Podcast Episode 5: Special Guest – Bro. Matthew Bray Pt. 1

• How he met his wife and how he knew without a doubt that’s the wife God had for him.

• The Biblical way of seeking a spouse, and what spiritual qualities to look for in a young man or young lady.

• The importance of reading your Bible, praying, and staying in fellowship with Christians.

• The necessity of having alone time with God and the proper way of entering into prayer according to the Bible.

• What is the New Birth and what to not confuse the New Birth with and what’s next after the New Birth.

• The importance of the five-fold ministry and the role they play to help you grow in your Christian walk.

• How to fully take advantage of every church service you attend so that you might receive what God has for you in that service.

• Misconceptions among the youth and all believers about The Message and Christianity in whole.

• The biggest challenge that youth and believers face in this hour that can easily creep into your life if your not careful.

• What God is doing now through the Bride of Jesus Christ and what excites bro. Matthew about being a Christian in this time.

Episode Transcript:

[00:00:00] [00:00:00] Luis Urrego: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Ten Thousand Worlds podcast. My name is Luis Urrego and it’s certainly a privilege and honor to have you here listening with us today here on the program, and we certainly appreciate first of all the Lord our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for allowing us to see another day that we can share with you something that will benefit.

[00:00:23] Your soul and my soul and as we say here on the on the Ten Thousand Worlds podcast that your soul’s worth more than you think and that is true because God in this day and age he’s trying to deal with our soul. He’s trying to deal. He’s trying to get in there by the new birth in our soul and if we can get that soul to accept faith and and let and let go and not doubt in our hearts.

[00:00:55] Then we can receive the benefits of from the word of God in our lives. So [00:01:00] I certainly thank you for listening and thank you for being here with us today. Wherever you are around the world whether it’s morning evening or noon or late afternoon, wherever you are, thank you, once once again for being a listener and today on this episode.

[00:01:17] This is episode number 5, and we want to go ahead and introduce you to brother Matthew Bray who we had grand privilege to be able to sit down and talk with or have an interview with and brother Matthew Bray. He is a pastor in Mobile Mobile, Alabama Mobile, Alabama. I’m having a hard time saying that Mobile Alabama.

[00:01:48] I think that’s their exact the correct way to set and he’s been pastoring there at Revealed Word Tabernacle now for several years and I’ve known brother Matthew [00:02:00] Bray I’d say. Probably maybe seven to eight years and find brother Matthew to be a wonderful brother with a great heart and a very very easygoing loving spirit and that certainly you’d be around brother Matthew and he’s a he’s just an easy outgoing type of type of brother to get.

[00:02:24] Just easy to get along with and on this episode. We talk about various things being the brother Matthew he is he has he is married and he has two children of his own and so he has experience not just as a pastor but also as a father and also as a husband and so on this episode we talk about.

[00:02:51] Different items regarding finding a find the know why finding a spouse and how [00:03:00] how he went through what he went through regarding regarding that as well as his conversion and his and his new birth and how God saved him through drug addiction at a in his teen life. One of the highlights of the episode is where we actually speak about we talk in death regarding prayer and studying the word of God and seeking the Lord and how important it is for the growth of a Christians life is something that it’s an easy thing in our minds to do but yet it is one of the toughest things for Christians to do is but in this hour and that is to.

[00:03:48] Pray and read their Bibles everyday in to study the word of God. And so we go we we talk about that and how it is. So important in Jesus gave [00:04:00] us the model for that and how it is vital for a Christians life in this hour to always be praying and meditating and studying the word of God. We also discussed the importance of the new birth and how it is vital to know that you have the new birth in this hour and to not get it confused with head knowledge of the word of God or even the message.

[00:04:30] Or even an actual physical emotional experience, but to actually have a word birth in your life. We also talked about the importance of the fivefold ministry and the role that they play in the body of Christ. And how important it is to have that Ministry within the body of Christ for the perfecting of the Saints as the scripture mentions and we also briefly touch regarding some of the biggest misconceptions out there within the [00:05:00] Christianity or within the message of the hour as well as today’s challenges within the message for our youth as well as for believers in general so you don’t want to miss it.

[00:05:12] I trust that you receive a blessing out of this interview. So without further ado. Here is brother Matthew Bray from Mobile, Alabama. God bless you.  Welcome to the ten thousand worlds podcast. My name is Luisa Rey go and it’s certainly a privilege to be here with you and I have here with me today.

