Do. Love. Walk.



Hello, my name is Michael Clevenger. My life is a romance with providence. I love Jesus, the least of these, worship, music, biking, intercession, traveling, theology, philosophy, non-violence, learning, listening, reading, adventuring, exploring, tea, writing, photography, coffee, stirring up others faith, good times, good sweet tea, & good BBQ-- not necessarily in that order.

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Frequently Asked Questions


Name:  Michael Earl Clevenger II

DOB:  October 24, 1991

Hometown:  I was born in Cape Coral, FL

Current:  Melbourne, FL

Ethnicity:  Filipino

The purpose of this blog:  “My chief desire in all my writings is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and make Him beautiful and glorious in the eyes of the people. -J.C. Ryle

I would like this blog to serve as a catalyst to zeal for the glory, honor, and knowledge of God.  I generally post quotes from men smarter than I but I do post personal things as well.

The World Race:  I leave in July, 2012, for The World Race which is an 11-month missions trip to 11 different nations.  My team and I will be in India, Nepal, Thailand, Challenge: Asia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Latvia, Estonia/Lithuania.  We’ll be in each nation for a month, loving and serving our neighbors.  The goal is to be sharing the process and adventures on this blog.  

More info: Here

How did you get started with The World Race?

I had stumbled across Adventures in Missions (AIM) a few years back and signed up for email updates for information on their Passport trips.  The Passport trips are 1-9 month mission trips spent in a specific nation for college-age (18-22 year olds).  I looked into The World Race as well.

Fast forward a year later, I’m playing guitar at my church, in bands, and working.  I was playing a show for my best friend’s benefit show (Taylor Doss) for her to raise support for her tuition to Ocean’s Edge School of Worship, in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  At that show, I met some of my best friends to this day.  

Curt Devine played at that show with me, and if my memory is serving me correctly, we never talked.  Yet through the interweb and mutual friends I discovered he was in the process of raising funds for The World Race and so I followed his blog and my heart was rekindled for world missions.

Fast forward another year, still playing music, working, but now in the process of going to Ocean’s Edge.  With a month to me attending there, I went to a CRU meeting in Melbourne because some friends of mine were leading worship.  No real intentions to meet Christ, or have the direction of my life radically changed—mind you.  

James Barnett spoke that night, now my roommate and dear friend.  He spoke on the distinction between “admiring” Christ and “following” Christ— a dichotomy made by 18th century Danish philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard.  Admirers, says Kierkegaard, are merely connected to the admired by the thrill of their mind, but followers end up doing as the leader does.

Quick backdrop, I had grown up in the church.  From the Catholic church to Baptist, Pentecostal, Non-Denominational (borderline Word of Faith) churches and admired Jesus the majority of my life; yet was never truly following Christ.  I then began on a journey of unlearning and after being confronted with Christ’s radical call towards the proclamation of His name among the nations, and much prayer—ended up applying for The World Race.  I got accepted the next day and then withdrew from Ocean’s Edge and sold all of my music equipment—which at the time, was a big part of my identity.

It’s humbling to look back and see how the Lord’s providential hand has been on this journey, and brings me great comfort as I continue raising support and trust the Lord for a major breakthrough, financially.

Influences:  Here are some people who have had an influence on my life—fairly exhaustive and compiled alphabetically.

  1. Alvin Plantinga
  2. A.W. Tozer
  3. Brother Lawrence
  4. Brother Yun
  5. Charles Spurgeon
  6. Corey Russell
  7. C.S. Lewis
  8. C.T. Studd
  9. David Brainerd
  10. David Platt
  11. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
  12. Dorothy Day
  13. E.M. Bounds
  14. Francis Chan
  15. George Mueller
  16. G.K. Chesterton
  17. Greg Koukl
  18. Hudson Taylor
  19. J.C. Ryle
  20. J.I. Packer
  21. Jim Elliot
  22. John Piper
  23. John Wesley
  24. Keith Green
  25. Leonard Ravenhill
  26. Martin Luther
  27. Martin Luther King Jr.
  28. Mike Bickle
  29. Mother Teresa
  30. N.T. Wright
  31. Paul Washer
  32. Ravi Zacharias
  33. R.C. Sproul
  34. Sadhu Sundar Singh
  35. Saint Augustine of Hippo
  36. Saint Francis of Assisi
  37. Shane Claiborne
  38. Soren Kierkegaard
  39. Stephen Venable
  40. Susanna Wesley
  41. Thomas å Kempis
  42. Tim Keller
  43. William Lane Craig
And yes, I’m aware that these people are from all different spheres of Christendom.  Truth belongs to our great God and these were just some people the Lord used in my life.

Favorite Books:
  1. A.W. Pink:  The Attributes of God; The Seven Sayings of the Savior on the Cross
  2. A.W. Tozer: Knowledge of the Holy; The Pursuit of God; Attributes of God, Purpose of Man
  3. Brother Lawrence: Practicing the Presence of God
  4. Brother Yun: Heavenly Man; Living Water
  5. Corey Russell: Pursuit of the Holy
  6. C.S. Lewis:  The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics, The Four Loves
  7. David Platt: Radical
  8. Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Discipleship; Life Together
  9. Francis Chan: Crazy Love, Forgotten God
  10. J.I. Packer:  Knowing God
  11. John Stott:  The Cross of Christ
  12. John Piper: Desiring God; Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ; The Pleasures of God; Don’t Waste Your Life 
  13. Leonard Ravenhill: Why Revival Tarries; In Light of Eternity; A Treasury of Prayer: The Best of E.M. Bounds on Prayer In A Single Volume—Compiled and Condensed by Leonard Ravenhill
  14. Martin Luther King Jr:  The Measure of a Man
  15. R.C. Sproul:  The Holiness of God
  16. Richard Bauckham: Jesus and the Eyewitnesses
  17. Saint Augustine: Confessions
  18. Shane Claiborne: The Irresistible Revolution; Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals
  1. maroonlonghorn said: you’re filipino? nice! me too!
  2. kelseereeves said: I spent 2 months in Thailand&Vietnam last winter during my DTS with Youth With a Mission. Those countries changed my heart. Actually, the Lord changed my heart. I wish I had more than 250 characters to share the beauty of those nations w/ you!!!
  3. mikeclevenger posted this