ttob13

The Testimony of Believers

Lesson Thirteen: by Turtle

What is a testimony of the believers. It is about what they saw, heard, and experienced when they were with Jesus. We know the Twelve disciples
were authority of what was seen and witnessed and were chosen for that task. Those stories are shared of that experienced even with Christ’s
speeches. Consistency of the four Gospels of certain events make readers understand the agreement within the Gospels. Though some Gospels record
other things concerning the events it displays the individuality of each record recorded for historical purposes. Each witness sharing what they
remember of event. My husband and I remember different things of just a simple event as funeral or a weeks church service. Or if we go shopping
what we seen heard and witnessed might even be more individualized. Why because we are going in different directions, standing with different people,
moving down perhaps even a different aisle. No doubt disciples that recorded their accounts had these same differences. However what is clear is the
message of the word of God did not change. It still preached who God was and is and who the Messiah to come was Jesus. It tells what we are to
share with others as well as what others seen. It is account of who Jesus is and His testimony about who His Father in heaven is.

The disciples listening to Jesus want to know exactly how to do certain things. Especially when it came to a matter of faith. Every society teaches on
how to pray in their religion or group. John had taught his disciples to pray, and they wanted to know if Jesus would teach them to how to pray. It
never says if John the Baptist prayer was different. Yet Jesus begins the Lord’s prayer but Luke only seems to recorded part of it. How many of you
can say the Lord’s prayer by memory and how many can say part of it. Want the intire Lord’s prayer one needs to go to Matthew 6 starting at verse 9
for the actually prayer but starting at verse one for the intire instructions. What I think is important to note is what was important in praying was
reverence to God the Father.

Luke 11:1-2
(1) And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John
also taught his disciples.
(2) And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in
heaven, so in earth.

The directness of how special God the Father is. His worthiness to be praised or reverence and that His will be done. Next is to ask or to state one’s
needs.

Luke 11:3-4
(3) Give us day by day our daily bread.
(4) And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

This is stating what we know God will do for us. What is our daily bread is it food, not necessarily physical food, but a spiritual food, for the next
verse states forgiveness for our sins. Spiritual food often brings us to a need to repent to clean up our sin. It is easy sometimes to repent over the years
then to repent when first learning to turn from sin. Why because it learn God has our best interest at heart. He desires to keep us safe and free from
harm. It more then just knowing it but understanding it to the fact we obey.

Several things are then given as instruction. What are we to do in obedience to God. In aid or our fellowman/friend. If God is our friend, if God ask of
us should we not do it. If we would help a friend who had guest come unannounced should we not do for God these same things which He ask of us,
after all we are His friend if we obey Him. How much more will He do for us if we ask according to His will in our lives.

Luke 11:5-13
(5) And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
(6) For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
(7) And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
(8) I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as
he needeth.
(9) And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
(10) For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
(11) If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
(12) Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
(13) If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them
that ask him?

God will provide the tool in which to serve Him and that is the Holy Spirit when we ask. Holy Spirit is not for us to use, but for us to allow God
instruction by His Spirit to work in us. Very simple principal, but many think that we can use God and we can not. God uses us, and God provides for
us as we yield to Him and even before we begin to yield to Him for after all God made everything you have even if man used that wonderful mind He
gave to create it for us. After all he has the master plans. Pray as the Lord Jesus taught His disciples.

The witness of disciples and the crowd were often a witness of confusion and wonder. The wonder by the crowd of the authority to take care of
demons. This same authority was given to the disciples as well. Yet no one in ancient history had ever done this before, except when God cast Serpent
out of the garden of Eden. Jesus was a witness to this according to last weeks chapter but it was not discussed.

Luke 10:17-20
(17) And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
(18) And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
(19) Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
(20) Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

When did this occur at the garden of Eden. It also a star is fallen in Revelations, this is a person that had power to summon demons from the darkness
of hell. This was a evil man, a deceiver.

