Knew Awards 05

Best BBC Blog

I like a lot of BBC Blogs. I could probably make a whole post and give everyone an award for something (best design, funniest, most thought-provoking, etc), but I won't. The award for the best overall BBC blog of 2005 goes too: just your average jo. I find myself clicking on Jo's blog often b/c she is fairly consistent, thought-provoking, open, humorous & versatile. In 2006 I plan on declaring a BBC post of the month throughout the year so more of your fine blogs can be recognized

Best Book

My favorite book this year was, surprisingly, "The Complete Guide to Christian Denominations" by Ron Rhodes. I found this book strangely unifying. I had more understanding and love for the whole body of Christ after I read it. Read my brief review.

Best Movie

The best movie I saw this year was made in 2004. "Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind" is better every time I watch it. One week I think I watched it 5 times. Read my lengthier review.

Best TV Show

The TV show of the year award goes to "Lost" in a tight race with Seinfeld re-runs & Gilmore Girls. I had no interest in Lost until I was bored one night. I then watched the entire 1st season in about a week. It seems to be slowing down quite a bit, but it was just entertaining enough to take the 2005 award.

Best CD

The CD I listened to most this year was "Share the Well" by Caedmon's Call. It came out in the Fall of 2004, but I listened to it all through 2005. It's great music and a missions trip rolled into one!

Most Influential Person

The most influential person in my life this year was probably Steve Gregg of thenarrowpath.com even though I've never met him. He is my favorite Bible teacher and I love his radio show.

Best Comeback

The comeback of the year belongs to the National Hockey League. Hockey is better than it has been in a long time. The year off paid off in a lot of ways. It doesn't hurt that my Sabres are 2nd in the NHL in points right now, but it's just a great year for hockey in general. I can't wait for the Olympics and the playoffs!

Best Wishes

Thus concludes the first full year of
'The Matthew Never Knew'
Best wishes to all readers for 2006

Year in Review

Today I'm just going to post a 'best-of' the Matthew Never Knew

January: Online Dating Series
February: My Testimony
March: Passion Week Devotionals
April: Why I loved China Trip 05
May: Greatest Story Never Told
June: Fun with Footnotes
July: Stupid Kids
August: Pin the Tail on the Antichrist
September: Martyrdom of Polycarp
October: The New Canon
November: Favorite Churches
December: You Might be a Dispensationalist

People to Kill

3 men have joined my people to kill list as a result of their role in my 2nd place finish in the Bethany Fantasy Football League. 1. Ryan Longwell: He missed 2 easy field goals for Green Bay that would have given me 6 more points. 2. Bill Belichick: As coach of the Patriots, he decided to call running plays instead of passing plays. This was a double edged sword as I had the Patriots QB and my opponent had their RB. 3. Matthew Rose: I would have won if I had played my 3rd RB Cadilac Williams instead of my 2nd RB Tiki Barber.

Anyways, Congrats to the BBC fantasy football champion Scott Leighton

Sleep Chart 10

10 is a nice round number so I thought I'd make a nice rectangular chart to showcase my sleeping performance. At each 10 week interval I'll show a different aspect of my sleeping anti-pattern. For the first edition, notice that I get 'enough' sleep. Getting sleep isn't currently my problem. I am seldom tired (unlike at BBC where I was almost always tired).

Christmas Gifts 2

Just like last year, I am posting my christmas gifts here so I can copy/paste when people ask instead of typing them everytime.

Seinfeld Season 5
Seinfeld Season 6
A Leg Shaped Lamp
A Watch
A Few CD's
A Red Sweater
A Red Rider Beebee Gun
A Few Books
A Few Gift Cards
A DVD Player

Birthday Rights

So far in my life, birthday's tend to bring additional 'rights'

13- the right to be a jerk
16- the right to drive
18- the right to vote
21- the right to be a big jerk
65- the right to get cheap breakfast

Well, since Jesus has had roughly 2000 birthdays, He must have pretty much all the rights in the world, eh? Thankfully, it seems He isn't interested in the right to be a jerk. Nevertheless, I better listen to Him. This post brought to you by the strange thoughts that enter my mind.

Favorite Christmas Passage

Job, crying out about God

"He is not a man like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot."

