Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers…I’ve been thinking about today’s subject matter for a few weeks now, but an appropriate introduction continued to be elusive. So, before I even started writing, I opened the Bible with the thought, “Holy Spirit, I’m looking for a missing link”, not even sure of what that looked like, but the random opening took me to Jeremiah 6, subtitled “Jerusalem’s Final Warning”. Here’s what I gleaned from this chapter: (vs10-11) “To whom can I give warning? Who will listen when I speak? Their ears are closed, and they cannot hear.  They scorn the word of the Lord.  They don’t want to listen at all. So now I, the Lord, am filled with fury!  Yes, I am weary of holding it in! (vs.16-19) So now the Lord says, “Stop right where you are! Look for the old, godly way and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.  But you replied, ‘No! that’s not the road we want to travel’. I set watchmen over you who said, ‘Listen for the sound of the trumpet!’ But you replied, ‘No! We won’t pay attention.’ Therefore, listen to this, all you nations. Take note of My people’s condition. Listen all the earth! I will bring disaster upon My people.  It is the fruit of their own sin because they refuse to listen to Me.  The have rejected all of My instructions.”  Voila!  This is the perfect introduction from which I want to underpin my thoughts today.

Other than ancient Israel, no other nation in the history of the world has been more abundantly blessed than America.  In fact, many scholars and theologians have made a case for America being the prophetic beast referenced in Revelation 13:11:1. In prophecy, beast represents a great nation. This nation grew out of the earth and in a wilderness while previous great nations grew out of the seaports. This nation started out as a baby lamb, then grew into a Christian nation. The prophetic horns with no crowns means no rule of kings. America did rise to heights no other nation had ever known, not that we were ever without fault or sin, but we did aspire to fulfill our callings. “And what were those callings”, you might ask? To be a vessel of redemption, an instrument of God’s purposes, a light to the world. It would give refuge to the world’s poor and needy, and hope to its oppressed. It would stand against tyranny. It would fight, more than once, against the dark movements of the modern world that threatened to engulf the earth.” (Jonathan Cahn, The Harbinger) In fact, after our country’s first presidential inauguration, the President, his Cabinet, and Congress adjourned to St. Paul’s Chapel to dedicate this great country to God, and to ask for His blessings on the United States of America.

All of that sounds great! It definitely makes me proud to be an American. But the country I’m looking at today seems to be headed in a totally different direction. Rather than standing on the fundamental principles that made our country great, such as the Constitution, Judeo/Christian principles, freedom of religion and speech, the traditional family structure, upholding the rule of law, and pride in our history and our accomplishments, there seems to be an all-out assault on these values.  The pride and unity we used to feel as an American is challenged today by a new norm that is characterized by yelling, screaming, finger pointing, name calling, defaming our flag and our military, lying, cheating, and promoting a “Liberal Progressive Agenda” (LPA) whose capstone is a big government that will become our hope, our provider and our god.  When the populace is dependent on the government for its well-being, that government has power and control over the populace. Hmm…what could possibly go wrong with that plan?

“Wow!  How did that happen? What went wrong? you ask.  Jonathan Cahn masterfully addresses these probing questions: “It started with a spiritual complacency, then spiritual confusion, then the merging of God with idols and then, ultimately, the rejection of His ways. Just as with ancient Israel, America began ruling God out of its life, turning step by step against His ways, at first subtly and then more and more brazenly. As God was expunged from American life, idols came in to fill the void, idols of sensuality, idols of greed, of money, of success, comfort, materialism, pleasure, sexual immorality, self-worship, and self-obsession. The sacred increasingly disappeared, and the profane took its place.  The smiles of heaven cannot remain on a nation that disregards the ways of God. If America turns away from God, its blessings will likewise be removed and replaced with judgment.”   (The Harbinger)

In 2016, when Donald Trump shocked this country and the world by winning the Presidential race, I, like so many other believers in Jesus Christ and Bible prophecy, believed this was a time of reprieve. I believed this was a gift to us, a time to fulfill the message of repentance that has been proclaimed throughout both the Old Testament, the New Testament, and even today by Billy and Franklin Graham. Repent! Turn from your sins and turn to God!  The Bible is resplendent with examples of people and nations being restored when they responded to this proclamation, but there are also many examples of people and nations being destroyed when they refused to respond. This is recorded over and over throughout Biblical history (and also in world history, although the terminology is secular and refers to “human nature” rather than “sin nature.”)  Unfortunately, reading the Bible is out of vogue today.

But, like the Scriptures from Jeremiah that were used in the introduction, or the words of wisdom spoken by Jonathan Cahn, when men or nations believe they no longer need God and begin expunging His Words and His teaching from their midst, history has  proven that they bought into the same lie that deceived Eve in the Garden: “You will become just like God, knowing everything both good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5)  Just as Eve could not resist becoming her own god, that same lie has always been irresistible to the intellectual mind. “Why submit to something when I can be CEO of my own life and my own agenda?”

Let’s look briefly at how the serpent (satan) works today.  Remember, he is the Father of Lies, the Master Deceiver and the purveyor of the evil that we see running rampant throughout our culture. He always wraps his enticements is something that is appealing or something that sounds righteous.  For example, let’s take the hot-button topic of “tolerance”, and again I will refer to Jonathan Cahn. “There is a growing tolerance for immorality and a growing intolerance for the purity that is now being mocked, marginalized and condemned. Innocence is being ridiculed and virtue is being vilified. Children are taught of sexual immorality in public schools while the Word of God is banned. It is a tolerance that has put the profane on public display and removed nativity scenes from public sight…as if a contraband; as if some how they had become a threat to a strangely intolerant tolerance. ” (The Harbinger)

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that I believe the answer to our nation’s malady must be found in a spiritual solution rather than a political solution.  I mean…just look at our political system.  It IS totally corrupt and broken!  “And why is that” you ask? Because people are fallible; they can be agenda- driven; they can desire power and wealth; and in many cases can be willing to do anything, or say anything, to get what they want.  Unfortunately, that describes the “swamp” in our nation’s capital that is still trying to do business as usual.

