Yesterday I turned 33. I used to think that was old, I really did. Now it doesn't seem so old anymore. I was away for a few days, hence the reason for no posts, my wife took me to Chicago for my birthday, and we walked around mostly looking at the architecture. Somewhere on State Street, there is an old building that by all evidence seems to have been a home, which has been gutted and turned into a department store. For some reason seeing that old homestead turned into just another place for people to spend money they don't have on things they don't need made me sad inside, and it got me thinking.
Too many today have a singular desire to build a kingdom here on earth. They toil and labor in the hopes that they will leave a mark on history, that they will be remembered from generation to generation, not realizing that sooner or later, all flesh is forgotten, swept under the maelstrom that is time. There is no permanence here on earth, and with each passing year, with every creaking of the knees, with every white hair that appears on my head, my own mortality and temporal nature is brought more sharply into focus. I know, I should be happier, I should be posting something witty and upbeat, but it's the kind of mood I'm in and I've always tried to be as honest as possible in my postings.
It's human nature I guess to analyze one's life with each passing year, and I've come to the conclusion that I'm getting tired. Since God called me into ministry I have strived to fight the good fight, to preach the truth, to urge people to repentance, to warn of what is not merely coming in some far off future, but what is by all evidence already here, ready to tear asunder the fragile illusion we have meticulously fashioned for ourselves that all is well, and I find myself wondering more often than not if it has made any sort of impact, if in fact I have not been what amounts to yelling in the face of a hurricane all these years.
The truth, is that with all the sacrifice and all the labor, it seems the church has distanced itself from truth even more in these last days, it has chosen to reject the cross with ever greater frequency and audacity, and those who still go against the grain, those who speak contradictory to the great majority are belittled, rejected, and verbally stoned from all sides. Did I expect any different? No. It's just that the reality of it all is getting to me. I am human after all.
Pray for me. It's easy to adopt the mindset of Jonah and find a shady spot where we can pop some popcorn and watch what has been foretold unfold, but love for the lost compels us to press on, one more day, to preach one more sermon, to write one more article, hoping this will be the one that will pierce their hearts.
No, God did not promise it would be easy, just that it would be worth it. Thank you for being patient with me, thank you for your prayers, and as I've stated on a previous occasion, you can think the worst of me, but believe the best of Christ.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Michael, thank you so much for sharing your heart and the word that God has given to you. In a world full of people that do not want to hear truth, it is refreshing to come here to find truth shared by you and the others that leave comments. I appreciate each one and your love for God and His Word. Be encouraged that you are reaching many unseen faces and hearts. I frequently share what I read here with others. Thanks for being a light in the dark. God bless you and Monica as you continue sharing the Truth. You are truly a blessing to many more than you realize.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you... Hope you and your wife had a great time.
ReplyDeleteI won't say that I'm old enough to be your mother, so I'll just call myself your older sister. My mother's birthday was yesterday also and this morning when we met for our usual Tue. morning breakfast the whole restraunt sang to her. It was great to see her reaction of surprise.
My brother, be encouraged in our Lord. Though it feels that your beating your head against a brick wall and none hear, you won't know the results of your tiredless labor until that day in which you will then know that it was worth it all. But rest my brother when the Lord says "Rest".
As you, there are many of us who see the days that we are in and are tired too, but the Lord says to press on for the days ahead. But as you have probably asked so many times, we ask Him, "Why should we, for no one hears. We are ridiculed and persecuted, laughed and scorned, called crazy,heretics and hypocrits by our brothers and sisters. Though your word said that these days would be as such, it's not easy and we're tired, so why should we press on?" But the reality is that we all do, because He commands us to.
Just remember to rest my brother, when He says "Rest".
We all love you and pray for you and your wife. Remember that the two of you are not alone, that He's always there and we've got your back too.
Much peace and love,
Your sister in our Lord
Michael,
ReplyDeleteDo not ever say your work is for nought. You and your Grandfather have both made a huge impact on my life and have quite possibly saved me from delusion, error, and hell. I appreciate you so much, and thank God for your Ministry. Your work has enabled and taught me, and given me hope and fortitude to carry on and warn as many people as possible. Thank you.
You are loved and respected by many, but most of all by God. To Him you are most precious.
ReplyDeleteYou just will not be able to appreciate how God has used you to make and impact for Him, in the lives of others, until you are home with HIM.
We all become discouraged at times my dear young brother, but as you said it will be worth it all when we leave this (my words) mean, cruel, ungreatful, sinful world behind, to go and be with Jesus.
