Acknowledged Intelligence & Creativity is the End of Intelligence & Creativity!
May 20, 2011 by Mike Wells
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I Corinthians, 3:18, Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise.
I must admit that I love the way God works. There is the world and there is God. There is my perception, from my “earth” suit, and then there is His. I probably enjoy this the most in my own life from being an “international speaker.” Can you imagine such folly on the part of God? Michael Wells, a published author! What a joke. That very thought to those who knew me growing up (probably until age 30) would have evoked a justifiable laugh. Add to the mix that it is the support team that makes it possible for me to be like the donkey on which Jesus rode into Jerusalem as I travel from country to country (the singing and palm leaves were not for the donkey). Actually, the donkey has it over me on many counts not worth mentioning. You know me and I see no difference between the believer that published a book and the one that did not, or between the preacher of a “mega church” and the one with five worshippers attending his meetings. This much, despite my stupidity, I have gotten right. What happens is not about man; it is about Jesus. I just wanted to make a point to my friends. I have a witness, and the witness is that I have seen God witness THROUGH me to something He has spent years bringing to the forefront in a believer’s life. I have witnessed the life-changing impact of a witness to the witness of the Holy Spirit. As far as I know, I have not believed that I created anything but merely witnessed to it. This is to say, again, that I (pray for me) will never forget my place in the spiritual “food chain.” In one way, I could say, “Support those with larger meetings and more spectacular reports.” But honestly, you support ALMI because we reach the weak and the remote with a witness of hope. The point is that much has been done in the lives of believers that, when looking back, we realize we had very little to do with; we were merely a witness to what God was doing. We know that if He gets all the glory then He does all the work. However, here is what I often see: Recognized creativity and intelligence in one’s self is the end of creativity and intelligence in one’s self, for God is only Creative to the one that does not know what to do and gives wisdom to the foolish. If we truly want to remain wise and creative in our lives, we must constantly acknowledge that we are not wise and creative and we need His wisdom and His creativity. I promise that this will change life, marriage, parenting skills, work ethics, and more. When boasting that WE had a revelation, that WE were wise, and that WE watched lives turned around, WE are done! Period! It is a spiritual absolute. When I see men take credit and copyright a revelation of God, it is the last one they will have; they have proven they are not to be trusted with the talents that are given. They bury their talent.
God does give revelation to man, but I must repeat, GOD gives revelation to man, and if that revelation helped you with your family, do not make a program around yourself. Let me expand on this. Let us say that you are talking to someone that KNOWS about the government, he KNOWS everything that is happening. He KNOWS about the news media and KNOWS about what the world leaders are up to. He KNOWS all about abortion, gay rights, people’s thinking, and more. He KNOWS. Well, how would you have a conversation with someone that KNOWS? I would like to know how he KNOWS so much about things that are hidden from the rest of us. Then based on the “absolute” of what he KNOWS, he has a solution. This is really amazing to watch. Here is a statement that I really marvel at: “It is KNOWN that Christians are a people of hate and bigotry.” My, someone needs to double up on the pink pills the doctor gave him. He KNOWS that Christians are a people of hate? When believers in the U.S. alone gave 500 billion in aid around the world, when believers fight against slavery, when believers fight oppression, when believers want the best for a pregnant fourteen-year-old in Haiti? I could go on, but why? The someone’s of the world “KNOW.” Then when they happen to get trapped in a corner because of the illogic of what they “KNOW,” they really do not KNOW, and my statement is that they have been driveling all along if they do not really KNOW but have been telling me all along how they really FEEL. Jesus KNEW, and I would sit at his feet, but for all these people who KNOW, why in the world would I sit at their feet? Is God telling them each night what is happening around the world? Definitely there is a “knowing” in the spirit. All I “know in the spirit” is that Jesus is the Way and every other way is not the way. However, when talking to someone who “KNOWS” all there is to know about man, I shift to a different topic to keep from going mad. I do not know how shellfish grow. I do not know how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. I do not know why a hippo hates fires. There is so much that I do not know that maybe he will know about!
