James 1:23-24, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”
Before my last trip abroad, I realized I needed to buy some new pants. I try to get as much use out of a pair of pants as I possibly can, but as my wife is fond of saying, ‘when they start to shine from all the use, it’s time to buy a new pair.’
Shopping has never been one of my favorite things. I like most men, don’t really enjoy going through all the isles of hanging attire, I am unconcerned with whether or not the colors complement each other, and as long as I find something in my size, I am more than happy to wear it until the threading starts to come apart.
I had put it off for as long as I could, until finally one afternoon I went to the local department store in search of a new pair of pants. I am not adventurous when it comes to clothing, so I found a pair of black slacks, went into the fitting room, put them on, and then came outside to inspect in the store mirror.
To my pleasant surprise the pants looked fantastic. I turned one way, then the other, beginning to believe the old adage that the clothes make the man. I looked good, better than I remembered myself, and with a smile on my face I went to the cashier and paid for the pair of slacks.
On the drive home I began thinking to myself that I really hadn’t done anything new with my diet, I hadn’t changed anything in my regimen, but it did seem as though I was thinning out around the middle, at least that was what my reflection in the department store mirror was telling me.
I got home and excited told my wife I had finally given in and bought some pants, and they looked really good on me. ‘Go try them on she said’, smiling, I went into the bathroom and put on my new pants. Before reemerging I threw a quick glance at myself in the bathroom mirror and was stunned to see that my reflection was very different than I remembered it at the store.
I hadn’t thinned out after all, and what I had seen in the department store mirror had been nothing more than an optical illusion. I came out of the bathroom in my new slacks, and my wife said, ‘they’re nice, but what’s so special about them?’
‘They looked better on me at the store’, I answered.
‘I guess you looked at yourself in one of the skinny mirrors’, she said smiling. When I inquired what a ‘skinny mirror’ was, she informed me that in some stores there are mirrors that make people’s appearance seem more flattering than it is in reality. A person can go and try on a pair of pants, or a shirt, and looking at him or herself in the mirror sees something more than what is actually there, or in my case, less than what was actually there. Apparently seeing themselves in a whole new light, or seeing themselves different than how they truly look makes people more likely to buy the item of clothing that they are trying on.
Although not criminal, I believe this practice to be shady and manipulative to say the least. What is more disturbing is that this same custom is being practiced by countless preachers and teachers of the Word today. They present a gospel that is not a true gospel, and so by their omission of truth hold up a ‘skinny mirror’ in front of countless souls who looking at their reflection begin to reason with themselves, that they are actually pretty good.
The crowds flock, the applause is plentiful, because people begin to see themselves in a new light, a better light, a more flattering light than ever before due to the words that they are hearing from behind the pulpit. They look at their reflections, and even though they are different than what they remember them to be they reason to themselves that mirrors can’t lie, a mirror always tells the truth, so they must not be remembering correctly.
The danger of this practice, the danger of being presented with a skewed gospel and a ‘skinny mirror’, is that sooner or later you get home, sooner or later you are confronted with your own mirror, one that has not been altered one that was not engineered to reflect something that was not there, and your heart sinks because you realize that you do in fact look like you remembered yourself, and the mirror did in fact lie. The reflection was not your own.
More and more people are beginning to go to the mirror of God’s word today, because even though the reflection they saw was flattering in the mirror that was held up for them at church, something deep within their hearts kept telling them that things were not as they seemed.
The mirror of God’s word does not mask flaws, it does not airbrush wrinkles, and it does not whitewash sin. The mirror of God’s word shows the reflection of our soul as it is, because it is more loving to reveal a necessary truth that may hurt someone’s feelings, than to mask it in order to spare them.
If one were to go to a doctor who would continually tell them that they were in the best of health while in reality the suffered from a terminal yet treatable disease, would anyone in the world consider that doctor loving, kind, or merciful? Then why is it that we praise men who do just that on a daily basis? Why is it that men who do not preach repentance, righteousness, or sanctification are so beloved in this present generation when in reality their actions, their teachings and their willful omission of the truth are leading people to eternal torment?
Yes, some of the blame falls on the hearer, those who no longer endure sound doctrine, those who do according to their own desires, those who have itching ears and turn away from the truth, but this does not mean that we should omit the truth in order to cater to them. Those who feed the sheep are as culpable if not more so for leading the sheep astray, than the sheep who refuse to receive the truth of God’s holy word.
There is a sure remedy for the spiritual ‘skinny mirror’, and that is sincerely, honestly and openly looking into the real mirror of God’s holy Word. It may not be as flattering a reflection as looking into the diluted word of God, but it will be true, and real, and honest. There is still time to fall on our faces before the cross, there is still time to do away with those things that we know hinder our walk and relationship with the Father, but time is running out, and soon we will stand before the eternal King of all that is. Stripped of all the flattering perceptions of ourselves, we will stand before a holy God as we truly are, and the only means by which we will be welcomed into His eternal kingdom is to be found washed and made clean by the blood of His beloved Son Jesus.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Sins of an International Prophet
Jonah 1:1-3, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me. But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.”
Since early youth I have been fascinated with Jonah. Here was a man who had a stable and solid enough relationship with God. A man whom God spoke to, a man whom God trusted enough to commission for what some today might seem an international ministry, yet a man who refused to go where he was sent.
