How would the city of Corinth compare today with a modern city? Corinth was the first frontier outpost. It was a prosperous city. Caesar’s Roman army retirement community live there. It was located on a key east-west trade route. The poor got rich in Corinth! You might say all the lotto winners lived there. The displaced Jews lived there because Caesar kicked them out of Rome. Sexual perversion was rampant in Corinth. Somehow money and sex are always linked together? The Temple of Aprodita had 1000 temple prostitutes as part of their worship. The Temple of Apollos had nude statues of male prostitutes. Corinth was much like American culture today with sexual brokenness. When Paul walked into Corinth people were celebrating the Isthmian games which was the ancient Olympics. Corinth had athletic training centers much like Colorado Springs does today. The people of Corinth celebrated strength, independence, intellectualism, materialism and public debate. The Greek orator’s debated constantly. They all figured it out they did not need God! 1 Corinthians 2:3-5. Paul says I was not with you with enticing words of man’s wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power. That our Faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God! Can God raise up people in a corrupt culture? America is becoming more secular. Heathenistic cultures trump pleasure over purpose. The message of the Crucified Christ is not popular in America just as it was not in Corinth 2000 years ago! But it is still really good news! Polite people did not talk about the Cross in the 1st. century. The worst criminals were crucified. How do you message people about the Cross? The cross was cruel and ugly punishment. Jesus was tortured, beaten, bloodied and murdered! He died the lowest kind of death. It goes to say the Cross is foolishness to the perishing. Why did God choose death to redeem? The wages of sin is death! To the saved the Cross is the power of God! Are you grateful for the Cross? The Cross is central to belief. The Cross is entry to everything. The Cross destroys the wisdom of the wise! Intelligent people say that if God cannot answer all my questions then I will not follow him! My adopted son Abram is a very intelligent little boy. His grandfather was a nuclear physics engineer! Sometimes Abram will ask me questions that are deep and thoughtful. Sometimes I do not know the answer to his question. God came to save us and not answer all our questions. Corinth had some of the best minds of that era. They were intellectuals, philosophers, Romans, Greeks and Jews. Preaching Christ was foolish to the gentiles. The Jews expected a military Messiah. What do you want to hear? I want to be skinny and rich! American and Corinth cultures say “Blessed are the smart and the strong, Blessed are the ambitious, God helps those who help themselves!” Superman has arrived! It is me! Jesus said,”Blessed are the poor in spirit,meek,merciful and kind.” The Roman government of Corinth ruled by fear and intimidation like many governments do today. Why did Jesus submit to the tyranny of the Roman government and the Jews and go to the Cross? To show the world a new way to use power! The world uses power to rule over people. Watch an NFL game. Hundreds of millions of dollars spent to try to dominate one another! Competition is to fight for power! Dominate others! Get power to defend yourself! Buy armies and men and women to rule over others. When Pilate had Jesus on trial he told Jesus he had power to condemn Him to death or release Him. Jesus told Pilate I lay my life down and unless my Father gives you power you cannot touch me. Christ goes to the Cross to use power in a new way. Christ gave His life for people and not to rule over people! God has given us power for people in service to people and care for them. Jesus became a nobody to save everybody. Jesus is calling the marginalized and the down and out. Not to manipulate them but release them from the bondages of sin. The nobodies are being invited in. Discover a new way of being powerful. Everyone can belong! No disenfranchised! The Cross is where you start and finish. No substitute for the Cross! All must come to the Cross and believe! Source; Sermon notes taken from message given by Pastor Brady Boyd at New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Message given on Sunday January 5, 2014.
Tag: American
Christians! Stand Your Ground! Daniel 12:3
Latest IRS revelation is agency is targeting those who give 10 percent or more to charities? That means Christians who follow the Bible and tithe 10 percent or more of their income are targets! The average American gives 2 percent of their income to charities. We as Christians know 10 percent giving is the least we can give. I am 64 years old and have never living here in America all my life seen such an abuse of power by President Obama of any standing president! It reminds me of a mafia figure using federal agencies who are paid by our tax dollars to go after Christians because he does not agree with our Biblical positions on many issues. This life is a battle between good and evil. We are now in America where good is called evil and evil is called good. We need to stand on the side of righteousness regardless of the cost to us. Stand on Holy Ground and continue the fight! Time is short and the good we stand for is locked in by our Christ both now and forever! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Being Awesome In Obscurity! Matthew Chapter 6.
