Tag: Christ

COMFORTER

By Rick Mathes

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

Islam teaches that Jesus sent Mohammed to be our counselor and teacher not the Holy Spirit. Talk about scripture twisting, they also claim that Abraham was to sacrifice Ishmael not Isaac. How out-there can one get. Yet, most people you ask haven’t a clue what or who the Holy Spirit is and what His involvement is in our lives to this moment! I won’t even begin to suggest to you that I am the final word on this issue but I have made a few observations the teachings of the Bible that makes the Holy Spirit a critical component of my life in Him.

The Paraclete is definable to the extent that we understand Him to be equal to the Father and Son. Now I have read many books and articles trying to explain that the three independent personalities are one person and none of them make any sense! But just because I don’t understand it doesn’t mean God doesn’t know it. I just accept the Trinity by faith in the Word that says it is so. I like the analogy that the Father is the sun, the Son is  the illumination and the Holy Spirit is the warmth between them. Or how about one times one times one equals One?

What can I say with certainty is that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter. He brings the warmth of the Son into your heart and being. He embraces us with the confidence that everything is going to be ok. It’s a real blessed assurance not a counterfeit that the devil cooked up. You can’t touch the flames without pain and where there is smoke, there is fire. But when the dove lights on your head, the peace that surpasses understanding washes your soul and enlightens your heart with an appreciated confidence that strengthens your resolve to press on.

The Comforter provides comfort to the comforted!

This is a real life experience with the Holy Spirit that is felt, actuated and confirmed by the Word of God and the lives of the spirits submitted to the Lordship of Jesus. The unbelieving doctor said, “Can you see, smell, taste, hear, taste or feel the Holy Spirit?” The Christian answered, “I can feel Him.” “That makes it 4 against and one for. As a doctor of medical science, I won’t accept that as fact.” The Christian countered, “Can you see, smell, hear, taste or feel pain?” The Doctor admitted he could feel pain. The Christian countered, “Then it’s a fact the Holy Spirit is as real to me as pain is to you. I pray you believe and the pain will pass!”

COME TO ME

By Rick Mathes

John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ” If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

Jesus Christ is God, is alive and is coming back. Now this is reason enough for me to come to Him when I am a quart low. He and He alone have the Living Water in His essence, the Word and in His form, His person. So all I need to do is study His Word, pray and meditate and I will be refreshed and preserved to another day.

There is no other name in heaven, earth or below to call on. All others smolder and smell from the flames of the abyss: demons with masks on. Jesus said He was the way, the truth and the life. Now I must admit to you that I still struggle with a concept being a person. I will discuss this issue in another devotional. This much I do know, there is no other Savior but Jesus Christ.

When I go to His Word, the Holy Spirit makes the verses come alive. I can almost feel a heartbeat just laying my hands on the Gospels. His Word becomes even more powerful when I read His actual words. Did you know that if you just read the “red parts” (His quoted words) it will only take you three hours?

The main thing you find is wisdom that surpasses Plato and Aristotle. In fact philosophers are fools who ask other fools foolish questions and get foolish answers that they pass on to other fools! Logos is wisdom, Sophia.

The Rhema is the power of the Word that only a believer can understand. It’s when the Word leaps off the pages and does a broadside on your mind and heart. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to take His place until His return. When was the last time you “shot up” the Holy Ghost and mainline all He is?

The Father is the lover, the Son is the loved and the Holy Spirit is that love between them. When you find the Son, you have the fullness of the Godhead. This will endow in you a symphony of our Triune God and all the heart-break we caused Him during our journey to the cross.

The Comforter surely is as He assures us that everything is going to be all right. There is a sense of relief in knowing that we have received a full-pardon When then reality of this really sinks in,you have found Him!

CHURCH

By Rick Mathes

The corporate church is the Body of Christ which is composed of all its elect. We don’t “go to church” we “are church.” The ground I’m standing on is church property because I am the visible temple of the Holy Spirit: He lives through me.

We come together to worship because like metal to magnet we cannot do otherwise. Our spiritual comfort zone is to be in “one accord” worshipping and enjoying our Lord in His glory.

So far we are in agreement with the Roman Catholics. Where we depart is when it becomes a “Mass” that features a ritualistic re-crucifixion of our Savior: another unnecessary atonement, one done on a weekly basis: over and over and over as the slaughtering of lambs in the Old Testament.

When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He meant it. He died once to free us form the punishment of sins, the power of present sinfulness and the presence of future sinful consequences. This was done once never to be repeated ever again. There has never been any need for a sacrifice since His and there never will be. The Roman Catholic Mass is blasphemy!

This “mass” of atonement for our sins in another gospel and is a direct reflection of ancient temple offerings. The need for these useless rituals is forever dispelled in the Book of Hebrews. There is not even a hint of the mass being held by a priest anywhere in the New Testament or any history of Christianity until it was invented by Rome in the fourth century.

A typical gathering of the Saints was usually held outdoors by a river, stream or lake or in the home of some wealthy Christian. It was a simple service that included prayer and singing. They would all take oaths of the 10 commandments and someone would bring a Word from the Lord. They would have a communal breaking of bread, drinking of wine in memory of the Lord and when applicable conclude with baptism of newly born-again children of he promise,.

The marks of the true Church are:

The true preaching of the Word

The right administration of the Word

The faithful exercise of discipline

After the so-called conversion of Emperor Constantine (310AD), Christianity was declared the state religion and multitudes of pagans were admitted to the Church by baptism alone without conversion. They brought with them pagan rites, statures, ceremonies and practices which eventually found themselves incorporated into the Roman Catholic mass which is practiced to this very day.

