Tag: aftercare

HIS INITIATIVE

By Rick Mathes

Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

One of the main reasons I’m not an atheist but a believer in God is that there had to be the first bump for everything to be put in motion. Then it followed that if I have intelligence the first bump must also. It all took the first initiative for all the secondary causes to be set in motion.

Upon personal reflection it is my conclusion that the cause of Christ both in essence and form is simply love. The Father is the lover, the Son is the loved and the Holy Spirit is the love between them. So it is in the human trinity of mind, heart and soul. Love permeates, encompasses and encloses love in the highest level, that which God alone has had the Holy Spirit known is known in the Son.

What else can explain His choosing you and I to be His. I’m sorry some will not accept this doctrine of election but you just can’t ignore the agreement of so many rock-solid statements of fact that support this doctrine without even mentioning predestination. Calvinism is not my choice of favorite guideposts but it is the Gospel according to the Word of God and any argument against it goes limp in the face of facts.

There is a redeeming grace that could only be initiated by God and no one else. Sin runs the depth of hell and the fallen angels wouldn’t repent in the light of day. They have no truth in them and the father of lies, Rev. Lucifer, has fallen from grace that Judas now knows cannot be recovered. Hell is home to those who belong there. The world carries on encouraging sin, forgiving the unrepentant sinners and throwing more souls on the bonfire of eternal flames.

Many are called but few are chosen. Even in my lifetime of more than 70 years of adult reflection, it appears as though evil prevails and the remnant of faithful of Jesus gets smaller and smaller. Praise God, I am a Savior’s survivor!

Once He says yes and you agree, you are preserved in Him never to be snatched into hell by the blistering hands of the evil one. Nothing can infect your soul nor condemn your flesh. We were chosen, saved and not reserved a throne in glory that is as elegant as the very one Paul is seated in right now. I began and finished it His way, all because of Him!

HIS BREATH

By Rick Mathes

2 Timothy 3:16 (NASB77) ¹⁶   All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

We must have doctrinal balance between the curbs of soggy Wheaties and frosted flakes. Too much Word and we dry up and too much Spirit and we blow up. But just the right amount of both and we grow up! Father God is not a Presbyterian, Jesus is not a Baptist and the Holy Spirit is not a Pentecostal. There aren’t any denominations in glory and there aren’t any minsters on earth that are 100% accurate in their interpretation of the Word.

The proof of that is our unity in the fundamentals of faith. We might vary a bit on our distinctive but we are not slaves of the Roman heresies, we strongly protest the arrogance of man-made Popery!

The Bible is complete in itself and anything added is not of God but an invention of man. The Words of God are superior to any penned since the “mark of Cain.” Nothing compared in world influence but the 66 books written by 40 authors, in three languages, over 1700 years all seamless and without contradiction or any major difference in teaching or doctrine. It is the essence or character of God in writing and wholly beyond our understanding.

It was written by God as He moved the pens of the writers as wind moves the sails of a boat to the perfect course ordained before the beginning of time, the safe harbor. All of man’s needs are met and god’s thoughts are preserved in a heavenly content that no other writing can compare.

The Holy Book affects the fery root of our soul with an infinite depth that will extend into all eternity of understanding and fulfilled prophecy. Its miracles are not just within its pages but within the very lines of those who study it. Life changing to be sure and ever pressing on to perfect holiness without which we wil never see god as He really is.

The Word has adapted to every generation of readers and is as alive today as it was when the ink was still wet on the parchmens. Who can even measure the Spiritual power that has exploded from its doctrines oer the centuries of history AS His-story was unfolded refusing to die in the face of Lucifer’s best efforts to kill and bury it. The ground couldn’t hold it as He setpped from the tomb and reminded us tht He never left nor will He ever leave us nor forsake us!