[00:05:33] We’re in a little bit a little bit different. I’m not riding solo today. So that’s wonderful. I have my brother here who is one of the brothers from art from my church. From our church that we attend there in Lula, Georgia. His name is brother Bob black. He’s one of The Minister’s there. And so he’s going to help me do the interview without with brother Matthew Brave who we are through when the interview with today if you want to say hello to the to the listeners brother Bob.

[00:05:59] Bob Black: [00:05:59] Yes, [00:06:00] greetings and God bless you. God bless you brother Louise.

[00:06:03] Luis Urrego: [00:06:03] Praise the Lord and so brother Bob black, and he’s certainly a great and awesome asset at our church, and we appreciate.  he’s over here waving and say

[00:06:15] Matthew Bray: [00:06:15] don’t say

[00:06:16] Luis Urrego: [00:06:16] that but. Anyways, we have brother Matthew Brady here and from from Mobile, Alabama.

[00:06:25] He is a pastor there in Mobile, Alabama, and I just wanted to know if you could go ahead and greet the listeners brother

[00:06:31] Matthew Bray: [00:06:31] Matthew. Yes. God bless everybody. God bless you brother leash. Thank you so much for the invitation and God bless my precious brother Bob. They’re so wonderful to be gathered with you Brothers today.

[00:06:43] God bless you this evening.

[00:06:45] Luis Urrego: [00:06:45] Praise the Lord Brother brother Matthew. I got to know brother Matthew I’d say probably maybe but eight years ago, maybe something on something something like that. I don’t know exactly

[00:06:59] Matthew Bray: [00:06:59] that sounds [00:07:00] about right give or take.

[00:07:01] Luis Urrego: [00:07:01] Yeah, the time goes by so fast, but I’ve gotten to know brother Matthew and he certainly a precious brother who really loves the word of God and loves loves the people.

[00:07:15] And so he he has he also has a heart for the for the for Hispanic people as well and tries to do whatever he can on his and even though he doesn’t speak the language but he tries to do whatever he can to to help the Hispanic the Spanish culture and I guess that kind of that kind of is a. It’s a soft spot I guess for me because me, I’m being me being the Latino myself.

[00:07:42] So I have a I have a heart and for the Hispanic culture and the Spanish people as well being that I do Mission work. But anyways, this this episode is episode 5. And it’s not going to be about me. It’s going to be about brother Matthew. And so [00:08:00] I want to take I want you to take it away brother brother Matthew and just kind of share a little bit about your testimony how you came to the Lord and and just anything that would help our young listeners and the listeners around the.

[00:08:17] And then of course, you know if I have any questions in the while your test saying your testimony, we will I’ll stop you but you can go ahead and take it away brother Matthew.

[00:08:28] Matthew Bray: [00:08:28] Okay, sounds great Brazil, which God bless you and thank you for the opportunity to share. And it’s been a wonderful wonderful time serving the lord Jesus throughout the years.

[00:08:39] I was originally born in st. Louis Missouri and I was raised in a home that really was not going to church at all. My parents didn’t serve the Lord or have, you know, a lot of time in the scriptures or church attendance or anything of that nature. But on my dad’s [00:09:00] side of the family there were message Believers my grandmother and my dad’s uncle’s which would be my second.

[00:09:06] Uncle’s they all had knowledge of brother branham’s Ministry and that God’s Prophet was used Mile in these last days to reveal our Lord Jesus Christ in a very scriptural and very powerful way. And my dad had copies of sermons of brother William Branham in his bedroom and growing up. I always knew those books were there but I never read them or never really acknowledged them too much except that I knew that my dad expressed a high value to them.

[00:09:41] Even though my dad didn’t serve the Lord. He did fear. The fact that God had sent a prophet. He did recognize that and my dad always told me. That if anything ever happened in the house, like if the house caught on fire if there’s a desperate situation ever occur that I was to grab those books and put them in the middle of the bed and wrap the [00:10:00] bedspread around him and run out of the house with those books and it always impressed on me.

[00:10:04] It always impressed on me that my dad never told me to grab his money grab his valuables grab anything, but he always told me to just grab those books. So the dad always, huh.

[00:10:15] Luis Urrego: [00:10:15] I said that’s interesting. But but your dad’s had your dad or your grandparents, they never actually went to Brother branham’s meetings

[00:10:22] Matthew Bray: [00:10:22] today.

