If any of you have had experience with writing, then you are well aware of the occasional creative droughts that plague our endeavor. Meaning…sometimes we go to the “well of creativity” and discover its bone dry.  This past week was one of those dry spells for me.  I kept trying to get the right subject matter and perspective, but it just wasn’t coming together.  My thoughts were skatatonic at best, and they just weren’t leading me down the path I knew I was supposed to follow.

So yesterday, while on my morning walk with the dogs, I was experiencing more of the same drought until I finally came to my senses and asked the Holy Spirit to give me His perspective; a perspective that would bring honor and glory to God, and a perspective that would be meaningful to the readers.  Bingo!  The drought ended and this subject took shape:  “The Priceless Gain of Knowing Jesus Christ.”  I wanted to present this scenario because herein lies the very truth and the power of knowing Jesus Christ.

To the world, the Gospel of Grace seems foolish.  Having been a non-believer for most of my life, I totally get the truth of that statement.  For me, and for other non-believers, the truth of this message just doesn’t fit into our intellectual paradigm.  And as long as we attempt to relate to the truth of this message from human perspective, it will never align with “worldly truth.”  1Corinthians 1:18 makes this abundantly clear: “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 their most brilliant ideas.”  

The Gospel of Grace is a spiritual concept that can only be grasped from a spiritual perspective, and that can only happen when we first realize our own insufficiency.   James 4:10 tells us, “When we bow down before God (come before Him in humility) and admit our dependence on him, he will lift us up and give us honor.”  It is only from that state of humility can the Gospel of Grace be reconciled with our own state of brokenness.

Apostle Paul is the perfect example of that statement.  As Saul, he was born into a pure-blooded Jewish family that was a branch of the tribe of Benjamin; he was a member of the Pharisees, who demanded the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.  And zealous?  Yes, in fact, he harshly persecuted the church.  And he obeyed the Jewish law so carefully that he was never accused of any fault.  Saul was the perfect Jew – admired, respected, and doing his best to rid the world of what he considered to be radical teachings that conflicted with the Jewish law.

But as we know, Saul had an encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus that changed his life.  He was knocked from his horse, stricken with blindness, but when his eyes were opened (representing his willingness or state of humility), he was ready experience the Truth of Jesus teachings.  That’s the way it works.  When we are open to “the truth of Jesus’ teaching, that truth will set us free.” (John 8:32)  In Philippians 3:7-9, Apostle Paul contrasts the life of Saul with his current life:  “I once thought all these things were so very important (his accomplishments listed in the paragraph above), but now I consider them worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him.  I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me.  For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.”

From a worldly perspective, our culture tells us “you’re #1; you deserve a break today; go for the gusto; take care of yourself, because no one else will take care of you; be all you can be”.  At face value, these platitudes sound good.  So what can be wrong with that?

Well, it’s all about us being in charge of our own destiny, and therein is the rub.  Man being in charge of his own destiny has been the crux of the sin-issue since creation. It is fulfilment of the same lie Satan presented to Eve. “God knows your eyes will be open…you will become just like God, knowing everything both good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5)  In other words, you won’t need God; you can be your own god, and that message is much more appealing to worldly thinking than the Gospel of Grace.

In my opinion, all resistance to the Gospel of Grace is wrapped in ignorance of the Truth.  And the Truth I am referencing is found in John 8:32 when Jesus told his Disciples, “If you follow my teachings you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”  Jesus was specific about what teachings he was referencing…my teachings!  And what did Jesus teach?  Love, forgiveness, mercy, grace, compassion, service to our fellow man.  As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to grow in those qualities. But unfortunately, loving, forgiving, showing mercy to someone who has wronged us is contrary to our human nature (or sin-nature).  Our flesh and our culture tells us to “get even.”  So how do we rise to our new calling?  By following Paul’s example as presented in Philippeans 3:8-9 I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me.  For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.”

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become a new creation in Christ.  “The old is gone (our sin-nature); the new has come.” (the Holy Spirit). (2Corinthians 5:22)  God’s salvation plan for all of us is perfect.  Not only do we receive forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life, but we receive the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower us to live the life we are called to live in this fallen world.  Not only are we in Christ, which gives us a new identity in God’s sight (we are now a Child of God, totally forgiven, worthy and acceptable to come into his presence, heir to all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm, and heir to all the promises in the Bible) but Christ is in us…”our hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27).  With the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are now capable realizing the truth referenced in Ephesians 2:10: “We are now God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

For those of us who are in Christ, we can experience on a daily basis the priceless gain of knowing Jesus Christ because we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower us to be the person God created us to be (his “masterpiece”).  We bring honor and glory to God, not because of our work, but because a loving God did for us what we could not do for ourselves.  Romans 5:6 reveals our helpless situation.  “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”   Unfortunately for those who refuse to accept God’s Gift of Grace, they still find themselves in a state of being utterly helpless.  As God’s “masterpiece”, our call is to intentionally be His light in this dark world.  This is the same call Jesus shared with his Disciples in Matthew 9:37, “The harvest is great but the workers are few.”

So my question to you today is…do you intentionally live the life we are called to live?  ie. call on the Holy Spirit for empowerment

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

May God Bless Ya…

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

 

 

 

We are told in 1John 4:8 that “God IS Love”.  A few verses later we are told in 1John 4:19 that “we love because God first loved us.”  The TRUTH and POWER of those two verses alone should be enough to draw anyone into a relationship with God.  But in the collective-psyche of today’s culture, I imagine those two verses are often misread as “feel-good statements”. And why do I think that?  Because in today’s culture, the term “love” has gotten watered-down to the point of being almost meaningless.  For instance…we love our pets; we love our job; we love chocolate; we love this song, or that event, or that person.  And why do we love them?  Because they make us “feel good.”

The TRUTH and POWER of the above verses become a reality only as we begin to grasp the enormity and the nature of God’s love for us. His love IS unconditional, unending and unfailing, and it is on that truth that the foundation of our faith can be built.

But unfortunately, our culture’s view of love is certainly NOT unconditional; nor is it unending or unfailing.  All we have to do is look at the current divorce statistics to see the unspoken “if” that surrounds today’s concept of love.

In the original Greek language of the New Testament, there were four different words used to describe four different levels of love.  “Eros” referred to physical attraction; “Philia” referred a deeper kind of “friendship” that develops after the initial attraction; “Storge” was still a deeper love such as a parent would have for their children, or siblings would share with each other.  But the highest form of love was (and is) “Agape” love.  This is self-sacrifical love, meaning we love the other person more than our self. That is the love Jesus demonstrated when he was here, and it is the love we are called to emulate as Christ-followers.

Apostle Paul describes Agape love beautifully in 1Corinthians 13:4-8. The stark contrast between this calling and the love we see demonstrated in our current movies, TV shows, and romance novels is blatantly obvious.