I believe that we are stepping from the Tribulation period into the Great Tribulation period, and this is a befuddling and exasperating time for most people. But truth be told, it has been prophesized for centuries.  For instance, in Hebrews 12:25-29, God is speaking through the prophet (the author) when He exclaimed: “See to it that you obey God, the One who is speaking to you.  For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, how much more terrible your danger if you reject the One who speaks to you from heaven! When God spoke from Mount Sinai, His voice shook the earth.  But now He makes another promise: ’Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.’ This means that the things on earth will be shaken, so that only eternal things will be left.  Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be destroyed (the New Jerusalem for believers), let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe.  For our God is a consuming fire!

No doubt the Covid 19 pandemic has shaken not only our country, but the world. Could this be the result of a loving God wanting to get the attention of everyone? Is He telling us it’s time to wake up? No doubt, the pathetic state of the world has been perpetuated by Man’s best effort at playing god. The result has been putting God’s Word and His ways on the back burner while exalting human wisdom. When that happens, what you see around you today is what you will always get.

When speaking to His disciples concerning the end times, Jesus told them to watch, listen and wait; He told them to be discerning concerning what they saw and heard; He told them to stand steadfast on the truth of God’s Word, and not to be swayed by the newest, latest, and supposedly greatest, new ideas. The unfortunate truth about that last statement is this: most people today have no idea what to watch for, or what truth to stand on. If that describes you, stand on this truth: “God does not want to lose even one person to eternal damnation.” (John 6:39) This reprieve is for YOU!

I started off with Scriptures that presented Jerusalem’s Final Warning, wondering if you, too see any similarity to our culture (and the world) today?  Have we chosen our own way…a way contrary to God’s will for our country? Is there an agenda designed to destroy the America we once knew?  Did God give us a reprieve in order to “Repent? (to become willing to make a decision to change course.) If these questions are legitimate, how are we doing?  How are we responding to God’s reprieve as a nation?  How are you personally responding? Do you see any change?

Feel free to respond to this posting, and please “like” it and share it with other social media friends. Or if you really feel brave, share these questions at the water cooler.

May God Bless Ya….

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

Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers…How are you holding up during our country’s lockdown? Have you had enough? Are you ready to get a haircut, to go to the gym, to plan a vacation, and all the other “stuff” we took for granted? Do you want to go back to work? Do you miss your paycheck and the human contact? Are you tired of trying to figure out what to do with all that free time?? If so, welcome to socialism 2020. In actuality, we just got a taste of the highly touted “solve every problem”, “better for all” lie that the Liberal Progressive Agenda (LPA) has been trying to shove down our throats for the past few years.

Unfortunately, under dire circumstances that no one expected, the government has become our “big brother”. It has taken on that role by telling us what we can and cannot do, and by providing pay checks to those who have lost their source of income. Wonderful…right? Well, now you have an experiential view of that “wonderful form of government” that is touted to be “for the benefit of all”. What they didn’t tell you was this truth: when a government can exercise this kind of control over the people, what “we the people” forfeit in the process is our individual freedom. Suppose these two months were extended for four years, maybe even eight years, maybe indefinitely. How does that idea set with you?

I’m not saying this to be critical of the current leadership. Under the circumstances, I believe this was probably the most prudent way to go. And, it has been a learning opportunity for all involved. It had to be done to curtail the spread of the COVID 19 virus, but it also gave us a taste of governmental control, and the resulting loss of many of our freedoms. The good news about this temporary experience is this; there is light at the end of the tunnel. If this should ever become a reality, you could expect that light to be extinguished.

Freedom is a very precious commodity. In fact, at Creation, freedom was our first gift. Since Man was created in God’s image for a relationship, He had to give us a brain for rational thinking so we could choose to participate in that relationship.  No doubt, He could have programed us for a purpose, but then we would have been robots rather than His “proudest creation.” But none the less, He created us the way He did, knowing full well that we would be problem children…but He still created us. Try wrapping your head around that kind of love!

Since God obviously values freedom, I propose that no man, nor government, has the right to usurp that free gift. The under-pinning of our great country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles that exemplified that ideal. Such phrases as “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, “land of the free, home of the brave”, and the belief that all men are created equal with inalienable rights, God given rights, are found throughout our Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The intent of this republic was to be “of the people, by the people and for the people.” As Benjamin Franklin so aptly stated, “You have a Republic…if you can keep it.”  I believe that message is as important to our country today as it was in 1776.

When we look at the framers of our Founding Documents, they were true patriots. Their overwhelming desire was that this would be a government of the people and for the people. They even built into the very fabric of those documents safeguards to keep the playing field level, such as the electoral college and the supreme court, which oversees the constitutional functioning of the government.

Today, there is an evil movement rising up in our country, the LPA, that wants nothing more than to regain power and control. Unlike the pure motivation of our Founding Fathers, its intent is to dishonor and demean this great country while throwing its concerted effort behind a new form of government called “socialism.” (Personally, I’ve never seen good come from any form of government that ends in “ism”.) But, heaven forbid, if the LPA should ever succeed in its effort, at the top of its wish list would be revising (or rewriting) our beautiful Founding Documents to align with its liberal progressive agenda. This is also the same movement that is behind the current assault on Christians, Christian beliefs, and Christian traditions. “And why is that”, you ask?  Because the two biggest obstacles in the pathway of promoting its agenda is the Word of God and our timeless Founding Documents.

As Christians, we are called to stand against evil wherever and whenever we see it. Our name-sake (Jesus Christ) never shied away from that calling. He always stood on the truth, while at the same time shining His light (the truth) on the darkness. If there was ever a time for the church body to rise up and follow His example, it is NOW!  Our country is sinking deeper and deeper into spiritual and moral collapse, not to mention the pandemic that is wreaking havoc everywhere, but God has shown time and time again that His mercy trumps His judgement.

If your church has intercessory prayer teams, I would like to urge you to participate in that all-important endeavor. Remember how Abraham’s prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah changed God’s plan of judgement. As it says in James 5:16, “The prayers of the righteous avail much.”  He wants us to pray; He wants us to depend on Him.   2 Chronicles 7:14 is very specific in its message: “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; I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land.” That is a promise from Almighty Lord God Jehovah, and He NEVER fails in fulfilling His purpose!  (Take that Covid19!) You can see His promise fulfilled time and time again throughout the Holy Bible.

The very future of our great country is at stake. We need to be responsive to Benjamin Franklin’s challenge by Making America Great Again.  Never, never should we give up our freedoms to an agenda that is rooted in lies, deception, distortion, anger, hatred and a willingness to sacrifice anyone or anything that stands in its way. May God Bless America!

