When Ben Franklin was exiting Independence Hall after the Constitutional Convention in 1787, a woman shouted this question: “Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?” Franklin’s ominous response was: “A republic…if you can keep it?”

Ronald Regan uttered these prophetic words in 1982: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

My dear Friends, we are on the eve of the most important election in our country’s history. America, that blessed republic that Franklin and all of our Founding Fathers bequeathed to us, is teeter-tottering between victory or extinction. Franklin’s and Regan’s prophetic and ominous words were never put to the test the way they will be in the next twenty-four hours. Each one of us has the opportunity to make our voice heard. We have the right to choose between freedom or tyranny. Which will you choose? And please, I implore you, know what you’re voting for. Not who, but what each platform stands for.

Here is a glimpse of what will be on the chopping block.

The Preamble to the Constitution: “We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of “Liberty” to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Bill of Rights: First ten amendments to the Constitution

1. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
2. A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.
3. No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
4. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.
5. No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury.
6. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed.
7. In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved.
8. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
9. The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
10. The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

God Bless America

God bless America, land that I love, stand beside her, and guide her, through the night, with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam. God bless America, my home, sweet home.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

To further the Liberal Progressive agenda (a socialist agenda), one would first have to assault the pillars that previously defined our culture, such as the examples listed above. If that power should be awarded, first and foremost in the cross-hairs will be our Founding Documents and the Word of God. That is not speculation, that is a promise. So please, please vote, and please vote your conscience.  Ask yourself, “which platform aligns with my core values?”

May God bless you through these upcoming trying and tedious hours, but equally as important, “May God Bless America.”  I’ll look forward to touching base with you after the teeter-totter has teetered and tottered!

Feel free to respond to this posting, and please share it with other social media friends.

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

FYI: two Scriptures that keep my spirits high are: “God mocks the proud and exalts the humble” and “No weapon formed against Him will prosper.”

Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers…As many of you know, I put out a “voter guide” on Facebook last week, and if you are aware of this, you also know that my stated intent was for you to see where each candidate stood on fifteen issues that are “hot topics” in this upcoming election. I then asked you to decide which platform represented your own values, then I asked you to vote according to your conscience, NOT according to the personality of either candidate. This is a VERY important election, and the consequences of the results are much bigger than either candidate.

As you know from reading my blogs, I am not only a proud American, but a concerned American. I love my country, even with all of its warts and blemishes, and the thought of rewriting our founding documents, limiting our personal freedoms, and discarding American traditions that have made our country great is not to my liking. Therefore, I have decided to stand on the principles in which I believe because at this time in our country’s history, THE truth (meaning, God’s Word) desperately needs to be heard.  I do that unapologetically, but at the same time, I consciously try not to shove my beliefs down anyone’s throat. If you don’t believe what I believe, that IS OK with me. Having said that, I don’t want issues that I disagree with shoved down my throat either. Unfortunately, that is the inevitable result of politicizing issues. Sane discussions fall by the wayside, tempers flare, name calling and finger pointing are plentiful, and physical action can take center stage.

When I posted the voter guide, I did that knowing that I would take a certain amount of heat, and my expectations were right on the mark. I don’t mind taking some heat, but what does bother me is the lack of knowledge that accompanies some of the comments. I want to highlight three examples here, because I am fearful there may be others who are equally ill informed.

1. “Why, when Jesus fed the crowds, it was called Christianity, but now that the government wants to do it, it is called socialism? What’s the difference?

That answer is simple. It goes to the character of the people involved and their motivation. Jesus’ motivation was based on compassion and concern for the well-being of the people. Matthew 15:32 reveals this: “Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may faint along the way.” Again, in Matthew 9:36: “When He stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick.”  In every act of kindness expressed by Jesus, there was never an ulterior, or self-serving motive attached.  Everything was motivated by “agape” (self-sacrificial) love.

The intent of Socialism is entirely different, and the intent is definitely NOT based in agape love. Merriam-Webster’s definition of Socialism is “any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.”  Since a government is made up of people, there are definitely ulterior motives involved, especially the desire for wealth, power and control. The power of Socialism is in the government, and more often than not, that power can be used to control the people. (We experienced  a brief glimpse of Socialism during the lock-downs of the past six months.) The proponents of this form of government always present their message in the most alluring manner. “Things will be better”, “college will be free”, “healthcare will be free”, “everyone will be equal”, “a level playing field”, etc. etc. (You’ve heard the rhetoric.) But unfortunately, we discover, only too late, that the cost to us is really the loss of personal freedoms. I’ll let my friend Mark explain how this often plays out. “

Mark J. Perry, concurrently a scholar at American Enterprise Institute and professor of economics and finance at University of Michigan wrote an article in 2009 entitled, “Why Socialism Fails.” His opening statements included these two indictments: “Socialism is the ‘Big Lie’ of the twentieth century. While it promises prosperity, equality, and security, it delivered poverty, misery, and tyranny. Even if there are initial signs of success, those signs quickly fade as the fundamental deficiencies are exposed. It is the initial illusion of success that gives government intervention its pernicious, seductive appeal. In the long run, however, socialism has almost always proven to be a formula for tyranny and misery. Equality was achieved only in the sense that everyone was equal in his or her misery.”

2. “Why do Christians get so wound up about Planned Parenthood? God is the biggest abortor through miscarriages!” Unfortunately, God takes a bum rap for many issues that are not of His making. So, lets review some Truth. The first thing God did when He created us was to honor Man with “free will”. He didn’t have to do that; He could have made us all perfect, always carrying out His will. But if He had done that, we would be robots rather than humans. Remember, He created us for a relationship, therefore He gave us the right to choose. He did that so we could choose to enter into that desired relationship with Him, but as we know, Man didn’t always use his free will for God’s intended purpose. No indeed! From “The Fall” (of Man) until today, Man’s “human nature” (the Biblical term is “sin-nature”) became focused on honoring “self” rather than honoring God. No doubt, some of our choices grieve Him, but His will never trumps our choices, and therein is the answer to the above question.

Since “The Fall” (of Man), our nature has been to look out for, to honor, and to please “self” first. That is the very definition of Sin: “living for self rather than living for God”. That very act of disobedience is what keeps Man separated from God. In Man’s quest to satisfy “self”, he has made some very poor choices through the ages, such as unhealthy diet, unhealthy habits, such as smoking, alcohol, drugs, and illicit sex. With those choices came unhealthy reactions, such as lying, cheating, depression, anxiety, fear, guilt, shame anger and hatred. Those toxic mixtures undoubtedly lead to extraordinary levels of stress, which takes its toll on our nervous systems, our immune systems and can lead to emotional and mental disorders. The result can be unwanted genetic predispositions in future generations. Let’s look at how these behaviors can contribute to miscarriages.

