The Word of Your Testimony
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 8 viewsNotes
Transcript
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.
Introduction
Introduction
TEST´IMONY, n. [L. testimonium.] A solemn declaration or affirmation made for the purpose of establishing or proving some fact.
Bro. Branham tells us that everything God has made testifies of Him. If you never had a Bible you could watch nature and know th eBible was true.
John said they, the “brethren”, overcame Satan by the blood of the lamb, and the word of their testimony.
1. The Blood of the Lamb
1. The Blood of the Lamb
In the Old Testament the standard was set that no one would be judged by the testimony of one accuser.
15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
Our testimony is good, but who will testify with us? There must be another who bears the same witness.
When Cain killed Abel, Abel’s blood was a witness.
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.
The life of the blood cried out Guilty!
Paul tells us that as the blood of Abel spoke a negative testimony, so the blood of Christ speaks a positive testimony.
22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
See, Abel, he was a righteous man. He died. He died, innocent, because he was in the Way. He was in the Way, standing for the real revelation he had. He spoke. It cried out! The justice blood of Abel cried out against Cain.
But the Blood of Jesus Christ, not only cried out, It redeemed. Amen! “It speaketh better things.” It makes you sons and daughters. It hides you from the wrath of God. See? The blood of Abel could not hide Cain, see, but the Blood of Jesus can. 63-0901M - "Token"
Paul tells us that it was by faith Abel’s blood spoke:
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
God testified that Abel’s sacrifice was correct.
How does God testify?
The Word is God’s Testament, His Testimony.
The Word is the testimony of God. 61-1105 - "The Testimony Of A True Witness"
16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
God’s testimony, His covenant with Israel.
This testimony was sealed or confirmed by the blood of animals. Heb 9:22 tells us there is no remission without shedding of blood.
Abraham’s covenant was confirmed by blood when he said “how will I know this?” Jehovah confirmed by blood.
He was making a confirmation of the covenant by the shed blood of the clean, offered animals. 61-0423 - "Abraham And His Seed After Him"
The Word is God’s Testimony, sealed by blood, and Jesus is the Word. John 1:14 said the “Word was made flesh and dwelt among us”.
He was God’s testimony, of a better covenant.
When He died on the cross His blood spoke, not against us, because the blood could not speak a different thing than the life. In Luke 23:34 He said “Father forgive them”.
We have forgiveness through the testimony of the blood.
What does the blood testify today?
The Blood is speaking. Then the Blood has got a Voice. And the Voice of the Blood is the Word. Hallelujah. That’s what makes it whether it’s right or wrong. The Word is identified by the Voice of the Blood.
The Voice of the Blood is the Holy Ghost. That brings Life. It is Life, and It brings Life to the Word and quickens It.
Sure, the Blood speaks, It speaks a better thing. The Old Testament, the blood spoke of guilt. In the New Testament, It speaks of redemption. In the Old Testament, it spoke of death and sorrow. In the New Testament, It speaks of resurrection and Life. It speaks of healing. It speaks of joy. It speaks of Power. It speaks of Life. It speaks of Heaven.
The Blood of Jesus Christ covers all of our sins, and speaks peace and resurrection, and Power and Life, and healing. And all the redemptive blessings that the Blood was shed for, It speaks for us. 63-1128E - "The Token"
2. The Word of Their Testimony
2. The Word of Their Testimony
The testimony of the blood did not end that day on Calvary, but when the blood cell was broken it became a life.
How important is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost? It is the life of the bleeding Word that speaks forgiveness for you.
The New Testament means “new covenant.” The Blood means “Life.” The New Testament is the Holy Ghost testament, the Holy Ghost giving testimony of what Jesus Christ has raised from the dead, showed Jesus has met every requirement for us, and is alive today. 64-0308 - "The Token"
Only those truly filled with the Holy Ghost can witness the resurrection. In Acts 1:8 He said “You will become witnesses AFTER you receive power to do it”.
In the courts, there is two kind of witnesses that will stand, that’s, eye or ear. Now, if you’re setting in a room and look through a glass, and see an accident, your witness, your word is no good, because you were looking through a glass.
You have to be right there, close, to really know what you’re talking about, before you can be a witness. You have to hear it, or you have to see it, before you can be a witness on a severe case in the courts.
You can’t say, “Miss So-and-so told me, or Mr. So-and-so, or Rev. So-and-so told me.” He is a witness, but you’re not.
So, therefore, no man can exactly witness to the resurrection of Christ, only by the Holy Spirit. You have to be a personal witness, yourself; being there, knowing something about it, knowing what you’re talking about. 53-0405E - "Witnesses"
Not when you join the church, you’ll be a witness; not when you become a deacon, you’ll be a witness; not when you’re ordained a minister, you shall become a witness; but when the Holy Ghost is come upon you, then you’ll be a witness.