Many Religions and One Faith
October 29, 2009 by Mike Wells
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“One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (Eph. 4:5)
While traveling in a remote area of India, we were passing by an estimated 500,000 pilgrims walking barefooted (up to 500 miles) toward the temple of Shiva that rested on top of a mountain. Many had bloodied and blistered feet. Once they reached the temple, their heads would be shaved and they would receive a bit of sandalwood paste that had fallen off of an idol. Drinking the paste in a mixture would secure the favor of Shiva, and they would get the desire of their heart. Not long afterward I found myself in Tibet, where the pilgrims were falling forward to reach the great temples of Buddha. Some had come as far as 300 miles in this manner; they would stand, make a praying motion with their hands, and fall forward. While lying prostrate, they stretched out as far as they could and placed a piece of paper at the end of their fingertips; this was the marker for where they were to stand next and fall forward. Men, old women, and children alike, were working their way to Lhasa by the length of their bodies. Some even had callused foreheads. These types of activities are played out around the world.
We often look at the passage in Ephesians where Paul mentions that there is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism and apply it to the Christian Church. However, it must be viewed in a broader sense. Taken as a whole, the world brandishes very many religions, but there is only one faith. Religion, as it is most easily defined, is success resting at the feet of man. All religions have this in common, even the Christian religion, for it becomes a religion when the enemy and the flesh of man move focus away from the work of God to the work of man. I visited an Orthodox Religion “church” building in India after visiting several Hindu temples. I turned to my friend and said, “Do you think a Hindu would feel the least bit uncomfortable in this Orthodox religion?” He replied, “No, the Hindu would have everything he needs here: candles, icons, idols, a secret place for priests, gold altars, and more.” The common thread of religions–that success rests in man’s effort–is often accompanied by the tantalizing hope for success through somehow twisting the arm of the false god to get a favor. In contrast, there is only one faith, so never let it be said that people belong to different faiths; they only belong to different religions. The one faith is faith in the only God, His only Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
The success of the one faith ends at the feet of God, who loved us and gave us His son. God works in us, Christ moved into us and is our life, and the Holy Spirit makes the things of God and Jesus not only reasonable but also doable in His power. It is all about the accomplished and ongoing work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Move from the one faith that believes in what God does, period, and move into an obsession with self and what men must do, and find one of the most miserable religions in the world, which is Christianity without Christ.
What Brings the People Must Keep the People
October 29, 2009 by admin
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“Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand?” Matthew 16:9
A man was telling me about a slow leak that he had in a truck tire. He wanted to get as far down the road as possible, because he did not have a spare tire. He explained that his grandfather had told him a secret, “When you have a slow leak, drive as fast as you can. This will cause more wheel rotations, and when the part of the tire with the hole hits the pavement, the pressure will not let the air escape. Just drive flat out, and you can go longer before the flat completely stops you.” I thought that was interesting, but wondered what it had to do with our seminar. Then, with a crestfallen countenance, the man looked at me and said, “I am flat as a pastor and a believer. I have seen that there was a leak in the church, and my approach was to speed up, introduce as many new programs as possible, keep the people busy and distracted, and thus ignore the leak. It did not work, and I am flat and exhausted. Today, I see that the leak’s essence was that I had forgotten to proclaim Jesus, forgotten to determine to make Him known.” That I did understand. We must be careful as we work in the church, for what attracts the people will be what is needed to keep the people. I have seen so many burnt-out believers. Jesus fed the multitude, and when He was not feeding them, they crucified Him. He was feeding their flesh, and their flesh grew. Imagine two pastors, both with the same message. One attracts the people with video, music, games, a magnificent facility, miracles, healings, comfort, cappuccino machines, the spectacular, strong personalities, and bribes of a variety of forms. The other attracts with the simple message that a believer is the temple of God; the Holy Spirit will bring about the life of Christ naturally in him; and Jesus