“Love is patient, love is kind.  Love is not jealous, or boastful, or proud, or rude.  Love does not demand its own way.  Love is not irritable and it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love is never glad about injustice but rejoices in the truth.  Love never gives up, never loses  faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever.” 

When I first read this, it left the same helpless impression on me as did the beatitudes when I first read them?  How can I rise to this calling.  I mean…patient?  Not jealous or proud or rude? Keeps no record of wrongs?  Always rejoices in the truth?  Never gives up, always hopeful?

Well, the answer to this dilemma is found in God’s unconditional love for us.  We are told in Ephesians 1:3-4; 9-10  that “even before the world was created, God had a plan in place and that plan center on Jesus Christ. At just the right time he would bring everything together under the authority of Christ – everything in heaven and on earth.”   Romans 5-6 reveals the implementation of that plan.  “When we were utterly helpless,  Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”

Did God wait for us to clean up our act before he bestowed his gift on us?  No!  The right time for his planed redemption for “us sinners” was our state of being utterly helpless.  He knew that we would never be able to rise above our “sin nature” (or as our culture calls it…our “human nature”), so he did for us what we could not do for ourselves.  He provided a Savior to pay the price for our redemption. Did we deserve it?  No!  Did we do anything to earn it?  No!  That is why it is a Gift of Grace, and this demonstrates God’s unconditional, unending, unfailing love for us.

So, you may be saying to yourself, it is well and good to know that we are called to rise to the level of Agape love as Christ-followers, but how do I do it?  I mean…we are called to love our neighbors as our self; to love and forgive our enemies; to pray for those who have harmed or been unjust to us?  I gotta tell ya…I can’t do that!

Well, the fact is, neither can I.  None of us, of our own volition, can achieve that calling.  But we must not forget that “God knows we are only dust.” (Psalm 103:14)  Therefore, his plan for our redemption is perfect.  Not only is our eternal destiny sealed when we accept his Gift of Grace, but we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be his light in this fallen world…right here… right now.  Regardless of the circumstance we are facing, when we call on the Holy Spirit to empower us with wisdom, courage, strength, patience, perseverance, whatever it is we need, to face our problem in a way that brings honor and glory to God, his promise to us is…he will answer our plea.  That is the only way we can rise to the calling of Agape love.

To a non-believer, achieving Agape love is as impossible as jumping over the moon.  Without the Holy Spirit directing our thoughts and actions, we will give into our sin nature and fall into the enticements of our culture.  The truth of this statement is reinforced in Galatians 5:17-23.  “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 to your sin nature.  When you follow the desires of your sinful nature your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin.  Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.  But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” 

God’s unconditional love for us was demonstrated by his Gift of Grace.  No “ifs” or “buts” about it.  When that reality gets from our heads to our hearts, we want to show our gratitude to Him for what he did for us by passing His love on to our fellow man.  With the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we can rise above this fallen world and achieve His higher calling.

Thank you God for your unconditional, unending, unfailing love for me.

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

May God bless Ya…

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

 

“But if you rebel against the Lord’s commands and refuse to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors.” 1Samuel 12:15

“But if you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and do not obey all the commands and laws I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you.”  Deuteronomy 28:15

“But any nation who refuses obey me, will be uprooted and destroyed.  I, the Lord, have spoken.”  Jeremiah 12:17

The Old Testament is plentiful with such strident verses.  In fact, such verses are often the basis for the rebellious questions, “How can God be a loving God if he is smiting, uprooting and destroying people and nations.”  Or, “If God is the same yesterday, today and forever and this is found in his Word, why would I want anything to do with him?” Unfortunately, both are legitimate questions, but both are wrapped in a lack of understanding of the God Jehova (Yahweh), who is described in 1 John 4:8 simply as “Love.”

When God heard the cries of the Israelites in bondage to Egypt, he rescued them. (Exodus 3:7-10, an act of “Love”)  He led them out of Egypt and pointed them toward the Promised Land. However, having been in bondage for 400 years made freedom a challenge.  Once in the wilderness, pandemonium, confusion and uncivility resulted because the people didn’t know how to handle freedom.  Therefore God gave them a guide for civil law; ten rules and regulations concerning living together in peace and harmony.  We call those ten rules the Ten Commandments, or The Law.

I used to think I was unique as a rebellious kid – then as a rebellious young adult; then as a rebellious, somewhat-mature adult – because I didn’t like being told what to do.  But the truth is…there is nothing really unique about me at all.  Obedience has been the challenge for all mankind since creation.

But God called us to obedient, and the proclamation has been sounded by Prophets throughout the Old Testament, the New Testament, and even by today’s Evangelists: “Repent!  Turn from your sin and turn to God.”  (Isaiah 30:15, Matthew 3:2, Acts 3:19)  It is from being obedient to God that we begin experiencing his multitude of blessings.  James 4:10 makes this crystal clear: “When we bow down before the Lord (come to Him in a state of humility) and admit our dependence on him, he will lift us up and give us honor.”

God gave man from Creation to 2015 years ago to solve the disobedience issue.  And what was at the center of the disobedience issue?  The sin issue.  And what is the sin issue?  Living with the focus on ourselves rather than on God. That was the original sin, and it is still the same issue today.  We want to do it our way.  We want to satisfy our self; we want to go for the gusto; we want to be all we can be; after all…we deserve it. That’s what the world tells us, and if that is our truth, then we will continue to live in sin.

But God knows our weakness; “he knows we are only dust.” (Psalm 103:14). And because he is “Love”, his plan – “which was in effect even before the world was created” – (Ephesians 1:3), was to solve the sin issue for mankind. Romans 5: 6 makes this abundantly clear: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”  I believe “utterly helpless” say it all!

Prior to the coming of Jesus Christ, man lived under the Old Covenant, or under the Law.  Under the Law, should man decide to yield to the Proclamation referenced above, it became about his effort to earn God’s approval. But contained therein is the “rub”.  Yielding to God has always been contrary to our default nature – our sin nature (ego, self-centeredness). That was the root of our “utterly helpless” condition referenced above.  But Jesus Christ changed all of that.

Under the New Covenant, it is no longer about earning God’s approval through our own effort. God’s salvation plan for mankind came to fruition when Jesus Christ was hung on the cross to pay the ransom for our sin. “We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ, to take away our sins.  And we can all be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.” (Romans 3:22)  Jesus did it for us.  All we have to do is accept God’s Gift of Grace.

When the magnitude of that event sinks in, it becomes obvious  this was God’s ultimate show of love for his proudest creation.  Did he wait for us to clean up our act?  No! Did he wait for us to get it all right?  No!  In fact, to reference Romans 5:6 again, our state of being “utterly helpless” dictated it was “the right time.”  God’s salvation plan – even before the world was created – was always for Jesus Christ to do for man what man could not do for himself.

