When I think of who I am in Jesus Christ and what that really means…this wellspring of joy envelopes my very soul, and I want to sing and dance as David did when he returned with the Arc of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  I want to shout, “Christians…why the long faces; why the shades of despair; why are you fearful?  2 Timothy 1:7 tells us, “God didn’t give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.”  Our power and confidence comes from KNOWING that Jesus has already overcome the world. (John 16:33)  Therefore, as Christ-followers, we TOO have overcome the world. That truth is reinforced in 1John 4;4: “The Spirit that lives in me (the Holy Spirit) is greater than the spirit in this world (satan).” When those two truths come alive in our hearts, we can begin living the abundant life Jesus promised with confidence, hope and joy!

The truth of “who we are in-Christ” should give us a new self-image based on the truth of God’s Word.  And God’s Word tells us: our sins have been forgiven, (Hebrews 8:12, “I will remember their sins no more.”); we are unconditionally loved, (Romans 5:8, “Christ died for us while we were still sinners.”), and we are worthy and acceptable in his sight, (Romans 8:1-2, “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.”)  WOW!  Take some time and meditate on what that really means.  You, my friends, ARE a new creation in Christ!

As we are told in 2 Corinthians 5:17-19: “Those who belong to Jesus Christ have become new persons.  The old life is gone.  A new life has begun.  All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did.  For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them.”  When I read this, a new reality takes center stage.  Being a Christ-follower is about living…specifically, living a new life!  It’s about realizing our past is our past…it’s history, it’s over,it’s gone!  If God can remember our sins no more, why do we keep trying to dredge them up??  Being a Christ-follower is about experiencing the revelation of our “new self”.  Our sins, our past, our bondages have been forgiven!  That’s why Christ came…to set us free so we can become the “masterpiece” referenced in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s masterpiece, created anew in Christ Jesus so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” 

David is the perfect example of experiencing the joy that comes from knowing God.  Psalm 148: 1-4, “Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise the Lord from the skies.  Praise him, all his angels! Praise him sun and moon and twinkling stars.  Let every created thing give praise to the Lord!”  Psalm 149:1,3,4-5, “Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song.  Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.  Praise his name with dancing.  For the Lord delights in his people.  Let the faithful rejoice in his honor.  Let them sing for joy.”  Psalm 150: “Praise the Lord!  Praise God in his heavenly dwelling.  Praise him for his mighty works. Praise him for his unequaled greatness.  Let everything that lives sing praises to the Lord!”

Needless to say, David was a friend of God.  He delighted at being in his presence, and he experienced the pleasure of loving him.  So what are we to learn from David’s experience with God?  Simply this…whenever David fell short of God’s glorious standard, he kept coming back.  Regardless of the worldly pleasures that lured David (and us) back to our old ways, the truth of Psalm 16:11 prevails: “In Your presence is the fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”  The pleasures of the world are temporal, but the pleasures of the Lord last forever. It’s that reality that keeps us coming back when we fall short, and it’s that reality that becomes our source of confidence and strength.

Bob George, in his book “Classic Christianity”, often makes this statement, “the truth will set you free, but error will bind you.”  The perfect example of that statement can be found in the first God I met in my early church experience.  What I heard week after week was, “God is watching you!  He knows when you sin and he will punish you.  If you disobey God, you will burn in hell!”  I gotta tell ya…everything I was told not to do was what I liked and wanted to do, so I figured God had certainly had it with me. Since I was already condemned, I couldn’t wait to break free from God and do it on my own!  Needless to say, I became the prodigal son for the next thirty five years.

However, on April 21, 2000, I became painfully aware that my plan hadn’t worked out quite like I had anticipated.  I was at the end of my preverbal rope.  With no place else to go, I found myself on my knees crying out, “God please help me! I can’t continue down this path any longer, but I know I’m powerless to change.  I can’t do this without you.”

Something miraculous happened that day.  I met a new God.  Not the God who was shaking his finger at me, telling me what a failure I was and how disappointed he was with me, but a God who met me with open arms saying, “Welcome home.  I’ve been hoping for your return ever since you left.” The truth of that experience is expressed beautifully 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.”  He honored me that day by saying “welcome home” and giving me a second chance at life.

Today I try to intentionally live a life that brings honor and glory to God. I know who I am in Jesus Christ, and I want to say “thank you” to Him for what he has done for me.  He has certainly given me a second chance at life, and this time around I am going to live it for His glory.  Not only am I aware of his unconditional, unending, and unfailing love for me, but I find myself preoccupied with the superior pleasure of loving Him back.  I’ve found that the more I abide in Him, the more abundant the joy that fills my life.

The source and intensity of that joy comes deepening our own personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  We have been given the power of the Holy Spirit so that we may become more Christ-like.  So what exemplified Jesus’ life when he was here on this earth?   Love for one another, forgiveness, compassion, empathy, and service to our fellow man.  When these characteristics become the compass that directs our path, we can look forward to our final and ultimate reward.  “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1Corinthians 2:9);  and  “Well done, good and faithful servant!  Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:23)  The pleasures of this world fall pitifully short when compared to the Joy of the Lord!

So my question to you today is…are you experiencing the joy-filled life?  Why or why not?

Please 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)

Good Morning, Meetpastor Readers…It’s 0-dark:30 and I’m already bright-eyed and bushy tailed.  Glenn and Cliff are stretched out on the floor beside me and I have a cup of hot coffee, so the day if off to a great start!

I went to bed last night trying to decide on today’s topic, but when I awakened this morning the topic had pretty much taken shape.  It is based on a Scriptural promise that is a pillar in my own platform of faith because I have experienced its truth time and time again.  I also find it to be a source of peace and serenity because when my focus is on God rather than Me, life never fails to be immeasurably better.

When Jesus launched his ministry, he gave us God’s perspective on “Kingdom living” in what has been collectively labeled, “’The Sermon on the Mount.”  This message shocked most who heard it because it was upside down from worldly thinking.  In this message Jesus proclaimed, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven; Blessed are meek, for they shall inherit the earth; Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied; Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:3,5,6,9)  Then he went on to talk about anger, adultery, the importance of keeping vows, the importance of loving our enemies, and God’s perspective on money and possessions.

Since we live in a world that is obsessed with power, money and possessions, I want to zero in on God’s wonderful promise to us in Matthew 6:33:  “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Matthew opens this section with the following three verses:  “Don’t store up treasures here on earth where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal.  Store your treasures in heaven where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves.  Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.”   (Matthew 6:19-21)  The capstone of this section is found in verse 24: “No one can serve two masters…You cannot serve both God and money”.

