Author: Naty Matos

Great desire to worship God through the gift of writing and share a message of inspiration to all around me.

Today is the End of the World

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational ThoughtsLeave a comment

Today there’s a  group of people waiting for the Apocalypse to come. They were not told the hour, but as I write this at 1 EOWpm EST, it hasn’t happened. They’ve been told this in many occasions and when it doesn’t happen, the response is that they were not worthy of Jesus’ return, therefore he didn’t come. You may laugh at their believes, but if we’re not careful, we can all be in a situation following false doctrines and/or prophets.

I’ve always been curious about how cults work. Cults are not always a result of poverty or ignorance; you see educated and well off people joining these groups. They blindly follow a leader that tells them that they’re a messenger from God. Who doesn’t want to follow God? Therefore they believe what they are being told and follow blindly.

I grew up in church, but was never one to read the bible. I was taught that the man at the pulpit was chosen from God to shepherd his people, therefore I believed that what he said was true and that what he said came from God. Of course, everything he said he had a quote and a scripture to attach to it. I’m not saying that I was mislead in church. I just know that once I started studying the bible myself I was able to separate the truth or lack of truth of what God was saying to me or about me.

Where am I going with this? Sometimes because someone has a leadership position we trust in what they say. This is very true for believers, were they idolize their pastors, ministers’ u other leaders just because they are “men or women of God” and don’t stop to question some of the things that are being said. Let me clarify that I’m not denying that pastors, ministers and religious leaders have a high calling; they do deserve respect and honor. However the key here is “men and women”. They are still human, they still can make mistakes and they too can fall from grace.

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I was watching one of my real life crime shows the other night and it was about a pastor who killed his wife, but then was telling several women from his church that it was God’s will for them to be intimate with him as a way to supply his needs since he now didn’t have a wife.Some of these women were married to their husbands. Three or four women struggled with it, but then gave in, including the deceased wife’s mother. Yes, his mother in law.

I’ve also been reading about this group waiting for today’s apocalypse. Here’s what I learned. Part of their routine is to read the bible everyday. I couldn’t understand if they were reading the bible, how this “prophet” has them believing all these things and doing things that they do that are against the word of God. Everyone who has left the cult has said the same thing, that they were following “The Prophet” and not God.

We are responsible to study the word and contrast what we are being told with the word of God. The Word is the authority, not who is reading it to you!bible

It is not my job to judge what these man or women did. I do feel it is my responsibility to alert all my fellow Christians that if what someone asks you to do does not match with what the Word of God says, it doesn’t come from God. These are not the only cases where religious leaders have taken advantage of their position and the vulnerability of their parishioners. It has not only been with intimate relations, but with financial transactions, abuse and instances of power. “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” Psalm 118:8

In the bible we are warned about false prophets (These are just a few):

  •  Jeremiah 14:14 ”Then the LORD said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.”
  • Lamentations 2:14 “The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The oracles they gave you were false and misleading”
  • Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves”
  • Mark 13:22 “For false Christ’s and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible”

We should have a trusting relationship with our religious leaders, but our relationship with God should supersede that. God has a plan, and only one. His word is unchangeable, he has not changed his mind about his plan, and we’re the ones that veer from it. Therefore I urge you, when in doubt, go to the source.

In my journey with Christ, I have not found a single issue not being addressed in the bible; no matter how big or how small. If what anyone and I mean anyone requests of you goes against the Word of God, once again, it doesn’t come from God and you should remove yourself from that situation. 1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Like John says here… “Test the spirits”, go to the word of God, pray for your own revelation and don’t move until your spirit is at peace and in accordance with the Holy Spirit.

Be safe!

Where’s my blessing?

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational ThoughtsLeave a comment

Yesterday we celebrated the ultimate demonstration of Love. God in the flesh died for blessingsour sins, but didn’t stay dead, but conquered the grave to provide us with salvation and a new life. There are times when you don’t feel like you are living that life. You see others succeeding around you and here you are, serving the Lord and not getting what you believe to be rightfully yours.

