Category: Evangelical Christian

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. NO ONE comes to the Father but through Me.”

Is Jesus a liar, lunatic or Lord? (You must answer this question to press on!)

OUR ONLY GUIDE

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OUR ONLY GUIDE

By Rick Mathes

John 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

We can only spend the currency we have and if we haven’t any good sense naturally, we will continue to do dumb things. There needs to be a turn-around but if we don’t have it on the inside we can’t display it on the outside. Satan exploits this deficiency by leading us on the paths that ad is to destruction as Psalm one clearly warns. We need a guide to quiet waters or righteousness because we don’t have a clue apart from Jesus and the tender care of the Holy Spirit, onto pleasant paths.

Some paths lead to self-destruction much to the perverted joy of the hounds of hell. I refuse to lower myself to their level and join them in making my decisions. Yes we have “stinkin thinkin” but it all changes when we have the mind of Christ. Our five senses hone in on Him and we become His skin and He then makes His life-choices through us. This has the perfect effect because of the only perfect cause in His essence but in our mind and actions.

With the care of the Spirit of Truth we walk in paths of good things because our decisions and conformed to the mind of Christ as He intended it to be to the end of time. That’s an interesting thought! What is after the end of time as we perceive it?

I’m convinced that with the wise counsel of our own personal Advocate, the Lord’s number one ambassador, the Holy Spirit. Who but God and His thoughts could contain more wisdom? The Logos became man and walked and talked among His own creation. I can’t get my mind around that concept but He can and did. He healed death and defeated the legions of hell when He stepped from the tomb, ascended into heaven and left His Holy Spirit.

And where do we find this dynamite of the heavens but as a small, sweet and still within us. In the midst of all uncertainties we have the only reliable One at our beck, call and touch. WE cannot lose our way when we follow the Way into all truth. Pilate had the right question but on the Holy Spirit has the right truth until He comes again and He will do that soon. Look upon Him and be saved!

OUR LOVE

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OUR LOVE

By Rick Mathes

John 13:34 (NASB77) 34  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

How deep is your love? Answer: As deep as His, or at least as deep as you will allow yourself to go. Satan is a master at counterfeiting love All his forms of love are self-gratifying and don’t originate from the essence of God: only the form and appearance of selfish, “What’s in it for me?” love. We pick and choose who we will love by what we will get out of it.

Advantage in power or immorality lead us by our nose to love we are partial to. Both are based on temporal self-driven motives found in politics, business prestige, wealth, passion, children, writing a book, receiving an award and most anything that will lift us above others in this life or our being memorialized in death.

Crossing over to our Lord’s glory for our achievements requires an unselfish confidence that as long as we continue to be learner (disciples) the Holy Spirit will continue to use us to win awards, power and not about Him. It’s all and only about Him. You become lesser in your narcissism and grow in Christ’s love.

This takes a sincere commitment that must be myopic an driven like a steam locomotive. No obstacle is too great for the Holy Spirit to overcome with our Lord’s love flowing through you.

It is a love abounding in joy and exciting achievement and accomplishments that we know are beyond our reach. Our Lord’s miracles begin where your feeble efforts end. Jesus’ wll on earth as it is in heaven is just beyond your grasp. The success of his heavenly purposes explodes in Him the moment you cry out “Lord, help me!”

This abounding love and protection He has for you is fearless, genuine and lasting. His commitment never varies or wanders from the course as long as your love for Him is an abandonment of all you are for all His is. This miracle will occur in you and His love will become our love. How deep is His love?

ONLY ONE

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ONLY ONE

By Rick Mathes

Romans 2:10 (NASB77) 10  but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

There is only one gospel in the only one Bible. Anything added or subtracted from the truth is a lie, taught by the Father of Lies Reverend Lucifer. It has 5 points that all and only believers, believe; Any teaching other that what follows in these five points is a lie no matter what you believe and not matter that it was that lied to you. The truth will prevail and the only truth is what follows here.