The term “miscarriage” means the body expels the embryo because it is not developing normally. Some contributors to this unfortunate experience are poor diet, drug or alcohol use, untreated thyroid disease, issue with hormones, uncontrolled diabetes, infections, trauma, obesity, severe high blood pressure, and certain medications. Sadly, one generation’s poor choices can pass on to future generations, resulting in various maladies…including miscarriages.

In the Book of 1John, God is defined with one word: “God is LOVE.” (1John 4:8) It doesn’t say God is loving. It says He IS LOVE; His very essence IS LOVE. Therefore, nothing that is not rooted in love can emanate from Him; only such qualities as forgiveness, mercy, grace, kindness, faithfulness, acceptance and patience reflect His nature. Abortion, as it relates to Planned Parenthood, is a willing act of destroying life. That is absolutely contrary to God’s nature. No doubt, that practice is abhorrent in His eyes, because He IS the source of life.

3. “How can a “so-called Christian” vote for such a disgusting, piece of s*** as Donald Trump. He is an embarrassment to our country. I can’t believe God hasn’t struck him down!” Well, no doubt, Trump is a fallen man, but so am I, and so are you. Let me preface my response with this Scripture from Isaiah 55:8-9: “My ways are not your ways, My thoughts are not your thoughts. As high as the heavens are above the earth, as far as the east is from the west, My ways are not your ways, and My thoughts are not your thoughts.” I believe it is clear that God was/is speaking to us through the prophet Isaiah, telling us not to sit around trying to figure Him out, because He is so far beyond us, we, with our finite minds, will never be able to grasp all of his actions.

To anyone who knows anything about God’s use of people to further His plan, this truth stands out in bold face: He doesn’t always call the equipped, but He always equips the ones He calls. Here are a few examples: He used shepherds, the lowest rung on the Jewish social ladder, to announce Jesus’ birth; Moses was a wanted murderer with a speech impediment; Peter was a delf-described “sinful man; Samson was a womanizer and a narcissist; Matthew was a cheating tax collector; David was an adulterer and a murderer; Paul (formerly Saul) was a zealous Pharisee who did his best to stamp all Christ-followers; Mary Magdalene was a former prostitute, and Dan P was a self-absorbed, sinful man! That may come as a surprise to those who are uninformed, but God’s transforming method is one without fail. (And, it is available to anyone who has the courage to knock and keep knocking, seek and keep seeking, ask and keep asking…even the Donald Trumps of this world). You may not like his methods or his words, but he is on a mission to serve a particular purpose. And crazy as it may look to you, he is draining the swamp and shinning the light on evil. (Hum…isn’t that what Jesus did? He wasn’t popular with the power of His day either.) Now don’t make the mistake of mis-quoting me by saying, “Trump is just like Jesus”, because that is definitely NOT what I am saying.

I hope that through highlighting these particular ill-informed responses, anyone sharing these same opinions might at least check out my responses to see if I am right or wrong.  Unfortunately, lack of knowledge has never kept people from expressing their opinions, or from spreading vitriol, but as long as there are people on this earth, they will always be guided by the content of their hearts, which is fed by what they put into their heads. (what they see, hear, or read)

Feel free to respond to this message, and please share it with other social media friends.

May God Bless You abundantly,

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

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Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers… when Pam and I were out walking the boys (Glenn and Cliff) this morning, one of my favorite childhood hymns invaded my mind.  By the time we got home, I believe I had recalled the words from all three verses.  Without fail, whenever one of those hymns captivates my thinking, it’s always a joyful experience.  It’s a flash-back to my church in Crooksville, Ohio, and I can see and hear our congregation jubilantly belting out those “oldies but goodies.”  While we were no threat to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in terms of pitch, right notes, rhythm, blend or balance, our enthusiasm could not be bridled!  The powerful message presented in these few verses really stirs my emotions.  In my youthful days, it was about picking out the alto and tenor parts and fitting those notes into the musical fabric. Today, it’s all about the power of these words.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee, Thou changest not, Thy compassion’s, they fail not,  As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be. 

(refrain)  Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see.  All I have needed Thy hand hath provided, Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,  Join with all nature in manifold witness, To Thy great faithfulness mercy and love.

(refrain)

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,  Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

(refrain)

One reason Christ- followers can stand firmly on the Word of God is because one of the majestic qualities of God Jehovah is his “immutability”.  That is a “churchy word” meaning that God and His Word does not change; it is THE TRUTH!  This was clearly stated by Jesus and recorded in Mark, 13:31: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will last forever.” That’s why we can develop and put our faith in Him. His faithfulness to us is never shaken, as verbally portrayed in vs. 1, and in the refrain above.  Even nature proclaims his faithfulness in vs. 2, and our strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow bears witness in vs. 3. This faithfulness is our stability in this unstable world.

Last night, we had the privilege of hosting and dining with two of our friends in Christ, Gaines and Sandy Dittrich. Gaines was just proclaimed “cancer-free” after a long bout with that insidious disease. Both he and Pam have been through the baptism of fire when it comes to believing in, and standing on, the promises of God concerning healing. Neither waivered in their trust, and THE author of all healing was faithful to them. What incredible witnesses they are to THE TRUTH of God’s Word, the power of God’s Word, the transforming power of God’s Word, and His faithfulness to His promises. Therefore, I am dedicating this blog to both Gaines and Pam.

As a Christ-follower, our faith develops as we begin experiencing THE TRUTH of these Words, meaning…our life changes from the inside out; it’s a “heart change”.  And faith, “that confident assurance that what we hope for is going to come to pass; the evidence of things not yet seen” , (Hebrews 11:1) is what sets our belief system apart from every other world religion.   Every other belief system is about earning God’s favor through works. But our belief tells us “it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that there is a God and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.” (Hebrew 11:5-6)

Our reward comes from our relationship with Him.  The more we seek and come to know God, the easier it is to accept His majestic qualities, such as omnipotence (all powerful); omniscience (all knowing); omnipresent (everywhere at once); alpha and omega (no beginning or end); Godhead of the Trinity; and Creator of the universe.  While we cannot logically wrap our finite minds around such “qualities of grandeur”, what we do know is that God did not mislead us about His personal qualities of being a loving, merciful, gracious, kind, forgiving, and compassionate Father. After all, He was willing to sacrifice His only begotten Son so we could join Him in an eternal relationship.

With such a rock on which to stand, it is clear why our “source of strength for today and our bright hope for tomorrow” (Vs. 3 in the hymn above) comes from God.  For those of us who are in Christ, it’s easy to say, “How do those who don’t know Jesus Christ get along in the world today?”  I think the continuing rise in addictions, broken families, suicides, violence, corruption, intolerance, and hatred answers that question. THEY DON’T!  Our society is morally and spiritually bankrupt, and if people continue to seek relief from any other source of strength than Jesus Christ, they are settling for a counterfeit solution that will never provide a lasting solution. So, what is the answer?  Jesus Christ is the ONLY answer!. 

