| A Biblical Testimony-
Apostle Paul's testimony before King Agrippa
-Acts 26
Paul's Early Life
Paul's Defense Before Agrippa
1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for
yourself."
So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: 2 "I
think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for
myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused
by the Jews, 3 especially because you are expert in all customs
and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you
to hear me patiently.
4 "My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the
beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. 5
They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that
according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made
by God to our fathers. 7 To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly
serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake,
King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought
incredible by you that God raises the dead?
9 "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary
to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 This I also did in Jerusalem,
and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority
from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast
my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in every synagogue
and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against
them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
Paul Recounts His Conversion
12 "While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority
and commission from the chief priests, 13 at midday, O king, along
the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining
around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we all had
fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying
in the Hebrew language, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting
Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' 15 So I said,
"Who are You, Lord?' And He said, "I am Jesus, whom you
are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have
appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness
both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I
will yet reveal to you. 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people,
as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open
their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from
the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of
sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith
in Me.'
Paul's Post-Conversion Life
19 "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly
vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem,
and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles,
that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.
21 For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried
to kill me. 22 Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this
day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other
things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come--
23 that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise
from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and
to the Gentiles."
Agrippa Parries Paul's Challenge
24 Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice,
"Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you
mad!"
25 But he said, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak
the words of truth and reason. 26 For the king, before whom I also
speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of
these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done
in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know
that you do believe."
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become
a Christian."
29 And Paul said, "I would to God that not only you, but also
all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such
as I am, except for these chains."
30 When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as
the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them; 31 and when
they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, "This
man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains."
32 Then Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set
free if he had not appealed to Caesar."
People's Testimonies...
Greater love hath no man than this, that a
man lay down his life for his friends.
Today, as I was talking with a friend of mine at
Worcester State, our discussion turned to various topics of theology.
My friend asked me a question that seemed simple enough on the surface-
“Why did Jesus die for our sins?”. As our conversation
deepened, I realized just how amazing our Father really is.
My initial response to his question was pretty basic. Honestly,
it sounded like something that is often heard in basic Sunday school
classes…Jesus died for our sins as a sacrifice to cover our
guilt, so we can spend eternity in heaven with Him. I thought that
my answer would suffice, but then he pushed me further. “I
still don’t understand…” he said, “…why
did Jesus have to DIE?” Again, I attempted an answer often
heard in Sunday school. “Jesus died as an ultimate sacrifice,
because a perfect lamb was the sacrifice required to push back the
sins of Israel for a year…” He jumped in with a series
of questions so fast it took my breath away. “Yeah, I understand
that, but who was it that started the sacrifice ritual with the
Israelite nation?” “Well, it was Moses who started that
tradition with the Israelites…” “But, where did
Moses get his orders from?” “From God, of course…you
know this!”
This is when my friend really caught me off guard. “If God
is all powerful and all that He claims to be, why did he have to
set a plan in motion that would eventually lead to the death of
His only Son?” I sat there, stunned, wondering the same question
myself. The death of Christ on the cross, and how he bore our sins
caused the Father such pain, such grief…why would he knowingly
set himself up for that? Then it hit me…a verse I’ve
known for ages but never really applied until now… “Greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends.” (John 15:13, KJV).
I turned to him and quoted that verse with a huge smile on my
face. After all, it only made sense. God is the ultimate example
of a perfect love, and dying for someone you love is the greatest
possible form of loving somebody. There really was no better way
for God to demonstrate his love towards us than to give himself
as a sacrifice for us. It seems like simple enough logic if the
concept is given a moment’s glance, but if you truly spend
time thinking about it, as I was able to do today, it will provide
you with a whole new respect for our Father’s love.
Fear Not
This has been my first year of playing organized football. I have
learned a lot about the game and have also learned some very important
life lessons. Our coach has a saying “you can either take
the hit or give the hit. This makes a lot of sense in the game and
is probably the deciding factor in separating players from champions.
Basically it’s whether you’re scared or fearless. If
you are scared to do something then you will never accomplish it.
I am not trying to bring any kind of recognition upon myself, for
if you gain anything from this, give God the glory. Now I am 5’5
and 125 lbs. I am the third shortest and the lightest person in
the field and I tackle better than 25% of the team. My coaches taught
me a lesson to be fearless in the game and in life. You must be
fearless and not afraid to do something. Fear is what strands in
the way of success, in having the courage to believe in a dream.
So be fearless Christ is on your side don’t just know it,
live it. Faith without works is dead, so are you going to take the
hit or give the hit.
