“Exit Strategy” (book seen below) is now available at most e-book venues.

“Shall we enter eternity naked of the disciplines critical to the governing of our eternal free will?”   Eternal free will?

Did God really forsake Jesus? No, God never leaves us or forsakes us. He does however hide Himself from us. “And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”  (Isaiah 59:2 NASB) Note it does not say “He does not see.” We have been told God does not look upon sin. That is not in the Bible. We can feel forsaken sensing His absence, even though He is there and sees us. What we think, reveals the test of our will.

Jesus had already forgiven us by interceding when He then cried out to His Father asking not if but “Why” He had been forsaken. His (our) sins were forgiven when He forgave us. That contradiction, I believe, is why Jesus asked why His God had forsaken Him. Jesus knew He was forgiven of all of our sins. So Father, “Why am I still here?” Imagine the Devil saying, “Oh just leave Him there (on the cross) for a while. He will curse them. You made a mistake sending Him to be like them.” We do not know this but it sounds like previous behavior from the enemy of our souls.

In those last hours, did God administer the ultimate and final test to the human side of Christ the Son of Man? Can sons of men populate eternity clean, emptying themselves of the curses of this life? Will we like Christ lovingly endure tribulation, fulfilling God’s will for us as His witnesses? I believe this question had to be answered on the Cross because Christ was the first-born of many brethren, because He would return to His Father in a different form than when He left. Now Jesus is a God-man. As sons of God, we are asked the same thing.

Jesus knew He had to be rejected by mankind, obediently, Jesus forgave. What about feeling rejected by His divine Father? Did Jesus have it within Himself to endure as a man representing all men? Was He assured enough by what He knew and had experienced and from prophecy, trusting the Words He knew the Father had given Him and given others long before Him? Was that the test in those final hours on the cross, to go with what you know NOT what you hear or see?

Did Jesus have what it took to endure to the finish line, as a Spirit filled, free willed, Son of Man? YES and we do too. Enduring love kept Jesus from cursing us! Did God see all of us while observing Christ, our elder Brother, our legal representative, our righteous example? While believing He was forsaken, He lovingly endures, legally representing us to God in a magnificently victorious way and God to us as His Holy messenger. Can we find hope in that? Can we see our potential in Him? Do we not see the Way to eternity in this? Walking in grace now prepares us for later!

What if we believe we are forsaken in some future scenario? Is there any carnality left in us? The power of faith and confidence in God is purposely displayed to all who see as we endure, interceding? We see Jesus the Son of Man relying upon the delivering power of God’s words just as God expects us to. Forgive (from our heart) to be forgiven.

Our flesh is a powerful force against our spirit and our Godly will. With Jesus we do briefly see faint shadows of that possible weakness in the Garden of Gethsemane. Like Jesus, it was OK to not want this as long as we surrender to the whole plan of God which includes our eternal life

Our will demonstrated here in life answers questions God was willing to ask of His own Son, a Son now clothed in a soul and spirit, like us. He became like us to be a sacrifice for us and to show us our potential while showing us our path, His Way.

Rejoice in Hope (loved ones.) Persevere in tribulation (beloved.) Be devoted to prayer, (our deliverance, demonstrated by Christ Himself from the cross.)  Romans 12:12

The coming times will demand our understanding. Preparing now is paramount.

You are loved, He waits,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

   We initiate the return of Christ!  (The E-book)

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world.

“Exit Strategy” (book seen below) is now available at most e-book venues.

These thoughts came to me while writing the book. Inspired? You decide. See page 287  (Last Section)  “Motivations” inspirations leading to,  “Exit Strategy, we initiate the return of Christ.”

“Shall we enter eternity naked of the disciplines critical to the governing of our eternal free will?”

“We seek eternal life but fail to think eternally. We want to live forever but fail to grasp how to do so. We do not lack desire, we have lacked understanding.”  JME

 The coming times will demand our understanding. Preparing now is paramount.

You are loved, He waits,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

   We initiate the return of Christ!  (The E-book)

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world.

“Exit Strategy” (book seen below) is now available at most e-book venues.

“A Spiritual Trojan Horse with Prophetic power!.”  (Minor revisions 1-22-15, my 33rd wedding anniversary)

“Our Father who art in heaven…” is a belief statement. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done…,” is a request to God asking that the kingdom, therefore the characteristics that define the kingdom would come (and reign) over us, reigning just as they reign in heaven. This is a preparatory prayer using the power of prophecy. It is the speaking of God’s will into existence in our lives. Jesus knew this and took advantage of this teaching moment to insert this Spiritual Trojan Horse into this lost and dying world. Christ preached the Good News of the Kingdom. The goal of of the Lord’s prayer was initiated by Christ. Jesus totally represented the kingdom. How can we not? That prayer has been prophetically spoken uncountable times, even if we did not realize it!