Apostle Paul addressed that same conundrum in the first century.  “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him?  And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?  That is what the Scriptures mean when it says, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news”!   (Romans 10: 13-15) Jesus also gave us a commission before He left the earth.  He said in Matthew 28:18-20):  “I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, GO  (my edit) and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commandments I have given you.  And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

So… we know THE TRUTH!  But it isn’t enough for us just to know THE TRUTH.  Our commission is to share THE TRUTH with those who are lost and suffering.  Our culture isn’t teaching this truth; our media isn’t teaching this truth; our schools aren’t teaching this truth, and most families aren’t teaching this truth. Our calling is to be Jesus’ light in this dark world; to let His love shine through us.  Don’t forget what it means to be in Christ.  2^nd Peter 1:3 tells us, “As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, His divine power (Holy Spirit) gives us EVERYTHING we need for living a godly life.”  Our charge is to call on the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and courage so we can share THE TRUTH of the Good News with those who are still suffering.  Jesus has set us free! Now let’s pay it forward by sharing THE TRUTH that can set others free!

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

May God Bless You Abundantly,

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…How does that title make you feel? Be honest! What is your visceral response to those words right now? The Beatles liked it. They made it sound easy with their hit in the 1967 (There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done  Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung  Nothing you can say, but you can learn how to play the game…It’s easy)  Ponder those words for a minute; What message do you hear?

“Love”, just that one little four-letter word, can take you to the top of a mountain, or it can take you to the pits of hell. Yet, that same four-letter word has so many meanings in our culture today, it often can be thought of as virtually useless. For instance, we love our cat, we love chocolate, we love the beach, and let’s face it, we sometimes love our favorite sports team…if they’re winning? Truth be told, in our language, that one little word expresses a myriad of emotions…from the ridiculous to the sublime.

In the Greek language, the original language of the New Testament, there were four different words to describe four different “levels” of love. Eros meant physical love, or a carnal attraction; Philo love is brotherly love, the kind of love that is shared between close friends. Storge love is family love, the bond among mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, and brothers. But the love referred to in the Bible is the highest form of love; it is Agape love, meaning it is “self-sacrificial love, the kind of love that Jesus shared with everyone He encountered. I would venture to say that the concept of Agape love is particularly rare in our culture today, because not only is it self-sacrificial, but it is also unconditional. Can you imagine that?

Jesus told His disciples, “They will know you are my disciples because of your love for one another.” (John 13:35) He also commanded that “we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.” (Mark 12:31) It’s easy to read those two Scriptures and get a warm fuzzy feeling, but truth be told, that is probably the ultimate challenge for everyone. “How”, you ask, “am I supposed to love my neighbor, or those we see on the streets creating havoc, rioting and looting, when I don’t even like them?” This is when we stop and thank God for His wonderful gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Spirit was given to us so we could rise above our circumstances (or feelings) and bring honor and glory to Him. Ephesians 2:10 reinforces that statement: “For we are (now) God’s Masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus so that we can (now) do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (my edits. “Now” – that we are in Christ – is the operative word.)

When Jesus started His ministry, He sat down on a hillside and talked to the multitude, explaining the difference between Kingdom principles and worldly principles. (the famous Sermon on the Mount.) This was one of the reasons He came. He came to show Man how far he had drifted away from God’s principles: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”: Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5: 3-10 for all eight of the Beatitudes) But it was also in this same presentation that He outlined two of Man’s greatest challenges: to forgive those who have wronged us, and to love our enemies. But here is the good news: He gave us this spiritual prescription: “Pray for those who persecute you. In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:44-45) And just like the Beatles’ song title, this prescription sounds easy too, Right?  If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll have to admit, it is the ultimate challenge for our “human nature.” In fact, it’s entirely possible that you are saying to yourselves, “Wow! I’ve tried that before, but I just can’t forgive that person”, or “I don’t even like that person! How can I possibly love them?”

Because God, our omniscient, omnipotent heavenly Father, knew us intimately, He knew – even before He created us – that we were going to be problem children. But even that didn’t thwart His plan. No indeed! He created us anyway!  Ephesians 1:4-5 addresses this very situation. “Long ago, even before He created the world (and Man), God loved us and chose us in Christ to he holy and without fault in His eyes.  His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and this gave Him great pleasure! Undoubtedly, God already had a plan for our salvation even before He created us! What an incredible example of His unconditional, unending, unfailing love for us. Not only did He create us for a here-and-now relationship, but even more important was the eternal relationship.

We are told in 1John 4:19 that “we love because He first loved us.” Upon first reading, those words sound very cushy and wonderful, but if we meditate on the deeper meaning, we realize that it is our call to love the same way God loved/loves us. Yes, that’s right…with the same unconditional, unending, and unfailing love. The grace that He displayed toward us is what He expects from us toward others.

This is exactly why we have been gifted with the indwelling Holy Spirit. This is a gift to us so we can rise above our circumstances to become the person He created us to be.  But what we, as Christians, have to understand is how the Holy Spirit functions.  He does not change our circumstances or our feelings. He empowers us to face our challenges with Spiritual perspective and guidance. (Ref. Ephesians 2:10 in paragraph 4.)  Here is how that works.

We call the Holy Spirit into action, because our motivation is to bring honor and glory to God. We ask Him, out loud, to give us His wisdom, His insight, His courage, strength, patience, perseverance, eyes to see, ears to hear, words to speak – whatever it is we need – to help us deal with this issue in a way that brings honor to Him. From our perspective, we are consciously pursuing a more Christ-like action. A substantiating Scripture for this new behavior can be found in James 4:10: “When we come humbly before the Lord and admit our dependence on Him, He will lift us up and give us honor.” Every time we begin a request by saying, “Holy Spirit”, we are opening a supernatural door that can empower us to be victorious over satan and his minions.

That is exactly why this gift was given to us. So many challenges and feelings that we encounter can absolutely baffle or overpower “our best effort”. However, when we get “self” out of the way and allow the Spirit to work through us, we are supernaturally charged.  This is how we forgive the person who has harmed us, and how we love the person that was here-to-fore down-right unlikable. Is it easy? Absolutely not!  But through the Holy Spirit, it is indeed possible. As we are told in 1John 3:18, “You must do more than profess your love for one another; you have to show it through your actions.”  

Once you have experienced forgiving those who have harmed you, and loving your enemies, there is a surprise package waiting at the end of the journey. You, my dear Friend, are the one who is set free! Living by the Spirit, or in the Spirit, is our highest calling. God will reward your commitment.

Feel free to respond to this message, and please share it with other social media friends.

