Kanye West…

Okay, full disclosure, I can honestly say I am not sure I have heard a single Kanye song. No negativity intended, I’m just not a rap guy. That being said, I am having a really hard time with the posts I have been seeing. Evidently Mr. West has converted to Christianity and the “inter-webs” are full of opinions on it. Is he sincere? Is this just a move to advance his career? I have to admit I am frustrated. A man has given his heart to Christ. We should be rejoicing. The angels are. Instead, so many are questioning his motives. To me, it’s out of bounds. Maybe it’s just because I am a guy who saw the light after a pretty bad struggle with alcohol, being suicidal, etc., but who are we to question anyone’s conversion? Granted, I’m kind of a nobody and he’s a household name, but he deserves the benefit of the doubt and more, he deserves our prayers.

Let’s say for a moment that his conversion is totally sincere. He has had a full on saving experience with Christ. Those of us who have come to Christ, know how hard those days after conversion can be. Most of us, especially those who have had more radical experiences, will tell you, the enemy cranks up the heat in those days. Now imagine you can’t even be happy about the miracle Jesus ha done in your life, because a million of your alleged brothers and sisters are dragging your motivations through the mud… a million people who are posting nasty things about your conversion. Can you imagine how hurtful that is to him? Can you imagine how negatively you reflect the cause of Christ, not just to Mr. West, but to his legions of fans. I think we need to take a hard look at how we are treating this new brother.

Here’s the thing. Kanye’s conversion is between him and Jesus. Our opinions are irrelevant. His conversion is none of our business. If it turns out your worst suspicions about the man are true, that’s also between him and Jesus. If, on the other hand, our attitudes cause him or his fans to stumble, that’s on us. So here’s what I have to say to a man who will likely never read this. Welcome to the family, brother Kanye. I’m praying for you.

Easter Is Over, Now What?

First of all Easter is never really over because Jesus is Risen. That being said, the day we celebrate the Holiday has passed, so now what? Well for Christians the answer should be obvious. We take what we’ve been given and we share it. That’s what this image represents. We take the light that is in our hearts and we reach out, using our gifts to bless others and our lives to encourage and comfort others. The hand reaching down represents reaching to help someone else up. Then finally the hand pointing to heaven is to remind us that with all we do, we are supposed to point to the One who came to set us free. This is a major part of what it means to follow Christ.

New A Night AMOK Promo Video

I finally got the chance to put all the great photos Donna Parcell took of A Night AMOK and put them into a promo video for the new A Night AMOK: Pix of JC page here on AMOKArts.com

Pix of JC is an evangelistic presentation, A Night AMOK: Pix of JC (Pictures of Jesus). This hour and half long program is designed to introduce people to Jesus and inspire and encourage people to “paint a better picture of Jesus” with their lives by representing Him well and using their God-given gifts to serve God and others. To bring A Night AMOK to your church, contact Dave Weiss at AMOKArts@aol.com

Photo Credit: Donna Parcell, Indian Creek Church of the Brethren

Reject ALL Labels

Been there? Done That? Get the T shirt!

There are a lot of labels we slap on each other in the church. I’ll admit, I’ve never considered myself a liberal. I used to think I was a conservative until a conservative told me I wasn’t one. He said instead that I was an evangelical. I thought all Christians were supposed to be evangelical (Isn’t that what the Great Commission is all about?) When I heard my denomination had started a progressive group, I was excited. I’ve spent my whole ministry trying to create new ways to share the unchanging message of the Gospel. Isn’t that what progressive means? Evidently not. Just another way to advance a political agenda and I’m not much for politics anymore. We call ourselves pacifists, but for pacifists, we sure fight a lot and the countryside is littered with our denominational splits and while I love the people in my denomination (all of them because God said I had to and Jesus prayed that I would), there’s part of me that wonders if a denomination is just another label.

I mean I remember driving with a friend talking about God and the church, and when I told him my denomination, he said, “Oh, you guys are real liberal.” I thought about my little church in the corn field in Pennsylvania and thought, “How could he say that? We make Rush Limbaugh look like a liberal (or at least a moderate.) That’s the thing about labels, one size doesn’t fit all. The Bible speaks of speaking the truth in love but when we begin to separate behind labels it becomes either or, some having a problem with truth, others having a problem with love. A label is a litmus test. It stops being about Jesus and starts being about passing your groups litmus test. If you don’t believe me look at our government and ask yourself are they making their decisions based on what’s best for the people or the party. The party is the label and their decisions are how they pass the litmus test. Our Christian “labels” do the same thing. They divide what Jesus came to unite. When He prayed that we might be one as He and the Father are one, He meant you and me. I want better than division and dispute for my life, how about you?

I decided a long time ago that I reject all labels and the only litmus test I care about is the one given by the only one who won’t reject me when I fail to pass it. He told me to love everyone, even my enemies (if I had any, which I really don’t, largely because I really try to love everybody), stop being selfish, take up my cross DAILY and follow Him. We need to throw away our labels and pick up our Bibles. We need to forget our litmus tests and start following the doctrine set up for us by the Word of God. Should we leave the church? No, the Bible FORBIDS that. Do we dump our denominations? I don’t know if that’s necessary either. There are different denominations for the same reason there are different flavors of ice cream. Different people respond to different things and are reached by different things and God wants everyone to be reached by His love and the truth of the Gospel.(Speaking the truth in love, remember?)