[00:10:23] My grandmother had attended some Services back in the 60s and my dad’s uncle’s were there in the early 60s? Okay. Yeah, and they had as a little boy growing up. I would hear things in passing, but we were never really into going to church or anything like that. Okay. So

[00:10:43] Luis Urrego: [00:10:43] here your dad he had he had message books spoken word books and he told he told you that if anything of the house was to burn down you grab you grab those don’t worry about anything else but grab make sure you grab those.

[00:10:57] Matthew Bray: [00:10:57] Yes, and that led such an impression on my [00:11:00] mind that there was really something to of course. I wouldn’t know what that what it was, but it really meant something to him. Wow, so as years went by I grew up as a typical teenager in St. Louis, Missouri getting involved in everything and drug abuse and alcohol and at the age of 21.

[00:11:17] I was still living with my parents and one evening. I came home and I sash my mother pretty bad shamefully and in my my mother course told my dad whenever he got home and then my dad began to tell me how that I wasn’t going to be allowed to live there. So he basically gave me the boot and I always respect and honor my dad and thank him even today for not putting up with my behavior saying how that I had to move out of my house.

[00:11:48] And that’s what led to my conversion. I really appreciated my dad using tough love. So I was able to get a one-bedroom apartment. Probably just about three or four miles away from my mom and dad’s house. [00:12:00] So I wasn’t too far away. And then at that time there was a man on my job named Keith and he was a he was a churchgoer and he would quote scripture to me on the job and it was interesting was the timing of his presence on the job in the occurrence in the things that I was going through in my home life being kicked out of the house and I was in a desperate State there, but there was a man there who is just there on the job quoting scripture to me.

[00:12:29] And it was bringing a lot of conviction in my life. So one night after work, I went home and I went into my bedroom and I just cried out to God I was all alone and just begin to cry and Desperation to the Lord and pray and ask God to give me what I always knew was the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

[00:12:51] And so whenever I ask the Lord to come into my life, I had an experience with God that completely changed. My life the Lord Jesus gave me the [00:13:00] baptism of the holy spirit in my bedroom. And what I like to express to young people is just how simple the ways of the god really are you don’t have to think of things and very complicated terms.

[00:13:14] It’s very very simple. I received eternal life by talking to the Lord. And brother Branham teaches us this with this in very in so many different ways. For example, like when Moses was told to speak to the Rock You Know Moses just the Rock and it was supposed to give forth its Waters because it had already been smitten.

[00:13:35] So our Lord Jesus Christ had already suffered and died on the cross. And now all we have to do is enter into a sincere supplication and prayer and seeking him earnestly with all of our hearts and there’s a. That God gives and I’m so happy to know that we can have access to God and God’s presence through simple childlike faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ [00:14:00] because that was my experience plain and

[00:14:02] Luis Urrego: [00:14:02] simple.

[00:14:03] I was just going to say, you know, the Bible says that that Jesus said that we receive not because we ask not the scripture says that think it’s in James somewhere like that. It’s just as simple as just believing what he’s already done for you and you know and that you have nothing to do with it.

[00:14:23] And the only thing you can’t save yourself. You can’t give yourself the Holy Ghost it and if you can just get to that point if people can just get to that point to say there’s nothing I can do for myself. It’s all in him. It’s all in him. Then then we will definitely receive the benefits from from from

[00:14:44] Matthew Bray: [00:14:44] his promises.

[00:14:45] Yes, that’s right and taking it to the Lord in prayer and being sincere and praying with the faith and expectation that God will move and that God will respond. And this is the Fantastic [00:15:00] reality that we have as Believers and as Christians is that God is a very present. Help he’s a very present God.

[00:15:08] He’s not far off. You know, the Bible teaches us, you know, God draws near to them that draw near to him. 

[00:15:16] Luis Urrego: [00:15:16] Absolutely. The Drone is drawing on to God and He will draw nigh unto you as you’re drawing knock to him. He’s doing his part. He’s not there in the corner waiting for you. He’s just doing his part as you’re doing

[00:15:30] Matthew Bray: [00:15:30] your part.

[00:15:32] Yes, brother and I realized early in my walk with the Lord how important it is to really focus your heart and your mind and have effectual fervent prayer towards the Lord and seek God with all your heart not half-heartedly, but wholeheartedly seeking God because he is just so real and he wants to make himself known to individuals and that is what’s wonderful about true Christianity.