In our culture we are conditioned to want to succeed.  There is nothing inherently wrong with that, except the world’s yardstick for success is measured in what college degree we have; what job or job title we have; the size of our bank account; the size of our house; what car we drive; the size of our boat, etc. In fact, there is a bumper sticker that capsulizes the values of our culture: “He who dies with the most toys wins.”  This statement is the antithesis of God’s promise 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.” 

Unfortunately there has developed a popular, new-age message that puts a different spin on Matthew 6:33. It is a prosperity message that is rooted in the law, and its premise is “give to get.”  Remember…under the law we worked to earn God’s favor, so if we want to be more pleasing to God, we would go to church more often; we would become involved in the church business; we would contribute more to the church.  In other words, if there is something you want or need from God, do more and/or give more.

Let me cite two examples of the fallacy inherent in this message.  In the Old Testament the Israelites offered up sacrifices to cover their sins.  But God made his desire abundantly clear when he spoke through the prophet Hosea in 6:6:  “I want your steadfast love, not your sacrifices.  I want you to know me, not your burnt offerings.”  When our love for Him and our desire to know Him is our motivating force, we begin living the greatest of the commandments: “To love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind.”  (Matthew 22:37)

As followers of Jesus Christ, we no longer have to work become acceptable to God.  When we accepted his Gift of Grace – Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins – we became “a new creation in Christ.” (2Corinthians 5;17)   Now when God looks at us, he sees a Saint covered with the blood of his Son.  At this point it is not about “doing or giving to get”, but instead it’s about living a different life through the power of the Holy Spirit to become the “masterpiece” God created us to be. (Ephesians 2:10)  Simply stated, under the New Covenant, it is not about doing or giving anything to gain God’s favor, it’s about living a new life that brings honor and glory to God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Now let’s look at the parable of the Pharisee and the poor widow presenting their offering at the Temple. Jesus makes it crystal clear that in God’s eyes our motivation for what we do is paramount.  While the rich man gave more, he gave it to gain favor with God.  The poor widow gave all she had because of her love for God.  It is the state of our heart that moves God.  James 4:6-8 tells us that “God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble.  So humble ourselves before God.  Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.  Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.” 

So back to our focus Scripture, Matthew 6:33: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.”  God wants our commitment and our love.  He wants that from us because his plan is infinitely better for us than our own concoction.  Step III of Alcoholics Anonymous states it beautifully.  “We made a decision to turn our will and our life over to the care of God, as we understand Him.”  Note the key word is “care” and not “control”.

We were designed for a relationship with God, and that was demonstrated in the Garden. When Adam and Eve were spiritually connected to God, it was paradise.  They wanted for nothing.  God was their “caregiver”, and he wants to be our caregiver.  Why?  So he can abundantly bless us.  Jesus stated it this way, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  (John 10:10)

When we put Him first and humbly submit ourselves to his will for our lives, Psalm 37:4 tells us, “Delight yourselves with the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  Nothing pleases God more than our desire to spend time with Him, and as the psalm promises, “he will give us the desires of our heart.”  Not because we are  “giving to get”, or trying to earn His favor, but because our heart is saying “Thank you God, for your Gift of Grace.”  “Thank you Jesus for what you did for me”.  This is the humble heart that God desires.

So…do you have a humble heart?  Is your motivation in pleasing God to say “Thank you for what you did for me?”

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)

Good morning, Meetpastordan Readers.  It’s good to be up and running again.  We are in our new villa, and this week the boxes are unpacked and moved and I can make my way across the room to my office. And we finally have internet! I am sorry I missed last week, but in all honesty, we were facing the daunting task of bringing order to the chaos around us.

As I’ve mentioned in many of my previous posts, quite often I think I have a subject in my head that will take form on Monday morning, but today – like so many others – when I awakened, something entirely different had replaced my previous thoughts. Now I want to write a tribute to my dear friend John, who is facing imminent death from the insidious disease of cancer. Pam and I had the privilege of visiting with him again yesterday.

John is a gentle giant.  During healthier times, his towering 6’5”+ frame weighed more than 240 pounds. A hug from him would completely engulf me. Even standing on my tip toes, I could barely get my arms around him.  Even though cancer has ravaged his body, John insisted (and struggled) to get up yesterday to greet me and Pam in his customary manner. The body I hugged yesterday revealed the toll of its invader.

We met John almost a decade ago.  Pam’s father was in a hospital in Alton, Illinois and John’s mother was also there in the room next door.  Pam and John met in the hallway outside their respective rooms, and low and behold they discovered they both had roots in Calhoun County, Illinois.  In fact, upon closer scrutiny they discovered they were related – but so is everyone else in Calhoun County.

John and Pam developed a special friendship, both professionally and personally.  John is a scientist turned HR professional, who retired early from Monsanto, but then continued to offer his expertise as a consultant.  It was during this time that he took Pam under his wing and continued to mentor her as she changed directions in her career.  My friendship with John developed more on the spiritual level, because he was a man who not only professed his faith, but one who lived it out in love and compassion for his fellow man.

John gallantly waged his own war against this dreaded disease.  He was under the care of the best doctors at Washington University’s Siteman Cancer Center, but because of his background as a scientist, he would do his own research and was fluent at conversing with the doctors regarding his treatment and prognosis. When conventional methods were exhausted, he opted for experimental treatments, but it wasn’t long before the toll on his body was evident and painful, and he ultimately decided to discontinue the torture.  John is now at home with his loving family under the care of hospice.

Psalm 103:8 tells us, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”  That verse also describes the John that I know and love.  Let me give some examples.  When someone is in need, he IS the Good Samaritan. Not only has he come to our aid on numerous occasions, but he exemplifies being of service to others. For instance, when his family needed a second car, John bought a truck for the expressed purpose of loaning it to his friends when they needed a truck.  If someone needs to borrow just the right tool from his “man cave tool collection”; or needs help moving a refrigerator up the stairs; or needs advice and guidance, John is the “go to” guy.  I have never known him to be too busy or too disengaged to say, “Sorry, I can’t”.  Even if it cost him something to say yes, he would give ‘till it hurt’. Generosity in every sense of the word…time, talent and treasure – beyond measure.

During this dark period in John’s life, I feel I’ve have had the opportunity to grow closer to him. Mark, a close friend and spiritual mentor, Pam and I, and a multitude of his church family, have been praying for a miracle in John.  This could be one of those times when it would be easy to say, “Where is God in this circumstance?”  When looking at John’s current condition, it would be easy to misinterpret the circumstance. “John is a Godly man, a follower of Jesus Christ.  “Why is God not hearing our prayers?”  Is that what the circumstance tells us? I personally believe that question is wrapped in a difference of perspective between our way of looking at life and death and God’s way of seeing life and death.  To us, life marks a beginning and death mark an end.  To God’s way of thinking, there is no such thing as time – no such thing as beginning and ending.

