Testimonies

by Pastor Bob Rasmussen

The first thing I would like to do is thank Pastor Jeff for his message last week. “Thankful for the scars”. I appreciate preaching that is so honest and from the heart and hearing how Jesus has moved in his and his families lives. Thank you, brother.

I also wanted to share a scripture with a gentleman from Germany who was struggling. Johannes Kapitel 3 “Denn also hat Gott die Welt geliebt, daß er seinen eingeborenen Sohn gab, auf daß jeder, der an ihn glaubt, nicht verloren gehe, sondern ewiges Leben habe” Brother, I hope I did not butcher that too badly, but we just wanted you to know that we did pray for you and we hope things are better. The scripture I shared in German is John 3:16:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

We all just had Thanksgiving. And with today being the 1^st of December, we all kind of shift our focus to Christmas. There is a lot of busy-ness involved with shopping. The never-ending cavalcade of Amazon and other boxes piling up on the porch.

We always get the kids pajama pants for Christmas. It used to be 6 pairs of pants – 6. Now we need 16 pairs – 16! Requiring us to get a short term loan! So, the boxes have started at our house – for real! Another meal to buy and prep for. Gifts for our spouses and children and even our in-laws. Decorations to buy. Decorations to put up. And when you plug some decorative lights in, throw them out and go and get some more. A Christmas tree to buy or set up. Cookies to be made, pies to be baked, candy and whatever other family traditions you may have. Even though all that has started and there is more to do, even here today as we decorate our sanctuary. Can we just take a moment?

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Jesus, the fulfillment of a prophecy waited for generations. Jesus, the Savior of the world coming to be the Lamb for our sin. The birth of our Redeemer and all of our hope, Hallelujah! Let that be our focus this month – each and every day. In the busy-ness, to take pause and think about the most monumental birth in all of creation.

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord God, we are so blessed to be in your presence. Lord, thank you for making a way for each of us to have an opportunity to know You and to know Your Word. We honor you Father. Continue to draw us closer to You and Your Word. I pray that you would pour Your Spirit on us and give us a fresh anointing, and a renewed heart to evangelize and share your message in this season. Amen

Now for the record, I feel I have to share this every year. When it comes to Christmas songs – it is not that I do not like them, I love them and the music and for whom they are written, amen? They are just harder as a guitar player. And I am no Dave Carper or Animal, so I tend to struggle, even with a capo. There are just so many chords, and flats – and chords.

Anyway, this morning I would like to echo what Pastor Jeff asked last week about testimonies. I guess I think that for us as a group of believers there can be 2 types of testimonies. Both can be powerful but let me explain what I mean.

The first kind of testimony is the one where we say, I was lost but now I am found. You know the song, right. Amazing grace! How sweet the sound – that saved a wretch like me. That hymn was written by John Newton in 1772. Newton had a hard life. He was a deserter of the English Royal Navy. Forced to be a servant to a slave trader – almost dying in a violent storm one time – crying out to God to save him.

But then later – he became a slave ship master for many years. He admitted to treating the slaves abhorrently on his trips from Africa to England. He had cried out to God in the past – and then he became violently ill on the ocean in 1754. He then surrendered his life to God’s service.He ended up being a preacher and wrote some 280 hymns, including “Amazing Grace”. Later he would also work to abolish slave trade.

The lyric:

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed.

That for me is the first kind of testimony. Where we pass from darkness into the light. To pass from death into the life-giving arms of our Savior.

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

From children of wrath to the object of His affection – thank You Lord! That moment when we opened our eyes and our hearts and received Jesus – that is the testimony of any believer, amen! Perhaps the greatest testimony of our lives, amen?

How do you do that? Well, if you repent, if you turn away from your bad ways, and are baptized in the Name of Jesus. You will come out of the water a new person, the old man having died and you will be filled with the Holy Ghost. Hallelujah!

And then there are the other testimonies in our lives, thank the Lord. When the grace of God, the goodness of Jesus and the power of Christ intervenes during times of trial and adversity. And every time when that happens, when God moves for us, in us, though us so that we have a victory on the other side – that is a testimony, amen? And I think testimonies have a power in them that refresh the spirit of the person who went through that circumstance and other believers, amen?

