From Riches to Rags to Riches

  • Kaleo Church
  • Jul 1, 2007
  • Series: Gospel Stories
    From Riches to Rags to Riches

    A little about my background is that I was raised as a catholic. I can't speak for them, but I thought the gospel was a bunch of neat little fables and commands. My best friend claims God to be a frog just to insult Him and all who believes in Him. And my Christian cousin, gave him a little frog statue to commemorate the disrespect. I now know I was worse than them. I was a complete "sinners package". When I told a friend my plans of getting into ministry, she said "but you hate religious people!" Yes, nice to meet you Kaleo.

    I came here about 3 months ago. I church hopped a lot because in my previous industry, it was critical to cultivate and motivate people, and I found that church 'sound bites' were the best to copy from. In the first sermon, David said we don't want 10%, (I said "Great!") we want your life!
    I looked around like, "did you just hear that"? You obviously didn't hear that. A membership class just happen to be held the next day, I said "oh! It's a cult. Kaleo probably means cult in some language." With God's grace, I found myself in the class, which discussed the Bible. I was the only one without one and I said, "hmm... I might need one of those." That's how I started my journey.

    What were my gods?

    By a show of hands, who likes money? How many of you would have liked to own a 5500 sq ft house by the age of 23? How about not have to budget because money was not an issue? Who likes power and sex? For the guys, how about going out whenever you wanted with how ever many women you wanted and do what you wanted. To live a bachelor's dream. But, women were just 'products.'
    Who likes status? How about to speak in conventions, and speak "psychology babble?" People praising you that you changed their lives. Have the respect of your peers. But, to the point where you thought you didn't need God because these false prophet authors taught you how to be god. I even had a goal of having multiple international foundations just to look ever so pious and righteous. Now I know it was to glorify me, not God.

    Then it gets good? Who like's material possessions?

    How about loosing it all to the point that you were homeless? How can God let this happen? BUT having your protégé and mentor take you under their wings and say, don't worry about a thing until you rebuild an empire. Ha! Who needs God huh? Then drive in a new Mercedes SL500 AMG package, and live in a 7500 sq ft house. But still feel empty. Well that was me.

    The only hope I had for God, was my hope that he answered my selfish prayers to attain my false idols.

    I can compare my conversion with having self inflicted cuts all over my body that I was unaware of. Then someone coming in and cleaning the cuts with alcohol to help me see I had cuts, and to stop the infections and induce healing before I died.

    The self inflicted cuts being sin. The alcohol pads being the grace of God opening my eyes with the gospel. It felt horrible at first when I realized what sin really was, and that I didn't love God like I claimed. What I did love were the idols I worshipped... maybe you worship them too; like money, power, sex, status, because I thought these defined me. So I made it my life's goal to attain it all... and a lot of it. But attaining them still felt so empty. I now realize that I actually idolized and worshiped myself, and I don't make a very good god.

    In closing, all I can tell you is that I crave to know Him more, and the more I know Him, the more I feel alive, free from pride, shame, and absolutely content and happy. Does this mean I don't sin or am never sad? No, not at all. But I have hope. I no longer a slave to attaining finite worldly things define me, because I have something infinitely greater in Him. And I have something to look forward to, a gift I don't deserve, which is already paid in full, with Jesus' blood. What about you?
    I don't know much, but how can I not share this to everyone? I didn't know what real courage was until the gospel sashimi-ed my heart to bits.

    I just pray my life gives evidence of what the gospel can do.

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