However, God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and his standard (the 10 Commandments) is still as much in effect today as when it was given on Mt. Sinai. God still demands the same obedience.  But what has changed is how we go about being obedient.

Under the Law we worked to earn God’s approval.  Under the New Covenant, our motivation to please God comes from a different source.  When we look at the price God was willing to pay for an eternal relationship with us, we want –choose –desire to be obedient as our way of saying, “Thank you God for what you did for me.”  Jesus did the work.  Now I accept your Gift of Grace.  It’s all about exercising our free will and making the right choice.  Again, “Thank you, God, for your unconditional love for me.”

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

May God Bless Ya…

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

Good Morning, My Friends… this is one of those days when I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (in fact, I was only quasi-asleep most of the night) because I have so much I want to write about.  Honestly, I’m having a hard time reeling it all in.

We just got back from our ten year anniversary vacation and it was spectacular.  We had so many God moments and appointments… it was nothing short of astounding.  And on Oct. 8^th at sunset, we renewed our wedding vows by the sea and began to look forward to the next fifty years together!  What an awesome experience.

The trip experience has made me want to write about carrying the message in our everyday life, but coupled with that is my over-whelming desire to write about God’s unconditional, unending, unfailing love for us…always, even when we feel like total slackers or loser.

But then again…also on my mind is a continuation of the “Growing in Prayer” church-wide study we are undertaking at Grace Church St. Louis.  Regardless of how much we think we know about prayer, the author, Mike Bickle and our pastor, Ron Tucker, are enlightening all of us in the mater of unleashing the power of God through prayer.  So…I sense I am ready to start with the unleashing God’s power through prayer, because that’s the basis for the other topics becoming a reality.

God’s promise to us (Christ-followers) is if we abide (stay) in him, he will abide in us.  The critical two words here are “IF WE”.  It is the exercise of our free-will that makes or breaks that promise.  To abide means to say connected to Jesus.  When we abide in Jesus, spiritual fruit will grow in us (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, Galatians 5:22) and people will begin to see Jesus in what we say and do. Jesus made it very clear to us in John 5:15: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.”

There are three aspects of abiding in Christ.  The first is talking to Jesus, and this does not have to be wrapped in religious trappings.  Jesus may be a Spirit, but he IS REAL; he’s our friend; he loves us; he delights in us; he wants to be part of our life.  He wants us to talk him when we wake up, when we take a shower, when we drive to work, at work, at play, walking the dogs, at home, when we go to bed. He’s always available…but we have to initiate the conversation.  And because it is a conversation, it’s also important that we take time to hear what He has to say in return.

The next aspect of abiding in Christ is becoming aware of the more than 3000 promises contained in the Bible. But again, the promises are often predicated on the first two words…”if you” or “when you”.  These promises are God’s truth, and it’s knowing and experiencing these truths that cause our belief (faith) to develop and become steadfast.

And finally, the third aspect of abiding is setting our hearts to obey Him.  No doubt our obedience opens the door for God’s bountiful blessings, but the reality is…this is also where we often experience the “rub”.  Consequently we must never forget the truth of Christianity 101.  Jesus is “the Way, the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)  And conversely…“Satan is a liar!  He is the father of lies.” (John 8:44)

Satan was defeated 2015 years ago at the cross.  He’s finished!   He has no power EXCEPT the power of lies and deception.  But make no mistake…he’s the master liar and he is relentless in his pursuit to separate us from God and his Truth.  That’s his total purpose, and his favorite technique is to create in us fear, worry, stress, doubt, guilt, anxiety, shame, etc…anything that can make us doubt God’s love and his promises.

He’ll show up anywhere…even in the midst of our prayer life.  Have you ever experienced anything like this… in the middle of your prayer?  “Are you kidding me?  You’re asking for forgiveness!  God’s got to be pretty fed up with you.  You’re back here all the time asking the same thing and getting nowhere.  Fact is, he’s had it with YOU!  What you’re doing is shameful…a disgrace!”

The only way we can combat such assaults is the same way Jesus replied to Satan in the wilderness.  By standing on the truth of God’s Word and on his promises.  James 4;7 tells us, “…Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.”  

Following are some scriptural bullets that should be in our “God’s Truth” arsenal.

“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.”  2Timothy 1:7

“Be strong and of good courage.  Do not fear nor be afraid.  For the Lord your God is the One who goes with you.  He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6. 

“I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

“There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  Romans 8:1

(This is only a start…there are 2996 more promises waiting to be discovered by you, but the journey is nothing short of a joyride!)

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

May God Bless Ya…

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good morning Meetpastordan Readers. My Church, Grace Church-St. Louis, is involved in a church-wide study based on a book by Mike Bickle entitled, “Growing in Prayer”.  Our mission is to engage more people in the true meaning of prayer.  Prayer isn’t about following some religious ritual; or something we do when we know we have fallen short; or something we do when we want something.  No!  Prayer is about deepening our relationship with God. Psalm 149;4 tells us: “For the Lord delights in his people, he crowns the humble with salvation.” He longs for us to communicate with him…anytime, because He delights in us.  No matter how lifeless we may feel; no matter how messy our lives my be, it is the call of every believer in Christ to release the power of God through prayer.

I recently had a conversation with a friend who was telling me how distant he felt from God.  “Why do I feel like this? I know my sins are forgiven and I have been promised eternal life, but why do I feel so unworthy and pathetic in my Christian walk?”  Wow! It opened up a great opportunity to talk with him about the “process” of walking the Christian walk.  It is the same process that is embodied in the churchy word “Sanctification” (Have you ever worked that word into a conversation with any luck?)

Forgiveness of our sins and eternal life happen on the spiritual level, but we live in the here and now – in this fallen world and in these fleshly bodies.  And our soul, which consists of our mind, emotions, and will are all subject to temptations from the world around us.  (Refer to last week’s posting with describes what we are fighting against.)  Our role as Christ-followers is to let our Spirit Man, the part of us that has been transformed by the Great Exchange, transform the human part of us, our soul and our flesh, into the person God wants us to be.

Believe me, it doesn’t happen over night.  There is no mental or emotional delete button.  Life keeps happening and we have to contend with it.  However, the other part of God’s salvation plan is designed to make that possible.  Keep reading.

So you may be saying to yourself, “What’s the big deal?  We’ve all had experiences like that.  I know I’ve fallen short, but I know I’m forgiven.”  And I would say, “Yes, we all have experienced that distant feeling from God…especially when we give in to our flesh, which is our human instinct.  But the point I want to make is this:  we are called to rise above the “human instinct” and let Jesus light shine through us. (Matthew 5:16)  And this is certainly a challenge for all Christ-followers because our actions are always on display.

