As Christians approach the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, it is a time that is filled with wonder, majesty and awe.  Yet for some, this history changing event is wrapped in skepticism and doubt resulting from questions that have never been answered in a way that redirects worldly thinking.  I mean, come on… a virgin birth?   The Son of God?   Savior of the world?   I understand the weight of those questions and the need for answers.  Those very questions kept me separated from God’s truth for many years.  Today however, I understand the prophetic Scripture that speaks perfectly to this challenge.  The “stone that makes people stumble” was first referenced by Isaiah eight centuries before the birth of Jesus.  It was repeated again in 1 Peter 2:8 when he referred to Jesus as “the stone that makes people stumble; the rock that makes them fall.”

God knew people would have trouble grasping His ways and His majestic qualities such as omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, Alpha and Omega, the Godhead of the Trinity, immutable, and of course the Biblical truth that proclaims, “Nothing is impossible with God!” (Luke 1:37)  That is why He spoke through the prophet Isaiah telling us, “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 like your ways and My thoughts are not like your thoughts.”  And again in Psalm 46:10 he tells us, “Just be still and know that I am God.”  I believe God was clearly telling us that we will never understand, with our finite minds, the wonders and ways of the Creator of the Universe.  That is why throughout the Bible He uses the most unlikely people, situations and methods to carry out His plans.  He delights in showing His power and strength through the least likely recipient.  That, however, is the same reason so many people stumble or fall when grappling with His thoughts and ways.  God is so far outside our paradigm of rational thinking that we will never be able to intellectually wrap Him up and put Him in a box.  But let us not forget… Christianity is based on faith, and faith comes from standing on a Scriptural foundation based on the truth of God’s word.

Let’s look at three examples of God’s “nothing’s impossible” ways, starting with Samuel, chapter 17, to see how a boy named David saved a nation.  When Jesse sent his son David, a young man of about fourteen years, to the front lines to deliver food to his three older sons who were fighting with the Israelite army, little did he know he was sending the nation’s next hero.  When David arrived at his destination, he was shocked that the army was shackled with fright at the sight of Goliath, who was shouting insults and demanding a volunteer come out to fight him.  David asked, “Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God.” (vs. 26).  David volunteered to meet the challenge, picked up five stones and walked toward the giant armed only with a slingshot.  He knew the same God that protected him from the jaws of lions and bears as he tended his sheep in the hills would also protect him against this opponent.  With one stone he took down Goliath, brought victory to Israel, and brought honor and glory to God when he told the giant, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord Almighty – God of the armies of Israel…”  A miracle?  Yes!  But how?  Because  “Nothing is impossible with God!”

Now let’s look at what was probably the most outlandish battle plan in the history of the world.  When Moses died, Joshua was appointed leader of the Israelites.  Their plan was to conquer the land of Canaan under the Lord’s guidance. God spoke to Joshua, who felt terribly unqualified, with this message: “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, “for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9).

As the Israelites prepared to move into Canaan, God commanded Joshua to have the priests carry the Ark of the Covenant into the center of the Jordan River, which was at flood stage. As soon as they stepped into the river, the water stopped flowing. It piled up in heaps upstream and downstream, so the people could cross on dry ground. God performed the same miracle for Joshua that he had done for Moses when he parted the Red Sea.  The people were now in the Promised Land, but the first obstacle they encountered was the walled city of Jericho.

God had a strange plan for the battle of Jericho. He told Joshua to have the armed men march around the city once each day for six days. The priests were to carry the ark; appointed trumpeters were to blast forth on their rams’ horns, but the soldiers were to keep silent.  On the seventh day the assembly was to march around the walls of Jericho seven times, and during the last round, at Joshua’s command, the men were to give a great shout and Jericho’s walls would fall down. When that happened, the army was to march into  the city and conquer it.  Remember…God had already promised Canaan to the Israelites.  All they had to do was take it.  Joshua certainly knew that, so even with this less than orthodox battle plan, he relied on two Biblical truths:  “God would never leave him or forsake him”, and “nothing is impossible with God”.

But undoubtedly the most mysterious display of God’s thoughts and ways can be found in the whole scenario of Jesus’ birth, as presented in Luke, chapter 1.  The angel Gabriel visits Mary, a virgin in her middle teens, and tells her, “You have found favor with God.  You will become pregnant and give birth to a son who will be called Son of the Most High.  He will reign over Israel, and his Kingdom will never end.”  Mary asks the angel, “But how can that be?  I have never known a man.”  Gabriel replies, “…nothing is impossible with God”.  Mary replies, “I am the Lord’s servant.  I will do whatever he asks.”

As we continue reading the story, new questions will undoubtedly arise, such as Mary’s encounter with the angel, Gabriel; Joseph’s acceptance of conception by the Holy Spirit; the trip to Bethlehem to the birth in the stable; then there was the host of Angels proclaiming to the shepherds in the hills, “The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born tonight in Bethlehem.” (Luke 2:11)  Absolutely none of this makes sense to a logical, rational thought process.  I mean…

• Who were Mary and Joseph?  What were their qualifications?
• Why Bethlehem, of all places, for the birth?  Wasn’t Jerusalem just up the road with more accommodations?
• And a stable (Yikes!) for the birth of The Savior; the Messiah; the Lord?   Nothing about that seems appropriate for the long awaited Messiah!
• And the announcement of his birth to shepherds.  Didn’t they occupy the bottom rung on the social ladder?  Why them? Who would believe them?? 

The only way to grasp the truth of this event is to come to know God, and only then, through revelation from Him, can the pronouncement through Isaiah become authentic, “My ways are not your ways, My thoughts are not your thoughts…” 

This story has always been God’s plan, “even before the world was created” (Ephesians 1:4). Because God  is a loving God who wants an eternal relationship with us, Romans 5:6 tells us, “While we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time to die for us sinners.”  Then Romans 3:23 also tells us, “All have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”  Because of our “human nature”, we could never make ourselves holy and acceptable to God through our own effort. And 1Peter 1:16 tells us, “we have to be Holy (sin free) because God is Holy.  That is why Jesus HAD to come as Savior of the world.  He fulfilled all the prophecies of the Old Testament, and at the same time gave us a new way of being made acceptable to God.  Romans 8:1 tells us, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.”  God’s gift of love to us is his Gift of Grace, which allows us to be in Christ.  

No doubt about it; Jesus – the Savior of the World, the Messiah, the Lord -arrived in a totally unorthodox manner.  Everything about this story challenges our intellect.  But when we come to know God as a loving God who wants an eternal relationship with us based on our faith in Him and not on our own works – AND, as a God who was willing to sacrifice his Son as payment for our sins so we could become part of that relationship,  we need to stop and ask ourselves: “would I want to worship a lesser God?”   I might not understand His ways and His thoughts, but why would I put my faith in a lesser god that even I can figure out??   Remember…God gave Jesus to be a stumbling block to the world. We are supposed to be challenged.  Yet this same Jesus becomes a Savior to all who will allow their minds and hearts to be transformed by the truth and love of God.  I gotta tell ya…that’s one Christmas gift that fits all!

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Merry Christmas 2018 to Y’all, and Happy New Year!