Prayed as a prophecy over our hearts first, we must also then live “on earth as it is in heaven..”

Christ knew what was critical to insure our entrance into eternal life. His warnings prove it. Warnings require responses. After reconciliation to God the Way, the Truth and the Life must then prevail. Jesus knew that in the earth as well as in heaven, daily grace (bread) would be needed just as seriously as food. Do you really think He was talking about food? Bread typically represents Jesus before anything else and He personifies grace. We need Jesus daily and more so what He taught. Will an eternity of free willed souls need grace? Yes, unless all grace necessary was applied in this life? THAT is God’s goal for each of us.

Connecting to, “on earth as it is in heaven..” the next phrase begins with a conjunction. “…and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” This is a qualifier and preparatory. Imagine, what if you see someone in heaven that hurt you severely on earth? There can be no grudges, no anger, no hatred, only grace and peace flowing between all. You will need to be glad your offender made it. What if you were the offender? We might not be glad if we fail in God’s grace toward each other now, in this life. God is not willing to take that chance in heaven. We had our chance. Of course if I am forgiving and forgiven, I have nothing to worry about. See Hebrews 12: 14-15, Matthew 6:14-15.

As the good news of the kingdom “Thy will be done…” is recognized by us, we are to walk in that “enduring love.” See Matthew 24: 12-14 Enduring love is the grace of God and not just in “received” grace but more so in “granted” grace. We are one receiving grace. They are many in need of grace. We are to share the bread, the grace, that is life (John 6:33,) with others who need life. What Jesus taught speaks to His Lordship. His Lordship points to grace and sacrifice. Jesus went first, we must choose to follow Him to glory.

If praying the Lord’s prayer one may not grasp the intended prophetic nature of it. Have we resisted what we have been asking for all these years?

The subjects of Christ’s (and Father God’s) teachings, love, peace, and joy compared to unforgiveness, bitterness and anger, must be addressed here in this life. You were forgiven of sins previously committed once already, in your reconciliation through the death of Christ. (See Romans 3:25) Upon asking Jesus to be Lord, now you (must) learn to not resurrect those sins. You must put them to death permanently. “That’s impossible!” Following Christ’s example, the abundance of grace will be applied in your efforts to overcome as long as you apply grace when being tried yourself by others. It is amazingly simple! Supplementing your effort, as you forgive others God forgives you. Grace must reign in us. Grace reigns in the kingdom. Grace delivers righteousness to those who walk in its guidance. Righteousness is the key to eternal life and that through Christ Jesus. See Romans 5:21.

The coming times will demand our understanding. Preparing now is paramount.                        Find us now at exitstrategydaniel12.com

You are loved, He waits,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

   We initiate the return of Christ!  (The E-book)

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world.

“Exit Strategy” (book seen below) is now available at most e-book venues.

“But what about us? Has hatred locked the door to heaven against us? Are we never to see that loved one again? If we refuse to ever darken a church doorway again, you can bet we will never darken heaven’s gate either.”                                         (A quote from previous post, “God is no longer waiting….)

Yesterday for the first time, a reader asked to be removed from my email list. Larry (no you do not know him) was polite and I did as he asked. I would like to have known the reason for his departure. I would have respected his input. I would hate to think it was objection to or disagreement with what I am writing. Some discussion would have helped both of us if that were the case.

Larry, if someone forwards this to you, please consider a response to me or a comment on the post you objected to.

Regarding my quote above. There will be no hatred in the kingdom or in the hearts of those who live there. Judging is unacceptable also. It is the presumptuous sin of Psalms 19:13-14. Speaking of judging David says to God, “Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not rule over me; then I will be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth…” 

So will one help Jesus or oppose Him? What if you are hurt in church by some division? Anger or hatred towards anyone is deadly. “I have forgiven but I can’t forget.” You mean you will not forget. You must choose to want to forget for your own good as well as theirs. The seeds of forgetfulness have been sown into you by God, you are able.

Blaming all churches or all Christians or GOD for what one or a few did to you or what God didn’t do for you, is evidence of your lack of understanding of God and the kingdom. “I’m still good with God God knows I am right..” Oh really? Right is not always righteous. God always loves you but do you love Him (and yourself) enough to forsake this curse you have brought upon yourself and others via unforgiveness? There is grace for you IF you will grant grace, remember The Lord’s prayer? and that grace from your heart! (see Matthew 18:35) Sure hurt hurts but relief has its Balm. Find a new church. Make better friends. FORGIVE to retain the reconciliation Christ died for. (See Romans 5:10)

Eternity has a narrow entrance. It must. His Way is the ONLY way. His enduring love flowing freely, first to you then through you, will get you there. Eternal life is IN and THROUGH Christ and all that IN and THROUGH encompasses.

