You would think by hearing the prosperity message of the 21st Century from American pulpits that this guy would have the most coveted position on earth! Many spend their entire life pursuing these goals! The rich young ruler wanted to be sure he had all his ducks in a row and right with God! So he asked Jesus a question that we should all ask Him! What shall I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said he should keep the Commandments to love God and people! He told Jesus he had done all these things since his youth! Jesus said you just lack one thing if you want to be perfect! The word perfect used here means reaching one’s goal of Heaven being blameless and righteous before God! Jesus told him he must sell all he has, give to the poor and follow me! This was just too much for this guy and he walked away sorrowful. Jesus only asked him to give up something he loved more than God! Jesus went on to say it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven! The sin was not being rich but loving money more than God! Jesus is telling all of us that we cannot go on a sin diet! We have to forsake it all. The last words that Jesus said somehow echo in my ears! Follow Me! Follow Me! If we hang unto a little sin it will turn into a monster! This is what happened to the Las Vegas shooter! Bill Gates is giving all his money away! The money no longer controls him! This is an important lesson when it comes to our tithes and offerings! It is a statement to God that He owns it all and we are acknowledging His authority! Sin will control us unless we forsake it! When you love God more than your sin and confess your sin to Christ victory is your estate! Jesus is God because only God can forgive sin! The rich young ruler refused to confess his sin! The joy of the Lord is our strength! If we will confess our sin He is Faithful and Just to forgive our sin! Then the bondages and chains of guilt, shame and condemnation are cut loose from our soul. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Tag: follow
Super Bowl Owners! Deuteronomy 28:13
What do the super bowl team owners have in common? Arthur Blank and Robert Kraft are both Jews! Even though the Book of Deuteronomy was written thousands of years ago the Words of the Bible still hold true! God promised His people that if they would keep His Commandments He would make them the head and not the tail. Christopher Columbus was a Jew! Do you see the word “Christ”, in the name Christopher? Columbus had a vision before his voyage that he would discover a land that would support the Jews and Israel. Welcome to Columbus Land! My Bible goes on to say the Salvation has come through the Jews! Jesus Christ’s incarnation into the earth is fulfillment of many Biblical Prophecies! Did you ever notice the enemies of the Jews and Christ want to behead people? To be balanced here i want to remind you that Karl Marx, Frederick Engels and Charles Darwin were all Jews with anti-Christ ideologies! I would also remind you that the Anti-Christ (One world ruler), during the tribulation period will also be a Jew! He will also be a homosexual as he will have no natural affection for women! This will be a real war on women! The war on women started in the Garden of Eden! So which Jew are you going to follow? You can follow Christ or someone else! The question begs to be asked where will the one you follow lead you to? One of two places! Heaven or Hell? I have decided to follow Jesus! No turning back! The Cross before me the world behind me! No turning back! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Selfies, Selfish & Selfless! Matthew 16:24-26
Selfies are not wrong or bad! Hey, look at me! They could be called the poster child of selfishness! Selfish seems to dominate American culture! Every group wants attention! They all get up on their soap box! Sin is about selfishness! No sacrifice required! Satan, Adam and Eve thought they could rise above God! Do not be denied God is holding out on you! Jesus said to seek first the Kingdom of God! Would you lose your life for Jesus? Take up your Cross and follow Him! Deny yourself! When you do that you are following Him! Ditch your selfie! His words seem as foreign to our culture as they did back in the 1st Century! To take up your Cross is to live in self-denial and lay your life down and take up His life! You will be exposed to death! For the first time in American history Christians are being executed for their Faith on our home soil. The executed had to carry their own Cross to the execution site after scourging! When you carry your own cross the popular culture will look at you as a criminal. You will undergo suffering, trial, punishment, disapproval and death! The only way to deny self is die to self! Others are more important! No wonder Jesus had so few disciples! Very few sign up and stay on! It is easier to live for you and not for Him because you have to trust your outcome to Him! Faith is taking your destiny out of your control! To follow Jesus means to walk in the same path! It means to be in union on the same road like military soldiers marching down the same path! To lose your life means to destroy it completely with a new identity! Save my life or lose it. The word life used in this scripture means the Spirit or eternal soul. It is more than just the here and now! Self is about the here and now! Gain the whole world and lose your soul? The word soul used here is the same Greek root word used for life! The world will never be able to save your soul. You were purchased with a price! His blood for your soul! Matthew 6:33 To seek first means in time, place and order of importance! Seek His righteousness! That means to seek His innocence and justification! Can we do the math? Then all these things will be added unto you! II Corinthians 5:15 Do you live for yourself? Live for Him! As He was raised He has promised to raise you up from the dead! Live like it! Look for Him and live for Him! Pastor Cope, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Fairburn, Georgia.
