REVIVAL TALK

  Joy is a response   of   the heart stemming from the hope that is produced when the Holy Spirit fills us with love. ‘Joy’ and ‘grace’ are closely related in translation. We have joy because of the grace of God. When we begin to value God’s presence and promises, we are released by His love into His grace and filled with joy. This is the process of faith. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of comfort and joy. Regardless of what life brings our way, we can remain joyful and comforted knowing the Holy Spirit is with us and will supply our needs.          During the 15 th   century, a city of significance would have walls around the perimeter. Watchmen would stand guard on the walls and communicate with flags during the day and with horns at night. They were required to be skilled musicians, and often played for weddings and celebrations.          One such watchman wrote “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen ” . This was a dark time for the church, but God was using a watchman to procla

Luke 2:11 – “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” When my wife and I were first dating I would bring her different gifts to express my feelings for her. I usually wrapped the gifts in the comic section of the Sunday newspaper or used some type of sales circular or printed paper. The wrapping paper was inexpensive and there were no beautiful ribbons or bows.   We are entering into the Christmas season. This is a festive time that will be filled with family gatherings and Christmas shopping for our family and the ones we love.    For many in our secular society this season has become about little more than ribbons and bows. It is about elaborate presents wrapped in beautiful paper with colorful ribbons and bows.   The first gift of Christmas was not wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bows. The first present of Christmas was a savior. In Luke 2:8-11 there is an angelic announcement, “Now there were in the same country shep

Isaiah 9:6 – “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Tinsel is a “decorative garland material that mimics the effects of ice or icicles.” [1]    It is used during the Christmas season to decorate Christmas trees.    According to Wikipedia, Tinsel was invented around 1610 in Nuremberg, Germany.    It was added to the Christmas tree to enhance the flickering of the candles that were used to light the tree. [2] Hollywood is often referred to as Tinseltown because of the glamor of the movie industry.    Tinseltown is known for its bright lights and glamorous lifestyles. Our society tends to idolize those the world promotes as beautiful and talented. The Paparazzi obsessively follow them trying to get the perfect picture to sell to magazines and media outlets. The stark reality is that the tinsel is only outw

1 Corinthians 14:39 – “Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.” We are called to be a prophetic people. Throughout the pages of Scripture, God seeks to communicate with His children.     Matthew 11:15 says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”     We need to hear what the Lord is saying today.     God speaks through His Word, through dreams and visions, in a still small voice, and through His servants. In Acts 2:17 Peter preached the inaugural sermon of the New Testament Church.     He made this prophetic declaration, “‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.”     We are called to be a prophetic people.     II Peter 1:4 reads, “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the d

II Peter 1:4   – “ B y which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption  that is  in the world through lust.”               The Bible is filled with wonderful promises.     Throughout the Bible, the Lord made covenant promises to His children. Joshua 21:45 from the   New Living Translation   says, “Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.”     God is faithful to keep the promises He has made in His Word.                 There are many promises for the believer in the Word of God.     Ephesians 1:3 reveals, “He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing.”     There are numerous promises we could list, but the following will encourage you in your spiritual walk of faith: We have the promise of His presence .  Hebrews 13:5 -   “I will never leave you, nor for

Luke 5:17 - Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was  present  to heal them.”             In this Scripture Luke writes, “And the power of the Lord was present to heal.”   I would like to bring this statement into the present.   The power of the Lord is present to heal.   You may question, “how can you bring this statement into the present?”   The answer can be found in Psalms 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”   Miracles, signs and wonders, and healings continue today.   Hebrews 13:8 reveals, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”             The same Jesus, the One who walked the shores of Galilee, preached the sermon on the mount, overcame a dangerous storm and passed over to the other side, and healed those who were sick and infirmed still heals today

Romans 1:16-17 – “ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”             This powerful Scripture has been called the cornerstone of the Reformation. The Apostle Paul describes the sinful condition of humanity in Ephesians 2:1-2, “And you  He made alive,  who were dead in trespasses and sins,    in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.”               In Romans 3:23, we learn of our need of a savior, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”   In John 8:34, Jesus taught that sin enslaves. Our sin has alienated us from God.   Without Christ we are lost and without hope. Henrietta C. Mears writes in her book, What

“Do not worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.   His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT). Part of the process of prayer is the offering of our desires to God. Be anxious for nothing is a command for us to express our value of His mercy as well as our dependence upon Him in all things concerning us. In doing so we experience a divine exchange of anxieties for His peace. Be confident as you commit your cares. God’s peace is superior to any other relief, consoling and guarding the mind. The language in this verse is rendered as a military term meaning guarding a camp or castle from intrusion. Isaiah 26:3 states, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (NKJV). Perfect peace is an inward and outward peace of wholeness d