End Times Exit Strategy Daniel 12

Return of Christ, Rescuing our own from the Apostasy

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Exit Strategy End Times: Do we believe?

Exit Strategy” (book seen below) is now blowing shofar3available at most e-book venues.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You are loved

Michael

    Exit Strategy

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

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Exit Strategy End Times: The Storm is coming.”

“Exit Strategy” (book seen below) is now blowing shofar3available at most e-book venues.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

True belief results in obedience.

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

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

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

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

We will discuss it next time.

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

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

You are loved,   Michael

 

    Exit Strategy

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

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End Times: “Interest is growing.”

“Exit Strategy” (book seen below) is now blowing shofar3available at most e-book venues.

 

 

More interest in my book is developing. I recommend all of it but to focus on the cover subject, you can go to Chapters 6.6 “He emptied Himself to leave.” Chapters 8, dealing with Matthew 24 and of interest to your pastor especially, chapter 9, the “Five Fold League of Servants,” and their responsibility before darkness hinders the Lord’s work from being done freely.

Please forward my site to those you love and to those you do not love, so you can show God your heart has been moved to His compassionate truth. Surely you do not want anyone to go to hell, especially yourself?  ???you say?  Forgive to be forgiven. Not works, obedience to His instructions. No doubt, He did it. How can we not? It is the crown of His Lordship.

If there is a publisher out there who wants to create printed versions of Exit Strategy or portions thereof, contact me at exitstrategydaniel12@gmail.com.

I would like to send copies to all major ministries, not to sell books (although selling helps pay for printed) but to believe someone who has a greater platform than I will grasp and share this critical message. The more who do the more who will be spared from the Apostasy. As I say in my book, “As greater men share this I may stand in their shadow. I already stand in the shadow of the Almighty.”

The Word says “believers” will fall away. Their love will grow cold. Are you a “believer?” Do not think more of yourself than you should. Be sure you are prepared. I thought I was. Now I am and I choose to reinforce my preparation by helping others to this preparation, this good news of the kingdom.

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

You are loved as He waits for us,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

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

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

 

 

 


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End Times: “The three fold plan.”

“Exit Strategy” (book seen below) is now blowing shofar3available at most e-book venues.

Several months before Janis graduated, she began quoting a verse.

“Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer.” I had not recalled the address in the Word.

A few days after Janis passed on my sister in Illinois sent me a text. Someone unknown to her sent a verse the day Janis passed on. She kept reading it. More and more it personified Janis and how she had dealt with her struggle. Ann was hesitant to send it to me but decided to after all.

My immediate response was “Amazing! This was Janis’ favorite scripture! She has been quoting it for months.”

It was only then that I also realized the address of this verse. It was Romans 12:12.

Romans 12:12. It was like God was saying to me “I’ve got this.” My sister is a very spiritual person. I believe God knew she would share the verse with me, in order to encourage me. Janis died on the 12th of December. 12:12. Ok so that is cool and one can make the most of it that one might.

After Janis’ celebration / graduation I was invited to a Christmas party by life-long friends. They were trying to keep me busy and distracted. They all loved her /us, and were doing their best to relieve my grief.

At the party a wife /friend of Janis and I said, “Did you see Fox news this AM?” “No.””You know the young Catholic Priest they use as a go-to guy for spiritual things?” “Yes I do.”

“He came on FOX this AM and said the Catholic Church is highlighting a verse that the church believes is a critical verse for these times. It was Romans 12:12.”

Janis had picked up on it. My sister was directed to it.  The nation was pointed to it. So,… lets look at it.

“Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer.”

As we see the prophecies of Jesus happening, in Matthew 24, our hope in Him is what we must look forward to. What is happening or will happen must not be allowed to capture our hearts. Fear will cripple us and promote doubt in our hearts. Eternal death waits for those who surrender to the trauma of this life’s persecutions in these end times.

As persecution unfolds, our Christ love must endure. We must persevere in tribulation. How? We pray for our persecutors. We win by starting now!

All of this is achieved in prayer. Thanking God in our hope, persevering in tribulation by prayer, and interceding via prayer as we forgive, forgive, forgive.

Romans 12:12 brings us to a simple three step solution we can implement. We must grasp the depth.

Tribulation is coming. Our Hope has already come. Prayer reveals what is in our heart. Out of the abundance of our heart our mouth speaks. We reject persecution for what it is. A trap! We escape the trap by intercessory prayer.

I loved Janis with all my heart. I simply was not going to be distracted from her needs. Now, I am free to focus on the message in “Exit Strategy.” She totally agreed with it and I am sure she is cheering me on now. I hope to make her proud as I serve my Lord and His children.

The message in  Exit Strategy is the message I am ordained to share just as John the Baptist had an ordained moment he was to fulfill, as Jesus met him at the river side.

As darkness has its hour, we must find our peace by rejoicing in hope, by persevering in tribulation, praying for all who persecute us, and to do all of this by devotion to prayer.

Our own hearts reveal what God wants to know. Who we are in our heart  is revealed by the words of our mouth.

This devotion takes practice. This forgiveness takes practice. Eternity demands a grace filled nature in us. Practice makes perfect.

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

You are loved.  He waits for us,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

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

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

 

 

 


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End Times: “The girl of my dreams is now only a cherished dream.”

“Exit Strategy” (book seen below) is now blowing shofar3available at most e-book venues.

On December 12, 2014 my beloved Janis departed for her heavenly home. Just short of 33 years, I have loved and been loved like never before and likely never again. She struggled with a lung disorder for many many years, as it gradually got worse. She had been pretty good but took a sudden turn for the worse. In three days, she was gone.

