Good Morning Meetpastordan Readers…I know there are those who will see this heading and immediately think, “I don‘t believe in satan. I know that‘s some gobbledegook made up by organized religion to keep their flocks in line. After all, I‘ve never had any encounters with that figment of their imagination, so therefore he – or whatever that thing is – doesn‘t exist!“
I get that mindset. In fact I used to espouse that same mindset for the first fifty-five years of my life. But now I understand why I felt that way, and why many of you still feel that way. The truth is, we aren‘t bothered by satan if he already has us right where he wants us…held firmly in his grasp. As long as we‘re of this world, meaning “that we‘ve been led astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that comes from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world“ (Colossians 2:8), he leaves us alone. It‘s only when we make a decision to break free from this dark domain and move into the domain of light that we begin to experience his power. His sole purpose is to keep us separated from the love of God, and believe me, he becomes a formidable enemy when it comes to ship-wrecking our best efforts to become a follower of Jesus Christ.
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 Brethrern. 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 many of God‘s proudest creations with him. 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. 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 the worldly distractions.
All of us who have become followers of Jesus Christ were at one time “of this world“. We were born separated from God, and if we hadn‘t taken drastic measures to remedy that situation, we too would have died separated from God – which means eternal damnation. But during life‘s journey we either had an ephiphany, or we came face to face with our own insufficiency and recognized our need for a Savior. Romans 10:9 tells us exactly how to be saved:,“For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.“ While it is great that our fate is sealed, we are now concerned about the fate of our friends, our family members and our country.
Our culture today is ravaged by the prince and power of this world, satan. He always wraps his lies in just enough truth to cast doubt, reminiscent of the Garden when he tempted Eve:“Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden? God knows your eyes will be opened when you eat of it. You will become just like God, knowing everything both good and evil.“ Satan cast doubt on God‘s motive, then followed it up with man‘s irresistible temptation: you won‘t need God…you can be your own god.
Today I believe satan‘s ploy is wrapped up in what I have referred to many times as The Liberal Progressive Agenda (LPA). 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: the traditional family structure; religious freedom; casting doubt on the stability of the Constitution; a concerted attempt to divide rather than unite people; challenging and rewriting our country‘s history; challenging and diminishing the effect of laws and law enforcement; and the final coup d‘etat, the exaltation of human thinking over God‘s wisdom. And right at the center of this movement is a big government that will eventually become our provider and our god, and a media and entertainment industry that will work in tandem to disseminate their propaganda and to numb down and dumb down our society. After all, a distracted and confused society is easier to deceive.
Jonathan Chan, author of the Harbinger, makes two powerful statements that provide valuable insight into how and why our culture finds itself in this state of decay. “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.“ And again he stated: “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.“
During the last administration the LPA was making great strides toward achieving its goal, and that plan would have continued at break-neck speed if the election had gone as scripted. But last November, the impossible happened! An election that was in the bag slipped through their fingers leaving the LPA in a state of shock. Not only were they in a state of shock, but totally deranged and determined to go to any length to undermine the will of the people. A frenzy of hatred, name-calling, finger-pointing, accusations, lying, cheating, and whatever is deemed appropriate to regain their almighty power and control, has become their signature. What I just described, in my opinion, is the face of evil. Evil, in this context, is focused on power and control at any price.
As Jonathan Cahn pointed out earlier, we are a society that has expunged God from our midst. Without that moral compass, we look a lot like the Israelites in the wilderness before God gave them civil law, moral law, and His standard all wrapped up in the 10 Commandments. But just like the Israelites after they got the Law, we too find the Commandments too confining, so we look for idols and excuses to appease our human nature. When we are focused on “self“ and getting what we want, our emotions, and our thinking, will produce these character defects: anger, jealousy, hatred, fear, bitterness, anxiety, depression, immorality, impurity, sensuality, strife, envy, lying, cheating, stealing, etc. When hearts are filled with this thinking, nothing good ever results. Most character defects have their root in evil, and what we have in our heart is revealed in our words and our deeds.
America is a nation that was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and as a result it has been abundantly blessed, probably more than any other nation with the possible exception of ancient Israel. On April 30, 1789, after the innauguration of George Washington, the President, his cabinet and congress adjourned to St. Paul‘s Chapel to dedicate our country to God. They asked for guidance, protection and His blessings, but to whom much is given, much is expected. No doubt America has a history of rising to its calling for being that shinning light on a hill, but for the past half century that image has been tarnished as the LPA began to take root. Remember, it was a mere fifty years ago when we heard the immortal statement, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.“ How times have changed. The mantra for today‘s culture could be “Where‘s mine? What do I get for free?“
Ten years after the removal of prayer and Scripture from our schools, the legalization of abortion became the law of the land in 1973. Since then over 58 million babies have been killed. Since that time there has been a steady assault on Christian values and Christian teachings; the 10 Commandments have been removed from public buildings; Christian holidays, traditions, and symbols have been under assault; Christian pastors and business people have come under attack for standing on their religious principles, and what was sacred is now mocked and ridiculed, and what was profane is now basking in the spotlight. Satan is having a heyday!
Isaiah 5:20 gives us this warning: “Woe be to those who say that evil is good and that good is evil; or say that light is dark and dark is light; or say that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.“ The assault on God, his Word and his principles, as portrayed in the above paragraph, no doubt angered Him. But there was an incredible intercessory prayer movement throughout our great land before the last election. People became inflamed by what was happening in politics and in the news. The threat to our country‘s future became more and more real with each passing day, and unless a miracle happened, the America that was founded on our Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights would most likely cease to exist if the LPA were given another term of office. But, thank God, an additional fourteen million evangelicals who sat on the sidelines during the previous election, answered this call.
A coincidence? Call it what you will, but I believe the last election was a gift to America, a reprieve so to speak. 2 Chronicles 7:14 seems applicable here: “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 I will forgive their sin and heal their land.“ Now don‘t get me wrong. A reprieve only means an opportunity to change direction, but the Proclamation that has been consistent throughout the Bible has never changed: “Repent! Turn from your sin and turn to God.“ I believe this same opportunity is being offered to us right now.
The unchangeable truth found throughout the pages of the Bible point out that when people or nations are in line with God‘s will, they are blessed. Otherwise there is calamity. I believe we were snatched from the jaws of calamity at the voting booth. And the good news in that scenario is…God‘s mercy is still greater than his judgement. His heart always wills for redemption, and therein lies the hope for America. Satan, you were defeated at the cross, and the power of the cross in America right now is poised to defeat you again.
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May God Bless Ya…
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
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