Why a Personal Testimony? — Dean Stump

Hello, this is Brother Denny. Welcome to Charity Ministries. Our desire is that your life would be blessed and changed by this message. This message is not copyrighted and is not to be bought or sold.

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These messages are offered to all without charge by the freewill offerings of God's people. A special thank you to all who support this ministry. Well, greetings this morning in Jesus' name. As many as believed on Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God.

I'm reminded of the song that says, Happy Zion, what a favored lot is thine. The second verse of that song, it's too good to pass up right now. It says, Every human tie may perish, friend to friend unfaithful prove.

Mothers cease their own to cherish, heaven and earth at last remove. But no changes can attend Jehovah's love. No changes can attend Jehovah's love. There is no shadow of turning with our God's love. Let's turn to Acts, chapter 26, for a reading of scripture here.

Paul's Testimony Before King Agrippa

We're going to read the first 28 verses of Acts 26. And let's stand for the reading of the word. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand and answered for himself, I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews, especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews.

Wherefore, I beseech thee to hear me patiently. My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews, which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify that after the most straightest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee.

And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers, unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope, say King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead? I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth, which thing I also did in Jerusalem.

And many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme, and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord?

And he said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. But rise and stand upon thy feet, for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision, but showed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem and throughout all the coasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance.

For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple and went about to kill me. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come, that Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should show light unto the people and to the Gentiles.

And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself, much learning doth make thee mad. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely, for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him, for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?

I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, O most, thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Then Paul said, O most, thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Okay, you may be seated. I guess the title of the message this morning is in a question.

The Meaning and Purpose of a Personal Testimony

Why a personal testimony? And I'd like to first give a little definition to the word testimony. Testimony in the Strong's Concordance, it says to give evidence or bear record or honest report or evidence given.

Yeah, just evidence given is a testimony. Evidence given. So when you're called to court, if you are a witness of an accident and you're called to court, you give your testimony of what you have seen.

It's a first-hand account. It's a first-hand authentication of a fact. It's a public profession. Oh, this is from the dictionary. First-hand authentication of a fact or a public profession of a religious experience.

That's what the dictionary says. Personal just means to be affecting yourself. No one else but yourself. So the question this morning is why a personal testimony? Why give a testimony? Why give evidence?

Why bear record of what is going on in your own heart? This was much on my heart, the matter of bearing or giving a testimony, sharing a testimony. It was much on my heart recently because of the testimonies that we were hearing here.

And then Brother Ross shared his testimony and I was blessed by that. Ross and Cynthia there. I was blessed with it and thinking about it. And then someone else had come to me that day and just shared how much that testimony ministered to them and how it encouraged them.

And then on top of that, I had been reading through the book of Acts and my personal devotions. And this thing of a personal testimony really started jumping out at me. And I started seeing how much the Apostle Paul shares his personal testimony in the epistles.

Not just the testimony that we have here as he was given an opportunity to speak before King Agrippa. But he is sharing personal testimony. Much of it in Corinthians, hardly a chapter in Corinthians. In the book of Corinthians, can you find where he is not sharing some personal testimony?

And it was sort of an eye opener to me a bit because I was more of the persuasion that especially over the pulpit, you shouldn't share a whole lot of personal testimony. It just sort of, I don't know, begets pride or is a sign of pride or something.

I mean, because I had heard a preacher one time say, not from here, that he never shares personal experience over the pulpit. And would have expressed that he just felt like that is too much of a lifting up of oneself.

But while we need to be aware of that, I guess we first of all need to understand what the purpose of a testimony is and what its goal is. We're not lifting up ourself. We're lifting up God who is working in us and we're giving glory to Jesus.

Now, I know you can share a testimony in a way that may bring glory to yourself, but that's not the purpose for a testimony. And in answer to this question, why a personal testimony? I'll just say at the on start here that it's not to bring glory to yourself.

And first of all, I guess I should say that in order for you to be able to share a personal testimony, you first of all must be born again. It's a personal testimony. It's not a testimony of what God did in your father's life or in your friend's life.

It's a testimony of what is going on in your life. Why a personal testimony? Jesus told Nicodemus, you must be born again. And they read the scripture here this morning in Family Sharing. If any man is in Christ, he becomes a new creature.