May God Bless You abundantly,

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…I want to begin today’s message by thanking Messianic Rabbi, Jonathan Cahn and his entire staff and production crew, for the superb presentation of “The Return” last Saturday on the mall in Washington D.C. It was a day of intercessory prayer, not only for our nation, but for the world, and the purpose was to be obedient to the truth found in 2 Chronicles 7:14, and to honor the age-old proclamation, “Repent! Turn from your Sin and turn to God.” (These powerful words have been spoken numerous times by prophets throughout both the Old and the New Testaments.) There were fifty plus religious leaders and prayer-warriors, representing the major world religions, repenting and asking God’s mercy on us for turning away from His statutes and His will. Tens of thousands were present in Washington D.C., but there were millions watching and participating around the world. It was indeed a powerful day of prayer and rejoicing, and no doubt, there were smiles in heaven!

I stood and applauded Rabbi Cahn’s opening statement: “If you came here today to hear a politically correct message, you came to the wrong place.” How refreshing it was to hear just that bit of truth, but his exceptionally powerful words substantiated his boldness. I couldn’t help but think of Jesus talking to the Pharisees: “Hypocrites!  The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So, practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach…” (Matthew 23:2-3) Or, “I tell you, unless you obey God better than the teachers of the law or the Pharisees, you can’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all! (Matthew 5:20) I believe that Jesus’ example to us carried this message: Stand against evil wherever and whenever you see it. Unfortunately, many – but certainly not all – modern-day churches have adopted the policy of soft-pedaling the truth for fear of offending someone.  Too often the intent is to send the flock away with a “feel good” message that brings them back the following Sunday.

No doubt, many people don’t want to hear the truth. Why? Because the truth is contrary to the way they have chosen to live. Therefore, what follows is the process of “justifying in their own minds” why or how they can still fulfill the desires of their hearts without the baggage of guilt, shame or remorse. For example, when considering abortion: “it’s not really a baby yet…it’s just a blob of cells”, or “it’s really best, because I can’t afford to take time off from work to raise a baby!”  Or, when considering an extra marital affair, “it’s OK as long as no one gets hurt”, or “if my spouse would just do this or that, I wouldn’t have to do this.” These are two prime examples of the truth found in Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.”  And the heart, spiritually speaking, is the very core of our being.  What we put there defines what comes out. Without the truth of God’s Word in our hearts, and the Holy Spirit empowering us, our sin-nature (coincidently referred to by our culture as our “human nature”) always leans toward gratifying self. That is the very definition of Sin! (choosing to satisfy self rather than exalting God!)  In this crazy world in which we are living, if you are not consciously focused on bringing honor and glory to Him, the distractions offered by our phones, social media, the entertainment industry, TV and the news media can lull us into a numbed down, dumbed down state of being.

The truth found in Romans 12:2 is our pathway to victory over that darkness. “Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what He wants you to do, and how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is for your life.”  Without the knowledge of His Word, and the power to carry it out, the alternative is to get ensnared into worldly teachings and philosophies. If you look at the world around you today, you can see exactly what that looks like. Our culture has expunged God from its midst and has exalted human wisdom. Remember, the world God created was paradise. So, you be the judge; does our culture, with its doubt, fear, anger, hatred, lying, cheating, stealing, addictions, suicides, mental and psychosomatic illnesses, guilt, shame and remorse, look like paradise to you? This is what happens when Man exalts himself as god.

In our culture’s effort to find that magical elixir that will bring joy, peace and serenity, they have settled for a counterfeit remedy that promises to fill that proverbial “hole in the soul”, such as drugs, alcohol, sex, new cars, bigger houses and more material things.  Alas…those things are only temporal.  What our culture is really looking for is Jesus Christ, and as the popular song of the 80’s so accurately portrayed, “they’re looking for love in all the wrong places”.

As I stated earlier, “The Truth” (meaning God’s infallible truth) has been replaced with relative truth, (meaning, it is conditional: I’ll believe this if it works for me; I’ll believe this if it pleases me; I’ll do this if it exalts me, etc. Notice that the focal point is “me”.) The Truth is out of style today because it challenges us to live according to God’s plan for our lives. For example, when God gave Moses the 10 Commandments, the Israelites were in a state of disarray in the wilderness, much like our culture is experiencing today. He gave them these directives for three reasons: they were His blueprint for civil law, meaning it was for their safety, health and wellbeing; it was His standard for eternal life, and it was also to prove to Man he could not meet this standard through his own best effort. (Remember, He gave Man from Creation to 2020 years ago to wrestle with the dilemma of Sin. And how did that work out? Romans 5:6 gives us the answer: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time to die for us sinners.) And what was “just the right time”, you might ask? When we proved ourselves utterly helpless to overcome Sin through our own best effort.

Let’s connect the dots from the previous paragraph with the Truth found in Ephesians 1:4-5, 10: “Long ago, even before He created the world (and Man), God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. His unchanging plan was always to adopt us into His family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and this gave Him great pleasure. And this is His plan: At just the right time, He will bring everything together under the authority of Jesus Christ – everything in heaven and on earth.” (And what was “just the right time”?  When we proved ourselves utterly helpless to earn salvation through our best effort.)

This is The Truth that seems to be lost on our culture today; God IS love! His plan has always been to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ. Why? Because He knew we could never save ourselves. (Remember…He proclaimed, “I am holy; therefore, you must be holy”. {Leviticus 19:2} In other words, we can’t come into His presence if we are stained with sin.) He didn’t give us the 10 Commandments because He is a kill-joy; He gave them because He didn’t want us to experience the dire consequences that inevitably results from yielding to our sin-nature.

Our culture believes that those musty old 10 Commandments are old fashioned, that they are too confining and stifling. After all, we are an enlightened people; we are called to live outside the box. The message from the prevailing marketing companies is, “You deserve a break today”; “be yourself, be all you can be”, or “Go for the gusto”, etc. Unfortunately, the world doesn’t realize the source of these “me centered” messages. Satan, the master deceiver, always wraps his lies in the most alluring wrapping, but truth be told, his schemes are always to keep us separated from God. That’s who he is; that’s what he does, and he is a master at his craft.  So, unless we know The Truth of God’s Word, we are easily manipulated and led astray.

What hopefully came out of last Saturday’s “Return” message is an awakening of how desperately our culture needs the Truth of God’s Word. No person, no government, no other philosophy is the answer to this hopeless quagmire. I believe this is the time for the church to renew its purpose of proclaiming The Truth of His love. He paid the penalty for our sins with the blood of His Son because He created us for an eternal relationship. He knew we could never be sin-free through our own best effort, so He paid our sin ransom. That Truth is the ONLY hope for our salvation.  Who wouldn’t want to accept that offer?  But in order to accept it, we first have to hear The Truth in all of its splendor, and without compromise. The Truth itself IS that magic elixir.

