Elijah lived in a great day of Apostasy in Israel. King Ahab and Jezebel were Baal worshipers! The centerpiece of Baal worship was child sacrifice! Much like abortion in America today! However Elijah did not have a 501c tax exemption! He spoke some prophetic words over Ahab and Jezebel that were not nice! Like the dogs will lick your blood and there will not be enough left of you to bury! However Elijah started off with a drought predicted for the King! How would the 21st century prophets respond to Ahab and abortion? Maybe something like this? Ahab you are going to be rich and wealthy! Prosperity will be everywhere you look! You will be blessed, successful and famous! Peace will dominate your realm! Your lovely wife Jezebel is such a blessing to us! Ahab our ministry is growing everyday and a suggested donation of 30 pieces of silver would grant you God’s favor and we would pray for you! Elijah stuck with God’s word and Ahab sent his army after him! God sent Elijah to a remote area where a small stream provided water! This brook drained into the Jordan River. Then God set up a bird feeder for him! I might have complained here? Ravens are scavengers and are road kill specialists! The prophetic word that caused the drought caused the small stream to dry up! So God sent him to a widom and her son for supplies? She warmly received him and told him they have enough supplies for one meal then we can all die! Elijah told her the provisions would last through the drought! Then the widow’s son gets sick and dies? The widow blames Elijah for his death? I would have lost it here! You no good low down and i cannot finish the sentence here! Elijah keeps his cool and focuses on the real problem the dead son! Elijah raises the son from the dead! So what was the widow’s testimony? “Now i know you are a man of God and that the word of God is in your mouth and that it is truth!” Elijah and Moses with Jesus stood at the Mount of Transfiguration! Elijah was taken up to Heaven and did not physically die! At the Mount Elijah represented the Prophets. Moses the law and Jesus the Prophet, Priest and King! As Easter approaches our Pastor Cope is helping us to look at some of the resurrection documents prior to the incarnation of Jesus Christ! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Tag: easter
Grave Yard Charm! India 1985
Sound appealing? Would any church leader surround his church with a grave yard? Probably would not be a draw for big crowds? Most people here in America today want a grave yard placed out of their sight! In our mission work in India I discovered churches completely surrounded by grave yards? It seemed foolish at first until I spent a few years there and then it made sense! What the British did in India for 200 years was take the Gospel to the people! One of the problems faced there was Hindu’s and Muslim’s taking over a church, desecrating the altar and erecting a temple or mosque over it. This same problem going on in Britain and America today. So the British surrounded the churches with grave yards especially in remote area’s of India! Halloween would have been a big hit there! The Muslim’s and Hindu’s were fearful of grave yards so they left those churches alone! So the British protected their central worship centers while reaching out to the community in evangelism. We discovered this first hand because we rented out an old fellowship hall next to the grave yard and no one would attend our meetings! So we moved our location from the church and Hindu’s and Muslim’s began to attend services! The fear of death is a bondage to men! This is why Easter reminds us and confirms to believer’s in Christ that death has been conquered! He is risen! He who also promises us to raise us from the dead! As I used to walk through the grave yard on my way to worship services I was reminded of my mortality and that Christ who I serve defeated death for me! My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Blood and righteousness! Jesus is more than a man He is God! Only God could achieve the miracle of the resurrection from the dead! O’ death where is thy sting? O’ grave where is thy victory? The opposite of fear is love! For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son! Christ will return to judge the living and the dead! No one escapes! Accept the judgment Christ took for you on Calvary! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
End of the Story?
When it comes to Christ and His followers there is no end to the story! We have a cliché in American culture that is used to close out a conclusion by saying; “At the end of the day.” The end of the day brings a new day and another testimony written from God’s playbook! Christ’s Kingdom continues forever and ever and ever! In Heaven and here on earth! His story is our story in real time even more than a history of reporting the facts! Christ writes history in His followers! For every believer in every generation that receives Christ the old story becomes new again with results that are impossible to explain in natural terms! The Easter story is a routine story to everyone who is bold enough to take God at His Word! Source; Conclusion taken from Easter story presented by Pastor Daniel Grothe, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Easter Promotion!
