Somewhere between faith & funny, No Laughing Matter is where the comedian becomes serious. This is an Outreach of Eric's Comedy. For more info please go to www.EricsComedy.com
There's been so much going on here recently in my life, I haven't had much time for blogging. Things have gotten exciting & busy all at the same time! There's so much that I want to tell you about, I hardly know where to start!
The BIG thing going on in m life right now is that I've got a new job! I switched jobs back in a little over 2 months ago. It's a big change for me! I'm now working full time, again, for the first time in almost 4 years! Plus, I get benefits!
I've also been pretty busy here lately at the church. Our senior pastor has been having problems with his back, & I've been getting a lot of opportunities at church to minister & lead services. It's been really cool! Over the last 10 weeks I did an eight part series on the Seven Churches of Revelation! I know that don't add up, but that's what we did! Anyways....
God has been doing so many great things in my life here lately, & I know out there right now He's leading me into all kinds of different ministry opportunities. I know that there's going to be opportunities to witness & minister at my new job. I know that there's plenty of chances to minister at church. Everything's so exciting right now!
With all that being said, I do have another announcement, and this announcement is the whole reason I'm blogging.
I'm hanging up my microphone for a season.
Yep. I'm taking a break from comedy for a while.
It's not because of things aren't going good, comedy wise. I've been on pace this year to book more shows than ever! I've got around 75 minutes worth of material. Recently I had one of my best shows EVER!
So, why am I hanging up my mic right for now?
#.1) God wants me to lay it down & focus on other things.
I have a friend of mine who is going to be starting up a ministry here soon, & I feel as if I'm supposed to be apart of it. It's not a church, but something different. And I'm excited to work with him helping him do his part in building God's Kingdom.
Also, I've always wanted to write a book. The last 10 weeks I've been preaching a series on the Seven Churches of Revelation. They whole time I was going through the study, I felt like this should be a book. I have actually even been praying about it, asking God if I should write a book! The funny thing is that as soon as I was done preaching the last message of the series, a few people in my church came up to me & suggested that I write a book about the Seven Churches of Revelation!! YES!! Confirmation! And my Pastor even agrees that I should, as well!!
So, right now I'm getting ready to start writing my first book!!
#2.) God has really blessed me with this job. He's given me a chance to do something I haven't been able to do in about 4 years - He's given me a chance to provide for my family with steady, stable income. And for that, I'm thankful.
While my new work schedule does not in any way interfere with church, it doesn't, however, prevents me from taking any comedy gigs on the weekend. I could get my schedule changed if I really wanted, but you know what? I'm at peace about this schedule & I feel like I'm right where the Lord wants me for now. I'm not going to mess with it.
Besides, I know that this is only for a season. I know that in the future I'll be doing comedy again. And I'm sure I'll do little projects here & there & post a bunch of stupid stuff online. I'm not going to stop being funny! I'm just going to stop performing for while & focus on my obedience to Christ Jesus.
I thank all of you who have stood by me, encouraged me, loved me, & supported me these last 3 years. Eric's Comedy would not even be here if it wasn't for you guys! THANK YOU!!
Please continue to stand by me, encourage me, love me, support me, and pray for me & my family as my life takes another turn in another direction.
They say a picture's worth a thousand words. I don't know how many words I'm going to put into this blog this morning, but I have a picture that's worth talking about.
Anslea is the pretty little girl in the shorts & tank top. Guess how old she is? I'll tell you. She is 3 years old.
Guess what she's doing?
She's handing out food to orphans in Cambodia just a few miles away from the Killing Fields, several Buddist temples, and brothels that keep children as sex slaves.
Anslea is my adopted "niece." Her mom (Beth) is my wife's best friend, and her dad (Jonathon) is a close, personal friend of mine. I have had the privilage of helping Jonathon make 3 mission trips to Cambodia, and helping Beth go twice. This year Jonathon & Beth were able to take Anslea, their oldest son, Anthony, and Beth's mother, Ann, and are currently serving alongside Water of Life Ministries in Phnom Penh.
So, what do you think about this picture?
There's a 3 year old girl serving Jesus in Cambodia. If she can do it why can't you? What's your excuse?
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to guilt you into going on a mission trip to some third-world country. That's not my intention.
However, there's some reading this who God is calling to the mission field and you're ignoring His call. He's calling you to go, & you just want to make excuses:
I'm too old.
I'm too fat.
I can't afford it.
It'll be too hard (physically, mentally, emotionally)
I don't want to leave the kids.
My church won't support me.
I can serve Christ here at home. (Are you? How?)
Etc., etc., etc....
It's time to stop making excuses & doing what the Lord Jesus has called & created you to do: fulfill the Great Commission.
And here it is: Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the World." Amen.
This command was given by Jesus to all of Christianity, and there's only two ways that this can be fulfilled:
Either you're going...
or you're sending.
If you're not doing one or the other than you're not doing your part to fulfill the Great Commission.
Right now, this stage of my life, I'm a sender. I'm trying to put my gifts & talents to use to send missionaries. (For more information please check out my Microphones for World Missions Tour.)
If you're interested in getting involved with missions I can help. I can give you some leads that will help get you started, no matter if you want to go or if you want to send.
If you already are a missionary, that's great! Contact me! I would love to help you fundraise for your next mission trip or your upcoming mission project!
All-in-all, it's not as hard as you would think it would be. If a 3 year old can do it, then so can you!
I've never tried putting together a tour before. Actually, I've never been on a tour. So why am I doing this?
The last 3 years my wife & I have been very blessed that we've been able to fundraise & send our son on 3 mission trips to Baja, Mexico through the non-profit organization Global Expeditions.
It's hard to say just how many lives were impacted just by my son & his teams going to Baja, Mexico. While there they were able to build several houses, conduct street evangelism through which hundreds came to know Christ, develope relationships with many of the locals, as well as develope life-long relationships with each other. They also had many oppertunities to pray for people. There were countless testimonies coming out of Mexico of both locals & students experience life changing miracles.
God used these students in powerful ways, and because of that, not only were the people of Baja, Mexico changed, but the students lives, as well.
This year our son decided to take a year off. He has worked hard the last three years planning, fundraising, praying, & actually going.