Fight the good fight of Faith (see His Word says it will be a fight as opposed to a cake walk). Remember dear the crowns go to the overcomers....
Oh and Happy Birthday, I had my 57th this year, so what you worring about...lol..you've still got time (as long as He tarries), to work for Jesus. Moses was in his later years when he was called into service. That means there is (God willing) time for me and others also to be used of the Lord.
Every true child of God yearns to be free of these bodies of ours and to be present with the Lord...and that will come soon enough, as soon as His plan is fulfilled.
Christ suffered true rejection. He said that all who would live Godly in Him would suffer persecution.
When He has us share the truth there is not a promise that the truth will be received, just a command to share it. For we deal with a stiffnecked people, a people who are not interested in selling out all for Christ.
However they will never be able to say that you didn't try to warn them, that you didn't try to give them the truth..so take heart my dear young brother...look up for your redemption draweth nigh.
Helen B
I'm one of those that listened some three years ago. My eyes were opened by the message God gave America through your grandfather and you.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, I'll tell you something God told me once when I was saddened by things around me.
"Get back to work"
:o)
Sorry about that last one
ReplyDelete"get to work"
I don't think that applies to you.
:o(
Dear Michael:
ReplyDeleteI am a sister in Christ and have been reading your posts for a while now. They encourage me and I pass many of them on to other believers. Every Christian that I know right now seems to be under attack by the enemy in some way or another. It is getting darker in the world but we must remember that God has promised to see us thru. He will not forsake us and I think He understands when we get tired. I also know from experience that when the enemy comes in like a flood, then the Spirit of the Lord raises up a standard against him. We will pray for you. God will give you His peace and His strength. We all must remember "one day at a time."
May God bless you Michael. Your hard work and efforts are not in vain.
ReplyDeleteI have been visiting your site and reading the prophecies and articles for some years now.
Although you just turned 33, but your faith, works and understanding of God's Word and Spirit far exceeds your age.
In Christ always.
Marwan Aboukhater
Happy Birthday Michael,
ReplyDeleteI hope that you had a good time away with your wife. Sometimes we just need to find enjoyment in the little things, as Solomon advises us in Ecclesiastes 9:9, "Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun— all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun." I hope that you caught my sarcasm. Solomon must of really been having a bad day (month, year, life?) when he wrote that book.
I've always appreciated your honesty Michael and transparency. People that are in the public eye will often put on false "aires" to give the impression that nothing ever goes wrong and that they are floating on cloud nine, but you have never worn masks. You have always said, "What you see is what you get," and I really respect you for that.
I think it is very easy to become discouraged living in the midst of the Babylonian church environment that we find ourselves in today. I was just talking to a friend yesterday who has been involved in full-time ministry for the past seven years and he was commenting on how tired and worn out he was with the ongoing struggles of ministry and the rejection that it often entails.
The more we talked, the more we realized that the thing that weighs us down the most isn't the sin and corruption in the world, but rather the backslidden state of the American church and the fact that you immediately become an enemy in your own household when you begin to preach the truth. I can tell you from experience that it is very easy to preach in the streets even if you have two or three hecklers swearing and cursing at you, but when a brother or sister in the Lord tries to get you to stop preaching the truth the wounds go deep.
It is at these discouraging times and seasons, which we all go through, that I must wash myself with the word and renew my mind and inner man with the following verses: "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.." (Galatians 6:9)
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Cor. 15:58)
I know that you already know all these things, so let me just say that I know how you feel and that I will be praying for you. More important, Christ knows exactly how you feel and He everlives to make intercession for you. After all, He came to His own and they received Him not. Not only did the Jews not receive Him, but even His own flesh and blood received Him not (at least until later), and one of His trusted disciples betrayed Him.
Let me leave you with this one final encouragement from Romans 15:3, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
With love in Christ,
Brother Andrew
Heavenly Father,
ReplyDeleteYou are the Creator of the universe, Maker of Heaven and Earth, Source of all life--we lift up our brother Michael to you, along with his wife and their ministry, and we ask you to come and refresh them. Fill them with supernatural energy, and hope, and determination to continue on until the completion of all that you set aside for them to do even before they came to be. You have called them forth into this time, you have given them gifts from your own heart, you have given them your wisdom. Refresh them, we pray, in Jesus' Holy Name. Refresh them by your power and your might, with the same power that raised Lazarus from the dead. We ask this in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen
Oh Michael, I feel for you. My family will be praying for you. Don't give up. Don't give in. You have touched thousands without even knowing it. Your ministry is crucial to so many. We come here to commune with you and each other, just to know we are not alone.