I believe God is a sovereign God.  We are told in Ephesians 1:3 that even before He created the world he had a “plan”, and this plan would last forever. And what was that plan? “His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.  And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.  The 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: 5,13-14)

I believe 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 sing; a time to dance: a time to laugh; a time to cry: a time to live and a time to die.”  If John is not healed now, while he is with us, does that mean that God didn’t hear our prayer?  I don’t believe that’s what the circumstance tells us.  In God’s eyes, death is not an end.  It’s a transition into a new existence with God, Jesus and all other Christ-followers.  Revelation 21:4 tells us, “he will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”   I believe this verse is crystal clear.  John will be healed.

One of my favorite promises in the Bible can be found in Roman 8:28: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.”  Wow! Sometimes it is difficult to see the good in all circumstances, isn’t it?  But is that promise true?  I believe it is, even in this circumstance.

Just as Christ came as the Word incarnate to model the truth of God’s Word and to show us how to live it out, John has been a shining example of faith, strength and courage to all who have been on this journey with him.  John is at a place of peace and acceptance right now because of his faith. He knows his eternal destiny is sealed because he is in Christ.  Isn’t that what all of us desire when we are ready to make the transition from this existence into paradise?

John has been surrounded by a loving family and a gold-mine of true friends, and I know we all have been moved and inspired by his courage, strength and dignity through this horrific ordeal.  While we will no doubt feel a sense void and grief at the loss of John, I know we all can draw our strength from the same loving God who will welcome John home. Thank you, God, for your perfect, timeless plan, and thank you for working for the good in all things for those who love you and are called to your purpose.  Even though we may not see it wrapped-up the way we want it or in the time-frame we expected it, we know it’s true because the Creator of the Universe; the omnipotent, omniscience, omnipresent, Godhead of the Trinity; a loving, merciful, graceful and forgiving God has made that promise to us.  I believe that promise is both our answer and our source of strength.

An obvious lesson from this scenario is…be of service to others, and never hesitate to tell those you love how much they mean to you.

Well, my Friends…I am writing this with a rather bittersweet attitude this morning. Tomorrow is moving day.  Pam and I are leaving the home we created during the past nine years and moving into a villa about four miles from our current location.  This is the first step in a five year plan that is intended to culminate with us being near the ocean, sand and palm trees.  Pam plans to retire in 2020, so we are down-sizing now.  Surely the next move will be easier!  (actually, it’s gotta be!!)  While we love our current home and are sad to say “good-bye”, we are excited about starting this new phase of our life.  So for my last posting from this location, I am going to write about one of my favorite subjects: Superman!

As a youth, I loved action-hero movies.   If you too have enjoyed movies such as Superman, Star Wars, Batman etc., you also know there is a common theme.  The action hero always represents good; he possesses some superior “force” or power that enables him to win the battles; and he gets the prize (usually the girl) in the end.  If you’re like me, you would leave the theater thinking, “I wish I were Clark Kent, Luke Skywalker or Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman).  I wish I had “the force” (or their special power) so I could be an action hero!  Dan the Man, Super Hero!  It sounded grrreat!!  But then I would flash back to reality and sadly admit, “it’s only science fiction”.  After all, in reality we’re equipped “however we are” to win or lose our own battles.  But I still couldn’t help wondering…“What if?”

THE FORCE THAT IS WITH US TODAY

Well…I’ve changed my thinking over the years, and even more specifically, since I became a follower of Jesus Christ.  Once I learned the truth about what it means to be “born again”, I came to realize that when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, part of God’s salvation plan is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The role of the Holy Spirit is to empower me to become the person God created me to be. Wow!  Now there is no doubt in my mind that the “force” or power possessed by any action hero pales by comparison to the power that indwells all of us who are in Christ. That is indeed awesome news, because we have a formidable foe with which to contend.  Satan!  He is a ferocious enemy, and we will need no less than a supernatural power to go toe-to-toe with him. But a loving God has prepared us for that task.  (Amen)

In the Gospel of John, 14-16, we get a close-up picture of Jesus’ final hours with his disciples in the upper room after the Last Supper.  Jesus told his disciples about his impending death and what it would mean to them as he laid out the series of events that would occur within the next few hours.  He could tell they were shocked and frightened at the news…arrested, tried and crucified!  Even worse, he also knew the men in front of him were – of their own strength – a rather weak lot.  So when he told them he was “going away”, he also told them it was better that he left them so he could ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to be their comforter, counselor, teacher, and guide.  This is key…he also told them they did not need the Holy Spirit at that time, because He was with them.  In other words, Jesus described the Holy Spirit as the essence of himself.

Jesus knew that for the past three years these men had drawn whatever strength they had from him, so he promised them he would not leave them as orphans.  Instead would send the Holy Spirit to live in them; to empower them to accomplish God’s Will.  (For a picture of the transformation that took place in these disciples, I would direct your attention to Acts, 2-4.  These same men who were in hiding during Jesus crucifixion became giants among men in terms of spreading the truth of Jesus death and resurrection.  On the day of Pentecost, Peter – the same Peter who recently denied Jesus three times – converted 3000 Jews to believers.)   

GOD’S GIFT

God’s salvation plan is perfect!  In fact, most people who are drawn to Christianity are drawn by the promise of forgiveness of sin and eternal life. That is certainly a powerful message of assurance and peace!   And no doubt it beats the alternative of spiritual death and damnation!   But the gift of the Holy Spirit is God’s promise that we don’t have to wait until after death to begin to experiencing the blessings of heaven.  Through the indwelling and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we can begin experiencing heaven on earth right here, right now, as we rise above the fallen world around us.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become a new creation in Christ.  Our “old self” (our sin nature) is taken away and we are filled with a new spirit, the Holy Spirit, who’s role is to empower us to live the new life we are called to live in this fallen world.  This is referenced in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old is gone; the new is here.  The obvious nature of our “old self” was to sin.  But the nature of the Holy Spirit is not to sin, but to be pleasing to God.  So now we are set free from our bondage to sin!  Now we have choices we never considered before.  As a new creation in Christ, we are empowered to make choices that help us grow in Him as well as bring honor and glory to God.

This was God’s plan even before Creation! (Ephesians 1:3)  We are to draw our strength from the Holy Spirit the same way the disciples drew their strength from Jesus Christ.  And like the disciples, as followers of Jesus Christ we are called to boldly carry the same message of truth (the teachings of Jesus), love, compassion, tolerance, forgiveness, and service to others in our daily lives.  In other words, we are called to live to a higher standard than the world around us, and that is indeed a formidable challenge for anyone!  But God’s promise in 1John 4:4 tells us, “He that is in me (Holy Spirit) is greater than the spirit in this world.” (Satan) We are told we are already victorious.  Now the question becomes…do we believe that promise?  Will we boldly stand on it?

