The Thin Line Part 1

Mike's Super Easy Sunday Message

The Thin Line - Part 1

“I’m telling you, watch this movie! It is absolutely fantastic!” “If you’re ordering pizza, you should go to ‘A Slice of Italy’, they’re delicious!” “I just downloaded their new album – it’s probably their best!” Ah, recommendations. They’re infectious. Their ‘disease-making’ path can spread like wildfire (and often does). This Covid-19 virus is also infectious. An infection that we DON’T want but, once spread, you must perform some dance moves to avoid it. Infection can be good or bad. Such is the case of Love and Hate.

Let’s draw a horizontal line – we’ll call it, The Thin Line. Above the line (we’ll call this side, Positivity), let’s write the following words; God, Love, Hope, Peace, Joy, Order, Laughter, Life. Those words make you feel good, don’t they? Now let’s go below the line (we’ll call this side, Negativity), and write the following words; Anti-Christ, Hate, Evil, Anger, Chaos, Confrontation, Anarchy, Death. Kinda makes you feel a bit annoyed, right? These two sides are infectious – the bottom one, unfortunately, spreads much quicker than the top. Sad, but true.

Let’s now look at this word, Encouragement. One might think that this word is only associated with the ‘Positive’ side of the line, however, it works exactly the same for below the line. God – with all the intended plans He put into motion – is above The Thin Line. The Anti-Christ is below. Make sense?
Are YOU an ‘encourager’? You BET you are! You might not realize it but, everything people see you do – whether how they view your life or follow your social media posts - you ARE encouraging someone! Which way do you encourage others? Do you steer them above or below The Thin Line? Do you like to share information? Sure, we all do! But, what does that information do to ‘encourage’ someone? Now let’s look at the media.

The media’s job is to inform us. But, what kind of encouragement do they deliver? Do they tend to bring us above or below The Thin Line? The Media fills us with report after report that push stories (topics & people) BELOW the line. Huh? Why? Because these stories sell! There might be a small blurb about something that occurred ABOVE the line, but it’s usually only a few seconds and it’s thrown towards the end of the report. It’s human nature (because of our inherited ‘sin’) that we gravitate below The Thin Line. In fact, it takes some effort to try to remain above the line, doesn’t it? What are we to do? After all, our goals should be to remain above the line – but, we continue to fall lower and lower. What is happening?!

Next week we’ll go deeper into what we CAN do and how to use your ‘Encouragement’ as the best tool to carry others ABOVE The Thin Line – you just might get carried above it, too!

THE Most Important Message

Mike's Super Looong, Hard-to-Swallow, and Most Important Sunday Message

!WARNING! This is a lengthy Sunday message (about a 6-7 min. read). The beauty is you don’t have to read it, or you can read it when you have 6-7 minutes of free time. Considering a typical Sunday Worship service lasts 1-2 hours, I think this message is pretty short.

Here it is. The MOST IMPORTANT (and difficult) Sunday message I could share to ALL CHRISTIANS. It might take you about 6-7 minutes to read through but, I think, it’ll be worth it. It’ll either shed a different light on your Christianity or it’ll write me off as a crazy person. Also, please bear in mind that this is NOT a message I decided to ‘dream-up at my kitchen table’. It is something I am relaying that I was ‘told’ during my ‘4-Second Death’. In fact, the message still surprises me – and it has altered my life tenfold! Keep in mind that I am NOT telling ANYONE to do this – the choice HAS to be from YOU as that is the only deciding factor that matters! Here goes.

“I’m on 3rd base, ready to steal home – if only that catcher wasn’t in my way!” “I caught the pass – now on my way to score a touchdown! If only these linebackers weren’t in my way (CRUNCH!)” “I lined up my shot, stick is on the ice…I shoot…ugh, blocked by the goalie!” Yes, all sporting scenarios – good examples. You have a goal in mind. That said-goal is met with ‘opposition’ preventing you from reaching that goal.

As a Christian, what is your goal? It should be to live a Christ-like life and to know God so that you may enter Heaven. Sure, you’ll meet obstacles head-on, but you’ll tackle them as best as you can – after all, Christ is with you! Your unwavering religion will carry you through like it always has! But, could it be, after all these years – that you’ve been carrying that obstacle with you? That ‘wedge’ that is directly in your path towards knowing God, personally? Yes, PERSONALLY! You might think you have that relationship right now but, for many of you, according to God’s eyes, you fall short. I told you this was a difficult message.

