REVIVALTALK

  Jesus Passion Week – Monday Matthew 21:12-16       On Monday of His passion week, Jesus entered into the Temple at Jerusalem.  The Jewish Temple was very important in the life of the Jewish believer.  It was the center of their worship.  The Jewish male was required to come to the Temple at least three times a year to worship, offer sacrifices, and to celebrate the different feasts the Lord had given to them in the Law of Moses.      This event is recorded in three of the four Gospels.  We learn that He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves.  The outer court of the Temple had become a place of merchandising.  The merchants were profiting from God’s people at the expense of their worship.       Notice Jesus words, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”  The reference to “den of thieves,” has to d...

‘Twas The Night Before Jesus Came Author Unknown  ‘Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house Not a creature was praying, not one in the house Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care In hopes that Jesus would not come there.  The children were dressing to crawl into bed. Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head. And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap. When out of the East there arose such a clatter. I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash! When what to my wondering eyes should appear But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here. With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!  The light of His face made me cover my head It was Jesus! returning just like He had said. And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth, I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.  I...

  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...

          When we come to Christ we enter into a victorious life. We don’t have to obtain victory, but we already have everything we need to live a victorious life. Victories come at great costs. Jesus paid for our victory on the cross. Colossians 2:14-15 says, “having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”              I love the words of I Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Provision was made at Calvary for our complete victory. Jesus went to the cross to make a way for us to live in complete victory over sin. Romans 5:6 says, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”      ...

There are seven major feasts that God established with Israel in the Old Testament. The first of these seven feasts was Passover. Passover always comes in the first month of the year on the Hebrew religious calendar. This month is known as Abib in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, and later came to be known as Nissan after the Babylonian captivity.  Although there are a total of seven feasts (the divine number for perfection or completeness in the Bible), God divided the seven festivals into three major festival seasons. Every male was to present themselves before the Lord three times in a year in each festival group.  The Jewish male would travel to Jerusalem for Passover in the spring, Pentecost at the end of spring, and the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall.  The fall festival season consisted of Rosh Ha Shana (Trumpets), The Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. The first group is Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits.  These three festivals ...

  I John3:16 – “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”              Human love is imperfect. It usually comes with conditions. Many of these conditions are rooted in selfishness. I Corinthians 13:4-5 says, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil.”  Jerry Bridges writes, “God’s unfailing love for us is an objective fact affirmed over and over in the Scriptures. It is true whether we believe it or not. Our doubts do not destroy God’s love, nor does our faith create it. It originates in the very nature of God, who is love, and it flows to us through our union with His beloved Son.” [ I ]              The Spirit Filled Life Study Bible Commentary Notes says...