HIGHWAY TO HELL

By Rick Mathes

Matthew 5:5-11 (NASB77) ⁵ “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. ⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. ⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. ⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. ⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. ¹⁰ “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The Beatitudes are to be tackled progressively; that is the first one must precede the second and the second the third and so on. They build upon each other step by step, precept by precept they lift you up to the image and likeness of God.

The ultimate but naturally unattainable goal of godly perfection as enumerated here cannot be accomplished until the Lord returns. This does not excuse us from striving to rise to our Lord’s level of excellency instead of falling short to our level of incompetency.

A curious turn of outcome occurs when the stairs are reversed and lead downward to hell. The antithesis of these steps to glory, this stairway to heaven becomes the fast-lane to hell.

1. Cursed are the arrogant that hold lesser beings in contempt.
2. Cursed are those that smirk in derision at the broken-hearted.
3. Cursed are the brutal bullies that advantage themselves over the weak.
4. Cursed are the sin-seekers who mock those striving for holy ground
5. Cursed are the cold-blooded whose hearts are dead and lifeless.
6. Cursed are the black-hearted, demon possessed carnal Christians.
7. Cursed are the war-makers who thirst for the blood and plunder of the innocent.
8. Cursed are those that persecute the souls our Lord died for on the Cross.

Each step increases the temperature of the furnace; each step brings closer the flames and blistering inferno that is the wages of sin.

Oh how the demons enjoy the demise of the innocent that dip their toes into the alluring temptations that ultimately lead to eternal damnation. One step at a time like the increasing heat ever so slowl and unnoticed until the shock of finality finally sears its bottom of bottoms and the soul is destroyed.

Hell and all its fury is a choice you make with every sin and transgression against the holiness of our Savior.

Burn baby burn!

 

HE’S THE MAN

By Rick Mathes

1 Timothy 2:5 (NASB77) ⁵  For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

We never in our human logic will never understand how Jesus could be fully God and wholly man at the same time. My best explanation is as follows:

When you confess Jesus as your Savior you are the hand and His holiness is the glove of grace that comes over you to protect you from the flaming darts of hell. His is called justification. Then you switch places. He becomes the hand to go about His business and you become His skin. This is sanctification.

Now I know for eal and historically that Jesus was born a human baby in a cave and His parents were Mary and step-father Joseph. He fed from His mother’s breasts and grew physically and mentally in the flesh. He experienced a natural growth being the oldest of at least four brothers and three sisters.

It is not reported that He ever laughed but may witnessed Him often sorrowful and saddened. He often wept and appeared much more aged than what He was because of the grief He bore and the horror of the cross He was headed for.

What can be more natural but for a real man to be hungry and need sleep? Everything about His manhood was normal. I’m sure He looked at Mary Magdalene and notices that she was very attractive but He turned His eyes away and did not lust. Was He able to sin? Yes, in the flesh He was able to sin. But like you and I, in the Spirit, he was able not to sin.

He had a physical body in life and on the cross in death. He would grow weary and even slept in a boa during a violent storm. He drove His body without mercy and we should go and do likewise. We only pass this way but one so we should really try to go and do likewise.

I don’t want to get too graphic but when He died on the cross his eyes rolled back, he passed His bowels, His tongue swelled out of His mouth, His skin turned gray and His muscles stiffened out There’s more I could describe but I have made my point. He was a man from Galilee that stilled the raging waters. His death unleashed life, He rose to glory and one day we will join Him.

He’s the man!

HE’S GONE

By Rick Mathes

John 20:13 (NASB77) ¹³ and they •said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She •said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

The sun was slowly approaching the horizon and the night air was thick like black velvet in the silence of the cemetery as Mary trembled in fear. Sobbing in remorse of having lost her precious Jesus, the nightmare of His beating and crucifixion throbbed in her nightmares of three days. The Sabbath hour had come and the skies were about to awaken to that special Sunday morning.

Groping her way from tomb to tomb she faced the hollowed sepulcher and realized the rock was moved and the entrance stood wide open. Terrible thoughts raced through her blurry mind as she frantically peered into the death chamber. The body was gone. Jesus wasn’t there.

