THE HOW AND WHY OF BLESSINGS   # 318

I have been drawn to today’s subject because I hear the term “blessed“ used so freely that I feel compelled to take a whack at clarifying what I believe it really means. Let me first turn to Merriam-Webster as a point of reference. Blessed or Blessing – 1. act or words of one who blesses: she said a blessing over the food. The Priest will bless the wine. 2. approval or encouragement: he asked for the parents blessing before he proposed. 3. a thing conducive to happiness or welfare: my wife has blessed me in so many ways. AA, while I first hated it, turned out to be a blessing in my life.

No doubt people like the idea of being blessed, and the Bible speaks of blessings quite frequently. But in my mind, there is a prevalence of misconception about achieving that end, as evidenced by such statements as, “I want to be blessed, so I‘m going to do this or that“ or “I‘m going to do this so I‘ll be blessed.“ Since we are under the New Covenant, that doesn‘t ring true with me. God, after all, isn‘t a vending machine who dispenses blessings because we ‚“do“. That conception was the crux of the Old Covenant, which was in place until Christ fulfilled His purpose. Now God wants us to “do“ not to earn His favor, but because we have already been blessed with His Gift of Grace. That is why He spoke through the Prophet Hosea in 6:6 stating: “I don‘t want your sacrifices, I want your love. I don‘t want your burnt offerings, I want you to know me (some translations say, “I want your heart.“) Clearly God wants us to respond to Him out of love and in a spirit of thanksgiving rather than from a sense of obligation.

I believe the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant can be summed up in this statement: It‘s not about doing to get; we‘ve already got so we do. In other words, if we are in Christ, we were instantaneously “justified“ (made right in God‘s sight), meaning our sins have been forgiven; we‘ve inherited eternal life; we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower us to make different choices; we are now worthy and acceptable in God‘ sight, not because of anything we did or didn‘t do, but because of what Christ did for us on the cross. We‘re no longer sinners, but  “saints“ because we are covered with the blood of Jesus; we are grafted into His family, so we are now heir to ALL the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms and ALL the promises in the Bible. Wow! How‘s that for a super-duper blessing? No doubt we are a new creation, but the fact is…at this point we haven‘t taken the first step in the process of “sanctification.“ (growing in the likeness of Jesus.)

Neil Anderson makes this statement in his book, “Victory Over the Darkness“: “God‘s will for your life is two-fold. First He wants you to accept His Gift of Grace, and secondly He wants you to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ.“ 2 Peter 1:3-4 substantiates that statement: “The more we grow in our relationship with Jesus, His divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive His own glory and goodness…and we will share in His divine nature.“ Our growth and transformation takes place in this process of sanctification, and the more we meet and transcend our trials and tribulations, the more we grow spiritually; the stronger our faith becomes because we are witnessing the truth of God‘s Word transforming us, and the more we are blessed.

Matthew 6:33 tells us,“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well .“ And what are the things that will be given? In the previous Scriptures Jesus is pointing out that God knows our wants and our needs, so He is telling His audience not to burden themselves by worrying about these things, but to seek first the Kingdom of God, and these things will be added as blessings. 1John 5:14 reinforces this truth: “And we can be confident that He will listen to us whenever we ask Him for anything in line with His will. And if we know He is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that He will give us what we ask for. (to repeat: if it is in line with His will.)

T.D. Jakes, a well-known Gospel preacher, has made this statement one of his hallmarks: “God wants to bless ya… God loves to bless ya! But He ain‘t goinna give ya those blessins‘ until you‘re ready to receive ‘em!“ In other words, the more we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, the more blessings come our way. And they are given to us, not because we are doing anything to earn them, but because we are putting His Kingdom first. Now we choose to do things that bring honor and glory to Him as a way of saying “Thank You for what You have done for me.“

Ephesians, chapter 1, tells us about God‘s secret plan that was in place even before the world was created. That plan included finding us worthy and acceptable in His eyes because we are in Christ; adopting us into His own family through Jesus Christ; and at just the right time, bringing everything together under the authority of Christ, everything in heaven and on earth. This, we are told, gave Him great pleasure.

So when was “just the right time“ for God to implement His secret plan? Romans 5:6 provides that answer. “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time to die for us sinners.When we proved ourselves utterly helpless to overcome the dilemma of Sin through our own effort, God‘s plan was always to provide a Savior to do for us what we proved we could not do for ourselves. Because we are in Christ, we are covered with the blood of Jesus. That is the only way we can qualify to enter the eternal Kingdom of Heaven, because as God revealed through Apostle Peter, “You must be Holy (sin-free; set aside for a sacred purpose) because I am Holy.“ In other words, if we are stained with sin, we do not even qualify to come into His presence.

The coming of Jesus Christ fulfilled the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament and the Law. In fact, Jesus said, “Don‘t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No. I came to fulfill them. I assure you, until heaven and earth pass away, even the smallest detail of God‘s law will remain until its purpose is achieved. Today we fulfill God‘s Law not by doing, working, or trying harder, but by “Loving the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind, and by loving our neighbor as ourself.“ (Mathew 22: 37,39) Jesus told the Pharisees that if we focused on only those two things, we would indeed fulfill the other eight commandments.

The secret weapon of all Christ-followers is the indwelling Holy Spirit. We are told in Ephesians 1:14, “The Holy Spirit is God‘s guarantee that He will give us everything He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people.“ Our role is to get out of the way so the Holy Spirit can work through us so we can become the person God created us to be. John MacArthur makes this statement in his book,“Why Believe the Bible?“ “I find that the longer, the more intensely, and the more devotedly I look into the glory of Jesus Christ through the pages of Scripture, the more the Spirit of God changes my life into the image of Christ. There are no shortcuts. If I am to grow, to mature, and to finally be transformed, I must feed on the word of God!“  John’s statement is validated by the truth found in Colossians 2:3: “In Christ lay hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.“

Since this is such a weighty subject, I would like to highlight these key points. If we seek first the Kingdom of God and consciously try to stay in line with His will by continuing to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, God promises to bless us abundantly. The Old Testament bears witness to that. When people and nations were in line with His will, they were blessed. When they were out of line with His will, there was fire and brimstone, wars, famines, plagues, etc. To reflect once again on T.D. Jakes‘ statement: “God loves to bless you, but He isn‘t going to give you those blessings until you‘re ready to receive them.“ Being in Christ and growing in Christ is the pathway to receiving His abundant blessings.

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

May God Bless You…

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

 

A NOTE FROM GOD; TELL THEM I LOVE THEM   #317

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…I love this time of year. For the past 27 years I have been able to kick off my Christmas season as one of the conductors for the Holiday Brass concert, consisting of members of the St. Louis Symphony brass section and friends. We did four concerts, two on Monday and two on Tuesday, with a packed house at each concert. As usual, they were all stunning performances!  What a treat!

Needless to say, when we got home, I was high as a kite! (on the music, of course.)  Pam went directly to bed (she was involved in early Bayer meetings this morning), so I decided to celebrate the evening’s performance with a moose track sundae, topped with chocolate syrup, whipped cream and crushed nuts. After that, I flopped down in front of the fireplace (with Cliff and Glenn at my side), calmed down a bit, and thanked God for the ability to conduct music, and for His faithfulness, His faithfulness and His faithfulness! Pam and I have experienced that blessing in abundance this year.