The coming times will demand our understanding. Preparing now is paramount.

You are loved, He waits,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

   We initiate the return of Christ!  (The E-book)

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world.

“Exit Strategy” (book seen below) is now available at most e-book venues.

I am excited at how readership has increased. There have been over 140 visits reading multiple posts in the past week. Thank you Lord, Your message is getting out. Some believers will be spared! Thank you Lord.

I am learning just as you are. Surely you must know my ultimate goal, my hope, is that you will be moved to share these posts.

There is a world of hurt out there. That hurt is meant to trap and destroy our ability to love enduringly, like Christ. If we are in submission to His ownership, (we were bought with a price) our lives will reflect it outwardly and our heart will verify it inwardly. Our reward for active submission is peace and confidence now and eternal life with Jesus then.

Please…share at least one post with friends and family. What spoke to you might also speak to them.

There are souls in jeopardy and they are believers, friends, family and neighbors. Many are church goers. This group is the main target of God’s effort. The Apostasy (the falling away of believers) is already happening and will get worse. How many do you know that are not sitting along side in church any more? Send them a friendly note and a link to a post. How many have turned away because God did not heal their spouse or child or because “God” allowed a drunk driver to kill their loved one. Send them a link to a post. How many are gone because they have been hurt in church or in service to the church? Send them a link!

But what about us? Has hatred locked the door to heaven against us? Are we never to see that loved one again? If we refuse to ever darken a church doorway again, you can bet we will never darken heaven’s gate either.

Man’s will (especially our own) often dominates our existence. God knew it would and is using it to bring about His Word foretelling the end of our existence as we have known it. Yes, in loose terms God is using mankind to bring about mankind’s demise. How? The wages of sin is death. The Way, the Truth and the Life, after reconciliation to God via Christ, is the only means of escaping the sure eternal death mankind in rebellion is participating in against us.

God has called me to hide the wheat from the enemy by the threshing process of God’s Words and Christ’s example. Jesus IS the wine press of Gideon but this is about grace not blood. Christ’s teachings and example are grace. That is the symbolism of Gideon using the wine press instead of the threshing floor. Look it up. The blood has already been shed for those in Christ. It will not be shed again. After the blood of Christ, the creative power of what Jesus taught us along with what He did for us must be plugged into what God is asking of us all. Will our love for mankind (interceding love) endure? Will it  protect us as it did Jesus? It is up to us.

Please help me!  We followers are God’s trumpeteer’s. There is nobody else. The darkness is coming no matter what. Do we heed and assist in God’s attempt to spare the weak in faith? In studying unforgiveness, maybe we find WE are a little weaker than we thought; not only in faith but in following?

Please…pass these posts on. I am not asking you to promote my book. God will take care of that. The posts on their own can have some effect on hearts, God willing.

“…most people’s love will grow cold but the one who endures to the end he shall be saved; this good news of the reign (kingdom) shall be preached to all nations as a witness, then the end shall come.” (Matthew 24:12-14)

The nations are waiting to hear this message. Jesus prophesied that they would. Shall we step into prophecy? Someone said each of us are only six people away from everybody living now. Not sure that is true but it is inspiring.

“Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his Master put in charge of His household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his Master finds so doing when He comes.” (Matthew 24: 45-46)

If we do not act, darkness is still coming and Christ will follow. As the header depicts, the skies are red these mornings. After kneeling at His feet, I want to look Him in the eye knowing I tried. If it costs me this life, I will share something very precious with Jesus. Thank You Lord, oh Prince of Peace. I am excited that you chose Janis and I. She stands with You. All the more now Lord, I need your help.  Please tell her I love her and always will. Amen

The coming times will demand our understanding. Preparing now is paramount.

You are loved, He waits,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

   We initiate the return of Christ!  (The E-book)

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world.

“Exit Strategy” (book seen below) is now available at most e-book venues.

I attended a great church service this morning. Praise and worship was wonderful. The message was powerful and packed with the truth. At the end of the service a word came forth from a member and our Pastor addressed it. Basically God was saying “Do not push me aside. I am appealing to you. I am trying to sow the truth in your heart. Do not reject My appeal to your heart.” I believe that is God’s heart precisely. No it was not sugar coated. It was love.

The pastor’s message was couched in the truth that we will reap what we sow. He quelled some thoughts in the congregation (in any congregation) by saying this was not an appeal about money but was an appeal to our hearts about even more important sowing and reaping. He then spoke to powerful possibilities we should embrace. The congregation was very responsive.

