The Happen Stance

How to Make Things Happen In Your Christian Life

K. Neill Foster

"AND THEY OVERCAME HIM by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. . ." (Rev. 12:11).

The Revelation saints of the last book of the Bible overcame Satan and the powers of darkness by the word of their testimony. And Christians today do the same. They overcome by their witness.

Why, we may properly ask, is testimony an overcoming weapon?

First, testimony is a spoken declaration to the world. "And with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:10). What a man says is always significant. "By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Matt. 12:37). "For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh" (Matt. 12:34). God often makes real to a man that which he dares to say with his mouth. "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed. . . those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith" (Mark 11:23).

So, I am saying, the very act of speaking our faith before Satan may be the whole difference between victory and defeat.

A POWERFUL FACTOR

Second, experience is always a powerful factor in life. The man who was born blind had simply to say, "Once I was blind, but now I see." The proof was incontrovertible. The lame man who had lingered long years at the temple gates was up walking around. Even the apostles' enemies said, "We cannot deny it" (Acts 4:14,16). Facts are stubborn, stubborn things. And devastating in their effect when God's power has been revealed.

Experience, nevertheless, is not a proper base upon which to build a theological structure. In Bible-believing circles these days there are two distinct types of literature. These two types are poles apart.

There are the experience books, the "this-happened -to-me-so-this-must- be-the-truth" type.

The logic is faulty because the shifting sand of experience is converted into a launching pad for all kinds of theological missiles - many of them wildly off course.

Then there are the theologians who have every jot and tittle in place. They are saved, sanctified, justified - and, all too often, fossilized, and maybe even petrified! The life and breath of the Holy Spirit of Almighty God are nowhere to be found. The dispensations are all in place, but the men are not empowered. They are often devoid of the unction which ought to accompany the preaching of the Word of God.

Which extreme is worse I cannot say, though both are dangerous, and if I may say so, damning.

SCREENING OUT THE READ-INS

The safely of the middle ground is vital in our understanding of testimony. Testimony needs to be given in a context where a biblical basis for understanding exists, where theological and experimental "read-ins" are screened out. For example, if the lame man who was healed in Jesus' name had begun to teach others that because Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none," these same words must be uttered if anyone else expects to be healed, I would call that a read-in.

Each of the three times Paul gave his testimony, he walked a careful line (Acts 22: iff; 24:10-21; 26:1-27). Not once did he stray from a simple declaration of the acts of God in his own life.

Now I will admit experience sometimes leads men to truth. Nearly every servant of God has experienced events in his life which have led him to an understanding of Scripture. But it is better, I think, and the route is safer, to see the scriptural truth and then to have the experience.

And I repeat, testimony, when vibrant and fresh, when based upon an act of God in one's life, is devastatingly powerful.

Some of the most memorable and most powerful gospel services I have ever been in have been services in which a testimony was given.

HAMMER BLOWS

Clarence Shrier, a Canadian friend of mine, was formerly a businessman but is now a successful evangelist. He has a remarkable ministry of healing and prayer for the sick. The most powerful night in his crusades is almost always the last night, when he gives his testimony. He spent nine years upon a bed, was miraculously and divinely healed, and has a continuing ministry of healing today. He preaches well and under great anointing, but the hammer blows of God's Spirit fall hardest when he gives his testimony.

Another friend of our family has a broken home. She reared her six children alone. In her lonely state she found Christ. But the abrasions and wounds of life have given her a powerful ministry in both music and spoken word. Her testimony, too, has tremendous power to convict and convert sinners.

Testimonies win victories over the enemy and minister to believers, too. I thank God for testimonies I have heard from the lips of true believers.

Nor should anyone be ashamed of the testimony God has given him. It may not be spectacular. It may, in part, be a story of failure and weakness. But people identify with weakness, with an individual and personal story, and they rejoice in the acts of God in the life of another.

There are times when silence is God's order. Often Jesus told those to whom He had ministered that they were to keep silent. Many times the people did not heed His word, but the Savior was nevertheless illustrating the principle of silence.

