“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!”

From part 1: “This calamity shall come as I am the Lord and this you must know…” (continuing)

“Have I not offered loving kindness and tender mercy first? Have I not provided and protected and yet you stray? Do you say, “The Lord has forsaken the land, the Lord does not see?”

“Then He said to me (Ezekiel), “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is filled with blood and the city is full of perversion; for they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see!’ ¹⁰  “But as for Me, My eye will have no pity nor will I spare, but I will bring their conduct upon their heads.” Ezekiel 9:9-10 (NASB)

That which was unacceptable then is unacceptable now. America is a land filled with blood, and cities full of perversion. The perfected love of God in you is the kingdom protection God offers.

“Do I forsake? Am I blind?  Learn from past errors. Do not call my name and then declare I have forsaken you. “Behold I will never leave you or forsake you!” You are a nation I have called my own and for a purpose just like Israel.”

The carnality of man has raged since Cain, the birth of impaired judgment since Adam. Some, yes some have embraced the Lord’s grace and fallen face down in surrender and I say in hope! He says and I also say stand….  Stand and be embraced, held, cherished but know to be true to that which you have believed. “My will shall be seen just as Jesus dying had to be seen.” For you have said it, “Thy will be done, Thy kingdom come.”

I believe therefore I write as He continues in my thoughts. “Yet I have ordained that you stand in the same street as those who reject Me, the rain falling on the just and the unjust. WHY? …. What does the rain cause in your souls? What has My Spirit meant to you? What will those see, that cannot see Me, for they have not turned to me so the veil might be removed? You,….yes you are the only hope for them. I will have no pity nor will I spare except they repent and throw themselves upon My mercy. This is their only chance, the only Way. You by My Spirit in you are their only chance.” In being glad for yourself, be compassionate over them. Do not judge.

“Know this. I hide My face from you because of your abominations as a nation, a field becoming worthless from blight. What do you see?  Do not declare nor entertain in your own estimations that I forsake you. You, knowing that I do not forsake you, are the only hope for many souls around the world.

As a nation among nations, you have forsaken and gone further and embraced that which is not Me. Repent? I say cry out as a nation within a nation, as a nation within nations. Sigh and groan openly but cast down resentment and anger toward anyone. Intercede like Christ knowing your reward is sure in doing so. Come out from among them in your heart by compassion for they are doomed unless they see and grasp. Can I not say it is too late?” (My note see Ezekiel 6:11-12, 25:6-7 NASB)

Loved ones, shall we cease or shall we continue to pray this way and mean it, knowing what the will of the Lord is. “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” We must mean it and do it, just as Jesus did. If we do, oh how great our reward will be.

Let us also remember the Lord’s words to Joshua:

“Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.” Verse 9:  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7, 9 (NASB)

Today, what Jesus commanded us is what He expects us to follow and not turn from it. He spoke what the Father gave Him. The bearer of the message died, that we might receive it and live forever by it.

As it has come to me I share with you now, I know the Lord is saying to us now and has said before, “Have no doubts. Have no fears. Set your face like flint and your tender heart toward Me and all that I AM. WE will get through this victoriously. How can we not if I am in you and you are in Me? I do not forsake Myself do I?”

Before Christ died…. He taught. One effort for our sake made the other achievable.

If I am to follow, I must follow.

“Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Isaiah 51:1 (NKJV)

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24 (NASB)

My prayer that morning:

Oh Lord, that which incensed You still does. That which You are willing to do for Your name’s sake, for our sake, You still are.

Please Lord, allow those, the remnant who revere You and sigh at the conditions they see, let us be spared according to Your Word. Mark us as You said You would.

We know oh Lord God, You are the Lord, the great I AM. You never forsake your own. Your mercy extends to the merciful, Your kindness to the kind, Your love to the loving, your grace to hearts of grace.

Like Christ, we must choose eternity, Your Way, Truth and Life at whatever cost.

Do as You must (in this world) oh Lord. We kneel at Your side as You do it. We shall not rejoice over Your wrath for we have escaped it only by the blood of Christ and by following in the heart of mercy and grace in Your teachings.

As You do Lord, weigh hearts. For Your word says a sigh and a groan over the abominations they see is enough to deliver. (see Ezekiel 9:4 NASB)

Your Word foretells that which they can only report.

Please … forward this post or others.

“If we remain in His grip, how far from His heart can we be!”

