Yes, I am terrible at providing URLS. I must confess I know little to nothing of links and the such. Since it was requested, this is the link where one can find all the truth in a nutshell videos. I had a fun time filming them, and we'll be filming more sometime next week. God bless.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=HandOFHelpWarnings&view=videos
Friday, November 28, 2008
Walking With God
I often meet brothers and sisters of a certain age while traveling throughout the churches of America who seem to be quite nostalgic of a time a few decades ago. A time when morality still had a say in the lives of average folk, when virtue was still something to aspire to and not look down upon, and when “Leave It To Beaver” was considered the raciest thing on television.
The times have changed, simplicity having become a memory of times past, and more often then ever I am asked whether or not I believe a man can still walk with God in times such as these. There is a difference between difficult and impossible, and although for some it might have become more difficult to stay focused on the destination, to walk the narrow path of faith without being distracted by all that goes on around them, it is by no means impossible. When a man truly desires to walk with God, he is able to do so even when the world around him is evil and corrupt.
Enoch lived in a time when passing on at the age of eighty was considered dying young. The air was cleaner, the world less populated, yet even though he lived toward the genesis of creation, those of his generation were by no means righteous men.
Enoch was sixty-five before he decided to walk with God, not a spring chicken by any stretch of the imagination. The Bible doesn’t speak much about this man, but small as his appearance might have been in comparison to others, he left behind a lesson that all of us could learn from. Having decided to walk with God at the age of sixty-five, Enoch then walked with Him for three hundred more years.
Enoch didn’t have luxury of going down to the corner parish, or the newest mega church in town, he didn’t have the luxury of getting on the internett and downloading teachings on how to walk with God, and if anyone thinks that those of his generation helped him in his quest for a relationship with God, then they are sorely mistaken.
The Word tells us in Genesis, that the earth was corrupt before God, the wickedness of man was great in the earth, the earth was filled with violence, and the intent of the thoughts of men’s hearts were only evil continually. It goes on to say that God looked upon the earth and indeed all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. This was the time in which Enoch lived; by no means a time conducive to spiritual growth, or a deeper understanding of God, yet somehow he managed not only to find God but also walk with Him for three hundred years. Keep in mind Enoch did not have the benefit of the Word, he did not have a handful of churches on every block of his town, he didn’t have televangelists, or sermons on tape, he was a man amidst evil men, corrupt men, and men prone to violence, who decided to walk with God. If it was possible for Enoch to walk with God, having had all the same setbacks, difficulties and stumbling blocks as we in the modern age, yet without any of the benefits, such as the Word or abundant teaching, then it is possible for anyone who truly desires to walk with God to do just that.
So what made Enoch special? What did Enoch do that made it possible for him to walk with God?
The first thing that we can glean from the short story of Enoch, is the fact that he desired to walk with God, therefore he became the person God desired him to be. Every one of us is careful when choosing our company. Although I’ve met people who make friends quite readily, the general rule is that only after some time of getting to know a person can you call them your friend. Only after seeing if you are compatible, by way of likes and dislikes, values, morals, even hobbies, can one become more than a passing acquaintance and graduate to the position of friend. God is ever more cautious whom He acquaints Himself with, and walks with, making certain the person is pure of heart and of a right spirit before He walks with them and calls them friend.
Unlike many today who seem to make up doctrine as they go along, following the path they have drawn out for themselves, like some makeshift amateur explorer absent of a compass or bearings, Enoch only desired to follow the path on which God walked. He didn’t care to talk God into walking his path; he readily and gladly gave up his own path in order to walk the path God laid out for him. One of the most common causes of backsliding in one’s spiritual walk is that after following a certain distance, after gladly walking with God a considerable way, we remove our hand from the hand of God, and choose our own path thinking or believing that we know better.
Enoch was content to let God lead, and follow after him. He was content with simply walking with God, not desiring title or position, fame or fortune. When our desire is nothing more than to walk with God, when we surrender ourselves and stand before Him with pure hearts, and clean intentions God will take us by the hand and walk with us.
Another aspect of Enoch’s walk with God we cannot overlook is the length of it. For three hundred years, Enoch walked with God, all day every day, without rest or respite. There was no giant kangaroo leap into the presence of God, but rather the steady natural progression of a relationship and a friendship. Enoch did not run, he did not fly into the presence of God, he did what any of us could do; he walked with God. Enoch never grew tired of walking with God, of being intimate with Him.
By all accounts Enoch was a simple man, not a duke or a count, not a king or a prince, just Enoch. He did not have the benefit of the Word; those around him were as evil as this present generation, yet Enoch managed to walk with God. If he did it, surely we can too.
God dos not look at what we are, He does not check our pedigree before He reveals Himself to us, all He desires is a pure heart willing to receive Him. Just put your hand in his, and walk. You can do it.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
The times have changed, simplicity having become a memory of times past, and more often then ever I am asked whether or not I believe a man can still walk with God in times such as these. There is a difference between difficult and impossible, and although for some it might have become more difficult to stay focused on the destination, to walk the narrow path of faith without being distracted by all that goes on around them, it is by no means impossible. When a man truly desires to walk with God, he is able to do so even when the world around him is evil and corrupt.
Enoch lived in a time when passing on at the age of eighty was considered dying young. The air was cleaner, the world less populated, yet even though he lived toward the genesis of creation, those of his generation were by no means righteous men.
