Sunday, May 20, 2007

TWO YEAR BLOGIVERSARY TODAY!!!!!!!(say yes)

I know it's late but I had a busy day today and I wanted to make sure I blogged today to celebrate two years of writing in this blog! I decided to celebrate by posting this song by the Shekinah Glory Ministry singing the song Say Yes. I love the song and If I wouldn't have said yes I wouldn't have this blog because when I first decided to start a blog it wasn't intended to be all Christian and some of the things that came to me to write surprised myself and made me nervous about other's reactions. But nevertheless I said Yes to His will and I have had many e-mail of people telling me how they see things differently as Christians, that it's not about being judgemental and overly righteous and they see God the way He wants them to see Him as the all loving, all merciful, all forgiving God. Below are links to my one year and my first blog thanks for reading and celebrating with me!














http://matthew1236.blogspot.com/2006/05/one-year-blogiversary.html#links

http://matthew1236.blogspot.com/2005/05/conservative-not-always synonymous.html#links

if you are having a hard time with the music you can listen to it on my myspace www.myspace.com/beyonditallmag

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Would You Say This?

Would you say, "I don't need school because I'm not smart enough?"
Then why would you say, "I don't go to church because I don't know everything in the Bible."

Would you say, "I had a bad experience shopping at this store so I'm never shopping again."
Then why would you say, "I had a bad experience at a church before so I'm never going to another church."

Would you say, "I'm too sick to go to the hospital?"
Then why would you say, "I make too many mistakes to go to church."

Church is so important because it can help open your eyes to things that you don't understand in the Bible or enlighten you in ways that can help you make changes for the better in your life. I noticed the most that people avoid church because of guiltyness. They think about sin in their life and they feel they don't belong in church. But God is a forgiving and loving God who desires to give you many chances and always wants to welcome you back. Think of the story of the prodigal son, don't think that you are a hypocrite because you want to come to learn about God. So you say, but what if I go back home and go back to sinning? First of all everyone sins, everyday because no one is perfect and the best thing for you is to try your best to please God for a better blessed life but even if you are not sure about having Him in your life, church will eventually change that. In church you may hear or feel something that will open your eyes to Him so don't be afraid.

The Bible says in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He’s faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Psalm 103 says that “as far as east is from west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." In Hebrews 8:12, He said, “your sins and iniquities, I will remember no more.” What a promise from God’s Word. He says He will remember it no more. And He will never bring it up again.

My Pastor Gregory Dickow says it wonderfully when he says this, "The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 24, “A righteous man may fall seven times, but he gets up.” So, clearly that tells us that God gives us second and third chances. The Bible also says, “If your brother sins against you seventy times seven, forgive him.”
So if we’re supposed to forgive our brother seventy times seven – 490 times – how much more will God forgive us? If God will tell us to forgive over and over again and give somebody a second chance, how much more do you think He gives us a second chance because He is love and He is the God of new beginnings. He gave the thief on the cross a second chance. He gave David a second chance. He gave Moses a second chance. He gave Abraham a second chance. He gave Paul a second chance. He gives everybody a second chance. Now, it’s up to us to seize the opportunity and use that second chance to honor Him and to glorify Him."

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Stop giving God the credit for Satan's work

So many of us are so quick to blame God when we are having problems. We either do it angrily by shaking our fists in the air and saying "God why me?" or we are the humble Christian type who says "God is just testing me" How about when we deal with problems and struggles in our lives we rebuke the devil. We shake our hands downward and say Satan you aren't going to win I am the child of God!! It says in the Bible in Psalm 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” God delivers out of affliction He doesn't cause them.

Monday, May 07, 2007

When you're in love and ready...

When you're in love and ready is the popular response for parents to teach their children when it's okay to start having sex nowadays. I was thinking about this while reading an article about how telling teens to wait for marriage is failing. But what's really failing is this you're in love and ready mantra.Some adults past the age of 40 still don't know when they are truly in love, the kind of love that God has sent them.So there are divorces and broken hearts and STDs and unwanted pregnancies and alot of mess! So how can we expect a teenager to know? Some children as young as 13 think they are in love these days! I know this, I experienced this when I failed to realize that saving myself would have saved so many problems in my life. Men basically can say anything you want to hear to make you think that you are in love and ready and vice versa. Then you are stuck with someone who really don't care enough about you to take the extra mile to learn about the real you. That only comes about when someone is thinking about marriage. When they think about bonding with a person for the rest of their lives, they start to really get to know them and learn about them and understand them. This all should happen before sex. I am not the judgemental person. I have made mistakes that has cost me. God does forgive you of your mistakes but it doesn't take back the punishment and struggle your mistakes will ultimately put you through. It's time we take back the "in love and ready mantra" and bring back waiting! Teach your children when they are young let them know so much that by the time they are teenagers they will desire someone to want to marry them first just as they will desire going to college or being whatever they want to be when they grow up. I am dedicated to breaking this cycle with my children and I am ignoring the people who have got it in their brains that it is impossible to for a teen to save themselves nowadays. God is real and it is possible!