As He stepped so quietly up to her she turned and said through tearful eyes, “They have taken my Jesus away.” How sad. Let’s pause for a moment and permit me to ask you the same question. “Have they taken your Lord away?” This may be true for you as it has been for me from time to time.

• Now let’s go through this check-list:
• Have you grieved the Holy Spirit?
• Do you mourn unanswered prayer?
• Are you suffering doubt?
• Do you miss being with Jesus?

You might be a seeking sinner that hasn’t repented. Or that evil nature you thought you left behind has reared its ugly head again. No tears left? Been there, done that. Are you having a hard time understanding the Word of God? I know the feeling, or lack of feeling well; shameful.

You’ve let them take your Lord away. Notice, I said that you let them because Jesus said that the gates of hell will not prevail against you, He will never give you more than you can bear, He will always provide you a way out, no one can take you from His hand, He will never leave nor forsake you and where He is, you will be! Whew. I stand on these promises and you must also.

You are still without excuse because the sin you have is the sin you want more than Jesus because if you didn’t want the sin more that you do want the sin, you wouldn’t have it.  (Read this over several times)

Don t let them take your Jesus away!

HEAVENWARD

By Rick Mathes

Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The Word teaches that we perish for lack of knowledge. I consider it a choice to be uninformed. Never in the history of mankind hs there been such access to knowledge as we now enjoy.

Each of us must follow a Paul and bring along a student like Timothy. The brain is a terrible thing to waste. No one can rob your mind if you have the mind of Christ. Satan cannot touch you. Pauls keys to knowledge were threefold:

1. Forget the past. When you die to the flesh you are dead to the flesh. You can get the corpse of a mighty sinner, stuff his nose with cocaine, pour a bottle of Jack Daniels down his throat and throw a naked prostitute on him and he won’t even flutter an eyelid. He’s dead. Don’t drag a dead body along with you nor look back. Remember Lot’s wife?
2. Reach for future things: Follow the yellow brick road to glory. There is a highway to heaven if front of you littered with blessings and good things only a loving Father would provide.
3. Press on toward the prize. The very words of God guarantee that we are predestined and elect. The very words of God guarantee that we are predestined and elect. If you were God, what would you do with sinful you? If you had to impose on you what you really deserve what would you have coming to you? Now consider that you have not received what you really deserve. This is a cause for a life of thanksgiving and anticipation of His return.

How can we express our joy as we travel heavenward? We must be ambassadors of Christ so that when people get to know us they get to know the Lord. We need to let go and let God. When Jesus is sovereign in your life Satan and all the fallen angels shake in the smoldering boots.

I can hear the hoof-beats, the trumpet is about to sound, the Lord’s return is nearer than we think. It’s time to look for Jesus. In the Primitive Church, when they had services they always had a “spotter” outside looking up for Christ to return. They expected Him any minute! It wouldn’t hurt to have that same expectancy today!

HEAVEN & EARTH

By Rick Mathes

Ephesians 3:15 (NASB77) ¹⁵  from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,

Being born twice and dying once really has a lot of advantages if you compare earth and heaven. My first essay in college was, “This is hell, heaven lies hereafter” and I wasn’t too far off with that observation was I?

Look in any direction to any person anywhere in the world and all you will see is a sinner. We all fall short and are imperfect Adam really blew it when he let Eve conn him into eating that apple. The let loose a floodgate of original sin that flows through every vein since Cain and Able right on down to you and I. It is impossible for us to obey the law 100% and anything short of perfection is hell bound apart from the blood sacrifice of the last Lamb, Jesus.

You don’t teach a newborn baby to be bad; they are born angry and crying. We continue with a life of suffering and tears. We are despised by Satan’s following and we who are elect are really strangers on a foreign planet. Now contrast that with heaven and it’s no comparison at all.

