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LESS THAN A MAN

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LESS THAN A MAN

By Rick Mathes

The penitentiary mess hall was tidy but colorless and institutional; that is, void of any warmth or contrasts. Barred windows and sulky workers. Inmates shuffling past counters of tasteless, stench-filled food that fell barely within government nutritional guidelines of minimum vitamins. I suffered through lunch in the Officer’s quarters and was astonished at how they managed to eat this unappetizing menu with such relish and enthusiasm. I had lost my appetite for this torture when I was informed that the green baby lima beans were really creamed corn! And a fish head was floating around and looking up at me from the sea-food soup! It was a blessing to escape from this noxious event and begin the lengthy walk to the Chapel. An unpretentious Asian guard or as they prefer to be addressed, Correctional Officer or C.O. for short, began escorting me out of the cafeteria into the dimly lit hallway, down some metal steps and then through a labyrinth of twisting and turning, often loud catwalks past bad-tempered prisoners on lock-down.

In one particular corridor, our gait has hasty but my eyes were drawn to the darkened prison cells in a blurred kaleidoscope of unshaven faces and slumped or sleeping bodies. All at once I stopped in my tracks and turned back to the cell I had just passed by. I had seen an attractive woman stretched out on the bunk in a very alluring pose!

Now wait a minute, wasn’t this an all male maximum security prison? What was a seductive woman doing here? I had turned so abruptly that the Officer did not think to respond before I looked again into this cell to ascertain that it wasn’t a female but rather a transvestite with long silky hair, a smooth shapely body and very obvious breasts. Horrified is an understatement!

Our eyes met in an uneasy brotherhood as I asked, “Would you like to receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour and be born again?” He leisurely got up and off his bunk, then glided in a seductive manner to the bars in front of which I was standing. As he drew nearer and I was able to scrutinize him more he said to me, “How can I change what I’ve done to myself.” His masculine voice startled me. I responded, “You must be born again. You need to change on the inside first and that begins with permitting Jesus to be your Lord. He is the God of miracles and you will become a walking trophy of His grace if only you will become willing and believe.” He looked me in the eyes and whispered, “I want to do that very dearly,” and began to sob uncontrollably.

We slipped to our knees right there on the cold concrete and tenderly held hands through the bars. A woman with man’s hands asking God for a spiritual healing. We prayed a heart-felt prayer and he sincerely asked that he would be delivered from homosexuality and become the man that God had created him to be. Just then the C.O. took my arm securely and said sharply, “We have to keep moving.”

I learned months later that he was severely beaten by his “husband” and repeatedly raped by homosexual “gang-bangers.” The prison administrators had learned of a contract on his life so they transferred him to a single cell in protective custody. The last word I received is that he is remaining steadfast in the Word of God and his family has raised the money for cosmetic surgery to physically reconstruct his manliness.

GOD’S DIRTY DOZEN

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GOD’S DIRTY DOZEN

By Rick Mathes

(Author of “Allah or Jesus”)

If I were to get to know those who know you best and ask them all the questions I could think of about you, I would get to know you very well, wouldn’t I? Well, then it stands to reason that if we get to know God’s best friends really well, we will get to know a whole lot about God, won’t we? Let’s then make some observations of those that he used, each in a mighty way. I call them, “God’s Dirty Dozen.”

First, we have Abraham. His parents were idolaters and I’m sure as a young man, you could see him with his Watch Tower Magazine under one arm and the Pearl of Great Price book under the other, being chauffeured in his stretch limo to the nearest name-it claim-it, go-go cult of carnal hustlers in the name of Allah. And yet, god used him to emerge as the father of the chosen nation.

Now we know that Joseph didn’t do it. Potipher’s wife knows he didn’t do it. God knows he didn’t do it. And we all know he didn’t do it. But when Joseph filled out the application to be Prime Minister of Egypt it read, “Have you ever been convicted of a felony?” He was an ex-con with a record of being a sex offender and yet God used him in a mighty way.