Do Not Follow The Crowd!
Those people should not be listened to who keep saying the voice of the people is the voice of God! The riotousness of the crowd is always very close to madness! Alcuin of York (735-804 A.D.) Comment: When I was in high school back in the 1960’s my grandfather Edgar was a simple farmer but very wise! He would have these wisdom sessions with us that at the time did not seem important. However we listened to him! He said, “Jimmy never follow the crowd! It was the crowd that crucified our Lord!” With the Vietnam war going on then and the race riot’s and assassinations I followed my grandfather’s advice and he proved wise and helped me in many ways preparing for life! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Centralized Worship! Deuteronomy 12:5
The place God shall choose is the Prophetic reference to God’s selecting one place in the Promised Land for a fixed central sanctuary to which Israel would worship in. This was necessary since the people would no longer be camped around a portable Tabernacle, but would be dispersed into the towns of Canaan. The New Testament version of this would be Hebrew 10:25 where it says,” Not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together as the matter of some is; but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. ” Private devotions and worship is important but remember that worship right now around the Throne of God in Heaven is public worship! This worship consists of billions of Saints, Angels and the 24 elders surrounding Christ and the Father! There will be no Lone Rangers in Heaven! No hermits! Jesus visited the Temple in Jerusalem often and so did Paul! In an NFL football game you can be a spectator or sit on the bench or you could play on the field! Which are you? Things are supposed to be done on earth as it is in Heaven! Jesus said where two or three are gathered in my name there will I be! Public worship here on earth is dress rehearsal for Heaven! God has a plan for your life and when you follow the plan things work out! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
True or False? Matthew 7:15-23
False Prophets! Not all that shines is gold! Jesus warning His disciples. Wolves attack just to kill while other beasts kill only for food. Assassins! Dressed in sheep clothing. They look like you, dress like you, have a good church language but are suicide bombers wearing a Christian costume. Intentional people who purposely mislead us to hurt. Evil at the core. Verse 16- By their fruit you will recognize them. Good or Bad! True or False! Pay attention to the right thing. Walk and be not deceived. Good fruit is moral fruit. Bad fruit is immoral or evil fruit. Verses 21-23. Final Judgment! I prophesied in your name? I cast out demons in your name? I did miracles in your name? Jesus said but I never knew you! Worst thing you could ever hear! Warning! Big crowds always follow those who perform prophecy, cast out demons and perform miracles. They may be genuine or total deceivers? Work for the right fruit. Do they sell products and then sprinkle Jesus on top of their sales pitch? How does fruit come? Fruit takes time to produce. Galatians 5:22- Fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace———-. Is our motivation on self or Christ? Look for sound doctrine! Is your household built on sand or rock? 2Timothy 4:3-4. People want a doctrine that fits their desires. Our desire and God’s desire is different. Make me happy God! The 21st century church theology is called; Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. It says that God is here to make me happy! Use Jesus to get what you want. No sound doctrine. A lot of money made under this false doctrine. Money made in the God business. Why? It sells! Itching ears. We want to hear this! Pleases the flesh. Marketing 101- Find out what the people want and tell them how to get it. Politicians today- They follow the culture rather than lead it! Flow with the stream down the drain. Sound doctrine- Iron sharpens iron. Follow Jesus. Believe Him. False Prophets will appear to go along with the Gospel but yet will say Jesus did not die and raise from the dead. The Death and Resurrection of Christ is foundational to our Faith! The Nicene Creed has been foundational to our Faith for over 1600 years. The early church father’s wrestled these heresies to the ground for us. You have to be able to discern truth to avoid the destruction of the false! Source: Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Sunday Sermon Notes Message given on September 8, 2013. Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
What Did Jesus Say About Following Him? Matthew 7:13-14
