(Again, I apologize for the formating. Sometimes it does this; sometimes it doesn’t.)

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…If you are a regular reader, you know that I have spoken many times about the pride I feel in being part of Grace Chruch St. Louis. And the reason I have always given for this enthusiasm is the fact the Pastor Ron Tucker stands firmly on the Gospel of Grace, and he never varies, or shades The Truth (God‘s Word) to be politically correct. And I believe that the passion in his presentation is there because he is one who is annointed for this particular time in our country‘s history, and he rises to the occasion without fail week after week. He reminds us that we, as Christ-followers, have an obligation to carry the message of hope and salvation into a culture that is hurting, seething, spiteful, hateful, angry, frustrated and morally and spiritually corrupted! We have an obligation TO BE the truth, the light and the hope to those who are lost and hurting, and we can‘t accomplish that purpose unless we, too, are bold enough to stand firmly on The Truth. I believe that the only way to combat the lies and deception plaguing our culture right now is by proclaiming The Truth with a clarion voice, and I am committed to being part of that movement.

For those of you who know me personally, you know that I have no problem being bold about what I believe and why I believe it. But I have to admit that in my writing I have always been conscious of the fact that my publications are monitored by, for lack of a better term, an “internet police.“ I know writers who have had their materials blocked if they were “too unpolitically correct“, and I have to admit, I have suspected that some of my own writings were limited in their distribution. But that was a few years ago. Today marks a new era.

Let me begin by making this bold statement, which is taken from my Blog #231, SATAN IS ALIVE AND WELL…“Our culture today is ravaged by the prince and power of this world, satan. Satan is referred to by Jesus as “the father of lies“ (John 8:44) He is a liar, a deceiver, and the accuser of the Bretheren. Satan knows he was defeated at the cross two thousand years ago and that his fate is eternal damnation, but that doesn‘t stop him from trying to take as many as possible of God‘s proudest creations with him to Hell. This is his only retribution against God, and believe me, he has honed his skill.

Just look at the world we live in today. It is defined by chaos, anger, hatred, anxiety, depression, fear, distrust, deception, distractions and threats, not to mention the increase in addictions, substance abuse and suicides. All of this is the work of the master craftsman himself, satan. This world, and especially the constant chaos of our culture right now, makes this his playground. He delights in our sinful desires and worldly distractions.

Satan‘s favorite ploy has always been to wrap his deception in something that “sounds like the truth“. Therefore the Liberal Progressive Agenda (LPA) is perfectly suited for his purposes. For the past few decades this insidious movement has been festering in our country, progressing at a patient, methodical pace with a very clear goal in mind – to fundamentally transform America. At the heart of this agenda has been the decimation of many of the fundamental pillars of our society. I refer to the traditional family structure, religious freedom, casting doubt on the stability of the Constitution, and a concerted attempt to divide rather than unite people. Also the LPA is challenging and rewriting our country‘s history, challenging and diminishing the effect of laws and law enforcement, and the final coup d‘etat…promoting the exaltation of human thinking over God‘s wisdom. Right at the center of this movement is a big government that will eventually become our provider and our god. Totally complicit with this endeavor is a media and entertainment industry that will work in tandem to numb down and dumb down our society. After all, a distracted and confused society is easier to deceive.

I don‘t think that anyone would doubt that during the past administration there was an assault on Judeo/Christian beliefs. The famous speech delivered by Obama on June 28, 2006 in which he stated that “America is no longer (just) a Christian nation“ certainly opened a door that emboldened atheist, secular, and “enlightened“ groups to begin their onslaught to expunge God from our midst. (I put “just“ in parentheses above because that is the questionable word that has created the endless controversy.) I‘m not saying this to put the weight of the point I want to make on the previous administration alone, but no doubt the political climate during that time made it possible for an assault on Judeo/Christian beliefs, and for the LPA to progress at break-neck speed.

Luckily, in my opinion, that movement was temporairly abated November 8, 2016 at the voting booth. But don‘t think for a minute that it was eradicated. No indeed! It is looming in the wings, just waiting for another chance to inflict its despair and devastation on a sleeping nation. But it doesn‘t have to be that way. There is another way. It‘s time to wake up America!