God’s promotion system is opposite the world system we live in! The world system depends on doing wrong to someone in order to get ahead! God’s Kingdom promotes those who do right and suffer wrong for it! The Cross
is our best example! Christ went to the Cross for our wrongs yet was promoted by being raised from the dead and being seated on the right hand of the Father forever! Christ through the Cross also promoted us to Heaven whom He died for our sin! So remember if you are suffering for doing right thing God is watching and waiting for your patience to promote you for what He has also done! Happy Easter! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
The Promises to Millions! Genesis 24:60
Rebekah receives a Blessing to be the mother of thousands of millions! Also that her seed would inherit everything from those who hate her and her seed! These promises are confirmed earlier to Abraham in Genesis 22:17. There God promises Abraham that his seed would number as the stars of Heaven and as the sand under the sea! The servant of Abraham Put was faithful to find Isaac his bride Rebekah. Abraham was too od to travel so he sent his trusted servant. Just as “Put” was faithful to carry the message of another so God has put you in a place to carry the message of salvation to the lost! We see the genealogies of Abraham listed in Matthew chapter one but notice the are listed forward to Christ! The genealogy does not end with Christ but to all those who receive Christ! Just as God is Faithful to the Jews through thousands of years of history He will be faithful to you just as sure as the nation of Israel stands today! Even to possess the inheritance of your enemies! Our enemies have not claimed their inheritance through Christ yet ! Jesus commanded us to love our enemies! Not to endorse their wickedness but to point them to Christ! We share the Blessings of Christ with them even though they hate us! Love covers a multitude of sin! Contemplate His goodness this Easter Season for Christ came for every season and every man! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhosGod.com
God Promises Blessings to the Arab’s! Genesis 21:18
God promises Abraham a Son to be heir for all of humanity. Abraham tried to fulfill this promise in his own strength and with the help of his wife Sarah. Sarah encouraged Abraham to go into his bondwoman Hagar to produce son. The word bondwoman means a female slave. Well the idea worked and Ishmael was born! This was not a God idea. When God’s idea was finally fulfilled in their old age Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah! Now the family feud begins! Sarah is mocked by Hagar and then Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael out into the wilderness. Then God visits Hagar and Ishmael and promises to make a great nation out of them! Ishmael takes a wife out of Egypt and then the opposing sides are established! Did Abraham favor Isaac? Later Abraham offers up Isaac his son as a sacrifice on the altar too God! As we enter the Easter season God did the same with His son Jesus Christ! Yes, and for who? Yes for you! God has promised all the nations of the earth would be Blessed through the Jew! The biggest threat to world peace and your peace is the rejection of Jesus Christ! The biggest obstacle to blocking God’s promise to the Arabs is Islam! It is the perfect storm to drive them away from God! As I have studied the Koran one of the most destructive verses along with many others is when Mohammad says to kill all the non-Muslims on earth and then the Muslims need to kill each other! This is happening now and has throughout history. Suicide would be a better choice than Islam and the suicide bombers kill themselves to kill others! God died to save others through His Son Jesus Christ! Today there is a lot of political bunk saying the Muslim religion is hijacked by the terrorists! People that say that have never read the Koran! The radicals are simply following the Koran! Eighty percent of all Muslims worldwide have never read the Koran! The only hope for Muslims is to denounce Islam and come to Christ! As we approach Easter let us remember that civilization is Christ and Christ alone! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGodcom
Easter Message New Life Church 2014