The Holy Spirit spoke also to me which I did not speak to the congregation, only to pastor and said, “I am showing you the practical (finances) while teaching you the Spiritual. Have you sown seeds of forgetfulness? How often have you wanted me to forget your sins? I have sown seeds of forgetfulness into your life. I expect a great harvest of more than I planted. My Word speaks of a “sea of forgetfulness” where I cast your sins. I tell you to cast mountains into the sea. I am not talking about a real mountain! I am talking about that mountains of offense you can not forget and maybe can not forgive because you can not forget. If I am willing to forget your sins, what fruit do I expect from you and multiplied?”

“Seed of forgetfulness?” Remember, forgiveness must come from the heart. It must be sincere. To forget is different. Forgetting is a soul, a mind, will, and emotions act. “Well I can forgive but I cannot forget.” God has sown “forgetfulness” into all who have come to Him for forgiveness. God does not want to remember our sins. God is love and everyone who loves knows God. The Word says love does not “keep an account.” Like God, we should NOT want to remember the sins committed against us. Remembering leads to an accounting problem in our souls. It can be lethal.

In my prayer time (in bed) last night, I realized that there were several (we all have several) I had forgiven and interceded for. I wanted to go further. “God I want to totally forget these offenses.” You can say that is crazy but God then reminded me that in asking for forgiveness, His forgetting our failings was an implied request and hope on our part. Wow. How many times since losing Janis had I recalled my failings (and we all have them) when thinking about “Why did God not heal Janis?” Had I hindered God? “Oh Lord say it is not so.” I truly understood weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then God in His mercy reminded me He had forgotten those “sins” years ago and He wanted me to forget them like He did, that as I well knew, Janis’ body because of the sickness had worn out, her physical heart had failed her but her spiritual heart never did.

God knows the love I had for Janis. To me it was absolute as was hers toward me. Was I  perfect? Far from it but she never seemed to remember my faults. I do not remember an argument (I did not say disagreement) in 33 years. She loved me unconditionally as I did Janis. I am still being told by concerned friends how much she loved me and how our love was a testimony and example to them. Dear God thank you for such a love.

God knows the times that are approaching. He knows forgetting is the process that destroys the lists we might keep toward others and especially about ourselves. Sure we must forgive but God knows because He required it of Himself in our relationship with Him, that we must choose to forget. The Holy Spirit will help us.

God has sown the seeds of “forgetfulness.” God expects a great harvest as you distribute many seeds of “forgetfulness” as well as “forgiveness.” He wants us to help ourselves and help those others by destroying the lists, all lists, by the power of true soul saving love from Him and then His love from within us toward others, releasing their souls totally.

Love does not keep account. “He that loveth not, knoweth not God…”

The coming times will demand our understanding. Preparing now is paramount.

You are loved, He waits,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

   We initiate the return of Christ!  (The E-book)

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world.

“Exit Strategy” (book seen below) is now available at most e-book venues.

Have you really entrusted yourself to His Ways?

The key to correct understanding of all verses that say something like “he who believes shall be saved” is in knowing what the word “believe” means. In practically every case it is the word “Pisteou” meaning to entrust.

My posts are obviously controversial because this understanding in not well known among the body of Christ world-wide. Once we know this single fact, our perception of a Carte Blanche relationship with Christ is obliterated. This is good?  Absolutely!

Likeness to Christ means in heart, soul, and spirit. The very image of Christ speaks to our restrained behavior before others.

Read later, post: “Do we believe?”

These things posted and written in Exit Strategy are portions of understanding and are Gods grace to enlighten all of us. We would have little understanding if someone had not written down what they knew so the Bible could be created. God by the Holy Spirit is faithful to explain them. We must exercise our will to attain them. How else will he know our heart. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” “The heart is deceitfully wicked.” Look it up. Pretending will no longer work as times of greater struggle escalate. Our true soul will be revealed one way or the other. There is a reason why there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Luke 13:28) There are things in life we all deeply regret. This must cover all of them, “If you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” This scripture follows the Lord’s Prayer. Next verse. So…how important do you think it is?

Father God is not going to held accountable for our lack of understanding. He sent Moses, Jesus, the Disciples, The Bible, thousands of preachers and now a nobody like Gideon whose only asset is that he is willing to try and hide the wheat from the enemy by bringing it to the “wine press.” Look it up. Are you feeling squeezed yet? We either let God thresh the chafe from our lives by His kindness or the enemy will do it in hell.

Remember, diseased wheat is no different from a Tare. Unforgiveness that remains in any form is a dis-ease we could have been healed of. Are we refusing?

This understanding does not prepare us for His immediate return. It prepares us to survive the darkness that precedes Him. Darkness is already being revealed and with biblical certainty will get worse. However, our defense is such that our “heavenly grace” toward all who accost us confirms our readiness for eternity. Our preparation is how God knows He can unleash the full blown prophecies of darkness and save those who embrace the defense He has created. “Many” however will perish. (Matthew 7)

Come on we can get prepared so we can then bless God by helping others. Many who before did not believe (entrust) will believe (entrust) now as the evidence mounts daily confirming the Word of God. This is God’s preparatory grace.  Thank You Lord.