I was reading the passage of Genesis 27:1-45. This is the story where Isaac is dying and tells Esau to make him dinner and he will bless him. Jacob and his mother plot against Esau, trick Isaac who ends up giving Jacob the blessing. Once the truth comes out, Esau feels defeated. The blessing was given to his brother and now he’s empty handed. His father tells him that now he can’t give him anything. Esau gets bitter and angry against his brother, but it was because he didn’t listen.

See, many times we’re in Esau’s position. We think about job that we want or the relationship that we’ve been in; suddenly they’re yanked out of our hands and we get bitter. It was ours we say. We’ve been faithful and working so hard. Why did my blessing go away?

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This is what we hear, “You will live away from the richness of the earth, and away from the dew of the heaven above. You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother…” Everything was taken from us, now we have nothing but slavery to our pain and the yoke of seeing someone else enjoy what we believed to be ours. Here’s what I’m encouraging you to do today…keep reading!

See the next verse says,

“But when you decide to break free, you will shake his yoke from your neck”

In other words, you don’t have to live one single second in bondage. If you choose to break free right now, you will never be under that yoke, because you decided to break free. New mercies are waiting for you every day, and your blessings are intact. That what you thought was yours and stolen will be given to you tenfold, but only once you break free from the yoke of your brother. When you break the jealousy, the envy, the anger and unforgiveness, you will be set free.

This is your day beloved. Maybe it’s you who need a resurrection.

 

 

Looking at our true selves

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts1 Comment

I have the blessing of being part of two worlds that although to the naked eye are very distant from each other, they are quite similar. I have a job, a normal 9-5 and I also have a ministry life which is what I call my full time job.

Before I started in ministry, I longed for the days were I would have the opportunity to dedicate more time to the work for the kingdom. I still have desire to give even more than what I’m already giving. To be quite honest, it was not what I expected.

At work, I had the challenges anyone has: having to submit to authority, following rules and policies, taking care of those around you, develop relationships, following the chain of command, knowing that with higher titles came more responsibility. Also the understanding that all those underneath you wouldn’t understand your decisions because they didn’t have all the information or the bigger picture while on the other hand I disagreed with the decisions made above me. Wait, was that work or church? Exactly!

I used to complain a lot every time there was a challenge at work. A dear friend of mine perfectedtold me every time, “God is using these experiences to create skills in you for your life in ministry” I thought she was totally crazy. In my mind, church is the place where I learn to deal with the world. I was wrong and she was right.

See, this is why as Christians we get criticized all the time. Christianity is viewed with rose colored glasses and the expectations of those who claim to be following Jesus are quite high even amongst ourselves. We get called hypocrites all the time, which may not be far from the truth. Why? Because we put a mask on our faces trying to live up to those expectations instead of the actual life that God intended for us. We even hold each other to those higher expectations, that God didn’t place on us. God knows that we’re not perfect, who are we trying to fool?

As I became part of ministry and started growing in responsibilities, I realized my friend had been right all along. The way I managed up or down in my corporate life were the same skills I had to use at the church. Why the surprise? We need to realize that WE are the people in the church. Yes, the teacher at your child’s school, your doctor, your boss, your neighbor, the gal who served your fries on a drive thru, the one who lost the patience with you on a customer service call and of course, there’s you and me. Why would I or anyone expect a different behavior? Aren’t we all a work in progress?

God's planChristians are people who recognize that there’s a higher power that knows better than them. People who realize that following Jesus their lives can change and they can find a love never experienced before. We are made perfect through The Word of God, not ourselves, so less be honest about where we are in our journey. That’s the way our testimony will give Glory to God.

When two people are in love and they feel that they are “perfect for each other” they get married (for the most part) They may be perfect for each other, but even those who have been married to the love of their lives will tell you that it wasn’t always easy. There were disagreements, tears, challenges and a lot of work to do.