Why should we be excited today? We came out early and dressed our best! Why? Our entire belief system is based on what happened on this day over 2000 years ago. A hundred people made a decision for Christ in our first service this morning! This morning hope is found in an empty tomb! This same resurrection power is available to you this morning! Christ crucified on Friday and an empty tomb this morning! In the Book of John we see all of Jesus disciples and friends abandoning Him during the Crucifixion and after! All abandoned Him except one. Remember Jesus cast 7 demons out of her! If anyone knew about His resurrection power it was Mary! Like on prom night she was up all night tripping over rocks in the dark trying to get to the tomb early in the morning! Mary wanted to see the face of Jesus one more time. The tomb was heavily guarded and sealed because rumors were that someone was going to try to steal His body! In spite of all the facts Mary found hope at the tomb! Do you have a hope beyond the grave? God has given you one! John 20:1-2. Early while it was still dark? Why was this greatest event in all of history staged on the first day of the week while it was still dark? This story began in another Garden! The Garden of Eden. Our sin ruined this Garden! We had it made but we messed up! Sound familiar? Is this the story of your life? Jesus is saying to you this morning you need a fresh start. Like a bankruptcy judge giving you a clean start! The first day of creation will start all over for you! The stone has been rolled away for you and me! Take off your grave clothes and put on His Light! Jesus told Peter, John and the other disciples where He would meet them after Calvary but they did not believe Him? Why would a demon infested and alleged prostitute with infirmities be the first to witness the resurrection? God loves losers! He makes them winners! Mary preceded the sleeping giants of the Church to make history! She awoke Peter, John and the rest with the news then Peter and John ran to the tomb! Paul says that we are in a race! You will win the gold but not a small token around your neck but walking on streets of gold! The prize is Christ! To be with Him forever! You are racing either towards your own tomb or His empty tomb! If you ever win a race it needs to be this one! They found the linen cloth and the face cloth neatly folded in the tomb. The Jewish tradition is the cloth is neatly folded at the meal table. At the Marriage Supper of the Lamb the linen cloth will be neatly folded just for you! Jesus said I must go to prepare a place for you! Reservations have been made for you! It says in verse 8 that the disciples saw the empty tomb and believed but not that He was raised from the dead? Jesus asked Mary at the tomb why she was crying? Do you still cry over loved ones and still believe they are in the tomb? Mary got down on Jesus and told Him not to mess with her and by the way where have you put his body? God has ordained this day for you whether young or old or rich or poor! Jesus knows your name just like He called His disciples by first names! He knew Mary’s name! He is a personal God! He is nearest those who are outcasts from the culture! He defeats culture with life! Peter fails a lot in this story! He seemed the smart one of the bunch. He had courage to walk on water and almost drowned! He confessed to Jesus he would never leave Him but denied Him three times before the rooster turned him in! He seemed bold but left Jesus in His darkest hour? Peter was full of shame, fear and doubt and seemed a coward! Peter ran to the tomb to say I am sorry. Then Peter went back to fishing. Failure often leads us to go back to a place in life where we had some success. Peter saw Jesus on the shore and jumped off his boat never to return to fishing! He began to fish for men! Peter do you love me? Jesus asked him this question 3 times maybe for each time he denied Christ? Feed my sheep Peter! Mary thought all hope was gone! They all viewed the Cross as a failure. The disciples saw His death as a failure. They viewed it as a dead end! Do you feel like an outcast? Do you feel ignored and forgotten this morning? Have people you trusted betrayed you? Have you betrayed people? Family? Do you feel like you have blown your opportunities? Do you feel like a big fake and a fraud? Peter felt this way! There is a reason why you are here today! Jesus was resurrected to bring dead people back to life! He did not come to turn bad people into good people. That is what religion tries to do! God does not try to fix the old man! He raises the old man from the dead! You must be, “Born Again!” You have a Great High Priest this morning that you can tell anything and everything and He will understand! He knows how you feel! You can start over and have a new life! Paul writes some 60 years later in 1 Corinthians 15: 20-22. Christ was the first fruits of them that slept! By one man Adam came death and by one man The Christ resurrected from the dead! All die but in Christ all are made alive! I was a 16 year old kid who abandoned all good and rebelled against all authority! My family thought I would do well in life but I proved them wrong! Then in August of 1988 I surrendered all my failures to Christ! I had come to the altar before but with wrong motives. When I learned He loved me everything changed! On that altar in 1988 I made the decision to follow Christ the rest of the days of my life! If you believe Him this morning and follow Him you will never be the same and will live each day with His Resurrection Power living in your life for the rest of your life here and forever! Source; Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Happy Easter! 2014
