Tag: Religion & Spirituality

It’s a new day!

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts3 Comments

I was reading the scripture below and it reminded me that we should never take for granted that the best thing God made was one day after another. The pain of yesterday can be the strength of today and the blessings of tomorrow.

It is good to remember that his mercies are brand new everyday. That His love is endless. On those days where you think you can’t go on anymore, know that you are still loved and cared for. Know that there’s hope and to never give up. Life goes on aside from our personal tragedies and usually we come out stronger, wiser, and with a brighter future.

Let’s start this week with an attitude of praise. We are alive, we are healthy, we are loved and we are cared for (sometimes we need more than one reminder). Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not here; live today intentionally.

  • If life took you down yesterday you have the choice of standing up today. This is a new day. This day is a new present with new mercies that God has provided for you.
  • If you were hurt yesterday, it’s time to forgive and forget and not bring into today the pain for the past forgoing the enjoyment of today’s blessings.  Do not forget that forgiveness frees your soul.
  • If you made a mistake yesterday. Forgive yourself, ask God for forgiveness, learn from your mistake, and move on. It’s a new day where you have a brand new opportunity to do a new thing with your life. Embrace it!

Lamentations 3:22-33

(The Message)

God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He’s all I’ve got left.

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It’s a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
It’s a good thing when you’re young
to stick it out through the hard times.

When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The “worst” is never the worst.

Why? Because the Master won’t ever
walk out and fail to return.
If he works severely, he also works tenderly.
His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.
He takes no pleasure in making life hard,
in throwing roadblocks in the way


Be blessed!

WF: East to West

On By Naty MatosIn WorshipLeave a comment

As Christian we have the crazy notion that we have to be perfect. We have the tendency to show very little grace with ourselves when we make a mistake.

When we fall instead of quickly repenting and quickly returning to the path of righteousness we dwell in our mistake thinking that God can’t forgive “this” one…or “this again”. Like this song says, How many times have you felt like you are just one mistake away from God giving up on you.

We are not perfect beloved, but it is perfect He who we love and serve. He who created us know that we are not perfect and has new mercies for us every new day. He will always welcome you with open arms

Happy Friday!

WF: Worship Friday

WF: You are God alone

On By Naty MatosIn WorshipLeave a comment

In our humanity we tend to forget that we have a God that although we are created to His image, He is not like us. He can be omnipresent, all powerful. He chooses to be loving, forgiving and merciful.

Our evil hearts should be very grateful that he doesn’t think and forgive like we do because we would be the first ones in trouble. Let’s Praise He who created it all and who loves us in spite of us.

WF: Worship Friday

I want my freedom now!

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational ThoughtsLeave a comment

I heard one of the funniest stories the other day speaking to a friend. Her son walked into the living room and announced to his parents that as soon as he graduates High School he will move out of the house so that he can do whatever he wants, without supervision. Why is this so funny? Well, first of all because I think all of us when we were teens thought that we wanted to grow up very fast to get to the point of freedom where we would do as we please. In reality, we are all waiting for that moment. As we grow we discovered that that with freedom came responsibility and that it was easier to respond to our parents than to our new authorities: the government, our bosses, our creditors, our spouses and even our children.

Why it’s so easy to rebel at that age? I think ignorance takes us to think that we know better than our parents what’s best for us and we do that with God every single day. This conversation reminded me of the parable of the prodigal son. He asked for his inheritance while his father was living because he wanted to live his life his way. His father allowed him to and what he found was not freedom but bondage.

In the same way, God as a good father gives us freedom to live our lives, but gives us parameters, boundaries to protect us from getting in trouble. Just like my friend’s son, sometimes we think that we know better than our father, that our preferences and desires are a better follow and that at the end of the day we will be ok. Just like the son, we go outside our boundaries and find ourselves in trouble and we then wish that we could go back home.

The good news is that just like at the end of that story, God is always awaiting for us with open arms. We then discover that freedom is a great thing, but it’s more enjoyable when we live with within the protection of the boundaries set from God to us. Freedom is awesome and well enjoyed when used well.

WF: Blessed be your name

On By Naty MatosIn Worship2 Comments

I don’t know how is it where you are… Where I am is cold, rainy and windy. After a short week for some, a long and arduous for others; we need to remember that God gave us each and every one of those days, the ones filled with sun, the ones filled with rain, the warm ones and the cold ones, the happy ones and the challenging ones…and in all of them let’s make the choice to bless HIS name!

Happy Friday!

WF: Worship Friday

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WF: Be my escape

On By Naty MatosIn WorshipLeave a comment

The message of this song is very simple… If you’re at your wits ends, if you have not made a decision for your eternity, or if you have, and troubles are overwhelming you and you feel at your wits ends…Escape… Escape into the arms of the one who holds the key out of your prison, no matter what prison it is.

Happy Friday!

GrowthLessonsNatyMatos (533x800) (2)Remember my book Growth Lessons Kindle and Nook versions will be 99 cents only until the end of the year, so grab your copy and stuck your friends and family stockings. Have a blessed weekend!

WF: Let my words be few

On By Naty MatosIn WorshipLeave a comment

Once unconditional love is experienced, we can’t just settled for the things of this world. Being accepted, loved, cherished and valued are some of the things that undeservingly Jesus gives us. We woke up this morning, we are breathing, we have access to technology (otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this post. Let’s be grateful for this day and all that it brings. The good because we get to enjoy it. The not so fun parts because they are lessons to enhance our future.

Bask in his love today, be amazed how much the Creator of the Universe, the Alpha and the Omega, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords….LOVES YOU!

I love you Jesus!

Be blessed.

WF: Worship Friday

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WF: Shake Heaven

On By Naty MatosIn WorshipLeave a comment

Tonight is the live Album Recording for Shake Heaven at Victory World Church. This is the new hit song by Montell Jordan and Victory World Music. I love this song not only because the rhythm is catchy but because it tells a very real truth, God created music to express love and worship Him. The world has turn the gift of music into obscenities and lust.

So it is time to shake the heavens with music and take it back to where it righteously belongs.

Enjoy!

WF: Worship Friday

 

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Spiritual Abuse

On By Naty MatosIn Articles7 Comments

Researching information for this month’s articles I ran into something, that yes, I’ve seen but it had not clicked in my mind when I thought about abuse and it’s the term “spiritual abuse” in a relationship. This relates to when a spouse uses God to control or manipulate the other spouse with the Word of God or an alleged spiritual gift or “power”

These abusers use their spouses faith and a legalistic vision of the Word of God to manipulate, control and undermine their spouses. With this behavior the enforced their authority and the victim submits to avoid consequences not only with their perpetrator but with their higher power, as they believe this is coming from God himself.

The fact that the victims are being abused will make them be more submitted as they think that they must be doing something wrong, as they continue to be criticized or chastised by their abuser. On the other hand this can hinder their faith as they would have trouble understanding why God would allow them to live in such conditions, when it’s not God, it’s the other person’s free will that is attacking them.

 

Jeremiah 23:16 says “This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.” But if this is your husband or boyfriend, how can you tell?

  • Study the Word yourself.
  • If your spirit says something is not right, it probably isn’t. Look it up before you agree to do something.
  • Pray and ask the Holy Spirit for clear direction.
  • Read the Word in context and not singling out scriptures. Sometimes just reading a few more sentences can bring clarity to the context.
  • In doubt, research. Sometimes just reading different versions of the same scripture will bring clarity to our notions.
  • Talk to other Christians (be careful about this one, you don’t want someone who is misguided as well)

If you want to identify a potential spiritual abuser, read Matthew 23:1-39 ESV Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long”

Be safe!

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