Tag: Christ

GIFTS TO MEN

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GIFTS TO MEN

By Rick Mathes

Ephesians 4:8 (NASB77) 8  Therefore it says, ” WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”

Who doesn’t love Christmas morning when it’s time to gather around the tree and open gifts? We all love gifts throughout the year for any occasion such as birthday or for no reason at all. It takes a very special love of one person to lavish another with gifts and not expect gifts back or any favor in return. That is a rough definition of grace.

At the top of God’s presents to us is Christ the Messiah Isaiah wrote about. What a fabulous confirmation we received with the Dead Sea Scrolls that included a full copy of the Book of Isaiah exactly as we hve it word for word today over 3,000 years old! This gift was the gift of eternal life. It was the gift I would hold back from my kids until last. We always saved the best for last but God gave Jesus first, there are no other gifts.

Hand in Hand Jesus and the Holy Spirit, gifts from God, will guide, assist and lead us on the narrow way home to our first nature. Salvation is ours because we are His and the “gift giver” will never take us, God’s gift to Jesus, from Him. You heard me right. We are the Father’s gift to His Son and in the care of the Holy Spirit.

The gift of eternal life in glory is totally just that, “a gift.” You and I had absolutely nothing to do with it or it wouldn’t be the gift that it is. It is a real object lesson of grace, undeserved favor. Just think. If you were God look down on you sinning right and left, what would you do with you? We deserve the worst agonizing torture of eternal flames and He showers us with spiritual gifts. God figure!

We are all gifted with a ministry to serve Him which makes us all ministers. A life of all good things wall to wall and endlessly packaged and lined up as far as the eye can see. This is true ecstasy. Like little children we run from gift to gift and encourage others to follow us and do the same. Do we deserve this unearned grace? Of course not! But I’m no fool. I may not deserve to win this heavenly lottery so to speak but I’m coming to cash the check anyway. Don’t just stand there, cash yours also!

 

FALSE ELDERS

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FALSE ELDERS

By Rick Mathes

1 Timothy 6:3 (NASB77) 3  If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness,

One of the most divisive sins that can destroy the best intents of the church elders is envy. Religion is looking out at man to size up what a relationship should be with the ideal god you have invented and accepted. Christianity is looking up to the real deal and modeling every move after His. When you look out you size yourselves up after with others that are looking at you and doing the same. Inferior modeling after inferiority; a bad copy of a bad copy!

To do so you then speak negatively about those who your sense is a challenge to your elevated self-image. Speaking evil breeds more evil and isn’t that exactly what the devil wants. Have you noticed how Lucifer has redefined Christian words and language? We can hardly talk to each other much less other in what was clear Christian English just a few years ago.

When others are saying lies about you, you soon join them in evil suspicions. Faith and trush soon degrade to doubt and fear, the keys to hell! How much easier can you make it? Just live your life to show the world that really cares that the lies are not true. Lies are the diarrhea of the soul.

Waling in a society that loves sin will raise up leasers of like kind. This also leads to evil suspicions. Paranoia sets in where no matter who you turn to may be from hell. If Jesus is not their Lord your suspicions will be validated by how they walk a different talk: strange fire!

This leads to van arguments that are not for reconciliation but for division of the Body. The old joke goes like this, “Whenever you have two believers you have a church. When you have three, you have two churches!” There is a devil in the leadership of every church hat is hell-bent on spitting it up and causing dissension.

What results is a doctrine of lies that always demands more than the Bible, Jesus, faith or grace. Two glaring examples are the Pope of Roman Catholicism and the second baptism that requires speaking in tongues to be valid. Both are inventions of man. The bottom line for false elders is the personal gain or prestige, power and material gain. Beware of false teachers by knowing the truth. The truth will set your church free!

FALLEN

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FALLEN

By Rick Mathes

Mark 14:29 But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not.”

The pebble spoke “the Rock” and crumbled; really bad start for an alleged pope of the church and Vicar of Christ. It sounds like me and I’m quite sure it reflects you and your rise and fall n this journey to eternity with Jesus. Pride dropped Lucifer like an asteroid from outer space into the oblivion of that endless abyss of flaming horrors. The angel of light went dark with just a glance and then anchoring of “self.” The devil fixed his eyes inward and so did Peter that self confidence is a relegation of trust and faith in otherness such as God. Men are quite clever in inventing gods that are in their own image and likeness. When you depend on you and not on Him, Satan is your lord. That should make your blood run cold!