-SD
On Friday night, when Pastor Danny Thornton visiting, I was prophesied
to. I was told that I was a woman of wisdom. I really felt blessed
that night. God really spoke to my heart. He was so strong I felt
weak in the knees and fell to the floor, literally! God's powerful,
and it was nice to know that He knows who I am! - who everybody
is! - Heather B. (22nd January 2001)
I'm English and have lived in the USA for 3 years. I didn't actively
seek moving to a different country, but Jesus opened the doors and
I walked through. Struggles were abundant, but it allowed me to
focus on Gods love and how he shaped my life to take me to where
I was. When I first came to the US, I initially had problems obtaining
a car, so I visited the closest Church to me, which was APA. I have
never turned back since. Our Lord knew what I needed to grow strong
in faith, the people I needed to be around to help me to grow, and
the teaching I needed to spark a yearning for more. - Chris B. (2nd
February 2001)
Youth Prayers…
Lord, I thank You for giving Your life for me. You have laid it
all down so that I may undeservingly live. I love you because You
had first loved me. I thank You for promising to never leave me.
Even when I sin constantly, You always take me back. I thank You
for Your everlasting mercy and love, and everything I take for granted.
I thank You for always being there whenever I need You. I thank
you for promising Your Holy Spirit to all who want it and for preparing
a place in heaven for me. I love You and thank You for everything.
- Luke
God, You amaze me.
Every time You forgive me, Every time I experience a moment of Your
grace, Every time I experience something beautiful I know it’s
the touch of Your hand, My eyes light up, I’m filled with
joy and my heart is drawn closer to You. I don’t understand
why You’d do this for me especially when I’m unfaithful
to You. But I know that You do. And when I feel Your presence, I
fall deeper in love with You. I turn around and suddenly, like a
rainbow in the clouds, Your beauty is revealed and my heart is filled
with joy. I dance, I sing, I praise You and I live for the touch
of Your hand. - Amanda
Thank you Lord for turning my life around.
Before I knew you I was far away from you, I was like your story
of the Lost Son. I did a lot of bad things in my life that I regret.
You called me to you, you changed my heart. You forgave me, you
changed my life and circumstances. I have been with you for over
a year now and I've come a long way. I know I have purpose now,
I have a plan for living a good life. I can't turn back now, I know
you are real, you speak to me through your word, your people and
spirit. You are always there, you never change, you are constant.
When I feel guilty for the bad things I do I know that I can turn
right back to you and apologize. Your forgiveness is much appreciated
by me. Thank you. I never thought that I could know you this close.
You are so amazing, your love is so great and unexplainable! I love
you Lord, thank you for saving me, I know I didn't deserve it.
ACQUIRE THE FIRE 2001 -‘UNSHAKEABLE’ TOUR
"One thing that really touched me was how everyone got into
the worship and wasn’t concerned about what everyone else
thought about them and just did whatever was on their heart. I also
liked how I got to meet and fellowship with people that I didn’t
know or usually hang out with."
"The whole trip was really amazing. The best part was how
close we all became. I got to know people a lot better than I did.
We really bonded and you could see peoples’ attitudes change
even after the first day. I think it strengthened people’s
relationships with God, including mine. It was so much fun and I’ll
never forget this experience."
"What was special was during the first altar call I was able
to become closer with God, but also with one other person. It was
nice because, normally our age and things would have separated us,
but God brought us closer and it lasted all weekend."
"Even though I didn’t go to Acquire the Fire I was still
affected by it. When my best friend got back she told me all about
how great it was. I could tell it really brought her closer to God
and that encouraged me a lot. Last night we read the Bible together.
I’m thankful that as we grow closer in our friendship we’re
also growing as Christians. Jesus Rocks!"
"God has purpose for everything! Everything I heard at Acquire
the Fire I know I heard for a reason. It was amazing to see all
of the people God touched. The theme of being UNSHAKEABLE moved
me in itself, because that’s exactly what I want to be. I
want to be a servant – completely devoted to God. …
living out His perfect will through my life! Acquire the Fire was
an awesome experience to join together with other Christians and
just get excited about our God!"
"A few of us youth were hanging out at the hotel when a couple
of non-Christian teens showed up. We started talking and religion
came up. One of them owned a Satanic Bible. We were able to witness
to them about God and get them a CD from one of the bands at ATF."
"I was inspired by the devotion of the Acquire the Fire crew.
They do a show every weekend. A lot of time between must be to travel
and prepare. It’s awesome that they spend so much time just
to teach and guide the youth."
"I had a great time at Acquire the Fire. The part that stuck
out to me was when a few of us were singing in the car on the way
home; you could really feel the Holy Spirit."
STOP THIEF”
Last Thursday, I was checking out of Super Stop & Shop where
I usually buy groceries. The lines were full and I was in a hurry.
After a long wait, I passed through the line, paid and rushed toward
the exit. Suddenly, a woman shrieked, “STOP, THIEF!”