Christians follow Christ. We love Jesus. We love His teachings, His life, His death and ultimate resurrection. We pour our heart & soul into Him. No wedges here! Well, what if I was to tell you (actually, I AM telling you) that your religion (ANY religion) – complete with its practices, rituals, propaganda, paraphernalia, trinkets, clergy, etc., was (is) the major wedge between you and God? (Right here is where people walk out on me. Please, read on if you can.)

If you truly follow Jesus’ life and teachings, you will also know how He taught others to ‘ignore’ the ‘laws’ that people were performing to ‘get to God’. Jesus was here to show us how to have a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD – and God is NOT as far away, up in the sky, as you think – He (the Holy Spirit) is only INCHES AWAY from you! God wants to be your BUDDY! (He is right next to me all day!)

Jesus didn’t use any practices, rituals, propaganda, paraphernalia, trinkets, clergy, etc., to get that relationship going! He was AGAINST all that – that ‘great religious wedge’ – the complete opposite of what organized religions teach us! Jesus taught 12 people to do it this way – this is God, Himself, teaching! These men then went out and taught others, eventually leading to Paul (Saul of Tarsus, a former Christian-Killer, who was eventually to begin the Christian church). Paul went out and did the same – taught the way Jesus MEANT it to be! Then, along came ‘The Want for Power’ – organized religion – the ultimate wedge!

“Organized religion should be ‘safe’ – after all, everyone is doing it!” Ask yourself: Did Jesus do ANY of the things that my church is doing? Organized religion’s use of holy water (impossible to exist as Man CANNOT make water Holy), the body-motions for certain rituals, statue-prayings, rosary beads, crucifixes – Jesus used NONE of these things (of course not the crucifix, which is an idol, anyway)  – and the ONLY reason WE do act this way is because of our upbringings, our locale, and our ethnic backgrounds – 1700+ years of habits – not good ones as far as God sees.

“So, are you telling me I shouldn’t go to church?” No, I’m not. ‘Church’ is us. There are many, many ‘meeting places’ where people gather to put aside their religions to worship and understand God, Jesus, and The Bible (old and new testaments). These are non-denominational gatherings. The ‘people’ make up the church – just as Jesus intended.

I was raised Roman-Catholic for 3 reasons; I’m Italian, I lived in Brooklyn, and my parents did it, too. I knew nothing else. (After 8th grade, I broke from Catholicism and was free to do what I wanted – sans God.) I only understood God after my 4-second death at 51. I’m still in disbelief! But, since then, I live every second of my life with God RIGHT NEXT TO ME – using ZERO religion (His intended way)! I view living through God’s eyes, treat people God-like – I live with an awesome HOPE that I’ve NEVER had before! This is wonderful! So, what am I asking? I ask nothing. My ‘job’ is to simply tell my story.

Should you stop following an organized religion? Take away its wedges that stand between you and God? For the only things that should be in your path to have a TRUE relationship with God are Jesus’ teachings and The Holy Bible. Your spirit WILL connect with The Holy Spirit ONLY when you include Jesus, The Bible and NOTHING ELSE.  Old dog, new tricks? Hardly. A life-long process, instead.

If you made it to the end of this lengthy message, I applaud your curiosity. Again, this must be your choice to make. Do not do anything I’ve said – I’m not telling YOU to do it. It must come from YOU. Maybe my story (God’s message) can help in your decisions…maybe not. This is the way I will be teaching in the ministry I’m beginning called, The People’s Church (no Judge Milian here). It will be open to all. Others will be taught this way - to go out and do the same thing. Times have seriously altered. People have changed. Ministry MUST change with these alterations. No degree needed – we are ALL clergy! If your religion is doing what Jesus didn’t, it’s time to question it. A very difficult question to ask yourself. Don’t be afraid of what your family, friends or current church thinks of you – more importantly, care what God knows of you.

The Easter Reason

“Hippity-Hoppity, Easter’s on its way!” Not only is it ‘on its way’ – it’s HERE! So is the Jewish celebration of Passover and the Earth’s celebration of Springtime (although, that was a few weeks back). So, what is ‘Easter’ anyway? I know it involves chocolate, bonnets, the Spring, patent-leather shoes (well, maybe not anymore…), The Wizard of Oz on TV, Peeps, colored eggs displayed in a cheap CVS basket (after finding them throughout the house-hunt), oh…and Jesus. Yeah, THAT guy!