In our relationship with Christ, the same happens. We come with preconceived notions of how life should be lived according to those around us. As we grow in our personal relationship with Christ, we realize that some of the things we thought were right, may be wrong. We also learn that the way we are used to manage things is different, so the battle between flesh and spirit starts bringing those tears, disagreements, challenges, changes, disappointments and letting us know that there’s a lot of work to do in us.

The more transparent we are, the better the process goes.

We are not perfect people; neither are our leaders. As Christians we’re all pursuing to do God’s will, but sometimes we miss the mark. Let’s take off the mask of perfection, let’s be transparent. Let’s show this world why life in Christ is worth living. It is because in spite of our imperfections we found perfect love, because we found hope in a hopeless world and joy within our tears.

 

In Christ,

2015 In Review

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts, Writing Happenings2 Comments

20152015 has been quite a different year. Different is usually associated with a negative connotation, but different is not always bad. God has taken me into a journey that I never imagined.

In 2009, when I started this blog and had just finished the first draft of my first novel (The Road Home) I thought I had finally found my purpose. I’m not implying that I will no longer write, I actually miss it a lot. But I’ve been placed on hold to pursue other things for the Kingdom of God.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord in Isaiah 55:8 I have to admit that I still can’t get that through my head. After a life of fighting for everything, I stop the fight and have left the Lord be the pilot of this life that belongs to him anyway. My small mind thinks that with every step that’s as far as I’m going to go, yet the Lord surprises me again.

When I started writing, I never thought I would get a book to see the light of day. Now I have 4 books published: The Road Home, Growth Lessons, Season’s Greetings from Amelia and A Brothers Vow. I also have 2 other novels waiting to be edit for release: Saving Paola and Breaking Free.

In 2010 I started attending a ministry program called Celebrate Recovery to deal with the domestic violence in my marriage and eventual divorce. Today I’m the Ministry Leader of the only Spanish Celebrate Recovery in GA and a State Representative for Celebrate Recovery in GA. These are not my accomplishments, but places where God has brought me to that I never imagined. The State Rep happened this summer.

CR blog

It’s been kind of a quiet year. I’ve been a little reclusive doing a lot of introspection. It has been a year to connect with God at a different level. It’s been a year of growth.

I also moved to a new apartment in the summer. A smaller but way better apartment. My dog is happy as the complex has 2 dog parks, and she gets to drag me there to play.

For the first time in my life I have a television over 24 inches, not an accomplishment but something that happened. It looks really good and weird to see the clarity of some shows like if you were sitting right next to the characters or walking with them through hallways and streets.

It’s been a peaceful year. I’m really enjoying being quiet for long periods of time. I’m enjoying silence, which is a different pace for me. I don’t want to get too comfortable ad stop chasing dreams, but for now being able to breath is a good place to be.

Happy New Year 2016!

NYE

Guest Post: Temporary vs Eternal by June Foster

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts, Writing Happenings2 Comments

A passage of scripture stood out to me recently. 11Corinthians 4:18. “So we fix out eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” It made me think.

God's Saving Hand reaching for the faithful
God’s Saving Hand reaching for the faithful

In the passage, Paul is talking about our future hope when we die. In this life, we are wasting away, our bodies are getting old and feeble, but these troubles are light and momentary. Someday we’ll experience an eternal glory that is so much better that we can’t even imagine it. He encourages us to think about the Eternal when we will see the Lord face to face, even as He now sees and knows us.

So what do I normally “fix my eyes on?” The TV screen, the computer, my kindle, my clothes closet, the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets—just to name a few things. But as the apostle says, I will experience these things for a short time. More importantly, we should focus on the next life. That’s Heaven for the Christian.

So here’s a short list of the “temporary” things we witness daily.

1.All the items I mentioned above, 2.house and place of work, 3.pets, 4.our car, 5.i-phones, 6.friends, 7.bar-b-que grill, 8.cosmetic products, 9.movies, 10.books.

