Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…The good news is…we are FINALLY coming to the end of a thoroughly despicable period of time in our country’s history known as the 2016 Presidential race. We have been bombarded for the last six, seven, eight months (?) with the most vile, hateful, disgusting rhetoric imaginable. But at last, thankfully, we can see light at the end of this dark episode. That in itself is reason for celebration, because regardless of the outcome of this election, as Christ-followers will continue to worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is sitting at the right hand of a Sovereign God who is STILL large and in charge! As David said in Psalm 16:11; “In Your presence is the fullness of joy”; and again in Psalm 9:2; “I will come before You with joy, I will rejoice in You and be glad”; and again in Psalm 18:1; “I will love you, O Lord, my strength.”
Let’s take solace in the words of Psalm 2 and rejoice in the Lord. “Why do the nations rage? Why do the people waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one. ‘Let us break their chains,’ they cry, ‘and free ourselves from this slavery.’ But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them…But what joy for ALL who find protection in him!”
The challenge for all Christ-followers is to not only remember who we are in Christ, but to remember who’s we are. God created us to crave joy, and that joy can only be found in Him. Therefore, because God knows the struggles we will face while still living in this fallen world (remember, he witnessed the way the world treated his Son), he has prepared us to rise above our circumstances to become the person he created us to be. He gave us the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit to do for us what we (mankind) proved from Creation to 2016 years ago that we were totally incapable of doing for ourselves. This is beautifully referenced in Ephesians 2:10. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we NOW can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (“Long ago” is defined in Ephesians 1:4 as “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.” How’s that for a plan from a loving Father?
Romans 5:17 tells us, “I have received the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness. I reign in life through Jesus Christ.” So how do we accomplish that in this fallen world? Well…we call on the Holy Spirit to empower us to be Jesus’ light in this darkness. “Holy Spirit, give me wisdom, patience, strength, courage, perseverance (etc.), whatever it is I need to bring honor and glory to YOU through my choices. That can be as simple as a smile; holding a door for someone; or asking how you can be of service. Those are very simple ways we can show our love for our fellow man, but believe me… to those who are not in Christ, these actions, simple as they are, will stand out. Jesus told his followers, “they will know you are my disciples because of your love for one another.” (John 13:35)
Most people in this world are looking for things to make them happy…to fill that hole in their soul. That need can take the form of substance abuse; the latest I-phone; a new car; a new job; a vacation; a new relationship, etc. But we were created for a relationship with our God, and without that, everything else is a counterfeit. It may do the trick for awhile, but we have to keep refilling that hole again and again to get the fulfillment we’re longing for, but it is never enough. Remember, it is a God-shaped hole and only one thing can fill it!
I understand that dilemma because I was enslaved in that rat-race for half a century. But in 2000 I came face to face with my own insufficiency, and with nowhere else to turn, I cried out with fear and trembling, “God – if you’re there, please help me. I can’t do this anymore.” He heard my plea, and he led me to an encounter with Jesus Christ. My life has not been the same since. In Him I have found the purpose, fulfillment, joy, peace and serenity that I always wanted, but previously had been looking in all the wrong places.
I can point to one Scripture that defines the transformation that took place within me. In fact, it is the same message that Jesus share with his Disciples. He told them, “if you follow my teachings you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Notice he was very specific about what teachings he was referencing. He said “MY” teachings, which is quite different from worldly teaching. So what did Jesus teach? He taught about love, forgiveness, compassion, mercy, grace, and being of service to our fellow man. He taught about “loving God with all our heart, soul and mind”. (Luke 10:27) He told us to “Repent! The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) He told us “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Proverbs 4:23 tells us: “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life” If your heart is filled with the teachings above, your life reflects the love of Jesus. If your heart is filled with hatred, anger, jealousy, fear, envy, deceit, pride, insecurity or hopelessness, your life will never experience the joy God has planned for you.
So why settle for anything less than all God has in store for you. His Word tells us that “he delights in blessing us.” (Psalm 149:4) And in this fallen world with all the uncertainty and turmoil, wouldn’t you like to experience the joy peace and serenity that can only come from Him? It’s available to anyone who will ask. His Word tells us, “If we seek him with all of our heart and soul, we will find him.” (Deuteronomy 4:29) So what are you waiting for?
I will close with Psalm 100. “Shout with joy to the Lord, O earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” What more could we ask for?
Please feel free to respond to this posting, and please “like” and share it with other social media friends.
May God Bless Ya…
Dan Presgrave, (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
Leave a Comment