Text: Josh 4:1-9, 20-24
Joshua chose 12 men out of the 12 tribes of Israel and commanded them to take every man a stone.
These stones were to become pillars of testimony to the miracle power of God dividing the Jordan and delivering the children of Israel. It was required that every man would take up a stone upon his shoulders, In other words every man had to carry his own testimony.
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony…
Don’t ever think that your testimony isn’t important, (according to the word of God you are made an overcomer by the blood of Jesus and by your testimony.)
Ro 8:37 Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
More than conquerors: More because I didn’t just get delivered, I didn’t just get healed, I didn’t just make it through the Jordan waters, I didn’t just make it through the fire and through the flood, but I’ve got a testimony.
Joshua said every man must carry his own testimony, it’s the blood of the lamb coupled with your own testimony that makes you an overcomer.
Your testimony is what makes you valuable to the kingdom, your testimony is what makes you dangerous, Your testimony is what makes you a threat to hell.
You see it’s not just what you came through, and what you made it through that makes you a threat to hell, (It’s that you came through)
In other words, your personal victory benefits no one except yourself. But when you open your mouth and declare the faithfulness of God and declare the mercy of God that delivered you, that restored you and set you free.
Your testimony becomes a weapon, your testimony becomes a sword in your hand, your testimony becomes an instrument of power to set the captives free.
Your testimony becomes a lifeline to someone who is sinking.
Tell your neighbor: I’ve got a testimony
Many of Gods people have been shamed into hiding their testimony.
Many of Gods people are afraid to give their testimony, because the devil makes them believe that if they talk about it, it might open the door for it to come back, or they might fall back into the pit they were delivered from. (This is nothing but the spirit of fear, manipulating and intimidating you) because the devil knows the power of your testimony.
Pro. 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
The devil wants to keep your mouth shut because he knows your testimony has the power to bring life, to bring hope, to bring joy and peace and to bring restoration and deliverance.
Look at your neighbor and tell them: I have a testimony. (It’s mine, It’s my own, I didn’t borrow it from somebody else, I’m not trying to copy somebody else.
It’s my very own.
It was my pain, my heartbreak, it was my confusion and my fear, and my loss. It was my fire and it was real and it was hot and it hurt. At times I felt like I wasn’t going to make it. At times I felt like I was going to lose my mind. At times I felt like I was going to die.
But I made it: The attack didn’t kill me, I was snake bit but I didn’t die, the divorce didn’t kill me, the drugs didn’t kill me, the sickness didn’t kill me, the car wreck didn’t kill me.
Come on somebody: My ministry was attacked, my character was attacked, my finances were attacked but it didn’t kill me. I walked through the valley of the shadow of death (but I didn’t die).
I walked through the fiery furnace but I didn’t burn up
I waded through deep waters but I didn’t drown
I heard the devil say: I’m going to kill you, But I’m still here, (healed, delivered, set free and preaching the gospel.
I’ve got a testimony: For one year I fought hell every day for my life, for my future, for my destiny, and there were times when I felt like giving up, and there were times when I felt like I couldn’t make it, and there were people who said I wouldn’t make it, there were people who had already written me off.
But God gave me a testimony: God raised me up, God healed me and delivered me from the hand of the enemy.
Is there anybody else who has a testimony?
You shouldn’t have made it out of that car wreck, the officers on the scene said it was impossible for anyone to survive that kind of crash.
You shouldn’t have survived that drug overdose.
You lost your house, your car, your money, you should have lost your mind. Others have went through a lot less and didn’t make it and they’re locked up in an institution.
You shouldn’t have survived that attack on your ministry.
Come on somebody: Am I talking to anybody tonight?
You shouldn’t have gotten that position on the job, others are a lot more qualified than you.
You shouldn’t be living in the kind of house your living in and driving the kind of car your driving, and making the kind of money your making. Statistics say coming from your background and your social status that you should be living in the projects and surviving on food stamps.
But God: But God, (has any body got a but God testimony?)
