REVIVALTALK

  Matthew 6:33 – “ Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”             The key to spiritual growth and maturity is to make your relationship with God a priority.  Jesus encourages you to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  To prioritize your relationship with God is to put God first in your life. First things in the Bible are very important.  Proverbs 3:9-10 teaches, “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”  At the beginning of each month the Jewish people practice “first fruits.”  This is a time of celebration and worship to celebrate the new month.  The Jewish people would bring an offering to recognize that God was their source and to sanctify and cele...

  “Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many” (Hebrews 12:15, NLT). A healthy tree has a healthy root system.  Roots anchor the tree and provide a storage and distribution system for nutrients. When tree roots are injured, the tree becomes stressed and is subject to fall.  Psalms 1:3, Isaiah 55:12, and Hebrews 12:15 compare a person to a tree. Hebrews 12:15 gives a specific warning about the root of bitterness.  A bitter root develops from a hurt that has not been forgiven and healed.  Bitterness is compared to a root because it is often hidden under an ill nature of ungratefulness, grudges, jealousy, and criticism, stemming from a judgmental mindset to blame others in order to justify the bitterness. Bitterness results in anger, slander, and malice.  To avoid a bitter root, we must be willing to acknowledge that people are hu...

  We are living in exciting times.  The Apostle Paul described our days in 2  Timothy 3:1, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.”  The word “perilous” means dangerous.  We are living in very dangerous times.               To quote Charles Dickens, “There are the best of times and the worst of times.”  Our society is increasingly becoming more perverse and violent.  We are inundated with news of shootings, violence, and drug related crimes.  Many times this violence is directed toward the most innocent of our society.               How do the people of God respond to a society that continues to spiral out of control?  We must be diligent to fulfill the Great Commission.  The times we live in demand a response from God’s people.  This is a “s...

  Isaiah 43:19 – “Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness a nd rivers in the desert.”              We have been in a time of shaking. Hebrews 12:26-27 says, “whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.” We learn two things from this passage. First, the shaking is from the Lord, and second, we are part of a kingdom that cannot be shaken. What is God doing? Why is He shaking the earth? He is moving things in place for His last day plans.  We are entering a new season of ministry. We must be flexible and allow the Lord to bring forth our new wineskin so we can receive the new wine of...

  Romans 12:1-2 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” The power of transformation is the Holy Spirit working in and through His covenant people. Acts 1:8 says, “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.” He is positioning you for divine impact. If we are going to experience God’s best and realize our destiny in Christ, we must experience transformation. To make an impact we must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 says, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” Divine impact only comes through a partners...

  Colossians 3:9-10 –  “ “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.”             The word transformation appears approximately 17 times in the Bible across different translations. It is not just being a better person morally, but it is Spirit Empowered renewal. What happens when we experience transformation? ·        Romans 12:2  – Our minds are renewed. ·        2 Corinthians 3:18  – We are being transformed into Christ’s image by the Holy Spirit. ·        Colossians 3:10  – We are renewed in knowledge after the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. ·        Romans 6:4  – We are walking in the newness of life through the pow...

  Revelation 19:10 – “And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”             To prophesy is to speak forth the mind and heart of God under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Dick Iverson writes, “The gift of prophecy is speaking under the direct supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit. It is becoming God’s mouthpiece, to verbalize His words as the Spirit directs. The Greek word  propheteia  means ‘speaking forth the mind and counsel of God.’ It is inseparable in its New Testament usage with the concept of direct inspiration of the Spirit. Prophecy is the very voice of Christ speaking in the church. Prophecy is the very voice of Christ speaking in the church.” (i)       ...

     It is impossible to know someone’s heart unless he or she tells what it conceals. Sometimes we can’t even predict what our own heart may do. Only God truly knows a heart and knows how to deal with a heart.        Psalms 86:11-12 says, “Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk and live in Your truth; direct and unite my heart to fear and honor Your name. I will confess and praise You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart; and I will glorify Your name forevermore.”         In this Psalm, David is revealing the contradiction of a divided heart seeking wholeness. He sees his need to be made whole from the trauma he has suffered. He recognizes that he is devoid of truth and has allowed his will to be divided.        Anytime we are in a place of lack there is some truth we are missing. Worship positions us to come into that truth and to be healed. We are transformed in the presence of God. It is there that Go...

  More of You, Nothing Less Will Do   Psalm 139:1-5 - "O Lord You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are aquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold O Lord, You know it altogether."  Psalm 139:17-18 - "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them. If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You."   We may not be able to figure God out, but we are able to know Him.  The answer to all of our problems is supernatural. The power to overcome is within us. The Holy Spirit guides us according to His attributes. He is the Spirit of Truth, Prayer, Peace, and Comfort. He is our Counselor, Teacher, Helper, and Restainer. He is the Standard of Love by which we are to be directed.   We need to be freed from reasoning to be in tune w...

Romans 12:1-2 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”             We learn in our study of this passage that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. Transformation in biblical terms is defined in the following ways: A spiritual metamorphosis. This is a complete transformation brought about by the power of the Holy Spirit. This process involves a believer moving from a carnal lifestyle to Spirit-led holiness. Romans 8:6-7 emphasizes that being carnal-minded is death, while being spiritually minded is life and peace. The carnal mind is enmity against God because it is not subject to the law of God. A shift from self-centeredness to...

  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.” I researched what it means to testify. To testify means to bear witness or give evidence, often in a formal or legal setting. It is about sharing your personal experience or knowledge on a matter. In a religious context, it could mean sharing your faith or spiritual journey with others. In our Christian faith to testify means to share your personal experience of God’s presence, power, and work in your life. It is a public declaration of faith, it is our story of how we came to believe, how our lives have changed, or how God has helped us during the storms and trials of life.              We can testify of the goodness of God. He is the mighty God. We can testify of the goodness of God. He gives good gifts to His children. James 1:17 says,...

  Psalms 34:8 – “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” The Psalmist is inviting us to experience the goodness of God firsthand. When we testify, we can share about the goodness of God. He is good. Psalms 107:9 says, “For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” The goodness of God is one of the most comforting and transformative truths in all the Word of God. The goodness of God is one of the most comforting and transformative truths in Scripture. It means that at the very core of who He is—God is kind, generous, faithful, and just. His goodness isn’t just something He does; it’s who He is. (i) Titus 3:4-5 says God is kind. We learn in James 1:17 that He is generous. The verse reads, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” In Deuteronomy 32:4 we learn that God is just. Psalms 89:4 says, “Righteousne...

Psalms 145:3 – “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.”             We have been called to be witnesses of the greatness of God. The world needs to hear your testimony of God’s greatness. To testify is to share your story. Your testimony is your story.  The story of your salvation, the story of God’s provision or healing in your life. When you testify it brings glory to God.             One thing we can testify about is the greatness of God. We serve a great God. He is the mighty God. Isaiah 9:6 says, “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.” This is an Old Testament Messianic prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is called the “Mighty God.” This emphasizes His deity and Hi...

  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.” I researched what it means to testify. To testify means to bear witness or give evidence, often in a formal or legal setting. It is about sharing your personal experience or knowledge on a matter. In a religious context, it could mean sharing your faith or spiritual journey with others.  In our Christian faith to testify means to share your personal experience of God’s presence, power, and work in your life. It is a public declaration of faith, it is our story of how we came to believe, how our lives have changed, or how God has helped us during the storms and trials of life. Why is it important to testify? 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.” The phrase, “the word ...

  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...