Please feel free to respond to this message, and please share with other social media friends.

May God Bless You abundantly,

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…I suspect that today’s title-line may seem a bit weird to most of you, and I can perfectly understand that. No doubt, if you asked ten people if they would rather be happy or unhappy, you would probably get a unanimous vote for “happy”.  That’s because we are hard wired to get our basic needs met, such as air, food, water, clothing, shelter, warmth and sleep. But we also have to consider our psychological and emotional well-being if our goal is to find that positive state of homeostasis. Therefore, we have to look at such factors as feeling loved, respected, safe, valued, and desired. If any one of these needs is out-of-whack, it sets our sense of well-being into a tail spin.

The simple truth is, I, like everyone else, have always searched for happiness. From infancy on, I learned what I liked and what I didn’t like, therefore my “self-centered” nature always led me toward that “feel good” decision. No doubt, some of my choices were thwarted by my parents, my teachers, or even by some of my best friends, because looking back now, I can see where they had my best interest at heart. But truth be told, I more often than not pushed the envelope as much as I could to get what I wanted.

Let’s look at the term “happiness” and see what Webster has to say: “Happiness is a sense of well-being, contentment and/or satisfaction.” When we are satisfied, a sense of contentment (or accomplishment) comes over us that gives us a feeling of serenity. But to achieve this desired outcome, certain variables have to line up. For instance, I would be happy IF she would just go out with me; I would be happy IF I had that job; I’ll be happy WHEN this project is over; or I would be happier IF I just had a bigger house.  As you can see from these examples, to reach that elusive state of happiness, it depends on circumstances, people or things fulfilling this equation: you + ? = fulfillment.  People change; cars lose their sparkle, and that new job may be the source of unforeseen stress and strain. Happiness is temporal. That new shinny object can grow dull, then you find yourself returning to the well to get your next fix.

In the above paragraph, did you take notice of the number of “I” statements? When searching for that elusive happiness, it is usually tied in with the desire to exalt self or pleasure self. When our focus is on “me”, “me”, “me”, we, whether we know it or not, have slipped back under the law. This means we are counting on our best effort to accomplish our purpose. Now compare that scenario with the truth found in Matthew 6:33: “If you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things will be added to you.” And what are “all these things?” All these things are in the previous two paragraphs that Man works so hard to get. But if we seek first His kingdom with a desire to bring honor and glory to Him, He will honor us by providing those desires as blessings. (Just for clarity sake, as long as our desires are in line with His will.)

Unfortunately, most people settle for happiness when they could be experiencing joy. Joy is one of the fruits of the spirit, as listed in Galatians 5:22-23: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Joy, unlike happiness, is an inside job.  It is not dependent on people, places or things to fulfill our needs. The source of joy is also quite different from happiness, in that it emanates from a different process. Again, I’ll turn to Webster for a definition: “Joy is the emotion evoked by well-being, success, good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.” No doubt, that is a secular definition, and it misses the mark when compared with the Biblical definition. Theopedia’s definition is simply, “a state of mind, and an orientation of the heart.” The very essence of that definition is the true difference between happiness and joy. The later definition is the result of “transformation”, which means “to change in condition, nature, or character. In other words, we have become a new creation.  Hum…imagine that.

As we can clearly see from a secular perspective, the terms happiness and joy can pretty much be inter-changeable. But when viewed from a Biblical perspective, joy is the result of a quite different process.

Once people make the decision to accept God’s gift of grace (meaning, we surrender to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior), we are poised to start a journey that leads to transformation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 succinctly explains this: “We are a new creation in Christ. The old is gone (being enslaved to our “sin nature”), the new has come.” (the Holy Spirit) This means that we have made a decision to change our ways (repentance), and we no longer want to make the same “default choices” that characterized our old nature.  Galatians 5:16-18 explains this. “I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just the opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants.  And the Spirit gives you desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires.  These two forces are constantly fighting each other and your choices are never free from this conflict. But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer slaves to your sin-nature.”

Part of God’s salvation plan for us was/is the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Since Man proved his inability to rise above his “sin-nature” from Creation until 2020 years ago, God gave us the Holy Spirit to empower us to become the person He created us to be.  Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “We are NOW His masterpiece. He has created us anew in Jesus Christ, so that we can NOW do the good things He planned for us long ago.”  (my added emphasis) We are NOW in the process of becoming more Christ-like, and this is a life- long journey.  Remember, before we accepted God’s gift of grace, our only hope for over coming our flesh, the world, and satan was our very best effort. Romans 5:6 tells us how that ended: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us (Apostle Paul included himself in this indictment) sinners”

2 Peter 1:3 tells us: “The more we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, His divine nature gives us everything we need for living a Godly life.”  We have been gifted with the ability to tap into the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to insure our victory over the dark domain. Knowing that truth and walking in that truth gives us an incredible sense of confidence, strength, and patience. It is no longer about our best effort, but about getting out of the way so the Holy Spirit can work through us.

“And how does that happen”, you might ask?  Well, we call Him into action to empower us to make choices that bring honor and glory to God. We say aloud, “Holy Spirit, give me your wisdom, courage, strength, patience, perseverance, eyes to see, ears to hear –whatever it is we need – to honor Him.   James 4:10 reinforces this statement. “When we come humbly before the Lord and admit our dependence on Him, He will lift us up and give us honor.”  When we know who we are in Christ, and the power that comes from that identity, how can we not be bubbling over with JOY.

To recap: Why settle for temporal happiness, when you can have abounding JOY!  After all, “Christ came to give us life, and life to the fullest!”  (John 10:10)

Feel free to share this post, and please feel free to share it with other social media friends.

May God Bless You abundantly

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

Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers…I have really been looking forward to writing this message for quite some time. There are so many ways I want to approach it, and that is still my biggest challenge, even right now. But I have decided that in the midst of this posting, I am going to embed a website that defines the source of my excitement. It is particularly powerful, and only about ten minutes in length, but I KNOW you will be glad you took the time. Please go to: www.thereturnwebsite.org, click on national and global day of prayer and repentance, then click on “watch announcement.”

The most relevant Scripture to use as a foundation for this message is 2 Chronicles, 7:14, but I want to put it in context before I quote the Scripture. So, (7:11-12) “Solomon just finished building the Temple of the Lord. He completed everything just as he had planned. That night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said, ‘I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. (7:19-21) But if you abandon Me and disobey the laws and commandments I have given you, and if you go and worship other gods, then I will uproot the people of Israel from this land of mine that I have given them. I will reject this Temple I have set apart to honor My name. I will make it a spectacle of contempt among the nations. And though this Temple is impressive now, it will become an appalling sight to all who pass by.” (7:14) BUT, ‘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 sins and heal their land.” (There is always a “BUT” between the wake-up call and the period of judgement.)

