Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…a few weeks ago I started the second session of “Steps to Freedom” class (now called “Freedom in Christ”) at Grace Church, and I’m still smiling from the great spirited input from the men as we began to tackle Neil Anderson’s, “The Bondage Breaker”.  What a powerful book! I opened the class with this quote from the author: “I believe one of the greatest disservices of the modern-day church is not plainly teaching about the reality of – and the threat to us by – the Kingdom of Darkness.  Being unaware of that truth makes us all vulnerable to being overpowered by evil forces.”  The Bible certainly contains enough information regarding evil forces, yet many churches don’t like to venture into this arena because many people are frightened by this message; some people sneer at the existence of the devil; and feedback from the congregation is usually less than enthusiastic.

1 Peter 5: 8-9 is quite specific: “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the devil, your great enemy.  He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.  Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian Brothers and Sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.”  And Apostle Paul tells us about the nature of our battle in Ephesians 6:10-12: “ A final word:  Put on all of God’s armor (the Truth; the Word of God) so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the devil.  For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.”  And he closes this section with a warning: “Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.”  Believe me, the term “battle” is quite appropriate here.  This indeed is a battle for your soul and your eternal destiny!

For non-believers, this message is foolishness.  I know that because in my proud atheist days, I was quick to challenge, mock and ridicule anyone’s statement of faith. But if the subject of satan ever came up, I was even more belligerent.  “Are you serious?  How can a smart person like you (and me, of course) fall for such outrageous gobbledygook?  That is nothing more than an empty threat by religion to keep it’s flock in line. Surely you don’t believe in ghosts and spirits! I’ve never encountered any…have you?”

In retrospect, I have come to realize that nonbelievers are not particularly bothered by satan because he already has them in the palm of his hand.  They are just doing what comes naturally because they are motivated by their sin-nature (or as our culture calls it, our human nature).  They are living to satisfy themselves, and the thought of pleasing God is nowhere to be found on their radar screen.  They are already an active part of the kingdom of darkness.

If you really want to find out if satan is real, make a decision to break free from his grip.  Whether it is joining a recovery program, seeking counseling, or making a decision to follow Jesus Christ, satan and his minions will attack you at warp-speed to try to shipwreck your efforts. He has honed his skill, and he is relentless!

But as a Christ-follower, we already have “everything we need for living a godly life.” (2 Peter 1:3)  God’s salvation plan for us not only seals our eternal destiny, but He gave us a gift to empower us to become the person He created us to be right here, right now in this fallen world.  After all, He knows we’re weak.  He gave us from Creation to 2018 years ago (the coming of Christ) to overcome the dilemma of sin. But instead of overcoming, we continued a downward spiral that is “poetically” described  in Roman’s 5:6: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”  That’s pretty clear…don’t you think?  Christ set us free from the bondage of sin at the cross, but that doesn’t stop satan. Even though he is a defeated foe, he doesn’t want us to know that.  He will do anything and everything in his power to keep us from experiencing the “abundant life” Jesus promised all Christ-followers. He just keeps turning up the heat in his lies, deceptions, and accusations.

The following is a quote from Neil Anderson’s “Victory Over The Darkness.”  “Satan is a defeated foe; therefore, his power is limited, but he still has the ability to deceive “the whole world.” (Revelation 12:9)  Jesus said, “The devil…does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar, and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)  But the truth is…satan has no authority or power over us except what we yield to him.   It’s time to put on the Armor of God.

Because satan’s primary weapon is the lie, your defense against him is the truth.  Dealing with satan is not as much a power encounter as it is a truth encounter.  When you expose satan’s lie with God’s truth, his power is broken.  That is why Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32) Satan’s lie cannot withstand The Truth any more than the darkness of night can withstand the light of the rising sun.  We are not called to dispel the darkness; we are called to turn on the light.”

So how do I dispel satan’s lies with the light of God’s truth? The same way Jesus did in the wilderness.  Jesus spoke The Truth to satan after three temptations, and satan left him. We have to take the authority Christ has given us, and emphatically rebuke Satan with the Truth. “ You are a defeated foe, satan. Jesus gave me power over you. Get out of here!“

We are called to live by faith, so that is why we must put together a platform of faith on which to stand.  Each plank in that platform of faith is a Scripture that we can quote back to satan just as Jesus did.  For instance, Jesus said, “I have given you authority over all the powerful schemes of the devil.  Nothing will harm you.” (Luke 10:19)  He also said…“In this world you will have trouble.  But fear not!  I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)  (And the truth here is… because we are in Christ, we, too, have overcome the world.)  1John 4:4, “The Spirit that is in me (the Holy Spirit) is greater than the spirit of this world (satan).“  And finally, Jesus said, “Dont be afraid. Just trust Me!“ (Mark 5:36) “Therefore, I am putting my trust in Jesus Christ!”

The truth is…we are already victorious! The challenge is…we have to know that, and believe that in order to bring that truth to life.  That is the key to living the abundant life Jesus promised all Christ-followers.

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

May God Bless Ya,

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

(Sorry this is late.  I had my first physical therapy scheduled for this morning after last week’s surgery.  Feeling like a champ!)

Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers…Last week I wrote about the moral and spiritual decline of our culture and the challenges that confront us as Christ-followers. Challenges such as disrespectful behavior, fowl language, defiance, deceit, and acting out in inappropriate ways plague our culture today. All of these behaviors reveal the state of one’s heart, and when a heart is filled with anger, hatred, fear, envy, and jealousy, these actions naturally result. Proverbs 4:23-26 tells us: “above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.” When Solomon referred to guarding “the heart”, he meant the inner core of a person, one’s thoughts, feelings, desires, and will.

In the by-gone era of even a half-century ago, the fundamental education of children, such as instilling moral values and providing a foundation for successful social behavior, was the very definition of family. In fact, it usually took place around the fireplace or maybe at the dinner table. But unfortunately, today’s culture does not reflect that by-gone era. The demands of keeping up with the Kardashians or keeping up with the ever changing evolution of the electronic and communication industry can keep one totally occupied and distracted. Having the latest, greatest cell-phone, computer, TV or video game fulfills the media hype that we are defined by what we have, what we drink or what we wear. Consequently we’ve been dooped into believing that it’s all about me, me, me and getting more, more, and more. Unfortunately, that’s one of satan’s favorite deceptions.

In last week’s blog I wrote about the hopeless state of our culture, reflecting the truth found in the above paragraph’s last two sentences. But now I want to write about the incredible hope that is available to anyone who has the guts to reach out and take it. In my opinion, it is our culture’s only hope of redemption, and. it is a gift! It’s a gift from a loving God that loves us beyond our wildest imagination, and it’s a gift from a God that wants to save us from ourselves so we can spend eternity with Him in Paradise.

When God created Man, He created us for two purposes. First, He wanted us to enter into a loving relationship with Him so we could spend eternity with Him in Paradise. And second, He wanted us to be of service to our fellow man. But unfortunately the spiritual connection that originally existed between God and Man was severed when sin entered the world through the disobedience of Eve and Adam. In fact, that first act of disobedience became the very definition of sin: Living with the focus on self rather than on God. Therefore, since Man severed that original spiritual connection which existed with God, it is up to Man to restore once again that connection.