In the guardianship of Christ,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

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

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world. $2.99

“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!”

This came to me on 1-14-2016. As I started praying, outside my window was a gentle rain by the time I finished it had turned into a fierce storm.

I asked where to read in prayer. The Holy Spirit’s response was, Ezekiel – Exodus. No verses?

I asked again, Ezekiel 6:4. I asked, Exodus 6:4. God knows I had no idea what was there.

The Ezekiel passage was about destruction and punishment over false Gods, over rebelliousness.

Exodus 6:4 (evidently) tells why. God established a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, (Israel), giving them Canaan. God did many things for Israel in the exodus to establish His Lordship.

In Exodus 6:3   “God spoke further to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD; ³  and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty (El Shaddai), but by My name, LORD (YHWH) , I did not make Myself known to them. Exodus 6:2-3 (NASB)

Israel was set free from Egypt and bondage because of the covenant with Abraham and his children. God heard their groaning in Egypt and remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give them the land of Canaan. (Exodus 6:4-5)

”Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” Exodus 6:7 (NASB)

God is trying to establish this understanding in all the hearts that claim relationship to Him. “…that I am the LORD your God.” He is (again) revealing Himself as YHWH “Lord” for our benefit. Our deliverance is to be from this lost and dying world. Has He not heard the groaning of His people?

To America, Israel and the world of followers I write and absolutely believe God is saying to us in these troubling days, “Remember our covenant together in Christ and all I have done for you.” (So we would know Him as Lord.)

“Your turning to false Gods, to people and their counsel who do not know Me is an affront to Me. I will show you that I am Lord by declaring that which you do not want to see but will see until as a nation you repent of your infidelity. Yes, like the Tares among the Wheat, the field is mine. Until the harvest I will do with the field as I will.”

These thoughts then came to me after reading verses surrounding Ezekiel 6:4.

“Your slain shall be around your idols, your high places, and likewise around your source of counsel, your televisions. Your loss will be portrayed world-wide. Some will say “Is the Lord among us or not?” Others will say, “Not He, He will not permit this sword and famine to come upon us.” I remembered I have written of both of these quotes and His strong rebuke.

“This calamity shall come as I am the Lord and this you must know…”

To be continued in part 2.

In these days of decision we must know what to do, not looking to our wisdom but His.

Please … forward this post or others.

“If we remain in His grip, how far from His heart can we be!”

In the guardianship of Christ,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

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

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world. $2.99

“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! ⁵  “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

Bob said, “What I mean (is) the sins before you were saved all those sins will be (are) forgiven but… “   

And also Bob said, … It’s (isn’t it) what Christ did for you at the point of salvation (forgiveness, regeneration, sanctification, filled with the Holy Spirit, becoming a child of God) but can instantly vanish away like a puff of smoke if you’re caught unrepentant when you die right?”

Remember, in part one I addressed the un-perfected love which kept you in fear. “What if” are two of the devils most used words to us. God’s perfect love was willing to forgive your worst sins. How do we think He will respond to the sins of our struggle? Is it rebellion in us or are we truly trying and need the abundance of grace from Romans 5:17. What is in our heart? He knows.

This will shock some but we all really know if we think about it. We are not actually saved (yet) when we are reconciled.

“For if while 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. (Romans 5:10)

Our final salvation is the goal of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. In the moment we come to God, no matter how sincere we are, He is faithful to forgive. We are totally forgiven rendered sin free in reconciliation. Yes upon our surrender to Christ, asking Him to be Lord, our sins previously committed are forgiven by the Father. We are washed, made new, cleansed totally, like new, like newborns, forgiven, set apart, we are children of God. We have a fresh start.

Are we going to be obedient children (of God) or rebellious children (of God)? God spoke to Cain like he was a son. He spoke to king Ahaz like he was a son (Isaiah 7:10 READ the story). God spoke to David like he was a son. What if David had resisted the truth that the prophet clearly spoke to him about Bathsheba? Would God still have said David was a man after God’s own heart? Absolutely not! God IS Truth and only the truth, so help…Himself! David humbled himself to God.

In our reconciliation to God, we become everything we have always been taught in that moment except one thing. We are actually saved when we die or when Jesus comes for us. We can believe we are saved by faith in what we believe He has done but there is still a race to run, a salvation to work out, truth to be led into by the Holy Spirit, grace to be granted in forgiveness of others. Life becomes our test.