Enoch was sixty-five before he decided to walk with God, not a spring chicken by any stretch of the imagination. The Bible doesn’t speak much about this man, but small as his appearance might have been in comparison to others, he left behind a lesson that all of us could learn from. Having decided to walk with God at the age of sixty-five, Enoch then walked with Him for three hundred more years.
Enoch didn’t have luxury of going down to the corner parish, or the newest mega church in town, he didn’t have the luxury of getting on the internett and downloading teachings on how to walk with God, and if anyone thinks that those of his generation helped him in his quest for a relationship with God, then they are sorely mistaken.
The Word tells us in Genesis, that the earth was corrupt before God, the wickedness of man was great in the earth, the earth was filled with violence, and the intent of the thoughts of men’s hearts were only evil continually. It goes on to say that God looked upon the earth and indeed all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. This was the time in which Enoch lived; by no means a time conducive to spiritual growth, or a deeper understanding of God, yet somehow he managed not only to find God but also walk with Him for three hundred years. Keep in mind Enoch did not have the benefit of the Word, he did not have a handful of churches on every block of his town, he didn’t have televangelists, or sermons on tape, he was a man amidst evil men, corrupt men, and men prone to violence, who decided to walk with God. If it was possible for Enoch to walk with God, having had all the same setbacks, difficulties and stumbling blocks as we in the modern age, yet without any of the benefits, such as the Word or abundant teaching, then it is possible for anyone who truly desires to walk with God to do just that.
So what made Enoch special? What did Enoch do that made it possible for him to walk with God?
The first thing that we can glean from the short story of Enoch, is the fact that he desired to walk with God, therefore he became the person God desired him to be. Every one of us is careful when choosing our company. Although I’ve met people who make friends quite readily, the general rule is that only after some time of getting to know a person can you call them your friend. Only after seeing if you are compatible, by way of likes and dislikes, values, morals, even hobbies, can one become more than a passing acquaintance and graduate to the position of friend. God is ever more cautious whom He acquaints Himself with, and walks with, making certain the person is pure of heart and of a right spirit before He walks with them and calls them friend.
Unlike many today who seem to make up doctrine as they go along, following the path they have drawn out for themselves, like some makeshift amateur explorer absent of a compass or bearings, Enoch only desired to follow the path on which God walked. He didn’t care to talk God into walking his path; he readily and gladly gave up his own path in order to walk the path God laid out for him. One of the most common causes of backsliding in one’s spiritual walk is that after following a certain distance, after gladly walking with God a considerable way, we remove our hand from the hand of God, and choose our own path thinking or believing that we know better.
Enoch was content to let God lead, and follow after him. He was content with simply walking with God, not desiring title or position, fame or fortune. When our desire is nothing more than to walk with God, when we surrender ourselves and stand before Him with pure hearts, and clean intentions God will take us by the hand and walk with us.
Another aspect of Enoch’s walk with God we cannot overlook is the length of it. For three hundred years, Enoch walked with God, all day every day, without rest or respite. There was no giant kangaroo leap into the presence of God, but rather the steady natural progression of a relationship and a friendship. Enoch did not run, he did not fly into the presence of God, he did what any of us could do; he walked with God. Enoch never grew tired of walking with God, of being intimate with Him.
By all accounts Enoch was a simple man, not a duke or a count, not a king or a prince, just Enoch. He did not have the benefit of the Word; those around him were as evil as this present generation, yet Enoch managed to walk with God. If he did it, surely we can too.
God dos not look at what we are, He does not check our pedigree before He reveals Himself to us, all He desires is a pure heart willing to receive Him. Just put your hand in his, and walk. You can do it.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
No Excuses
This is not an excuse, but I have been busy. I realize I haven't posted in about a week, but there is a perfectly reasonable and exonerating explanation, I have been busy. We just got done filming another batch of the truth in a nutshell videos, and if you haven't seen them yet, I urge you to take a few minutes and check them out, I'm putting the finishing touches on a couple books, and yes, I'm almost done with another lengthy post which will be up sometime this week answering once and for all the question that I've been asked more often recently, 'is it possible to walk with God in a generation such as this?'
The short answer is yes, but the long answer has allot more wisdom peppered in ever so subtly.
Our main example and the man from which we will glean wisdom will be Enoch, that's right, we're going really old school, and hopefully we'll grow in the Lord just a little more than we would have otherwise.
Yes, I know that some of you are excited about current events, and would love it if I started talking about the Russian President visiting such nations as Cuba, Venezuela, and pretty much ratcheting up the rhetoric to cold war era levels, but what would be the point? God said it would happen, it is happening, buckle up and keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times. It's going to be a bumpy, bumpy ride.
I realize to some of you this may sound dismissive, or even sarcastic, but twenty five years is plenty of time for a nation to repent, to mend its ways, to turn to God, and to seek righteousness. How much longer did we expect God to terry? How much longer did we think God would delay His plans?
Yes, what has been foretold is coming to pass before our very eyes, and if you think it's bad now, you haven't seen anything yet. Throw some persecution into the mix, some internal uprisings, an ever spiraling economy, our enemies getting bolder with each passing day, and you've pretty much seen the future.