Ephesians 1:4-6,10 tells us about God’s plan even before Creation. “Long ago, even before He created the world, 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 just the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ – everything in heaven and on earth.”

So the obvious question here is, “What was “just the right time?” The answer can be found in Roman’s 5:6: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” You see, God gave Man from Creation until 2018 years ago (the coming of Christ) to wrestle with the dilemma of sin, but instead of getting better, we kept spiraling downward until we reached the pathetic state of “utter helplessness.” In order for us to spend eternity with God, Jesus and all other Christ-followers, we cannot be stained with sin because “sin spreads, contaminates, kills and destroys.” (John 10:10) If you doubt that, just look at the world around you now. Does this look like Paradise? It was at Creation…at least until sin entered the world. That is why it was always God’s plan, even before the world was created, to provide a Redeemer to do for us what He knew we could not do for ourselves. That, my Friends, is unconditional love!

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, came for the very purpose of paying the penalty for our sin and restoring that spiritual connection with God. When we accept His sacrifice on the cross as restitution for our sins, we are immediately in Christ, and as such are grafted into God’s family. Now our sins are forgiven; we inherit eternal life, and we receive the indwelling Holy Spirit. Forgiveness of sin and eternal life seals our eternal destiny, but God’s perfect plan also provides for those of us who are still living in this fallen world. “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.” (Ephesians 1:14)

The Holy Spirit empowers all who are in Christ to rise above their circumstances to become the people God created them to be. Here’s how the Holy Spirit works. When we know we are going to confront contentious situations, we call on Him: “Holy Spirit, give us your wisdom, courage, strength, patience, perseverance, eyes to see, ears to hear, whatever it is we need to handle any situation in a way that brings honor and glory to God. When we do that, James 4:10 tells us He will respond: “When you come humbly before the Lord and admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor.” Every time we call on the Holy Spirit to empower us in this manner, we bring that promise to life. Even when we mess up by defaulting to old habits or reactions, we can say, “Holy Spirit, that is not who I want to be. Give me your courage, wisdom, etc. not to continue making this response because I want to honor God with my choices.” The Holy Spirit is every Christ-followers source of strength. It is our gift from God so we can become His Masterpiece. “We are now his Masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ so we can now do the good things He planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10)

So now you might be asking yourself, “What about those who are not in Christ?” The answer to that question and the remedy are found in the same Scripture. Romans 6:23 tells us the blatant truth: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free Gift from God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” If anyone is stained with sin, they can not enter into God’s presence. 1 Peter 1:16 proclaims God’s standard: “For you must be holy (sin-free, set aside for a sacred purpose) because I am holy.” Paradise, by its very definition, must, and will be, sin-free.

Man has proven his inability to overcome the issue of sin through his own effort; that is why Jesus had to come as our Redeemer. As such, He boldly proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”(John 14:6) This is God’s Gift of Grace. John 3:16 tell us: “For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, so that who ever believes in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life.” The choice is ours to make. Will you choose Life, or will you settle for Death?

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

May God Bless Ya…

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

(Again, I apologize for the formating. Sometimes it does this; sometimes it doesn’t.)

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…If you are a regular reader, you know that I have spoken many times about the pride I feel in being part of Grace Chruch St. Louis. And the reason I have always given for this enthusiasm is the fact the Pastor Ron Tucker stands firmly on the Gospel of Grace, and he never varies, or shades The Truth (God‘s Word) to be politically correct. And I believe that the passion in his presentation is there because he is one who is annointed for this particular time in our country‘s history, and he rises to the occasion without fail week after week. He reminds us that we, as Christ-followers, have an obligation to carry the message of hope and salvation into a culture that is hurting, seething, spiteful, hateful, angry, frustrated and morally and spiritually corrupted! We have an obligation TO BE the truth, the light and the hope to those who are lost and hurting, and we can‘t accomplish that purpose unless we, too, are bold enough to stand firmly on The Truth. I believe that the only way to combat the lies and deception plaguing our culture right now is by proclaiming The Truth with a clarion voice, and I am committed to being part of that movement.

For those of you who know me personally, you know that I have no problem being bold about what I believe and why I believe it. But I have to admit that in my writing I have always been conscious of the fact that my publications are monitored by, for lack of a better term, an “internet police.“ I know writers who have had their materials blocked if they were “too unpolitically correct“, and I have to admit, I have suspected that some of my own writings were limited in their distribution. But that was a few years ago. Today marks a new era.

Let me begin by making this bold statement, which is taken from my Blog #231, SATAN IS ALIVE AND WELL…“Our culture today is ravaged by the prince and power of this world, satan. Satan is referred to by Jesus as “the father of lies“ (John 8:44) He is a liar, a deceiver, and the accuser of the Bretheren. Satan knows he was defeated at the cross two thousand years ago and that his fate is eternal damnation, but that doesn‘t stop him from trying to take as many as possible of God‘s proudest creations with him to Hell. This is his only retribution against God, and believe me, he has honed his skill.

Just look at the world we live in today. It is defined by chaos, anger, hatred, anxiety, depression, fear, distrust, deception, distractions and threats, not to mention the increase in addictions, substance abuse and suicides. All of this is the work of the master craftsman himself, satan. This world, and especially the constant chaos of our culture right now, makes this his playground. He delights in our sinful desires and worldly distractions.

Satan‘s favorite ploy has always been to wrap his deception in something that “sounds like the truth“. Therefore the Liberal Progressive Agenda (LPA) is perfectly suited for his purposes. For the past few decades this insidious movement has been festering in our country, progressing at a patient, methodical pace with a very clear goal in mind – to fundamentally transform America. At the heart of this agenda has been the decimation of many of the fundamental pillars of our society. I refer to the traditional family structure, religious freedom, casting doubt on the stability of the Constitution, and a concerted attempt to divide rather than unite people. Also the LPA is challenging and rewriting our country‘s history, challenging and diminishing the effect of laws and law enforcement, and the final coup d‘etat…promoting the exaltation of human thinking over God‘s wisdom. Right at the center of this movement is a big government that will eventually become our provider and our god. Totally complicit with this endeavor is a media and entertainment industry that will work in tandem to numb down and dumb down our society. After all, a distracted and confused society is easier to deceive.

I don‘t think that anyone would doubt that during the past administration there was an assault on Judeo/Christian beliefs. The famous speech delivered by Obama on June 28, 2006 in which he stated that “America is no longer (just) a Christian nation“ certainly opened a door that emboldened atheist, secular, and “enlightened“ groups to begin their onslaught to expunge God from our midst. (I put “just“ in parentheses above because that is the questionable word that has created the endless controversy.) I‘m not saying this to put the weight of the point I want to make on the previous administration alone, but no doubt the political climate during that time made it possible for an assault on Judeo/Christian beliefs, and for the LPA to progress at break-neck speed.

