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Matthew Monroe,
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Written by Matthew Monroe
Posted: March 09, 2008 2:47 PM EST
It is almost funny how we all view time. We stretch what we think is only a little time. We put a date of importance on our calendar or on a sticky note. We try to place a numerical value on it. We say or think that time is money. We always complain that we never have enough. We debate on whether we have wasted it. We demand more time with people: friends, family, loved ones, boyfriends, girlfriends, associates, etc. We demand that our time be respected. We ask for more time for prayer. We ask for more time to get things done. We ask for time.
But who is in control of “our” time? Since when do we actually get to hold or handle a concept of what someone has thought to be time… when time is only God’s…
We all think of time as a system. We get up, eat, sleep, drink, exercise, work, and rest all at a time worth nominating a place of significance. But what kind of system is that? Why are we all in such a hurry? Why are we all so worried about what time it is? It’s almost as if we don’t fathom the true value of what God has given us: Life. It’s almost as if we settle for less, because we didn’t have time to get better or fix it, when God has given us everything we need. So, when we stop what we are doing and realize that by worrying about more time we are wasting away those very minutes of what we asked for in the first place. Ironic, huh?
So, who is in control of your time?
Is it you?
Or is it the Holy Father, who loves us, cares about us, and gives us grace when no one deserves anything He has blessed us with?
MatthewK
Written by Matthew Monroe
Posted: February 06, 2008 6:19 PM EST
“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:24
Worshiping can come in many forms: as simple as doing something that we have a passion for or as intricate as singing until our lungs give out, praying with our hands held high or with our faces flat on the floor. In heart, if we do anything for the glory of God… we are worshiping. The attitude that we show reflects our hearts in whatever we do. So do everything wholeheartedly and for our God.
He has blessed us with so much. He deserves all the thanks. He wants us to dive in His arms head first. He will never leave us nor forsake us; a promise that we can bank on. So worship! Give thanks! Obey, because with God, all things are possible. We cannot fail, if we do not stop trusting. He has set us free. So live... worship… and love.
MatthewK
Written by Matthew Monroe
Posted: December 25, 2007 11:59 PM EST
Jesus is the reason for the season; God's precious son was given to us as a gift and a sacrifice for our sins.
He is the Way, the Truth, and the Light.
His will is inevitable
and it is time for us to awake and listen.
thanks be to God for the blessings.
Keep focused on Him all ye who believe.
I wish only the best to everyone and their families...
and a very Merry Christmas...
with love-
MatthewK
Written by Matthew Monroe
Posted: December 18, 2007 7:12 PM EST
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
I am finally home for the holidays from school and it is such a blessing to be here. The Lord has been so good. But, I have learned much since I have arrived. In my closet, I have stacks of comic books and memorabilia that have always been dear to me. I have Star Wars, Star Trek, X-men, Transformers, G.I. Joe, and other collector's items...I stopped myself. I then asked myself, "Why I was worrying about the things of this world? What exactly I would gain from saving these items? They are not even worth much money and yet, I act as if they will in the near future; kinda of like a blanket or cover up... a false since of security. I shouldn't be keeping up with what I have here, but what I am storing up in the kingdom of heaven. What am I doing for the kingdom?
This is a season of giving and helping out your fellow neighbor. This season is about loving one another the same way the Lord love us. This season is about Jesus. God's precious son, whom he gave to sacrifice for our sins, who died on the cross for US! - So, what are we doing for Him and for His Kingdom? What can we do?
Do Not Worry
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Do Not Worry. Trust in the Lord.
[Matthew 6:19-27]- NIV
Merry Christmas! Jesus is the reason for the season.
Written by Matthew Monroe
Posted: December 04, 2007 8:16 PM EST
Sometimes we are caught in a moment;
Suspended in a time and in a place of no reference
We might not understand
We might not be fond of it,
But we respect it for what its worth
Like a sunset where there are no words
Just a blank stare, no thoughts
Life is shrewd
And it comes at us with an unexpected pace
But we are ultimately left with an option
To wait…
By trying to change ourselves
Motivating our passions
Our intentions
Without any truth.
Or
To run…
Away from ourselves
And the emotional wreck
That we call our minds
and
Into the arms of Christ.
Written by Matthew Monroe
Posted: November 26, 2007 5:02 PM EST
“The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom….” Proverbs 9:10.
It’s funny how fear can ultimately drive us to make a decision. Drive us to run. Drive us to stand. But how can fear help us gain understanding or wisdom? The Lord wants us to fear him, because He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-controlling. He is a jealous God, who does not want anyone or anything to come in front of Him. He is and must be our ultimate priority… our ultimate focus. With fear, we humble ourselves, we humble our own pride and egos, and we humbly bow before an omnipotent Lord. A Lord that will help us, sustain us, guide us, protect us, and above all DIE FOR US. The Lord our God, who is everything, chose to send His only son to die for the same people who continually fail Him in return. We all fall short, we all make mistakes, but yet His love covers over the wrong, like a blanket over a baby. So why wouldn’t you fear Him?
“Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commandments and you will live. Get Wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” Proverbs 4:4-7.
This fear of the Lord will drive us… not away from Him, but toward Him and toward His word. He does not want us to be afraid of Him, but to love Him whole-heartedly in every aspect of our lives and in our being. This fear that he instills in our hearts, helps us draw near to Him when times aren’t going well or when we put doubt into our heads… So Fear the Lord…. And he will uphold you.
Written by Matthew Monroe
Posted: November 20, 2007 6:08 PM EST
To get over self is the hardest battle we tend to face as humans, because no one wants to.
It is not until we lose ourselves completely and without remorse that we are able to receive the righteousness and power of God. Society today has transformed itself into a very materialistic world, where it is not who one is, but rather what one has.
When we are born, we are all given a crown. This crown represents self.
It represents self- righteousness, self-power, self-ishness, and self-corruption. Everyone is so wrapped up in "self" that people fail to see the world through the eyes of whom we all were created.
God made everyone unique, with different talents and blessings according to the person, yet the majority fails to reach the full potential God has in store. It is not until we lose ourselves and our crown that we finally find God and all his righteousness.
It is by grace through faith in Jesus not works on this world that we as Christians are saved. God has a crown of righteousness in store for all those who believe.
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him" (1 James 1: 12).
Written by Matthew Monroe
Posted: November 06, 2007 6:03 PM EST
Honesty is like an old shirt, wrinkled and worn, found only in the depths of the dirty clothes...unseen and unheard of. This day and age, it is so easy to look someone in the eye and blatantly be completely dishonest with the person looking back. Honesty has lost its power and force. I am not saying that I myself don’t do such a thing, but I strive daily to be as honest as I can.
Back in the day, your word was all you had, all you lived by and once that was gone, you were forever labeled as a deceitful person. Trust is such a vast part of life, but I sometimes find myself doing it too often. People who trust repeatedly get manipulated and taking advantage of, just because of what they believe is the courteous thing to do. It is a simple task to trust someone, but a lot of people don’t or cannot trust at all.
My heart is weighed, because we as a whole are generally surrounded by a world that does not trust. Relationships are the absolute worst. It is so common for a couple to break up because the other is unfaithful. Standards have tremendously dropped. The normality of such a thing as cheating blows my mind. IT IS NOT NORMAL, nor is it ACCEPTABLE and the people who think it is need to open their eyes.
I blame it on this world’s cool new concept of being someone you are not; FAKE as you will. Plastic Surgery can make anyone look beautiful, but it only changes the outside. The mirror only reflects the face, not the heart. In order to be different, a change has to occur. Change is self motivated mission. Yes, there are psychologists or therapists who can help with your mental thought processes and/or problems, but the real change comes from within. More times then not, change is what people discover them doing, except with the wrong intentions. What happened to legitimacy? What happened to honesty? Like I said, honesty has LOST its influence, so be who God created, not what the world thinks you should be.
Written by Matthew Monroe
Posted: October 28, 2007 1:42 PM EST
I believe in power, but there is only one true power that I believe in; the power of God. Not that I don't believe in dreams, or to set goals and achievements in this life, but realistically how long will we be here? This life is far too short to be spending it trying to accomplish praise from the people of this world, instead of praising the One who put us here. Life is not as complicated as it seems. It is through God that we accomplish, it is through His power that we achieve. We are all individuals in His eyes. We are shackled by our evil intentions and ways; we are set free when we give up the one thing that all want to keep clinching onto, ourselves.
The world wants us to be an individual, to be remembered for years to come… the Lord wants us to be set apart, to remember Him and keep in mind that He is to come. We are all born sinners, but it is through Christ Jesus our Lord that we receive freedom and escape the restraints that so commonly hold us back. So, if you ask me if I believe, I will tell you, yeah. If you ask me what I believe, I will only give you one truth, one reason in which I live, one answer…period. His name is Jesus. Name above all names. When we tap into the resources God has already provided for us, use those recourses to bring glory to His name, and wait patiently to see how God's will unfolds; it is then that we dream. It is then that we are finally able to see the picture in its entirety, and in essence the meaning of this life.
Do not be swayed by mortal men or misguided by the words of the world, but hold on the one truth that will never change and never lead you astray. "In truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything." 2 Corinthians 6:7-10. So, Dream… Think… and Question… but BELIEVE in the real power that comes from God, not that comes from within.