The coming times will demand our understanding. Preparing now is paramount.

You are loved as He waits for us,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

   We initiate the return of Christ!  (The E-book)

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world.

“Exit Strategy” (book seen below) is now available at most e-book venues.

Paul points directly to a bi-fold salvation experience and John does also! I mean they both separate our initial experience with God through Jesus from our living experience with Jesus which leads to our actual salvation.

I mentioned in the post about Janis, that upon her passing she was truly “saved.” She had no more race to run or struggle to endure. She passed praying for others between speaking God’s wonderful attributes. This finality is truly being “saved.” We living are all on that path exercising our faith daily by God’s grace.

So look at the verses that substantiate John and Paul’s claims. These are their claims…not mine. Their credibility is unquestioned.

John said this in “John 3:36 (NKJV, NASB) “36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Compare the above to this verse of Paul’s from Romans 5:10 (NKJV, NASB) “10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. “

Paul is saying our being “saved” as we have called it, is actually our “reconciliation” to God by the Lord’s sacrificial death. Paul continues by saying we will actually be saved (future tense) by “His life.” Both must happen.

“…we shall be saved by His life.” Christ’s “life” is all that we heard and saw from Him. Paul means we are to be saved at a future point (like Janis) by our implementation from now until then of the Father’s teachings through Jesus. We are to obey His Words of eternal life, His instructions, by our living out the Lord’s same responses to how He was treated, especially just before and from the cross. This is the “life” of Jesus. It is to be ours also. He knows this takes determined practice on our part.

Paul said this in Roman’s 1:5, “Through whom (Jesus) we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name’s sake…” Like John did, Paul points directly to obedience. Like a bi-fold door, both halves must be opened and they open together. Reconciliation is the state of righteousness we are gifted with. Salvation occurs finally by our protecting that righteous through the commandments of Christ. The teachings will keep us righteous if we obediently implement them.

This bi-fold idea shakes our foundations but they need to be shaken. You may have never heard or noticed these scriptures before. Imagine those who do not study the word? They think they are good to go but God, desiring that none should perish, is bringing this understanding to the forefront.

These scriptures have always been there. Any assumption on our part that our salvation is already a done deal can leave us unprepared to resist the very troubling and distracting events we are already seeing. The lawlessness to come will become far worse. We know our love toward others is already growing cooler as we watch the evening news, wondering “What the heck is going on?” We are angry over the state of our nation. Again it all is a scheme of the Devil and God certainly is allowing it. It is a deadly offense meant to cause us to poison ourselves. Unforgiveness is like drinking poison, and expecting someone else to die!

Jesus told us. He warned us not to be troubled by it. “But Lord!”

He who is forewarned is forearmed. Armed with what? What was Jesus armed with?

The Love of God was sent into this world not to sustain this lost and dying world but to maintain the eternal life of the souls that would grasp love’s eternal life saving power. It sustains as  us as long as it endures within us. While training us to maintain our salvation by enduring this lawlessness through intercession, God is also preparing us for entrance into eternity and the kingdom of His beloved Son. Jesus did not simply pay a price and that was it. That price was the entrance fee for the race we must run and finish, to be saved.

Oh God let us see that the most positive point of Christ’s crucifixion was Christ’s last act. He emptied Himself by forgiving, by interceding for us. Children of God, we must also do as Jesus did, to enter the kingdom. We must rid ourselves of anything that is of this world. What things? Those spiritually paralyzing things which we know WILL NOT be in heaven.  What a clear key to the kingdom. If we know anger, bitterness and unforgiveness will not be in heaven, we know…it can not be in us if we ever expect to go there! We will NOT smuggle it in. Our being forgiven happens on this side of the door. More importantly, our forgiving others, multiplied others, does also. The seed of grace in us must multiply to others. We become a “Grace Fruit Tree,” to His glory.

Jesus was trying to show us the kingdom!  He came preaching the gospel of the kingdom. His or our dying, literally or dying to self centered self, at face value is not good news unless it leads to something far better.  Wars have been fought and men have died to protect something they considered far greater than themselves. Jesus was no different. He taught us then died to this world but didn’t really die because He implemented the Words of eternal life. We are to learn this and then die daily to this life and maybe some day die literally, but like Him, never die.  His life examples, The Way,  puts eternal life within our grasp and a reality by faith if we embrace The Way obediently. Obedience is a distressful reality but like the brother of the hero of “Unbroken” said, “A moment of pain can mean a lifetime of glory. How much more an eternal lifetime.

Jesus did what we could not do so we could do what He said to do. Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” John 15:14  Jesus has this expectation of us, and He and the Father are one!