Let’s look at the parallels between this presentation and our country’s situation right now. Because of Solomon’s prayers, the Lord bestowed a great honor on him and the Israelites by choosing this Temple as His place of sacrifice. Likewise, on the evening of George Washington’s inauguration as our country’s first president, Washington, the Congress and his Cabinet adjourned to St. Paul’s Chapel, and on bended knee, dedicated our country to God. They asked Him to bless our country, and in return, they (and we) would fulfill His purpose of being “that shining light on the hill” by adhering to the Judeo-Christian principles on which our great country was founded.  Other than ancient Israel, no other country besides America has been so abundantly blessed.

But, to whom much is given, much is expected. In both cases, the country being blessed was (is) expected to bring honor and glory to God.  If that country turned away from His Word and His statutes, the blessings from heaven would stop, and that country could become subject to judgement. That is exactly what happened to ancient Israel when they refused to implement the age-old prophecy: “Repent! Turn from your Sin, and turn to God!” (Acts 3:19) Even after numerous wake-up calls, instead of repenting, they defiantly continued on a path of disobedience, idol worship, and paganism that led to their demise. Now let’s look at America.

America was a country whose founding documents were based on Judeo-Christian principles. Our founding fathers believed that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were inalienable rights endowed by our Creator. Our country was to be an experiment in democracy; we were to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people. But perhaps most importantly, we were to be a land of the free, and home of the brave. I believe that for the first two hundred years after our founding, we did try to be that “shining light on the hill.” Were we perfect? No!  But I also believe that we did represent a force for good as we stood against dark movements that threatened to engulf the world.

So, you might be saying, “That’s well and good, but what happened? How did we get from that image to where we are today?” I will answer that by going back to the pivotal period of the 1960’s. If you remember, the 60”s gave us the Vietnam War and the resulting war protests, rock and roll, Woodstock, a burgeoning drug culture, free love and free sex. The early years of the next decade spawned the infamous Roe vs. Wade decision. By this time, time honored beliefs and traditions were being challenged, and were being eroded. Now add to that mix the introduction of computers, then laptop computers, the www, digital technology, video games, cell phones, smart phones, and social media. Now you have a glimpse of the co-conspirators that have turned our culture upside down. Isaiah 5:20 addressed this scenario: “Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that light is dark and dark is light, and bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.” That prophetic scripture defines our culture today. Unfortunately, politics have eroded what once was America. To further the liberal progressive agenda that is now on the table, the two biggest obstacles that stand in the way are the Word of God and our founding documents. Consequently, both are in the cross-hairs for an assault.

The Old Testament is a collection of historical events that either resulted in blessings or curses. If a person or country was in line with God’s will, they were blessed; if they were out of line with His will, the result was fire and brimstone, floods, wars, famines, pestilence, or other forms of judgement. But the good news is…God IS LOVE.  His very essence is to love, to be merciful, and to forgive.  “He doesn’t want to lose even one of His proudest creation” (US!) (2 Peter 3:9) The result? His mercy always trumps His judgement. Therefore, the age-old proclamation: “Repent! Turn from your sins and turn to God!”  He wants to give us another chance.

Needless to say, our country has drifted far from both the vision that inspired its founding, and the covenant that was made on bended knee in St. Paul’s Chapel. And even worse, we have expunged God from our midst. Human wisdom has been exalted; God has been discarded. Can you see why God would lift his shield of protection from our country? Jonathan Cahn, Messianic Rabbi and author of “The Harbinger” (and “Harbinger II”) points out that 9/11 was our country’s wake-up call. After a wake-up call, there is a window of time for repentance. After 9/II, there appeared to be a spiritual renewal in our country, but it didn’t last.  After about a month, it was business as usual…without repentance. Unfortunately, there can be no revival without repentance.

The reason for the embedded video is to inform you of what is taking place right now.  For years there has been an intercessory prayer movement that has been focused on restoring the spiritual and moral values that have been eroded from our culture, and carrying the message of hope and salvation to those who are lost. Sept. 16^th was Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year). The next ten days are days of repentance and introspection before Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). This is a day of sacrifice and forgiveness of sin. This is also the day when “The Return” takes place in Washington DC.

Prayer is the only answer to, not only our nation’s problems, but the world’s problems. The crux of the problems are spiritual in nature, so no person or government is the answer.  Spiritual problems can only be resolved supernaturally. But the truth is, God does respond to prayer.  Think of Abraham’s influence on God when he prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah.

Will you join us for intercessory prayer leading up to September 26^th?  Consider it an honor to be part of “The Return” movement. James tells us that “the prayers of the righteous avail much”, so this is your invitation to join your Brothers and Sisters in Christ as we call on the Holy Spirit to open the minds and hearts of those who do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  “Nothing is impossible with God!” (Luke 1:37)

Feel free to respond to this message, and please share it with other social media friends.

May God Bless You abundantly)

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

Good Morning, Meet Pastordan Readers…When I take a moment and step back and look at who we are in Christ, I am overwhelmed with joy. The description that is on the front on Neil Anderson’s incredible book “Victory Over the Darkness”, is the source of that confidence, that giddiness and that joy. Those words pack a wallop: “Understanding your identity in Christ, and the power that comes with that identity.” WOW! Our identity reveals these incredible “inheritances”: we’re sin-free; we’ve inherited eternal life; we are grafted into His family; we are now worthy and acceptable in His eyes; we are no longer a sinner, but a saint; we’ve inherited every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms, and we’ve inherited all the promises that are in the Bible. That IS our new identity in Christ! “The old is gone (we are no longer a slave to our sin-nature), the new has come.” (the Holy Spirit) (2 Corinthians 5:17) That new identity should give every reader goose-bumps! It’s not a result of what we did or didn’t do, and we certainly did not deserve it. No indeed!  It is a gift; it is an inheritance!

Now, if that identity transformation were not enough, hold on to your seat, because I’m going to tell you about your new inherited POWER. God knows these facts: we are slaves to our flesh (our sin-nature); we are constantly barraged with the secular teachings of the world, and we are no match for satan. Yet, as Christians, we are still called to live according to His standard, the same standard that was etched in stone and given to Moses thousands of years ago. Unfortunately, Man had from Creation until 2020 years ago to wrestle with the eternal dilemma of Sin, and as we all know, Man, even though committed to his best effort, proved himself to be an absolute failure at this challenge. This is how Apostle Paul viewed our best effort: “When they were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time, and died for us sinners!”  (Notice, Paul included himself in that indictment…and quite an indictment it was.)

