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

I am reading the new book by Rabbi Jonathan Kahn, The Mystery of the Shemitah.

We have heard many times to “Own no man anything. Romans 13:8. There is no doubt God had no problem with debt. He established a policy to expunge or forgive debt in the seventh year, the Shemitah year.

My wife and I have made a policy, as much as possible, of not going into debt. Interest free purchases were not debt. We simply used someone else’s money for a season, paying it off before interest could be imposed.

The context of Romans 13:8 points to (as you might have guessed) a real debt we have toward everyone. That is, to love. 13:1 speaks of the government and how they are empowered by God. When it is not Godly and God has allowed it, that should tell us something. What is that? God is allowing ungodly to rule over us because we asked for it or it fits His plan or both! They (or we) will further the tempestuous times God has prophesied through His prophets and Jesus Himself.

13:3 says, “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wow, today good is called bad. Right is called wrong. Policies are flying in the face of God. Again what should that tell us? 13:6-7  points to paying in several different instances. Many debts to pay are respectful or honoring not monetary. Monetary debts are easy and we are legally bound by some, insuring our debt is paid or else. But what about the unenforceable debt? Then again does God enforce it? 13:8 reveals the heart of what Paul is teaching. ” Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” Paul is saying love is required lawfully! He is pointing to The Law as something we need to fulfill and how to fulfill it! Not all 631 laws.

“Wait a minute we are not under the Law!” Oh yes we are. Paul is declaring it. Paul is saying what Jesus said. We owe love to everyone and anyone. Forgive the debt of unforgiveness anyone has incured against you. Jesus said love God and your neighbor as yourself. To do both we must forgive from our heart. Do we really want someone to go to hell? Do we not realize, we will go also!

These are declared as the two most important laws of Moses (and Jews and God and Paul). Luke 10:27. Look it up. Some day the Jews will recognize that Jesus did not go against the Law of Moses. He simplified it, focusing on the truly (according to God) important message in the Law.  The righteousness they sought is fulfilled in our loving even our enemies. The Word says to be merciful to the ungodly because God is! WE should know. He was merciful to us! Luke 6:35-36 (NASB77)  “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. ³⁶  “ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Paul points to the Law in Romans 9:31 (KJV) as “the law of righteousness.  ” But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.” Paul also says in Romans 8:4 ” That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ”

I have spoken of the Romans 8:1-2 scriptures in earlier posts. I said there is no condemnation 8:1, IF the Law of the Spirit of Life IS at work in you 8:2, as Paul did also. The Law of sin and death is superceded by the Law of the Spirit of Life if we are being led by it. Look it up.

As most of my posts are declaring, mercy, grace, forgiveness, all are forms of love and are required of us. Our entrance into heaven requires that we function “naturally” in these powerful Christ-like qualities.  Yes. Our nature must change. It must be the born again nature that has submitted to God in Christ and His guidance, His Lordship. Any resistance and we are dooming ourselves.

Rejoice! The love God showed you holds all the ingredients others need. Like the vessel of oil that kept flowing, you will have plenty of mercy and grace to give. You should know. You have not run short of God’s mercy and grace, have you?

The coming times will demand our understanding.

He waits for us but once it is preached,

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

“In light of Jesus’ temptation and His example in the desert, we also must know the truth that supersedes the truth, rightly dividing the word of our God.”

In our sincere desire to know and walk in the truth we must remember the test Jesus had to endure. He did not endure it alone. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness after John baptised Him. It was not a surprise that He was going either.

Sure Christ’s experience was unique in most ways but we too need the help Jesus received. We can imagine Holy Spirit watching as hunger started to overtake Jesus. 40 days of determination must have thrilled the Father. When the Devil tested Christ, by the Holy Spirit, Jesus the hungry, weakened Son of Man still discerned the intent behind His temptation. The truth presented by Satan had a foul intent and Jesus recognized it. A simple “it is written…” countered the thrust of His opponent while delivering a riposte back. As the Devil’s temptations escalated, as the attempts to deceive Christ probed deeper into His Son of Man soul, remembering Who sent Him there became His premier defense. He was not sent there to lose. He was sent there to blaze a trail for us! Knowing why He was there became His primary and life-long goal. This would be the first of such lessons He would endure and teach us.

