'I, John ... was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.' (Revelation 1:9) It could be said that John was sentenced to confinement in the island of death, not only because of the 'word of God' that he believed and preached but also because of the 'Word of God' (Revelation 19:13) that 'became flesh and made his dwelling among us'. (John 1:14) If 'Word of God' is the title accorded to Christ, then the 'testimony of Jesus' can be the title accorded to the Spirit for he is the one testifies about Christ, both in words and in person. "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth ... he will testify about me." He carries with him the presence of Jesus. Unless he who is the 'testimony of Jesus' testifies to us about him, we cannot get ourselves to believe in Christ. All who have come to believe in Jesus have in them a testimony from God about his Son. 'We accept man's testimony but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart.' (1 John 5:9-10) We would not stake our lives and our wealth because of man's testimony about Christ but we will do so when the Spirit testifies about Christ. Only that can explain why the disciples left everything to follow a man many didn't believe to be the Messiah! Do we have the 'testimony of Jesus' in your hearts? If we have, then we have got what it takes to overcome the enemy for Scripture says 'they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony..' (Revelation 12:11) It is our confession of this testimony in our hearts that enables us to overcome ! Therefore confess Jesus as the Son of God, the Christ and Lord because that is all it takes to be saved! 'If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.' (Romans 10:9-10) Interestingly, our confession of this testimony in our hearts, amounts to prophecy because 'the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy'. Shall we say then that they 'overcame the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their prophecy'? That would be what Ezekiel has to say because the Spirit of the Lord set him in the a valley full of bones and said to him, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord." ... Then he said to him, "Prophesy to the breath and say to it, "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath and breathe ... that they may live." So he prophesied to the dry bones which was symbolic of the house of Israel and they came to life. If they were brought back to their ancestral land and were established as a nation against all odds because the Prophet prohesied over them the word God had given him, then we too are expected to prophesy the word God has put in our hearts, over our seemingly dead and hopeless situations and experience new life! No wonder Paul exhorted everyone to prophesy more than speaking in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14:5) May the 'testimony of Jesus' stir our spirits to prophesy our way to victory! Amen.
Sam Matthews. K
Comentarios