Tag: born again

OUR FIRST BUSINESS

Tagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

OUR FIRST BUSINESS

By Rick Mathes

Once you look to heaven for your employment, the world under your feet experience a metamorphosis of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, black and white to vivid color, blindness to sight, nothing is ever the same again. You are now under new management and the author of your “owner’s manual” will remind you when maintenance is necessary.

Your full-time employment is to make His business your business in every sense of the word. Now you may have to drive a bus or flip hamburgers or perform delicate surgery or stand before a judge to plead a case to afford your full-time job, so be it. Rise to His level of excellence in all you do for income but don’t fall to your level of mediocrity or wore yet abysmal failure.

Do His work and His blessings will immerse you in a world of miracles, love and grace like you have never experienced before. Exchange all you are for all He is and your words will become His. Out of the well of the Holy Spirit living rivers of life will flow. You will truly become a fountain of life for all who will step into the deep end of the pool with you. Faith is truly amazing when it is exercised where a leap would not do.

The only remnant of our “business life” down here is to take our best developed character and integrity up there so to speak. Man is a trinity: mind, heart and soul. When we carry out His will and not our own, this is welcomed baggage on that one-way journey home.

If all heaven is but absorbing His love, that’s all it needs to be to satisfy me forever. The employment for Him new is to n His love before an evil and unloving would which close up might begin right in our own families.

WE know that the wages of sin is death but uppermost to the wages of His righteousness is eternity with Him! He promised that He went before us to prepare our “retirement mansion” and He meant it. What a joy it is to do His will on earth as it is in heaven. Try it, you will like it!

OFF MY CHEST

Tagged , , , , , Leave a comment

OFF MY CHEST

By Rick Mathes

There are many issues I would like to expound on and they have all piled up on me so I am just going to unload the “whole bale” on you and invite you to agree with me or throw rocks but at least have some thought and an opinion. For me and my purposes I precede all I say with this question and you might do well to do likewise: Does it exalt Jesus Christ?

There cannot be a divided Christ. There is one faith, one baptism and one Body. Any cleric or group that teaches otherwise is an agent for Father Lucifer.

The Epistles do not advise they command. God so loved the world that He didn’t send a committee! When the Word speaks to you it only expect one answer, “Yes sir!” We are not to arm-wrestle with the Holy Spirit.

Carnal Christians till have the seed of salvation in them. They just don’t know that they know. So teach them and don’t give up.

You have been forgiven so act like it! If you don’t walk your talk then don’t tell anyone that you are a Christian and shame those of us who are elect. Just shut up.

On our own, we would never choose Jesus to be our Savior and repent of our sins. Be blessed that He chose you before the beginning of time before you became an obvious low-life sinner.

The Word of God is His breath, indestructible, eternal, uncompromising, authorative and forever awesome, inerrant and immutable. There is nothing in all of creation comparable.

His almighty Word and power has leaped down from heaven much to the Devi’s dismay.

God’s holy Word is both our terror and our only hope. Mark Twain said that it wasn’t what he didn’t know about in the Bible that worried him it was he did know that made him tremble.

Everything, from God’s perspective is recent, temporal and transient until He returns in glory. Imagine if you can, heaven forever.

Luther sowed, Westley watered and Edwards reaped. The best is yet to come so put on your seat belt and prepare yourself for the ride of your life; an experience you won’t soon forget.

Above all: take heed lest you fall.

1 Corinthians 10:12 (NASB77) 12  Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

P.S. Thanks for letting me get these issues into ink before I explode!

 

 

NO ESCAPE

Tagged , , , , , Leave a comment

NO ESCAPE

By Rick Mathes

We are in a revolt against God: as a nation, as a civilization, as a church and personally. We are warring against heaven itself. Satan is our Lord because we are obeying him. Scary isn’t it? But it is the truth. We have been in rebellion with God since we left Eden and there is no sign that we will be letting up.

