Tag: Jesus

HELL’S COMMANDMENTS

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HELL’S 7 COMMANDMENTS

By Rick Mathes

The curse of Lucifer is in the chromosomes that were passed down by our common natural father Adam. His progeny were so evil God flooded the earth and violently drowned all life but Noah and his close family. It is repeating the end times again because man obeys hell’s 7 commandments.

  1. You must have and destroy all races of mankind that are different from you. This includes white trash, niggers, chinks, red skins and any others whose skin tone and culture differs from yours.
  2. You must destroy the civilization whose form of government differs from you. There is no such thing as a democracy or freedom. How stupid can you be? Can’t you see, open your eyes, greed has conquered creed. Don’t be a fool and be taken in by your politicians any more. Armed revolution is the only conclusion.

III.           You must gather all the wealth your greedy paws can lay hold of and take everything you can from others. No, you don’t need more but take it anyway just for the pleasure of destroying others and rising above the ashes a victor.

  1. You must support the suppression of education of knowledge in any form. The answer to mass slavery is dumbing down the populace so that the agent of hell might rise as clarions of the less fortunate. Ignorance is bliss for those controlled by those of higher education and wisdom.
  2. You must propagandize your world domineering strategy through all the arts and means of communication. He who rules the airwaves, arts and sciences, food production and distribution rules the world. Remember it’s the historian of your choice who will write the history you want immortalized.
  3. You must quash any cause of human righteousness. You are the referee of right and wrong and you know as well as I do that is no slight thing as a constant except that there is no such thing as a constant. All people, place and things are relative and subjective to the clenched fist of the biggest bully.

VII.         You must sever and destroy as nonsense all religions. Teach them that religion is man’s weak invention to explain the unexplainable long enough and the masses

will believe it. Remember, Lucifer is god but don’t tell anyone. The end has come!

FISHERMAN

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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

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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?

FAITHFUL

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FAITHFUL

By Rick Mathes

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB77) 13  No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.

There was once a time when a man’s handshake was his bond. Not anymore. There is no honor among thieves. There never was. The only thing you can rely on with the devil’s advocate is unfaithfulness. When the going gets tough it’s every man for him. You stand before the judge alone.

Not so with God, He is infinitely faithful and will always provide you with a way out of sin. He is established in righteousness and evil not only cannot comprehend Him it can’t occupy Him.

The incomparable blessing from this is that He will never give you more testing that you can bear. Yes, I said testing because Satan cannot tempt you without God’s permission and God doesn’t temp, He tests.

Our Lord’s unfailing faithfulness is jaw dropping. Let me ask you, what was he worst disaster or sinful act you have ever experienced? Did you survive it to glorify His name? Of course you did! Does He need to prove His faithfulness again? No. He will never leave you nor forsake you His faithfulness to you is everlasting into the very end of eternity. Where He is you will be: count on it.

This great faith He has in you was born in His faithful Son who loved yous o deeply that He suffered and died for your sins. Jesus took the unimaginable punishment that the devil reserved for you.

Great faith begets great faith. Will you at least trust Him more than fear the world’s worst enticements to sin and death? Even though your body rejected His unconditional escape from the flames of hell, at least try to let your spirit soar to a safe place in His protective love and faithfulness to His Son and you.

Try with all that is within you to be worthy of His faith in you. He is vulnerable to any pain your rejection and sin may cause Him. Hasn’t He suffered enough for you? Thank Him for His unbending faithfulness and pray with all your might that you can reply in kind.

 

EBONY AND IVORY

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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

 

 

DUST TO GLORY

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DUST TO GLORY

By Rick Mathes

It’s hard to get into the head of an unbeliever. It just doesn’t make any sense why someone would refuse our Lord’s salvation from eternal dying in flames. It’s even harder to penetrate the souls of those that don’t care nor even want to think about what starts when their heart stops. It’s so frustrating!

The experience of being saved involves three areas: intellectual, volitional and emotional. One might be the entry level for the other three but all must come together for a genuine experience.

God can be recognized in two forms essentially: His form and His essence. His form rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and can now be found in the Holy Spirit He sent to take His place in our lives until His return. The essence is in the Word of God we call our Holy Bible. The Logos explodes off of the pages as the living witness to a living God.

The Bible teaches us about God, our own soul and human destiny. It is a life-raft in a sea of apathy and neglect. Just think of the genius of God in picking out the color of blue for our sky as well as a nose on your face to smell. Did you ever study the optics of just your eyeball? Evolution, phooey! His mind is unknowable except what He had to say to us in His Word.

Jesus walked in the same dust we do. Let’s at least agree that His friends are our friends and His enemies are our enemies. God grant us the wisdom to now the difference. Thank you Bill W. and Dr. Bob!

Look at His way of managing both the good and bad that crossed His paths as they cross ours. How did He handle those difficult circumstances and how did He show His love?