But here is the good news. Our loving, gracious and merciful heavenly Father has given us the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s role is to empower us to do things we just can’t do through our own best effort.  All we have to do is call the Holy Spirit into action by asking (out loud) for His wisdom, His perspective, His eyes to see, His courage, strength, patience, perseverance – whatever it is we need to make choices that bring honor and glory to Him. – and every promise in the Bible says He will answer that prayer. James 4:10 substantiates that statement: “When we come humbly before the Lord and admit our dependence on Him, He will lift us up and give us honor.” When the truth of our new identity takes root in our hearts, coupled with the reality of the supernatural power that we now can plug into, how can we not feel confident, secure, loved and absolutely joyful?

Now, let’s superimpose all of that truth over our culture, our nation, and the world in which we are living.  According to 2015 figures, Christians, even though we make up the largest religious group, account for only 31.2% of the world’s population. That means there is a plethora of counterfeit religions and non-believers running around professing all sorts of “enlightened revelations.”  Since everyone is searching for “something” to fill that proverbial “hole in the soul”, many fall for these new revelations because they are designed to titillate our carnal desires. Think about this: That’s exactly how satan entrapped Eve. First, he cast doubt regarding God’s motive for forbidding that particular fruit, then he convinced her that if she ate of it, she would know everything God knows. The temptation that we can be “our own god” is irresistible to our “human nature.”

I want to stress, in no uncertain terms, that regardless of how crazy our world becomes, “we have everything we need for living a Godly life.” (2 Peter 1:3) We are in Christ! We have the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower us to rise above our circumstances, and to serve His purpose  In fact, “He has promised that we will escape the decadence of the world around us, and that we will share in His divine nature.” (2 Peter 1: 6) What we must not forget is this: God is a mighty God, a sovereign God, and He is still on the Throne. While it might not seem like it right now, we can rest assured that He IS in control. In Psalm 2, God spoke through the psalmist, David, to give us His perspective.

“Why do the nations rage? Why do the people waste their time with futile plans?  The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against His Anointed One. ‘Let us break their chains” they cry, “let us free ourselves from this slavery.” But the One who rules in heaven laughs.  The Lord scoffs at them. Then in anger, He rebukes them, terrifying them with His fierce fury. For the Lord declares, ‘I have placed my chosen King on the Throne in Jerusalem, My holy city.” The King proclaims the Lord’s decree: The Lord said to Me, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your Father. Only ask, and I will give You the nations as Your inheritance; the ends of the earth are Yours to possess. You will break them with an iron rod, and smash them like clay pots.’ Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling. Submit to the Lord’s royal Son, or He will become angry and you will be destroyed in the midst of your pursuits -for His anger can flare up in an instant. But, what joy for all who find protection in Him”, referring, of course, to those of us who are in Christ!

So, why do we worry? Why do we get caught-up in the crazy shenanigans of the world? No doubt, it is our human nature that leads us in that direction. But if we can just detach ourselves from the reality of the world and focus on who we are now – and most importantly, focus on how BIG and FAITHFUL our God is – we can get our feet on a firm foundation. Here are three truths you can add to your platform of faith. Our Father said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8) “No weapon formed against you will prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17), and Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Now let me restate 2 Peter 1:6 two paragraphs above: “He has promised that we will escape the decadence of the world around us, and that we will share in His divine nature. All of these encouraging words are promises from our loving God. They are nuggets of Truth that solidify our faith.

I would like to close, using Apostle Paul’s perspective of our relationship with the world, as found in 1 Corinthians 1:19-21, 25, 30 and 2:8) “As the Scriptures say, ‘I will destroy human wisdom and discard its most brilliant ideas. So where does that leave the philosophers, the scholars and the world’s most powerful debaters? God has made them all look foolish, and has shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense. Since God in His wisdom saw to it that the world would never find Him through human wisdom, He has used our foolish preaching (Paul’s and Timothy’s preaching) to save those who believe. This foolish plan of God is far wiser than the wisdom of human plans. For our benefit, He has made Christ to be wisdom itself. If the rulers of this world would have understood this, they never would have crucified our glorious Lord!”

I hope this message leaves you feeling “particularly special.”  You should feel that way, because that is how God sees you.  He delights in you!  In fact, you are His Masterpiece, as described in Ephesians 2: 10: “We are now God’s Masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can now do the good things He planned for us long ago.” Therefore, bask in your new identity, and your new supernatural power.  Don’t let satan steal the joy that is rightfully yours.

Feel free to respond to this posting, and please share it with other social media friends.

May God Bless You Abundantly,

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…Happy Labor day to Y’all.  I know that today represents different things to different people.  For the students, it is one less day in the school week; for some people, it is a time of celebration with parades, speeches and athletic events; for many, it is a time of family activities, especially the traditional BBQ, but for all of us, it marks the end of summer.  If you look at the history of Labor Day, it was created by “the labor movement” in the late 19^th century and became a federal holiday in 1894.  Observed on the first Monday in September, Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of the American worker, and celebrates with a day “free from labor”.

History from a different perspective tells us that “Labor Day”, a day of rest, was part of Creation and was observed on the seventh day “when God rested from his work of creation.” (Genesis 2:3)  No doubt that is an example that was given to us to follow.  Jesus gave us yet another perspective on “rest” when he said in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”  That perspective is not about parades, BBQ’s, speeches, or even family events.  It is about finding peace and serenity from the toils and stresses of life, and using that time to draw closer to God.

In the spirit of Labor Day, I am going to use this time to rest and enjoy my peace and serenity.  Therefore, I am going to stop writing at this point and repost my very first blog from 2013. Enjoy your “day of rest”, and I’ll be back next week.

Today Is a New Beginning

Well, My Friends….today is already a glorious day, and its only 6:00 am!  I just walked in the house from my morning walk(s); first through beautiful Laurel Park with Glenn (a handsome golden retriever/chow mix) and Cliff (an adorable, ornery sheltie); then a longer excursion through our neighborhood with the love and joy of my life, Ms Pam (my wife).  That is the entire Presgrave family, and I thank God each day for blessing me so richly.  But today is uniquely different in another way; it is 69 degrees right now IN ST. LOUIS on September 2, 2013.  Wow!  That indeed is a treat!!

But as I sit down in front of my computer with a fresh cup of hot coffee, I am well aware that the new activity that really makes this a special day for me is preparing to write my first blog.  I am looking forward to these postings each Monday, because I love sharing messages that are positive, up-lifting and encouraging.  Today I am able to share messages of that nature, but that was not always the case (as you will see if you peruse my website, www.meetpastordan.com).

Because of the journey I have been on for the past thirteen years and my willingness  to embrace change,  I  have  been blessed today with a life that is happy, joyous and free.  Since I have been given a “second chance at life”, I cannot help but share that good news with anyone who will listen. Through this journey, I have learned  not only a lot about me, but also about this experience called life. Today instead of trying to hide it, I take responsibility for who I was.  Now I proudly proclaim who I am in Christ.  That’s the way it works…. “we believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity” (Step II of the 12 Step Recovery Program), then we reach out to share our experience, strength and hope with others.