Let’s also remember Moses. He looked both ways, killed the Egyptian with his bare hands and then had the audacity to dig a hole and bury him in broad daylight in front of witnesses. That is a classic, premeditated, first degree murder! If that happened today, he would be on death row awaiting execution. And yet, God used him in a mighty way.

And what about David? He didn’t have the guts to assassinate so he ordered a hit man to knock off Bathsheba’s husband so that they could keep their torrid love affair going. David should have had a jail cell next to Moses! And yet, God used him in a mighty way.

Do you really think the Priestess Rahab went around the temple genuflecting and lighting holy candles? Of course not! She was a temple prostitute that sold her body for dirty money just like any two-bit trash on the waterfront. And yet, God used her in a mighty way.

“If the children turn out bad, it must mean that the parents weren’t any good!” It ain’t necessarily so. There aren’t any fathers that raised their sons worse than Eli and Samuel and yet God used them both in a mighty way.

And have you ever heard the saying, “When the going gets tough, the touch gets going?” Some Christians have turned tail and ran when the Lord needed them the most. Just like Mark did, so quickly that he left his clothing in the clutches of a cop and escaped naked.! And yet, God used him in a mighty way.

Can you imagine saying, “No, dammit! I have never known this criminal named Jesus!” God forbid, it would never leave my lips even in the torment of torture. But with the gentle pressure of a teenage servant girl, Peter the Rock, turned into a little pebble when he denied the Lord quicker than a New York heartbeat, not once but three times within a couple of hours. His eyes met those to his Lord and he realized the shallowness of his commitment. And yet, God used him in a mighty way.

I am blessed that Paul did not divulge to us the gruesome particulars of all the atrocities he inflicted on blameless Christians or I would be less given to read and study his Epistles. I suspect that I might forgive him but I would not forget. The captivity, injustice and even annihilation of these gentle souls might possibly raise a doubt about Paul’s conversion experience. Was he beyond being saved? And yet, God used him in a mighty way.

If you have been counting, that’s just ten. Including you and I, it makes an even dozen. My life was so depraved that I cursed God, shook my fist at heaven and demanded that if He existed, to kill me to end the nightmare I was living.

He saved me that night and I have been sharing the Gospel in jails and prisons ever since.

What about you?

www.MissionGateMinistry.org

 

GABRIEL AND MICHAEL

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GABRIEL & MICHAEL

By Rick Mathes

It was a gray, drizzly daybreak as I drove my car within sight of the cold and foreboding walls of the double-fenced penitentiary. The guards were cautiously stirring about in the look-out towers with their high-powered rifles plainly in sight. The razor wire was twisted over what seemed to be an illimitable perimeter around this bizarre city, a community of captives. The human garbage of society had been dumped on this sight.

I parked in a visitor designated lot and felt a thousand eyes upon me as I briskly walked to the main gate. The noises that only prisoners make were bouncing off of the stone walls as I caught glimpses of convicts spying out between the steel bars. They had already begun the news broadcasting by word of mouth and runners, that general population would be permitted to attend my chapel service. I had no idea that within a few hours a surge of inmates would be gathering to join me. I just walked in forced boldness to cover up my fears and apprehensions. I knew the Lord was with me and that this was going to be one of those times when I would need to step out of the boat and not hold on to the sides.

Once cleared at the electric eye and after a very thorough search by a stoic matter-of-fact officer, I was taken into the cool morning air. That first deep breath freed my lungs of the stale prison pungency of the central control quarters. A world within but without the real world. A society of degenerates that only an ex-convict can truly comprehend and yet fail to explain to outsiders.

Across the metal walkway, down the loose clanking steps and through the yard to my assigned housing unit. A muscular, tall C.O. with a disgusted look on his face was my pathfinder through the shadowy passageways to the prison chapel. Needless to say, I was quite dependent upon him and noticeably astonished that he had no weapon whatsoever. The meaning of vulnerability was taking on a whole new dimension for me. I discovered I could walk and pray at the same time!

