What does the history of your prayer life look like? Has it grown or shrank? Increased or decreased? Change is inevitable for anything living and I’m sure you have experienced change in your prayer life. Prayer is a life line in our walk with God. I don’t believe we can be complete as Christians without it. Prayer is a daily event in my life and I hope it is in yours. I believe that the Lord impresses us with the leading of the Spirit and energizes us with ingenuity when we interact daily.

Prayer really lifts our soul and mind out of the natural realm and into the supernatural realm. As I pray in the mornings, I am interacting with my Creator and my creativity is heightened. I have learned over the years that most of the communication I receive from God is through an inward knowing or impression, not a mystical spectacular event.

1 Kings 19:11-13
11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind ; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;
12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” NKJV

That still small voice is sometimes so faint it is easy to miss. I have said it for years and really believe that many times we miss the supernatural encounters with God looking for the spectacular! I love the spectacular, but that is not the walk of faith, that is walking by sight! Some of the greatest spiritual deceptions I have read about over the years have been started by a spectacular event. The scripture warns us of these.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
9 The coming [of the lawless one, the antichrist] is through the activity and working of Satan and will be attended by great power and with all sorts of [pretended] miracles and signs and delusive marvels — [all of them] lying wonders —
10 And by unlimited seduction to evil and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing (going to perdition) because they did not welcome the Truth but refused to love it that they might be saved. AMP

I have lived through decades of pretenders, and some of the most spectacular supernatural events were either faked or the worker had some serious moral issue that was later exposed. I love the supernatural side of the ministry, but I want to see it flow through a clean vessel! When you pray, realize most of the time you will not hear or see spectacular supernatural things; but you will be walking with the Giver of peace and joy, walking with life and filled with hope. My hope and strength are renewed daily, and that my friends, is supernatural too!

I have seen so many get into error over a spectacular vision, and usually the vision has something to do with their personal exaltation. I have to continue to say that most of the direct communication I have experienced from the Lord is to correct me, not to tell me how great I am. Every time someone comes to me, as many have, and tells me about a vision they received about their “impressive worldwide ministry” that God is going to give them, I cringe; and my first thought is you have probably just been visited by a spirit of pride, one of the devil’s minions. Remember that there were millions of faithful people who loved God and God loved, but only a few names made into the Bible! There was one Abraham, one Isaac and one Jacob.

I have watched so many people come out of a “time with the Lord” having received some “vision of grandeur”, and they are exalted with pride and become unteachable and unreachable. Then the manipulation of self-exaltation begins and they continue in self-delusion and deception along with the few gullible who buy into their self-promotion. As the Bible says; “professing to be wise they become fools”.

Stay rooted and grounded and let God lead and direct you in humility and in the Spirit of truth. A true word from God will be validated and can stand up to scrutiny.

1 John 4:1-3
4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. NKJV

Here it says to test the spirits, not the person. The reason I say this is there are many people who will confess Jesus and they are still in deception. But a spirit apparently cannot say this. I have practiced this in prayer when I felt a spirit was speaking to me. And it worked. After commanding the spirit speaking to confess Jesus and “very real” silence followed!

I love encouraging believers to “launch out into the deep” in prayer, but the longer I live I say take some life preservers! Stay safe and submit what you believe you hear to mature elders in the faith and listen if they warn you. Celebrity Christianity has fueled the spirit of the antichrist. So many want to be famous instead of HOLY, HUMBLE and RIGHTEOUS!

Be blessed and pray!

• Date - September 11, 2019
• Author - David Chisholm

So how is your prayer life? That is an intrusive question isn’t it? Nevertheless, it is one that we need to be asked from time to time. Of all disciplines of the Christian walk, it seems that the two that most have the hardest time staying consistent at, are prayer and a personal study of the scriptures. Even leaders seem to fall short in their commitments to this quality time with God.

By the messages being preached and the songs being written and sung in the majority of churches today, it’s obvious leaders in the church are not that deep in prayer of study. I was preaching this past Sunday about the Love of God, and specifically about members not suing one another and submitting to the church council to reconcile and arbitrate during conflict and disagreement. A few people asked me if something was going on in the church? (Assuming my message was being responsive to a current affair in the church.) My answer was and is “no, not that I am aware of.”

I was just studying the Love of God and trying to give a thorough teaching on the subject. The fact is, that if more preachers would teach what the Bible says, our culture would not have fallen to the moral lows that are now called normal. We wouldn’t have a sue happy culture of entitlement where it is easier to sue and get money than to go get a job! There is nothing normal about what is being celebrated today as normal. Every day when I read the word and pray it is like giving my conscience a bath. It keeps me calibrated to the standard of Christ and keeps me from being deceived. Even a healthy balance between the study of the New and Old Testaments is needed to stay in the truth. (read that last line again!) Selah!

Too much time in the old and I find myself back in the law for righteousness, not enough time in the old and I miss the valuable lessons that were written for me, so I don’t make the same mistakes in this covenant that Israel made in the last one. I have known many a believer who spent a lot of time in the major Prophets of the Old Covenant ready to call down fire on Sunday morning on the very ones God was trying to save from the fire. Balance is the key!

So let me ask you again, how is your prayer life? Is it time to rally yourself back into your prayer closet? Why is it so easy to stop praying consistently? Things don’t usually begin to unravel when you stop praying right away do they? Everything seems to go along fine for a while doesn’t it? But then comes the moment that you are convicted by the Holy Spirit through a message, perhaps like this one, and you recognize from where you have fallen.

