I'm gonna plow my field, because I'm looking for a harvest for my God, He's real. Well, this is a day that the Lord hath made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it. I want to welcome you to today's program, Spiritual Impact. I'm Senior Pastor Tim Parton of Abundant Life Worship Center, and I'm joined by my associate pastor, Pastor Steve Rose, and we're so glad that you stopped by.
Hope you stay with us for the next little bit. We're gonna get into the Word of God. We're just going to rejoice and be glad. Amen.
I want to ask you, have you ever heard of a testimony? Remember when we got to have a used to have a testimony service? Oh, yeah. Well, get in there and say, hey, is anybody got a testimony?
Anybody got a word for a Lord? Let's get up and testify. One of the other things I always said about a testimony, you know, you can't have a testimony until you have to pass the test. But you know, when God brings you through these things and you got a testimony, you can get out there and you can tell about what the Lord has done.
And that's what testimony really means, but I want to talk to something today about the testimony of facts. That's F-A-C-T-S, facts, proof. The testimony of proof. I don't know about you, but have you ever had a prayer answer by the Lord?
And I know what the answer is. Many times. And I know that you have a prayer that you have. And see, isn't it good when you come through that, you have that testimony known that God will do what His words says He'll do.
But have you ever had anybody try to discourage you? Say, that ain't going to happen. And then it isn't good when the testimony approves through. And they said, they're going, man, I never thought that would take place, but you know what, here it is.
And I found a story from the Word of God in Acts chapter 4. And it's a recording in the scripture here. Just after they had done a miraculous thing, the apostles did. And I say the apostles did it.
And we know the Lord did it through through the apostles. But again, the apostles had laid hands of this man. They had recovered. He had been laying for many, many, many years.
And they had nothing we should rejoice in. But not everybody rejoices in what God does. Some people, they sit there and they doubt about what God does. And it seems like sometimes they take pleasure when God may say no about something.
But again, we hold on to what God says, the testimony of facts and proof that He answers. You know, a lot of folks may not know, but pastor Steve is a retired police officer. First off, we thank you for your many years of service. But you've heard many testimonies in the court of law.
And some of them you could listen to and just knew that people were telling the truth. It was indisputable. And you heard some that you thought, you know what, they cannot believe what they're saying. But you know what, if it's facts, it's undeniable.
It is the truth. It's a steadfast, sure evidence. And the Word of God is about as sure and steadfast as you can get. And that's true.
When you're talking about that proof, like the court room testimony, you know, that's listened to by a earthly judge. But you know, brother and sister, God knows that there's a true in the law. That's why you got to be truthful with me. That's right.
He is the truth. He is the way the truth in the law. But here in Acts chapter four, when I read this, I start thinking about the testimony of facts. It says in Acts chapter four verse 13, it says, the members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in Scripture.
They were just people who loved the Lord. It says, they were amazed. You know why? Because they were people who knew the Word.
They were amazed at this going, how can this be happening with these people? Because they're unlearned. They don't know. Well, when Jesus called the disciples, he didn't go to the church world.
He went and got him some fishermen, some tax collectors, some ruthel guys. But he knew what he was going to create in them. He says, he uses those weak and big elements. Sometimes you know what to confound the wise.
And you know, that's not belittling in any shape form or fashion. He's trying to tell us where our strength comes from. Our strength comes from the Lord. If we're trying to do ministry, even our own ability, you do it wrong.
You got to do it through the power of the Spirit that lives within you. But I like that. He says, they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
All right. I'll get it good to know that when you come and you talk to somebody, you just know their Christians because why? Because they've been with Jesus and our Spirit's bare witness to one with another that we are the children of God. It doesn't just make a difference.
It is the difference. Amen. Amen. Amen.
He said the words that I speak, they're spirit in their life. And when God speaks and when God moves and performs the things that He said in His work because, like I said, they had been with Jesus. They had saw Jesus perform miracle after miracle after miracle. And Jesus said, if His word binds in us and we're abiding Him.