Some may interpret this post as callous or uncaring. Before you pass judgment please keep in mind that I dedicated over twenty years of my life, I forfeited my youth, I endangered my health, I missed out on a normal childhood, all so I could travel this country and preach a message of repentance and judgment that was scoffed at and dismissed. No, I'm not uncaring, I'm not callous, love compelled me to do what I did, and continues to compel me to do what I do. It's a little late for sugar coating however, a bit late to break out the honey just because the pill is bitter. We are living the end times, and for those that still doubt it, or don't believe it, I urge you to open your eyes.
For those who reason that these cannot be the end times because you're still here, and the church isn't supposed to be here for those times, wipe the dust off the Holy Book, I beg of you, and read it with an open mind, realizing that we're in it for the long haul.
Alright, I've rambled on enough, plus I have a radio program to do in five minutes or so. As promised, a longer more substantial post later this week. Until then, God bless, and happy thanksgiving.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
The short answer is yes, but the long answer has allot more wisdom peppered in ever so subtly.
Our main example and the man from which we will glean wisdom will be Enoch, that's right, we're going really old school, and hopefully we'll grow in the Lord just a little more than we would have otherwise.
Yes, I know that some of you are excited about current events, and would love it if I started talking about the Russian President visiting such nations as Cuba, Venezuela, and pretty much ratcheting up the rhetoric to cold war era levels, but what would be the point? God said it would happen, it is happening, buckle up and keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times. It's going to be a bumpy, bumpy ride.
I realize to some of you this may sound dismissive, or even sarcastic, but twenty five years is plenty of time for a nation to repent, to mend its ways, to turn to God, and to seek righteousness. How much longer did we expect God to terry? How much longer did we think God would delay His plans?
Yes, what has been foretold is coming to pass before our very eyes, and if you think it's bad now, you haven't seen anything yet. Throw some persecution into the mix, some internal uprisings, an ever spiraling economy, our enemies getting bolder with each passing day, and you've pretty much seen the future.
Some may interpret this post as callous or uncaring. Before you pass judgment please keep in mind that I dedicated over twenty years of my life, I forfeited my youth, I endangered my health, I missed out on a normal childhood, all so I could travel this country and preach a message of repentance and judgment that was scoffed at and dismissed. No, I'm not uncaring, I'm not callous, love compelled me to do what I did, and continues to compel me to do what I do. It's a little late for sugar coating however, a bit late to break out the honey just because the pill is bitter. We are living the end times, and for those that still doubt it, or don't believe it, I urge you to open your eyes.
For those who reason that these cannot be the end times because you're still here, and the church isn't supposed to be here for those times, wipe the dust off the Holy Book, I beg of you, and read it with an open mind, realizing that we're in it for the long haul.
Alright, I've rambled on enough, plus I have a radio program to do in five minutes or so. As promised, a longer more substantial post later this week. Until then, God bless, and happy thanksgiving.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Complicity Part 2
I was recently asked by more than one person if I would have written the same article if the other political party had won the race for the white house. My answer is an unequivocal yes, because my angst, and my frustration is with the churches, not with the world. If the men that claimed to be the children of God lived as though the were the children of God, the world would be a very different place. Before we can hope to reach the world, we must clean up the churches, we must reinstate the principles and standards that proved necessary in the history of God's house, principles and standards that are plainly outlined in the Word of God.
Knowing that judgment begins in the house of God first and foremost, may we rightly judge ourselves, before we are judged.
Yes, God saw it as an insult, God saw it as His people rejecting Him and not Samuel, but even so, love compelled Him to warn them one last time, to open their eyes to the reality of what a king would mean for them. Perhaps the people didn’t fully understand what it meant to have a king, perhaps they were only duped into seeing the positive aspects of it, and so God spoke to Samuel and said, ‘solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.’
Before I get into all that God informed Israel would happen if they went ahead with their desire and demand to have a king, I need to point something out about change. The people wanted change; that much was obvious from their approach of Samuel. However there is always a price to be paid for wanting a non-specific change. They really didn’t care whether the change would be positive or negative, it was a non-specific linear train of thought that did nothing to incorporate the information they were about to receive from Samuel. Blinded by the need for change, Israel would be either indifferent, or deaf to the warnings of God.
Whether we like to acknowledge this fact or not, change isn’t always positive. Some things change, in fact except for God all things change, but it is for the negative as often as it is for the positive. We get older, thereby hopefully getting wiser, but at the same time our bodies begin to break down at a basic level, the joints start to ache, and the hair starts to gray. Change comes about, but unlike man’s often linear perspective it is a fluid occurrence, not necessarily headed in the same direction in which it started out.
If I thought about it I’m sure I could come up with a better example, but I was in a coffee shop not long ago enjoying a scone and a hot cup of tea (I was just wondering what the English saw in them) when I couldn’t help but overhear a conversation that was taking place at the next table. One of the ladies had just gotten divorced and remarried, and she was pouring her heart out to her friend, that the reality of this new beau didn’t quite match up to the fantasy she had created for herself. Apparently her ex husband had not been abusive, he was a good provider, a loving father, but she had just gotten bored, the relationship had gotten stale, and she needed something new, she needed change. Since ‘til death do us part is something you say simply to get a preacher to marry you nowadays, and not something you really mean, it seems the lady went and filed for divorce, and shortly thereafter met the new man that would replace her old man. It seems the new man, is not as caring, loving, supportive or sensitive as the old man, he likes his liquor a little too much, and has a tendency to use his hands and fists when he’s angry, and not merely to gesticulate. I guess the point I’m trying to make, is that the grass isn’t always greener, that change isn’t always positive, and sometimes man’s desire for something new blinds him to the reality of the information he already possesses.