Luckily, in my opinion, that movement was temporairly abated November 8, 2016 at the voting booth. But don‘t think for a minute that it was eradicated. No indeed! It is looming in the wings, just waiting for another chance to inflict its despair and devastation on a sleeping nation. But it doesn‘t have to be that way. There is another way. It‘s time to wake up America!

In my opinion the answer to our country‘s woes will not be found in a Republican, Democrat, or Independent candidate. When we look at the impotence of today‘s elected representatives, who will say anything they feel they need to say to get elected, then turn right around and do whatever benefits them, it is a clear indication of the fallibility of puting our trust in politicians. Our country‘s problems were caused by “man‘s best effort“, so look at the cesspool we‘re in now. I believe the answer lies in returning to the fundamental principles that made our country that light that shines in the darkness, and returning to the Judeo/Christian principles that provided the spiritual and moral compass that is so desperately needed today.

First and foremost, I believe we must stand on The Truth, and let me define what I mean when I say The Truth. I am referring to The Truth found in the Word of God, the Holy Bible. Political correctness has been a dismal failure because it has proven to be diametrically opposed to the truth. For instance, there was a practice in the previous Administration of not labling evil for what it was: Muslim Terrorism. And what did that accomplish other than emboldening the Muslim Terrorists. Absolutely nothing…at least nothing that contributed to the eradication of the problem.

There IS evil in this world. As Christ-followers, or Christians, we are called to confront evil wherever we find it; we‘re not called to pretend it doesn‘t exist. Jesus told his disciples in Luke 10:19, “I have given you authority over all the evil schemes of the devil. You can walk on scorpions and poisonous snakes and no harm will come to you.“ (The scorpions and poisonous snakes referred to by Jesus are life and cultural issues for us today.) During our life on this earth, we are playing our part in an eternal morality play of good vs. evil. We are, unbeknownst to us, born into this play, and we contribute one way or the other by the choices we make. But the fact is, there will always be evil in this world and we are never going to erase it before the new Jerusalem comes. So right now, we are called to stand against it. Therefore, looking the other way, pretending it doesn‘t exist, soft-pedaling it because we‘re afraid of offending someone or something is not Biblically correct.

I‘ll refer to Apostle Paul‘s directions to the Church of God in Corinth (1 Corinthians 5:1-5), when a man was living in adultry with his father‘s wife. Apostle Paul soft-pedaled nothing. Cast this man out of the church before others start imitating what they see. How much clearer can it be. Don‘t tolerate evil, but for some reason our culture has missed that message completely, and the media keeps playing the most dispicable examples of evil over and over again, 24/7, for days and weeks following horrific events. My constructive suggestion might be…instead of highlighting and focusing on the violence, why not play some of the reruns of Billy Graham‘s “Gospel of Grace“ messages…something that could contribute positively to our culture‘s mindset?

Back in early December of 2017, I wrote Blog # 227, which addressed the issue of arms in the church. It can be found at http://meetpastordan.com/armed-or-unarmed-227/. Today we have the repeat of a similiar incident, but this time it is seventeen high school students and teachers slaughtered in Florida. My response to this is the same as it was to the December incident. When evil is hell-bent on killing innocent people, I believe God‘s will is not for us to stand down or turn the other way. In fact, quite the contrary! We must be prepared and willing to do whatever necessary to confront and destroy evil in its tracks, even if it means arming willing and trained teachers, and/or employing security guards. To substantiate that, let me refer to God‘s vengence against evil in Sodom and Gamorrah, Pompeii, and Canaan.

I would like to close this presentation with three fitting quotes from Jonathan Cahn, author of The Harbinger, and two appropriate Scriptures. “As God was expunged from American life, idols came in to fill the void: idols of sensuality, idols of greed, of money, of success, comfort, materialism, pleasure, sexual immorality, self-worship, and self-obsession. The sacred increasingly disappeared, and the profane took its place.” “America was founded on prayer. Therefore, the removal of prayer from its public life was a central part of its fall from God. A nation that turns away from prayer will ultimately find itself in desperate need of it.” “God’s will is that none should perish. Judgement isn’t His desire…but His necessity. The good must bring evil to an end, or else it would cease to be good. And yet His mercy is still greater than His judgement. His heart always wills for redemption.“ Therein lies the hope for our culture right now.

“ Then 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 will forgive their sins and heal their land.“ (2 Chronicles 7:14) “Destruction is certain for those who say that good is evil and evil is good; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.“ (Isaiah 5:20) That is the perfect description of our culture today. What used to be considered sacred, revered, and worshiped, is now mocked and ridiculed, and what was profane, disgusting and sinful, is now basking in this culture‘s spotlight. Satan is having a heyday!

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

May God Bless Ya…

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…We know that Jesus came to give us life, and to give us life to the fullest. But so many Christians I meet indicate that they aren’t experiencing that abundant life. That situation bothered me for a long time as I searched for the answer to “what was missing?”  Then I discovered Neil Anderson’s powerful book, Victory Over the Darkness, and I believe he hit the nail on the head when he talked about the misconception between “justification” and “sanctification”.  That misconception has proven to be the case when I ask Christians who are struggling with “life issues” this question: “How has being in-Christ changed your life?”  In most cases I either get a blank stare, or their response begins with “Well…”

I have found that most Christians believed that re-birth would change their lives and their circumstances.  But the reality is, if you had relationship issues, financial issues, health issues, or job issues the day before you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, those circumstances would still exist the day after you accepted God’s Gift of Grace. What re-birth does provide, however,  is a new way for us to go about changing our lives and our circumstances through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we were immediately “justified”, meaning we were made right in God’s eyes. Now we are in Christ, and with this new identity comes this incredible inheritance: our sins are forgiven; we inherit eternal life; we receive the indwelling Holy Spirit who is our guide, our comforter, our teacher, and the one who leads us into all truth. We are now worthy and acceptable in God’s sight, not because of anything we did, but because of what Jesus did for us on the cross ; we are heirs to all the blessings in the heavenly realm, and we are heirs to all the promises in the Bible. Wowzzer! How’s that for hitting the spiritual jackpot?

It tells us in 2 Peter, 1:3 that “the more we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, His divine nature will give us everything we need for living a godly life.” We have received all of the blessings listed above because we accepted God’s Gift of Grace. But truth be told, this is only the first step in a life-long process called “sanctification”, or becoming more Christ-like.  And because this new journey is a process, it is imperative that we understand what it means to participate in that process.  I believe it is this misunderstanding that causes so many Christians to stumble.

When we lived as unbelievers, we developed a repertoire of responses or reactions to situations that were designed to keep us safe, to help us get ahead, or to fulfill our desires. Unfortunately there is no mental delete button that wipes clean those strongholds in our minds. So unless we call on the Holy Spirit to empower us to make different choices,  we tend to default to our old, familiar behaviors.  Therefore we have to intentionally make new choices that bring honor and glory to God, not the old choices we naturally made to satisfy ourselves. Galatians 5:17-18 describes the battle that will ensue: “The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants.  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 subject (a slave) to your sin nature.” These choices have to be intentional, and they have to be repeated in order to establish a new habit .  As Apostle Paul states in Romans 12:2:  “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.”

