This has got to be one of the saddest stories I have ever come across regarding Christian musicians and artists. In September 2006, Pastor Mike Guglielmucci made a decision that would forever change his life. Following a hospital visit for a minor accident, Mike announced to the public that he was terminally ill and dying of cancer. His apparent struggle with cancer was what provided the inspiration to write the amazing song, ’Healer’, which was included in what I consider to be Hillsong’s best album to date, ‘This is our God’.
The song went on to become a hit and Mike went on to perform ‘Healer’ at various concerts over a two-year period. During this time, he was visibly suffering cancer symptoms such as difficulty breathing, severe pain and hair loss.
However, the stack of lies and deceit all came crumbling around the embattled pastor, when his father, pastor Danny Guglielmucci of Edge Church, announced in 2008 that Mike had fabricated the cancer story. In fact, it emerged that he lied to create a diversion from a 16-year battle with pornography addiction.
I am not sharing this story to point more fingers at Mike Guglielmucci or to air his dirty laundry in public. What I am hoping to achieve in sharing this story is for it to serve as a lesson to fellow Christians. The first lesson is that Satan is the father of lies and we are never more like him than when we make a conscious decision to deceive people by lying. It never ends well because one lie needs to cover the next and so on. In the end, truth usually prevails and what lies beneath is often revealed. The next lesson is that faith is a powerful thing. In this case, Mike believed in the illness he fabricated and his body actually started responding with cancer-like symptoms. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Finally, we must learn to serve God for the right reasons and with the right motives. If it is for our glory, then we are liable to be tempted into manipulation and deceit. If it is for His glory the we rest from our works and are able to serve Him with pure motives.
The beauty of serving Jesus is that He loves to give us second chances. In the same way He has forgiven you and I countless times, I have no doubt that following a genuine repentance from Mike, God is more than able to clean him up and restore him back onto the path God marked out for him. His gifts will bless the kingdom again if he is prepared to humble himself before God. Please say a prayer for this man and his family if you’ve been touched by this post.
Well now. I have no doubt about the rightness of the yearly challenge my Yada Yada prayer group leader gave last evening… to deal with the dirty little secrets in our lives, first with God then a confidante. This post along with my own thoughts on the subject and emails with a friend assure me God is at work among us. The theme song to The A-Team is humming through my brain with these words, “I love it when God’s plan comes together!”
Hi Karin! Your prayer group leader couldn’t have given your group a more apt challenge! I feel like God is positioning some of His children to be cities on Hills and beacons of hope in their sphere of influence. He wants to use us as focal points to draw prodigal sons and daughters back into His arms. If we don’t deal with the little foxes and secret sins now, we may end up hurting the witness of Christ on a much bigger stage someday. I love how you finished your comment with the A-Team theme song! We truly are in the A-Team and I too love it when God’s plan comes together! Thanks Karin
Wow! Good point about our prodigals. I didn’t stop to connect the two. And, again there is the God thing; our prayer group keeps our prodigals at the top of our list.
Wow Karin! The God thing is clearly sending out a message!! This is turning out to be a very exciting year for your prayer group. I’d like to hear all the testimonies that will emerge from that group by the end of the year!
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Hi Watchman, what we see in Mike Guglielmucci life is the power of sin to put us into bondage, Satan gets a foothold and pulls us down into the mud.
Once I would have said there is no such thing as a white lie, I still believe this is True if motivated for evil deception but I did a Post about white lies recently although some need a new name – see link below
Blog Post – http://freedomborn.wordpress.com/2012/06/14/is-a-white-lie-ok-2/
Mike Guglielmucci shows very strongly the need to put his flesh to death, thankfully he has come to heart repentance and will be forgiven, as we all are until we are perfected in Love but we need be aiming for this by choosing to turn from evil and do good by the empowering of The Holy Spirit. To believe we continue to sin till we die, is not confirmed in Scripture see below.
1 John 5:18-20 We know that no one who is Born of God sins; but He who was Born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
Romans 2:7-9 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Lets not allow others to deceive us watchman, God confirms Truth if our hearts are open to receive it.
Christian Love from both of us – Anne
Thanks for this powerful comment Anne. There’s nothing more deceptive than a lie that closely resembles the truth. White lies are like those little foxes that eat the vine. They may seem harmless but over time they are extremely dangerous. Thanks for drawing our attention to the importance of steering clear of them. I will be reading that post you shared. Thank you
This guy indeed had cancer for 16 years. Porn is a cancer and he believed GOD for deliverance. But perhaps he used a parable. The song still can be a prayer for others seeking healing.
Absolutely Simon. God can redeem any situation. He turns things around for the good of those who love Him. We are all sinners living out of the mercy and grace of God. I pray that Mike’s repentance will pave the way for an even more powerful ministry. His song blessed so many and will continue to do so but we must all learn from his mistakes or risk falling into the same trap in another form. Thanks for your comment Simon.
VERY TRUE
Isn`t He known to be the God of Second Chances and many more , who hasn`t been a recipient of His grace and mercy ! Ask them all, Peter with a resounding ,Yes Moses, Elijah Jonah to name a few , would testify to that . And He continues to this day with us untill the old has gone and the New has come, God’s Nature in perfection, certainly we offer a prayer for Michael .
Blessings
Ron
Hi Ron. He is indeed the God of second chances. In my case, He has been the God of a billion chances. Scripture tells us that even though a righteous man may fall seven times, he will always rise up again. My prayer like you is that Michael will undergo a full restoration with the help of the Holy Spirit and the love of fellow believers.
You need to check that Scripture out Watchman and you will see there is a differance with being righteous as far as keeping the Law and being Born again and walking as Jesus walked and yes, having His mind.
Blessings
Ron
I will take a closer look Ron. Thanks again for taking out time to point this out to me. That’s true Christian love
Hi Watchman, we do indeed Love you in The Lord, it takes True Love to correct and risk rejection and know you will feel pain when you are, Jesus is our example and He said…..Father forgive them and He does but it must be True heart Repentance not fleshy head repentance.
1 John 3:9 No one who is Born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been Born of God.
1 John 5:18-20 We know that no one who is Born of God sins; but He who was Born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
Christian Love Always from both of us – Anne
Hi Anne. Thanks for shedding more light on the topic. I like what you said: “but it must be True heart Repentance not fleshy head repentance”. We would all do well to remember that truth. Thanks for blessing us
how many struggle with pornography and still hide it? I don’t know why Mike fabricated the story, but it was his choice to reveal the truth, despite the consequences. I’m sure that God being a righteous gentleman honors this.
Hi Kiki. We do serve a God of second chances. I cannot count how many times I’ve disappointed God with my actions but He has been so merciful to me. He is the same God who will pick Mike up from the place that society disowned him, clean him up and restore his sonship like the prodigal son. May His glory shine through Mike again! Like you, the fact that he chose to reveal the truth is a sign of genuine repentance and I believe that God will honour that. Thanks Kiki
I STILL LOVE THE SONG AND I HAVE FORGIVEN MIKE GOD USED HIM TO WRITE THE SONG AND TOUCH MILLIONS EVEN BILLIONS AROUND THE WORLD I AM IN WEST AFRICA AND THE SONG HEALER IS STILL BLESSING ME THANK GOD HE CONFESSED AND I AM SURE GOD IS PROUD OF HIM FOR CONFESSING PUBLICLY
If God can give him a second, why can’t we?