to get them to the feet of Jesus? Let's read on as the scriptures talk about these friends for the very first time:
And they came unto Him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto Him for the press, they uncovered the roof where He was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
These guys are serious! They are not playing!! These four men must have started looking through the windows, trying to get an idea of where Jesus was standing. Up they go to the roof. They start pulling apart the roof! They start pulling up clay tiles and the man on the cot must have been scared...the roof was not the best place to be laying on a cot when you are paralyzed. He sees his friends, though, and they are stooped over, tearing off clay tiles and discarding branches and grass that was strewn over wooden beams. Can you imagine what was going on inside the house?
Jesus is standing up sharing the Gospel message and all of a sudden you hear some clay tiles being ripped off the top of the house. Jesus must have paused for a moment and looked up. Sure enough there was some daylight starting to come through as a hole was made to put the man on the cot through and down to meet Jesus. These guys didn't give up! They always knew that Jesus would do it, they just needed to get to Him! When one way was blocked off, they just looked for another way! They would not stop until they were able to lay their friend at the feet of Jesus and guess what? It worked!
When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." When He forgave Him, He healed him. It was that simple! Jesus saw the faith of this man's friends and based on THEIR faith, not the sick guy's faith; but THEIR faith, He was saved and made whole! Because of the faith and the action of these four men, the man on the cot who was sick and lost, was able to have an encounter with the Son of the Living God and Jesus made it all right!
Are you praying for a friend? Do you have a family member heavy on your heart? Don't give up and don't stop praying for them! Do whatever it takes to get your loved one to have a true encounter with Jesus. They will never be the same again! You and I are not who we once were, thanks to Calvary! The blood of Jesus paid the price for our sins and for our healing. Don't stop believing God for a miracle on their behalf. God is bigger than cancer! He is stronger than any sickness or disease! He is not alarmed or disarmed by any of the struggles and ailments that we face! He has conquered death, hell, and the grave! Jesus is the Victor and if you have the faith, He will do a wonderful miracle for your loved one when He sees YOUR FAITH!
God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
Friday, September 1, 2017
Don't Quit!
Have you ever noticed how many opportunities there are to do good things? If you truly are looking for volunteer services or ways to help those in need, there are organizations in place that can utilize your services. As Christians, we are called to do good things for other people. We are supposed to help those in need around us. We truly can become the hands and feet of Jesus as we reach out to those in need.
My heart goes out to the victims of Hurricane Harvey. The flooding and aftermath of the devastation left behind is just heart-wrenching to witness and I cannot even imagine going through anything like that. As a Christian, I am praying and asking God to help those people and the rescue workers and organizations as they bring aide to these people in great need. Some are called to go and help and they have the time and resources to do so, and they must go!
Maybe you are not involved in rescue missions, but you are still doing good things: helping at church, involved with a ministry, going to Bible study, prayer meetings, helping at school, or just trying to be a Godly wife and mother, Godly father, husband, neighbor, whatever it might be. After a while, you start to burn out. You get tired of trying to fit so many things onto your plate and before long, you get weary.
I have been there and it is easy to discouraged when you just keep doing good things and trying hard to do what is right and then obstacles get in the way, sometimes it seems like problems pile up, and often like there is just too great a need for you to single-handedly meet them all. If that sounds like you, or someone you know, please read today's devotional. It is to encourage and strengthen you!
The Bible tells us in the book of Matthew (5:16) to "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." By doing good things, we are not securing our salvation, but we are displaying our commitment to God and it glorifies God. The Bible encourages us to do good things for those around us. Galatians 6:10 "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." When we see the opportunity, we are supposed to help!