I should be dead (But God)
But God has healed me
But God has delivered me
But God has promoted me
But God has protected me
But God has anointed me
Has anybody got a testimony?
The 3 Hebrew children had a great miracle when God delivered them through the fiery furnace. But the most valuable thing that they received that day was not the miracle (it was the testimony).
Because the miracle was theirs alone and only benefited them, and it was just for that day and for that problem.
But their testimony is still bringing hope to the hopeless, and it’s still bringing strength to the weak, and healing to the sick and deliverance to the bound and the oppressed.
We overcome today by the (blood of the lamb, and by the word of our testimony.)
Somebody is going to be delivered because of your testimony, somebody is going to be healed because of your testimony, and somebody is going to receive boldness and strength to try again because of your testimony.
Somebody who was going to quit the ministry is going to stay in the ministry because of your testimony.
Somebody who was on the verge of a nervous breakdown is going to find peace and comfort and strength because of your testimony.
Somebody who was ready to quit on life is going to keep on living because of your testimony.
No wonder the devil has tried to kill you, no wonder you’ve been going through the fiery furnace. He wants to shut you up; he wants to kill your testimony.
When David was running from Saul he went and got the sword of Goliath that he took from him when he cut off his head.
The sword of Goliath represents two things:
One: In the hand of Goliath it represents that which was sent to kill steal and destroy, we could call it sickness and disease or we could call it debt, marriage problems, we could call it attacks on your character.) The bottom line is, it is that which the devil sent to kill you, kill your ministry, kill your marriage.
But in David’s hand that same sword was the testimony that whatever the devil designed and launched against him, It didn’t work.
It’s the testimony that: No weapon formed against you will prosper.
It’s the testimony that if God be for you, who can be against you.
And David cut off Goliaths head with his own sword.
Some of you, instead of murmuring and complaining about what you’re going through, and what the devils doing, ought to be praising the lord and ought to be saying: Thank you mister devil for giving me something to work with.
Thank you mister devil for putting a sword in my hand to cut off your head with.
And those of you who say you’re going through big trials and big fires and big problems, (you need to understand, it’s so you can have a big sword that will do more damage to the devils kingdom.)
Ps 9:13-14 David tells how God lifted him up from the gates of death, so that he could testify to the church of his deliverance, and tell how what the enemy sent to destroy him, backfired in the enemies face and destroyed them.
I’m prophesying to you right now: That God is going to turn it around, God is going to make the devils plan backfire in his face, If you will hold on God will deliver you and he will put the enemies sword in your hand and you will cut off the enemies head with his own sword.
And God will give you a testimony:
You need to know that there is:
No miracle without a problem
No victory without a battle
No crown without a cross
No resurrection without a death
And no testimony without a test
Somebody listening to me; You’re going through the fire right now, you’re in the fight of your life, for your life. You’re walking through the valley of the shadow of death, you’re being attacked physically, spiritually, financially, your family is under attack, your marriage is being attacked, your ministry is being attacked, it seems like all hell has been unleashed against you.
But God sent me here to tell you: You’re going to make it, you’re not going under you’re going over.
You’re not going to burn up in the fire, but you’re coming out with victory and you’re coming out with a testimony that will shake hell, and will break down walls and set captives free.
When the children of Israel crossed the Jordan River, they set up two pillars; One was in the middle of Jordan and one was on the other side of Jordan.
The first one in the midst of Jordan was a midway praise: It was an, I’m going through it praise.
Has anybody got an I’m going through it praise?
I’m going through sickness, but I’m going to praise him anyway.
I’m going through a divorce, but I’m going to praise him anyway.
I’m going through financial problems, they’re threatening to foreclose on my house, but I’m going to praise him anyway.
I’m going through it with my children, they’re on drugs, they’re rebellious and hateful, but I’m going to praise him anyway.
Come on somebody: I don’t know what you’re going through tonight, but you need to shame the devil and give God a Going through it praise. Give God a midnight praise.
You may be in the darkest times of your life, but give God praise.
