Nwsltr-082910-I have Seen and Testified

“The Testimony and Evidence that Makes a Believer a Believer”

By The Watchman
Dana G Smith

John 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

I like the Gospel of John. In this book the Holy Ghost witnesses to the truth of the Son of God. It pulls no punches and literally declares that the Father sent his only begotten Son into the World. Called the “Lamb of God” by John the Baptist in Chapter one, which refers to the ‘consolation of Israel’ many devout Jews were waiting for. When this arrived, many had been waiting for him and yet, many others did not even recognize him. God was doing a work and those who tried to figure this out by mans wisdom or by mans spirit within them, could not. This could only be discerned and known through God by the Holy Ghost.

Above John plainly tells it like it is. Simply saying “I saw and  bare record this is the Son of God.” By this statement it meant that the long waiting, suffering, and devout jews who had sought God on this matter would understand who he was talking about. For they knew God kept his promise and that this God would send the Messiach. He not only saw but he bore record of it. The record itself was written in John and also heard by many around him as he declared the following:

John 1:29  ¶The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

John 1:36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

John even went further than merely saying who this was. He describes in detail how the Lord God told him how to recognize the Messiah. In this we find a God that actually gets involved with men on their level. A level that brings understanding to them so that they may be saved from Gods wrath. It is a story that goes back to the foundations of the world, yet one that even today is told. It is a story of Gods love and the Son he sent and the Son who came. For the same Son of God who came did so out of love and he said himself “you don’t take my life.”  This Son of God, whose Father had given him the power said, “No man taketh it from me [meaning his life], but I lay it down of myself.” Saying further Jesus said “I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again.”  This was a commandment given to him by his Father.  I can see this as the Father says, “are you sure you want to do this.?” The son then saying “sure Father, for I love you and love those who I am sent too.” Then his Father turns lovingly to the Son and says “this is the commandment I give you, You have power to lay down your life and you have power to take it again. For no man shall take it from you.”

John 10:17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

In another section Jesus says he could “now pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels.” Well according to resources, a legion is numerically figured at 6000. So that’s more than 72,000 angels, not men!

Matthew 26:53  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

In Genesis chapter 19 it only took two angels to destroy all of Sodom and Gomorrah. In another instance an angel of the Lord went before Israel during her deliverance from Egypt separating them from the Armies of Pharoah.  In Kings we read of an angel of the LORD who smote 185, 000 Assyrians, the text reads “in the morning, they were all dead corpses.” In view of this, that would be enough strength to deliver the Son of God from all men and nations, including the very Romans and Jews who rejected him. This said, the Son of God came, because he loved and knew what it would take to give us Hope and Redemption! He came and died for all men out of love, for no man nor nation could of killed him just to get rid of him. No, he had the power and the commandment from the Lord that said, “men will not take your life”. Jesus Christ, gave of his life out of love, as the Messiah.

2 Kings 19:35  ¶And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

Zacharias who was the husband of Elizabeth [i.e. mother of John the Baptist] prophesied over John saying that John would be a prophet and he would go before the face of the Lord to prepare his way. It is here that we find him saying on this note “the dayspring from on high hath visited us.”

Luke 1:76  And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77  To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78  Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79  To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Then, there is Simeon a devout man who lived in Jerusalem. The Holy Ghost was upon him and he was specifically waiting for the ‘consolation of Israel.’ The one who would be sent from the LORD God to redeem his people and raise them up. This would be a consolation, a redemption from their past troubles. This would be accomplished in the sight of men and nations. It was not done in a closet or secret, so to speak.

Luke 2:25  ¶And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

Simeon specifically speaks to the fact of him seeing “thy salvation”, which “thou has prepared before the face of all people,” and “this would be a light to Gentiles and glory to thy people Israel.”