This is where the obedient versus the rebellious child is revealed. Israel as a nation was rebellious. Look what happened to them at times of judgment when they were faced with an overwhelming adversary and captivity. Then they cried out in repentance to God and He rescued them. Repentance brings God’s grace and forgiveness.

We all hopefully will pass from milk to the meat of the Word.

Jesus did His part teaching us, dying for us even as He interceded. He demonstrated by action and heart what He taught. God has met His part of the “reconciling” arrangement by taking all into account according to the agreement we have made with Him by our asking Jesus to be Lord. In that moment of complete grace, we could go to heaven with no problem. In that sense, we are saved right then. Life waits for us with its challenges. We will stay saved if we can maintain that state of total cleansing and righteousness. HOW? He HAS given us “the Way” to do so. Jesus, during His life with us, taught us!

In fact we are yet to actually be saved because we are still alive in these human bodies, which will not inherit eternal life. (1 Corinthians 15:50)

We have a hope. We have a fight ahead to maintain what we have been freely given. This reveals the reason for all the teachings of Christ. We shall not be ignorant of that which we know we are experiencing. Hopefully in our learning we too will lead others to righteousness; they being led into going beyond the necessary reconciliation they first may have received to tested and proven righteousness in the smelting pot of life.

We now know, as does our heavenly Father, that staying clean is almost impossible so He makes a Way where there once was no way, so as to be cleansed again and again. We have received all we need pertaining to life and Godliness.

The blood of the Lamb paid the price, God entered into a mutual submission agreement (see definition of reconcile) with us. Now, we must walk out our journey (to eternity) by actually making Jesus Lord via our obedience. There is an abundance of grace supplied in the deal. There is the gift of righteousness, in the deal. We recognize and treasure the forgiveness we received but did not deserve and now we must walk in grace toward all others likewise. We must display the righteousness we have freely received. (Romans 5:17, 21) John 3:36 also comes into play and can not be denied. Or do we omit scripture?

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

Even Christ had to learn obedience and therefore the importance of obedience by suffering to accomplish that obedience. See Hebrews 5:8.

The power behind His commitment as the Son of Man was the Lord’s relationship as a man with Father God. Sure Jesus knew who He was but as the Son of Man, any man, our carnal man wants its way. However, in the power of the relationship, “Not My will Father but Thine…”

As men, and as children of God, we too must obey but not out of fear. We shall obey having grasped the unshakable facts in the Words of prophecy, the wisdom and the understanding in the teachings of Jesus.

We shall obey most of all because we have been loved like never before by our heavenly Father, our elder Brother and Savior. We have been comforted and are being led into all Truth by the Holy Spirit. We will have acted upon it disregarding our flesh and the carnality of our own hearts purposely.

I do believe it is His grace to warn us via His teachings and now our obedience or our rebelliousness is yet to be revealed. We are admonished to know that if we do not repent, we shall perish. John the Baptist and Jesus taught “repentance for forgiveness of sins.” Jesus simply made our initial forgiveness possible by His sacrificial death, satisfying the Law of the first covenant, establishing the second. In the second covenant I find the Law of the Spirit of Life. (Romans 8:2 KJV)

Bob, I believe respectfully that your early experiences and what I am apparently reminding you of were what they were simply because the perfect love of God had not yet been perfected in you. I certainly am not trying to take you or anyone else back there. That was not God.

You are my dear brother. Iron sharpens iron. Frankly, and sincerely, I appreciate your response. You are not alone in this conflict of thought.

God’s will is for us to end up with Him. Heaven (God) has its standards. Once reconciled, only we can throw that away by outright rebellion, provoked or not. We however have been shown The Way.

As things get worse, we must be on guard and make ourselves follow His Way.

Like I say at the end of my posts, “If we remain in His grip, how far from His heart can we be!”

In the guardianship of Christ,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

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

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world. $2.99

In response to a response: Part two of three

Most (if not all) of what I write about, you (Bob) are already doing. My posts sometimes point to false escape mechanisms, things the church has believed regarding salvation that simply are contradicted by Paul and even Jesus. Why we did not see theses contradictions earlier, I believe, may rest with God and His timing, no fault of man. Now however we have a responsibility to shout from the housetops our expanded understanding.

In my previous post, “Do you have the saving knowledge?” you said in your response ,  “I would rather read His Word live it out  the best I can empowered by the power of Gods Spirit and then rest in the arms of Gods grace.”