In my younger days, long before going into ministry, or even coming to America, I would reason to myself that if God ever told me to go and do something as important as what he asked Jonah, I would not hesitate. I would be on the first plane to wherever He sent me, and with boldness and courage cry out against the city warning them of God’s impending judgment. I often smile at the thoughts and reasoning I used to have as a child, but I digress.
If anything the story of Jonah should serve as a cautionary tale to everyone who has ever received a calling on their lives, who has been called into ministry, or commissioned to be a defender of truth. Since we are all ambassadors of Christ on this earth, the story of Jonah should serve as a cautionary tale for us all.
So what were the sins of Jonah, this prophet commissioned and sent out by God? The first and most obvious sin that Jonah was guilty of, was the sin of disobedience. God’s instruction was a simple one: ‘arise, go to Nineveh, and cry out against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.’ Rather than submitting to the plan and the will of God, Jonah decided to run. In order to realize just how absurd and illogical Jonah’s decision to run really was, we must see his choice in the context of fact that there is no place on this earth, above the earth, or beneath the earth wherein one can hide from the presence of God.
Psalm 139:7-10, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.”
I’ve often considered what could have been going through Jonah’s mind, to think that he can outrun God, or to believe that if he got far enough away God would not see him. Upon further introspection however, I’ve come to the realization that we all have times when we resist the commands of God, the callings of God, and the commissions of God on our lives, and if we don’t try to outright run away from Him, we try to reason our way out of them. Like Moses of so long ago, we try to convince God of why we are not the right people for the job, why He could find someone better, smarter, more talented, and with a fuller head of hair. The older servants reason that they are too old to go and do the works of God, the younger ones reason that they are too young, and the work is left undone.
I am amazed and humbled at how many times I’ve considered fleeing to my own Tarshish, and how appealing that vessel that would take me away from my responsibility has gotten sometimes. Each time however, I would ask myself a series of questions: where can you go that God won’t find you? Can you endure all that God can allow to bring you back to the place where you ought to have been in the first place? Are you willing to pay the price for disobedience?
Jonah’s second sin was diminishing the power and ability of God by his very actions. For some unexplained reason, Jonah believed that God saw him, knew him, and was able to punish him only in His country. Twice in just one verse Jonah made his intention very clear, he desired to flee from the presence of the Lord. Jonah doubted God’s omnipotence, thinking to himself that if only he could get far enough away quickly enough, he could stay one step ahead of God.
Jonah’s third sin was absence of love. By his actions he proved that he did not care what happened to Nineveh or its inhabitants, their souls mattered not to him, and he could not be inconvenienced to travel to Nineveh and proclaim the message of God. Sometimes even the most faithful of servants are guilty of this selfsame sin, wherein they cannot be bothered to speak to someone about Jesus because they have more important things to do. There is nothing more important in this life, than helping to pluck one who was mired in darkness from the shackles of sin, and bring them into the light of God’s truth and righteousness.
Jonah’s fourth sin was his anger. Throughout the last chapter of the book of Jonah, God is dealing with Jonah’s anger, attempting to open his eyes to how baseless said anger truly was. Yes, God withheld his judgment for a season, He did not destroy Nineveh at the end of the forty days as Jonah had proclaimed because the city had repented in sackcloth and ash, they had turned from their evil way, but Jonah was not interested in hearing God’s reasons for not sending destruction. He was angry, and he didn’t care who knew it. In His limitless love, God simply asks Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Jonah’s fifth sin was that he desired to die. So distraught was Jonah over Nineveh not being destroyed, that he wished death for himself and said, ‘it is better for me to die than to live.’ How quickly we forget that life is a precious gift, how quickly we forget that death is the penalty for sin, how quickly we forget our lives are in God’s hands and none can add a day to their existence no matter how hard they might try. So many times, in so many ways Jonah overreacted, disobeyed, and sinned, yet God in His abundant grace was merciful with him. God reasoned with Jonah as a father would reason with an ignorant offspring, showing him the error of his ways, the sins he had committed, and continually reemphasizing the eternal truth that His ways are not man’s ways, and His thoughts are not man’s thoughts.
May we be wise, and learn from Jonah’s mistakes and shortcomings, and having learned from them not follow in his footsteps. When God speaks, listen; when God commands, obey; when God sends you, go.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Since early youth I have been fascinated with Jonah. Here was a man who had a stable and solid enough relationship with God. A man whom God spoke to, a man whom God trusted enough to commission for what some today might seem an international ministry, yet a man who refused to go where he was sent.
In my younger days, long before going into ministry, or even coming to America, I would reason to myself that if God ever told me to go and do something as important as what he asked Jonah, I would not hesitate. I would be on the first plane to wherever He sent me, and with boldness and courage cry out against the city warning them of God’s impending judgment. I often smile at the thoughts and reasoning I used to have as a child, but I digress.
If anything the story of Jonah should serve as a cautionary tale to everyone who has ever received a calling on their lives, who has been called into ministry, or commissioned to be a defender of truth. Since we are all ambassadors of Christ on this earth, the story of Jonah should serve as a cautionary tale for us all.
So what were the sins of Jonah, this prophet commissioned and sent out by God? The first and most obvious sin that Jonah was guilty of, was the sin of disobedience. God’s instruction was a simple one: ‘arise, go to Nineveh, and cry out against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.’ Rather than submitting to the plan and the will of God, Jonah decided to run. In order to realize just how absurd and illogical Jonah’s decision to run really was, we must see his choice in the context of fact that there is no place on this earth, above the earth, or beneath the earth wherein one can hide from the presence of God.
