REVIVALTALK

  Mark 3:23 -27 – “So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.”             We are engaged in a spiritual battle. Jesus said, “No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.” In Revelation 12:10 we learn about true spiritual warfare, “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, w...

  Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Sin has consequences. The highest wage of sin is death. Sin brings both physical and spiritual death. One consequence of sin is separation from God. Luke 16:26 says, “And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’” When we sin, we move away from the heart of God and from the principles He gives for living our lives in blessing. As we move away from the principles of Scripture, we open the door for Satan to affect our belief system. White lies and compromise become easier. Song of Solomon 2:15 says, “The little foxes that spoil the vines.” What are the rewards of sin? Sin ensnares and entraps us. John 8:34 says, “Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” Sin brings a reproach. It will result in a curse of o...

  Romans 3:23 - “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” We sometimes wonder why people sin. People sin because sin is in their nature. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” When we experience salvation, we receive a new nature. II Peter 1:4 says, “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”  We are born into sin. That’s the reason we must be born again. Psalms 51:5 says, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.” Sin entered the world when Adam sinned. In Genesis 3:6 we learned his actions brought mankind under the curse of sin. Romans 5:12 reveals, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” To understand why p...

  Romans 3:23 – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”             I love to watch the Andy Griffith Show. In Season 4, Episode 4 there is a scene with a visiting preacher. In a conversation about his sermon Andy says, “You hit the nail right on the head.” Barney then replies, “That is a subject you can’t talk enough about, sin.”  The truth is this is not a subject we are comfortable with. We live in a time of great deception. People are confused. We celebrate what is wicked and perverse and call good evil and evil good. Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Perhaps we are not comfortable talking about sin because we don’t want to be condemning of other people or appear to be judgmental. Jesus gave us these instructions in Matthew 7:1-5, “Judge not, that you be not ju...

Galatians 5:1 – “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” On July 4, 2022, we celebrated our nation’s Independence from England.  Many gathered with their families and friends to cook out, watch fireworks, and enjoy the holiday.  While we enjoy this holiday, we must never forget the price that was paid for the freedoms we enjoy.  Our nation is known as the home of the brave and the land of the free. We have wonderful freedoms and must continue to stand vigilant in prayer so the freedoms we hold dear are never taken away by a corrupt or controlling government. The American Heritage Dictionary defines freedom as “The condition of not being in prison or captivity. The condition of being free of restraints, especially the ability to act without control or interference by another or by circumstance. The condition of not being controlled by another nation or political power; political inde...

  Romans 11:29 – “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” In our study of the Scriptures, we learn that every individual is called of God. This calling is not reserved just for pulpit ministry. We often refer to pastors, evangelists, or fivefold ministers as being called of God. You were born with a divine destiny. You are called of God to ministry. Ephesians 4:16 says, “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Dr. Frank Damazio defines the call of God as “For the Christian leader, the call of God is the point of revelation, the personal foundation for ministry.” There are four things we need to understand about the call of God in our individual lives: 1.     It is a holy calling . II Timothy 1:9 says, “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling.” 2.     It i...

  Mark 10:17-22 – “’Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’   So Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ And he answered and said to Him, ‘Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.’ Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.’ But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” In the Gospel of Mark, a rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked this question, “What shall I do to in...