I remember there was a woman in this church that had a heart attack. She was devastated, and so was I. It was scary and we did not know how things were going to turn out. We prayed and we went to the doctor, and we prayed– all of this during COVID. We were separated due to lock downs – don’t get me going on that.

We lived in fear for a minute or two – I am not going to lie. The fear was real, but so was our hope, amen? But praise the Living God, praise the great Physician – she was given the report that her heart was clean. That her heart was not damaged. That there was no evidence of a heart attack.

That is a very personal testimony, and when I share it there is hope, when I share it there is joy, when I share it there is freedom – because that woman is my wife Diana.

The goodness of Jesus, His healing touch, moving as only He can move and performing the miraculous – That is the God I serve.

Psalm 96:1 O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

Declare his glory! Testify to what God has done in your life! We can’t keep quiet about it.

And don’t just tell each other- tell the heathen – in other words – testify to the unbelievers. And the way it seems to be now, that is a lot of the current world, amen? But I am sensing a change. A move of God in this country with people wanting to know the truth. To know the Word of God. And testimonies are just as powerful now as they were during the time of Jesus’s ministry.

Remember the woman with the issue of blood?

Mark 5:25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

This was a significant issue back in the day. It was a sign of being unclean. She couldn’t go to church or to temple to be more accurate. If they had Thanksgiving back then, she would not have been invited. She is broke, she has spent all her money – there is nothing left in the bank account. The first days would have been hard – then the first month – then 11 months. Then a year. Desperate, alone – 5 years go by.

Still no change at 10 years, hope is fading if not gone. Away from everyone and everything she probably ever loved. Does she have grandchildren? It does not say – but if she did – she wouldn’t be able to see them. Alone, empty, defeated – it’s 12 years. Can you imagine? And then in Mark 5 she said what?

28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

The beginning of her testimony is based on something she would have known about in the Word. She heard testimonies of Jesus, that He is a healer, and then she remembers the Word. They did have the Old Testament back then.

Malachi 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

I had to look for that one, it is the last book before the New Testament. And when I looked up that word in the Hebrew for wings it is the word Kanaph. What does it mean? I had to look it up. It is in the last chapter before the New Testament, see right here in this bible.

How about another testimony, right now – I received this bible, many years ago – when I was in jail. Jesus can change your life. He can take you from being a prisoner – literally and more importantly spiritually – and set you free.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

How about another testimony, when I met my wife, before we even dated, she gave me a card. It had her name and phone number. You know what else it had?

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

That is the first bible verse I memorized. I have clung to it in times of challenge and in desperation. I believed it at times so fiercely that it was like the air I breathe. I thank God for His Word!

But the Hebrew word “kanaph” primarily refers to a wing, as in the wing of a bird. It is also used metaphorically to describe the extremity or edge of something, such as the corner of a garment. In a broader sense, it can signify protection or covering, as in the wings of God providing shelter.

Have you ever had a bible verse like that? It just means something or there is so much hope in it that it seems it was written for you?

2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings;

I am not a theologian but that Sun of righteousness is Jesus and we can infer that the wings might be the corner of His garment. And then that’s it. That is what she is going to do. Nothing else has worked. There are no more options. 12 years, and a possibility of healing? This woman’s only hope is in a man that she has never met, but only heard about through testimonies. Could Jesus be that Sun of righteousness? She’s going to find out. Will there be healing in His wings, in his garment?

Mark 5:28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

15 years of pain, 15 years of struggle, 15 years of rejection, of fading hope and she was healed what – straightway or immediately. In the matter of a moment her whole life was transformed. She was healed by the Son of righteousness; she was freed by Jesus. She was healed from that isolation and daily rejection. How utterly powerful.

You think she kept quiet about it? It doesn’t say. But I am willing to bet she told everybody. And I bet everybody in her life rejoiced and testified to the goodness of God. That first day she could go to temple? Can you imagine her testimony if they did them like we do? They would have been there until Tuesday. The freedom that she experienced had to be so overpowering and joyful!