Believe me when I say… a world of non-believers is very observant of what “we” (as Belivers) do and what “we” say.  And as I have pointed out on many occasions, people would much rather see a sermon than hear a one. In other words, our actions as well as our words, reflect the state of our hearts.  When our actions and our words have been outside of God’s will, that can make us feel remorse, guilt and shame.   And that can make us feel distanced from God.  But the good news is… when we call on the Holy Spirit and tell him that is not the person we want to be and ask Him  to give us the wisdom courage and strength to be the person God has called us to be, you’ll be surprised at the results.

As Christ-followers, we are well aware of the “big sins”, but it would appear that sometimes we tend to “overlook” the list of sins enumerated by Apostle Paul in Romans 1: 28-32 or in Galatians 5:19-21.  While it is easy to feel self-righteous about not lying, stealing, murdering, taking the Lord’s name in vain or participating in adultery or homosexuality, we forget that that list also includes such “venial sins” as gossip and covetousness.  And the great equalizer is Apostle Paul’s statement at the end of Galatians 5:21, “…Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.”  And James tells us in chapter 2:10:  “And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of Gods laws.”  Yikes! In other words, a sin is a sin?

Now with the sin issue behind us at the spiritual level, the challenge for Christ-followers now is how to live the life we are called to live in a way that brings honor and glory to God and furthers his Kingdom here on earth.  The difference now is our motivation for changing our lives.  Now we desire to become more Christ-like in the way we live.  As I mentioned above, now we are trying to get our Spirit Man to being our soul and our flesh in line with his Truth and become the person God wants us to be. We are no longer trying to earn God’s approval because of our works.  We don’t need to do that because when God looks at us now, he sees us covered with the blood of Jesus. In His eyes we are Saints, meaning set apart.  (The New Testament uses the term “Saint” 67 times and in every instance it refers to Believers…those who are in Christ!) 

There is a weighty church term that reveals the process of growing and maturing as a Christ-follower.  That term was mentioned above and is Sanctification.  There are numerous references to the term: 1Thessalonians 5:23; Colossians 1:5,27; Colossians 3:4; and 1John 3:2.  These are all “wordy” passages, so I will hopefully simplify the content.  Sanctification means a practical progressive holiness we develop in our life as we call on the Holy Spirit to prepare and mold us for the return of Jesus Christ. In other words, we are called to model a lifestyle that reflects the lifestyle Jesus portrayed when he was here on earth, one of  Love, mercy, compassion, grace, forgiveness, service to our fellow man, and standing on the Truth of God’s Word.

Living the life of a Christ-follower is a process, and it begins at the very conscious level of the mind. Galations 5-17-18, 22-23, 25 describes the process. “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 to your sin nature.  When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”

God’s salvation plan was not only about forgiveness of sin and eternal life, but it also equips us for living the life we are called to live right here and now in this fallen world.  The indwelling Holy Spirit empowers us to accomplish tasks and grow in ways that are greater than what we could have produced of our own accord.  In fact, that is how we fulfill the truth of the phrase I hear frequently:  “Let go; let God”; or “I’m just going to turn it over to God.”  To be perfectly candid, I have often wondered what people are thinking when they use those phrases. Do they expect God to solve the dilemma they are experiencing? Then when it is fixed, expecting he will let them know in some tangible way to “get back in the game?”  The truth is, the Holy Spirit doesn’t fix anything for us; He empowers us to do the fixing.  It is in that process that our growth and maturity develop.

When we are facing a dilemma, we call on the Holy Spirit to empower us by giving us wisdom, insight, patience, courage, strength, perseverance, whatever it is we need to solve our problem in a way that brings honor and glory to God.  This IS the Sanctification process. We are consciously trying to become the person God created us to be, and we are using Jesus as our role model.  Will we fall short of God’s glorious standard?  Sometimes.  But the only error we can make is to not get up and keep moving toward our goal.  This is the process to prepare us to share in Christ’s glory, because “when he returns, we will be like him.” (IJohn 3:2)

So the whole purpose of mentioning the incident of feeling separated from God is something that we all have and will continue to experience, but something that can be corrected by connecting to the Holy Spirit.  Nothing does God want more than for us to turn to him in our time of crisis or turmoil.  He delights in us and he wants to be part of our life…at all times.  James tells us that the prayers of a righteous man avails much.  (James 5;16)  And we are righteous not because of anything we have done, but because of what Jesus did for us on the cross 2015 years ago and because we accepted God’s Gift of Grace.  When we get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit empower us to be the person God created and designed us to be, that is how we “let go and let God”.

All believers have the authority from Jesus to pray in his name, and when we do that we release the power of God. I will close with 1John 5:14-15: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us.  Since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.”  How powerful is that?!

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

May God Bless Ya…

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

 

 

 

Good Morning, My Friends.  Even at this dark hour, I am wide awake and still basking in the magnificent performance of the Saint Louis Wind Symphony yesterday as we opened our eighteenth concert season.  What a spectacular group of musicians, and what a privilege to be able to stand on the podium.  That indeed is a grand source of joy in my life, and I thank God every day for such a blessing.  But today is a new day.  I’m off the podium now, and it’s time to tackle a new challenge. I have a cup of hot coffee with me; Cliff and Glenn have assumed their positions around my desk, so I’m ready to start writing blog #114.

As I have stated so many times in my writing, “what a crazy world we live in today”!  Everything is topsy-turvy!  What used to be respected, honored, glorified – and even worshiped – is today vilified, mocked and ridiculed.  For instance, if one has the courage to stand on their religious beliefs, they can be persecuted.  If one has the courage to speak honestly about their personal beliefs and concerns, they can be persecuted.  Conversely, what used to be shameful – or even sinful – is today center stage and basking in the spotlight.  If you doubt that, just look at the content of most of the new movies and TV shows – not only cable, but also the network shows.  The favorite themes of the media industry right now seems to be sorcery or witchcraft, the glorification of adultery and the gay life-style, or violence presented in the most “in-your-face” horrific manner.  Believe me, all of this affects the very heart and soul of a culture, and the end result can be nothing short of catastrophic.

God addressed this matter in a crystal-clear prophecy through Isaiah in 5:20,21,24; “Destruction is certain for those who say evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark; the bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.  Destruction is certain for those who think they are wise and consider themselves to be so clever. Therefore, they will all disappear like burning straw.  Their roots will rot and their flowers will wither, for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty.”  Throughout history this prophecy has proven to be true.  The Babylonian Empire, Persian Empire, Greek Empire, Roman Empire, even modern-day movements such as the Nazi Germany or the Japanese Empire have all collapsed from within and ultimately faced defeat when they rejected the law of the Lord Almighty.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our culture learned from, and steered around, the mistakes made by others?