Think about it. Man has renounced Divine Lordship. Even professing ministers hare rejecting the light of God’s Word and being consumer friendly with large music productions and stage shows instead of a solid sermon from God’s Word. This is a complete rejection of the purpose of the Holy Spirit to bring to our remembrance God’s Words and guide us through the deep knowledge of who Jesus is and what He did: the words and works of our Savior.

Church after church has turned a blind eye to adultery, active homosexuality, incest, child molesting and all responsibility to account for the sheep before the throne of God. The revenue of offerings cannot be disturbed because the costs go on for salaries and overhead expenses that must be met, no matter what. We must keep our doors open to everyone! A practical of choice made is to actually avoid messages that mention death, sin, or hell. You will never hear the words “believe and obey” ring from the pulpit of a church for fear of losing tithing membership! The church has totally ignored man’s last condition before the throne of judgment. We can’t be judgmental can we?

Why has Christianity degenerated to a helpless pool of wimps?

The answer is the unsaid escape plan man has of 3 ways to avoid God’s wrath. His first thought and probably yours is you won’t get caught. Somehow your plans to escape the detection of your sin will succeed to allow you to continue to sin freely undetected. You next consideration is that you can escape the jurisdiction of the sin by making life changes of where you live and the people you associate with. If that don’t work you will have to fall on the errors of our legal system and depend on your attorney to find a loophole in the system that lets you beat the charges. But when all this fails your only recourse is to escape!

The formidable difficulty is that none of this will get by the Paraclete and there in no escape from hell but for you to repent right now, this very moment!

The time will come when it will be too late. You must settle out of court of face the consequences, there is no escaping the truth.

WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

Tagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

By Rick Mathes

 

Welfare’s 23rd Psalm

The Government is my shepherd,

Therefore I need not work.

It alloweth me to lie down on a good job.

It leadeth me beside still factories;

It destroyeth my initiative.

It leadeth me in the path of a parasite

for politics’ sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of laziness and deficit-spending,

I will fear no evil,

for the Government is with me.

It prepareth an economic Utopia for me, by appropriating the earnings of my own grandchildren.

It filleth my head with false security;

 

My inefficiency runneth over,

Surely the Government should care for me

all the days of my life!

And I shall dwell in a fool’s paradise forever.

 

SATAN

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

—Rev. 12:3

 

PRISON

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

—Rev. 2:10

ALCOHOLISM

For as in the days before the flood; they were . . . drinking.

—Matthew 24:38

NARCOTICS

For men shall be . . . lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.

—2 Tim. 3:2, 4

MURDER

Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

—Rev. 9:21

HYPOCRISY

Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.

—1 Tim. 4:2

ADULTERY

Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children.

—2 Peter 2:14

HOMOSEXUALITY

Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

—Jude 7

EVIL IMAGINATION

Now as Jan-nes and Jam-bres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

—2 Tim. 3:8

JEALOUSY

Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

—Romans 13:13

IDOLATERS

And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk.

—Rev. 9:20

OCCULTISM

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.

—1 Tim. 4:1

MEET FATHER LUCIFER

Tagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

MEET FATHER LUCIFER

By

Rick Mathes, author of “Allah or Jesus”

http://www.MissionGateMinistry.org

“Just look at me. Recognize the dignity of my office. I publicize with a pomposity of arrogant authority. My stride is purposeful and brisk. My carriage erect and stately. My apparel is fashionable and professional to perfection, as is my Rolex watch, diamond ring and bright false teeth. I’m tailored to accommodate the image of calm assurance and confidence. I’m always conscious of admiring glances and I respond in due course with heightened self-image. I always appear to be as I must in the eyes of others.

“My reassuring manner is well practiced and my handshake firm and manly. Surely, I exude warmth, intelligence and reliability. The same phony impeccable smile, the same imperial posture, the selfsame charisma. Why change a deception that works!

“My words are invariably just inside or outside the truth. Moderation is best accomplished by compromising ambiguity; ill-defined positions established in a humanizing, solicitous fashion. I give the impression that I am piously contemplative, thoughtful and unprejudiced. None of which is true.

“I never take sides so that I can keep controversy alive, especially in Biblical doctrine and apologetics. I only side with the heavy hitter contributors. This approach is shrewd, forthright and politically correct.