My son has had such amazing experiences. I'm so happy that my wife & I have been able to help him fundraise over the years. We have certainly learned a lot, & the fruit of our labor was being able to share in the joy our son had upon his return from Baja, Mexico each year.
Which brings me to the Tour.
The idea for the Microphones for World Missions Tour came about one day during prayer time. I was talking with the Lord, expressing to Him my desire to help missionaries raise money for their mission trips. I asked Him for an idea, and BOOM!! This one came to me!
Here's what I'm offering:
- Me performing clean, family friendly Christian stand-up comedy
for your fundraiser.
- I will performing a set anywhere from 30 minutes to 75 minutes
long for one, set price (Just tell me how long you want me to
perform, that's it!)
- I will donate 40% of all my merchandise sales towards your
mission trip .
- I will also help market/promote the show online.
- I will also send you a promotional poster that you can print,
hangup, or hand out to invite people out to the show/fundraiser.
It's up to the missionary to supply the venue. Typically, most use their home church or a local banquet hall.
The missionary would also have to pay for my transportation & supply me with overnight lodging when necessary.
I'm open to doing things with the least amount of expense so we can put as much money as possible towards your mission trip.
This format we can be VERY flexible!
A comedy show works well with other forms of entertainment. You can bring in a Christian band or a local singer, a dance teams, or even have an "open mic" where people can perform for a donation.
It's also easy to incorporate bakes sales, raffles, silent auctions, art shows, live auctions, etc. into the fundraising event.
If you're interested, let me know! We can start working together on this right now!
If you know of someone who is interested, please let ME know about THEM or let THEM know about ME!
I thank you for your time & interest in the Microphones For World Missions Tour.
Please, keep supporting missions!
Yours In Christ & Comedy,
Comedian Eric Johnson info@EricsComedy.com
419-632-1751
A while back I was thinking of this line that us Christians use all the time. It's sort of become apart of our Christianeese language. We say it so often we seldom stop to think, "What does it REALLY mean?"
So I asked the Lord, "What does it mean when we tell people 'You just need to surrender it to God!'?"
As I sat there the Holy Spirit reminded me of something in II Corintians 10:1-5. It says,
(1) Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: (2) But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. (3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (4) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) (5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
It's in this passage that I found the secret to surrendering, and what it means to surrender something to God. But before we get to that, I want to quickly lay a foundation.
We are in a war. Each & everyone one of us are. We find ourselves fighting daily no matter if we realize it or not. That war that we fight in is not physical. It's spiritual.
Notice that in verse 3 that Paul says that "...we do not war after the flesh." We are at war, folks, but this war that we fight in we do not fight using physical tactics. We must use spiritual tactics because the battle that we're in is spiritual, as you will see here in a moment.
In verse 4 Paul writes that our weapons are not carnal. And our weapons can't be carnal! A physical weapon will not work on a spiritual enemy! Our weapons are spiritual, because our enemies are spiritual!
Ephesians 6:12 says, "...we wrestle not against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Our enemies are not people. Are REAL enemies are spiritual & they are evil, ugly, & demonic!
"Are you telling me that I have to fight against evil, demonic spirits?" Yes - I am. And if you didn't already know this then I'd like to inform you that you've been fighting these things your whole, entire life. You just never gave it any thought before.
The first thing that I'm asking is for you to get any images out of your head that Hollywood's placed in there. This is not like that.
The Bible talks about these things called "familiar spirits." (Click here to see the scriptures.) The job of the familiar spirit is to just simply follow you around, take note of your life. It becomes familiar with those things that terrify you. I becomes familiar with those things that tempt you. It hears the words that come out of your mouth. It sees how you react to certain situations & circumstances. It recognizes patterns in your life. It knows you so well that if it wanted to it could imitate you. (This is one of the reasons why people think they see ghost.)
So, these familiars spirits collect all this information concerning you, and it shares your information with other evil spirits. Such as the spirit of fear. The spirit of fear then comes to you & simply influences your thinking.
"You're not good enough."
"Nobody loves you."
"You're too fat! Nobody wants you!"
"He's going to leave you."
"You don't make him happy."
"You're too ugly."
"How can he respect you? You don't even respect yourself!"
"He's just going to do you like all the others."
"You're always going to be alone!"
I can go on & on & on & on. I'm sure some of you can, too!
But this is what the spirit of fear does. It prophecies to us! It tries to paint a picture of our future by telling us lies & half truths. Fear is a prophet. It's a false prophet. It doesn't even care if it's prophecies come to pass. All it wants is for you to apply your faith in it's words.
And it's easy for us to do that because our emotions are quick to agree with fear. For example: It's easy for us to imagine ourselves always being alone because we feel so lonely! So we attach our faith to that statement & accept it as truth.
However, it's not truth. It's still a lie. We just believe it.
So, what do we do about this? How do we fight this?
We use what God has given us: His word.
If you keep reading in Ephesians 6 Paul goes on to talk about the armour of God. Ever piece of the armour serves a purpose defensively, except for one piece: The Sword of the Spirit, which Paul tells us point blank is the Word of God. It's an offensive weapon.
So, how do we use this Sword? Easy. Learn the Word of God & believe it. Apply your faith to it.
When fear tells you that you're always going to be alone, know what God's Word says about that. And instead of attaching your faith to fear's words, attach it to the Word of God & watch as fear's influences begins to get cut off!
Fear tells you that you're always going to be alone. God's Word says in Genesis that it is not good for man to be alone. God's Word tells us that He is ever present. Jesus said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." "My God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." The list can go on & on!! :-)
Back to II Corinthians 10:4. He says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds..."
Strong holds are like a fortress. It's all those lies that you've believed about yourself. You see yourself as being unwanted & ugly. Someone tells you that you look pretty. That compliment cannot get through that wall. In otherwords you cannot accept it as truth.
Paul tells us that the weapons of our warfare are mighty to the pulling down of strong holds. The word that Paul uses there in the Greek for the words "pulling down" is the word "kathairesis," which speaks of demolition. In other words when you pull down strong holds by simply appling your faith to God's Word instead of fear it's like blowing the thing up!
Fear doesn't want you to give access to God's Word. That's why it builds up strong holds.
