Michael Guglielmucci talks about worshipping God and dealing with "cancer" on new Hillsong DVD

You heard right. In August 5th, Hillsong released their 17th album "Hillsong Live: This Is Our God" and included on the DVD is a documentary that includes a fairly lengthy segment of Michael Guglielmucci talking about his cancer and worship music.

Of course, we know now that he never had cancer and was faking it to cover an addiction to porn that he's been dealing with for 16 years.

I'm a little behind on the stack of review material, and honestly, I'm so sick of these corporate worship event CDs that I toss them all into a pile and forget about them. But I found the DVD last night and watched the documentary "In Every Season" this morning.

I tried to find a video clip of Guglielmucci's segment on YouTube, and I'm still searching, but in the meantime I wanted you to hear his "story," in his own words. I transcribed 7 minutes of him speaking, at which time the story kind of moves to another artist; there maybe more later on the 20 minute video but honestly, I was so ready to barf I couldn't do any more.

I rarely get angry and I try hard to be fair, but as I listened to the blasphemy that spewed from his mouth during this video clip I was literally nauseated and could feel my blood boiling. I also had a million questions, starting with "What happens to all of those people in the audience, tears streaming down their faces and their hands held high? Was God there? Could God be there in the midst of such a lie? Could God anoint a bold-faced liar and manipulator?"

I'm sorry - forgive me for ranting like that. But when you read his words, knowing it was all a big lie, you may understand why it makes me so ... disgusted.

And just so you know, I have contacted the label to see if anyone wants to comment on the story. My heart just breaks for all of those people who were taken in by this fraud. And seeing him tell the story on video, I can understand how at least friends and music colleagues might have fallen for it. He's so convincing I think he believes it himself. (And again, where does someone who doesn't need it get an oxygen machine ...)

So here it is - about 7 mins of Michael Guglielmucci's own words:

"It was a pretty crazy day. I went to the hospital expecting to have some tests and got the news that I had cancer. And quite an aggressive form of cancer.

"I just went home. I knew I had to go home, I just had to get alone with God, I suppose. I walked into my studio at home and for some reason pressed record, which was a good thing, just set up a microphone. I just sat at a piano and began to worship. I didn't sit down to write the verses and then the chorus, like I just sang that song from start to finish. Like, I was crying and I sort of finished and I realized that God had given me an incredible gift and I knew that song was going to be my strength.

"When you hear you're gonna die or you know this is terminal, you get your affairs in order. There's not a lot you can do. What can I do to make this better? There's not much. I remember the night before my second [load?] of treatment. I put on this gospel medley about the blood, and there's this bunch of American artists, these different artists, that were singing about the blood of Jesus and the power in the blood of Jesus and healing in the blood of Jesus.

"And I remember sitting in my room and just beginning to worship. It's amazing that worship can lift you from where you are and take you to somewhere, it takes you to a higher place, you know, when you begin to magnify God and begin to worship God and choose what you magnify, you know. Because you could quite easily make the situation bigger than it actually is. But it's powerful when you can just get the name of Jesus and just lift God up, higher, bigger, stronger, cuz that's what he is. But when you begin to see him for that and you begin to worship him, it's amazing what you can get through. I put worship in the house all the time, and it was that, that I believe, that got me through. You know, worship every day. We'd wake up and put it on, when I'm going to sleep we'd put it on. There's not much else I could do but worship and I'm still here.

"Album recording week was a bit tough. I had a rough week, got some pretty negative results back and the doctors weren't gonna let me do it, and saying I had to use this oxygen machine because I wasn't getting enough oxygen and all sorts of things. But it was a tough week but I made a decision this was what I was going to do. I know that this was something God wanted us to do. It was gonna bless people. I came with a great expectancy as well that God was gonna do something amazing not only in my life but in the lives of other people.

"[Like I was side?] of the stage, about to come on to read the Scripture. I was in agony, like I was in agony I was in so much pain. So I got up and the moment I hit the, like walked onto the stairs it was literally like someone walked up behind me and put a jacket on me. I literally felt like someone had just put something on me. And it was, what I believe, God's anointing and enabling to do what I had to do. And I walked up there with my oxygen machine and Bible and got to the mic and proclaimed the promises of God out of Isaiah.

"It was amazing. I cannot explain what I was feeling. I was buzzing, it was such an anointing in that place. I remember looking over at Joel and smiling and he smiled back at me and I know he was feeling what I was feeling.

"At times it was hard to see cuz I was watching people with tears streaming down their faces, singing, and I knew that God was doing something and I knew that God was being faithful to what he promised, you know. That he was actually moving in people's lives at that moment, that he was using all of us as musicians. And I was watching and I know it's not just limited to what happened in that room that night, but the same thing can happen when people play the album, when they hear these moments and the songs and they hear God lifted and God glorified through this worship. That his power's gonna fill their car and their house and something's gonna take place. And to know that and to be standing there and worshipping, knowing all of that it's so hard, it's a moment I'll never forget."


