Jesus Himself understood this fleshly impediment, which is why He rejected anything that would fuel or energize it. He took up His cross daily by dying to these human passions, including the desire to be seen, recognized or accepted as someone great (Heb. 4:15). He knew who He was, but never felt inclined to advertise it to others. He came as a man whose sole purpose was to bring glory to the Father rather than Himself. He also knew that promoting Himself or the miracles He performed, while possibly managing to bring some glory to the Father, would also ultimately result in bringing glory to Himself. The Father was glorified by what He did, not by making others aware of it. To believe otherwise is delusional at best (John 15:8).

It is a human flaw that we all have – that desire to be seen and recognized. None of us are exempt. It is for this very reason that we have to guard our hearts and reject any opportunity that would seek to elevate ourselves in people’s eyes. Why are we really doing what we are doing? We say we are seeking to glorify Jesus, but who are we really glorifying? Do we crave the recognition? Are we promoting ourselves and/or our ministries? Do we crave acceptance?

I have seen people who are usually very stoic or reserved while standing in the back, or in the midst of the crowd during times of worship, suddenly become very exuberant and demonstrative when they are standing in front of everyone, or when the camera is on them. What made the difference? The desire to impress others. Over and over we demonstrate this flaw, whether it be by monopolizing the time during every service to give a “prophetic” word and be recognized as the “house prophet”; or the tendency for some worship leaders to be engaged and passionate when they are leading, but disengaged and aloof when worship is being led by others; or in our tendency to pray or behave differently when in public than we usually do when in private

The Pharisees did everything to be seen and honored by men, because their hearts were corrupt. They were even radically committed to evangelism (proselyting), but instead of glorifying God, all they managed to do was produce a generation that was even more corrupt than they were (Matt. 23:5, 15).

The Faith Principle

The idea that these types of self-promoting testimonies produce faith is an unbiblical one. If testifying of what Jesus did through their ministries was necessary for building faith in the hearts of the people, the apostles would have been doing just what these preachers do today in promoting themselves and telling others of the wonderful things Jesus did through them. Scripture says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God; not by someone’s personal testimony (Rom. 10:17). The minute your faith becomes fixed on someone else’s experience rather than the Word of God, not only is your faith misplaced and limited, but you’ve also made yourself a prime candidate for deception.

When Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on water, he didn’t accomplish this feat based on someone’s testimony. He accomplished that based on the word of God that came from Jesus’ mouth bidding him to come. As a result of this, Peter was able to do what no other man beside Jesus had done before (Matt. 14:25-29)!

The idea that if God did something for me means that God will also do the same thing for you is also unbiblical. I am very aware of the scripture that is quoted to promote this lie: God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), but this was in the context of salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Used in any other context outside of our Kingdom privileges and it becomes inaccurate. To say that God is “no respecter of persons” from the Greek understanding simply meant that God is impartial and does not discriminate based solely upon face value. In other words, He is not unjust. When He does discriminate – and He does – He does so based upon principle.

For example, it would be inaccurate to believe that because God gives one man five talents that He would do the same for everyone else. God distributed talents according to ability, so while a person may have received five, God is not unjust for giving another person two and giving someone else one (Matt. 25:15). Was God partial? Not exactly! But was it justified? Absolutely!

Similarly, if God gives your neighbor a seven bedroom house on seven acres of land debt free and he testifies of such, does that mean that God is willing to do the same for you? Possibly not! Your neighbor may have a wife with six kids and needed to have a seven bedroom house. You, on the other hand, are single with no kids of your own yet you incorrectly presume that God is willing to do the same for you. Maybe you might need to take a mortgage on a two bedroom home instead. The point is that you cannot base your faith off of someone’s personal testimony.

The Overcoming Testimony

And they have conquered (overcome) him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

(Revelation 12:11 ESV; parenthesis mine)

 

Every single one of us, with few exceptions, who have been a part of the Kingdom of God or religious Christianity for any significant amount of time, have heard this text quoted or preached at least once. Sometimes being too familiar with a text in terms of hearing it quoted or taught often can cause us to become passively complacent regarding its true meaning. What exactly is this testimony that John is talking about which empowers believers to overcome or conquer the devil? As any good bible scholar or interpreter would do, you always examine a word in light of its etymological meaning and context.

The word testimony here is translated from the Greek word, marturía, meaning a witness or testimony. It carries the understanding of an authoritative certification or declaration given by a genuine witness of what he or she knows.

The following are a few examples of how this word is used in the book of Revelation:

who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

(Revelation 1:2 ESV; emphasis mine)

 

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

(Revelation 1:9 ESV; emphasis mine)

 

Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimonyof Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

(Revelation 12:17 ESV; emphasis mine)

 

Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

(Revelation 19:10 ESV; emphases mine)

 

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

(Revelation 20:4 ESV; emphasis mine)

 

You will notice a common thread or theme in these references. In almost every reference save one, the word testimony is used in conjunction with the Word of God; and in the only remaining reference where the Word of God is not explicitly stated, it is clearly being implied. What this means is that the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus are synonymous and inseparably interwoven in Scripture. In other words, the testimony of Jesus is not necessarily a testimony about Jesus, and definitely not a testimony about what Jesus did in, for or through us, but a testimony that emanates from Jesus and is synonymous or equal to His written Word.