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…If you’re an early reader, it’s possible that you may be reading this as I am undergoing surgery for a full knee replacement The arthroscopic procedure from three months ago has proven itself to be totally useless, so in my quest to be restored to earlier health (so I can play pickleball when we move to Florida), I’m at it again. I figure if I get the old racquetball parts replaced now, I’ll be ready to tackle the senior version of that previous passion when we arrive in the land of sand and palm trees. 😊

As we approach this magnificent Christmas season to celebrate the birth of the Christ child, there is an unanswered question that still looms in the minds of too many people. That question was asked of me a few years ago when I was teaching a men’s spirituality class at St. Patrick Center in downtown St. Louis. In the midst of my presentation of the true reason for the Christmas season, one young man raised his hand and boldly asked, “Just who is this Jesus? What makes Him such a big deal?” The sad truth about that question is this: many more people than you might think harbor that same question or doubt. While almost all have heard of Him, fewer know about Him, even fewer claim a relationship with Him, and even fewer understand who He really IS, and why He IS the big deal!

The straightforward, simple answer to that question is this Truth: He IS the answer to the affliction of Mankind. But the next obvious question to follow that answer is, “What affliction are you talking about? I don’t have any affliction!” The answer to that question could also be the raw Truth, but it would be like a pitchfork piercing one’s skull: “You were born into this world a sinner, so you are living under a death sentence and will be condemned to Hell!” I have to admit, that’s a bit heavy handed and has a ring of judgment and condemnation, so I suspect a different presentation of the Truth is in order here. Instead of death, judgement and condemnation, let’s frame this answer in love.

Our Creator is a loving God who, more than anything else, wants a relationship with us. And not just a here-and-now relationship, but an eternal relationship with Him in Paradise. But there is an obstacle that keeps us separated from Him, and that obstacle reared its ugly head in the Garden of Eden and continues until this very day. That obstacle is SIN, and sin, by its very definition, means living independent of God. Sin is being our own god. Sin is living for our own glory rather than for the glory of God. Sin is pride and disobedience!

Our God Jehovah is defined in 1John 4:7: “God is LOVE!” (my emphasis) 1John 1:5 also tells us: “In Him there is NO darkness.” (my emphasis again) This love is perfectly displayed 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 has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and this gave Him great pleasure. And this is His plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ – everything in heaven and on earth.” What I want you to see in this Scripture is not only the love and hope, but also the omniscience of God. Even before He created us, He could look into the future and see that we were going to be problem children, but He created us anyhow. (Wow! Meditate on that for a while).

What an incredible display of love. But this also shows that His plan was always to provide a Redeemer to do for us what we would prove ourselves incapable of doing. Romans 5:6 addresses this situation: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” (Notice that Apostle Paul included himself in that statement) And what was “just the right time” for Christ to come to be our Redeemer (or Savior)?  When we proved ourselves to be utterly helpless to overcome the issue of SIN through our own effort!  Again, this shows His unconditional love for us; He didn’t wait until we cleaned-up our act! No indeed! He died for us while we were still sinners…His enemies. (Ref. Romans 5:10)

So back to the original question. “Just who is this Jesus?” He is God Himself. Jesus and God are One. (Ref. John 10:30) When Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for OUR sins, God was also there bearing His piercings. Jesus is the God-man; 100 percent God and 100 percent man. He has the divinity of God, yet he appeared as man, possessing the same mind and emotions. John 1:14 expresses it this way: “So the Word (God’s revelation of Himself) became flesh (human) and lived among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we (John, James and Peter at Jesus’ Transfiguration) have seen His glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.” There has never been, nor will there ever be, another like Him!  He was crucified, dead, and buried, just as the Scriptures professed, but on the third day he arose to eternal life! He was seen for another forty days by hundreds of people, then He ascended to heaven where He now sits at the right hand of His Father until He returns.

Jesus came to be the sacrificial lamb to die in our place…to pay the penalty for our sins. Under the sacrificial system found in the Old Testament, blood was always required (as proof of a sacrifice) to cover man’s sins. (Ref. Hebrews 9:22, which refers back to Leviticus 4:35.) Under the New Covenant, Jesus fulfilled that requirement for all time by shedding His blood as the perfect sacrifice. Jesus lived a sin-free life during His time on this earth, therefore His blood was not stained with sin. When we accept His payment for our sins (meaning when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior), we inherit His pure and perfect sacrifice as our sin-ransom. Therefore, we are declared SIN FREE in the eyes of God because we are covered with the precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Now that you know who Jesus IS, and why He had to come, this is why He is not only a big deal, but the biggest deal in the history of the world!! He came to save the world.  Without Him, the whole world would be condemned to Hell because none of us can become sin-free through our own best effort.  Leviticus 20:26 reveals God’s standard: “You must be holy because I am holy.” In other words, if we are stained with sin, we can’t come into His presence. “And why is that?” you might ask, and I would answer, “because sin contaminates, spreads, kills and destroys.” That’s a serious issue since God created us for an eternal relationship with Him in Paradise. And remember, from creation until the coming of Jesus, we proved ourselves “utterly helpless” to overcome the dilemma of SIN!

The logical question now should be: How do I overcome this dilemma? And the answer would be: “Accept His Gift of Grace, Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. That is the only answer to this dilemma, the affliction of Mankind. Jesus Christ stated it clearly and succinctly: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Revelation 21:27, when talking about the New Jerusalem, reinforces that Truth: “nothing evil will be allowed to enter…only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” That’s good news for those of us in Christ; we know our names are in that Book. That’s bad news for everyone else.  Roman’s 6:23 was very clear on this subject: “For the wages of sin is death (eternal, spiritual death), but the free gift from God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

God’s Word (the Holy Bible) tells us that Jesus will not return until the Gospel has been proclaimed throughout the world. Matthew 24:14 addresses this matter: “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it. Then the end will come.”  Today the Gospel is being preached throughout the world, but sadly, not everyone wants to hear it. To some listeners it is threatening; to others it is too narrow and confining. Happily, to others it shows the love of God and the very power of God.  Because God created us for a relationship, He gave us free-will, and this very choice seals our eternal destiny. John 3:16, the most well know verse in the Bible, should be the final exclamation point for this subject: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son. Whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life.”

That, my Friends, is who Jesus IS and why He’s the BIG DEAL!

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May God Bless You abundantly during this magnificent Christmas season…

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…A few years ago Grace Church St. Louis initiated a church-wide book study of “The Power of Prayer” by Mike Bickle.  No doubt this is a powerful book, but there was one passage in particular that I will never forget because it changed the way I now go about reading and studying the Bible.  Pastor Bickle, when talking about his own experience, reminised: I’ve learned that when I sit down to begin reading and studying the Bible, instead of jumping in with the intent of covering a certain amount of Scripture, I take time to relax; time to be still and clear my head of current thoughts. Then I ask the Holy Spirit to open my mind and my heart to receive the truth contained in these sentences.  I ask Him to let my roots go down deep into the real meat of these words and draw up a new depth of spiritual nourishment better than ever experienced before.  Wow!  That changed my reading habits and my praying habits.

I followed that process this morning before I started reading passages from the book of Jeremiah. I read about God’s anger against both Jerusalem and Babylonia for their disobedience and their idolatry. In God’s eyes, sin cannot go unpunished, and the Scriptures are very detailed and graphic about His impending wrath. And believe me, it’s quite horrific!