God raised His Son Jesus Christ from the dead and gave us a spouse for the wedding of His Bride, “The Church!” If you are a Bride of the Church of Jesus Christ you have a spouse that will never leave you or forsake you from yesterday, today and forever! In Christ’s Love. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Good Friday! Mark 8: 27-38
As we reflect on our life we can conclude that many responsible people have paved the way for our success and Blessings! Think of the millions of American’s who have laid down their lives in war to defend our freedom and way of life we benefit from here in America today! The foundations we enjoy have come at a very great price! Think of the church congregation members that took up arms against the British Army at Concord in the Revolutionary War! Think of the 600000 men who died in our civil war to free the slaves! Think of the thousands of men and women in our VA hospitals across America from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Also our Vietnam, Korean and World War II veterans! How about our great science inventors and business people who have made our lives more comfortable here in America. How about our great spiritual leaders that have set an important foundation for our understanding of God over the generations! As important as all these American’s are we have to go back to a greater foundation that has established the true meaning and purpose of life! A price paid by God Himself that would give us a hope in this life and beyond! No one represents humanity better than a disciple of Jesus named Peter. Jesus asked Peter who do men say that I am? Peter replied some say Elias and some say a prophet. Then Jesus asked them who do you say that I am? Peter got it right and seemed to be the smart one when he said you are the Christ! Then Jesus went on and said that he would be rejected, persecuted and would be killed but would rise on the 3rd day! Peter immediately took Jesus off to the side and rebuked him? At this time Peter was in remedial training and Jesus rebuked Peter and called him Satan! Peter at this time could not see from an eternal perspective but from a flesh viewpoint. Jesus went on to explain to them that they must deny themselves take up His Cross and follow Him! Peter eventually got it and became the leader of the Jerusalem Church and later martyred in Rome hung upside down on a cross. Good Friday is not good without the Resurrection on Sunday! We have no future unless we understand God has made a way for us and then accept the eternal foundation that all history has shown us is hopeless without the Cross! Happy Easter! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
What Happened To Jesus’ Prosecutors? Easter 2014
1. Judas Iscariot- Hung himself 2. Pontius Pilot- Married the daughter of Emperor Tiberius. He was ordered back to Rome after harshly supporting a Samaritan uprising after the death of Tiberius which occurred on March 16, in 37 A.D. He was replaced by Marcelus who the new Roman Emperor installed. The new Roman Emperor Caligula (37-41 A.D.), exiled Pilot to Gaul and Pilot committed suicide in Vienne. 3. Herod the Great- Murdered the infants of Bethlehem trying to get Jesus. He murdered one of his wives and several family members. Afraid no one would mourn his funeral he ordered distinguished people of the culture to be executed on the day of his death so people would mourn! Josephus the noted Jewish historian said Herod suffered an excruciating death! He suffered from Founier’s Gangrene (Rotting of his testicles), severe itching, intestinal pain, shortness of breath, convulsions, raging fever, tumors of the feet, inflamed abdomen and severe kidney disease. 4. Herod Agrippa- The grandson of Herod the Great. He was eaten by worms in 44 A.D. 5. Tiberius Caesar- Murdered in Capri in 37 A.D. Killed at the hands of the Prefect of the Praetorian Guard Nevis Sutorius Macor with the help of his successor Emperor Caligula. 6. Saint Claudia Procks of Judea- Pilot’s wife became a revered Saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Remember she warned Pilot after a dream not to have anything to do with Jesus. Some say the dream was from Satan to spare Christ from the Cross and the redemption of man. 7. Joseph Caiaphas (High Priest)- Remember the High Priest was appointed by the Roman governor. Remember Caiaphas said it is expedient that one man should die for the people. A new governor Proconsul Vitellius deposed Caiaphas from his position as High Priest. 8. Annas (High Priest)- He was the son-in-law of Caiaphas. He was deposed by Procurator Gratus. Annas was assassinated in 66 A.D. Comments: What would Jesus do? Father forgive them for they know not what they do! The same applies to all of us today. Thank you. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com