 The coming times will demand our understanding. Preparing now is paramount.

You are loved,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

   We initiate the return of Christ!  (The E-book)

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world.

Exit Strategy” (book seen below) is now available at most e-book venues.

What does “believe” mean? (Continued from “End Times: The Storm is coming.”

In John 3:36 NASB and NKJV, it says, “If you believe on the Lord you have eternal life, if you do not obey the Son you do not have life but the wrath of God rests upon you!”

“Whoa Michael I do NOT remember that!” If you know the King James version of this verse you will not know why this correct understanding is critical to our salvation.

Holy cow you say! ” In the KJV the first part is the same but the second part says, ” if you do not “believe” the Son you do not have life and the wrath of God rests upon you.” as most of us would have said, “I believe in Him and I believe Him too!” I know I did.

Right. My point exactly. We have seen the same word “believe”, been taught the same words but in the original text the word “believe” is two different words. (John 3:36)

The first “believe” is “Pisteuo” which means to entrust. (Strong’s G4100) If I give my life savings to a financial counselor, I am saying, I trust You and will literally follow your counsel, risking all that is precious to me. This is how we retain the eternal life that was freely given to us. Our Way to eternity is determined by our Counselor and we agree to submit to Him. No submission and we lose what was generously and freely given. We were bought with a price, with an expectation that we would increase in value and pay dividends, to our Master and Loving heavenly Father. We did not buy anything. By plan design we are to maintain His gift of righteousness to us as proof of respect and reverence for Whose we are by our conscious honoring of Him. What ever forgiveness we grant or kindness we render, HE receives the credit and glory.

The second “believe” in the KJV is the word “apeitheo.” (Strong’s G544) This word gives us the word apathetic. In the Greek it means to be disobedient or to disobey, unbelieving, obey not, believe not. Look it up.

John 3:36 once understood is pointing to a discipline that has been cast aside as some sort of works. Obedience does not purchase anything, it maintains what you have. It maintains your reconciled relationship with God. Paul speaking of Jesus said in Romans 5:10, I paraphrase, “We are reconciled (to God) by His death but we are SAVED by His life.” Again this is understanding of great significance. Doctrines fall over things like this. Fortunately, salvation is assured by correctly applied understanding. See Proverbs 8:14.

Remember the rebellion in heaven? Lucifer and 1/3 of the angels were cast down to the earth. Do you think there will ever be a rebellion in heaven again? Why would God populate His Son’s kingdom with a rebellious lot? Right…He wouldn’t. The question of our loyalty and obedience will have already been answered.

The church is about to be awakened to the discipline of obedience. It does not have to be a bad thing. It holds salvation for those who appreciate it. The Word says Jesus, yes that’s Jesus the Son of God, the Son of Man,”learned obedience by things that He suffered.”

The child of God obeys the Father and the things taught by Jesus, in the Father’s name. This is a maturing process that takes time but maybe now, in this generation, our time is growing short? This obedience proved the Son of Man’s submissive will to the Father and revealed the Father’s plan to us. Jesus saw past the pain of now into the future and the joy set before Him. That was amazing since WE are that joy. Why us? Because He loved us. He knows He faithfully showed us the Way and we will come to know and follow the Ways and yes we too will learn discipline by the things which we suffer. “Oh great Michael what an uplifting message.”  I am sure Jesus felt the same way in the Garden.

The time has come for us to embrace what our old nature rejects. This is the Way to heaven. We must start to obey the Lord’s teachings now in order to have mastered them in the coming time of distress. we must train our loved ones. As we daily pick up our cross, faithfully dying to self, we are “willing” ourselves unto Christ. We will remind others of Christ. There is a time coming when that act will save us because we will have mastered our flesh and released the love Christ gave us, in intercession. Jesus has spoken it.

So, when Jesus took that cross in our place, what was that to us? “It is eternal life! We are forgiven. It is salvation! We are saved forever!” Not quite according to John. Our first confession/submission to Christ does accomplish all that by God’s grace, if like the thief on the cross, we die shortly after. Our complete cleansing is all true because God is faithful to keep His end of the deal. John then clearly indicates there is a second half to the “deal.” assuming we live past our initial reconciliation, and most of us have, John says our obedience (to the Son) is necessary or we “have no life but the wrath of God rests upon us.” (John 3:36)

This is why “believing in Jesus” is not salvation. Entrusting ourselves obediently to His instructions, that, is our salvation. We are given reconciliation freely. We must maintain it. We are in the race. We must run it.

Our English vernacular for “believe” fails to express the critical factor of obedience. It is not works. It is obedience. It is a required discipline in heaven, to be demonstrated by us right here first. Yes, right here! If Jesus had to demonstrate obedience, how can we not know it is required of us as His brothers and sisters? Do not blame anyone because we have not been taught. We probably could have coasted along in our old thinking as we have. Circumstances have our attention now. Time is dictating our urgent need for understanding. God is bringing it on not me, although I certainly will (choose to) benefit.