Then I said out loud, “Holy Spirit, I want to express my gratefulness to God through a blog. Give me a topic that will be pleasing to Him” Instantaneously, this is what filled my mind: “Tell them I love them; remind them of what Christmas really means; tell them I don’t want to lose anyone!” Immediately the blog took shape in my mind, and I woke up this morning ready to go!

1 John 4:8-9 tells us that “God is love!” His very essence is to love, but not as the world loves. His love is unconditional, unending and unfailing, and He showed that love by “sending His only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him.  It is not that we loved God, but that He sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” THAT is love! That is agape love – self-sacrificial love.

As we approach Christmas season 2019, commercialism has all but snuffed out the true meaning of Christmas. As of today, December 8, I have not heard, read or seen any mention of Jesus Christ, who He is, or why He came, delivered by any major news outlet. But to the contrary, I have been bombarded with ads for Black Friday sales (appropriately named), Cyber Monday sales, this “Holiday” sale, or that “Holiday” super sale! Christmas has been replaced by “Holiday” and Jesus Christ has been replaced by the newest, latest, and greatest gadgets and fashions in an attempt to make us “feel” happy. That unfortunately describes our culture today; believing the lie that our identity is wrapped up in what we have, what we wear or who we impress is sad, but true.

There has been a concerted attempt to silence the true meaning of Christmas.” And why is that”, you ask? Because in our culture’s exaltation of worldly thinking and secularism, the message of Jesus Christ is a stumbling block for what is erroneously known as “Enlightenment”. But truth be told, the happiness our culture is seeking is a fraud, because it is a fleeting fix that constantly needs to be replenished because the newest, latest, and greatest gadgets and fashions can never fill that God-shaped hole in your soul. Remember…at Creation, Man was spiritually connected with God.  But when sin (being disobedient to God’s directive) entered the world, that spiritual connection was severed. Since man severed that connection, it is up to man to reestablish that connection. And therein lies the rub.

From the Fall (when sin entered the world) until 2019 years ago, Man was on his own to deal with the issue of sin. Consequently, when Man proved Himself to be “utterly helpless” to overcome that dilemma, God, in His loving kindness, implemented His plan to save Man from himself. Romans 5:6 explains this very clearly: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time to die for us sinners.And what was “just the right time”? When we were “utterly helpless!” That’s quite an indictment!

This message of truth and of hope is one message our culture does not want us to hear: “That God sent His only Son to die for our sins so that we might have eternal life through Him.” (1 John 4:8-9) This is contrary to the enlightened thinking of the liberal progressives, who see the government as their god. Their lie is… let the government be your provider: free Medicare for all, free college, perhaps the government will even provide a living stipend; it will be better for everyone. History has shown that that socialistic way of thinking has NEVER proven itself to be better for everyone!  Let me reinforce this statement by calling on Mark Perry, an authority on the subject, to weigh in.  

Mark J. Perry, concurrently a scholar at American Enterprise Institute and professor of economics and finance at University of Michigan wrote an article in 2005 entitled, “Why Socialism Fails.” His opening statements included these two indictments: “Socialism is the ‘Big Lie’ of the twentieth century. While it promised prosperity, equality, and security, it delivered poverty, misery, and tyranny. Even if there are initial signs of success, those signs quickly fade as the fundamental deficiencies are exposed. It is the initial illusion of success that gives government intervention its pernicious, seductive appeal. In the long run, however, socialism has always proven to be a formula for tyranny and misery. Equality was achieved only in the sense that everyone was equal in his or her misery.”

The true meaning of the Christmas season is an event that changed the world. It came at a time when Man had proven himself incapable of qualifying for eternal life. Unfortunately for Man, God set this standard for entering through the pearly gates: “You must be holy (sin free; set aside for a sacred purpose) because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) In other words, if you are stained with sin, you cannot enter into His Kingdom. Why? Because sin spreads, contaminates, kills and destroys. Revelation 21:27 tells us, “Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”

“So, what is the Lamb’s Book of Life”, you ask? It is the record of everyone who is covered with the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. This was always God’s plan for our salvation. He knew we couldn’t qualify through our own effort, so He sacrificed His own Son to pay the penalty for our sins so we can spend eternity with Him, Jesus and all Christ-followers in Paradise. This was a sacrifice for the sins of the world. This is called the Gift of Grace, and anyone “regardless of who you are or what you have done” (Romans 3:22) who believes that Jesus is the Son of God will be saved“God does not want to lose anyone!” (2 Peter 3:9) 

The coming of Jesus Christ is God’s gift to us. All of us will die physically, but for those who are in Christ, we are promised eternal life.  This is the ultimate Christmas gift and it is free to anyone who wants it. Truth be told, this is the only gift that will fill that God shaped hole in your soul!

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

May God bless you abundantly,

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

IN THE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING   2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May God Bless You abundantly,

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

 

FAITH IN THE FACE OF FEAR (a repost from 10-8-18)

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…This turned out to be a particularly hectic week for the Presgraves, and I ran out of time to adequately prepare the blog I wanted to write.  However, I remembered this one from a little over a year ago, and it is similiar in content and spirit.  Even though it’s a year later, you will clearly see how history repeats itself, especially when  nothing is learned from past catastrophies. I’ll be back in live action next week.  🙂

What a beautiful St. Louis weekend!  We picnicked; we visited the wineries; we enjoyed the hot-rod for what is sure to be one of its last excursions before winter sets in, and I topped it off by attending an intercessory prayer meeting at Grace Church-St. Louis last night.  What a powerful experience!  The purpose of that meeting was to lift up our country and our culture in prayer, and to pray for hope in the face of a multitude of uncertainties.  But the unshakable truth is…for those of us in Christ, there is nothing to fear if we stand on the truth of 2 Timothy 1:7: “God didn’t give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but one of power, love and a sound mind.”  And with our sound mind, we can stand on our platform of faith, and know without a shadow of a doubt we are standing on His Truth!  And that truth is…He is a Sovereign God who tells us to be “strong and courageous, for I will never leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)  Romans 8:31 reinforces that: “If God is with me, who can be against me!”

I want to use the moniker of my webpage as a springboard to what I want to write about today.  Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  And the hope I am referencing is the hope found in the truth of Deuteronomy 31:6 listed in the paragraph above.  We have to put our hope in a Sovereign God who told us in Ephesians 1 that he had a plan even before the creation of the world (or man), and that plan was revealed in verse 1:10: “at just the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ – everything in heaven and on earth.”

We can never forget that we are living in a fallen world that is still under the authority of satan.  That is explained in no uncertain terms in Ephesians 2:1-3 when Apostle Paul was explaining the reality of the world to new believers in Ephesus: “Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins.  You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air.  He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.  All of us used to live that way (note: this is past tense), following the passions and desires of our evil nature.”  This is the reality of the world and our relation to it before being in Christ.

