Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers…What a pleasure it is to be back in the saddle again. I have to tell you, I certainly missed being out of commission for the past six weeks, especially since this interim period of time provided so much fodder for writing. But during this same period, I have had a change of heart regarding how I perceive the insanity that is plaguing our great country. Instead of dwelling on the obvious targets and firing my righteously indignant darts at the evil that I know is at the core of all this mayhem, I believe I have been drawn in a different direction. I have prayed about this quite a bit during these past few weeks, and I believe I am called, not to criticize or point a judgmental finger, but to stand on the truth of what it means to be in Christ, and respond in a manner that is consistent with that identity. There is already enough anger, fear and hatred being perpetuated by the 24/7 news outlets and social media, so instead of contributing in any way to that distasteful cool-aid, especially since most of it based on lies, half-truths and exaggerations, I would like to stand on what I believe to be the ONLY truth today. And that, my Dear Brothers and Sisters, is the Word of God!
What I want to write about today is the power found in these five words, “Don’t be afraid; trust Me!” (Mark 5:36) These five words present the ultimate challenge, and it’s not the words themselves that pack the punch, it’s all about who said those words! Many politicians have uttered that political cliché, and time and time again, they’ve failed to produce. But when Jesus made that statement to Jairus, He did indeed follow through with His promise. That should be of no surprise, because Jesus follows through with EVERY promise made. In fact, that is one of the incredible inheritances bestowed upon us for being in Christ; we are heir to every Spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms, as well as every promise in the Bible.
Now let’s dissect those five words, because they are actually two separate directives at work. “Don’t be afraid” denotes fear. Since we are called to be discerning concerning the truth of God’s Word, our first question should be, “what is the source of that emotion?” It can’t be from God, since His very essence is described in 1 John 4:8: “God IS Love.” Verse. 18 in the same chapter goes on to tell us, “There is no fear in love, because perfect love casts out all fear.” Therefore, since God IS love, nothing but goodness, compassion, grace, forgiveness, and faithfulness can emanate from Him.
But the prince of this world knows nothing about love. In fact, Jesus referred to him as “the father of lies” (John 8:44), then He went on to reveal his sole purpose: “He comes to steal, kill and destroy!” (John 10:10) Satan, the master deceiver, is the source of fear. If he can convince us that our circumstances are bigger than our God, he can take us down. And make no mistake…he is also the puppeteer at work behind all the anger, hatred, violence, burning and looting that is ravenging our cities today. 2 Corinthians 4:4 exposes the root cause of the onslaught: “Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds and hearts of those who don’t believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them. They don’t understand the message…about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” Unfortunately, the dark domain is alive and well in a culture that has left the door wide open to evil shenanigans.
But for those of us in Christ, we know our source of strength. And it is not any mortal man, or any form of government that promises to be our hope, our provider, or our god. No indeed! Our source of strength is not man-made; it exists in the Spiritual realm in the form of Jesus Christ. .Once we have experienced the revelation of the unconditional, unending, and unfailing love Jesus has for us, we are then prepared to grasp the truth found in Romans 8:31: “Nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus”! Read that Scripture again. Nothing means NOTHING! Not fear, not doubt, nor unforgiveness, anger, hatred, or even yielding to repeated temptations can turn Jesus away. In fact, just the opposite is true. His arms are wide open, because He has been patiently waiting for us to turn to Him as our source of strength when we are in the midst of our own personal hell.
This is the depth of understanding that is essential for the last two words, “trust Me!”, to take root. To trust Him means to surrender “self” to Him. Jesus revealed His character in Matthew 11:28-29 when he said, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest…Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jesus wants us to “trust Him” because when our focus is on Him, He is poised to bless us. The more our words and our deeds reflect our trust in Him, the more we will experience this Malachi promise: “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it all in!” Then He adds this Spiritual exclamation point, “Try it! Let Me prove it to you!” (Malachi 3:10)
Being in Christ means we have been Spiritually transformed, as explained in 2 Corinthians, 5:17: “We are a new creation in Christ; the old has gone (we are no longer slaves to our sin {human} nature), the new has come.” (the Holy Spirit) Now it’s not about trying to make ourselves right with God through our works, because “we already have everything we need for living a Godly life”. (2 Peter 1:3) Therefore, when we turn to the Holy Spirit (the essence of Jesus Christ who lives within us) to ask for His wisdom, His courage, or His strength, patience, or perseverance in order to bring honor and glory to God, His promise tells us that He will hear our prayer, and will answer our prayer. This overwhelming truth indeed substantiates Philippians 4:13: “I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives me strength!”
It’s easy to look at the insidious happenings that are destroying our country and our culture today, then finding ourselves getting caught up in the web of political narratives, finger-pointing, name-calling, or perhaps you’ve just given in to depression or anxiety? We all talk about it, but it is usually with those who share our point of view. “It’s terrible what is happening”, we say, “but what can I do?”
Well, as Christ-followers, we have been given our marching orders. Jesus’ last directive to His disciples was this: “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, GO (my edit) and make disciples of all the nations,[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 18-20; The Great Commission)
Now I know this can sound like a daunting task, but before you do the “Jonah turn around”, let’s examine what Jesus is really asking of his followers. When you read the truth found in 2 Corinthians 4:4 in the fourth paragraph above, it should break your heart. Most of the people caught up in satan’s lies, deception and schemes have no idea of the source of their anger, jealousy and hatred. The truth is, they have never heard the Truth we stand on, therefore they become satan’s puppets.
Jesus isn’t calling all of us to become evangelists, pastors or counselors, but He does want us to deal with spiritual conflicts by tapping into our supernatural power. The Holy Spirit IS our gift from God so we can become the person He created us to be. We can ask for His wisdom, His insight, His courage and strength, or even the words to use in prayer, as we pray for revelation of Truth in the minds and hearts of those who are lost. Let’s ask Jesus to meet each and every one of them the same way He met Saul on the road to Damascus. There is power in prayer! Remember Abraham’s prayer of redemption for the people in Sodom and Gomorrah. No doubt God responds to prayers of intercession by the righteous.
Standing on that Truth, we can all put our faith into action, producing much more than we could ever have accomplished through trash-talk, finger pointing or name calling. These Godly actions are the seeds of blessings, and we’re all capable of reaping a harvest.
Feel free to respond to this message, and please share with other social media friends.
Have a Blessed Day…
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
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