Think about this and no doctrine is intended here. Once Jesus came to earth, took upon Himself sinful flesh, even though He did not sin, is it possible even His “Son of Man” side had to be tested for absolute obedience, NOT for His sake but for us to see the possibility of success? In addition, the “Son of Man” was going back to heaven in a different form than when He left heaven. He represents a God-child race to inhabit heaven. He is coming back here as the Son of Man to rule and reign for a thousand years! I am not saying His divinity had to be tested. The Word does say that as a Son He learned obedience. I think He learned it so He as King of Kings could say to us in eternity, or even now, I’ve been there and done that, having endured humanity I understand.” This is a king we can honor. His judgment will be just because of this.  He does not ask us to do anything He has not done or endure anything He has not endured.

Did you not think there is a reason we are restricted to this earth?  Those who enter into eternity will be wearing the red badge of self-denial, self-crucifixion, maybe even the bloody badge of a glorifying Christ-like death. Can you imagine the look in the Lord’s eyes as He receives you, knowing you died as He died, even interceding for those who killed us, NO, who actually helped us “accomplish our departure.”  (See Mark: The Mount of Transfiguration)

Just remember the message is distressing but it rescues those written in the book. “Why do they need rescuing?” Daniel 12.

The coming times will demand our understanding. Preparing now is paramount, as He waits for us.

You are loved

Michael

    Exit Strategy

   We initiate the return of Christ!  (The E-book)

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What shall we say then, the Word of God is not true? The skies are red these mornings. Do we not know what that represents? Jesus, the Messiah, stood right in front of them and they knew Him not.

Is the church ready for The Storm that is approaching? Yes, I am saying “The Storm” because God prophesied it,  so in essence He is the Storm and it is a sure thing. Bible search “storm” and find the many references to God.

Mankind’s whole experience has been about God gaining a family of faithful, obedient, loved ones that are living in the second nature of His Son’s likeness. The Storm will prove Whose we are. Trials, testings, obedience versus disobedience, will do that.

The Son of God, God in the flesh, learned obedience by the things that He suffered. (Hebrews 5:8 KJV) Jesus learned what extreme obedience was as He suffered through the challenges. That being the case, where do we stand? Do we understand what course we are on? Is the church on course or are we flirting with the path of least resistance? Christ did not suffer these things so we would not have to. He suffered the learning of obedience so we would know HOW TO. Resurrection is the reward!

Is obedience, a condition of salvation? According to John 3:36 NASB, NKJV,  yes it is! Is obedience being taught as such in church? No in most it is not! The natural resistance to obedience in mankind’s heart still has a toe hold even in most Christians.

The most productive confrontation comes to us via understanding. So, what course are we on personally? Will we obediently endure to the end, whenever our personal end is? How do we do that? Do we know what must endure? Without knowing the truth, some will not! Jesus warned us so we might endure and then showed us, by obeying the Word of God Himself! His enduring intercessory love was our example and proof as resurrected life became a proven truth. Life after death fueled the disciples even unto their own deaths.

Can we do anything to stop The Storm? We might as well ask, did Jesus have to go to the Garden of Gethsemane? Why would we want to stop The Storm that initiates events that are a prelude to Christ’s return? Is there any higher standard of obedience than what Jesus showed us? Are we willing to surrender to God’s will when He has told us what it is? Can we see the likeness to Christ God’s plan holds for us? It is God’s very intention toward us and sets us apart forever.

As the last of mankind to see these events do we realize “the last shall be first?” Shall we sleep for a thousand years or through our faithful stand for Christ, shall we rule and reign with Him for a thousand years? The following verse will challenge all of us yet it is His word. We do not hear this preached, but it is there. I too want to believe, “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” as Paul said. Dare we discount the following verse or do we prepare according to it remembering that hours pass every night as we sleep and when we wake up the time has simply passed and a new day has come? Peter Marshall told a class of Naval Cadets at Annapolis, and I paraphrase, like when a child falls asleep on the way home and Dad carries him in and places him in bed. The child wakes up not in the car as he last remembered but safe in the comfort of his room and his home, that, Peter said, is what death is like. Later that day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

Revelation 20:4-5 (KJV)
⁴  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
⁵  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 

We know the anguish Jesus went through and Whose will He submitted to. God’s will encompassed far more than the sacrificial death of His Son for us. God’s will was for us to see the keys to the kingdom of heaven in action and grasp their importance with our hearts. We saw obedience  and a love that endured so much. God wants us to honor Him by honoring His Son with our own obedience to His teachings and example. Christ’s reward will be our reward, guaranteed!

