REVIVALTALK

  Jude 3 – “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude, the half-brother of Jesus writes to encourage us to “contend for the faith.” The term Jude uses is “the faith.” The faith encompasses Christianity as a whole. This is more than our personal faith or belief in God. It is the essential truths of Christianity. We must stand for truth and make a declaration of our faith. A "Declaration of Faith" is a formal statement or confession of belief, often used within Christian communities to articulate core doctrines and theological positions. Such declarations serve as a means of unifying believers around shared convictions and are often employed in both personal and communal settings, including worship services, catechism, and church membership processes.” (i) What is our declaration of faith?  I st...

  I Still Believe Jude 3 – “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”              Jude, the half-brother of Jesus writes to encourage us to “contend for the faith.” The faith encompasses Christianity as a whole. “To contend for the faith is to defend the faith with all your strength, and both by true doctrine and good example of life.” David Guzik in his commentary on Jude defines the faith, “The faith” doesn’t mean our own personal belief, or faith in the sense of our trust in God. The phrase the faith means “the essential truths of the gospel that all true Christians hold in common.” [i] What is our faith declaration? I still believe. The following statements form a declaration of faith: ·         I still believe the...

  Ephesians 5:25 – “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.”              For years I have heard men describe their wives in a derogatory way. I remember working in my father’s retail business and hearing the men who came into the warehouse degrade their wives. It bothered me and showed such disrespect to their spouses. When we married, we entered into a covenant. We promised to love each other unconditionally. This is during the good times, the bad times, the happy times, and the sad times.              The Bible outlines the duties and responsibilities of a Godly husband. Matthew 19:3-9 says we are to live with her for life. Malachi 2:14-15 says we are to be faithful to her. The Proverbs offers these words of wisdom In Proverbs 5:18-20, “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with  the wife of y...

    The story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1-2 is one of the most powerful illustrations of perseverance in scripture. Hannah knows she is called and chosen by God, but she finds herself surrounded by negative voices and complications to achieving her destiny.     Hannah was married to Elkanah, whom the Bible said loved her very much, but she realized she was barren, the most dreaded condition of that culture. Meanwhile, Elkanah took a second wife, Peninnah, who bore him many children.         Peninnah provokingly caused Hannah grief as she speculated the reasons why Hannah was not special enough to have children. Hannah overcame as she ignored Peninnah. The voice of condemnation always comes from those who are jealous and insecure. Ignoring condemnation is the best remedy.       Every year the family prepared to go to Shiloh to offer a bull as a peace offering in worship. During this time, Elkanah would give portions t...

  Ephesians 1:7 – “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”              When Jesus cried out “It is finished” on the cross. It was not a statement of defeat, but a declaration of victory. It was the shout of One who had won a great victory.  When we examine the phrase in the original language, we learn the following meanings: Jesus had finished the work the Father had sent Him to do. The Greek word in the New Testament was the equivalent of the Hebrew word spoken by the High Priest when he presented a sacrificial lamb without spot or blemish.             Rick Renner writes, “So when Paul used this word in Ephesians 1:7 to describe the forgiveness of sins, he was saying that God has permanently dismissed our past sins from us. We are liberated completely from them. He has discharged...

John 8:36 – “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”             The resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees that we can live in complete freedom from the bondage of sin. Romans 6:14 says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Jesus announced His mission in Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”             Jesus came to proclaim liberty to those held in captivity. True freedom is only found in Jesus Christ our Lord. How do we experience this freedom? By faith we declare, “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indee...

   Outside the old city walls of Jerusalem in an Arab neighborhood is a place called, “Gordon’s Calvary,” or the “Garden Tomb.” It is surrounded by an Arab Bus Station and on the top of the sight believed to be Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, there is a Muslim cemetery.   Outside the walls of this serene place is all kinds of activity. People are consumed with their everyday life. Like any other city in the world, the   people are trying to survive. When we made our journey to what is believed to be the place where Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead, there were several things that captured my attention. There were a number of birds that were singing. There were many signs of life in the garden. I experienced such peace as we spent time in prayer and communion with our guides.    Perhaps those who live in the surrounding neighborhoods only see this place as another tourist stop, but for me it was a place of refuge and rest. It was a place to be...

  Zechariah 9:9 -  “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!   Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!   Behold, your King is coming to you;   He is just and having salvation,   Lowly and riding on a donkey,   A colt, the foal of a donkey.”             In Matthew 21 there is a vivid word picture of the Triumphant Entry of Christ into the Holy City of Jerusalem. This took place just five days prior to His death. The timing of His entry into Jerusalem was very important. His entry occurred on the tenth day of the month of Nissan in the spring of the year. Five days later on the fourteenth day of the month the Feast of Passover was to be celebrated. This entry was important because the Passover lamb was taken up and set apart on this day.  The lamb had to be set apart for four days to make sure there were no blemishes.  Jesus is our Passover lamb.  He was our substitute and...

Ephesians 3:20 – “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”             In a recent time of prayer, the Lord spoke to me, “I am not giving you a sermon, but I am giving you a word. The word is more.  If we desire more of Him, then we must pursue Him. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And you will seek Me and find  Me,  when you search for Me with all your heart.” His presence must become our priority. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”             We must passionately purse His Presence. Our pursuit must be rooted in faith, trusting that He will keep His promises. We learn in our study of Scripture that Jesus would get up early and spen...

              We serve a supernatural Savior. Jesus Christ came to this fallen planet to “destroy the works of the devil.” He is our supernatural Savior.  Hebrews 2:4 says, “And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.” Throughout the four Gospels Jesus Christ performed many supernatural miracles:   •          He healed the sick  •          He opened blinded eyes •          He cleansed the leper •          He made the lame to walk again •          He restored the broken  •          He raised the dead back to life again •   ...

  Ephesians 3:14 - 20 – “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—  to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”             In a recent time of prayer, the Lord spoke to me, “I am not giving you a sermon, but I am giving you a word. The word is more.” God has more for us than we realize. Ephesians 3:20 from...