And that has to happen in each one of our hearts. We can't ride on the coattails of our parents, of our friends, of our church. It must be a personal experience in your life in order for it to be effective.

Victory Over Sin Through Testimony

So, first of all, you must be born again. In Revelation 12 -11 it says,. 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.

So, I guess point number one would be for victory over sin. Why should you be sharing a personal testimony? And why should you be quick to be sharing your testimony? And why should you be speaking of the things that God is doing in your own life, in your own heart?

And what is happening in your life? For victory over sin. Are you struggling with sin? Are you being defeated in your Christian life? Is it going up and down and up and down? Jesus says, God tells us here in his word that a personal testimony, sharing a personal testimony, has a lot to do with it.

It's one of the secrets. It's one of the keys to having victory in your life. Opening up your mouth and sharing what God has done in your heart. I don't understand at all what is going on when we share a personal testimony.

But I do know that it brings a shoring up. It brings an accountability our way. And it mysteriously brings heaven over our life. It's a means of grace in your life. When you open your mouth and share with someone what God has done in your heart.

What God has shown to you. When you open up your mouth. Whether it's here, after the service, and you're sharing with someone. Look what God has shown me in the scripture today. Or I just read through the book of Isaiah.

And the Lord has just opened that up to me. I mean, I got remas from this. God has spoken to me. Or, I had an answer to prayer this week. I asked God for this, and here was the answer. Not in the way I expected maybe, but God answered my prayer.

He has shown Himself to be alive in my heart this week. We need to be doing that. Otherwise, what happens is we take for granted the work that God is doing. And a cooling off happens. And I speak from experience.

I know that there is something happens when we speak of what God is doing in our heart. That we don't just keep it to ourselves. God wants us to make His name great. And the way that happens, or one of the ways that it happens, is by sharing what God is doing in this soul of mine.

So maybe you came here this morning, knowing full well that you didn't live in victory this last week. And maybe you are discouraged about that. And maybe you're wondering, why? Well, are you opening up your mouth and telling others, whether it's the saint, whether it's your brother or sister in the Lord, or whether it's the heathen?

Are you opening up your mouth and telling them what God is doing for this soul of mine? So why a personal testimony? Why is it so important? And why did Paul express himself so often of what God was doing in his heart?

He understood the secret, or that it's one of the secrets of having victory over sin in my life. I wonder how many times I was feeling the cares of life come over my soul, or the oppression of the enemy pressing me down, or just sensing the shame of owning my Lord's name, when a personal testimony just broke the clouds away and sent me singing on my way.

I don't know how else to say it, but that many times I have experienced this. And I know many times that I haven't taken opportunities that I should. And I am preaching to myself here this morning as well.

Testimony as Evangelism and Conviction

Another reason to share our testimony. It makes Jesus great to the heathen. God knows what has an effect upon people's heart. And He doesn't want us to be silent. You know, we're called to preach the gospel.

And we're called to preach it unapologetically. And preach it for all that it's worth, regardless of what it has done in your heart or my heart. But I believe we can only preach it if it has had an effect in our heart.

But there's much preaching in Scripture where the apostles preached forth the Word of God, preached Jesus Christ and Him crucified. But I have to say, as I have this matter of sharing a personal testimony on my heart and read through the Scriptures, it's amazing how often it comes out.

And how often they spoke. When I'm thinking to myself, they wouldn't have had to say that. They wouldn't have had to share their personal experience there. But God prompted them through the Holy Spirit that it was important that they open up and share their own experience for some purpose.

And one of those purposes is to make Jesus great to the heathen. Now, when we share a personal testimony to the unbeliever, it does bring them to a place of decision. We can see here in Acts 7 .56, and I'm so glad Stephen didn't keep his mouth shut here.

It has blessed me many times to ponder this, to ponder the reality of life after death. Here in Acts 7 .56, when after Stephen had shared his heart, had preached to this angry crowd that wanted to kill him, and they were ready to kill him, they were gnashing on him with their teeth, it says, it says he being full of the Holy Ghost in verse 55, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.

And the only way we know that is because he shared his personal testimony and said, Behold, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. This was his own personal experience.

This wasn't something that he was saying that someone else saw. He was experiencing it and it brought such a conviction upon the hearers that they had to stop their ears before they could hear another word.