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

May God Bless You abundantly,

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

Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers…I’d like to open with a question to start you thinking.  Where do you think the rest of this paragraph came from? “In the last days, there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and they will love pleasure rather than God.  They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the very power that could make them godly. They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes (and minds) to win the confidence of vulnerable men and women who are burdened with guilt of sin and controlled by many evil desires. They are forever following new teachings, but they never understand the truth.”

Well, what is your guess? Truth be told, I didn’t get this from the news media, the entertainment industry, or from any of the demigods that are held in such high esteem today. No indeed! I got this from that musty, outdated and irrelevant book called, Holy Bible. To be exact, that passage is from 2^nd Timothy 3:1-7, when Apostle Paul was explaining to his mentee, Timothy, the cultural depravity that would be found in the last days. Do you see those traits in our culture today?

Apostle Paul’s wise advice to Timothy was, “You must stay away from people like that.” (vs.3:5) He goes on to remind him that, “All Scripture is inspired by God and 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.” (2Timothy 3:16-17)

The unfortunate truth about our culture today is…it is hard to refer to our culture as godly. I say that because of the public ridicule of God and His Word and Christian traditions, the increasing rejection of the Judeo-Christian principles that used to be the spiritual and moral compass of our great country, the flourishing abortion industry, the increasing assault on the nuclear family structure, while at the same time championing same sex marriage and the gender-identity debate, and the preponderance of idol worship (movie stars, entertainment icons, political figures, sports figures) rather than the one true God Jehovah of the Old and New Testament. (Humm…I wonder how many people could answer the question, “What is the first of the 10 Commandments?)  Can you see – or can you not see – why God might be angry with our disobedient behavior?

It is easy to look at our country today, and the crazy times in which we are living, and point a finger at one political party or the other, COVID 19, or to even blame China for its role in this viral mess. But personally, I think we would be missing the mark. Looking at our culture specifically (because I, too, want to Make America Great Again), we have drifted so far away from God and His teachings that there is a preponderance of ignorance concerning God’s Truth. If you jump back up two paragraphs to 2Timothy 3:16-17, it tells us that no prophets or scribes started talking or writing because they had something to say, but rather, the words were inspired by God so He could reveal His Truth for our benefit. But unfortunately, the culture’s choice to revere the teaching of Man over the Word of God has taken us to where we are today. What you are seeing and experiencing is Man’s best attempt at playing god. As Albert Einstein so aptly stated, “You can’t solve a problem with the same thinking that created the problem.” In other words, spiritual problems cannot be solved by worldly thinking. The Old Testament is a history book that drove that point home page after page after page!

We can’t forget that America was dedicated to God the evening of George Washington’s inauguration. Washington, his cabinet, and the entire congress adjourned to St. Paul’s Church and, on bended knee, asked God to bless this country. In return, we would follow His guidance to become that example of hope and freedom for the entire world. However, throughout the Bible we find that if people or nations that God promised to bless turned away from Him, He withdrew His blessings (until they repented.) In fact, that observation can be summed-up in the age-old proclamation, “Repent! Turn from your Sin and turn to God.” That was Jonah’s proclamation when he saved the city of Nineveh; that was John the Baptist’s proclamation when he baptized in preparation for Jesus’ coming; that was Jesus’ proclamation in Matthew 3:2, and more recently, those powerful words were used by Billy Graham.

I believe right now we are in a period of reprieve. God is giving us an opportunity to repent (change our ways) and to return to Him. Look at what we, not only our country, but the world, are experiencing now with the coronavirus pandemic. Throughout the Old Testament, He had many ways of getting the attention of both people and nations: fire and brimstone, wars, floods, famines, natural disasters, pestilence, and plagues (viruses).

So, you might be asking yourselves, “What does repentance look like?” I believe it starts with prayer. Specifically, prayer for our country, prayer for His mercy, and prayer for revelation in the hearts and minds of those who do not know Jesus Christ; and prayer for direction as to how we, as Believers, can further His Kingdom here on earth. I believe this is the time for His light to shine through us as we display the confident assurance, the strength and courage, the peace and serenity that can only come from being in Christ. James 5:16 tells us that “the prayers of the righteous avail much.”   Look at the effect Abraham’s prayer had on sparing the righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah.  I believe our collective voices will have the same effect today as we pray to our loving and merciful Father.  His mercy always trumps His judgement!

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

May God Bless You abundantly,

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers: The events that were celebrated this past weekend represent the very essence of Christianity; they changed the course of world and human history. On Friday, the Lamb of God was slain to pay the penalty for the sins of the world and to bring to an end the Old Covenant; on Saturday, Jesus descended into the bowels of the earth to gather together the Saints of the Old Testament (Matthew 27:52); and on Sunday, Easter Sunday, Jesus ushered in the New Covenant as He triumphed over death and was raised to eternal life  by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Ephesians 1:4-5 describes God’s perfect plan: “Long ago, even before He created the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.  His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure. 

Nothing shows God’s unconditional, unending, unfailing love for us more than His plan for our Salvation.  Mankind had from Creation to 2020 years ago to wrestle with the dilemma of SIN, and the end result continued to be a downward spiral into an abyss of darkness.  Romans 5:6 eloquently depicts our pathetic state: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”  It is my opinion that utterly helpless defines just the right time.  I believe our loving God concluded, “they are absolutely incapable of becoming holy (Ref. Ephesians 1:4 above: set aside for sacred use; sin-free) through their own effort. Therefore, I will do for them what they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt they are incapable of doing for themselves.” This decision is known as God’s Gift of Grace. 

Let’s begin by defining “Grace”. Grace is unmerited favor.  That means we did nothing to earn Grace, and truth be told, we certainly did not deserve it.  Notice Romans 5:6 tells us that God gave us this gift while we were still sinners.  That’s important because He didn’t wait for us to clean up our act so we would be worthy in His eyes!  No!  The fact that we were utterly helpless moved Him to act on our behalf.  This is unconditional, unfailing love.  His plan was always to provide a sacrificial lamb to do for us what He knew we could not do for ourselves.  To begin reaping the rewards of this Gift requires only that we accept the truth that Jesus is the Son of God and He came in human form to pay the penalty for our sins on the cross.  Once we make that decision, we are in Christ and heir to all the promises in the Bible and heir to all the “spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm”. (Ephesians 1:3)

God’s salvation plan can be explained as having three parts.  The first part deals with forgiveness of sin. (This had to be first because it is a prerequisite for eternal life.) 1Peter 1:16 tells us, “we have to be Holy because God is Holy.”  In other words, we cannot come into His presence if we are stained with SIN.  Why?  Because SIN spreads, contaminates, kills and destroys. If you doubt that, look at the world today.  Remember, this world was originally perfect. It was Paradise.  But with the fall of man, sin entered the world and manifested itself as fear, greed, hatred, anger, jealousy, lying, envy, pride, sickness, pain, suffering, and death. These qualities, which are the by-products of our sin nature, took the world from “paradise status” to “cesspool status”, and truth be told, these same qualities still define today’s culture as we sink deeper and deeper into spiritual and moral decay.