After I finished reading, and before I started writing today’s blog, I leaned back and asked the Holy Spirit to give me the “big picture” from what I just read, and also asked Him to lead me in the direction of today’s writing. Almost immediately I was drawn to this truth: Regardless of God’s burning anger against Sin, He always prefers mercy over judgement. (Coincidently, I used this same truth last week when I was writing about King David and his many shortcomings.) God was speaking through the prophet Isaiah when He said, “I – yes I alone – am the One who blots out your sins for My own sake, and will remember your sins no more.” (Isaiah 43:25) This is repeated again in in the Book of Jeremiah when he was prophesying about the New Covenant: “And I will forgive their wickedness and will never again remember their sins.” (Jeremiah 32:25) What greater example of God’s unconditional, unending, and unfailing love for us than this Truth! “He always prefers mercy over judgement.”

Regardless of who you are or what you have done, God longs for a repentant heart. We are His proudest creation, so He doesn’t want to lose even one of us. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “He doesn’t want anyone to perish, so He is giving us time to repent.” Just to be clear about the meaning of “repent”, it’s not about saying “I’m sorry”; it’s about making a decision to change directions, to change the way we’re living. A repentant heart is a humble heart, and James 4:10 speaks to this: “When we come humbly before the Lord and admit our dependence on Him, He will lift us up and give us honor.”

No other religion or philosophy offers anything comparable to God’s Gift of Grace. All others teach that the way to find favor with God is through good works; the more good works, the more we are worthy and acceptable in His eyes. For instance, if you give more, you’ll be blessed more; if you do more, you’ll be blessed more; if you help more, you’ll be blessed more. Unfortunately, none of these activities reveal the state of our heart, or the real motivation behind the activity. Too often our activities can have ulterior motives such as self-exaltation or self-pleasure. But the biggest shortcoming of the works yardstick is that it doesn’t deal with the true chasm that exists between Man and God, and that chasm is the issue of SIN!

Sin, by its very definition, is living separated from God. We are born into this fallen world spiritually disconnected from Him, and unless we do something to re-establish that spiritual connection that was severed at “the Fall” (when Adam and Eve fell victim to satan’s wiles in the Garden and sin entered the world), we can go from the cradle to the grave and miss the whole mind-boggling transformation that God has planned for those who love Him and are called to His purpose. For those who accept His Gift of Grace, we are instantaneously transformed into a “new creation”. 2 Corinthians 5:17 describes this transformation: “We’re a new creation in Christ, the old is gone (our old self that was enslaved to our sin-nature), the new has come, (the indwelling Holy Spirit). At this point we are “justified” in His sight, meaning we are reconciled to Him because we are covered with the blood of Jesus.

But the truth is…at this point we are saved, but this is just the first step in the transformation process. To get all the blessings that come from being in Christ, we have to start the journey of becoming more like Him. 2 Peter 1:3 addresses this process: “The more we grow in our relationship with Jesus, His divine nature (His supernatural power) gives us everything we need for living a Godly life.” That “everything” referred to is the indwelling Holy Spirit who equips us to do things we could never do through our own volition.

This is the secret weapon of every Christian. This is how we overcome the wiles of our adversary, satan. You’ll very quickly come to appreciate this gift, because now that you’ve been transferred from the domain of darkness into the domain of light, YOU are satan’s target!  His whole purpose is to keep you separated from God through lies, deception, schemes, and accusations, and he is a master at his craft. But the good news is…God knows we’re no match against him and his evil minions through our own effort, that’s why He gave us the Holy Spirit to be our teacher, our guide, our comforter and one who will lead us into all truth.  The spiritual warfare that we will experience on this transformation journey is not a power struggle, but a truth struggle. Satan will come at you unmercifully with his lies, deceptions, schemes and accusations, but your victory will come from the Truth of His Word and knowing who you are in Christ. Satan’s lies cannot stand against God’s truth.

James 4:7 reveals this truth: “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  Tell him, “I’m a Child of God”; tell him, “Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior”; tell him, “the Spirit that is in me (the Holy Spirit) is greater than the spirit in this world.” {That’s you, satan!} (1John 4:4) Tell him, “You were defeated by Jesus two thousand years ago at the cross”; tell him, “I’m in Christ and Christ is in me!” Satan will flee at the name of Jesus.

What incredible hope is in the Gospel of Grace! It’s a gift from God given to you so you can become the person He created you to be.  He forgives your wickedness and remembers your sins no more for His own sake!  He gives us the indwelling Holy Spirit so we will be victorious in our battle with satan. Galatians 5:16-18 describes that scenario: “So I advise you to live according to your new life in the 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 desires. And the Spirit gives us 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 enslaved to your sinful nature.” And the brightest jewel in this crown of victory is this Truth: God always prefers mercy over judgement!  A-men!

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May God Bless You abundantly…

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

Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers…Happy belated Thanksgiving to all of my wonderful readers.  I hope you all had an extraordinary day with family and friends, and I hope you took time to thank God for the incredible gift of friendship.  No doubt friendships, or relationships, are important to Him because He created us for a relationship with Himself – and not just a here-and-now relationship, but for an eternal relationship.

For those of us in Christ, every day should be a day of thanks-giving. After all, we were snatched from the domain of darkness and transferred into the domain of light in the blink of an eye. At the moment we accepted His Gift of Grace (Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior), our sins were forgiven (past, present and future sins); we inherited eternal life; we were grafted into His family as His child, and we were blessed with the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower us to become the person God created us to be. In other words, we were given a second chance at life. 2 Peter 1:3 explains this clearly and succinctly. “The more we grow in our relationship with Jesus, His divine nature (supernatural nature) gives us everything we need for living a godly life.” Notice that verse does not say “some things” or “many things”, but it says “everything”! That “everything” is His supernatural nature, or the Holy Spirit, doing for us what we here-to-fore could not do for ourselves.

The Book of Psalms is laden with a plethora of thanks-giving praises for victory over our enemy.  Let’s take a moment and let those poetic words uplift our spirits.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  His faithful love endures forever.  Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise Him half enough? Ps. 106

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness.  Let the whole world know what He has done.  Sing to Him; yes, sing His praises.  Tell everyone about His miracles. Exult in His holy name; O worshipers of the Lord, rejoice! Search for the Lord and for His strength, and keep on searching.  Think of the wonderful works He has done; the miracles and the judgments He has handed down. He is the Lord our God. His rule is seen throughout the land.” Ps. 105

“Lord, help!’ they cried in their trouble, and He rescued them from their distress.  He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live. Let them praise the Lord for His great love, and for all His wonderful deeds to them. For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. ‘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 (our) chains. Let them praise the Lord for His great love and for all His wonderful deeds to them.  For He broke down their prison gates of bronze; He cut apart their bars of iron.” Ps. 107

“I will praise You, my God and King, and bless Your name forever and ever. I will bless You every day; and I will praise You forever. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! His greatness is beyond discovery! Let each generation tell its children of Your mighty acts. I will meditate on Your majestic, glorious splendor and Your wonderful miracles.  Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim Your greatness. Everyone will share the story of Your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy of Your righteousness. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of unfailing love. The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all His creation.” Ps. 145

“Praise the Lord, I tell myself.  I will praise the Lord as long as I live.  I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath. He is the one who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.  He is the one who keeps every promise forever, who gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. (Us) The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts the burdens of those bent beneath their load. The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord protects the foreigners among us, and He cares for the orphans and the widows. The Lord frustrates the plans of the wicked. The Lord will reign forever! Your God is King in every generation.” Ps. 146

