No one can argue with a testimony, it is not a debatable issue. It is there to be accepted or rejected." -— Bruce R. McConkie
I grew up in a church where we testified more about what the enemy can do than what God has done. Let me explain. Mostly, when someone came to share a testimony, out of fear of the enemy, they would say something like, "God has done a great miraculous work for me but I will share the details some other time so I will simply sing a song". This is where the testimony falls flat. Many don’t understand that there is a place for testimonies and there is a place for singing. While a song can move others to join you in singing to God, it does not capture the exact work God has done to inspire them to experience same too.
It is more beneficial for all if I introduce my testimony by declaring that God is good and proceed to narrate the circumstance that revealed His goodness, as briefly as possible. I, for one, had admissions to the secondary school when my parents were too hard up to support me. I didn’t know who to turn to for help except God. Out of nowhere an uncle, Moses, whom I didn’t know called that he had heard of my excellent results and would like to support my senior secondary education. For a start, he paid my fees and another benefactor gave me an open cheque to buy every item on my prospectus as well as provisions for the boarding school. This right there is a testimony. Someone hearing or reading this account and in similar circumstances can identify with my story. My testimony will inject faith into their hearts to believe that it is possible to receive supernatural provision for their needs too.
Let me illustrate with a biblical example in line with what are we are focusing on, childbirth. When Mary asked Gabriel how she could conceive as a virgin, "The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail.” (Luke 1:35-37, NLT). What had Elizabeth’s pregnancy got to do with the message Gabriel was delivering to the young lady? Mind you, in those days, there were no mobile phones or social media so it would have been difficult for Mary to hear about this story. Gabriel testified that the one called barren is six months pregnant to create a specific effect on his hearer. Though a virgin, Mary could believe that God could enable her to conceive just as he had enabled the old barren woman. This is the power and purpose of a testimony. Gabriel was stretching her faith and injecting a strong belief for her promise by recounting how God had changed Elizabeth's situation and reputation. Indeed, at this testimony, Mary responded: "Be it unto me according to your word."
Why was this testimony instrumental in the virgin's reply? As a relative of Elizabeth, she knew something about this old woman that outsiders might not have known. She fully understood the impossibility of childbirth in her cousin's circumstance. It was comparable to an account of a woman without a womb carrying a child. Or, imagine a woman who experts say cannot conceive because of multiple fibroids carrying a child. How about one that has been married for 40+ years carrying a child? What will that do for you hearing it? Whereas bad news inject fear, testimonies build our confidence that the seemingly impossible is possible. One cannot hear these things and not have a changed perspective on what God can do. "Be it unto me according to your word" was the response from one who had heard of the display of God's wonders to someone in her world.
Testimonies are not just means of recalling the Lord’s goodness and mighty demonstrations of His power in the past. They are able to bridge generational gaps and reproduce the effects of a past incident which occurred in one geographical setting in other locations at a later time. The Gospel of Jesus, for instance, is the testimony of eyewitnesses passed down from generation to generation, yet it is transforming lives across the world. As the beloved Apostle John wrote, “From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we’re telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us.” (John 1:1-2, MSG). The early apostles vouched on the credibility of their testimony because they recorded what they had heard, seen and verified. In this season, this will be your story. Like Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, Ruth and Elisabeth, you too will testify of that which you have also heard, seen and touched.
When our testimonies are grounded in and coupled with the merits of blood of the Lamb they cause irreparable damage to the kingdom of darkness. They unleash power to release God's people from the attacks and schemes of the enemy. But how do we overcome by the blood of Jesus and the words of our testimony? On the first passover, it was not enough that the blood of the Lamb was gathered in a basin. Each household had to smear the blood on the sides and top of the door frames on the house they lived in. This was the token that guaranteed their exemption from the plague, the sign which made the Lord pass over them.
For us too, the blood Christ shed and all He suffered at the cross will only yield their full effect as we apply them to our lives by faith. As the Amplified Classic puts it, they overcame the accuser of the brethren who keeps presenting charges against us before God and to our our minds day and night by the utterance of their testimony.
