There is more. I reference my last post briefly.

As I stood at the Western Wall surrounded by thousands of Jews celebrating Shabbat, there was no joy. My cheek and my hands felt the stone. It was strangely touchable. Millions of others had rubbed the surface smooth over the centuries. Had God also been softened, by the uncountable prayers that had preceded mine?

The Wall is speckled with little pieces of white paper. Prayers, maybe just a name, are left at the Wall, pressed into the small cracks and fissures in the stone. I found out later from a Lt. Colonel in the Israeli Army Reserves that the prayer scraps are gathered from the Wall on a regular basis and are carried to the Mount of Olives where they are buried. The Jews believe the Messiah will return to the Mount and those buried there will be the first to rise from the dead, thus the special treatment of maybe millions of prayers.

My reason for being there was first and foremost a journey toward inspired purpose and the comfort it brings. I had lost my wife a few months earlier and my spiritual GPS was telling me “Take this exit your destination is on the right.” Of course missing the love of your life never leaves you nor do you want it too really. Going anywhere does not assuage such an absence. At least in your tears you still “feel” that love.

As I pressed my face to the Wall, as I reached up the Wall toward His everlasting arms, I lifted my broken heart to the Comforter. I sobbed words of thanksgiving. This will never change but this night I must somehow mark the moment, I must leave something in this Holy Place.

I reached into my pocket and found a Kleenex tissue. Inspired, I tore away a small corner and wiped the tears from my cheeks and eyes. This is my message to God, a perfect message not defiled by words or ink. With peace I pressed the message into a crevice right in front of me. So be it Father God. An offering of thanksgiving for all You have given me; especially for Janis.

It has been three weeks now since that first night in Jerusalem. Two of those weeks were spent in Israel. Now I am home. I am searching my heart and experiences for the directions I sought from God. Where is the inspiration? Where is the direction that brings comfort?

Perry Stone is on cable this morning. He is at Megiddo, in Israel. I say to myself, I was there!

I catch the last 5 minutes of his broadcast. He boldly says, all these wars and the strife we see today are about religion not oil or gold or power. Which God will you serve? For a minute I think he has read my book, “Exit Strategy, we initiate the return of Christ.”

He closes with a focus on eternity and a faith that must bring us through the coming times. Then it hit me.

At the Wall, there were no words for what was in my heart, flooding my eyes with tears. I was looking to His enduring love for comfort. My tears were a holy response untainted with disappointed or angry emotions. “I love You Lord and I lift my…tears” No wonder the Word says He will gather them for safe keeping.

In the coming days, horrendous things are going to happen and are happening now. We will likely find ourselves speechless before God. This is good. A full spectrum of emotions will flood our souls. Will we redirect them safely away or will they dominate our hearts. The danger of tainting ourselves, pushing the Holy Spirit away after our being once purged of anger and hatred is eternally perilous! “The love of many will grow cold but He who (whose love) endures to the end shall be saved; this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached…”

We must come to the conclusion that tears can be our message to God. Our love toward mankind must endure as Christ’s love endured toward us. With supernatural determination our mouth must be closed to bitterness, anger, hatred, resentment and judging.

Out of the abundance of the heart our mouth speaks. Not only can these things not be in our heart but we must be so rooted and grounded in Christ and His love that, being prepared by practice for all things, we compassionately intercede for all who offend us. Many times, as we obediently restrain ourselves, tears will carry our message to God. May His “message received” conformation bring the relief we need and then prompt us to intercession from our hearts. This is, Christ in you, the hope of glory.

As many preachers and teachers like Perry Stone move closer and closer to the truth, you will hear of a sure and deadly peril that Christ came to prevent through His life and our education. Paul confirms this in Romans 5:10. Look it up. John speaks to this also in John 3:36. Christ’s death is our beginning, reconciling us to God. Then we must live “in Him” with Jesus as Lord.

Enduring love is “this gospel” that shall be preached. (Matthew 24) It is about our enduring the end with eternal Christ-like character. It is not about us or others “getting saved.”

Much of what enduring love entails will be torturous and grieving, just as it was for Christ. This may be why this message is not yet being preached. The time has come.

Souls once reconciled may be lost. Souls not walking in the fullness of Christ and His teachings, His love, will be lost as their love grows cold. God is offering us prevention where there will be no cure.

Our way to victory is revealed in Ephesians 3:14-21, in the fullness of God He offers us.

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.

How will I make way to the Wall. There are thousands of Jewish believers crowding the plaza. It is Shabbat in Jerusalem, after sunset Friday night and their Sabbath has begun.