But here is the hope and truth about who we are today. “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.  And He raised us from the dead along with Christ, because we are one with Him.”  As His followers, we are called to be “in” this world, but not “of” this world”, and we have been given the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit to ensure we can rise to that calling.  This gift is from a loving God who wants us to succeed at becoming the person He created us to be.

The reality is, we do live in a fallen world, and we are affected by this fallen world whether we want to be or not.  “And how did this become a fallen world”, you might ask?  Well…it became a fallen world when “sin” entered the world. And that “sin” was Man turning his back to God and putting the focus on himself.  For all of those who are not in Christ, they are still their own god, therefore still “living in sin.”

So what do I and other Christ-followers see when we look at the world around us?  We see a culture that is spiritually and morally bankrupt.  We see a culture that has sold out the fundamental principles that made our country great: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the traditional family structure, the sanctity of life, the values of honor and integrity, mutual respect and racial equality, and a healthy respect for law and order.

“But how could this happen”, you might ask?  “Those values seem fundamental to a free society”.  And I would have to say, “how right you are!”  But the truth is…the problems we are facing right now as a country and as a culture are really not unique to us. If you lay an ancient history book and a Bible side by side, you can trace the same rise and fall of previous cultures, but one explains them in secular terms (greed and the desire for wealth, power and control) and the other explains them in Biblical terms (sin-nature).  Regardless of the nature of the explanation, the common denominator is…God was expunged from the culture by those in control. The Word of God shines way too much light on evil agendas. Can you see evidence of that happening in our culture today?

At this time in our history, we have the opportunity to exercise one of our rights as a (still) free nation.  We have the right to vote for what WE believe to be in the best interest of our country.  Many devoted soldiers fought and died so we could exercise this privilege. Right now the very direction of our country is being challenged by a political party that wants to point us in the direction of Socialism.  This is the exact opposite of the Republic our forefathers handed to us in our founding documents. Even Benjamin Franklin saw the challenge that lay ahead when he responded to a question from a reporter: “Well, Dr. Franklin, do we have a democracy?”  His response was, “No, you have a republic…if you can keep it.”

No doubt the media will keep this mid-term election a personality contest, but I implore you…please do not chose to “sit this one out”. We all have the responsibility to voice our opinion concerning the future of our country, and the stakes could not be higher, and the agendas could not be more different. Our current President, even though he has his faults (like all of us), was elected because he was not “just another politician”, but because he was bold enough and committed enough to tackle what he called “The Swamp” in Washington, DC.” (If you witnessed the Kavanaugh hearings this past week, you saw “The Swamp” in action, and you got a glimpse of their evil agenda!)  We voted for a courageous leader who spoke to our concerns.  Now we have the opportunity to provide for him a congress and a party that will support his efforts rather than resist and subvert his attempts to provide what he promised.

Clearly our country is in the shape it is in because we have exalted the teachings of man over the teachings of God.  The Bible is resplendent with examples of countries that were in line with God’s will, and they were blessed.  When they were out of line with God’s will, these things dominated the culture: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions – the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your group, envy, hatred, lying, cheating, stealing, despair and hopelessness. (Galatians 5:19-21) Do you see any evidence of this in our culture today?

I learned this principle in my recovery group: a problem cannot be solved by the same mind-set that created the problem.  Therefore, I want to close with two truths taken from Jonathan Cahn’s, “The Harbinger”

 “America was founded on prayer. Therefore, the removal of prayer from its public life was a central part of its fall from God. A nation that turns away from prayer will ultimately find itself in desperate need of it.”

“As God was expunged from American life, idols came in to fill the void; idols of sensuality, idols of greed, of money, of success, comfort, materialism, pleasure, sexual immorality, self-worship, self-obsession. The sacred increasingly disappeared, and the profane took its place.” 

And here is our hope.

“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

This IS the time for every Christ-follower and every Church to pray for the future of our country!

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

May God Bless You abundantly,

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

WHAT DO KINGDOM PRINCIPLES HAVE TO DO WITH LIVING THE ABUNDANT LIFE?  #316

Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers… as I mentioned at the end of last week’s blog, my topic this week will be about Kingdom building. That is such a vitally important subject today, especially when we look at the state of our culture, our country, and the world. The message I feel called to present today is what I have found to be The Truth, as revealed in the Holy Bible. That Book did not get its distinction just because of the words, but because of WHO spoke those words.  The author was the same source that said, “Let there be light!” (Genesis 1:3) For information to attest to the validity of the Holy Bible, feel free to visit my blog from two weeks ago, “Wisdom? What is Wisdom?? #314. (http://meetpastordan.com/wisdom-what-is-wisdom-314/)

In last week’s blog, I enumerated five reasons for Christ’s coming, one of which was to compare and contrast the ways (or teachings) of the world with Kingdom principles. Let’s take a minute and review that material. “One very important reason for Jesus’ coming was to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven. This message was intended to compare the fallen state of the world with the truth of Kingdom principles.  Quite a few times in the first three Gospels of the Bible, Jesus proclaimed, “The Kingdom is at hand!”; “The Kingdom has come!”, or “Today these prophecies have been fulfilled before your very eyes!” In other words, the Kingdom of Heaven is now on earth in the person of Jesus. Everything about His behavior and His teaching represents God’s love and His standards. Let’s look at a few examples.

Take, for instance, the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit; they will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven”. (Hum?)  Blessed are the meek; they will inherit the earth. (What??) or Forgive those who have wronged you, or Love your enemies…. (Are you kidding me??  That’s not the way of the world!) That very statement is why it was so difficult for people then, and for people now, to grasp a message wrapped in His love. Why? Because His love is “agape love”, which means self-sacrificial love, and that in itself is 180 degrees upside down from the ways of the world, which are rooted in self-aggrandizement.

Now let’s look at Jesus’ teaching.  He told His disciples in John 8:32: “If you follow My teaching, you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” Notice that He was very specific about the teaching He was referencing. It was “My teaching”, NOT the teachings, the philosophies, or the revelations of the world. “So, what did Jesus teach”, you might ask?  He taught about love, forgiveness, mercy, grace, compassion and acceptance; He taught about our Father, and He taught about being of service to our fellow man.”

I always consider myself blessed that I have the opportunity to share Biblical Truths and Scriptures with people who are struggling with life issues. Most, but not all, are Christians who grew up with false teachings; those who have let “life” get in the way of their Christian growth, or those who have fallen victim to satan’s lies, deceptions, accusations and schemes. I always ask two questions at the outset. The first is, “How has your life changed since you became a Christian?” Most often I hear something like, “Well, I thought I would have less stress in my life; I thought that my life would be easier; I thought that I would be blessed more abundantly, or I thought that I would have more joy in my life.”  The misconception here is with the churchy word, “justification” or “having been justified.”