The reward for being a follower of Jesus Christ is that we will spend eternity with Him in Paradise. But as we can see from the paragraph above, for Paradise to be “Paradise”, it has to be sin-free!  Therefore, only those who are in Christ – those who have been washed white as snow by the blood of Jesus – can come into His presence. But again, God continues to show His love, mercy and patience with us because Jesus will not return until every person has heard the Good News and has had the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God doesn’t want to lose even one soul.

The second part of His salvation plan has to do with our eternal destiny.  Jesus defeated Satan when He defeated death and rose to eternal life. Therefore, because we are in Christ, we too inherit eternal life. You see, God wanted our relationship with Him to be an eternal relationship, and again, the blood of Jesus makes that possible.  Romans 5:9-10 explains it this way: “And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God’s judgement.  For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of His Son, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by His life.”  Our eternal destiny is no longer a question. It is a promise!

But God’s perfect plan for us did not stop at this point.  What about those of us who will continue to live in this fallen world for another 30, 40, 50 years after we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior?  Can we endure?  Can we make it to the end?  Well, if it were up to our effort, definitely not!  But again, we serve a loving God who knows we’re only dust. He is keenly aware of our “utterly helpless” state of being. Therefore, His plan was always to do for us what He knew we were incapable of doing for ourselves.

On the night of Jesus’ betrayal, He had a conversation with His disciples and revealed God’s plan for their victory (and our victory) over the world.  This conversation can be found in John 14:16-18. “And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you.  He is the Holy Spirit who leads into all truth.  The world at large cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him.  But you do, because He lives with you now (it’s ME) and later will be in you.  No, I will not abandon you as orphans – I will come to you”, in the form of the Holy Spirit.

This was God’s plan for assuring Christ-followers victory over the world, right here, right now! (This is the third part of His salvation plan.) The Holy Spirit empowers us to become the masterpiece referenced in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can NOW do the good things He planned for us long ago.”   With the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we are now capable of becoming the person God created us to be through the decisions we make.

This is the secret weapon of every Christ-follower. The Holy Spirit is our source of power.  Regardless of the issues we may face, be it addictions, relationship issues, anger issues, integrity issues, lack of wisdom, courage, patience, etc., we can call on the Holy Spirit to empower us by giving us His wisdom, insight, courage, perspective, whatever it is we need to make decisions that bring honor and glory to God.  When that is our motivation, His promise to us is victory over the darkness.  1John 4:4 tells us, “The Spirit that is in me (the Holy Spirit) is greater than the spirit in this world.”(satan)  Luke 10:19 references Jesus telling His Disciples, “I have given you authority over all the evil schemes of the devil…No harm will come to you!  The victory is ours!  We just have to know that to be the truth, then tap into our source of power, courage and strength.  

Happy Easter to everyone!  During this time of celebration, take time to thank God for His incredible plan for your life, both in this world, and in the world to come.

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

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

Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers… I am writing this message on Good Friday at about 10am CST. I suspect that at this time of the day, 2020 years ago, Jesus had already carried His cross to Golgotha, and His body was nailed to the posts. To those gathered around the cross witnessing this event, their emotions, if they could have been measured, would have certainly read “maximum output!”  For the followers of Jesus Christ, the weeping, the sorrow, the deflation, the sense of loss must have been overwhelming. For the representatives of the dark domain, whether it be the Pharisees, the Roman soldiers, the unbelievers, or demonic spirits, this was a day for celebration. They believed they had finally overcome their nemesis, and now they could all regain their prestigious positions of power and control. But, OOOOH were they mistaken! It’s only Friday…but Sunday’s comin’!

One of my favorite hymns that captures the mournful spirit of that day, and the joyful spirit of today, is “The Old Rugged Cross”. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame.  How I love that old cross where the dearest and best, for a world of lost sinners was slain.  So, I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down. I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true, It’s shame and reproach gladly bear.  Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away, where His glory forever I’ll share.  What powerful words! “Thank you”, George Bennard for writing this hymn in 1912, but a gargantuan, “Thank YOU” to Jesus for what You did on behalf of every person in the world!

The event that took place on that hill outside of Jerusalem changed the world forever.  As Jesus drew His last breath, a very significant happening ensued.  The veil in the temple that separated the holy place from the most holy place (or, the holy of holies) was torn in two from top to bottom. That was significant because the function of the veil was to keep unclean from the clean. In other words, it was the physical barrier that enforced the separation of man from the enthroned God. Only the high priest was allowed to enter the holy of holies, and that was once a year on the Day of Atonement to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people. The torn curtain represented the removal of that barrier. Now, all who are saved can come directly before the throne of God without an intermediary. This event brought to an end the Old Covenant (the sacrificial system) and ushered in the New Covenant.

The sacrificial system was intended to be in place only until the implementation of God’s plan (the New Covenant), as outlined in Ephesians 1: 4-5: “Long ago, even before He created the world (and Man), God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure!” Quite unlike the Old covenant, which was dependent on us earning favor with God through our works, the New Covenant is based on faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross. He sacrificed Himself in our place so our sins could be forgiven. Here is how that works.