I heard footsteps running and turned to see who did what. Three
men were running toward the exit. I looked to see who they were
after. Suddenly, I felt a rough grip on my arms and tugging at my
bags. Someone shouted, “Did you think you could get away with
it? Somebody call the Police!” I was dragged back to a woman
with fury on her face and hatred in her eyes. My protests were unheeded,
my resistance met with firmer grips. Everyone in the store stared
like I was one half of “Bonnie and Clyde.” How could
this be happening? This is a dream, I thought. Somebody made a mistake.
I didn’t do anything. Why are they doing this to me? A policeman,
then another, rushed into the store with hands on their guns, demanding
that everyone stay still. A silence enveloped the store, broken
only by a mad woman screaming, “He stole my purse!”
“What is the matter with her,” I thought. “She
was right behind me in line, and even smiled at me while I was cashing
out. Now she’s gone ballistic.” When the police approached
me, the men released my arms and stepped back. There I stood, six
plastic bags of groceries cutting off the circulation to my fingers,
feeling more alone than I ever felt in my entire life. An officer
ordered, “Put your bags on the floor. Place both hands on
the wall.” That’s when I noticed it, hooked to one of
my fingers, the strap of the woman’s purse. She had set it
on the conveyor belt ahead of her groceries. In my hurry to gather
the bag handles containing my groceries, I had inadvertently hooked
her purse strap.
There I stood, feet wide apart, hands against the wall, praying,
“Lord Jesus, Please get me out of this.” Suddenly, I
felt a sweet peace flood my being; I just began to rejoice in my
spirit. The officer patted me down and told me to stand comfortably.
“What are you smiling for?” he asked. I told him I had
prayed and Jesus had assured me that everything would be alright.
He asked me to explain what happened, and I calmly told him that
it was an accident. I hadn’t even noticed the purse until
I set the bags down on the floor.
At that point, the angry lady interrupted me and sheepishly told
the police that she had watched her purse moving down the belt down
toward my bags, but didn’t think a thing about it until she
noticed it among my bags headed for the door. “I guess I over
reacted a little. I’m so sorry,” she murmured. There
were many apologies from everyone. Even the police were happy to
have the incident resolved easily.
As I sat in my car in the parking lot, praying and thanking God
for delivering me from the most embarrassing situation in my life,
I thought, “What can be learned from this experience?”
It didn’t make any sense until I dreamt the following night.
The dream took place in a church service. The worship and time of
prayer was beautiful, uplifting, and inspiring. The songs of praise
extolled the magnificence of God, his great love for us all, and
his provision for our every need. Interspersed were testimonies
of thanksgiving and commitment to Jesus Christ that lifted us even
higher as the worship leaders picked up the theme of the testimonies
and flowed into songs of sweet worship. The whole house was filled
with the presence of God. As we moved from one form of worship to
another, and the love of Jesus flowed, an opening was made for all
to bring their tithes and offerings to the Lord. At this time, I
chose to leave the sanctuary, as I had often done to avoid being
noticed sitting in my seat as others walked up to tithe. What I
do with my money is my business! I was near the door when I heard
a booming voice, “Stop, thief!” I turned; everyone was
frozen in position, like a photograph. I had never noticed the joyful
expressions of brothers and sisters alike as they brought their
gifts to God. I didn’t know who spoke the chilling words,
but I knew at whom they were directed, me! I thought it must have
been the Pastor. How could he humiliate me like this? It wasn’t
him. His head was bowed in prayer, and the voice boomed again. “Will
a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we
robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.”
I knew this was a scripture from Malachi 3:8, but I was concerned
about what everyone must think of me, and embarrassed to be pointed
out in front of the whole congregation. I wanted to explain that
I couldn’t afford to pay tithes. My car broke down. My hours
were cut at work. I might even get laid off. My rent was going up.
My freezer quit and all my food spoiled. It had been one thing after
another. Then that same booming voice that penetrated my soul said,
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may
be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD
of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour
you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive
it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall
not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast
her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Malachi 3:10-11
Suddenly, conviction seized me. In repentance, I began to pour out
my heart to the Lord. Ever so gently, that peace that surpasses
all understanding flooded my soul, and I knew that God heard my
prayer. I no longer felt bad about everyone knowing my failure.
That’s when I realized that everyone was still frozen in position,
and that all that I had heard, thought, and prayed had taken place
in a fraction of a second. Nobody even knew about it except God
and me. How gracious God is! I returned to my seat, wrote my tithe
check, added an offering, and walked forward to present it. Everyone
was back in motion, and I was right there with them.
The heart of the word that had been preached that day was, “Trust
in the Lord.” The message spoke clearly to me. It was not
only that I had not tithed, but that I had not “trusted.”
Now, with God’s Holy Spirit to guide me, I’m searching
my heart to find any other areas of my life where I may not be trusting.
If I trust Jesus for my eternal salvation, then I should certainly
be able to trust him for things that pass away with the using.
bjv
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