Christmas answers Job's cry

Merry Christmas!

Christmas in Boston

Every night I watch the Gilmore Girls because the Family Channel shows an episode at 5pm each weekday and I told DVR to record it. I'm almost done with the 1st season. Anyways. During the commercials, which I often forget I can fast-forward, there was an ad for a movie called 'Christmas in Boston'. So I told DVR to record that too.

The most unique thing about this movie is that it isn't listed on IMDB. First time I've ever seen a movie that isn't listed on IMDB. I also couldn't find a 'poster' for this movie (probably b/c it's not famous enough) so my review is just text, no pic. How sad. (UPDATE...pic found by Gwyn)

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the movie. I think I liked it b/c I was in a chick flick mood after watching Gilmore Girls, but also b/c the storyline was of interest to me. It's about 2 pen pals that finally meet, only they both send their best friends in their place. Kinda like You've Got Mail except different in many ways.

Plus I couldn't think of anything else to blog about.

Rating: 6.9
Status: Worth the Time

My Christmas Revolution

The sad thing about redeeming Christmas, is you look mean doing it.

I watch people around me buy gifts for, seemingly, everyone they know. But I refuse. I bought a gift for my mother, father, brother & sister. My 2 older sisters don't even get a gift from me b/c we negotiated a 'secret santa' policy and I got my sister's boyfriends name. So 5 gifts. That's all I buy. Others will buy presents for me and I won't be a jerk and refuse them. But I will be a jerk and not reciprocate.

Not Offended

Many Christians are offended by the phrase 'happy holidays' and the abbreviation 'x-mas'. I'm not. As I'm sure many of you know, both of these 'Christmas' alternatives have sacred roots. The word 'holiday' is based on the old english words for 'holy' and 'day' and thus isn't secular at all. 'X-mas' also has sacred roots except that we say 'ex' (as in the english letter) whereas the X in the abbreviation is 'chi' (as in the greek letter) which is the 1st letter in the word for Christ.

Instead of being offended when someone says 'happy-holidays' or writes 'x-mas' perhaps we could use it as a conversation starter to explain the true meaning of the terms. I admit that 'holiday' and 'x-mas' have evolved into secular terms, but we can redeem them. After all, that's probably what Christmas is as a whole, a redeemed version of a secular holiday.

Coincidence?

Monday I posted an online conversation which included the following reference to an online friend of mine I call Syracuse Sarah.

she's syracuse sarah. I mostly like her for the alliteration

I posted this dialogue quite sure that Syracuse Sarah doesn't read my blog. But Monday night when we talked she told the following story:

SyracuseSarah: i inspired a new soup at work today. bbq beef, baked bean and bacon soup
SyracuseSarah: like the alliteration?

Coincidence? Or does she read my blog? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Sleep Chart 9

I consider this my best week to date in that I broke the pattern. Only 2 days did I sleep past 9:30am.

Tuesday 5:30-9 (3.5)
Wednesday 4-12 (8)
Thursday NONE (0)
Friday 1-4pm, 12:30-9 (11.5)
Saturday 10:30-1am (3)
Sunday 1-12:30 (11.5)
Monday 5-9:30 (4.5)
Too Little, Too Much, Just Right, Too Late

I'm Quite a Loser

Below is part of a conversation I had with a female friend (who shall remain anonymous). Her words are in BLUE. My words are in GREEN

Hey, how are you? swell, I just finished conversation 111 with the online girl I like but will never meet wow... 111 and still counting them I save the conversations and title them by number. I'm quite a loser! Which one is she? it's been so long since I've asked about your top 5 girls that i don't remember she's syracuse sarah. I mostly like her for the alliteration haha... yeah, i was thinking that that had a nice ring to it.... so syracuse and you'll never meet her? doubtful...I'm just not adventurous enough meh... you're more adventurous than me... i can't even bring myself to talk to random internet ppl she talked to me first even then...and to think I considered those dating websites. I signed up for the free trials on some of them, but i gave up on it pretty fast yeah...they don't really work anyways. eharmony works I think, but it is too expensive. after all, what's a good girl worth? Certainly not 154 bucks!

