"...you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' -- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked..."
Does Jesus attend your church? He's waiting at the door. Let Him in.
--Tre Michael
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I am always delighted when I visit churches with awesome multimedia ministries. Being the artist that I am, I enjoy the PowerPoint presentations that often accompany a sermon. I encourage the churches who have not conformed to this commodity, to do so. Not only are they aesthetically pleasing, but they are very helpful-- many people are visual learners. At any rate, I also enjoy visiting churches with awesome musicians, cool stage lights, and overall clean presentation -- all of these things can be helpful in our mission to propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, these commodities cannot replace the central reason for the church -- the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself. For many, church has become nothing more than a social gathering. In the gross materialism of our society, many churches have lost focus. Just as the church of the Laodiceans, mentioned in Revelation chapter 3, Jesus know the deeds of these type of churches. Consider what Jesus said in verse 17. "...you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' -- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked..." Jesus isn't impressed with how much your church has grossed in last fiscal year. Jesus isn't concerned with how dope the light shows are at your youth conventions. Jesus doesn't receive glory in the cliques we formulate within our youth groups. Jesus is looking for a church that has a heart after Him. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if anyone hear my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him and will din with him, and he with Me" -- Jesus (Revelation 3:20).
Does Jesus attend your church? He's waiting at the door. Let Him in. --Tre Michael
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The Gospel Concert @ RAM this past Saturday was a huge success, thanks to everyone who participated and to everyone who came out! The building was packed out as we offered up praises unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps the most rewarding part of the evening for me was hearing several hundred voices resound, all the way to the ceiling, as I was fortunate enough to lead the congregation in "How Great is Our God." Overjoyed, I stopped singing for a moment and allowed the audience to minister to me. God is truly awesome. The rest of the night was epic as God used the Rehoboth Reunion Choir ,organized by Minister Miguel Von, and the House of Prayers Choir, lead by Brother John Thomas, to minister. Also, Sister Brittany Thomas graced us all with her wonderful praise dance. Indeed, the night was an encouragement for many of us.
As we continue in our walk with Jesus Christ, I hope that someone can draw, from that night, inspiration. Let's use that, and many services to come, as stepping stones to elevate us to the next level in Christ Jesus. Oh and by the way, I know this is SUPER unrelated, but I wanted to share this scripture with someone who may need it. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee" (Isaiah 26:3). God Bless, --Tre Michael click for more info on Facebook Hey all!
I've been extremely occupied in preparation for the Gospel Concert @ RAM this weekend! Tonight, the musicians and vocalists are coming together for one last rehearsal before the event. Each rehearsal thus far has been epic, but we're expecting even more on Saturday. The concert kicks off promptly @ 6pm this Saturday, so don't be afraid to leave a little bit early. I hope that you all come out and have fun with us, as we celebrate our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Indeed, the music will be dope, but that's not the extent of this concert; come with an expectation that Jesus Himself will meet you there. See You on Saturday! Tre Michael Location: 4192 Park Ave. Riverside, Ca 92507 When: Saturday, October 23rd @ 6pm Price: Absolutely free! In my mere 22 years of experience, I've come to realize that genuine friends are hard to come by. Interestingly, we've gotten into the habit of calling any and everyone a "friend." In fact, we used the term so loosely that it loses its significance with every failed relationship that we presumed to be friendship. As a result, our idea of friendship is further distorted and we are left to deal with the hurt of disappointment. However, there is a solution that I urge you all to consider. When you are confused about the complexities of friendship, you must remember what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ said. "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:13-15). From this scripture we can extrapolate that it takes sacrifice in order to be a good friend. Jesus, being the ultimate friend, sacrificed his life, literally, for his friends. With the Spirit of Christ working in our hearts, we should be sacrificing for our friends. You must realize that friendship isn't only about what you can receive, but also about what you can give. Each party in a friendship should have a giving quality. Also from this scripture, we know that a good friend will tell you the truth. Being an enabler doesn't make you a good friend, but just the opposite. Jesus shared to his disciples about living holy. Likewise, we should encourage our friends to do well, and tell them when they are doing wrong. If you don't see these qualities in the people whom you call "friends", you should reevaluate the relationship. In order to have good friends, you must render good friendship. Don't be naive or immature - you get what you put in. Lastly, find like minded people. "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3) God Bless, Tre Michael The first half of this week has been exhausting! I've gotten roughly 12 hours a sleep total in the last 3 days. However, as much as I resent the idea, it is true that one must experience the loss of sleep in order to experience the gain of success, I being no exception. This morning was the worst. With the infamous "Christmas Eyes" --for my green irises were yet again enveloped by the redness of sleeplessness-- I stapled the pages of my homework assignment together and plopped down on my bed, just a little after 4:40am. Awakened by the obnoxious laughter of my alarm clock, I decided to roll out of bed. On just 2 and a half hours of sleep, I turned in my assignment on time and even managed to stay wake well enough to make significant contributions to the class discussion. To God be the Glory!