can be the source of his heart, bringing life to his spirit, soul, body and the world around him, though in the world there will be trouble, but Jesus has overcome the world. The first pastor now needs a football field to accommodate the audience and enough room for motorcycles to jump over him while he speaks or a flagpole from the top of which he has promised to eat pie if everyone in the youth group brings a friend. The other pastor just keeps talking about Jesus and has fifty people attending; they take back to their daily lives and jobs a great secret: Jesus in them. One must ask what has really attracted the people, because what attracts the people must keep them. I find it interesting that overall attendance in church is decreasing but increasing in the mega-church. What does one have that the other does not? It is a slippery slope and a great temptation when we see the mega-club degrade Christianity to the folly of the flesh that attracts people. Once that has occurred, the only way to keep the people from shifting to another mega-club with more appeal to the flesh is to up the fleshly appeal in the existing club. It is throat cutting, because flesh begets flesh, and appealing to the flesh of man will ultimately create more flesh. Take a walk in the woods. Life is something that comes naturally, without effort. If people are attracted by Jesus, then lifting up Jesus will keep the people. The goal is not keeping them coming for any reason but for Him and His glory. It is easy and relaxing. I spoke to a large group in a remote area of Nepal. The pastors came at the break, saying, “We did not know that if God gets the glory, He does the work. Everything we have heard from the U.S. involved a program that we needed to do. Preaching Christ has taken a second place.” Yes, and there is one more thing. When did the men of God begin to look to the world for the secret of success? There was a time when the Church led the world. It is as though there is a worldly parade, and the Christian club stands on the curb analyzing what has attracted people to join in. Next, the Christians jump to the back of the parade, dressing, imitating, and offering what those with a darkened mind at the front have dreamed up for the masses. They put something of a Christian twist to it, believing that those at the front of the parade will look back and want to be led by the new followers. A club in the Midwest used its budget to buy shot glasses and hand them out to every bar in town for free. The bar owners were asked to serve the whiskey in the glasses, so that when the patron drank the last swig, he would see the message painted on the bottom, “Give our church a shot,” along with the address. This kind of thing is hailed as cutting edge. There is a group of prostitutes for Jesus going on the streets, sleeping with men, and giving them a Bible and inviting them to church. When questioned, they said what so many say, “How else are you going to reach these men? They will not come to church.” I want to encourage all of you reading that Jesus is enough, and if you want to shake the world, you do not have to become like it to be heard. The world knows a contrast when it sees it. We are not joining the world’s parade. People attracted to Jesus need only hear talk about Him. That type of fellowship will not ever go flat.
Complaining? Stop and Enjoy the Lord’s Presence!
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
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Deut. 28:47-48, Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.
If we are complaining, we are not enjoying the Lord’s presence. This statement can take a lifetime to move from head to heart. However, as we dwell on it, it will make more and more sense. We did not become Christians to work for God or to please God; the work has already been done, and the Father is well pleased with Jesus. We became Christians for God, and God alone. As the understanding of our position in Him expands, we see that His presence is in us, just as it was in the Holy of Holies. Christ Himself dwells in us! We are temples of the living God (II Corinthians 6:16)! All of life’s experiences have been moving us toward that revelation, and once we have it, everything changes. We can enjoy His presence in heavy traffic, in a hospital room, at a birth or a funeral, waiting for a taxi, sitting before the banker, walking or riding, or whatever we do. His presence is an absolute, and the peace of it is never to be surrendered to a situation. If we are looking without, we will find much to complain about. If we are looking behind the veil and seeing His presence with us in the midst of what we thought was a place of discomfort, we can have great joy. Once again we see that on this earth we make our own heaven or hell.
I Take It Back!
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
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“I am the true bread that came down out of heaven.”
John 6:12, “When they were filled, He said* to His disciples, ‘Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.’ 13So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.”
