“and they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony..” revelation 12:11

the word of their testimony. 

/ˈtestəˌmōnē/

noun

1. a formal written or spoken statement, especially one given in a court of law.

Similar: evidence, sworn statement, attestation, affidavit, statement, declaration

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it was now a week since mom died. she was processing details, experiencing waves of grief, sudden bursts of tears. but there was more. there was her testimony. it was undeniably jesus.

years earlier, she had prayed for her mother to finish what she had been given to do in the earth. father god assured her then it would be so. 

their relationship was never easy. some was due to freemasonry curses, some due to other influences both natural and spiritual. 

as she grew in the truth of her relationship with father, jesus and holy spirit, she shared pearls with her mother. it often resulted in negative responses, but the truth of the testimonies could not be ignored or denied. every religious demon screamed when she shared, but she shared anyway. 

she and all of her household would be saved. period. it meant persecution, mocking and ridicule from the whole family over decades, even now as mom lay dying. 

but it could not, would not change the outcome. each of them would know his kindness, his goodness that would lead them to repentance. 

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her last visit with mom was several months earlier. holy spirit showed her the end was coming soon. she picked up fried chicken along with a couple other favorite items and took them to the nursing home. 

over 3 hours or so, they watched a cooking show as they talked. then holy spirit nudged her. she paused, looking at her mother sitting in the recliner to her right. she took a breath, opened her mouth and the words came out. 

“part of why I came today is to have this conversation with you. you know that we are not saved by infant baptism, right?” 

“i know,” was mom’s quiet response. 

she continued. “do you remember that prayer that I gave you and lyle (her stepfather) before he died? when he was in the hospital, i came to visit. while i was next to his bed holding his hand, he got tears in his eyes and said, “i read your letter.” 

he was telling me he had asked jesus to be his lord and savior, that he had received forgiveness. he wanted me to know.”

mom was quiet for a moment, then said, “i saw angels come to get him when he died.”  it wasn’t the first time she’d shared that information. mom knew there was more than what she had been taught. she had heard the testimonies her oldest child shared. they were undeniable.

“mom, would you like to pray with me while I’m here?” 

“no.” the answer came quickly, too quickly. 

some religious demon was interfering. no surprise. it wasn’t the first time. 

instead of being offended, she treated it lightly. 

“okay, but if you’re not in heaven when I get there, i’m going to be really pissed off. don’t mess this up,” she laughed. those words would not fall to the ground. 

here they were, months later, with very different circumstances. mom had made up her mind she was done living here. she stopped eating, stopped taking her meds. she quit. the decline was rapid, and without the meds, she had a stroke. it marked the beginning of the end of her life on earth. 

the condition of her body was shocking, yes, but her spirit and soul were very much alive and attentive. it was wednesday evening, just hours after the stroke occurred. her left side was gone, she could not swallow. responses were limited to squeezing hands for yes or no questions. 

she quickly decided to take thursday off work in addition to the already scheduled day off on friday. the next few days would be spent with siblings and nieces. 

she knew she needed precious time alone with her mother. she asked father god for it, and he made it happen. thursday morning, she had an hour or so alone. she sat with mom, one right hand clutching the other. as their hands gripped each other, holy spirit showed her he was restoring the bonding that never occurred when she was an infant. tears came. healing tears. 

later in the day, she leaned in and picked her mother’s fragile body up so her sister-in-law could adjust the pillow. as she laid her back down on the bed, she saw tears form in her mother’s left eye. was it from the hug? was it from getting human touch again after being without for so long? 

perhaps. she knew it was deep. and powerful. 

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friday morning came. she arose early, prayed and worshiped at home and in the car on her way to the nursing home. holy spirit prompted her to play laura rhinehart’s song, “come to the well,” on repeat, to stay in that place. it was an invitation to drink in holy spirit, to be filled. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd8vdHSjjH4

she arrived and walked to mom’s room, closing the door for privacy. turning the song on again, she sat holding her hand, praying in tongues over the woman who gave her life. 

she spoke with her, recounting memories, recounting hard things, things that sought to make them enemies of each other. the devil was still a liar. he would not have the last word here. 

tears flowed. then, as the song began again, she sang with it, singing over her mother lying before her. walls came down at the expansion of his love flowing into her spirit and soul. it was time. 

“mom, this is a simple thing. jesus already died for all your sin. it is finished. all you need to do is an exchange here, your heart for his. you receive what he did for you. it’s easy. and he wants it even more than you do. you are his daughter.”

she continued to pray even as heaving sobs came forth. the warfare was heavy in that place, but angels were present protecting them both. after some time, peace settled upon them and father god spoke. “her salvation is secure.” 

more tears flowed, tears of gratitude, tears of honor, tears of love, tears of grief. even tears of joy in such a very hard place. 

it was finished. 

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this testimony would speak to many. 

many would come to jesus through it. 

testimony is born out of relationship, out of love, out of his kindness and goodness. 

the testimony had already spoken at work. it spoke at the grocery store. 

each person hearing the testimony was visibly moved. 

holy spirit showed her the sheer power it held, the weightiness of it. 

it would not return to father god void, but it would return to him in full manifestation of what it was sent to do. 

mom’s salvation would speak. 

and her whole household would be saved. 

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testimony is evidence, a sworn affidavit. 

jesus is undeniable truth.

give your testimony wherever you can. 

it speaks.

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