After class I was able to catch another 2 hours of sleep. I really don't have much else to write about, I just thought I'd keep in touch with you all! Next on the agenda: Bible Study -7:30 tonight @ RAM. followed by Musician's rehearsal for the Gospel Concert! Hope to see you all there on the 23rd! (click for more details) --Tre Michael "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." II Timothy 1:7 This is the scripture that I will meditate on during these transitional years of my life. Never before have I been so concerned about my life now that I've become an actual adult. At the age of 22, I have been confronted with new challenges (and griefs) that seem to be unbearable. However, I am convinced that my faith in Jesus Christ can only yield one thing: Success. Jesus Christ has a purpose for our lives. This Scripture assures us that He has provided the tools necessary for success by His Holy Spirit . Power - authority, ability to produce an effect, legal right. Love "never fails" (Corinthians 13:8) Sound mind -good judgment, to make good decisions. peace. As followers of Jesus Christ, we cannot fail.
In order to follow Him, we must read our Bibles. We must be lead by the Holy Spirit. We must pray and fast. We must take up our cross and follow Jesus. With this is mind, I urge you aspire for success. Find the will of God and don't allow spirit of fear to hinder you from your dreams. always remember that "A man's gifts maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men" (Proverb 18:16) and that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above..." (James 1:17). Glorify God with your talents. --Tre Michael I had the most difficult time staying awake while driving to class this morning. This was on account of reading the assigned excerpts from Augustine's Confessions out of our anthology until 2:30am. No worries --I finished my homework and managed stay awake (and alive) for the round trip. At any rate, the class discussion was rather thin for what is, in my opinion, the most interesting pieces of classic literature that we've covered in my World Lit class thus far. Confessions is an autobiographical work that is focused on Augustine's conversion from a life of agnosticism to a faith in Jesus Christ. Though I cannot verify whether or not Augustine received God's plan of salvation, as made clear by the Word of God, (for there are many "Christian" sects with different ideologies), I can say that his testimony was truly a powerful one. As I read through the pages of my anthology, my interest was piqued by -- but not limited to-- thoughtful analogies and stylistic brilliance. I was beckoned by Augustine's honesty and disclosure of rather interesting detail, insomuch that I desire to read the complete work. But apparently the class did not share the same experience, as I was virtually the only one, besides the professor, contributing to the class discussion. However, one girl's comment did strike a chord within me that I'd like to share with you. At the pinnacle of his success (a rich and educated Lawyer who was esteemed by the elite class), Augustine gave it all up to pursue Jesus. The girl in World Lit. was confounded. She could not fathom why Augustine would do such a thing. The sore displeasure of Augustine's empty heart, though he had everything save joy, was like a unfathomable concept to her. I immediately started thanking God for revealing the Love of Jesus Christ to me. "At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children" (Matthew 11:25). You see, Augustine confesses that he was rather disappointed by the simplicity of the Gospel; before his faith in Christ, he confessed that the Scriptures "seemed to [be] unworthy to be compared with the Majesty of Cicero", one ancient philosopher. However, when God began to reveal it to him, he fell in love with the Bible and its depth.
Augustine considered himself a fool before realizing the truth of Jesus Christ. If a man as high-minded, educated and esteemed as Augustine could humble himself and follow Christ, why can't we? "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." -- Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:25) God Bless, --Tre Michael |