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in His heavenly dwelling; praise Him in His mighty heaven! Praise Him for His mighty works; praise His unequaled greatness! Praise Him with a blast of the trumpet; praise Him with the lyre and harp! Praise Him with the tambourine and dancing; praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with a clash of cymbals; praise Him with loud clanging cymbals.  Let everything that lives bring praises to the Lord!  Praise the Lord! Ps 150

King David, author of the Psalms I just quoted, was called “a man after Gods own heart”. Even with his many shortcomings, which included adultery and murder, David kept returning to God with a repentant heart because he knew God was his source of strength and redemption. That, my Dear Readers, is the lesson we are to learn from David. No doubt he revered God, he loved God, and he trusted God, but the truth is, none of us are immune to satan and his insidious schemes. Even the best of us can get tangled up in His snare. The tragedy of that scenario, however, would be if WE did not return to God with repentant hearts. He has shown us, with innumerable examples throughout the Bible, that His preference is mercy over judgement!  No wonder David praised God so bountifully, because he knew he was a sinner saved by God’s Grace!  (But David also turned to God in his darkest hours, realizing He was his source of strength and courage…such as Psalms 40, 69, 80.  This is also a valuable takeaway)

Because we are in Christ, we too were former sinners saved by Grace. The sin-issue ended when we accepted God’s Gift of Grace. Jesus paid the penalty for OUR sins, and God said, “I will forgive their wickedness and I will remember their sins no more.”  (Hebrews 8:12) Now we have a new title; we are now called saints, meaning we are sin-free and set aside for a sacred purpose. But you might ask, “Won’t we continue to fall short as we continue to be transformed into the image of Christ?” And I would answer, “Absolutely!” But as we’re told in Romans 3: 23-24, “For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet now God in His gracious kindness declares us NOT GUILTY! He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins.”

This, my Dear, Wonderful Readers, is why every day is Thanksgiving for us!  God, in His loving kindness, snatched us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the domain of light!! We are saved from ourselves. The more we grow in Christ, the more joyful and abundant is this life. But let us never take our eyes off of the real prize: Eternal life in Paradise with Jesus and all Christ-followers. Apostle Paul set the stage in 1 Corinthians 2:9: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can conceive the wonders God has planned for those who love Him.”  Let the thanks-giving celebration continue!

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May God Bless Ya…

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…Last week I wrote about the fate of unbelievers. I find that to be a very sad subject to write about because God’s Gift of Grace is available to anyone who wants to escape the promised wrath of God!  (And make no mistake…it IS promised!)  The logical question now should be, “Why would anyone not accept this opportunity to escape the fate of eternal Hell?”, and I would have to say I believe there are two answers to that question.  First, I believe it is ignorance of the Truth.  (I don’t mean ignorance here to imply “stupidity”, but rather to imply they haven’t yet heard the Truth.)  But there is still good news in the “yet” part of that statement, because God has promised that Christ will not return until everyone has had the opportunity to accept His gift or reject it.  This choice is THE choice of choices, because it ultimately seals our eternal destiny.

I believe the second answer to this question is wrapped in pride and arrogance. Nothing challenges the intellectual mind more than surrendering to “something” greater than self, especially when that “something” is outside our paradigm of rational thinking. The world teaches us to rely on empirical evidence; the Kingdom of Heaven relies on faith from start to finish. (Ephesians 2:8) To rely on faith is admitting our own insufficiency, and that is the ultimate challenge for those who want to be their own god. As I said last week, I believe it takes either an epiphany, a trauma, or a catastrophe – many times of our own making – to challenge our own sufficiency and to get our attention. With no place else to turn, many times people become willing to cry out, “God help me!”  That pitiful three- word surrender is all it takes to open the door to a new way of life.  I know that for a fact, because that was my cry on April 21^st, 2000, and I haven’t had a drop of alcohol, nor have I turned to any other substance since that day.

The word to describe the quality I’m talking about is “humility”. James 4:10 hits the bullseye with this statement: “When we come humbly before the Lord and admit our dependence on Him, He will lift us up and give us honor.”  In verse 6 of the same chapter, it also states that “He opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Under the Old Covenant, Man tried to earn right-standing with God by keeping the Law (the Ten Commandments). Romans 5:6 is the report card on our progress: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”  Remember, God gave Man from “the Fall” until 2018 years ago to wrestle with the dilemma of sin, and instead of becoming more successful in our quest for victory, we became utterly helpless!  Therefore, since we obviously proved ourselves incapable of overcoming sin through our own effort, God implemented His plan to save us from ourselves by providing a Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  Romans 3: 21-25 describes this perfectly:

“But now God has shown us a different way of being right in His sight – not by obeying the Law, but by the way promised in Scriptures long ago. (Ref. Ephesians 1:4-5) We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins.  And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.  For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  Yet now God in His gracious kindness declares us NOT GUILTY! He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins.  For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy His anger against us.  We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed His blood, sacrificing His life for us.”

“What a contrast between Adam and Christ, who was yet to come! And what a difference between our sin and God’s generous gift of forgiveness. For this one man, Adam, brought death to many through his sin.  But this other man, Jesus Christ, brought forgiveness to many through God’s bountiful gift. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin.  For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but we have the free gift of being accepted by God, even though we are guilty of many sins. The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over us, but all who receive God’s wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ! (Romans 5:14-17)

The whole Gift of Grace is a marvelous portrayal of God’s unconditional, unending, unfailing love for us.  His plan was in place even before the world was created. But through His omniscience, He knew we were going to be problem children; He foresaw that we were going to follow a different path than He had planned for us, but He created us anyway.  That, my dear Brothers and Sisters, is Love!

We must also remember that we were created for relationship with Him, and not just a here and now relationship, but an eternal relationship. The truth is, prior to implementing His own plan for our redemption, none could even qualify to enter into heaven because they were stained with sin. Sin, as you know, contaminates, spreads, kills and destroys; Sin keeps us separated from God!  Therefore, God proclaimed that for us to enter into His presence, “we must be holy because He is holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) Holy means to be sin free; to be set aside for a sacred purpose. Therefore, the ONLY way for us to be sin free is to accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross as payment for our sins.  When we do that, in God’s eyes we are redeemed, or “justified” (made right in His sight), because we are covered with the blood of Jesus. As the song says, ”we are washed white as snow.”

No other religion in the world offers the Gift of Grace, and that is what makes this message of Truth so valuable and appealing. All other religions or philosophies are based on earning God’s favor through works, but many times those works are based on a desire for self-exaltation, or there may be other ulterior motives. God doesn’t judge based on works; His judgement is based on the state of our hearts. As Jeremiah 17:9-10 tells us, “the heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked.  Who really knows how bad it is?  But I know!  I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

James 2:26 tells us that “faith without works is dead.”  Our faith in God and the truth of His Word is what brought us to Jesus Christ.  The more we grow in that truth; the more we become transformed into His image, the more we want His light to shine through us and manifest itself in action. The works that result from that endeavor are not about earning God’s favor, that was taken care of when we accepted His Gift of Grace. (Our sins were immediately forgiven!)  Now we look forward to our works because it is our way of saying, “Thank You, Jesus, for what you did for me.”  Through you I now have salvation.  This is the motive I believe God is looking for when he examines our hearts, and it begins with humility.

