A Nigerian home movie that promote infidelity or fornication usually would usually end with a note of "TO GOD BE THE GLORY" from its producer.
In the mind of the producer, he is giving God the glory for the success of his production.
Similarly, a believer makes money through office racketeering or shady deals and then goes to his church intently to wash his premeditated sins by sowing seeds or sharing a testimony that extols God as the source of the untoward wealth.
Often, such testimonies are shared to hype the pastor – his anointing or sermons that the testifier ascribes the cause behind the material prosperity to.
You see, the integrity of a church shouldn't stand on what people share as testimony in churches. Scripturally, that is not what testimony is. Also, don't use such testimonies to validate a church.
In Revelation, Jesus is revealed as the Word of God. He appears in a vestal of dripping blood, like a man who had just returned from war; then on him is written "THE WORD OF GOD."
Thereafter, the scripture says that we overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our TESTIMONY.
The idea of this passage of scripture is to acquaint us with the eternal veracity of God's Word.
In other words, anytime God's Word is presented over situations, victory is guaranteed.
"The word of our testimony" is not the same as sharing a testimony before a church congregation of how you bought a car or built a house
The actual depiction of that scripture is to let us know that the word of God is tested and proven to be all-time victorious.
Hence, we are victorious when we stand on the same Word. So in essence, you don't overcome the devil because you shared a testimony in church. No.
You know how some pastors say to people to share testimonies in church to keep their breakthrough or seal their blessings.
That's actually ignorance. Most pastors use such testimonies to hype their church denomination. It's a marketing strategy. It has nothing to do with God's Word or Jesus.
Buying cars or building houses are not testimonies of God's word. The testimony of God's Word is the Word and our faith in the Word.
The scripture says that this is the victory that overcome the world – even our faith! Our faith in the Word is the connection.
So the way to testify to God's Word is not to describe how you bought cars or built houses. No.
To testify means to proclaim God's Word in faith. Every time we proclaim God's Word in faith we are testifying to the integrity and infallibility of the Word.
It's a problem when a church is built on how people bought houses, cars, or got married. Such is not the testimony of God's Word.
A church shouldn't be erected on the stories of people.
To testify means to proclaim God's Word over contrary situations. Everytime, a situation contradicts God's Word, to testify means to stand on the authority of scripture and proclaim God's word over.
When you do this, you are testifying to God's Word. You are reminding the situation that you overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the proclamation of the victory procured on account of the death, burial and resurrection of CHRIST.
Evangelism is also a way to testify. When we go out to heal, evangelize and proclaim God's Word, we are testifying to God's Word.
Standing before a church congregation to describe how you bought a car, built houses is not testimony.
Testimony is the proclamation of our faith in God's Word.
A church where emphasis are on who bought what always breed carnal people because their faith is on things. They share no connection with the Word.
See you soon.