Author: Theodore Enke
Company: Conejo Koinonia Church

"Come and hear, all you who fear God, 
and I will declare what He has done for my soul."  Psalm 66:16  

As believers we are to be always ready to give testimony of Jesus Christ and the reconciling of man to God through the Cross.
"But in your hearts honor Christ The Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet  do it with gentleness and respect."   1 Peter 3:15  

How is the testimony to be given?
Unceasingly:
"I have set watchmen on your wall, O Jerusalem,
Who shall never hold their peace day or night.
You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent."  Isaiah 62:6

Empowered by the Holy Spirit:
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Samaria and to the end of the earth."  Acts 1:8

Without shame or fear:
The Apostle Paul reminds Timothy and us that,
"God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind.  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the suffering for the gospel according to the power of God."  2 Timothy 1:7-8

And what are the marks of a true testimony?
We saw in our opening Scripture, it relates to personal experience -- 'I will declare what the Lord has done for my soul'.

It recounts God's blessings:
"I will mention the lovingkindness of the LORD
And the praises of the LORD,
According to all that the LORD has bestowed on us,
And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He bestowed on them according to His mercies,
According to the multitude of His loving kindnesses."  Isaiah 63:7

It is shared among those who revere the Lord and He hears:
"Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another.  The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed His name."  Malichi 3:16

It becomes irrepressible:
"For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." Acts 4:20

It is the outgrowth of faith:
"But since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, 'I believed and therefore I spoke', we also believe and therefore speak."  2 Corinthians 4:13

All these Scriptures are concerning the speaking of the testimony.  However, unless the believer lives his/her life in conformity with the testimony, the word of the testimony becomes mere words -- or as the Apostle Paul says 'a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal'.  
It is Christ in the believer and His testimony that is to be expressed in word and deed!  How can this be?  By the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
"For all who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."  Romans 8:14

So I repeat 1 Peter 3:15 and add verses16 and 17:
"But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.  For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will. than for doing evil."

If you are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, Jesus says you are blessed and yours is the kingdom of heaven.  (See Matthew 5:10)

We are His and He is ours so we go forth in the power of the Holy Spirit and the joy of the Lord/!
Amen