Take a closer look at what He rejected rather than what He accepted. When you know the truth through and through the false stands out like a stubbed toe. It makes you automatically say, “Ouch!” and avoid it.

He commanded that we pick up our cross to be worthy to follow Him and in dying to your  self we walk in His life and make His future ours. Why gaze backwards at the dust when you can look upward to His glory.

CONDEMNED

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CONDEMNED

By Rick Mathes

Twenty-six weekend revivals in twenty-six prisons over two states simultaneously! It had never been done before. The logistics of this prison invasion boggled my mind, not to mention the trembling of my heart. Over a thousand volunteers would have to be instructed, assigned, security cleared and coordinated with musicians all at the same time. Well, this overwhelming task sure go my soul winning juices going as I sharpened my marketing skills and committed to this undertaking. Direct mail, church meetings and endless phone calls. A blur of apprehensive Christians caught up in the peer group pressure, contagious excitement, invading prisons for Christ. Setting the captives free!

As the December invasion drew nearer, I became disquieted and panicky of possible prison violence and danger. I had recruited these lambs and sent them to the slaughter. The prisoners would chew them up and spit them out. I was walking in fear and doubt. My spirit had weakened and at least I had enough discernment to press on in prayer an fasting in preparation for this spectacular event. While deeply into it, the Lord impressed me on the importance of spiritual combat.

The light turned green and the invasion was a go when I received an eleventh hour call from death row in the state maximum security prison over 100 miles from me. They wanted to participate and not be left out. I volunteered to do a Sunday morning service and the arrangements were made.

I arrived at the penitentiary earlier than the visitors and subsequent to a very meticulous search I was permitted to enter the confined security area clutching my Bible. I entered the walkway with ten thickly screened cages on both sides that were only three feet square and barely tall enough for a man to stand up in. Very comparable to a zoo. Extremely debasing and smothering. I made a stand at the gat and resolved to preach out and down the corridor. I wasn’t sure anyone would show up so I just paced the floor and prayed.

Three hours had passed before all the C. P. (capital punishment) inmates were positioned in these cramped cubicles. Each C.P. had to be brought out one man at a time, cuffed from behind and leg-shackled. A further obstacle was caused by the “No Physical Contact” rule in effect. The unbroken pathway caused much complaining and inconvenience for the other prisoners. One by on they stepped into these disgraceful cages and the cuffs and chains were removed. No physical contact whatsoever. They were phlegmatic and sulky and then it really hit me!

I was in an arena of death row prisoners that had committed crimes that were so unforgivable that civilized society required their lives as retribution. They had all been sentenced to die by lethal injection. Not competent to live. They would all eventually walk that last mile and return in a box. The awesome responsibility for their souls overwhelmed me and it was at that instant that I experienced a tremendous illustration from the Lord that has influenced my ministry to this day.

I opened us up in prayer and began turning to Psalm 51 when I noticed that I couldn’t see the print very well. I searched myself and realized that my glasses were missing and I would be helpless to read the text without them. Why would God do this to me? Didn’t he know how significant this service was? What did he expect me to do now? On my left was a murderous looking convict with a sneer across his disfigured and pock-marked face. Impulsively, I asked him if he could read this for me. He said he would.

I remembered a television service I had watched where the minister had someone read each line, and the preacher would preach. Seemed like a good idea to me, so I put the open Bible against the screen for him to read. And he began to read slowly and reverently, not however pausing for me to preach. Everyone hung on every word and the Spirit of God settled down on them in an incredible way.

When he was through, I couldn’t believe my eyes! One by one they dropped to their knees and began weeping. I hadn’t preached a singe word. Instinctively, I did a call to repentance and they responded as one. We then sang some praise songs to Jesus and the sentry ushered me out and on to the street. My head began to clear and the lesson sunk in.

Jesus Christ had done the service and what could I have possible have added to Psalm 51 but a death row convict to read it? My lesson? The Lord was with them before I got there and that He had remained after I left, still setting captives free 2,000 years later!

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!

BARNEY THE BEAR

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BARNEY THE BEAR

By Rick Mathes

(Author of “Allah or Jesus”)

Many years ago the City Council of a large metropolitan city was researching diverse options that would stretch out a hand of brotherhood to the impoverished shanty town across the railroad tracks. They were seeking some benevolent gesture they could make that would give them positive public relations.

One day a Councilman spoke up and suggested, “Let’s help them start a free public zoo. Everyone loves animals!” The proposal was passed unanimously and it was voted to donated a cub bear to begin it with.

A ten by thirty foot cage was constructed and a cub named “Barney” was delivered to a neighborhood that had much crime and brutality. And the people responded by being mean and heartless as their displaced aggression took focus on Barney.

