The Lord is asking you this morning what do I need from you? God is asking you what is His biggest need? As we enter into the Easter season the answer is that you would be a faithful witness to His Resurrection! Acts 1:– Go to Jerusalem and wait for me! Do not attempt to do it on your own. I will send my Holy Spirit to you! Be a faithful witness as I work in you! Spiritual Gifts! What is a spiritual gift? A Spiritual Gift is a gift to Glorify Jesus and encourage people. It is also to minimize man. The word Gift is the same Greek root word that is used for Grace which is the word Charisma. A Gift is a miraculous faculty or the Gift of Grace! How would you like a resume with a miracle on your faculty! The first Gift mentioned in Acts is Wisdom. Wisdom is the special ability to hear and speak wise council. This gift may be just for me. Wisdom is the practical application of knowledge. It is enlightened understanding. Luke 2: 46-48— Joseph and Mary lost God? Three days later they found Jesus in the Temple. At 12 years old Jesus was sitting with the Jewish Scribes and asking questions. Jesus was hanging out with wise people! We must seek the Gift of Wisdom! We need to get addicted to Spiritual Gifts! Find favor with God and man. Favor is bringing idea’s to the table. With the mind of Christ favor will find you! You will have the right answers! The Jewish Scribes of the Law were amazed with Jesus answers! There is no junior Holy Spirit! He is the same to all. One body. Jesus grew in wisdom and stature. Do you also need to grow? The next gift mentioned is the Gift of Knowledge. This is the special ability to have critical insight into people and situations. A good example would be Jesus at the well. Jesus has much more than conventional knowledge. John 4:16— Jesus said unto her go and call your husband. Remember again Spiritual Gifts are to Glorify Christ and encourage people. Jesus responded to her that you had 5 husbands and the man you are living with is not your husband! Jesus can read your mail using the Gift of Knowledge. This woman was so impressed that she went back to her village and told the whole town what had happened! The whole town came out to see Jesus. The Gift of Knowledge is used here to bring people to Christ! This is how to gather a harvest. The Gift of Knowledge can also be used to understand our spouse. Works better than a marriage councilor! Use wisdom and knowledge to understand each other and to speak to one another with encouragement and understanding. The Gift of Faith. This is the special ability to be full of faith in every situation. Faith is the reliance on Christ for Salvation. It is a ground of confidence and a moral conviction of religious truth. Faith towards God! Hebrews 11:1— Faith is being sure and certain of the God you serve! Believe in a good outcome but do not place your Faith in the outcome! I have prayed for the sick and some have recovered and some have not. My Faith is only in a God who is Good and Faithful! My Faith is in a Loving God and not in an outcome. God is not an ATM machine in Heaven! Remember when we pray for someone or something God may have a better idea or a better plan! Jesus disciples did not believe or expect what would happen 3 days after the Cross! Many in our culture have no Faith. Some have a little Faith. Some have a great faith like the Centurion who said to Jesus, “Just say the Word and my servant will be healed!” Acts 1:— The Deacons were full of Faith and the Holy Spirit! Stephen had a great Faith but got stoned! Let me explain this to people in Colorado that I do not mean drunk! Not a Rocky Mountain High! With this 6000 feet elevation in Colorado Springs you can get high on a Diet Coke! Stephen died from injuries by rocks pelting his body. It surely does not look like a good outcome for Stephen! Stephen did not know that standing near him was a man named Saul of Tarsus who was consenting to his death. He later became Paul and had a vision of Jesus Christ along the road to Damascus. Much like Stephen’s vision of Christ at his execution. Paul would later write two thirds of our New Testament including the Book of Corinthians we are studying this morning. Did Stephen know the impact he would have on Paul and others? He did know God was good, loving, faithful, wise, knowledgeable, powerful and trusted for his outcome. A young teenager from North Carolina was Faithful in small things and helped his father milk cows every morning at 4:00 A.M. His name was Billy Graham. A young teenage girl in the slums of Seoul Korea found a young man dying of tuberculosis and prayed for him in Jesus name. This young dying man was David Cho! Pastor Cho and his one million plus congregation have never been able to find this girl over the past 60 years! A young Faithful Sunday School teacher drug a young girl out from under her bed who was trying to avoid his class. D.L. Moody changed the world! All but one of Jesus disciples were martyred! Does that look like a good outcome? Do the chapters they wrote in your Bible have a good outcome on you? At the Cross all the disciples fled and ran! Are you running from Jesus? Run towards him! Without the Cross we have no hope, future, peace, joy and no purpose. No Heaven for us without the Cross! You may be in jail right now for doing righteous acts like Martin Luther King suffered. You may be in jail right here in America for distributing Gospel tracts! God is never done with you and that tract you gave to that bum on skid row may be the shot heard around the world! Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever! Does not matter what generation you live in! At the end of the day God is Good and Faithful! Thirty times in the New Testament Faith is followed by Faith in Christ and Faith in God! Let us close in prayer and prepare for communion as we remember the words in Ephesians 1:17. Source; Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Message given Sunday morning April 6, 2014.