My first scheduled stopover was a dormitory housing fifty prisoners in an open security area. Each cubical had three waist high walls in open sight to those officers securing the area. A space with a sense of property; home. They were mostly all still asleep with only a few shuffling about. A coffee aroma sweetened the otherwise rancid air. I surveyed the challenge that lay before me. It was my dubious blessing to go from bed to bed and tell them about Jesus while they were still asleep on a Saturday morning. I was permitted only two hours to circulate the room and then move on to the next clearance area, the hole. I felt like David when he first faced Goliath.

Two correctional officers with short clubs hanging from their belts greeted me with broad smiles. “So you’re the one that’s going in there to talk religion, are you?” The tall skinny one taunted. “Yes, I am,” I replied. “Well, let me remind you that you will be entering at your own risk and the waiver you signed releases us from any personal liability that may occur.” “I understand perfectly,” I replied nervously. I continued, “But let me ask you a very obvious question. What happens if I go in there and a serious problem should develop?” They both laughed out loud and when they regained their composure, the inconsiderate obese guard responded, “You see, it’s like this. We secure the gate from the outside and when the clamor dies down, we go in to see what happened and the medics tend to the injured! There are only two of us and neither of us wants to go home on a stretcher!”

My heart sank to my socks. I had imaginations of brutal beatings, gang rape, torture and maybe a violent death racing through my brain all at the same time. My body, not just my hands, but my whole body began to visibly tremble. I though of the fiery furnace, the den of lions, then dropped to my knees. They turned their heads as I cried out to the Lord. “Oh, Jesus, you got me into this and you’re going to have to get me out of this!”

After a moment of prayer, a peace flooded my soul and I knew it would be OK. I deliberately rose to my feet and clutching my well-worn Bible, I stepped through the open gate. The two CO’s didn’t say another word but the clank of the key and the squeaking of the hinges triggered my adrenaline. With a pounding heart, I walked into the dormitory and was greeted by a nerve shattering crash behind me as the steel gate slammed shut and was bolted!

At once my eyes were drawn to two powerfully build inmates that were quickly approaching me! Both topped six feet and I’m sure tipped the scales at a muscular 250 pounds each! One was black and the other white. I stopped breathing as they reached out for me!

“Praise the Lord! Glory! Hallelujah!,” the black convict bellowed as the other gave me a bone crushing bear hug and said, “You just stick with us and we’ll tell these clowns about Jesus together! And don’t worry. Nobody is going to mess with you unless they come through us first! You can take that to the bank.”

Jesus Himself had sent Gabriel and Michael to lift my arms. Over twenty first time decisions resulted from the three of us witnessing the Gospel according to Jesus.

COMFORTER

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COMFORTER

By Rick Mathes

Who or what is the Holy Spirit? If I ask 100 Christians I will get 100 answers that share a shred of similar gold: comfort. Isaiah 40:1 pleased God to comfort His people unaware that the God he was praying to was comfort personified in the third person of the Holy Trinity. He is the Comforter and the comforted.

All His attributes intersect at comfort. What are the components?

Let’s begin with the relief that comes with knowing we have the heaven’s best attorney, our Paraclete before the highest court of law. This ultimate Judge only has two sentences; eternal life or eternal death. So it is very comforting to have the Holy Spirit stand in our defense of deserving the death penalty.

Once we have been exonerated of all culpability of crimes worthy of the flames. We now have our best Friend monitor our activities, kind of like a house arrest. We are under constant surveillance and every infraction of God’s favor is dutifully brought before our attention by a genuine guilt that causes a sincere repentance before the bench of justice.

Now we are teachable and willing to hear, listen, learn, apply and then evaluate all the Holy Spirit lecture us on. We become His most apt and attentive student. Oh, what will our report card say!

This last stage is a real “follow the leader” stage. Whoever the Holy Spirit leads we must follow without question. Faith means just that. Our Lord is going to do with us what He wants to, when He wants to and if He feels like it. His Holy Spirit is our advocate for all the good we do to please Him and all the bad we do that angers Him is forgiven.

