REVIVAL TALK

  II Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” The Christmas season is a celebration of the coming of the Jewish Messiah. It was the fulfillment of over 300 Old Testament prophecies. Christmas should be a celebration of the birth of the Savior of all mankind.  Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” On the first Christmas night this baby, the seed of the woman, the eternal Son of God was found by shepherds, who were keeping watch over their flock by night. He was lying in a manager and was wrapped in swaddling clothes by His mother.   The angels had appeared to the shepherds to announce the miraculous birth of this king. Luke 2:13-14 says, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host pr

Jude 20 – 21 - “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”             Someone has said, “If you are swept off your feet, it’s time to get on your knees.” The Word of God backs this claim. Throughout the pages of Scriptures there is evidence that prayer can dramatically change situations, people, and sometimes even the course of nature.  We need change in our city, state, and nation.               I do not believe it is too late for our nation. My prayer declaration is “America shall be saved.” The change will come when we rebuild the broken altars and spend time crying out to God in prayer. James 5:16b says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” J. Sidlow Baxter writes, “Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons -- but they are helpless against our prayers.&quo

  Luke 24:50-52 – “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” Jesus led the disciples as far as Bethany, He lifted His hands, and He blessed them. This was before His ascension and before they went to the Upper Room to spend 10 days seeking to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Luke 24:52 says, “And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. This is the first time the disciples are described as having great joy. To say we are living in troublesome times is an understatement.  We are engaged with an enemy who would love to destroy our society, rob us of our freedoms, and eliminate our worship.  The financial world is in a place of uncertainty. Inflation is at all-time highs. The world is in a difficult place and many nations are experiencing financial cha

  Mark 3:23 -27 – “So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.”             We are engaged in a spiritual battle. Jesus said, “No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.” In Revelation 12:10 we learn about true spiritual warfare, “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.’” As children of God, we are

  Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Sin has consequences. The highest wage of sin is death. Sin brings both physical and spiritual death. One consequence of sin is separation from God. Luke 16:26 says, “And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’” When we sin, we move away from the heart of God and from the principles He gives for living our lives in blessing. As we move away from the principles of Scripture, we open the door for Satan to affect our belief system. White lies and compromise become easier. Song of Solomon 2:15 says, “The little foxes that spoil the vines.” What are the rewards of sin? Sin ensnares and entraps us. John 8:34 says, “Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” Sin brings a reproach. It will result in a curse of on ou

  Romans 3:23 - “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” We sometimes wonder why people sin. People sin because sin is in their nature. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” When we experience salvation, we receive a new nature. II Peter 1:4 says, “by 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.”  We are born into sin. That’s the reason we must be born again. Psalms 51:5 says, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.” Sin entered the world when Adam sinned. In Genesis 3:6 we learned his actions brought mankind under the curse of sin. Romans 5:12 reveals, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” To understand why people sin

  Romans 3:23 – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”             I love to watch the Andy Griffith Show. In Season 4, Episode 4 there is a scene with a visiting preacher. In a conversation about his sermon Andy says, “You hit the nail right on the head.” Barney then replies, “That is a subject you can’t talk enough about, sin.”  The truth is this is not a subject we are comfortable with. We live in a time of great deception. People are confused. We celebrate what is wicked and perverse and call good evil and evil good. Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Perhaps we are not comfortable talking about sin because we don’t want to be condemning of other people or appear to be judgmental. Jesus gave us these instructions in Matthew 7:1-5, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with

Galatians 5:1 – “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” On July 4, 2022, we celebrated our nation’s Independence from England.  Many gathered with their families and friends to cook out, watch fireworks, and enjoy the holiday.  While we enjoy this holiday, we must never forget the price that was paid for the freedoms we enjoy.  Our nation is known as the home of the brave and the land of the free. We have wonderful freedoms and must continue to stand vigilant in prayer so the freedoms we hold dear are never taken away by a corrupt or controlling government. The American Heritage Dictionary defines freedom as “The condition of not being in prison or captivity. The condition of being free of restraints, especially the ability to act without control or interference by another or by circumstance. The condition of not being controlled by another nation or political power; political independence.” As belie

  Romans 11:29 – “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” In our study of the Scriptures, we learn that every individual is called of God. This calling is not reserved just for pulpit ministry. We often refer to pastors, evangelists, or fivefold ministers as being called of God. You were born with a divine destiny. You are called of God to ministry. Ephesians 4:16 says, “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Dr. Frank Damazio defines the call of God as “For the Christian leader, the call of God is the point of revelation, the personal foundation for ministry.” There are four things we need to understand about the call of God in our individual lives: 1.     It is a holy calling . II Timothy 1:9 says, “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling.” 2.     It is a high calling . Philippians 3:1

