Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 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. (Revelation 12:10-11 NKJV)
According to The New American Websters Dictionary, a testimony is a statement made under oath by a witness. It is considered evidence or proof of a matter and it is an open declaration of one’s faith. In this tour of testimonies that is what we will see — multiple statements by various witness openly declaring the power, the goodness, and the love of God. This is why they put their faith in Jesus Christ.
The testimonies that you will read over the next few weeks are each different. Some involve dramatic circumstances, such as drug abuse and domestic violence. Others are more simple and quite. But all are significant and have a few things in common.
First, each testimony is told by a sinner. Yes, a sinner. None of these people have it all figured out. None of them are perfect, they never were and never will be — at least not on this side of heaven. They each know that they are sinners. Yes, still sinning today! Each unable to pay the debt that is owed for their sin — the offenses they have committed against our perfect and holy God. Each writer is in desperate need of a saviour — and they know it.
Second, each testimony, though written in first person, isn’t really about it’s author. Sure these stories reveal details of the writer’s life, but the focus isn’t on the person. The focus is on Jesus. These testimonies are not presented to showcase the sinner, what he or she has done, or what he or she has given up. These testimonies are present to showcase what God has done — and what He is still doing — in each of their lives. These witness statements are given to glorify God alone, because each witness knows that he or she is unconditionally loved by our Heavenly Father.
Every Christian has a testimony. Every Christian. Period.
When someone says I’m a Christian they are implying (or at least they should be implying) “I have faith in Jesus Christ. I believe that He has saved me from the depths of hell. He has washed away each and every one of my sins, whether visible on the outside or hidden deep in my heart, and is making me new — more like Him. He is holy and only because He is Holy, I am holy.” This thought process doesn’t happen by accident. No one comes to this conclusion on their own.
Christians believe this because Jesus has revealed Himself to them. He makes Himself available on a personal level. Every day. Every moment. He is available. He knows us and wants to be known by us.
So every Christian has a testimony.
Now, with all that said, let’s read the witness statements, the proof, the evidence that God is mighty, God is GOOD, and that God LOVES!
Kelli’s Testimony
As of today I am 34 years old and I have been aware of Jesus Christ as long as I can remember. Sadly, it wasn’t until about 6 years ago that I truly began to put my faith in Him. What do I mean by that? Let me explain.
When I was younger I grew up in a very religious home. My dad was a pastor of a small church and as a family we made it to every Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening service for years. We celebrated Jesus on Christmas and Easter, never Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny. We prayed before every meal, memorized scriptures for Sunday School, went to kids camp every summer, and occasionally read our Bibles together as a family. As far as I knew we were the perfect Christian family, we had it all together, and we were going to make it to Heaven.
Now, I’m not going to make any assumptions about the faith of my parents or my siblings. I couldn’t and can’t see their hearts; however, the Lord has revealed quite a lot to me about my heart. I’m going to share some of those insights with you here.
Growing up my faith was rooted in rules. I believed that if I followed all the rules I would make it to Heaven. Continue reading here…
Be sure to come back tomorrow to read another testimony of God’s great love!
Only by grace,
Kelli