Source

Learning to love one another

You have read where it says, when you did it to the least, you did it to Me. In recent times I have watched the Mother Teresa video many many times. She apparently said something very beautiful, that she tries to see Christ in the person she is talking to. Every time I watch that, I ask for that. And it happens sometimes!

Sometimes I’m listening to someone telling me about their sadness or their joy, and even though their stories are in a different realm to mine, I begin to wonder if Im not looking at Someone who is standing in front of me in a disguise?! Just then, to disprove my point the person shares something even MORE graphic and yet I still feel like I am in the Presence of greatness.

Its hard to explain this. Its as if I (sometimes) no longer see the sin in them and their lives just look beautiful to me. I’m always aware of my own corruption and fallenness, but no matter what they say, I see the smile, i see the champion within them, the survivor, the softnes.

Perhaps I see how Jesus sees us, and if so, then I’m absolutely stunned at the potential that He sees in us.


Source

loneliness was nailed to THE CROSS

As I was listening to Pastor Benjamin's sermon on Jesus forsaken, separated and lonely...

here are some precious pointers I've caught

Loneliness will bring forth fruit of low self esteem and emotional moody swing...

It cannot be overcome even by fellowship among the saints... that can bring only temporal relief...

It is only when we begin to see on the cross, Jesus took our loneliness...

and everytime the feeling of loneliness comes, say "Lord Jesus, I thank You, that when You cried my God my God, why have You forsaken me? You were lonely that I today don't have to be lonely anymore. I can be alone but I am alone with the Father"

Loneliness breeds fear. You fear everything...
Loneliness is not necessarily bad. God use loneliness to send us a message, "come to My table".

Loneliness + God = (- N + V ) = LOVELINESS

From loneliness to LOVELINESS.

I have not received a spirit of fear, but a spirit of Sonship.

LOOK TO THE CROSS.

He took our loneliness on the cross.

Amen! Guess what... All these pointers, I agree with them... And some of which, are very real in my life... Especially when loneliness breeds fear, I get super insecured. Paranoid about every nitty gritty. Sometimes, it just drives me up the wall.. But yes, LOOK TO THE CROSS. I'm forgiven because He was forsaken!


Source

Guarenteed By Covenant

And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” 9So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

Are you discouraged because a breakthrough that you have been praying for has yet to manifest? Maybe it has been days or even weeks and you are asking, “How will I know that I will get it?” Abraham faced the same situation and asked God the same question. And God answered, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” What a strange answer!

But if you read on (Genesis 15:10–21), you will realize that God took Abraham’s question very seriously, and went on to show him just how serious He was about being his provider, protector and prosperity-giver. God was so serious that He was willing to bind Himself to a covenant.

What is a covenant? It is like a contract. Yet, it is more than a contract. A contract is binding only for a period of time, like five years or seven years, or until certain terms are fulfilled. But a covenant is perpetual. It is permanent. The only way out is through death. That is why marriage is a covenant, not a contract. It is permanent — “Till death do us part”.

In Bible times, when you cut a covenant with someone, you bring an animal, usually a ram or goat, and kill it by cutting it in two. Next, you will face your covenant partner and walk toward each other between the two pieces of the animal, passing each other in the center.

What all this means is that both parties are obligated to protect and provide for each other. Whatever belongs to you is your partner’s and whatever belongs to your partner is yours. Of course, the one who benefits is the lesser or poorer party.

Today, God is in covenant with us. We are the lesser, poorer party. We have nothing to offer God. But God, the richest and most powerful being in the universe, has everything to offer us!

My friend, God has bound Himself to a covenant, an iron-clad guarantee of His blessings and provision in your life, and it is all for your benefit. The breakthrough you are waiting for is guaranteed by covenant!


Source

The commerce of church - when do we cross the line?

In a post yesterday about former Planetshaker's Michael Guglielmucci (who wrote many of the band's songs) and his admission that he had been lying for two years about having cancer to cover his addiction to porn, I threw out this question: "Are we bowing at the altar of the megachurch, rather than the foot of the cross, because it's 'culturally relevant?'"

Someone commented that Guglielmucci's deception wasn't necessarily an indictment on his church, and he was right. That question shouldn't have necessarily been part of that post. It's just that those two questions seem intricately linked in my mind.

So today, let me separate the question from the Michael Guglielmucci issue and open that up for discussion.

Are we bowing at the altar of the megachurch, rather than the foot of the cross, because it's "culturally relevant?" Where is the line between church and commercial product?

I went to a big church in my city recently. I had visited once before, on the first weekend they were having services in their new, state of the art building. The building seats 1,200 people (and they have two services each weekend), and has more technological equipment than the Starship Enterprise. Three large screens, full lights and sound, stadium seating. I felt like someone should have taken my concert ticket at the door instead of handing me a program.

Source