Bro Matthew Castillow's Service

A Pillar In The Temple Of Our God

Today, we are here to celebrate the life of this dear brother in Christ. We are also gathered today to comfort this family. They have been through tremendous storms of life for the last few years and might I say, in spite of those storms we find them ever faithful to the Lord, each other, as well as the community. Let us return that faithfulness, by returning faithfulness.

I always try to start out these services with speaking of what an honor it is to represent Bro Matthew and the family. It is an honor, however, as I stand here today, I must say that it was an honor just to be in a small part of Bro Matthew and his family’s lives!

He was truly a Christian! Underneath that tough exterior and that gravely voice, was the heart of Christ! The obituary read that he was a friend to all and he was, he was also a servant to as many as he could. How many of us here can say that we were blessed by Bro Matthew, with something grown in the garden, any help that was needed, or just a prayer! I know I have and not just on one occasion, many times.

He loved his family! He was so proud of his boys and their families. He loved and enjoyed his grandchildren! He cherished family, his brothers and sisters and his “in-laws”, which he never considered them “in-laws” just family! He loved them all!

He loved his wife “Donna” I call her Missy but that is all I have ever known. We was at the hospital with him and I was moving chairs around, Missy said that he was her true helper and he was! I couldn’t get that out of mind; that a spouse is called by God, a helpmate! He was “Donna’s” faithful helpmate!

Not to steal that from “Donna”, but he was a helper to all that he could.

In 2015, I asked Missy and Matthew to meet me at Pizza Hut in Flomaton, I was going to ask him to be a deacon of our church at Friendship. Little did I or they know what was to transpire after that.

Missy became sick and was near death’s door, the Lord brought her through that.

Then Matthew was diagnosed with cancer and that began a long journey of ups and downs. From treatments to a transplant in Houston. Many struggles during those times, but he was a joy to those that helped him.

I remember visiting him in Houston, there was singing and joy that filled the places where Matthew was........The struggle was real for him, but there was something that drove him to joy! It was no doubt his faith!

He had battles with his heart and finally some more cancer...........It was never ending, but so was his faith!

That is the true story here.....I could talk about the bad stuff and the “what-ifs” all day long, but what joy is there in that?

I choose to declare the faith of my brother!

He used to tell me, that he didn’t know why the Lord kept him here, he would say I should of been dead long time ago, but the Lord has a plan for him!

He followed through with that plan!

Matthew would want nothing more than to tell people about Jesus Christ and what He has done for him.

I given that a lot of thought! You know if I had an opponent that had an awesome player on their team, I would want try my very best to shut him down. It seems our adversary thought that about Bro Matthew, but he severely underestimated his faith in our Lord Jesus Christ!

Here is why.......Bro Matthew used to testify and has probably told most of us here this: That you couldn’t fit all that he has done against the Lord in one of those trailers that he used to haul. He would say that he lived for the devil most of his life, now he was going to live for Jesus Christ the rest.

I thought of what Jesus said in Luke 7:47 “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”

Bro Heath sand a song at Oak Grove, called the “The Sweetest words He ever said was ‘I forgive’”

I kind of imagine that was Bro Matthew’s song!

According to Matthew, his sins were many, therefore he loved much! When he would testify at church, he would say “You know I love the Lord.......!” He did....1 John 3:18 “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

Bro Matthew loved in all 3, word, deed, and truth!

The rest of his life lived for Jesus was under severe tribulation and I sent this to Sis Diane not long before he passed: Hebrews 10:35 “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.”

Our dear brother did not ever cast away his confidence, because he knew the reward that Jesus Christ had secured for him. He knew how much he had been forgiven and he never doubted what God had promised, his confidence was never shaken!

Not too long ago, Bro Matthew was asked to speak at his niece’s funeral.......he shared with them his confidence!

I picture Ole Matthew in this life, as he planted many earthly vegetable seeds, he also was sowing the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Hard at trying to share his confidence in Jesus with others.

Him riding that red tractor in the fields, he went through the fields of life sharing the crimson blood of Jesus Christ shed for the sins of the world!

On the ride over there we talked about all kinds of things, but that man had a great understanding of the truth of Jesus Christ, a great insight......the confidence in Jesus exuded forth from him!

A confidence that assured him then of, what he is experiencing now.......no pain, no sorrow, no sickness, no death..........when you have spent as much time in pain as Matthew has this truth takes on greater meaning and is desired greatly!

This verse comes to mind Romans 8:18 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

The physical struggles can even hold a candle to the glory that is being revealed in Bro Matthew now, through Jesus Christ!

His confidence was strong and pure, from a heart that has been greatly forgiven, therefore he loved big!

They didn’t call him “Big Mac” for nothing!

Lastly, I wasn’t going to end without telling of this moment, that is a snap shot in my mind, I will never forget.......It was a Wed. night and we were just a few weeks into our study of the Book of Revelation.

Jesus was giving John what to write to the 7 churches in Asia minor.......we were at the church of Philadelphia.

This one of only 2 churches that did not have a reprimand from Jesus!

I remember exactly where Bro Matthew was sitting, he was on my left hand side of the pews, sitting near the isle.......in my mind I don’t even see anybody there.

I will have to setup this up a little for us to understand what my brother said that night......

Let’s read......Rev. 3:7-12............This church had little power as far as the outward is concerned, I start to see Bro Matthew in this now that I read it again......

In their struggle for a physical strength, they kept the Word’s of Jesus (obedient)

They also did not deny the name of Jesus Christ (LOYAL)

They kept Jesus’words of patience....they persevered!

I can see Bro Matthew’s faith in Jesus Christ in this so clearly now!

In my study of these cities, I read that some of these cities was near volcanic activity and the ground was very unstable and some of these cities were affected by earthquakes.

One really big one in AD 17.........The people evacuated and when they returned the whole city was destroyed, only the pillars was left standing.

So, when Jesus tells us that He will make us a pillar, that would mean to these citizens of Philadelphia, that though everything else around them is shaking to rubble they will still be standing!

As I got though with the description of that city and the pillars and read again what Jesus said in verse 12, Bro Matthew spoke up and said in that gravely deep voice: “I want to be a pillar”

Bro Matthew knew full well what an earthquake was like, because he experienced in his body and life, however, looking through his eyes of faith, he saw past the destruction and did not cast away his confidence that he had in Jesus Christ!

I wrote this down in my Bible from our study...... “Grace is a fire for the soul”

That Grace has made Bro Matthew a pillar in the temple of our God, no more worries about diagnosis, no pain, no sorrow, Bro Matthew now dwells in the presence of his Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ!

The new Name of Jesus Christ is written upon our dear Brother Matthew!!

I heard a Methodist minister say of one of his faithful parishioners, which I will say of our faithful Bro..Matthew....... “Matthew Castillow’s membership was transferred from Friendship Church to the Glorious Abode of God and His Son Jesus Christ on March 6, 2022!

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”