Psalm 139:7-10, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.”
I’ve often considered what could have been going through Jonah’s mind, to think that he can outrun God, or to believe that if he got far enough away God would not see him. Upon further introspection however, I’ve come to the realization that we all have times when we resist the commands of God, the callings of God, and the commissions of God on our lives, and if we don’t try to outright run away from Him, we try to reason our way out of them. Like Moses of so long ago, we try to convince God of why we are not the right people for the job, why He could find someone better, smarter, more talented, and with a fuller head of hair. The older servants reason that they are too old to go and do the works of God, the younger ones reason that they are too young, and the work is left undone.
I am amazed and humbled at how many times I’ve considered fleeing to my own Tarshish, and how appealing that vessel that would take me away from my responsibility has gotten sometimes. Each time however, I would ask myself a series of questions: where can you go that God won’t find you? Can you endure all that God can allow to bring you back to the place where you ought to have been in the first place? Are you willing to pay the price for disobedience?
Jonah’s second sin was diminishing the power and ability of God by his very actions. For some unexplained reason, Jonah believed that God saw him, knew him, and was able to punish him only in His country. Twice in just one verse Jonah made his intention very clear, he desired to flee from the presence of the Lord. Jonah doubted God’s omnipotence, thinking to himself that if only he could get far enough away quickly enough, he could stay one step ahead of God.
Jonah’s third sin was absence of love. By his actions he proved that he did not care what happened to Nineveh or its inhabitants, their souls mattered not to him, and he could not be inconvenienced to travel to Nineveh and proclaim the message of God. Sometimes even the most faithful of servants are guilty of this selfsame sin, wherein they cannot be bothered to speak to someone about Jesus because they have more important things to do. There is nothing more important in this life, than helping to pluck one who was mired in darkness from the shackles of sin, and bring them into the light of God’s truth and righteousness.
Jonah’s fourth sin was his anger. Throughout the last chapter of the book of Jonah, God is dealing with Jonah’s anger, attempting to open his eyes to how baseless said anger truly was. Yes, God withheld his judgment for a season, He did not destroy Nineveh at the end of the forty days as Jonah had proclaimed because the city had repented in sackcloth and ash, they had turned from their evil way, but Jonah was not interested in hearing God’s reasons for not sending destruction. He was angry, and he didn’t care who knew it. In His limitless love, God simply asks Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Jonah’s fifth sin was that he desired to die. So distraught was Jonah over Nineveh not being destroyed, that he wished death for himself and said, ‘it is better for me to die than to live.’ How quickly we forget that life is a precious gift, how quickly we forget that death is the penalty for sin, how quickly we forget our lives are in God’s hands and none can add a day to their existence no matter how hard they might try. So many times, in so many ways Jonah overreacted, disobeyed, and sinned, yet God in His abundant grace was merciful with him. God reasoned with Jonah as a father would reason with an ignorant offspring, showing him the error of his ways, the sins he had committed, and continually reemphasizing the eternal truth that His ways are not man’s ways, and His thoughts are not man’s thoughts.
May we be wise, and learn from Jonah’s mistakes and shortcomings, and having learned from them not follow in his footsteps. When God speaks, listen; when God commands, obey; when God sends you, go.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The Difference
Psalm 91:2, "I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."
One of the many graces of being a child of God, redeemed and sanctified by the blood of Christ is the ability of seeing the world in a different light than the rest of humanity. What the world sees as a means of security, and something they could readily place their trust in, the children of God see as futile and vain, temporal and passing, deceptively constant until as suddenly as a thunderbolt it disappears into the ether, becoming so much ash and mist.
As far as I am concerned, one of the most sinister and tragic attacks upon the hearts and minds of God’s children, is the doctrine of mirroring the world in that we ought to trust in what the world trusts, respect what the world respects, and desire what the world desires. There is no surer way of finding oneself alone, helpless, and hopeless than attempting to serve God while mirroring the nature of the world. In attempting to retain the mindset of the world while attempting to serve God, one becomes an outcast of both societies, not being wholly given over to the world, but by the same token not being wholly given over to God either.
If we are to persevere and overcome, if we are to be lights in the midst of the darkness, then we must reacquaint ourselves with the notion of being in the world, but separate from it, walking in the midst of a godless generation, yet filled to overflowing with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
What has been keeping me up nights as of late is the thought of countless souls who not only took the bait, but swallowed the hook when it came to desiring the things of this present life, and the material excesses of this present world. Rather than keeping their trust, and their faith firmly planted in the omnipotent God whom they purport to serve, they have put all of their trust in the selfsame things they are being stripped of daily.
When one’s trust is not in God, and in God’s ability to provide and to keep, every dip in the stock market, every negative news item, every dreary projection of the future that is upon us, is like a merciless blow to the heart. Some have no time to catch their breath as their safety blankets are ripped from beneath them one after another in such quick succession that they feel as though the world is coming down around them.
In the midst of all the turmoil, we see the wisdom of God rise to the surface again. In the midst of all the trials and the hardships that are plaguing not only this nation, but the world as a whole, we see the indisputable and undeniable wisdom of not trusting in the arm of the flesh, and of not trusting in possessions.
