The church needs to stop the insanity – part 2

Psalm 107 – God’s Training Manual for Believer Testimonies

In part 1, we concluded that spiritual revival in America is directly linked to our willingness to share our testimonies.  What does God teach us about the writing of our testimonies?  Everything we want to know is in Psalm 107.

1. God tells us faith stories are to be a significant part of our faith experience
   • We are commanded to give thanks to the Lord.“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever… Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. “
   • We are commanded to meditate on the loving deeds God has done for people.“Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.”
   • We are commanded to tell our own personal story of God’s good deeds”Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story“
2. God has spelled out the various story lines that make for good testimonies
   • He delivers people from lives without meaning and purpose“Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”
   • He delivers people from their rebellion from God 

     “Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains, because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the plans of the Most High. So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.“”Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.”

     “He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there. He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish.“

   • He delivers people from traumatic experiences 

     “Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep. For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wits’ end. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea[b] were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.”

   • He delivers people from oppression
     
     Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled by oppression, calamity and sorrow; he who pours contempt on nobles made them wander in a trackless waste. But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks. The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths.

Are you ready to share your testimony?  Are you ready for your testimony to be used by God in His plan for spiritual revival in America?  Read Psalm 107, identify the good works God has done in your life, and then share them with your neighbors searching for hope.

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