I think you know they are! The whole universe was created by words! Life and death are in the power of the tongue! Mary is speaking here in the Christmas story! She said in verse 47,”That all generations shall call me blessed!” The Greek translation for blessed used here says “Markarious”, the future of “Makarizo”, which really means, “They shall bless me!” So it is more than saying it is doing something! When you accepted Christ you blessed Mary! When you support Israel you bless Mary! When you take the Gospel to the ends of the earth you bless Mary! When you do these things you make her more beautiful! You make her happy and fortunate! You pronounce blessings on her when you share the Christmas story! When she looks down from Heaven on you she says you have blessed me! Merry Christmas! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Tag: blessed
Esau and Jacob Romans 9:13
Why did God hate Esau and love Jacob? Esau was the first born and should get all the perks! The name Jacob means trickster or to supplant or replace. The name James in the New Testament is the same word as Jacob and has the same meaning! In fact in some foreign language translations of the New Testament calls the Book of James the Book of Jacob. God does not personally hate Esau but hates his priorities! We must value what God values! Our priorities must be God’s priorities! We must define our priorities according to scripture! We must make wise choices! Seek first the Kingdom of God! God will either respect or disrespect your priorities! There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek! Whosoever calls on His name shall be saved! Esau despised his birthright but Jacob valued it! If you value what God values then you will find favor with God! Live your life with integrity! The root word for integrity is the word integer. Something complete and not a fraction of something but a whole number. Let your yes be yes and your no be no! Do not add or subtract from the Bible. Do not cherry pick the Bible! That is only what you like! Some people think they will be cheated if they do the right thing? Jacob was cheated by his uncle Laban! Jacob did not take vengeance but let God Bless him more than if he had not been cheated! Isaac loved Esau more than Jacob because he was a hunter. Jacob tricked his father into thinking he was Esau! He did this to get the Blessing of the first born. Jacob comes in the name of another! To receive Blessings we do not come in our own name but in the name of Jesus Christ! We despised our birthright by living in sin! He took our sin away! We cannot save ourselves but in the name of another! Jacob wrestled all night with God! Jacob did not give up until he was Blessed! Do not compete but get complete! Jesus wrestled in the Garden of Gethsemane for us! Jacob in Faith got a name change! Yes, Israel! God promoted him to be a Prince! Jesus is our Prince of peace! We serve the God of Israel! Source; Pastor Steve Vaggalis, Destiny Worship Center. He was guest Pastor at New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Grandpa and Grandma get a Son! Genesis 18
They say that if your two year old son raises his hands up to his father and says grandpa you know you have a miracle! Abraham has three men show up at his tent door in the heat of the day! Normally people do not travel in the heat of the day? These men were not normal and represent a theophany or God appearing to men Could these three men represent the Trinity? Jesus Christ is the personal manifestation of God to man! Abraham recognizes that these were not just men but God Himself standing before him! Abraham entreats them well offering the best he had with provision and water. When they announce to Abraham that he will have a son his wife Sarah laughs! Their son that was eventually born to them was named Isaac which means laughter. God also promises to Abraham and his descendants that they will be a great nation and all the earth will be Blessed through them! Later in history the birth of Christ and the nation of Israel would confirm these promises! The second mission of these three men was to destroy the gay’s living in Sodom and Gomorrah! Abraham tried to convince God to spare them because his nephew Lot and immediate family was living among them! Lot was a lousy evangelist even among his own family! God spared them but destroyed the rest of them! God could not find ten righteous in the city! God is faithful to Bless the righteous and destroy the wicked! So how does one move from the camp of the wicked to the camp of the righteous? There must be a change in behavior! Repent of your sin to Christ and let Him give you the strength to live a new life! You must be “Born Again!” Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Church In The City
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.
What is the church?
A very controversial question with many,many answers—— You know the text in Matthew 16 when Peter made his confession and Christ promised, I will build my church—– I decided that the church was whatever Christ meant when he used the word “church” and the church is what Christ is doing in history.Whatever Christ meant when he said “church”, whatever he is building in the world, that is my definition of the church. Begging the question? I think not. According to his own testimony, Jesus entered history to do the Father’s will— an agreement they had arranged before the foundation of the world. He said, “I will build my church!” I believe it! The church is the body of Christ!The church is the bride of Christ. It is what he is building in the world. He said something else—fundamental to understanding the church as He meant it: ‘The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” In obedience to the Father’s will He is building something in history that is indestructible—the church! It is inconceivable that Jesus would refuse to do the Father’s will—and it is inconceivable that He could fail in what he is building! What humans build is temporal—vulnerable—perishable. That which Christ is building—whatever it is—is permanent and eternal. The Church is what Christ is building in the world. My desire is to be part of that. Matthew16:17-18 “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Source; Wisdom of the Church by Richard C. Halverson Published 1995.