And testimonies are how what Jesus was doing in His ministry was shared. That He was healing people. That Jesus was freeing people from bondage. That He was teaching and that He was preaching. They did not have the worldwide interweb. They did not have Facebook, or WordPress. Speaking of which, want another testimony.

Diana started blogging about her faith and her journey through domestic violence, illness and may other events in her life on WordPress at Prayers and Promises – dianrasmussen.com and as of yesterday she had 1,016,697 hits. Amazing that there have been so many people looking for hope – and if you ask Diana, ALL her hope is in Jesus.

We have the ability to testify and share the truth in so many ways, and I think that is awesome!

They had no radio – no newspapers. They had testimonies that went before him. And what happened as the Word of Jesus spread?

Matthew 14:34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; 36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

Just a touch of His garment and they were made whole. I’ve got this disease or that disease. I am battling depression. I just need to touch His garment and I will be healed.
My child is sick, and I‘m scared, I don’t know what to do – I’m getting them to Jesus.
The doctor doesn’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s been so long and I am not healed, I’m going to go to Jesus – He can do it. I have heard the testimony.
It did not matter what the issue was – because people had heard all of these testimonies, testimonies from people they knew and most likely some they did not know – they all knew to be made whole, to be healed, to be freed – they had to get to Jesus.

It is no different today!

My daughter has been sick for so long, nothing has worked. I see her suffer so much. The doctors are running out of ideas. I can’t stand seeing her suffer. There is a testimony in this room with Pastor Mike and sister Dee!
I have a child with depression or schizophrenia, how am I going to get through this? I never went through something like this! There is a testimony in this house.
I have a child or a grandchild with autism. How am I going to get through it? How can I stay strong? How do I deal with any of it? There is a testimony in this room.
I want to stop being an alcoholic. I’ve been to AA, I’ve been to treatment centers. I have broken all my family relationships.

This is a part of Brother Kim’s testimony we have on the website:

I finally put my life in God’s hands where it belonged all along. Things began to happen. I married a Spirit filled woman and was blessed with a Spirit filled daughter. Deliverance from my addictions occurred with no withdrawal. I began to live with a new sense of strength and confidence. I found a job that I’ve held for many years. This is significant because I was diagnosed as hopeless and told I’d never be able to work and would be on Social Security the rest of my life. That was a lie from the depths of hell.

Today I’m a Spirit filled member of God’s Kingdom. I’ve got a clear mind and good health and I realize everything I have came from God. He gave me back everything Satan stole from me and much, much more. Praise God! Praise God for that! God bless you brother!

And not every testimony is an outward victory of healing or a blessing. During this season, when some are not sure how to handle the loss of a son or a daughter, there are testimonies in here about how the God of the universe, because of His deep and His most magnificent love, have helped some folks here get through the unthinkable. They are here this morning doing what, praising and worshipping the God that helped them through some of the darkest times a parent can go through. What powerful testimonies.

How about living every day with pain. Unfortunately, I know several here including myself – the guy that fell off a ladder. And to this very day almost 2 years later is still in pain – every single day – and those of us that go through this, we still choose to believe the Word of God that even if He does not heal us this side of heaven, we’re standing on the promises of God that He will heal us on the other side!

I don’t have time to address all the testimonies in this room – but I am awed how God moves among His people. As I look across this room, everyone here has a testimony that the world is looking for. So please, if you can. We would love for you to share your testimony – in your words. We can get them posted online and share them on social media. Heck, I’m signing Diana up for this, but if you want to share your story with a video, that is something we can do as well. The world needs your testimony!

Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, 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. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Look, I remember Christmas before I was saved. I felt that something was missing. In my spirit, I knew that something was wrong. I think that many people may go through the same thing, and I pray that if they are seeking, they find Jesus.

We are going to have opportunities to share our testimonies with family and friends this Holiday season – and whether we tried before or not, we should try to share the love of Christ this holiday season, to share our testimonies and the Word of God.

Our testimonies are an act of thanksgiving to God and worshipping Him for all He has done. It can be edifying and encouraging for both the person hearing it and the one doing it.

It is a confession of faith.

If you are watching right now or at a later time, please, come join us this month to hear the Word and the testimonies of God’s people. Jesus wants you to come home, to be in His Kingdom. Amen? The altar is open