REVIVAL TALK

On Monday, July 23, 2013, the world’s eyes were on Saint Mary’s Hospital in London, England.   They were awaiting the arrival of a new royal baby.   The baby was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; third in royal succession to the throne of England. This baby, Prince George Alexander, Louise, is destined to serve as the future king of England.   He is born into wealth and privilege.   This baby will have the very best of care.   No doubt he will have nurses and nannies to oversee his care.   He will have tutors, go to exclusive schools, and receive training in the traditions of what it means to be of royal descent.   We have learned from news reports that this baby would be third in royal succession to the throne of England.   Why all the attention of news media and outlets from around the world?   Why the pomp and circumstance?   Perhaps it is a fascination with the monarchy and the trappings of royalty.   The vast majority of us were not born to royalty.   W

  1 John 3:8b – “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” John the beloved Apostle writes in his first letter to the New Testament church that the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil.   What are the works of the devil?   What is it that the Lord Jesus Christ came to destroy? We must examine the Scriptures to understand the works of the devil. II Corinthians 2:11 says, “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” In our studies, we learn how our enemy operates on earth, and in the lives of individuals. He opposes God’s purposes on Earth and devises schemes to prevent God’s people from entering into those purposes. In John10:10 we learn he is the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Revelation 12:10 reveals him as “the accuser of the brethren.”   I Peter 5:8 says, “your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Galatians 4:4-5 - " But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,  to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." The Christmas season is one that celebrates the birth of a Savior.    It records the birth of the long-promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Sadly, in our society, this season has become very secular. It is a holiday filled with all kinds of holiday sales, bargains, pageants, and programs.   There are holiday movies; classic television shows that date back to our childhood.    This season is characterized by busyness and hurrying around to find that last-minute gift for the ones we love. This is also a season for the family.    Many will travel great distances to be with family and friends that they only see a couple of times of the year.    It is also a time for worship.    We will gather together to worship and remember the birth of mankind’s Savior. This is a wo

  Matthew 6:21 – “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” There are over 2,000 verses in the Bible dealing with money and possessions.    The Scriptures teach us there are both right ways and wrong ways to give.    The Apostle Paul instructs us about what the attitude of our heart should be when we give in II Corinthians 9:7, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”              We give out of obedience and as an act of worship.    One of the highest expressions of worship available to the believer is the act of giving of our tithe and offering to the Lord.    Isaiah 1:19 says, “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” The Psalmist writes in Psalms 37:5, “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”  Secondly, we are to give in expectant faith.    Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes

  Joshua 6:5 – “It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.” Dangerous praise is a faith-filled declaration of praise in advance of the breakthrough. It is a praise in the face of opposition. Psalms 34:17 says, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.” It is a praise that does not meet up with our circumstances. Dangerous praise looks the bad report in the eye and refuses to give in to discouragement or despair.   It is a praise that refuses to be defeated. Job 13:15 says, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.” In Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego made the following faith declaration to Nebuchadnezzar before he put them into the fiery furnace:

  Acts 16:25-26 - “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”  Our secret weapon is the sacrifice of praise. Hebrews 13:15 says, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” A sacrifice of praise is costly praise. It is a heartfelt praise offered from a heart filled with gratitude for the goodness and mercy of God. The sacrifice of praise will create confusion in the enemy’s camp. Midnight praise is breakthrough praise. Midnight begins the third watch of the night. It begins at 12 am and continues to 3 am.   It is a time of heightened spiritual activity.   Peter denied the Lord three times during this watch. It was at midnight that the death angel passed throug

Nehemiah 4:9 – “ Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.” The book of Nehemiah has a powerful message of revival to our generation. It records one of the most effective revivals and rebuilding projects in the history of Israel.   Nehemiah was tasked with rebuilding the broken and burned walls of Jerusalem that had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and his Babylonian armies.   These walls had laid in ruin for over seventy years.   After seventy years of exile, Israel returned to their homeland to find devastation and ruin.   The walls of protection and safety had been torn down because of sin and neglect.   The city was exposed and unprotected from an enemy attack.   Nehemiah’s assignment was to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and bring spiritual revival to the people of Jerusalem.   The purpose of the walls was to protect the people of God from enemy attacks. Like Nehemiah of old, we have been called to rebuild and reviv

  Hebrews 13:15 - “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” Sacrificial praise is costly praise. In Jeremiah 33:11, the Prophet Jeremiah speaks about a returning of those in captivity “who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord.” Praise creates a pathway for God to intervene in our circumstances.  Psalms 22:3-5 says, “But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.” Dr. Dick Eastman writes about this passage in his book, Heights of Delight, “The thought here is that God literally dwells, reveals Himself, where His people praise Him. He inhabits that very place. I am told a Japanese translation of this verse reads, ‘When God’s people praise Him, He brings a big chair and sits there.’ Our praises become God’s throne