Unfortunately there is a movement within our own country called the “liberal-progressive movement” that is leading us down the same destructive path.  And how is that, you ask?  By chip, chip, chipping away at the two fundamental pillars of our society; the traditional family structure and religious freedom.  If those two pillars can be weakened and/or redefined, it becomes easier for the governing source to offer – or impose (ie. Common Core curriculum) alternatives that suit their purpose.  And what is their ultimate purpose?  The same purpose that was evident in the fallen cultures listed above.  Power and control.

I felt I had to present the above backdrop before I could turn to the subject matter of today’s blog.  I believe if anyone reading this will take time to reflect on the truth of the scenario presented above, it might open your mind to the truth that is coming below.

As I have stated before, I do not believe the answer to our culture’s dilemma will be found in electing a Republican, Democrat or Independent.  No doubt our current leadership is copacetic with the liberal-progressive agenda and hopefully a new leader would slow down the movement, but our culture now is experiencing a Spiritual malaise.  No doubt a political agenda – one that has been brewing for quite a while – has led us down this path by pandering to our most base human desires (referred to culturally as ”human nature”, but referred to Biblically as our “sin nature”.)  But the problem now is a Spiritual problem, and that situation can only be solved by a Spiritual solution.

First we have to be aware of what we are fighting.  (As I begin to write this next segment, I am reminded that there was a time when these words would have NEVER come out of my mouth, because I was a non-believer for half a century!  But the good news is… in 2000 I had an encounter with Jesus Christ that changed my life).  But I know that without Jesus Christ, it is easy to disregard or disparage the existence of the Devil.  And now I understand why that is true.  Without Jesus Christ, Satan has us right where he wants us, so he leaves us alone.  However, when we make a decision to change our ways and become a Christ-follower, we immediately become aware of the existence of an enemy hell-bent on ship-wrecking our efforts to change.  He will assault us with every kind of temptation, lie and deception to keep us firmly in his grip.  (All believers reading this will know exactly what I mean.)

So here is the truth of the source of ALL evil.  Apostle Paul warns us about the Devil when he tells us to be aware of his strategies and tricks.  In Ephesians 6:12 he tells us: “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.”  But after this warning he gives us the solution in verse 13.  “Use every piece of God’s armor (Scriptures from the Holy Bible) to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.”   And believe me…it will be a battle, so we have to be prepared!

So how do we resist the Devil?  The same way Jesus did in the wilderness.  He resisted Satan’s temptation by rebuking him with the Word of God. (Matthew 4:3-11)  Therefore, we have to know the Word of God too.  That becomes the foundation of our faith and the truth with which we combat Satan.  We have the power of Jesus in us in the form of the Holy Spirit.  As His followers, we can pray in His name.  Do you know how POWERFUL that is??  When we resist the Devil in the name of Jesus and armed with the Word of God, he will flee from us. (James 4:7)

When most people think of God’s salvation plan, they think about forgiveness of our sins and eternal life.  However, for those of us still living in this fallen world and facing all the temptations of our culture, we know the gift of the Holy Spirit is God’s way of empowering us to rise above the quagmire of sin so we can yield to his purpose.  Prior to accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, none of this was on our mind.  We were just part of the world and lived to satisfy our own lustful desires.  But the same way God’s will does not trump our free-will, the Holy Spirit does not take over our being and turn us into “Jesus robots”.

But he does, however, empower us to do God’s will when we call on him.  That is the power we have that the world does not have.  In John 14: 16-17, Jesus explained it to his Disciples this way: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you.  He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.  The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him.  But you do, because he lives with you now, and later will be in you.”  

Let’s refer back three paragraphs to the Scripture from Ephesians 6:12.  Satan not only tempts and infiltrates us, but he tempts and infiltrates the rulers and powers of this world.  It is quite clear the liberal-progressive agenda has its roots in evil, ie. the assault on Christianity; the abortion agenda:  the LGBT agenda; the assault on the Judeo-Christian principles on which this country was founded; and the lawlessness that abounds in both our government and businesses!  In fact, Satan has even infiltrated many of our churches, which is evidenced by many churches watering down the truth of God’s Word to yield to the direction of the culture. Yikes!  How, you ask, can this turn around?

Well, the good news is…taking place right along- side this grim presentation is a growing prayer movement in churches around our country.  God’s proclamation has never changed from Genesis to 2015:  “Repent!  Turn from your sin and turn to God.”  (Acts 3:19:  Acts 17:11: Matthew 3:2)  God gave us the “how to do it” in 2Chronicles 7:14-15:  “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.  I will listen to every prayer made in this place…” And again in James 4:10, “If you will humble yourself before the Lord (both people and nations) and admit your dependence on him, he will lift your up and give you honor.”  

This, My Friends, is the answer to our country’s seemingly unsolvable demise.  May God Bless America.

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

May God Bless Ya…

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Morning, My Friends.  Every Sunday when I walk out of Grace Church – St. Louis, I say to Pam, “I wish everyone had the opportunity to sit in this congregation.”  Grace Church is a nondenominational church that is committed to the Gospel of Grace and standing on the truth of God’s Word, even when it is unpopular to take such a stand.  Pastor Ron Tucker is appointed and anointed to carry such a message, and he does so week after week in unwavering fashion.   His message yesterday spoke boldly about where our culture is in relation to the famous passage found in 2Chronicles 7:14: “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.”  I don’t usually take this approach with my blog, but his message was so powerful, I would like to try to capture some of the highlights of his presentation in this limited space.  

I believe we all would agree…we’re living in crazy times!  Mark Twain, when referencing Dickins, A Tale of Two Cities, quoted, “It was the best of times and the worst of times.”  Today’s best is the great spiritual awakening taking place across Africa, Latin America, in China, and even in the Muslim world.  Today’s worst is global terrorism, the threat of nuclear war, and immorality and defiance of God’s Word, which is rampant in this country today.

To see how upside down our culture has become, within just two generations, consider this.  What used to be honored, revered and considered sacred – even worshiped, is now ridiculed, marginalized, demonized and in some cases persecuted.  And what used to be considered immoral, shameful, disgusting – even sinful, is center stage and basking in the spotlight.  We have even witnessed audiences applauding such abominations.

Our culture is, and has been for a while, in the process of being both numbed down and dumbed down by a liberal, progressive agenda. Lying, cheating, stealing and corruption at all levels of government and business has become tolerated today as, “well…that’s just the way it is.  Everyone’s doing it!”  Our senses have become overloaded by such things as: the latest technological advances that keep us glued to the screen; the pornification of our culture, which is escalating at an alarming rate; drug and alcohol abuse, which is reaching epidemic proportions; the proliferation of violence, both on the street and in the abortion industry, and political agendas that are designed to chip, chip, chip away at traditional values – both family values and unalienable rights (God-given rights).