God has prepared us to become the person he created us to be…his “masterpiece”, as referenced in Ephesians 2:10.  If our motivation is to bring honor and glory to God in everything we do, the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to empower us to achieve that goal.  Now we can boldly begin living the abundant life Jesus promised because we know we can be action-heroes of our own life.  We have a power within us that would make Superman, Luke Skywalker or Batman envious.  Now that we know that, our purpose is to be Jesus’ light in this dark world.

Please 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)

Each morning when I open my eyes, the first thing I do it pinch myself to be sure I am truly awake and not still in a dream-state. Then I thank God for giving me this second chance at life.    I make that statement because the life I live today, I certainly never planned for, nor would I have ever thought possible.  But the amazing truth is, I have finally found what I was always looking for, and as the familiar song tells us, “I was looking for love (or value, or meaning or fulfillment) in all the wrong places” for half a century.  But today I am thrilled to say… my life IS happy, joyous and free!  In fact, if I had a banner song, it would be, “To Life!” from Fiddler on the Roof.

So how did this happen? What caused this transformation?  Well…it’s quite simple.  I changed the way I think; and I know who I am today.  So let me preface what I am going to continue writing about by saying, the answer is NOT a “self-help” solution!!  In fact it is just the opposite.

We live in a culture that tells us it’s all about ME! For instance: you deserve a break today; look out for number one; go for the gusto!; your future is in your hands; ya gotta do what ya gotta do; you only have to be true to yourself, etc. No doubt that sounds good, and in fact there is certainly truth (worldly truth) in those statements. But it is NOT the answer to being “happy, joyous and free”.  That “state of being” only comes from changing our heart, and that quite a different process.

When Jesus launched his three year ministry, it began with the famous “Sermon on the Mount”.  In this presentation he revealed God’s perspective of the way things “should be”, and it was absolutely upside-down from the world’s perspective.  For instance, in Matthew 5 we find:  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”; Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth; Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted; Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called Children of God.”  Then Jesus went on to say we are expected to control our anger; to love our enemies; to help the poor; to honor our vows; to forgive those who have wronged us; and not to worship false-idols such as  money, power, prestige etc.

Needless to say, it was a divisive message then, and it is still a divisive message today.  Why? Because God’s perspective and standard is certainly contrary to that of the world.  The world’s standard is based on our “human nature”, or as the Bible calls it, our “sin nature.”  All that means is we are naturally inclined to focus on things that bring us pleasure; things that help us “get ahead”; or things that make us popular. Without transformation, people can go from the cradle to the grave and miss the whole purpose and reward God has planned for them.  Apostle Paul refers to this in Romans 12:2:  “Do not be conformed to the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will know…how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.” 

The transformation referenced above is the one that occurs when we make the life-changing decision to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  At that moment, we become a new creation in Christ.  That process is described in John 3.  A Jewish Pharisee named Nicodemus came to speak with Jesus. He said, “Teacher, we all know that God has sent you to teach us.  Your miraculous signs are proof enough that God is with you.”  Jesus replied, “I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God.”  Nicodemus did not understand, so Jesus continued: “The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of the Spirit. Humans can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven.”  

The point is…to live the life God calls us to live IS impossible through our own effort.  No amount of self-help will enable us to do that.  Why?  Because a spiritual transformation must take place in our hearts, and that only comes through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  In other words, the only solution to spiritual problem is a spiritual answer. That is also why people who are not ready to hear this message will not hear it.   Their hearts are hardened to the truth!

To be born again (spiritually reborn), we have to make a decision to accept God’s Gift of Grace. When we do that, we inherit what Jesus did on the cross.  At Calvary, He paid the price for our sins. The ramification of that act is revealed in Hebrews 10:17, “I (God) will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.”  So now we are sin-free and we can come into the presence of God.  Romans 8:1-2 says, “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus Christ.  For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.”

Three days later Jesus walked out of the tomb.  At that moment He broke the bonds of death and He rose to eternal life.  This too is part of our inheritance when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.  Apostle John explains in 1John 5:13, “I write this to you who believe in the Son of God (those of us who are in Christ), so that you may know you have eternal life.”

Those two truths are what draw most people to Christianity.  And well they should!  Now we have no doubt about our eternal destiny.  But there is more…much more, and this is the answer to living a life that is “happy, joyous and free”.

As stated at the beginning of this posting, we are living in a fallen world where temptation abounds.  Prior to our conversion we were slaves to our fleshly desires and the enticements of the world around us.  But now that we have made a decision to break free from this slavery and follow God’s path for us, satan will be relentless in his assault to keep us mired in his quagmire of sin.  And make no mistake… he IS the prince of darkness and the master of lies and deception.   Our human nature is simply no match for his assault!

That point is highlighted in Ephesians 6:13: “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. Use every piece of God’s armor (God’s Word – the Holy Bible) to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.”  In other words, our only defense against satan and his evil minions is to combat them with the truth of God’s Word, just as Jesus did when he was tempted in the wilderness.

When we accept God’s Gift of Grace, we enter into  a spiritual war that can only be won with the empowerment that comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit.  This conflict IS way beyond our human capabilities. Galatians 5: 17, 19-22 tells the whole story. “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.  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, participation in demonic activity, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, out-bursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, 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.” 

I want to close with one of my favorite promises:  1John 4:4, “He that is in me (the Holy Spirit) is greater than the spirit in this world” (satan!)  Knowing and standing on that truth is our only pathway to a life that is happy, joyous and free. That promise tells us we are already victorious.  The world will never grasp that truth because it takes the Spirit to discern Spiritual truths.  But James makes it very clear in 5:10: “When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.”   A-men

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

May God Bless Ya…

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

Good Morning, meetpastordan readers.  If you are a regular reader, you know I have referred many times to my procedure for producing this blog.  The procedure is simple…I ask the Holy Spirit to help me get out of the way so He can work through me to bring honor and glory to God. Well… that procedure began last night as I lay in bed thinking about a conversation that took place a few hours earlier. In that conversation, my thinking was challenged by a friend who has a history (with me) of being (in my opinion) judgmental…and sometimes (in my opinion) down right demeaning.  I could feel myself becoming agitated as the conversation continued, because (in my opinion) my faith and understanding of the depth of Scriptural truth was being challenged. The most positive thing I can say about the experience at the time was that I made conscious decision not to become defensive, but rather to take the conversation home with me to “chew on” for a while.

The first two “very early” hours this morning were spent in prayer and reading as I prepared to write about what came from yesterday’s experience.  As I drifted off to sleep last night, I thought I was going to write about “forgiveness”, but now, after my conversation with God this morning, I am going to write about thanksgiving.  Having my thinking challenged yesterday opened my mind to my own unbelief, so I am going to refer to a pertinent passage in the Gospel of Mark.