  Mark 10:17-22 – “’Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’   So Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ And he answered and said to Him, ‘Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.’ Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.’ But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” In the Gospel of Mark, a rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked this question, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” If we were to survey people today, most would say the

  To say we are living in the last days is an understatement. I believe we are close to the next greatest event on God’s prophetic calendar, the rapture of the church. The Apostle Paul defines the rapture in I Thessalonians 4:15-17, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive  and  remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive  and  remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” I believe we are in the last of the last days. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter rose with the eleven and began to preach these words in Acts 2:17, “‘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

  John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”             The cross has a testimony. A testimony is a factual story of what God has done. Diane Lake defines a testimony as “a story which defines, shapes, moves, or propels you.” [1]  The message of the cross is a message of love, power, and the faithfulness of God.               What is the testimony of the cross? It is a testimony of the unconditional love of God. John 3:17 says, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  What motivated the Father to send His son to die for lost humanity? Love. I John 4:9-10 says, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”             What motivated Jesus to go to the cross? Love. Romans 5:6-8 says, “For when we were still without

  Easter is a very important day on the Christian calendar. It is the culmination of Holy Week. It is the day that remembers the greatest event in history, the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I like to refer to Easter as Resurrection Sunday. The resurrection took place on the Feast of First Fruits during the week of Passover.           Easter is more than just another day on the calendar. It has a message or a testimony. A testimony is a factual story of what God has done. Diane Lake defines a testimony as “a story which defines, shapes, moves, or propels you.” [ I ]           The cross testifies. The suffering of our Savior testifies; the empty tomb testifies. Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” There is a Resurrection Day testimony in this passage, “by the blood of the Lamb.” What is the word of our testimony? We have been redeemed by the blood of

  Psalms 147:5 – “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.”             We serve an awesome God. When was the last time you said wow? We must be careful not to lose our awe of God. When we experience revival, we will recover our wow (our wonder of God). Why use the word wow? What is the WOW factor? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines wow as “used to express strong feeling (such as the pleasure of surprise).” [1]             We are using WOW as an acrostic to define our mission personally and corporately going forward. We need to follow these three disciplines to be successful in our spiritual walk. The three priorities follow: W – Word We are a people of the Word. Our first call is to discipleship/spiritual formation. Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have comma

  Psalms 104:1 – “Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty,”             The Holy Spirit is at work in the life of His church. He is moving in the nations of the world. One way we can recognize Him is He reveals the majesty of God. We serve a majestic God. Majestic means, “having or showing impressive beauty or dignity.”               We give the title “Your Majesty” to Kings, Queens, or Sovereigns. The Scriptures reveal the Lord as the Sovereign God of the Universe. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I Timothy 6:15 says, “which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” Rev. John Piper defines the sovereignty of God, “There are no limits to God’s rule. This is part of what it means to be God. He is sovereign over the whole world, and everything that happens in it. He is never helpless, never frustrated, never at a loss. And in Christ, God’s awesome, so

  Acts 2:14-20   – “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘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. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’” We are living in the last days. The Bibl

Leviticus 27:30 – “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.” The tithe is holy to the Lord.  This is the portion of our income God requires us to return to Him.  Some would argue the tithe was only under the law of Moses.  In Genesis 14:20 Abraham tithes to Melchizedek some six-hundred years before God gave the law to Moses.  We must be careful not to mishandle holy things.             In Genesis 28:10-22 Jacob stops in Luz and sleeps on his journey.  He dreams of a ladder with its top reaching into heaven.  There are angels ascending and descending the latter.  At the top of this ladder was the Lord. He identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, and Isaac. He identifies Himself as the Covenant God of Jacob’s fathers. He is revealed as the God of the past, present, and future.  In Genesis 28:22 Jacob made a vow to give back a tenth of everything God would give to Him.             We learn in Malach

     Adolph Menzel created a painting titled  Frederick the Great ’ s Address to His Generals Before the Battle of Leuthen . This historical piece depicts Frederick’s speech to his generals in December 1757 during the Seven Years’ War before their famous battle in Silesia against the Austrians.       Menzel worked on it from 1859-1861, but never finished it. The monumental painting contains the background and the generals standing in a semi-circle, but the main figure of Frederick the Great was left blank. Menzel’s famous painting is a picture of many lives.        The background of career, interests, pursuits and achievement is complete. The faces of significant people like family, friends and colleagues surround. But the central and most important figure is left incomplete—Jesus. Jesus Christ has been given a name that is above all others and rightly deserves to be the focal point of our lives. Likewise, the centrality of Christ in life is the greatest need of every person. May we ne