(Again, I have no idea why this first paragraph is presented in all caps)

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers… Ever since I published last week‘s blog, I have been directed toward this particular subject matter again for expansion. I used the term “reprieve“ last week when I referred to the impossible coming to pass with the election of Donald Trump. When I used that term, I did so based on the Biblical history of countries that rose to power, or fell from power based on their relationship with God. The Old Testament is a book of history, and what is recorded in those pages is not only an example of God‘s mercy and grace, but also an example of his wrath against people and nations that turn away from him. Quite simply, when people and nations are in line with God‘s will, they are blessed; when they turn their backs on God, there is calamity. But here is my point. When people and nations are on the brink of judgement, God offers a time of repentance – he pulls back the veil, so to speak, to show them their fallen condition. He does this because he is a loving, merciful God who prefers mercy over judgement. And if one follows the history presented in the Bible, when people or nations respond to this “reprieve“, or time of repentance, the blessings are restored and that person or country continues to prosper.

So if you missed last week‘s blog, you are probably asking yourself how Donald Trump fits into this narrative. I suspect you ask that because you might be among the throngs of people who believe that he is a scoundrel; one who is unfit for office. But I would reply, that‘s the way God works. If you follow the history of the Bible, many of the pillars of the Bible have a rather unsavory past: Paul was originally Saul, a persecutor of Christians; David, “a man after God‘s own heart“, was an adulterer and murderer; and Sampson, who could not control his lust for women, was still used by God to help defeat the pagan Philistines. God doesn‘t always call the ones who are equipped; but he always equipts the ones he calls. Could that be President Trump?

So why do I believe the last election was a reprieve? Well, let‘s look at our country‘s history. America was a country founded on Judeo/Christian principles. When we look at our founding documents, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, we see the inspiration of those principles throughout the pages. “Our Founding Fathers were religious in a distinctive way, the Judeo-Christian way. They were the enlightened of their day by deducing that our human rights come from a power higher than human government, and that government power can only be derived from the informed consent of the governed. But they were forward-thinking concerning the Biblical moral principles of Natural Law, meaning that all men are created equal, and with inalienable rights. Our Founding Fathers rightly separated church from state, but they wisely did not separate God from state. They acknowledged God as the source of our equal human rights, and they were careful to place Biblical moral principles into our founding documents and laws, and into our values and culture. This was done precisely to help prevent a future of totalitarian or tyrannical rule in America. The combination of acknowledging God as the source of our equal rights and adhearing to Judeo-Christian moral principles rather than recognizing a particular “church“, and by setting up our laws based on reason and common sense, produced a culture that was to exude what was to be known as the American Character.“ (Renew America, ‚“Judeo/Christian Values in the Declaration of Independence“, July 5, 2011)

But contrary to the concern for the Judeo/Christian moral values of our Founding Fathers, there has been developing in our country a drive toward secularism. This insidious movement is wrapped in what is commonly called the Liberal Progressive Agenda (LPA). It has been evolving at a patient, methodical pace for the past half century, but with a very clear goal in mind…to fundamentally change America. But during the past administration, that agenda has solidified and progressed at an alarming rate by attacking the fundamental pillars that have defined our society: the traditional family structure; religious freedom – especially Judeo/Christian morals and values; attempts to reinterpret the Constitution in a way that promotes its agenda; a concerted effort to divide people rather than unite them; challenging and rewriting our country‘s history; challenging and diminishing the effect of laws and law enforcement; and the coup d‘etat, the exaltation of human wisdom over God‘s wisdom. Now couple that with the 58 million bablies that have been aborted since this practice became legal in 1973; the fact that we are the largest exporter of pornography in the world today; and the fact that prayer, the 10 Commandments, and Christian holidays, symbols, and traditions are being banned from public places, can you see how all of this could be an affront to God Almighty?

So you might be asking yourself, “How does all of this tie into the last election and Donald Trump?“ The answer is simple. America, especially during the past administration, had all but expunged God from it‘s midst. The LPA had certainly taken root, and had the election gone as scripted, another four or eight years of that liberal leadership would most likely have been the end of the “land of the free, the home of the brave.“ Undeniably, we were headed right down the road to socialism. But in my mind, we got a “reprieve“, a time to repent. God‘s proclamation to people and nations that have fallen away has always been, “Repent! Turn from your sin and turn to God.“ To repent simply means a willingness to change direction; to follow a different path. I see the last election as our reprieve.

When ancient Israel had fallen out of favor with the Lord, He promised them that if they repented, He would again bless them: “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and My blessings on your descendants.“ (Isaiah, 44:3) “Some sat in darkness and in deepest gloom, miserable prisoners in chains. They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High. That is why He broke them with hard labor; they fell and no one helped them rise again. “Lord , help!“ they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; He snapped their chains. Let them praise the Lord for His great love…“ (Psalm 107:10-15) In this excerpt from Psalm 107, God offered up Israel to Babylon because they were disobedient and worshiped other gods, but not without giving them ample opportunity to repent. But they continued in their sinful ways, and they did experience His discipline. As a result, the Jewish nation did learn to worship the one and only true God. (Please note, however, that even after the imposition of this discipline, when they did cry out for mercy and were willing to repent, He was, and is, faithful to restore their blessings. This is only one of numerous such examples in the Bible regarding reprieve and repentence.)

As the last election approached, there was an incredible intercessory prayer movement standing in the gap asking God to bring people to the election booth, not to vote for a particular candidate, but to vote for the party‘s platform that represented their wishes. The differences between the two platforms could not have been more striking. Luckily, fourteen million evangelicals, who sat out the previous election, saw the need to respond because the very future of our country was at stake. The result can be called nothing short of a miracle. A miracle for America, but also a time to repent and to change direction.

This reprieve is not a time to be idile. God expects to see changes in the people first, and therefore in the nation. Without that, Biblical history shows that God‘s blessings will be withdrawn. Now is the time for churches to step up to their calling by proclaiming the Gospel of Grace in truth and with conviction. In fact, 2 Chronicles 7:14 is very explicit regarding this: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.“ Notice specifically what is required here: 1. humble yourself; 2. pray and ask for forgiveness; and 3. turn from your wicked ways. But here is some good news. That intercessory prayer movement that was active before the election is still alive and well. Today we are praying earnestly for a revival in this country and a return to the fundamental Judeo/Christian principles that made our country great, as well as for revelation in the hearts and minds of those who do not know Jesus Christ as “the way, the truth and the life.“ (John 14:6) “In Him lay hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.“ (Colossians 2:3) He is the missing link and the moral compass in the hearts and minds of today‘s culture that is sorely distracted, confused, and self-absorbed.

May God bless each one of us, and may God continue to bless America.

Feel free to respond to this post, and please “like“ and share with other social media friends.

Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)