Thursday, March 30, 2006

MY 100TH POST

COME CELEBRATE WITH ME, THIS IS MY 100th POST! I have really enjoyed writing this blog. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to do a blog or If I was going to do good with it and then I was reading the Bible and came across the scriptures matthew 12:36-37 "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." At that very moment I felt the Holy spirit speaking to me.. use your words to give glory to Jesus. After that, I got on my computer and started this blog. I appreciate everyone's kind comments and uplifting e-mails. Below are links to my favorite posts. Please read the ones you haven't read before. And Comment!
God Bless!
http://matthew1236.blogspot.com/2006/03/where-to-take-your-opinions.html#links Where you need to take your opinions on various views

http://matthew1236.blogspot.com/2006/02/blog-book-club.html -Join my book club

http://matthew1236.blogspot.com/2006/02/end-race.html -Does race really matter?

http://matthew1236.blogspot.com/2006/02/my-prayer-for-all-of-you.html -My special prayer for all my visitors at my blog

http://matthew1236.blogspot.com/2006/01/erase-dividing-line.html Should we act above all those others who have past sins?

http://matthew1236.blogspot.com/2005/12/two-gods.html -Which is the correct view of God? Angry and punishing or forgiving and loving?

http://matthew1236.blogspot.com/2005/11/blog-favorites.html -This one will continue you to other links further back that are my favorites

"Acknowledging your mistakes proves you're wiser today then you were yesterday. If you never admit you're wrong, you're saying, I'm not growing. I'm not wiser."-Dr. John C Maxwell

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Noah's Ark Found?


The article, Satellite Sleuth Closes in on Noah's ark mystery is an interesting one. A satellite has found an object large enough to be Noah's ark from the Bible. As there are always skeptics, I think it's beyond a coincidence that the object compares to "The Genesis blueprint of the Ark detailed the structure as 6:1 length to width ratio (300 cubits by 50 cubits). The anomaly, as viewed by satellite, is close to that 6:1 proportion." However, whether it is proven to be the ark or not I believe that the very essence of faith is knowing without needing proof. Do I need the ark to be found for me to believe that it existed? If scientists prove that this ark is Noah's ark without a doubt will I be satisfied? No definitely not, I'm already satisfied. When you live in the spirit and the spirit lives in you, you know that the Bible is the true words of God. No proof needed.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Get Ready...

Below is a copy of a letter sent to me. I am posting it because with the popularity of the Da Vinci Code book, the movie will be just as popular and will effect more people. Even though it's a work of fiction people tend to be inspired and even changed by certain things that they hear. We as Christians have to use the word of God to combat this and to discern the truth.


Are You Ready for the Da Vinci Code?May 19, 2006 could well touch off the most controversial period the Church has faced in years. Why? Because Dan Brown’s best-selling book, The Da Vinci Code will be released as a movie on May 19th starring Tom Hanks and directed by Ron Howard. We have an unprecedented opportunity to equip the body to answer the challenging questions this movie raises about Christ, his Word and the Church. If we approach this with skill and readiness, we can seize this opportunity to open compelling conversations with the lost.

Da Vinci Code Help from Josh McDowell Our friend, Josh McDowell, has produced several excellent resources to help you answer the tough questions raised by skeptics and segue into the real gospel. One is a 20-page mini-magazine created to be a companion guide to the movie. Another is his book, The Da Vinci Code - A Quest for Answers. For more info, go to www.davinciquest.org.

Da Vinci Code TractDa Vinci Code fans will fight for this one! This tract is twice the size of the million dollar bill and looks like a valuable collector’s item. Please don’t miss this opportunity to get the gospel into the hands of the unsaved. Get the tracts and take a team to the theaters. We have learned that the criteria for a good tract is “If we would like to give it out, so will you.” This is because in the past we have produced tracts that were creative, but we didn’t really feel excited about giving them out. However, when we saw this tract, we couldn’t wait to give it out.( Information taken from the Way of the Master and Living Waters NEWSBLAST.)

