Matthew James Elliott's Blog, page 7

Finding Philemon- Character Profiles

I am excited to begin releasing these for my first Episodic Series, Finding Philemon. This story is very close to my heart and I can't wait for all 18 episodes in the series to be out there for the world to read and enjoy. 
The story itself was written back in 2017 and placed on a shelf until 2023 when inspiration struck and I revitalized the entire story.  I will be adding more of these profiles as I finish them. In the meantime feel free to check out the first half of the series on Amazon or check out my Facebook Page.

Thanks for visiting 'The Gathering Room,'

MJE

Finding the Series

Greetings, 
Please feel free to take a look at my New Episodic Series, Finding Philemon. Each Episode will be posted here so those who find their way here have easy access to all 18 episodes as they are released. 

Thanks for visiting 'The Gathering Room,'

MJE

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Finding Philemon: Series Description

Series Synopsis:

Are you ready to dive into a captivating series that delves into the journey of a young runaway slave who discovers God in his quest for redemption? Finding Philemon is exactly that kind of series. Follow along on the unexpected journey as Onesimus embarks upon his path of faith and new beginnings.

Throughout this journey, Onesimus will encounter life-changing events that will transform the depths of his heart and aid him in discovering the redemption that only God can offer, and ultimately his way back to his former master Philemon.
Allow your imagination to soar as you witness this Biblical Historical Fiction come to life through the lessons that Onesimus learns and the people he meets along the way.

Journey with Acts 2:47

Greetings Everyone, 
They praised God and were liked by all the people. Every day the Lord added those who were being saved to the group of believers. 44.2.47 NCV
These verses and those that come before it are some of my favorite verses in the book of Acts.  In my Bible verses 43-47 are given the title 'The Believers Share'.  I've always been fascinated by these verses as well. I often read through them and wonder how something like this could have actually happened. 
There was so much turmoil taking places around this time in history and I was always curious about how all this came together. People selling all their belongings, their land, their livelihood and then just giving all the proceeds to this young church, based on the death and resurrection of some man. I mean, we all know that this was not just some man, or at least I hope you do, but why did what Jesus stand for cause so much change.
Before Jesus, things were different. As far as I've seen in scripture, there were not really a ton of people giving up everything just because they could. No body really cared about anybody else. Everything was about the self, not the many. To see all the strange things taking place during this time would be crazy, right?
 Well, it really wasn't. The reason all this change was taking place was because people were starting to embrace a new way of living. They were beginning to build something better that any thing else history had ever really seen. Groups of people were coming together and building families, communities, and trusted allies Its got me wondering what that would actually look like in the chaos of the word around us today. 

When you are out in the world around you today, what are you doing to share what God has given you with those around you? Do you know what your purpose is? I know mine is to share things like this post and I want to give my all in that gift, just like the people in the Church during the time the above passage was written.

Look around you, and ask yourself the questions today!

Thanks for visiting 'The Gathering Room,'

MJE

Journey with Acts 2:39

 

Greetings Everyone, 

"This promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away. It is for everyone the Lord our God calls to himself." 44.2.39 NCV

The context of this specific verse is something special. In the previous verses we read Peters words about the gift that God gives us by filling us with the Holy Spirit. When you tie in those previous verses, this verse becomes a beautiful reminder of how much God desires to revel His love to us. He wants us to receive this special gift.

While this passage of scripture does not go to much into what that actually means, it is something significant to each of us. The gift o the Holy Spirit is available to us all. The only requirement is for us to give our hearts completely to Him. Hmm, completely. Its not that simple at times is it? We can do and say all the right things, but what it really comes down to is the choice we make. 

We have to freely change our hearts and let go of everything else. We can't hide any of it, we have to let go of it all.  There is this song by Todd Agnew entitled 'Always There' that was playing while I started this post and in that song it talks about how God is with us always regardless how far we run. It is interesting that the very next song was a song by MercyMe entitled 'Word of God Speak,' because in that song it talks about being still and resting in Gods holiness.  