What I have just described is the condition of Israel when they turned away from God, and he spoke this warning through the prophet Isaiah in chapter 5, verse 20-24:  “Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.  Destruction is certain for those who think they are wise and consider themselves to be so clever.  Destruction is certain for those who…take bribes to pervert justice.  They let the wicked go free while punishing the innocent.  Therefore, they will all disappear like burning straw because they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty!”   I believe the content of those verses describes the essence of today’s culture.  And take note, it also describes the penalty to be paid…and why.

Let’s back up to the first verse referenced from 2Chronicles.  “If my people, who are called by my name…”  Who are “my people” today?  In the Old Testament it was Israel because they were in covenant with God.  Today it is still the people who are in covenant with God, but that means those of us who are “in Christ.”  Because we are Christ-followers, we inherited all the promises in the Bible.  We are the body of Christ.  1Peter 24: 4-5 makes this perfectly clear: “Come to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple.  He was rejected by the people, but he is precious to God who chose him.  And now he is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple.  What’s more you are God’s holy priests, who offer spiritual sacrifices (prayers) that please him because of Jesus Christ”

“Will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways…”  It is time for the church to awaken from its slumber.  The time is NOW for the body of Christ (the church) to claim the identity given to us in the verse above; “you are God’s holy priests who offer spiritual sacrifices that please him because of Jesus Christ.”   We inherited the righteousness of Jesus Christ when we accepted him as our Lord and Savior.  James tells us what that means in chapter 5, verse 16: “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”  The corporate Church has the power, Jesus Christ, to change our culture.  Read on.

“I will hear from heaven…”  As followers of Jesus Christ, we have the right to pray in his name.  In John 14: 13-14, Jesus makes clear the importance of that right. “You can ask for anything in my name and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father.  Yes, ask anything in my name, and I will do it! (For clarity sake, if you are at all familiar with the truth of the Bible, you know that implied in that statement is “ask anything in my name, that is in line with God’s will, and I will do it!”  And what are we praying fervently for?  The restoration of our country; a return to the Godly principles on which this country was founded.  That is definitely in line with God’s will!

“and I will forgive their sins and heal their land.” The insanity that has become the norm in our culture reflects the state of our nation’s heart.  It is a spiritual issue, not a political issue.  No doubt it was political agendas that got us in this mess, but the answer now will not be found in the election of another Republican, Democrat, or even an Independent.  This answer can only be found in returning to the proclamation that has been sounded over and over again throughout both the Old and the New Testament. Repent!  Turn from your sin and turn to God!  Refer back a few paragraphs to the verse from Isaiah 5:20-24.  The penalty for turning away from the Lord clearly stated in these verses, and history has proven that to be correct.  The fall of every person, or great empire, or nation has been the result of turning their backs to God.

I believe our culture is ready for a message of hope based on truth.  I don’t think anyone would argue that we have been let down by people and institutions that have here-to-fore been our focus of faith, including Corporate American and it’s scandals, the government and it’s lies, and even the Church and it’s cover-ups.  So where can we turn?  Well…Where are they turning in Africa, in Latin America and in China.  In fact, if the rate of conversions taking place today continues in China, it is predicted that by 2030 China will be the largest Christian country in the world.  Can you even imagine that?

But what these people are hearing, and what they are longing for, is the hope that comes from the truth of the Gospel of Grace.  I believe that if the Body of Christ will have the courage and conviction to take a concerted stand against evil and sin and call it for what it is, we can change the heart of our nation.  Just as Luke Skywalker had the “force with him” in Star Wars, we have a very real force with us in our endeavor – the Holy Spirit.  Two undeniable truths will close this segment.  “Nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37) and 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.”  I believe that as followers of Jesus Christ, we have our marching orders.

Grace Church-St. Louis is in the front lines, leading the charge to pray for our country.  They are starting a church-wide prayer study based on the outstanding book, “Growing in Prayer” by Mike Bickle.  It begins next weekend, and includes about 75 small group studies throughout the week (morning noon and night).  If you would like to become involved in this all-important endeavor, call Grace Church-St. Louis at 314-292-8300 or call me at 314-799-7075.

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

May God bless ya…

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers.  I have been looking forward to writing on this subject for a few weeks now. I’ve had a good dose of the Book of James – both in my BBT class and in my personal reading.  This Book could be considered a book of wisdom in the New Testament, much like Proverbs in the Old Testament.  Framed within an overall theme of patient perseverance during trials and temptations, James writes to encourage believers to live consistently with what they have learned in Christ. He desires for his readers to mature in their faith in Christ by living what they say they believe. And James condemns various sins including pride, hypocrisy, favoritism, and slander, and he encourages believers to humbly live heavenly wisdom rather than worldly wisdom, and to pray in all situations.

While there are many wisdom-packed verses contained in this Book, one that has particularly grabbed my attention-  and one I’ve found myself referencing frequently – is verse 10 in chapter 4: “When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.”  To my way of thinking, this is the essence of the Gospel in one verse.

I find it interesting that almost all of the promises in the Bible begin with the two  words: “if you” or “when you”.  In other words, the meat of the promise that comes after these two qualifying words is predicated on our participation in what is being described.  I liken this to the recovery process.  Going to the recovery meetings is important, and they can be both enlightening and inspirational.  But that in itself will not keep you clean and sober.  The transformation process begins when we decide to participate in the “12 step” process.  And the terms “participation” and “process” are the keys in this matter.

A “process” is exacting.  Merriam Webster describes it as “a systematic series of actions directed to a defined end.”  The term “systematic” reminds us the end is dependent on not deviating from the prescribed plan.  The Scripture referenced above is a perfect example of this process.

Unfortunately, most people don’t wake up to their own insufficiency until they find themselves at the end of their proverbial rope and out of options.   That’s when the first two words, “When you” become real and begin to look like a life jacket in your sea of despair.  And much to your own surprise, you entertain the thought, “perhaps this is the answer”.  What a brilliant idea!  Now that new sense of “willingness” that you’ve finally found can open the door to the process outlined above.

“When you bow down before the Lord…”   This is not literally referencing any ritualistic activity, but is instead referencing the state of our heart.  This awareness of our own insufficiency has finally produced in us a state of humility, and nothing gets God’s attention more than a humble, pliable heart. This is clearly stated in James 4: 6-8: “God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble.  So humble yourself before God.  Resist the Devil (the source of pride)…  Draw close to God and God will draw close to you.” 

Those verses leave no doubt about God’s disdain for PRIDE.  “And why is that?” you might ask.  Because pride comes from our enemy, the Devil.  The most effective lie he uses today is the same lie he used to seduce Eve in the Garden.  “You won’t die, the serpent hissed.  God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it.  You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil.  The woman was convinced.  The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise!”  (Genesis 3:4-6)  Satan always wraps his alternative plan in a manner that titillates our human nature.  And the caveat is always the same nuggets Eve found irresistible: “you can be self-sufficient.  You will know everything.  You will become just like God…you won’t need God.”

