The Word of Our Testimony
#thewordofGodseries
(This Weekly Prayer Summary was written by Lisa Ang, assistant director of the CBC English Prayer Ministry, and edited by Brigitta Tedja)
Today’s sermon started off with testimonies from our youth who just came back from Compassion Commission in Baltimore. What powerful testimonies and how encouraging it was to hear how God worked in their lives. Pastor Dion emphasized how important it is to invest into our younger generation’s lives.
Zechariah 4:10 (NLT) “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin”
He continued with sharing how the word “testimony” makes him think about the courtroom due to his background from working at a law firm in the past. In this context, testimony means the word shared by witnesses to the court of what they saw or heard in relation to the case.
From Merriam Webster:
Testimony (noun):
A solemn declaration usually made orally by a witness under oath in response to interrogation by a lawyer or authorized public official
First-hand authentication of a fact
What does testimony have anything to do with the Word of God?
The Bible is not a compilation of stories; it is a compilation of eyewitness’ reports; it is a compilation of actual testimonies. Take a look at the Israelites’ story in the book of Genesis. Moses witnessed what happened to the Israelites which made him an eyewitness. The Gospel also records eyewitness testimonies of Jesus’ life and ministry. The Bible stood the test of time and is scientifically proven that it is the Word of God. That is how testimonies are related to the Word of God.
Why did we take the time to share or hear testimonies?
We glorify God by our testimonies.
We hear testimonies because we are invested in the cause (e.g., we invested financially in sending the youth to Compassion Commission)
Is there another reason? Let us review the following story:
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man
Mark 5:1-20 “15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 16 Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17 And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone. 18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. 19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful He has been.” 20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns[c] of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.”
The story in Mark 5:1-20 was about a man who was bound by chains because he was tormented by a legion of demons, day and night. A legion usually consists of 6,000 men. Jesus crossed the lake and went through the storm just to meet with this possessed man, who eventually got delivered from his bondage.
Mark 5:15 Shows that the crowd who witnessed the demon-possessed man healed were afraid and told Jesus to go away
Mark 5:19 Jesus told the man who was healed to go home and testify to his family
Mark 5:20 The man who were healed went to visit ten towns and testified how Jesus healed him and those people who heard him were amazed
How many of us have seen great miracles? Do great miracles happen often? When someone shares a testimony of a great miracle, we often wonder if God will do it again. Do those great miracles only happen so that we can admire them?
Testimony in its original word comes from the word “edah”, which comes from the word “uwd”, which means “do again; repeat”. The very meaning of the word testimony means “do it again”! When the once-demon-possessed man shared his testimony to his family and neighbors, it is not to tell them how special he is or how un-special the rest of us are or to brag; it was to ask God to DO IT AGAIN!
Pastor Dion shared his own experience going to Randy Clark’s conference. Every time Randy Clark shared a testimony of a healing miracle, he would ask if anyone had the same type of sickness. When Randy asked how many of them got healed, many attendees raised their hands. No one prayed, no one laid hands, it was just through hearing the testimonies that they were healed from their sicknesses.
“For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” — Revelation 19:10e NKJV
Bill Johnson states that prophecy primarily serves two purposes:
Foretelling the future
Release a word that changes the present
When you hear a testimony, adjust your heart so that you can receive. If you have the wrong heart (e.g., envy) then you cannot receive those prophecies. Your decision to get your heart and mind in the right place unfolds a way to experience God in a new way. The next time you hear a testimony of God’s miraculous work, receive it with faith!
Deuteronomy 6:17 NKJV “You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you.”
Deuteronomy 6 was written just before Moses died and just before the Israelites entered the Promised Land. The Lord commanded us to keep, preserve, and guard His testimonies. There are no small or big testimonies. No matter how small you think of the miracle, you cannot do it on your own, but God did it for you! Everything that God does is with an intention and purpose and it is very precious.
Testimonies are spiritual treasures.
Many of us lose things that are not precious, but we guard precious things carefully. How we value what God has done in our lives will determine whether we can keep our testimonies or not.
1 Samuel 17:32-36 NLT 32 “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” 33 “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. 34 But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God!”
Every battle starts in the spiritual realm and you do not engage when you step into the ring. How we first engage is usually from our word. Let us take a look at David’s story from the verses above. Look how David responded (with his words) to Saul’s comment. David was a boy and he was not Samson. Before David even went into the battle ring with Goliath, David already released his sling with his testimony. Knowing what God did in the past, GOD WILL DO IT AGAIN!
What usually comes out from your mouth when you face challenges? How do you engage first? Are you engaging with the knowledge of what God has done in your life in the past? Or are you engaging with fear, worry, and anxiety?
How about if you do not feel like you have a testimony that fits the battle you are currently facing?
Borrow somebody else’s testimony. Remember Rev. 9:10. It does not matter if it is someone else’s testimony, it is still the spirit of prophecy. It is an eyewitness account of God’s work. Receive it. Use it with faith. Declare, “GOD, DO IT AGAIN!”
Read the testimonies of the eyewitnesses in the Bible. It is STILL an eyewitness account of God’s work. Receive it. Use it with faith. Declare, “GOD, DO IT AGAIN!”
Parents - how should you teach your children about testimonies?
Deuteronomy 6:20-23 NKJV 20 “When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the Lord our God has commanded you?’ 21 then you shall say to your son: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; 22 and the Lord showed signs and wonders before our eyes, great and severe, against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his household. 23 Then He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers.”
Do not downsize or underestimate testimony.
Revelation 12:11 NIV “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
What happens if you do not keep the testimonies of God?
Psalm 78:9-11 NKJV “9 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle;10 they did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his law. 11 They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them.
Prayer Points:
Think back and remember has God ever done something great in your life? Have you shared that with others? Are you shy or embarrassed to share those testimonies to others? Is your testimony something you put on the back burner? Do you think your miracles are not as big as others? If so, pray for God to change your mindset about testimonies.
Are you experiencing any challenges today? Think back and remember if you have ever heard someone testify how God delivered them from the same type of challenges that you currently experiencing? Pray for God to change your heart and mindset, so that you can be in the position to receive the same breakthrough. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10); receive it and ask God to do the same to deliver you from your challenges.
What usually comes out from your mouth when you face challenges? Pray that you will change your tune, change the words that come out from your mouth.
Are you still looking for testimonies that match the challenges you face today? Have you turned to the Bible? The Bible is filled with words of testimonies from many eyewitnesses of God’s miraculous works. Declare, “GOD, DO IT AGAIN!”