TEST BRINGS TESTIMONY
Once I was invited to a special thanksgiving service at a Church service in Houston. This Church ceremony attracted huge crowd of worshippers including dignitaries. The Church choir rendered great worship songs and anthems that opened way for the word of God [message]. The Pastor who was at his best preached on the theme: gratefulness. Just after the sermon, came time for the special thanksgivings. The celebrants, family and their guests: relations, friends and well-wishers sang joyfully to the alter area. The pastor asked the celebrant to tell the congregants what occasioned the special celebration. In other words, what is it that God has done for him/them [testimony]. The celebrant narrated some of the painful events and different situations they have passed through [the tests]. These tests brought the testimonies we hear. In life we face both testing and temptations. Most times of trials produce shinning testimonies and joyful thanks. It could be a time to separate the wheat from the chaff and men from the boys.
In Judges 7: 2-7, Gideon pitched a camp at the well of Ha’rod getting ready to fight the Midianites at Moreb. The Lord had promised to give the Midianites into their hands. That means that Gideon shall be victorious. Gideon then went out with about 33000-member army troop. He must have thought that the large troop shall give the promised victory. Perhaps he was trying to help God meet His promise. But God’s way is not our ways and His thought is different from ours. The large troop was disgusting to God that He asked Gideon to reduce the number. God said they were too many weak people, many unwilling people, fearful and faithless in the troop. Some are just part of the crowd but not needed. They were too many for God’s likeness; less they think they won the battle by their strengths. “We have too many people in too many cars, in too much of a hurry, going too many directions, to get no where for nothing.” God is able to do whatever He says.
God said in verse 4, I shall separate them by test. Those I select shall go on with the fight while others return home. Ask any person who feel like going back to do so. As many as about 10,000 people turned back and went home. Yet in God’s wisdom and plan the remaining number was still too much for the task. God then fashioned out a simple test. He asked Gideon to take the soldiers to the water [well] at Ha’rod. Everyone who laps water with his tongue like a dog has passed the test. Everyone that bowed down his kneels to drink should go home. Only 300 lapped water like dog and they were those qualified to face the battle. They were considered strong, agile, capable, determined and in readiness. Those 300 soldiers fought and won the battle as promised by God.
In another development, in 1 Kings 18: 21, Elijah, God’s servant faced 400 Baal prophets in the presence of the nation of Israel in the test for true God. Elijah challenged, why are you people wavering between two opinions? If The Lord be God follow Him; if Baal then follow it. A double minded [unstable, unreliable uncertain] person does not get any thing from God [James 1:7]. He that has alternative hardly trusts or put confident in one thing. That could tell us something about polygamy or its vice. Most times in our Christian journeys we come to a point where our faith is tested. We have to decide who our number one is. We face a situation that we have to decide who our Lord is – Jesus or Satan, Jesus or the world; news media reports, tarot readings or the word of God. Who and which do we believe? That brings to mind an old but ever new song: ‘I have decided to follow Jesus….. no going back.’ My mind is made up in Him for good.
In this instance God defended himself. Fire from heaven consumed the offerings of prophet Elijah offered to God of heaven and earth. What is it that is trying your confession, your faith and your belief? Are you shifting grounds when you should stand firm and declare that the Lord, God is God? Every other god is sinking sand. God enquires: Is any thing too difficult for me to do? Brethren, will your anchor hold in the storms of life, in the straits of fear, when the strong tides lift and cable strains. Will it hold when the breakers roar and the reef is near; will it drift or firm remain? The song writer responds: we have an anchor that keeps the soul, steadfast and sure while the billows’ roll, fasten to the Rock [Christ] which cannot move [fail], grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
In Saint Mark Gospel [4: 35-41], the Apostle records: One evening, Jesus was crossing over to the other side of the lake, there rose a furious storm of wind and the waves that rocked and spilled over into the boat that it was full of water. Jesus was tired and while enjoying the lake breeze, fell asleep. The disciples could not stand the forces of the raging storms, surging rave and wild winds as well as angry waves. They were so afraid that they lost remembrance of who he was in their midst, in the boat with them. We should realize that we couldn’t cross over to the other side without facing the storms of life. As we face various ugly situations in life, we easily forget that we are not alone; that the Christ in us is more than all the forces of what is confronting us. His love is deeper and wider than all the depths put together and can contain every storm of life. Some storm shall not go away because there are to quicken and straighten our faiths and give us testimonies.
Every season we witness sport activities and are quick to rejoice with the winners and most times forget to console the losers. In these competitions, they vide for winners. This brought to mind the July 9, 2006 FIFA World Soccer Cup final between Italy and France. It was a history-making event and Italians stole the show. The victory came in the midst of worst soccer scandal in Italian Football history. Many commentators awarded the match to France even before the kick off, but Italians smiled home with a 5-3 goal advantage. Tough people last but tough times [situations] don’t. Every problem has expiry date. Champions are born out of tough times, adversaries and persecutions. Some rough packages contain glorious [most cherished] gifts. In the same arena and match soccer general Zinedina Zidane of France ended his career in shame and infamous head butt. He ran out of patience, forgot the basic soccer rules when the ovation was highest and was sent out of the field in Red Card. It was the greatest tragedy of our time and big disgrace. He failed the test to lead his country to victory. Our Daily Manna [A Devotional booklet for champions] said, “At the brink of his promotion, he failed the test. It was a disaster and an unforgettable disappointment to those who had waited for his glorious moment of lifting the world most prestigious trophy.” Gamblers who had betted for France victory lost their money. In Purpose Driven life, Rick Warren says character is developed and revealed by test and all of life is test.”
The whole of life is a learning experience. A late uncle of ours often said: ‘we learn daily.’ I happened to have been privileged to be selected a member of the Planning Committee of City Changer Revival held on June 15 and 16, 2007 at Queen’s Hall, Houston. It was organized and sponsored by Liberty World Outreach. At first mention of the need to hold a revival and pray for the city and people of Houston, some people kicked against it. It was perhaps born out of selfish interest that brought undeserved criticisms. This also led to several postponements’ on the date. However the planning committee chaired by Pastor Christy Ogbeide prayerfully stayed focus and kept communication with the Founder of Liberty World Outreach Apostle Matthew Oluwajoba. Despite all distractions, God intervened and revived every instrument He had predestined for the event and used them successfully to His glory. They worked together and eventually brought forth a revival with a difference in the city of Houston.
The Test [Revival] became a promotional tool that brought together the greatest Assembly of God’s Ministers in the land in this time. The city will never be the same again. This great testimony followed a testing period that brought growth opportunities. “A door of opportunity swings on the hinges of opposition.” God promises a safe landing but not a calm voyage. Your life will never be full of testimonies until you begin to face and overcome many trials. Do not be afraid to fail. Failure is just a delay and not a defeat. Lesser trials [risks] bring lesser victories and of course lesser testimonies. Robert Goddard admonishes: “Success and failure are not opposites but they are both products of the same process. It is difficult to say what is impossible for the dream of yesterday is the hope of tomorrow.” Human beings measure progress with success but easily forget that no profit without trials and adversaries. We should remember that perspiration gives birth to inspiration. Billy Graham once said, “Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has done.” Hold on for the end brings testimonies and thanksgivings.
Evangelist Ogbonnaya, Godswill can be reached by email:gkapin53@yahoo,com