I think some of you may be familiar with Healing/blessing testimonies where a member would walk up to the stage and share a story about trials or hardships where somehow the Lord provided a miracle and got them out of their bad situation.
However, Jesus told some of the people He healed NOT to tell other people about their miraculous healing - Mark 7:36.
I think the reason why Jesus said such thing so that people would not be drawn into Christianity under the wrong motives such as healing, material prosperity, etc (John 6:26). Because such things don't matter when compared to the saving truth - the Word of God as opposed to the lies and false teachings of the world that wormed its way into "Christian teachings".
Another reason why sharing accounts of Lord's miracle in our lives might be wrong is that it can be a source of pride for the person sharing the testimony. To let everyone know they have the Lord's favor upon them and righteous in their ways. Self-righteousness and conceitedness. I'm not saying everyone feels that way when they share their miraculous healings, financial miracles on the pulpit but it's a very strong temptation to feel that way when you do.
So why put up with it when Lord is telling us NOT to do it that it can mislead (deceive) people into having the wrong intentions for becoming a Christian and also presents itself as a strong temptation to have sinful thoughts?
I wrote this topic because I thought of sharing a testimony but also felt strongly NOT to. I felt strongly I might be doing a wrong thing because I might be only doing it to feed my pride even though it's not in my mind at all... The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? - Jeremiah 17:9
However, Jesus told some of the people He healed NOT to tell other people about their miraculous healing - Mark 7:36.
I think the reason why Jesus said such thing so that people would not be drawn into Christianity under the wrong motives such as healing, material prosperity, etc (John 6:26). Because such things don't matter when compared to the saving truth - the Word of God as opposed to the lies and false teachings of the world that wormed its way into "Christian teachings".
Another reason why sharing accounts of Lord's miracle in our lives might be wrong is that it can be a source of pride for the person sharing the testimony. To let everyone know they have the Lord's favor upon them and righteous in their ways. Self-righteousness and conceitedness. I'm not saying everyone feels that way when they share their miraculous healings, financial miracles on the pulpit but it's a very strong temptation to feel that way when you do.
So why put up with it when Lord is telling us NOT to do it that it can mislead (deceive) people into having the wrong intentions for becoming a Christian and also presents itself as a strong temptation to have sinful thoughts?
I wrote this topic because I thought of sharing a testimony but also felt strongly NOT to. I felt strongly I might be doing a wrong thing because I might be only doing it to feed my pride even though it's not in my mind at all... The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? - Jeremiah 17:9