It is an astounding story. Jesus had fed 5,000 people, and what was left over, He wanted. But for what? What are twelve men and a teacher on the move going to do with twelve baskets of barley bread? I imagine that they found a few hungry people along the way. There was exactly enough food for all the people, so I wonder if some, like the boy that offered the five loaves and two fish, had food with them. When the bread that Jesus gave came, they simply ate their own food. They didn’t feel the need for His bread. Therefore, He took it back. Matthew 7:6, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” Jesus then continues with the theme that He is the bread of life. In the same way that some would rather have their bread than His, there are those that would rather have what the world offers than what Jesus offers. To such people the bread is withdrawn. Sometimes I am talking to someone and all I am met with is one argument after another. That person simply is not interested in Jesus, so I say, “I take it back, I take back everything!” They may believe that I am retracting my conviction over what I have said about Jesus. Not so, I am retracting Jesus. A word not received is a wasted word, and there must be no waste. I just pick it up and wait to give it to others who hunger for the bread that comes from heaven. As we journey we will always find a few hungry people. “I am the true bread that came down out of heaven.” I remember being in India. As I left the airport, a band of men were attempting to wrestle my bags out of my hands. I made it clear that I would carry them myself. Since I would not relinquish the bags, they all walked with me touching them. When I arrived at the car they all wanted a tip. Reluctantly, I gave them all one rupee each. They began to curse me and demand more. I responded, “So one rupee is not enough?” I then took back from each man his one rupee. They were expecting me give them something bigger. Instead, I simply got in the taxi and rode away with them following me, now wanting the one rupee back. However, I had taken back what they didn’t like and was not giving it again. Jesus offers the bread of life; if you don’t want it, He will take it back and leave you exactly where you were before you heard of Him.
Governments are Counting on Your Pride
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
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“Pride {goes} before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.”
Prov 16:18
The other day I was watching a boxing interview. One of the boxers inadvertently threw the flag of the country of the opposing boxer to the ground. It was an accident. However, he had to flee in the midst of bodyguards. The people were in a rage.
I remember doing a radio interview in Ukraine. I was asked by the interviewer what I thought of Ukrainians. I said, “Oh, I grew up hating them. They were the frontline troops for the Russians. We hated the Ukrainians and the Russians. We wanted them all dead!” She looked quite surprised. I continued, “But, then I came to Ukraine. They gave me their food and went without. They gave me their bed and slept on the floor. They heated water for me and went without. They loved and didn’t even know me! I am broken, and I will never allow a government to tell me who my enemy is again.”
We are to love our enemies. That is true. It is also true that we are often told about enemies that don’t exist. In traveling in over 100 countries and staying in the homes, I have discovered that all families worry about the same things.
Governments count on our pride to take attention off their actions and put it onto another. We are angered at the Chinese who stole our military secrets. Is it possible without our government allowing it? We are mad at the Japanese for the trade deficit. Is it possible without our government allowing it? We don’t like illegal immigration. Is it possible without our government? Our foreign aid is being wasted. Is that possible without our government?
Often, I am in a country where the people are so frustrated with the damage that the US has done to their country that it can’t help but come up in the discussion. I feel a defensiveness swelling up in me. First, it isn’t our government; it is their government that allows the abuse.
Second, and most importantly, I must check my pride. It is insidious! Every believer belongs to the Kingdom of God. We have a holy leader. Everything in His kingdom is righteous. We must lay aside the pride of earthly kingdoms and unite in His. I refuse to defend the wicked, and wicked rule the world. I must love my brother and let no one, or any bit of pride, make another my enemy. As believers we have no enemies because we have no enemies. The wicked are nearly genius in getting us to hate each other to avoid thinking about their behaviors.
Clinging to Jesus
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
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“And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak.” Matt. 9:20
On a trip to Brazil and Argentina I stopped at Iguassu. It is the largest waterfall in the world and words would pale to describe it. At the bottom of the largest of the falls I noticed a rock sticking out. The full power of the falls hit the rock and yet could not move it. Under the rock was a small plant protected by the rock from the power of the falls and yet watered there, close enough to the power to reap every benefit, yet protected from destruction. The thing that gave it life could easily destroy it if not for the rock.
I thought that Jesus really is the holy transformer. None of us could handle the full power of God or His presence. It must pass through Jesus and become safe for us. In Jesus the very power that could destroy us is nourishing us. In Jesus we are quite safe. With Jesus we are washed with God. A woman had suffered for so long. And all it took was a touch. Later, there were those who were clinging to Him. It is something we must all do to be safe in Him.
The Flesh and Racism
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
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When I first started traveling around the world, there were many instances where the atrocities of the white man, specifically Americans, were brought to my attention. I really didn’t care, for I was there to preach Christ. However, as the accusations and condemnation continued, I would eventually find myself defending white people. What a stupid thing it is to defend the flesh of another man!
