"Living the Testimony"

" I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations. " Psalms 89:1

Thoughts from Pastor's Sermon:
We have been studying about testifying-- testimonies and sharing our faith. Over and over in scripture we find the the testimonies of the patriarchs, the prophets, and the Psalmist, but until we isolate the testimonies and read the scriptures, we perhaps never realize the greatness of the individual's testimony before the Lord.  For example, Daniel's great witness standing up for prayer when it would cost him his life.  He "lived" his testimony.  An adverse circumstance arose and he was thrown in the lion's den.  When the king came to the lion's den, he cried out with a lamenting voice, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, who thou servest continually able to deliver thee from the lions?"  And Daniels' testimony was, "O king, live for ever.  My God hath sent His angel and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me."  (Daniel 6:20-22)  Then we have the three Hebrew children who again stood up for the worship of God and not the gods of this world.  they, too, lived their testimony and when threatened with the 'fiery furnace,' this was the three Hebrew children's testimony:  "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king."  Consider Naaman, the king's captain, full of leprosy he came to the Prophet Elisha and was told to dip in the Jordan seven times: He was "wroth, and went away," but his servant encouraged him to obey and when he obeyed the prophet of the Lord, his testimony was: "Behold now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel."  (2 Kings 5:15)  It is one thing to testify and witness for Christ; it is still another thing to live the testimony.  Consider Abraham who God asked to sacrifice his only son of the wife he loved so much.  His testimony was: Isaac said to his father, Abraham, "Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"  And Abraham's testimony was: "My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together."  (Genesis 22:7-8)  The beloved Mary, not understanding at all what was happening to her when she found out she was with child by the Holy Ghost, gave this testimony: "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoices in God, my Saviour.  For He that is might hath done to me great things; and Holy is His name.  (Luke 1:46-49)
                                            Love you much, Pastor