Revelation 12:12-13
(12) Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you,
having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
(13) And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

Revelation 9:1
(1) And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

Satan no longer has the key to the bottomless pit. Christ holds the key from sin and death. He is able to defeat the devil for by the Word of God who
He is, is able to command the devil to leave. And devil has to obey. This is spiritual, but it is shown in the physical through Christ death and
resurrection. Through the death of Christ Spirit. Two witness of God who would continue to testify of God after the resurrection. Three days, and
taken and ascended into heaven. The devil no longer having authority over the saints of God in the spiritual realm. The physical realm, sometimes we
do have bad political leaders as well as the different realms of society in authority and sometimes good but all are under the authority of God, just like
Satan has to ask permission to tempt and to pester God’s children. Satan can no longer pester God’s children when we fight for truth and justice of our
freedoms on earth and crush the enemy. Our freedoms being what is given to all human’s from the dawn of time. The freedom of choice as well as the
freedom to believe and obey God or not too. Satan can not stand and will not stand.

When the devil fights against himself he can never win. The devil can not win if his kingdom is divided. A marriage will not stand if be divided. God
only divides the wheat from the tears and actually His angels do that for Him, under His instructions on judgment day.

What interesting to note is Jesus begins to explain through use of the story of Jonah and how the whole city can testify that when God’s word came to
them they repented, but Nineveh was destroyed because after a time they went back to their old ways and God destroyed them. If you want God you
got to kick the enemy completely out. Our nation needs to kick those that do not like it here out. And say you have a freedom of choice leave if you
don’t like it here. However America is divided nation. It will perhaps one day fall as Nineveh did.

Luke 11:27-36
(27) And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that
bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.
(28) But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
(29) And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given
it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.
(30) For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
(31) The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of
the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
(32) The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and,
behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
(33) No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see
the light.
(34) The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is
full of darkness.
(35) Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.
(36) If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give
thee light.

No doubt Jonah testified of the story of the fish to Nineveh. How He was swallowed for disobedience to God. Yet as time went on and they seeped
back into sin, they were destroyed. Yet they can testify of what happened to them on judgment day and all that occurred. The wrath of God on the
sinner was known even at the time of Genesis 4. Here is a nice verse to add to that collection of those that knew right but sin anyway.

Genesis 4:23-24
(23) And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my
wounding, and a young man to my hurt.
(24) If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

Testimony of the wrath of God in one’s life can bring others to repentance. The testimony of the plight of sin in one’s life can bring about the
understanding of the deliverance of God. But when testified it should not glorify sin. It like those that like to glorify Hitler and Stalin. It makes no since
to us. It makes no since to glorify a evil men. No one can understand the need for deliverance and how God wants us to repent if we do not tell the
horrors of what God will do to evil people.

Devils destroy themselves but God’s people stand. Devil is to busy playing games of deception with each other. To the point they can not stand up to
know what truth is, and thus destroying themselves. Better to know the word of God, the word of truth. It does not divide itself. Truth will always win.

Christ continues about the evil ways of the religious leaders and the lawyers. He held not back to the evil ways of men and false leaders of God. Let us
continue reading scripture.

Luke 11:37-54
(37) And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.
(38) And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.
(39) And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and
wickedness.
(40) Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?
(41) But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
(42) But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to
have done, and not to leave the other undone.
(43) Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
(44) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
(45) Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.
(46) And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with
one of your fingers.
(47) Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
(48) Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
(49) Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
(50) That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
(51) From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required
of this generation.
(52) Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
(53) And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
(54) Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

Lawyers and Pharisees began to seek a way to trap Jesus, but in the process, they began to trap themselves. For they begin to more vehemently
seeking a way to trap a justice and righteous man who was the Messiah. This man was dangerous to their income and so they did not like Him. They
wanted rid of Him. Many desire to be rid of people that speak truth. The testimony of the people here are not so in favor of Jesus. Not even one was
happy. Yet the one woman in verse 27 of Matthew understood how bless the woman was the had him, but Christ told her that blessed was those that
received the word of God. These leaders would not be blessed for the rejection of the word of God.