The devil tried to make it about Jesus. It was a futile approach that hoped Christ’s carnality would prevail. To the devil’s chagrin, the Son of Man made it clear just Who He would serve always. We must also in our future challenges.  It is written Satan departed from Jesus. How many of us would like that! In the troubles we are living, it often seems Satan has won somehow. Why does he have to win even one battle? He did not with Christ. Do we realize Satan left Jesus to find other targets? So, what did we learn or not learn from Christ?

Matthew 4:9-11 (NASB77)
⁹  and he (the devil) said to Him, ” All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰  Then Jesus •said to him, “Begone, Satan! For it is written, ‘ YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'” ¹¹  Then the devil •left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him. 

Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 6:13. He is referring to Himself! Until now I believed Jesus was telling Satan to worship God. Resenting the rebuke Satan left. In fact Jesus was not speaking of Satan. I believe it is clear that the Devil will never get the chance to worship God ever again! He blew his original chance big-time. No, Jesus was referring to Himself and us when He quoted Deuteronomy 6:13. By His obedience Jesus knew His future. The Son of Man successfully submitted, endured and in doing so demonstrated His love for His Father in heaven and for us!

 “Resist the Devil and he will flee.” is scripture we often quote. The verse actually says, ” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 (KJV) Then in addition context says, ” Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. ⁷  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ” James 4: 5-7 (KJV)

These are the qualifiers to the Devil fleeing from us. Jesus resisted the Devil but first He submitted to the Father. We must also but do we know what that means? Do we think the “Son of Man tests” were only for Jesus? No, no, no. His tests were “souly” for our benefit. Jesus has shown us the road map, the Way we must follow ourselves. God has offered us power that has been diminished by our thinking only Jesus could or had to do these things. 

Jesus totally and humbly submitted Himself to the Father and demonstrated so by being “led” by the Spirit into the desert temptation. He knew of the prophesy about John the Baptist, His cousin. (Isaiah 40:3, 43:19 KJV)  Jesus believed (Pisteo) the Word entrusting Himself to it and also to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  This wasn’t even about the Devil. It was about us!

Scripture, “the truth”, was used against Jesus. The devil hoped for a carnal response and still does when coming against us. Jesus avoided the trap we all must avoid. The tickling of our ears today can be just as deadly. 

Do we recognize our potential weakness to this tactic? What might we discover in what we thought was truth, which seemed to be functioning as truth, but now is clearly different. Also, what if what we now understand is not bad, it is deeper and more meaningful even confirmable by the Word? What if it was prophesied that we too would enter a desert of such temptation that only by the Holy Spirit and the foreknowledge we possess would we endure it? Oh God let us see the Way clearly.

Young’s Literal Translation reveals a motivator in Christ that I believe we have not seen. It is in the prophecy about John the Baptist and became the goal of Christ through His entire ministry.

 The question specifically in this case is, “In our times of trouble and temptation has Jesus made a highway FOR our God or TO our God.” No one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6 NASB) It is us who must run this race not God. Yes the Holy Spirit runs with us to advise us along the Way but will we heed the wisdom? 

So here is the question in general. What have we called, “the truth?” Is it the truth or have we been taught that it is the truth? Will we rightly divide the Word or cling to what we have been taught for centuries, trusting others who meant well, letting others and traditions restrict our ability to be moved by the Holy Spirit? There are “many” who will be lost for this reason.  Why is it important to see this now? Look at the skies these mornings. Preparation takes time. The Ways of Christ are being pointed to by the Holy Spirit. We must restore these Ways within our own hearts.

God waits for us. There is a highway that must be traveled. There is no standing still except to “stand firm against the schemes of the Devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood…” Christ fought His own Son of Man flesh and blood even if only because He had fasted 40 days. I can “imagine” the Devil making that part of some bet with God like he did with Job. “Well God this Son of Man You have begotten is still a man. Make it “fair” have Him fast 40 days and then even Your offspring will fail in the sinful flesh You put Him in. Your plan for mankind is futile!”   

Will we let Jesus and the Holy Spirit train us or not? Like Jesus we can survive our personal temptations, IF we submit ourselves to the guidance He has generously and graciously provided. There is no other Way out of our deserts and into our supernatural lives and eternity.

At the end of His earthly ministry nothing had changed during Christ’s final and fearsome temptation. He had fully submitted Himself to the Father’s plan. He humbled Himself to the curse of the cross. Regardless of what He went through, beaten almost senseless, no matter what the “truth” of the situation was, our absolute guilt not His; Jesus spoke the truth that supercedes the truth. He spoke from His heart Words that delivered Him and will deliver us to the Throne of God. It is a High Way TO God. “Forgive them Father, they know not what they do.”

The coming times will demand our understanding.

He waits for us but once it is preached,

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

This morning the Lord revealed a truth to me. I had read it many times but I thought of it as a teaching that identified Christ to us. The Spirit in us was to help us recognize the truth of His Word and His identity to us as our Great Shepard.

In John 10:5 it says, “A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

So what about all of us who are not the Christ ourselves but disciples of Him? What are we to do in order to be heard and understood, to be recognized by the sheep so they will follow?

The movie Iron Will is the story of a young man determined to win money for school by winning a rigorous and potentially deadly dog sled race; at the end literally yards from the finish line, he collapses.

His faithful lead dog had been trained by Will’s father to respond to a four tone whistle. The father dies in a logging accident early in the film. Will was given a wooden whistle that would duplicate these tones. All through the movie we hear Will use the whistle to signal his lead dog into action. Toward the end of the race Will loses the whistle. Remember the whistle reminds Will and the dog of the father.

Yards from victory, Will collapses. The entire town stands at the finish line, they wait for Will to get up. Other competitors are closing on the finish line. Will is half conscious. Suddenly you hear it. From the crowd the four tones are heard. The dog’s ears perk up. The tones become stronger as more people join in. The dog jumps up and struggles to pull the sled with Will in it. The tones echo between the buildings as the crowd sees the response of the sled dogs. The team of dogs hear and respond racing the competition to the finish line to win for their master Will.

The Father has won. The Son has won. The team wins, because the tones they recognized prompted action on their part. Victory required their action and the tones reminded them of their faithful Master who was no longer there in person but was definitely there in Spirit. All they had to hear was the special tones.

I am a stranger to most of you. You will not listen to me except I speak in tones you recognize from the Master. Your spirit knows by the Holy Spirit those life protecting tones. Already, many Christians are exhausted and collapsing yards from the finish line. Anger, frustration, and lawlessness have taken their toll. They are not dead yet but they may be defeated if the tones that bring life are not whistled into their spirit. Eternity waits for those who awaken to the Words of eternal life, the Words of Jesus and the Father. He  said we must lovingly endure all that is coming with a view of the finish line. It is the same one Jesus saw.

We do not literally see it but we see it because The Master has called to us by His Word, through the resurrected life of His Son, as He demonstrated the power that insures resurrected life. He has whistled the life giving victorious set of tones and more. He has applied lyrics, “Forgive them Father, they know not what they do.”

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

We want to go to heaven but we do not understand the nature and the power of the gifts of Grace and Righteousness here in this life. Here prepares us for there! We were to have received both and they were to reign in our lives abundantly!

Look at grace. We read “You are saved by grace through faith…” (Ephesians 2:8 NAS) Paul makes no mention of righteousness? Could it be because grace must have its way with us first? Righteousness comes as a result of grace. “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:21 NAS) In many cases we have received grace but we have not granted grace, creating the problem of unrighteousness, fearfully common but unrealized by many of us.

We receive what we give. The Beatitudes, given at the Sermon on the Mount, confirm this in Matthew 5 and Luke 6. Knowing this, God plants the seed of grace freely, in our being forgiven, with the intent that we will grant it freely, thereby bearing fruit, presenting His Way to others. Consider this. “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.” (Matthew 13:23 NAS)  Now we can understand this verse. God, the Master, expects a return on His investment, even more, a duplication of His Son! For the grace He entrusted to us, He expects us to multiply it to many, many others, planting the seed of grace in their hearts with the hope of resulting righteousness, saving them. In return we never lack grace abundant!

We must also see that the intention of grace (received and granted) is to qualify us to receive the second half of this Spiritual epoxy. Together it keeps us glued to God. One does not fully work without the other. It proves us salvation bound versus just reconciled. “Isn’t that enough?” Not if you are still alive. The Gift of Righteousness is the gift that transforms us, renews us and enhances us. Mostly it ensures our eternal life. It births joy in us! Our decisions are affected by it, our relationships are enhanced by it, we can do and become more than we could have, without it. We are no longer who we were! We are new, created again by what He says we are, His every Word being a gift of righteousness! Grace cleanses us and preps our soul like a blank canvas; ready for the brush strokes of righteousness, His likeness appearing. So what part do we play in righteousness? It says, “those who receive…” (Romans 5:17NAS) Our canvas must receive the paint. If it does, we become more and more, in His likeness. We must remember that grace cleanses us, as we use it to cleanse others! Our canvas is not clean and ready to receive righteousness if still sullied by the unrighteous hurts of others. If however we are at peace with all. We can have great expectations in Christ. Like I said, grace and righteousness must reign.

Think about it, I get this understanding while in RUSSIA, where I am teaching in a Bible College. Me a former drug smuggler, a failure, a target for death!!! Like the Lord says to all of us, I was saved by grace. Change began with grace. He was willing to meet me where I was. I had confessed belief, I had reconciliation but I was still unchanged. Then, in the Bible, I started to see what God said about His children, His words of righteousness. “You are above and not beneath , the head and not the tail, blessed going in and going out, you are a child of God, a joint heir with Jesus, a son a Abraham, all God’s promises are yes and amen to you!” Wow! It was so encouraging, so joyful. I wanted to be what He said I was. I finally got it! He said I was, so I was! I began living according to His gift of righteousness over me. I became what grace began!

I continued to and still do receive, the abundance of grace which I certainly need daily. In addition, long ago, I began to whisper that series of proclamations to myself, I wanted to be who God said I was, not who I used to be. As I called that which was not, as though it were, I became, according to Romans 4:17. Anyone can do this, from a place of grace.

I read in the book of Hebrews where God formed the world by that which was unseen, by the words of His mouth. Those words still form worlds. I did not realize it, until that cold inspiring night in Russia, that I had been receiving the gift of righteousness every time I whispered His encouraging words to myself. I had changed and here I was, in Russia, teaching young future pastors. I shake my head in wonder. Thank you, Jesus.

In hope believing, I chose God’s words over those Devilish, accusing reminders that now, albeit infrequently, echo through the now repossessed chambers of my heart. If the Devil accuses us daily in the throne room of God, why would he not boldly enter the throne room of our heart, where we (Jesus and I) are seated, in that now, by His grace, heavenly place?  

I was being built up in Him as I received His gifts. (Romans 5:17 NAS) That night in Russia I realized the creative power, as we are to be distributors, not only of grace, but of the gift of righteousness. It was no longer just me receiving. We are to create, not destroy, with the words of our mouth. That may not be so profound to the mature follower but to me at that time it was expanded truth. Every time we acknowledge a thoughtful act, speak an encouraging word, cast a compliment on the troubled water of some soul, when we thank some one, edify our children or someone else’s, in so many ways, we can change ourselves and others by the love that is in the gift of righteousness. It can only be received for ourselves or given as a free gift to others in an atmosphere of grace.

Knowing how I changed, I began to understand why others do not. We can be saved (reconciled), I can confess belief in the Son but if I do not change, if I keep repeating the same acts and attitudes, clinging to unforgiveness and offenses associated with my old self, sin plagues my life. I fail to become. At the heart of my failure to change can be my unrealized rejection of grace and its transforming introduction to the gift of righteousness! Does this sound at all like John 3:36, “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.” This section, like the others is about us preparing for eternity and our initiating the Lord’s return following the events leading up it.

The grace we received at reconciliation and the creative newness of righteousness loses its power if we fail to grant grace and give the gift of righteousness, if we fail to walk out the Lord’s commandments. We must obey the Son. If we reject the bi-directional function of grace, to grant as well as receive, then whatever we hold against others comes upon us in the form of unrighteousness. It overshadows the righteousness we gained when we were initially forgiven. God’s forgiveness was a seed planted in our heart that is (later) not bearing the fruit it should. If we are not forgiving of others, as Jesus said, we are not forgiven. If by my choices, I am not forgiven, I am also not righteous. I am lost!

“[In us] Grace must reign through righteousness to eternal life through Christ Jesus.” Romans 5:21 NAS) Righteousness also opens doors here in this life because God wants others to experience righteousness through us. We are to be the fruit bearing tree of Christ’s grace. If our heart is not a throne of grace for Christ to reign from, how will we enter the eternal Throne of Grace? One gives us access to the other!

If we are stuck in a particular area of sin, we may grow weary of seeking forgiveness. We may equate God’s patience with ours, which is another error of impaired judgment. “How can He keep forgiving me, He can’t even change me! I can’t win.” Doubt floods our souls. “This God stuff is baloney,” can become our fateful conclusion, as it has with many. The Word is true when it says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)

We must receive the two gifts, grace and righteousness because God’s intention was that we would give the two gifts. One brings the other. “I can not give what I ain’t got any more than I can come back from where I ain’t went.”, as Sue Wyatt, a great saint, English teacher, mentor and friend used to say. “…much more, those who receive the abundance of grace AND the gift of righteousness…” They have no value to us if we do not receive them and only temporary effect if we receive only one. There is an abundance so we can share it! It was never meant to be just for us personally.

These two gifts were meant to spread to hearts and souls in a positive way, similar to but opposite of the negative way judgments spread in the days leading up to Noah and the necessary destruction of mankind! “Just as in the days of Noah…” Jesus said of conditions upon His return. In those same ways, forsaking grace and forfeiting righteousness, mankind has failed again. God is now, I believe one last time, saying it again. In Christ and His “commanded” Ways, grace does not judge others, grace intercedes. Grace gives hope. Righteousness does not and can not condemn others.

Righteousness is the fulfillment of the hope grace brought. Eternal life is the fulfillment of righteousness. (Romans 5:21 NAS) We begin with God calling us clean when we were filthy in our sin. That was grace. (Romans 4:17 KJV) That is what He did from the foundation of the world. This is what we must do at the closing of this lost and dying world.

Before we responded, God called everyone righteous if they would respond to Christ. God knew Jesus would come to us by grace and if obedient we would become righteous through His Ways. We very likely will stand before “our persecutors.” As one of those who did respond to Christ, I am to intercede for them, calling them saved, praying that God would forgive them, for their eyes to be opened and for His grace to fill their hearts. “They” still might respond to the Christ in me. We will have already initiated Christ’s return by the time this happens world-wide! In preparing ourselves, their salvation might be made possible.

I want to love God fully. I want to be victorious. I know I rest in His grace, in His accomplishment, but there is a reason why the Word says, my mind will and emotions are to be renewed. I am to become, according to His Word. I am to be more than I was. I want this, because of God’s initial injection of grace, by this God has put it in our hearts to win His Way. By His grace we get a taste of victory, a taste of righteousness! To rule and reign in this life, in preparation for eternity, we must stay aware of the qualifiers He has established. “…much more, those who receive…” I must receive to reign!  

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

 Through the abundance of grace I have needed and received, I have come to believe that the gift of righteousness is God’s real instrument of change. I was forgiven but forgiveness was just the beginning, forgiveness did not change me. Forgiveness put me in touch with Righteousness. Forgiveness, made it possible for me to change. The gift of righteousness changed me!

“…much more, those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, they shall reign in life through Christ Jesus.” (Romans 5:17 NAS)

 Righteousness is the hyper-positive power of God. He is the Creator of the Universe. If He says you are…then you are! If I immerse myself in His loving descriptive words of righteousness, I will become what He says. As I become what He says, I am no longer what I was. He is the Word made flesh. I am the flesh made Word, as His Word defines me anew. 

 Eternal life is found through grace and righteousness. (Romans 5:21) The “Gift of Righteousness” (Romans 5:17 NAS) comes wrapped in the “Abundance of Grace.” Not just more than enough grace to cleanse our hearts; enough to grant all the grace that anybody else needs, qualifying us, through the resulting righteousness, for eternal life. That is why we must continue in grace. Grace maintains our righteousness which maintains our eternal life. “…even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:21 NAS)

The Lord spoke to my heart several years ago, while in Pskov, Russia on a mission (teaching) trip. It was cold and snowing. We all had settled in for the night, going to our rooms early because we got up at 5:30 AM to go teach in the Bible College. To me, our early evening retreat meant “Word time.”

 I really wanted to serve something fresh in a sermon I was going to preach the next Sunday at a distant satellite church. Alexe’, the young pastor, was a previous graduate of the college where we were teaching. The service was to be held in his church. How cool. It was a former missile factory. Church was in the (Communist) political auditorium!

This particular night, as I sought inspiration, the Lord took me back to Romans 5:17, a favorite verse of mine. The core of the verse says, “much more those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life through Christ Jesus.” I paused for a moment, God was getting my attention.

A realization came to me. Success in life and in eternity is dependent upon receiving BOTH the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness. I know what you are thinking. I was too. “We all receive His righteousness.” Do we or is it a separate item on God’s agenda? It is separate in the verse. It was only a moment later, as I contemplated this dual approach, that God spoke to my heart and said something very simple but to me profound. He said, “You are saved by grace but you are changed by the gift of righteousness.” Another thought came. “…those who receive…(will let)…the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness REIGN in life through Christ Jesus.”  

 Addressing the first inspiration I thought, many confessing Christians never seem to get far in the changing of their lives. They continue in struggles that are tied to their old man, they are not changing the way they had hoped they would, the way they were told they would. With sincere determination they go to church, believing for something to change, but with little or less than apparent results. The second inspiration explained why.

In that distant wonderful place, in the cold of night, with the windows frosted over and the wind whispering a high C through the cracks in the 1950’s wooden window frame, I was ensconced in an old armchair, my used and abused bible in my lap. I was joined by Catherine the Great, as she looked down from her picture on the wall. Maybe she was there to observe this pilgrim, a stranger in a strange land. Along with her kind but reserved gaze, I was warmed by the soft yellowish red glow of the simple shaded lamp by my side, but that was not all that warmed me.

That night, His presence by distraction or miracle had robbed the dark, blustery, cold and snowy Russian winter of its chill, warming my heart by the grace of His inspiration. Understanding had come to me. God had answered my prayer. It was His wisdom that, when shared with His anointing, would offer amazing opportunity for change to many Followers. “…much more those who receive…”

It now seemed clear to me why Christians all over the world were not changing, why some were to varying extent and why some were not at all. Many had only received grace, one half of what was required for their lives to truly change and that grace only on a limited scale. Neither grace nor righteousness were reigning in their lives…or mine?

We want to go to heaven but we do not understand the nature and the power of the gifts of Grace and Righteousness here in this life. Here prepares us for there! We were to have received both and they were to reign in our lives abundantly! They still can!

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

 How dare we call obedience “works” as we emulate Christ, His commands and His glorious example of forgiveness? Christ’s assension depended on His obedience. Like Jesus, our future salvation depends on our obedience, from our heart, toward others and God. Our success is first made possible when God draws us, through Christ Jesus, by the Holy Spirit. In the depth of our first wonderful experience in Christ, we find a new heart that likes what it has just experienced. At least we should. Seeking the same, we hear and obey. We sincerely and voluntarily act, obediently exerting our will. THAT is what God is waiting for. It is evidence of our transformation. Each heart exam takes time, a life-time. Even Jesus had to wait extra hours on the Cross. That too was a test, not of the Son of God but the Son of Man.

Forsaking obedience, many declare, “This couldn’t be God, it is too painful,” or “there is nothing I can do to “get” saved, it is a free gift.” That is true. Getting saved is free. Maintaining my “saved” condition IS my responsibility and is maintained by what Jesus taught me. Many have believed life with Jesus is not supposed to hurt. Jesus said the opposite when He said, “You must pick up your cross daily.” We confuse “heaven on earth” with the real heaven we look for. Of all the object lessons to use, it was His willing obedience to go to the cross and His then saying we must pick up our cross “Daily” that takes us beyond our salvation / reconciliation experience into a life experience of obedience in Him. Keys to the kingdom means keys are required. Forgive to be forgiven means forgivness is required. WE are to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. It does not say WAIT until they do something nice, then do something nice for them.  