The indwelling Holy Spirit has been given to us as a gift from God so we can rise above the world around us.  After all, He knows we’re only dust; He knows we’re weak.  So the Holy Spirit empowers us to do what we proved from Creation until the coming of Christ  we could not do for ourselves.  We could not overcome the issue of SIN. In fact, Romans 5:6 reveals our pathetic state: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” (Notice Apostle Paul included himself when he stated “us sinners”.)  “Utterly helpless” tells me that God knew we could never become sin-free through our own effort, so he implemented his plan, that was in place even before the world was created, (Ref. Ephesians 1:4) to send a Redeemer to save us from ourselves.  Remember, we cannot come into God’s presence if we are stained with sin.  1Peter 1:16 states: “For He said, “You must be holy (sin-free and set aside for a sacred purpose) because I am holy” Why? Because sin spreads, contaminates, destroys and kills. God has promised all of us who are in Christ that we will spend eternity with Him in Paradise, and Paradise, by its very definition, will be without sin!

Because the Holy Spirit has replaced our sin-nature (our self-centered nature), we can now call on him to give us His wisdom, courage, strength, patience, perseverance – whatever it is we need to handle a challenging situation, so the outcome brings honor and glory to God.  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 how we move victoriously through the process of sanctification.  We count on the Holy Spirit to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.  1John 4:4 tells us: “He that is in me (the Holy Spirit) is greater than he (satan) that is in this world.”  The power of the Holy Spirit in us is THE answer to living the  abundant life Jesus promised us.  And it is also the answer to a life that is characterized by peace. serenity. freedom and joy!

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

May God Bless You Abundantly…

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…The anticipated week has finally arrived when I have selected to have hip replacement surgery.  For more than two years I have agnonized with the pain and agrivation that accompanies this condition, but the hesitation has always been the lengthly recovery time. In my mind, I always had too much going on with concerts, travel, events, new clients, etc. to be laid-up. But as I was told by my friend Jerry, the doctor who will be doing the surgery (and a former french horn player in the Washington University Wind Ensemble): “when the pain gets bad enough and you can’t stand it any longer, you’ll be ready to make whatever changes you need to make to get the relief you want.” He was absolutely right!  And as soon as I recouperate from this, my knees will be next… thanks to twenty-five years of racquetball. But my goal now is to get my worn-out parts replaced here, so that when we get to Florida in 2020, I can qualify for the pickleball team. (Please feel free to lift me up in prayer this Thursday morning, 2/22/18 at 7:00 am)

I have written numerous times about this crazy country in which we are now living. Is this still America? I ask that because never in my lifetime have I seen such division, such anger, such hatred, frustration, despair, vitriol, and hopelessness as I see all around me today.  And the more I look for an answer,  the more I believe it is the direct result of a concerted effort to expung God and His teaching from our midst.  Therefore, what we are witnessing now is the moral and spiritual bankrupcy that inevitably follows.  In the words of Jonathan Cahn, author of The Harbinger, “As God was expunged from American life, idols came in to fill the void; idols of sensuality, idols of greed, of money, of success, comfort, materialism, pleasure, sexual immorality, self-worship, self-obsession. The sacred increasingly disappeared, and the profane took its place.  America is a country that was founded on prayer. Therefore, the removal of prayer from its public life was a central part of its fall from God. A nation that turns away from prayer will ultimately find itself in desperate need of it.”

But I think that as Christ-followers we have an important role to play at this time.  If we claim the title, Christ-follower or Christian, we are called to rise above the circumstances around us and to be a true representative of what our title designates.  Colossians 3:17 sums this up beautifully: “And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father.”  And Jesus himself drove this point home when he told his Disciples, “Love one another, just as I have loved you.  Your love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

I know that in reading this, it sounds rather pollyannaish. I mean with all the frayed nerve endings many of us are experencing, sometimes we’re just looking for an opportunity to unload our own “righteous indignation” on someone in a big way.  After all, they deserve it!  But that’s not what we are called to do.  The Shepherd of our flock set the bar VERY high when he told us to “love our neighbor as our self” (Matthew 19:19), and “to make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you.  Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” (Colossians 3: 13)

Let us not forget, God has never been shy about setting standards that are beyond our capabilities.  He demonstrated that on Mt. Sinai when he revealed the Ten Commandments; Jesus did the same thing in his famous “Sermon on the Mount”; and Apostle Paul did the same thing when he defined Agape Love in 1Corinthians 13:4-7. “Why”, you might ask, “would God do that?”  Well, the answer is simple… to bring us face to face with our own insufficiency.  He wants us to turn to him in our time of need.  The sooner we learn that truth, the easier it is to get on with the process of becoming more Christ-like. And make no mistake, it is a process, and it does require our participation!

The Bible is resplendent with examples of forgiveness, mercy and grace.  Just for clarity sake, let me define “mercy”: not giving someone what they deserve (Jesus and the thief on the cross); now I’ll define “grace”: giving someone something they don’t deserve (God giving us the Gift of Grace while we were still sinners). Sometimes we are totally perplexed by these happenings and we spend way too much time trying to fit them into “our” paradigm of thinking.  God knew that we would sometimes struggle with the “why” of his decision making, and for that reason he spoke through the Prophet Isaiah and said, “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, my thoughts are not your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55: 8)  And again in Psalm 46:10, He said: “Just be still and know that I am God.” I believe He is telling us not to sit around trying to figure him out, because we will never be able to do it with our limited finite thinking.

While many others are turning to social media to spew forth their venom, we, as Christ-followers, are called to a different standard. Words can be incendiary.  James talks about this in Chapter 3:6,8: “The tongue is a fire…it can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself…it is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison.”  Proverbs 17:28 speaks to the same issue: “Even fools are thought to be wise when they…keep their mouths shut!” I don’t think anyone can dispute the damage the ugly rhetoric has caused, so perhaps our most meaningful message right now is to say nothing.

So the question becomes…how do we do that?  No doubt we have to decide on our course of action before we are in the midst of a confrontation.  But as Christ-followers, we have been given an incredible gift as part of our salvation plan that allows rise to our calling.  God knows we are only dust, and he also knows that when it comes to depending on our own effort, we have a track record of yielding to temptation.  (Remember, He gave us from Creation until 2018 years ago to deal with Mankind’s nemesis: SIN!)  Romans 5:6 is the definitive report on how we fared: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners!”  And what was just the right time?  When we were utterly helpless!  Yikes!  That’s quite an indictment.

Therefore, God did for us what we proved without a doubt we were incapable of doing for ourselves. He gave us his Gift of Grace to eradicate the sin-issue so that we might partake of eternal life with Him, Jesus and all Christ-followers in Paradise.  Yea!  That solidified our eternal destiny. But what about those of us who will still live another thirty, forty, or even fifty years in this fallen world?

God’s perfect salvation plan also provided for this situation.  To enable us to live successfully in this dark world, he provided the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower us to become the person he created us to be and to bring honor and glory to him through our choices.  That’s why Ephesians 2:10 refers to us as God’s masterpiece “because he has created us anew in Christ so that we can NOW do the good things planned for us long ago.”