God might have been disappointed, but He was not bitter. The thing about being created with the freedom to choose, is that more often than we would like to admit, we choose the lesser rather than the greater, the easy rather than the right. God made one last attempt to turn the hearts of the people, He wanted them to have all the information they would need to make their choice, and then He would leave them to the desire of their heart.
I’m sorry to break the news to those who insist upon the idea or sovereign appointment regardless of what the individual does, but the word of God tell us that life and death has been placed before us, blessing and cursing laid out at our feet, and we have the power to choose which avenue we pursue and which path we follow.
It’s easy to breathe a sigh, wave a hand, roll our eyes and say ‘it’s in God’s hands’ but the truth of the matter is that God’s desire is that none perish, that all have everlasting life, yet the population of hell is growing by leaps and abounds. Why? Because we choose whom we serve, we choose who we surrender our hearts to, we choose what path we follow, and in the end suffer the consequences thereof.
The warning of God was solemn, sobering, and severe. I will not go into great detail, because the length of this post keeps getting longer and longer, but if one is so inclined they can find the entire passage in 1 Samuel Chapter 8. Among the highlights of God’s warning to the people of Israel, of what would occur if they chose a king over Him, is the fact that they would be servants, they would give a tenth of their grain and vintage to the king’s officer’s and servants, their sons would be sent to war, and their daughters taken to be servants. The direst warning however, was the consequence they would have to suffer if they rejected God in lieu of a king:
1 Samuel 8:18, “And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.”
The most tragic consequence of rejecting God is not the absence of blessing, or the absence of prosperity over a nation, it is God no longer hearing when the nation calls out to Him. If history has taught us anything it is the fact that leaders, kings, generals and presidents have a tendency to fall woefully short of the people’s expectations. It is inevitable that they disappoint some of their constituency, if not all of it, and perhaps by now we should have learned that promises made on stump speeches, regardless of the political party that regurgitates them, are empty and without substance. If we look to any one man as the savior of a nation, if we put out trust in any one man to legislate morality or to change the moral course of a people, it is inevitable that we will be disappointed and disillusioned.
God’s message to Israel was clear and absent of double speak, duplicity or vagueness. You will eventually open your eyes, all that I have spoken will come to pass, you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you. Even so, Israel simply said, ‘we want a king.’
What remains for a nation that rejects the leadership and guidance of God? We cannot reject the standard of God and live with the expectation of His blessing. We cannot deny the will of God, distance ourselves from Him, and reject His very nature, and still feel entitled to all the benefits of being called a child of God.
Those that rejected God were not the gentiles of old; it was not the Philistines or the Egyptians, it was the people of God. No I do not expect the world to become more moral, to stand up for virtue and righteousness, but I do expect the church, the house of God, those who call themselves His to do it. Morality is not a virtue that must be legislated among the children of God, it is a state of being that comes naturally to them. This nation, and in fact the world is what it is because the children of God today, the churches in large part, just as Israel did some three thousand years ago, rejected God. We found Him stifling, legalistic, intolerant, unwilling to see the bigger picture, unwilling to sign off on money making schemes and the dissemination of false hopes and empty promises. No, if we were to continue embracing God’s vision, we would still be just a handful of folk praying in homes, and reading the Bible, striving to live righteous lives, and keeping ourselves spotless and without wrinkle in anticipation of Christ’s return. If we would have continued seeking first the Kingdom of God, we would still have no political voice, we would still have no influence, the world wouldn’t embrace us like some long lost kin, and our leaders couldn’t boast of their achievements.
We have chosen that much is certain. The only question that remains to be answered, and with the passage of time the answer will become painfully obvious is: Was the tradeoff worth it? Was it worth surrendering intimacy with God for the allure of the mainstream? Was it worth forfeiting God hearing us for the world loving us? Was it worth rejecting God to be accepted by the world? The day will come when this nation will cry out as Israel of old. They will weep and mourn and no answer from heaven will be forthcoming. No matter how heartfelt the pleas, no matter how sincere the tears, He will not hear, and it will not be because God is asleep, it will not be because He is on a sabbatical, it will be because even though we have free will, we must, everyone, suffer the consequences of our choices.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Knowing that judgment begins in the house of God first and foremost, may we rightly judge ourselves, before we are judged.
Yes, God saw it as an insult, God saw it as His people rejecting Him and not Samuel, but even so, love compelled Him to warn them one last time, to open their eyes to the reality of what a king would mean for them. Perhaps the people didn’t fully understand what it meant to have a king, perhaps they were only duped into seeing the positive aspects of it, and so God spoke to Samuel and said, ‘solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.’
Before I get into all that God informed Israel would happen if they went ahead with their desire and demand to have a king, I need to point something out about change. The people wanted change; that much was obvious from their approach of Samuel. However there is always a price to be paid for wanting a non-specific change. They really didn’t care whether the change would be positive or negative, it was a non-specific linear train of thought that did nothing to incorporate the information they were about to receive from Samuel. Blinded by the need for change, Israel would be either indifferent, or deaf to the warnings of God.