God didn’t create us to be independent creatures.  He created us to live in communion with him and to experience his love and care, just like Adam and Eve did before the fall.   Step 3 of Alcoholics Anonymous states this concept so beautifully:  “We made a decision to turn our will and life over to the CARE of God, as we understand him.”  I capitalized the word “care” because I know in my own case, while I read “care” and said “care”, what I heard in my mind was “control.”  Needless to say, I wasn’t too fond of being under the control of anything.

But one day when I was reading that Step 3, the word, “care” jumped off the page as though it were illuminated with bright neon lights. Wow!  I was shocked.  How could I have missed that?  It says CARE!  So what does a care-giver do for someone under their guidance?  Well…they keep them safe; they make sure their needs are met; they provide a sense of love, peace and security.  How awesome is that?!  Well… the good news is, this IS the God we find when we admit our dependency on him.  This is the God who’s love is unconditional, unending, and unfailing.  This is the God who provides the answers to all of our worldly problems through the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ.  When we are in Christ, we are heirs to all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm and all the promises in the Bible.  And that is only the beginning of what our dependency nets us.

“And He will lift us up and give us honor.” Once we have gained a new sense of humility by realizing “we aren’t God”; and once we have admitted our dependence on Him and have accepted his Gift of Grace, the floodgates are open to experience his abundant blessings.

First, we become a new creation in Christ.  2Corinthians 5:17 tells us that, “anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!  What this specifically tells us is, our old nature – our sin nature, or what our culture calls our “human nature” – is taken away and replaced with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  This new Spirit now empowers us to make new decisions that are in line with God’s will rather than following the self-serving desires of our sin- nature. This conflict is addressed in Galatians 5:17-18: “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 to your sinful nature.” 

In other words, we are set free from the bondage of our old selves.  As a new creation in Christ, we can call on the Holy Spirit to empower us to make choices that help us to become the person God created us to be, and to bring honor and Glory to God.  Now we are capable of becoming God’s “masterpiece”, as referenced in Ephesians 2:10: “For now we are his masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” 

So the honor that we get from admitting our dependency on God is a second chance at life.  And along with being a new creation is the new identity that comes from being in Christ.  Because of that new standing, we are grafted into God’s family.  We are a child of God; our sins are forgiven; we are acceptable and worthy to come into God’s presence; we are heir to all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm and all the promises in the Bible.

But not only are we in Christ, but Christ is in us in the form of the Holy Spirit.  That gift is part of God’s salvation plan for us so we can begin living the life he has called us to live in this fallen world.

This is how we rise above the quagmire of sin in which we live to become the “masterpiece” referenced above…we call on the Holy Spirit to empower us.  Bear in mind, the Holy Spirit does not fix or solve our problems for us, but he does empower us when we call on him with wisdom, courage, strength, patience, perseverance – whatever it is we need to solve our problems in a way that brings honor and Glory to God.

So rest assured of these two truths.  As followers of Jesus Christ, we are in Christ and Christ is in us.  That’s what the Scripture means when it says, “Jesus Christ, our hope of glory.”  (Colossians 2:27)  And believe me, my Friends…Jesus Christ is our only hope of glory.  A-men!

So my question to you today is… Have you bowed down before the Lord and admitted your dependence on him?  How has you experiencing Him given you honor?

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

May God bless ya…

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

I mentioned to a friend yesterday that I would be writing my blog this morning, and he recalled the blog I wrote last year commemorating Labor Day.  He said it was the first of my blogs he had read, and it kept him coming back.  I have to admit, I didn’t recall what I had written, but his comment peaked my interest, so I went back and re-read it. Consequently I’ve decided to repost it.  In the spirit of the holiday, I will take this day of rest too.

In 1894 Congress set aside the first Monday in September as a time to celebrate the contribution of American workers to the strength, prosperity and well-being of this great country.  It was proclaimed “Labor Day”, and originally constituted a “day off”, or a “day of rest” for the workers.  So in that spirit, “Happy Labor Day” to one and all, and I hope you enjoy your day of rest with your friends and family.

Since today is about experiencing rest from our labor, I would like to carry that theme into today’s posting and talk about God’s place of rest.  Joshua 1:13 tells us, “Remember the word that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you, saying, “The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.”  The “rest” promised to the Israelites was the land of Canaan. That was their destination; their “Promised Land.”  Had they continued to live in accordance with God’s will, their work and effort would have come to an end and they would have experienced rest, peace and prosperity as they communed with God. 

However that was not the case.  Rather than being obedient to their God who was leading them through the wilderness and displaying miracle after miracle, they continued to live in doubt and fear.  Remember, God had already promised them the land of Canaan.  All they had to do was go in and take it. But their fear was greater than their faith.

Now if we fast forward to the New Testament, that story is referenced when the author of Hebrews writes in 3:15, “Today you must listen to his voice.  Don’t harden your hearts against him as Israel did when they rebelled.”  Since those who first heard the message were disobedient and did not reach their destination, God set another time for entering his place of “rest”, and that time, according to the psalmist David, is “today”.  (Note the fore-shadowing of the New Covenant.  The Israelites were on their way to the Promised Land.  All they had to do to receive their blessing (or gift) was to be obedient and trust God that he would bless them and lead them home.

WHAT IS OUR PLACE OF REST TODAY?

As followers of Jesus Christ, God invites us to join him in his place of rest. You see…God’s plan for our salvation is perfect. He knew that we could never achieve his standard of perfection through our own effort. History would, and has, proven that.  But today we can enter our place of rest, not by our own effort, but by accepting God’s gift to us. And this is a Gift of Grace because we did nothing to earn it, and we were certainly not worthy of it. But this gift is from a loving father who wants an eternal relationship with his children. As followers of Jesus, we are “heir to all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm” (Ephesians 1) and all the promises in the Bible. Now it’s no longer about our work and effort, but about our faith in the finished work of Jesus.

The Promised Land the Israelites were seeking was described as a fertile land, a land where their crops and livestock would flourish. To them it was a land of milk and honey; a land that would fulfill their dreams. As Christ-followers, we are also looking forward to our Promised Land (Heaven), and we too are expecting paradise. But the wonderful truth of being in Christ is…we don’t have to wait until we die to begin experiencing God’s kingdom!  His Kingdom has come to those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are a new creation in Christ, so we can begin experiencing a new life right here, right now…even in this fallen world.

WHO IS THIS NEW PERSON?

Perhaps the most unsung benefit of this new life is the “rest”, or peace and serenity that results. Apostle Paul clearly portrays the confusion, strife and hopelessness found in a life directed by our sinful nature.  In Galatians 5:19-21, he states: “…your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, contempt, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin.  Now contrast that with a new life directed by the Holy Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23.  This is a life that produces, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.   1Corinthians 14:33 confirms this:  “God is not a God of disorder, but of peace”.

