During the spring and early summer months, our family loves to take an occasional weekend day-trip to a zoo, museum, state or national park, or other places of interest. It has always amazed me how much money tourist destinations will spend creating spectacular landscaping scenery that not only inspires its visitors, but creates images in our minds that encourages us to share the stories of our destination “discoveries” with families and friends. Many times, that’s the entire intent behind the monies spent to achieve such landscaping marvels, whether they be inside or outside. The hope is for an increased visits by others who have become inspired by our pictures and testimony – the telling of our experiences.
Its not only tourist destinations that rely on the testimonies of its visitors as a source for future customers. Websites such as Angie’s List are dedicated to providing testimonials written by customers regarding local businesses. Ebay asks those who buy and sell to rate each transaction as a way to provide others with an understanding of the reputation of the buyer or seller with whom they are doing business. We share stories of our children, our grandchildren, and even our pets with others without any reservations, yet when it comes to sharing what could possibly make the difference in the eternal condition of someone’s soul, we grow strangely quiet.
Sharing our testimony of our personal relationship with Jesus is something that began back in those early days of the church. As Jesus prepared his disciples for his final ascension into Heaven, he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:14-15). He told the remaining eleven apostles that it was their responsibility to teach – to provide a testimonial – of Christ’s message of Salvation. These men had not yet been moved into pastoral roles of the early New Testament Church, had not been called as missionaries to far away lands, or called to be song or worship leaders. Everything they had been taught, everything they had witnessed, and everything they had experienced while travelling with Jesus was what they were to share with others!
One of my favorite stories in the New Testament is the story of the woman at the well. Jesus offered her living water – true life – and all she had to do was to accept and believe that he was the Messiah – her Redeemer that had been promised since the days of Adam and Eve. Although she was a Samaritan, she still knew the prophecies of the One that would redeem Israel, that would heal, forgive sins, set the captives free, and all – Jew, Gentile, and Samaritan would be allowed to worship God in Jerusalem. Jesus began to teach her Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father… But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he (John 4:21-26).