That’s why we can be called to love those who seem (to us) to be unlovable; or called to forgive those who seem (to us) to be unforgiveable.  NO…we can’t do it ourselves.  But we can ask the Holy Spirit to empower us with His wisdom, insight, or eyes to see this person the way God sees them.  When we do this, we’re admitting our dependence on Him, and we’re getting out of his way so that His will may be accomplished through us.

That’s how we let Jesus’ light shine brightly in this dark world, and that’s how we become His Kingdom’s ambassadors during these crazy times.  We get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit work through us.  The more we do this, the more Christ-like we become, and the more we fulfill the Scripture found in James 4:10: “When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.”

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

May God Bless Ya…

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

(Once again I apologize for the formatting in the opening paragraph.  I havent found a way to correct it.)

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers… I am sitting at my desk right now with a cup of hot coffee in my hand, two pooches asleep on their pillow beside me, and I‘m basking in the joy of what transpired yesterday, and what is about to transpire today in six hours. Yesterday began at Grace Church with the second half of my Freedom in Christ class resuming after winter break. There was a terrific turn out of men who just want to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. What a thrill it is to be part of that journey with them. Then I heard Ron Tucker, our Pastor, deliver AGAIN an impassioned plea for a revival in this country, and for the salvation of the many who are caught-up in the lies and deceit of today‘s world. Needless to say, I could not be more proud to be part of this church that stands firmly on the truth of God‘s Word, and proclaims weekly God‘s love, mercy and grace for everyone.

That was yesterday morning. Yesterday afternoon I had the opportunity to return as guest conductor with the Saint Louis Wind Symphony. (For those who are not aware of that part of my life…I founded the STLWS in 1998, but stepped away a year and a half ago to persue my ministry full time.) I‘m still listed as founder and conductor/emeritus, and as such, I return once a year as guest conductor. Yesterday was the day, and in their true form, they performed magnificently. Again, I could not be more proud of this marvelous group of 65 musicians.  At the same time I was quite aware that I have been twice blessed; first as a musician/conductor, and now as Pastor Dan. Yesterday was a cloud-nine day! So what does the day after a cloud-nine day look like? Well, I‘m going to tell you.

At 12:00pm today, Pam and I are going to close on the villa we bought a month ago in Apollo Beach, Florida. (FYI…I couldn‘t resist looking up Apollo. He is the mythological god of music, truth, and prophecy. Hum, that seemed like an appropriate spot to land.) But just in case you think its “kinda nerdy“ to look up the name of a town, I did the same with our current address: Villa du Pre (house in the country), which perfectly described St. Peters, MO fifty years ago. We‘ll be here for two more years, then it‘s off to palm trees, sand and the Gulf of Mexico.

So if you‘re asking yourself how this mini-tour through my personal life has anything to do with today‘s subject, I would say…everything. Look at it as a witness to the faithfulness of God. So let me begin sharing this truth, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all of these things will be added.“ (Matthew 6:33) And what are “all of these things that will be added.“ In the three paragraphs above this promise are listed many things we worry about, such as having enough money, enough food, clothing, shelter, material things, status, etc. (The things our human nature wants and believes we need.) But if we seek God‘s kingdom first, he adds these things as blessings.

Unfortunately, the truth of Matthew 6:33 has been twisted by what has been called a‚ “name it and claim it message“, or as some call it, a “prosperity message.“ That thinking is reminiscent of the Old Covenant, but unfortunately it is rather popular today. The mistake in this thinking is the same subtlety that sets the Old Covenant apart from the New Covenant. The Old Covenant was about works; the New Covenant is about faith; it‘s all about the state of our hearts.

Under the Old Covenant we tried to make ourselves worthy and acceptable to God through our own efforts, or through our works. For example, we tried our best to live up to God‘s standard, as revealed in the 10 Commandments, from the time the Law was given on Mt. Sinai until the beginning of the New Covenant. Unfortunately our report card on this endeavor can be found in Romans 5:6. We were proclaimed “utterly helpless.“ to overcome the issue of Sin (our way of life). That‘s the same reason the old sacrificial system used before the New Covenant was only temporary. The blood of bulls, goats, and doves only covered the people‘s sins (what they did), it didn‘t cleanse them of their sins. Why? Because God‘s standard cannot be achieved through human effort. God‘s standard is perfection, and if we are to come into His presence, “we too have to be perfect (sin-free). (1 Peter:1-16)

Under the New Covenant, our loving God has given us the answer to the issue of Sin. He willingly sacrificed his own Son as the one true sacrificial lamb whose blood could cleanse us from sin. This is God‘s Gift of Grace, and it was in place even before the world and man were created. His plan was always to do for us what he knew in advance we could not do for ourselves because this is the only way to achieve the standard of perfection referenced above.

So to drive this point home, under the Old Covenant, we had to perform in order to achieve God‘s approval. But, under the New Covenant, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are now in Christ. At that moment of “Justification“ (being made right with God) we now have in us the indwelling Holy Spirit that gives us “everything we need for living a Godly life“. (2 Peter 1:3) In other words, our own effort (or our works) is null and void because we alreday have everything we need in Christ. From this point until we are face to face with Christ, it‘s all about growing in our relationship with Jesus in order to become the person God created us to be. Its about us allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us.

So lets go back to the initial Scripture found in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the Kingdom of God…“ I stopped there because that is the essence of the New Covenant; it‘s about putting God first. Neil Anderson states in his book, “Victory Over the Darkness“ that God‘s plan, or will, for our life is twofold. (Coincidently that is the text for the first part of my class, “Freedom in Christ“, mentioned above.) First and foremost He wants us to accept his Gift of Grace, Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. That is a prerequiste for everything else that is to come. As Jesus himself proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.“ And the second part of God‘s plan, or will for us, is to grow, and Grow, and GROW in that relationship as we become more Christ-like. It is in that process of growing that we become transformed, and it is that transformational process that releases the blessings. I have referenced many times a signature statement made by the outstanding gospel preacher, T.D. Jakes:“God loves to bless ya…He wants to bless ya…but he ain‘t gonna give ya those blessins until you‘re ready to receive em.“ There is a whole lot of truth in those words of wisdom.

The name it and claim it spin, or the prosperity spin, indicates that if we want something bad enough, we can work to prove ourselves worthy. But here is the rub. It‘s all about our effort again. God is not a vending machine that gives us a prize because we do something. Absolutely not! However, don‘t get me wrong here. There is nothing wrong with working to accomplish our goals. But God wants us to put our dependence in Him because his blessings invariably outshine our own accomplishments. Proverbs 3:1,4 tells us,“My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart, for they will give you a long and satisfying life. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths.“

Again, it is all about the state of our heart. When the Pharisees asked Jesus, “What is the most important commandment?, He answered: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.“ In other words, if love is our motivation, we will naturally live the other commandments and demands of the prophets. Therefore, if our desire is to be in line with His will for our lives, His Word says,“He will bless us by giving us the desires of our heart.“ (Psalm 37:4 and Psalm 20:4)

Ever since Pam and I have been married, it has been our desire to live near the ocean where there is sand and palm trees. Our plan has always been to work together in a joint ministry (hopefully with friends who will already be there) using our gifts to bring honor and glory to God. For the last few years we have been asking Him specifically to direct our path toward that dream, and also to give us an indication of whether or not we were in line with His will. So between Christmas and the New Year, we went to Florida to meet a real estate friend who had about eight properties to show us. But to everyones surprise, a niteth property became available that last afternoon for us to see. No doubt about it…this was “the one“. Isn‘t it amazing how God works? Now I know this last sentence my strike you as an exaggeration, but I swear it is absolutely true. As we drove out of Apollo Beach that sunny, 75 degree afternoon, I pointed out to Pam what I thought was the beginning of a “Burma Shave“ sign presentation, but it wasn‘t. It was only one sign that read, “Jesus is faithful.“ Now that‘s a sign!