Whether we like to acknowledge this fact or not, change isn’t always positive. Some things change, in fact except for God all things change, but it is for the negative as often as it is for the positive. We get older, thereby hopefully getting wiser, but at the same time our bodies begin to break down at a basic level, the joints start to ache, and the hair starts to gray. Change comes about, but unlike man’s often linear perspective it is a fluid occurrence, not necessarily headed in the same direction in which it started out.
If I thought about it I’m sure I could come up with a better example, but I was in a coffee shop not long ago enjoying a scone and a hot cup of tea (I was just wondering what the English saw in them) when I couldn’t help but overhear a conversation that was taking place at the next table. One of the ladies had just gotten divorced and remarried, and she was pouring her heart out to her friend, that the reality of this new beau didn’t quite match up to the fantasy she had created for herself. Apparently her ex husband had not been abusive, he was a good provider, a loving father, but she had just gotten bored, the relationship had gotten stale, and she needed something new, she needed change. Since ‘til death do us part is something you say simply to get a preacher to marry you nowadays, and not something you really mean, it seems the lady went and filed for divorce, and shortly thereafter met the new man that would replace her old man. It seems the new man, is not as caring, loving, supportive or sensitive as the old man, he likes his liquor a little too much, and has a tendency to use his hands and fists when he’s angry, and not merely to gesticulate. I guess the point I’m trying to make, is that the grass isn’t always greener, that change isn’t always positive, and sometimes man’s desire for something new blinds him to the reality of the information he already possesses.
God might have been disappointed, but He was not bitter. The thing about being created with the freedom to choose, is that more often than we would like to admit, we choose the lesser rather than the greater, the easy rather than the right. God made one last attempt to turn the hearts of the people, He wanted them to have all the information they would need to make their choice, and then He would leave them to the desire of their heart.
I’m sorry to break the news to those who insist upon the idea or sovereign appointment regardless of what the individual does, but the word of God tell us that life and death has been placed before us, blessing and cursing laid out at our feet, and we have the power to choose which avenue we pursue and which path we follow.
It’s easy to breathe a sigh, wave a hand, roll our eyes and say ‘it’s in God’s hands’ but the truth of the matter is that God’s desire is that none perish, that all have everlasting life, yet the population of hell is growing by leaps and abounds. Why? Because we choose whom we serve, we choose who we surrender our hearts to, we choose what path we follow, and in the end suffer the consequences thereof.
The warning of God was solemn, sobering, and severe. I will not go into great detail, because the length of this post keeps getting longer and longer, but if one is so inclined they can find the entire passage in 1 Samuel Chapter 8. Among the highlights of God’s warning to the people of Israel, of what would occur if they chose a king over Him, is the fact that they would be servants, they would give a tenth of their grain and vintage to the king’s officer’s and servants, their sons would be sent to war, and their daughters taken to be servants. The direst warning however, was the consequence they would have to suffer if they rejected God in lieu of a king:
1 Samuel 8:18, “And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.”
The most tragic consequence of rejecting God is not the absence of blessing, or the absence of prosperity over a nation, it is God no longer hearing when the nation calls out to Him. If history has taught us anything it is the fact that leaders, kings, generals and presidents have a tendency to fall woefully short of the people’s expectations. It is inevitable that they disappoint some of their constituency, if not all of it, and perhaps by now we should have learned that promises made on stump speeches, regardless of the political party that regurgitates them, are empty and without substance. If we look to any one man as the savior of a nation, if we put out trust in any one man to legislate morality or to change the moral course of a people, it is inevitable that we will be disappointed and disillusioned.
God’s message to Israel was clear and absent of double speak, duplicity or vagueness. You will eventually open your eyes, all that I have spoken will come to pass, you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you. Even so, Israel simply said, ‘we want a king.’
What remains for a nation that rejects the leadership and guidance of God? We cannot reject the standard of God and live with the expectation of His blessing. We cannot deny the will of God, distance ourselves from Him, and reject His very nature, and still feel entitled to all the benefits of being called a child of God.
Those that rejected God were not the gentiles of old; it was not the Philistines or the Egyptians, it was the people of God. No I do not expect the world to become more moral, to stand up for virtue and righteousness, but I do expect the church, the house of God, those who call themselves His to do it. Morality is not a virtue that must be legislated among the children of God, it is a state of being that comes naturally to them. This nation, and in fact the world is what it is because the children of God today, the churches in large part, just as Israel did some three thousand years ago, rejected God. We found Him stifling, legalistic, intolerant, unwilling to see the bigger picture, unwilling to sign off on money making schemes and the dissemination of false hopes and empty promises. No, if we were to continue embracing God’s vision, we would still be just a handful of folk praying in homes, and reading the Bible, striving to live righteous lives, and keeping ourselves spotless and without wrinkle in anticipation of Christ’s return. If we would have continued seeking first the Kingdom of God, we would still have no political voice, we would still have no influence, the world wouldn’t embrace us like some long lost kin, and our leaders couldn’t boast of their achievements.