Amen. Amen. See, that's what we're talking about right here. But it also says right after that though, even though they had seen this thing happen, they saw they were bold.
They saw they were ordinary men with no special training. And it says, but they did recognize they had been with Jesus. It says that. It says, but since they could not see the man who had been healed standing right there or since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there and mung them, there was nothing the council could say.
The testimony of facts. I want to say, you know what? I want to deny this Jesus. I want to deny this power.
But here this man who was lame and they know he was lame is standing there healed in their very presence. It's just beautiful. I like that kind of testimony right there. You know, I like when you said that they knew that they had been with Jesus.
You read in the Old Testament about a man that came down from the mountain that they knew had been with God. It's Moses. You know what? You can't hide.
My mom always told us and we were going to say, boy, if Jesus is in your heart, it just shows. And you don't have to wear a sign. There's just a difference about you. You talk different.
You walk different. You carry yourself different. Why? Because he is the life changer and he'll change all things from bad to good and he'll create in us.
And I love the fact that, you know what? In his word, Jesus said when he came across the sick that he healed them all. And so he said, oh, that's the thing where we look at the word of God. What does the word of God say?
We got to believe. And that's what he says. What does the word of God, it's hinders on our belief. Faith.
And so he knows God. Faith. Faith. And see, that's what we have to have to have faith.
But you know, they seen this. They knew these people were unlearned men. They had been with Jesus. They had the proof standing before him.
And they're still sitting here and they're angry because you know, this is tearing down their little religious kingdom they built. Verse 15 says, so they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves. They put him out. They said, get him out of here for a minute.
Let's talk amongst ourselves to see what we're going to do here. How can we change this? And really, that's what they're looking at. How can we change this?
We know what's happened, but how do we change it? And in verse 16 it says, why should we do with these men? Because they've done something that's really turned the whole world upside down. And the people have seen it.
Yeah, they know what's going on. And he says, they ask each other, we can't deny that they have performed a miraculous sign. We can't deny it. He says, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it.
This is not something just went one place. He says, all Jerusalem knows about it. They have seen this sign. But he says, verse 17 says, but to keep them from spreading the propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak any, or speak to anyone in Jesus' name again.
So after they've done this miracle, they call me and say, I'll tell you what, we'll just tell them, you know, we are, we're going to tell you, you don't speak in Jesus' name again. And they say, so they call the apostles back in and commanded them, never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. That didn't go too well with disciples. No, and see, when you look at that, there's no way, after you, how can you deny the presence of God when you've seen Him answer so many times?
Is that not like the enemy though, Pastor Steve, that the thing that he tries to use the most is the silence, the testimony, because God says, well, he's no respect of person. So what he does for one, he'll do for another. And when you get up and you proclaim something that God has done and people can see that, he encourages them to believe. And the devil wants to try the silence that.
So therefore, he was trying to, you scare tactics, but Peter and him, they don't bend with Jesus. If you bend with Jesus, the devil ain't going to scare you. That's right. And when you're talking about that, we're talking about here with our followers here, the ones that are coming in and viewing this program.
We've got to tell you, you know, in your lifetime, you may have been told by someone who wasn't good enough or you'd never make it or you'll never be in anything in this world. We know it says that when Jesus comes into your heart, when He changed you, He says, you're a new creation. The old things are passed away. You're a new creation in Christ Jesus.
That means you're not the person you used to be. You can do something for the Lord. Don't let those words chain you to the past. You know, the Apostle Paul, he says, forgetting those things which are behind, he says, I press on to the upward calling.
He says, I press on to heaven. He says, I press on. You've got to forget those things. Don't be chained there.
He's a chainbreaker. Jesus sets you free. He says, I come to set the captive free. And when he comes and sets them free, he says, you are free in the hallelujah.
You know, the gifts and the callings of God are without repentance. Now, the world and sadly even a lot in the church want to try to tie you to past mistakes. I say again, the gifts and the callings of God are without repentance. And people want to take a past mistake and tie you to that and tell you because that happened that you can't do this for God and you can't do that for God.