When we make that all -important decision to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are “justified” (made right in God’s eyes.) 2 Corinthians, 5:17 explains this transformation: “You are a new creation in Christ; the old is gone (you are no longer a slave to your sin-nature), the new has come.” (the Holy Spirit.) At this point, our inheritance from being in Christ has given us everything we need for living a Godly life. But at this point, we haven’t even taken the first step in the process of “sanctification”, another churchy word meaning “growing, maturing and becoming more Christ-like.” 2 Peter nails that principle and promise: The more we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, His divine nature (the Holy Spirit) gives us everything we need for living a Godly life.” In other words, “justification” has only prepared us for the process of “sanctification.” Unless we engage in that process of growing and maturing in Christ, our lives can remain stressful, can remain challenging, and can remain unfulfilled.

Romans 12:2 addresses this issue. “Do not conform to the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is.” (for you.) God’s will for you is to accept His gift of Grace (Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for your sins.) But the second part of His will is that you begin to grow and mature in your relationship with Jesus so that He can bless your socks off as you become the person He created you to be. Ephesians 2:10 explains this process. “We are His Masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ, so that we can NOW do the good things He planned for us long ago.”

The second question I ask is, “Tell me about your God?”  Almost immediately I can pick up on guilt, shame and remorse from their past, unforgiveness issues, low self-esteem issues, doubt issues or anger or abandonment issues. All of these bondages are rooted in fear, because the victim is likely viewing God through the same lenses with which they viewed their earthly fathers. In virtually every case, the person has no idea of what it means to be in Christ, nor do they know or understand the power of having Christ in them!

Growing and maturing in Christ is a process of transformation, as revealed in Romans 12:2 two paragraphs above. “…let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” If someone is plagued with guilt, shame, unforgiveness, doubt, anger, fear, etc., those feelings (emotions) are NOT of God, but are from the pit of hell, and satan is the author! If he can keep you focused on your past failures, or your present issues or circumstances, those issues can start looking bigger and more powerful than God. At that point, he has you where he wants you…right in the palm of his hand. As he steals your joy, you drift further and further away from God.

God knows that through our own best effort, we most often come up short against the lusts of the flesh, the enticements of the world, and our battle with satan. In fact, He was so sure of that that He gave us a special gift as part of our salvation package. His gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is intended to empower us to become the person He created us to be right here, right now in this fallen world. Galatians 5: 16-18 tells why this is so important. “So, I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just 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 slaves to your sin nature.”

God’s whole plan for our salvation was/is rooted in love, which, as I pointed out last week, was implemented for our benefit at a time when we proved ourselves to be “utterly helpless” to overcome the dilemma of Sin through our own effort.  His plan for our salvation was/is made possible through Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf, thus making us sin-free and eligible for eternal life. That seals our eternal destiny…but there’s more!

For those of us who are still living in this fallen world, His plan provided for us as well. The indwelling Holy Spirit is the “divine power” that allows us to live victoriously right here, right now. When we call on the Spirit to empower us with His patience, His courage, His strength, His wisdom, His perseverance – whatever it is we need to make choices that bring honor and Glory to God, we have entered into the Spiritual realm. This is called walking in the Spirit, or living in the Spirit. (And FYI…this is also when we receive abundant blessings for our faithfulness to Him.)

So, you may be asking, “How does all of this fit into Kingdom principles? The qualities found in the Beatitudes and in Jesus’ teaching are the qualities that result from the transformation (the journey) of becoming more Christ-like. Qualities of agape love, humility, forgiveness, mercy, grace, kindness, compassion, being God-centered and other-centered rather than self-centered all contribute to us fulfilling the purpose for which we were created. These qualities will define the New Jerusalem, or The Promised Land for everyone in Christ!

Our God is an Awesome God, and the final exclamation point to that statement comes from Romans 8:38: “I am convinced that nothing can separate us from His love. Death can’t, life can’t, the angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today and our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of Hell can’t keep God’s love away…Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord!”  Amen! Amen!

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

May God Bless You abundantly,

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

 

THY KINGDOM COME? THY WILL BE DONE??  #315

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” What do you think that phrase means? Is it referring to the here and now? Is it a prophetic statement pointing to something in the future? Well, one thing I suspect we can all agree on is this bold statement: the pathetic state of the world and our culture today confirms that His will has certainly eluded the masses. If you doubt that, just look at the anger, hatred, despair, frustration, hopelessness, guilt, shame, remorse, addictions, divorces, and suicides that plague our daily lives, and capture the local and national headlines. Without a doubt, there is another reigning force at work behind the scenes, and the puppeteer pulling the strings is none other than the Father of Lies, the Prince of Darkness, and the god of the dark domain…satan himself! So, if this is the case, how can His will be done?

Let me begin by going back to the Garden of Eden. When God created Man (us), He created us in His image, and He created us for a relationship with Himself. The first inhabitants, Adam and Eve, were spiritually connected to God. He communed with them; they lived in paradise; He provided for all their needs, and He gave them dominion over the earth. But all of that ended with the fateful encounter with the serpent, satan. As soon as Eve and Adam were deceived by the Father of Lies, that all-important spiritual connection was severed and they were banished from the Garden. Consequently, every generation, right up to the present time, has been born spiritually separated from God. That means that from infancy on, we learn to live in a way that satisfies “self”, and unless we do something to re-establish that spiritual connection with God, our life can be defined as “living in Sin.”  We don’t necessarily know that we’re living in Sin; we’re just doing what comes naturally. (The Biblical definition of this hopeless state is yielding to our “sin-nature”.)

Let me be very clear about the word “Sin”. When it is capitalized, it is a noun; it is a way of life. As such, it means we are living “separated from God; it means we are living to pleasure and exalt self rather than God, and that is contrary to the First Commandment. When the term “sin” is lower-case, it is a verb, and is the resultant behavior of being separated from God. Another way of saying that is “sinning is what Sinners do.”

The original Sin was the end result of Man’s choice to be disobedient to God’s directive, “You may freely eat any fruit in the Garden except fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:16) From that point forward, specifically, until the coming of Jesus Christ, God let Man struggle with the issue of Sin through his own best effort. The results, as you will see below, were dismal. Sin was, and still is, the chasm that separates Man from God. But with the coming of Jesus Christ, EVERYTHING changed. Jesus was/is God’s answer to Man’s dilemma.

Ephesians 1:10 tells us: “At just the right time, He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ – everything in heaven and on earth.” So, what was “just the right time?” Roman’s 5:6 gives us the answer: “When we were utterly helpless (How’s that for an indictment?), Christ came at just the right time, and died for us sinners.”  Obviously “just the right time” was when we proved ourselves “utterly helpless” to save ourselves. God’s plan, even before He created the world (and us), was to provide a Redeemer to do for us what we would prove, without a shadow of a doubt, we were incapable of doing for ourselves.

This is a background that should give clarity to what it means for the Kingdom to come, and His will be done. Jesus’ primary reason for coming to earth was to be the sacrificial lamb to pay the ransom for the sins of Mankind. But there were other reasons for His coming: to be the Word incarnate; to live a life that demonstrated the Truth of God’s Word.  John 1:14 tells us, “The Word (Truth) became flesh and dwelt among us.  He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.” He came to shine the light on the shortcomings and hypocrisy of religion; He came to destroy the works of satan by championing over them. He cast out demons; He healed the sick; He raised the dead, and He destroyed the curse of death by walking out of the tomb on Easter Sunday morning.

