Mike Guglielmucci Controversy

If you're a fan of Hillsongs or Planetshakers you'll no doubt heard of the controversial news about Mike Guglielmucci's fraud. But if you haven't then here's a link to do some reading up: http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24212817-5006301,00.html

Like many others I was completely shocked when I heard one of my favorite song leaders was a fake! I mean this guy wrote songs like Big, Evermore and recently Healer. To think that the same guy is a porn addict and a fraud! Wait a second... you know, it's not all that hard to imagine come to think of it. I mean, sure he's a pastor and worship leader for one of the biggest churches in Australia but he's still human. But I guess when you're in such a position people expect a lot more out of you; or are more excitable when you fall.

Some article headlines on this case are distasteful; no, disgusting. One of them wrote "Porn-again pastor tells of his addiction and shame". Come on people, give the guy a break. Why is everyone so itchy to label Mike Guglielmucci as a porn addict? He has a struggle with sin, a rather "bad" sin but so what? So do hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world. At least he has identifies it as something he needs to come clean about. At least he's still listening to the Holy Spirit's convictions. At least he did something about it.

I know a lot of people are upset over monies donated for his cancer treatment. But work is being done and the monies are being sent back. He could have just kept silent and got away with it. After all, eventually he could just say that God miraculously healed him! I'm glad he came forward, I really am. Not because I'm "excited" about the fall of a "holy" man, but because I'm seeing a human taking a step against sin.

As for the songs written by Mike Guglielmucci, I'm going to continue singing them and worshiping with them. They're great songs, inspired by a Holy God but written with fallible human hands. Wait a minute, that sounds kind of familiar. I think there's a book we read that's written the same way too.

I was at a car wash...

I was at a car wash on Sunday with my sister when she said, "Wah, very worth it" as we saw all the dirt and grime being washed away. I confess that I am horrible at keeping my car clean, inside and out. Which is one of the reasons that prompted going to the car wash. Anyway, back to what my sister said, it made me think a little. Every person who parks there pays RM8 for the wash. We all get the same treatment; soap, rinse, dry and vacuum. But I believe no one else walked away feeling as happy as I did. As I stared at my shiny black Kembara I said to myself, "That was RM8 well spent". Why was that so? Well plainly because my car was by far the dirtiest car among the lot.

My thoughts then turned to the salvation that we receive through the death of Jesus Christ. We all received the same salvation. Jesus suffered to the same degree for all of us; none more, none less. But then again some of us seem to appreciate this eternal gift so much more, so much so they give their lives entirely to God. More often that not, these zealous brothers and sisters are what some may consider the "dirtiest among the lot". It is the people who recognize their dirty condition and then experience the cleansing touch of God that appreciate salvation the most. As long as we feel that we're "ok", we'll never be able to embrace the forgiveness of God. Isn't it high time we let God forgive us?

Last night, as I lied in bed, I thought of all the demons of my past. Things that I am not proud of. Things that I still struggle with a to a certain degree. At times I wondered, God why of all the kind of struggles, You had to give me such a difficult one. But I guess I would not appreciate salvation as I do now had I not had to struggle with such sins. So, thanks God, for making me wonderfully made.