Genesis 35:1-5
35 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”
2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.
All of us have a testimony and a story of when, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we came to the revelation that Jesus is the Lord of heaven and earth. All of us should be able to recall the moment we acted upon that revelation and committed ourselves to believe in, serve and faithfully follow Jesus for the rest of our lives.
Whether you grew up in the Church, came to Jesus later in life, came to Him through a supernatural encounter, or if God showed you by stretching your intellect and reason, all of us have a testimony and place where Jesus found us with mercy and saving grace.
If you don’t, or maybe you can’t recall a specific moment when you came to faith in Jesus, maybe it’s time to look deeply at what you believe and ask yourself where and what you have actually secured your faith in. Regardless, all of us as born-again, spirit-led believers have a personal history where the legacy of Christ began in our own lives.
It’s important to acknowledge and jealously treasure your own testimony of salvation. It’s vital to recall the story and share it with others as often as possible. Of course our testimony is not the end of our story, but sharing and remembering it regularly propels us forward to grow in grace, and positions us to move faithfully forward into what God has called us to be and do. There is power in your testimony. When we share our testimony with others or even just recall it for encouragement in our own lives, there is a release of grace and favor that comes upon us…
A release of Grace that drives us forward, that covers us, that delivers us from the enemy driving his forces away from us and those we are called to lead. We see an example of this in Genesis 35. Jesus calls Jacob back to Bethel. Back to the place where Jacob committed His life to God and came into covenant with Him. Of course, there are other places where Jacob encounters Jesus, but Bethel is the place where the story of God's grace began for Jacob. As God calls Jacob back to live from that place of encounter there is a new outpouring of Grace into Jacob's life that…
Delivers him and his people from demonic and idolic strongholds.
Gives him an anointing and vision to build an altar to the Lord that would reveal the surrounding cities to God’s glory.
Covers him and his people with favor that would protect him from the attacks of the enemy as they continued to do what God called them to do.
We see that when Jesus leads Jacob to engage with His testimony, that Jacob, his family, and the surrounding cities receive an impartation of grace. Grace that delivers, evangelizes and covers all that come in contact with it. There is remarkable power and grace that is threaded into our testimonies. Our testimonies are a supernatural weapon that we often forget is holstered to our sides.
If you have been attending First Church for the last couple of years you might have noticed that from time to time, I myself will thread my personal testimony into my teachings. Of course, I do this to enhance the teaching for the sake of the listener, but I also do it for myself and my family. I know that when I share my testimony, that I am engaging with Grace again. I’m releasing supernatural power and favor into my life that is propelling me forward into God’s will for my life. So I love to tell the story. Over the years as I have become more articulate in my retelling, I have enjoyed watching the impact it has had on other people's lives as they listen and encounter Jesus. I also give thanks for its continued impact on my own life. I give thanks every time I tell it because there are new revelations of grace released into my life that I further deliver through the anointing to preach the Gospel covered from the enemies' schemes and attacks.
If you have not figured out how to share your testimony with others yet, let this be a sign. NOW IS THE TIME.
Share it with friends. Ask your Life Group leader for an opportunity to share it with your group. There is someone who God has prepared, that needs to hear your story of salvation, and watch as God blesses you and pours grace upon grace into your life.
Love,
Pastor John
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