Paul and Silas were beaten, and humiliated publicly, and they were bound and cast into the inner prison.
They could have murmured and complained, they could have been angry and bitter, or they could have slipped over into self pity, but they didn’t.
The bible says: At midnight, Paul and Silas began to pray and sing praises unto God, and God shook that prison off it’s foundation and shook the doors off their hinges, and broke the shackles off of every prisoner.
I just stopped by to tell somebody; God works the night shift, in fact he does his best work in the dark.
You may not see it, but he’s working, you may not feel it, but he’s working.
Tell your neighbor: He’s working on it.
Job 9:11 Job said: Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
See Job said: he went by me, but I didn’t see him, he’s moving around me, but I can’t perceive it.
Then Job 23:8-9
8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:
9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:
Again Job says: He’s working on the left hand, but I cannot see what he’s doing, and he’s working on the right hand but he won’t let me see him.
And I just stopped by to tell somebody tonight: He doth work, he’s working on the left hand and he’s working on the right hand and when he gets through with what he’s doing he’s going to flip the light on and you’re going to see what’s he’s been working on in the dark.
When the children of Israel got to the other side of the Jordan: Joshua said, now take those stones that you carried out of the Jordan river and build a pillar here. This is your Thank God I made it Praise.
This is your thank God I made it testimony.
Is there anybody here who has a thank God I made it Praise? A thank God I made it testimony?
Is there anybody here who knows it’s a miracle you’re still here?
Is there anybody who knows that if it hadn’t been for God you would have died ? doctors had already given up on you, medical science couldn’t do any more for you. (But Doctor Jesus took your case and healed you and gave you a miracle.)
Is there anybody here who knows your marriage was headed for the rocks, but God stepped in and healed and restored and now your marriage is not on the rocks, but on The Rock Jesus Christ?
I’m just wondering: Is there anybody here who has a thank God I made it testimony, a thank God I made it praise?
I’m just wondering has anybody here ever been through a storm, and it looked like and sounded like and felt like you weren’t going to make it? But God came on the scene and made a way out of no way and God rebuked the storm and brought you out?
Ps 119:92 (David said) Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.
And David Said In Ps 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
and then David said in Ps 40: vs.3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
David Said God hath put a new song in my mouth, even Praise unto God:
David said: I was stuck in a horrible pit, I was sinking into the miry clay, all joy and all peace was fading from view, it looked like I was going to die, it looked like I would never be happy again, It looked like the devil had won,
(but God)
Reached down into that horrible pit and he pulled me out of that miry clay, and he set my feet upon the rock, and he gave me back my joy, and he gave me back my peace and he gave me back my song,
What David was saying is (God hath given me a testimony and when people hear my testimony they will honor God and put their trust in him for their own deliverance, and their own miracle,)
Does anybody have a testimony?
Does anybody have a midnight praise?
Does anybody have a thank God I made it praise
Does anybody know how to give God Praise?
I wish I had some people who have a testimony and are not ashamed to lift your voices and give God Praise.
Somebody needs to open your mouth and testify, somebody needs to open your mouth and shout.
Somebody needs to open your mouth and give God praise, and tell the devil he’s a liar, and tell the devil he’s a loser.
Tell the devil your God is greater than divorce, your God is greater than cancer and heart trouble, Your God is greater than sugar diabetes and high blood pressure. Your God is greater than arthritis, and deafness and cataracts.
Come on somebody: You’re God is greater than drug addiction, than homosexuality, than perversion.
Somebody needs to lift your hands and lift your voices and begin to praise God like he deserves it, praise him like he brought you out of something.
begin to praise God like your thankful.
Get your neighbor by the hand and tell them: I’ve got a testimony
Now testify:
I was sick but God healed me.
I was lost but Jesus found me
I was bound by drugs and alcohol but God delivered me
I was oppressed by a spirit of fear but God set me free
I was sinking in debt but God gave me a miracle
I was about to lose my marriage but God brought restoration
I was about to lose my mind but God stepped in and spoke peace
There’s power in your testimony
