Testimonies are a great way to share what God has done in our lives and encourage each other in our walk of faith.
I love the scripture in Revelation 12:11 which says,
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” (NKJV)
This verse for me provides a great summary of what we see in the book of Acts.
Doing the work of God often throws tests and challenges at us. When faced with these challenges, how is it we usually respond? I am sure many agree that it is often easy to retreat and close ourselves in a box of defeat. We might experience dismay and feel like there is no hope. But I just want to say GOD CAN and HE WILL!
when a relationship has gone sour and it needs rescuing – God Can
when you are ill and you need healing – God Can
when you are about to take an exam that you have failed before – God Can
when you feel fearful and you need peace & comfort – God Can
when there is no food on the table for today – God Can
when going for the interview of your dream job – God Can
Having healed a crippled beggar in Acts 3, Peter and John were arrested (Acts 4), put in prison and ordered to explain themselves to the Jewish council. If it were I, I might have been out of words, felt let down and possibly lost hope. Thank God Peter did not respond like me; filled with the Holy Spirit, he gave a powerful testimony explaining what Jesus had done to the beggar, pointing out that this miracle was not of their own strength, power or doing but it was through Jesus whom the Jewish council had rejected.
While Peter was explaining all this, the man who had been healed stood right in front of them and made it hard for the council members to deny. Left with no choice, the council released them albeit with some threats and warnings.
What a powerful testimony!
A few years ago, whilst still in college, a few of us went to a rural area where the people spoke a language that most of us could not speak well at all. We went around the village sharing the good news of Christ. Where words could not come out, we used signs and where the signs could not mean much, we just smiled. Despite all these barriers, many people gave their lives to Christ. It was a miracle that unfolded before our eyes and served as a testimony for many years until today.
I am sure you can think of many examples of testimonies of what God has done for you, your family or neighbours. All these testimonies serve as a reminder that God Can and surely if He Can then He Will. No matter what the circumstances may be and how hard things may seem, let’s hold fast to that confession of our faith without wavering, knowing that He who has promised is faithful.
If God did it in the past for Paul, Peter, John, your pastor, He can do it again today!
Be encouraged and stay blessed!