I was told this would be special. It was! From blocks away it can be heard. As I enter the plaza, to my right are Jewish women, separated from the men having a celebration of their own. Singing and dancing unto the Lord, there are hundreds maybe thousands of them.

Scanning across the football sized field of men I see a covering of black hats and coats. It is a blanket waving, undulating with life. The men are singing and dancing as well, some in large clusters here and there, holding hands in circles. Many around the edges of the crowd are reading their scriptures as they rock back and forth.

They are greeting each other dressed in their finest clothes and great hats known as Shtreimel’s. As I understand it, men wearing these hats are married, and can be Hasidic or of another Jewish tradition. They look like a fur covered hat box in shape, except there is no box. They are a series of tails, gray fox or sable tails hand crafted into a circular form with a slightly flamboyant appearance. They are like a crown, which explains the look. Underneath this you will always find a “kippah” which appears to be like a Yamaka. Two head coverings suggest an additional spiritual merit.

So, why am I in Jerusalem? Why does any follower of Jesus Christ make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem? I am searching for something from God. Better, I am offering something to God.

I am offering the soul and the life of a man to God, again. I am coming to the city of the great King, to bow at a place like no other. Maybe I am no different than the person’s that travel across state to see Benny Hinn, but I come not to see a man.

In two days it will be 5 months since losing my Janis. She and I dreamed and had planned on coming here but did not get to. I come because she would have wanted me to. I come to offer myself and the rest of my life to Him who gave me a life.

One might ask, “Haven’t you done that already?” Of course I have. In the last 5 months the trauma’s in my life both emotional and physical have been many and painful. I have praised God “through it all” as the song goes. I brag not but boast in His grace, that I would be so able.

So now, as the course of my life is changing, my destination has not. What better place to speak again of willingness, wanting to be used even more; besides, now there are two in heaven that I want to please. Two that I want to make proud.

In the cool of this May night, now only 75 yards away is the Wall, a place of holy reverence in this great city. Tradition has it that the ear of God is behind it. Do any of us want the ear of God? How about every day! Whatever one might think, I am here and I am spiritually and emotionally invested in making my way there. This throng of believers left little room for a Goyam (a non-jew.) Would they be insulted at this invasion of their event? “You must cover your head” my companion said. These people prepared well. Yamaka’s (white one’s not black) were free to take including a bobby pin to secure it.

There is a ramp wide enough for a truck leading in and out of the plaza. Like blood coursing through veins, souls filled this two-directional area. It was daunting to think more than a few steps ahead. Then I saw my opportunity.

A Jewish man and his small son were making their way in. I fell in behind them. We moved steadily through the crowd, left then right. In my looking at the men and listening to their words, their gestures only understanding morsels of expression, I lost my guides!

Oh God, I don’t want to wander into some group’s gathering and make them angry. There were clusters of men some had even brought chairs and little tables to read scriptures from.

“Go left.” the Spirit said, “Keep going left.” I did. There they are! From behind me and to my left, the man and his son immerged! That boy was leading his dad (and I) with determination. The little guy was scouting the path to our mutual goal. Thank You Lord.

Suddenly I was ten or twenty feet away from the Wall. Many were filling the areas against the wall. Most had scripture in hand, reading as they rocked back and forth, the curls along their faces swinging back and forth also.

I am looking, moving left, looking, and then it was like the parting of the red… a place was made vacant. My emotions rose to a peak, I had been singing in the Spirit almost all the way there. I stepped up to within inches, I am feeling the heat of my own breath against the Wall. I look up and it is like God is towering over me and yet I am welcome at His feet. I have praised Him as I made way. Now, He is listening.

I spoke thanksgivings too numerous to mention ending with Janis, His most precious gift to me in this life. I felt no rebuke at not mentioning Christ is first. By now, He knows that and was sensitive to my need. He is Understanding, He is Mercy, He is Grace. I found myself in tears the entire time I was praying. What can I say?

I had my hands against the wall as high as I could reach, my cheek and nose not concerned at the rough stone when I saw something I had heard about. Little pieces of paper where wedged into little clefts in the rock. Oh God, I have no paper, or pen.

It was then I remembered the tissue I carried. I took some out pausing momentarily, I tore off a small piece and then wiped the tears from my face. I found a cleft right in front of me and made a home for my tear soaked message. There was more meaning in those tears than I could ever have written.

I thanked God as I turned to find another soul waiting his opportunity to be heard.

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.

Paul prays for our Ephesian brothers and sisters. I paraphrase. That they be strengthened, (so) that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith, “that you” being rooted and grounded in love, might comprehend with other saints, a love that has such dimensions that only one result would be appropriate. What result?

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.