What is testimony?
In the Hebrew text, the root word 'Aydooth' which we translate as *testimony* means to 'repeat', 'return' or 'do again'. ...
● If God raises others, *THE SAME GOD CAN DO IT AGAIN FOR YOU*
● If God gives others success, prosperity, businesses, marriage, job, houses, promotion, children, money, cars, *THE SAME GOD CAN DO IT AGAIN FOR YOU*
● If God gives others spiritual gifts, eternal life, peace, joy, the fruit of the Spirit, *THE SAME GOD CAN DO IT AGAIN FOR YOU*
● If God grants others victory in spiritual warfare, *THE SAME GOD CAN DO IT AGAIN FOR ME*
● If God grants miracles to others, *THE SAME GOD CAN DO IT AGAIN FOR ME*
THE FOURFOLD POWER OF TESTIMONIES
Brethren, there is power in testimony. What does it mean?
It means 4 things :
1) Testimonies are prophetic seeds meant to be replicated.
Anytime you hear someone testifying, be spiritual and sensitive enough to understand that any testimony of the Lord's doing is pointing you to your own testimony.
From Scriptures, it is clearly established that God is not respecter of persons as it is written in Acts 10:34 "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons"
Because God is not respecter of persons, whatever God does to one can be done to anyone who is willing to follow the same steps.
Prophetic means that *testimonies aren't just encouraging stories*. Every time you hear a testimony, the Lord is prophesying your own breakthrough to you.
Prophetic means ... If it happens to one, it can happen to another. If it happens once, it can happen again. If it happens somewhere, it can happen everywhere.
Prophetic means also ... Every time we speak out, or read a testimony we are actually praying and saying Lord, 'do it again' with the same power and authority.
Prophetic means finally ... When God does something for one person, it reveals his heart on the matter, and he wants to do it again.
Moses crossed the Red Sea. Joshua replicated it by crossing the River Jordan.
Elijah crossed the River Jordan. Elisha replicated it by crossing also the River JOrdan.
Jesus walked on the water. Peter replicated it also by walking on the same water.
2) Testimonies are spiritual faith-boosters.
It is important to understand that testimonies are not only what you say but also what people see even when you say nothing.
In John 11:45, the Bible gives us a clear example of Lazarus' resurrection. Lazarus had no need to tell anyone his story because it was obvious and the whole city knew that he was dead for four days and came back to life.
"Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
Testifying what God has done creates room for faith and boosts the faith of the hearers as it is written in Romans 10:17, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
3) Testimonies are spiritual magnet meant to draw men to God
After Jesus has cast the demons out of the possessed man to the pigs, we read in Luke 8:35 that people came to Jesus.
Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
In Mark 5:27, the Bible shows us that the woman with blood issue came to Christ not because she knew him but because she heard of him.
Mark 5:27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
In Mark 7:25 again, the Syro Phenician woman who had a daughter with an unclean spirit never saw Jesus and never knew Him but came to him because she heard of him
Mark 7:25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
4) Testimonies are spiritual weapons.
In Revelation 12:11, the Bible says ... "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives to the death".
Do you know that It was through the power of his testimony that David defeated Goliath?
1 Samuel 17:34 David said to Saul, Your servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Your servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.
UNCOMMON TESTIMONY IS TWOFOLD : SIGNS AND WONDERS
Sign comes from the greek word "semeion" and means mark, proof, evidence, undeniable, irrefutable, notable
Wonder comes from the greek word teras and means a prodigy, portent, done to elicit a reaction from onlookers; an extraordinary event. The word terror comes from it.
Wonder is God's strange act that causes the beneficiary and the beholder to marvel, to be amazed and to fear,
Acts 3:9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God,
Acts 3:10 and they knew that it was he that sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
Acts 4:16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle has been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
Characteristics of uncommon testimony from the story of the lame at the Beautiful Gate in Acts 3.
There must be a difference in your life. All knew that this man was the one who was begging.
When people will look at you, they will talk about your life in the past. This one used to call us for money, to beg, to be barren, to be a drunkard, you will no longer be there.
May God change the story of your life. You cannot encounter God and remain the same.
