Foundation for Ministry? Isaiah 33:6

So what is it? God delivered me off my death bed 45 years ago as a young man! I did not deserve it but He did it! A miracle and my first at the hands of Jesus! After this event I was actively involved in ministry through my local church! I went into prisons! I went down to the skid rows down on Larimer street in Denver Colorado! I went down to the drunks in alleys sleeping and awakening them and telling them Jesus loves you! I held Gospel meetings in the alleys of slum area’s of Denver! Saturday morning I was there among them preaching the Gospel! I was faithful for 10 years in these kind of ministries! I spent time in half-way houses holding prayer meetings! Then visions came to me in the middle of the night! Visions of going to the foreign mission field! I went to my local Pastor and explained these visions to him but he felt I should spend 4 years in Bible school. However the window was open now but for how long? I went back to other churches we had attended over the years in Denver but they all had excuses why they could not help us! Then my wife in Denver heard over the Christian radio station that the pastor of the world’s largest church was coming to Denver for crusades! My wife asked me if we should go see him? I was skeptical? If these Pastor’s here in Denver don’t want us even though we supported them for years who are we to this guy? I told Hamsa we are going to put our house up for sale this week and I am resigning my job! We are selling everything we have except two traveling bags each and buying a one way ticket to India! Sponsor or no sponsor we are going! She told me before you take this big step of faith why not take a small step of faith and go to this crusade! So we took our two little daughters who were 3 and 5 years old and went down to the crusade! It seemed uneventful? We left out to the parking lot after it was over with hundreds of cars leaving the parking lot! We went to our car and then it seemed out of nowhere Pastor Cho surrounded by elder’s was heading to his limo! My wife told me to stay with the children and I will talk to him! She shouted through the ring of elder’s and told Pastor Cho we are going to India as missionaries would you pray for us! He told my wife to bring your husband and we will pray! He took our hands and began to prayer for about 30 seconds. Then he told us we would come to Korea to be commissioned by our church for a 3 year work in India! The rest is history! So what is the bed rock foundation for ministry? I learned later that Cho as a young man was dying of TB! The hospital sent him home to die! He lived in a slum of Seoul. He was coughing up cups of blood! This little teenage girl would come by his cot in the cold winter everyday and pray for him! He would insult her and call her a Christian dog and would spit on her! She kept coming back each day for prayer! As she prayed he began to get better! A miracle walked into his life by the name of Jesus! Cho began a tent ministry in the slum of Seoul that eventually became the world’s largest church with over one million members! Suffering is the foundation for ministry! We do not look for it but God will bring it according to His will and purpose of your life! Pastor Cho looked for 60 years to find this teenage girl but never could find her? She is probably wearing a crown right now! She led Cho to Christ! Never discount who you have led to Christ! Suffering has purpose! Easter is about God suffering for you! Compassion means to suffer with! Are you willing to suffer with and for others? This is the Spirit of Easter! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com

Is God a Show Off? 2 Kings 5:11-14

Naaman the Captain of the Syrian Army had trouble following simple directions! Can i get a witness? First of all he was informed by his Jewish servant girl who was captured and made a slave through the spoils of war that there was a God in Israel who could heal his leprocy! Then Naaman sends money to the King of Israel trying to buy his healing? The King of Israel rent his clothes saying am i God? So Naaman mounts up his chariots with his army and heads for Israel! He stops his chariot at the front door of the Prophet Elisha! Elisha does not go out to meet the Captain but sends his servant girl out to tell him to dip in the Jordan River seven times! Naaman lost his cool! Naaman thought God would come down in a bolt of lightning and make a big show for the world to see! Like dazzle the elite! The Bible says Naaman left in a rage! Are there not better rivers in Syria? Well more servants saved the day! Naaman’s servants asked him why not just follow the directions? Naaman took their advice and dipped in the Jordon seven times and got healed! It was a humble little servant girl that birthed forth Jesus! The Angel went to the humble shepherds to announce the birth of Christ! God did not make a big show! He appears to a few to save many! Pride can keep you out of God’s purpose and plan for your life! About 60 years ago there was a young man dying of tuberculosis in the slums of Seoul Korea! The doctor sent him home to die! He was coughing up blood! A little teenage girl would come by each day as he lay on his cot dying and pray for him. He would insult her, spit on her and call her a Christian dog! She asked him if he would surrender his life to Christ? She kept praying and his health improved! God healed him and he started a ministry in the slums of Seoul Korea! Today this church has over one million members and is the world’s largest church! Pastor Cho commissioned us as missionaries to India from 1984-1987. Pastor Cho could never find this teenage girl even though he has looked for past 60 years? The world and even some in the church think you are wasting your time praying for the sick and dying! No money in it for me? Waste of my time? God will use what the world discounts or throws away to bring Glory to His Name! God’s love never discounts anyone! Not even you! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com