A witness must be someone with an experience, must know something. In the courts of our land you can’t come up and say, “Miss So-and-so told me so-and-so about so-and-so.” They’ll throw the case out right then. You’ve got to be either an eye or an ear witness.
You’ve got to know something before you can be a witness. And you’ve got to know something before you can be a witness of God. And all God-called witnesses are people with experience of knowing what they’re speaking about.
And we have an experience of the witnesses of God in Phoenix, tonight and all over the world are those who has experienced the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And you can only experience it by the witness of the Holy Spirit.
Say, “How long was it to last?” In Acts 2:38, Peter tells us that this experience was for you and to your children and to them that’s far off and even as many as the Lord our God shall call. That’s how far the witness should be. And as long as God calls, God-called witnesses must have the experience. 54-0303 - "Witnesses"
The Holy Ghost in us testifies, even when we don’t say a Word.
Your reaction to persecution, and your willingness to testify in spite of it, is itself a testimony.
12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.
13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
The Greek word for testimony is “martyrion”.
A martyr is a testifier. It became synonymous with a person giving their life for the Gospel because it was a death sentence to publicly identify as a Christian, or to bear witness to the power of Christ.
Whenever they would get baptized, they were exposing themselves to torture and death.
Every week when they would gather together and take communion, they were exposing themselves to death.
(There is no testimony in hiding in your house taking communion by yourself, when you have the option of doing it publicly)
Even the way they dressed and conducted themselves was a testimony of the resurrected Christ living in their hearts.
This was their testimony, their “martyrion”
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.
In Luke 14:26 Jesus says if you don’t hate “your own life” you cannot be His disciple. You must love yourself less.
We testify because we love Him more than anything else.
It is His Spirit in us that testifies we are born again.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
The Spirit is Truth, because it is the Spirit of the Word.
6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
You overcome Laodicea, which is an accusation against you, by the testimony of the blood and your testimony.
What is your testimony?
Your testimony is your personal experience of His work in your life.
Illustrate: Mary testifying to Elizabeth
The Spirit of God testified that Mary’s testimony was true.
Trouble of it is, the people get saved today, they think, “Well, maybe I’d better keep still. My neighbor don’t believe in this.” Huh-uh. You never really got saved; I don’t believe. No, sir. You can’t hold it.
That’s right. Say, “So well, I’m afraid to testify of healing, afraid the doctor won’t like it.” Brother, if you got healed, you’ll testify about it. Don’t hold it. Tell it. That’s right. Tell it out to somebody else…
You overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and your testimony. That’s how you overcome. 50-0813A - "The Resurrection Of Lazarus"
When you testify, you are testifying that He is alive, and His Word is true.
And when the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is here to inspire you, remember, God will make your body come into your confession. If you say you’re a drunkard, and want a drink. Don’t worry, you’ll soon be one. If you say you’re a sinner, and want to sin, you’ll be right into it.
If you say you’re a Christian and believe it all along, God will bring…Your testimony will bring you right into it.
If you believe in healing, and believe that God has healed you, confess it, and God will make your body obey your confession, for He’s the High Priest of your confession; setting at the right-hand of the Father now with His own Blood to make intercessions for any confession upon anything that He died for. 50-0815 - "Who Is God?"
When you testify you are yielding yourself to the Word of God.
You can completely submit yourself to the Holy Ghost, and no affliction can hold you. You walk by the power of the Holy Ghost. You are well; you give your testimony, everything else. You’re healed by the power of the Holy Ghost.
You that’s sinful, that maybe drink and smoke and gamble and do things like that, you’d say, “I can’t give them up, Brother Branham.”
Yes, you can. You just submit yourself to God one time, and just yield your whole self to God and watch what takes place. That’s the whole thing. There’s no secret in it. It’s not a hocus-pocus. The only thing it is is submit yourself to God. 54-0720A - "The Maniac Of Gadara"
Just some people are ashamed. After they accept the Lord Jesus as Saviour, they go out and they’re ashamed to confess Him. Many times they accept Him as their Healer, and they go out and are ashamed to confess Him.
You should never be ashamed of Him. You should be right up…No matter what takes place, you should be right up in front to stand on your testimony.
For God can only save you as you testify. He can only heal you as you testify. He is setting at the right hand of the Father tonight to make intercession upon your profession. It isn’t how loud you cry, how hard you beat the altar, how many good deeds you do; it’s your faith that saves you.
And if you’ll confess it with your lips and coming from your heart, He goes to work as a High Priest setting at the right hand of the Father to make intercessions upon your confession. 54-1207 - "At Thy Word, Lord, I'll Let Down The Net"
When you testify according to His Word, He will make the Word of your testimony true.
A lot of times we have difficulty testifying because we think we are bragging, but our testimony is not of ourself, it’s of Him.
