Jesus said Antipas is my faithful martyr! Antipas was the Bishop of the church at Pergamos during the reign of Roman Emperor Domitian. The Apostle John ordained Antipas as Bishop of the church at Pergamos. Antipas was burned inside an idol which was a bull shaped copper structure. His crime was casting out demons worshipped by the local population! Some of the hero’s of the Faith are listed in Hebrews Chapter eleven! Stephen was a faithful martyr listed in the Book of Acts! Antipas was most likely a Greek who converted to Christianity. Antipas is the shortened name of Antipater. Remember that was the name of one of Alexander the Great successful Generals. (397-319 B.C.). Remember Herod the Great was known by this name! Jesus will avenge the blood of the Saints! Why did Jesus call Pergamum Satan’s Seat? Even Ephesus with all of its advantages with the Great Temple and bustling port, could not match the importance of the once royal seat of the Attalids! Situated on a scenic acropolis Pergamum was embellished with the largest number of Greek and Roman Temples in the whole of Asia Minor! Examples are Zeus, Athena, Apollo, Demetia, Dionysis and Aphrodite. On another site was housed the largest Aesclepium of the Empire. Its library of two hundred thousand volumes rivaled the renowned library in Alexandria! The eminent Doctor Galen was among her favorite sons! Roman Emperors came to seek healing at the famous Aesclelpium! Aesclepium was honored as the god of healing in the classical world. When the cult of “Dominus et Deus”, was initiated at Pergamum, the great Basilica was erected, adding to the rostrum of numerous idol Temples! The visitor today Bergama (Turkish name of the present day city), will see the immense structure at the edge of the bustling center. Basilica became the monument of vice and cruelty! Every citizen was forced to burn a few grains of incense here and worship the Emperor of Deus. Then they would proceed to their preferred practice a common syncetistic act which never lacked its double-faced devotees! For anyone who refused to submit to this profane practice death was imminent! Where as the Temple of Zeus was referred by the early Christians as the “Seat of Satan”, the appellation was later transferred to this center where some Christians felt compelled to pay obeisance! Source: Thomas Cosmades Comment: Remember God’s church was established in the midst of all this evil! The venerable Polycarp followed Antipas in martyrdom! Christ and his Cross was raised up over “Satan’s Seat”, to defeat Satan the eternal enemy of man! This battle rages on today between the One True God and the millions of the gods of men! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Tag: acts
Suffering and Success! Acts 9:15-16
It seems that everyone is trying to show the world how successful they are! The American dream! Mansions, land, gold, money, private jets, limo’s, fame, status and the rest of the vanities! However though everyone wants it there is a problem? Success tends to put the spotlight on us rather than God! Our failures can put the spotlight on Jesus rather than us! God delivered me from the death bed! Jesus raised me from the dead! I was a street person but now He has given me a family and a home! No one else ever cared for me like Jesus! He loved me when no one else would! The disciples were afraid of Paul and rightly so but Jesus told them that Paul was going to be a great leader in the church and suffer many things for my name! In my weakness i find His perfect strength! Much of the modern church has adopted the ways of the world! Then they wonder why there is no power to do the things Jesus commanded them to do? You cannot do it without Him and the Cross you must carry! Pastor Robert Jeffress, Southern Baptist Missions
Is Life Fair? Habakkuk 1:5
Habakkuk was puzzled? He wrestled with God! He could not connect the dots? Why would a more wicked nation punish Israel? Why do the righteous suffer with the wicked? Babylon was giving their gods credit for the Jewish captivity when Habakkuk knew better! The best example i could give Habakkuk about the righteous suffering with the wicked happened about 600 years later in history! Jesus God’s only Son went to the Cross on Calvary outside the city gates of Jerusalem to suffer for the sin of the whole world including you and me! He was perfect without sin yet paid the price for our sin? Paul echoed the same exact words Habakkuk did in Acts 13:41. Paul tried to warn the Jews of the danger to their soul and to Israel to reject the Messiah! Remember the Book of Acts was written between 80-90 A.D. This was 10 to 20 years after the Jewish Roman War and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D. Also remember Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple! It is in the 13th chapter of the Book of Acts that Paul decides to leave the Jews and go to the Gentiles with the Gospel message! It is interesting that the punishment for sin is built in to sin itself! Sexual immorality leads to deadly diseases like AIDS! How about death itself? No human escapes! Jesus promised to raise us from the dead! However remember everyone gets raised from the dead! Some to everlasting life and some to everlasting punishment! No one could ever promise to raise anyone from the dead unless they themselves could be raised from the dead and also to be able to raise others from the dead! Jesus did that while on earth! Only God our creator has this kind of power! But greater is His love for us as He demonstrated to us in all that He did! The wages of sin is death but God paid our wages and has given us life! Why would anyone reject His love? This is even more puzzling than Habakkuk’s question? James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