We have chosen that much is certain. The only question that remains to be answered, and with the passage of time the answer will become painfully obvious is: Was the tradeoff worth it? Was it worth surrendering intimacy with God for the allure of the mainstream? Was it worth forfeiting God hearing us for the world loving us? Was it worth rejecting God to be accepted by the world? The day will come when this nation will cry out as Israel of old. They will weep and mourn and no answer from heaven will be forthcoming. No matter how heartfelt the pleas, no matter how sincere the tears, He will not hear, and it will not be because God is asleep, it will not be because He is on a sabbatical, it will be because even though we have free will, we must, everyone, suffer the consequences of our choices.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Complicity Part 1
The balloons are gone, the confetti has been swept up by the cleaning crews all too glad to earn a little overtime, and the booming monosyllabic chants have dwindled to less than a whisper. It is over, yet it is just beginning. The people have spoken, the world has heard, history has been made, and now the nation must live with its choice. Whatever the future might hold, make no mistake, the American Church is complicit and culpable. Come what may, the Christian Church will have had a hand in it, and we will have to deal with it, accept it, and own up to it for better or worse.
So what caused the exodus? What was it that caused so many self proclaimed Christians feel so disaffected, so marginalized that they felt the need to make a statement, to substitute the reality of the situation for the illusion that was being presented to them? Just as it was in the time of kings, in fact immediately before the time of the first king of Israel, the people have gotten disillusioned with the spiritual leadership of their day.
You see, I believe the American Church, especially the leaders of the American Church must bear the burden more heavily than any other, for long before the first vote was cast, their actions and their choices caused the sheep to count them as nothing more than jesters, farceurs, men of no moral compass, who would align themselves with anyone they thought would profit them in the long term.
The son of King David, the man who was arguably the smartest man to ever live once wrote that there is nothing new under the sun. Although we might think as a nation we’ve done something unprecedented, new, never before seen, and historic, the reality is that upon closer inspection nothing is as original as it appears.
The prophet Samuel was getting old, his strength was fading. Samuel had served the God of Israel faithfully for many a year, he had fulfilled that which God had commanded, but now the time had come to pass the mantle, to make way for the next generation of judges over Israel. Samuel chose his sons, perhaps in hindsight not the most appropriate replacements as judges over Israel, hoping that the apple wouldn’t fall too far from the paternal tree, that they would maintain a standard of righteousness as their father had.
If Samuel’s love for his sons blinded him to what they had become, greedy, immoral men who turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice, the people were all too keen on what was happening. The people were not blinded by love, or a sense of loyalty, they saw the truth, uncomfortable as it might have been, and decided to approach Samuel on the matter.
To parallel the days of old to today is an easy task. We remember fondly the men of God who came before us, those who seem as giants to us even to this day, and wonder even if only in those private times of thought and introspection where such men are today. Gone are the days of a shepherd knowing every one of his sheep by name, gone are the days of pastors dropping in to visit with a parishioner and break bread with him or her, gone are the days of a shepherd being ready to sacrifice of himself for the sake of his sheep. Yes, at least in large part those days are gone. They have however been replaced with bodyguards, bullet proof cars, mansions, vacation homes, a demand for blind loyalty to the man and not to God, and ever larger monolithic temples of indifference where every song, every prayer, every humor filled and anecdotal sermon is geared toward separating the sheep from their wool.
At first it may have been a bit off-putting, all the attention, all the lights, but when they start offering you a mint for some self-esteem drivel you penned one rainy afternoon for lack of something better to do, you just go along with it. What of the people? What of the sheep? Well the sheep should have known better, they should have been a bit more self-sufficient.
The sheep have spoken, and it was a message directed specifically to the leadership of the American Church, but I wonder if the leadership understands it, or even cares anymore. Just as it was in the time of Samuel and his sons, the leaders are not doing their job anymore, they have strayed from the path of truth, they have strayed from righteousness and the word of God, corrupting and being corrupted in such an obvious manner that the people finally said, if you will not be what you pretend to be, what you’re supposed to be, then we want a king.
In our never ending quest to become more like the world, a large majority of the American Church finally realized a simple truth: Why strive to be more like the world, when we can simply be of the world? No matter how good, a forgery is still a forgery. Why not embrace the real thing? It’s what the preachers have been preaching from the pulpits the past couple decades anyway. Why not take that final step? When you strip the word of God of its virtue, when you bury the truth for fear of offense, when for a piece of the political influence pie, you are willing to part with your values and your morals, how much longer before you reject God altogether?
“Make for us a king to judge us like all the nations” the people cried to Samuel, for your sons are corrupt, they pervert justice, and they do not walk before God in the same manner you once did. It mattered not if the king was good, it mattered not if he was noble or godly, righteous or merciful, they just wanted a king. Make for us a king, create him, make the illusion real enough that for a season we will cheer and we will revel.
‘Yes, a king, like all the nations, because anything is better than the hypocrisy we see in your sons Samuel. Anything is better than seeking after the truth and not finding it, going to the house of God and discovering he has been banished. A king, yes, a king that will solve everything.”
I could only imagine the heartbreak Samuel felt, not only at the request of the people, but also at the failure of his sons. I wonder what the past generation, those that have already gone to their reward, would think of the men that have risen to the leadership positions in today’s church. I often wonder at their reaction if they were to hear just one sermon that these men preached on any given Sunday. There are few tragedies more pronounced within the church, than when the Bible becomes nothing more than just another prop piece, when it remains on a pulpit, shiny black leather with gold embossed lettering, unopened, unquoted, dismissed and marginalized. How can Christians be so misled? How can Christians make choices contrary, and in direct opposition to the Word? They have been so far removed from the Word for so long, and they have been so distant from the truth for such an extended period of time that they confuse the desires of their own hearts, and their own imaginings with the voice of God. God will not contradict His word, nor will He encourage you to do something outside the boundaries of the Bible.