[00:15:59] Is that God [00:16:00] becomes personal. With us and teaches us his love. 

[00:16:05] Luis Urrego: [00:16:05] Amen, praise the Lord the brother that you said was forgot his name that you mentioned. Was he a message believer? The one that you said was influential in your life

[00:16:18] Matthew Bray: [00:16:18] know the fellow that was on my job was just a churchgoer. He wasn’t in in the message at all.

[00:16:24] Okay, he was just he was just you know, a Bible reader and a church door and he would just quote scripture to me at work. I see Shirley just stand there and quote scripture say the Bible said this and you know, the Lord had been dealing with me from the age of 14 to the age of 21. So that was just one of those occasions where God was basically using somebody to bring conviction in my life and an area and in a time where I was going through some serious things, you know, like my home life I had been [00:17:00] removed from my home.

[00:17:01] From because Behavior. 

[00:17:04] Luis Urrego: [00:17:04] mama,

[00:17:05] Matthew Bray: [00:17:05] so when you

[00:17:06] Luis Urrego: [00:17:06] were in the room when you were in the room, you said you were in a room and you were and what convicted you what what do you remember what actually convicted you to say? Hey, I am a sinner. And I need to I need to repent of my sins. I need to be born again.

[00:17:23] Was there a spell like a message that you

[00:17:26] Matthew Bray: [00:17:26] were listening

[00:17:26] Luis Urrego: [00:17:26] to or a certain scripture that that actually get you to that

[00:17:30] Matthew Bray: [00:17:30] point? Well, no. I was just an absolute dire straits through health issue that had developed through drug abuse and just haven’t been kicked out of my home. And then there’s a man on my job was quoting scripture to me, you know, and you you come to a place of desperation where you really start grasping for things that could give you hope, you know, right and I out of desperation prayed, [00:18:00] you know, and I had an experience with the Lord whenever I was 14 years old, but I had been running I ran from the Lord and age of 14 to the age of 21.

[00:18:11] I had always known that I wasn’t where I really should be spiritually down in my heart of hearts, but it’s just one of those things to where you try to ignore and you try to just go on and live your life like, you know, nothing’s happening but deep down inside. I had always been convicted by the things of God, you know, and always had that Bible there that

[00:18:32] Luis Urrego: [00:18:32] I felt

[00:18:33] Matthew Bray: [00:18:33] a lure to but always just tried to suppress.

[00:18:36] The draw well out of desperation. I could no longer suppress it and I really needed help in this certain Town my life whenever I started reaching out to God by the grace of the Lord. I found the Lord reaching back and it was the life-transforming experience that I had at the age of 21. 

[00:18:55] Luis Urrego: [00:18:55] Praise the Lord praise the Lord.

[00:18:57] So so at this point then what [00:19:00] happened after that?

[00:19:02] Matthew Bray: [00:19:02] Well after I receive this experience it was so powerful and it’s so real I begin to understand the Bible and a Clarity in a way that I didn’t before and they also begin to have a hunger for the word of God that I never had before.  And I found myself having an inner strength to resist tendencies.

[00:19:26] And desires that were seemingly purged from my from my from my body and from my innermost being and of course, I always after having this experience. I wanted to have the experience more. So I really started crying out and seeking God a lot through prayer and reading of the scripture and it was a real critical time.

[00:19:51] I walked because I realized there’s no such thing as Lone Ranger Christianity. For sure, because I was actually hindered by not [00:20:00] immediately getting into Christian Fellowship having Church attendance and being around older Believers. That’s one of the things that set me back as a young Christian, but by the by the grace of God, I was able to get into some fellowship over a process of time and begin to get around fellow Believers in the message.

[00:20:22] And begin to get strengthened in my walk with the Lord for sure. 

[00:20:27] Luis Urrego: [00:20:27] Praise the Lord. And so that that just goes to show that the what the scripture says not forsaking yourselves disassemble yourself together, especially in these last days how important it is to have fellowship and communion with one another because we need that fellowship with one another.

[00:20:45] Matthew Bray: [00:20:45] Yes, Satan likes to drive people drugs to drive a wedge between people and hinder that Fellowship, you know, because there’s a tremendous anointing and benefit through the Fellowship Christian Fellowship that is fellowship around the [00:21:00] word Fellowship in the atmosphere of Christ. Absolutely and especially at the

[00:21:04] Luis Urrego: [00:21:04] young people at that age.

