Judgment, sounds final doesn’t it? I guess in many ways it is, but there is a difference between judgement and final judgment. The final judgment, or the Great White Throne Judgment, is spoken of in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 20:11-21:1

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. NKJV

The society of American culture have changed the way people look at judgment in the last decade. Many cry “don’t judge me” or say “you don’t have a right to judge me”. That may or may not be true depending on the situation and circumstance. Tell a Circuit Court Judge he doesn’t have a right to judge you and see how that works out. I may not have the authority to judge someone, but I can judge good and evil, if the motives are clear and circumstances are truly revealed. There are many Biblical references that tell us we must, at times, pronounce judgments on certain people to protect the flock of God.

It seems a little ironic to me that many who cry out don’t judge me, have themselves, had no problem with judging God Himself. How does the cliché question go? “If God is such a good God, why does evil exist in the world?” The immoral majority of American culture has indeed passed judgment on God, His Law, AND His motives.

What about us in the Church? How do we judge God and His word? I want to judge that God is faithful and His word is true, don’t you? I was thinking about this as I combat doubt and unbelief in my life daily. Daily, I gaze at the promises of God and have to decide if I will continue to confess that I believe they are true. Circumstantial evidence seems to contradict the promises of God almost daily! Thank God, for the supernatural power, of the gift of faith that the Lord has given to us! When pain screams you’re sick! Faith answers, “By Jesus stripes I am healed!” When my bank account screams, you’re broke! My faith answers, “My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus!” When my flesh fails to be holy and my conscience condemns me, my faith cries out, “I am the righteousness God in Christ Jesus!

I could go on and on but I hope you got the point. The accuser of the brethren is also the accuser of God, and tries to get us to through circumstantial evidence, to side with him and judge God as unfaithful to keep His promises. Job, is said to be the oldest book in our Bible, and he got it right in the end.

Job 42:1-10 The Message

42:1 (JOB WORSHIPS GOD) I Babbled On About Things Far Beyond Me Job answered GOD:

2 “I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans.

3 You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?’ I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head.

4 You told me, ‘Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.’

5 I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand — from my own eyes and ears!

6 I’m sorry — forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise! I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.”

7 GOD RESTORES JOB I Will Accept His Prayer After GOD had finished addressing Job, he turned to Eliphaz the Temanite and said, “I’ve had it with you and your two friends. I’m fed up! You haven’t been honest either with me or about me — not the way my friend Job has.

8 So here’s what you must do. Take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my friend Job. Sacrifice a burnt offering on your own behalf. My friend Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer. He will ask me not to treat you as you deserve for talking nonsense about me, and for not being honest with me, as he has.”

9 They did it. Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did what GOD commanded. And GOD accepted Job’s prayer.

10 After Job had interceded for his friends, GOD restored his fortune — and then doubled it!

Job misjudged God for 41 chapters and got it right in the end. See, it matters not if you started wrong, as long as you finish right. Take some time, reflect, and ask Holy Spirit to show you any wrong judgments you have or have made towards God. Examine your heart and repent. Then, determine that no matter what the accuser says or who he uses to speak through, you are set on God’s word and He is faithful and true!

I just take it by faith God is Good!!!

Be Blessed!
Pastor Dave

• Date - March 2, 2018
• Author - David Chisholm

Last week, we ended on the point of “you present yourself out of a mindset of who you believe you are.” Who you believe you are will change as you reflect more on the word of God and adapt to his ways.

Our Christian experience was designed by God to be spiritual, but the flesh wants to make it intellectual. When the church becomes more intellectual than spiritual, we have returned to the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Knowledge is intellectual but wisdom is spiritual…therefore, one of the key parts of scripture that has given me wisdom over the years, is what I call the Ephesians Prayers. Taken from the Apostle Paul’s letters to the Ephesians, these words have changed my life. I have been praying them daily for over 35 years, and because of this, I live in Revelation, and my entire being, spirit, soul, (mind, will and emotions) have been transformed from death to life and I have an identity rooted and grounded in Him. Praying these scriptures daily, have been key in my transformation.

Let’s take a look:

Eph 1:15-2:15
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
NKJV

Eph 3:14-21
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width nd length and depth and height —
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
NKJV

These are prayers that I pray, not only over myself, but others as well, and I know they are working His purposes in my life and in the lives of my family this very day.

Here it is in a “prayer form”

Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, _______ (name names) making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our/my Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to me/ _______ the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of our/my understanding being enlightened; that I/you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Eph 3:14-21
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
that He would grant me/us, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith; that I/we, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width nd length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that I/we may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

I encourage you to commit these verses to memory and pray them daily. Also, check out the Passion Translation. It is a great translation in today’s vernacular. It WILL make a difference and produce results in yours and others’ lives!

Until next week,

Pastor Dave

• Date - February 21, 2018
• Author - David Chisholm

Silent prayer, what an oxymoron. Too often it is simply silenced prayer! When you search the scriptures for patterns of prayer you will not discover the pattern of silent prayer. Prayer is a vocal communication with God. It is a conversation not just a thought projection. If God wanted us to only think to Him and not to vocally speak to Him he would have created us as telepathic communicators.

I really believe that this is one of Satan’s greatest strategies to isolate the church from deeper communion with the Lord. How about silent praise? Silent worship? Silent conversation? Silent admonishment? Or even a silent argument or debate? Doesn’t make much sense, does it? So, the greatest power we have, which is complete access to the Throne Room through the name of Jesus, has been for the most part, silenced.

So, the argument is, doesn’t God hear or know my thoughts? The obvious answer is yes. However, God knew (thought) He wanted to create the earth, the animals, seas, skies and stars, but the word doesn’t say He thought about it and they appeared, but rather He spoke it!

Now, there are times of meditation of the heart. I understand that, I have those too. But the patterns of communication with God in the scriptures and 6000 years of history is –

YOU TALK TO HIM OUT LOUD!

Acts 4:23-28 Prayer for Boldness (Ps 2:1-2)

23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.

24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,

25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things?

26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.’

27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together

28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. NKJV

When you run references on Biblical references to prayer you will find the common manner was “they said”, not “they thought”. I encourage everyone to make sure a large percentage of your prayer, most of it, is SPEAKING not just thinking.

There is power in the spoken word!

Blessings!

Pastor Dave

• Date - February 15, 2018
• Author - David Chisholm