{"id":1014,"date":"2013-06-24T09:17:27","date_gmt":"2013-06-24T15:17:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anniecallahan.com\/?p=1014"},"modified":"2013-06-23T23:29:00","modified_gmt":"2013-06-24T05:29:00","slug":"what-is-a-testimony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anniecallahan.com\/what-is-a-testimony\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Testimony?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever gotten nervous when someone asks for your testimony?<\/span><\/p>\n

I have! <\/span><\/p>\n

Do they want the complete, unabridged, nitty-gritty of my 33 years on this planet? Or do they really just want to know the really difficult, dark, bad, or frustrating things I\u2019ve experienced, and what I did to not stay there? Why do testimonies always seem to start out with a person in a really horrible situation? What if I\u2019ve had a pretty good life, done okay navigating big decisions, \u00a0never had any major crisis, and am still loving God? Is that even a testimony?<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, what is <\/i>a testimony, exactly? I’m glad you asked!<\/span><\/h5>\n

In the Old Testament (OT) the word testimony<\/em> came into use after the law was given at Mt. Sinai. It specifically refers to the commandments written on the tablets that represented Israel\u2019s relationship and responsibility to God (from Vines Dictionary).<\/span><\/p>\n

In the New Testament (NT) the word testify<\/em>, which means to bear witness to<\/em>, is what I think people today mean when they want to hear someone’s testimony<\/em>. Think about a person testifying<\/i> in court. They are acting as a witness, telling others what they have seen, and know to be true.\u00a0In the case of a Christian\u2019s testimony, we often mean, \u201chow God pulled them out of some really bad stuff.\u201d Which, for all of us, eternally speaking, is the truth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since this is where the idea of \u2018giving a testimony\u2019<\/i> comes from, then there should not be a single Christian on the planet without something to say about what they have seen, and encountered in Jesus! The very fact that Jesus has been revealed to the human heart, and we can now know him intimately, is a great testimony! (So if you can think of nothing else, ever, to testify<\/i> about \u2013 there is that!)<\/span><\/p>\n

In the OT, God\u2019s people had the laws written on stone tablets as a reminder of their relationship and responsibility to God. The NT tells us that now we have this truth written on our hearts<\/em> \u2013 the testimony of God\u2019s divine plan and the goodness of his covenant is engraved on our hearts. We are a living testimony, a letter to the world<\/em> to declare the relationship God has with us, and wants to have with everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Hebrews 8:10<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 2 Corinthians 3:3<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"testify_crop\"There is one more aspect of the word testimony<\/i> to look at: 2 Thess 1:10 says, \u201c\u2026because you believed our testimony to you<\/em>.\u201d This isn\u2019t talking about believing, or getting emotional about a good story of how God has worked in someone\u2019s life. The testimony<\/em> given in this instance was not just proclaiming the truths of the gospel, but proclaiming the power<\/em> of the truths that they had seen and experienced first hand<\/strong>. <\/span>These early missionaries were not just spouting doctrine; they had actually\u00a0witnessed<\/em> the power of the message they were proclaiming!\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I am so excited to begin to look at a testimony as simply telling others about the power of the truths that God has revealed to me!\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

What has God shown you? Did he give you revelation about how to be a better spouse or parent? Has he revealed to you how to run a great business? Has he revealed his Word to you in a way that set you free from depression, anxiety or fear? Do you think that there are others who could use that revelation?<\/span><\/p>\n

The power in revealed and experienced truth is our greatest testimony!\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

So, what is<\/em> my testimony? That God is good, and loves us perfectly.
\n<\/i><\/p>\n

Thanks for reading,<\/p>\n

\"signature<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever gotten nervous when someone asks for your testimony? I have! Do they want the complete, unabridged, nitty-gritty of my 33 years on this planet? Or do they really just want to know the really difficult, dark, bad, or frustrating things I\u2019ve experienced, and what I did to not stay there? Why do<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1016,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[117,115,57,116],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is a Testimony? Annie Callahan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/anniecallahan.com\/what-is-a-testimony\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is a Testimony? 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