The proof that you have encountered God is the change that happened in your life. God wants to make you a sign of his glory. God does not only to heal you, nut to make you a sign of healing
1- Uncommon testimony is notable
Acts 3:9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God,
Acts 4:16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle has been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
- You can do nothing to ignore it. Time has come where people will never ignore you again.
- All effort to ignore it is vain. You will reach a place where nobody will ignore you again
- it is not only known but also noised, people talk about it.
- Worthy of attention
- Worthy of notice
- Remarkable
- Prominent
PRAYER
I am crying and praying. Do a miracle in the life of my people, sister, brother, son, daughter worthy of attention, nobody can ignore, that everybody will see.
2- Uncommon testimony is manifest
Romans 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has showed it to them.
Acts 3:9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
Acts 3:10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened to him.
- Evident
- You can touch
- You can hold
- Made clear
- Not secret
- Known to a broad audience
- Universal
3- Uncommon testimony is undeniable
Acts 4:14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
- We cannot not to accept it
- Obvious
God is telling me to tell you that He will do an uncommon testimony that will silence your mockers.
4- Uncommon testimony is fearful and wonderful, a strange act of God that always comes with amazement, fear, great fear, praise to God, glory to God
Matthew 9:8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, which had given such power to men.
Mark 2:12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
Luke 5:26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.
Acts 2:43 And fear came on every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
Acts 4:21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
Acts 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
Acts 5:11 And great fear came on all the church, and on as many as heard these things.
Acts 5:13 And of the rest dared no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.
We have seen strange things to day... This word is yours. When something is common, people will not be amazed. People will be anazed only when it is uncommon
Father, let people see strange things in the life of my people. Do something uncommon that will cause people to glorify God. May God do in your life what no human being can do. I refuse a common life. Do something that will cause people say, We have seen strange things today.
We never saw it in this fashion ... God will do something for you and people will say, we never saw it.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Miracles, signs and wonders are still possible today. What Jesus did yesterday, he still does it today and will still do it tomorrow and forever.
Why do we need uncommon testimony today?
From the miracle of the healing of the paralytic in Acts 4, we learn the following:
*1. To draw unbelievers and skeptical men to our God*
When it happens, people wiill run to your God. Just one miracle performed by the aposrles added 5000 men in the church. The same will be your experience.
Acts 3:11 And as the lame man who had been healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch, which is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
Acts 4:4 However, many of those who had heard the Word believed, the number of the men being about five thousand.
*2. To silence the mouth of those who mock our faith*
The miracle performed by the aposrles was so notable that the Bible says that the enemies of the Gospel "could say nothing against it."
Acts 4:14 And beholding the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
That is the season where your mockers will be silenced.
*3. To strengthen our confidence and boldness in the preaching of the Gospel*
When facing the Sanhedrin, Peter and John were speaking with such confidence and boldness that the Bible says that the Sanhedrin "marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." ( *Acts 4:13*)
Because of uncommon testimonies in my life, I can say boldly I will never be sick. I will
*4. To bring the glory and the honour to our God*
Because of the healing miracleif that man, the Bible says that "all men glorified God for that which was done." ( *Acts 4:21*)
Act 4:21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
Time has come for God to be glorified in your life. May you come to a place where people look at your life and they glorify your God. Your season of uncommon testimony has finally come.
*5. To point the eyes of men to Christ not to us*
Acts 3:12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, "Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man walk
Acts 3:13 The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied Him in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let Him go.
Shortly you will sing, "See what the Lord has done. What I waited for has come to pass. See what the Lord has done."
PRAYER POINTS
- Father, just one miracle performed by the aposrles added 5000 men in the church. I pray. Do a miracle in my life that will draw unbelievers and skeptical men to you (Acts 3:11/Ac 4:4)
- Father, just one miracle silenced the enemy of the Gospel. I pray. Do a miracle in my life that will silence my mockers (Acts 4:14)
- Father, I pray. Do a miracle in my life that will strengthen my confidence and boldness in the preaching of the Gospel (Acts 4:13)
- Father, because of one miracle all men glorified God. I pray. Do a miracle that will bring the glory and the honour to you my God (Acts 4:21)
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