[00:21:07] Well at that age where you are at that time you’re already in your early 20s,

[00:21:12] Matthew Bray: [00:21:12] right? Yes, and

[00:21:14] Luis Urrego: [00:21:14] so how younger people especially in their teens some of them a lot of them probably don’t want to be Fellowship in a lot with grownups and things like that, but it’s so important for them to to to be in that fellowship and to be at church and to be involved in things that would help them grow in the Lord and because.

[00:21:41] I always say this for the Matthew when you see a young person that’s on fire for God and that that that you know, that is serving the lord not because he or she has to but because they want to and they really been have had a born-again experience it almost it [00:22:00] also excites the adults at that’s in the church as well.

[00:22:03] Like it gives them a motivational. Well, hey, you know God can work through young people even in this dark and wicked our that we’re living

[00:22:12] Matthew Bray: [00:22:12] in absolutely.  So true amen.

[00:22:18] Luis Urrego: [00:22:18] So at this point then so let’s let’s forward then to is there any other like I guess top moments after that after you started fellowship and going to church and then things like that anything.

[00:22:33] Anything that’s the that stands out that you’d like to listeners know that that happened in your life before you got married.

[00:22:41] Matthew Bray: [00:22:41] Well, there were there were plenty of how we how was I was at the age of 21 when I met the Lord Jesus and then I was married at the age of 30. So had quite a bit quite a few years in between the conversion and the meeting of my wife.

[00:22:58] Luis Urrego: [00:22:58] Okay. [00:23:00] Alright. So when you how did you know at that? I mean they were you even thinking about getting married even at the age of 21 or what did that even cross your mind or is that something that you started dealing having deal with later on in your in your years

[00:23:18] Matthew Bray: [00:23:18] when I first came to the Lord and begin to pray about it.

[00:23:22] I did have a desire to have a wife but then as I began to study the word. And I began to really filter my thinking through scripture and understand the time of the hour that I lived in I actually brother Lewis began to doubt whether or not I could ever have a wife because I felt the age were just so wicked that there wouldn’t be anybody really available for me.

[00:23:47] And then I found out how many Believers there were because I was totally ignorant about message churches. Didn’t know how many people are following the message or anything. Yeah, so whenever I begin to grow a little bit [00:24:00] older and the Lord himself started dealing with me about having a wife and the Lord actually revealed to me that my first born would be a son and that I would name him Jeremiah and in that came to pass just

[00:24:13] Luis Urrego: [00:24:13] the way the Lord revealed it

[00:24:15] Matthew Bray: [00:24:15] but yes brother.

[00:24:16] I think it’s important to pray for our our spouses. I was praying for my wife before I even met. That

[00:24:24] Luis Urrego: [00:24:24] is so that is so true brother Matthew. I heard actually recently somebody saying that we should actually be praying for the wives or the husband’s that that even even at a young age that God has for us later on even if we haven’t even met them.

[00:24:43] What do you think about that?

[00:24:45] Matthew Bray: [00:24:45] I believe that’s an exercise of Faith. That’s very important. Absolutely because if has foreseen. And predestinated relationship in a marriage and God’s going to join you together with somebody then your [00:25:00] prayers can go to you know help, you know, and to also getting a fellowship in agreement with God, you know, and to also cover that other person’s life in prayer

[00:25:11] Luis Urrego: [00:25:11] and I say that if God put that desire in your heart to be married to have a husband and to have a wife or to have a wife, you know.

[00:25:23] God’s has that that person out there for you. So you might as well just go ahead

[00:25:28] Matthew Bray: [00:25:28] and start praying

[00:25:29] Luis Urrego: [00:25:29] for them because that desire is in you so God has somebody out there for you.

[00:25:36] Matthew Bray: [00:25:36] Yes also include in your prayer a sensitivity to end discernment to know. And to be guided by the spirit prayer is so important to be sensitized to the leadership of the Holy Spirit prayer and reading the scriptures is what I relied upon heavily to develop a sensitivity of God’s leadership in my life.

[00:26:00] [00:26:00] Luis Urrego: [00:26:00] Amen. So brother Matthew at what age you got married at 30 years old, but you met your wife at web how long before the

[00:26:07] Matthew Bray: [00:26:07] marriage. Oh, that’s a incredible thing brother. I met her in April of 2000. I proposed. Yeah, April of 2000. I proposed the following July and we were married the following January 2001.