Remember, Jesus lived under the Old Covenant. Under the law of Moses, blood (the necessity for life) was required to cover sin. Year after year the high priest would sprinkle the blood of sacrificial animals, such as sheep, rams, bulls, or even turtledoves on the atonement slate of the Arc, then on the people.  This ceremony represented sacrifice, and as such, it covered the people’s sins from the past year. Jesus’ sacrifice, however, represented the perfect sacrifice, and was done once for all time. His sacrifice on our behalf was not to cover sin, but to forgive sin. That is why when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, in God’s eyes we are covered with the blood of His Son. In other words, we are now SIN FREE! We qualify for eternal life! (As stated in Revelation 21:27, “Nothing evil will be allowed to enter (The New Jerusalem), only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”) Our names are in the Lambs Book of Life because “we are new creations in Christ! The old is gone; the new has come!  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

As brutal and dark as Good Friday was, it had to be fulfilled in order for God’s Gift of Grace to be manifested. When Jesus walked out of the tomb on that first Easter Sunday, He fulfilled His mission on earth. The bondage of death was overcome, and He became the first of many to be raised to eternal life. If the dark domain had had any idea that this was the fulfillment of God’s plan for our eternal salvation, they never would have crucified Jesus!  We – who are in Christ – inherit that same eternal life. Praise God, and HAPPY EASTER!

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

May God Bless You abundantly,

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…On my pre-dawn walk today with Cliff and Glenn, our poochies, I was greeted through my headset with the news that Governor Mike Parson finally initiated a “stay at home” message. I believe he was one of the last hold outs to do that, even though – as I heard it – most people were volunteering as a precautionary measure, but this just makes it official. Hopefully that will help a few more people meet the responsibility of being cautious. Be that as it may, we will weather this storm if we stay connected to, and rely on, our source of courage, strength and wisdom.

I am going to do something different today. I am going to include a link at the end of my message that I strongly encourage you watch. Talk about hope, encouragement, and light in the darkness…this is IT. I have referenced before pastor Ron Tucker from Grace Church – St. Louis, and that I believe he is particularly anointed for these troubling times. Week after week he hits the ball out of the park, but yesterday’s message on the Gospel of Grace is by far the clearest, most profound presentation I have ever heard. What message could have more impact on a fallen world than this message of hope and salvation.

It seems that for the past few years there has been a renewed battle cry based on 2 Chronicles 7:14, and rightly so. It is certainly appropriate for these times. But before we turn to verse 14, I want to take time to set up that verse. King Solomon finished the task of building the Temple of the Lord, which housed the Arc of the covenant. Throughout this process, Solomon prayed to the Lord asking for His guidance, and for His continued blessings on the people, even if they sinned. Verse 12-15 is the Lord’s response: “I have heard your prayers and have chosen this Temple to be the place for making sacrifices.”  But concerning the matter of people sinning, He divulged the likely consequences of their actions: “At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or I might command locusts to devour your crops, or I might send plagues among you.”

Throughout the Old Testament are numerous examples of the Israelites falling out of favor with God because of their doubt, their fear, their debauchery, or their idol worship. Following these events, we find His response to their madness. He is very specific about His intended punishment, and many times it is particularly graphic and brutal. (If you want a first hand view, I will direct you to Jeremiah 15) But the good news can always be found in the midst of His rant, such as in Jeremiah 15:19, 21: “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. I will certainly keep you safe from these wicked men. I will rescue you from their cruel hands.” In other words, God always prefers mercy over punishment.

We find the same situation in 2 Chronicles 7:13 above. Sin can never be ignored. If people are abounding in sin, God can, and will, use circumstances to get our attention. He lists three ways in verse 13: a drought, an insect infestation, or a plague (or virus) to put the focus on our own insufficiency. He wants to be our shield and our protector, but if we choose to be disobedient to His ways, He will withdraw those blessings. That is why verse 14 has become so popular lately. It is THE answer to our culture’s current malaise.  “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.”  He goes on to say that He will hear every prayer offered up. This is the example of His mercy trumping His punishment!

The age-old proclamation throughout the Bible is, “Repent! Turn from your Sin and turn to God.” Jonah used that message when he visited Nineveh; John the Baptist used it when he was baptizing in the Jordan River; Jesus proclaimed that message, and in more recent times, so did Billy Graham. Therefore, that same message is blatantly obvious for TODAY’S culture. If we (Christians, and all who hope-to-be Christians) will come humbly before the Lord with a commitment to change our ways, He will hear our prayer, and He will heal our land. How awesome is that? Remember, our great country was dedicated to God on the evening after George Washington’s inauguration, so it is up to us, as a culture, to return to our original commitment to Him.

Unfortunately,the spiritual and moral chasm that exists between us and God can only be remedied by us. That is why the truth found in this message about God, and His love, mercy and grace, is so timely and so vitally important. Go to http://gracestl.org/ and please, please listen to yesterday’s sermon. BE SURE IT IS 4/5/2020.  You can also find it on Grace Church’s FB page. Let me know your thoughts.

Feel free to share this with other social media friends.

May God Bless You abundantly

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…just as I sat down to write today’s blog, I got this message from Dr. Franklin Graham. Since it is in line with what I intended to write about, I will share his opening segment with you. (After all, why reinvent the wheel, right?) “The coronavirus has turned everyday life for most people upside down. America, like most of the world, is in a state of emergency. Millions are faced with unemployment or business loss, but most tragic of all, so many are facing this pandemic without the hope of Jesus Christ. People are filled with anxiety and fear.

At the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, we opened a 24/7 prayer line (888-388-2683) for people who want someone to pray with them. Early this week, we began airing a 60-second evangelistic message on TV across the entire United States, and we have had thousands of people call. We are humbled by this opportunity to share the message of His love and salvation.”

In my blog last week, I was very specific about the comfort and hope afforded to all who turn to Jesus Christ as their source of courage and strength. When we are smacked in the face with trials and challenges that overwhelm us, we have one of two choices. We can shake our fist at God and ask, “Why God? Why are You doing this to me? Or, we can press into Him, and ask for courage and strength to weather this storm in a way that honors Him. James 4:10 tells us why the latter approach is the preferred response: “When we come humbly before the Lord and admit our dependence on Him, He will lift us up and give us honor.” Nothing more does God want than for us to turn to Him in our times of trouble, because that process opens the doors from which the blessings flow.

As much as we don’t want to hear this, trials and tribulations (troubles) are an inevitable part of life. (God is NOT the author of these challenges, but He allows us to experience them; then we exercise our free-will as to how we will handle them.)  We are born into this fallen world, consequently, we cannot escape the effects of “The Fall” – SIN! How we respond to this challenge determines our eternal destiny. This is spelled out clearly in Galatians 5: 17, when Apostle Paul was talking about the importance of making the right choices: “These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.” He is talking here about the eternal conflict of good vs. evil. Metaphorically speaking, we are all born into that eternal morality play, and the choices we make determine our contribution to the play. “Romans 6:23 clearly presents the outcome of the play as it relates to us: “For the wages of sin is death, BUT the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus.”

