Matthews Family Herald

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" from Joshua 24:15

I frequently post about my thoughts or bring some kind of message which is on my heart and put that on this blog. I know this is supposed to be a family blogsite. I do intend to give updates at time and I think one is coming soon. There was a nice zoo trip we had and I'd love to share about that. So the first "In case there is any doubt..." is that yes, this is still a family blogsite and there are still plans to make family updates. :) Now, my wife makes frequent blog posts about what all they are doing at home and so you can read about it at:

www.whole-lifelearning.blogspot.com

The other "in case there is any doubt..." is about followers of Jesus Christ and the use of physical violence. Sometimes, my posts become rather spirited, so to speak, and may cause a person to wonder about my intentions. I want to ease your mind if that is the case. I do NOT believe that ANY Christian has ANY business trying to use weapons, fists, or anything else to harm anyone or anything in order to bring about what they want to see happen or to stop what they don't like from happening or continuing to happen. We are to love ALL person and only to hate evil. People cannot come to God if they are not alive to do so. People must come to God out of their own free will. It is never our job to force a person, a group, a State, a Nation, a Government, a comany or corporation, an international group, or whatever to seek and obey God.

I know the New World Order is wrong. Most day to day people are really just inside the Matrix, so to speak, and have no real idea about it. Others who do recognize it and promote it likely believe that no God exists. They look through history and they see all the violence and the unrest and they feel like the New World Order is the best hope we have on Earth for peace, stability, and security. They want that, just like we all do, and are determined to see it established, whatever the cost in the end, for the good of everyone, in the end. It's a nobel intent, but it's incorrect, arrogant in some ways, and it lacks confidence and faith in God. There are some too who seek to establish the New World Order for selfish reasons and exploit it for personal gain as well.

There's no way I could accurately explain the exact plan or show how it all unfolds. I can tell you who is to blame, and it's NOT people. It's Satan. Our enemy is NOT people. The Holy Bible says that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. The Holy Bible tells us not to take up the sword for all who live by it will die by it. We are to watch, to pray, and to believe in God.

In the end, whatever New World Order that persons attempt to build WON'T be successful. But it won't be me who stopped it. It will be God Himself. He will one day return to establish His Kingdom and I have total faith and hope in that. I can speak out about things that are wrong, I can call others to come away from the influences that corrupt and to come towards God with all their hearts, and I can pray and wait patiently for His return. But that's the extent of my involvement.

I do think that as the New World Order continues to develop, serving God with all of our hearts and still maintaining involvement within that system will be harder and harder. It will look like all of the stong delusions that are pumped into people from the New World Order propaganda will seem true. But whoever endures to the end will see God's Kingdom established and all their hopes and faith will be realized.

But those who get wrestless and decide they have to take matters into their own, physical hands will be defeated and removed. It's the same mistake that Israelies made when Jesus first came. They wanted their Davidic Messiah to give them a military victory and set up an Earthly Kingdom. They tried with their own hands to both establish it and to force Jesus to do it. But He died on a cross instead. They lost faith and looked elsewhere. They were only half right. Jesus will come back as a Davidic King and establish His Kingdom, but He first suffered and paid for our sins. We must wait, encourage, pray, continue to be used of God to keep arms open and to reach out in love to all who would come to Him, and let God take care of everything else in His timing.


IS IT REALLY? I believe God loves everyone and that Jesus died in order to offer all of us, whom He loves, payment for our sins/that which kept us from fellowship with Him. But God definitely doesn't accept anybody unconditionally. I mean, I recall Jesus weeping over Jerusalem and saying how he longed to gather him under his wings, so to speak, as a hen would gather her chicks, but that the chicks would not allow it. So I know then that not everyone who God loved enough to invite to His banquet will actually come. There's a gate that's narrow out there. It's God who wants relationship with us but expects it on His terms and not on ours. It's also, to me, like on the Matrix. We are out walking through life and doing our things. God, through the Holy Bible, through a word someone says, through circumstances, etc., puts out an escape for us. The phone is ringing, Neo. But Neo has to pick it up. Again, he has to respond on God's terms and not on his own. So, God's love is unconditional in its availability, but not unconditional in terms of who receives the actual benefit of it. He who loves me obeys my commands, I recall. So, we have an expectation to receive His love on His terms, to follow Him on His terms, and not ourselves or our heart or whatever we'd like to think seems just, right or fair. I would say the only party in the agreement which truely is required to love unconditionally is us. That might sound wrong and I'm trying to word it correctly. But that's basically it. It would take incredible humbleness and submission. God, you are right because You say You are. Though He slay me, yet will I serve Him. Shall I receive good from the Lord but not evil. It's unconditionally laying down ourselves and loving Him unconditionally. He makes the terms and conditions, rules, means and ways, right and wrong, etc., we don't get to do that. We just get to say "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord" and "in all of these things, Job did not sin by accusing the Lord of wrongdoing" or however it is worded. With that explanation, I can agree then that unconditional means without conditions. God sets them for us, but we don't get to set them for Him. He has set them all.