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

May God bless you abundantly,

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

(sorry about the crazy formating in the first paragraph.  I haven’t found a way to correct this.)

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…Right now I have so many thoughts whirling around in my mind, seemingly unrelated at first, but actually they‘re all related to what I ultimately want to write about…which is this crazy time in which we are living. I guess the best way to get started is to throw a mental dart, and on whichever thought it lands, that will determine my perspective for today. So here goes…

“I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God. As the Scriptures say,‘I will destroy human wisdom and discard its most brilliant ideas.‘ So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world‘s most brilliant debaters?“ Apostle Paul wrote that in his first letter to the Corinthians (1:18-20) in the early first century AD. So now you might be asking yourself, “how does that fit into this crazy time theme?“ Well, let‘s get started.

When Moses brought to an end the 400 years of bondage to Egypt and led the Israelites out through the main gate; they were finally free! Their cries and their prayers had been heard, and they were on their way to the Promised Land. What could be better? Well…it was taking a bit longer than they had planned; are we there yet? They got tired of the manna every day; are we there yet? The desert sameness was getting on their nerves; are we there yet? Moses was getting on their nerves; are we there yet? And before long, they began yearning for the good ol‘ days in Egypt. In the midst of their frayed nerves, their anger, and their boredom, disobedience, debauchery and chaos defined their attempt at freedom.

God was not happy with what he was seeing, so he called Moses to the top of Mt. Siani to give him 10 rules that, if obeyed, would bring order out of chaos and harmony, peace and serenity to the masses. These ten simple rules served multiple purposes. First, it was civil law; it was also God‘s standard; and it would prove to Man his inability to live up to this standard through his own effort. Now bear in mind, before Moses went to receive the 10 Commandments from the Lord, he was instructed to give this message to the people: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I brought you to myself and carried you on eagle‘s wings. Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the nations of the earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be to me a kingdom of priests, my holy nation. Moses returned from the mountain and called together the leaders of the people and told them what the Lord had said. They all responded together,‘We will certainly do everything the Lord asks of us.“ (Exodus 19:5-8) Moses returned to the Lord with this answer, and was gone for the next forty days and nights. But alas, human nature again prevailed and the people got impatient, restless, irritable and discontent. By the time Moses returned from the mountain with the stone tablets, they had already forged a golden calf to be their new god.

I mention this because it seems to me nothing has changed. We get bored, irritable, restless and discontent. We want what we want, and we want it now! And if what we want exalts us or brings us pleasure, we can‘t get enough of it and many times are willing to go to any length to get it. That‘s human nature, and that, unfortunately, defines our culture today.

But nothing, I mean NOTHING, is more confrontational to our human nature than the 10 Commandments. That‘s why we hear from the intelligensia, “They‘re out of date; they don‘t groove with our enlightened thinking; “they‘re way too confining“; “they keep me from spreading my wings to be all I can be“; “they don‘t take into account my special circumstances“; “they thwart my ingenuity and creativity“. So the first thing the intellectual mind tries to do is find loop-holes in the fabric of the law, or it tries to create as much “grey area“ around the principle so there can be wiggle-room. “Well, he may have told a lie, but everyone does it. That‘s the way of the world today.“ “Well, he probably did have an affair, but if his wife would have done a better job of satisfying his needs…“ “I mean, is that thing really a baby or is it just a blob of cells. After all, it can‘t exist on it‘s own outside the mother‘s womb!“ Get the picture?

Thank goodness we serve a God who is devoid of ego. His defining credentials are “love“, “faithfulness“, “mercy“, and “immutability“ (he doesn’t change.) He is a God who clothes himself in simplicity. The same 10 commandments are as perfect today as they were when they were etched in stone for Moses, but look at how we have “evolved“ today. We had a tax code so complicated and convoluted that it might as well have been written in Swahili to the average person who tried to read it. We have thousands and thousands of rules and regulations in the books of law, and when one doesn‘t work, we just add another, and another, and another. When we sign an agreement with our favorite information provider, we almost need an interpreter with us to explain in simple terms “the truth“ of what we are about to sign. But, what the heck…it‘s evolution or enlightement…right?? No! Things are as complicated and convoluted as they appear to be because simple truth is musty and outdated, and deception is in vogue today. Remember, a lot of words, big words, made-up words, or “in“ words (ie. not an investigation but “a matter“; or not gross negligence but “a lapse in judgement“) can all serve the purpose of deception.

But here‘s the truth about those old musty, out-dated Commandments: They were not given to take the joy out of our lives, nor to keep us from being all we can be. No! They were given to keep us safe from harm, from disease, from disgrace, from guilt, and remorse. The same loving God who gave us these 10 simple rules for living in this world, also gave us this simple plan for living in the world to come. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him, will not perish, but will have eternal life.“ Pretty simple, right? Well…let‘s discuss that.

To “believe“ means to have “faith“, and our faith is only as confident and secure as our knowledge of our object of faith. For instance, to believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior presupposes knowledge of him, and a personal relationship with him. Neil Anderson states in his book, “Victory Over the Darkness“, that God‘s plan for our lives is twofold: first, to accept his Gift of Grace (Jesus as our Savior); and second, to grow in our relationship with him as he becomes our Lord. It is in that growth process that we become the person that God created us to be, and with that process comes wisdom, courage, strength, confidence, joy, peace and serenity. Aren‘t those the qualities that everyone is searching for?