We will be rewarded for doing good. The Bible says we reap what we sow. When a farmer plants a seed in the soil, he will throw some seeds into the ground but the harvest he yields is far more in number than the seeds he planted. That is the same for us. We can do good things for those around us, but God repays us in exponential ways that is more than we can measure. Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
The Bible addresses all of our needs and situations that we must go through. Of course God knew that if He told His people to do good works then our enemy would use that as an opportunity to wear us out. He brings guilt when we want to say no because we are truly unable to help with a bake sale, so then we go ahead and take on the project. He starts condemning us as we start to compare ourselves to how much others are doing. We start taking on that condemnation and it does not come from God! So, God put scriptures in place to help us.
Galatians 6:9 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." God is telling us to do good things but not get weary; keep going when we sometimes wonder what the point is. He encourages us to keep doing the harder right instead of the easier wrong, because there will be a reward if we don't quit and don't give up. Isaiah 40:31 says "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
As we wait for the LORD, He strengthens us. He enables us to rise high above our problems and the storm clouds that threaten us. We are given supernatural strength to keep running and not get tired. We can keep walking with God, reading His Word, trusting His promises, and staying true to what He is calling us to do, without giving up and wanting to quit. Wait for Him! Wait for the strength to come; the encouragement and the peace. You are doing great things for the Kingdom of God and the devil is mad. He will fight you. He will come against you. Just give it all to God and He will fight for you. Just trust Him and draw your strength from Him.
God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
My heart goes out to the victims of Hurricane Harvey. The flooding and aftermath of the devastation left behind is just heart-wrenching to witness and I cannot even imagine going through anything like that. As a Christian, I am praying and asking God to help those people and the rescue workers and organizations as they bring aide to these people in great need. Some are called to go and help and they have the time and resources to do so, and they must go!
Maybe you are not involved in rescue missions, but you are still doing good things: helping at church, involved with a ministry, going to Bible study, prayer meetings, helping at school, or just trying to be a Godly wife and mother, Godly father, husband, neighbor, whatever it might be. After a while, you start to burn out. You get tired of trying to fit so many things onto your plate and before long, you get weary.
I have been there and it is easy to discouraged when you just keep doing good things and trying hard to do what is right and then obstacles get in the way, sometimes it seems like problems pile up, and often like there is just too great a need for you to single-handedly meet them all. If that sounds like you, or someone you know, please read today's devotional. It is to encourage and strengthen you!
The Bible tells us in the book of Matthew (5:16) to "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." By doing good things, we are not securing our salvation, but we are displaying our commitment to God and it glorifies God. The Bible encourages us to do good things for those around us. Galatians 6:10 "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." When we see the opportunity, we are supposed to help!
We will be rewarded for doing good. The Bible says we reap what we sow. When a farmer plants a seed in the soil, he will throw some seeds into the ground but the harvest he yields is far more in number than the seeds he planted. That is the same for us. We can do good things for those around us, but God repays us in exponential ways that is more than we can measure. Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
The Bible addresses all of our needs and situations that we must go through. Of course God knew that if He told His people to do good works then our enemy would use that as an opportunity to wear us out. He brings guilt when we want to say no because we are truly unable to help with a bake sale, so then we go ahead and take on the project. He starts condemning us as we start to compare ourselves to how much others are doing. We start taking on that condemnation and it does not come from God! So, God put scriptures in place to help us.
Galatians 6:9 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." God is telling us to do good things but not get weary; keep going when we sometimes wonder what the point is. He encourages us to keep doing the harder right instead of the easier wrong, because there will be a reward if we don't quit and don't give up. Isaiah 40:31 says "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
As we wait for the LORD, He strengthens us. He enables us to rise high above our problems and the storm clouds that threaten us. We are given supernatural strength to keep running and not get tired. We can keep walking with God, reading His Word, trusting His promises, and staying true to what He is calling us to do, without giving up and wanting to quit. Wait for Him! Wait for the strength to come; the encouragement and the peace. You are doing great things for the Kingdom of God and the devil is mad. He will fight you. He will come against you. Just give it all to God and He will fight for you. Just trust Him and draw your strength from Him.
God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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