Sure this stuff concerns us and occupies our minds, but how often do we center on the “eternal?”

  1. God’s word, 2.our lives in Heaven, 3.the Lord, 4. Jesus’ sacrifice for us, 5. speaking to God in prayer, 6.Praising God, 7.Singing to the Lord, 8.Spiritual gifts, 9. the Holy Spirit, 10.Sin.

We live in this world and must focus on daily chores and responsibilities. But maybe we should set aside more time to “fix our eyes” on what is unseen. You can’t go wrong, and I believe it would lift our perspective on this life and the next.

June Foster
Author – where God has the answers
Available from Amazon
Give Us This Day
As We Forgive
Deliver Us
A Hometown Fourth of July
Red and the Wolf
For All Eternity
Echoes From the Past
 
Available from WhiteFire
Ryan’s Father 

Are we celebrating the REAL Christmas?

On By Naty MatosIn Articles, Inspirational Thoughts2 Comments

The last 48 hours have been quite funny and sad at the same time. For the last 6 years I had stopped celebrating Christmas. I got divorced 6 years ago. I live alone with my dog and felt that there was no reason for me to put decorations or cook a big meal because I didn’t have anyone to share it with. Yes, I’ve gotten invitations from family and church family members, but it didn’t feel the same.

This year I got really down during Thanksgiving for the same reason. One of my brother’s in Christ saw me the Monday after and I told him how I was feeling. He told me to decorate my place and invite him and his wife over for dinner. Although I appreciate their gesture; something didn’t set well with me.

The next Sunday, visiting a friend’s church, they were talking about the meaning of Christmas. The pastor was talking about the time when Mary was visited by the angel. We all know the story, the angel told her she was going to fulfill the prophecy, have a virgin birth. She basically said let God’s will be done. Joseph wasn’t happy, but another angel came and told him this is from God and he went OK. He married Mary and off they went to Bethlehem and had the baby.

Was it that easy? I’m not a parent. Your 14 year old comes home and says she’s pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Think about it, I’ll wait. Your virgin fiance tells you that she’s pregnant by the Holy Spirit. I’ll give you a chance to digest that. You are minding your business cleaning the house and an angel shows up and tells you that you are going to be carrying God’s child.

The faith and obedience that Joseph and Mary had to believe God’s plan against what the world was in those times and it’s right now, most of us wouldn’t pass that test.

It got me thinking, what are we really celebrating? Everyone knows that Jesus was not born on December 25th, but that as a society we picked that day to celebrate his birthday. Are we really? Our Christmas celebrations have become about us and not about Jesus, even for those of us who go to church.

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I’m sure many will think I’m the Grinch and I’ve come to terms with that. Our traditional Christmas celebration is usually to decorate the house, a tree, and have lots of food. I’ve heard that Christmas is about gathering the family together. I didn’t read that during the story of Christ’s birth, but here we go. And of course we need presents, lots of them, especially for the kids, because we need to make it special for them. So we go to church, and pray before the meal and read under the Christmas tree the story of the birth… Being the good Christians that we are,”right”?

I think we’re wrong.

If we’re going to celebrate the birth of our Lord, shouldn’t we be giving gifts to him? Shouldn’t this be a day of service to others as an offering to him instead of serving ourselves? Naty, what the idea of getting together with the family? You can do that any time of the year. Actually why are you waiting for Christmas to tell anyone you love them? That sweater or new TV is going to be the same sweater or TV March 13th as it is on December 25th. Save that gift for that person’s birthday.

Naty, what about the kids? What about starting to teach our children the true meaning of Christmas so that they don’t stumble through the same paths that we have?

We get hung up on coffee cups (which I know it was a hoax). We say we need to put Christ back in Christmas, when our celebrations don’t put Christ in Christmas.