But for the unbelieving, intellectual mind, this plan is a fairy tale. “Certainly something that simple and child-like can‘t possibly work for me. After all…I‘m a multi-facated, complicate Dude who is on the cutting-edge of the greatest scientific discoveries and the world‘s latest philosophical break-throughs. I don‘t have time for such inane drivil.“ But for those of us who have ears to hear and an open mind to the possibility of “what if“ (also referred to as humility), when the veil that has been clouding our senses is drawn back and we get just a glimpse of what God has to offer, in the words of Apostle Paul (Philippians 3:8), we too might consider “everything else as rubbish compared to the priceless gain of knowing Jesus Christ!“

So you might be asking yourself, “what does all of this have to do with the “crazy times“ in which we are living?“ Well, perhaps the term “prophesied time“ is equally appropriate. Way back in the Book of Daniel, written about five hundred years before Christ, the prophet had a third vision regarding “the anguish that will be greater than any time since nations first came into existance“, but the messenger cautioned him not to share it because it pertained to “the time of the end.“ In 2Timothy 3:1-5,8, Apostle Paul also speaks of this time of the end: “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 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. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed-up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. Some will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.Their minds are depraved, and their faith is counterfeit.“ Nothing about this paragraph should be surprising. This and much more has been clearly prophesied, but unfortunately God and the Truth of his Word is being expunged from our culture today. Apostle Paul cautioned us (and the Church) again in 2Timothy 4:2-4: “Preach the Word of God! Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For the time is coming (is here) when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear. They will reject the truth and follow strange myths.“

So what is the answer? Well, we can either continue down the “enlightened path“ of human wisdom, which got us right where we are today, or we can pray for a revival in our country and a return to God, who prefers mercy over judgement. I wrote last week about our time of reprieve and repentence, and it begins one person at a time. Remember this truth: “There is salvation in no other name than Jesus Christ.(Acts 4:12), and “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.!“

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

May God Bless Ya…

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

Good Morning Meetpastordan Readers…As I mentioned in a previous message, when we are in Christ, the sin-issue ceases to be an issue.  To drive that point home, Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins – past, present and future – at Calvary.  Therefore, as it states so clearly and succinctly in Romans 8:1-2; “…there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. ² And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”  Does that mean we no longer have to be concerned about how we live our lives?  Or does it mean that since we are saved, we can continue living the way we did before without consequence?  I’ll let Apostle Paul answer that same question; “Of course not!” (Rom. 6:15)  There is more to God’s Gift of Grace than forgiveness of sin.  Now that we are “a new creation in Christ” (2 Cor. 5:17), meaning at conversion our sin-nature was replaced with the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are faced with the challenge of living the Christian life in this fallen world.  To meet that challenge our focus must shift from who we were as “sinners” to who we are today as “saints”. (explanation below)

A sinner is one who sins.  When we followed our sin-nature, or as our culture calls it, our “human nature”, we lived with our focus on self-satisfaction and self-aggrandizement.  Through that lens our gods became power, status, wealth, material gain, pleasure, etc.  When we lived that way, our lives were about adhering to the standards of this world rather than to God’s standards.  As long as  we are dependent on our own best effort, we will discover that we have bought into the same lie that seduced Eve in the Garden of Eden; “…You will become just like God, knowing everything both good and evil.”  In other words, you will become your own god; you won’t need God.

Unfortunately, many Christians still live their lives after conversion seemingly unaware of their new identity in Christ.  Here are the common reasons people get stymied.  We still live in these fleshly bodies and are tempted to yield to our carnal passions and desires; we are still living in a fallen world that espouses standards quite contrary to God’s standards; and satan, the great liar and manipulator, is hard at work in each of us trying to sabotage the new Christian life we have chosen to pursue.  Remember, before you decided to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you were a slave (not my word, but Apostle Paul’s in Rom. 6:17) to your sin-nature. Satan had you right where he wanted you, in his grasp.  The devil does not give up without a fight, and as new Christians, we have a target on our backs and are vulnerable to his tactics.  Ephesians 6:10-18  tells us to put on “the whole armor of God (the foundation of scriptural truth) so that we will be able to stand firm against all the strategies and tricks of the devil.”

One of satan’s most effective tactics is to try to convince us we are unworthy of God’s Gift of Grace.  Since there is no mental delete button to push after conversion, if we keep focused on who we were before we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we can get mired in guilt, shame and remorse.  We all have a past; we all lived in sin, and like it or not, we are still going to continue to fall short during our new walk with Christ.  But take solace in the truth of this mini-gospel found in Rom. 3-21-25:  “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 God’s anger against us.  We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us.”  And did God wait until we cleaned-up our act to step in on our behalf?  No!!  Rom. 5-6 tells us, “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”

God provided a savior to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.  He did this because he is a God who loves us beyond our ability to comprehend, and he wants a relationship with us – an eternal relationship!  Rom. 8:38 tells us, “nothing can separate us from the love of God.”   Now when we fall short, and we all will, it’s not about repenting for sin, but rather asking the Holy Spirit to empower us to be the person God created us to be.  Our goal now is to become more Christ-like each day.

What we have been talking about is who we were before salvation.  But after salvation, we are a new creation in Christ, and we have a new identity.   Rom.1:7 refers to those in Christ as Saints, meaning holy…without sin and set aside for a sacred purpose.  Now we can come boldly before God without any fear of condemnation, not because of anything we did to make ourselves acceptable to God, but because of what Jesus Christ did for us 2018 years ago.   Now when God looks at us he no longer sees a sinner, but instead he sees a Saint because we are covered with the blood of Jesus.  That’s why the sin issue is no longer an issue!

But once we have made the decision to move from the domain of darkness into the domain of light,  satan will attack  us unmercifully as he tries to derail our efforts to change. Therefore, we need to be vigilant because we will experience  temptation after temptation as we follow our new path.  But here is our hope.  1 John 4:4 tells us, “He that is in me (The Holy Spirit) is greater than he (satan) that is in this world.”  That is a promise from God!  We are told in Gal. 5:17-18, “The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just the opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants.  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 as we learned from the scripture above, we are already promised victory because the Holy Spirit will empower us to make choices that bring honor and glory to God.

As we realize the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the more confident we are that we can become the “masterpiece” referred to in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are 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.” (my caps)  Along with our new identity in Christ comes  security, freedom, joy, peace and serenity.  That is what we all had always been looking for, but here-to-fore had been looking in all the wrong worldly places. The more we experience this new manner of living, the more sin loses its appeal.

Before I close, I want to be very clear about the role of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit empowers us to do the necessary work to be pleasing to God.  He does not do the work for us, then tap us on the shoulder and say, “problem solved, now enjoy your life.”  No!  He empowers us to do the work.  So whatever “mountain” we need to tackle – whether it is a temptation from satan, a mean person, an unkind boss, loss of a job, an embarrassing situation, etc. –  we call on the Holy Spirit to give us His wisdom, patience, strength, courage, perseverance… whatever we need, to “cast that mountain into the sea.”

God’s plan is absolutely perfect.  Not only do we have assurance about our eternal destiny, but He has provided the Holy Spirit to empower us to rise above this fallen world and begin experiencing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth right now.  Take it from one who has been on both sides;  there is nothing like being in Christ and turning your will and your life over to the care of God.

So my question to you today is…do you allow the Holy Spirit to empower you to be victorious over circumstances?

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good Morning Meetpastordan Readers…I know there are those who will see this heading and immediately think, “I don‘t believe in satan. I know that‘s some gobbledegook made up by organized religion to keep their flocks in line. After all, I‘ve never had any encounters with that figment of their imagination, so therefore he – or whatever that thing is – doesn‘t exist!“

I get that mindset. In fact I used to espouse that same mindset for the first fifty-five years of my life. But now I understand why I felt that way, and why many of you still feel that way. The truth is, we aren‘t bothered by satan if he already has us right where he wants us…held firmly in his grasp. As long as we‘re of this world, meaning “that we‘ve been led astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that comes from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world“ (Colossians 2:8), he leaves us alone. It‘s only when we make a decision to break free from this dark domain and move into the domain of light that we begin to experience his power. His sole purpose is to keep us separated from the love of God, and believe me, he becomes a formidable enemy when it comes to ship-wrecking our best efforts to become a follower of Jesus Christ.

