Tag: believe

SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR

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SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR

By Rick Mathes

Did you know that if a baby was born the moment Jesus died and lived for seventy years and then a baby was born and lived seventy years and on and on; if you laid the bodies our end to end you would find the we are less than 30 bodies away from the Cross! Think about that the next time you are in a room with 30 people. It wasn’t that long ago!

Albert Einstein proved that light bends time. If that I true and you followed the curve of that time-line, it would meet itself and be a circle. That means time is constant and doesn’t change. The “I AM the I AM” is making a lot more sense to me. Time doesn’t exist for Jesus. It is one long continuum. Imagine that; I can’t.

I believe we are a hairs-breath away from the person of God. Our five senses as so dull that even an eagle can see better that we can and a dog has better ears that we have. We really are sadly inept to sense the presence of our Lord. We are so close and yet so far away.

I’ve even imagined alternate universes all occurring at the same time. Or imagined that our galaxy was just a speck of dust on the arm of the Lord’s throne. Or how about this one: that a molecule has a thousand universes in it, inhabited by a thousand Adams from many ages. Thinking out of the box is fun for me. I really enjoy asking “What if?”

However, all praise the glory be to Jesus, I keep my feet on the ground by keeping my nose in God’s Holy Word. It’ the only thing that brings any reason or sense to this world gone insane where evil is good and good is bad.

Thank you Jesus for assigning your buddy the Holy Spirit to keep o the right track to glory. I may not know all the answers to all my questions but I have learned from the Word has kept me healthy, happy, and content with my assurance of salvation.

I really believe God and what I believe to be time and space will never be understandable to me but at least I can think in concepts of infinity and laugh at a joke: the very things that separate me from the animal kingdom.

SHUT EYES

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SHUT EYES

By Rick Mathes

It is because we shut our eyes that we become so sadly blind. I once questioned a donor about his Lutheran faith. I asked him, “What do you as a Lutheran believe? What is your doctrine?” He responded, “I believe what our church believes.” I pressed further, “What does your church believe?” He fired back, “They believe what I believe.” I insisted, “What do you both believe?” He answered, “The same thing!”  This is called circular reasoning as opposed to objectivism. It is a perfect example of “shut eyes.” There can only be one 12 inch ruler. It can’t be 11 inches for the carpenter and 10 inches for the mason and 13 inches for the electrician. This would be chaos.

I was born with two questions in my mind that have hounded me to this very minute. What is truth” and Why? I need to know the root cause and effect and this pursuit has been an exciting adventure I have no regret of continuing. All my thinking is proceeded with these two questions and they have got me in a lot of trouble over the years.

So I seek the greater truths and I chase down the “Why?” to it source. It has and continues to challenge my world view and provide an apologetic for my faith. What is greater than man personified in Christ, the God-man or Son of God?

There are greater truths in His Word:

  • Greater depths of experience
  • Greater heights of fellowship
  • Greater works of usefulness
  • Greater discoveries of power
  • Greater expressions of love
  • Greater levels of wisdom

Remember my question, “What is truth?” He makes the answer crystal clear when He announced “I AM the way, the truth and the life.” My follow up question “Why” is answered:

  • We see Him in His truth without shadow and deception in His Word.
  • We bask in His unbelievable love of sinners so much so as to wash dirty feet.
  • We reach to His level of excellence to realize our level of mediocrity.
  • We drop to our knees and give all submission to His Sovereignty

So here we are, back at the beginning. Shut eyes won’t help so take a good look at reality and turn your eyes upward to His guidance, not downward to spiritual blindness..

REAL DEAL

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REAL DEAL

By Rick Mathes

A real Christian feels he can never think enough about Jesus. Obsessive, compulsive disorder? Maybe, but that will do it is a genuine response to His effectual calling. There are two unshakable pillars of faith that must precede a conclusion on this issue: 1. A deep conviction of sin and 2. A lively faith in Jesus Christ. In either case there is an awakening trek to holiness.

Let’s take a quick survey of the attributes of the real deal:

  • He is born of God
  • He has faith in Christ
  • The mark of His new birth is holiness
  • He is spiritually minded
  • He claims and has victory over Satan’s world
  • He is meek but not weak
  • He delights in all the blessings of grace
  • He has a new love toward others

What is a natural man in comparison? He is a wretched slave to the opinion of the world.

Back to your examination of yourself: let me challenge you with this question, “Do you want holiness more than drugs, sex or alcohol?” If not, you’re going to take a fall.

You thoughts should be focused on spiritual matters as they once lingered on skin magazines, mentally undressing women, using drugs and alcohol.

A real Christian is not a loser anymore. He stands against the evils of Satan’s kingdom because He has certainly in God’s word that we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus our King of Kings.

Don’t mistake meek for weak when it is really controlled strength that is most effective in loving your enemy. The love of Jesus wins all wars and those that a born again thrill at the new vitality then’ve been empowered with to press on!

PREACHERMAN

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PREACHERMAN

By Rick Mathes

The gates of hell have unleashed counterfeit preachers that have graduated from our finest seminaries. They have gravitated to an estimated seven out of ten pulpits, from small country churches to large mega-churches where thousands are lied to. No lies of commission, commission or permission. A mass of our earth’s population will be destroyed by the conflagration of flames St. Peter has prophesied.

How can we know the minister we learn from speaks fresh from the throne of Jesus? What test can we put them to so as to be certain we are being taught by God? We will never know until our Lord returns but I do have a few guidelines that I go by.

My minister must have holiness of character. Even a minister occasionally worldly is an indication that his integrity is soiled and what you get may be what you see. Any minister that winks at sin does not hate sin and thus does not love the Savior. Look closely for Christ-likeness!

He must have a high degree of spiritual life in his family as well as in darkness it is in light. I would be suspect if he is inclined to abuse any of the seven deadly sins or violate the Ten Commandments. I know we’re all human but this minister of yours cannot just be called he must be chosen to be the Lord’s ambassador. When you get to know your minister do you get to know Jesus? If not, tread carefully.

He must live out the faith he professes. If he doesn’t walk is he should be restrained from talking it. I would rather see the sermon than hear it. His true self should mirror Christ with his most earnest effort. We are able not to sin and he should be the highest example for you to emulate.

Now I’m not trying to make your minister some kind of super human being. I just expect that he should be fully committed to Christ in the simplicity of his heart. Look deeply into his soul and discern if he has complete surrender to God. He must example what he preached and encourage how to rise to our Lord expectation of your fleshly levels of mediocrity.

To be holy we must be wholly God’s and our minister must lead the way.

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!