Long ago, the city of Samaria was under siege. The king of Syria, at the time King Hadad, had gathered all his army and besieged Samaria for a very lengthy period of time. Things got bad. Things got really bad. At the height of the famine, a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, about a cup and a quarter of dove droppings for five shekels of silver. Things got worse still, but how bad it got is not the point of this post.
Just as a means of comparison, we must keep in mind that some fifteen hundred years later, Judas sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. So for almost two and a half times what Judas got for betraying Christ, you could buy a donkey’s had in ancient Samaria at the height of the famine. We’re not talking a donkey porterhouse, or a nice donkey rump roast, but a donkey head.
One day at the height of the famine, the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, and a woman cried out to him saying, “Help, my lord, O King!”
And the king answered, “If the Lord does not help you where can I find help for you?”
So what’s my point? Well, my point is as simple as it is profound. When times get tough, I mean really tough, unimaginably tough, neither gold nor silver, nor kings, nor princes will be able to lend a helping hand, ease the pain, or fill an empty stomach.
Only One is able to keep us, to protect us, to shelter us, and to provide for us in the midst of hardship, and that is God. If the Lord does not help us where can we find help?
If I’ve learned anything in over twenty years of ministry is that placing one trust in God is never futile. God always provides, God always comes through, even if He must perform a miracle in order to do so.
The difference between the children of God and the world is that the children of God have a hope in their Father; the children of God know that the Lord will help them.
It would be so easy to allow fear for tomorrow to worm its way into our hearts, it would be so easy to begin to doubt, it would be so easy to adopt the mindset of the world and believe if only we amass enough, if only we store up enough, if only there’s enough money in the savings account we will weather the storm. The truth is that food spoils, money becomes worthless, but God remains ever faithful in perpetuity. Trust in God and your trust will not be misplaced. Trust in God and you will see His provision and protection.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
One of the many graces of being a child of God, redeemed and sanctified by the blood of Christ is the ability of seeing the world in a different light than the rest of humanity. What the world sees as a means of security, and something they could readily place their trust in, the children of God see as futile and vain, temporal and passing, deceptively constant until as suddenly as a thunderbolt it disappears into the ether, becoming so much ash and mist.
As far as I am concerned, one of the most sinister and tragic attacks upon the hearts and minds of God’s children, is the doctrine of mirroring the world in that we ought to trust in what the world trusts, respect what the world respects, and desire what the world desires. There is no surer way of finding oneself alone, helpless, and hopeless than attempting to serve God while mirroring the nature of the world. In attempting to retain the mindset of the world while attempting to serve God, one becomes an outcast of both societies, not being wholly given over to the world, but by the same token not being wholly given over to God either.
If we are to persevere and overcome, if we are to be lights in the midst of the darkness, then we must reacquaint ourselves with the notion of being in the world, but separate from it, walking in the midst of a godless generation, yet filled to overflowing with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
What has been keeping me up nights as of late is the thought of countless souls who not only took the bait, but swallowed the hook when it came to desiring the things of this present life, and the material excesses of this present world. Rather than keeping their trust, and their faith firmly planted in the omnipotent God whom they purport to serve, they have put all of their trust in the selfsame things they are being stripped of daily.
When one’s trust is not in God, and in God’s ability to provide and to keep, every dip in the stock market, every negative news item, every dreary projection of the future that is upon us, is like a merciless blow to the heart. Some have no time to catch their breath as their safety blankets are ripped from beneath them one after another in such quick succession that they feel as though the world is coming down around them.
In the midst of all the turmoil, we see the wisdom of God rise to the surface again. In the midst of all the trials and the hardships that are plaguing not only this nation, but the world as a whole, we see the indisputable and undeniable wisdom of not trusting in the arm of the flesh, and of not trusting in possessions.
Long ago, the city of Samaria was under siege. The king of Syria, at the time King Hadad, had gathered all his army and besieged Samaria for a very lengthy period of time. Things got bad. Things got really bad. At the height of the famine, a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, about a cup and a quarter of dove droppings for five shekels of silver. Things got worse still, but how bad it got is not the point of this post.
Just as a means of comparison, we must keep in mind that some fifteen hundred years later, Judas sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. So for almost two and a half times what Judas got for betraying Christ, you could buy a donkey’s had in ancient Samaria at the height of the famine. We’re not talking a donkey porterhouse, or a nice donkey rump roast, but a donkey head.
One day at the height of the famine, the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, and a woman cried out to him saying, “Help, my lord, O King!”
And the king answered, “If the Lord does not help you where can I find help for you?”
So what’s my point? Well, my point is as simple as it is profound. When times get tough, I mean really tough, unimaginably tough, neither gold nor silver, nor kings, nor princes will be able to lend a helping hand, ease the pain, or fill an empty stomach.
Only One is able to keep us, to protect us, to shelter us, and to provide for us in the midst of hardship, and that is God. If the Lord does not help us where can we find help?
If I’ve learned anything in over twenty years of ministry is that placing one trust in God is never futile. God always provides, God always comes through, even if He must perform a miracle in order to do so.
The difference between the children of God and the world is that the children of God have a hope in their Father; the children of God know that the Lord will help them.