It is refreshing to know that there is a God that loves the weary and those perplexed with life’s complexities. It is so comforting to know who or where we are to turn when life seems unbearable. Jesus said he would not leave us without the Holy Spirit to walk with us as He would until His return. How comforting to know that He is with us when we need Him the most. We are never alone and always have Him to turn to when our world is upside down. He really is our Comforter and for that reason we need to thank Him!

CAUSE AND EFFECT

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CAUSE – EFFECT

By Rick Mathes

(Author of “Allah or Jesus”)

Every cause has as effect, every action has a reaction, and every effort has a consequence and so on. You can always tell the value of the tree by the fruit it will produce. Truth may be obscured by a lie but it will truth will prevails, it will emerge.

J.I. Packer: “Justification is the truly dramatic transition from the status of a condemned criminal awaiting a terrible sentence to that of an heir awaiting a fabulous inheritance.”

Repentance is God’s answer to Satan’s sin. John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul, and Peter all began their ministry with an altar (alter) call. This is an acknowledgement of an upward call to holiness. To be holy we must first be wholly His. You can’t be part pregnant nay more than you can be part saved. Jesus wants all of you or none of you: it’s that simple.

Repentance is a full pardon from the King. If ever you have even did time in a prison you really understand a retrial that provides you with an acquittal from all charges and a release from the prison cell. “Bunk your junk.” I have picked up more than one who when we got through the prison gate fell to the ground outside the fence and kissed it. I’m sure we’ll do the same when we sets foot in glory.

Repentance is a new lease on life. You were one a dead man looking for a place to be buried. It’s a personal renaissance to a better level of existence and a new life in Christ like you have never imagined. If you really have the Lord it is quite comfortable and He fits like an old shoe, so to speak. The tail doesn’t wag the dog anymore.

Remember though, the sin you have is the sin you want more than Jesus. Because if you didn’t want it more than you do want it you would have it! The devil didn’t make you do it.

Repentance is a gift of love from God. It’s the key that opens your heart to believe and obey the Lord of your salvation. You can accept it as the Holy Spirit’s labor of love, AMEN?

Go to www.RickMathes.org for more.

Go to www.MissionGateMinistry.org for an experience you won’t soon forget!

Go to www.lordshipsalvation.net for my blogs.

CAGE FIGHTING DEMONS

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CAGE FIGHTING DEMONS

By Rick Mathes

Our culture leans increasingly toward returning to the arena of violence and bloodshed. Unless we Christians pull out the whole arsenal of Holy Spirit weapons we are going to find ourselves in the Superbowl of Christians vs. demons in a high tech coliseum. Only the champions of the universe will survive in a new kind of “ground and pound: that has been around since Cain did a number on Abel.

Winning is everything in the kingdom because we stand with Jesus and cannot fall in defeat to Satan. The evil one has no defense to combat our weapons of war and as a result he is not even a worthy opponent to stand before “the look of love.” Our enemies dissolve before our very eye when we look at them with a look of pity and love for those that only need to confess Jesus as Lord to see the glory of His creation through our eyes.

A soft word is a razor sharp sword that circumcises a dead-beat heart and re-awakens it to a rush of ecstasy no drug can surpass. The swelling love, the rightly placed Word, births a delight to observe as he stained tear stained face of the attacker melts in bewilderment as we speak love and resuscitation to even the “least of these.”

A tear from a repentant child will wash away any hard-heart to forgiveness as that of our worst enemy will. We may have to lose the battle to win the war but in time our opponent will tire of beating up a praying saint and will drop to his knees and plead “forgive me for I have sinned.” If only we will fight our battles on our knees. A prayer of love that is sealed with a genuine tear will ratify any peace agreement.