She made a champion’s effort. She knew her fate and secretly asked others to “take care of Michael” I rushed her in a harrowing 10 hour drive through mountains, a rain storm, a blizzard and then another rain storm to National Institutes of Health in Bethesda Maryland after an attack that rendered her confused and repeating words without control. She had been a research patient there for 8 years. She was desperate to get there.

They thought they could resolve things initially but 3 days later she was not making any progress. She was digressing. Within a few hours she was unresponsive. They made her comfortable. I stayed with her over night stroking her hair, telling her I loved her, kissing her, praying over her, reminding God He has raised people from the dead. In the early hours of the night, a Jewish Cantor we had become friends with played and sang quietly to her, for 5 hours. Two days earlier she had sung with us. He even played “Love me tender” for me as I sang it to her. She died at 7:40 AM on the 12th of December. Her body and disease had killed her. Not God.

A day before she passed, as I was praying for a miracle, God spoke to me “I want her with Me.” That was not what I wanted to hear but my appeal brought no response. I continued to believe for her miracle. Of course, she received it but not as I had hoped. After her passing I was left alone with her. I laid hands on her and commanded her to rise up. I had to try. Did I continue long enough? Evidently not. My peace comes from His advising me of His wishes beforehand and God does not have to wish. What He says goes.

The same is true of His Word. What He says goes. Now I am His servant more than ever, as I no longer have to serve my wife but only honor her memory and investment in me.  I know I am an exhorter but also house the challenge of a prophet within. Many will not like what I say.

The Lord has put an urgency in my heart long ago. What I write about is not optional. I told you, you would not like it. It will save you. By that I mean, Janis is now “saved” I am waiting in faith and obedience for the same experience, just as you are if you are reading this. She now has achieved actual salvation “for sure” insured by the testimony of her life and God’s . She lived a forgiving, interceding life. This is a guarantee if we do so from our heart, so that none, either we or they should perish by our unforgiveness. This is the good news of the kingdom. It is eternal wisdom and do or die for anyone who has first asked Jesus to be Lord. We must keep our part of the bargain. He dies for us. His lordship directs as we die to self, as we die that others might survive our unforgiveness, as we turn the key to the kingdom of heaven for ourselves. The key He gave us first.

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

You are loved as He waits for us,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

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

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

 

 

 


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End Times: “Surrender, the act of submitting to the power of Another.”

“Exit Strategy” (book seen below) is now blowing shofar3available at most e-book venues.

In looking through a letter I wrote to friends back in 1992, I found something interesting. My friendship with them was before I was married and the couple had been and are (in the memories of my heart) dear friends even though it has been years since speaking with them.

I found written there a discription of struggle that might be helpful to you. On the other hand it may seem way out there. For whatever it is worth I am couching this in light of the struggle we often have in forgiving others and ourselves. Which is harder to forgive is not really debatable only discernable by our own heart. Who is pressing us to forsake the bondage we have put ourselves under should never be a mystery but sometimes is because of our point of view.

“Those happy memories fade to sparce details only seen through a veiled memory, often mistold by forgetfulness, or purpose. But the struggles compared are so vivid, as though the adrenalin that flowed contained a fixer that eternally froze the details, a mural of cycloramic proportion.  And who was there?”

“In relentless repetition I review to find it was I…like a perspiring wrestler, fatigued, dripping that saline solution squeezed from my guts, the blood rushing to my hanging head as I look to see that the mat is really a mirror and I am in mortal combat with myself.”

“So can I surrender to this mirrored, maligned, mutant or shall I claw at he which was never meant to be my adversary, he who only stares angrily,…because I am and only gives up…when I do?”

“Who will ring the bell? Who will throw in the towel? It is I who am the time keeper. It is I who am the trainer. It must be I who rolls on my back in submisive surrender, to find that the power that pins me…is from above.”

“Romans 5:17 (KJV)
17  “For if by one man’s offence (Adam) death reigned by one; much more they which receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”  (added for emphasis)

Let us not remain the Adam of our life bringing offense and death to ourselves and others when grace received and grace distributed can reign in our life and righteousness be our covering through both the death and life of Christ our Lord, to eternal life.

Romans 5:21 (KJV)
21  “That as sin (my unforgiveness toward anyone) hath reigned unto death, even so might grace (was supposed to) reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” (added for emphasis)

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

You are loved as He waits for us,

Michael

    Exit Strategy

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

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

 

 

 


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End Times: “Owe no man anything…?”

“Exit Strategy” (seen below) is now blowing shofar3available 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)

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End Times: “Truth can be a trap.”

“Exit Strategy” (seen below) is now blowing shofar3available 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.

Isaiah 40:3 (YLT)
3  A voice is crying–in a wilderness–Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, Make straight in a desert a highway to our God.” 
 
In most translations it says “highway for our God.” (KJV, NASB, ESV, NKJV). One can question how all those could be wrong but determining the correct answer is not that difficult if you ask the right question. Strong’s Concordance does not address the conflicting words, “to and for.”  
 
Jesus knew His goal and ours. He was to “make straight” in our deserts of temptation, a highway to our God. Isn’t Jesus the Way, the Truth and the Life. The verse above in YLT points to the small but critical difference that is confirmed as the truth.

 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)

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End Times: “They do not know the voice of strangers.”

“Exit Strategy” (seen below) is now blowing shofar3available 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)

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End Times: One Night in Russia. Part 2

“Exit Strategy” (seen below) is now blowing shofar3available 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.