[00:26:26] So we didn’t even know each other a year and we were married. Yeah, but you

[00:26:30] Luis Urrego: [00:26:30] knew it you you knew what what what what what you wanted. You weren’t gonna just wait

[00:26:36] Matthew Bray: [00:26:36] around keep in mind. I was already thirty years old. She was 31 never had any prior engagements or prior marriages and we had been walking with the Lord our entire adult life and whenever God brought it to pass he really brought it to pass.

[00:26:55] Bob Black: [00:26:55] Hey brother, Matthew. This is brother Bob. Do you have any advice? Would [00:27:00] you be able to advise the young people on what they might be looking for in a spouse like a young man to young girl, or of it or the other way that the characteristics of the qualities that they

[00:27:11] Luis Urrego: [00:27:11] might

[00:27:12] Matthew Bray: [00:27:12] you might be able to advise on what they should be looking for.

[00:27:16] Yes, brother Bob. Thank you very much. It’s a rather touchy subject with me, but I could express. Something that I feel is very very vital and that is for a young person. If you’re looking at a potential mate try your best to get to know their family gets to know how they were raised and make a determination on whether or not these people are really walking in the fear of the Lord if these individuals whom you’re developing a relationship with Anna friendship first of all, right.

[00:27:51] If you’re developing a friendship with somebody that you consider could be a potential mate then then then get to know their family. Take your [00:28:00] time. Don’t be Hasty the very very sober Vigilant and prayerful as you approach the relationship and the friendship and as it unfolds be looking to the Lord and asking God for Holy Spirit guidance and discernment and I’ll make this one statement and it’s.

[00:28:20] Very very important to me because I’ve witnessed too many things occur with young people through the years that were very unfortunate and there’s a lot of people unfortunately that will you know, say things do things and put on an air about themselves to look like they’re really in the message or that they’re really with it.

[00:28:43] You’ll be surprised how people will change their ways when all of a sudden they want to be attracted to. Somebody so yeah, please try. Please try to be determinant and Discerning of whether or not this particular individuals really sincere about their Bible [00:29:00] reading their Devotion to the Lord how they really worship God.

[00:29:05] What is their true intentions are true attitude towards the things of God because you don’t want to just be involved with somebody who just casually goes to church. And who’s just a casual message believer you want to be involved with somebody that actually has a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and knows the Lord especially in my opinion a female a young sister because when she marries a boy that boy is her headship spiritually going to be the provider and he’s going to be the high priest of the home.

[00:29:35] So the spiritual condition of.  Who the young girl marries? Is going to have a lot to do with her own spirituality.

[00:29:46] Luis Urrego: [00:29:46] Absolutely. So in other words, you follow they make sure that they’re they’ve fallen in love with Christ before they actually fall you fall in love with with each other.

[00:29:58] Matthew Bray: [00:29:58] Yes, and also be able to discern [00:30:00] Christ in the other person that you’re seeking relationship with.

[00:30:03] And to make the determination that this person is truly and genuinely sincere with the Lord and not just being casual or nonchalant, you know temporarily because so many young people just try a thing or they’re just trying this out trying that out. You know, right I’ve even older people. I’ve noticed older people coming to the church seeking a spouse because a lot of people have the attitude that they’re going to go to church to find him a wife.

[00:30:30] Because they believe their chances of getting a decent person will be in the church totally the wrong motive for being in church to begin with

[00:30:40] Luis Urrego: [00:30:40] absolutely it eventually it will show forth what your intentions were banned from the first from the first in the first place.

[00:30:48] Matthew Bray: [00:30:48] Yes, and that’s why I would encourage taking time and and, you know learning the compatibility in the true spirituality of a person because.

[00:30:58] I know it’s a difficult hour. We live [00:31:00] in and severe repression time, but I would encourage young people to definitely, you know be praying for discernment and wisdom and do not be too hasty because there’s so many examples out there of ruined relationships and people have been misled and people who are now very crushed and hurt and the Lord can be either edified and encouraged.

[00:31:25] Or it can be hindered and damaged in ways. So I hope that speaks to your question brother Bob. Yes. I think that’s very helpful.