Luke 2:30  For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31  Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32  A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

These are just two I have spoken about, but add in the others, some named and others unnamed all of which were touched by the Hand of God when the Messiach came to this earth. The supernatural, GOD, the LORD, who is Spirit, the Father of all Spirits, and Father of us all, reached down to touch all those who would let him. This demonstration of love was manifested in his only begotten Son who became the Lamb of God, the Passover Lamb, which was sacrificed upon the tree. Thus, being made a curse, [i.e. for everyone who hangs upon a tree is cursed]. The Lamb was sacrficed with the shedding of his innocent blood for all of people. The only requirement is to receive him and believe. This would involve a turning from our own ways and to Gods ways. This believe, trust in, rely upon, and cling to this God and his Savior Son, Jesus Christ being the paramount cornerstone of our redemption. It is called faith!

This, of course, is a work done by the Holy Spirit. Truly a move of God in the lives of men and nations. Even today many come to the Lord and others try to find him through ‘mans spirit of understanding’, or ‘mans will power’ or through ‘mans wisdom’. None of these, however will place you in the position to know this God or his Son. It comes through the manifold move of God by his Spirit in your life. You are literally born again by the Spirit of God, the finger of God in your spirit. A supernatural LORD charged and manifested Son ship begins. God brings you by his power unto himself.  These who came, did so in faith believing with hearts that sought Gods help. They turned from their own ways [repentance] and turned to the way of the LORD.

John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

For me I can still remember the road and the miles out on a highway [i.e. fairly busy one at that], where I pulled over my truck and finally gave it all the LORD. I gave my sins, my stubbornness to his ways, and my will to his will. I had gone to church and went to church camp since a boy! But the one moment I remember is this God speaking to me. Words that vibrated my body, soul, and mind that day. There was not one other person in that truck, but like the Apostle Paul on his horse going to Damascus, I was in my truck driving away from trouble. Paul was knocked off his horse literally and saw the LORD and heard the voice. I was knocked off my self will and delivered from my trouble. I heard the voice of the LORD and knelt beside the road right after the LORD spoke. It was thunder, yet tender, and not commanding. I could have ignored it, thank God I did not. I do not know if anyone passed by on the busy highway that day, I’m sure they did. If they did, they would have seen me kneeling beside the pavement and cactus that day head bowed and praying. That started a long journey. But in it all, it came from no man. In it all, God spoke and I listened. His words were driven to my heart and soul. I knew that this was my Father! I knew this was the day!

Today many argue about Jesus Christ, Yeshua Ha Massiach. They are concerned over religion, over faith, over Christianity, over nations, over everything. The denominations are divided, the Pastors are busy, and the congregations are something else.  Many Jews have a hard time believing because they require a sign. They have followed innuendo and false truths on the Messiah since the jealous scribes, pharisee’s, and priests made up false stories about the Messiach. But God said this was the “stone that the builders rejected.”  In truth, today among both Jew and Gentile, this Messiah, Jesus Christ can only be found through the Holy Ghost. Mans wisdom, teachings, and all worldly philosophies will not find the heart of God on this matter. It only comes from a true repentant heart seeking the truth and the true God.

This Messiach as prophesied by Zacharias would be the cause of the fall of many and the rise of others. There will be some who will not believe no matter what. Still there will be others who are lifted up after they do believe. This Messiach is truly to become the focal point of the battle to come. In this we will see the Hand of God which will work in his believers lives as they walk in Him and testify to the truth of the Messiah. A Truth that they have experienced themselves firsthand. A Truth that brings a supernatural experience with the true and living God.  A Truth that cannot be visited by mere wisdom of men or the worlds ways. It is a Truth born and bred out of the heart of God for all men who will seek him in Spirit and in Truth.

Jeremiah 29:13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Ezekiel 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

John 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

John 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Ephesians 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

In this you will join countless others who have already said this along with John, “I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” This is an Experience born of God, by God, and through his Holy Spirit.  I say to you today, I  “have seen the Salvation of God and do testify that the one whom I write, speak, and testify about is Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. This is the True God and Eternal life, Amen.”

John 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

1 John 5:20  And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.