Satan is referred to by Jesus as “the father of lies“ (John 8:44) He is a liar, a deceiver, and the accuser of the Brethrern. Satan knows he was defeated at the cross two thousand years ago and that his fate is eternal damnation, but that doesn‘t stop him from trying to take many of God‘s proudest creations with him. This is his only retribution against God, and believe me, he has honed his skill. Just look at the world we live in today. It is defined by chaos, anger, hatred, anxiety, depression, fear, distrust, deception, distractions and threats. All of this is the work of the master craftsman himself, satan. This world, and especially the constant chaos of our culture right now, makes this his playground. He delights in our sinful desires and the worldly distractions.

All of us who have become followers of Jesus Christ were at one time “of this world“. We were born separated from God, and if we hadn‘t taken drastic measures to remedy that situation, we too would have died separated from God – which means eternal damnation. But during life‘s journey we either had an ephiphany, or we came face to face with our own insufficiency and recognized our need for a Savior. Romans 10:9 tells us exactly how to be saved:,“For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.“ While it is great that our fate is sealed, we are now concerned about the fate of our friends, our family members and our country.

Our culture today is ravaged by the prince and power of this world, satan. He always wraps his lies in just enough truth to cast doubt, reminiscent of the Garden when he tempted Eve:“Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden? God knows your eyes will be opened when you eat of it. You will become just like God, knowing everything both good and evil.“ Satan cast doubt on God‘s motive, then followed it up with man‘s irresistible temptation: you won‘t need God…you can be your own god.

Today I believe satan‘s ploy is wrapped up in what I have referred to many times as The Liberal Progressive Agenda (LPA). For the past few decades this insidious movement has been festering in our country, progressing at a patient, methodical pace with a very clear goal in mind – to fundamentally transform America. At the heart of this agenda has been the decimation of many of the fundamental pillars of our society: the traditional family structure; religious freedom; casting doubt on the stability of the Constitution; a concerted attempt to divide rather than unite people; challenging and rewriting our country‘s history; challenging and diminishing the effect of laws and law enforcement; and the final coup d‘etat, the exaltation of human thinking over God‘s wisdom. And right at the center of this movement is a big government that will eventually become our provider and our god, and a media and entertainment industry that will work in tandem to disseminate their propaganda and to numb down and dumb down our society. After all, a distracted and confused society is easier to deceive.

Jonathan Chan, author of the Harbinger, makes two powerful statements that provide valuable insight into how and why our culture finds itself in this state of decay. “As God was expunged from American life, idols came in to fill the void: idols of sensuality, idols of greed, of money, of success, comfort, materialism, pleasure, sexual immorality, self-worship, and self-obsession. The sacred increasingly disappeared and the profane took its place.“ And again he stated: “America was founded on prayer. Therefore, the removal of prayer from its public life was a central part of its fall from God. A nation that turns away from prayer will ultimately find itself in desperate need of it.“

During the last administration the LPA was making great strides toward achieving its goal, and that plan would have continued at break-neck speed if the election had gone as scripted. But last November, the impossible happened! An election that was in the bag slipped through their fingers leaving the LPA in a state of shock. Not only were they in a state of shock, but totally deranged and determined to go to any length to undermine the will of the people. A frenzy of hatred, name-calling, finger-pointing, accusations, lying, cheating, and whatever is deemed appropriate to regain their almighty power and control, has become their signature. What I just described, in my opinion, is the face of evil. Evil, in this context, is focused on power and control at any price.

As Jonathan Cahn pointed out earlier, we are a society that has expunged God from our midst. Without that moral compass, we look a lot like the Israelites in the wilderness before God gave them civil law, moral law, and His standard all wrapped up in the 10 Commandments. But just like the Israelites after they got the Law, we too find the Commandments too confining, so we look for idols and excuses to appease our human nature. When we are focused on “self“ and getting what we want, our emotions, and our thinking, will produce these character defects: anger, jealousy, hatred, fear, bitterness, anxiety, depression, immorality, impurity, sensuality, strife, envy, lying, cheating, stealing, etc. When hearts are filled with this thinking, nothing good ever results. Most character defects have their root in evil, and what we have in our heart is revealed in our words and our deeds.

America is a nation that was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and as a result it has been abundantly blessed, probably more than any other nation with the possible exception of ancient Israel. On April 30, 1789, after the innauguration of George Washington, the President, his cabinet and congress adjourned to St. Paul‘s Chapel to dedicate our country to God. They asked for guidance, protection and His blessings, but to whom much is given, much is expected. No doubt America has a history of rising to its calling for being that shinning light on a hill, but for the past half century that image has been tarnished as the LPA began to take root. Remember, it was a mere fifty years ago when we heard the immortal statement, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.“ How times have changed. The mantra for today‘s culture could be “Where‘s mine? What do I get for free?“

Ten years after the removal of prayer and Scripture from our schools, the legalization of abortion became the law of the land in 1973. Since then over 58 million babies have been killed. Since that time there has been a steady assault on Christian values and Christian teachings; the 10 Commandments have been removed from public buildings; Christian holidays, traditions, and symbols have been under assault; Christian pastors and business people have come under attack for standing on their religious principles, and what was sacred is now mocked and ridiculed, and what was profane is now basking in the spotlight. Satan is having a heyday!

Isaiah 5:20 gives us this warning: “Woe be to those who say that evil is good and that good is evil; or say that light is dark and dark is light; or say that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.“  The assault on God, his Word and his principles, as portrayed in the above paragraph, no doubt angered Him. But there was an incredible intercessory prayer movement throughout our great land before the last election. People became inflamed by what was happening in politics and in the news. The threat to our country‘s future became more and more real with each passing day, and unless a miracle happened, the America that was founded on our Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights would most likely cease to exist if the LPA were given another term of office. But, thank God, an additional fourteen million evangelicals who sat on the sidelines during the previous election, answered this call.

A coincidence? Call it what you will, but I believe the last election was a gift to America, a reprieve so to speak. 2 Chronicles 7:14 seems applicable here: “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.“ Now don‘t get me wrong. A reprieve only means an opportunity to change direction, but the Proclamation that has been consistent throughout the Bible has never changed: “Repent! Turn from your sin and turn to God.“ I believe this same opportunity is being offered to us right now.

The unchangeable truth found throughout the pages of the Bible point out that when people or nations are in line with God‘s will, they are blessed. Otherwise there is calamity. I believe we were snatched from the jaws of calamity at the voting booth. And the good news in that scenario is…God‘s mercy is still greater than his judgement. His heart always wills for redemption, and therein lies the hope for America. Satan, you were defeated at the cross, and the power of the cross in America right now is poised to defeat you again.

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

May God Bless Ya…

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