[00:31:35] Luis Urrego: [00:31:35] Absolutely. That was that was very helpful by the Matthew. So what is it that you saw in your wife that that you felt? This is the one that God

[00:31:47] Matthew Bray: [00:31:47] has for me. Yeah, there’s a there is a knowing because whenever I was growing up that question would be posed to people.

[00:31:54] Well, how do you know this is the one well many times the answer would be well you just know and I [00:32:00] was like, well, how do you just know what kind of answer is that? So whatever whatever whatever I would spend time cording Daniela and we would spend time together. There is a certain sense. There is a certain sense, you know in your heart.

[00:32:16] N a certain satisfaction at the Holy Spirit seems to give you and it’s and it’s not just a human desire. It is a contentment. It’s a satisfaction. It’s a piece. I hope that makes sense and and you’ll notice that there is a mutual attraction and there is a mutual agreement in the things of the Lord.

[00:32:38] And it’s also important to find out how a person believes, you know, amazingly enough Danielle and I had many of the same convictions on certain points of Doctrine, which a lot of people don’t think is important, but I’m going to beg to differ right he had she had a lot of similar viewpoints and things where we could find common ground and fellowship in the things of the Lord [00:33:00] and it was fantastic.

[00:33:01] Luis Urrego: [00:33:01] Absolutely brother Matthew and I think I think you hit something very key. Because even even in today’s in today, you know, how we, you know, it’s been now over 50 years since the message has come and we weave we’re here now. It seems like we with the coming of the Lord should take and place a long long time ago, but we’re still here and that means God still doing works and in each and every one of our lives, but.

[00:33:34] Even now I think it’s so important. What do you think about a young person that says

[00:33:38] Matthew Bray: [00:33:38] well

[00:33:40] Luis Urrego: [00:33:40] there in the message should I just go ahead and

[00:33:44] Matthew Bray: [00:33:44] just

[00:33:45] Luis Urrego: [00:33:45] get you have them as a husband or a wife should not seek their relationship with a book they go

[00:33:50] Matthew Bray: [00:33:50] to a message church. But

[00:33:54] Luis Urrego: [00:33:54] but

[00:33:54] Matthew Bray: [00:33:54] without even deserting

[00:33:56] Luis Urrego: [00:33:56] what that what they that person actually [00:34:00] believes in that

[00:34:00] Matthew Bray: [00:34:00] message Church.

[00:34:02] Yes, that’s right brother a common practice that I’m aware of among some young people like young adults in their 20s that come to know a young person that they begin to fellowship with and they begin to spend time together. It’s common to go visit the person’s Church find out, you know, how they were raised get to know the family and learn about the pastor learn how they’ve been taught.

[00:34:31] Learn the background of the person’s life and upbringing and just where they’re at with the Lord and the kind of people they are around absolutely.  Also Brother Louis you also stated how much time has gone by since God is taking the profit and now we’ve had 50 plus years. So we counted the other day brother Louis sweet and just in our circle of Believers here and our fellowship.

[00:34:54] We have forth what we would call fourth-generation message believers. [00:35:00] Right, that means we’re on the fourth generation of people who are raised in a home that followed the message of the prophet.  So you have people who and this is one of the key points. I wanted to really touch on in our talk here this evening.

[00:35:17] And that is the indoctrination of the prophets message before conversion. And I think that is hindered people in a way.

[00:35:27] Luis Urrego: [00:35:27] So what exactly do you mean by

[00:35:29] Matthew Bray: [00:35:29] that? I mean learning about the things that’s been taught to the message and not actually known the Lord Jesus on a personal experience because you can have your head filled with all kinds of knowledge of certain things but not have the spirit and Life of Christ to go with it.

[00:35:46] Luis Urrego: [00:35:46] And even even as a young person you can be you can have the knowledge of the of the message but not have the life. Which is so crucial, especially if you if you desire a husband or wife, you’ve got to have the [00:36:00] Life of Christ

[00:36:01] Matthew Bray: [00:36:01] in order

[00:36:02] Luis Urrego: [00:36:02] for for their for there to be a healthy marriage.

[00:36:05] Matthew Bray: [00:36:05] Yes, brother.

[00:36:06] Absolutely. Yes, I one of the things that I see hindering people now. In our in our churches and people that I’m acquainted with is the fact that they have learned so many things and for young people to kind of view it as just a bunch of rules and a bunch of do’s and bunch of doughnuts and it’s just so much information so many so much stuff to process.

