Wednesday: Sharing Our Experience
In Acts chapter 26, we find the apostle Paul standing as a prisoner before King Agrippa. Here, speaking directly to the king, Paul gave his own personal testimony, talking about his life not only as a persecutor of Jesus’ followers; but then, after his conversion, his life as a witness to Jesus and the promise of the resurrection of the dead (Acts 26:8).
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When Paul was converted on the Damascus road, our Lord spoke to him and said, “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” (Acts 26:16, NKJV). Sharing our faith is always a dynamic experience. It is telling the story of what Christ has done for us in the past, what He is doing in our lives today, and what He will accomplish for us in the future.
Witnessing is never about us. It is always about Him. He is the God who forgives our iniquities, heals our diseases, crowns us with loving kindness, and satisfies us with good things (Ps. 103:3-5). Witnessing is simply sharing our story of His amazing grace. It is a testimony of our personal encounter with this God of amazing grace.
Read 1 John 1:1-3 and compare it with Galatians 2:20. What similarities do you see? How is John’s experience similar to Paul’s?
Although John and Paul had different life experiences, they both had a personal encounter with Jesus. Their experiences with Jesus were not ones that occurred at a particular point in the past and were then over. It was an ongoing, daily experience of rejoicing in His love and walking in the light of His truth.
Is conversion ever a thing of the past alone? Look at Ellen White’s statement about those who thought their past conversion experience is all that matters: “As if, if they knew something about religion once, they did not need to be converted daily; but we ought every day, every one of us, to be converted”. — Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, p. 46.
| Regardless of whatever your past experiences have been, even if powerful and dramatic, why is it important to have a relationship with the Lord day by day, to sense His reality and His goodness and power day by day? Bring your answer to class on Sabbath. |
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When I was a student at a state high school one of the active churches in our local area was the Brethren congregation. The kids who attended that congregation quickly sized up those of us who had religious backgrounds and would ask the questions, "Are you saved?", and "How do you know you are saved?". They would point to a moment in time in their own lives where they had had a warm feeling or something, that made them sure that they were saved.
This notion of being converted or saved at a particular time and in a particular way is misleading. Salvation is not a temporal static event but a dynamic experience. I got married at 3:40pm on December 29, 1968 (40 minutes late because a huge thunderstorm delayed the arrival of the bride) and the fact that I can pinpoint the exact time is due to my good memory and has nothing to do with the relationship that I had/have with Carmel. It has been a growing nurtured experience where we have cooperated, collaborated, disagreed, made-up, and shared for over 50 years. I could find my marriage certificate if I tried hard enough, but what's the point. The marriage survives and grows because we nurture the relationship today over 50 years later.
A nurtured spiritual relationship is much more than an epiphany or even a baptism. it has to be exercised. And part of that exercise is our sharing with others. If we cloister our Christianity, we miss the whole point. It needs to be shared in a way that others understand it.
Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.
Sharing Our Experience
I always say to people at work, I might be working for Mr ...or Mrs >>>but I have a higher and bigger boss that I am working for-Jesus. First, I will do most of my work. Then I like to incorporate the rest of my work with my testimonies. People always listen. Then I will give them a book or a tract, read the bible for them, or encourage them to read the bible.
Our life must be constantly showing love to others despite they are cruel to us. Only Christ can work in us to make that a reality.
I am so glad that the Holy Spirit through Paul has made it clear to me that the spiritual gift He gave me was not outreach but nurturing spiritual growth.
Although I am an introvert I can still let secular people see that I trust the LORD by saying I am so blessed because such and such happened in my life. Then if the Holy Spirit convicts them John 16:8 and they ask me a question, by God's grace, I will be ready with an answer. 1Peter 3:15
I am reminded of the song we sang as kids:
Share with us, your friends, if you have been given another way to let your light shine, it could inspire another reader.
I also would like to testify of the goodness and grace of God and of His mercies that are new every morning. It is indeed a blessing knowing Him and being led by the Holy Spirit to tell others about Him and to lead others to have a deeper understanding of Him. I pray that we will continue to witness for Him as we traverse these uncharted moments of earth’s history having the assurance that He will guide and direct our paths.