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

May God Bless Ya…

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…It seems like every time I pick up the Bible and begin to saturate myself in its Truth, I am drawn to something that points to Jesus’ second coming. I don’t think that is an accident, especially since I have written about this subject many times. But just within the last few days, my concern has been re-directed toward those who are totally unaware of this simple Truth: their eternal destiny directly relates to the choices they make right here and now. As I walk down the street, or as I’m looking around in a crowed restaurant, or as I just look at the occupants in the cars I pass on the highway, I find myself saddened by the fact that most of these people are totally unaware of God’s Truth: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Therefore, I would like to spend the next two weeks in the Book of Romans. This week I will focus on Apostle Paul’s uncensored clarity about the matter of judgement and calamity that awaits those who refuse to accept God’s Gift of Grace – Jesus Christ!

In Romans 1:16—17, Paul begins this lesson by boldly stating this Truth: “I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the very power of God at work, saving everyone who believes… The Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight, and this is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” That is the Truth…God’s Truth, and it is indeed good news. However, Paul continues with the flip side of that same “coin of fate”.

“But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the Truth away from themselves. For the Truth about God is known to them instinctively; He put this Truth in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see His invisible qualities – His eternal power, and divine nature. They have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. Yes…they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think-up foolish ideas of what He was like.  The result was, their minds became dark and confused.  Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols instead. Therefore, God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired.” (Romans 18-24)

“When they refused to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done.  Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.  They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful.  They are forever inventing new ways of sinning, and are disobedient to their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving. They are fully aware of God’s death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway.  And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them too.”  (Romans 28-32)

Then Apostle Paul challenged his listeners: “You may be saying, ‘What terrible people you have been talking about!’ But you are just as bad!  God, in His justice, will punish anyone who does such things. Do you think that God will judge and condemn others for doing them and not judge you when you do them too? Don’t you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you, or don’t you care? Can’t you see how kind He has been in giving you time to turn from your sin?

Well, hopefully you will start listening because you are storing up terrible punishment for yourselves because of your stubbornness in refusing to turn from your sin.  For there is going to come a day of judgement when God, the just judge of all the world, will judge all people according to what they have done.  He will give eternal life to those who persist in doing what is good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.  But He will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the Truth and continue to practice evil.  There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on sinning, but there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good. The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone’s secret life. This is my message.” (Romans 2:1-9,16)

That is the dilemma of Mankind. The spiritual connection that existed between God and Man after Creation (if only for a millisecond) was severed when Eve succumbed to satan’s deception. At that moment, Sin entered the world. Consequently, we too are spiritually separated from God when we are born into this fallen world. The unfortunate reality of that statement is…we learn to live with the focus on “self” rather than on God, and THAT is the very definition of Sin. Since we are in and of this world, unless something gets our attention – usually an epiphany or we hit a bottom of our own making – we just follow our human nature and the teachings and behaviors of the world.  We’re not even aware that we’re part of the Sin issue, and therein lies the problem.

1John 2:15-16 is very clear in this matter. “Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you.  For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything you see, and pride in your accomplishments and possessions.  These are not of the Father, but of the evil world.” Romans 12:2 reinforces that posture: “Do not conform to the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is.”  The truth is…God abhors the thoughts, behaviors and values of this world.

Probably to no one’s surprise, there are many more unsaved people in the world than saved people.  “And why is that”, you might ask? Well…in our culture today, reading and studying the Bible is not encouraged or valued.  In fact, most people aren’t even acquainted with the content of the Bible, although that rarely stops them from voicing their opinion based on “what they’ve heard.”  But the sad truth is…you could easily find yourself ridiculed, maligned, or labeled “a Bible thumper”, or just “out of touch with today’s world” if you were to speak up and profess your faith.

The “enlightened” teaching of man questions the authority and authenticity of the Bible, therefore our culture’s concept of truth is relative, meaning it is often based on circumstances. To a worldly participant, his or her concept of “self” is more often than not based on a job, a title, social status, financial security, a fancy car, or the home and the neighborhood in which he or she lives. In other words, worldly identity is usually based on material accumulation and social status, all of which is temporal. But for those of us in Christ, our identity is based on our inheritance from Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  We are unconditionally loved; our sins are forgiven; we inherit eternal life; we have the indwelling Holy Spirit, and we are grafted into God’s family as His children. We are now a saint and no longer a sinner. We are heir to every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm, and heir to every promise in the Bible. All of that is the basis for our strength, courage, confidence, assurance, peace and serenity, and it is eternal!  How’s that for hitting the spiritual jackpot.

This week I have written about the fate of the lost souls.  Next week I will write about how to escape that fate and replace it with eternal life. As Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14: “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate.  The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the highway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.”  Which gate are you approaching?

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

May God Bless Ya,

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

Good Morning Meetpastordan Readers…America has a unique place in the history of nations in that it was an experiment with a democratic form of government, meaning it was to be “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people”. Merriam-Webster defines democracy as “a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them, directly or indirectly, through a system of representation, usually involving periodic free elections.”

The American experiment in democracy was not only unique, but was also improbable when Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence in 1776.  This document was a list of grievances against the King of England justifying our separation from British rule.  Today as we look around the world, we can see how difficult it is for democracy and freedom to take hold and flourish. America, by contrast, seems like a political miracle.

In 1787, after the Founding Fathers had just hammered out the U.S. Constitution (a document outlining how the government would function), Benjamin Franklin told an inquiring woman what the gathering had produced: “A republic, madam, if you can keep it.” The self-evident truth that “all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” still remains the powerful philosophical and moral foundation of our great country. But unfortunately, those very principles are being challenged today by the Democrat Socialists who espouse a form of government that has proven to be a failure time and time again. That, I’m sure to no one’s surprise, is a socialist form of government.

To define that philosophy, the power is not with the people, but is found in a large bureaucratic government that is designed to be our provider (and our god).  But this is the unspoken trade-off: The more it provides, the more we become dependent, and with that dependence comes less and less personal freedom.  That is the antithesis of the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. That, in fact, was the biggest fear of our Founding Fathers, that someday we would give in to the allure of government provision. So far, we Americans have been able to keep our republic and built it to be strong, but it will only remain so under constant vigilance.  This is what Ben Franklin meant when he said, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Life and freedom of choice are obviously important to God. When it came time to produce what was to be called “His proudest creation”, He could have made us perfect, meaning He could have programed us to do everything that was in line with His will. But He didn’t do that; He gave us free-will. Even though He knew we could use it for reasons other than His original intention (to chose to enter into a relationship with Him), He still created us. If God endowed us with this gift of choice, surely no man or government has the right to try to take that gift away.

Our two party system could not be more divided or strident in their philosophies. One philosophy is dedicated to restoring our country to its former greatness, thus the familiar slogan, “Make America Great Again”. The other philosophy is about fundamentally transforming America into a socialist form of government. Mark J. Perry, concurrently a scholar at American Enterprise Institute and professor of economics and finance at University of Michigan wrote an article in 1995 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, but in the long run, socialism has 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.”