As I was thinking about this post I realized that the majority of us actually partake in the 7 deadly sins even while  celebrating that God sent his only son to save us from hell. Naty you are exaggerating! Am I?

Gluttony- I don’t even have to explain that.

Anger- It’s a joke already about the fights that happen when the family gets together.

Lust-Remember lust is not only about sex, but about things and pleasures that have nothing to do with God.

Envy-Wait, why is their gift better than mine?

Pride- I’m not inviting/calling XYZ, You remember what s/he did to7-Deadly-Sins me? Or, I have to make sure my outfit is perfect for the next Christmas party.

Sloth-This one comes right after the gluttony attack.

Greed-It’s the season to “give” but I’m expecting to receive too.

We already received our Christmas present. It is JESUS, is he not enough?

That was my revelation. I realized that when I was married, I still didn’t have a big family. It was usually  my husband, my mom and I. But I used to invite anyone who didn’t have a place to celebrate to my house. I was sad out of my selfishness because I had forgotten who my real brothers and sister’s really were. I had bought into the lie of the traditional Christmas. And as I try to get closer to God I’m no longer afraid to be criticized for not following the world but for following Christ.

I think this is the real gift, anyone who says that they love the Lord should give to Jesus on December 25th. Ironically this is in Matthew 25:34-40

 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

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I challenge you to celebrate the true nature of Christmas. From this year forward, I know I will.

Merry Christmas

Guest Post: Christian Marriages by T.K. Chapin

On By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings1 Comment

Christian marriages aren’t immune to the world’s problems. It’s through the grace of God and the couple relying on Him that makes it possible to thrive in a marriage. When couples aren’t thriving, they’re only surviving and someone usually is getting hurt in the process.

 

Amongst the Flames is an inspirational tale of two Biblical born-again Christians who are having difficulties in their marriage. Cole is blindsided that there was even an issue going on in their marriage. He thought everything was fine, while his wife had been struggling for quite some time. How much damage and hurt is too much for a marriage handle? Can Cole and Megan figure it out and mend the brokenness? You’ll have to pick up a free copy of the book to find out.

 

Christians have an amazingly powerful tool that unbelievers do not, and that’s the relationship they have with the Lord. The Creator of the universe is readily available whenever we are in need. Sometimes we think we just showed up on earth without an instruction manual for life, but that’s not true. We have the Bible. Our Bibles only being opened on Sunday morning won’t ever bring an enriched and vibrant walk with the Lord. It’s only when we truly rely on Him day in and day out that we can have a deep relationship with our Creator. When we have that closeness with the Lord, we are able to see our spouse in a new light and many of the problems we once had fall away.

 

The Scriptures clearly outline the importance of staying in the Word. Here’s one of the passages that come from Matthew 4:4.

 

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

 

It’s only when we have an authentic and close relationship with Christ will we be able to truly have marriages the way they were designed to be. Our closeness with the Lord cultivates a life in us that is by design. God has wonderful plans for each of us, but he’s a perfect gentleman. He will never force us into His will for our lives. He has to be allowed in to do his work.

 

Amongst the Flames will be sure to stir a newfound hope and love inside of you that you won’t soon forget. It’s the first book in the Ashes & Embers series and has been a top rated book on Amazon throughout its duration on the charts. Be sure to snag a copy today and take home this free inspirational Christian romance read.

 

Amongst the Flames – FREE at all major retailers

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0140IE1J8/ 

B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amongst-the-flames-tk-chapin/1123014908?ean=2940152739817 

iBooks – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/amongst-the-flames/id1061237559?mt=11

 Google Books – https://play.google.com/store/books/details/T_K_Chapin_Amongst_the_Flames?id=oiP-CgAAQBAJ

Amongst_the_flames_book_coverAMONGST THE FLAMES is book one of the Contemporary Christian Romance Series, EMBERS & ASHES. Follow the lives of the men of Fire station #9 as they face the fires on and off the job. Inspirational romance stories full of faith, hope and love that will leave you feeling inspired.

