Tag: mission gate

THE HAMMER

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Guest Column

By Dr. D. James Kennedy

As early as the seventh century, Muslim forces led campaigns to spread Islam across the Middle East. At one time the Islamic Empire eclipsed that of the Roman Empire. However, attempts by Muslim forces to push their way into Christian Europe were stymied by the famous 732 a.d. Battle of Tours in France. Charles Martel, popularly known as “Charles the Hammer,” led this battle against the Muslim armies and is largely credited for preventing Europe from succumbing to Islam’s control.

Today, militant Islamists are back and willing to lay down their lives to destroy both Europe and America. The President of Iran has promised that, “The wave of the Islamic revolution will soon reach the entire world.

Now is not the time to cut and run. Now is not the time for retreat. We need patriots and Christians like “Charles the Hammer,” to rise up and oppose those who would destroy this country.

Rick Mathes, minister of Mission Gate Prison Ministry in Missouri is a real Christian patriot standing up for the truth. Several years ago Mathes participated in a training session in which Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim clerics explained their respective beliefs to inmates.

Afterwards, during a question and answer period, Mathes asked the Muslim Imam this questions: “I understand that most Imams and clerics of the Islamic faith have declared a holy jihad (this is a holy war) against the infidels of the world and that by killing an infidel, which is a command to all Muslims, they are assured a place in heaven. If that’s the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel? As Mathes recounts, the Imam answered immediately: “A non-believer.”

“So let me make sure I have this straight,” Mathes said. “All followers of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith, so that they can go to Heaven. Is that correct?” the Imam sheepishly answered, “Yes.”

Mathes, not surprisingly, told the Imam he had a problem with being his friend when he, his  fellow  clerics and followers, wanted to kill him.

“Would you rather have your Allah, who tells you to kill me in order for you to go to Heaven, or my Jesus, who tells me to love you because I am going to Heaven, and He wants you to be there with me?”

Mathes asked. The Imam offered no answer.

There needs to be more champions like Mathes who are willing to stand against those who spread deceptive teachings. I believe such patriots exist. I also believe that America is not going to cut and run. I believe that we are going to take our stand and defeat the plans of the unrighteous. The future of our nation depends on it.

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Press ON!

Rick Mathes

www.MissionGateMinistry.org

www.RickMathes.org

 

REMEMBER HIM

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REMEMBER HIM

By Rick Mathes

He broke the bread, lifted up the wine and asked His best friends to remember Him. Are you kidding me? How could we possibly do otherwise? Of course, we will remember Him! He is our only salvation form the flaming furnace of Hell and He is the only Life we will ever have because of Him. Oh precious Jesus, how we love and remember you!

When you consider Christ in the Word, to really understand the message there are a few things I would suggest. First, consider who is saying it to whom: not everything in the Word is directed to you and I. Next, ask yourself, “How did their Jewish minds understand this” and lastly, “What is this saying to me.” We need to get into His head and develop the “mind of Christ.”

Jesus had feeling well tuned to ours. When we hurt, He hurt. This is an empathy for others that would do us well to emulate. How do you feel, often greatly influences your actions. For example: when He looked to Jerusalem, He wept. Descriptions of Him that have lasted over the years sate that He was often sad and not seen to laugh or launch in to merriment.

For sure, blessed is every Word that comes from His breath. When I first became a Christian the only words I wanted to read were His. In my Bible they were in read so I was lovingly referred to as a “red letter theologian.” If you read just His words at the speed you are reading these, it only takes three hours to read them all. Consider, I can give you a “knock-dead sermon” and two days later you are looking for the next quick fix of the Holy Spirit. Jesus preached for 3 hours and over two thousand years later we are astonished at His Words!

How can we forget He gave sight to the blind, legs to the cripple, eyes to the blind, life to the dad. His miracles are unforgettable. The greatest reason to remember Him, more than the miracles is His intersession for us.

Can you get your mind around Him interceding for us to the Father? I can imagine it where Jesus approaches the Father and says:

“Daddy, look at my wounds. I allowed them for Rick’s atonement. See the scars on my head and back. They were received in excruciating pain as a punishment for his sins. Don’t miss the sword that pierced my very own heart so that I might die and he might live. Daddy will you let Rick in?”

“Of course, my Son.”

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!

OUR FIRST BUSINESS

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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

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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

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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.