The word "strong hold" in the Greek is "ochyrōma" and it means, "a castle, stronghold, fortress" But it also speaks to "of the arguments and reasonings by which a disputant endeavours to fortify his opinion and defend it against his opponent."
See, the disputant is fear. Fear disputes with you what is truth so that you can believe it's lies.
You are fear's opponent. It's not Jesus. It's not God. It's you! God has given you His Word to use as a weapon against fear, worry, depression, anxiety, lust, greed, etc. Those are the disputants. We oppose them with the Word of God. We're the ones who have to do the fighting to tear down those strong holds that these spirits have built & fortified.
Moving on to II Corinthians 10:5. Paul tells us that the Word of God is mighty unto "casting down imaginations..."
Isn't it funny that when these evil spirits start prophecying to us that we let our imaginations run wild, acting out scenes in our mind of what's going to happen or how something's going to happen. It often plays out like a movie.
The Greek word for "imaginations" here is the word, "logismos", which speaks of reasoning or thought process. It's how we put our thoughts together, like a chain. This is how these evil spirits get us to apply our faith to their words. They simply make the suggestion & then we let our minds run wild until we see things from the point of view that it wants us to see it from.
He also tells us that the Word of God is might unto casting down "every high thing." The word Paul uses here for "high thing" is the Greek word, "hypsōma," which speaks of "elevated structure i.e. barrier, rampart, bulwark." You can look at it as sort of high-minded thoughts, meaning that we can become arrogant or haughty in our thinking when it comes to these issues. In other words: "I'm ugly. I'm unloveable. I'm too picky. This is the way that I'm always going to be. I can't change. Nobody can tell me different."
See the arrogance in that? We're the expert on our own condition & we don't want to believe that anyone or anything can help our condition change for the better.
The Bible says that these "imaginations" & these "high things" exalts themselves against the knowledge of God. Where do we find the knowledge of God? We find the knowledge of God in His Word (aka The Bible.)
In other words these "imaginations" & these "high things" try to make themselves look bigger, badder, & more powerful that God's Word. It plays out like this: "I know God's word says that I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me. And I know that God hasn't given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, & a sound mind. I believe it, but....this is me we're talking about. This sort of thing happens to me everytime. This time won't be any different, so why even bother?!"
You've got the knowledge of God, but you've just let these things that you've imagined or these high minded thoughts exalt themselves against the Word of God! There's only one thing to do from here. Paul says right there at the end of II Corinthians 10:5 - we have to bring into captivity everythought.
Here's where the surrendering comes in.
Surrendering is allowing something to be taken captive by something else with greater power & authority. You have to surrender in order to be captured. Likewise you have to surrender your thoughts in order to bring them into captivity.
What do you surrender them to? You surrender them to the Lord. He's the One who has greater power & greater authority.
Fear tells you one thing. God's word tells you another. Who's the greater authority on the subject? Fear or God? God is. Trust God.
Fear tells you to go left. God tells you to go right. Which way do you go? Sure, it's not easy. Fear paints a picture of what's around the corner if you go right. He doesn't want you to go that way. Your emotions agree with fear. Your emotions "feel" like you should go left.
You take those thoughts captive by making yourself go right anyways. You surrender by no longer fighting, but by giving in to God & His Word. After all, He's given you His word. You can trust Him.
But not only has He given you His word, He's also given you something else. It's another weapon of our warfare, and it's found in Luke 10:19. It's there that Jesus says, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."
Now here's the crazy thing: Jesus uses the word "power" twice in this verse, but he's actually using two different words there that mean two different things.
He says, "Behold, I give unto you power..." That word, "power" in the Greek is the word "exousia,"which in short means "authority."
The next time Jesus uses the word power he's talking about the enemy's power or in the Greek "dynamis," which means "power, influence, strength, ability."
So in other words Jesus has given us exousia (authority) over the enemy's dynamis (power)! The enemy's power is not greater than the authority in which Jesus has given to us! So, I can take those thoughts captive. They do have to surrender to the authority in which Jesus has given to me. At that point I can attack these strong holds, imaginations, & every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God with the Word of God, pulling them down, destroying them so that the enemy can't use them again to gain a foot hold in my life.
WOW! What good news!
So, fear - you have to go in the name of Jesus!
Depression - you have to go in the name of Jesus!
Jealousy - you have to go in the name of Jesus!
Addiction - you have to go in the name of Jesus!
Dispair - you have to go in the name of Jesus!
Hopelessness - you have to go in the name of Jesus!
Lust - you have to go in the name of Jesus!
Rage - you have to go in the name of Jesus!
Hatred - you have to go in the name of Jesus!
What troubles you? Call it out by name! Use your authority given to you by Christ! MAKE WAR!!!!
Matthew 11:12 - "...the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."
It was a picture perfect day, weather wise. I mean you could not have asked for a more beautiful day for the month of August. Not too hot, blue skies, sunshine. It was nice!
The concert started at 6pm. It was looking like it was going to be a beautiful night for a show, and it was! Everything was going well until Shine Bright Baby's set. That's when the clouds quickly started coming in & things started getting dark.
After Shine Bright Baby finished up their set, Pastor Jeff Bogue took to the stage to deliver an evangelistic message. As he was up there speaking, the clouds kept getting darker & darker. You could feel the winds start picking up. There were even a few sprinkles.
Backstage, I think anyone who had a smartphone had a radar up on their phone, watching the situation closely.
Hawk Nelson was scheduled to go on stage promptly at 8pm, followed by fireworks at 9pm, but with the weather situation quickly changing & the severity of it uncertain, a decision was made to delay Hawk Nelson.
So, I took to the stage to announce to the crowd that due to the storm Hawk Nelson would not be out for another 10 to 15 minutes. After that I did my best to keep the crowd pumped up & focused.
As I started into one of my jokes, something just hit me deep down inside: Speak to the storm. I knew it was God. I had to do this.
So, with mic in hand I told the crowd, "I want to do something here. In the Bible Jesus spoke to the storm & it worked. I know it will work here. I want to ask every single one of you to turn around and look up at the clouds. And on the count of three I want you speak to the storm & say with me 'No Rain in Jesus Name!'"
Here's a picture of me speaking to the crowd of 4,000 at Rock the Park 2011.
