Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…For those of you who have been reading my blogs for a period of time, you know that I have enjoyed bringing a Biblical perspective into politics and into the shenanigans of this crazy world. Needless to say, there is not a day that goes by that I don’t get a magazine full of ammunition…should I decide to use it. It’s so easy to pin-point the problems that define today’s culture because the media plays them over and over again until we become desensitized to the most horrific, shocking, never-thought-possible events and agendas. Whether it’s a new act of violence, or someone new is being exposed for wrong-doing, or the latest, greatest thing being a Democratic Socialist disguised as a savior, or the latest conversation I heard a few days ago about the gender-neutral bathrooms in two North Kansas City elementary schools, followed by the commentators editorializing how important it is for us to understand that there is really no difference between boys and girls! Yikies!! Will we as a nation ever wake up from this delusional existence and plant both feet firmly in reality?
Today’s problems are plentiful and obvious! But what is not so obvious is the solution. Not that I profess to have any prophetic ability, but If we don’t do something particularly radical, our country will certainly cease to exist. Politics as usual certainly hasn’t worked; the exaltation of human wisdom most certainly hasn’t worked; throwing money at the problem hasn’t worked. So here is my humble, yet radical, solution. As a country we must TURN FROM OUR SIN AND TURN TO GOD! That’s the same proclamation Jonah offered to the city Nineveh almost 3,000 years ago, a pagan nation much like our country today. When they responded, God’s mercy trumped (no pun intended) His judgement.
Apostle Paul felt the same shock as he wrote to the Galatians about falling away from the truth they had once embraced: “Oh, foolish Galatians! What magician has cast an evil spell on you? For you used to see the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death as clearly as though I had shown you a signboard with a picture of Christ dying on the cross. Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Surely it was not in vain, was it? Are you now going to throw it all away?” (Galatians 3: 1,3-4) That same question could just as easily be asked of Americans today.
Since this has become such a spiritually and morally bankrupt culture, the radical Liberal Progressive Agenda has been able to gain ground because of their tactics of lying, screaming, finger pointing, accusations, and assault (physical and/or vulgar) when necessary. For those who have tried to maintain a sense of civility and decency, many have been intimidated by our culture’s luke-warm response to such abhorrent behavior. They tend to remain silent because if someone disagrees with their thoughts and practices, they too could experience an onslaught of gross negativity, much like Sarah Huckabee Sanders experienced at the Red Hen Restaurant in Lexington, VA. (Thanks, Maxine)
Political correctness has spawned much of our culture’s acceptance of what was once considered distasteful, disgusting, shameful, or sinful. Consequently, we’ve hidden our heads in the sand rather than standing on principles of right or wrong and acceptable or unacceptable. With this chink in our country’s moral and spiritual fiber, there are always those who want to push the envelope in order to redefine truth and morality. To the liberal thinker, God’s laws are way too confining for our enlightened society. We have evolved; today one truth most definitely does not fit all. As a result of that worldly thinking, we find ourselves in this behavioral and ideological free-for-all.
Throughout the ages, our churches (I’m referring to Christian churches) and religious organizations have been the moniker of spiritual truth and consequent moral behavior. But unfortunately, the church has also yielded to political correctness. Rather than standing stead-fast on the Truth of God’s Word, many have been more than willing to compromise by not addressing truths that run contrary to the culture’s newest fads and pleasures. “Feel good” messages and prosperity messages have become plentiful. But it’s an easy sell, and it keeps the flock coming back…for more milk.
In the Old Testament, the pagan nations were afraid of the Israelites because they knew God was with them. Joshua 24:11,13 shares this conversation between God and Joshua. “When you crossed the Jordan river and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you. There were also many others who fought you, including the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I gave you victory over them. I gave you land you have not worked for, and I gave you cities you did not build – the cities in which you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.” When the Gibeonites heard that the Lord had promised their land to the Israelites, they sent a “good will “team ahead to make a treaty with Joshua because the news of their previous victories put fear in them. They knew God was with the Israelites. (Ref. Joshua 9)
The previous paragraph is my inspiration for the solution I am about to propose. One of God’s majestic qualities is His immutability, meaning He never changes. “He is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) If that is true, then He will certainly offer today’s warriors the same shield and protection He offered to the God-fearing men of the Old Testament. The same promise that was made to Joshua, Moses, Jonah, and David is true for us today if we remain obedient to His calling: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)
The first word in Jesus’ Great Commission is “GO!” As His disciples, we too are called to GO, to carry His message of Love and Truth into the world. That very message has changed minds and hearts of individuals as well as nations. In fact, when the early American colonies had drifted away from their earlier religious training and were exhibiting moral decline, the renowned British evangelist, George Whitefield, came to America and served as an itinerate preacher, traveling throughout the colonies and preaching the message of Jesus Christ and our need for salvation. That message of love and hope transformed the colonies, and is referred to as the First Great Awakening.
As Jesus proclaimed, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” (Luke 10:2) This is a watershed moment for the Church. Indeed the harvest is plentiful, because the enemy (satan) is having his way with the minds and hearts of unbelievers. Therefore, this is no time for the Church to be cowering in fear of offending someone; this is no time for Christ-followers to be silent. This is OUR time to be “strong and courageous!”
The Gospel of Grace is THE message our culture is longing for, but they’re unaware of that. They keep looking for answers in all the wrong places. George Whitefield had the courage to profess the truth of Jesus’ love, mercy and grace, and he transformed the early colonies. I believe it’s time for the Church and for Believers to shout that same message from the rooftops, because our culture (like Nineveh) desperately needs to be snatched from the hand of judgement! America…it’s time for another Great Awakening.! (And truth be told, one is brewing nationwide!)
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May God Bless Ya…
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
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