And we’re saved not by works, what we do. It ain’t what I done that saved me. It’s what Christ done that saved me. See? Not what…I have no holiness.
If I tried to say, “Well, I quit drinking. I quit smoking. I quit stealing, lying, so forth.” That’s what I done, see. That would be my own. I’d have something to brag about.
But I didn’t quit nothing. He just come to me and took it out of me. See? That’s it. Then it ain’t what I done. It’s what He done.
And, then, the Holy Spirit then abides in, and grows daily; just grows, making Itself greater and greater; pushes out the things, the cares, the temptation. As you overcome them, the Holy Spirit takes Its place.
Do you know what? If you got a real bad temptation of something that’s not right; overcome that thing a few times, and watch if your testimony doesn’t bloom on account of it. 54-1219E - "Acts Of The Holy Spirit"
Your response to the Word is a testimony.
Now listen, when you’re watching for the Holy Spirit, now there’s nobody believes in shouting and rejoicing in the Spirit any more than I do, because I believe that anything that’s got life has emotion.
And if your religion hasn’t got some life in it, you had better bury it, it’s dead; it brings emotion. But while we’re coming to God, let’s come reverently, quietly, listening to see what He will say; and then when He does something for us, that’s the time to let the glory of God reign from our hearts.
Be reverent, watch, and if out in the meeting at any time you feel that God has spoke to your heart while this line is going through, then you raise your hands, and say, “Thank You, Lord Jesus, for healing me.”
Then tell somebody sitting by you. “By the Blood of the Lamb, and their testimony, they overcame.” Is that right? You overcome by the Blood of the Lamb, and by your testimony, if we can just have faith and believe in the Lord God that He will do these things for us. 59-0412E - "What Hearest Thou, Elijah?"
When you know it, you testify of it, even if the symptoms are still there.
What is your testimony? What do you do when you’re giving a witness? What are you doing when you’re testifying? You’re saying the same thing. You’re saying like if you was in court, and said, “I seen certain-certain thing.”
You have to tell it the same way. When I say, “I am healed,” I mean I’m testifying exactly what God said, “By His stripes, I was healed.” You’re not lying. 59-0424A - "The Faith Of Abraham"
Illustrate: Two women who testified and were healed later.
God will test your testimony.
Illustrate: Woman making Elijah a cake.
And when you’re put under a test, when you’re fixing to be used for God for a testimony, like the lady here in the wheelchair, the man, the little boy, some of you people out there, maybe you’re Christians and wonder why you’re put under this test,
God is fixing to use your testimony, but He wants to see how you’ll react, so He puts the pressure on. 59-0810 - "The Reaction To An Action"
It’s those great, crucial moments that the strain is put upon us that God moves in, when we make the decision for Him. That’s between Life and death, that little sharp edge.
Sometime at the last moment when you think you’re not going to be well, and somebody is making fun of you, still hold your testimony, it’s that time that God moves in. 61-0124 - "Blind Bartimaeus"
You should be fearless in your testimony.
Be fearless in your testimony. Amen. If it’s revealed to you, you are fearless. 65-1126 - "Works Is Faith Expressed"
I’m thankful for testimonies.
2 I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.
3 How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.
Lady sitting there, looking at me, right on the end of the seat. She got sinus trouble. She’ll believe it, God will heal her. Mrs. Brown, believe with all your heart, Jesus Christ will make…You’re a stranger to me, but He knows you. 64-0802 - "The Future Home Of The Heavenly Bridegroom And The Earthly Bride"
The next lady Bro. Branham tells to “go back to Missouri, well, and give your testimony”.
I’m thankful Sis. Brown gave her testimony, and her life matched it. It made a difference to me.
Testimony of my parents and grandparents and the person who hung the picture in their house in Kansas City.
Testimony of our elders, JT and Cledith Hise, Bill and Carian Curtis, Granny Fritz, Sandra Graves.
Testimony of Danny Ward (Prostate cancer) and Vicki Ward (breast cancer)
Testimony of Harold Bailey. (Leukemia)
Testimony of Harvey and Jackie Savage. (Kidney failure)
Testimony of Gloriella Adier (Liver Transplant)
Testimony of Virginia Pruitt (food allergy)
Testimony of Gabe and Millie White who couldn’t have children, but they do.
Testimony of Tripp and Stephanie Murray
Testimony of Pat Grimes
Stefanie (Wade) Brink
Testimony of Daniel Davis
Testimony of our young people
Testimony of our young families
Testimony of Bro. Joel and Bro. Stuart
Testimony of this church, which should have given up, but we’ve seen forgiveness and restoration and healing.
Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come, tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
Conclusion
Conclusion
What is your testimony? The blood speaks for you, now let the life that you live and the words you speak be a testimony to this generation, so many others can experience the love and grace of God in their lives.