When we approach the text in question with this understanding, it becomes quite clear. The devil who deceives the world was being cast out of heaven, and his angels with him (v. 9). The Kingdom of God was now invading the earth, but there was still a battle being waged by the powers of darkness against the saints of the Most High God. They were able to conquer this enemy and overcome him not by reciting their personal testimonies of what Jesus did in, for or through them (notice how both word and testimony are stated in the singular rather than the plural, meaning one distinct message as opposed to various personal testimonies), but by the declaration of the Word of God that was consistent with their lifestyle and internal architecture. They weren’t hypocrites who said one thing and lived another. Their very lives became a declaration or proclamation of God’s Kingdom and testimony of Jesus, because they allowed the blood to complete its work on the inside (as well as outside) by dying to themselves and not loving their own lives. They were delivered of all selfishness, self-centeredness, self-promotion and self-indulgence. This is the type of testimony that overcomes and conquers the devil!

Even Jesus couldn’t overcome the devil by reciting or testifying of God’s goodness in His earthly life. He overcame the devil by the Word of God which He quoted. It wasn’t just the words, but the fact that they emanated from a place of accuracy rather than hypocrisy. It’s interesting that the devil tried to use the same scriptures in a twisted and corrupted fashion in order to entice Jesus to a place of pride, self-promotion and self-indulgence by seeking to make Him exalt himself among the people as a biblical right. Is it any wonder that satan misconstrues scripture today for the same devious end (Matt. 4:1-11)?

The Testimony Of Jesus

Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

(Revelation 19:10 ESV)

 

It’s very interesting to me that this often quoted text regarding the testimony of Jesus being the spirit of prophecy was given in a context of worship.

As usual, and like many of you reading this, I was taught in my early days to believe that anyone who testified concerning what Jesus did to, through or for them was operating in the spirit of prophecy. I was also taught that the mere mention of the name of Jesus in prophecy somehow made it authentic, and not emanating from an unclean spirit. Of course, this is not what the text is teaching at all.

The context or overarching principle of the passage is in making a clear distinction between false worship and true worship. John was inclined to become distracted by his fellow servant – an angel of heaven – who was presently acting as his tour guide and fellow messenger. He actually fell down prostrate at the angel’s feet in an attempt to worship him. The angel, however, immediately rebukes him and commands him to worship God!

This is significant because the angel was only acting as a representative of God to bring John the revelation. He was not testifying concerning himself or in any way seeking to promote himself before John; however, John still felt an overwhelming inclination to perform misdirected or misguided worship to the angel even though the angel refused to accept it. The point being that if a holy angel or fellow servant seeking to represent and do the will of God could be improperly idolized, how much more a man or woman of God who seeks to elevate, glorify or promote himself through personal testimonies of God’s miracle power working through his life. How much more would they become a distraction?

In promptly pointing John’s focus back toward God in giving Him alone the worship that is due unto His name, the angel establishes an important spiritual principle. It is the testimony of Jesus – the Word of God – that is the true spirit of prophecy and the core of true worship. Anything else becomes a distraction!

True prophecy is built on the Word of God and emanates from the Word of God, thus making it a true testimony and clear witness of Jesus. Again, it is not a testimony about Jesus or a testimony about what Jesus did in or through our lives. It is a testimony of or from Jesus that is synonymous with the Word of God and never contradicts it. Not only that, but it empowers and inspires true worship rather than becoming a distraction or deterrent. It never draws attention to itself or the speaker, only to God. And it forcefully opposes misguided worship.

It was only when John’s gaze was corrected and his worship accurately directed that he was able to see heaven open and Jesus arrayed in all of His glory (Rev. 19:11-16). Therefore, every time we allow ourselves or others to become a distraction – especially during times of corporate worship – we rob and deprive the assembly of seeing Jesus and encountering Him in a new way.

Jesus is the central focus of all God-inspired revelation, and all God-inspired revelation should have Jesus as its central focus. God alone is the object of our worship; therefore, no true messenger of God and no true message of God will seek to distract from true worship. No true angel of God will encourage or tolerate an overemphasis on spiritual manifestations or phenomena while losing sight of the true object of our worship – God. No true man or woman of God will allow themselves to become a distraction to God’s people fixing their gaze upon Him. And no true revelation or prophecy from God undermines the flow of corporate worship, distracts believers from truly entering in, or focuses our gaze upon our personal needs with empty flattering words of more blessing and more breakthroughs.

Everything we do in our gatherings should point to Him. The purpose of the revelation given to John was to point to Him. The purpose of prophecy is so that we can more accurately worship Him. Jesus is the object of our worship, not our own selves. True worship is about who He is, not about what we have or what we can get from Him. How dare we continue to make worship about us, about our personal needs, or about receiving another blessing or breakthrough! How dare we promote a distorted worldly culture where our personal desires take precedence over the Lordship of Christ! How dare we seek to exalt ourselves above God!

May our eyes be opened and our hearts and lives conformed to that which God desires. It is time to rediscover the true testimony of Jesus, for without it we will never overcome.