It would be so easy to allow fear for tomorrow to worm its way into our hearts, it would be so easy to begin to doubt, it would be so easy to adopt the mindset of the world and believe if only we amass enough, if only we store up enough, if only there’s enough money in the savings account we will weather the storm. The truth is that food spoils, money becomes worthless, but God remains ever faithful in perpetuity. Trust in God and your trust will not be misplaced. Trust in God and you will see His provision and protection.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
A Scripture
I was in prayer this morning when the Lord led me to the following scripture. I believe it is a perfect representation of what is happening, and will soon happen as pertains to men putting their trust in men, and our lack of repentance as a nation before an omnipotent and omniscient God.
Isaiah 31:1-3, "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord! Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, and will not call back His words, but will arise against the house of evildoers, and against the help of those who work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, both he who helps will fall, and he who is helped will fall down; They all will perish together."
The one aspect of this passage that struck me is the beginning of the second verse which says, 'yet He (meaning God) also is wise.' We see that with each passing day we are leaning more heavily on those among us who we consider educated and wise men to get this nation out of the mess it has gotten itself in. The intelligence of certain individuals notwithstanding, God is also wise, and as long as we will not bend our knees in humility, as long as we will not repent in sackcloth and ash, no matter how wise men think themselves to be, they will ultimately fail in their endeavors.
We continue to trust in things. We continue to trust in systems, and fail safes that have supposedly been built into the financial markets, and the governing system, we rely on individuals hoping against hope that they know what they are doing, all the while refusing to seek the Lord or look to the Holy One of Israel. Our impertinence and haughtiness, our pride and self assurance our outright arrogance as a nation will continue to be brought low.
I know it is disheartening, I realize it is troubling, I feel for those who in spite of everything that is happening in this nation cling to patriotism, but lest patriotism become our surrogate god, lest we love a country more than Jesus, we must face the reality of what is taking place, and settle in our hearts that our citizenship is not of this earth, that we are citizens of heaven and Christ is our King.
As one of the new leaders of this nation so aptly put it some time ago, 'we can do everything right, and still get it wrong, still end up with an undesired result.' How true those words, especially when the one thing that we should be doing, namely seeking the Lord, is not even on the list. We can do everything right, and still get it wrong, and if we choose to turn away from God, getting it wrong will not be merely a possibility, but a certainty.
Thank you all for your well wishes, oddly enough I don't feel older.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Isaiah 31:1-3, "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord! Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, and will not call back His words, but will arise against the house of evildoers, and against the help of those who work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, both he who helps will fall, and he who is helped will fall down; They all will perish together."
The one aspect of this passage that struck me is the beginning of the second verse which says, 'yet He (meaning God) also is wise.' We see that with each passing day we are leaning more heavily on those among us who we consider educated and wise men to get this nation out of the mess it has gotten itself in. The intelligence of certain individuals notwithstanding, God is also wise, and as long as we will not bend our knees in humility, as long as we will not repent in sackcloth and ash, no matter how wise men think themselves to be, they will ultimately fail in their endeavors.
We continue to trust in things. We continue to trust in systems, and fail safes that have supposedly been built into the financial markets, and the governing system, we rely on individuals hoping against hope that they know what they are doing, all the while refusing to seek the Lord or look to the Holy One of Israel. Our impertinence and haughtiness, our pride and self assurance our outright arrogance as a nation will continue to be brought low.
I know it is disheartening, I realize it is troubling, I feel for those who in spite of everything that is happening in this nation cling to patriotism, but lest patriotism become our surrogate god, lest we love a country more than Jesus, we must face the reality of what is taking place, and settle in our hearts that our citizenship is not of this earth, that we are citizens of heaven and Christ is our King.
As one of the new leaders of this nation so aptly put it some time ago, 'we can do everything right, and still get it wrong, still end up with an undesired result.' How true those words, especially when the one thing that we should be doing, namely seeking the Lord, is not even on the list. We can do everything right, and still get it wrong, and if we choose to turn away from God, getting it wrong will not be merely a possibility, but a certainty.
Thank you all for your well wishes, oddly enough I don't feel older.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Monday, March 16, 2009
On The Prophetic Front
I just saw a piece of news that is interesting not only on its own, but given the prophetic context of the times it only grows in relevance. Apparently Russia is seriously considering using Venezuela and Cuba as bases for their strategic bombers. Predictable as it might have been the reaction of the Defense Department was to make light of this new information, and even mock it. It's like playing chess with a checkers player.
The new teaching on Revelation is up on the hand of help website, the first of two parts concerning the church of brotherly love, or Philadelphia as it is refereed to in the Scriptures.
Next week we are beginning a new work as a ministry, something that takes us out of our comfort zone, but was dictated by God nonetheless. Please keep this new work in your prayers. More details to follow.
Oh yeah, I'm going to be one year older tomorrow. Didn't need to remember the date, notice it in the gray hairs that are sprouting up everywhere. Thank you all for your patience, your prayers, and your encouragements.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
The new teaching on Revelation is up on the hand of help website, the first of two parts concerning the church of brotherly love, or Philadelphia as it is refereed to in the Scriptures.
Next week we are beginning a new work as a ministry, something that takes us out of our comfort zone, but was dictated by God nonetheless. Please keep this new work in your prayers. More details to follow.
Oh yeah, I'm going to be one year older tomorrow. Didn't need to remember the date, notice it in the gray hairs that are sprouting up everywhere. Thank you all for your patience, your prayers, and your encouragements.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The Modern Church Paradox
First, thank you to all who forwarded me brother David Wilkerson's latest warning. I only posted a few of them, but I assure you I've received them all.
