Title or Testimony?

WOW! It's been an incredible couple of weeks! Things have been crazy at work but we have finally got things on track(praise the Lord)! His blessings are everywhere.
It has been my honor to be appointed men's minister at my home church. We look forward to this responsibility and the blessings the Lord has in store for us.
One of the duties is to have a speaker at our 1st Saturday of the month men's breakfast. It is called "My Brothers Keeper" and it is a community wide movement, all churches are invited and many differant ones are represented. Instead of having a preacher every month I felt lead to have men share their testimony. I think we need to get back to our testimonies, remember where we came from! Saying that brings me to a person I work with that has one of the most powerful testimonies I've ever heard.
I work in a prison and I've come to know all kinds of men, not all bad, some have found the Lord and work for His kingdom everyday. There is one man I've gotten to know that humbles me a great deal. This man will probably be in prison the rest of his life and he amazes me the attitude of pure joy he has every day. We should take a lesson from this man, if he can find such joy in the Lord in prison what does that say for us? He tells me that prison was the best thing that ever happened to him because he found Jesus here! I could go on but it would overwhelm me to try and tell his complete story. Anyway that's his testimony not mine!
I guess this brings me to my point or why I picked this title. Several years ago I heard sermon with the same title:"Do you have a title or a testimony". In todays society with all the stress put on success and doing well financely, I think to much is put on your title you achieve and not your testimony in life. If we wonder what is really important or how a person could find joy in prison I believe the Bible has the perfect example: Philippians 1:12-14


12Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard[b] and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

Here the Apostle Paul tells about being confined and all he does is praise God for the opportunity to advance the Gospel, now that's a testimony! I think we can all take a lesson from these powerful accounts of what God can do in any circumstances!
I hope and pray you enjoy this blog as much as I enjoyed writing it. In the meantime;
I love you and the LORD surely loves you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In HIM, BrianF