For more on Online Dating, click HERE

Church History Series

Tonight I will finish my 10 hour church history series. Here are my handouts:

Birth to 70
70 to 311
The Canon & Creeds
311-590
590-1248
1248-1517
1517-1609
Protestant Family Tree
Life of John Wesley
Wesleyan's After Wesley

Accidents

I had a dream that I jokingly pushed an old middle school friend and he hit his head on a hard floor and started having a seizure. I hate accidents. Sins can be avoided, but accidents are inevitable. I woke up feeling horrible, even after realizing it was only a dream.

You Might be a...

I'm the only person I know who finds me really funny, nevertheless

You might be a DISPENSATIONALIST if...

1. You think other Christians are anti-Semitic
2. You’ve never read Hebrews
3. You can justify being 2000 years late for an appointment
4. You’re really bad at math
5. You think Kirk Cameron is a fine actor
6. When the going gets rough, you’re nowhere to be found
7. You sleep nude so your post-rapture bed is tidy
8. You were born after 1830
9. You love Christian television
10. You use your newspaper for morning devotions
11. You’d rather have been outside Noah’s ark
12. You don't think satan really noticed the cross
13. You prefer the shadows
14. Always always means always except sometimes
15. You went to Dallas Theological Seminary
16. Bad news excites you
17. You feel Scofields notes were inspired
18. You can’t speak b/c you are in parenthesis
19. You’ll only be a 2nd class citizen of paradise
20. You found my pin the tail series thought provoking
21. You think THIS means THAT
22. You think NEAR means FAR
23. You thought about naming your kid Darby
24. You decided it’s too late to have kids
25. You’re offended by this list

World Religions

Click on the pics below to see notes from a study I did last year on world religions/cults

Chronicles of Narnia

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

I don't read fiction, but I do like C.S. Lewis. I don't like fantasy, but I have read 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'. My interest in this movie, unlike those who grew up reading this series, was mostly pastoral. Could it be a tool?

My answer came before and after the movie. I think the lady behind me was a Sunday School teacher with two of her students. I listened to her connecting with them before the show started and discuss stuff with them on the way out. I also overheard 2 kids asking their father more about Aslan. Two thumbs up.

As for the movie itself, I enjoyed it. The kids did a great job and the special effects were not distracting at all. Very high quality. Narnia places the greatest story ever told in the world of wonder, imagination & awe... right where it should remain.

Rating: 8.8
Status: Must Own

Sleep Chart 8

With weekend exceptions, the amount of sleep/night is stable. The timing of the sleep is the worst it's ever been. I thought I had a winning strategy this week. Saturday night I fell asleep at 11pm, but was unable to go back to sleep before church. I didn't nap Sunday afternoon. I watched the entire Sabres game after night church and then fell asleep. I was assuming I'd STAY asleep, but I woke up at 3am and couldn't go back to sleep again! Then I passionately decided to stay up all night AGAIN so I'd be SUPER tired Monday night, but I accidently fell asleep at 7am and the bad pattern was back in place. Oh wretched man that I am!

Tuesday 6-1pm (7)
Wednesday 6:30-2pm (7.5)
Thursday 7:30-2:30pm (7)
Friday 6:30-2pm (7.5)
Saturday 11-1am (2)
Sunday 10:30-3am, 7-1:30pm (10.5)
Monday 7-3 (8)
Too Little, Too Much, Just Right, Too Late

Looks like tonight I'll be trying to stay up all night again. This is war.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

Yes, I'm seriously reviewing the 1989 Disney Film 'Honey, I shrunk the Kids'. Why? Because I woke up at 3am and couldn't go back to sleep at it was the only thing on television. It's hard to say anything negative about this movie. It's your basic plot. A dad invents a machine that shrinks stuff. 4 Kids accidently get shrunk. They spend a couple days journeying through a yard. And then they almost get eaten as cereal. Pretty typical.

All in all, not a bad lil movie if you have low standards and like extra cheese. This was a perfect role for Rick Moranis and Matt Frewer delivered a very Jim Carrey-esque performance. Everyone should see it at least once.

Rating: 7.2
Status: Must See

Wesley One-Liners

Here are some of the more interesting Wesley quotes I have come across (I'm teaching through his life tonight as part of my church history series).

"Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn." "Beware you be not swallowed up in books! An ounce of love is worth a pound of knowledge" "When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into my heart." "Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can" "The best of it is, God is with us." "The Church recruited people who had been starched and ironed before they were washed." "The longer I live, the larger allowances I make for human infirmities. I exact more from myself and less from others. " "Once in seven years I burn all my sermons; for it is a shame if I cannot write better sermons now than I did seven years ago." "I look on all the world as my parish" "As to matters of dress, I would recommend one never to be first in the fashion nor the last out of it" "I desired as many as could to join together in fasting and prayer, that God would restore the spirit of love and of a sound mind to the poor deluded rebels in America" "You may be as orthodox as the devil and as wicked"

Do you have a favorite Wesley One-liner?

Tail of Two Teams

This Autumn, the city of Buffalo anxiously awaited the start of the NFL season. Expectations were high after a hot finish for last year's squad. The first drive was masterful and ended in a touchdown. But it was downhill from there. 13 weeks later the Buffalo Bills are 4-8 and the fans are breaking out the big brown paper bags.

The NHL also came back this Fall, but WNY fans were not too excited. Some were still steaming at former owners. Others were upset over the lost season. Everyone was angry when the Sabres lost their two most expensive players. A playoff appearance was not predicted. Nevertheless, as of today, the Sabres are one of the hottest teams in hockey.

Don't bet on sports.

Heroes of the Kingdom

My latest goal is to find, for purchase, one of my favorite childhood toys: A David & Goliath action figure set in a series entitled 'Heroes of the Kingdom' made by "Wee Win Toys". I'm surprised I found a pic!

Sleep Chart 7

I forgot to post this Tuesday

Tuesday 5-1 (8)
Wednesday 5-12 (7)
Thursday 5:30-12 (6.5)
Friday 4-9:30 (5.5)
Saturday 1:30-3pm, 4:30-7:30 (4.5)
Sunday 2:30-12:30 (10)
Monday 6:30-1 (6.5)
Too Little, Too Much, Just Right, Too Late

Also, I filled in some days I didn't blog with some recent reviews

Movies: Walk the Line, Wedding Crashers
Books: Disciple, Christian Denominations

My Frenzied Hatred

I am anti-semitic. I just found out. Apparently, my belief that "through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus" means that I hate modern day Jews. Here's what was said about me on a message board:

What Matthew94 and his buddies do not realize is that they are living monuments of the fact that God's Word and prophecies are indeed the truth, for it says that anti-Semitism will grow into a frenzied hatred of the Jews in the last days. What concerns me is that Christians are in the front ranks in this hellish spout of hatred against the Jews.

Shame on me for not being aware of my own hellish spouts.

Statement of Faith

The completed (though still open to improvement) 'Statement of Faith' can be found in its entirety at my Kingdom Blog. Actually, it was for this very purpose that I spent a week developing these brief statements (each statement is purposefully b/w 50-56 words). Most ministry sites include a statement of faith and so I wanted one too. But I wanted something freshly worded, not copied and pasted. Thanks for the help.

Click here for the Kingdom Blog's 'Statement of Faith'

End-Times

I believe in the future second coming of Jesus. The dead in Christ will rise, the living church will meet the Lord in the air, and heaven and earth will pass away. Mankind will then be judged and separated by their deeds. The righteous will dwell with God in a new heaven and earth for all eternity.

Salvation

I believe salvation is the process by which God makes broken people whole. Salvation is the work of the Trinity. The love of the Father pursues. The blood of the Son justifies. The presence of the Spirit sanctifies. God wills for all people to be saved, but they must respond in acceptance to God’s grace.

Mankind

I believe that Adam and Eve were formed in the image of God and filled by the breath of God, but later chose to serve self instead of God. I believe this rebellion created a brokenness between God and mankind. Mankind became spiritually dead, no longer willing or able to commune with God.

God

I believe there is one true God. God is both sovereign over creation and actively loving toward creation. God is perfect and purposeful. God's power, wisdom, and goodness are without limit. I believe God is One "What" (being) and three "Who’s" (persons). God eternally exists as Father, Son & Spirit.

The Church

I believe the church is a relational organism made up of all those of whom Jesus calls followers. The church is the people of God. They were the remnant of the Old Testament and the disciples of the New Testament. This church is the vessel through which Christ continues His ministry of reconciliation.