Matt Thompson

This voice for Christ is no stranger to me. I have come to know him over a course of time after joining the "Motivation by Grace" forum that he is the administrator of. He is a husband, grandfather, friend, and a disciple of Christ.

Matt's mission is sharing God's word. In the loving message he wrote to his children and grandchildren on his blog you can feel his urgency for us to (in his words) "Treasure God's Word; search it, seek understanding, and wear God's wisdom around our necks". This is the legacy he wants to leave his children, grandchildren, and anyone else who will listen.


He stresses in his blog for us to strive for a relationship with God, and not a participation in religion. He is not saying stay out of church, but to strive to find one that tells the "Whole Truth" about God so that we may grow spiritually in the power of God's Love.

Just by reading some of Matthew's weekly inspirations you can see that he is an anointed writer just by how he executes the delivery of his messages to others centered in the word of God. Over the past three years membership has grown at "Motivation By Grace" and we have developed into a true family of God's children who love fellowshipping together, praying together, and sharing the word with one another. I am glad my path crossed with him and the MBG family.

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Matt Thompson. I am happy to be able to share his testimony with our readers. I hope you will enjoy learning more about Matt and his continuous efforts to spread the gospel of Christ with the world.

LHU: Matt what led you to start Motivation By Grace?

I was led to discover what drives people to live a successful life "in Christ". Everyone I knew could tell me something of "what" and "how" to do this and that in life, but no one ever really got down to the very "root" of what would give us the proper desire in our hearts to live for God. Through my ministry at Motivation By Grace, I hope I have revealed how to get our "hearts" in the right place. If we accomplish that, the flesh will follow.

LHU: If you were given a 90 second time slot on live TV to witness to the unsaved what exactly would you share with them about our Savior?

Matthew: I would tell people, "I have only 90 seconds to tell you about the ONLY thing in this world that will make an eternal impact on your life and He is Jesus Christ!

No matter what you think you've learned about 'religion', if I could ask you to do such a thing, just DROP IT ALL! Many, many people have things so mixed up now days when it comes to God, you can't afford to be listening to the wrong one! DROP IT ALL and start over with Jesus!

Jesus died over 2000 years ago and justified the sin of ALL of us, for ALL time! Do you realize what this means? That even you, right there where you sit, as unsaved as you are, an enemy of God, Jesus loves you enough to have died for your sins of the past, present and future! Jesus paid the price for them! God took HIS WRATH for YOUR sin out on JESUS! It already been done! Jesus loves you that much! God loves you that much! Has any other imagination in this world called a god ever said he did such a thing for you? Of course not!

Now that Jesus has justified your sin before God, there is but ONE thing left for you to do if you hate yourself for who you are and love Jesus for who HE is... Repent of your UNBELIEF in Jesus! Believe on Jesus as the Son of God that died (past tense) for your sin! Believe in Him! Repent of your unbelief in Him! Ask Him to come into your life as your Lord, your Way, your Truth and your LIFE!

Yes, your LIFE! You see, even after Jesus dealt with your sin over 2000 years ago, you were still spiritually dead! You had not believed in Jesus! You still needed LIFE! So what did the resurrection of Jesus mean to you? It was a DEMONSTRATION of what YOU'LL GET when you turn to Him in belief! Life! Life ETERNAL! Glory to God!

That will begin a life-long quest within you to learn more of and please... God! You cannot have a real encounter with Jesus unless it's had an eternal impact on you! Once that happens? We'll take it one step at a time for the rest of your life! A life full of wonder and purpose as you learn more about Jesus and hear His voice and instruction for your life as He reveals His will for you in your understanding and life!

Hang on people! You're in for the most wonderful, glorious, powerful ride of your life!"

LHU: In more recent years, what has been happening in your life and what has God shown you through it?

Matthew: He has been showing me that a good part of my life is to be writing for Him. I never sat out to be a writer. I do preach the gospel... But writing has become a form of communication in my life that is reaching people literally all over the world, as well as locally and nationally here in the U.S. .

I am involved in ministry at www.MotivationByGrace.org , which is an online Christian community where we fellowship in fun and learning. It's members literally span the globe.

I have an online ministry at e-snips.com ( http://www.esnips.com/user/matt-melva ). I never even intended this to be a ministry when I first went there. It was just going to be a place where I could store things online so I could use them as a host for posting things elsewhere on the internet.

Well lo and behold, there are Muslims from all over the world there at E-snips as well as many other peoples, and before I knew it I was involved with ministry that shows these people the Light of Christ! Bless God, I see people delivered from the horrors of Islam almost every week! It's incredible! It is GOD!