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Can God Forgive Every Sin? Mark 3:28-29
God can do about everything except sin! God can forgive every sin except one! God can forgive murder, adultery, genocide, stealing and some blasphemies. But God cannot forgive blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy means the evil speaking of God Himself! It is slandering and reviling God. It is insulting and reproaching God. When I hear people use the G.D. word I flee from them as quick as possible! I use the God Bless word! Most people do not understand the meaning of blasphemy and the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit is not dwelling in them they have no witness! An important Person of the Trinity he goes back all the way to the First Chapter of Genesis and was active in creation. The Holy Spirit pre-existed creation along with Christ and the Father. Remember Jesus told his disciples just before his ascension to wait for the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit came upon Mary and birthed Jesus the Son of God into the earth as man and God! The Jewish scribes teachers of the Law accused Jesus success in casting out demons was due to Jesus being Beelzebub the chief of the devils! So the scribes were attributing the work of God to the work of Satan! I may not agree with every ministry and of every interpretation of scripture but I will never attribute any ministries work to the work of Satan! As my Pastor Brady Boyd says,”I am not here to win an argument but to show people the love of God!” Just be aware of the one sin that God will not forgive! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
What Happened To Jesus’ Prosecutors? Easter 2014
1. Judas Iscariot- Hung himself 2. Pontius Pilot- Married the daughter of Emperor Tiberius. He was ordered back to Rome after harshly supporting a Samaritan uprising after the death of Tiberius which occurred on March 16, in 37 A.D. He was replaced by Marcelus who the new Roman Emperor installed. The new Roman Emperor Caligula (37-41 A.D.), exiled Pilot to Gaul and Pilot committed suicide in Vienne. 3. Herod the Great- Murdered the infants of Bethlehem trying to get Jesus. He murdered one of his wives and several family members. Afraid no one would mourn his funeral he ordered distinguished people of the culture to be executed on the day of his death so people would mourn! Josephus the noted Jewish historian said Herod suffered an excruciating death! He suffered from Founier’s Gangrene (Rotting of his testicles), severe itching, intestinal pain, shortness of breath, convulsions, raging fever, tumors of the feet, inflamed abdomen and severe kidney disease. 4. Herod Agrippa- The grandson of Herod the Great. He was eaten by worms in 44 A.D. 5. Tiberius Caesar- Murdered in Capri in 37 A.D. Killed at the hands of the Prefect of the Praetorian Guard Nevis Sutorius Macor with the help of his successor Emperor Caligula. 6. Saint Claudia Procks of Judea- Pilot’s wife became a revered Saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Remember she warned Pilot after a dream not to have anything to do with Jesus. Some say the dream was from Satan to spare Christ from the Cross and the redemption of man. 7. Joseph Caiaphas (High Priest)- Remember the High Priest was appointed by the Roman governor. Remember Caiaphas said it is expedient that one man should die for the people. A new governor Proconsul Vitellius deposed Caiaphas from his position as High Priest. 8. Annas (High Priest)- He was the son-in-law of Caiaphas. He was deposed by Procurator Gratus. Annas was assassinated in 66 A.D. Comments: What would Jesus do? Father forgive them for they know not what they do! The same applies to all of us today. Thank you. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane Matthew 26:36-46
The word Gethsemane is a Hebrew word that means an oil press. Gethsemane was an olive garden with olive trees with an olive press most likely located on the western slope of the Mount of Olives. Have you ever been severely pressed in your soul, mind and body? Ever feel like you are being squeezed to death? Combat soldiers in battle experience this as death knocks at the door. If you were being executed for a crime you committed you could rationalize that I deserve it. If you were being executed for a crime you did not commit would you voluntarily step forward for execution? That is what Jesus did for you! Jesus and His disciples entered the garden late at night. Cold and darkness surrounded them as Roman soldiers were in the hunt for them. Jesus takes Peter, James and John into the interior of the garden with him to pray. While Jesus prays he becomes exceedingly sorrowful even unto death! Let this cup pass from me but if not your will be done. Meanwhile the disciples fall asleep? Jesus cautions his disciples to watch and pray and not to enter into temptation for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Jesus prays again the second time the same prayer. The disciples fall into sleep again! Jesus prays again the third time the same prayer. Then the Chief Priest, elders and soldiers come and take him away. In Jewish culture if you say something three times that is the most you can say it. Peter do you love me? Peter do you love me? Peter do you love me? On the third day Jesus rose from the dead! Three strikes and your out. Jesus spoke to the mountain on the mountain three times and then He let God’s will and providence for His life and purpose be done! Let not our prayers be a fire escape but let His will for our lives be done so that others may benefit! When olives are squeezed they produce oil which is used for light and heat. Jesus was squeezed so you could have light in the dark world we live in. Jesus was, is and always will be the light of the world! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Judaism and Christ!