[00:36:30] They begin to lose sight of really what’s important and that is a personal contact with God through simple childlike Faith through Jesus Christ.

[00:36:39] Luis Urrego: [00:36:39] And I think that that is one of the thing that is what’s missing in a lot a lot of it’s what a lot of young people struggle with. You get caught up with they I think a lot of them get confused with the fact.

[00:36:54] We’ll hey I had this experience at this

[00:36:58] Matthew Bray: [00:36:58] at this church service, or I [00:37:00] know this

[00:37:00] Luis Urrego: [00:37:00] that or the other and then the really but they really don’t have a born-again experience for them to

[00:37:08] Matthew Bray: [00:37:08] actually solidify

[00:37:10] Luis Urrego: [00:37:10] a relationship with somebody that’s going to be a

[00:37:15] Matthew Bray: [00:37:15] healthy relationship, you

[00:37:16] Luis Urrego: [00:37:16] know as far as

[00:37:17] Matthew Bray: [00:37:17] for

[00:37:17] Luis Urrego: [00:37:17] marriage.

[00:37:18] And things so what can you suggest or what can you what can I keep you encouraged the young people or people in general? If for example, they may have had an experience at a church service or maybe saw something or something like that but regarding leaning to those things because we know that that that there is a born there that we’re born again by the word.

[00:37:45] Matthew Bray: [00:37:45] Right, yes,

[00:37:47] Luis Urrego: [00:37:47] but then using those experiences and things like that as evidences. Well or that I or the oh, hey, well, I know the message I must be born again. What do you think about about that?

[00:38:00] [00:38:00] Matthew Bray: [00:38:00] Well, I think there’s some dangers, you know to go in take certain ideas and it’s important to go back to the scripture and always.

[00:38:10] Test your experience with the scripture and see in the continuity of the word because if you do have a genuine experience with the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit, it will totally change your nature and it will diminish carnal desire out of your life and the real work of the holy spirit is to shed the love of God abroad in your heart if you have an experience, and if it and it doesn’t cause you to love God more.

[00:38:38] Then you’ve had the wrong experience you should be able to you should be able to realize immediately that your experience that you’ve had in a religious service has draws you closer to God has made you want the things of God more and has made his word even more clear in your life.

[00:38:57] Luis Urrego: [00:38:57] But that but somebody might say, well I’ve [00:39:00] shouted and I jumped all around the church and I saw likes and also all kinds of stuff.

[00:39:05] Matthew Bray: [00:39:05] Yes, whether those things have happened and they do occur in meetings and things and it would be I would encourage the young person to seek the Lord through prayer and reading of the word and and also begin to seek the Lord for for confirmation and things. In regards to that particular experience to see it in the scripture in the context of the Bible and also ask the Lord for his grace to to grow in the actual experience of actually knowing the revelation of Jesus Christ because the new birth is the revelation of Jesus Christ personally to the individual.

[00:39:47] Luis Urrego: [00:39:47] Amen. That’s why brother Brandon. All right. Well there you have part 1 of the interview we had with brother Matthew Bray. We certainly hope that you’ve enjoyed that first part [00:40:00] and we invite you to tune in to the next episode where we will be releasing it in a few days with part 2 of our continuation with our discussion and interview of brother Matthew Bray.

[00:40:13] We thank you once again for. Tuning in and just want to recommend and just invite you to just share this podcast with others, especially the young people out there that they can have a resource. To listen to something Godly that would encourage them and would admonish them in their walk with our Lord Jesus Christ.

[00:40:39] Obviously, this is not something to replace going to church and assembling yourself together at church, but it is something a resource that would help them in and they would encourage them in this hour and that’s all. We desire to be so just to be a blessing and to be an encouragement and if something that [00:41:00] either I say or one of the guests a here on the podcast that would change your life for the better.

[00:41:08] Hey, if it’s just for one person we’ve done our job. And that’s all we that’s all we care about is that somebody would be blessed and most most importantly God be glorified through what it what we do. So once again, thank you for tuning in and I look forward to having you again as a listener on the next episode 2 Min as we will release it in a few days and for part two of brother Matthew Gray and may God.

[00:41:41] Bless you. Thank you. Once again, I can’t stop saying thank you, but I really do. Thank you for tuning in and also for your support and sharing the podcast with others. May God bless you and continue to guide you is my prayer. [00:42:00] Thank you.

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