Over 50% of this mass is of mythology and heathenism. And most of the balance is an invention of the strangest kind. Oh, how the saints that have passed must cringe as they watch the pompous display of worldly idolatry and self-gratification being displayed by men with questionable gender-orientation, parading around in gowns of mourning or celebration depending on the invention of the cause. The genuflect, bow and kiss of holy relics before a crucifix of worship as the saints look on from their statues in approval is straight from the altar of Satan.

“Oh mother of God we worship you” is the theme to the Matrix of glory. The fourth of their declared Godhead; and the faithful actually believe this! Amazing.

CHRISTIANS

By Rick Mathes

Acts 11:26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for an entire year they met with the church, and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Little did they know when the Church of Antioch first call the followers of the Way, Christians what they had started. There is no more highly honored near in any dictionary of any nation. We are followers of Christ and disciples of His Way. What a privilege: that He died for me!

But how can you identify a Christian? Are there any characteristics that separated ttthem from the rest?

I don’t know about you but when I’m with Christians I sense a sincere kindness I really can’t find anywhere else. Being kind and compassionate were the hallmark traits of that rag-tab early community of believers. They showed such patience with each other’s short-comings and growing pains. It was a true willingness of everyone’s part to be of one accord.

They had one God, one faith, one baptism and one desire to love each other with His agape love. It produced and unprecedented happiness that set them apart and was the envy of unbelievers. The early church didn’t explode in their mission outreach only, they imploded with worship. Unbelievers were beating the doors down to get some. Such was the condition of America has abandoned.

Charity is not the entitlement of government; it is the outpouring of Christian ministry. It is their eagerness that first established hospitals, orphanages and senior living accommodations. They did so with a humble loyalty to the principle of the gospel. St. Francis of Assisi said it so well, and I paraphrase, “All I want to do is go about the Lord’s business and not know it.”

It takes a courageous warrior for the Lord to defend His name in this sewer of unbelief, apostasy and apathy. We must return to the cross and ask for forgiveness, receive it and then become forgivers. This is all supernatural and in respect for His forgiveness from that bloody death stake on Calvary.

Do you have the strength and resolve to admit, submit, commit and transmit the gospel from the top of the mountain? Then be of service to the Commander-in-Chief and defend that Name of names, Jesus. Proudly declare to all who will hear that you are a Christian!

CHRISTIANITY

By Rick Mathes

Acts 11:26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for an entire year they met with the church, and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

There is no higher rank, accomplishment or title that is greater than being a Christian. It hurts my heart deeply that it has been dragged through the mud and worse by the devil and his ministering demons in synagogues of Satan (carnal churches). It’s to the point that only 2% of professing Christians are really Biblical Christians that once populated that first church in Antioch. That means that the vast majority of religious counterfeits who call themselves Christians are going to a hotter place in hell. This begs the question; what is a Chritian and what is the vital doctrine of all Christians

A Christian is one who will not deviate from; 1) Bible only, 2) Jesus only, 3) Grace only, and 4) Faith only. That acronym TULIP (You can look it up.) and the gospel according to Jesus is Calvinism (All other faiths are bogus.).

The first step we need to take is to admit our sins and the need of a Savior. This conviction can only come from the Holy Spirit. No sermon or ritual will produce a real conversion apart from the moving of the Holy Spirit. Only a heart-felt appeal to God will suffice. So put your face in the mud, the blood and the tears at the foot of the Cross and cry out, “Lord save me!”

The next step is to submit to His will. You start out as your hand doing your thing and then He covers it with His glove of protection. This is called justification. Sanctification is where you exchange places with Him. He becomes the hand and your skin becomes the glove that covers Him so that He can go about the Father’s work through you. At this point, the rest of your life is none of your business! God is going to do with you what He wants to, how He wants to, where He wants to, when He wants to, if He feels like it. (Read this again)

You need to commit all you are for all that He is. This is a covenant that is deeper than deep. Even you can’t break it; once saved always saved. I can’t take the blood of my father from my veins anymore than I can take the saving grace of my new Father from my soul.

The natural outcome of these steps to holiness is to transmit or communicate the good news to others. The Word will get into your veins like fire and you will not be able to shut up!

CHRIST’S LOVE

By Rick Mathes

2 Corinthians 5:14 (NASB77) ¹⁴  For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;

How deep is your love? It depends on what kind of love you are talking about. Eros is the love hat is expressed and enjoyed though our five senses: see, hear, taste, smell and touch. This can include everything from the scent of flowers, to the thrill of sex, to the savory taste of a filet.

Another love is filial. This is the most familiar love of very solid friendship as we are expected to have with our best friends and closest neighbors.

Finally there is agape. This love was displayed in the Word of God such as: David-Johnathon, Paul-Timothy, or you and Jesus. It is a complete and total love worth dying for. This is most usual in a husband-wife or parent-child relationship.

Christ died for us because it was the wages of our sin. He dided that we might live: that’s agape love. Whoever would believe in His atonement would be saved by those who refused it would experience the second death. Since all have sinned this should be a matter for all to consider however Satan has his hooks in those who ae in the state of unbelief.

Christ’s love is the antidote of the sentence of death that is upon all me. We all fall short of the perfection God requires. Christ’s death proved His love for mankind and His resurrection proves His love for man. This second Adam was the love that overcame the raging hate and evil of hell.

It was expedient that this one would die to save the citizens of God’s new heaven and new earth. So Jesus died fo us ad now all of His will willingly and eagerly ie for Him. This is a relationship that none of Satan’s monarchs were capable of without the force of war

All of us elect now die for Him. We die to sin so that we may live in holiness. He left us His Holy Spirit to guide and encourage us to repent, believe and obey the Word of God: the essence of Jesus. What can exceed the love of Christ? God is the lover, Jesus is he loved and the Holy Spirit I the love that flows between them!