The annihilator of course is a “love bomb” whereby we love our enemy! I’m a person that once had a volatile, violent temper that would quickly turn into a street-fight. I learned that it is real hard and not at all fun to slug another fighter that is on his knees praying for me! That takes all the fun out of it. It takes the wind out of my sails, so to speak. Love is more than a conqueror and you can also be if you will only go into training at Camp Jesus. He’ll make you a champion over a adversaries and you will be a new-world gladiator that has put down the sword and lifted up holy hands, has put down the bottle and picked up the Bible and has put down the needle and picked up the Cross of Christ. Walk in His footsteps to  the victory lane and all of creation will applaud you!

BORN TO DIE

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BORN TO DIE

By Rick Mathes

The moment our baby Jesus took His first breath, He began a life of dying. Although sinless, He experienced all the devil’s little stabs to stop our walk through this valley of death. The good news for we who are elect is that as we walk through this life of demonic landmines, is that we walk in the shadow of death. If there is a shadow, then we must be walking in the Light!

From our own sinful experience our minds are continually racked and disturbed with family and social ills. It seems that we are hit with one after another grenades of unrest. Hell’s war on us is relentless. Our goods disappear before our very eyes. Such are the wages of sin.

Meaningless, everything we accumulate will be left to those who don’t deserve it only to, in time, decompose to dust and rubble. There’s no U Hall going to be attached to your hearse. Everything, all the trinkets, bells and whistles of hell are all meaningless.

Even our own progeny, our children and friends will sicken and die. You can always count on death and taxes. Think of all the family, friends and acquaintances that have passed before your eyes, slowly headed for the inevitable grace: dust to dust, for future blooming.

It just seems as though our crosses are continual. One sin dies after another as we pursue holiness and nail their sins to the cross. Our Lord said that we are to lift up our own death stake or we are not worthy to follow Him. We are seldom at ease.

Behind every glittering toy lurks a demon laughing at how weak your faith is. If we are in the image and likeness of God then as He would, we need to pass through this world of hell’s deadly playthings for the substance of eternity of glory.

We have been born to sorrow, to sweat, toil and fail because of Adam’s error. But we have been reborn to heaven’s gates because Jesus took our cross for us. Praise be to Jesus!

BLACK AND WHITE

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BLACK AND WHITE

By Rick Mathes

(Author of “Allah or Jesus”)

Two years of preaching and teaching every Friday night at this prison had developed a dependable and capable fellowship of believers. A small turnout was seventy attending, out of an inmate population of several hundred prisoners. Any praise band or female volunteers would swell the chapel attendance but I resisted that because I was resolved to disciple these inmates and solidly ground them in the Gospel according to Jesus Christ, without distraction.

I have memories of many exhilarating services where the altar was frequently flooded with repenting sinners. However, one particular evening stands out above the rest.

It was a chilly nightfall and more prisoners than usual had shown up. It seemed that they were up, positive and ready to worship and praise the Lord.

We began with a thoughtful prayer, sang a few old time hymns and as usual asked for testimonies before I got into God’s Word. It was at this time in the service that a big muscular inmate with a callous expression stood straight up. He was one of those athletes who pumps iron all day long and everyone fears his strength. He got up in the center of the men and spoke is a coarse gravel voice, “Hey Mr. Preacher man! I got something to say!” I relied in humor, “Anyone your size can say anything he wants! And take your time sir.”

Everyone had a good laugh at my feigned timidity and when the clamor had died down he continued, “I’m a two time loser. If I mess up again they are going to give me a life sentence. I’ve been a violent man all my life and it’s my fists and uncontrollable anger that has put me in the joint every time. I want to thank you for leading me to Christ last week but I’ve got to tell you about this crazy thing that happened to me the day after I gave my heart to Jesus for real.”

“Remember, you said that the Holy Spirit would come upon me, that I was a new creation? Well, the very next day I was in the day-room, just killing time and this big black dude come in and gets right in my face with an attitude. He was making fun of me being a Christian. He was doing this right in front of everyone. Well, Rick, to tell you the truth, I have killed men with my bare hands for less than that!”

“He kept on and on and all of a sudden, Bam! I was knocked to the floor. He blindsided me with a great left hook sucker punch. Down I went but I jumped right back up on my feet. It was then that something real strange happened to me.”