Yes, yes, yes! We must however as you said, “live it out” as best we can. As best we can is not based on our “I’m only human” view of ourselves. Instead it is based upon our son of God position we received in reconciliation! Our potential is far greater than years of limited understanding has taught us.

We are a unique generation. It is very likely we will be alive to see the Lords return. We will see darkness rise up first, the apostasy of believers, persecution unthinkable, and more. How we are to guard our hearts has been taught. Did we learn?

If we and the existing generations are to be the last, will we have taught them? Will we have helped them put on their life preservers or will we watch as they betray us as the Word speaks of. Oh what weeping and gnashing of teeth are we in for if we do not prepare. I can only think, with true fear, of the unforgiveness I might feel toward myself if I fail to deliver understanding to them that could have “saved” them.

Bob, in your wonderful enthusiasm, I heard you one time tearfully rebuke those (not present) for NOT reading and studying the Word. Of course we saw your fire and heard the power in your voice. Your emotions revealed your concern as well as your consternation over their current state. One might call them “low information Christians,” in today’s vernacular. You are right, how can anyone know the truth that sets us free if we do not study His Word.

I do study. You study. We are drawn to different areas of study. We benefit from each other’s commitment to study. Iron sharpens iron as we discuss our understanding.

I might say, “Why doesn’t Bob (not his real name) look forward more. He is “always” (nobody “always” does anything) sharing what the Sages said or what Rabbi so in so believed.

Pressing my position I might say to myself and I am saying to the church world-wide, “The troubles we see today demand we prepare our hearts far more for what we may see as well as what we are seeing. Our heart condition matters today, right now. How do we accomplish that preparation as the church world-wide (as Jesus prophesied we would) except we teach it and talk about it more?”

Likewise Bob, you might say, “Michael over simplifies and then complicates God’s concerns. He keeps going back to forgiveness.” Wait a minute; you did say that in effect in the last sentence of your response, “Forgiveness is only one sin like I’ve told you before.”

Not forgiving is the only area of sin that Jesus focuses on, that can either free us of your own sins or hold you under judgment as a sinner. He speaks to our forgiving in the Lords prayer, in the parable of the slave who was forgiven much, to us as with His disciples adjuring us in our forgiving others as we minister and then Jesus, in dying for us, insures our being totally forgiven in the process of reconciliation to God, by forgiving and interceding for us on the cross. Forgiveness or forgiving is a primary, premiere and eternal characteristic of Christ and the kingdom of God. Is it any wonder we are to become like Him?

Will any number of my sins be forgiven if I forgive others? That seems to be what Jesus is saying in the Lord’s Prayer and verse 14 following in Matthew. Is that a license to sin? Absolutely not. If I love Him I will turn from sin again and again until God’s grace defeats that sin in me and all the more quickly as I forgive others!

Not knowing when our day shall come, this should motivate us to exert the will necessary out of respect and reverence for His grace and His Words of admonition. If we do, God is like power steering. We pull on the wheel to turn another direction and whoosh the fluid of His power courses through the veins of our will, exerting a force overcoming what we cannot overcome alone. We must simply keep tugging on the wheel of our future until our course is correct. So be it Lord, so be it, Amen.

The true potential for personal freedom now and in eternal life hinges on my obedience to the concepts of granting grace, forgiving, seeking to understand the struggles of others and with determined loving endurance, compassionately interceding for them. After all Christ is interceding for me daily. This is perfected and perfecting love on our part, the priority of a heavenly view, not an earthly one.

Ideally, we rise to the Christ-like level of interceding even for those who would kill us, while they are killing us. This reaction on our part requires practice over lesser offenses before (if) we find ourselves about to be martyred. THIS is Christ in us, the Hope of Glory.

You (Bob) referred to the “starting line,” post reconciliation?

You said, and I quote, “What I mean (is) the sins before you were saved all those sins will be (are) forgiven but…(now)You (Michael) are (saying we are) at the starting line of salvation from there? (Bob’s quote continues) It’s (isn’t it) what Christ did for you at the point of salvation (forgiveness, regeneration, sanctification, filled with the Holy Spirit, becoming a child of God) but can instantly vanish away like a puff of smoke if you’re caught unrepentant when you die right?”