I looked out across the crowd as people quickly turned around. Some even pointed up at the sky. I counted "1-2-3" and all at the same time over 4,000 people spoke to that storm & said with me, "No Rain in Jesus Name!"
I immediately went back into comedian/host mode, telling jokes & trying to keep the crowd pumped up for Hawk Nelson. I assured them that the show would go on, that Hawk Nelson would be out in a couple of minutes, and that we would be having fireworks tonight.
As I was talking an amazing thing started to happen: the clouds started breaking up!
A few minutes later one of the backstage volunteers came out onto the stage and tapped me on the shoulder. I stopped talking, & turned to listen to what the man had to tell me.
You should have seen the smile on this guys face! It was PRICELESS!! He was obviously pumped up about something!
After he told me what it was that he had to tell me, I quickly moved the microphone up to my mouth & proudly announced to the crowd that if you looked off to the side of the stage up in the sky you will see a rainbow!
It was so cool, because everyone was pointing up at the sky! You could hear them say, "Ooo LOOK! It's a rainbow!" They were absolutely amazed!
I said, "In the Bible the rainbow is a sign of God's covenant with Noah. Today 4,000 people spoke to that storm & God heard you! He placed that rainbow in sky so that you would know that He heard you!"
"Guys, remember this day, and never forget! Speak to your storms! God hears you!"
Today I had someone that I love, someone who's VERY close to me question my character over a post that I had made in regards to Jim Tressel. I was told that I was acting judgemental & from this person's perspective it appears as if I harbor hatred towards Jim Tressel.
I am writing this, today, to address what was said & to clear the air about my thoughts on this whole Jim Tressel situation.
First off, I don't hate the man. Now, grant it I'm no Tressel fan by any means! I never have been, & I can't say that currently I'm a fan of his. But I want to make myself clear - In no way, shape, or form do I hate Jim Tressel.
I was accused of reveling in Tressel's troubles. Now, I admit I was. Football is football & anyone who follows football to the slightest degree does get emotionally caught up into it. Many of us allow football to bring out the worst in us. We get emotionally attached to our teams, to certain players, & even to certain coaches. And then there's our "bad guys" who we love to see get what we feel they deserve.
I'll admit that I allowed football to bring out the worst in me & I'll also admit that I was reveling in what's going on with Tressel. To me, with all that's coming out in the media about him, he is getting what he deserves. I confess that I have been enjoying it a little too much.
The fact is Jim Tressel's not enjoying himself right now. His sins are being exposed to the world, & that is a hard thing for a man to deal with. It's harder than most of us can understand because many of us have not had our sins, our mistakes, & our shortcomings exposed on such a grand scale as this. Most of us, if we want to be truthful, still keep our sins, mistakes, & shortcomings hidden. The difference between us & Jim Tressel: We haven't been caught. He got caught.
One of the issues that I've always had with Tressel is I've always questioned his character. He has put faith & integrity out there so much, but I always had a feeling that he wasn't on the up-and-up.
While I've questioned Jim Tressel's character, I've never questioned the man's Christianity. I believe that Jim Tressel has a relationship with Jesus Christ. I believe that Jim Tressel is not perfect. I believe that Jim Tressel, himself, probably feels like the world's biggest hypocrite right now.
I John chapter 4 verses 20-21 say this: "If someone says, 'I love God" but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And He has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers & sisters."
If anything that I've said or done in regards to Jim Tressel have appeared to be hatred, I want to apologize. I'm sorry that my words and/or actions have given anyone that impression. I do not hate him.
Because I don't know Jim Tressel on a personal level, I am in no place to determine if he truely is a Christian or not. He says he is, & I will take him at his word on that. Tressel must work out his own salvation with fear & trembling just as I have to. So, I won't even take his faith into question. Jim Tressel is my brother in Christ.
With that being said, I am a Christian before I am a football fan. I'm a Christian before I am an Michigan fan. I'm a Christian before I'm a husband & a father. Pretty much I'm a Christian before I'm anything else.
My Christian family comes before my football family. While Tressel's not apart of my football family, he is apart of my Christian family & I will pray for him & support him starting right now!
So, Lord....first I want to confess my own sin. I've allowed myself to be caught up in all this hoopla surrounding Jim Tressel. My words & actions have came across as hatred towards a Christian brother, & even though Jim Tressel will probably never see them, Lord Jesus you have. Other's have, as well, & I haven't done a really good job of letting the world see You in me, Lord Jesus.
Lord, we get so blood thirsty sometimes. We want to see justice served. And while you are the God of Justice, it's not your will that any should perish, but that all should repent. You would rather see someone repent & turn back to you, Lord, than to recieve what it is that they deserve. We all deserve death, but your will is for us to repent & have life. Lord, please forgive me for lusting after Tressel's punishment.
I ask you, Lord Jesus, to please forgive Tressel of all his sins & tresspasses, too. Lord, bring restoration to his life! Use this situation, Lord God, to bring all those impurities to the surface & for them to be gone out of Jim Tressel's life. Let him be purified like silver, Lord God, so that in Your mighty hands he can be a mighty weapon in this world.
Father God, for his family I ask that you strengthen them. Let them feel Your presence during this hard time. Let them know that you're near. Quickly bring peace, Holy Spirit, to the Tressel house hold.
Lord, Jesus, please, surround Jim Tressel & his family with men & women of God who are going to speak truth into his life, who are going to give him Godly council, & who are going to give him the love, support, & correction that he needs & that can only come from You.
Above all, Lord, protect him & perserve him for your future. May the world see Your glory in all of this!In Jesus' name. Amen.
All day I had been making rapture jokes along side of my co-workers. We were having a lot of fun joking about the end of the world, and even teasing each other about it. Being a comedian & a youth pastor I probably had the best jokes out of everyone, mostly because I knew what I was talking about.
The Time 5:00pm
After work I bump into a local pastor who I haven't seen in a while. I sat with him at his table in the resteraunt & we talk a while.
The Time: 5:50pm
We're walking out the door of the resteraunt together. Harold Camping had predicted that the rapture would take place at 6pm that day.
Our Conversation:
Local Pastor: Well, guy, it's been good seeing ya! Hope to see you again, soon!
