[tes-tuh-moh-nee, or, esp. British, -muh-nee]
noun, plural tes·ti·mo·nies.
1:30 Class on the 2nd day of class
5:30 Class on the first day of class
1. Law. the statement or declaration of a witness under oath or affirmation, usually in court.
2. evidence in support of a fact or statement; proof.
3. open declaration or profession, as of faith.
4. Usually, testimonies. the precepts of God.
5. the Decalogue as inscribed on the two tables of the law, or the ark in which the tables were kept. Ex. 16:34; 25:16
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/testimony thank you dictionary.com
Our "testimony" is our story, a witness of what Christ has done in OUR lives. The past couple weeks I have been reminded of the importance of EVERY person's testimony. We all have a different witness, a different point of view, different ways in which God has brought us to Himself, saved us through Christ, and is continuing to mold us to look like Him.
Most people, at some point in time, feel like their testimony is not important, or not as good as somebody else's. I'm generally "proud" of my testimony, and know that what God's done in my life is special and significant, but last week as one of my co-workers was sharing how Christ changed his life, I briefly coveted his testimony. I thought it sounded so interesting and it's amazing what he was going through when God got ahold of his heart. I had to remind myself that what God did in ME is just as significant and amazing!
A couple days ago I was able to share this experience with one of my Cambodian friends, who is so much like a little brother to me. He is one of the handful of Cambodians I know who were raised in a "Christian home," with believing parents. Like many of my friends in America, he'd thought his story didn't sound as important as most of the other Christian Cambodians who heard about Jesus for the first time when they were older, are the first in their family to believe, have suffered persecution from their family because of Jesus ...
I was able to remind him, as well as myself, that we too are to:
1. Do what Jesus said to the man whom He cast out the many demons in Mark 5:1-20, "Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you." - Mark 5:19.
2. Do what the Samaritan woman at the well did when she, "... left hear waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, 'Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ is it?'" - John 4:29
3. Be WITNESSES as Jesus told the 11, " but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." -Acts 1:8
4. Do as the Psalmist says in Psalm 105:1-5
1"Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
3 Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.
4 Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
5 Remember His wonders which He has done,His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth,"
4. Do as the Psalmist says in Psalm 105:1-5
1"Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
3 Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.
4 Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
5 Remember His wonders which He has done,His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth,"
As Christians we are to tell what the Lord has done in / for us, be His witness. All of our stories are UNIQUE, SPECIAL, AMAZING, and SHOULD BE SHARED to bring God glory!
During class yesterday, one of my students asked, "WHY I chose to believe in Jesus." Then I got to share with my students what God's done in and for me! LOVE IT!!!! I pray that some of my students can relate with some part of "my story" and that God will open their hearts and give them faith to believe! One student, Paing, even asked me to pray for him that he would know God! WOW! Please pray with me for Paing and all of the other Cambodians that we come into contact with everyday, that God would open their eyes to see Him as the One True God, that they would be obedient to follow Christ, and that we would be obedient to share The Truth with them!
REMEMBER: Your story is so important, and must be shared! Tell your friends, family, co-workers, classmates ... what God has done for you!
If you want to read my story, you can look here on my blog at the January and February posts! (It's a detailed story, therefore it's kind of long!)
If you want to read my story, you can look here on my blog at the January and February posts! (It's a detailed story, therefore it's kind of long!)
My current classes:
