12-11-15

Tomorrow is the first anniversary of my Janis’ passing, at 7:30 AM. Today (one year ago) at about 3:30 PM, was the last time she said my name,…It’s me honey, Michael…”Miiichael” I will never forget that moment. You might imagine how many times I have heard her voice over the last year. I look so forward to the next time I will hear her say it.

I loved her so Lord. I still do and will always. Thank You Lord.

“I want her with Me.” He said. She is.

“I will praise you forever Lord for your kindness to both of us, that you allowed us to have each other and You healed each of us with a love that covered, delivered, enlightened, encouraged, endeared, and led us to do the same to others. It was “salvation” to us. It still is.”

My sincerest thanks to all of you, who have loved and cared for me, this year. I have received the reward of Janis’ love toward you. I can imagine God telling her of your concern and compassion toward me. Thank you, I love you all.

This morning, after the moments and emotions of the above, I opened the Word randomly to 2 Chronicles chapters 27-28.

28 is about Ahaz. I wrote about his unbelief and Isaiah’s prophecy about the virgin giving birth in a recent post.

“So Lord, Uzziah is in chapter 27?” I read about Uzziah. Pride was his problem. He even contracted leprosy in his prideful actions. Of course I asked, still wrestling with my emotions over Janis because I have still wondered if I could have done more to help her. “Is this me Lord? Have I sinned against You Lord, like Uzziah? Please show me Lord.”

The Holy Spirit has been pointing me to areas of verse where similar situations prompted God to react, situations we see in our nation today. With these two men Uzziah and Ahaz, we see pride and unbelief. God tried to reach both men. I was not sure what to think. I asked the Holy Spirit this time, “Lord where would You have me read?” His response was… “Is this not enough?”

Please … forward this post Share it on Facebook. Order the book. Find a missionary to send it to. Read the other posts (some 80 of them) We must prepare. Tomorrow’s post, “Until there was no remedy.”

“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

Yesterday I asked and the Spirit directed me to Habakkuk 3 again. I was drawn to verses 16-19. Read it please.

This morning as I began prayer, I opened to Proverbs 1: 20-33. Read it please.

Habakkuk ends with a “no matter what happens” conclusion. We must grasp the same and cling to it with all of our grace given ability.

Proverbs is Wisdom speaking and the ramifications of neglecting the knowledge, counsel and reproof she offers. She also speaks of where our security lies.

I then remembered the prophecy of John the Baptist and Jesus. Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3.

Malachi 3:1-2 (NASB)
¹  “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts.
²  “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.

Jesus has come and yet He is coming again. Will we endure the day of His coming? It is a day referred to as “dreadful” by Malachi in 4:5. Before hand, speaking of the prophet Elijah or someone coming in the same spirit as Elijah, “And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

For this reconciliation to take place, grace, mercy, forgiveness, understanding and love must be administered. It will happen as the result of our receiving the reproof of wisdom. This wisdom is embodied in the Words of Christ, His admonitions meant for us by the grace of our Father in heaven. It is a preparatory process to cleanse us before the great and terrible or dreadful day of the Lord.

The unacceptable in our lives must be cleansed before He comes so that “… He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. Ephesians 5:27 (NASB)

In preparation for our Christmas performance the choir director said, “Ok choir it is go time!” She meant we have had our chance to prepare and practice, it is now time to focus, to get serious. The time of our expected presentation is at hand. We must already know our parts and be ready to “stand and deliver” to His glory!

Please … forward this post.

“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

I believe these messages of unique preparation in these postings are inspired and purposeful in the preparation of the church for perilous times. They are meant for all (especially myself) from the newest babe in Christ to the most elder of elders.

My goal with this post is to see readership in all countries of the earth. Believers are everywhere. The message of “enduring love” from Matthew 24:14 “shall be preached” according to Jesus. That message of enduring love, a “saving” message describing the good news of kingdom existence, being applicable now and the necessary antidote in so many demanding situations, will only be “preached to all nations,” as we share it beginning with one to one then many to many.

I find myself rejoicing and grieving at the same time. Where we are being read, I am happy and believing the Holy Spirit will expand upon this humble effort as only He can. In nations where the message is yet to be read and understood, souls are in jeopardy. The Apostasy will occur before Christ returns!

Every church must seek the same heart for themselves that set Jesus free of the “sin”He had become (over our sins and especially our sins against Him that day) and made eternal life possible for Him first then for us. His love endured toward us to His apparent end. Our end may be apparent also. Gloriously that was not His end and that is why our goal is to be like Him. Everlasting life required something even from Jesus! Enduring love is everlasting resurrection life.

My goal is to have readership in every nation by the end of this year. If you know someone in a nation NOT listed, please… please forward to them a link to one of the posts you liked. Go to that post, copy the address from the top window and paste it in an email to your friend or post the link on Facebook. If you will, please hit the comment button on this post and say this,

“Nancy USA to Heidi  Norway, or Charles in Germany to Akmed in Pakistan.”

USA, Brazil, Belgium, United Kingdom, Canada, India, Belize, Russia, Australia, Italy, Egypt, France, Mexico, Philippines, Israel, Czech Republic, European Union, Argentina, Colombia, Romania, Switzerland, New Zealand, Peru, Aruba, Malaysia, South Africa, Norway, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, Malta, Taiwan, Austria, Singapore, Nigeria.

Thank you Lord for so many nations already.

Matthew 24:12-14 (Young’s Literal Translation)
¹²  and because of the abounding of the lawlessness, the love of the many shall become cold; ¹³  but he who did endure to the end, he shall be saved; ¹⁴  and this good news of the reign shall be proclaimed in all the world, for a testimony to all the nations; and then shall the end arrive.

These Words of the Father, through Jesus, are a prophecy yet to be full filled. The book title reflects how we will initiate the return of Christ. Preaching “this” good news to all nations will, as Jesus said to John the Baptist at the waters edge, “fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus and John were fulfilling prophecy. How can we not when we can?

Please … forward this post or other posts. God’s patience is drawing to an end as evidenced by the arrival of the twilight, the dusk of coming darkness.

“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

It is unusual to post twice let alone within 15 minutes of doing so. Please bear with me. I am determined to achieve my 600 word limit with each post. This is less than 300.

In prayer this morning I cried grievously. It was not over souls but over my attachment to memories and the memorabilia that represent love and good times. All these things represent good to us. God knows this. Jesus was challenged by these same kind of things. There was good He had to deal with. Peter is a good example.

Maintaining these things can be a great distraction from our eternal goal and eternal perspective. Eternal is the only perspective that will guide and influence our course on earth toward our final destination and the narrow gate of heaven.

I am praying for you. Please pray for me. I am the tool of He who was rejected and yet loved beyond our knowledge, wisdom, counsel, strength, and understanding. By His Spirit and in His spirit of reverence, He chose Father God’s will be done, “on earth as it is in heaven.”

Since my beginnings in this walk, I have spoken over myself, “ Thank You Lord that I have the spirit of knowledge, wisdom, strength, counsel, understanding, the Spirit of the Lord and the spirit of reverence. Be glorified in the good things and be merciful in the errors as You repair my impaired judgment.

I encourage you around the world to do the same. We all need it.

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

This morning I was again concerned about this house and the question of selling it after all I have done to make it home. This includes years of memorabilia that I continue to look back upon with great thankfulness and the clear recognition that God has been in my life so faithfully.

Selling the house now was a question of obedience in my mind. The Spirit said, “I am not concerned about the house. I’m concerned about My house.” I knew this means about His people. “Blow the trumpet!”

In choir practice last night I wanted to say, “Sing this as though it were your last Christmas (presentation).

Might it be? There will be a day when “Christmas” as we know it will change. Maybe not in our hearts, in our reverence for His humble beginning and His valiant assignment but in and because of the darkness that is covering the earth.

The less “lights” I see in my twilight walks through my neighborhood, the more unimaginable and contradictory I see the world getting, relative to God, I believe the dusk or twilight has reached us.

It comes to me now, “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8 (KJV) 

Day means it was late evening before sunset. Was it dusk, or twilight? God was looking for (so to speak) Adam. Adam and Eve were hiding themselves. We know they had covered themselves with leaves.

Are we at this same point? Are we at the dusk of this age? Is this world covering its condition with the “leaves” of denial? Is the world hiding itself by subjecting God to its definitions or imaginations about His authority, His very existence? Is this the same exit Adam and Eve took once they were under the influence of the “knowledge of good and evil?”

Does the world find itself still in that place, lacking the guidance of the wisdom, knowledge, counsel, strength and understanding; without the Spirit of the Lord (which I believe is love and further, enduring love.) Lastly, where is the spirit of reverence? (Isaiah 11: 1-2 NASB)

Yes the world and Christians on some levels are in that place of lack still. That which Jesus brought, to “repair” our impaired judgment, (the Seven Pillars) is yet to be embraced on a level that is effective for many. Awake, awake oh sleeper!

Daniel 12:2-4 (NASB)
“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground (Matthew Henry and I say it is the dust of this life’s entanglements) will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. ³  “Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. ⁴  “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time….”

Daniel 12:1 (NASB)
”…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.”

They will be rescued by the very trouble they see as it prompts them to seek God on a level they have never known with the help of those who have insight. Will that be you friend, you pastor?

Awake! Gain insight! Lead others to the righteousness they need but think they already have.

Please … forward this post or my others. We must prepare. The distressing fact is, night is coming. Darkness must precede the Dawn!

“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. $12.99

As I shared in the post “What does it mean?” in my morning meetings in prayer under my Tallit, the Holy Spirit has been directing me to what I would consider obscure places (to me) in the bible by giving me an address (book and chapter) or a name, which I promptly look up.

These journeys have been very revealing to me as you read in that post.

By “What does it mean? I was saying it means Holy Spirit is doing the Father’s bidding in trying to reach us by examples in the Word that demonstrate His (never changing) position on certain things. As you remember from that post, the Esau’s of this world will no longer exist. The God, who IS love, hated Esau? Esau’s heritage meant little or nothing. Esau swore it away. Jacob did not steal the birthright, he repossessed what was his by his brothers own mouth. To me, this is a message that applies to any Christian clinging to a hurt or offense, wanting it more than wanting to obey God’s saving commands through Jesus to forgive from the heart.

In the same post, Ahaz, “he has grasped,” did not grasp at all! Ahaz disregarded Isaiah’s appeal to him by the Holy Spirit, to ask for a fleece. This was so Ahaz would know for sure the God of his father was there to support and deliver him out of the hands of his enemy. Ahaz chose worldly help instead of God’s help. Isaiah by the Holy Spirit declares a fleece in spite of Ahaz and out comes the prophecy of a virgin giving birth,…the prophecy of Jesus. What does this mean now?

Republicans in America are about to choose a candidate for president. Then the nation will choose. The Democrats have already chosen. What is God saying to us and to the world? “I am trying to remind you of your birthright and my support against your enemies.” How is He doing this? He has done so by pointing to a previous example in His Word (Ahaz) and to top it off, an example that includes the very season we are about to celebrate, Christmas, and the prophesied birth of Jesus.

Ahaz did not “grasp.” He did not live up to his name or heritage. Will we?

You may not know what your personal name means. What about the name you have taken as your covering, your salvation? “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain…” The Lord’s name means salvation. It might as well say, thou shalt not take the salvation of the Lord in vain. Moreover, if we have taken His name then we too are to be a source of salvation projecting His wisdom, knowledge, counsel, strength, understanding, His Spirit, and reverence toward Him, toward others. Remember the Seven Pillars and the Seven Eyes in my last post?

Like a child, our Father teaches us His standards. We are expected to embrace them. He disciplines us (lovingly) until we embrace them. His name (salvation) is complimented or discredited by our projecting His Ways or not. We can live up to our new name. His grace is sufficient for us.

Please … forward this post and others. God has paused briefly for our preparation.

“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

Blessed be the name of the Lord, the Lord our God the Lord He is one.

Bless you my friends may your Thanksgiving being rich and full and may it be as though no problem exists in your life for the God of our souls is watching over us lovingly and with great care.

May we have the seven pillars, the eyes of our God, fully functioning. The Spirit of the Lord, the spirit of wisdom, understanding, council, strength, knowledge and the spirit of the fear of the Lord.

These are the seven pillars. These are the eyes of God upon the stone He presented. May they be a strength to us. May we have eyes to see clearly and correctly and righteously. Like a plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel assuring our work is aligned perfectly with our vertical understanding of God and His seven ways.

To the Lord, the glory in our souls, and in our ways forever, in the great salvation which is His name, and that of His beloved Son Jesus, amen.

Give thanks that the Lord has bestowed upon you such great riches in power and salvation.

We (He and I) love you dearly,
Michael

Proverbs 9:1 (KJV)
¹  Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

Zechariah 3:9 (KJV)
⁹  For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 

Zechariah 4:10 (KJV)
¹⁰  For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

Revelation 5:6 (KJV)
⁶  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

Isaiah 11:2-5 (NASB)
²  The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
³  And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;
⁴  But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
⁵  Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.

Please … forward this post or others to a friend, your Pastor,  or a missionary in another country, or in this one for that matter. God has paused briefly for our preparation.

“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

I am so thankful for all of the friends that surrounded me this year after the loss of my beloved Janis on 12-12-14. It is not a brief Thanksgiving that I give. Some gave me housing for weeks. Many a meal was provided and the comfort of friends to be with in the evening. I had a place to mourn in private, in a bedroom of my own. All gave me prayer and moral support. My church acquaintances still ask me, “How are you doing?”

The group of exxxxxceptional young people from Lee University that I toured Israel with still include me in their lives through Facebook. After I posted a comment, one recently blessed me deeply by saying, “I miss you Mr. Mike.” A pair of them got engaged. As a marriage counselor I suggested a book “The Five Love Languages.” My suggestion was graciously received. I am so grateful Lord. Bless them all richly please. I know You will.

My 94 year old mom keeps asking if I have a girlfriend yet. She loved Janis so much. She says she loves me more than I will ever know. I tell her, “Just keep telling me Mom, just keep telling me.” I tell her she is the only gal in my life now.

The Lord has blessed my finances, and my health. I walk 4.25 miles a night, three nights a week minimum. I have a home now in Deland. I have a blog with 75 posts over the past year. I am being read in 29 countries around the world. I have a message and a calling about rescuing at least some of the believers that will be lost in the Apostasy. I have a book about it available in most electronic book stores like Amazon. “Exit Strategy, we initiate the return of Christ.” $2.99. 

I have been invited to Thanksgiving dinner, by several households, thank You Lord. I have been invited to a special Christmas with longtime friends and their family. Not actually related just loved abundantly, they have always known me as “Uncle Mike.” 

My heavenly Father has told me even this morning that He loves me and that I am His. I have wept, no I cried over such a wonderful blessing. I get to sing in the church Christmas choir on the 13th of December at the Sanctuary Church of God. (You are invited of course. There is something [God] happening there.)

Every morning in the last month and a half, I have met with the Holy Spirit under my Tallit as He has led me to obscure persons in the Word, guiding me to answers about today’s situations, making comparisons, each time confirming that my experience with Him is real. It is amazing, troubling sometimes, and or instructive to me personally at times. Never-the-less, you know when you know it is Him and it is real. I post about some of these things frequently.

As I always say, and as many of you are, please … forward this post or others. to a friend, your Pastor,  or a missionary in another country, or in this one for that matter. Maybe they will identify with the revival message in these posts. Revival for survival.

“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

As I shared in my last post, “Who will not exist?” the Esau’s of this world will not enter into eternal life. God hated Esau. I asked “If God hated Esau then and followers of Esau then, will He not hate the same Esau like behavior now and in the challenging days to come?”

Anything we insist on clinging to, be it person, place or thing, be it hurt, offense, or event, by our insistence, it then means more to us than our birthright into the kingdom of God. Our insistence, (or resistance) is against the counsel of God to let it go, to forgive, to forget and repent of such a grip; refusal demonstrates our likeness to Esau.

God said, “I hated Esau.” (Mal 1:3 KJV)  However, the Jacobs will enter. Obadiah 1:17-18 Why? Holiness. The house of Jacob shall be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble. Like the stew in Esau’s case fulfilled a carnal need, nothing carnal is to be as important as our birthright. We may say we know this but do we inventory our heart in light of current atrocities?

I began that last post by saying on November 14^th God pointed me to Obadiah. Since then upon my asking in prayer, He has pointed me to places or rather obscure persons that I now see as timely in light of all we see happening. What does it mean?

On the 16^th, it was “Agabus.” I know, you are asking what I asked myself. “Who?”

Agabus was a prophet in Acts 11:28, 21:10-11. From Jerusalem he came to Antioch and Peter and also to Caesarea and Paul and in both cases to warn them of very unpleasant future circumstances.

I believe God has made it clear that some things He shows me are to encourage and direct me. Other things are to be shouted from the house tops. The last post was one of the latter.

“Agabus” was for me. The blood of whoever is on the head of the watchman who does not warn or the prophet who does not speak. I have to be willing to go and speak what the Spirit gives me to speak no matter how unpleasant it is. As I said in a previous post, “The prophet must forsake man for the sake of man.”

Warnings are meant to do just that. They are meant to help us prepare for the certainty God has foretold. Agabus did as he was impressed by the Spirit to do. (See Acts 21:4 for an example of this concept.)

God told Ezekiel in 3:26, (it) “cannot be a man who rebukes them.” In 3:27 He told the prophet, “But when I speak to you I will open your mouth.”  This is freedom to the prophet in not assuming a responsibility to correct others himself and yet it also is being in the chains of a bond slave Ambassador, to speak as told, a relationship Paul spoke of in Ephesians 6:20.

On November 19^th I asked in prayer and “Ahaz” was God’s response. I again I only knew the name vaguely. Now remember the daily events we are seeing. Do we elect a strong fighter type who may or may not be a very Godly person or do we elect a Godly mild mannered type who may turn out to be the “Clark Kent” of our day? Or is this another warning God knows we will ignore?

So I look up “Ahaz.” 2 Kings 16:5. He was a young king of Judah, who when under attack was spoken to by Isaiah the prophet. God through Isaiah basically said He was going to win this battle for Ahaz. Ahaz instead chose to call upon the king of Assyria for help. I had no idea what Isaiah had said to Ahaz.

Turn to Isaiah 7. Here is the one case I know of where God Himself demands that a fleece be requested of Him, in order to prove to Ahaz that he can trust this word of protection from God through Isaiah.

Ahaz’s name means “he has grasped.” In this case God was trying to help Ahaz live up to his name. It did not work. God in His (what seems like) exasperation over this then has Isaiah declare a fleece FOR Ahaz.

Isaiah 7:10-14 (NASB)
¹⁰  Then the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying, ¹¹  “Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” ¹²  But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!” ¹³  Then he (Isaiah) said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? ¹⁴  Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”

Wow! The birth of Jesus. This fleece would actually go both to Sheol and as high as heaven!

What a circumstance for this prophecy to be spoken. I must admit I had not remembered the context of that special prophecy. It seems it was made almost out of frustration but look at how it is addressed. “Listen now, O house of David!” God is looking beyond Ahaz to His Davidic covenant promise because Ahaz did not grasp it!!!

Does it seem coincidental that our political choices are being formulated on the verge of Christmas and (to me) God is also trying to impress us by the lessons of Ahaz? And,…He tried to get Ahaz to listen by giving Ahaz a word so far reaching that only we, followers within the house of David, might benefit from it? Will we do better than Ahaz?

I sum up by quoting a portion from my journal that day. “Shall we select a Godly man and God or a warrior king “believer” who has his own version of the temple and worship? Like 9-11, is this not a test again of our nation? What will those who are His do this time? Like Isaiah said, “a virgin will be with child and bear a son….(Isa 7:14) He also said the two kings Ahaz feared were forsaken “by the time the boy (Jesus) knows to refuse evil and choose good.” (Isa 7:15) Are there two kings in our future? Some believe Putin and Obama (who rule like kings) are the kings of the north and south respectfully. That is another bailey-wick.

Shall we make a carnal choice this election or shall we turn to the Lord. Shall we ask for a sign or is Jesus enough? Are His Words guidance enough? Will we (as a nation and individually) run home to Him? Did the prodigal not live under his fathers rule and blessing from the day of his forsaking his own way; the way of death? “For you are a nation divided even as Israel was divided. Which half did I preserve for My names sake? I honor My Word over my name. Jerusalem is my chosen place. Salvation is my Name. Both will be upheld.” God might as well have said, “I honor My Word over My Salvation, (My Name)”!

His Word will judge us. His Word was to lead us to actual salvation or not. Whether it will or not is an individual, a national, and a world wide challenge. Choosing life means specific choices. You read of those choices in the commandments of Jesus and here in these posts from God’s Word.

I am pleased to say we are being read in 29 nations throughout the world. Others are embracing the message of preparation.

To you in each nation, PLEASE … forward this post or my other posts to anyone you think of, your Pastor,  or a missionary in another country or in this one for that matter. Many will fall if we do not call! What if we only had a year?

“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

Colossians 3:12-14 (NKJV)
¹²  Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³  bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ¹⁴  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

Forgiving without love leaves you wanting not them. (Matthew 18:35 NASB)

On November 14^th I asked the Lord what He wanted me to read. I was under my Tallit as usual. Yesterday great tragedy and death struck France. Terrorism killed or injured over three hundred in Paris. Oh Lord.

Under my covering, in a whisper I heard in my mind, “Obadiah 3” As I found out, upon looking, there is only one chapter so 3 meant verse 3.

Obadiah 1:3 (NASB)
³  “The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, …

You who live in the clefts of the rock, In the loftiness of your dwelling place, Who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to earth?’”

As we read on we see God is speaking to the followers of Esau, on the mountain of Esau, through Obadiah.

So why is God coming against Esau and his followers? We know of the birth and conflicts Jacob and Esau had in Genesis chapter 25 continuing even into Deuteronomy. In Genesis 25:29-34 Esau (swears to Jacob) and sells his birthright for a meal of stew and bread. Esau despised his birthright. Esau had little respect for the Godly relationship his father Isaac demonstrated. It seems Isaac was unaware of Esau’s purchase and the price he was willing to pay.  We sometimes blame Jacob for stealing the birthright but in fact he (and his mother) was repossessing it. Jacob had the “title” to it, an empty bowl of stew! To God, Esau’s cavalier attitude was a big deal. God, the God of love, “hated” Esau. God refers to His hatred of Esau by other prophets.

Malachi 1:2-3 (ESV)
“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.”

Hebrews 12:14-17 (NASB)
¹⁴  Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵  See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; ¹⁶  that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. ¹⁷  For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.”

The book of Obadiah is speaking by the Spirit of God and God is declaring the future of those following Esau and Esau’s ways. He begins with, “The arrogance of your heart has deceived you.”

When I read that first phrase, “The arrogance…” I asked “Lord is it me?”  Then I knew but still asked, “Lord is it America?” Then I read the entire book.

IF this is God speaking to us today, if He maintains the same standards, then consider this synopsis as you read the book of Obadiah yourself.

Verse 3 Because of verse three, God is bringing us down as a nation. The majority has determined God should be excluded from government and its extensions. The term “arrogance” was used tonight in critiquing our leadership on TV.

Verse 4 Our nation, “built high like the eagle” ”From there I will bring you down, declares the Lord. Is our nation what it was?

Verse 5-6 We will be stolen from, ruined, ransacked, our hidden treasures searched out. How many ways has this happened already?

Verse 7 Allies will forsake us, deceive us, eat our bread but ambush us. Many are not being faithful to us. (Is it because of who we have become (weak) unsupportive? Is it because Esau’s do not understand covenant?). As Christians we were trustworthy and faithful toward what is right. We are no longer a Christian nation according to our top leadership. Forsaking God and His Ways is never an option.

Verse 9 God will destroy any wisdom from the mountain of Esau. Decisions are being made, actions are being taken that astound many of us to the point of exasperated unbelief!

Verse 10 Because of violence toward your brother Jacob [this is critical] “You will be covered with shame and you will be cut off forever.” Well Israel has seen it and now the rest of the world is getting its share with more to come. Declarations of our being “next,” does not make us a part of Jacob. Our Judeo-Christian relationship does.

Verse 11-14 Strangers carried away wealth while Esau stood by aloof. Esau eve though a brother of Jacob, was as one of them, gloating over Jacob’s misfortune, in the day of their destruction. “Do not enter the gate of My people.”  Are our leaders gloating in secret? As criticism blasts away at their egos, will it become clear that greater and greater participation has been in a heart of deception? Those like Esau will be shut out, even though they were once brothers, God hates Esau.

Verse 15 The day of the Lord draws near on all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you.” (Here and the source for Jesus in Matthew 7:12 NASB)

Verse 16 “As you drank on My holy mountain, all nations will drink and swallow and become as if they never existed.” We must realize there are those who drink of God and Christ but refuse to follow in His Ways. Learn how! We have a choice. Know this. True followers will be aflame with fierce commitment, trying to advise and lead many to righteousness. This fire will destroy those who are spoken of by Obadiah. They will be those who will hate us because they hated Him.

Spiritually and in practice, we must avoid being an Esau at all costs. “The house of Esau will be stubble….so that there will be no survivor of the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken.” Verse 18

Esau was a brother. We have brothers in the Lord who are like Esau in their spiritual existence. They prayed the prayer. They still drink milk. Sometimes not even that. We have a calling to pursue them. Warn them. Or as the Lord said in Ezekiel 3:20 (NASB)
²⁰  “Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. However if you have warned the righteous man…”

Christ is the obstacle for all of us. He is a stumbling block that tries to be a stepping stone which tries to stop us in our stinking hell bent attitudes, attitudes which must be left here in the trash heap of this lost and dying world. No one who has a full stomach of these, will get in. The gate is closed.  Obadiah 13.

Please … forward this post or others to a friend, your Pastor,  or a missionary in another country, or in this one for that matter. We are being read all around the world in 26 countries. Everywhere, enduring love must be preached.

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

In the guardianship of Christ,

Michael

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