Satan IS a defeated foe! He doesn’t want you to know that, but the truth is, when Jesus overcame death, SO DID ALL CHRIST-FOLLOWERS. Satan no longer can snatch us from the arms of Jesus. Romans 6:23 makes that very clear: For the wages of sin is death, BUT THE FREE GIFT OF GOD is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!!

But one other very important reason for Jesus’ coming was to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven. Remember, He came when we proved ourselves “utterly helpless” to overcome our sin-nature. The result of Man’s pathetic, helpless state was a world that was turned upside down because the teaching of Man was exalted over the Word of God. More blatantly, Man was wollering in a state of disobedience…just like today. Jesus’ Kingdom message was intended to compare the fallen state of the world with the truth of Kingdom principles.

Quite a few times in the first three Gospels of the Bible, Jesus proclaimed, “The Kingdom is at hand!”; “The Kingdom has come!”, or “Today these prophecies have been fulfilled before your very eyes!” In other words, the Kingdom of Heaven is now on earth in the person of Jesus. Everything about His behavior and His teaching represents God’s love and His standards. Let’s look at a few examples. (I mentioned this in last week’s blog, but it is worth repeating here.) Take, for instance, the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit; they will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven”. (Hum?)  Blessed are the meek; they will inherit the earth. (What??) or Forgive those who have wronged you, or Love your enemies…. (Are you kidding me??  That’s not the way of the world!) That very statement is why it was so difficult for people then, and for people now, to grasp a message wrapped in His love. Why? Because His love is “agape love”, which means self-sacrificial love, and that in itself is 180 degrees upside down from the ways of the world, which are rooted in self-aggrandizement.

Now let’s look at Jesus’ teaching.  He told His disciples in John 8:32: “If you follow My teaching, you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” Notice that He was very specific about the teaching He was referencing. It was “My teaching”, not the teachings, the philosophies, or the revelations of the world. “So, what did Jesus teach”, you might ask?  He taught about love, forgiveness, mercy, grace, compassion and acceptance; He taught about our Father, and He taught about being of service to our fellow man. Can you find objection to any of these principles?

Jesus told His disciples to “watch and listen”. He told them to be discerning about the newest, latest and greatest teachings and revelations found in other messages that claimed to be “the truth.”  As we are told in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will last forever.” In other words, His Words (the Truth) are timeless! Therefore, we are called to compare all other claims and doctrines against the Truth of God’s Word. Jesus was very emphatic about this when He warned about the coming apostasy. (Ref. Matthew 24:4-14)

So, not only did the Kingdom come in the form of Jesus Christ, but as Christ-followers, we too are equipped to further His Kingdom… right here, right now. 2 Peter 1:3-4 explains this clearly: “The more we grow in our relationship with Jesus, His divine power (the Holy Spirit) gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive His own glory and goodness…and we will share in His divine nature.”  So, when He said “…fear not, for I have overcome the world (John 16:33), the good news for us in that statement is…SO HAVE WE, because we have the Spirit of Christ living in us. (Ref. Romans 8:10-20)

The more we realize the incredible inheritance that comes from being in Christ, the more our peace, serenity, courage, confidence and strength grows. But when the power that comes from Christ being in us takes root, that is when we – each one of us – becomes a formidable force for advancing His Kingdom. That, my Dear Friends, is the only way we can experience His will being done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Next week I will write about the transformation process that must take place in each one of us so we can become effective Kingdom builders. The foundational Scripture for this is Romans 12:2.

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

May God Bless You,

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

WISDOM?  WHAT IS WISDOM?  #314

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers… The more I read and study the Bible, the more it substantiates its own truth. But for those who dabble in the Bible, I can also understand why some things might sound vague, or even contradictory. After all, the Bible is written in prose, poetry, metaphor, allegory, and parable, so not everything is intended to be digested “literally”. But having said that, I believe that everything in the Bible is supposed to be there because it is part of a principle, a story, or a truth that is being revealed for our benefit. Let’s take Jesus’ teaching as an example. He lived in an agrarian society, so many times He taught in parables, which are earthly stories with a heavenly meaning.  In other words, when He talked about sheep, planting seeds and reaping a harvest, He wasn’t literally talking about sheep, or seeds, but He was using them to simplify heavenly principles so His audience would understand.

The Bible is a book unlike any other book. It is made up of 66 separate writings that span a time of about 1500 years; there were forty plus contributors (I say forty plus because some writers made more than one contribution), and they lived on three different continents. This Book is referred to as the Word of God, because this is how He chose to reveal Himself to His proudest creation (us). Since He is God – and since He is all-knowing – He knows a thing or two about relationships. (Hum? That may be the understatement of the millennium!) Therefore, He knew that before we could choose to enter into that all-important relationship for which we were created, we would have to come to know Him: what He thinks, what He thinks about us, what His plans are for us, what His standards are, what His promises are, and how we can achieve these promises. All of that wonderful information is revealed in this amazing book.

2 Peter 1:20-21 shares this truth with us: “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophets themselves or because they wanted to prophesy.  It was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God.” 2 Timothy continues the same narrative: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.  It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.  It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing He wants us to do.”  Based on these two Scriptures, it becomes clear that even though there were multiple contributors, there was only ONE author!  (And as a final tag, I want to point out that as a book of prophecy, the Bible doesn’t even have a close second. Hundreds of prophecies were fulfilled with the coming of Jesus, and still others point to Jesus’ second coming.)

The Bible is a treasure trove of knowledge, meaning it contains data such as facts, figures, information, and principles. The more time we spend immersing ourselves in these building blocks, the more understanding we derive from our effort. Now we’re seeing a bigger picture, perhaps we’re even starting to connect the dots. But the ultimate transforming quality we’re striving for is wisdom, and Merriam/Webster provides this definition: “Insight, the ability to discern inner or subtle qualities and relationships; judgement, good sense, the ability to understand things most people can’t understand.”  When we achieve this level of enlightenment in our spiritual journey, this is when the “light-bulbs” in our minds start popping on.

No doubt there is worldly wisdom as well as spiritual wisdom, and just to make life more interesting, they don’t match up. Apostle Paul addresses this in 1 Corinthians 2:12,14: “God has actually given us His Spirit (the Holy Spirit), not the world’s spirit, so we can know the wonderful things He has freely given us. People who aren’t Christians can’t understand these truths from God’s Spirit.  It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit is saying.”

Now, if you are thinking to yourself, “I thought God was a loving God.  Why is He shutting anyone out?” Let me remind you, YOU can connect with God anytime YOU want to! In fact, it’s easy! All anyone has to do is seek Him. Jeremiah 13: 29 offers this invitation: “If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me.” Romans 10:13 offers the same: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How’s that for simplicity? Nothing hard about that. Right?  It’s open to anyone. Right? So what’s the holdup?