When we run from this cross of ours or fight being put upon it by our persecutors, instead of volunteering to mount our cross for the sake of others, we are forsaking ourselves and our reward, our continued reconciliation and our eternal life. We can not afford to self-excuse our resistance to Gods instructions. We fool only ourselves by calling them “works”, rejecting God’s action orders as not being of Him. There is only One who can call our efforts “works.”

 ”For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 NASB77)

Obedience must be evident in us IF we are the workmanship of God. The “works” are of His design and to His credit. Our will, with our obedience, allows (yes allows) His works to be accomplished through us. One who is owned is expected to obey.

So that we do not exalt ourselves in our obedience, we must remember, even if we were to literally die for our faith, we will not have purchased anything. Our life is not our own. We have already been bought with a price. (1 Corinthians 6: 20 and 7:23) Our new self does not belong to us. Our obedience is intended to prove that. We really have nothing of our own to offer God or His effort that does not already belong to Him. Physical death, as a willing witness for Christ is a great act of sacrifice to us, but it is also expenditure, an investment on His part, for the sake of the still unsaved. That may sound hard but we are an asset, a treasured asset of His having great value to the Lord. Our obedience mirrors Christ and His preciousness; or is our mirror broken?

This book is pointing to what may be our greatest value in this life. As an asset of His, as a child of the Most High God, this might be a final Christ-like witness to unbelievers, who in their ignorance are terminating us. They will see Christ in us, in our interceding departure. We will remain a child of God, and gain an honor shared with Jesus.

None of us rejoice over our possible demise. Jesus did not either. (Matthew 26:39 YLT) Christ went to the Garden knowing, prepared in advance for the prophesied events. It will be a fearful challenge, and God will understand as He did with Jesus; but let us seek to understand it now, and the fullness of its glory, so we are prepared to endure it gloriously should it come. Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him. (Hebrews 12:2 NAS) We are that joy. Do we have a joy to envision? Is Christ our joy?

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

Our obedience leads to His return!

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

Because bad things are happening in front of our eyes and to us, those lawless and offensive things are like a “tractor beam” attaching to our soul, (forgive the Star Trek reference). The offenses we receive, wound our heart, clamp on to our will. Our minds are molested. It becomes post traumatic stress. We can become stuck or even buried in the mire of our world, being rooted and grounded in the mire instead of God’s love. We must be rooted and grounded in God’s love to be able to put away all bitterness and malice, forgiving one another, to become a bride without spot or blemish, holy and blameless. (Ephesians 3:17,4:30-32, 5:25-27)

We have loved this world and life too much. Almost all of us have. Maybe if it gets bad enough, we will hate this life. Maybe we will finally seek the next life? Almost sounds like a plan; but whose? We can hate the person or persons who have destroyed our life. These days, the list of offenders is long, but it had to be for the enemy’s plan to be carried out against so “many” of us. The list of offenders will grow longer. The “many” will become more. On the other hand, God warned us. So who will just get angry and who will spot the plot and cast off the anger in exchange for eternal life?

 “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. ¹⁶For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. ¹⁷And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” (1 John 2:15-17 NAS) 

Don’t get me wrong. We all have loved life and the beauty of this world, especially when our faith was pointed at prosperity and living like heaven on earth. It was so appealing, but I see what the Lord is saying. I personally experienced this prosperity like I had never known it before. Now, with all that is happening today, that prosperity has fled away and the mire of God’s plan, (it is His plan) is troubling everyone. I say God’s plan because nothing the enemy does can supersede God’s plan. God is allowing it. We might ask, “Why would God allow such things? My reply would be, He warned us and also, God is not being tested, we are! Some will reject God over this. Others will reject Christianity when being asked to die for their faith. Some however will put all the pieces together and recognize how red God has made our sails these mornings.

 “So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. ²⁵And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.” (1^st John 2:18-25 NAS)

Where it says, “from the beginning” it means from what Jesus said which I (John) delivered to you as a first hand witness to Christ’s Words. It does not mean from the beginning of your personal walk. Your walk, like mine, has included teachings steeped in traditional understanding.   

What Jesus taught us, if obeyed and followed faithfully, is what keeps us in fellowship with He and Father God. This fellowship via His Words, is eternal life. So, with such an important reward for our obedience, what has He taught us? Are we obeying?