Comedian Eric Johnson: Don't worry. You could see me in another 10 minutes!
Local Pastor: Hahahahahahahaha! That was a good one!
Comedian Eric Johnson: Hahahahahaha!! Thanks, Pastor! See ya in a few!
The Time: 6:02pm
I'm driving home from work & I'm reflecting on the day's events, or should I say at this point lack of event. I'm thinking about all the jokes I cracked, how I sat with the local pastor & how both of us were even cracking jokes & then the Holy Spirit hit me:
"...in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth..."
I quickly examined myself & discovered that I had done wrong in the eyes of God. The Rapture is apart of the Truth, & here I was making a mockery of it, scoffing at it infront of non-believers!
The Holy Spirit began convicting me, quickly sending me the message that if I don't take the Rapture seriously infront of non-believers, they will never take it seriously. My laughter & my jokes is actually HURTING them because I'm showing them that Christ's return is nothing to take seriously.
I thought on this all weekend. Finally Monday afternoon I go & grab my Bible. I look up in II Peter where the apostle Peter talks about "in the last days scoffers will come..." and I discovered something: Peter wasn't so much as talking about the world as he was talking about the church!
I read the whole book of II Peter about 4 times. Just kept reading it over & over & over. Just about everything that Peter has to say in this book applies to the whole "May 21st - Rapture Prediction" thing we got going on right now.
In II Peter 1:12-19 we're encouraged & instructed to pay close attention to scripture. Then in verses 20 through 21 Peter says something really cool:
"Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophets own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God." (Emphasis mine.)
Harold Camping used math formulas to make his May 21st prediction. That's both human understanding & initiative.
Peter goes on in chapter 2 to talk about false prophets, & he goes on to describe what kind of damage a false prophet does, & how to recognize one.
Then in chapter 3, Peter warns us starting in verse 3:
"Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created."
First off, who has the promise that Christ will return? The church. Jesus made the promise to the church, not the world. The world can not talk of having a promise given to them. Only the church can.
Secondly, who believes that the world was created? Surely it's not the athiest! It's not the science community! It's not Hollywoood! It's not the media! It's believers! Peter is talking about Christians. He's talking about mockers & scoffers within the church, not outside of it!
He ends the chapter & book with these words:
"I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing....."
What wicked people is Peter talking about? He's talking about the false prophets, mockers, & scoffers. He's talking about people in the church who can cause us to "lose your own secure footing...."
Folks, it's not people in the world who can cause us (Christians) to lose our secure footing, it's people in the church.
And likewise, it's people in the church like you & me who can cause those outside of the church to never get a footing in the first place, much less a secure one.
If there's 2 words that I hate hearing Christians use it's the words "Luck" & "Karma." These words simply shouldn't exist in a Christian's vocabulary. (Editors Note: To read my views on "luck" please read my blog titled "Luck.")
The Law of Karma is basically this: If you do good, good things will happen to you. If you do bad then bad things will happen to you. Depending on your religious views it will happen to you either in this lifetime or another, & what happens to you today could be the result of things that have taken place in a previous lifetime.
The idea of Karma is found in many religions, chiefly Hindu & Buddhist. Karma is actually foundational to both systems of belief, and can even be found in Wiccan & other "new age" type of religions.
But karma is not just exclusive to those systems of belief. Many Christians & people of other religions who believe in God or a "god" also subscribe to the belief known as karma. You hear it in the way they talk
For instance ever heard someone ask the question:
"Why does good things always happen to bad people? And bad things happen to good people?"
That, folks, is karma. I think most of us are guilty of thinking that way at one time in our life. Some of us are there right now & that's why I feel that now is the time for me to address the "Law of Karma" in relation to Christianity.
To get a true perspective of karma you first have to look at it through the perspective of God the Father. The perspective we currently have of karma is through the eyes of man, and unfortunately man's eyes never have the best perspective.
Let's take a look at some of the things from God's word, so that we can get His perspective on it. But before we do, let me remind you what "The Law of Karma" says. The "Law of Karma" says if you do good, good things will happen to you & if you do bad then bad things will happen to you.
Here's what God's word says:
"As it is written: There is none righteous. No. Not one." - Romans 3:10
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." - Romans 3:23
"The wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23
Ok. If karma is true, then we're all screwed. If good things happen to good people, & bad things happen to bad people then in God's eyes we're all bad (sinners) people and we all deserve death. If karma is true then it's a merry-go-round that we can NEVER get off because we're all bad people, and we should expect nothing but the worst from God.
It's a good thing for us that karma is not a true "law" as some believe it to be. God the Father made a way for us to get off of this merry-go-round & it's summed up in one little word called "Grace."
The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9
"For by graceare ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
It's by placing our faith in Jesus (the gift of God (See John 3:16)) that God's grace is extended to us. It's Jesus that pulls us off of this merry-go-round of works that Satan spins with his lie called "karma."
Karma is a lie because in order for karma to be true it would have to be a law established by God, which simply can not be found in the word of God.
Instead what we find is the law of grace. The Apostle Paul says it like this in II Timothy 1:9 (NLT):
"For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from before the beginning of time- to show us His grace through Christ Jesus."
From BEFORE the beginning of time....GRACE. Not karma. Wow. Enough said.
Today marks a first in both my career as a comedian & my ministry as a minister. Today I booked a show at a bar.
Normally most Christian entertainers mostly stick to entertaining at Christian venues. We stick to church events, & other "church" type functions. Yet if you talk to the entertainer they will tell you that their "ministry" is an "outreach."
Who are they fooling? They're preaching to the choir!! In some cases they're not even preaching - they're only entertaining.
I know it sounds like I'm being pretty critical. I am. But this blog is just as much directed at myself as it is them.
I'll be honest here, folks....I'm scared!! Even though I'm taking my Pastor with me, it's still me in front of all those people, most of them intoxicated, with a microphone in my hand talking. This is my Elijah & the 450 prophets of Baal.
I've heard this term used over & over again: You've got to plunder hell to populate Heaven. Going into enemy territory is never easy, but it is necessary. There's people in there who are dying mentally, physically, emotionally, & especially spiritually. They need Jesus, but they're not going to find Him in that bar unless someone brings Jesus in.