MORE THAN A MAN

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MORE THAN A MAN

By Rick Mathes

Maximum security penitentiary leaps off the screen of a James Cagney movie with long metal catwalks and tier after tier of cages holding the incorrigibles locked down 23 hours a day. The level 5 security risks are separated into four geographical quadrants so that even a chow or shower-time, the gangs cannot assemble together. Divide and conquer is particularly applicable to this bizarre nation of murderers and mutilators doing life without parole sentences.

Once a month, at my evangelistic service, the chapel is the place where all the campus general population is restricted to a central and presumed contained location; the chapel! As over four hundred inmates began filing in by group sections, I was painfully apprehensive that two high-powered rifles were being directed at them by sharp-shooters from the safe position overhead and behind my back. They assembled into their respective gangs; Chicago, East St. Louis, gang-bangers, black Muslims, white Aryans and of course the Christians.

The Warden came up to me and he said that he anticipated an insurrection to take place because he was compelled to allow sixty trouble makers and effeminate homosexuals from Protective Custody to join us from the balcony overlooking the auditorium. These infidels could not even live their own kind! The bottom of the barrel.

The balcony began to fill as they flexed their muscles, sneered and could he heard cursing the name of Jesus. The crowd was growing anxious and I sensed the presence of Satan. I signaled the praise team to begin singing and I dropped to my knees in foreboding desperation of the danger I had led my devoted volunteers into. I cried out to the Lord and began rebuking Satan with all the faith that was in me. A hollowed hush fell over the chapel and through tear blurred eyes, I looked out over the assembly and witnessed a modern day miracle.

About two hundred Christian prisoners had turned their backs to me and were standing upright, in the midst of this living hell. They lifted their holy hands to the balcony and began praying out loud in the Spirit of the Lord. Those few minutes seemed like an eternity as I observed the Spirit of God rush through that demon possessed gallery of incorrigibles. Behold, fourteen notorious gang leaders rose to their feet and cried out to Jesus for salvation! With tears streaming down their faces, the overwhelmed gang members on the ground floor began to stand with their leaders to do the same and I had yet to deliver a word of my sermon to any of them. I cried out, “There is a God!”

The service then began and at the completion I gave an alter call. The alter was flooded with a sea of repentant sinners. I was sobbing too hard to even recite a sinner’s prayer, so I handed the microphone to the black Pastor assisting me. He too was helpless to say a word. So a prisoner doing a double life sentence plus 50 years led them to the throne of grace; the old rugged Cross.

When the service had concluded and the men were led out cell block by cell block, I gathered our team for praise and prayers of thanksgiving. I later learned that 23 shanks (weapons) were left on the stage! Faith coupled with fervent prayer had prevailed.

WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

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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

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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!”

JUSTICE?

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Justice?

Rick Mathes

There I stood in a chapel packed out with death row inmates. To the novice this can be very disconcerting. And I admit I still get nervous to this day because any one of them can do harm to you and what does it matter to his sentence of death?

Looking over this unusual congregation I could hardly notice any difference from a normal church service except for the drab uniforms they are required to wear. It was and has been since a blessed event to bring the good news to the last, lost and least which I have been committed to these last 20 years.

As the inmates are dismissed they return to their regular activities such as watching a big screen television with a bowl of popcorn at their side. Or they resume playing fooz-ball or ping-pong while they wait for their craft classes to start.

You will notice that they are all well shaven and fed and have a wonderful fellowship that for most is the best life they have ever had.

Contract this to the dead victims and their families which essentially had no part of the judicial process and no restitution has been made. They are dead or grieving and in many instances falling out of society and away from the God that permitted this dastardly event in their lives.

Now I am all for justice and mercy but something is wrong with this picture.

Numbers 35:30 If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death…..

Capital punishment is meted out for punishment and their life is required as restitution to the life they so wantonly took. They deserve their punishment to the full measure not to have mercy this side of glory.

I once discipled a death row inmate scheduled to be executed and he told me that it was like peeling an onion. He kept taking off layers such as wife, kids, friends, minister, etc and crying until he got down to just him and Jesus. He said, “You know Rick there is really some humor in this execution.” I was aghast at his comment and asked him to explain further. He replied, “They are punishing me by sending me straight into the arms of Jesus!”

For those on death row, this side of glory should be hell itself and the other side mercy in the presence of our Lord.