He said that when he forgives us, he forgets us. He puts it into the sea and forgetfulness as far as the east is to the west. There again, the gifts and the callings of God are without repentance. And maybe we're talking to somebody here today, but it doesn't matter what was in your past.
If you have given your heart and your life to Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that we are a new creation. That's right. The old man has passed away. The old man has died.
The whole Jesus said, I make all things new. I don't know what you're talking about in the past. I don't live there. I don't belong there.
That is though it never happened because you know why the blood of Jesus Christ is more than sufficient to cover a multitude. That's right. Not just my sins, covered yours too. They can't cover everybody watching here.
It's covered in time if we will believe and receive. Amen. I'm not even right there believing. But so many people believe are chained to those things that are passed and God doesn't want you living there.
He had him set up landmarks and I always told people, you know, he had you set up the landmarks not to chain you to those landmarks. He didn't want you to be changed to the landmark. He wanted you to look back and say, look where God's brought us from. See, when people come to you and say, hey, you know, you did this one time.
Yeah, that was the old man. Okay, I'm not doubting that. But you know what? Jesus, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses me of my sin.
How do you, it makes me fit for the kingdom of heaven. You know, somebody coming here right now says, why should God let you in to the kingdom of heaven? Why should He let you in to heaven? You know, a lot of people go, you know, I go to church every time doors are open.
I pay all my tithes and those are good things. But you know what? All I can do today is say, why am I fit for the kingdom of heaven? I'd have to look up and say, thank you, Jesus.
It is because of the blood of the land. That is the reason I'm fit for the kingdom of heaven. And that's the reason we can do the things He's called us to do. Amen.
You know, people are too late to try to convince us different because I know the God that I serve that He don't ever change. See, God is the same yesterday. He's the same today. He'll be the same tomorrow.
And because He don't ever change, that's a comfort. That's an assurity. That is a fact that's undeniable. Amen.
We know that the Word of God will stand throughout all the tests of time. The enemies come against the Word time after time after time after time. But it's proven the Word is true. The Word is alive.
And the Word will always be that foundation that when we build our building upon, and God builds the building within us, no matter what comes against it, no matter how much the storms may be, or the waves. And no matter how many people come against you or what the enemy may say, or how the enemy may threaten and try to steal your voice. It can't take away your song. It can't take away your testimony.
And like Paul, it can't take away my determination because I know in whom I have believed. Amen. That was Job that I will see Him for myself. That He shall stand at the latter day.
Just like the angels when they stood there as Jesus ascended. They said, why are you men of Galilee stand you about gazing? This same Jesus will come again. How are you looking forward to that?
You know, at the end of the revelation, even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly. And that's it. The thing about the Word of God is it's truth. And anything pastor, Steve, that you can know that it's truth, that you can have substance in.
If you're needing a bank to work with you and they're going to help you, and they set up the plan for you, and you sign that contract, as long as you do your part, you know the bank will do their part. Well, if in the world system that holds true, how much more in the Word of God if we understand that if we do our part, God will always do His part. And far greater. We like the Scripture Ephesians 3, 20.
He's able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think. Now what gets me excited about that verse is not to think, well, God can just pour all this stuff on top of me. It's that I serve a God that's bigger than anything that I'm ever going to face. I serve a God that no matter what I'm up against, I have the victory.
Amen. Whether it be finances, whether it be sickness, whether it be a tax of the enemy, whatever it is. My victory is greater than I even can imagine. There is no defeat.
So we should never let out defeat the inner, into our heart and mind. This man that was healed, he wasn't going to deny Jesus. That's it. And you sit there and you know, I'm hearing your testimony right here.
That's what we're talking about right now. That was testimony. He's going to testimony what the Lord has done in his life. And when we're talking about that right there, you know, but there'll be other people coming up and go, no, I don't doubt.
I know. I know the life you live, but you see, there'll be other people coming up. We don't look much like a victory. That's like, you know, what does that look like?