Yes it is a beginning of sorts, but now we have the advantage. We were irreconcilably way behind but now once miraculously reconciled we are ahead by faith in the things that have been revealed to us in the teachings of Christ, even as babes in Christ. Seeking more learning for ourselves in the Word is absolutely necessary.

The forgiveness we received freely in reconciliation, we must maintain. It was a free gift. Like Dad’s 67 GTO we inherited, we must maintain it.

Why? Because we go into the world after God speaks to us while on a ladder or after seeing a pillar of fire (personal testimony) “saving” us, wooing us to Himself and boom, somebody out in the world does whatever to hurt us or worse hurts someone we love. Our old vengeful man tries to rise from the dead! We know what is right to do but no doubt it is a struggle to do what is right, right that is, according to Jesus. God is patient.

In our struggle and in the love God has for us as we are “living it out,” the Holy Spirit comes knocking on the door of our heart. That is the deal and a blessing. He is trying to lead us into all truth.  He knocks, and knocks, and knocks. This is God’s grace. God is patient desiring that Bob (or Michael) not perish, but that we instead would come to repentance. If we do not repent, we perish; His words not mine. 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV) “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” We face repentance versus perishing. Which will we choose? Our reconciled state makes it possible for us to be moved by the Holy Spirit. Will we be obedient or will we be rebellious?

In the vacuum of a repentant heart, the Way of Christ must by the Spirit take its place upon the throne of our heart to rule and reign. Otherwise, our old man and our evil heart will! It is our choice and ours alone.

Reconciliation alone does not protect us. By reconciliation God has made it possible for us to choose correctly by the power of the understanding that is in Christ; putting to death as many times as necessary the emotional death-throws of our old carnal man. As he dies, we live in Christ.

This is my message to anyone and everyone that claims to be a Christian around the world! John the Baptist brought the new message from God even before Jesus which was John’s calling. Repentance for forgiveness of sins!

In the same sense that “sin is sin,” forgiveness is forgiveness. How can we be a bride without spot or blemish, holy and blameless, and still retain anything in our heart that God does not permit in heaven? The Bridegroom wants His bride to be as though she has never been molested by life. Her born again experience is meant to make her all new. She must use His Ways to maintain her precious countenance. His smiling face is worth it.

In part three: “What if David had resisted the truth that the prophet clearly spoke to him about Bathsheba? Would God still have said David was a man after God’s own heart?”

These three posts have very important facts in them. I am responding to a studied individual so I have omitted scriptural references. Most of you are studied. I hope you know by now that I can back up my positions with scripture. I appreciate the grace you grant by checking out my positions before deciding your traditional understanding is eternal as it stands. Our course is changing because it must. Our destination is till the same, praise God, Jesus our Savior and the Holy Spirit.

Please … forward this post or others. The world is waiting.

“If we remain in His grip, how far from His heart can we be!”

In the guardianship of Christ,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

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

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world. $2.99

In response to: Do you have the saving knowledge?   Part 1 of 2

Brother Michael,

 I’ll have to read it again but at first read I wonder if any human will be saved. If one dies before he can repent then off to hell you go? There are thousands of sins one can commit.  What if you commit an unknown sin which is sin anyway or you purposely commit a sin big or little and you immediately die what happens? 

My problem Michael is the same problem I have with those who try to keep the law. One is under constant condemnation because maybe there is a sin I haven’t repented of or a work that I haven’t done that I know I should have done. (You) he that knows to do good and does it not to him that is sin. Is it possible to be perfect 24 hours a day? If so why did Jesus come if we can do it on our own after salvation. Luther used to spend hours in the confessional booth wearing the priests out trying to remember all the sins he had committed. They absolved him of sin but was there peace in his heart? No he then would go back and beat himself bloody at times. There is a semi-grace message here. What I mean is the sins before you were saved all those sins will be forgiven but… You are at the starting line of salvation from there? It’s what Christ did for you at the point of salvation, (forgiveness, regeneration, sanctification, filled with the Holy Spirit, becoming a child of God) but can instantly vanish away like a puff of smoke if your caught unrepentant when you die right? In the end it’s what we do Knowledge and wisdom that keeps us saved not God’s grace? Even If one operates in the different kinds of gifts and has the works of the Spirit in our lives is there any shalom in serving God? I cannot live like this again. I did that and bought the t shirt. I remember pad tiring going to the altar scared that I would go to hell because I need (knew) I wasn’t perfect. I would rather read his Word live it out  the best I can empowered by the power of Gods Spirit and then rest in the arms of Gods grace. Forgiveness is only one sin like I’ve told you before.