Psalms 150:1-6 – “Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” We have a secret weapon in our spiritual arsenal. It is the weapon of praise.   We were created to worship. One of the best tools available to us is the weapon of praise and worship. Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” When we have prayed, fasted, and done all we know to do, then we have to stand.   How do we stand? We stand in faith, and we stand in a place of worship. Praise will produce an expectancy i

  In   1 Chronicles 12:32   we learn that the Sons of Issachar had an understanding of the times and knew what Israel ought to do.  Like the sons of Issachar, we need to have an understanding of the times.  We are in a time of uncertainty and fear, therefore we need prophetic insight into what God has for us and desires to do in our lives. For some time I have been praying and asking God to give me insight into how He moves in time. The Sons of Issachar were masters of the calendar.  In  Exodus 12:2  the Lord establishes the Hebrew calendar.  “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.”  The Hebrew calendar begins at Passover.  This is the calendar that God ordained and introduced in the Bible.  To better understand how God moves in times you can study the Hebrew calendar and the patterns that have been established in the Word of God.  Our Gregorian calendar is on a different time cycle than the Word of God. Each of the twelve months o

  Romans 5:21 - “so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We experience salvation through the grace of God.   Warren Wiersbe writes, “Grace means salvation completely apart from any merit or works on our part. Grace means that God does it all for Jesus’ sake! Our salvation is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”   It is the grace of God that qualifies us to spend eternity with Christ.   It is not our good works or deeds.   It is not religious activities or church membership.   The Apostle Pauls wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” A. W. Tozer writes, “Grace is the good pleasure o

  I John 1:7 – “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” In our sinful condition, we can not approach a holy God. Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” Jesus became our substitute when He went to the cross.   He suffered and died in our place. Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’).” He atoned for our sins.   Hebrews 10:11-14 says, “And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,   from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perf

  Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  One of the most popular shows on television is the Andy Griffith Show.   In Season 4, Episode 6, Gomer Pyle loses his job at the gas station and moves in with Andy and his family. In one scene Gomer is going to the market to check on a job for an experienced butcher. Andy asks him, “do you know anything about cutting meat?” Gomer replies, “You think they will ask me about that?” There are careers in our society that require certain qualifications. You cannot be a medical doctor without the proper education, training, and license. Teachers require a certain level of education and state certification. When you apply for a job, you usually submit a resume and references to prove you are qualified for the position. What is it that qualifies us for heaven?   What are the qualifications required for eternity? In John 3:3 Jesu

  I Corinthians 1:18 – “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  On April 13, 2020, an EF-3 tornado touched down in Seneca, SC. This storm destroyed homes and the BorgWarner manufacturing plant. One individual died and several people were injured, and Destiny Christian Center   on Wells Highway was also affected by the storm. Fox Carolina News reported, “Monday morning’s tornado knocked a section of Destiny Christian Center to the ground, leaving a pile of bricks and debris. A cross sculpture that was on the roof of the church was knocked off during the storm, but the church’s pastor said it landed in front of the building, still standing.” When destructive storms come into our land, the cross still stands.   When evil men and women arise in leadership as pawns of Satan to bring destruction, the cross still stands. When adversity strikes our homes and families, the cross still stands. When we rec

  II Chronicles 7:1 - “When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. God demonstrates His power at the altar. In Genesis 8 when Noah came out of the Ark, he built an altar. Genesis 8:21-22 says, “And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.” In Genesis 9:1-3 God pronounces a blessing on Noah and his sons. In II Chronicles 6-7 Solomon dedicates the temple.   In II Chronicles 6:12 Solomon stood before the altar and prayed.   His prayer is recorded in verses 13-42. When he finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offing and the s

  Hebrews 10:23 - "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” The altar is a place to make declarations of faith. 1 Timothy 6:12 - “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” In Genesis 28:10-12 Jacob journeyed to a place named Luz. Genesis 28:11 says, “So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.” In verse 12 he dreams of a ladder reaching up into heaven. The angels were ascending and descending on it. In verse 13 the Lord is standing at the top of the ladder. Verses 13-15 records the words of the Lord to Jacob, “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendan

Exodus 20:24 – “An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.” The altar of prayer must become a place of devotion in the believer’s life. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines devotion as “an act of religious fervor: piety. An act of prayer or private worship. A religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate worship of a congregation. The act of dedicating something to a cause, enterprise, or activity.” The altar is a place of sacrifice and a place to meet with God.   A sacrifice will be costly.   In Exodus 20:24 God promises to meet with us and to bless us. The altar is not a place to visit haphazardly, but it is to be a place of devotion. The following Scriptures encourage us to make the altar of prayer a priority: Psalms 5:3 - My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the mo