Please keep me in prayer as I prepare myself for this 1-night mission trip. I do need to hear from God on what to say & what to do. I need to hear from God while I'm there. Not only that, but there's someone there who needs to hear from God, and that's what is most important.
Thank you guys for your continued love & support!!
I wrote this song, Someone's Gone to Hell, in the summer of 2009. There had actually been a shoot out here in town between a guy & the local police department, which resulted in this guy being shot & killed.
This had happened in a neighborhood that we used to live in. Even though I did not know the guy, it still hit me pretty close to home. In the days after the shooting, more & more information came out about this guy & his life. It was obvious that this man did not know the Lord Jesus Christ.
This "revelation" greatly disturbed me. This man is now dead & it's too late for anyone to do anything for him, spiritually speaking. All I kept asking myself is "Where was the church?" Where was I? Where was Christianity? This man's whole life could have been changed if we Christians were doing what we're supposed to do. He could have left this earth in a entirely different fashion, & instead of arriving to eternal torment, he could have walked into the loving arms of a Savior.
Now, it's not my place to say if this guy's in heaven or hell. I do not sincerely know. But based on what little information that I do know my guess would be hell. That's not to say that he didn't cry out to Jesus before he took his finally breath, or that someone didn't have a chance to pray with him. It could have happened, & I hope & pray that something did.
Never-the-less, here's my song, "Someone's Gone to Hell."
This will probably be one of my most shocking blogs ever, but I think I want to burn a Bible. Dead serious!!
This week there's a pastor down in Florida named Terry Jones. His whole thing is this September 11th his church is going to burn a Koran.
This has alot of people in an uproar, & with good cause. What this "pastor" & his church (The Dove World Outreach Center) is doing could cause problems for our troops overseas as well as possibly provoking a terrorist attack. Nobody wants that.
And it's not just our soldiers who's lives are at stake here. It's also our missionaries overseas, who many are based in Muslim countries. They are the ones who are going to bear the brunt of any backlash that may come out of this.
A Christian burning a Koran isn't really radical, which is what I believe this "pastor" is going for. He wants to send radical Islam a radical message, which is only going to cause radical Islam to become more radical.
If this "pastor" really wanted to do something radical then he should have had his church burn Bibles. Now THAT would be radical! A Christian burning a Bible!!
That's the reason I want to burn a Bible. It's radical & it would send a message to the Muslim world that's just as radical, if not more.
The Word of my God is so much more than just ink & paper in a book. It's in my heart. It burns within me. Like the prophet Jeremiah said, "But if I say I'll never mention the Lord or speak in His name, His word burns within my heart like a fire. It's like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can't do it!" (Jeremiah 20:9). So, setting a Bible on fire means nothing to me, because it's already burning deep down inside of me. As a matter of fact give me a Bible & a match so I can show you what goes on inside of my heart each & every day.
The Word of my God was proven once by fire before. You can read it in I Kings 18:1-40. Two alters were set up. Two bulls were slaughtered. The 450 prophet of Baal called upon Baal to send fire from the sky, which never happened. Then Elijah had a trench dug around his alter, had 4 barrels of water filled up, poured over his sacrifice, his alter. So much so that the trench was flooded. Said a prayer, then PRESTO!! Fire came down from Heaven, consumed Elijah's alter, his sacrifice, and all the water, but it also consumed the alter & sacrifice of the 450 prophets of Baal.
Since I know that my God's Word has been proven by fire before, I have nothing to fear by burning my Holy book. I can burn my Holy book & my God will forgive me. He won't consume me for it.Try burning your holy book & according to your teachings Allah will send you to hell, but not before your own people put your through it before you get there.
See, my God's Word is all about love. It's about sacrifice. It's about laying down one's life so that someone else can live. Jesus Christ embodied that. That's why John 1 says that He is the Word of God made flesh. He sacrificed His life for our sins so that we can live life eternally with Him. He died for us - that is sacrificial love, & that is what my God is all about.
And I am willing to prove that to you as a demonstration of my God's love by burning a Holy Bible. I risk being rejected & persecuted by my own people for it. My own family would probably disown me because of it. It doesn't matter. I know my God would not destroy me for it like yours would. My God loves me, & my God loves you. I would risk it all just to prove that to you.
And that's the radical message that I want to send to you by burning my Bible: that my God loves you & that He will forgive you. There's nothing that you can do that would ever seperate you from my God's love (Romans 8:39), including burning His Holy book.
I really don't think that you could say the same thing about Allah.
Right now in my life it seems like more people know me for being a comedian than a serious song writer. It would probably surprise some people to know that in the last 10 years I've written over 40 songs.
Today at work I was thinking about new ways to minister. For some reason I started thinking about those VH1 shows, "Storytellers" & "Behind the Music." I started thinking about my music, & the stories behind each & everyone of the songs.
This songs on their own can minister to alot of people. But if I talk about them in greater detail then they could say a whole lot more.
So, here we go!! Here's the first song in my new Behind the Music series of blogs, called "Someone's Girl."
I wrote this song back in 2009, but emotionally it was birthed at a Christmas party back in 2008.
My wife, Crystal, & I were having a Christmas party for our youth group at church. Everyone was having an awesome time playing games, eating candy. In the middle of it all I had the group sit down. There was 17 kids there, between the ages of 13 to 18 years old, both boys & girls.
As they all sat down, I opened up my Bible & I started reading to them about Joseph. We read how Joseph found out Mary was pregnant, & how he wasn't the real dad of the baby that she was pregnant with. He was going to have her put to death privately, but an angel appeared to him in a dream & told him that the baby that Mary was carrying was the Son of God.
Joseph didn't have her put to death, but instead took her as his wife & raised the child as his own. That baby was Jesus.
As I was telling this story, my eyes kept going back & forth across the room, looking into the eyes of all 17 of these kids. As I looked into their eyes I realized that each & every one of these kids came from a broken home, where there biological dad wasn't in the picture. If he was then he was in & out. And none of these kids' biological dads were Godly men.
I couldn't hold back my tears. Realizing that every single one of these kids were really without a father, it broke my heart!! It was like their dads did not want them. Here I am, unable to have kids of my own!!