I am referencing Mark 9:14-29, and will quote various passages from the story of Jesus healing the boy possessed of an evil spirit.  Mark 9: 17-18: “One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son for you to heal him. He can’t speak because he is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. …So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

Clearly the man knew who Jesus was because of his reputation as a healer, so he brought his son to him to be healed.  When the disciples, who were working in the name of Jesus, failed to cast out the evil spirit, the man turned to Jesus and pleaded with him to do it. But now, perhaps because of the disciples failed attempt, there is an element of doubt…even when asking Jesus to do it.

Jesus was obviously aware of this doubt, but when he addressed the father, he also addressed all of the people there (and us).  “You faithless people!  How long must I be with you until you believe?  How long must I put up with you?  Bring the boy to me.”  Jesus’ humanness, his frustration, is clearly evident here.  The people had seen his miracles, so why did they not believe?  What more did they want?  But after all, Jesus was familiar with unbelief that has its root in people not believing who he really IS.  Mark 6: 2-3 tells us about his experience in Nazareth, his hometown.  “The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished.  They asked, ‘Where did he get all his wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?  He’s just the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon.  And his sisters live right here among us.”  They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.”  Here is Mark’s conclusion: “And because of their unbelief, He couldn’t do any mighty miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.  And He was amazed at their unbelief.” (Mark 6:5-6)

Now back to our original story.  Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been happening?”  The father replied, “Since he was very small.  The evil spirit often makes him fall into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us.  Do something if you can.”   Since there was a huge crowd observing this dialogue, I believe Jesus asked the question regarding how long this had been going on to show the urgency for a miracle right there and then.  But it’s also important to note here that the father, who had enough faith to bring his boy to Jesus, also expressed doubt in his request.

Again, Jesus expresses frustration:  “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” (Mark 9:23) While not expressed in the response, I believe the unspoken continuation of the sentence is, “Don’t you know who I am yet?  Holy-Tomolly!”  But then Jesus goes on to provide THE answer to this dilemma of faith. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”  So here is the inevitable question…for the scenario being presented and for all of us today.  Is the term “faith” and “belief” synonymous? Well…let’s see.

Mark 9:24: “The father instantly replied, I do believe, but help me with my un-belief!” (doubt)  Crazy as it may sound, this is as honest expression of the difficulty of faith as one will find in the Bible.  But the good news is…frail as it was, Jesus accepted it and immediately cured his son.  This should give hope to all of us when we struggle with the same problem of un-belief.

So what is faith?  “It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen.  It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.” (Hebrews 11:1)  And Belief?  “To trust in; to hold a firm conviction about…” (Concordance NLT)  So are faith and belief synonymous?  In my mind, if there is a difference, it is not worth quibbling about.  But the insight I got through this story, and from praying to God for insight regarding yesterday’s challenge, has brought me to this conclusion.

“Faith comes from hearing, and hearing the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17). So let us not forget who the Word of God is…Jesus Christ.  While we gain knowledge and wisdom from reading the scriptures, the real key to erasing un-belief is total confidence in our object of faith.  “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.  For it is believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.”  Romans 10:9-10

In the story presented above, the father had faith (he believed) because he brought his son. But his belief was so shaken, perhaps because of the failure of the disciples to cast out the evil spirit, that it shook his faith in Jesus’ ability to do it.  Now couple that with the reference to Jesus’ frustration with his trip back to Nazareth, and we can see a commonality.  In both cases, the people failed to recognize who Jesus IS. He is the Son of the Living God.  He is the Word Incarnate.  He is God himself.  He cannot lie.  (Titus 1:2)  He embodies love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence etc.  He is our source of strength, our courage, our wisdom, our patience, our peace and serenity.  Simply put…He is THE answer.

True faith is total abandonment to God, believing that he is able to do anything, even rid me of my unbelief. Maybe this is why God lets others fail you, so that you will trust in him alone, in spite of all apparent impossibilities.  But ‎Jesus WILL demonstrate to us that God does the impossible, not merely the most improbable.

God demands faith because faith is powerful. It is powerful not just because of what it accomplishes, but because in whom it trusts. That is why I am thankful today.  By being challenged yesterday, I got an insight last night and this morning into a deficiency in my platform of faith.  This revelation revealed the power of my object of faith, not just the words of faith.  Jesus Christ IS my source of strength for breathing life into the scriptures.  A-men

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

May God Bless Ya…

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

Oh that we would listen to God’s voice today!  The Psalmist writes in Psalm 95: 8-11:  The Lord says, “Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness.  For there your ancestors tried my patience; they courted my wrath though they had seen my miracles.  For forty years I was angry with them, and I said,  They are a people whose hearts turned away from me.  They refuse to do what I tell them.  So in my anger I made a vow:  ‘They will never enter my place of rest.”  (That passage is quoted again in Hebrews 4: 3-7.)  And what was it that inflamed God’s anger? It was the disobedience of the Israelites. God had promised them the land of Canaan.  All they had to do was enter the land and conquer it.  But the Israelite’s unbelief was more real than God’s promise, so they were punished by aimless wondering in the wilderness for the next forty years until the older generation passed away.

God wants us to obey his word. We can clearly see throughout the Old Testament numerous examples of God’s wrath manifested in floods, famine, wars, fire and brimstone, pestilence, and droughts when people or nations are disobedient. But conversely, when people and nations were in line with His will, they were blessed. That’s the way God worked.  He protected those who were selected to be his very own, either by punishing their enemies or bestowing blessings on them.  Malachi 3: 10-11, is very specific“…If you do [as I say], says the Lord Almighty, I will open the windows of heaven for you.  I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in.  Try it!  Let me prove it to you!” Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease.  Your grapes will not shrivel before they are ripe.  Then all the nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight.” 

The “rest” promised to the Israelites was the land of Canaan. That was their destination.  Had they been obedient to God and continued to live in accordance with his will, they would have entered their “promised land” and would have experienced rest, peace and prosperity as they communed with God.  (Canaan could have, in effect, become like a new Garden of Eden) However, that was not the case, and also the reason 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”.

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 were not worthy of it. But this is a gift 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 is no longer about our work and effort, but about our faith in the finished work of Jesus.

When Jesus was nailed to the cross, he died for all of our sins…past, present, and future. I know how hard that is for us to wrap our mind around because I have heard the same response more than once…”What?  Come on! That makes no sense to anyone with a brain in their head!”  The fact is…you’re right. When limited by our rational thinking, it makes absolutely no sense. But God knew we would struggle with many of “his ways”, and his majestic qualities such as omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience.   That’s why He spoke through the prophet Isaiah in 5:8-9 and said, “My ways are not your ways, my thoughts are beyond anything you can imagine.  As high as the heavens are above the earth, my ways are not your ways; my thoughts are not your thoughts.”  In other words, “just be still and know that I am God! Psalm 46:10) His plan for our salvation, “which existed before the world was created” (Ephesians 1:3) is perfect, and it is based entirely on our faith in Him.