Well, to be very blunt…it takes humility!  Pride and arrogance (the opposite of humility) are the stumbling blocks. And where do those qualities come from? The ruler of the dark domain…satan. Apostle Paul addresses this issue specifically. “Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shinning upon them.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) He continues, “I know how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction.(The arrogant; those who think they have it all figured out; those who think they don’t need a Savior) But we who are being saved (the humble; we who recognize our own insufficiency) recognize this same message as the very power of God! Since God in His wisdom saw to it that the world would never find Him through human wisdom, He has used our foolish message to save all who choose to believe.” (1Corinthians 1:18,21)

When Jesus read from the Torah in the Synagogue in Nazareth, He read prophecies from the Book of Isaiah that pointed to Him: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; He has anointed Me to preach the gospel (of the Kingdom) to the poor…This day this Scripture is fulfilled before your very eyes.” (Luke 4: 18,21) I wanted to point this out because Jesus came to preach the gospel of the Kingdom, and the reason it was/is so difficult for people to grasp is because it is 180 degrees different from the gospel of this world. When Jesus said, “This day this Scripture is fulfilled before your very eyes”, it was, in essence, the first time He said, “The Kingdom is at hand”, or “The Kingdom has come”, when referring to Himself. He represented the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, and His teachings were intended to point out that difference…for instance, the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit; they will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven”. (Hum?)  Blessed are the meek; they will inherit the earth. (What??) or Forgive those who have wronged you, or Love your enemies…. (Are you kidding me??)

So, to recap the question I presented in the title line, the wisdom referenced there is super- natural revelation from the Holy Spirit as He leads us into all truth. This is a gift from God; the Holy Spirit is part of our inheritance when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. If one is a non-believer, one does not have access to this gift. But to reiterate, this gift is available to anyone who is willing to be saved.  God is but one plea away. This is where we find our peace and serenity, our comfort in the time of need, our courage, our strength and our joy. This is where we begin experiencing Kingdom living right here, right now.

Next week I want to write about what Jesus meant when He said, “The Kingdom has come!”

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

May God Bless you abundantly,

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

TRUTH…WHAT IS TRUTH?  #313

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…I would be surprised if most of you reading this blog have not encountered some form of this question.  It is becoming a favored response today when someone’s ideas or values are called into question. And more often than not, it’s the prelude to a follow-up statement as to why they believe they should be able to act with impunity. “Well, my truth is different from your truth”, or “Oh, come on…truth changes as the culture changes. It’s important to keep up with the latest trends.” Well, all of that sounds “pretty hip” and innocuous enough, but the fact is, without guidelines for life, that kind of unbridled freedom can lead to depression, anxiety and a whole host of psychosomatic illnesses. “And why is that?” you ask. Because freedom without discipline is a ticking timebomb; just ask any addict, alcoholic, victim of an unwanted pregnancy, or perpetrator of a violent crime.

Since this attitude is becoming more widely espoused by today’s culture, let’s look at the definition of the word “truth”?  I’ll turn to Merriam-Webster for the answer. “It is the quality of being true, as (A) Conformity to a fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or will be. (B) Conformity to a rule; exactness”. When we compare this definition with the mindset of a liberal/progressive (L/P) thinker, the stark contrast is undeniable. Truth, as we have known and valued it, is like a straight-jacket to the L/P thinker. It represents the old, the traditional, and it flies in the face of the newest, latest and greatest “enlightened advances” professed by the “intelligentsia.” (“intelligencia” would also be appropriate here…😊)

Since the Liberal Progressive Agenda (LPA) seems to have gained traction in our culture during the past decade, its first order of business has been aimed at chip, chip, chipping away at traditions and values that have previously defined our great country. Targets of assault have been the traditional family structure, religious freedom, gender identity, casting doubt on the stability and relevance of our founding documents (the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution), a concerted attempt to divide rather than unite people, rewriting our country’s history, using the educational system to indoctrinate rather than educate, and challenging in order to diminish the effect of laws and law enforcement. This has been playing out right before our very eyes in the political arena and in social media, but with complicit support from the news media and the entertainment industry.  It’s all about changing what we (the people) think of as “normal”, and numbing and dumbing us down is an essential part of the LPA strategy.

No doubt the changes in social mores, such as civility, honor, respect, values and morality, have adversely affected our country’s sense of well-being. Consequently, there is a prevailing sense of uneasiness that looms over our culture like a dark cloud. I find myself asking, “How do people find a sense of peace and serenity, security, and confidence if they don’t know truth?”, And when I refer to truth, I am referring to what I have experienced to be The Truth!

For the first 55 years of my life, I thought I had all the answers. But the gospel of Presgrave led me to some pretty dark places. On April 21st, 2000, I came face to face with my own insufficiency. With no place else to turn, I cried out in a state of surrender: “God, I don’t know if you’re there or not, but if you are, please help me. I can’t stop drinking and drugging without you.” Today my life is characterized by peace, serenity, security, confidence and joy!

One Scripture in particular that defines my new journey is John 8:32: “Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If you follow My teachings, you will know The Truth, and The Truth will set you free.” (my caps) Notice that Jesus was very specific about what teaching He was referring to. He said “My teaching”, as opposed to worldly teaching, or eastern, western or new age philosophies. So, the next logical question should be, “What did Jesus teach?” First and foremost, He taught Kingdom principles rather than worldly principles. He taught about love, forgiveness, mercy, grace, compassion, acceptance, and humility; He taught about His Father, and He taught about being of service to our fellow man. This list can be summed up in two words: “agape love”, or self-sacrificial love. With this message in our hearts, there is no room for darkness!

We are told that God spoke all creation into existence; that He revealed Himself to His creation through His Word, and that He revealed His standard, or His Truth (the Law) to the Israelites through His Word. Jesus is also referred to as The Word incarnate, meaning He modeled The Word (The Truth) for all to see. (John 1:14 tells us, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”) I am writing this paragraph to make this specific point. These three words are synonymous: Jesus, Word, and Truth. They can be used interchangeably, that’s why Jesus said, “I AM the way, The Truth, and the life…”

Since the perception of truth being relative is becoming more commonplace (meaning it can change based on circumstances or situations), what solid foundation does one stand on? (Or should I say, “what can one believe in?”) Concerning God’s Word (Truth), we are told in Matthew 24: 35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Word will never pass away.”  Hebrews 13:8 reinforces that Scripture: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” In those two truths regarding consistency, one can find peace, serenity, confidence, security and joy.

For the future of our country, it is of utmost importance that we do not underestimate the goal of the Liberal Progressive Agenda. Its goal is to fundamentally change America. Does that sound familiar? Barack Hussein Obama, in October of 2008, clearly stated, “We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.” And again, a few days after the election, Michelle gave more clarity to their intentions: “We are going to have to change our conversation; we’re going to have to change our traditions, our history, and we’re going to have to move into a different place as a nation.” At that time, most people didn’t understand what that coded language meant, but today it is blatantly clear! “Socialism” is the latest LPA moniker, and that, My Dear Readers, is the antithesis of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as offered by our Declaration of Independence. Their proposed transformation is a new form of government called Socialism!

Truth is the backbone of freedom, and God’s Truth was/is revealed in the Ten Commandments. Did God give those Commandments to be a kill-joy? Absolutely not! The Israelites were falling away from their previous teaching and were engaging in chaotic behavior, idol worship and debauchery. (Can you see that pattern playing out in today’s culture?) Those Commandments were to keep the people safe from the undesirable consequences that would result from lying, stealing, cheating, adultery, murder and greed. Take note that those Commandments were not only civil law, but they also revealed God’s standard for morality.