They would poke fun at Barney and flick lit cigarettes at him. He growled his first mean growl, snarled his teeth and paced six steps to the right, and then six steps to the left. Months dragged by and Barney began growing larger and meaner. The town’s hoodlums had already set him on fire twice and some men kids had poked out one of his eyes. He was a prisoner in a cage. They were doing horrendous things to him. He couldn’t escape his captivity. Barney was the victim of society and totally at their mercy. He didn’t know hatred, distress or brutality until it was inflicted upon him.

So, he paced six steps to the right and then six steps to the left, growled and then paced six steps to the right, and the six steps to the left, then six steps ….. He was incarcerated with no means of escape. No future. No hope. No one who cared!

One day an anonymous phone call to the city’s news-desk alerted a reported of the atrocities big, mean and ugly Barney was suffering. Intolerable! The feature story was run front page and the public was outraged that someone had fed him meat mixed with ground glass! Unanimously they decided to rescue Barney and transport him to their multi-million dollar zoo that had acres for bears and the tender loving care of dedicated attendants.

The truck was dispatched and the cage with Barney in it was brought back to the City Zoo and lowered down into an absolute dream come true, “Bear Heaven.” It had everything and anything a bear could ever dream of. Rolling hills, cold, clear streams, spring fed lakes teaming with delicious fish and the companionship of loving, bear hugging and joyful fellow bears welcoming their new friend Barney.

All this attention had made Barney fearful and angry as he paced the only home he had ever known; six paces to the right, and six paces to the left, then six paces to the …..

Very carefully, they slid up and opened the gate to his life-long prison of bars. Open at last! His way of escape was finally staring him right in the face! He nervously stuck his head out and looked over the breathtaking beauty of the new life that was open to him. And guess what he did? You guessed it; six paces to the right, then six paces to the left, and …. He wouldn’t take that first step to freedom.

Perplexed, the attendants hurried off to prepare the most delectable and delicious bear food that money could buy and a chef could prepare. This banquet was laid out before him just outside the gate to his cage. All he had ever eaten was foul garbage. The irresistible aroma filled the air as he lifted his snout, sniffed and salivated in extreme hunger. His eyes scanned the full array of any delicacy a starving bear could ever imagine. Guess what he did? You guessed it; he paced six steps to the right, then six steps to the left, and then…. He still would not be enticed to leave his old life behind.

Freedom was staring him right in the face. The gate was wide open but he stubbornly refused to leave the life he had led. He was hardened and institutionalized; an incorrigible that just knew society would reject him. There just had to be a catch. A whole banquet of life giving food lay before him and yet he rejected even the multitude who had eaten the same food and had been nourished and saved.

Night had fallen and the City Zoo attendants knew that desperate measures had to be taken. They knew that this new home was Barney’s only salvation so they risked their relationship with him and determined that they  must use a confrontational means of reaching him. So they found a torch and set it aflame! Poking it into the cage and threatening Barney with consuming fire was all it took. He felt the approaching flames and bolted through the one and only gate of salvation! Terrified but free of his prison at last!

Even though the banquet of the Word is laid before criminals, it sometimes takes fire and brimstone to bring them to the foot of the Cross.

www.RickMathes.org

 

YOUR CHURCH

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YOUR CHURCH 3

By Rick Mathes

Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.

Cool marble floors, silent statues, golden altar utensils, and stain glass windows can give you spiritual chills but have absolutely nothing to do with winning souls or reaching God. All the bells and whistles in the world can’t get someone to say, “Save me Lord!” but the Word of God quickened in their hearts by the Holy Spirit. Like metal seeking the magnet, those elect are drawn to Jesus, drop to their knees and confess Him as Lord.

Beautiful organ music, huge choirs, over-head visuals and even indoor-fireworks and earthquakes ae all pushed to the limit and new gimmicks are yet to be invented to draw the gullible into these Christ-less rip off buildings with a cross on the roof. The Lord’s Church is barely visible in the “add hot water” “you blink you miss it” instant fast food religion that has infiltrated and captured most denominations.

Plenty of theology is invented to have you thirst for more: anything but repent, submit and obey. Father Lucifer does care if you want to give you heart to Jesus, repent of your sins and become born again, just don’t do it today. Apathy and lukewarm emotion is reflected in the new generation of young adults that live in a “whatever” world. The tail is wagging the dog and the dumbing down the children has come back to haunt the elite.

So here you have a beautiful church with only one problem: it is empty of believers!

When you open your doors to unbelievers without discipline you are guilty of he sin of permission. By not rebuking and correcting the sinners, you take on that sin as your own. Can you get a full understanding of this?

As ministers of the Word, to have His Church there has to be limits of which we will not go beyond. A true Apostolic Church of His is Bible only Jesus only, Grace only, Faith only. You can tell they are true to the Word if they ascribe to predestination of the elect and teach: Total depravity, unmerited salvation, limited atonement, irresistible grace and perseverance of the saints. Step into the real church and hear the heavens echo “Welcome to the Body of Christ”, the called ones, the true Church.