Your proud boasting of “I, me and mine” smothers the life out of “He, Him and His. Self centered is hell focused on you and you are your worst enemy. You are sabotaging yourself by committing spiritual suicide.

It’s all a matter of unwatchfulness. The devil is a created being and he can’t make you sin but he can arrange the circumstances so that in your view you can sin and get away with it. You don’t see it coming and you are decked witht the first temptation. What a spiritual wimp you have become!

You are a real coward if you turn in fear from Jesus to appease the enticements of hell: the counterfeit pleasures that can overwhelm you. Where is your spiritual “T”? I can tell that you were tripped and raped of all tht is good in you by your bad company. Who you are hanging out with speaks volumes of who you are.

What can be worse but to deny with cursing that don’t know Jesus. I can’t even imagine in my lowest moment I would ever do htat but you can rest assured that I am constantly doing spiritual push-ups to be strong enough to stand against the devil’s best shot!

FALLEN SEED

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FALLEN SEED

By Rick Mathes

Mark 4:4 and it came about that as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.

In the parable of the soils you can discern the spiritual condition of yourself and others. Its uncanny how “spot-on” the Lord can define and expose phony carnal Christians that are going to hell and don’t know it. Oh, how surprised they will be when their heart beats its last and they step into the flames that will be their home forever. It is too frightening for me to even contemplate!

Urgency, yes, there is a life-or-death urgency for us to share some sense into those who are indifferent to the gospel according to Jesus. This issue is not one to avoid being politically correct. The Titanic is going down for them and they don’t need to put off as the water rises about them until they are engulfed and drown. We as Christians being Christ-like must give them the “turn or burn” message any way that will make them attentive to the condition of their soul.

God breathed a soul into man and will one day reclaim that gift to reward or punish us as our decisions will dictate to Him. We will get exactly what we want depending on who is Lord of our life; Satan or Jesus. You must wake them up and make a choice.

Selfish must be replaced with self-less or you will die condemned. It is not all about you. It’s all about Him and I emphasize the word “all.” You can’t be partially saved any more that a woman part-pregnant. How silly to believe you have His blessing when you are still your own god and everything is contingent and relative to your choices of good and evil which change from time to time.

The deceit that lives in unbelievers isn’t doctrine, dogma, sin, lack of repentance, etc. It is apathy. Satan doesn’t care what you believe about Jesus or plan to do “just don’t do it now!” The true corruption is your lukewarm attitude toward the Word and authority of God that you will face that you keep putting off because it disturbs your sinful life.

The flesh will someday be a buffet for the worms and you will return to the dust from which you were made from. Your soul will return to God who gifted you with life and He will determine heaven or hell for your new home.

DRAW NEAR

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DRAW NEAR

By Rick Mathes

Hebrews 10:22 (NASB77) let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Our Lord gives us very few commands but those He gives He is dead serious about so we need to give them our immediate and priority attention. There’s five commands from God you will never be able to plead ignorance because here they are and now you don’t have any excuse for not obeying them.

  1. Draw near to God.
  2. Have a pure conscience.
  3. Have clan moral bodies.
  4. Have unwavering faith.
  5. Do good works.

In order to be up close and personal to Jesus, we need to draw near. I know He can’t get any closer but to live within your skin but I believe that drawing near is submission and obedience. You can take your dog to the finest dog training school until he has their highest degree of obedience but if he chooses to lay down and won’t budge he isn’t going to do anything. I know because our St. Bernard Beethoven has us well trained!

There isn’t any hindrance too tough to draw near to our Lord because the gate to Glory and His love is wide open to you. You don’t need a key nor even to knock. He’s waiting for you to submit and obey with open arms so now is not the time to roll over and be obstinate.

You will discover His way, truth and life is brand new and unlike anything you have ever experienced before. I described it as stepping otr onto a new planet: quite an adventure I’m still enjoying the freshness and surprises.

My Roman Catholic experiences melt away in the love and presence of the real and only priest Jesus. He came, He saw, He conquered. The veil was rent from the top to the bottom of the Holy of Holies. I boldly walked in and invite you to do the same. His throne of grace is there togive us both the complete assurance that what He began as a acorn of grace in us will grow up inot a mighty oak tree of faith that will stand tall and strong against the sirocco winds of Hell’s fury. He is drawing nearer and nearer right now: submit and obey, there’s no other way.

 

 

DOWN, DOWN, DOWN

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Down, Down, Down

By Rick Mathes

Romans 6:23 (NASB77) 23  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

A lot of people are worrying about the future

Of the world, as though it had one.

