Hi my name really is Matthew Mark (first and middle) and I have the birth certificate to prove it. And no, my last name is not Luke John and you wouldn't be the first to ask that either. Not only does GOD have a wonderful sense of humor, my mother does too, and I LOVE her all most as much as I LOVE GOD.
You could say I have been a Christian since birth. I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior around the age of 8 and then I got baptized in my parents above-ground pool. Around the age of 13 my parents stopped going to church and I did too. Unfortunately my parents and I, like many Christians, went through allot of trials in and out of church and just gave up, not on GOD, but on church.
When I was 16 I knew that something was missing in my life so I started going back to church looking. But I wasn't looking for GOD, I was looking for HER, the girl of my dreams (In GODs time I will explain HER). So there I was a young man with NO dating experience shopping around for "Miss Right". I praise GOD that I am still a virgin. I have rounded a few bases in my life but still have never hit a home-run.
In the early 90's I was a staff member at a Christian festival in Washington state called Jesus Northwest. Every night after the main speaker thy would have an alter call. And I will never forget how awesome I thought it was when hundreds of people would go forward every night to the alter. And one night God spoke to me and said "Go",,, I thought for a second and I said No. And then he spoke again and said "Go". And I said No I am a Christian I've accepted Jesus, I've been baptized I'm going to heaven, I don't have to go forward for the alter call. You see I believed 'then' that God couldn't use me for anything that I was nobody that I could never be a righteous man. I know now that that's a lie of the enemy that in GOD's eye's you can be a righteous man or woman that at the very moment you ask GOD to forgive you of your sins in GOD's eyes you are righteous.Back then I just didn't believe. You see now I know that GOD really dose want us to do great and awesome things (that bring him glory and honor) because GOD delights in seeing his children do good things.
So I said "No" and shortly after that I stopped going to church for 7 years. But I did still tithe to missionary friends of mine, that GOD in his infinite wisdom used to help me in my time of need(a.k.a. the worst night of my life). You see as I was growing up I could never forget two thing. Every time I would here some one give their testimony thy would share about the worst time in their life and/or the exact day, hour or minute that thy accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and received salvation. Little did I know that this would also happen to me.