No doubt L/P thinking exalts the teaching of man over the teaching of God, because God’s Truth presents a stumbling block for advancing their latest and greatest plan for our salvation. As we are now witnessing, Liberal Progressives wrap their agenda in the deception of “it will be better for everyone” by assuring us that the central government will take care of our needs. (Isn’t that the same lie satan used in the Garden…and, oh Yes, wasn’t that the same lie that was used to promote the last government health care program?)  Hum??

So, as you can see, truth or Truth doesn’t only depend on the words, but the real truth-determining factor is, WHO said the words and their motivation. All of God’s Words (Truth) that have been revealed to us have been wrapped in love, specifically agape (self-sacrificial) love. Unfortunately, the teaching of man often falls into the self-aggrandizement category, and can be motivated by greed being manifested in the desire for wealth, power, control, position or reputation. (No doubt there are laws and truths of nature such as the law of gravity, the laws of mathematics, physics, and electricity, etc. This discussion by no means is questioning those validities.)

Let me close with this example. Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; trust Me!” (Mark 5:36) I can trust (or believe in) that statement because of who said it. Jesus, because of who He IS, has proven Himself, time and time again, to be truthful and faithful. But if Senator Smith, or Bernie Madoff said the same five words, I would have doubt because they have not proven themselves to be trustworthy or of good character.

(FYI: In case you might have thought that I extracted the title-line from a headline I could have seen in any newspaper on any given day, the fact is, it was Pontius Pilate’s response over 2000 years ago to Jesus’ claim that “He IS”. As we can clearly see, not grasping The Truth is by no means a recent plague.)

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

May God Bless You abundantly,

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

 

THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF LIFE  #312

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers… I want to write about the most precious gift that God has given to mankind, and that gift is LIFE! We are told in Genesis that God created all living creatures; those that fly in the air, those that live in the sea, those that walk on the earth, but His proudest and final creation was Man. Genesis 1:26- 27, 2:7 gives this account: “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind (male and female) in our image, (to differentiate our distinctiveness from all previous animal creations), in our likeness (so we can have the ability to reflect His glory), so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all creatures that move along the ground. So, God created mankind in His own image. He formed Man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (His life), and Man became a living being.”

Notice that Man’s existence began with God’s breath. And what prompted that first breath? Love!  And why did God want to create a human creature in His image? His plan, even before the world was created, (Ref. Ephesians 1:3-6) was to create Man (us) for a relationship with Himself so we could reflect His glory. Unfortunately, that original intent was short-lived, and ended when Sin entered the world. From that point forward, Man became more interested in reflecting his own glory than reflecting the glory of God.

So, what is this beautiful “thing” called LIFE. (Note: I will use all caps when this word is a noun, and I will use lower case when it is a verb, denoting action.) LIFE is a state of being, and refers to “being alive.” Prior to God’s breath, we didn’t exist as a being; we were only an image created from dust. But when God breathed LIFE into His new creation, He gave us LIFE…His LIFE. In that instance, we became “alive” and we had the ability to move, to see, to taste and to smell, but most important was our ability to think and to make choices. We were prepared at that point, to enter into that all-important relationship with Him, should we choose to do so. But that ability to choose would become the linchpin that would ultimately define not only our physical LIFE, but also our spiritual LIFE.

Now before I move on, we must consider the flip-side of LIFE. Just as the saying, “What goes up must come down” is true, the same is also true for LIFE.  When something is alive, there is the inevitable end to that existence called “death”. Death denotes the absence of life. To our human way of thinking, birth is the beginning of life, death is the end (or absence) of life…or is it?

So why is this subject of LIFE so important?  Well, we have this incredible gift from God that is intended to be our “period of time” for bringing honor and glory to Him. But as Jesus pointed out to the Pharisees, we are also called to love and to be of service to our fellow man. So… the truth is, this life, our physical life, is a time of testing – an audition period, so to speak, that either qualifies or disqualifies us from ETERNAL LIFE in Paradise with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and all other Christ-followers. That life, ETERNAL LIFE, is the true prize at the end of this race, not this life. (Note: that last statement is also the answer to the dangling three-word question at the end of the previous paragraph.) “This life” is the obstacle course that determines our destiny…our ETERNAL destiny!

In the first paragraph, we are told that God gave us dominion over the birds, the fish, the livestock, and all other wild animals. But there were two other charges given to the first inhabitants: “Be fruitful and multiply, and subdue the earth.” (Genesis 1:28) Hum? Subdue the earth? Did God know something they didn’t know? Well, when satan was cast out of heaven after his rebellion against God, notice that he wasn’t just “cast out of heaven”, but he was “cast down to earth.” (Revelation 12:9) God was not surprised when Eve met satan; In fact, He knew it would happen. But He also knew that encounter would put into motion what I have referred to before as His eternal morality play of “GOOD vs. EVIL.”

When we are born into this world, we are born to be actors in this inevitable play. We don’t know we’re actors in a play; in fact, we don’t even care about such things. We just go about doing what comes naturally. We make choices that bring honor and glory to ourselves, and we are particularly fond of things that exalt us or pleasure us. Such is the LIFE of the “natural man” before he chooses to accept God’s Gift of Grace (salvation!)

At this point, the term “life” can take on a slightly different meaning. During this new period of time, we are in a process called “sanctification”, which means we are becoming more Christ-like in our thoughts, words and deeds.  Now we are no longer slaves to “self”, or as the Bible calls it, our “sin-nature”. Now we can call on the Holy Spirit to empower us to rise above life’s struggles to become the person God created us to be. 2Peter 1:3-4 explains this perfectly: “The more we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, His divine nature (the Holy Spirit) gives us everything we need for living a godly life. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable us to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”

No doubt everyone reading this is going to die physically.  No one gets out of this world alive. “We began as dust, and we will return to dust.” (Genesis 3:19) But the true gift of LIFE is ETERNAL LIFE, and God has already made it possible for everyone to experience that blessing. He paid a hefty price for our salvation! It was the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, that paid the penalty for our sins. Therefore, when we accepted His Gift of Grace, we were immediately “justified” (made right) in His sight because we accepted His gift. Now let me share with you the powerful Scripture, Romans 6:23, that contrasts the fate of the “natural man” with the fate of the “saved man”.  “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift from God is eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ.”

As I mentioned in the first paragraph, our most precious gift from God is LIFE itself. Therefore, I feel I would be remiss if I did not shine the spotlight on the incredible affront to God that is being perpetrated by those in our midst who espouse a liberal, progressive agenda. Biblically speaking, God revealed Himself as the giver of life, and the only One who has the right to bring life to an end. Therefore, man’s attempt to play god by making available the choice to kill babies in their mother’s wombs can be nothing less than abhorrent in the eyes of God.

The Old Testament is resplendent with examples of God’s anger against nations that sacrificed their children to the pagan idols of Baal and Moloch. Canaan and Israel both bore God’s wrath when they turned to such practices. Therefore, since God is a just God and levies His judgement accordingly, how could America escape such a fate when the abortion rate at this point is 47.5 million aborted babies since Roe v Wade.