Tomorrow we all have an opportunity to make our voice heard at the ballot box. While the media’s intent has been to make this a personality contest, what is really at stake is the future of our great country, the“Land of the Free, and Home of the Brave”. Part of Americas uniqueness is that it has risen to heights no other nation has ever known. “Not that we were ever without fault or sin, but we did aspire to fulfill our calling. ‘And what was that calling’, you might ask? To be a vessel of redemption, an instrument of God’s purposes, a light to the world. It would give refuge to the world’s poor and needy, and hope to its oppressed. It would stand against tyranny. It would fight, more than once, against the dark movements of the modern world that threatened to engulf the earth.” (Jonathan Cahn, author of The Harbinger)

Let’s leave the personalities out of this equation, and let’s just look at the platform that defines each party.  I will list only eight categories of concern for comparison, but I’m sure you will immediately see the stark contrast. First is the Democrat Socialist platform: big government, less personal freedom; open borders, anyone, good or evil, can come in; sanctuary cities, defiance of law and order; government health care, look at the current debacle (need I say more?); higher taxes, stymie economic growth; support abortion on demand; silence those with opposing views; continue the full assault on Christianity.     Conservative Republican platform:  Limited Government, more personal freedom; secure borders, build the fence, only legal immigration permitted; respect for law and order, enforce existing laws; people responsible for their own health care (exceptions in case of poverty); cut taxes, incentive for economic growth; offer alternatives to abortion; maintain freedom of speech; maintain freedom of religion.

Our current administration has been hard at work fulfilling the campaign promises that are listed below. Keep in mind that this was done in spite of the “resist at all cost” opposition.  Can you imagine what might have been accomplished with a concerted effort to make America great?

• Almost 4 million jobs have been created since election, 250,000 this past month alone.
• More Americans are now employed than ever recorded before in our history.
• We have created more than 400,000 manufacturing jobs since the election.
• Manufacturing jobs are growing at the fastest rate in more than THREE DECADES.
• New unemployment claims recently hit a 49-year low.
• Median household income has hit highest level ever recorded.
• African-American unemployment has recently achieved the lowest rate ever recorded.
• Hispanic-American unemployment is at the lowest rate ever recorded.
• Asian-American unemployment recently achieved the lowest rate ever recorded.
• Women’s unemployment recently reached the lowest rate in 65 years.
• Youth unemployment has recently hit the lowest rate in nearly half a century.
• We have the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded for Americans without a high school diploma.
• Under this Administration, veterans’ unemployment recently reached its lowest rate in nearly 20 years.
• Almost 3.9 million Americans have been lifted off food stamps since the election.
• The Pledge to America’s Workers has resulted in employers committing to train more than 4 million Americans. We are committed to VOCATIONAL education.
• 95 percent of U.S. manufacturers are optimistic about the future—the highest ever.
• Congress passed the biggest package of tax cuts and reforms in history. After tax cuts, over $300 billion poured back into the U.S. in the first quarter alone.
• As a result of our tax bill, small businesses will have the lowest top marginal tax rate in more than 80 years.
• The Administration helped win the U.S. bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
• We opened ANWR and approved Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines.
• A record number of regulations were eliminated.
• We enacted regulatory relief for community banks and credit unions.
• The Obamacare individual mandate penalty was eliminated..
• This Administration is providing more affordable healthcare options for Americans through association health plans and short-term duration plans.
• Last month, the FDA approved more affordable generic drugs than ever before in history. And thanks to our efforts, many drug companies are freezing or reversing planned price increases.
• We reformed the Medicare program to stop hospitals from overcharging low-income seniors on their drugs—saving seniors hundreds of millions of dollars this year alone.
• We secured $6 billion in NEW funding to fight the opioid epidemic.
• This administration has reduced high-dose opioid prescriptions by 16 percent during President’s first year in office.
• The Congress passed and the President signed the VA Choice Act and VA Accountability Act. VA telehealth service, walk-in-clinics, and same-day urgent primary and mental health care were expanded, as well.
• We increased our coal exports by 60 percent; U.S. oil production recently reached an all-time high.
• The United States is a net natural gas exporter for the first time since 1957.
• The Administration withdrew the United States from the job-killing Paris Climate Accord.
• We cancelled the illegal, anti-coal, so-called Clean Power Plan.
• We secured a record $700 billion in military funding; $716 billion next year.
• Our NATO allies are spending $69 billion more on defense since 2016.
• The process has begun to make the Space Force the 6th branch of the Armed Forces.
• The Senate has confirmed more circuit court judges than any other new administration.
• The Senate confirmed Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
• The Administration withdrew from the horrible, one-sided Iran Deal.
• The President moved our U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, keeping his campaign promise.
• The Administration is protecting Americans from terrorists with the Travel Ban, upheld by our Supreme Court.
• The President issued an Executive Order to keep open Guantanamo Bay.
• The Administration concluded a historic U.S.-Mexico Trade Deal to replace NAFTA.
• We reached a breakthrough agreement with the E.U. to increase U.S. exports.
• We imposed tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum to protect our national security.
• We Imposed tariffs on China in response to China’s forced technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and its chronically abusive trade practices.
• Our net exports are on track to increase by $59 billion this year.
• We have improved vetting and screening for refugees, and switched our focus to overseas resettlement.
• We have begun BUILDING THE WALL.

If the balance of power should shift after tomorrow’s election and the Democrat Socialists win the majority in either the House or the Senate, not only will the “resist at all cost” movement continue, but it will become even more of a roadblock to restoring America to its former place of honor. Many of the accomplishments listed above will most likely be rescinded. Showing up at the voting booth tomorrow is your part in “keeping the republic” that Ben Franklin referenced in the third paragraph above. Your future is truly in your hands.  Our responsibility is to show up and make our collective voice heard: “We will settle for nothing less than freedom!”

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

May God Bless Y’all Abundantly,

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

Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers…I have mentioned many times in previous blogs that I feel particularly blessed to be part of Grace Church St. Louis.  I believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that Pastor Ron Tucker has been anointed for this particular time, and he rises to the occasion week after week without fail. He never shies away from tackling the tedious topics that result from our culture’s embrace of practices that are contrary to God’s stated will, and he stands firmly on the truth of God’s Word and the Gospel of Grace.  He has just begun a new series entitled “Staying Steady in a Shaky World”, and it is from that message that I got my inspiration for today’s blog.

As we look at the world around us, just when we think we’ve seen it all and that things surly can’t sink to an even deeper level of pathos, the headlines in the next day’s news proves us wrong! Our culture is morally and spiritually bankrupt (I’m jumping right in and using those terms because I believe that is the root cause of the vile behavior and language that is becoming so commonplace), and unfortunately it (our culture) continues a tragic downward spiral that keeps all rational-thinking people totally befuddled. But for all of the God-fearing people (meaning those with reverence for God) who are familiar with the Truth of God’s Word, this should really come as no surprise. Why? Because it’s been prophesized for centuries. Allow me to substantiate that statement.

Matthew 24:3-13,21: “Later, Jesus sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to Him privately and asked, ‘When will all of this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to signal Your return and the end of the world?’ Jesus told them, ‘Don’t let anyone mislead you.  For many will come in my name saying, ‘I am the Messiah’. They will lead many astray.  And wars will break out, near and far, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won’t follow immediately. The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.  But all of this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come. You will be arrested and persecuted and killed. You will be hated all over the world because of your allegiance to Me. Many will turn away from Me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people astray.  Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. For that will be a time of greater horror than anything the world has ever seen. But those who endure to the end will be saved.

Apostle Paul is talking to his mentee in Timothy 3:1-5,8: “You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money.  They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good, or in what is right or wrong. They will betray their friends, be reckless and puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Their minds are depraved, and their faith is counterfeit.”