Shirley’s comment got me thinking, do we ever tell our friends or acquaintances how blessed we are when we are going through a severe trial (death, disease, financial disaster, persecution) how blessed we are?
The book I am reading now, “The Insanity of Obedience”, by Nik Ripken, would suggest that we should be as thankful for trials as we are for blessings.
Something to think about.
I don't think I would be thankful for troubles & trials but I do consider I am blessed that the LORD gives me courage to endure until the end and is with me in the fiery furnace. I will say I am blessed because I know that this life is not all there is, I have the promise and the hope of a new heaven and earth in which righteousness dwells. 2Peter 3:13
Here are some interesting texts on the subject.
Jas 1:2-4 ISV Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you are involved in various trials, (3) because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. (4) But you must let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
1Pe 4:12-13 ISV Dear friends, do not be surprised by the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. (13) Instead, because you are participating in the sufferings of the Messiah, keep on rejoicing, so that you may be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed.
Rom 5:3-4 ISV Not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, (4) endurance produces character, and character produces hope.
Php 4:4-7 EMTV Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (5) Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. (6) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition, along with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Isa 41:10 MKJV Do not fear; for I am with you; be not dismayed; for I am your God. I will make you strong; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.
Thank you for the texts. I think they support the premise.
'God's Grace and Faith has brought us here, and faith will carry us home'! We all have a story to tell, to share our joy when heavenly Light came into our darkness and we perceived that it was sent from God!
We know, and John speaks to that others are still trapped in this darkness. John1:5 - ..and the darkness comprehended it not. Without God breaking through this spiritual darkness, men will remain entrapped.
The 'light'(darkness) of this world versus God's light always awed me - it is a matter of live or death! Matt.6:23 - But if thine eye be evil; thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! We cannot save ourselves!!
Many years ago, I was asked to read this scripture verse at a Sabbath service. Whiles reading, I started to cry and was unable to finish. God's Spirit overwhelmed me with a deeply felt understanding of the power of this darkness and the relieve of having been brought of it by His Spirit. He graciously and patiently guided me through the darkness of this world into His marvelous Light - this 'awe' will always stay with me! Even now, the sense of gratitude overwhelms me at times. It always motivates me to share His Light.
This darkness holds everyone's mind and heart captive until He comes to rescue us. God's Word is filled with references to this darkness - it is a spiritual darkness that only God can penetrate and replace with His Holy Light - and now we have the 'Comforter' to help us walk in His Light.
This new Light becomes our joy - our joy will always remind us how grateful we are that we have by grace been saved out of the darkness of this world.
John3:19; 2Cor.4:6; John8:12; Matt.6:23; Acts26:18; Eph.5:8; Col.1:13; Eph.5:13; Luke11:35; 1Thes.5:5; 1John2:9; Luke 1:79; Rom.13:12
Psalm 40:1-3 describes the conversion experience and its sure result of "many shall see, and fear, and trust in the Lord" because of the new experience the believer has found through faith in Christ and the effect of this new experience upon others.
Regarding the need of a daily experience, the Lord has told us “I am the Way, the Truth, the Life”, “I am the Vine, you are the branches”, “Abide in me”, “I stand at the door and knock”, “If you do not believe that I am He, you must die in your sins”, and most importantly, "if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me". What greater invitation must we be given before we commit ourselves unto the Lord, the great Shepherd of our souls?
As Maurice shared, a marriage is a growing and ongoing relationship. My husband and I have been married for almost 42 years. I’m sure that those of you who have been married for a long time have experienced finishing each other’s sentences, or being in a situation where you just knew what your spouse was thinking. You know each other so well because you have nurtured your relationship. God gave us marriage so that we could experience first hand, the relationship The Godhead shares. It is also for us to understand what our relationship with Him can be like. Paul was very comfortable speaking with Agrippa because he knew the One he was witnessing about.