Heaven is a society of everyone serving the best interests of everyone. No wonder there is so much cause for rejoicing. Love is running rampant; when you are in a sinless society, God’s love rules. There is no cause for war crying sorrow or even hate, revenge or retaliation; a perfect world for the “Savior’s survivors” to be rewarded for their faith.

Can you even imagine no sickness, pain or discomfort? We will all be completely healed physically and spiritually. No mental illness, crime no immorality will ever be found or permitted. Sin will cease to exist. You will only be able to ay yeas to Jesus because there won’t be any temptation to sin or devil to say no to. How blessed can it get?

Everyone will be equally honored because God will love each of us equally with all the love and honor He has. We will all have a threat the same as Paul’s. This will be much cause for singing and celebration. I know I will be singing, “How Great Thou Art” for at least the first thousand years! With such a contrast what choice do we have but to serve Jesus here and then be rewarded there!

 

HEART TEST

By Rick Mathes

1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NASB77) ⁴   but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts.

We can hide our hearts from those around us but we sure can’t hide from Christ. We are completely transparent before Him. So I have compiled a check list you may use as a guideline to test your own heart so that at least you will be real with yourself and aware that Jesus is knows.

Is your heart:

• broke               contrite            haughty           overcharged
• grieved            willing              fretting             troubled
• discouraged    obstinate          heavy              darkened
• proud               wicked             searchable      impenitent
• trembling         perfect             despiteful         evil
• soft                  pure                 new                 deceitful
• upright             clean               stony               hard
• fixed                subtle               flesh                whorish
• perverse          wise                 meek               mischievous
• mercy              sorrowful         honest             compassionate

As I advance in age the condition of my heart both physical ad spiritual has become closer to the top of my daily priorities. I have had a quadruple bypass and have both a family doctor and an internist keeping a professional eye on what keeps me on my feet and preaching.

My large concern is to make sure my heart beats with His. I can hear my heartbeats in the quiet of my bedroom when it’s time to get right with the Lord. Each beat is like a New Orleans funeral march putting me one step closer to going home with each step, each beat. So I am keenly attentive to my heart being in sync with His.

We can’t ever b too ready to go home so getting into the Word should top our daily priorities and searching our hearts for anything offensive to Christ very important. Just pray, “Father God, I’ve been saved by your grace, Brother Jesus, it’s by your stripes I have been healed and Holy Spirit you know the mind of the Father and heart of the Son, What does the God what me to do?”

 

 

HEAR HIS VOICE

By Rick Mathes

John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

There is a logical progression of thought that I have advocated all the years I have been a minister of the Word. This is how it must work:

• Hear
• Listen
• Learn
• Apply
• Evaluate

It is all the more important if the calling to knowledge is from the Logos personally. Our discernment of the direction or target is very crucial to our correct procedure of response listed above.

The obvious first call is to salvation for God so loved the world He didn’t send a committee! He sent His very own Son. I am so proud of Jesus! WE have only a smoldering destination full of soot, smoke and unbearable flames and searing heat without Him.

There isn’t any choice but to be separated and consecrated to Him. Now that was a lot to consider! I have always felt as far back as I can remember that I just didn’t fit with the people and even family around me. I have always been uncomfortable with non-believers but like them I have had a real hard and relentlessly persuing holiness. Do you want to be holy more that you want to sin?

It’s a matter of self-denial which drives the leaders of the, “name it-claim it” faith movement. We must be lesser so that He might be greater. The more we let go of the world the tighter out grip on His free gifts must be. The Word teaches to let go of the world. There has never been a UHall trailer attached to the rear-end of a hearse. Now I will lament out loud that there aren’t many of us Christians as door-mats. I am however an anvil that has been the cause of many broken hammers.

The consetration of oujr efforts is to hear His voice and respond with all that is within us. No holding back. We must know His voice and be so intent on it htat we can distinctly hear it in a crowd of demonsl. The way to sharpen that issue is to be in humble service to Him and so close and familiar with Him His voice is unmistakenly His.