Because of their Testimony E-Book

Chigemezi N. Wogu

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 59

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

This is a book of testimonies. Deeper than the stories which you will read, it is a book that tells you why sharing your testimony is important. Through biblical evidence and stories of other pilgrims, you will be encouraged to overcome the negative vicissitudes of life in the present and towards the future when we all will sing the song of Moses and the Lamb.

Leseprobe

PRAISE FOR BECAUSE OF THEIR TESTIMONIES

“These are testimonies that beg to be seen not only in the light of what God does, but with a conception and an admission of what the Lord can do for those who experience and interpret God’s actions.”

–Robinson Onderi, Pastor, Seniorenheim Friedensau & Adventgemeinde Burg, Germany

“Reading this book will encourage and excite you to tell and live your testimony of a God that selflessly loves you, cares about you, helps you, and has an interest of saving every human being on this earth.”

–Christoph Till, Pastor, Adventgemeinde Thalheim, Germany

“Undoubtedly, there is power in sharing our testimonies. No wonder Jesus encourages us to tell our stories (Mark 5:19). I believe many will be assured in their faith by reading this important book. I wholeheartedly endorse and recommend this book.”

–Albert Owusu Ansah, Assistant Pastor, Emmendigen, Freiburg and Titisee-Neustadt, Germany

Dedicated to Chimamanda and Chiedozie. May you grow up to testify of the goodness of God and may everyone praise God because of your testimony.

CONTENTS

Foreword: Being a Living Testimony

Prologue

“They will Give a Testimony”

Testimonies Acknowledge and Proclaim Jesus

Telling Our Stories Grows Our Faith

Telling Your Story Encourages Others

Testimonies and Overcoming The Enemy

Epilogue

Afterword

FOREWORD: BEING A LIVING TESTIMONY

Everybody has a story. It starts with our childhood, the way we grew up, how we chose our profession, how we met our partner, and, if we are believers, the kind of experiences we’ve made in our walk of faith. Usually, we tell the story of our conversion to non-believers so that they can see God’s work in our lives. But sharing our testimonies not only encourages non-believers and invites them to trust in the Lord but can also be a big help for people who already are followers of Christ. It can help them to see, in the midst of their lives, how God helps, and that miracles are no illusion, but rather a reality to count on. But this requires living with God in our everyday life. It requires us to have a relationship with the Creator God, and with our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Stories of Our Lives

Our lives involve living with God, getting answers to our prayers, experiencing miracles, and also being given the chance by Him to tell our stories. These are stories that only you have, because of the specific circumstances in which you invited the Lord into your life and started living with Him, praying to Him, going through difficult times with Him, and being changed by Him. These are stories that only you can tell in an excited and authentic way, because you lived through them and saw God working in your life, with yourself sitting in the front row, having the VIP seat.

In the following book, my good friend, colleague and former neighbour, Chigemezi Wogu, paints a picture of what testifying of Jesus does to us, to our faith, and to the people around us. It also shows how our testimonies fit in with the great cosmic conflict. Besides giving a biblical background of what being a witness means and the effects of testifying, this book also includes interesting stories from the author’s own life, as well as from the lives of other people who were witnesses not only when it was comfortable, but also in the midst of trials and battles. Reading this book will encourage and excite you to tell and live your testimony of a God who selflessly loves you, cares about you, helps you, and has an interest in saving every human being on this earth. God bless you as you read, study, become excited, and share your testimonies in your home, workplace, university, school, church, or wherever you might be.

Christoph Till

Pastor, Adventgemeinde Thalheim, Germany

PROLOGUE

When I became the pastor of New Life SDA Church in Berlin, I did not know that the Lord would fill my ministry with numerous testimonies in a couple of months. Well, my testimony started even before I stepped into the position of a pastor.

I was working as a social worker with Cornelius Werk, a social work agency of the Evangelical Church in Germany. It was in a small town in the state of Sachsen Anhalt in Germany. Things were fine. I had a good salary, and I was in the process of getting a more permanent contract when the president of the Berlin Central Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Germany called me. His request was clear: “Can you imagine becoming a pastor and working for us?” I wanted more details, and he came to our home and explained that, if I was to accept, I would need to pastor the multicultural English-speaking congregation as well as a German congregation.

I was hesitant . . . hesitant because I did not know how to tell my bosses who had been good to me that I would be leaving. Also, I had just gotten over the first difficult hurdles of becoming a social worker, whose primary job was to oversee the livelihood of kids and teenagers. My wife knew it was God’s calling. Then I made a deal with God. “If you let me be released in January, I will go to work for You without asking.”

When I made that prayer, I was not thinking. This was the end of October. In Germany you need to give three months’ notice before you resign. The president said I could start in March the next year. I knew that starting in January was the best. So, I ended up talking to my immediate boss sometime in November, and he just said: “Well, we would like to keep you, but this is your calling; you can go at the end of December or January.” He told me he would talk to the supervisor when I put things on paper.

The day I spoke with the supervisor, he was sorry to see me leave, since I had brought a different spirit of hope and thankfulness into the team. He told me I was released! I could not believe it. I shared this with the conference, and informed them I would begin in January, earlier than anticipated. They were happy; the congregation was surprised to have a new pastor by January; and God was praised.

When I told this testimony to the congregation on my first day of service, which was also the day I was installed, many were encouraged. But God had only just begun filling my ministry with testimonies. He would, through prayer, reveal how to go about leading the congregation. He would soften the minds of the church members, quell the fights and bickering that gave the congregation a bad reputation, and lead me through unknown paths. At one point, during a youth retreat, the way God surprised the young adults, and their leaders was more than amazing.