The burial of your old sinful self must be real and final. Consider, your old life had nothing to offer but death, insanity or incarceration. What choice do you really have? If you didn’t have Jesus what would be your “Plan B.?”

As I look around me all I see is a cancer of mankind and destruction of all we once held dear and necessary for our healthy wellbeing. My Dad gave his life in WWII to preserve our nation’s rights and high ideals under God. Now with everything he cherished in degeneration, all I have left of him is a purple heart and a country the God has all but left behind. What happened? Let’s take a look at all e value and learn from the past.

First on my list and unquestionably the most important is our soul and what the heart of America was once. God breathed a soul into Adam and so that is ground zero for all of hell to destroy. The elan vital of our being is our conscience. A clear conscience devastates the evil one!

A polluted heart and soul will destroy the family unit and all the structure of our civilized humanity will crumble with it. Whatever happened to the male father, female mother married and heterosexual children, the nuclear family?

As goes the family so goes the nation. When we have so low a value of life that we kill over one million defenseless babies each year, what do we care about sacrificing our youth on needless battles of war for greed? Jesus has all but left our communities but don’t despair, he is coming back to make things right and bewars if you are on the wrong side.

The heart of the solution is this self-destruction is the Church that should feed and nurture the believing families The Body of Christ is only true to passionate believers. As such the power of the Holy Spirit of creation is here to guide the sheep to the Shepherd. Unfortunately too many pulpits are dominated by demons!

Put all of this together and your world-view takes issue with what ought to be. But what would you expect from blatant sinners as we all were at one time?

DON’T WORRY

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DON’T WORRY

By Rick Mathes

Matthew 6:25 For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing?

There may be very good cause to worry. Something really bad might be looming on the near horizon but a better tact would be to be concerned. Concerned is worry on a leash. Worry really is manufactured fear and the opposite of trust. I ask you, what is it you can’t trust Jesus with? See how silly baseless worry is?

You have trusted the Lord with your soul. Certainly you can trust Him with your circumstances that haven’t happened yet. Come on now, be real! Where your ability to handle a situation ends, trust in Christ begins. Trust in our Lord lays just beyond your grasp. It’s easy when it’s easy but the real test is unwavering trust. When you say, “I can’t!” Jesus says, “I can.”

Remember to pray. How can you have trust in anyone if you do not communicate with them? Let Him know your concerns. Yes, I know He knows before you did what your issue is but it is possible that your prayer was predestined to precede His blessings? He’s just waiting to her your voice and your plea as a father would his loving son.

We stumble in the dark, without him, like a blind man in a dark room trying to find a black cat! Dr. Bob and Bill W. were right when they founded AA and said that we need to live one day at a time because the Lord only gives grace for today, not tomorrow. The only daylight you will ever find of any value is in the Word. Let the Holy Spirit enlighten the gospel and love tht God haws for you in the Holy Bible. You are the apple of God’s eye and He would do anything for you that would glorify Him. Just lift your holy hands to the King and please “Abba”, “Daddy please?”

Think! When has he ever not answered your prayer? And haven’t you noticed? All those horrible events in your life, “They came to pass;” Amen? Just be aware of His presence. Nothing can happen that He didn’t permit, know about and empower. Don’t worry!

Jesus will provide your needs. He always has and only will. The only reason you are uptight is because you don’t have control and it my not turn out how you want it to.

Well, God is God. Get used to it!

 

 

DON’T LOVE THE WORLD

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DON’T LOVE WORLD

By Rick Mathes

1 John 2:15-17 (NASB) 15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

Satan hasn’t changed his method of operation since the garden when he tempted Eve with her eyes, then tasting she was too proud to repent so she enticed Adam to join her in her sin. Eyes, flesh and pride are the horsemen of temptation. I can hear their hoof-beats and they are approaching you closer every day you commit your soul to Jesus.

When you were deep in sin, lost and tossed aside, you had a little moron devil snoozing in charge of you. But when you turn your eyes to Jesus, an army of howling hell-hounds got on your trail to tear you apart and devour your relationship with the King of kings. Can you smell the sulphur? Do you feel the flame licking at your heals? Can you understand that you are only held back by the slender thread of your faith?

In the wilderness Jesus was tempted to change stones into bread, jump off the temple building to prove He was the Son of God and challenged to worship Satan in exchange for all the kingdoms of the earth. How similar our temptations are to this moment!

Your eyes are the window to sin. The look isn’t the sin; the lingering of eyes is. Then when you have gazed long enough, your flesh grabs you, you have to taste and have some more. Then you become to prideful to change. “I can handle it this time” is the biggest lie from hell you will ever hear.