“My arms dropped to my sides, my hands went limp and ice water flowed through my veins and my mouth said, ‘Forgive me brother if I have offended you.’ I couldn’t believe it! He couldn’t either. He was all set to go at it but this took the fight out of him. He turned around and walked off real fast.”

“About four hours later, he came to my cell and said he was sorry that he had picked a fight. We talked for a while and I told him that I was born again and that Jesus now lived through me. We got on our knees and he gave his heart to Jesus.”

At that moment, the black guy got to his feet. They both walked toward each other, hugged and wept for joy in front of everyone. A hush went over the inmates and one by one they headed for the altar. I led them all in the sinners prayer and I hadn’t even preached yet!

Jesus had become Saviour and Lord to these two brand new evangelists and the witness of their salvation was winning souls to Christ. I learned from this experience that men would rather see a sermon than hear one.

BEFORE AND AFTER

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BEFORE – AFTER

By Rick Mathes

The following is a good overview of an unbeliever. I know it describes my thinking until I received my Lord’s invitation to be saved and accepted it. It might sound like you.

  1. I will not give up my sins.
  2. I will not worship an invisible God.
  3. I will not attend a place of phony worship.
  4. I really have no love for the man Jesus,
  5. I will not pray in public.
  6. I will not do a morning-evening devotional.
  7. I will not pray in the air to an invisible God.
  8. I really don’t believe anyone is really saved.
  9. I will not tithe or make donations to this nonsense.
  10. I don’t believe He rose from the dead.
  11. I will not be a hypocrite and fake it.
  12. I don’t believe in sin, death and the devil.
  13. I don’t believe the Bible, it was just written by men.

The downside of our pilgrimage on planet earth is that Satan’s kingdom is thriving and for all intents and purposes succeeding to twist the Christian truths with alternative thinking contrary to God’s purposes. The history channel’s Ancient Aliens, UFO’s, visitors from other planets, Nostradamus, the list goes on and one to prove every celestial appearance by provable and repeatable science.

Christianity is not a blind leap of faith nor man’s invention to explain the unexplainable. But unbelief is the easy, most comfortable way out. Jesus was spot-on when He published in His Word, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.”

God blessed me to my earliest remembrance as a youth to question “Why?” and “What is truth?” Those two questions have hounded me all of my life even to this moment. I can tell you before God and man, with all the honesty, logic and secular investigation I am capable of, Jesus rose from the dean of His own volition and in His perfect timing!

This is the hinge that will take you from the before to the after if ony you will make it a priority in your studies. You won’t have a second chance. We only pass this way once. There is no room for error!

Before or after, it’s your decision!

BE REASONABLE

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BE REASONABLE

By Rick Mathes

Greg Albrecht: “In the latter half of the 20th century the politically correct view that all lifestyles, behaviors are equally valid gained acceptance and came to be known as postmodernism. If we accept this, we must conclude that there is no objective truth and that each of us are lfet to subjectively decide moral trust” and everyone did as they thought right.”

Pilate asked, “What is truth?” Jesus didn’t waste His breath on him and neither should we. It is so ignorant. Consider that when a dummy says, “There’s no such thing as an objective truth,” what he just said then was relative! Stupidity trumps stupidity.

An indisputable fact is true no matter what you think is. There’s the law of non-contradiction which stats that two diametrically opposed facts cannot both be true. Duhhh!

It takes a wise man to humble himself and keep his rationale modest and simple. Satan makes it so enticing to muddy the waters and confuse the issues in circular reasoning. It’s a dog returning to its vomit.

The liberalism of the majority confirm that flattering and complimenting religious doctrines win the day with the wishy-washy sassiest that don’t man up and have an objective answer for when they profess to be their faith.

Where are the wholesome, uncorrupted and refined apologists who have a fundamental evangelistic doctrine that will depend on their faith and fight for the true doctrine: the truth?

What is sound? Try Bible only, Jesus only, Faith only, and Grace only. Now that’s reasonable.