‘Ostara’ is the pagan celebration for the spring equinox. It recognizes how the earth has been ‘reborn’ after a cold and nasty winter. It represents how the fertility and birth of the ‘new’ animals are born into this world (this is also why the ‘egg’ is recognized). It is a joyous celebration of the word, ‘NEW’, and also the word, ‘HOPE’. Life has begun, again – thanks to God’s Code – put in place many years ago! Ok, enough History lesson.


Jesus, after being killed on the cross, beats ‘death’, and becomes ‘NEW’ while offering ‘HOPE’ – a perfect reminder around springtime! God’s perfect Code originally created a ‘perfect’ male and female (but, man has a way of altering things). Our codes were directly given to us from our parents – Jesus’ code was a bit different. God needed to come to earth, as a human, to rescue EVERYONE! Jesus’ code was made up of His mother’s code (Mary), and His Father’s Code, (God) – THE perfect Code, once again – a new ‘Adam’ if you will!


Jesus was here to teach. He was here to ensure that EVERYONE who simply listens to the Father (God) and does it through Jesus (Himself), will live, forever, with God (yes, really God, the Master Code-maker), in Heaven (a very real place) and could NEVER die! (actually, no one ever truly dies, but not everyone will get to Heaven). Jesus took the Jewish law that was FOR God and changed it into everyone having a RELATIONSHIP WITH God! This was Jesus/God’s mission - successfully completed on, what we celebrate as, Easter Sunday.


Do NOT feel we are ‘Easterless’ this year!! While the celebrating of it will be different, right now, this is THE time to REALLY understand WHAT EASTER MEANS! You might not be with some family for Easter, but, rest-assured, know that God IS with you – you just have to invite Him in for dinner!! Happy Easter!


Next week: THE most IMPORTANT MESSAGE you will read! So important that all of these other messages rely on this ONE POINT! I’ve ‘lost’ a few readers/listeners because of its content and I expect to lose a few more. Don’t shoot the messenger – I’m only relaying what I was ‘told’ during my 4-second death.

"Call Me When You Need Me."

Mike's Super Easy Sunday Message

“I’ll never fit this couch in my car. I’d better call Jason; he’ll have his truck here in no time then we could easily move this monster, together! (calls on cell) – Hey, Jason? It’s Brandon!”

“Hi, Brandon! I haven’t heard from you in a while. What’s up?”

Brandon then relates his dilemma to Jason. True he hasn’t contacted Jason in quite some time – in fact, Brandon really didn’t like hanging around with him – he was kind of ‘annoying’. But Jason was the ‘guy with the truck’ – and Brandon needed him.

“They only call on Me when they need Me.” I could just hear those words coming out of God’s mouth. I’m certain He mutters those words every second of the day (not really, but you know what I mean). How often do you talk to God? Do you talk to God ONLY when you need Him? A situation arises where you could ‘use God’s help’. What happened last month? Last year? Ten years ago? Did you talk to God every day? Or did you only call on Him when you needed ‘furniture moved’?

We are going through some rough times, right now. The more I’m on social media, the more I see prayer request upon prayer request – that is WONDERFUL news! It also saddens me a bit. While it is gratifying to see people ‘come forward’ with their prayers and knowledge of God, now that we have the momentum, DO NOT STOP – it just might affect others! But, sadly, for the majority, these posted prayers and acknowledgments towards God will cease – because we wouldn’t ‘need Him any longer’.

Here’s a stat compiled from Pastor Steve Elzinga’s ‘Preaching Book’: “1% of people come to know God through evangelic preaching in a church building. However, a whopping 80%+ come to know God through a friend, family or personal experience” (me, being public enemy #1, was shown by the latter)! That means it is up to YOU! Jesus taught 12 people over 2,000 years ago – look what’s happened?!! YOU are the minister! NO SCHOOLING NECESSARY! God GAVE you the right to share His name by doing the things you do! Don’t EVER feel that a member of the ‘clergy’ is closer to God than YOU are – we are ALL THE SAME - if or when you decide to know Him!

If you ARE serious and you DO love God – NEVER be ashamed of it! Never worry what ‘others will think of you’! Never stop showing others that He’s in your life! In the absolute end, it’s YOU that will receive the ultimate reward – and I mean that, literally! When this Corona thing dies down remember to keep your spirit continually looking up to God! Post it – it’s OK!