As we begin to see the truth of God’s word manifested in our lives, the more our faith grows and the more we mature as Christ-followers. It doesn’t take long to realize that the peace and serenity we are now experiencing is what we have always wanted, but unfortunately we had been looking for answers in all the wrong places. For instance, conforming to the patterns of this world is clearly not the answer, because the harder we try to fill that “hole in our soul” with worldly “things”, the more we sink deeper and deeper into the quagmire of hopelessness.  While we may find the temporary “fix” we are seeking, there is only one eternal answer that fills our need.  And that answer is Jesus Christ.

The source of our “rest” comes from knowing who we are in Christ. Our new identity tells us we can stop working for His approval.  We are now his “masterpiece.” (Ephesians 2:10) Accepting his Gift of Grace is our ultimate display of trust in God, and because of that choice we can now come boldly into His presence.  Romans 8:1 tell us, “There is NO condemnation for those in Christ”.  Therefore we have confident assurance we will eventually enter our Promised Land, BUT we can begin living the abundant life right here, right now because we are sin-free; worthy and acceptable to God; we are adopted into his family; and made the righteousness of Christ because of His work at the cross…not because of anything we did.  

So the good news for us today is…if you are in Christ, you’re IN!  Think about that today as we celebrate Labor Day…our day of rest.

My question to you today is, “Are you experiencing the peace and serenity that comes from your new identity”

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

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

 

 

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…Here I am…it’s 0-dark thirty a.m., but I’m bright eyed and bushy-tailed and still resonating from the joy  I experienced yesterday. Yesterday we began rehearsing for the seventeenth season of The Saint Louis Wind Symphony.  I can’t tell you how honored, yet humbled I am to be able to stand on the podium in front of such a magnificent organization and produce music that touches people’s hearts.  When I count my blessings, that is indeed right near the top of the list. But coffee’s in my hand, and Cliff and Glenn stretched out on the floor beside me, so it doesn’t get much better than this!

When I was a youngster attending church, my favorite part of the service was singing hymns.  I  wasn’t particularly mindful of the words at that time, but I loved picking out the alto or tenor parts and fitting them into the musical fabric.  This was when I first came to realize that it was these parts – the harmony parts – that really sell the melody line. But over the years I have been drawn back to the words of some of the most well-known hymns, and have been both amazed and inspired at the depth of their message.  Since I am in the spirit of thanksgiving this morning, I would like to delve into one of my personal favorites, “How Great Thou Art”.

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder, Consider all the works thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed;

Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander, and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur, and hear the brook, and feel he gentle breeze;

Refrain

And when I think that God his son not sparing, Sent him to die – I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin:

Refrain

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation, And take me home- what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration, And there proclaim, my God, how great thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art! 

I love the personal acclamation of these opening words…O Lord MY God!  I am standing in AWE of YOU!  Will I ever begin to grasp the magnificence, the splendor, the depth of who YOU are?

I believe everyone reading this has probably asked that same question, and I believe God knew we would wrestle with…or in some cases struggle with, this very dilemma.  But I also believed he provided answers for us in two specific scriptures.  Isaiah 55:8-9. “My thoughts are not the same as your thoughts”, says the Lord.  “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”  And again in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted throughout the earth.”  I believe God is saying to us, “Folks, don’t sit around trying to figure me out.  You’ll never be able to do that.  I am God!  Enter into a relationship with me. Get to know me through Jesus Christ.  The more you experience him, the more you will come to know and trust me (God)!  “Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation.”  (Colossians 1:15)

Apostle Paul addresses the majestic powers of God in the last part of verse 1 when he writes in Romans 1:20, “From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God has made.  They can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature.  So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God!”  When we begin to get only a glimpse of the unfathomable nature of God – and can accept that because HE IS GOD – (I mean, would you want to worship a lesser God?  One you can figure out?),  yet at the same time we begin experiencing his unconditional, unending, unfailing love for US, how can our soul not sing, “How Great Thou Art!”

When we look at the second verse, we see another side of God’s grandeur.  Contrasted with the mighty thunder and the power of his creation, our attention is now drawn to the birds sweetly singing in the trees, the unobtrusive sound of a flowing brook and a gentle breeze.  In Matthew 6:26-34, Jesus assures us that God cares for the needs of the birds as well as the flowers that adorn his creation.  The point of these verses is to draw our attention to how much more valuable to God are we than the birds or the flowers.  Therefore, since he takes care of the lowly things, why should we worry about his provision for us? Verse 33 is very specific: “…he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.”  This is very clear.  God rewards us for our trust and our faithfulness.  Wow!  “How Great Thou Art”.

Verse 3 unfolds the Gospel of Grace with a sparsity of words.  Ephesians 1: 5 tells us, “God’s 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.”  God gave mankind from creation to 2015 years ago to solve the dilemma of SIN!  After all, it was sin that separated God from his proudest creation, and it was sin that would prevent God from having an eternal relationship with his proudest creation.  1Peter 1:16 tells us, “You have to be holy because I am holy.”  In other words, we can’t come into the presence of God if we are stained with sin.

But Romans 5:6 also states God’s perfect plan, “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”  “Utterly helpless” leaves little doubt about the pathetic state of mankind.  And did God wait for us to clean up our act so we could be worthy of his Gift of Grace?  Absolutely not!  Christ became the sacrificial lamb for mankind while we were still sinners.  This is the ultimate example of God’s unconditional love for his proudest creation.  Again, one more reason to proclaim “How Great Thou Art”.

As Christ-followers, we anxiously await the fulfillment of the last verse.  King Solomon had it right in Ecclesiastes 3 when he stated:  “There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. A time to sow, a time to reap;  A time to grieve; a time to dance; a time to laugh; a time to cry; a time to live; a time to die.” We all know that a time will come when we will be called home.  But because we are in-Christ, we can face this inevitable fate with confident expectation rather than fear. Why?  Because we know our true identity in-Christ.  We are forgiven; we are worthy and acceptable in God’s eyes; we are the righteousness of Christ; we have inherited eternal life; and we are grafted into God’s family.  We ARE his child!  And we have God’s promise as stated in Romans 8:1-2: “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.  For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.” 

My greatest desire today is to bring into reality verse 4 of Psalm 27: “The one thing I ask of the Lord – the thing I seek most – is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.  And Psalm 84:10: “For better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.”  MY GOD, when I think of your majestic qualities: Creator of the Universe, Godhead of the Trinity, omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, Alpha and Omega and your personal qualities, love, mercy, grace, kindness, patience, I want to burst into song proclaiming “How Great Thou Art!”

So my question to you today is…Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?  If yes, then you too can look forward with confident expectation to the fulfillment of verse 4 of this magnificent hymn.

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

May God bless ya…

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