Well, I am back! In the months since I posted last, much has happened. As y know, I had become sick in 2009. Though there's no explanation for what had caused it, I am at the end of the road, at last! I lost my right leg in June. I admit I was quite scared of going into that operating room, but I had a good prayer buddy with me, before and after the surgery. After the surgery, she was waiting to pray over me. My wife stayed with me, at my side, through the whole process. I've had infections, many hospitalizations, treatments, weekly trips to the wound center. It has been a grueling four years, to say the very least. I really struggled, though, after surgery. I believed my life would not be the same again, and not for the better. Well, .ife has changed, and drastically, but I am okay. The Lord has brought me through! I think a big part of my struggle had to do with my already being wheelchair dependent, since childhood. Ministry is a blessing and a challenge. Unfortunately, like every other part of life, image is important, yes even in the church! It was tough enough with two legs, now I look very different! As it was, I had been a tattooed, mohawked, jeans and tees kind of guy before entering the ministry.
All this being said, iI had a phenomenal church and counseling practice for the seven years before the illness began. I have been working with a woman for about a year, and active online in a ''web-pulpit''. I teach people in the building, those who contact me on line,people I meet in the community, etc. I receivers an inbox message in July from a girl I had been talking to in Nigeria. She said that when she had been contacting ministers in the U.S., they either blew her off or simply didn't respond at all. She told me that my kindness and honesty had brought her to a crucial, dangerous, blessed decision --she renounced Islam and accepted Christ! Amen, I led a devout Muslim to the Lord! Though I moved and much has changed in my life, it seems Yahweh has been using me all allong!
Things have been a challenge, but, things are moving in a mighty way! I have renewed my accreditation with the American Association of Christian Counselors, renewed my confirmation of communion with my licensing and ordaining body.. I will also be completing my last two and a half finals to earn my doctorate in theology, Biblical Counseling. I am going to be rebuilding the church in my community and reaching out to people as a counselor. There is so much work to be done, which leads me into a sort of ''deep'' area....
As I look around both in my community and into the world, I see there is much to be done. The church is in trouble. Christ's return is near, very near, and the church neither speaks of it nnor warns unbelievers of this blessed event. The rapture (1Thess4:16-18) is about to happen and many, too many, are completely oblivious. I am going to press even harder the message of biblical pprophecy. Anyone who has been to my church services know very well where we (both the church and unbelievers alike) are in the prophetic timeline and what is to come. The message of love is awesome, as the apostle John tells us God is love. However, raising our hands while singing happy songs, hearing prosperity, ''I'm OK you're OK'' messages, in our fluffy pews is damning to the church. We exalt ''famous'' preachers so high that they become idols. We attack each other for the way we look, books we read, movies we watch, etc. and don't abide in the Word, teaching, correcting, guiding our lives and helping each other when we see others fall. The churchis in trouble and ''cChristians'' are to blame.
This is a personal post, but also a sort of ''letter of intent''. I'm going to get deeper in the Word in 2014, and lead others accordingly. I want the church and the world to know where we are on Gods timeline. I don't have all the answers on everything, but see where we, the church, has gone astray.
If you have questions, observations, etc. ask me anytimeanytime. I am at the pulpit 24/7, contact me.
Email : reverendamathews@yahoo.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/Aaron.mathews1
I'm back, healthy and ready to serve! May God bless you in 2014 as you serve Him and each other.
God be with you,
Pastor Aaron
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