REVIVALTALK

  I Peter 2:24 – “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed.”              We believe that divine healing was provided in the atonement. Isaiah 53:4-5 says, “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows: yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” We serve a healing Jesus. When He was beaten by the Roman soldiers it was for our healing. I Peter 2:24 says, “by whose stripes you were healed.”              The first mention of healing in the Old Covenant is in Exodus 15:26, “If you will diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear...

  Ephesians 5:18 - Be not drunk with wine where is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.” I still believe that we are to be a Spirit-filled people. I am not ashamed to be a Spirit-filled believer. Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The Holy Spirit empowers the believer to live an overcoming life. The infilling of the Holy Spirit will give you power to live a holy, separated life. We need to experience an infilling or be refilled with the Holy Spirit until we are changed into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we no longer fear the devil. When we are filled with the Spirit we will no longer fear the world that is organized against God and His church.  The infilling of the Holy Spirit is a baptism of power equipping you to witness with boldness and authority. It is a baptism of power enabling you to stand ...

  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...