Total Depravity: You can’t repent of your sins enough to be without sin. Darkness cannot enter the light. If there is a speck of sin in your life you cannot enter a perfect heaven. It is only Christ’s perfection laid on you that permits you inot the presence of God forever; imputed righteousness.

Unconditional Election: The Word had you in mind and your salvation before He breathes creation into existence. Listen carefully to this hard to believe absolute truth; you have had nothing to do with your salvation. It is only the Lord’s personal choice of you that saved you from the flames of hell.

Limited Atonement: God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever shall believe in Him will be saved. Not get this; those who don’t believe in Him won’t be saved and will have to suffer their own hell. He did not suffer and die for them, it was limited to believers.

Irresistible Grace: When Jesus wants you to be His, there is nothing you can do to resist His calling. In fact you cannot “un-save” yourself. I can’t remove my birth-father’s blood from my veins and you cannot remove His Holy Spirit from flowing through your soul. Once save means always saved.

Perseverance of the Saints: Christians don’t give up. We fight the good fight, keep the faith and finish the race. We always get up and press on!

Now I have studied the Word and comparative religions for over three decades and I have two doctorate degrees. I cannot dispute logically the five points of Calvinism. I’m not too fond of them because I want to be the god of my decisions but when the dust settles TULIP is the rock of faith I have built my faith on. I report and you decide!

ONE WAY ONLY

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ONE WAY ONLY

By Rick Mathes

2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB77) 15  Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.

When God spoke His love letter, the Bible, the Holy Spirit was he editor who made certain that every word was exactly the purosed message of god: nothing more, nor nothing less. Exact! That dust collecting book on your fireplace mantle needs to be taken seriously. There is, was nor ever will be another approaching more importance than God’s Word. Why do you thnkk this is the last thing the devil wants you to not read? Notice how all the things of hour busy day was reduced your study of the Scriptures to ju be a few minute a week and usually just in the Sunday service.

It takes a firmness of purpose to turn from hells wa to havens way. No one can make you do ths but you.. We enjoy freedom but it can turn on us; if we freely chose to ignore our Creator and His words to us, His loved ones; Systematic study taken and earnestness of purpose that only the serious believers can accomplish.

You have got to be anxious to get into the Word or your knees will quickly buckle and you will stumble into the arms of our guardian demon. There is at least one hell-hound assigned to you and hat can grow to leions if you stand above the rest and do a might work for our Lod. Satan doesn’t care what you resolve and promise to do for God just don’t do it today!

This run for the prize of your upward calling is continuous action. There con’t be fits and starts and tops and pauses. There must be a regular rhythm and it must be continued. Making your study of the Word a regular day to day activity is like exercising. You will continue to sharpen your sword but if you become lax and lazy, your sword will rusts and loose it’s edge.

I might caution you however to make hour adventure in the Word a careful effort to adhere to the canon (Word of God). A twelve inch ruler can only be 12 inches long and no longer or shorter. The Word is Truth and the law of non-contradiction is rock-solid and unchangeable.

So approach the only way to heaven humbly recalling how unworthy you are for God even to notice you much less save you from the eternal dying in the mansion Lucifer offers. There is only one way and one Word of God go guide your there. What are you waiting for?

 

 

ONE LOOK

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ONE LOOK

By Rick Mathes

Luke 19:41 And when He approached, He saw the city and wept over it,

Who can even imagine what was going through His mind as His group approached the Jerusalem gate? He knew all the sin that was, is and is to come that He would be punished for. I can’t get my mind around that horror show that was playing out before His vision. The sins of Jerusalem were enough for me to go on disconnect but what about the sins to this day that are flaunted by an unbelieving Israel? This can make any believer cry and so it did our Lord He cried an Eastern wail that would make the hair on your neck stand up and your skin crawl. Oh, how Jesus loved us!

From the moment Adam sinned all mankind has been on a skid row of degradation and shame. It tears up my heart how professing Christians can treat the sin that killed God’s only Son so lightly. It would be better if they never heard the Gospel than to have heard it then give Jesus the finger which is exactly what they do if their open carnality.