ReplyDeleteI pray that God will rejuvenate you and lift you up. Our King always provides what is needed, you know that. He will provide for this time of dismay also.
With love in Christ,
Mrs. Pugh
Happy Birthday yesterday, It was my daughter's birthday also. She turned 4. Mike, be encouraged that there are the ones that God has appointed, that have listened to the message, and have heeded it.
ReplyDeleteMichael, it's about time you gave up up caring about the "Church", it is nothing more that the religionized perversion of The Way of Jesus, and has been since Constantine, if not some years before him. For some time after the Reformation the Protestants tried to change some things but ultimately failed. All one can do is try to wake people up to that fact and call them out of this Harlot. Christianity is not what Jesus started, I stopped calling myself a Christian a dozen years ago, all we can do is try to be his disciple outside all the religious systems, with the Bible as our guide. I say again, Christianity is not of God, it is on the Broad Path and always has been, which isn't to say that God hasn't tried on several occasions to revive it, and partially succeeded for a season, but it never took, largely I think because people could never give up the religious system and it's traditions, they never could see that they were being called out of it. It is what it is, you can't change it, so don't let it get you down.
ReplyDeleteDear Michael, it is so true that satan is relentless in his onslaught to wear out the saints. I have felt this far more intensely of late. Helen just posted on her blog about these fiery trials, and the Lord had just this morning impressed upon me that same scripture, that the trial of our faith is more precious than gold, which perishes. I pray that you would be strengthened, and that the Lord would keep you in good health and give you encouragement. How comforting that truth is, that we can believe the best of Christ and that He is faithful to complete the good work He has begun in each of His saints. Happy birthday, and don't worry about turning 33! Speaking from experience, you have ten good years before you start physically going downhill!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTo the anonymous poster above,
ReplyDeleteI beg to differ...
Until the day we die there is hope for the church and we should never give up trying to reach those that are lost.
And about your other point, I proudly wear the title of Christian. (The title of Religion, on the other hand, is the one of man made trappings and dogma.) The very word "Christian" means to be of Christ. Nothing wrong with that.
Mrs. Pugh
Happy Birthday Michael! God Bless You
ReplyDelete-KevinP
Brother Michael-I would first like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
ReplyDeleteBy reading your posts I just took for granted that you were my age-I will be 54 on the 24th of March. And you say you are 33?
You have to be missing 20 or 30 years dear Brother!! You are teaching elders with the wisdom the Father has given you.
Get your nose back to the grindstone and know that He is not done with you until you take your last breath. I have set on the couch at times and ate bowls of buttered popcorn; there is nothing in it but a larger waist line! And you will have to waste money buying larger pants and shirts. I know. It is not all it is cranked up to be!
I am encouraged, strengthened and provoked into action and prayer by your posts and writings. I still read your Grandfathers writings and am amazed at the vision you both have in regard to the days in which we live. You are a voice crying in the wilderness like the Prophets of old. You will have a special place in His Kingdom for your calling and your faithfulness to His work during these last of the last days.
Again, happy birthday and many, many more! May He bless you, your wife and all those you hold dear.
mtzion@hughes.net
Jeremiah reached a point in his ministry that he proclaimed "I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His Name. But, His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones,I was weary of holding it back and I could not."
ReplyDeleteBrother Michael, you have been induced and persuaded by Him. And He is stronger than you. Jeremiah said he was in derision daily, everyone mocked him. He shouted "violence and plunder" and he was made a reproach for his message.
But the LORD is to you as a mighty awesome One. Your persecutors will fall and not prevail.
mtzion@hughes.net
Michael,
ReplyDeleteDo not lean to your understanding (natural man). While the flesh may be weary and you may feel physically a little older and not appreciated in this life, look up! If He who hinders is allowing within the body a trial to winnow, do not be surprised or doubtful. As you well know the time of the end of grace is at hand. Satan would love to wear out your mind. If you will hear, didn't a period of delusion recently come before you? A time of heaviness and temptation to become paranoid? It is the season. Now is the time to gird up your mind knowing the Spirit of truth. Not giving in to fear, which we all will be tried by. When the shaking occurs and those who should be rulers fall, then it will be known on who the Holy Spirit rests. God is for you. Say you are strong.
Sometimes it seems we lose a battle, but you didn't lose the war! God bless you, He is not done with you yet, just refining.
L,J,P&HG
Dave