I have learned to love the Lord more than the sin. It’s that simple.

When I am in a convenience store on a hot day and see the beer on display, I look away and say “This one’s for you!” and walk away.

When I see a pretty girl and am tempted to mentally undress her, I look away and say, “This one’s for you!” and turn my eyes.

When I smell some marijuana floating though the air, I turn away and say, “This one’s for you” and keep on walking.

As long as you love the Lord 51% and the devil 49% you are well on your way to conquer the eyes, flesh and pride. You may not be the person you ought to be but thank you Jesus you are not the person you once were. Press on!

DON’T LEAVE

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DON’T LEAVE

By Rick Mathes

John 6:67  Jesus said therefore to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?”

The church needs a team to visit those who leave the church and at least attempt to salvage their walk with the Lord. There are many wounded Christians who were in the crossfire of members and unbeliever alike, sword to sword. I was asked once, “If you were Satan, how would you destroy the Christian church? I replied, “Leave them alone. They are doing just fine without the devil’s help!” Seriously, why do so many people walk away?

I think the main reason is that they find the gospel offensive. Being covered by the blood or by His lacerated body we are healed? The toughest is the Trinity and God Jesus dying. I recommend that you read “Hard to Believe” by John MacArthur Jr.

Too many turn their back on the church because of the persecution they are getting from friends, family and fellow workers that make fun of their effort to change their ways. Also, church members can be so mean with their gossiping and backbiting. Some of my most friendly neighbors are unsaved!

My kid brother, among others, just laughs it off. His attitude is the same toward Jesus as it is to any religious leader or the tooth fairy, for that matter. He believes Christianity is just invented to have an answer to those questions and events that just don’t make sense.

Some blow off Christianity because of their evil companions. When I gave my life to Jesus I worried about losing my unsaved buddies. Well, they ran for the hills and I thank the Lord for that because they weren’t the friends I needed to strengthen my walk with the Lord. Good Christian members have filled the gap.

Others just cannot tear themselves away from the sensual enjoyment that the devil provides in every direction including the church. In some countries the prostitutes start out their night in church praying for a successful evening!

Let’s give some the benefit of the doubt and excuse them because the situation has changed. They may have a new job, change of homes, death, divorce or other tragedy that needs our prayers.

The two most oft repeated reasons why fellow Christians leave the church is from sheer laziness or a complaint of what they believe to be unsound doctrine. It all cases, it is painful to me that when I quit going to the traditional churches, no one who said they loved me did or cared to even call me. I have since become an ordained Baptist minister and have my own little chapel of believers that worship together with me.

 

DON’T KICK

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DON’T KICK

By Rick Mathes

 

Acts 26:14
“And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

 Why do we fight hard against the process of holiness and sanctification? How much of a grip does sin really have on you and why do you allow it? The Lord wants so dearly to hug you and tell you He loves you. Yet we often refuse His invitation. How does He try so desperately to reach us? How can we receive His gently urging to be His?

The means the Lord uses is a tender and warm embrace. Can’t you just feel it? His soft touch can only come to you through the Word in essence in the Bible or in its form, in person through the Holy Spirit until His return. Just the Word, nothing more, is needed for you to do a turnabout on sin. Look to the cross and her His agonizing moans in the excruciating pain of our punishment for sin: yes our punishment. Let that sink in.

I know He loves you more than you are capable of loving. So when He pulls in the reins on your prayer requests and answers, “Not yet,” don’t fight against Him. He knows what is best for you and that is often the exact opposite of what you want. Like the bridle on a horse our natural response is to bite down on the bit and do as we choose. Sometimes a wise horseman needs to pull back sharply to let the horse know who is boss.

Since we’ve been born again we have a new family in glory and through Christians here on planet earth. Heaven enjoins with earth and His will is done according to His purposes, It is a tender parental love that too many of us have not experienced. I even welcomed “tough love” as a teenager and I didn’t even get that. I praise the Lord that I have a “Daddy” now that will take a belt to my butt when I have it coming.

Usually, apart from extreme circumstances, He approaches us with a tender admonition when we drift too far. As friends, we can meet on even ground at the foot of the cross and get our life in order, eye to eye with Him. Just one look into the eyes of that battered and bruised face, bloody and grotesque, is enough to melt any hardened heart.

All that the Holy Spirit needs to do is to gently prompt us to stay to the script, keep our focus and put a step forward toward Him and away from the flesh within us that cries out for hell. It’s a no choice situation. We must surrender and not kick against the hand that loves us.