I cannot tell you where to give or how much to give! That is between you and God! Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive! I am not soliciting to give to this ministry or any other ministry! I got a call from Joel Osteen Ministries today Sunday. They wanted a $35 dollar donation. I suggested to the caller that he should make a disclaimer to all donors that our tithe first belongs to the local church! He agreed yet I asked him why he did not tell me this? Then I asked him if he worked for Joel Osteen Ministries? He told me he was a private contractor collecting money for the ministry. I told him I thought Joel was a good preacher but does not enter into the cultural warfare breaking down America! I mentioned that Joel lives in a 10.5 million dollar mansion! He owns another house worth 2.9 million and another lot worth 1.9 million! The caller told me we cannot judge him! I told the caller I am not judging anyone but these are just facts about Joel’s lifestyle! His lifestyle does not fit the Jesus I know in my Bible? I told the caller I appreciate him giving up his 200 thousand annual dollar salary back in 2007 from the church. However his net worth is 40 million dollars! He sells his books but most of the money is gained by Christian’s buying his books! This is money from believer’s in the Church! Could this money have been more productive by church member’s investing in their local church? Also the 501c tax exemption allows the escape of tax money to the treasury department and that short fall has to be made up by the American tax payer! The caller told me I need to move on! Here is the point I am trying to make! Jesus said to render unto God what is His and to Caesar what is his! The tithe is automatic going to your local church! The offering is optional! To give to any ministry I need to see sacrifice from the leadership! If God speaks to you to give to Joel Osteen Ministries do it! Joel’s father is the one who really sacrificed to build the foundation for Joel! The same can be said of Franklin Graham. He gets 880 thousand dollars per year annual salary! Billy Graham’s net worth is 25 million dollars! I have to see examples of sacrifice for me to invest in any ministry! We need to put our money where our mouth is! These ministries do great things but the love of money is still the root of all evil! I would suggest that all ministries tithe their incomes to other ministries and support for the poor, widow’s and orphans! My prayer is those who read this will get a conviction in their heart’s including myself to be wise with our resources and invest into those who mirror Jesus Christ the most! Will 35 dollars break me? No! I wanted to make a point to our caller! God Bless your ministry! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Tag: ceasar
Politics & Christmas!
Using Jesus for political points during Christmas time irritates me a little bit! The Democrats use this same trick every Christmas saying we should be compassionate to the illegal immigrants because Jesus was an illegal immigrant? Jesus according to the biblical record was not an illegal immigrant! Joseph and Mary were citizens of Israel. They were of the tribe of Judah and lived in Nazareth! Israel was under Roman occupation during this time in history as was much of the world! When the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus made a decree that the whole world should be taxed (Luke 2:1), Joseph and Mary had to return to their home town of Bethlehem and register for the taxes! Raise taxes? Caesar obviously was a Democrat! In the Old Testament Micah the prophet predicted the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem some 700 years earlier in history! So Caesar played a part in this prophecy some 700 years later! When Joseph and Mary with the baby Jesus fled down to Egypt to escape the late term abortion program of King Herod who killed all the children two years of age and younger to get Jesus you could call that illegal immigration! Why do Democrats throw Jesus under the bus every Christmas? Why do they promote open borders and sanctuary cities? They are in hopes of politically legalizing the 11 million illegal immigrants here in America so they will become Democrats and vote for them so they can hang on to political power! This is there real moral high ground? I want all Democrats to have a Merry Christmas but do not do it spreading lies and fake news about Jesus! I only ask for honesty! The Biblical record is clear if you will read it! Jesus did not break the law becoming an illegal immigrant but fulfilled the law by taking our sin on Himself as our Savior! We are to be compassionate towards the illegal immigrants simply because God is compassionate towards us by incarnating Himself in flesh and being a baby born in Bethlehem as a Savior for all mankind that has ever or will ever live! I will not become a criminal because you say Jesus was a criminal because the Biblical record makes it clear that He never sinned! That is why He was the only sacrifice that could appease God for our sin! Merry Christmas! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com