“Good Day,” Meetpastordan Readers…This is the day the Lord has made, and I am indeed rejoicing and grateful! “Why”, you ask? Because I’m filled with joy! Every morning I begin my day with this simple prayer: “OK, Jesus…I don’t know what you have on my plate today, but whatever it is…I’m in!” Then I go about my day asking for the Spirit’s guidance, and at the end of the day I lay my head on the pillow and reflect back on what transpired. No doubt there is a smile on my face as I remember the smile and “Hello” I extended to a friend, or the time I stopped and prayed with a neighbor, or my morning with the Southshore Falls Prayer Warriors, or maybe a Bible study, a class at church, or perhaps it’s the young man who gives me the privilege of mentoring and discipling him. All of those blessings account for my rejoicing and gratefulness. God is good all the time; all the time God is good!!
One of the greatest gifts bestowed on us by our loving God is the gift of friendship. We were not created to be alone; in fact, we have an inherent need for companionship. No doubt we meet many people throughout our lives, and they all fall into the vast category called “acquaintances”, meaning we know them with varying degrees of emotional attachment. Some are business acquaintances, some sports acquaintances, party acquaintances, club members, etc. In this setting, we maintain familial relationship with them, meaning we are comfortable with them and enjoy varying degrees of an emotional bond. But to achieve the lofty title of “Friend”, something special has to transpire, and this “special something” only develops over time.
To “become a friend” or “to pursue a friend” doesn’t just happen. It is the result of a process called “relationship.” This process takes whatever it takes, including an investment of time, a desire to pursue, honest questions and answers, and vulnerability. It is in this period that we really get to know the person and make decisions about his/her value. This is the critical time when we make the decision to “pursue a friendship”, or to “be a friend”. But when we get to the point of bestowing the title or receiving the title, I suspect we all would all agree that whatever it took to get there was worth the effort. No doubt, a true friend is – as the saying goes – “worth his/her weight in gold.”
No doubt we all have friends, and I would suspect we care about, and are concerned for our friends… right? Do you have any friends who do not know Jesus Christ? Are you concerned enough to share the Good News with them? I know this can be a challenge, but let’s be bold; there is no grey area between heaven and hell. It is black and white! And “no choice” also results in eternal separation from God; Only “Yes” results in eternal life in Paradise forever!
I have had a few opportunities to take a team of men to prayer-walk Ybor City. (For my St. Louis friends who are reading this, Ybor City is equivalent to East St. Louis.) I talk with this team, and encourage first-timers to approach with this simple message: “Hello”! My name is —; What’s your name? Then I continue, “I’m your local hope dealer.” That almost always gets a response, and I continue, “May I share some Good News with you?” This either opens or closes the door for a conversation. If it’s open, I share the Gospel of Grace – not a sermon, but just this important statement of truth; “Do you know that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved? To be saved means you will have eternal life if you accept that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was payment for YOUR sins – making YOU sin-free!” That’s it! Regardless of their response, I smile and continue chatting with them. Either way, I have fulfilled my calling to be God’s good and faithful servant.
My experience has been that most people are amenable to hearing the Good News. Don’t underestimate this opportunity; you have the message that most people are looking for, they just haven’t realized this is what they’re looking for! The Gospel of Grace is the ultimate message of hope because it’s about God’s love, mercy, forgiveness grace. This message can melt even the coldest of hearts, and the fact that it presented by a loving person is additional salve for the healing process to begin.
For the longest time I had tip-toed around this important scenario, but today I have become more emboldened. Time is of the essence! No one is promised another day, and as I mentioned earlier, there is no grey area between heaven and hell. It’s either a “Yes” or “No”! (and no response means “No”) But when we tell people we want to share the message of salvation with them because we love and care about what happens to them, our approach will most likely be greeted positively. After all, who doesn’t want to be loved and cared for?
We know the Truth of God’s Word and His promises; We all have experienced them come alive in our own lives. And I know we can all remember that moment of surrender; that moment when we became “a new creation in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Remember the “new” feeling?” There was almost a giddiness about it. We shouldn’t be surprised, because we were experiencing the same joy that Jesus promised the woman at the well. “Those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh bubbling spring within them, giving inexpressive joy and eternal life.” (John 4:14)
This transformative process has given all of us a second chance at life. I don’t know about you, but when I look back at my previous life, I realize how temporal that sense of happiness really was. Compared to the confident assurance that comes from standing on the rock of truth called Jesus, everything else pales by comparison! I’m standing with Apostle Paul’s sentiment, “Everything else is worthless compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord!” (Philippians 3:4) Isn’t this what we want for those we love and care for?
Don’t be afraid; take the plunge. Give your friends a chance to join you at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.
Please feel free to respond to this message, and please share with social media friends.
May God Bless you abundantly,
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan@meetpastordan.com)