The right choices in that scenario seal our eternal destiny, so that is indeed a comforting truth. But for those of us who are still alive in this spiritually and morally bankrupt world, we continue to contend with the effects of “The Fall.”  We are experiencing it right now with the coronavirus pandemic, and its effects, both real and unreal, are reaping a heavy toll on everyone, not only in our country, but around the world. Not only is the physical menace itself a threat, but the psychological effects of knowing and worrying, or not knowing and worrying, are responsible for a dramatic increase in other maladies such as fear, anxiety and depression.

If you are caught up in this insidious web and feel helpless to set yourself free, I strongly suggest turning to Jesus Christ as your answer. Even if you call yourself a Christian, but are still struggling with fear, anxiety and depression, this is the time to ratchet-up your relationship with Him.  The good news is, He will meet any of us wherever we are in our journey, whether in Christ or not yet in Christ. When we call on His name, Acts 4:12 tells us “There is salvation in no other name in heaven, nor on earth, than Jesus!)

When we are in Christ, we receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which is part of God’s salvation plan. The Holy Spirit is His gift to us so we can tap into the supernatural realm for empowerment.to accomplishment more than was previously possible through our own effort. This is how we become the person He created us to be. This is how we make choices that bring honor and glory to Him.

It is only by being in Christ, that this promise comes to life: “Come to me, all who are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) This promise from Jesus is the key to confident assurance, peace, serenity, and joy. Isn’t this what everyone is looking for right now?  If so, you needn’t look any further. He also said, “Don’t be afraid. Trust Me!” (Mark 5:36) and “I will never leave you; I will never forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) These are only three of the hundreds of promises found in the Bible, and as Christ-followers, we are heir to every one of them.

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

May God Bless You, and keep you safe during these trying times…

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…I finally had to turn off the news. As much as I want to keep up with what’s going on, I finally reached the saturation point of negativity, doom and gloom. I found myself becoming heavy-ladened, and I refuse to become part of that mindset. I don’t want to sound Pollyannaish, but even in the midst of a storm, today I look forward to the promised rainbow.

Even though I am a Christ-follower, Jesus was very up front when He pointed out to all of us, “In this world, you will have trouble (or tribulation),…” Jesus lived/lives in this fallen world; He knew/knows what we’re up against because He, too, was the recipient of temptation, hatred, mockery, disappointment, pain and suffering. Therefore, He didn’t/doesn’t want us coming into a new relationship with Him wearing rose-colored glasses. He wanted to prepare us for the battle that was/is sure to come. He was even so bold as to state, “When the world hates you, remember it hated Me before it hated you. The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don’t. I chose you to come out of the world, therefore it hates you.” (John 15:18-19)

I stopped the first Scripture quotation in the above paragraph half-way through because I wanted to contrast the unfortunate truth (or the problem), with the answer that follows the dangling comma: “but fear not, for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) So what does that mean to all Christ-followers? It means, “fear-not”, because if Jesus has overcome the world, so have we overcome the world. We first have to know that truth, then we have to believe that truth! But it is THE TRUTH, and that is what I want to write about today.

Remember when Peter had the courage to step out of the boat during the storm, He then began walking on the water toward Jesus? Obviously, that took faith, and obviously he believed that Jesus would direct and protect him on his journey. All went as planned, as long as he kept his focus on Jesus. But as the wind blew stronger and the waves became more threatening, he took his focus off of Jesus and became dreadfully fearful that he might drown. In other words, the wind and the waves began to look more powerful than Jesus. Peter cried out, “Lord, save me!”  Jesus reached out His hand and grabbed Peter saying, “You of little faith; why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:30-31)

Having faith is one thing, but standing on that faith in the midst of trials and tribulations is quite another thing. That’s what Peter discovered, and that’s the challenge we all have to face today as we’re thrust into uncharted territory concerning COVID-19. What do you believe?  Who do you trust?  Where do you turn for comfort and security? We all need answers to these questions, so let’s look at them one at a time.

For years, I bought into these lies perpetuated by the world: performance + accomplishments = significance; status + recognition = security, and appearance + admiration = acceptance. While there is an element of truth in each of these platitudes, they are fleeting experiences. While they may fulfill our desires and needs for a brief period, it doesn’t take long before our “human nature” takes the reins and we find ourselves on the prowl for the next, new, bright, shiny object. Such is the way of the world. We all want and need to feel significant, secure, and accepted, but the world’s answers have proven to be counterfeit. We can see that in the epidemic of suicides, addictions, divorces, depression, anxiety and sheer hatred.

Since we are now living in a secular culture, the truth has become relative, and freedom means, “I have the right to do as I please”. Therefore, the character traits of honor and integrity have become tainted as we continue to gravitate toward spiritual and moral bankruptcy. Under these conditions, “Who can you trust?” We see leaders who are willing to do or say anything to attain wealth, power and control; we see CEO’s who are willing to cover major flaws in their products, even at the cost of human fatalities; we see banks and lending institutions manipulating facts and figures to further particular agendas, and we have politicians today who are willing to promise anything and everything to get elected, even though their promises are rooted in quicksand.

Now we are about to tackle the last question, “Where do you turn for comfort and security?” Whether you know it or not, this will be the most important decision you will make in your life. Let me remind you of what Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble…” That is a given; that is the truth; that is life!” And when the trouble comes, you have two choices…only two! You can get mad and angry; you can shout obscenities; you can cry out, “Why me, God? Why me? Then you can shake your fist at Him, and walk away. OR…you can press into Him, and depend on Him, to give you wisdom, courage and strength to keep the focus on Him as you “step out of your boat.”