“A burning building doesn’t scare me at all compared to the thought of losing you.”

Firefighter Cole Taylor is the man everyone looks up to at Firehouse 9 in downtown Spokane. He’s been at the department for ten years and has no fear when it comes to dangerous situations.

Megan Taylor, Cole’s wife, is a stay-at-home mother of their two boys. She was everything Cole ever wanted in a woman and the perfect wife any man could ask for until one day when she decides to leave Cole.

Cole has fought hundreds of fires in his lifetime, but he had never tasted fear until he came to fighting a fire in his own home. Amongst The Flames is a Christian firefighter romance that tackles real-life situations and problems that exist in Christian marriages today. It brings with it passion, love and spiritual depth that will leave you feeling inspired.

About T.K. Chapin

T.K. CHAPIN writes Contemporary Christian Romance books designed to inspire and tug on yotk2ur heart strings. He believes that telling Contemporary Christian Romance stories of faith, love and family help build the faith of Christians and help non-believers see how God can work in the life of believers. He gives all credit for his writing and storytelling ability to God. The majority of the Contemporary Christian Romance novels take place in and around Spokane Washington, his hometown. Chapin makes his home in the beautiful state of Idaho and has the pleasure of raising his step-daughter Emma and two nephews Isaac and Landon with his beautiful wife Crystal. To find out more about T.K. Chapin or his books, visit his website at http://www.tkchapin.com.

 

Come as you are

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts, Worship1 Comment

I know it’s not Worship Friday, but we shall worship every day. I really like this song. It reminds me of my life before Christ. It reminds me of the times when I was going to church sitting in the last sit by the door so that nobody would see me. I would not talk to anyone; I didn’t want to make any relationships so that nobody knew me and the things that I was ashamed of. It wasn’t until I decided to resubmit my life to Christ that I realize that he had been waiting for me to get out of that corner all along and he didn’t care about those things that I kept holding on to.

Recently this song has been playing a lot on the radio, but now, being on the other side of that fence it has actually made me realize how some of us don’t help that process. Sometimes we act like the older brother from the prodigal son. I’m glad that when I was in the wilderness God sent people who were not judgmental and critical or I would have stayed in that wilderness longer. My shame and my condemnation would have kept me away from seeking the light because I would have thought that God was not going to accept me where I was, because those who “were with the Lord” around me would be telling me how unacceptable I was.

It cause me pause. There’s a saying that we may be the only bible a person will ever read. It causes me to evaluate how my attitudes, behaviors and words could repel or attract someone to Christ. Even with fellow Christians, we forget that not everyone is at the same maturity level. Do I encourage them to grow or do I discourage their faith making them feel that they don’t do enough?

We can sometimes hide behind providing correction to impart judgment. We say with authority that we are called to tell the truth in love. But what is love?

love

Is this what we practice when we tell the truth? Is what we’re saying our “truth” or God’s truth?

Food for thought

Arguing About Faith on Social Media

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts10 Comments

I was having an interesting exchange with a gentleman on social media the other day. His wife had responded under an article regarding debating with people in social media about values. Her position was that she felt that defending her values and point of view was basically was she was called to do.

I decided to reply. I had recently read Proverbs 23:9 “Do not speak to fools, internet 3for they will scorn your prudent words”. No, I didn’t just post this scripture and moved on. I said that after reading this I had changed my point of view.I explained that sometimes I felt like defending my values in social media, but I took a step back and started observing before speaking. I realize that there are people who like to say outlandish things just to get a raise out of others and actually enjoy debating with people just for the fun of it. While your blood pressure rises, they are laughing on the other side until they burn you out and they move to the next victim. The exchange is futile and fruitless.

I shared my experience and observations. I said that I had opted for demonstrating my values and beliefs in my daily life. I post things I wish to share and if anyone approaches me I’m always willing to share my testimony. That arguing in social media, in my opinion was not an effective tool of evangelism. That’s when the fun began.