Do You Know That You Know? 1 Kings 13:24

After the death of Solomon the Kingdom of Israel was divided! Rehoboam and Jeroboam were both bad leaders! Jeroboam tried to draw worship away from Jerusalem and Judah by setting up altar’s in the high places around Bethel. Jeroboam himself was trying to offer worship at these altar’s and hired low class people to be Priests! An old Prophet from Judah came over to Jerobaom and warned him not to offer worship from these altars! He did not listen and his arm was rent useless and the altar was rent and the ashes poured out! He asked the old prophet to pray to the Lord to restore his arm again! The old prophet prayed and his arm was restored again! The King was so happy he wanted to reward the prophet! The prophet said no for the Lord told him not to eat bread or drink water from this place! The old prophet rode his donkey back to Judah. Another old prophet from Bethel heard this story and his son’s saddled his donkey and he went out looking for this old prophet of Judah! This prophet of Bethel found this prophet of Judah and told him the Lord spoke to me and you are to go back to Bethel with me and eat bread and drink water? The prophet of Bethel said he was old and also heard from the Lord! So the prophet of Judah went back to Bethel and ate bread and drank water there! On his way back to Judah a lion attacked him and killed him! After this King Jeroboam continued in his evil ways! When God speaks to you you will know that you know! Confirmation by others is alright but if contradictions come to what God has told you follow God! This happened in our call to India from 1980-1983! God spoke to us in dreams and visions. We knew during this time period we were going to the mission field but did not know where? Then God fined tuned the call and in 1983 made it clear it was India. I went to our local Pastor’s in Denver Colorado and they did not seem excited? One Pastor told us we need to go to Bible College for 4 years! Another said he woud pray for us! Another Pastor told us he would send monthly support but never did! None would confirm our calling? I can understand their reluctance! Quit my career job at age 35. A wife with two small children under the age of four! No Bible training? However they did not know i met Jesus on my death bed in 1973! He raised me from the dead! After these dissappointments a short little Pastor by the name of Cho from Korea met us in a church parking lot. He prayed for us for about 30 seconds and told us we would be coming to Korea to be commissioned to India from Korea for three years! He was and still is the Pastor of the largest single church in the world with over one million members! The window opened to India for three years and never opened again! The rest is history! When you hear from God be sure you know that you know! Do not let anyone talk you out of it! If God told you not to go do not let anyone talk you into it! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com

False Prophets! 1 John 4:1

The Bible from Deuteronomy to Revelation has many scriptures warning us about false prophets! How do you guard against deception from these spiritualists? First and foremost know your Bible! What will happen when error is introduced by a speaker or writer the Holy Spirit will bring to remembrance a scripture that will refute the error! If truth is spoken the Holy Spirit will confirm the truth by scripture! False prophets will try to lead you away from Christ! An obvious example would be where Mohammed in the Quran says that Jesus did not die on the Cross! False prophets in the Church is more subtle! Eighty eight reasons why Jesus is coming back in 1988? Remember? Millions of books were sold and some Christian’s burned their mortgages and stopped making their car payments! Here in this example many thought this author was leading them towards Christ but he was fleecing them! It says in our Bible that Jesus does not even know the hour of His return except the Father! A church leader might infer that you are blessed because I am so Holy and into so many good works! Because of only my prayers you are blessed! Remember it is Jesus response to our prayers that brings blessings! Jesus is also praying for us! Remember your scriptures? I love my Pastor Brady Boyd but he cannot save me! His job is to lead me and others to Christ! Just be careful your attention is not drawn away from Christ unto men! False prophets will try to divide the Church! They promote Church splits! They will promote one group against another! They will spread lies against leadership! We need to come alongside our leaders but be honest enough to say something if you believe error exists! We are all human and need each other to watch over the body! When we were in Pastor Cho’s office in Korean in the 1980’s before leaving for India for three years he made it very clear what our mission was to be in India! I thought he was going to say Evangelism! No! He told us our whole mission in India was to help local Pastor’s! It was such a challenge for us because most do not think they need any help? Cho told us Satan will attack the head to break up the body! Satan is a divider and that is why we have war between Heaven and earth! Between good and evil! Satan is constantly recruiting people into his Kingdom! One of Satan’s tools is false prophets! However he has no power against the Word of God the Holy Scriptures! Put on God’s armor against the wiles of the devil! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com