REVIVALTALK

  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.”              Each of us are called by God to be witnesses of His grace and goodness. We can share what God has done in our lives. We can share how God saved us. We can tell others about our own experiences with His love and grace.              John 3:16-17 says, “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.“ “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” If we believe these scriptures are true and it is God’s will to save those who are lost, then we have a responsibility to share our faith with those who ...

Christmas is a holiday that celebrates the arrival of a baby! Not just any baby, but a special baby born in a small Middle-eastern village some two thousand years ago. On that first Christmas night shepherds came to see this special baby lying in a manger. The Magi from the East followed a bright star to the place of this child’s birth.       Who was this newborn infant? Who was this baby born to a young unmarried teenage girl on a cold Judean winter’s night? This baby was not just another baby born on this rebellious planet! This baby was more than what was discernible with the human eyes. The Word of God gives us insight into who this baby was:        Luke 2:8-14 - “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel of the Lord said unto them, fear not: for, b...

  Luke 2:10 – 16 - Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.    For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.               There is an old Christmas song that I ha...

  Isaiah 1:18  – “’Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.’”              Christmas in our society has become a very secular holiday.    If we are not careful we can allow the busyness of the season to distract us from the true meaning of Christmas.    We must make our devotional life a priority during this festive season.    Matthew 6:33 instructs, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”             What are the colors of Christmas? Perhaps the most prominent colors of Christmas are red and green.   We could add blue, gold, and purple.   An interesting study in the Scriptures is the study of colors and what they rep...

  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 wa...

  Psalms 26:7 - “That I may publish (proclaim) with voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.”             We are entering into a season of praise and thanksgiving. In the next few days we will gather with our families and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. People will travel great distances to gather around the table and share a meal of thanksgiving. This is a wonderful holiday and we should enjoy our time with family and friends.             Worship involves a number of elements. Two elements that are closely related are thanksgiving and praise. Though they are similar there are differences. Praise is a powerful weapon to be used against the enemy of our soul in spiritual warfare. Praise nourishes the soul, prepares the heart to become pure, and builds us up in faith.             The twin sister of praise is thanksgiving. These two elements of prayer look alik...

  II Corinthians 9:6-8 – “But this  I say:  He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  So let  each one  give  as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.    And God  is  able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all  things,  may have an abundance for every good work.”              The subject of giving can be a controversial subject in our churches today. Some will accuse the church of just being after their money. We must acknowledge there have been those who abused their position of leadership to manipulate God’s people for their own purposes.    The truth is God’s Word says a great deal about how we are to give and manage the resources He places in our responsibility. William R. Kimball writes, “Ch...