When you read the above two paragraphs, do you see what is being prophesized coming to life, not only in our culture, but in the world around us? Now keep in mind, what we’re seeing now is only the beginning of “the horrors yet to come.” (Not my words, but Jesus’ words, Matthew 24:21 above.)  Apostle Paul’s discourse to Timothy, however, pretty well describes our culture today.

My purpose for writing about this is to address two points.  In Jesus’ discourse above (FYI, often referred to as the Olivette Discourse), He is obviously concerned about two things. He is concerned that Believers might be led astray by false prophets, and He is concerned that our faith might not be strong enough to endure the horrors yet to come. So here is how Pastor Ron’s message is so right on point for this time.

Unfortunately, many people mistakenly think that when they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, their lives will miraculously improve.  They’re expecting to become less stressed, more prosperous, filled with joy, and that their lives will be characterized by peace and serenity. All of that is certainly possible, IF they continue to grow in their new identity in Christ. 2 Peter 1:3 hits this nail on the head: “The more we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, His divine power (supernatural power) gives us everything we need for living a godly life.  He has called us to receive His own glory and goodness.”  Yes, all the above expectations ARE indeed possible, IF we participate in the process of growing in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

The more we grow in Him, our faith becomes stronger and stronger. But you also must keep this truth in mind: Jesus never promised us a rose garden. In fact, He was up-front about this when He said in John 16:33: “In this world you will have troubles…” That’s the statement of truth; we’re living in a fallen world, in these fleshly bodies, and we have a formidable adversary whose sole purpose is to shipwreck our best efforts to become a mature follower of Jesus Christ. The solution is in the remainder of that Scripture. “But fear not, for I have overcome the world!” If Jesus has overcome the world, then so have we because we are in Christ.! We just have to know that, trust that, and live in our reborn identity.

As I’ve noted before, God’s Gift of Grace not only seals our eternal destiny, it also provides for those of us who are still living in this fallen world. God is well aware of the turmoil we have to face in this life, because He saw what this world did to His Son. And, of course, He knows we are NO match for our adversary, satan. Therefore, since I’ve written numerous times about His gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower us to face and achieve victory over issues and situations that here-to-fore overwhelmed us, now I want to write about His method of preparing us for victory over the long-haul.

Under the Old Covenant, we saw numerous examples of God’s punishment for those who were out of line with His will. But under the New Covenant, for those of us who make up the body of Christ, He paid our sin-ransom on the cross, so it is no longer about sin and punishment for us, but about “discipline” and victory. Discipline is about preparing us for the victory God has planned for us. Proverbs 3:12 tells us, “He disciplines us because He delights in us.” “Hebrews 12:6 reinforces that: “He disciplines those He loves.”  Discipline is about preparing us for future victory, and that process involves facing and overcoming trials and tribulations. Hebrews 12:11 addresses that: “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

James begins his epistle with these bold words in verses 2-4. “Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.  For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So, let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.”  Apostle Paul reinforces this in Romans 5:3-5: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us – they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.” ((Refer back to the last sentence in paragraph 3.)

No one likes to think about being disciplined, but here is the flip side of that coin…the good news!  We have the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower us to deal with any trial and tribulation we have to face.  The more we call Him into action, the more that action becomes a habit. The more we get out of the way and let Him direct our path and our actions, the more victorious we become. As it says in Romans 5:3-5 in the paragraph above, the more our endurance, the stronger our character. That very point is what will determine who will fall away in the horrific times to come, and who will endure to the end.  Thank you, God, for your perfect plan for our salvation!

Please feel free to respond to this post, and please “like” and share with social media friends.

May God Bless You Abundantly,

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…For the past ten days Pam and I had the privilege of vacationing in Hawaii.  We flew into Oahu first, staying for four nights on Waikiki Beach – right in front of Diamond Head – and we visited Pearl Harbor, taking in that important piece of history.  Then we flew to Maui and stayed right on the ocean in Mahalia, where we beachcombed, ate and ate and read. Needless to say, it was beautiful, breathtaking and relaxing…the perfect rejuvenator!  But here was the key. While we were there, we promised ourselves ahead of time we would tune out the rest of the world (NO news), and I can’t tell you how refreshing that was. And I also have to admit, that led to a revelation for me. “Why do I spend so much time worrying about the news when the truth is, I serve a Sovereign God who is large and in charge!  He is still on the throne, and He still has us covered.” That became clear to me when this Scripture passed through my mind.  “In all things, God works for the good of those who love Him and are called to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

It’s amazing how easily our focus gets tainted by worldly activities or worldly happenings. Even when we know better, satan is still the master deceiver, the master manipulator, and before we know it, we’re sucked into his web of deception. After all, this is his playground, and his sole purpose…to keep our focus off of God, and to keep our focus on the world around us. And truth be told, none of us – no matter who we are – are immune to his shenanigans.  But to those of us In Christ, we have “authority over all the evil schemes of the devil”. (Luke 10:19) We just have to know that, remember that, and apply that!

So what does the word ‘Sovereign’ mean? It is defined as having supreme authority, control and power over all that has happened, is happening or will happen in the future. Therefore, since God Jehovah is a Sovereign God, He has the right, authority and the power to govern all that has happened, is happening, and will happen according to His divine will throughout all eternity. These few verses substantiate that truth: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was empty, formless and clothed in darkness, but the Spirit of God was hovering over the darkness. And God said, ‘Let there be light!’ And there was light.” (Genesis 1-2); “Lord, through all generations You have been our dwelling place. Before the mountains were created, before You made the earth and the world, You were (are) God without beginning or end.” (Psalm 90:1-2); “How great is our Lord. His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!” (Psalm 147:5); “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘Humanly speaking it is impossible. But with God, everything is possible!” (Matthew 19:26); “Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and on earth.  He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see – kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities.  Everything has been created through Him and for Him. He existed before everything else began, and He holds all creation together.” (Colossians 1:16-17); “The Lord does whatever pleases Him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths.” (Psalm 135:6) “And God said to Moses, ‘I AM THAT I AM” Exodus 3:14) In other words, God IS EVERYTHING!

Knowing these truths provides a Scriptural foundation on which we can all stand when the world starts closing in on us and we feel our joy being sucked right out. Listening to the news and the preponderance of negativity CERTAINLY ZAPS OUR HOPE AND OUR JOY, so let’s look at Romans 8:28 again. “In ALL things, God works for the good for those who love Him and are called to His good purpose”. Does it say in some things, or many things, or does it say in “ALL” things? Does it say only in good times, or does it mean in ALL times?

Jonathan Cahn, author of the Harbinger, reminds us of God’s hand in the founding of our great nation. “But what does America have to do with ancient Israel? Israel was unique among nations in that it was conceived and dedicated at its foundation for the purposes of God. Those who laid America’s foundations saw it as a new Israel, an Israel of the New World. And as with ancient Israel, they saw it as in covenant with God, meaning its rise or fall would be dependent on its relationship with God. If America followed His ways, it would become the most blessed, prosperous, and powerful nation on earth. From the very beginning they foretold it, and what they foretold did come true. America rose to heights no other nation had ever known. Not that it was ever without fault or sin, but it would aspire to fulfill its callings. ‘What calling?’ you ask. To be a vessel of redemption, an instrument of God’s purposes, a light to the world. It would give refuge to the world’s poor and needy, and hope to its oppressed. It would stand against tyranny. It would fight, more than once, against the dark movements of the modern world that threatened to engulf the earth.”