I also think this is true for person to person relationships for those that follow Jesus. We should love others and all of what we do towards others ought to be for the Lord's sake and in love towards God and towards them. But we are not to accept everyone unconditionally. To the unbelieving person, God allows us quite a bit of leniency as He works on them, partly through us. But towards others who say they follow Him, we have some pretty serious responsibilies about whether or not we are to accept them as followers together. We can love and pray for them but the Word of God :) is full of warnings about this topic. I think there's two sides to the coin. One side of the coin preaches the Lord's will and feels very righteous but then doesn't bear fruit in their own lives or in the lives of those they are supposed to help. That person is guilty of being a hypocrite. The other side of it would do many of the things which the hypocrite does not do but are missing the first part. Like Jesus told some God believers "they should have done the former without neglecting the latter." or words to that effect. It takes a complete package, in the end.


Last year seemed to be the year of broken marriages. We've seen at least 5 different marriages of people we know break apart upon the rocks and sink this year.


My daughter was just married this year and she wrote out some vows which I wanted to share. I posted them originally on Facebook and so I've copied and pasted them here. They are in reverse order:


‎12. I vow to never leave you and will love you until my final breath. Amen.

‎11. I will always remain loyal to you, and will not allow anyone to take your place, physically or emotionally.
‎10. I will support and encourage you through all that life will bring, sharing in your joy as well as your pain.
‎9. I will never become complacent, but will always strive for growth in myself and our marriage.


‎8. I vow to never leave an issue unresolved and will not allow un-forgiveness or bitterness to remain indefinitely in my heart.

‎7. In such conflicts, I will communicate any hurt or opposing opinion respectfully and without spite.

‎6. When a conflict arises, I will listen to your view and respect you, your thoughts, and your feelings.
‎5. I will always put your needs and desires before my own.

‎4. I will fulfill my role as your wife and will do everything within my power to help meet your needs, choosing to serve you, not merely out of duty but as an act of love.

‎3. I vow to always honor you and submit to the authority and spiritual leadership God has given you as my husband.

‎2. I will always trust Him and believe His truth about you, having resolute faith in His word.

1. First and foremost, I vow to never forsake my faith in God or His plan for our lives.


Having a good marriage isn't hard, but seems so and millions of divorces each year make it look very difficult. Following God is also not hard but seems to be so as so many people give up and turn from God each year. It isn't hard. All you have to do is give up yourself completely and follow God will all of your being. That's all. You die and go away. God lives through you. Get that straight, and first, the definition of a "good marriage" will be defined by God and not you. Secondly, your life and your marriage will please God and therefore will be "good."


I was eating a Doner Kepab & waiting for my bus on this sunny day in downtown Heidelberg, Germany. Amid the scores of German speakers, 2 men walked by talking in plain English. 1 was smiling & saying "the unconditional love of Jesus" as they walked. Unlikely as that senario was, it got me thinking. We want God to love us unconditionally, but do WE love Him unconditionally? Or only if He meets our standards? I have heard it said that most atheists are really just mad at God because they either feel they have not been treated fairly by God or that God has not met their expectations as to how He should govern things.


Check out this cool painting I found in my backyard! My kids spilled several cans of paint in the corner of our backyard last year. When the first storm came, lightening happened to strike the puddle of paint and grass and leaves. After that, over the course of the year, this painting is what evolved. Amazing!







Doner Kebaps, Doner Yufkas, Doner Pizza! Oh...ode to thee, ode to thee indeed.