The Doctrine of Estrangement! 1 Peter 2:9
We are a peculiar people! Peculiar meaning we have reached a point or place in time where we have found purpose in God together! Notice not a peculiar person but people. People meaning a mass of humanity of all nations joined together in one purpose. We belong to a nation of people. We are a chosen people by God through Christ to minister and serve others. His church is a proclaiming community! We are organized to take care of others. As citizens of Heaven we seek the peace of the city we live in. Start a good work where you are. Bloom where you are planted. Seek to help the most vulnerable of our culture. Paul sought to free a slave. We are not to Lord over others in our family and community but demonstrate love in our marriage and family! Wives are to submit to their husband and the husband is to protect his wife. There is strength in kindness! If you have to be told you are a leader you are not! The way you are is the way you tell your story to the world. You proclaim what you are. Sin has and is causing estrangement in our world. The cultural wars of divorce, untraditional marriage, drugs, crime and corruption at all levels lead the way to estrangement in our nation! In the Book of Genesis we see creation of the world and man. Everything started out right but sin caused Adam and Eve to blame God and each other. Sin has caused us to run and hide from God and each other. It became finger pointing! She made me do it! The Devil made me do it! In Genesis chapter 11 we see the Tower of Babel where men wanted to make a name for themselves! Sound familiar? The unity here resulted in man wanting to build his own kingdom! Man has unified against God throughout history! God divided the languages and confused the people. This lead to tribalism, separation, violence and a fragmented society. So what was God’s solution? To send His Son Christ into the world! In Ephesians chapter 2 we see God putting to death separation and estrangement. He instituted the resurrected life! In Acts chapter 2 at Pentecost 120 people speaking different languages but understanding each other. One language became many and then many languages became one! Many people became a peculiar people. The Holy Spirit is joining together many people for one purpose! God reverses estrangement! Why are we a peculiar people? The church is a community within where the Holy Spirit reverses all previous estrangements! We are a eschatological community! God’s first intent consummates in the church! In Revelation chapter 5 and chapter 7 every nation and people group comes back together again! At the end of the day we win together! In Revelation chapter 21 we see no more death and a new Heaven and earth living in peace and joy. Heaven and earth become one just as we say in our Lord’s prayer! Two become one. If we know the end then we can make the right choices and do the right thing now! Start today. We are called to live and die for one another! If we as His church do the right thing today then Jesus will have little to do when He returns! The word, “Apocalypse” is used 18 times in the New Testament. To most of the world it means the end of the world. The word in the Greek translates; disclosure, revelation, enlightenment and manifestation. Romans 8:19— creation itself is groaning for redemption of the earth through storms, earthquakes and other events. The world is waiting for the Apocalyptical church and our Christ to return! We are a chosen people and a royal priesthood! As we take communion this morning do you feel estranged from God and others? Jesus paid the price on the Cross to bring us together. Jesus poured out His blood for you! In estrangement Cain slew Abel and his blood cried out from the ground for redemption! Murder is the last act of estrangement but Jesus laid down His life as a sacrifice on the Cross for you! The marriage supper of the Lamb is waiting for you and me as described in Revelation. The differences we have is removed by God in unity with Him! It is joyful in Heaven and not sorrowful! God is inviting you back to Heaven this morning! We cannot hold bitterness. We cannot drink the poison and expect others to die! We have through Christ the power to forgive! Come to His altar now and experience the ending of separation between you and God and man! Source: Pastor Daniel Grothe, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Message given on Sunday June 8, 2014.
