The Devolution of the Testimony

In Revelation 12:11 (NIV) it says that "They overcame 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." The Christian testimony has always been a wonderful tool that we Christians have to tell of the goodness of God in our lives. It cuts through doctrinal debates, religious differences, racial divides, etc. And as that Scripture tells us it can be a tool for overcoming the power of Satan that opposes us. However I have noticed a couple of disturbing trends in the area of testimonies.

The testimonies that I hear being shared these days are filled with "self" rather than God. The testimony is being used to redefine who Jesus is to each individual rather than, how who Jesus is has redefined the individual.

The result? This all fits right in to a post-modern culture as one truth among many. This mindset is what is fueling the increase of movements like the Unitarian church, where you can go in to learn about God...whoever he/she/it might be.

To one person God is like my grandmother who used to make me cookies when I was young.
To another Jesus is my homeboy.
To another God is this feeling I get when I hike in nature.
To some Christians they feel like Jesus is the one who saved 'me' from Hell.
To others, He is the one who will get me my raise, the one will help me succeed in my plans and goals, the one will help "little Jimmy" get better.

Do you see? He is being defined by people's expectations of what they feel He should do or how they feel at a given moment. The testimony has become "me" centered and therefore powerless.

Now personalizing the telling is essential...after all it is YOUR testimony. My points are these:
1. Use your testimony! (too many just not talking about God anymore)
2. Be clear on who you are talking about. (God and even Jesus can mean many things to many people today)
3. Read your Bible to understand Who it is that you are talking about! (Jesus is not a personal experience, He is a person and meeting Him and following Him changes lives)

Here is a link with six easy steps for you to construct a relevant and powerful testimony: HERE

Now go kick some demon butt with your powerful testimony!