Since God knows us better than we know ourselves, he knew we could never – of our own volition – be worthy of coming into his presence. Why? Because we, like it or not, are sinners and are stained with sin. And sin has been proven to spread, contaminate, kill and destroy.  If you doubt that, just look at the world around you.  This was originally paradise, but would you call the world “paradise” today?

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”, and we too are expecting paradise. But the wonderful truth of being a Christ-follower 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. And we can begin experiencing it right here, right now…even in this fallen world.

WHO IS THIS NEW PERSON?

That is part of being in-Christ that too many Christians don’t seem to have grasped. Jesus came to give us life... a new life, and he wants us to live it to the fullest. At the moment of rebirth, we become a new creation. Our old self (our sin nature) is taken away, and we are filled with a new spirit, the Holy Spirit. It is this spirit of life that empowers us to rise above the world around us.  Prior to our rebirth we were slaves to our sin nature. But after our conversion we are set free from our bondage to sin, so now we can choose to make different choices that are in line with God’s will for our life.

Notice that I said, we can choose.  The Holy Spirit empowers us to become the person God created us to be, but we have to choose that path of change.  It must be a conscious effort on our part. But the more we mature as a Christ-follower, the easier it becomes to make different choices because we have, and are, experiencing the truth of God’s word in our new life. Remember…the reason the Israelites were forbidden from entering the Promised Land was because of their unbelief.  They did not believe God’s promises.

Perhaps the most unsung benefit of this new life is the “rest” that comes from being in Christ. 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 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 tell us, “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’ve always wanted. It also becomes clear that we had been looking for answers in all the wrong places. Conforming to the patterns of this world is clearly not the answer. And the harder we try to fill that “hole in our soul” with worldly “things” and endeavors, the more we sink deeper and deeper into the quagmire of hopelessness. Yes, we may find temporary answers there, but there is only one eternal answer that fills our need.  And that answer is Jesus Christ.

The source of our peace and serenity comes from knowing who we are in-Christ. Our new identity tells us we can stop working to earn His approval.  Unlike the Israelites who remained disobedient to God, we accepted God’s gift of grace, and that IS his will for our life.  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”.  Yes, we will eventually enter our promised land (Heaven), 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.  If you are in-Christ…you’re IN!  A-men!!

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

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

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

Good morning, friends…It’s 4:30 am, and I hopped out of bed today filled with joy.  I’m still sky-high from the awesome July 4th concert presented by the Saint Louis Wind Symphony yesterday at the Foundry Arts Center in St. Charles, MO.  Now before you get too hung up on the fact it isn’t even July yet, it has been our tradition for the past six  years to do this concert the Sunday before July 4th to kick-off the celebration activities planned throughout St. Charles county.  It works for us!!  We had a large, enthusiastic audience, and the wind symphony was at their superlative best…awesome, great, intense, filled with musical enthusiasm, etc. etc.  What a privilege to be part of such a great organization.

I originally had another thought in mind for today’s blog, but since I’m still filled with yesterday’s spirit, I decided to write about what we celebrated yesterday.  America!  Land of the free and home of the brave.

I love America.  I believe in America.  I believe that even with all its issues and short-comings today, America is still the greatest country the world has ever seen.  And when I think of the men and women who stepped up to serve in the Armed Forces in times of peril, many who never returned home to their families or loved ones, I always get a lump in my throat and a sense of pride about who “WE” are as Americans.  My father served in WW II; I served in the Vietnam Era; and I am enclosing a video clip later that summarizes horrors of war as seen through the eyes of my long time hero, Colonel Arnald Gabriel, who served as a machine-gunner in the infantry in WW II before he became the illustrious conductor of the United States Air Force Band in Washington D.C.

Here is a familiar quote that packs a wallop in its truth.  It has been popping up on FB frequently:  “The only two people who have ever volunteered to sacrifice their life for the benefit of others were Jesus Christ and the American soldier.”  Wow!  And what was their common purpose?  So that others could be set free or remain free. Jesus’ sacrifice freed us from the bondage of sin; the American soldier’s sacrifice keeps us free from tyranny and oppression, which illuminates the statement, “Freedom isn’t free!”

Jonathan Cahn, messianic Rabbi, history scholar and best-selling author of The Harbinger, makes an interesting observation when he compares  our country with ancient Israel.  He states, “No doubt Israel was blessed from the beginning: first as a people group because they were descendants of righteous men (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), then later as a nation, delivered from bondage to the most powerful nation at that time – Egypt. God chose to show his power through Israel because it was the smallest and weakest of nations.” 

Then he goes on to say, “America was the only other nation to receive such a blessing”.  And why was that?  Cahn continues his thoughts, “because this was a nation founded on prayer and built on Judeo-Christian principles. Therefore, America would rise to heights no other nation had ever known. Not that it was ever without fault or sin, but America did aspire to fulfill its calling.” And what was that calling, you ask? According to Cahn, “To be a vessel of redemption, an instrument of God’s purposes, a light to the world. It would give refuge to the world’s poor and needy, and hope to its oppressed. It would stand against tyranny. It would fight, more than once, against the dark movements of the modern world that threatened to engulf the earth”.

In the Book of Revelation, the beast revealed in chapter 13:11-18 symbolizes America.  The United States declared its independence in 1776, adopted the Constitution in 1787, added the Bill of Rights in 1791, and was clearly recognized as a world power by 1798.  In light of world events at that time, (ie. the effects of the French Revolution) no world power other than America qualifies to be the beast.  Religious persecution was rampant in Europe, and America was that shinning light on the hill; that bastion of hope for all people seeking freedom…freedom of worship, or just freedom to fulfill their dreams…to be all they could be.

An inscription at the base of the Statue of Liberty identifies America’s purpose.  It was taken from a sonnet, The New Colossus, written by Emma Lazarus in 1883 and reads: “Give me your tired, your poor; your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore; send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the Golden Door!”  Liberty’s image is one of strength, majesty, and hope, visible in her eternally raised right arm which carries the torch of freedom.  Holding aloft a light that never fails, she represents hope to the hopeless, welcome to the poor, and courage to the meek. Facing outward toward the ocean, her lamp is a beacon on stormy seas, drawing to her shores, those from afar who seek a better life.  For these, and for countless others who embrace her message, the Statue of Liberty represents the Golden Door.  It is the passageway to liberty and freedom from oppression that is the promise of America – a land, a people, a way of life. 