Samuel went before the Lord, grieved in his heart that the people wanted a king, and the Lord said the Samuel, ‘heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you but they have rejected Me that I should not reign over them.’
Even though the sons of Samuel did not walk in his ways, even though they had turned aside to dishonest gain, God still saw the fact that the people wanted a king to rule over them, a personal insult, and His people rejecting Him.
Rather than forego the surrogates, rather than forego the straw men who have assigned themselves more power and authority than Biblically allowed, and seek the face of God directly, the people choose to do away with God altogether, to reject Him based on what a handful of wolves in sheep’s clothing have done. Just as the people of Israel rejected God due to the sins of the sons of Samuel, so is a large portion of the American Church rejecting God due to the sins of unscrupulous and unscriptural shepherds.
Israel found an excuse to come out from under God’s laws in the sons of Samuel, just as much of the church found an excuse in the spineless and duplicitous leaders they have chosen to lead them. No more of this unyielding God, no more of this God of standards and immovable steadfastness, now we have a king, a king who understands us, who can be persuaded. We are now become like all the nations we are now become what we always wanted to be, no longer blessed, protected or sheltered of God, no longer bound by the Word, no longer accountable. We wanted a king, and now we have a king, consequences notwithstanding. It matters not what comes tomorrow, if we have a king today.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
So what caused the exodus? What was it that caused so many self proclaimed Christians feel so disaffected, so marginalized that they felt the need to make a statement, to substitute the reality of the situation for the illusion that was being presented to them? Just as it was in the time of kings, in fact immediately before the time of the first king of Israel, the people have gotten disillusioned with the spiritual leadership of their day.
You see, I believe the American Church, especially the leaders of the American Church must bear the burden more heavily than any other, for long before the first vote was cast, their actions and their choices caused the sheep to count them as nothing more than jesters, farceurs, men of no moral compass, who would align themselves with anyone they thought would profit them in the long term.
The son of King David, the man who was arguably the smartest man to ever live once wrote that there is nothing new under the sun. Although we might think as a nation we’ve done something unprecedented, new, never before seen, and historic, the reality is that upon closer inspection nothing is as original as it appears.
The prophet Samuel was getting old, his strength was fading. Samuel had served the God of Israel faithfully for many a year, he had fulfilled that which God had commanded, but now the time had come to pass the mantle, to make way for the next generation of judges over Israel. Samuel chose his sons, perhaps in hindsight not the most appropriate replacements as judges over Israel, hoping that the apple wouldn’t fall too far from the paternal tree, that they would maintain a standard of righteousness as their father had.
If Samuel’s love for his sons blinded him to what they had become, greedy, immoral men who turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice, the people were all too keen on what was happening. The people were not blinded by love, or a sense of loyalty, they saw the truth, uncomfortable as it might have been, and decided to approach Samuel on the matter.
To parallel the days of old to today is an easy task. We remember fondly the men of God who came before us, those who seem as giants to us even to this day, and wonder even if only in those private times of thought and introspection where such men are today. Gone are the days of a shepherd knowing every one of his sheep by name, gone are the days of pastors dropping in to visit with a parishioner and break bread with him or her, gone are the days of a shepherd being ready to sacrifice of himself for the sake of his sheep. Yes, at least in large part those days are gone. They have however been replaced with bodyguards, bullet proof cars, mansions, vacation homes, a demand for blind loyalty to the man and not to God, and ever larger monolithic temples of indifference where every song, every prayer, every humor filled and anecdotal sermon is geared toward separating the sheep from their wool.
At first it may have been a bit off-putting, all the attention, all the lights, but when they start offering you a mint for some self-esteem drivel you penned one rainy afternoon for lack of something better to do, you just go along with it. What of the people? What of the sheep? Well the sheep should have known better, they should have been a bit more self-sufficient.
The sheep have spoken, and it was a message directed specifically to the leadership of the American Church, but I wonder if the leadership understands it, or even cares anymore. Just as it was in the time of Samuel and his sons, the leaders are not doing their job anymore, they have strayed from the path of truth, they have strayed from righteousness and the word of God, corrupting and being corrupted in such an obvious manner that the people finally said, if you will not be what you pretend to be, what you’re supposed to be, then we want a king.
In our never ending quest to become more like the world, a large majority of the American Church finally realized a simple truth: Why strive to be more like the world, when we can simply be of the world? No matter how good, a forgery is still a forgery. Why not embrace the real thing? It’s what the preachers have been preaching from the pulpits the past couple decades anyway. Why not take that final step? When you strip the word of God of its virtue, when you bury the truth for fear of offense, when for a piece of the political influence pie, you are willing to part with your values and your morals, how much longer before you reject God altogether?
“Make for us a king to judge us like all the nations” the people cried to Samuel, for your sons are corrupt, they pervert justice, and they do not walk before God in the same manner you once did. It mattered not if the king was good, it mattered not if he was noble or godly, righteous or merciful, they just wanted a king. Make for us a king, create him, make the illusion real enough that for a season we will cheer and we will revel.