Psalm 91 gives us this truth and hope: “Those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (He wants you to turn to Him in your time of trouble) This I declare of the Lord; He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I am trusting Him. (He wants you to proclaim His Mighty Name and trust in Him alone.) He will rescue me from every trap and protect me from the fatal plague. (Covid-19) He will shield me with His wings and shelter me with His feathers. His faithful promises are my armor and protection.” God’s Word and His promises are love, truth, life, power and healing.  James 4:10 reminds us that, “When we come humbly before the Lord and admit our dependence on Him, He will lift us up and give us honor.” (If you like what your’re hearing, wait ‘til you hear this!) “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my Word will last forever.” (Matthew 24:35)

This is the rock on which we stand: God’s Word and his promises will NEVER change. THIS is what we can believe:  The author of these words, the Lord God Jehovah of the Bible, the Creator of the Universe, the Godhead of the Trinity, IS the ONE to trust! Regardless of who you think you are, and regardless of what you have done, “if you call on His name, He is mighty to save.” (Zephaniah 3:17) He doesn’t want to lose even one of His proudest creation (that would be us), so His mercy will always trump His judgement! The truth and hope found in those last two sentences should pave the way for making the right choice concerning comfort and security. “God said, ‘I will never leave you; I will never forsake you!” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

With all of the information concerning the coronavirus – and the unknowns, if you don’t have a source of strength you can trust to get you through these challenging days, I suggest establishing a relationship with Jesus, or intensifying your existing relationship with Him. He said in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”  That’s His promise to all of us. When Jairus got word that his daughter had died, Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid, just trust Me!” (Mark 5:36) That same response is our invitation today to turn to Him for rest, for confidence, for security, for peace, for serenity and for joy. Where else will you find such a glorious guarantee?

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

May God Bless You abundantly,

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

This coming Monday will be a different perspective on fear. Unfortunately, these crazy times breed depression and anxiety, but this post should give you a sense of calmness and hope for today.

Good Morning Meetpastordan Readers… I love this topic because it is based on a conundrum.  For instance, everyone wants to be fearless.  We hear exciting stories of knights, warriors, and our own modern day heroes as being fearless.  But unfortunately, the obstacle in the way of being fearless is fear itself. Therefore, in order to be fearless, one has to fear less…and therein lies the challenge.  Fear is that emotional culprit that can keep us from achieving our full potential, or living life to the fullest.  Fear is the excuse for resisting change and staying in bondage to a mediocre existence. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard, “I really want to, but I just can’t!” or “I wish I could, but I just don’t have the courage.”  The biggest detriment to change is fear of the unknown.

If you’ve seen Star Wars or Superman, you know the superhero wins the battles and gets the pretty girl in the end. But you also know that they are superheroes because they plug into a “force” beyond themselves that gives them supernatural power. In other words, they know their source of strength!  It’s easy to fantasize about this and wish you were a superhero, but then reality sets in and you say, “Ah, it’s only Hollywood; that’s not true.” But I’m here to tell you…it is absolutely true!  In fact, available to all of us is the opportunity to plug into a power that can propel us to superhero status in our own lives; a power that makes Skywalker’s “force”, or Superman’s Krypton-powered source, pale by comparison. It’s all about knowing our source of strength.  Clark Kent was a mild-mannered reporter until he chose to become Superman.  We too can be mild-mannered, timid, fearful or stymied, but when we plug into our source of strength, we can accomplish God’s purpose in our lives.

Luckily, we serve a loving, merciful, and gracious Father who knows His proudest creation intimately.  He knows our strengths as well as our weaknesses, and just as He promised, “I’ll never leave you; I will never forsake you.”  He knows that we’re living in a fallen world, that we’re in these fleshly bodies, and that we have a formidable enemy who relentlessly tries to shipwreck our effort to change. But when we come face-to-face with our own insufficiencies, if we call on His name, He will answer.  This is confirmed in James 4:10: “When you come humbly before the Lord and admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor.”

Fear is contrary to God’s plan for us.  We are told in 2 Timothy 1:7, “God didn’t give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of love, power and self-control.” The power referenced in that Scripture is not our power, but the power that comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Ephesians 1:14 confirms that: “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.”  The Holy Spirit is a gift from God so we can rise above our circumstances, or our lot in life, to become the person He created us to be.  He does not want fear to keep us in bondage; that’s why the Holy Spirit empowers us to win!  The only stipulation for tapping into this source is being in Christ. If you’re in Christ, you’re IN! And just as it said above; “He purchased us to be His own people.”

I would like to focus right now on the matter of anxiety.  In this fallen world, anxiety is rampant due to more and more uncertainties, such as the Wuhan Virus, economic uncertainty, job security, or personal safety issues that pervade our lives. So, what exactly is anxiety?  It is an unpleasant state of inner turmoil, often accompanied by nervous behaviors caused by the fear of future events or situations. How do we deal with this?  We first have to recognize the source of the turmoil, and that would be satan.  Remember, his sole purpose is to keep us separated from God’s unconditional, unending, unfailing love. As you might expect, one of his favorite tactics is to make us think our challenges are bigger than our God.  Therefore, the worry, doubt, fear, guilt, shame and remorse that results can keep us mired in emotional bondage for years.

But look at what Jesus taught about anxiety: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…Can any one of you worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:25,27,33) He goes on to say, “But seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  In other words, don’t let satan distract you, but keep your focus on God because He is your rock, your salvation, your shield, your protector, and your provider. As James 4:10 pointed out above, “when you admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor.”

Sadly, those of this world have no knowledge of the supernatural power that God has given His children. Jesus explained this in John 14:15-17: “If you love Me, obey My commandments. And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who will lead you into all truth. The world at large cannot receive Him because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him.  But you do…”  Jesus made it very clear that this is a gift to empower all Christ-followers to fulfill their purpose on earth.  Ephesians 2:10 now refers to all Christ-followers as “masterpieces: “For we are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so that we can now do the good things He planned for us long ago.” (even before the world was created Eph.1:4)

Succeeding in overcoming the evil schemes of the devil is a challenge for all Christ-followers. But the good news is… success comes as we begin recognizing his schemes, then rebuking them with the authority Christ gave us in Luke 10:19: “I have given you authority over all the evil schemes of the devil…No harm will come to you!” This challenge is clearly a spiritual battle for our souls, but the power to win that battle comes from the Holy Spirit. The truth is, we are already victorious; we just have to know that and stand on it!