For Americans, freedom is our most precious possession.  “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” is a well-known phrase in the United States Declaration of Independence. The phrase gives three examples of the “unalienable rights” which the Declaration says has been given to all human beings by their Creator, and for which governments are created to protect.  It is the protection of those rights that have inspired brave men and women to answer the call of their country. 

I mentioned earlier a video clip that features my life-long hero, Colonel Arnald Gabriel.  I know Colonel Gabriel as the commander of The United States Air Force Band in Washington D.C. but as you will see from the video, in World War II he served as a combat machine gunner with the famed 29th Infantry Division in Europe. On June 6, 1944 he went ashore at Omaha Beach with Easy Company, 116th Infantry, 29th Division.  He received two Bronze Star medals, the Combat Infantry Badge, and the French Croix de Guerre.  This man, and all who served this great country, are our hero’s today.  They ARE why we have the freedoms we all enjoy today.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152384981199627&set=vb.801829626&type=2&theater  (If “clicking” on this link does not open it, please copy and paste into your own browser.  It is a message everyone should/must hear today.)

My hope and prayer today is that as Americans, we will have the courage to do anything and everything possible to protect our freedoms from enemies both foreign and domestic. As Americans, we must never let the sacrifices of these brave men and women be in vain. I hope you’ll take time today and thank a veteran for their service, then take time to thank God for blessing America.  Happy (almost) July 4th… America’s 239th birthday.

Please feel free to respond to this message, 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, My Friends.  As I mentioned in last week’s blog, the past few weeks in the Presgrave household have been emotionally charged – to say the least! – because we have been in the process of downsizing from our current home, selling it and buying a villa. Those of you reading this who have been through the ordeal of buying, selling and moving know exactly what I’m talking about. The good news is…we are only moving three miles away, but none-the-less, it has been frantic at times; stressful at times; and tedious all the time. But during this whole experience there has been a confident expectation on our part that things were going to work out just as we had hoped they would.  Let me tell you why we were peaceful on the inside, even though most of the time it was an emotional roller-coaster on the outside.

The book of Proverbs in the Bible is a book of wisdom. It touches on all aspects of living a godly life while on this earth, as well as how to be assured of a life here-after. Proverbs 3 is about trusting and honoring God, and verses 5 and 6 formed the foundation of expectation with which Pam and I entered into this endeavor. “Trust the Lord with all your heart; do not lean on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do (some versions say, “acknowledge him in all you do”), and he will make your path straight.” I love the simplicity, beauty and assurance of those words, but I especially love the truth contained therein.  “Trust the Lord”…just be still and know that He is God.  Know that: He is Love; He is Goodness; He is Truth; he is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, Alpha and Omega, the Godhead of the Trinity, Creator of the Universe!  Yet, we are His proudest creation; He delights in us; it gives him pleasure to bless us. WOW!

“Do not lean on your own understanding” means trusting God rather than trusting yourself.  We realize our own insufficiency, so we get out of the way and call on the Holy Spirit to empower us with his wisdom – and in my case…his patience. “Acknowledge” literally means “to know”.  So when we “acknowledge Him”, it means we are in relationship with Him…we know Him personally. And finally, “make your path straight” means the obstacles will be cleared away.  Now we can move forward.

Let me point out one other scripture that was also a plank in our foundation of faith for this endeavor.  “And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28-29)  Think about the incredible power in those words.

Ever since Pam and I have been married, we have always vacationed where there is ocean, sand and palm trees.  That’s us.  We love it!  So it has always been our dream to someday live on the east coast.  Well, Pam plans to retire in 2020, so we decided to downsize now, cut our mortgage almost in half, and move into a villa.  Our plan is to put that savings away and use it toward our final villa in five years.

We have prayed earnestly about this move and have asked God to guide our path. We anticipated our house would sell fast, so we started looking first at a property to buy.  We probably visited about fifteen of what seemed like possibilities, but none filled our need or “turned our crank.”  We did, however, look at a villa in the same neighborhood (Villa du Pre) in which we finally made our purchase, but it was in need of a fair amount of rehab, and that definitely is not my forte!  I’m looking for “turn key”. Our realtor told us one other villa was going be on the market soon, but thought it would most likely be out of our stated price range. Needless to say, we were discouraged.

After a bit more looking, we started re-evaluating our plan. Perhaps this was not God’s will.  We had been asking him that if this was in line with his will, please open the necessary doors.  But none seemed to be opening, so we were preparing ourselves to “stay put”.

Then about a week later when we sat down at the computer to look at the current listings for the day, we saw the villa listed that was mentioned above. It was going to be “open for visitors” the next day, and to our surprise the price was right in our range. So because we have two dogs, I decided to drive out and check out the back yard to be sure there was enough space for Cliff and Glenn.

When I got there, there were a lot of people working on the villa.  I asked the gentleman in the driveway if he were the owner, and he said, “No”.  I then asked if he minded if I looked around.  Again he said, “No”.  So I gave myself the grand tour.  It was perfect…just what we were looking for.  I called Pam, she came out and I gave her the grand tour.  We both were convinced, so we put a contract on the villa that afternoon. After a two day bidding war, we owned the villa. Yea God!

A few days later we put our house on the market.  We suspected it would sell quickly, but this blew us away.  The first person through the door bought our house!  Wow! Talk about the faithfulness of God…  Needless to say, we were sky-high and praising Him!

But the scenario isn’t over yet.  The inspection of our new property revealed some problems…a couple big ones.  We still wanted the villa, but only if the owner would tend to the repairs, and it was going to be costly.  If he said, “No”, we were prepared to walk away from the contract, but that prospect was nerve-wracking considering we had already sold our house!

Our realtor submitted the list of things that needed to be fixed on Monday morning.  We, including our realtor, were afraid he was going to say “No”. After all, he did have others who were interested in the property. Or… perhaps he would only agree to “some” of our requests. What then?  Monday, no answer. Tuesday no answer. Wednesday, no answer. I kept reassuring Pam this was going to work out good for us, but by Thursday we were talking about starting to look at properties again. Yuck!!

Well, late Thursday afternoon I was in the front yard when Pam pulled into the driveway.  I could tell when I looked at her red, puffy eyes she had been crying.  She asked me if I had talked to Heather, our agent.  I had not.  “Well”, said Pam, “they agreed to fix everything we asked for.  Everything!”  WOW, again!

I am reading a book now called “The Grave Robber” by Mark Batterson.  It is about Jesus’ miracles in the book of Matthew.  The author makes this statement more than once, “Not only does God show up with the miracle, but sometimes he shows off”.  That’s how I felt when I heard Pam’s news.  God is a faithful God; a trust-worthy God; and an awesome God…and I love it when he shows off!