Also, just recently I signed the contracts with EzraWeb.com as a freelance writer. This is my first "job" as a writer in a way. It thrills me to know I am honored to serve our Lord through a global and growing ministry such as EzraWeb. There's such opportunity there to minister and to be ministered to! Within is a wealth of good ministry by Word and Music rooted in the Truth of God's Word... And you know? That's harder to come across than you would think.

LHU: What are your three favorite Bible verses and why?

Matthew: Sherri? I am sorry. I have thought about this and thought about this. There is absolutely no way I could possibly pick three verses as a "favorite". I can tell you my favorite "Books" in the Bible are Romans, John, and all of the apostolic teachings in the New Covenant... Yet ALL of the Bible has so much purpose to it. I think the Bible is best understood when one starts gaining enough knowledge to start putting the 'whole' picture together, from Genesis to Revelation. I think the biggest mistake Christian America makes today, maybe always has, is cutting the Word up into too small a section. We miss so much that way, and ultimately, error in understanding is the result.

Oh! And my favorite author in the Bible is Paul! What a guy! No one in the Bible understood the New Covenant like Paul. Jesus Himself taught Paul I think... His understanding was perfect and deep! Why else would he pen so much of the New Testament? Amen!

LHU: Please share with us your Faith testimony.

Matthew: I am 49 years old and in all the things I have experienced and/or encountered, NOTHING compares to this encounter I have daily in Christ... and I mean nothing.

Before I came to Christ, I lived what some would call a "good" life. I've been a musician all my life and I've played on stage with quite a number of famous Country and Southern Rock groups and stars. I lived the wild life in the fast lane with alcohol, drugs and women being constant companions...

But one day, sitting on the edge of my couch in my home, the wife and I received Christ into our hearts and minds, being on the brink of divorce. I truly thought everything in my life was shattered and destroyed, as did my wife. But since that day, I have been witness to more things Christ has done than I could possibly mention here. I've seen Him transform hate and hurt into love and forgiveness. Folks? Seeing Jesus walk of the water wouldn't be any more amazing than watching/seeing/feeling what happens inside when supernaturally He changes hate into love... and hurt into forgiveness...

I've seen Him intervene in cases of cancer, only to have it verifiably disappear to even the amazement of the doctors, so a woman could live to raise her child... I've seen God's physical miracles of intervention more time than I could count. But I've also seen my own Father and Mother die from cancer... There are lessons to be learned in all of that...

There was a day when I could have paid rent to live on a barstool. Now? I drive by the places I used to frequent and other places just like them, and I can't even imagine what it would be like to want to be in any of them.

I would not, could not, would not even desire... to trade one minute with Christ for a lifetime doing what I used to do, being who I used to be. But you know what? I don't have to... For there is no such thing as "one minute with Christ"... With Christ? You automatically get one thing, whether or not you knew it, or whether or not you ever understood it... And that is "eternity". Amen!

If any of your readers are "sick and tired" of who they are? The most wonderful thing that could ever possibly happen to anyone is to meet Jesus Christ face to face in faith... I would encourage them to "come"... Find out more. Amen.

LHU: There are so many people out there who are hurting and desperate for hope. Would you take a moment to give a word of encouragement to those who might be reading this interview?

Matthew: It would be my honor, Miss Sherri.

To anyone out there looking for answers? To anyone who knows their "should" be more to life but just doesn't know what it is? To anyone out there that have been hurt, used, mangled, torn apart, depressed, torn apart, beaten and left for dead by this messed up world? Please know all this world wants to do with you is use you in whatever ways it can... Then it will leave you cast aside somewhere to die, and won't care anything about you one way or the other. The enemy satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. Make no mistake. he is good at what he does!

But to anyone looking for answers, there is one greater in this world than this terrible and powerful enemy. There is Someone alive and well in this world that took God's wrath for YOUR sins over 2000 years ago. There is Someone in this world that loves you more than mere words can express, right now, no matter all the horrible things you've done in your past.

You think you don't deserve anything good from God? You are absolutely right! No! You don't deserve a thing from God! But I don't either! No one does! You cannot truthfully find one person that has ever lived on the face of this planet except the Son of God that could have ever deserved anything from God!

But every day God gives. Over 2000 years ago He gave His blood for you even though you weren't even born again. Even while you were lost in your sinful state, Jesus reconciled every sin you ever would commit. Before you were ever born, your sins were reconciled to God! But this isn't salvation! Even after that, there is one thing you need... LIFE! Even though your sins have been once and for all dealt with, you still need LIFE! That is why Jesus told us in John 3:18-19 that sin was unbelief in Him.