It wasn't too long after this revelation that I began seeing more clearly how each of these kids suffered with issues such as rejection, abandonment, lonelyness, fear, anger, bitterness, depression, & fear. It was especially noticeable in the lives of the girls, who tend to wear their emotions on their sleeves a little bit more than the guys do.
There were 2 girls in the youth group who just seemed to torture themselves trying to get their biological dad's attention. He's the type who's constantly bouncing in & out of their lives. He's never taken a real interest in them. Pretty much he doesn't want anything to do with them.
What I wouldn't give to have 2 amazing daughters like that.
So, out of that this song was birthed.
When I play this song live I always dedicate it to dead-beat dads. Jesus said this in Mark 9:42
"And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea."
Dead-beat dads commit offenses to their children when they aren't there. They offend the children mentally, emotionally, & most of all spiritually.
A man is supposed to be the high priest of the home. He's supposed to be there to lead & instruct his children. He's supposed to be there to pray over his kids & to council with them. He's supposed to be a Godly example for the children to follow.
I have a father's heart, & I wish that I could have lots of children. I have a 15 year old stepson. His biological dad has never been in his life. I gladly stepped into that role, & I am very proud of the man of God that my son is becoming.
James 1:27 says this:
"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."
No, these kids aren't orphaned. But to many of them their biological dad might as well be dead. They need father figures. Most of them are already in some sort of distress & they need a father's wisdom, a father's correction, a father's discipline, a father's hug, and most of all a father's love.
There's been a few times in the past I've been asked this question:
"If God knew that Lucifer was going to fall, why didn't He stop him?"
That's really a good question!! It seems like if God would have stopped Lucifer there wouldn't be any sin in this world, nor death, destruction, hunger, disease. We would be perfect little people living in a perfect little world.
To many people it doesn't seem logical that God would allow Lucifer to fall or rebel knowing what kind of effect that it would have on all of Creation. You hear it asked all the time: "If God is all knowing & if God is so loving, then why would he allow this bad stuff to happen?"
See, God has a plan. You're apart of it. I'm apart of it. Even Lucifer, himself, is apart of it. There is a reason & a purpose for everything. God is not a God of accidents. He doesn't make mistakes. We all play a small part in a greater plan. Perhaps I'll cover why God allows bad things to happen in another blog.
God knew that this was going to happen long before it did happen. Isaiah 46:10 says that "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please." (NIV)
God knew not only that Lucifer was going to rebel & fall, but He also knew what effect it would have on the rest of Creation. So, why didn't He stop him?
I John 3:4 says that "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (KJV)
In order to sin you first have to transgress the law. Transgressing the law is sin. In other words God doesn't charge someone with conspiracy to sin. The law has to be broken before charges can be made.
Paul writes in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death. In the 18th chapter of Ezekiel verse 20 we read that each soul that sins must die.
The price to pay for sin is always death. That's how serious God is when it comes to sin. He doesn't mess around.
So when it came to Lucifer's rebellion, God couldn't condemn Lucifer to death on a conspiracy charge. Lucifer had to commit an act of treason. He had to transgress the law.
In Exodus 20 we read where God gave Moses the 10 commandments. In verse 16 we read one of those commandments, which is "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." In other words, if you believe that your neighbor is stealing your tomatoes out of your garden then you better have proof!
In order to first bear false witness, there has to be a crime take place. Since Lucifer had not yet committed a crime, there was no way that God could act justly. God knowing full well what Lucifer was going to do could have accused Lucifer of conspiracy, rebellion, treason, etc. That would have been bearing false witness because Lucifer had yet to act. Remember, in order to bear false witness against someone there first has to be a violation of law committed!!
If God would have acted preemptively, He would be accusing Lucifer of a crime that he had not committed, which is bearing false witness. If you bear false witness then you transgress the law. Transgression of the law is sin. The wages of sin is death. God would have sinned, therefore, God would have to die according to His own law.
Likewise, if God was to condemn Lucifer to death for a crime that he did not commit, then that would be murder, which is also one of God's 10 commandments. God, once again, would have transgressed His own law, which is sin. The wages of sin is death. God would have to die.
Could you imagine a world without God in it? Thankful God let Lucifer go. He knew it was going to happen all along. He wasn't shocked or surprised when it happened. He was expecting it.
That's why He sent Jesus to earth to die for our sins. It was apart of His plan all along to reconcile man back to Himself after man's fall.
As far as Lucifer, his day is coming. He will get his. Revelation 20:10 says, "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire & brimstone, where the beast & the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day & night forever & ever."
Here's some questions to think about: If God would have done that where do you think we'd be today? What would this world be like? Would we be under Lucifer's rule? Would this change who Jesus is?
I know when it comes to Valentine's Day I'm not exactly Mr. Romance. I can't remember the last time I bought you flowers. I don't even remember when the last time I bought you a card. I do remember that one year I decorated your station at work with the giant card, flowers, and a teddy bear!! But I can't remember if I did that for Valentine's Day or Sweetest Day.
I sometimes wish that I was better at this stuff. You deserve so much better than what I give to you. You have absolutely no idea of how much I love you, Crystal, and it's because I don't do enough to show you.
I know on the surface that I don't seem that thoughtful. But that's only on the surface. Deep down inside I think about you more than I do anyone else. I'm always thinking about you, actually.
I think about your laugh. I don't know what it is about that sound, but it's beautiful to me. I'm addicted to it, and I'm always thinking of new ways to make you laugh just so I can hear that sound. I could stand on stage & make a thousand people laugh, but it's the sound of your laugh that I long to hear above all others.
I think about your amazing smile. I love it when you smile & you can't stop. Your eyes light up & they sparkle. I feel so blessed that I'm able to look upon such beauty. It's all I ever want you to do. So I'm all the time looking for ways to keep that smile upon your face.
I think about being with you. I just want to be around you. You are my best friend, and there is no other person that I love being around as much as I love being around you. You are so much fun just to hang out with, being goofy. I love how we just lay in bed at night trying to make each other laugh. I look forward to just having that time with you everyday.
I think about all those times you should have left me, and I give thanks to God that He gave you the grace to stay with me. Who knows where I'd be or what I'd be doing. You fought for me to grow up & be a man.