I wanted to share this story with you, because last week I wrote about standing on the promises of God, and that is what sustained both Pam and me through this whole ordeal.  Did we have our moments of stress?  Absolutely.  But not for long, because we kept going back to the truth of His Word and confessing those words aloud to “fill us up”, and also to refute satan.  THE TRUTH IS… God DOES work for the good in all things for those who love him and are called to his purpose.  No doubt both of us love God, and both want to bring honor and glory to him in everything we do…including making our future plans, and purchasing and selling real estate.

As the book of James tells us in 4:10, “When we bow down and admit our dependence on Him, he will lift us up and give us honor.”  We saw that Scripture come alive throughout this whole process of buying, selling, and moving.  Nothing enhances your faith more than experiencing the truth of His Word in your own life.  Our God is an AWESOME God!

So my question to you is…Do you have your own platform of faith on which to stand?

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)

This is a special post because this is number 100!  Believe me…no one is more surprised at that than ME! And  I will be the first to admit that I do  NOT consider myself a writer.  It is only through the effort of the indwelling Holy Spirit that I have had the courage to take a seat behind the keyboard.  But now I look forward to this weekly endeavor, so thank you God for the opportunity you have given me.

The past few weeks for the Presgrave household have been challenging, to say the least. We have been in the process of buying a new residence and selling our current home.  I assume most of you reading this can probably empathize when I talk about the high level of stress that accompanies such an endeavor, therefore I’m sure you know what I mean when I say it can bring out the worst in us and others involved in the process.  During this time, the serenity prayer has been my life jacket:  “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Wow!  That last part is key!  I don’t know about you, but I am wired with a short fuse.  And regardless of my behavioral progress in that area during the past few years, my “less-than-admirable character” raised its ugly head more than once during the house buying and selling experience.

But luckily I know my source of strength, and was able to redeem myself many times (but not always) as I was approaching the boiling point.   So in addition to the serenity prayer, I kept the old hymn, “Standing On The Promises of God” right on the tip of my tongue.  Two weeks ago I wrote about the powerful message contained in these old, traditional hymns, and this one certainly kept me in the center of the boat (most of the time.)

Standing on the promises of Christ my King, Through eternal ages let His praises ring,

Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing, Standing on the promises of God.

(Refrain)

Standing, standing,

Standing on the promises of God my Savior;

Standing, standing,

I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail, When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,

By the living Word of God I shall prevail, Standing on the promises of God.

(repeat refrain)

As you might expect, at those times when I did express myself in a less-than-admirable way, Satan showed up as “the accuser of the Brethren” (Revelation 12:10) to capitalize on the situation in his inimitable fashion.  “Oh, just look at that…you call yourself a Christ-follower?  You are nothing but a fraud!  How can you expect God to accept YOU into his kingdom when you are such a disappointment to him?  You’re a total disgrace!”  He never misses his opportunity to try to shipwreck our effort, and I have let him cast me into a “funk” more than once.  He is the “father of lies” (John 8:44)

Did I fall short of God’s glorious standard?  Absolutely!  But today I know the difference between Satan’s ploy and God’s truth.  And the truth is:

1. I am perfect in his God’s eyes because I am in Christ (“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ…2 Corinthians 5:21).
2. I am now a Child of God. I am grafted into his family – not because of my work, but because of what Jesus did on my behalf at the cross. (Ref. Romans 11:17)
3. Now when God looks at me, he doesn’t see a sinner, he sees me covered with the Blood of Jesus. I am a Saint in his eyes, meaning I am now set aside; holy. (“God’s wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ”…Romans 5:17)
4. I am totally forgiven; (“I will remember their sins no more”…Hebrews 8:12).
5. I am worthy and accepted in God’s eyes; (“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. {It is only by God’s special favor that you have been saved!}…Ephesians 2:4-5)
6. I am heir to all of God’s promises! (“And since we are his children, we will share his treasures – for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours too.”…Romans 8:17)

The truth is, after we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we still live in this fallen world.  Unfortunately there is no mental delete button; unfortunately if we were in debt the day before, we are still in debt; if we had relationship problems the day before, we still have relationship problems; if we had health problems the day before, we still have health problems.

But what we are now is “a new creation.  Our old self (our sin nature) is gone, and the new has come.” (the indwelling Holy Spirit)…2 Corinthians 5:17.  Now we are no longer slaves to our sin nature.  When we accepted God’s Gift of Grace, he gave to us a gift of the Holy Spirit to empower us to rise above this fallen world and make decisions and choices that are pleasing to him.  Galatians 5: 17-18 explains it in this manner: “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 never free from this conflict.  But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer subject to your sinful nature.”

Regardless of whether you are a new Christ-follower or a seasoned Christ-follower, we all are part of process called “life”, and therefore subject to this never-ending battle of good vs. evil.  And make no mistake about it, when you made a choice to pull away for the world to become a follower of Jesus Christ, you have just put a target on your back.  As long as you were part of this world and its philosophies and new morals, Satan left you alone.  After all, he had you right where he wanted you.  But believe me, now he will do everything in his power to wreak havoc with your new effort.

Apostle Paul spells out our defense in Ephesians 6: 10-13.  “Be strong in the Lord’s might power.  Put on all of God’s armor 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. Use every piece of God’s armor (The Bible) to resist the enemy in the time of evil so that after the battle, you will still be standing firm.”

The things I have been writing about since I presented the hymn above are the promises of God.  It is the truth of these promises that form our foundation of faith.  The second verse of the hymn encapsulates this process. “Standing on the promises that cannot fail, When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,  By the living Word of God I shall prevail, Standing on the promises of God.”

Will we all fall short in this process?  Absolutely!  Will Satan show up to sabotage our effort?  Absolutely!  We are told in 1 Peter 5: 8-11:  “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.”

Once we are in Christ, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we begin a process of growing in His likeness.  And that is a life-long process.  But the good news is…God knows we’re only dust,  and he knows we are weak against  the trials and tribulations we will be facing.  And like me, you too will have those times where you fall short, so be prepared when Satan shows up to fill your head with lies. But the truth is…all God wants is for us to call on the Holy Spirit to empower us get up and keep trudging down that path he has illuminated for us.  He wants us to continue to be his light in this dark world by bringing honor and glory to him.  He still loves us.  He delights in us.  We’re becoming his masterpiece.

Therefore, his promise to you is:  “The Spirit in you (the Holy Spirit) is greater than the spirit of this world.” (satan)  1 John 4:4.  In other words, WE are already declared victorious.  Wow!  And all that I have been writing about today represents just a few of the hundreds of His promises we can stake our life on.

Now I will close with this one.  “God works for the good in all things for those who love him and are called to his purpose.”  (Romans 8:28)  When these promises begin coming alive in us, we will be able to begin living by faith!

So my question to you is…are you living by faith?

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

May God Bless ya…

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