Not only is there a temporal punishment but more importantly the nightmare of the flaming furnace is forever. Imagine that, snapping and crackling of your body as a blow-torch of blue flame sears every nerve you have 24-7 without one second of relief for all of eternity!

It all begins with your unwillingness to be saved. Oh, you might call yourself a Christian and go through all the moves to convince others that you are but you and Jesus know the truth. You can’t ever be 90% saved. He wants all of you not just part of you.

Jesus is weeping for you right now because you won’t give Him your all. He gave you His all and even His life yet you refuse Him and turn to Satan. Change your ways Christian or change your name!

ONE GOD MAN

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ONE GOD-MAN

By Rick Mathes

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

You, fellow Christian, came to the Lord with a hand full of sins and He covered your hand with the glove of forgiveness and healing. You hand is in safe keeping. This is called justification. You can now stand before our Holy God justified in Christ’s atonement. Next is the process of Him becoming the hand and you becoming the glove? He puts your skin on and goes about the Father’s business through you. This is called sanctification. Our Lord, our God-man walked in His shoes, went to heaven and now walks in your shoes through the Holy Spirit. He was fully God and also fully man: hypostasis.

Jesus is called a man of sorrows because stories are written that He was often seen sad and weeping. No one recorded He was happy and laughing. I’m inclined to believe tht He was dead serious as He headed to the Cross to die a horrible death. This was a very sobering mission to leave the wood-shop and be nailed to the wood that once provided a living for Mother, four brothers and several sisters.

The Bible teaches that He grew in wisdom and stature. That means He was once a baby, a normal child and then an adult. It also means He learned from His textbook Isaiah that He was the long awaited Messiah! It was a natural growth as a man and He was tempted by the devil in all ways we have been.

A spirit doesn’t get hungry like a man. Even after He rose from the dead, one of the last things He did on earth was broil some fish for His followers to have breakfast on the shore of His beloved Lake of Galilee.

A most striking moment of His humanity was when in the midst of a terrifying storm while in the ship, He was fast asleep. And you know the story: they woke Him up and He stopped the storm and calmed the sea with just a word.

He was an itinerant preacher, poor as a church mouse. He gave it all to the Father and had all His needs and wants fully met by God’s providence. His physical body was buried in a borrowed tomb. He didn’t merchandise Himself as so many bandits from hell do all over the world.

No human could ever bear the burden of humility and weight of the sins of the world but Him. He knew that after the pain of crucifixion He would be restored to His former glory and He went home as 500 witnesses saw Him leave the ground and disappear into a cloud as a man who promised to return in the same form: one God-Man!

ON MY KNEES

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ON MY KNEES

By Rick Mathes

1 Timothy 2:1 (NASB77) 1  First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men

The only way yu would have got me on my knees before I became His would be to break my legs. In fact, there was a real contract out to do just that! Now I will drop to my knees in a heartbeat to let it all hang out before Him. It is so refreshing to bring my supplications before Him while I look Him in the eyes unashamed and forgiven of my sins. My only comfort zone was a pint of Southern Comfort. Now my clear, sober conscience is a joy unspeakable for a former wretch as I was.

With my sins forgiven and erased from God’s memory, I can fall at His feeet in an honest adoration of all He is and all He has done for me. The real truth is all that He has done for Himself because I am His trophy of grace. He is thrilled that my soul in in His trophy case so to speak. I’m His joy nd He is doing cartwheels in heaven over me. Imagine that!

Billy Graham stated matter of fact that seven out of ten churches have a demon in their  pulpit not to mention those that are elders, deacons and major manipulating donors. If only we could put on our magic eye glasses in church, the sight of the devil’s and flaming pews would literally “scare the Hell out of us!” Where is the true worship you ask? Let me tell you.

Members go to church on Sunday because they love the fellowship. They go to church Sunday night because they love the Pastor and they go to church on Wednesday prayer night because they love the Lord. If your churh gave up on mid-week worship, run from it!