Her husband came to the thread and asked me why was I against people speaking about God publicly? He said that my scripture was out of context and that I was trying to impede the furthering of the Gospel. For a little over an hour, that I will never get back, I attempted to explain to him that I was doing nothing of the sort. Until a light finally went off and realized that I should have followed my own advice to begin with and I walked away.

One of his challenges was that we as Christians needed to defend God. I honestly laughed. Me, little human dirt is going to defend the Alpha and Omega, Almighty God. Yes, to me it was funny. God doesn’t need defending in my mind. As far as I’ve read in the bible, he’s asked us to remain in his Word and love others while speaking the truth in love. He’s asked us to defend, protect and provide for the orphan, the widows and the needy. I haven’t found a single request to defend him. If someone has the scripture I’m always open to learn something new.

As I was meditating about this post I remembered that he doesn’t even ask us to defend ourselves.

  • In Matthew 5:39 Jesus tells us, “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek”
  • Then in Luke 12: 11-12 “When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
  • Matthew 10:19 “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say”

Yes, 2 Timothy 4:1-22 tells us “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, grandmawho is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. ..”

So yes, we are called to reprove and rebuke…but keep reading; it says with complete patience. It calls us to be sober minded, and endure suffering. How much teaching can we provide when we’re spending our energy defending our points of view? How do we model Christ in our interactions; face to face or online   ? How attractive (and by that I don’t mean putting a dog and pony show) are we making the Gospel to the lost? Does my life shows something that they would want for theirs?internet

I have to ask that myself that every day to stay focus into what God has called me to do.

Be blessed

Luke Murphy Presents: Kiss and Tell

On By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment

This novel took me 15 years to write. Well, not exactly, but…1425368_517024845062353_568710561_o

Even though Dead Man’s Hand was my first published novel, it’s not the first book I wrote. Kiss & Tell is my “baby”. It’s the first book I ever even attempted to write. I started writing the novel in the winter of 2000, while playing hockey down in Oklahoma.

A lot of circumstances surround this novel, and it’s the reason I started writing in the first place. This novel, and all of my writing, happened by “chance”. I was playing professional hockey in Oklahoma, and was struck in the eye with a stick in a preseason game. That injury ended my season before it began.

My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, was attending a French college in Montreal, and her English professor assigned the class the task of writing a short story.

My girlfriend knew that I was an avid reader, so she asked me if I would help her develop the story, which I did. I had so much fun with the project, that when we had finished, I took one of the characters we had created and started writing my own story.

I wrote Kiss & Tell in six months, but it was nowhere even close to being publishable. Actually, it stunk. It was a practice story for me, so I left it sitting in my computer, and started writing a second book.

After I published Dead Man’s Hand in 2012, I decided to reopen Kiss & Tell and take another look. My first reaction…it was bad, written by a first-time, newbie, amateur author. But I loved the plot, cast of characters, and the potential. I didn’t want to give up on this story.

So I took everything I’d learned about the craft of writing and the industry and put it into editing Kiss & Tell. The revisions completely changed the entire book.

After I’d completed it in 2001, Kiss & Tell was written from the point of view of Jessica Philips, the primary murder suspect in the Ken Anderson investigation, and the story was told from Jessica’s first person POV.

The Kiss & Tell that came out in 2015 is told from Detective Charlene Taylor’s point of view, written in third person. Although the plot never changed, some of the characters and scenes did.

A major scene/twist change that occurred?

In the original Kiss & Tell, the identity of the Celebrity Slayer was never revealed. I was planning on turning this CS plot into a series, extending the investigation through a number of books. But, taking into consideration a suggestion from one of my editors, I decided to change that. But don’t think I don’t have more plans for the Celebrity Slayer, in upcoming Charlene Taylor books.

But that’s for another time, and another place.

Buy the book here: http://myBook.to/Kiss Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000040_00072]