Look at this powerful exhortation of continuance by Paul:

Ephesians 6:10-20 TPT
Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you.

Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser! Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage. Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you’re protected as you confront the slanderer, for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious.

Put on truth as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph. Put on holiness as the protective armor that covers your heart. Stand on your feet alert, then you’ll always be ready to share the blessings of peace.

In every battle, take faith as your wrap-around shield, for it is able to extinguish the blazing arrows coming at you from the Evil One! 17–18 Embrace the power of salvation’s full deliverance, like a helmet to protect your thoughts from lies. And take the mighty razor-sharp Spirit-sword of the spoken Word of God.

Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all his believers. And pray also that God’s revelation would be released through me every time I preach the wonderful mystery of the hope-filled gospel. Yes, pray that I may preach the wonderful news of God’s kingdom with bold freedom at every opportunity. Even though I am chained as a prisoner, I am his ambassador.

Did you know that Paul was actually quoting the Old Covenant when he taught about the believers armor?

Isaiah 59:16-17
16 He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
17 For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak . NKJV

Pray without ceasing! Pray daily! Pray when you feel like and when you do not. Prayer will help keep us balanced and will certainly help keep us tuned into Holy Spirit and what our Father is instructing us to in our live. Pray.

• Date - September 4, 2019
• Author - David Chisholm

Last week I was writing about defining the Love of God. Culture has redefined God’s unconditional love as God’s unconditional acceptance. We looked at the following verses:

Romans 2:4-10 TPT
Do the riches of his extraordinary kindness make you take him for granted and despise him? Haven’t you experienced how kind and understanding he has been to you? Don’t mistake his tolerance for acceptance. Do you realize that all the wealth of his extravagant kindness is meant to melt your heart and lead you into repentance? But because of your calloused heart and refusal to change direction, you are piling up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. For: He will give to each one in return for what he has done.For those living in constant goodness and doing what pleases him, seeking an unfading glory and honor and imperishable virtue, will experience eternal life. But those governed by selfishness and self-promotion, whose hearts are unresponsive to God’s truth and would rather embrace unrighteousness, will experience the fullness of wrath.

Almost every month another church organization comes out with a new declared acceptance toward sexual sin, especially but not limited to homosexuality. How do you judge whether a church is speaking on behalf of God or if they are only trying to please human culture? That is easy, really. What does the word of God say? Are the prophets saying what God’s word says? Let’s look at the ancient warnings about changing God’s law and standards and saying He is OK with it:

eremiah 23:15-27

15 “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: ‘Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, And make them drink the water of gall; For from the prophets of Jerusalem Profaneness has gone out into all the land.'”
16 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the LORD.
17 They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD has said,”You shall have peace”‘; And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.'”
18 For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, And has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it?
19 Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD has gone forth in fury — A violent whirlwind! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
20 The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.
21 “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in My counsel , And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings.
23 “Am I a God near at hand,” says the LORD, “And not a God afar off?
24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the LORD; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the LORD.
25 “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’
26 How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart,
27 who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal. NKJV

That is a pretty lengthy rebuke from the Lord on Prophets saying what people want to hear and not what He has said. Verse 22 says it clearly:

22 But if they had stood in My counsel , And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings.

Again let’s look at:

1 Corinthians 5:1-8 It’s been widely reported that there is gross sexual immorality among you—the kind of immorality that’s so revolting it’s not even tolerated by the social norms of unbelievers. Are you proud of the fact that one of your men is having sex with his stepmother? Shouldn’t this heartbreaking scandal bring you to your knees in tears? You must remove the offender from among you!

Even though I am physically far away from you, my spirit is present with you. And as one who is present with you, I have already evaluated and judged the perpetrator. So call a meeting, and when you gather together in the name of our Lord Jesus, and you know my spirit is present with you in the infinite power of our Lord Jesus, release this man over to Satan for the destruction of his rebellious flesh, in hope that his spirit may be rescued and restored in the day of the Lord.

Boasting over your tolerance of sin is inappropriate. Don’t you understand that even a small compromise with sin permeates the entire fellowship, just as a little leaven permeates a batch of dough? So remove every trace of your “leaven” of compromise with sin so that you might become new and pure again. For indeed, you are clean because Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. So now we can celebrate our continual feast, not with the old “leaven,” the yeast of wickedness or bitterness, but we will feast on the freshly baked bread of innocence and holiness.

When you come to a Rock Church, we will teach what God accepts and tolerates, not what our secular culture accepts and tolerates. We are members of His body first, even before we are members of our secular society. We will continue to declare God’s great love and endless mercies; as well as His severity and judgments. God’s heart is save, not to condemn and to forgive not to impose judgment. We stand with His word on every subject. It is up to each one whether they will repent and be saved or live on in deception, false security and eventually eternal condemnation. As John told Israel as he introduced God’s method of saving man, which is Christ:

Matthew 3:8 TPT

You must prove your repentance by a changed life. And don’t presume you can get away with merely saying to yourselves, ‘But we’re Abraham’s descendants!’ For I tell you, God can awaken these stones to become sons of Abraham!

You just say, “I believe in Jesus” but offer a change life as evidence of your faith because faith without works is dead”. Please do it God’s way!

Just do it God’s way….do what He says….live like He commands….and you won’t go wrong!

• Date - August 28, 2019
• Author - David Chisholm