It is only as we confess, declare and testify of what His blood has done for us that we overcome the accuser. It is not enough to know that Christ's blood has redeemed you, sealed you as a child of God, forgiven and washed your sins, healed your infirmities, given you eternal life and exempted you from the destruction in the world. You must testify and maintain your confession of these eternal truths to experience the victory Christ secured for you.
God taught the Israelites to preserve their testimonies through the building of monuments or celebration of festivals. This would help them recount the stories of God's mighty works and revelations for future generations to know what He had done in the past. So, we see Abraham raising altars at places he encountered Yahweh; Jacob anointing the stone on which he slept and saw angels ascending and descending; Moses keeping Aaron's rod that budded in the ark of the Lord; Joshua gathering twelves rocks from the bottom of the receded river to build a memorial to the Lord. The Passover event was set as an annual festival and every year each family would recall and recite how God delivered them from Egypt by His mighty judgements. Through such Scriptures, we are taught and encouraged to build our own memorials of what God has done so we can replicate His miraculous works at other times. Through our testimonies, we draw others to know the mighty works of God and experience the same power too.
Far too many times we are bombarded with negative reports because bad news sells more. But, it is not possible that only bad things are happening. As Isaiah 60:1-2 say, while gross darkness is covering the earth, the glory of God is rising over His people. Where is the good news? Where are the accounts of God's mighty works in our day? The Psalmist writes: "Each generation will praise you and tell the next generation about the great things you do (149:4, ERV). Where are the stories of the past generation? Who is recalling and recounting God's work in our generation?
What is your testimony? Where are your memorials? Who knows the goodness of God you experienced? We've buried them beneath our fears and anxieties. For fear of what the devil can do, we generalize our praise with songs and sweep the details of our testimony under a carpet. No wonder we do not see manifestations of the awesome wonders written in Scripture in our days. As we have vividly narrated what witches and wizards can do and are doing, we have magnified the devil in the minds of congregation. And Sunday after Sunday, we sing songs that really make no meaning to us because we lack the evidence of what we sing about in our day. It is high time we vividly recall and unashamedly recount details of God's deliverance, healings, provisions, restoration to our spouses, friends, neighhbours. God has set the stage for mind-blowing testimonies in this season. All He wants are candidates who, like Hannah, will resound His testimonies as a praise and weapon against the enemy.
“Then Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me. No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don’t speak with such arrogance! For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions. The bow of the mighty is now broken, and those who stumbled are now strong. Those who were well fed are now starving, and those who were starving are now full. The childless woman now has seven children, and the woman with many children wastes away.” 1 Samuel 2:1-5, NLT.
In moments of trials and difficulties, when the enemy throws fiery darts of doubt and ridicule, we can approach the throne room with testimonies. As we lift up the records of God's past deeds, we invoke the manifestation of He who remains the same yesterday, today and forever. These testimonies don't necessarily have to be our personal testimony. Why? Because what God has done for one, He is more than willing and able to do again for others. Jesus said greater works than what the early apostles saw will be done because He's going to the Father. Our Lord is enthroned on the right hand of power and these are the days he spoke of. Will we in faith lift up testimonies of supernatural conception to His throne and see Him do these marvelous works in our time? I am believing God for fresh firsthand testimonies to pass on to the next generation.
Over and again, we see the song writers of Israel appeal for divine intervention and manifestation as they point to His past deeds. We can learn from their example. As we ponder the miraculous conceptions recorded in Scripture and listen to testimonies of supernatural conceptions in recent times, let your petition and praise rise to His throne. Surely, you will have your own testimony to tell the next generation.
O God, we have heard it with our own ears — our ancestors have told us of all you did in their day, in days long ago: You drove out the pagan nations by your power and gave all the land to our ancestors.
Scripture Reading:
Revelation 12:10-11, Psalm 77:11-12, Psalm 44:1-3 and 23-26