Because of what Jesus has accomplished for us all, there is but one thing left for you to do to be born again, that you may then live forever "in Christ". You simply need to turn to Jesus Christ in faith that He is the Son of God that died for your sins and was raised three days later, whereas He now lives and will LIVE FOREVER! In HIS LIFE, so then will YOU LIVE! Turn to Jesus in faith! Invite Him into your heart as your Lord (ruler), your Savior, your Way, your Truth and your LIFE!

Life on this earth is promised to be riddled with hardship, trials and tribulations. Pain is inevitable. But through Christ who will strengthen you? Misery will then be optional! Misery will then come upon you ONLY if you fail to learn or ignore the wonderful Truths contained in His Word, our Holy Bible. Through Christ, no matter your circumstances, whether rich or poor, Christ will lead you and guide you and you will be give a Joy within your heart that cannot be shaken! And not only that, but you will discover a "PURPOSE" for your life you never before even dreamed of!

I tell you now... and I tell you the Truth. There is all the hope for you and your life in this world and beyond. It may be impossible to see where you're standing now... But take me by the hand... Take Jesus by the other hand... and lets walk down this road together. I can make a promise to you that what you will experience will be a life long wonder and an anticipation of Joy and goodness you never before thought possible. You may be damaged goods now, but you just wait and see at what God's going to do in your life. There WILL be a miracle take place. The new person born within you will continually amaze you as you begin the most beautiful quest you'll ever experience...

It has been offered to you in a love of God that cannot even be fully understood by the best of human minds. Reach out... Pick it up... Let's walk together... Let's go Home. ... Amen.

LHU: Matt you are a anointed writer, do you feel the Lord has given you one particular subject to write about more often than another?

Matthew: During the last few years I have written a wide array of things as I was led by the Spirit I think. But yes, there is one thing that has to date that has been a dominant subject. It is the issue of salvation and all the specifics that accompany it, such as our new identity in Christ once we are born again.

In the beginnings of this 15 years I have been studying the Word, I made the mistake of sitting under the teachings of just anyone I came across on television. What a horrible mistake for someone to make! It is easy to do though, for why would a young Christian have reason to believe there is so much error in the pulpits today?

When I was born again sitting on my couch here in 1993, right then and there I KNEW Jesus had saved my soul and the soul of my wife (we were saved at the same moment in time). But as time went on, I was taught buy so many different people that what had been provided for me by God was conditional to how I "performed"... So many ministries out there today take the focus off of Jesus and put it onto "I", "we", "they", "us", "them", "you"... How absolutely ridiculous! The life we live in totality is NOTHING MORE than a reflection of the encounter we've had with Christ! Or so it should be anyway!

When you are saved, it's for an eternity! Much of the things that are taught today is enough to make me downright mad. Error only serves to put you on a performance treadmill that will ultimately leave you chasing your own tail all your life and mis-understanding will let you down in the end. What a waste! It's time Christians everywhere once more knew THE TRUTH about JESUS and giving Him His true due for what He's done for us all, EVEN while we were yet ENEMIES of God (before we were saved)! If any of your readers want to more about what I'm talking about, you'll just have to come spend some time with me... and that would be just great! I have a series of writings on this very subject that may well just turn out to be my first book.

LHU: In closing, what can we be in prayer about concerning you and your family?

Matthew: For me personally? It would be that I continue to be able to discern God's instruction for my life - that when He says "Turn right", that I turn right... That I be every bit as effective in ministry that He means me to be... That I would be an instrument of ministry and outreach to family, friends... ANYONE that needs Christ in their life.

For my family? I have but one prayer for each and every one of them: That they all have a "real" encounter in Truth and Spirit with our Lord, Jesus Christ. Please pray for that and that they will ALL turn to Him in faith as their Lord, their Savior, their Way, their Truth and their LIFE, both in the here and now and our eternity to come! If they succeed in that (and that is what real success is, by the Way)? They will have all they ever need to overcome their various encounters of life on this earth! They will then live their lives motivated by Grace. What else is there to ask for once we have that? Amen...

By the Grace of God go we all... Amen.

I would like to thank Matthew Thompson for giving me this interview. May God continue to bless you in all you are doing to Lift Up Jesus and the Kingdom of God! You can fellowship with Matt by visiting his forum @ Motivation By Grace

Sherri C. Walker, Editor