I think about that night when you prayed over me as life was slipping from my body. Nobody loves me as much as you. Nobody trust me as much as you do. You fought for my life with me. It was just you, me, & God that night. No doctors. No nurses. No hospital staff. Just the 3 of us.
I think of all the times we cried, held each other's hand. All our biggest pain, our biggest loses. We've shared them together. We've been there for each other, ministered to each other, prayed for each other, loved each other & did whatever it took to see each other through.
I'm all the time talking about you to other people. I'm all the time sharing with them things that you do that makes me laugh or touches me. I want everyone to know what a beautiful, incredible, dynamic woman I'm married to.
Crystal, you are it for me. I am head over heals in love with you. I don't know how else to say it.
The card I could give you just has words that someone else wrote. They don't even know you.
The flowers that I could buy for you would just die. As long as there's breath in my lungs, my love for you will not.
Jesus said "Great love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends."
I try my best everday to lay down my life for you because you are my best friend. No teddy bear could ever express that. It has no life in it to lay down.
And while chocolate & candy is sweet, that bad thing about it is everyone else wants a piece. My heart is filled with love, not chocolate, and it belongs to you. It's not to be shared. It's yours & yours alone.
I'm really looking forward to our walk tonight. Candles, snow, woods. Sort of like the night I asked you to marry me.
I want you to have an awesome, amazing Valentine's Day. There's no flowers, no card, no teddy bears, no candy. All there is me & you have all of me. I love you.
Wowzer. A lot of different things are taking place in my life, and it's all exciting to me! Some of these things I can talk about, others I can't right now. But it all will be out in the light here in a couple of weeks, I promise you!
Right now I do want to talk about a couple of these "changes" that are taking place in my life.
One that I'm really excited about is that I'm going to be doing a couple of different blogs for an organization called "Friends Like Us."
Friends Like Us is a foundation set up by Pastor Mark Bailey & his wife, Deloris. Their mission is to help families with children who are battling cancer.
One of the things that they're wanting to do is to minister to the needs of these families, particularly the parents. They want to reach out with love to support them and encourage them in any way that they possibly can. One of the ways that they're doing this is through blogs on the Friends Like Us website.
This is where I come in.
I've been asked to write two different blogs for their website. The first is sort of like a "Pastor's Corner" type of blog where I offer Biblical encouragement as well as share my experiences with cancer.
The second blog will deal with humor and the importance of laughter in one's life, especially during difficult times.
Cancer causes confusion, and sometimes causes people to not know how to act. While letting the reader know that it's ok to laugh, I will give them oppertunity to laugh by posting funny things that I may come across on the net or just funny things going on in my life.
One thing that I am looking forward to is also volenteering my time to go to the cancer hospital to help pass out toys to children battling with cancer. I know that when that moment comes that I walk into a hospital room to deliver my first toy, my life will change. It's thrilling and fearful all at the same time, but I know when I see the smile on their faces that my life will not be the same after that. It will change. I will change. Not sure how, but I just know that it will happen.
Anyways....
I'm also anticipating being involved in a fundraiser this summer for Friends Like Us doing stand-up comedy. I feel really blessed that I have a talent to lend to help raise money and awareness to this amazing organization. I will be sure to pass on more details in regards to this fundraiser as information developes!
Speaking of stand-up comedy....
This June I plan on attending a conference in Nashville, Tennessee for Christian Comedians. This will give me chance to learn more about the industry and about performing stand-up comedy. There's also alot of meet-and-greet/networking that takes place there.
That's really exciting to me because it gives me a chance to build relationships with others in the industry, and hopefully opens some doors for me to begin doing this full time someday. Not only that, but it gives me a chance to meet some of my heros like Jeff Allen, Mike Williams, Tim Hawkins, etc.
There's many things that could possibly take place that I'm also excited about. For instance there's a chance that I could be performing stand-up at this year's Crawford County Relay For Life. There's also a chance that I could be doing some things with some of the Richland County Relay for Life teams, as well. I've also been in contact with a lady who works with mentally handicapped people who's interested in working with me.
One thing that's coming quickly is I will be adding a store to my Eric's Comedy website. On there I will be selling T-Shirts, stickers, CD's, DVD's, etc. as I get the products developed and produced. T\he first product that I plan on selling on my website & eventually at my shows is my "Evangelsize" t-shirt, which is based on one of my bits that I do in my show.
I also plan on doing more to showcase other ministries that are out there on the battlefield, working overtime for the Kingdom of God and who are REALLY making a difference in this world and in people's lives.
One of those ministries is One Way Street Ministries located in Columbus, Ohio. It's also known as Jericho's Lightclub. They're an inner-city outreach ministry who have for the last 5 years been making a difference in the lives of many druggies, prostitutes, homeless people, and street kids. They've worked tirelessly trying to help these people turn their lives around, as well as feed them and cloth them. These guys are the real deal and they do amazing work!
I've been blessed to have many oppertunites to go there and share the Gospel many times over the last 2 years. I love Pastor James and Pastor Peggy, and I love what they do. I'm really looking forward to working with them more in this coming year.
I'm really excited about some of the relationships that have developed over this past year, and how many of them are taking a turn towards the spiritual. There's actually some discipleship taking place there, which excites me to no end! Some are actually begining to come to church with Crystal and I, which is always exciting!
So much is going on right now. God is soooooo good!!
There's even more going on, and it's killing me because I can not talk about it at this moment. This one thing is going to cause just about everything in my life to change, and I'm so excited about it. I wish I could tell you guys, but I can't at the moment!
...And I'm a stand-up comedian. People pay me money so that other people can laugh at me. While comedy is my business, there is a serious side to me. Here's where I dare to share it...
I've also been pretty busy here lately at the church. Our senior pastor has been having problems with his back, & I've been getting a lot of opportunities at church to minister & lead services. It's been really cool! Over the last 10 weeks I did an eight part series on the Seven Churches of Revelation! I know that don't add up, but that's what we did! Anyways....
Besides, I know that this is only for a season. I know that in the future I'll be doing comedy again. And I'm sure I'll do little projects here & there & post a bunch of stupid stuff online. I'm not going to stop being funny! I'm just going to stop performing for while & focus on my obedience to Christ Jesus.