Second, please pray for sister Deanna as she is going through an unimaginable trial. (I did not post your comment Deanna since it contained some sensitive information.) As far as your question concerning Judas is concerned, I do not know. God is God, and He will do as He wills. I do not hold the keys of heaven, and so cannot make such decisions. Please know that you are in my prayers.
This post was originally much longer, but it was just me venting, so I abbreviated it it as much as I could:
Imagine if you will, feeling unwell and going to your doctor who promptly offers you a haircut. Imagine if you will, being hungry and walking into a restaurant only to find that they served no food, but rather only sold doorknobs. Would you ever go back to that doctor or that restaurant?
How is it that the church today is advertising Christ by its very existence, but only offering entertainment, workshops on financial planning, or lessons on self-esteem? Can the church, as we know it today survive? Should it survive?
One can only go to a certain place for a certain thing so many times and leave empty handed before he or she is disillusioned, distraught, and in frustration throws their hands up in defeat. When will we realize that what has become of the modern day church is a mockery, not even a shadow of what it ought to be? When will we realize that God will call us to account for our wasted potential, for our skirting of responsibility, for the absence of accountability, and our callous willingness to merely watch countless souls marching toward eternal perdition?
Last week my wife sent me to the store to get some chicken breast. I decided to drive the extra couple miles and shop at the local super bulk warehouse where you can get a twenty-pound can of corn, or a thirty-pound bag of pinto beans. I began walking down the endless isles, pushing a squeaky cart, and started seeing a lot of items I never knew I needed. The first thing to draw my attention was an oddly inviting pair of mustard colored overalls, quickly followed by an industrial paper shredder, something called a Magic Bullet, and the list goes on. I didn’t buy everything I listed above, but I am embarrassed to admit I am now the not so proud owner of a brand spanking new pair of mustard colored overalls.
It took me a little longer than I anticipated to finish my shopping, and as I arrived home with two bags of stuff I didn’t know I needed, and quite honestly didn’t really need, at least in hindsight, my wife simply asks, ‘where’s my chicken?’
You guessed it; looking through the warehouse full of stuff I forgot the reason I was there in the first place. I forgot to buy the chicken.
I relay the preceding story to make a point. Many people today go to church, they sit through the service, the hear the choir sing and the pastor preach, and only when they are alone, away from the excitement of it all do they begin to realize that they are missing something. More and more people today are beginning to ask the question, ‘where’s Jesus?’ It was Jesus I was going to church for, it was Jesus I wanted to meet, to know, to fellowship with and to build a relationship with, but here I am two hours later, with a head full of stuff I didn’t really need, and lacking the one thing that I can’t do without.
I say the following as frankly and forthrightly as I am able, already knowing that some will perceive it wrongfully, and accuse me of being unloving, unmerciful, unkind and ungracious. If the church does not get back on message, if the church does not return to it’s foundation which is Christ and Christ alone, it will not only fall apart from within, but will have no one to blame but itself for not having the strength and boldness to stand for truth when it will count. We are not merely asleep, we are dying, every strength every spark of life leeching out of us with every compromise, with every deviance from the truth, and with every omission of the name Jesus for fear of offending those hearing. Not only will we suffer the fury of the godless in this nation, but we will suffer the wrath and judgment of God, for judgment begins in His house, and with His children first and foremost.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Second, please pray for sister Deanna as she is going through an unimaginable trial. (I did not post your comment Deanna since it contained some sensitive information.) As far as your question concerning Judas is concerned, I do not know. God is God, and He will do as He wills. I do not hold the keys of heaven, and so cannot make such decisions. Please know that you are in my prayers.
This post was originally much longer, but it was just me venting, so I abbreviated it it as much as I could:
Imagine if you will, feeling unwell and going to your doctor who promptly offers you a haircut. Imagine if you will, being hungry and walking into a restaurant only to find that they served no food, but rather only sold doorknobs. Would you ever go back to that doctor or that restaurant?
How is it that the church today is advertising Christ by its very existence, but only offering entertainment, workshops on financial planning, or lessons on self-esteem? Can the church, as we know it today survive? Should it survive?
One can only go to a certain place for a certain thing so many times and leave empty handed before he or she is disillusioned, distraught, and in frustration throws their hands up in defeat. When will we realize that what has become of the modern day church is a mockery, not even a shadow of what it ought to be? When will we realize that God will call us to account for our wasted potential, for our skirting of responsibility, for the absence of accountability, and our callous willingness to merely watch countless souls marching toward eternal perdition?
Last week my wife sent me to the store to get some chicken breast. I decided to drive the extra couple miles and shop at the local super bulk warehouse where you can get a twenty-pound can of corn, or a thirty-pound bag of pinto beans. I began walking down the endless isles, pushing a squeaky cart, and started seeing a lot of items I never knew I needed. The first thing to draw my attention was an oddly inviting pair of mustard colored overalls, quickly followed by an industrial paper shredder, something called a Magic Bullet, and the list goes on. I didn’t buy everything I listed above, but I am embarrassed to admit I am now the not so proud owner of a brand spanking new pair of mustard colored overalls.
It took me a little longer than I anticipated to finish my shopping, and as I arrived home with two bags of stuff I didn’t know I needed, and quite honestly didn’t really need, at least in hindsight, my wife simply asks, ‘where’s my chicken?’
You guessed it; looking through the warehouse full of stuff I forgot the reason I was there in the first place. I forgot to buy the chicken.