What we must do is come together around the Word of God and in prayer and bring the church back into obedience to God and we have to start loving each other and the people in the world around us. I don’t have to agree with you to love you. I can disagree with you vehemently and still love you and you can fail my unintentional litmus tests (none of us should have them but we all do) and I will still love you. That’s what it means to follow the One who sacrificed Himself for the people who killed Him. I have many titles that tell you who I am, husband, father, man, pastor, speaker, artist employee, etc. and I’m okay with that but I reject all labels but one…

I am a FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST.

A really cool piece of worship art

Done with glow paint and a black light, this presentation is extremely cool.

How could you adapt this to your situation?

Message of the Week: Dear Galatia 6

I haven’t posted a message of the week in a while, but I felt pretty strongly led to post this one, so here it is.

It’s the last message in my Dear Galatia Series, it deals with how to use our freedom in Christ and how to function as the Church and the Body of Christ. Check it out…

One more thought…

Did you ever wonder if people who live in places where there are a lot of real terror and real horrors are as enamored with horror movies as those of us who live in relative peace and safety.

Did you ever wonder how people who live in nations where tribulation is already occurring feel about the pre-trib rapture?

A Thought on Halloween

Christians hold diverse opinions on Halloween. Some see it as Satanic, some see it as harmless and most of us are somewhere in between. I would be one of those people. On one hand the fascination with horror, gore, death and demons is particularly troublesome to me, on the other hand, it is the second most popular “holiday” in the U.S. and that seems to me like an opportunity to do some good for the Kingdom.

Halloween has it’s origins in Christianity. A day for remembering loved ones gone before as well as all the saints and as such maybe it’s not a case for coming out against it or ignoring it, but rather an opportunity for the church to reclaim and redeem. Leave that to your conscience, convictions and what the Holy Spirit (the only Spirit worth listening to) tells you to do. Follow your convictions and do what God says.

What inspired this post was something I heard a good friend say yesterday. She said Halloween is her favorite holiday because she gets to try being someone else. Now some of you may find that cringe-worthy, but I get it. I had a day like that, but it wasn’t Halloween, it was the day Christ came into my life. The Kings James Bible says “If any man be in Christ, He is a new creature…” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Christ came in and made a radical transformation in my life for the better. Of course there are major differences between my experience and my friend’s with Halloween. Her change is temporary, trying on an identity for a short period of time, all in fun, stretching her creativity to explore possibilities (that is the best side of Halloween, isn’t it?). In my case, I hated who I was and what I was becoming and needed a change that would be for good in both senses of the word. The old me needed to go, and I needed to become a new creature. The following two videos are explorations of what it means to be a new creature. Check them out and regardless about what you think and feel about Halloween, use this day to glorify God.

Post 400! How AMOK started, about the new features and more.

In this, the 400th post to the AMOKArts blog, I share a little bit about an event that changed my life and made AMOK possible. Someone found a use for my gift in the body of Christ. That really made all the difference. You can make a difference too. Thanks to the AMOKArts tribe, for viewing, commenting, supporting and spreading the word. I look forward to the next 400 posts.

My New Presentation

Defeating the 20/80 Rule with Be the Body
• Does your church have enough people to get everything done?
• Does your church have a small group of people who do most of the work?
• Does your church have a large group of people on the fringes and barely connected?
When you call upon your congregation to do the kinds of service Jesus commanded do they look back at you with a look that says, “Isn’t that what we pay you for?”
There’s a rule in most human organizations including, unfortunately, the church, which states that on average about 20 percent of the people do 80% of the work. This leaves your most faithful servants doing many things for which they are neither called nor gifted and nearing burnout while the rest of the congregation is only slightly invested in the work of the Kingdom. This is not the church that God intended.
I was in danger of becoming one of those 80 percent people and then something amazing happened. I went from struggling new believer who could barely read scripture aloud with a profound fear of public speaking to ordained minister, pastor and speaker. It wasn’t all a smooth ride and it didn’t happen overnight but it happened and I can trace it all back to one event. My pastor found a Kingdom use for my unusual gift and it changed my life. I’m convinced that there are thousands (maybe millions) of people in the church of Jesus Christ who are in the same boat. They have tremendous, God-given potential to do great things—things that will tremendously expand the Kingdom and they’re just waiting for someone to find their gift, ignite their passion and show them how to be what they were created to be to the glory of God. We are all “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do!”
That’s what my new presentation “Be the Body” is all about. Through the use of my story, artistic gifts, interactive projects and preaching the Word of God, I will challenge the “many parts” in your congregation to become fully invested members of the “one body” of Christ. Topics covered include:
• What it means to be the body of Christ? 

• How to do and be your part.

• What to lay down and what to take up.

• Maintaining unity and more.


This can be anywhere from a single message, a series of revival/Spiritual renewal services even a weekend retreat. I really feel a strong leading to go out into the church and call people into their God given calling. The guiding verse of this ministry is 1 Peter 4:10, Each one should use WHATEVER GIFTS he has received to serve others. I would love to come to your church or event and share with your congregation. Contact me, Dave Weiss at AMOKArts@aol.com
God bless,
Dave Weiss

www.amokarts.com