“The misimpression of holiness is very material to my intentions. It’s all a matter of expression and demeanor. Stoic and unobtrusive. Quiet and restrained. The appearance of reflection more than the boredom it really is, but it suits my corrupted purposes. I am held in high esteem by fake Christians. I’m appointed not anointed. Don’t look for Him, just look at me!”

FISHERMAN

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

FISHERMEN

By Rick Mathes

You don’t force a hook into the mouth of a fish. You get his favorite bait on your lure and coax him to take a bite and bingo, you have him. This same principle applies to humans and winning souls to Christ. You have first to lure them with good bait. That is meet them at their need as show them the Word has the cure.

So the first issue is to attract a prospect. I really believe who your really are speaks a lot louder than what you say. It’s been said many times that you might be the only Christ they will ever see this side of glory.

A turning point for me was going to a Christian bachelor party. We didn’t have any drugs, no booze and no belly dancers or porno movies and we were having such a good time that his mom had to chase us out of the house at 2am with a broom! I have never laughed so much ad so hard in a long time!

Another tie I was attending a Christian businessmen’s luncheon when I said to them all, “You’re not going to tell me you guys are successful and honest in your business dealings are you? You have to be kidding me. There’s no such thing as an honest merchant or professional! They all and a gasp and then a good hearty laugh at me.

Brace yourself for instant conversions. Some that you share the good news with are primed by the Holy Spirit and explode like dynamite. That was my experience.

I do know that a good fisherman keeps real close to the truth when exalting Jesus. This is real serious business and nothing to have sport with. We will have to account for every word and action before the Lord someday. We can exaggerate about the fish that got away but when it comes to soul fishing, only the gospel truth will do.

We receive salvation and are rewarded with persecution. We clean up our lives and fight the rest of our life to stay that way. We are released of anger and fear but it is replaced with sorrow and heartbreak. Salvation is free but it costs everything.  Be a good fisherman for souls and Jesus will bless your catch and multiply it.

FATAL ATTRACTION

Tagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

FATAL ATTRACTION

By Rick Mathes

Sin murdered God’s only Son. Repeat this and think real hard on it. Your sin, my sin, our sin tortured precious Jesus to a slow excruciating death: how deplorable and shocking especially to a peacemaker like you.

“Let’s make love not war!” is not the answer. The only salvation from the Father’s wrath is a sincere apology and fervent repentance.

Sin is a loathsome disease akin to festering, pus drooling, maggot infested, rotting skin called spiritual leprosy. It erodes your soul to be an abomination to all that is good. It is deserving only of fire. Imagine a blow-torch flaming down your tender throat, you brain boiling, smoke billowing out of your eyes, ears and nose and a flame-thrower up your backside at full blast. And it gets worse; even God cannot save you! You couldn’t resist the fatal attraction, why?

Let’s take an honest inventory of your weapons of mass destruction:

  1. Have you become lax in prayer?
  2. Do you read the Word regularly?
  3. Do you avoid the examination of the communion table?
  4. Have you lost your first love?

The attraction is akin to a bug drawn into that back-yard blue light. Do you get the picture? Some dive straight into it and you see a spark and hear the pop. Some circle for a while then dive bomb to the same result while others consider the consequence and fly off. Why did those few fly off? They learned from those that went before that it was certain eternal death.

Certainly you have more sense than a bug don’t you?

WHAT AM I?

Tagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

WHAT AM I?

By Rick Mathes

I am not what I ought to be

I am not what I wish to be

I am not what I hope to be

I am not what I once was

I am what I am!

What am I?

There are certainties in the new foundation of my life what clearly forms what I am and you will be if you confess Jesus as your Lord. The cornerstone of your frame I regeneration. This includes conversion, adoption, justification and sanctification. Let’s take a closer look at them one by one so that you can untangle what appears to be a real process.

To begin with, conversion is the art of turning from sin to God by faith in Jesus Christ. This is a born again experience that can hit you like a bolt of lightning or slowly absorb you until you begin praising Jesus for changing you from what you were to what you really are; a child of the King, that’s right!