Why do we do what we do? Motives! Great people of God always have seasons of obscurity! Jesus in the desert, John the Baptist, Apostle John and many more examples in the Old Testament. American culture counters the idea of obscurity with social networks, web sites, instant media flashes, ect. God has to prepare out hearts and will not let us go public until we are right with Him and our fellow man. Motive is the spiritual mirror of the heart. The truth of scripture divides the motives of the heart. No one can hide wrong motives from God. The religious leaders of Jesus day gave money to be honored by men. Jesus said to give in secret. Then God will reward you openly! You will notice Jesus mentions reward three times. You will notice in Matthew Chapter 5, verse 16 that Jesus says to let your light so shine. Is Jesus contradicting Himself or is He talking about two different things? Shine or do in secret? It is all about motive. Neither do we boast or hide. We are a peculiar people. When people ask about your Godly behavior share your story about how God has changed you! Jesus mentioned a reward five times when you do the following three things in secret! They are; Give, pray and fast. Jesus says when we do these things which means we do them regularly! All three of these things are costly! Giving costs us money. To pray costs us time. To some time is money. To fast costs us energy. Most people say they trust in God and few Christians will do these three things regularly. To do these things means we embrace weakness. Most Christian’s will want to tell others they are doing these three things. Why? Motive! The Pharisee’s were the religious super stars of Jesus day. They fasted, prayed and gave money openly for men to see with no effect or approval from God! There will be seasons of obscurity sent from God to you so that you get right with who you are and do not give up your identity to please men! In Luke Chapter 4, verse 14 we read He returned with Power of the Spirit! God will not give you a public platform until you are ready! When Jesus came up out of the water during Baptism His Father in Heaven said; ” This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!” What is the reward Jesus is talking about if we do these three things? Some Christians especially in America think it is money, big houses, fancy cars, gold, land, stocks, bonds, ect. Some will even borrow great amounts of money to show the world they are Blessed of God? The reward Jesus is talking about is this; ” His Presence. ” His love for you! An eternity spent with Him both now and forever! Source; Sermon notes from Pastor Brady Boyd at New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. July 14, 2013. Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
US Intervention in Syria? Genesis 16:12
Over 93000 casualties in Syria over past two years. Iran and Russia are supporting Syria. The US was to pull all forces out of Iraq next month but the US military leaders say will not be possible with all sides feuding and elections next month. Will have to stay to see if stability will come? Afghanistan falling apart as we prepare to leave. Libya was a disaster for us in trying to get a democracy going? Giving tons of money to Egypt to try to buy stability? With hundreds of billions of dollars of debt fighting the muslims over past 12 years where are we going? Do we give up and surrender to tyranny? What does the Bible say about this problem? The Bible says the descendants of Ishmael will be wild men and every man against his brother. One of the few things I did agree with was President Obama’s do nothing policy on Syria! It looks like he is changing since use of chemical weapons in region? In Islam there are no good and bad guys! They are all bad! The military weapons we would give them would be turned on us sooner or later. I would suggest to our elected leaders to make decisions based on Biblical values and not just jump into a fight knowing the spending of our blood and money would be in vain trying to help an enemy who abhors our American values! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
VOTE!
Vote or be ruled by those who do vote! Source: American Center for Law & Justice.
Looking Back 2000 Election Bush/Gore
If George W. Bush is elected president, he will have many people to thank! One of them is Osama Siblani. During Bush’s October 5 meeting with Arab-American leaders at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn Michagan, Siblani told the Texas governor about two top concerns of Arab Americans: The use of ethnic profiling by aviation officials, which leads many Americam Arabs to be held for questioning at airports, and the use of “secret evidence” by law enforcement, which has lead to many Arab Americans to be wrongly charged as suspected terrorists, which is an insult to our constitution. Siblani says he told Bush, “This is a smear to our civil rights.” Fast forward to the second presidential debate, six days later, Jim Lehrer asked Bush and Gore about racial profiling. Both condemned it, but only Bush said we have to do something about airport profiling and the use of “secret evidence”, which he said unfairly demonized Arab Americans. The Comment received little attention in the post debate spin. But amoung Arab Americans, who never before had been singled out in a presidential debate, it was, as one political operative put it, “The shot heard round the world.” Source-Edmond Walsh, “Arabs, Poles and other key votes, from October 2000 issue, The Weekly Standard.
Ahmadinejad Wants New World Order!
Iranian President Mahmoud Ah—MAD—inejad said tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly that a new world order is needed to get away from American Bullying and domination! He went on to say that God willing, a new order will come together and will do away with everything that distances us! What he is really saying is we need a world without Christians and Jews! What he probably does not know is that he is being Biblically Prophetic in that we will have a new world order very soon! The other is when the rapture of His Church occurs about 1/3 of the earth’s population will be gone and it will appear that the mad man from Iran gets his way! If Ahmadinejad survives the 7 year tribulation period where 1/3 of the earth is destroyed then he will be very disappointed to see Christ and His Church coming back to take over the earth! If you want to be on the right side of Prophecy then accept Christ who is now seated on the right side of God who has power and authority over everything! Thankyou. James Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Who Built the Bridges and Roads
Christ built the Bridge to Heaven for us! If I were Mitt Romney or Paul Ryan I would be asking President Obama this question? The truth is the American Taxpayer built the Bridges and Roads! Not only in America but in many nations around the world! No government can exist without funding from its citizens! Yes, Hard working Americans built their Buisness but also the Bridges and Roads! Straight Talk! James Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com