I relay the preceding story to make a point. Many people today go to church, they sit through the service, the hear the choir sing and the pastor preach, and only when they are alone, away from the excitement of it all do they begin to realize that they are missing something. More and more people today are beginning to ask the question, ‘where’s Jesus?’ It was Jesus I was going to church for, it was Jesus I wanted to meet, to know, to fellowship with and to build a relationship with, but here I am two hours later, with a head full of stuff I didn’t really need, and lacking the one thing that I can’t do without.
I say the following as frankly and forthrightly as I am able, already knowing that some will perceive it wrongfully, and accuse me of being unloving, unmerciful, unkind and ungracious. If the church does not get back on message, if the church does not return to it’s foundation which is Christ and Christ alone, it will not only fall apart from within, but will have no one to blame but itself for not having the strength and boldness to stand for truth when it will count. We are not merely asleep, we are dying, every strength every spark of life leeching out of us with every compromise, with every deviance from the truth, and with every omission of the name Jesus for fear of offending those hearing. Not only will we suffer the fury of the godless in this nation, but we will suffer the wrath and judgment of God, for judgment begins in His house, and with His children first and foremost.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Friday, March 6, 2009
A Dwindling Hope
I must admit, and even confess I possessed a hopeful optimism some fifteen months ago. Seeing the utter collapse and destruction of the prosperity doctrine, long before it rolled upon America's shores, I hoped that preachers, evangelists, and pastors would finally turn to the one truth that matters, and begin preaching Jesus with fervor and conviction. I reasoned in my heart that other than the stumbling block of preaching prosperity, and the widow of Zarapeth every other sermon, there was nothing keeping what some have labeled the most luminary theological minds of our time from returning to the foundation of the faith, to the nexus of Christianity, and focusing in Him, preaching Him, and encouraging their followers to be more like Him.
My hope dear friends is dwindling. It seems that if you can't preach prosperity in American anymore, the next best thing is preaching sex. Like so many lemmings following each other off the cliff, it seems that most churches in America today have discovered a new replacement doctrine for what was the doctrine of prosperity. Yes, it seems the most relevant and important topic of the day, is not rigtheousness or holiness unto God, it is not being reconciled unto the Father, it is not Christ the way, Christ the truth, and Christ the life, but intimacy in the bedroom.
Never mind the fact that God is under siege in this country, never mind the fact that the darkness continues to encroach upon the light unhindered, never mind the fact that now is the opportune time to present Christ to those who are on the brink of despair and hopelessness. First things first, yep, reigniting the flames of passion in the bedroom.
How could we not be called to account for our foolishness? How could we not be called to account for squandering the opportunity to sow the seed of God's word into people's hearts? How could we not be called to account for dismissing and marginalizing Christ in what is to be His temple?
If some of you think it's bad now, as the old saying goes, you haven't seen anything yet.
A friend e-mailed me the other day, and said, 'I'm starting to see why you were so anxious to move back to Romania.' My response to him was succinct and to the point, 'not yet my friend, you haven't seen it yet.'
It seems the 'alarmists' and the 'doom and gloomers' really weren't that off the mark after all, and this is just the drizzle before the storm, the foreshadowing of what is to come.
I do not write these lines to cause fear in any one's heart, but to make you aware of the season you are living in, and as always beseech you to put your hope and trust in He who is able to protect, provide and comfort.
As a nation we are quickening our pace away from God, wanting nothing do with His nature or His will, but still desiring the abundance of His blessing. We trust in our own wisdom, intelligence, and savvy, all the while denying the fact that if God's hand of blessing is removed, nothing we do as individuals will alter the outcome. There is only one hope, and that is true repentance, true brokenness before God, humbly coming to the foot of the cross, and surrendering our all. Will we as a nation do this? I think you already know the answer to that.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Postscript: Yesterday I took my little brother Daniel to the airport, as he is returning to Romania. All the guests are gone, and I will have more time to post more often.
My hope dear friends is dwindling. It seems that if you can't preach prosperity in American anymore, the next best thing is preaching sex. Like so many lemmings following each other off the cliff, it seems that most churches in America today have discovered a new replacement doctrine for what was the doctrine of prosperity. Yes, it seems the most relevant and important topic of the day, is not rigtheousness or holiness unto God, it is not being reconciled unto the Father, it is not Christ the way, Christ the truth, and Christ the life, but intimacy in the bedroom.
Never mind the fact that God is under siege in this country, never mind the fact that the darkness continues to encroach upon the light unhindered, never mind the fact that now is the opportune time to present Christ to those who are on the brink of despair and hopelessness. First things first, yep, reigniting the flames of passion in the bedroom.
How could we not be called to account for our foolishness? How could we not be called to account for squandering the opportunity to sow the seed of God's word into people's hearts? How could we not be called to account for dismissing and marginalizing Christ in what is to be His temple?
If some of you think it's bad now, as the old saying goes, you haven't seen anything yet.
A friend e-mailed me the other day, and said, 'I'm starting to see why you were so anxious to move back to Romania.' My response to him was succinct and to the point, 'not yet my friend, you haven't seen it yet.'
It seems the 'alarmists' and the 'doom and gloomers' really weren't that off the mark after all, and this is just the drizzle before the storm, the foreshadowing of what is to come.
I do not write these lines to cause fear in any one's heart, but to make you aware of the season you are living in, and as always beseech you to put your hope and trust in He who is able to protect, provide and comfort.