TIMING MUST BE RIGHT

Confessing Christ before men is certainly part of God's order. But the timing must be right. The rockets which tumble warplanes out of the sky have to be fired at precisely the right moment. So it is with testimony. Its premature delivery can make it a miss, when perhaps God intended a delay which would allow it to land right on target with tremendous, explosive power. (Taking time out now for a lengthy Bible study on God's timing would pay huge dividends!)

We need to know not only what the weapons are, but also how to become so sensitive to the Holy Spirit that our timing will be exactly right.

TURNING THE KEY

But there is side two to this record. There is a negative side to testimony - I call it confession. When a man tells the truth about his own sin to God or to offended brethren or to both, the results are also unusual.

I use the word "revival" carefully in my speech and writing. I define a revival to be a mighty, renewing visitation of God Almighty which is so far beyond the usual, the ordinary, or even the greatly blessed events in the life of the church that it must be called revival.

There have been few times in my ministry when I know I have seen revival - the Philippines and Africa come to mind. In every case the public confession of sin was the spark that kindled it. Prayer, preaching, and many other things play a part in revival. But the public confession of sin is the key. And so few care to turn it.

I have witnessed many confessions of sin, none of them without significance. However, one stands out in my mind. We were in Dedougou, Upper Volta, Africa. The atmosphere was one of brokenness and confession. The service could properly be called intense.

Then a missionary grandmother stood to her feet. She was petite and pretty. She had something very vital to say. "Please forgive me for not loving you as I should have," she asked the Africans. Her appeal was moving and sincere. She was touching and facing her basic offense.

Immediately, an elderly African named Levi stood up. Speaking for the group, he said something like this-"Yes, we forgive you. You are our mother. Our own mothers did not bring us the gospel. But you brought us the gospel. You are our mother."

The next thing we knew the missionary reached out and hugged that stately old man. Black and white together. Tears, oh so many tears.

Are you surprised that revival came? Revival always comes that way - through the confession of sins.

If we could fully know how much damage is done to the kingdom of darkness by confession, I am sure we would be more willing to confess our sins to one another.

AVOID DISTORTION

Sometimes when Satan cannot stop the confession of sin he seeks to twist or distort it. In my judgment, the confession should be as large as the offense. If one person is involved, the whole church need not hear the confession. On the other hand, if someone has sinned against the whole congregation, then confession should be made to the whole congregation. In almost all cases of immorality and sexual deviation, confession should be private.

The teacher of an excellent seminar suggests that when pardon or forgiveness is asked, the one making the request should specifically ask to be forgiven. And then he should give opportunity to the offended person to do just that - to forgive.

Confession is biblical. "Confess your faults one to another. . ." (James 5:16). Aaron confessed his criticism (Num. 12:11). Saul made a false confession (1 Sam. 15:14,25) and Saul still has his followers today. David confessed that he had "numbered" the people (2 Sam. 24:10). And Job, too, confessed his sin (Job 7:20; 42:6).

CONFESSING THE SINS OF OTHERS

Both Ezra (Ezra 9:6) and David (Ps. 9:20) confessed their personal sin and the sins of others. There is a sense, then, in which a leader, or a responsible person, can and may confess the sins of others.

One author, in his books dealing with occult bondage and deliverance, affirms that sometimes it is necessary for victims of demonic invasion to confess not only their own sins, but the "sins and subjections" of their forefathers. Frankly, I am inclined to agree with him. There are some cases when personal and corporate sins need to be confessed. Daniel confessed his own sins and the sins of his people (Dan. 9:5). We certainly know the iniquities of the fathers are visited upon the children to the third and fourth generations. Release from those sins and release from inherited or acquired demonic bondage can and does come through such confession and verbal, audible repudiation of the devil.

If our sins go unconfessed, our Lord will not hear us (Ps. 66:18; Isa. 59:2). When we confess our sins it is Jesus Christ the Lord of glory who forgives them. "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Inevitably these mighty weapons of the Christian warfare come finally to the person of Christ. A testimony? It is of what He has done. A confession? It is to Jesus Christ who alone can forgive.

And my friend, if you are under pressure, pressed nearly beyond measure, almost without hope or strength in the battle, take courage. Positively affirm your faith. Audibly rehearse the acts of God in your life. Confess your sins. Confess them specifically and directly to God and to men when necessary.

And get ready. The results are likely to be explosive and obvious!

Chapter 9