The Respectful Are Respected! 1 Timothy 5:1-4
Instructions from God for a good outcome in your life! Respect elders. Encourage elders. Treat the younger as your brothers and sisters. Care for widows. What happens inside our homes counts! Important! The Christian home is the alternative community that is opposite to the dark, broken dysfunctional world that we live in. Politicians just reflect our broken culture. Church should be different. Debt free and living for others! Live more responsible with more to give away! Problem is the world does not see us any different from them. Just reminds them of themselves and what they hate. We must reinvent a new way of living. When the Church lives most unlike the world it has it’s greatest impact of reaching the world for Christ. Honor those in front of us. The older are farther along and have met things we have not. Wisdom comes from God and through time! Remember the word time means “to honor.” Old is gold. American culture spends between 90-100 Billion dollars each year for anti-aging gimmicks. Hopeless and expensive ways to try to stay young. The Bible teaches that grey hair is a gift from God. The elderly have great opportunities to help the younger. Many of the young today do not know how to ask questions. Be responsible to help widows. Seek out widows in need. John 19:25-27. Take care of your mother. With all the suffering and pain of the Cross and near death Jesus thought about his mother. A disciple took her from the execution place to care for her in his home. Why did not James take care of her? Mary was also his mother. If you read Acts Chapter 12 you will see James was killed a short time later. Joseph her husband had already passed away. Mary was vulnerable and Jesus saw it. John was the older disciple. Take care of a widow not related to you. James 1:27. Pure religion is to take care of widows and orphans and to keep your heart pure. Be family for them. Do 3 things. Find a widow. Look for them. Find, love and serve them. If you do you will come back here one year later and be a changed person. Joy and peace will enter into you. Honor your parents. Repay your parents. Practice your religion. Look not at them as a burden. Ask them how you can help them. Problem is not all parents are honorable. You could have had dysfunctional and abusive parents. Romans 12:17-18. Repay evil for evil? No! Do not become who you hate! Live at peace with everyone. Forgive. Break the cycle of family violence. Honor parents who are not honorable. Ephesians 6:2. Honor your Father and Mother and life will go well with you. The peace of God will accompany obedience. As a parent myself I do not always get it right. Neither will you. You get one shot in life at parenting. Parents work hard and then kids are gone. When we forgive we give away what we get back. Parents do the best they can at the time. Would we do differently if we could do over again? Yes. God gives us His Grace! Source; Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Message given on Sunday, October 13, 2013. Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Sons of God / Daughters of Men Genesis 6:1
Over history three main theories are advanced to explain this. The first theory is the “sons of god” are fallen angels and the daughters of men are mortals. This ancient viewpoint hinges in part on the assumption that Jude 1:6-7 refers to these angels. If this sin is perpetuated by angels then why is man punished in the flood? Christ said in Matthew 22:30 that angels do not marry. There is some difficulty in understanding mortals as descendants of angels and not from Adam.(Acts 17:26) The second theory is that the “sons of god” are from the Godly line of Seth while the “daughters of men” are of the line of Cain. The sin which they are charged is common to the whole scripture, especially the Pentateuch; the intermarriage of the chosen people of God with those who are unholy. How can these men be considered holy when the Bible states only Noah was holy. (Genesis 6:8-9) Why is the “sons of god” not used with this meaning in any other place? Why only sons and not daughters are associated with the line of Seth? The last theory is very popular among conservatives. Recent archaeological evidence suggests that the term “sons of god” was sometimes used to describe kings (Exodus 21:6, 22:8, Psalm 82:6-7) Therefore the ‘sons of god” are immoral kings who use their power to take women and use them at their will. Well pick your pleasure or poison on your choice here? Regardless these were acts of immorality. Who are the “sons of god” today? Who are the “daughters of men” today? God has sons and daughters! Who are the sons and daughters of men today? The sons and daughters of god are those who have accepted Jesus Christ into their lives! Born gain! The sons and daughters of men are those who have only had the first birth or natural birth and not the second birth! They have either rejected Christ or are living out of ignorance or do not have the knowledge and revelation about Him. Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
There is a God but His Name is not Allah ! (Lesson 2)
Although “Allah” has become known as the proper name for the Muslim god, Allah is not a name, but a desciptor that means literally, “the god”. All pagan cultures have these generic terms that refer to their ‘top god’ as ‘the god’. In comparison to the perfect monotheism of Judaism and Christianity. “Allah” was originally no more a proper name for the Muslim God, than for the Hebrew ‘elohim'(god) or Greek “theos” (god) are proper names of the one true God of the Bible. “Jehovah” is the only revealed proper name for “Elohim” of the old testament(Exodus3:13;6:3) and “Jesus” is the only revealed proper name of “Theos” in the New Testament. (Acts4:12) Islam has no proper name for their god, but merely transformed, by universal use and confusion, the generic Allah into a proper name. So although today, Muslims use “Allah” as a proper name, it was never used this way originally. Allah, therefore is equivalent to “elohim” and “ho theos” but not “Jehovah” or “Jesus”. Allah is not the name of the nameless Muslim God. However Muslims will claim that Allah is the name of God that corresponds to Jehovah. Both the Father and the Son are called “ho theos”(The God). Jesus is called “The God” many times in the New Testament: John 20:28; Hebrews 1:8. An important conclusion from this, is that the mere fact that “Allah” is equivalent to “elohim” and “ho theos” does not mean they are directly corresponded. It certainly does not prove that Muslim’s worship the same God as Christians. If this correspondence proved the Muslim god was the same as the Christian God, then because pagan religions also have generics that correspond to “the god” (Allah), this correspondence would also prove that Allah is the same god as the Buddhist god, for Buddhists also refer to their god as “the god”. Conclusion; I do not describe my automobile to you as, “The Car”. My car has a personal name such as Ford, Chevy, Honda, Toyota and the desription by a model such as Focus,Civic,Camry, ect. My daughter has a Hyundai and has named him Henry! Why? We are all created in the Image of God and we want a personal relationship with Him! God has a personal name and His name is Jesus Christ meaning the , “Annointed Saviour”. The God/Man Christ came to earth and put boots on the ground for you and me! Why is it those who have no personal God hate those who do? The Islamic war against Christians and Jews has everything to do with this! Thankyou. James Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com Sources; Bible.ca/islam/islam-allah-pre-islamic-orgin.htm