That is the change the verses here in Acts chapter 2 is talking about, accepting that God is already there. He is waiting for us to listen to His voice, to let his voice speak to us through the Holy Spirit. The question is though, why is it so hard to accept sometimes? I mean it really seems like the easiest choice we will ever have to make, but the reality is that it is not always as simple as we imagine it to be. Accepting that we need to change though, is the first step.  I know that for myself, admitting that I need to change is one of the hardest things I've ever done. 

The beauty of accepting this gift though, is that it also comes with forgiveness. No matter how many times we screw up, that gift is always there, just like Him.

Thanks for visiting 'The Gathering Room,'

M.J.E.  

Journey with Acts 2:23

 

Greetings Everyone, 

Jesus was given to you, and with the help of those who don’t know the law, you put him to death by nailing him to a cross. But this was God’s plan which he had made long ago; he knew all this would happen.  44.2.23

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I wonder how often this verse is used to summarize the Christian Faith? It seems like it would be a great one for us to use when we are trying to reach out to those around us.  I often thought about using this verse in a sermon when I was working as a minister, but the preference was more along the lines of using John 3:16. 

I've always liked that verse, but it is used so much. I like to think using a verse like Acts 2:23 would be just as meaningful as John 3:16 when trying to teach someone else about the Christian Faith. Why? Honestly, it reminds me that regardless of whats going on around me, God already has a plan and that he knows the end result.

While John 3:16 tells me that Gods plan is to give all those who believe eternal life. The above verse tells me more about how it went down. It tells me that Jesus was given over to those that did not understand the Law of God. It then tells me that Jesus was killed on the cross. Finally, it tells me that this was part of His plan from the beginning. I honestly just get more out of it. 

Don't get me wrong, John 3:16 has its own merit, and there is nothing wrong with using it at all. The purpose I'm building up to here though is that there is more than one or two verses in the bible that we can use to teach others about our faith. Where one person will relate more to the details like me, another person may connect more with something else. 

It really is okay to use a less common verse to help others see why we belong to Christ. We each have our own emotional grit. Finding the verses in scripture, as long as used within the context they are written, can have a deeper, more personal, impact on those around us. If we connect more with a verse that is less popular, then by all means use it to help someone else see what you have come to love as well.

Thanks for visiting 'The Gathering Room,'

M.J.E

   

Journey with Acts 1:8

 

Greeting Everyone, 

"But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.” 44.1.8 NCV

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It's an interesting thought! 'When the Holy Spirit comes we will receive power.' So often I think we forget about the rest of that verse though, 'you will be my witnesses... in every part of the word.'  Does that mean we have to go someplace else to be considered a witness in every part of the word? Does that mean we have to become foreign missionaries halfway across the word?

I think that is a cool sentiment and all, and there are certain seasons in life when God could call each of us to go overseas, but I do not believe that is a requirement for our faith or for us to be used by the Holy Spirit. One of the things that was drilled into my head growing up was how important it was to support missionaries and what they do.  I don't think I ever went to a camp that didn't ask me if I wanted to do just that, or better yet go myself.

The reality of it all though is that there are missionary fields everywhere. I read a story once about a woman who moved to America and prayed every day for someone to become a foreign missionary too. She prayed for several years in fact. One day in her prayer time she heard the Lord ask, where are you from? She was from another country.  Then the Lord asked, who is your neighbor? Her answer was someone from another country. Then the Lord asked, who lives down the street? She answered, someone from yet another country. The Lord asked one more question of the women, Have you ever spoken to them in any way? Her answer was 'well no'?

It was a funny realization for the woman in the story. She realized God had already answered her prayers even before she was praying them. The woman had opportunities every day to be a foreign missionary in her own neighborhood but never took the time to do so. The interesting thing about the whole situation was that the people that lived in her neighborhood were actually searching for someone to witness to them. Had the woman been out meeting and getting to know the people around her, in addition to her prayers, she would have seen God had met her request. 