Your Brother in the Lord

My dear brother,

My delay in responding to your comments on my post is due to seeking the Lord for an answer that He would have you consider.

This is the Word the Holy Spirit pointed me to regarding your concerns. 1 John 4:18 (KJV) ”There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

To me, my posts speak of the very thing that gives us boldness in the Day of Judgment because in that day, as He is, so we are in this world. We ask, “How can we be?” Because our love is to be (will have been) made perfect by embracing the Way. This is what my book and my posts point to; the goal and the Way to it.

If in Christ, our love is to be made perfect having embraced with all our might the Way He has shown us to love. His love and grace in us is to banish fear from our contemplation. This love frees us and leaves us with a desire to follow literally in His footsteps, adhering to His commands to the best of our ability. There is no fear of condemnation because we have come to understand the law of the Spirit of life and we know it is working in us.” Romans 8:2. This is a condition if Romans 8:1 is to apply.   

1 John 4:17 (KJV)
”Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”

Bob, your own words tell of the fear you experienced early in your walk, afraid you were not perfect. “I remember pad tiring going to the altar scared that I would go to hell because I need (knew) I wasn’t perfect.” You had not yet been made perfect in love.

Your last sentence in your email response to me agrees with what I am saying in my posts. What God expects us to do is to have its glorious result after we sincerely are, as you say, “living it out.”

“I would rather read his Word live it out  the best I can empowered by the power of Gods Spirit and then rest in the arms of Gods grace. Forgiveness is only one sin like I’ve told you before.” 

Does forgiveness (or unforgiveness) mean far more to us than almost every other sin, if we ever hope to reach eternal life? Do we get in automatically?

Part 2 next post. (an excerpt)

“The true potential for personal freedom now and in eternal life hinges on my obedience to the concepts of granting grace, forgiving, seeking to understand the struggles of others and with determined endurance, compassionately interceding for them. After all, Christ is interceding for me daily. This is perfected love, the priority of a heavenly view not an earthly one.”

Please … forward this post or others.

“If we remain in His grip, how far from His heart can we be!”

In the guardianship of Christ,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

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

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world. $2.99

Do you have the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? Knowing Him is not the saving knowledge. Knowing what He knew and acting upon it, is what saved Him and what saves us.

The Word speaks of John the Baptist saying, “⁷⁶  And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
⁷⁷  To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, ⁷⁸  Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; ⁷⁹  To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:76-79 (NKJV)

Note what salvation is. “By the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God,…” Or does our being forgiven first for our sins then enable us the potential to grasp the “knowledge of salvation?”

Is our actual salvation in “the way of peace”, as it says? Does our “salvation” not begin with reconciliation and loving grace from God? We experience a peace with Him initially but He speaks of it as a “way” in Luke 1: 79.

Isaiah said, “Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the LORD is His treasure.” Isaiah 33:6 (NKJV)

There is a stabilizing wisdom and knowledge, making “strength of salvation.” What is that wisdom and knowledge?  Wisdom can be good judgment. Knowledge can be and should be, the counsel of God. Proverbs 8:14 says, “Counsel and wisdom are mine, I am Understanding, power is mine.”  Counsel, wisdom and understanding are three of the  elements of the Seven Pillars, the Seven Spirits of God, found in Rev 5:6, Isaiah 11:1-2, Proverbs 9:1.

The power that works within us IS the strength of salvation. See Ephesians 3:17-20  In context, Paul has just prayed for us to be rooted and grounded in the love of Christ, which “Surpasses knowledge” [so] that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God!” Is that possible? Paul says so! Before you question me, remember, God is love! 1 John 4: 7-8

After making such a profound statement, Paul assures us and qualifies his statement. “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, ²¹  to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 (NASB)

So, is His power working within us? Is the power of love working in all circumstances, in us?

A word came to my heart one day. I wrote it down. “You are the guardians of My soul. I will guard you. Do not live this life dying to self, without fervently desiring to pass on your “soul” which in fact, if you have died to self, is now My soul! For in Me you have gained everything far beyond this world, for nothing is impossible in Me. Earnestly desire to share your soul trusting that as guardian of My soul, we are working as One.”

Psalms says this, “That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.” Psalm 67:2 (NKJV)

The wisdom and knowledge is within His Way, it was His salvation as well as ours. Do we not know that He was wielding the scepter of righteousness, the very commandments for us to follow as His Father spoke them?