‘Yes, a king, like all the nations, because anything is better than the hypocrisy we see in your sons Samuel. Anything is better than seeking after the truth and not finding it, going to the house of God and discovering he has been banished. A king, yes, a king that will solve everything.”
I could only imagine the heartbreak Samuel felt, not only at the request of the people, but also at the failure of his sons. I wonder what the past generation, those that have already gone to their reward, would think of the men that have risen to the leadership positions in today’s church. I often wonder at their reaction if they were to hear just one sermon that these men preached on any given Sunday. There are few tragedies more pronounced within the church, than when the Bible becomes nothing more than just another prop piece, when it remains on a pulpit, shiny black leather with gold embossed lettering, unopened, unquoted, dismissed and marginalized. How can Christians be so misled? How can Christians make choices contrary, and in direct opposition to the Word? They have been so far removed from the Word for so long, and they have been so distant from the truth for such an extended period of time that they confuse the desires of their own hearts, and their own imaginings with the voice of God. God will not contradict His word, nor will He encourage you to do something outside the boundaries of the Bible.
Samuel went before the Lord, grieved in his heart that the people wanted a king, and the Lord said the Samuel, ‘heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you but they have rejected Me that I should not reign over them.’
Even though the sons of Samuel did not walk in his ways, even though they had turned aside to dishonest gain, God still saw the fact that the people wanted a king to rule over them, a personal insult, and His people rejecting Him.
Rather than forego the surrogates, rather than forego the straw men who have assigned themselves more power and authority than Biblically allowed, and seek the face of God directly, the people choose to do away with God altogether, to reject Him based on what a handful of wolves in sheep’s clothing have done. Just as the people of Israel rejected God due to the sins of the sons of Samuel, so is a large portion of the American Church rejecting God due to the sins of unscrupulous and unscriptural shepherds.
Israel found an excuse to come out from under God’s laws in the sons of Samuel, just as much of the church found an excuse in the spineless and duplicitous leaders they have chosen to lead them. No more of this unyielding God, no more of this God of standards and immovable steadfastness, now we have a king, a king who understands us, who can be persuaded. We are now become like all the nations we are now become what we always wanted to be, no longer blessed, protected or sheltered of God, no longer bound by the Word, no longer accountable. We wanted a king, and now we have a king, consequences notwithstanding. It matters not what comes tomorrow, if we have a king today.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Home At Last
Yes, I am alive and still retaining all my limbs. I got a few e-mails from some of you who had read I was going to be in Mexico warning me about the the violence against preachers and pastors there, but as always the Lord protected and we had an amazing time with the brothers and sisters there. It reminded me of the post revolutionary times in Romania where the hunger for the word was as such that men waited for hours just to hear the word of God being preached. It was a time of refreshing for me, and a time of being re-energized.
It seems allot can change in ten days, and I will be posting an article entitled 'Complicity' sometime this week to let you know how I feel about what is going on in America. Yes, these are interesting times, and as such we must put on the whole armor of God now while daylight still remains.
For those of you who do not know about our mini sermons called 'truth in a nutshell' I urge you to go to www.handofhelp.com click on the October e-newsletter, scroll down, and you will be able to find a few programs that we've already done. Thursday we will be filming again, and we will be posting new programs as early as next Tuesday.
We are still at work, we still labor tirelessly to preach the truth to all who would hear, and as always I thank you for your prayers and your patience. If the article will be done tomorrow, I will post it then, if not Thursday at the latest.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
It seems allot can change in ten days, and I will be posting an article entitled 'Complicity' sometime this week to let you know how I feel about what is going on in America. Yes, these are interesting times, and as such we must put on the whole armor of God now while daylight still remains.
For those of you who do not know about our mini sermons called 'truth in a nutshell' I urge you to go to www.handofhelp.com click on the October e-newsletter, scroll down, and you will be able to find a few programs that we've already done. Thursday we will be filming again, and we will be posting new programs as early as next Tuesday.
We are still at work, we still labor tirelessly to preach the truth to all who would hear, and as always I thank you for your prayers and your patience. If the article will be done tomorrow, I will post it then, if not Thursday at the latest.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Speaking in Houston
Well, after receiving a couple dozen phone calls from the Houston area as to where I will be speaking, a meeting has been put together at
The Living Waters Assemblies of God
622 Commerce Street.
Magnolia Texas 77355 Tel. 832049207812
I had not planned any speaking engagements in the US since we are driving to Mexico from here and having some meetings across the border, but we are here, and the location has been made available.
The meeting will take place Next Friday, November, 7th at 7 p.m.
Hope to see everyone who called and asked there. May God bless you. Today we begin our journey to Monterey Mexico, where we will be holding a few meetings, as well as meetings with area pastors. Looking forward to speaking with a translator. Now I'll finally know what my grandpa had to go through.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
The Living Waters Assemblies of God
622 Commerce Street.
Magnolia Texas 77355 Tel. 832049207812
I had not planned any speaking engagements in the US since we are driving to Mexico from here and having some meetings across the border, but we are here, and the location has been made available.
The meeting will take place Next Friday, November, 7th at 7 p.m.
Hope to see everyone who called and asked there. May God bless you. Today we begin our journey to Monterey Mexico, where we will be holding a few meetings, as well as meetings with area pastors. Looking forward to speaking with a translator. Now I'll finally know what my grandpa had to go through.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
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