Judaism was the womb that birthed forth Christ and Christianity! Let us never forget the unbreakable link between the Christian and the Jew. Though some Jews today reject Christ let us not forget that their history was foundational to bring our Messiah into the earth! The Jewish history and culture prepared the way for God to position His Son to enter history at the exact appointed time. The Jews are still the apple of His eye and God will deal with them and open their eyes to Christ especially during the tribulation period as described in the Book of Revelation. In our ambitious Evangelism programs let us not forget our foundation! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Pope Francis Lectures Obama!
In the meeting between Pope Francis and President Obama the Pope said the most important issue he has and concern for America is the continued erosion of religious freedom in America! I could not agree with the Pope more than on this issue! There are many more area’s of erosion in American culture which are politically and morally motivated and are red flags in our decline of America. Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Heavy Blog Traffic Out of Israel! GodWhoisGod.com
As the month of March closes out Israel ranks number two in country traffic this month on our web site. Two days of 2500 plus hits on our Blog this month came from Israel. Why? Never in my wildest dreams while spending 3 years in India back in the 1980’s that God would give me something that would reach the Jews later! The Bible makes it clear that our Evangelism efforts are to go to the Jews first! Why would the Jews who are the most intelligent people on earth follow a blog written by a dummy like me? God can confound the wise with dummies! I received a phone call from our help line on our web site from Israel! The reason I believe is that the Jews have a keen interest in Bible prophecy! This is their primary motivation for following our Blog and our Gospel tract written in Hebrew. No greater compliment can come than the Jews listening to what God is speaking to me through His Word! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Obama Threatens Putin!
Obama threatens Putin in a stern voice and says, “If you take Ukraine and Eastern Europe you will not be able to come to America and see Disney World anymore!” Source; Charley Daniels
The End of The World ! Matthew 24
I have images of the guy in Times Square with the sign strapped on his back saying the end has come! Maybe for him? How about the end of my mortgage and car payments? How about when the kids finally move out of the house on their own? How about when they move back in when they cannot find a job? Jesus come quickly has been my prayer most of my life! The Good News is the end of the world means the coming of Christ! Here are some of the signs Jesus has given us that the end of the world is near; 1. Many will come in my name and say I am the Christ. 2. Wars and rumors of wars. 3. Nation will rise against nation and Kingdom against Kingdom (Democrats and Republicans). 4. Famines, earthquakes, pestilences all in diverse places. 5. All these the beginning of sorrows. 6. You will be afflicted, killed and hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 7. Many will be offended because of me and betray one another. 8. Many false prophets shall arise. 9. Iniquity shall abound and the love of many shall wax cold. 10. Those that endure to the end shall be saved. 11. The Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached for a witness unto the nations and then the end shall come. 12. When you see the abomination of desolation spoken by Daniel the prophet, stand in the Holy Place. These signs are exciting to the believer but terror to the unbeliever. We can participate in a positive way by promoting the Gospel of the Kingdom! It is no wonder there are so many political forces here in America and around the world trying to stop the preaching of the Gospel! There are no surprises to those who read, understand and believe the Bible. One way or another we all will be a fulfillment of Bible Prophecy but the side you choose will lead you either to Heaven of Hell! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Leadership!
Wisdom! You can never rise higher than Leadership! Source; John Maxwell.