And it brought Stephen to his death. But it also brought them to a decision. They could no longer stand in a place of indecision when he started sharing his experience. What he was experiencing, what he was seeing, what God was doing in his heart, just that little nugget we have there of his testimony.

And it brought such a conviction upon their heart. And I also can't help but think that that was an encouragement to the Apostle Paul many times afterwards because he was there and he heard those words.

And one place, he even shares a bit about this experience in one of his testimonies. One of his many testimonies that he gives, he shares about having been there at Stephen's death and consenting to Stephen's death.

And maybe it was an encouragement to him afterwards and maybe that's why we have so much personal testimony from him because he was so blessed by having been influenced by Stephen's testimony that he wanted to be faithful.

At least he was faithful. And the other response that we get is when someone hears a personal testimony, the truth of it, the reality, can't be denied. If someone is sharing that they have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, then the argument is over.

You can be an unbeliever, an infidel, and say there is no God and argue your point until you're blue in the face. But if I have experienced otherwise, if I have seen heaven open and Christ standing at the right hand of God, the argument is over.

And the truth of that can penetrate into the unbeliever's heart. And as the story is told of William Hone or his testimony is that as an unbeliever walking through a town in Wales one day, he saw a young girl sitting on her doorstep reading the Bible.

And he made the remark to her as he was passing by, so you're fulfilling your task. And as if she was putting in her duty and doing what she's instructed by her parents to do, and she said, excuse me?

What did you say? So he repeated himself, so you're doing your task. And she said, sir, I'm reading my Bible. This is the greatest pleasure of my day. And I'm memorizing it right now. I'm here memorizing something because it's the greatest pleasure of my day.

And the reality of it just hit his heart, hit his soul. And as an unbeliever, he could no longer go on his happy merry way thinking there is no God, because that was real to that young lady. And he knew it.

And the way she expressed herself, he knew that there was something real beating inside that girl's heart. That was no duty. That wasn't a task she was doing. She wasn't fulfilling some task. And it's his testimony that that girl's testimony, her being willing to open her mouth and express what was happening inside of her, led him to Christ.

So, need we say any more? Why a personal testimony? Why should I open up my mouth? Another one that we see in the Apostle Paul's life many times is for encouragement to the saints. How many times have you received encouragement from a testimony?

And I would say that that was why this young man was so blessed with Brother Ross' testimony, because he shared some of the things that went on in his heart in his Christian experience, and some of the struggles that he had with sin, and some of the wrestling that he had to do with God.

And yet, the faithfulness of God to break through in his life and give him victory over sin. And that was a stamp upon that young man's heart that, yeah, Brother Ross isn't some special person. He's this person that I only know as this great hero over there on the front lines, but he's a real person just like I am.

And he's willing to open up his heart and share his real life with us. And it was an encouragement. It was a strength to us. In 1 Corinthians 2, 1 -4, I like to see as one of those, the Apostle Paul knew where his strengths lie.

And he wasn't about to take glory to himself. And he was willing to open up himself and share with the Corinthians here. It says,. And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And do you think they would have known that if he hadn't told them?

And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Now, I don't think he's saying that he got up and preached to them and just mumbled under his breath and because he didn't want to be declaring man's wisdom unto them.

He spoke with authority. It says, In demonstration of the Spirit and of power. And I get the picture that Paul preached with every ounce of strength that he had in his body, with authority and with power and lifted up his voice and yet he's telling them, he's testifying to them, I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.

I knew that in me, that in my flesh dwells no good thing and determined that it was going to be nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. So, why a personal testimony? We can encourage the saints. I'd like to read another in 2 Timothy 4 and I would encourage you because we won't be going through all of them, but just to read through the epistles and see how often they shared a personal testimony.

2 Timothy 4, 6 -8. Paul is admonishing Timothy, instructing him, passing on the baton to him and now he says, I am now ready to be offered in the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight.

I personally have fought a good fight. This is my testimony, Timothy. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.

Now, I don't know what your experience is, but my experience is that I have received much encouragement from that scripture in my Christian life. Hearing Paul's testimony at the end of his life, him looking back over his life and knowing, and having no regrets about selling his life out to Christ, having no regrets about laying his life on the line, and as Brother Steve shared here, having that devotion to Christ, turning his heart from the world and from his religion and everything that went with that.

