Notes On Paul's testimony

The answers to most of the questions can be found in these notes below. See if you can identify them. Also give other examples with scriptural references or from your own life experiences or that of others you know.

Testimony is important
Your testimony is powerful, personal and persuasive. If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, someone will identify with your testimony; God will use it to speak to some one in similar circumstances before you met Christ. You don’t need to embellish it, just tell what happened:

• What you were before the encounter,
  
• What happened during the encounter and
  
• What the Lord has done for you since you met Him

Persecution will come
Persecution God’s Standard Operating Procedure; especially if you are on fire for Him. In fact if you are not persecuted, you should be disturbed; perhaps it’s an indication that you‘re compromising.

Secondly, when you are persecuted do not take it personally. Jesus told Paul, ‘I am Jesus who you are persecuting.’ When you see persecution that way it liberates you. Those who oppose Jesus are wasting their time. He will win in the end. If they refuse to repent they will go to hell.

Thirdly when you are persecuted you suffer with Him so that you can reign with Him

Fourthly persecution helps to ground you in what you believe, make you a Christian who has depth, rather than remaining shallow.

Persecution also spreads the Gospel which is good news. Many of us will rest on our oars unless we are persecuted; besides God allows persecution like He did in Acts 8

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. ²Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. ³But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

Philip in Samaria
⁴Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. ⁵Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christthere. ⁶When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. ⁷With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. ⁸So there was great joy in that city.

So if you‘re being persecuted, rejoice! God has something good coming your way.

You have an Assignment too!

We see in this passage, a revelation of the assignment of Paul as an apostle to the Gentiles. That was God’s plan for him- to take the Gospel to you and I primarily.

Each one of us has a specific assignment. We need to find that assignment, dream, vision, give ourselves to it, prepare and fulfil it. For some it will be one of the five- fold ministries; for others it will be other not so acclaimed ministry but nevertheless essential and important in God’s eyes. Do you know your calling? Are you prepared for it/ are you fulfilling it? This is what life is all about.

• Keep Your Dream Alive!
  
• Everyone has an assignment
  
• Each one has a purpose
  
• Everyone has a God-ordained dream
  
• Life has no meaning if you don’t know you reason
  

Be not side-tracked, child of God. You will hear a voice saying to you: This is the way, walk you in it. I have a thought that I think towards you; thought of peace and not for evil to give you a future and a hope; a future filled with hope.

Like I had a plan for Jeremiah, so I have for you. Like a had a plan for Abraham (Gen12:1-3), so I have for you. Like I had a plan for Joseph- so save many in famine, so I have for you; like I had a plan for Esther, to save her people from extermination, so I have for you; like I had a plan for Nehemiah, to rebuild the broken down wall of Jerusalem so I have for you; like Moses to lead his people out from the house of bondage, so I have for you; like a had a plan for Paul , to take he Gospel to the Gentiles, so…. So find that purpose, face that purpose, pursue that purpose, finish, accomplish, fulfill that purpose, assignment, dream and calling.

Cherish and Share Your Divine encounters
You will notice that the Lord wanted Paul o share his encounter with him with others and it was not just a one off encounter. He said, ‘this and other…’ which means our encounter with the Lord should not jus t be once. We should crave and expect and cherish other encounters with the Lord and share these encounters with others. We know that Paul encountered the Lord or His angel whilst shipwrecked, also alone with Him when he prayed for the thorn in his flesh to be removed and again when received revelation knowledge too lofty and profound to tell. We also know that the great wisdom and insight I to the scripture Paul received were during his encounter with the Lord. He also separated himself for a while soon after he met with the Lord when God must have done a great work in Him.

‘nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.’(Gal1:17)

Be Bold
Undoubtedly Paul was bold whilst giving his testimony. That is what God wants from us too. He has not given us a Spirit of timidity but that of love power and sound mind and boldness. That ‘the righteous are as bold as the lion.’ We have the Holy Spirit who is in us to strengthen us, energize us, remind us of the word of God, convict sinner of sin and judgment and guide us into all truth. We need to acknowledge Him as we witness to others. Without Him, we are weak and vulnerable and will be fearful. But when we are filled with the Holy Spirit we will be bold and witness like Stephen who remained fiery in spite of the stones that rained down on him; we will be like the disciples who when released from prison by the angel, went preaching again; we will be like Paul and Silas, who in spite of being in chains and in straight jackets, their backs bleeding from being beaten, battered and abuse were able to sing in the prison and loudly too.[quote]Acts7, Acts16:28-32¹⁴ Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. ¹⁵These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning!

Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" ⁵So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

⁶Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." ⁷Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. ⁸He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God (Acts 3)

¹³When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

²⁹ Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. ³⁰Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

³¹After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. Acts 4

Keep the Key message
Again we learn a key message that we have to tell people is the need to turn from darkness to light, from Satan to God, through Jesus Christ; from slavery to freedom in Christ; from sin to righteousness in Christ. That message remains the same.

Obedience brings God’s Presence and assistance
Paul was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. This reveals why he was mightily used by God. And as you and I find and face our vision without compromise God will use us mightily. We should not expect everyone to celebrate our vision. Moses was opposed, Jesus was opposed, Nehemiah was opposed and Paul was opposed, so you will be opposed. But remain steadfast, immovable until you finish your race of Grace. God will help you, enable you grow and mature as you endure hardship as a soldier of Christ.

Now the LORD had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.

² I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.

³ I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
⁴ So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. ⁵ Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan

So as a summary

• Realize that your Testimony is important
  
• Know that Persecution will come
  
• You have an Assignment too
  
• Cherish and Share Your Divine encounters
  
• Be Bold
  
• Keep the Key message

Fenny wrote:Obedience brings God’s Presence and assistance

This is the key. Beautiful study and the summary is worth learning and practising.

God bless you