The focus of my website is about enhancing the quality of people’s lives.  I am both thrilled and privileged to be a “hope dealer” today.  As the psalmist David proclaimed in Psalm 92, vs.4 “you thrill me Lord, with all you have done for me!  I sing for joy because of what you have done for me”   The truth is….that freedom and joy is available to anyone who has the courage to “go for it”!

Is there anything that is keeping you from living life to the fullest?   If yes…Take the plunge! 

I’m already looking forward to next Monday’s posting!!

May God bless ya,

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

Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers…I’m really excited to share this story with you today, because it is the perfect set up for what I had already wanted to write about.

There is a younger woman (keep in mind, this is a 55+ retirement community) who I’ve seen a few times touring our beautiful streets in her wheelchair. We have passed only twice, and both times she was on one side of the street and I was on the other. After a pleasant “Hi!”, she continued wheeling on down the sidewalk, leading me to believe that she probably wasn’t interested in talking. Needless to say, she was added to my prayer list at that moment, but even the second time we passed, I didn’t get any sign that said “welcome”

But today, we were approaching each other on the same side of the street, and I had about half a block to organize my approach for a conversation. This time when I said, “Good Morning”, our eyes met and I got a bit of a smile, and also a return salutation. “My name’s Dan, and this is Cliff and Glenn. What’s your name?”  We chatted for a while, and when I sensed she was relaxed, I told her about Pam, and that eighteen months ago, she, too, was in a wheelchair. Needless to say, this got her attention. She asked good questions, which set me up for my reason for this conversation.

“Donna”, I finally said, “obviously I don’t know you very well, but if you don’t mind, can I ask where you are in your spiritual belief?”  She told me that when she was 15, she was in a terrible automobile accident that left her with a spinal injury. Her parents took her to a renowned miracle healer who performed healing rituals over her. But, she reluctantly professed, “obviously it didn’t work.” Therefore, she deduced that this was God’s will for her life. “I believe I am supposed to suffer. That’s what the Bible says. I believe this is God’s plan for me, and I have accepted His will.” Wow! I was stunned at first, then I felt overwhelming compassion for her. “Donna”, I said, “Pam and I have been part of healing ministry for quite a few years, and we both have witnessed, and experienced, incredible miracles.

At this point, I didn’t want to go any further with her. I didn’t want her to be any more overwhelmed than I knew she already was. So, I said, “If you want to talk more about this topic, or have any questions, I would love to talk with you again. But I will leave that up to you.” Then I went on to say, “This is undoubtedly one of the most misunderstood of the spiritual truths, and also one of the most abused and misused spiritual truth”. Therefore, I don’t want you thinking, when you see me approaching, ‘Yikes, here he comes. I hope he leaves me alone.” She smiled and thanked me for my time, then we went our separate ways…me asking God to bring her across my path again, and her…?”

I can’t get this lady off my mind.  First, I am astounded that she just accepted her affliction as “God’s will”, and consequently has put up with it for most of her life. And secondly, I am deeply concerned about the many who miss out on all God has planned for them because they don’t know the Truth, or because someone has sold them a counterfeit truth.  No doubt, God of the Old Testament punished people for their sins. But we live under the New Covenant, and if we are in Christ, the sin issue is over for us!  Why? Because Jesus shed His blood on the cross, in our place, to satisfy God’s wrath against us. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. That was God’s plan for our salvation.  What a reflection of His love for us. That’s who He is. He IS LOVE! So, if that is true…and it IS…it is NOT His will for us to suffer. Pain, suffering, tears, and even death was/is not part of His plan for us.

Jesus came to give us life…His life! Prior to this fulfillment of His Father’s plan, “we were all dead because of our iniquities. (our sins) It is only because of His grace (our unmerited favor) that we are saved”. (Ephesians 2:5) In fact, Jesus came not only to give us His life, but “He wants us to live this (new) life to the fullest.” (John 10:10)

So, you might be asking yourself, “What exactly does that mean?” My response would be: “Since we are now in Christ, we have inherited eternal life, meaning we did nothing to earn this gift, and we certainly didn’t deserve this gift.  But because we are now sin-free, we qualify to enter the Kingdom of heaven. (Remember, previously our sins kept us separated from God.) But God, in His gracious kindness, proclaimed, “I will remember their sins no more. I have cast them away as far as the east is from the west.” (Hebrews 8:12 and Psalm 103:12) Not only are we now sin-free, but God Himself said He would never count those sins against us. The truth found in these two Scriptures alone should fill us with joy; they should give us a confident sense of peace and serenity that can be found in NO other source.

Freedom from disease, pain and suffering was/is part of the atonement. Jesus died not only for the remission of our sins, but His blood also cancelled out disease, pain, and suffering. “By His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) He paid for this redemption at the whipping post. God also proclaimed through David in Psalm 107:20, “I sent My Word (meaning Jesus Christ) and healed their diseases.”  He also said, “I will restore their health and heal their wounds.” (Jeremiah 32:17) These words are promises from the Lord God Almighty Jehovah, God of the Old and New Testament.

If God said these words, are they true? Well, right there is the question that each of us must answer before we can even begin tackling what will undoubtedly be a challenging journey. Let’s use Jesus’ response to Jairus (when he had just received word that his daughter had died), as our unshakable foundation. Jesus’ succinct answer was, “Don’t be afraid; trust Me!” (Mark 5:36)

That IS the answer…pure and simple. God’s promises ARE Truth! If He said it is done, it IS done. Period! Charles Capps refers to this truth in his book, “God’s Creative Power for Healing” as “calling (or standing on) God’s promise, even though it may not be a reality yet in your body. You continue to call them until they are manifested in your body.” He went on to say, “You have a God-given right to exercise authority over your body.” “We are heir to every Spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm” (Ephesians 1:2), and one of those Spiritual blessings is Spiritual healing. It is ours to claim, and when we stand on (pray out loud God’s blessing), we are fulfilling the truth of yet another Scripture: “God does not want His Word to return void.” (Isaiah 55:10)

This is a complicated subject, yet the Truths found in God’s Word are absolutely the firm foundation for trusting and believing. No doubt pain and suffering are a part of everyone’s life, but how we respond to those challenges is what makes all the difference in the final outcome. God wants us to turn to Him for our wisdom, courage and strength. Spiritual healing is a blessing, and God does indeed want to bless us. Let me repeat once again Jesus’ simple (yet seemingly impossible) answer: “Don’t be afraid; Trust Me! Truth be told, this will happen, but only when one knows, and believes The Truth!  My prayer is this: “God, please give me the opportunity to share these incredible truths with Donna”.

Feel free to respond to this posting, and please share this with other social media friends.

May God Bless You All Abundantly…

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