Jesus had a radical message! You can only enter in at the narrow way, narrow passage or narrow gate to follow me. A narrow gate would only be about the width of your shoulders. You cannot carry any baggage with you when you go through it. Following Jesus through the narrow gate requires focus with no distractions in the way. The broad road or gate leads to destruction. Jesus does and did not go this path. It is a dead end road. Few people choose the narrow gate. American culture is more Christ resistant than anytime in our history. To follow Christ today is more costly than in previous generations. We are considered radicals by our culture and ridiculed. We are considered on the outer fringes like space cadets. Did you ever notice the on-line surveys always give you a way out. You are never committed to a yes or no answer. Kind of like politics today. Christ gave His disciples no third choice. It was either Heaven or Hell. The same holds true for us today! Yes or no? Easy or difficult. Matthew 5:1-2. Jesus real audience was more than the crowds it was His disciples. They had already made up their minds to follow Him but their trust level was low. It takes time to figure out if you can trust someone. Jesus told them the Kingdom of God is right now! It was not yesterday or tomarrow. Living right now is Monday through Saturday working, school and difficult schedules. Jesus said let Heaven break into your boring day to day world. Jerusalem has 12 gates. The wide gate is the most used gate. Examples today are convenience stores, shopping malls, fast food, ect. We like the best paved roads with the fewest traffic lights. They even have drive through churches today. Just hear a message on the internet or television. Why go to church? Studies have found that women like to shop on the internet after 9:00PM. Why? Convenient! We like to choose the easy way over the difficult. Going through the wide gate we can take along as much baggage as we want. No constraints, no sacrifices, easy choices, no boundaries, no commitment applies to all who travel the wide gate. Taking this path leads to ruin. Jesus took a narrow path from The Judgment Hall to Calvary. It was also a steep climb carrying your Cross! He took your unforgiveness, hurt, pain and all your sin. Jesus was a teacher of virtue. Creativity exits between boundaries. Whether it be inventions, music, poetry, sciences, discoveries or even the work of a humble farmer. All great work is done within constraints and boundaries. Jesus had to be sinless to fix your sin. Because of the discipline of constraints and boundaries we have very few great people. People do not like boundaries. Live together why get married? Why study? Why work? Get on welfare. Pregnant? Get an abortion. Vote for the political party that offers you no constraints or boundaries. Revelation 7:9. Heaven is not sparsely populated but has a great multitude. Salvation belongs to our God! It is a free gift like a Christmas gift under a tree and is easy to find. Jesus is easy to find but very difficult to follow. Weddings are exciting but then the couples have to learn to live together. Marriage goes from easy to difficult. The wide gate is to get a divorce or just live together unmarried. To remain in covenant is a miracle from God and requires His Grace. To stay married is hard work and a challenge. Getting pregnant is easy but raising children is hard work. The family under the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman is God’s only plan and design for relationships and for the security of future generations. Worship even requires constraints and boundaries. All people will make one of the following four choices in their life. 1. Secularism- autonomy, it’s my life, live for yourself, no boundaries, no restraints. Not Jesus way. No! 2. Moralism- Follow the rules and get the life I deserve. Entitlement. Steeped in religion that says it is all about me. I deserve to be rich and famous because I am a moral person. 3. Religion- I owe my life to God. Obligation. Things better go right with me because I am serving God! Bad exchange. Problems come! Death and disease comes to all! 4. Grace- Jesus says your life for my life! Wonderful exchange! Great Exchange! My nothingless for His everything. Give God your life and He gives His life back to you! Stop living for yourself. It is a dead end. Let Christ come in. Welcome the Holy Spirit! You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. What needs constraint in your life? Do you eat food for comfort? Do you have a drug or sex addiction? Do you feed your senses to no avail. Let Christ increase and you decrease. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and He will add to your life that will help you to victory. Source: Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Message given Sunday September 1, 2013.