Monday, March 27, 2006

My Space


Last month I decided to start a myspace page http://www.myspace.com. If you don't know what that is, it's a website that gives mini-websites to people who can easily interact with each other . It has thousands of people mostly teens and young adults joined as well as famous musicians/actors (even though some aren't official and some are just fan clubs). I first heard about it through my younger sisters who are always on the computer sending messages and bulletins. I didn't think much of it until one day I walked into this coffee house and literally saw over half of the laptops logged onto myspace. After that, I thought that it would be a great venue to advertise for my magazine. So I started a page. One month later I have been contacted by over 100 talented people agreeing to help me out and my ideas. But the biggest blessing was this: The many many young people who have come to me proclaiming their love for Christ. It was a shock to me to see so many myspaces that are dedicated to having a relationship with God. Some as young as 12 and 13. It's an awesome thing to see the power of God running through these young people. I have read blogs full of wisdom (that put mine to shame!:-) and projects of encouragement. There are hip hop Christian music artists(such as the pic shown above), Rock and roll Christian music groups and so much more. I believe God is using the youth as well as-if not more-then adults to get the word out to the lost. Don't underestimate a group of teens you may see out on the street, they may be the very ones out their saving souls. 1 Timouthy 4:11

The above picture is one of my myspace friends promoting his Christian album.

Want to take a look at my myspace page? go to http://www.myspace.com/beyonditallmag

UPDATE: THE NPR PUT OUT A STORY ABOUT MYSPACE AND HOW A LARGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE ARE USING IT TO ORGANIZE FOR POLITICAL CAUSES CHECK IT OUT.

My daughter in the newspaper


Read more about why my 4 yr old daughter was in the newspaper at http://www.thesecondlove.blogspot.com Above is a recent photo of her

Monday, March 20, 2006

Learning from an Atheist

I recently received a message from Way of the Master ministry via my myspace page http://www.myspace.com/evangelismresource in this message is a letter from an atheist originally posted by Ray comfort at his site http://www.livingwaters.com that actually sends an important message to all Christians. It's copied below

"You are really convinced that you've got all the answers. You've really got yourself tricked into believing that you're 100% right. Well, let me tell you just one thing. Do you consider yourself to be compassionate of other humans? If you're right, as you say you are, and you believe that, then how can you sleep at night? When you speak with me, you are speaking with someone who you believe is walking directly into eternal damnation, into an endless onslaught of horrendous pain which your 'loving' god created, yet you stand by and do nothing.If you believed one bit that thousands every day were falling into an eternal and unchangeable fate, you should be running the streets mad with rage at their blindness. That's equivalent to standing on a street corner and watching every person that passes you walk blindly directly into the path of a bus and die, yet you stand idly by and do nothing. You're just twiddling your thumbs, happy in the knowledge that one day that 'walk' signal will shine your way across the road.Think about it. Imagine the horrors Hell must have in store if the Bible is true. You're just going to allow that to happen and not care about saving anyone but yourself? If you're right then you're an uncaring, unemotional and purely selfish (expletive) that has no right to talk about subjects such as love and caring."

That letter is intense and mind blowing. How many of us know people in our job, school, family, neighborhood that aren't saved and that we have not tried to reach out to? Learn from this atheist's letter and care enough to reach out to others.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Blog Book Club Update


So far, I've had a few people e-mail me letting me know they are reading the book for my blog book club Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory and that they are enjoying it. Please join in the fun! This book is very enriching and enjoyable. I blogged about it originally at http://matthew1236.blogspot.com/2006/02/blog-book-club.html#links
Let me know when you get it and what you think!
I am also taking suggestions for the next book so if you know of a good one, let me know!

5 years of happiness?

My fifth wedding anniversary was 3-17-2006. Read my thoughts on five years of marriage at my family blog http://www.thesecondlove.blogspot.com

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Where to take your Opinions

There are many viewpoints we can have on various issues. What many don't think about is once you become Christian your opinions should now come from Him. Are all your viewpoints biblically based? When you discuss things such as politics and race, do you have scriptures to back them up? It's hypocritical to preach and use scriptures for one belief but then not know how God feels about something else you feel strongly about. So how can you find out how God feels? Read the Bible and seek out His word. It says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." Another good way is to ask in prayer, I find that when I'm confused on something I ask God and then I would go to church and the sermon will be about that very subject! I recognize that that is the Holy spirit speaking through my pastor right to me.
Once God comes to live in you, you become full of wisdom. Use the wisdom He gives you to live your life and staple your beliefs.