But you know what I am. It says we always have the victory in Christ. Not sometimes, always have victory in him. You know why a lot of prayers don't get answered because we pray with the attitude that I hope God does it.
Come on. But when we pray the prayer of faith, then it goes back to the facts. There will be a testimony. Because when you pray the prayer of faith, faith is what moves God into action on our behalf.
It's not anything that we can do, but it's the God that we serve. And we know the angels of the Lord and camp of the roundabout them that love the Lord. The Lord also says the angels wait for us to speak the Word. To speak the Word.
Say what God says. Tell what God says. And you know, you give this testimony and just a minute ago, everything Lord has done for you. And like I said, I don't doubt you because I know the life you live and I've seen the things that God's done through your life past your team.
And see, but right here, they brought these guys back in. After this, they said, listen, I know there's a miracle being done, but you know what? We don't like that miracle. So let's bring them in here and we're going to use our authority and we're going to tell them they're never going to speak to the name of the Lord again.
So you know what? You said a few minutes ago, you said I've been persuaded. Just like Paul said, I'm persuaded. Now the way they were persuaded is because the life that they went through, the experiences they had, they've seen that God is faithful.
And hopefully you can say that today. If not, I pray that right now that God touches your life in just a few days, you're going to say, I am persuaded that God is able. But they brought these men back in. They said them before him.
He says, but Peter and John replied. And this was literally that verse again. Verse 18 says, so they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. So this miracle has been done through them by the power of Jesus.
And they said, don't you ever teach or speak in the name of Jesus again. But Peter and John replied, do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? He said, listen, first of all, you've got a problem with authority. You don't understand where the true authority comes from.
He says, we cannot stop telling about everything we have seen in her. And it says, the council threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn't know how to punish them without starting a right. For everyone was praising God for this miraculous sign of the healing of a man who had been lame for more than 40 years. I like that it reminds me, Jeremiah says, hey, there we go.
Like mine's I'm telling you, he says, Jeremiah says, I'm not going to speak another word for you. He said, I made him up, say it. And he says, but it was like fire shut up in my bones. He said, I could not help myself.
Could not be quiet. I'm telling you something. When you got something to say, and anybody that's a child of God, we have a testimony, man. Some testimonies differ from others, the things that maybe God brought you out of.
But they all had the same result that it was God that did the work. It was God that did whether you were delivered from drugs or alcohol or stealing or lying. See the world, the church where wants to categorize sin. All sin is wrong.
All sin will take you to hell if you don't repent. You know what, Jesus' blood is more than sufficient. So he can save the lie just as easy or the murder just to say it's the same as he can save the thief. Because the blood of Jesus cleanses all unrighteousness.
And whom the son has set free is free indeed. And therefore we go into the world and we share the good news as we often talk about the gospel. What is the gospel? It is Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.
The way, the truth, the life. He is the open door. We've heard people make the comment, there are many ways to God. No, there's one way.
It's Jesus Christ. What he did at Calvary. And if you try to come up any other way, the Word of God, not Tim and Steve, we didn't say this. The Word of God says if you try to come up any other way, then through Jesus you're a thief and you're a robber.
And you're not going to enter there in. We're going to have to submit ourselves. If you talked about authority, there is an authority in Jesus Christ that is above all things. And we don't have to worry and we don't have to fear.
Bible teaches that when you're brought before a governor's and things like that, don't worry for the Holy Ghost. We'll teach you what you need to say. There is a power that rises up within us. The same power that rose up in Peter when he proclaimed, we're going to listen to God.
We're going to obey God instead of you. That's the stand that we have to take. And no matter who or what comes against you, God said when the enemy comes in as a flood, I'll lift up a standard. I'm about to you, but I'll take God's standard every day, every time, every way.
I like that. As we're looking at here, people that are coming in and joining us today, I hope you have that ability to stand and say, you know, you're not going to convince me never to speak the name of Jesus. But I like the blind man that was healed. They knew they brought him in and said, hey, we know you've been blind.
