THE POWER OF TESTIMONY

For four (4) generations, the Herod’s class was a perpetual antagonist to the gospel of Jesus.

i)        Herod the great who killed innocent children while he tried to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:16).

ii)      Herod the Tetrarch (Herod Antipas) who killed John the Baptist (Matthew 14:1-11).

iii)    Herod Agrippa I (Grandson of Herod the great) who killed James and wanted to kill Peter (Acts 12:1-5).

iv)    And then Agrippa (Herod Agrippa II, son of Herod Agrippa I). It was this Agrippa that Paul encountered and it is amazing how Paul stood before this man but the same man whose ancestors hated the gospel, the same man requested to hear Paul and vindicated him (Acts 26:1, 31-32).

Not only was Agrippa there, his sister (Bernice) was there and also was governor Festus (Acts 25:23). There was a king, a governor and a princess all gathered and Jesus’ words were fulfilled: “And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles” (Matthew 10:18).

Paul stood and shared his testimony and after his testimony, Herod Agrippa II stood up and said he (Paul) has done nothing deserving of death. His ancestors killed Jesus’ people, but his own wings were plucked by the reason of Paul’s testimony. This is a confirmation of Revelation 12:11a: And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony”.

Paul’s testimony brought to an end four (4) generations of spiritual opposition and antagonism against the church. How powerful is a man’s testimony! The most difficult man to stop is a man with an intact testimony before God. Death could not stop Enoch because God took him “for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5b). Enoch’s testimony opened a door to glory that not even death could shut. Amen.

By your testimony of holiness and grace before God, you can bring to an end generations of manipulation in your family and ministry. The apostles battled Herod by prayers and suspended antagonism for a while, but Paul terminated oppression and hostility by testimony!

When your testimony before God is intact, the devil stays away from you. This was the story of Job, by his testimony, the devil stayed away from his life and became a wanderer (Job 1:6-8).

You may have been praying and fasting because of spiritual oppositions and it might look like the battle has been long. But, I charge you today, examine your standing and testimony before the Lord. The devil is scared of certain people…these are men whose testimony before God (not men) is well pleasing. It is these ones that overcome by the word of their testimony.