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood." 1 John 4:4-6

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Christian Cliques

We as Christians need to get rid of the "them and us" mentality. Although I do enjoy hanging out with Christians I don't hesitate to reach out to someone who is not. How else am I going to share the good news of Christ if I avoid homosexuals, thieves, atheists etc. If I meet someone and I hit it off with them and I witness, as long as they don't disrespect me and my views, I don't mind continuing to be friends with them. I believe my relationship with God is strong and I don't believe being friends with people who are unsaved will change me, on the contrary them being friends with me will change them. It says in 1 Peter 2:12 “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” How can they see the blessings in our lives that God brings us for being faithful to Him if we avoid them? Now I'm not saying to constantly surround yourself with people who are unsaved because being with your brothers and sisters in Christ helps you grow in your walk with Him. But don't find yourself always pointing your finger at people who don't know Christ and turning your nose up at them, all that do is show Christians in a more negative light.
"While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:10-13)

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Only a Fool Doubts

I confess, I had doubts today. Those little words that creep into my mind that says, what the heck are you doing? Do you know what is out there? Do you really think that your little measley magazine is going to change anything?
Why is having doubts bad? Because I hold onto faith. When you have faith you can't doubt. It's impossible to do both.
In the Bible it's called being double-minded. "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." James 1:6-8
So you say what's wrong with thinking that I will receive? It's says in the above scripture not to think you will receive from the Lord. That's right, you shouldn't think, you should KNOW. Right away after you pray you should know you have received and let it go.
My pastor Gregory Dickow from LifeChangers Church(changinglives.org) Always says that taking the God's name in vain is more then what we think it is. It's not just saying "oh my god" but it's asking God for something and then doubting whether it will happen. You took the Wonderous name of God in vain when you asked for your bills to be paid and then the next day became sad because you don't know how it will happen. You should be happy. Celebrate that God will take care of it!
So back to me and my magazine and my doubts. I truly repent and believe that my magazine no matter how little it may seem now will be bigger and more succesful then the most well-known magazine out there. I believe it and I thank God for it!

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

MARCH ISSUE!!!!!


The March issue of Beyond it All Magazine is out today! This issue is dedicated to music and the cover story is a fascinating young woman named Anesha Birchett who is signed to a major record label (Darkchild/def Jam) who has dedicated her life to Christ and making music to celebrate him. I also didn't leave out those young adults who enjoy rock and there is a feature story on Afikomen a hot rock group who also loves Jesus. There is also a quiz on how a teen handles conflict and hopefully from that they realize how they can change their life through positive communication. there is so much more so please check it out at http://www.lulu.com/beyonditallmag

Saturday, March 04, 2006

What's This Life Worth?

What’s the meaning of life, is the one infamous question that people say they wish they had the answer to.

That question is simple, it’s to get back to God in paradise and to bring others with us that don’t know Him personally.

This world originally was paradise. The Garden of Eden was the most beautiful and peaceful place and then we messed it up by allowing sin to come into our lives---Long story short, Jesus fixed it and now He wants us to live our lives loving Him and loving each other until it’s time to reclaim our prize.

The time we spend worrying, fighting, hating, is time we could be using to help bring others to God. When someone says they have to do what they have to do, for what? When this life ends, will it matter? Will all the money, jewelry, bling in the world matter when you get to heaven? Heaven is beyond what anyone can imagine, and certainly beyond what you can store up in your pockets.

Having faith in God to get what you need and take care of you while you worship Him is the key. When you put Him first and live your life knowing He is all that matters, He will make sure you are blessed, He will make sure that you grow and learn in your spiritual life so that you can help bring more of His children to Him.

What’s this life worth? It’s worth nothing unless you spend it in the glory of God.

"I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me -- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."
Acts 20:24