He said, they brought his parents in too. He says, is this real your son? He says, is this real your son? He says, is this real your son?
He says, is this real your son? They said, no, they didn't answer because they knew they'd be kicked out of the synagogue. If they answered and said they believed in this Jesus. Well, they kept bringing that blind man in going, are you him?
Are you him or are you him? He's going to listen. I told you. He said, if I tell you again, will you believe?
They said, we know not this man Jesus. And you know what he says? He says, we don't believe in him. But you know what that blind man said?
And I know you do. He says, whether or not he believed in it or not, he says, I don't know. But whereas I was blind, now I see. And you know what?
He knew who you were standing before. He says, listen, he couldn't deny the facts. He couldn't deny the testimony he had right now. He says, I've been blind from all my life.
He said, but now I see. I see the name of Jesus right there. You know, Jesus is creator of all good things. Bible teaches us that every good gift comes from above.
And when we look unto him, when we look unto Jesus and put our trust in him, he is the author and the finisher of our faith. In him is completeness. And that's what's so wrong with people today. So many people are living a half empty life when Jesus wants to come in and complete you.
And only there's a place that was created in the heart of man that is reserved for God. And you can't do enough. You can't accumulate enough. You can't have enough titles.
Nothing will feel that void except God. And maybe you're feeling a void in your life today. I don't know what your story is. I don't know how your testimony of life and maybe how life has treated you.
We all come from different walks of life. But we are all loved by the same God. Amen. And he came and paid the price for every one of us.
Jesus doesn't love anyone else anymore than he loves the next person. That's right. He gave his life for all, for who? So ever will.
I don't know about you, but I was a who so ever. I was not always what you see sitting here. But thanks be to God. Because of Jesus.
There's been a change. Master Steve, let's take those needs before the Lord. Maybe you need salvation. Maybe you need healing.
You need direction. Jesus is the answer to all of it. Father, as we come before you, we come before you by the blood of Jesus. As we can stand boldly in your presence and we can find help in our time of need and we can find mercy.
Father, I'm asking you Lord for all those that are viewing today. Whatever situation they may be facing. Father, God, I'm asking you right now in the mighty name of Jesus. Let them realize and understand they are loved.
They are loved by the Jesus Christ our Lord. They're loved. Glory be to God, our Father in heaven and by the Holy Spirit. The only Father I'm asking you Lord today Lord to do a work in their life.
The only Father Lord, let them see. There is hope. Let them see. They have a testimony.
Let them see that Jesus is still alive and well. He knows right where they're at and He knows right how to heal them. He knows right how to change their lives. And Father, we praise you and we thank you.
And I know it shall be done for Father. Your Word says your ears inclined into the cry of the righteous. And I know it shall be done for I ask you to the name of Jesus. Amen.
Holy, you know, we've now come to the end of today's program and it's always been a pleasure to have you join us here on the program today, Spiritually Impact. We'd like to give you an open invitation to come visit us at the Bundell High Force Center. We're located right there in Severeville, 923, Dolly Parton Parkway. We're not any more special or different than anybody else.
We just love Jesus and we lift up His name. But we appreciate your time. Tell a friend and invite someone to join us next time. And I'm sure you all have a lot of testimonies.
You know what? We love to hear them. We'd love to hear them and share them with you. I'll tell you, praise God.
You just keep praising God and thinking for all the things He's done and see what He's going to do in your lifetime. And I tell you, praise me to God. We love you and God loves you. Amen.
Hello, everybody. This is Pastor Tim Parton of the Bundell High Force Center. For those of you that live in the Severeville area, or maybe you just visit from time to time, we'd like to take a moment and invite you to come visit us at the church. We're located at 923, Dolly Parton Parkway, right here in Severeville.
Our service times are Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Wednesday evening at 630. We just love sharing the Word of God. We're just a family church.
So we invite you to come, grow with us. God bless. We can overcome just a little faith. We are never alone.
So this battle I won't fear. Cause I can hear the sound of heaven's drawing near.