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

 If I am saved by Jesus’ death, as my sin substitute, why was all the other teaching necessary? Why all the warnings spoken by Him? Why teach us behavior choices? Why give us “The Way” if He accomplished it for us? In fact He showed us, what we must become, to enter the kingdom. For many this will be distressing.

God spoke through His Son, to teach us. He taught about more than our asking Himself to be Lord. Jesus expected us to believe Him to the point of entrusting obedience, making Him Lord. As we covered earlier, believe means to entrust. (John 3:36)

Mankind really did not know for sure who Jesus was until He was resurrected. That which man had sought access to, life after death, Jesus proved possible. Why did Jesus teach all that He did if our salvation was achieved when Jesus died for us, when we asked Him to be Lord of our lives and be our savior? Paul says His teachings hold our salvation as Christ likeness becomes us.

Jesus was the Word made flesh. We are to be flesh made Word. Our image and likeness to God waits while our flesh hinders us. We, first dominated by our flesh, become Word via our obedience to His teachings. His life and Words are to take dominion and redefine us.

Paul answers the salvation question this way. Romans 5:10  ” For 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.”  Paul separates salvation into two events. The beginning and the end! The Alpha and the Omega! In between times, we must maintain what we have received freely.

The preparations Jesus made for Himself as the Son of Man will also prepare us. These preparations were to qualify us for final access to the kingdom. Immigrant’s once had to know some English, some history, about some laws, the ways, the truths and the life of the United States, to be allowed into citizenship. Heaven is no different. This is why Jesus and the disciples taught “the kingdom of God.”

They taught the Way to the kingdom, the Truth of the kingdom, the Life of the kingdom! “Wait a minute Mike that is not what Jesus said.” Yes it is. Jesus spoke it to Thomas in John 14:4, “And you know the way where I am going.” “I am…the way, the truth, the life…” Jesus is saying God (I AM) is the way. He is saying I am teaching the way, the truth, the life, I and the Father are One. If you had known Me you would have known the Father (because I represent Him exactly!) From now on you know Him… Jesus showed us the “way” of the kingdom. That is why He said to Thomas, “You know the “way” where I am going.”  The phrasing seemed strange to us until we realize what Jesus was saying. The early church was known as followers of “The Way,” Acts 9:2. Thomas did not get it initially. Have we?

“Wait a minute Mike, Jesus qualified us!” No, He made reconciliation to God possible by His death and through our recognition that we need Him as a Savior and Lord. Once He is (declared) Lord by us, our Lord Jesus makes possible our future actual and final salvation. Our actual obedience to His teachings, His commands, His life examples, must follow. He has given us “the keys of the reign of the kingdom.” (Original text Matthew 16:19, Young’s Literal Translation) These keys reign over the kingdom. We must be in submission to these keys or it will be seen as rebellion in heaven. We remember what happened to the rebellious in heaven. Why talk about keys if they are not required? How can we not seek to know what they are? They are in His Words, the way, truth and life of His existence as the Word shares. This is a distressing message but it is life-giving to those who receive and impliment it.

If I am to be saved by Jesus, the combination of His death and His Life according to Paul, am I not also saved by the Word? (John 1:1-14) The two cannot be separated! What Jesus did by dying for us opened the door to eternal possibilities through what He taught us, through Him. In His final hours the two were combined. As He was dying, He taught.

The church world is in jeopardy until a specific teaching is preached. Jesus said it shall be preached. “It” is not about getting saved. It is about staying saved and how to do so. It is not about a day or an hour. It is about an event that Jesus prophesied and followers will initiate when understanding fills our hearts and obedience grips our souls. It will rush across the earth as the sunrise, birthing new followers from believers, all declaring their readiness to God. We will then know what only God has known because only He knows US! He knew when we would understand and respond and prepare for darkness! The end will begin with darkness. The return of Christ will be set in motion. No man will know the day or hour. Followers however will not fret. Our confidence in Him will set our heart on eternity and not on this life. “for whoever may will to save his life shall lose it; and whoever may lose his life for my sake and for the good news sake he shall save it.” (Mark 8:35 Young’s Literal Translation)

See post six. We have a message to preach and…

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.