As Cahn so poetically portrays, God’s hand and blessings have certainly been on America.  But to whom much is given, much is expected.  America has certainly risen to greatness and prosperity, but with those blessings often comes an unwarranted sense of complacency. Whenever that happens within a culture, it certainly provides an opportunity for evil to rear its ugly head. And just as in previous cultures, that evil opportunity is cloaked in greed and the desire for power, wealth and control. I have written about this on numerous occassions and have referred to it as the Liberal Progressive Agenda, but that philosophy today defines the Democrat Socialist party. Their objective is to dismantle our current country and reshape it in a socialistic fashion where the government becomes our god and our provider.

If you doubt that, just compare these two platforms listing only eight areas of concern.  Democrat Socialist platform: big government, less personal freedom; open borders, anyone, good or evil, can come in; sanctuary cities, defiance of law and order; government health care, look at the current debacle (need I say more?); higher taxes, stymie economic growth; support abortion on demand; silence those with opposing views; a full assault on Christianity.     Conservative Republican platform:  Limited Government, more personal freedom; secure borders, build fence, only legal immigration permitted; respect for law and order, enforce existing laws; people responsible for their own health care (exceptions in case of poverty); cut taxes, incentive for economic growth; offer alternatives to abortion; maintain freedom of speech; maintain freedom of religion.

So why should we not worry about the state of our country? Because God Himself gave us freedom of choice, liberty to come and go at will, and laws to be followed. He stands for these things, and no man or government has the right to take them away.  The Scripture says, “In all things, He works for the good of those who love Him and are called to His purpose.”  In other words, “No weapon formed against us will prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17), and “If God is for us, who can be against us”. (Romans 8:17)

So what is your role in all of this?  To trust Him to do what He says He will do. And equally important…get yourself informed, then go out and vote to keep YOUR country.  God has called you to be a doer, not to sit on the side-lines and complain because things aren’t going the way you would like for them to go. So, get up; get out to vote! Stand up for what is rightfully yours.  Freedom!

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

May God bless you abundantly,

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

Good Day Meetpastordan Readers…Danny Silk, author of “Keep Your Love On”, used this title statement as the basis for his book regarding marriage relationships.  He goes on to tell us that “connecting” is an intentional behavior.  If we choose to connect, the relationship has the potential of growing and staying healthy.  If there is disconnection, the opposite is true.  To no one’s surprise, this is not only true of marriage relationships, but it is true of all relationships.

Step11 in the Twelve Step recovery program states this process beautifully.  It tells us that “we sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for his will for us and the power to carry that out.”  This statement, of course, follows the assumption that one has already come to grips with step 2 (We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity) and 3 (We made a decision to turn our will and our life over to the care of God, as we understand Him) as Truth.  Notice that step 2 does not define “higher power” and step 3 challenges us to have a relationship with the “God of our understanding.” Since the Twelve Step program is not in the business of perpetuating any particular religious belief, it leaves it up to us to do the seeking. But nonetheless, the content of the message in both steps is true.

For those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, that is a no-brainer.  Our higher power is Jesus Christ, and the God of our understanding is God Jehovah; the true God of the Bible; the Creator of all things.  But our challenge is to “stay connected” and to grow in that relationship, and step 11 speaks directly to that process.  Notice that it is all about intentional choices, and even more specifically, about making choices that bring honor and glory to God.  Let’s take step 11 apart and examine the four sections.

“We sought through prayer and meditation”.  This puts the onus on us. In other words, it’s up to us to initiate the process (or contact).  This is substantiated in Jeremiah 29:13: “When you seek Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me”, and again in Matthew 7:7: “Keep on asking and you will be given what you ask for.  Keep on seeking and your will find.  Keep on knocking and the door will be opened.”  Prayer is the pathway for communication with God, and under the New Covenant, Christ-followers can come directly to the Throne of God.  And if we meditate (think deeply and focus our mind the Truth found in Jeremiah and Matthew), that Truth can fortify us and help us keep seeking.

“to improve our conscious contact with God.”  We stand on the Truth found in Deuteronomy 31:8: “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord is the One who goes before you.  He will be with you; he will neither leave you or forsake you.”   We know that God is always with us and we know He is our source of strength.  Therefore, why would we choose (make a conscious effort) to seek guidance from any other source.   After all, “if God is for us, who (or what) can be against us?  (Romans 8:31) When we are seeking God, nothing pleases Him more. This is confirmed in James 4:10: “When we bow down (come in humility) before the Lord and admit our dependence on Him, He will lift us up and give us honor.”   God exalts the humble.

“praying only for knowledge of his Will for us”.  That truth is also addressed in James 4:10 above: “and admit our dependence on Him”.  God’s Will for our life is inexpressibly greater than our will.  If we fail to seek His Will, we will never experience the panorama He has in store for us.  1 Corinthians 2: 9 speaks to this: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.”  And Romans 12:2 reaffirms this: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is.”  When we are in line with His Will, anything we ask for will be granted.  I want to state one more time for emphasis, it does not say “anything we ask for will be granted”.

“And the power to carry that out.”  Here’s the truth about the power to carry it out.  God is our biggest cheerleader.  He loves us unconditionally, with a love that is unending and unfailing.  He wants us to win, but He knows we’re only dust.  After all, we had from Creation to 2016 years ago to wrestle with Man’s eternal dilemma – SIN – and we proved ourselves to be “utterly helpless” in that battle.  Therefore, with the coming of Jesus Christ He implemented His plan that was put in place even before He created the world (and man).  (Ref. Ephesians 1:3-14)  And that plan centered on Jesus Christ being the sacrificial lamb to pay the ransom for our sins. In other words, Jesus Christ came to do for us what we proved, without a shadow of a doubt, we were utterly helpless to achieve through our own effort. 

When we accept His Gift of Grace, not only do we receive forgiveness of our sins and eternal life –  which seals our eternal destiny – but we also receive the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower us to rise above our circumstances and life issues to become the person He created us to be.  After all…He knows we’re living in a fallen world and that we’re still in these fleshly bodies that are prone to lustful thoughts and pleasures; and He also knows that we have a powerful foe – satan- and that we’re no match for his lies and schemes.  Therefore, as Christ-followers we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower us to be victorious over our trials and tribulations. Because of this gift, we are already victorious in this life.  We just have to realize that Truth and take authority over our circumstances.  Jesus told his disciples in Luke 10:19: “I have given you authority over all the powerful schemes of the Enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them.  No harm will come to you.”  That is reaffirmed in 1John 4-4: “The Spirit that is in me (the Holy Spirit) is greater than the spirit that is in this world.” (satan)

The more we connect with our source of strength, Jesus; and the more we stay in the Word; and the more we call on the Holy Spirit to empower us to become the person God created us to be, the more Christ-like we become.  According to Neil Anderson, author of “Victory Over the Darkness”, God’s will for our life is two-fold: first is to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and second is to continue our growth in His Truth to become more Christ-like.  The Gift of the Holy Spirit is our secret weapon for succeeding in that endeavor.  Ephesians 1:14 tells us, “The Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us everything He promised, and that He has purchased us to be His own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God!”  How totally awesome is this connection!!!

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

May God Bless You abundantely,

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