Discover Your Takeaway

By Mike Walker and Dr. Roberts Liardon

In 2006 after pastoring for just over 20 years my relationship with God took on a radical change. In January our grandson Andre' passed away suddenly and everything in my life began to spiral. How could this happen to my grandson, after all there was power and passion in "my" preaching, there was faith in "my" prayers, and there were systems and protocols established in "my" church. How could this happen? Did God cause this devastating event in our family, because perhaps I was falling short in my religious duties? Absolutely not! Out of the ashes of mourning I walked away free from the noose of self based religion into the understanding there was nothing I could do that would cause God to love me more, nor, was there anything I could do that would cause God to love me less. God revealed intimately and personally His unconditional love demonstrated on the cross through His Son, Jesus Christ. Now I have a takeaway that has set me free to extend that love to others without judgement but with the hope that others would come to know and understand who God desires to be in their lives as they hold onto His promises and let go of the pressure of the invisible mark that religion tells us we must strive to achieve. Now sixteen years later Gods grace never ceases to amaze me and the fire of His love continues to burn bright on the inside. This amazing journey is what has inspired the pages of this book that you too will Discover Your Takeaway.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Aug 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667860947

Book preview

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Discover Your Takeaway by Mike Walker

Published by Abide In Christ Ministries, Inc.

ISBN    978-1-66786-093-0

ISBN  E-Book 978-1-66786-094-7

Copyright © 2022 by Mike Walker

P.O. Box 2442

Post Falls, Idaho 83877

Printed in the United States of America.

All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part or in any form without the express written consent of the author.

DEDICATION

With a heart that is still amazed at the wonderful grace of God, I dedicate this book to the memory of our grandson Andre David Joseph Walker, who has been with the Lord since January 2006; and to our three sons Joshua, Nicholas, and Patrick. Thank you for always surrounding me with your love, strength and encouragement to keep going forward!

Special thank you to my amazing wife, Jane, who has read through the draft of this book numerous times, encouraged me to keep going forward, and has stood with me through all the excitement and unexpected challenges life has to offer. She has always been gifted with creativity and used her gift to create the cover of this book. She also gave me the title of Discover Your Take Away!

I also want to thank every one of our grandchildren and our entire family who faithfully invest time keeping relationships strong and showing support in every way. I thank God for the blessing each of you are to us and we love you very much.

Special thank you to Mary Nutt for her tireless work in editing this book.

Table of Contents

Dedication

FOREWORD

Chapter 1 - INTO THE NEW COVENANT

Chapter 2 - THE BEST IS HERE!

Chapter 3 - TIME TO REIGN!

Chapter 4 - REST IN JESUS

CONCLUSION - THE GREATEST TAKE AWAY

VERSES TO LIVE BY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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FOREWORD

Have you ever felt hobbled in your walk with God by the strain of trying to keep up with your own expectations of what a successful Christian life looks like? If you’re tempted to answer yes to that question, I suggest you sit awhile and read Mike Walker’s book. He has some truths to offer that helped catapult his own walk with the Lord from tired to triumphant. Those same timeless truths will give you the nudge you need to pursue a brand-new, victorious testimony for yourself.

It’s really a simple concept that the majority of Christians have such a difficult time grasping: what the life of a child of God is actually supposed to look like. Mike makes it simple, presenting your main takeaway on a silver platter: Everything that you and I need to reign in life was accomplished on that day. That is why we call what Jesus accomplished on the Cross the finished work of Christ. He finished it! He achieved for us what we cannot achieve for ourselves.

Think of it — a life on the other side of self-effort religion… Just breathe in that fresh whiff of freedom and start reading!

Dr. Roberts Liardon

Author of the God’s Generals series

INTRODUCTION

UNTIE THE RELIGIOUS KNOT

The abundant life that Jesus came to give us is still within reach! The reality is that this incredible life is fully paid for and can fully blossom in our

lives! Through wrong views of God and legalistic religious ideas many of us have had our lives tied up and weighed down. Like trying to swim with your hands and feet tied. Yes, you are swimming but it is with great difficulty just to keep your head above the water line.

What a wonderful revelation to discover who you are in Christ and the amazing grace that has been provided for every area of our lives! Think about this, even receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior is only by grace.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.

Ephesians 2:8 (italics added)

Saved In the Strong’s Concordance (G4982) saved is the Greek word sṓzō  .

(from sōs, safe, rescued) – properly, deliver out of danger and into safety; used principally of God rescuing believers from the penalty and power of sin – and into His provisions (safety). Definition: to save Usage:  save, heal, preserve, rescue.

In my own life I really thought that I understood this scripture and that I had a clear revelation of grace, but as my relationship with Jesus developed, He opened my understanding to the truth that without intending to I had become legalistic in the way I thought, and it came out in the way that I was teaching and preaching in our ministry.  Somewhere in my life I had allowed the knot of religion to be tied to my relationship with God.  No longer was my focus on the joy of my salvation, but my focus was on how well I was performing…was I meeting the mark or falling short?

As you read this book my prayer is that Jesus will open the eyes of your understanding to His amazing grace that saves, heals, preserves, and rescues! This grace abounds for all people.

If somewhere in your experience you have unintentionally had the knot of religion tighten itself around you, my prayer is that you will discover the safety, peace and freedom found when that knot is cut loose and you are free to manifest the grace of God in and through your life.

Chapter 1

INTO THE NEW COVENANT

As you read the pages of this book you will discover the power of the gospel revealed to you in a very practical and realistic way. Many times, a revelation from the scriptures can be over spiritualized leaving the reader or hearer with

the sense that it will be a very difficult and

challenging journey to understand the truth that is being revealed.

Like the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Let’s begin our journey with the words of Jesus And He said to them, Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Mark 16:15 The Bible goes on to say in verse 20 "And they went out and preached everywhere,