In every instance, anyone who came into the presence of a Holy God in the Bible, their face hit the ground in reverence, fear and respect. It’s a frightening thing to come to the Holy Spirit for intercession to a Holy God while you are in an unholy condition. It’s like running your hands through a cesspool and then lifting them to Him begging for mercy. It makes God gag!

Come to the throne of grace in honest thanksgiving Thank you Jesus the police don’t have the rap sheet on me that you have! We are saved by grace and it’s in your holy righteousness that I drop to my knees and worship you.

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NOT WELCOMED

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NOT WELCOMED

By Rick Mathes

2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us.

There was a convict that applied to be in our prison ministry aftercare program with a record a yard long including rape, car-jacking, bank robbery and various sex offenses. We are chartered to bless Christians “His brethren” as we would Him so my ministry is for those born again only that need time to decompress from the old and learn to walk in the new. This applicant didn’t have a clue. We refused him and his mother called fuming mad that we wouldn’t take him. I asked her, “Why don’t you take him into your home, you’re his mother?” She responded, “Heaven’s no! He would just steal from me, you take him.” I said, “No thanks. He will just stal from us.” Then she said, “I thought you were a Christian!” This is the heart of the issue.

Christians are not door mats for non-Christians to walk all over them. We are neither fools nor poor stewards of God’s resources. Ready for this; there are casualties of friendly fire. Some innocent souls may be passed over because we are not perfect.

In a recent war we fought, almost 5,000 soldiers lost their lives and half were killed by fellow Americans by mistake!

However, there are those that are flat-out not welcomed in our fellowship of believers and I will mention briefly just a few.

A brother that is unruly and continuing to shame the Lord without regard to the rebukes and corrections of the elders should be dismissed from the community of believers.

The one that won’t work should not receive aid from the brotherhood.

The true Christian will be a peaceful and willing worker and provide for his family and church in an honorable manner. He will earn a living and rach for our Lord’s level of excellence and not be satisfied with his self-imposed level of incompetence. His faith will yield good works only by God’s grace. He won’t be prideful but humility will be his hallmark.

No rebels or unbelievers will be allowed in the Kingdom of God. Only those that hate sin will be welcomed. So do a personal inventory and if you insist that you are right about your foolish actions and everyone else in your church is wrong, you are not welcome.

NOT IN ME

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NOT IN ME

By Rick Mathes

John 15:1 (NASB77) 1  ” I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

Once you are born again you aren’t the person you once were. In fact, you are not even sovereign over you, our Lord is. Essentially you exchange all you are for all He is. He lives through you with His attributes not yours so you no longer are jealous of anyone for anything. All glory is His.

All that you planned for you or ever wanted to be is out the window. Your ambitions are His. The issue of your day is what does He want in my life not what you want. Your life is an exchanged life: yours for His.

No more selfish ambitions but a total selflessness comes over you. You have died to self so that you may live in Him. He has become your all in all. You’re everything.

Satan fell because of his pride of himself. We rise because of our pride in Jesus. In fact, we are so proud of Him we really don’t take notice of our own accomplishments because they were all for Him and accomplished through Him only.

We as elect only see that which diminishes self and raises Him. We become lesser that He might become greater. He looms above all. We forsake our level of incompetency and we reach for His level of Excellency. He is always beyond our reach but reach we must!

Even the slightest hint from Him becomes a command and a demand from the God of our universe: hardly one to arm wrestle with. He is going to do what He wants, what He wants to do, when He wants to, if He feels like it! He has no one to answer to, He is at the top of the pecking order, in fact, He is all by Himself God and there isn’t a “plan B” or number two. Oh, how much different He is than we are!

God is love and there isn’t any legitimate love but His. No matter how well we mask it our love is self-gratifying: what’s in it for me? There is not real strength in any selfishness because it’s nothing more than sand slipping through your fingers. It is an un-repairable weakness to think or even imagine we have any strength apart from Him. It result in fruitlessness when all we do is parade around and sing “I did it my way!”