The more we grow in this manner, the more we develop a sense of confident assurance, and a sense of peace and serenity that drives out fear. Now we are fearless because we know who we are in Christ: our sins are forgiven; we’ve inherited eternal life; we have the indwelling Holy Spirit; we are grafted into God’s family; we are now worthy and acceptable in His eyes; we are heir to all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm, and we are heir to all the promises in the Bible!  When we are standing on this Rock, what do we have to fear?  Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, and God is our rock, our salvation, our shield, our protector, and our provider.  It makes ya wanna sing that ol’ Gospel song, “This world is not my home; I’m just passin’ though.”  J

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

May God Bless Ya…

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

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…I’ve spoken many times about how fortunate I feel to be part of Grace Church St. Louis, a grace-oriented church led by pastor Ron Tucker. He is indeed anointed for bringing to life the Gospel of Grace in today’s culture.  Week after week, he IS ON, and I keep experiencing more “a-ha” moments!  Even Scriptures I have read numerous times have come to life with a new radiance.  For instance, yesterday’s message was built around the Parable of the Soils, but as I heard Ron present it, it clarified some ideas I had been nurturing for awhile about the resistance of our culture to the truth of God’s word.

So many times I see the scenario that took place in the Garden of Eden playing out in today’s culture.  The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (worldly teaching and worldly philosophies) is exalted, and Man still falls for the same lie that seduced Eve at that fateful encounter. Genesis 3:1-6 presents this picture: “Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the Lord God had made. ‘Really?’, he asked the woman. ‘Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?’ ‘Of course we may eat it’, the woman told him. ‘It’s only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not allowed to eat.  God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die.’ ‘You won’t die!’ the serpent hissed. ‘God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything both good and evil.’ The woman was convinced.  The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise!  So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it too.”

Let’s examine the above scenario.  Satan, “the father of lies” (John 8:44), immediately cast doubt by asking Eve a question that misstated what God had actually said. Then he went on to discredit God’s motive for directing them away from the tree in the center of the garden, while at the same time offering the hook that is irresistible to our human nature: you won’t need God, you can be your own god. Now equally important is this VERY IMPORTANT observation: satan always wraps the temptation in an alluring manner, making it virtually impossible to resist: “The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise!”  And also notice how quickly Eve was willing to pass on to Adam the pleasurable experience of submitting to “self”. He couldn’t resist either. So as this clearly portrays, nothing is more appealing to our human nature (sin nature) then believing that we can be self-sufficient…that we can be our own god!

Remember…when God created Adam and Eve, they were spiritually connected to Him.  They wanted for nothing.  God was their provider; He gave them dominion over the earth, and it was Paradise.  But that spiritual connection was severed when they became disobedient to His directive, “do not eat from the tree at the center of the garden.”  That directive was not to keep something from them (as satan insinuated), but it was for their own well being.  As long as they ate from the Tree of Life (God), perfection continued.  But by choosing to partake of the of the forbidden tree, they chose spiritual death over spiritual life. That, unfortunately, is the condition of Mankind today.

As heirs of Adam, we are born spiritually separated from God. “And why is that?” you might ask. Well, Adam could only pass on to future generations what was in his own spiritual DNA. When he sinned (became disobedient), that spiritual connection with God was severed, and therefore could not be passed down to future generations.  Now as dire as that sounds, there is still hope.  That connection can be restored any time we want to restore it, but remember…man severed the connection, so man has to initiate that restoration.   “And how do we do that?” you might ask.  It’s as simple as saying, “God help me.  I can’t do this without you!”  It’s admitting our own insufficiency, and being willing to turn to Him as our source of strength.  That’s how I did it on April 21, 2000, and my life has been forever changed.

Being separated from God (the result of the “original sin”) is the chasm that has existed between Man and God since the fall. When we’re in charge of our own show, (when we’re our own god), nothing strokes our pride more than that.  If given the choice – and after all, God gave us free will – Man will always choose independence over submission, which translates into “my will” over “His will.”  Apostle Paul is very clear in Galatians 5:19-21 when he tells us what we can expect when we follow our own human desires: “sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts 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 never inherit the Kingdom of God.”  (How many of those qualities have you exhibited?)

Unfortunately, our culture today is becoming darker and darker because we have exalted human wisdom and teaching over God’s Word.  To believe in Jesus’ teaching, and to stand on our faith, often puts us at peril, because many times we become the subject of mockery, ridicule and even legal action.  To the intellectual minds, we are laughed at as being naïve, boxed in, or brainwashed by religion. They look at the Scriptural truths on which we stand as being outdated and too confining.  After all, this is the age of freedom, tolerance and acceptance: “Who are you to tell me what is right or wrong?”

Unfortunately again, the hearts of the people who have bought into the teachings and philosophies of the world have been hardened to the truth of God’s Word, as stated in Isaiah 6:9-10: “You will hear My words, but you will not understand; you will see what I do but you will not perceive its meaning.  For the hearts of these people are hardened (by satan), and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes so their eyes cannot see. Their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to Me and let Me heal them.”

Now let’s turn to Jesus’ parable of the soils as found in Matthew 13:4-8.  “As a farmer scattered seeds across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath and the birds came and ate them.  Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock.  The plants sprang up quickly but they soon wilted and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil.  Other seeds fell among the thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades. But some seeds fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted.” This is Jesus’ explanation of that parable: (vs19-23): “The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the Good News about the Kingdom and don’t understand it.  The evil one comes and snatches the seed away from their hearts.  The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy.  But like young plants in such soil, their roots don’t go very deep.  At first they get along fine, but they will wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the Word. The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life and the lure of wealth or status, so no crop is produced.  And the good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept god’s message and produce a huge harvest, thirty, sixty, even a hundred times as much as was planted.”

This is a profound parable and it alerts us to the reality of the obstacles that stand in the way of the seeds (God’s Word; God’s truth) taking root. Not only are we called to carry the message of the Good News, but it is also vitally important that we stress the importance of “watering the seeds” through staying in the Word, discipleship, participating in Bible studies, and becoming a member of a church.  This is how we keep the impact of the Word alive, and how we keep satan from stealing the Good News from the listener. And equally important is our commitment to turn away from the sources of worldly pollution, and our commitment to focus on anything that contributes to spiritual growth.   

Let me close with three Scriptures.  Philippians 4:8-9: “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right.  Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” 1 Corinthians 18: “I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction.  But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God!”  Romans 12:2: “Do not confirm to the patterns of this world but be transformed 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.” Unfortunately, these three Scriptures are contrary to our culture’s way of thinking and behaving today, but the truth found in these Scriptures will lead to our desired transformation.

The more we stay connected to the truth of His Word, the more confidence, strength, courage, peace, serenity and joy will define our lives. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

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May God Bless Ya…

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