Our Testimonies Have Power

       Lately I have been seeing and hearing a certain verse from Revelations over and over. It has come up in conversation with others, it urged me to post that difficult post yesterday, it's shown up in my newsfeed on Google and Facebook, and it has been mentioned twice in sermons I listened to recently, and now I feel like I want to talk about it a little, specifically the first half of the verse. Revelation 12:11 reads "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death." These words have been stuck in my mind, speaking to my heart, and I have been meditating on them much, on how our testimonies have power, the power to help move people towards Yeshua.
       Testimonies remind me of the ripples on the surface of water. It starts with something breaking the surface, something causing the water in that area to shift and move outward in all directions, then it spreads, each ring larger than the last. Genuine testimonies of God are like this because God used something to break our surface, shifting our thoughts, and our heart, moving in every aspect of our life, then spreading out to others and growing as it goes. As we share and touch lives for Yeshua, the life changing story He gave us spreads and touches others for His glory, and their salvation. Our stories give broken people hope that God does care, that things can get better, that someone understands and has been where they are. This is the power of the testimony, the Truth of who God is spreading into the lives of those who hear what He has done and is capable of doing.
       It's that spreading that I think of when I meditate on Revelations 12:11; I think about how people have responded to reading the testimonies I've shared how they have said it effected them. I think about some of the testimonies that have effected me, and I think of the Samaritan woman by the well of Jacob(John 4:3-42). I think of how she told the other Samaritans she had found the Messiah, and that He had told her everything about herself, how they must have seen something different in her, heard it in her voice, to have followed her back to Jesus. I think about the testimony of the blind man before the Pharisees and how he declared twice that Jesus healed his sight sharing his testimony before many, how his parents were afraid of being put out of the synagogue, but he stood up to the Pharisees in John 9:30-33; '30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." ' And I wonder how many heard this and looked to Jesus after this? How many wondered at the miracle and started to wonder if He really was the Messiah.
      I know many are afraid to share their testimony, they think it will have no effect, that no one will care, or that what happened to them is not worth sharing. I used to feel that way too. I used to be afraid to talk about what Yeshua is doing and has done in my life. And to be honest I think that's exactly how satan would like to keep it. The devil doesn't want us to share God's glory, the miracles, the healings, the signs, visions and dreams that come from the Lord, because he knows that with that we can overcome his hold, we can be set free. When we share we can turn captive hearts to seek after the Lord again. Just by sharing how God healed us, we can bring others to the Living Water and that makes the devil angry so he uses fear and self doubt to silence us. But by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of our testimony we will overcome him, not loving our lives even when faced with death we need to proclaim God's greatness. Our testimonies are a powerful weapon against the enemy, and when we speak them humbly, honestly, giving God all the glory they carry more strength and effect than could ever imagine. Glory to the Father in Heaven.

Psalm 66:16   
Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul

Psalm 119:46   
I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame

Luke 8:39   
“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him

2 Timothy 1:8   
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God

1 John 5:11   
And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.