John the Baptist was preaching repent and be baptized, for the forgiveness of sins in Luke 3:3, when Jesus had not died yet? John was preaching the new Way to God, knowing that the old way was to be done away with through the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. The new Way to God is to actually repent of our sins after we are reconciled to God through the death of His Son. Along with this, we receive grace as we grant grace daily. We may sin less and less until someone hurts or offends us! This is more important than our sins committed. If we do not forgive, we are NOT forgiven. Matthew 6:14 KJV

“We all sin …. daily.” Eternity requires a heart change. That change qualifies us for heaven.

The fact was and is, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Hebrews 10:4 (NASB) I need a provision that covers me daily. “Well, you ask, didn’t Jesus die for those sins?” He died for the sins I brought with me the day I let the Holy Spirit get through to my heart, the day I asked Him to be Lord.

“…[Jesus] Whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; Romans 3:25 (NKJV) [added for clarity]

“His righteousness” “His” is the word “hautou” 846 in Strong’s. (pronounced: how too) meaning “His own.” Yes God is passing over our sins previously committed is through the blood of Christ Jesus.  His continued forgiveness for our sins committed after our being reconciled comes to us via our actual repentance linked with the grace granted by us toward others. If I forgive I am forgiven. (Matthew 6:14 KJV)

Can I come fully to this light of the knowledge of salvation before I am forgiven and reconciled to God? Do I rebuild the house while it is still on fire? The house must be made new after the fire is put out?

In Christ, I need the light that guides my path away from the sin that is still crouching at the door, seeking to devour me, sin that I must master before my entrance into eternity.

Until I obey, I am no different than Cain. God spoke directly to him. Is God speaking directly to us? Yes, yes because the skies are red these mornings.

Please … forward this post or others.

“If we remain in His grip, how far from His heart can we be!”

In the guardianship of Christ,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

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

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“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

In prayer I asked the Lord where to read. “Hezekiah.”

The name means “Yahweh strengthened.”

Hezekiah was also the son of Ahaz. Remember him?

Of Hezekiah it says, “He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.” (a piece of bronze) 2 Kings 18:4 (NASB)

“He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. 2 Kings 18:3 (NASB)

“He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made.”

This bronze serpent mounted on a pole is the basis for the medical symbol we see on medical alert bracelets and in various other places. The bronze serpent, when looked upon by anyone bitten by the fiery serpents in Numbers 21: 4-9 was a source of healing. It was a type and shadow of Christ on the Cross, becoming sin for our sake upon the cross. We must look to Jesus.

The people complained about the Manna loathing and calling it “light bread.” God sent the serpents.

There are many teachings about this story. We must be willing to look at our sins to be healed of them, for one. The serpents held death and so sin brought death, for another.

The thought that has come to me is, “Do we make an idol of Jesus, the way they did the bronze serpent, in Hezekiah’s day?

We revere all that Jesus represents to us. They began by revering what the serpent on the staff did for their forefathers. Later, it was not that the bronze serpent continued to heal them personally it was that this dead lifeless artifact did something significant at one time. It had served a merciful purpose but now it was a false idol! God had strengthened Hezekiah to see this and remove it from prominence by breaking it into pieces.

Is Jesus a dead and lifeless idol to us? What do we do in reverence to Him but we hear not His voice or respect, by obedience, His Words?

Do we fear the Lord but continue serving our idols? Is He any more than an idol in that case? Like the bronze serpent, our relationship or lack of may be because our savior is no longer really alive to us. He is a deity, a personage, an image, we pray to Him, we honor Him. He touched us at one time.

In practical ways, has Jesus become an idol? Might we possibly think He no longer speaks, He no longer touches, He has become like a deaf and dumb idol?

God forbid Lord! Awaken us dramatically please Lord. Destroy such idolatrous thinking in us and for the sake of Your name (Salvation) shout unto us that we would awaken from the dust of this life and its distractions!

You know Jesus is not some lifeless idol don’t you? Just how much is He still able to move you? To you personally, is there life in Him, in His Spirit, that can order your steps and stops? Is He still able to move you to tears? Is His strength your joy?