God becomes your Father, Jesus your Brother and the Holy Spirit your best Friend. They are your new family and those that love them like you become their adopted. How blessed that out of all the people in the world God chose you to be His. This is your real family and you know now exactly what you are, the adopted child of the King!

You’ve passed through the justification process of making Him your Lord and now the effect of that transaction is sanctification or the earnest pursuit of holiness. Justification is where He pardons all of our sins and sanctification is where by we are renewed in the image of God.

The new birth is he dividing line between heaven and hell.

The benefits include divine grace, wisdom, power and beauty. So with all of that, “What are you?” It will take you all of eternity to figure it out but if you are His you will have all of eternity in heaven to do so. “What are you?” You are what you choose to be! The decision is your to make right now as you read this. What are you waiting for?

 

EBONY AND IVORY

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

EBONY AND IVORY

By Rick Mathes

I was stealing cars, drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes by the time I was age 13. By the time I turned sixteen I had robbed a gas station, stole a motorcycle and had run away from home during a race riot in Detroit Michigan. A black “Aunt Jemimah” said, “White boy, you’re gonna die!” They were throwing whitey off the Belle Isle Bridge. I lived within we were teenagers. Ten years later I sold a luxury cruiser called “Soul Sister I” to none other but Aretha Franklin and five years later I hire the first black insurance agent in my Prudential District Office. It wasn’t until I started Mission Gate Prison Ministry that my wife and I were the only white recipients of the Martin Luther King Annual Award for making the most positive difference in the black community in St. Louis Missouri.

In the midst of my forming our Ministry we persuaded a female prisoner to keep her baby and not have an abortion. We adopted Karlita and now she is happily married, has an earned MBA degree and is a counselor for Bethany Baptist placing unwanted babies in wanted adoptive homes. How is that for going full circle? Both Karlita and I were to be aborted but thanks be to God, we were allowed to live and serve Him with all that is within us.

I said all of that to say this; we are all one in Christ. Humanly speaking, we all have the same DNA as Adam and Noah. As elect we are one Body with the Savior.

One in life: We live only to reflect Jesus to all that will look on us.

One in aim: There is one God, one faith, one Bible, one baptism, one Body.

One desire: We are all called to love God and our neighbor with all the love we have.

The black, white, yellow, red and tan issue is still a thorn in our side. We Christians of all colors are long suffering and gravitate to those of like kind without regard to our skin color. We all seek well for each other without any jealousy or malice.

Jesus has but one lesson for us all and simply stated it is just “Love.” That is we seek not our own but rather blessings for each other. That puts a smile on the Lord’s face when ebony and ivory harmonize in sweet accord.

http://www.RickMathes.org

 

 

DON’T BUG ME

Tagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

DON’T BUG ME!

By Rick Mathes

Trish and I were invited to a fellow Christian’s home for an outdoor barbeque and we accepted. It was such a blessing to not worry about my doing a Bible study or preaching a sermon, just relax. And so I did on a chase lounge on the backyard patio.

I couldn’t help but notice that there was a blue bug light to stave off the little critters from annoying us. I drifted into a dreaming mind of imagination and focused on the bugs. This light was such that it attracted the passing bugs to certain death and I wondered what it was that did so. I decided it was the blue that was a counterfeit of the normal illumination that puzzles these little critters.

It didn’t take long for me to notice the differences in their approaches to the light of death. Some bugs dive-bombed into the light and snapped and popped and exploded their bodies to smithereens. And I wondered why they did this when they had seen their friends dive to certain extinction.

Others would circle and circle the blue light watching the dive bomber crash dive and disappear. And yet after a while, their circles would get smaller and smaller until POP they too suffered an early demise, so stupid. Didn’t they see what happened to the bugs that that went into never-never land?

Finally, I focused on the bugs that kept circling a decent distance from the light and watched intently on what was happening before them. After a time, they looked and decided the counterfeit light was not for them. They saw others perish before them and wisely flew off.

What lesson have you learned from these bugs? Do you have more sense than them?