All of the prestige and his reputation. He had no regrets here as he came to the end of his life. He's completely surrendered. He's ready to go home and he knows, he's confident that there's a crown of righteousness laid up for him.

And I'm sure, Timothy got much encouragement from that. Along with encouragement, when we share a testimony, there's also conviction. Sometimes, a testimony, a simple testimony shared from someone's heart, from someone's experience, can bring a conviction upon us, can give us direction in our life like no sermon seems to have done.

All of a sudden, it wakes us up and we realize, where am I? What have I been doing? What's going on in my heart? So, it brings a conviction as we saw there in the Apostle Paul's testimony. What's interesting to me is the two responses are right there from those two different men.

You have Festus saying, Paul, you're mad. Much learning doth make thee mad. And the King of Grippa says, Paul, you almost persuade me to be a Christian. I think we can see there the conviction that is beating in his own breast.

So, we have sharing a personal testimony for encouragement, but we also share a personal testimony for conviction. Still speaking of the believer. In the believer's life, it says in Romans 1 .14 -16, Paul sharing a personal testimony, I am debtor, both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise.

So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also. Why? For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Well, my testimony is that Paul's testimony here has been a conviction in my Christian life.

Every time I read that, I'm convicted of my own lethargy. For, look how bold he is. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation. Why should we be ashamed? So, we need to share personal testimony to wake each other up.

You need to share yours with me and I need to share mine with you. We need to sharpen each other with our testimonies and exhort one another with our testimonies. You know, so many times I think we're hindered by thinking that, well, I can't share the Gospel.

I don't know what to say. I don't know how to say it. I'm not good with words. Well, share your testimony. Did God do something in your heart? Have you been changed by the power of God? Then tell someone.

And it doesn't have to be with enticing words of man's wisdom. Just simply tell someone what God did in your heart. And as we are aware of the need to share our testimony, it also brings the conviction upon our heart to walk with God, that He is real in my heart today.

That I have something to share with you as my brother or the person out there on the street that I know God is real because this is what He did in my life today. Why a personal testimony? For instruction.

Discipleship Through Personal Experience

In 1 Corinthians 4, verses 10 -16 I'll read. 1 Corinthians 4, 10 -16. We can disciple someone through a personal testimony. We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong.

You are honorable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place. And labor, working with our own hands, being reviled, we bless.

Being persecuted, we suffer it. Being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, I beg you, be ye followers of me.

He is instructing here with His testimony. He's telling them, the reason I'm sharing my testimony, my experience with you here, is that I want you also to be a follower of Christ in the same way that I am.

He's instructing them through this testimony to be a follower of Christ. So, it's just been an inspiration to me to ponder this matter of sharing a testimony and I guess has brought a revival about in my heart.

A new vision. And also, shall I say, it has become more of a thing that we must do. It's not an option. It's not something that, well, if I get around to it, or... No. I must open my mouth. You must open your mouth.

For my sake, for the brothers' and sisters' sake, for the heathen's sake, for Jesus' sake, the glorious end is our Lord Jesus Christ. It's one of the tremendous ways God has designed to bring glory to Himself for Jesus Christ to be lifted up.

There seems to be a power like no other in having that personal testimony. And for an unbeliever to get up here and preach the Gospel does not have the same effect as for someone who can get up here and say, oh, taste and see that the Lord is good out of experience in my own life.

And I guess in closing, just to say that I have failed you much in this many times. I think I have thought, well, it's not worth sharing to them. I believe many times I have been disobedient to the Lord in sharing my personal experience.

What God has done in my heart. What He means to me. I do love the Lord. And I love the Word. And I love the quickening power of the Word. I love the life. The Word of God is pregnant with life. And I love it.

And I many times have not expressed myself. And maybe it was due to wrong doctrine, wrong theology. But I want to repent of that and be a brother here in this fellowship. As we heard last week from Brother David, we all have a needed part to play.

And don't think your experience insignificant. If God did it, if God wrote it on your heart, by all means, tell someone. You must. I tell you, you must. Otherwise, God is not glorified. Maybe you're blessed, but you're keeping the blessing for yourself and that becomes selfishness.

Share it with someone. Let the Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in your life through a personal testimony.

Thank you, Brother Dean, for that challenging word this morning. I had to think again of that Scripture. I'm not sure if Dean quoted it or not in Revelation how they overcame Him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.