Jesus was The Way, The Truth, and The Life. He not only taught the details of those points but He lived them. He was the object lesson we are to grasp, to understand in order to survive the climactic and tumultuous end of this world as we know it. Only by practice now will we succeed then!

In case you are worried about dying before they might decapitate you for your faith, because you do not want to sleep for a thousand years, you could decapitate yourself and your carnal thinking now, by absolute pursuit of the Lord’s Ways. That is also taking a stand for God. In fact that stand may bring about your execution for your faith. We can do this!

“When” the Rapture is to occur is not important. Our preparation is still required. Most denominations believe in “pre-trib.” What is most important? I believe God wants us ready to go today, now. If there is room for debate about when we go, and I am not debating that, let us err on the side of caution and wisdom and “be prepared” now.  Today is the day we have. Preparation will protect us no matter when or how we go. It will also help others as we wait, enduring in front of them, sharing this eternal understanding. This is the second level of blessing God is looking for from us. Multiplication!

A prophecy Jesus spoke is yet to be fulfilled. Out of respect for servants everywhere who truly have sought God and inspiration, it appears we have evidently not been allowed to see it! Maybe God knew we could “not bear it” until now. The few paragraphs above are more than enough to rock our boat.

With God’s intent and knowledge of us, current circumstances prompt our searching for answers and peace. That peace only comes with understanding. We must be empowered to survive. What has been written by God, what we have studied for centuries is coming back to us now, expanded, revised by God not man. His Words have always been there. Now they will have the proper influence that the end times demand, for our sake.

These are instructions to be revealed in the end times according to Daniel 12. They will rescue those written in the “book” by awakening them to the means of their rescue. Some will receive it, some will not.

Many truly great preachers say Jesus could come at any minute. Their sincerity and credibility is without question. Maybe Jesus could return, no man knows the day or hour. Knowing however what has not been preached, as a 65 year old disciple of the Word for 33 years, I have to appeal vigorously that I have seen in His Word something that clearly must happen first, and around the world.

On a trip from New York to London the course is pretty direct until the ship approaches the coast of London. We still have the same destination but to arrive safely we must turn the ship to a different heading. This is like the call we too can not avoid. Traditional doctrines or accepted views, once useful, must now give way to the necessary priorities that God is pointing to. This will be an absolutely necessary change of course. Traditional doctrines have successfully gotten us this far but there are shoals outside the harbor. Our destination has not changed. Christ’s goal had never changed. The first of His journey was relatively safe, even wonderful as those last three years were lived out. The end for Christ was known from His birth because God spoke it through His prophets. How much more the path Jesus Himself has spoken for us and then walked Himself for our sake; not just dying but explaining life in the kingdom while He was dying! He knew, safe entrance past the shoals requires our obedience to His admonition, “He who endures to the end shall be saved.”

True belief results in obedience.

From God’s and Christ’s point of view, therefore by necessity, this understanding redirects the ship of the church so she can safely enter the harbor of eternity. What is that preparation, that change of heading, that revelation of God’s imperative priority, what is it that initiates the return of Christ as it frees the darkness to expand according to God’s plan? The teaching is that enduring love in us MUST endure as Jesus said, for us to be saved, for us to enter the kingdom, and how important it is to start practicing NOW.

We are expected to let Jesus BE Lord of our lives. Our salvation requires the Christ-likeness in our soul and spirit that His Lordship will create. It always has. Obedience along with God’s grace will achieve it. Christ had the Words of eternal life which prompted the actions of eternal life which we are witness to through the Word. Do not over think this. Just do for others what Christ did for you with a fierce determination and with a knowing compassion, so that none should go to hell (including you) because of your lack of love or lack of forgiveness. Avoid the traps Jesus avoided the Way He avoided them! Rest in the assurance and rejoice in Hope, persevere in tribulation you experience, and be devoted to the prayer that delivers both you and your offender, knowing that your transition into eternity will be the same as His, guaranteed!

John 3:36 (NASB)  “He who believes (pisteou = entrust) in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey (apatheo =to disobey) the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”  

Even this scripture above has been misunderstood by translation. Note the New American Standard Translation is quoted. Look up the verse in the older KJV and you will understand the critical difference. What you just read is the correct translation of the Greek words and calls to everyone, who has asked Jesus to be Lord, entrusting Him with our eternal lives, to actually make Him Lord by our obedience to His Way. Jesus did not give us eternal life. He made eternal life possible, to all those who believe (pisteou). What??? That’s right.

We will discuss it next time.

The Lord gets all the glory! He who is forgiven much loves much. Can we see the hope and avoid the danger?

Start linking your friends around the world. He is waiting. We must start preparing.

You are loved,   Michael

    Exit Strategy

   We initiate the return of Christ!  (The E-book)

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world.