I'm so serious. I'm not even kidding. The story of these items to eat is very, very sober and serious in our family. We have found these to be among the best of things to eat in the world. It all starts and likely ends with the grilled meat that's inside them. The meat comes from this gigantic cylinder of meat that stands upright and spins as it is grilled by heating elements. The meat is cut from these in a downward motion and caught below. It's next added into amazingly fresh, toasted bread or something similar to a tortilla, and then covered with a unique sauce. All kinds of tasty vegetables are added in. Finally, you can have peppers and/or a hot spices sprinkled in which look something like the hot stuff you sprinkle on pizza at Pizza Hut. The places that make these in Germany are literally all over the place. Most towns have at least 3 or 4 of them. If someone brought these to America, they would make a gah-billion dollars an hour.
I would not be surprised if wars were started over these or will be soon. They are that good. We crave them constantly. My wife says that she learned that meat, when grilled, has a chemical make-up that's more addicting that cigarettes. This just might be so. For sure, the Doner food is for me.
There's an unwritten rule that whoever of us goes into town must bring one of these back. Once, I accidently got to the Doner too late after I had already promised my wife I'd bring her one. The Doner place was closed. My wife did very well in not staying upset and not showing her feelings but I knew for sure that she was hurt.
I've had nights where I literally was nearly tasting one of the Doner Kebaps. I had one two days ago and that same night, I couldn't sleep for wanting one. The next day, we ordered three of them while in town and squabbled over the food as we ate it in the car.

Doner food is not to be triffled with.
Last but not least, thank you Bachert family for this great little YouTube video they sent me of a dog praying:
This in no way implies that this food is made from dog meat...
Also, there's a song I sing some variation of any time we are going to get some Doner food. It goes something like
"Yufka, oh Yufka
Doner, Doner Yu-oo-fkah!
Yufka, oh Yufka
(Insert a person's name - example:) Micah wants a Yufka"
I'm planning to come back to this post each time we have Doner food and post the details.


Well, it's been a good long while since I've lasted blogged and I regret that. Things are finally reaching a level where I can write.


Since last time, Rachel has gone to North Carolina and has married her Thomas. They have their own apartment now and are having a great time stocking it and settling in. They recently had the chance to attend a married retreat and said it was good for them. Rachel is reporting that she's having great fun just getting to know her husband each day.

I've been on leave now for a month and today I'm planning to sign back in. I'll have to shave by beard off and that's the second worst part of the whole deal. :( ;) Really, the saddest part is just having to not be with my children each day. I really feel like the Lord's ultimate best will is for families to work and live and play together. Whatever we do for "increase" ought to be all done together. The world system we live in isn't designed that way and is contrary to God's will. Anyhow, I seek the Lord perhaps daily for His deliverance and am thankful for how much time I DO get with my family while working out of debt and finishing the term of service I'm in.

Our landlords are replacing an outdoor staircase and I believe doing some wall repairs as well. So, we felt like the best option would be to live elsewhere during that time. We didn't have the money to afford to travel or stay in a hotel so we were planning to stay and somehow live around the dust and noise and repairs. Then our missionary friends, the Macy's, who are from the US and live about 10 miles from us in Germany, invited us to live in the vacant apartment downstairs from them in the building they live in and are managers of. We were so excited to have the chance to live a greater measure of community life in the Lord with them and grow in that expression of following Jesus. It's been a real blessing this week and also a challenge for growth. I believe both families are growing and learning together in the Lord. They are very generous, loving, open, down-to-earth, and cool people and it's a rare find to run into people like them.

Micah's been playing lots of guitar now that Rachel has gone and left her favorite one with him and in his care. Jacob and Micah both are doing lots of comic book art work. Hannah is growing so much and maturing in her schooling and elsewhere. She was washing a load of dishes the other day and I was proud of her. She's been a big help to Heather. Nathan is just enjoying playing with his brother in the Lord and it's a pleasure to see them together playing. Eden is such a princess and it's great be with her so much. It's been so fulfilling to be home with the kids. As much as we miss Rachel, it was time for her to go and I can see the growth in everyone as we all step up to fill in the gap. We miss her, but we are not in constant sorrow or mourning as the Lord knew it was time and prepared us. This is how it's supposed to work, I believe.

Oh, Micah has finally gotten a large revelation of what Romans 6 is all about. He came into my room excitedly talking about "I get it, Dad!" and he was grinning ear to ear. We discussed it and he was very confident and articulated things well. He's also been reading some of the Pearl's commentary on the topic and we've been discussing that also.

Heather, Micah, and I have all been reading a book together called "Revolution in World Missions" and it's been fun to read it and discuss it as we go along. A great way to be connected. The book emphasizes several things, but one in particular is something that's been on my heart for awhile. A social gospel isn't THE GOSPEL. It's the cart that the horse pulls but preaching and teaching who Jesus Christ is, inviting others to know and serve Him, and disciple them with a solid Holy Bible and Spirit based foundation is THE calling we all have. Meeting needs is not the objective but will come out of doing the first.

Okay, well, that's enough writing for now but I hope you feel somewhat caught up.


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