We cry “More Lord!” He cries, “More Michael! You will reap what you sow! Your effort will be multiplied by My hand of blessing. Be an effectual doer of the Word not a neglectful hearer! ”

Jesus is Way beyond the cross at this point. Our experience back then is a revered memory but it can not be the stopping point when it was only the beginning! Paul tried to say this in Romans 5:10

“For if while 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.” Romans 5:10 (NASB)

Why do we receive spiritual sight except to look ahead? We have insight so we can lead others into the righteousness we have found! We receive spiritual hearing not just to hear what was said but what is going to be said and said to us personally!

The guidance of the Holy Spirit is not by the hand but by the heart. What He speaks should be moving our hearts and souls and in directions we did not see before because our eyes had not been opened yet.

If we have not moved beyond the cross, Jesus might as well be an idol to us.

“If we remain in His grip, how far from His heart can we be!”

In the guardianship of Christ,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

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

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world. $2.99

“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!”

On 1-30-16 in prayer I asked the Holy Spirit where He wanted me to read. He said, “Daniel 6 Daniel 12.” Again, no verses?

I know Daniel 12 pretty well. I was not sure what was in Daniel 6.

Daniel 6 is about people (leaders) coming against Daniel because of the favor he had with King Darius. Daniel was appointed as one of 120 satraps (governors)
”Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom.” Daniel 6:3 (NASB)

The others formed a plan against Daniel and tricked the King into signing a special decree.

“Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.” Daniel 6:5 (NASB)

“All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions’ den.” Daniel 6:7 (NASB)

Most of us know. Daniel continued to pray and give thanks to his (our) God.

The officials reminded the king that he had established an irrevocable law. He agreed.

“Then they answered and spoke before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day.” Daniel 6:13 (NASB)

Sounds a little like the Devil accusing us before God doesn’t it? The only weapon he has is to get us to violate the Word of God. Daniel broke the king’s law.

The king liked Daniel. “Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him.” Daniel 6:14 (NASB)

We know what happened. The king was forced to have Daniel cast into the lion’s den. The King did say to Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” The king fasted and could not sleep all night out of concern for Daniel. The next morning with haste he ran to the den and called out.

“…with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?” ²¹ Then Daniel spoke to the king, “O king, live forever! ²²  “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” ²³  Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.”

If you do not recall the end of the story, all the others who had maliciously accused Daniel and their families, wives and children, were thrown into the lion’s den and were all killed.

Why this story and how does it relate to Daniel 12?

“And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.” Daniel 12:1 (NASB)

We have favor as we stand (in Spirit) before God blameless, righteous, “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him;…” Daniel 6:22 (NASB)

God has spoken through His prophets. What they have said about the future will happen. God honors His Word and I believe real protection is within His Word. Many distressing things are spoken of and some of them by Jesus. God is like the king. Should we be accused we may have to stand the test. Job certainly did. In these days of Isis, many are being tested. On a different scale, we are sighing and groaning over today’s events.

“Well Michael God can change things.” Remember, the king out of affection for Daniel was troubled all the while Daniel was in the den. “Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel.” Daniel in fact had broken the law. Not God’s law but man’s law.

There will be a time when an unrighteous “king” will decree something that we as followers of Christ can not submit to. We must remember that our King delivered Daniel and He can deliver us. Like Jesus, we may need to accept that we will accomplish our “departure,” like Jesus did at Jerusalem. Luke 9:31 Yes “accomplish.”

The times of distress are not pleasant to think about and we do not have to dwell on them. We do however need to be as prepared as Daniel was. That day, he was prepared spiritually. His relationship with the Lord was innocent and crimeless, blameless if you will. There was nothing to jeopardize or hinder God from acting on Daniel’s behalf. No matter what the accusation. Daniel was acquitted of any transgression. Psalms 19: 9-14.

I think of what the Father felt as He saw His innocent Son being beaten unjustly. He did not sleep or slumber. Like the king, our God rolled across the land in tumult and quake, in darkness and thunder.

Knowing His Son would go into hell and set the captives free. God in His grace and to glorify His name (Salvation) did not destroy those who had falsely accused Jesus. They knew not what they were doing. As God lives in us, let us set others free in hope that before they die forever, the Holy Spirit might reach them.

Our protection lies with Daniel’s. In his innocence, he prevailed by God’s hand. Let us know in our hearts that should distressing time befall us our King will speak to our spirit, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” Amen.

“If we remain in His grip, how far from His heart can we be!”

In the guardianship of Christ,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

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

Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, many others and around the world. $2.99