In my opinion the answer to our country‘s woes will not be found in a Republican, Democrat, or Independent candidate. When we look at the impotence of today‘s elected representatives, who will say anything they feel they need to say to get elected, then turn right around and do whatever benefits them, it is a clear indication of the fallibility of puting our trust in politicians. Our country‘s problems were caused by “man‘s best effort“, so look at the cesspool we‘re in now. I believe the answer lies in returning to the fundamental principles that made our country that light that shines in the darkness, and returning to the Judeo/Christian principles that provided the spiritual and moral compass that is so desperately needed today.

First and foremost, I believe we must stand on The Truth, and let me define what I mean when I say The Truth. I am referring to The Truth found in the Word of God, the Holy Bible. Political correctness has been a dismal failure because it has proven to be diametrically opposed to the truth. For instance, there was a practice in the previous Administration of not labling evil for what it was: Muslim Terrorism. And what did that accomplish other than emboldening the Muslim Terrorists. Absolutely nothing…at least nothing that contributed to the eradication of the problem.

There IS evil in this world. As Christ-followers, or Christians, we are called to confront evil wherever we find it; we‘re not called to pretend it doesn‘t exist. Jesus told his disciples in Luke 10:19, “I have given you authority over all the evil schemes of the devil. You can walk on scorpions and poisonous snakes and no harm will come to you.“ (The scorpions and poisonous snakes referred to by Jesus are life and cultural issues for us today.) During our life on this earth, we are playing our part in an eternal morality play of good vs. evil. We are, unbeknownst to us, born into this play, and we contribute one way or the other by the choices we make. But the fact is, there will always be evil in this world and we are never going to erase it before the new Jerusalem comes. So right now, we are called to stand against it. Therefore, looking the other way, pretending it doesn‘t exist, soft-pedaling it because we‘re afraid of offending someone or something is not Biblically correct.

I‘ll refer to Apostle Paul‘s directions to the Church of God in Corinth (1 Corinthians 5:1-5), when a man was living in adultry with his father‘s wife. Apostle Paul soft-pedaled nothing. Cast this man out of the church before others start imitating what they see. How much clearer can it be. Don‘t tolerate evil, but for some reason our culture has missed that message completely, and the media keeps playing the most dispicable examples of evil over and over again, 24/7, for days and weeks following horrific events. My constructive suggestion might be…instead of highlighting and focusing on the violence, why not play some of the reruns of Billy Graham‘s “Gospel of Grace“ messages…something that could contribute positively to our culture‘s mindset?

Back in early December of 2017, I wrote Blog # 227, which addressed the issue of arms in the church. It can be found at http://meetpastordan.com/armed-or-unarmed-227/. Today we have the repeat of a similiar incident, but this time it is seventeen high school students and teachers slaughtered in Florida. My response to this is the same as it was to the December incident. When evil is hell-bent on killing innocent people, I believe God‘s will is not for us to stand down or turn the other way. In fact, quite the contrary! We must be prepared and willing to do whatever necessary to confront and destroy evil in its tracks, even if it means arming willing and trained teachers, and/or employing security guards. To substantiate that, let me refer to God‘s vengence against evil in Sodom and Gamorrah, Pompeii, and Canaan.

I would like to close this presentation with three fitting quotes from Jonathan Cahn, author of The Harbinger, and two appropriate Scriptures. “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.” “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.” “God’s will is that none should perish. Judgement isn’t His desire…but His necessity. The good must bring evil to an end, or else it would cease to be good. And yet His mercy is still greater than His judgement. His heart always wills for redemption.“ Therein lies the hope for our culture right now.

“ Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.“ (2 Chronicles 7:14) “Destruction is certain for those who say that good is evil and evil is good; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.“ (Isaiah 5:20) That is the perfect description of our culture today. What used to be considered sacred, revered, and worshiped, is now mocked and ridiculed, and what was profane, disgusting and sinful, is now basking in this culture‘s spotlight. Satan is having a heyday!

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May God Bless Ya…

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