I bring this story up for myself as well, but there are always opportunities to witness to those around us. They are there everyday and it doesn't have to be something spectacular or moving. We can witness to others by simply getting to know them. The life we live and the people we come in contact with are all a part of the mission field we were called to witness in. Why don't we start at home and see what God does in our own backyards as well. In time, if we are meant to do more, the doors will be opened to us. 

Thanks for visiting 'The Gathering Room,'

M.J.E.

Journey with Acts 1:3

 Greetings Everyone, 

Several Years ago, I began a Journey through the New Testament book of Acts that I never actually finished. In anticipation for my upcoming series "Finding Philemon" I wanted to do make sure I kept my focus on my own time with God.   I've been reading through Acts during my personal devotional time and thought, why not commit to that Journey once more. 

So, here it is! I'm starting my Journey through Acts all over again. As time allows I will post here my reflections as I make my way through the story. Oddly enough, the book of Acts plays a significant role in what I am doing with my stories, more on that another day though. :-). Its awesome though! I can't wait to get the vision out there for everyone. 

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"After his death, he showed himself to them and proved in many ways that he was alive. The apostles saw Jesus during the forty days after he was raised from the dead, and he spoke to them about the kingdom of God." 44.1.3 NCV

God speaks to us in many ways. He proves himself to us daily and I can't imagine what it would have been like to actually encounter Him during the 40 days mentioned here and in other places of Scripture. To think about how incredible that would be for anyone who loved Jesus, saw him die upon the cross and bury him in a tomb and then to see Him after all of the things were said and done. 

The part that really sticks out to me here is where it says 'He spoke to them about the kingdom of God.' These conversations must have been really in depth. You know, Jesus could have done anything when He came back from the dead. What he chose to do was to share the word of God with those closest to him. There must have been some pretty important things He wanted them to know, right?

Jesus is always there, waiting for us! He is always waiting to tell us more about the kingdom of God. The question I'm starting to ask myself is 'am I listening?' I'm sure I already know the answer to that question as well, 'not as much as I should.' So, why don't we take this opportunity to listen? God has so much to share with us, all we have to do is listen! I have started working on that for myself, will you?

Thanks for visiting 'The Gathering Room,'

MJE. 

Finding Philemon

 COMING SOON!

The Petros Journals; Forward Motion

Greetings, 
I am sure that by now, my facebook followers are starting to see some quotes that look pretty random. Well, I am here to tell you, they aren't random at all. They are quotes from my upcoming project, The Petros Journals; Memoirs from the Apostle Peter.
I am very excited to say that the release of this book is coming very soon. I just got the final product back from my editors and am making a few last minute changes to the Project. I can't describe how excited I am about releasing this Biblical Historical Fiction. 
Without further Adu, The forward to "The Petros Journals."----- This project began as a personal journey. As someone who writes as much as possible, I thought it would be a great way for me to gain a deeper understanding of who Peter was in history and what his life could have been like. I wanted to find a way to further my own walk, and truthfully, I relate to Peter more than any of the other Apostles.

His story echoes my own in so many different ways, and I am surprised I didn’t think about going deeper into his story before.
While the contents of this small book are based on Biblical events, the words written are fictional accounts of what could have taken place. They have been developed through my own study of Peter the Apostle, and I have used scripture as the basis of my interpretation of this historical figure.
To be truthful, this project was never meant to be released. In fact, I never really wanted anyone even to see it, but once I had finished the first few chapters, God began to speak to my spirit.
I was greatly encouraged by others to share it. So, I have. I share this project with you to present a fresh image of the gospel and to show that even Peter, the one called Rock, was human.  It is my hope that those who read through this book find as much encouragement from it as I have.
For me, going through this journey has helped me gain a deeper understanding of who Jesus was through the eyes of one of his closest followers. I believe it will do the same for you, the reader.
Remember, there is more to the story that we see on the surface and that times of refreshing do indeed come from the Lord.
-----Blessings in Christ and Thanks again for visiting us at "The Gathering Room."
"Times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord." 45.3.20


M.J. Elliott