One day I came away saying to the Lord, “Jesus, I came to preach You, not defend man. I know it is stupid to get drawn in to that discussion. Why do I let myself?” He was gracious to whisper the answer, “Pride.”
I have been in hundreds of homes around the world. Every family worries about the same things: their relationship with God, their marriage, their children, and finances. We are not different. The answer is Jesus. And there, in that place, with so much in common with the folks around me, I find myself talking about something that couldn’t matter a bit: white people! How could you believe yourself better than another if not for pride? Why would you try to prove yourself as good as another if not for pride? Pride makes us live to man in one way or another. Pride keeps the Liberal from inviting the teenager who is a skinhead to his home. If he were invited, it might be discovered that the boy’s home is a wreck, he has never been loved, he only knows how to hate, and he is full of pride. Would you have done better growing up in his home?
A black man’s son wants to marry a beautiful Christian who is white. At the family reunion, out of earshot, she is judged and condemned by the other women. Why? Pride!
An elderly man in England often verbally abused me. One day, after a few years, he came to me. “I just hated you because you were an American. The Americans came to the war late.” Pride!
The root of racism is not so much believing that your color is better than another color; the root is believing that you are better than another, any other!
The root of racism is not so much believing that your color is better than another color; the root is believing that you are better than another, any other! Are you? Are you better because of your understanding, your politics, your wealth, your education, your color, your anti-racist stand, where you grew up, your national heritage, your family history, or your “open mindedness”? People really don’t want equality. Everyone in some shape or form wants to be better than and believe they are better than someone else. This attitude of pride is all the justification that carnal man needs to abuse another.
There is no need beating a dead horse; history is replete with examples, i.e., results of pride. I don’t believe that it is possible to educate people out of pride. It is interesting that we feed pride in people and then wonder why they think they are better than others. Well, Jesus comes and equalizes all men, but not in the way we think He should bring equality! He makes all men equal in two ways. First, Rom. 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Oh yes, all men are EXACTLY the same. All in their pride have sinned! More than anything else you have this in common with every person of every race. You are sinners. It is a greater title that includes the lesser. If you can accept this, you have accepted your pride, and you are ready for entrance into the second category of equality. “For He Himself is our peace, who made both {groups into} one.” He has made us one! We are equal in Him, all sons, all gifted, all accepted, all holy, all righteous, and all humble.
You must admit where you are to leave where you are. Are you willing to admit that you are a racist? To be a racist you need only have the attitude that you are better than just one other person. Are you willing to admit to pride? If so, start preaching Christ; He is the cure for the cause.
One last thing, if you have been on the receiving end of racism, do not develop a victim mentality. Becoming a victim makes the victimizer your god, the one that ultimately controls your thought life, your happiness, and your future. Refuse to live that way and see God in it. John 19:11, “Jesus answered, ‘You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me up to you has {the} greater sin.’” Bless those that curse you. God is not fighting wicked people but using them in your life. You will have your reward in heaven when your oneness is revealed to all!
Hope for a Hardened Heart
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
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“for they had not gained any insight from the {incident of} the loaves, but their heart was hardened.” Mark 6:52
We often assume that when Jesus picked the twelve, He was picking the best, that He picked men that were above the rest, men that were holy, and men who were especially talented for the task ahead. Yet, here we read that these men all had hearts that were hardened. They had just participated in Jesus feeding the five thousand and calming a storm, and yet, they still had a hard heart.
It is proof again that Jesus doesn’t expect us to meet Him at the top rung of the ladder. He comes to the bottom rung to get us.
There have been times when I knew my heart was hard. Whenever we choose the flesh, we have a hardened heart. What sticks out to me is that even after all the miracles and a hard heart, Jesus kept working with the men until they had a soft heart. More had been given and more was required. They were witnesses of a miracle and yet Jesus didn’t get anything. If Jesus doesn’t give up on men who have seen miracles and remain hard, how could it be possible that He would give up on those of us who have seen no miracle and yet our heart is hard? The bottom line is if He didn’t give up on them, He sure hasn’t given up on you!