As a nation we are quickening our pace away from God, wanting nothing do with His nature or His will, but still desiring the abundance of His blessing. We trust in our own wisdom, intelligence, and savvy, all the while denying the fact that if God's hand of blessing is removed, nothing we do as individuals will alter the outcome. There is only one hope, and that is true repentance, true brokenness before God, humbly coming to the foot of the cross, and surrendering our all. Will we as a nation do this? I think you already know the answer to that.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Postscript: Yesterday I took my little brother Daniel to the airport, as he is returning to Romania. All the guests are gone, and I will have more time to post more often.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
A Timely Quote
I was leafing through one of my old notebooks this morning, as my wife has asked me repeatedly to move some of them either to the hand of help office, or to the garage on numerous occasions, and I happened upon a timely quote from a man named Matthew Mead. I've mentioned this before, but ever since I was young enough to write, I've been keeping notebooks of notable quotables as it were, from books, magazines, sermons, and anything I came across that captured my attention. I don't know when I wrote this down, the notebook is yellowed with age, and I assume it has been at least a decade, but the writing is more timely than ever before, and it should serve to realign us with our true purpose and goal as we journey toward our eternal home.
'The pursuit of worldly things is unnecessary. Silver and gold are not necessary. We may be happy without them. The pursuit of worldly things is unsubstantial. The things of this world are more shadow than substance. Pleasure, honor and profit comprise all things in this world, and therefore are the carnal man's trinity!
'For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.'
What is pleasure but a dream and cheat? What is honor but opinion? What is profit but a bubble?
The things of this world have no substance in them, though foolish carnal men call them substance. The pursuit of worldly tings is unsafe. The gain of worldly things is always with difficulty but seldom with safety. The soul is often hazarded in the over eager pursuit of worldly things.
Myriads pawn, and lose, and damn their precious souls eternally, for a little silver and gold, which are but the dross and garbage of the earth!
The pursuit of worldly things is uncertain. Men make great ventures for the world, but it is all uncertain. They sow much, yet reap nothing. As the things of the world are uncertain in the getting, they are uncertain in the keeping.
If men do not undo us, moths may. If robbery does not undo us, rust may. If rust does not undo us, fire may. All earthly treasures may succumb to fire.
Solomon paints the world as with wings: 'Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
How uncertain are all worldly things! The pursuit of worldly things is perishing. All this world's goods are passing away. Perishing pleasures, perishing honors, perishing comforts, perishing profits.
What pains do children take to scrape and roll the snow together to make a snowman. But soon after it is done, the heat of the sun dissolves it, and comes to nothing.
The greatest treasures of worldly people are but snowmen! When death and judgment come, they melt away, and come to nothing!'
If ever there was a time to draw closer to Christ, and cling to the truth of the Word dear friends, at least in our generation, I cannot think of it. Everything that we place our trust in, that is not Christ, will fail us and leave us in a state of desperation beyond our grimmest forecasts or imaginings.
I was in a prayer meeting this past Wednesday here in Wisconsin, and as I was praying I saw the words 'a nation in mourning' written in fire. Last night I saw the same words, in the same manner in a dream. As yet I do not know what, or when, but I felt I needed to share it. We are living truly perilous times, and as such must be more certain of our foundation now than ever before.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
'The pursuit of worldly things is unnecessary. Silver and gold are not necessary. We may be happy without them. The pursuit of worldly things is unsubstantial. The things of this world are more shadow than substance. Pleasure, honor and profit comprise all things in this world, and therefore are the carnal man's trinity!
'For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.'
What is pleasure but a dream and cheat? What is honor but opinion? What is profit but a bubble?
The things of this world have no substance in them, though foolish carnal men call them substance. The pursuit of worldly tings is unsafe. The gain of worldly things is always with difficulty but seldom with safety. The soul is often hazarded in the over eager pursuit of worldly things.
Myriads pawn, and lose, and damn their precious souls eternally, for a little silver and gold, which are but the dross and garbage of the earth!
The pursuit of worldly things is uncertain. Men make great ventures for the world, but it is all uncertain. They sow much, yet reap nothing. As the things of the world are uncertain in the getting, they are uncertain in the keeping.
If men do not undo us, moths may. If robbery does not undo us, rust may. If rust does not undo us, fire may. All earthly treasures may succumb to fire.
Solomon paints the world as with wings: 'Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
How uncertain are all worldly things! The pursuit of worldly things is perishing. All this world's goods are passing away. Perishing pleasures, perishing honors, perishing comforts, perishing profits.
What pains do children take to scrape and roll the snow together to make a snowman. But soon after it is done, the heat of the sun dissolves it, and comes to nothing.
The greatest treasures of worldly people are but snowmen! When death and judgment come, they melt away, and come to nothing!'
If ever there was a time to draw closer to Christ, and cling to the truth of the Word dear friends, at least in our generation, I cannot think of it. Everything that we place our trust in, that is not Christ, will fail us and leave us in a state of desperation beyond our grimmest forecasts or imaginings.
I was in a prayer meeting this past Wednesday here in Wisconsin, and as I was praying I saw the words 'a nation in mourning' written in fire. Last night I saw the same words, in the same manner in a dream. As yet I do not know what, or when, but I felt I needed to share it. We are living truly perilous times, and as such must be more certain of our foundation now than ever before.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
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