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.