I will close with Jonathan Cahn’s powerful statement concerning this matter. “When Israel’s children were sacrificed on Baal’s altars, the nation deafened its ears to their cries. But God did not. The blood of the innocent would lead to the nation’s judgment. So, in the modern case, we (America) have likewise lifted up our children on the altars of wealth, power, control, and legalized murder, and have likewise deafened our ears to their cries. But even by the most basic measures of morality, the clear and unavoidable truth remains: the killing of an unborn child, the taking of an innocent life, is as wrong and horrific as any human act could be wrong and horrific. And as in ancient times, no amount of words, legislation, or rulings can alter that fact. That we have sanctioned such a thing or have done and said nothing to oppose it is an indictment, not only of our present civilization, but of all who have sanctioned it or done and said nothing to oppose it.” (Jonathan Cahn, author of The Harbinger)

My hope in bringing this horrific practice into the light, is that it will prompt you to pray against this offense that plagues the very character of our country. As we are told in 2 Chronicles 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 restore their land.”  Amen!

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May God Bless You abundantly,

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?  #310

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…I have been drawn to this subject for a few weeks, but I wanted to take some time and wait for the Holy Spirit to direct the perspective of my response. I have experienced this question quite a few times, and my experience has been that it is a set-up question. I say that because in every case the person asking the question was not particularly interested in my answer, but they were certainly interested in challenging my response in order to champion their perspective and promote their agenda.  At first, I got sucked into this stinky swamp, but I have since discovered an answer that has been appropriate regardless of the question. “Jesus would do what He has always done; He would stand on the Truth of God’s Word, and against evil wherever or whenever He encountered it.”

After pondering this particular question for a while, a few common-sense truths began to take shape in my mind. First, if the person asking the question knew anything about the truth of who Jesus is, they wouldn’t have to ask that question. And secondly, in the culture in which we are now living, depravity prevails.  People have fallen away from common-sense, decency, spirituality and morality. Consequently, they have bought into the insanity of today’s culture, and now espouse that new “enlightened” persona. We, as Christians, stand in the way of their “free-to-be-me” agenda, so their intent is to marginalize or ridicule our beliefs as being “out of touch with the world today”, or much too simplistic and without intellectual merit. Being contentious and confrontational is part of their game-plan.

The truth is, Jesus never promised His followers an easy ride.  In fact, He was quite up front about what to expect.  He said, “In this world you will have trouble, but fear not, for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) He also reminded us that every day we would have to “deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him.” (Luke 9:23) And again we were told, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated Me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted Me, naturally they will persecute you. They will do all this to you because of Me…” (John 15:18-21)

Now let’s look at today’s culture and superimpose that answer, using two hot-topic questions as examples. I would, however, like to add this parameter to the mix since the question pertains to Jesus specifically. I will answer the questions based on the Truth of God’s Word found in the Holy Bible. Since I believe His Word IS His Truth, all answers will be filtered through that lens. I will use these two Scriptures as substantiation for my belief system. 2Peter 1:20-21 tells us, “Above all you must understand that no prophecy or Scripture ever came from the prophets themselves. It was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God.” 2Timothy 3:16-17 reinforces that position: “All Scripture is inspired by God, and is useful to teach us what is true and what is wrong in our lives.  It straightens us out, and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing He wants us to do.”

I have encountered today’s topic question, “What would Jesus do?”. in regard to gender identity. The opposition wanted to challenge my tolerance, compassion and enlightenment by preceding the actual question with, “I believe they have a right do be happy…don’t you?” Then comes, “What do you think Jesus would do (or say) as it relates to gender identity.” (Remember, “Satan, the god of this world, has already clouded the hearts and minds of non-believers” 2 Corinthians 4:4)  I would respond, “Jesus would do the same thing He did in the wilderness when confronted by satan; He would rebuke his lies by standing on the Truth of God’s Word.” God created Mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. They were given specific physical attributes to identify them, and to fulfill their purpose. Be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis1:27-28) Any alteration of God’s creation, for whatever the purpose, would be an afront to Him. But the truth is, Jesus is always there with open arms to welcome anyone home who has gone astray, and the Holy Spirit is available to lead them into all Truth. That Truth revelation IS the pathway to confidence, security, joy, peace and serenity.”

Now let’s look at the hot topic of Socialism. This is the new “buzz-word” of the liberal left, and just as satan’s lie to Eve in the Garden was wrapped in a lie (“…your eyes will be opened and you will be just like God. Genesis 3: 5), the presentation of Socialism is always clothed in the same kind of deception. The set-up may be something of this nature: “Don’t you see the evils of capitalism? Don’t you think the playing field should be leveled so the less advantaged can experience a better quality of life? Socialism stands for the greater good. After all, Jesus preached about helping the poor, right?

The truth is, “God is Love” (1John 4:7), and in love, there is freedom. He gave us “free will” at creation so we could choose to enter into a relationship with Him. He also set the Israelites free from four hundred years of bondage to an oppressive Egypt. And why did Jesus come? He came to set the captives free! (free from bondage to our sin-nature) {Luke 4:18}

The wrapping (the lies) might make Socialism sound like a good idea, but it is, in fact, the antithesis of freedom.  In our current form of government, a republic, the founding documents were woven together based on Judeo-Christian principles stating that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were inalienable rights that were granted by a Creator. Socialism, on the other hand, believes in a large central government that promises to be our savior and our provider. But history has shown that once the government has power over the people, it more often than not, becomes tyrannical and oppressive.

Mark J. Perry, concurrently a scholar at American Enterprise Institute and professor of economics and finance at University of Michigan substantiated that position when he wrote an article in 1995 entitled, “Why Socialism Fails.” His opening statements included these two indictments: “Socialism is the ‘Big Lie’ of the twentieth century.  While it promises prosperity, equality, and security, it delivered proverty, misery and tyranny. Even if there are initial signs of success, those signs quickly fade as the fundamental deficiencies are exposed. It is the initial illusion of success that gives government intervention its pernicious, seductive appeal.  In the long run, however, Socialism has always proven to be a formula for tyranny and misery.  Equality was achieved only in the sense that everyone was equal in his or her misery.”

The Word of God cautions us to be discerning when we hear about new ideas, new trends, and the latest, greatest advancements. Apostle Paul alluded to this when he told the Galatians they were falling away from the truth: “You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News, but is not the Good News at all.  You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.” (Galatians 1:7)

So, as we apply the truth of Paul’s remarks, there are always those who lust after wealth, power and control, and who are, unfortunately, willing to do or say anything to achieve that end. But as Christ-followers, we are to do the same thing Jesus did when He was here. He stood on the truth of God’s Word, and He stood against evil whenever and wherever He saw it.  The religious leaders of His day had the power and control, but He challenged them unmercifully to expose their hypocrisy. I believe we have that same directive today as His followers, and the Scripture we can stand on is, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my Word will last forever.(Matthew 24:35) “God didn’t give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of love, power, and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

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

May God bless you…

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