I guess it is. But anyway, it gives it in the context that it is an overcoming strength or an overcoming power in our lives to open our mouth for the Lord. And also, I believe, it is very essential in creating the two-kingdom world that is so necessary in the world today.

When we speak otherworldly, we identify ourselves with that other world. If we just mingle with society and in business act like everything is on the same level, which I find at fault many times with salesmen.

You know, we talk about the products and what He came for, and I'm busy, and I don't necessarily want to prolong it another half hour. You know, He's held me up long enough, I think, and I often neglect to change the subject there at the end and give a word for the Lord Jesus to them.

So that is very good admonition. Let us take it to heart. I'm just wondering whether we can have open mics here this morning and have testimony time and sharing time about this subject. Especially maybe we're open to both confession and testimonies, but appreciating testimonies of how you have found it or how you are able to do it in a discreet way without being abrupt or real obnoxious, I might say.

Some don't do it very wisely, and we look at that sometimes and say, well, I don't want to be like that, you know, and yet there is that right way to just put the word in there as we mingle with the world, is it not?

How do we do it? All right. Any raise of hands? Yes, Brother Dean.

Let's get you the mic. Yeah, okay. Come right up to the mic. Yeah, one thing that I wanted to say in closing is that in our testimony time here, I shared different things that a testimony does. It brings conviction to the sinner.

It brings encouragement to the sane. It brings victory over sin. If you can think of others, I'd be happy to hear them here this morning. Other things that a testimony does. Thomas? Oh, I'm sorry.

Michael, I didn't see you. Yes, praise God. I'm thankful this morning to be a child of the living God. This morning, we brothers were back there praying, just confessing our need before the Lord and asking Him to speak into our lives.

And I'm thankful that He's done that in my heart this morning with both the opening and the main message, just answering some questions that I've had in my heart the last week. Thank you, Brother Dean, for your message on the power of a testimony.

I have experienced that, but I want to be much more faithful in exalting the name of Jesus Christ in that way. I'm blessed with Peter and John's testimony after they healed that lame man and there was a commotion.

The rulers of the Jews arrested them and told them that they may not speak or teach anymore in that name of Jesus. And I love their testimony there in Acts 4, verses 19 and 20. Peter and John answered and said unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. And there's that personal testimony of them having seen Christ and heard Him. And I want to have that devotion to Christ and a walk with Him that is such that I'll have a current testimony of what God is doing in my life.

Sometimes, too often I'm afraid to speak out sometimes and testify of Christ. And part of that, I believe, is because of the response of many people when you speak of Christ and they say, oh yeah, I've heard, or I already know Him, that type of thing.

But there is such a power in a testimony.

When they see that Christ is real in my life that cannot be refuted.

May Christ be glorified. You know, I just have to report a bit on that. I was meditating about it the last couple of days and seeing what our world is going through to mention that great name, Jesus Christ.

I mean, they're referring to the J word, I guess, or you don't say that word. And a stewardess just got stopped going on her airplane with her Bible a day or two ago. What has turned out from the whole concept of toleration to Islam and Buddhists and other religions in the world has become the elimination of Christianity, of Jesus Christ.

And I had to think as I was meditating about it, you know, brethren, the day is coming and yea, now is, that all we have to say is, do you know Jesus Christ? And the world will recoil. The world will recoil at that name.

So you don't have to give a big flowered testimony, sisters, brothers, young in the faith ones, all you have to do in our time, not so much so yet in Lancaster County, but it will eventually filter its way down to us too, that it's just not allowed to say that name in a bold public manner.

Our high school students can't speak of him at commencement exercises and graduation. Not allowed. They can't, our congressmen and senators can't pray a prayer in that name at any political function in Washington.

And so here we are. Can we say, well, I belong to Jesus Christ. I love Him.

Alright, Thomas. Amen. That's right. There's no other name by which we may be saved. I believe that one thing worth noting here is the context. I think we maybe limit the power of this thing a little bit.

It's more than just personal victory, although it's certainly that. And it's more than the victory that is achieved in a brother's heart by hearing testimony, although it's certainly that too. But the context for this Scripture that Dean mentioned and you mentioned in Revelation 12, verse 10 says,.

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven,. Now has come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ. For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.