And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Rev 12:11

A testimony is an account of what you personally know to be true.  Many of us have had experiences testifying in one venue or another. Testimonies may be casual or formally sworn before an official.  Testimonies are most effective when they are straightforward and simple to understand. The truthfulness of various testimonies is evaluated in a number of ways: friends, people in general, juries, judges etc.

I have a personal testimony to share as this week’s Message of Hope. The format of the testimony may not be the way you are accustomed. The word poem comes from the Greek word “poema” which can mean masterpiece or a work of art. I make no claim to be a poet, but God has promised to master our life as His poem, if we let Him. That said, please read through “My Testimony” to judge for yourself whether it’s effective, straightforward, simple to understand, and most critically…if I’m telling you the truth.

MY TESTIMONY

I wandered life’s path with a happy, yet careless step

Following the easy way and drawn to where pleasure slept;

And then by encounter at a distant Pacific Ocean shore-

I met Jesus Christ, His Holiness — not about me anymore.

With position, and title, and money my goal,

Much thought for right now, not much for my soul;

Thoroughly confident I’d be a winner in my final score-

Then I met Jesus Christ, His Righteousness — not about me anymore.

Buildings in my life were up, held high in my eyes

The pride of accomplishments soaring high as the eagle flies;

Determined to continue, my will driven for more and more-

Then I met Jesus Christ, Peace and Humility — not about me anymore.

I knew that day He was present, awesome, mighty, and real

His eyes of compassion and hand of hope touched me with zeal;

My surrender to Him seemed so short, so lame, and so poor-

But meeting Jesus Christ, Everlasting King and Judge — not about me anymore.

My constructions demolished and in their place

My Lord and Savior, showed His eternal face;

Deep within I knew something wonderful was in store-

Meeting Jesus Christ, Trusted Creator — not about me anymore.

Going to heaven and the souls of men

Consume my thoughts now because of then;

Heaven or hell, options never to ignore-

Meeting Jesus Christ, Lover of my Soul — not about me anymore!

So family and friends, my value in being alive no longer comes from what I do, where I am, what I pursue, or what others think of me.  My value comes from receiving what Jesus Christ already did for me personally on the cross.  He loves me that much and has a wonderful plan for my life. Finally, please reflect for a moment. If my testimony rings true, then who or what is it about in your life?

 John 3:16