The sheer diversity of literature in the Bible is one of its secrets of its continuing popularity through the centuries! There is something for all moods and many different cultures! Its message is not buried in religious jargon only accessible to believers or scholars but reflects the issues that people struggle with in daily life! John Drane, Scottish Theologian and author. Comment: First of all the Bible is the number one best seller because it is written with the finger of God! It speaks to all cultures because it is written by the God that created all cultures! God speaks to His people through His Word! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Tag: god
Worship & Service! Luke 10:38-42
Jesus commended Mary for choosing the good part! Let us look at the Greek word good as used in this passage of scripture! It is Strongs #18. It means constitutionally good but not to benefit others! It means profitable! It means to derive an advantage from it. There is an opposite word used in the Greek for good! It is “Harmartano”, Strongs #264. It means to miss the mark or sin! Mary’s sister Martha was serving and wanted Mary to help! There is nothing wrong with serving because it benefits others! Remember Jesus said he who is greatest in the Kingdom of God is servant of all. However in this case we are talking about God being in your presence! Jesus was not putting Martha down but explained to her that Mary her sister recognized Jesus true value! Remember over in the Book of Luke Mary spent nearly a year’s wages on the perfume to anoint Jesus body for burial. Judas put her down for it! How we value people and things is very important! If we are not careful we can overvalue things and undervalue people! If we undervalue God then nothing else we ever value will help us! Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and He will add to us what is needed! Did you value your father and mother today? Did you value your Pastor today? Did you pray for him? I recently stayed in a wealthy man’s house. He is a good man but when I asked him the name of his Pastor he did not know? If we do not value what is most valuable then it becomes sin! Like Martha serve Him but more important like Mary worship Him! Get in His presence! One second in Jesus presence will start a fire in your soul that will glow forever! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Science and Faith!
It might be interesting that the following scientists believed God had to exist! 1. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) 2. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1627) 3. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) 4. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) 5. Rene Descartes (1596-1650) 6. Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) 7. Isaac Newton (1642-1727) 8. Robert Boyle (1791-1867) 9. Michael Faraday (1791-1867) 10. Gregor Mendel (1822-1884) 11. William Thomas Kelvin (1824-1907) 12. Max Planck (1858-1955) 12. Albert Einstein (1879-1955) Comment: Einstein believed that it was impossible that we live in a non-created universe!
Jesus Words! Matthew 24:13
Greek Translation: “But he that endures a load of miseries, adversities, persecutions, provocations in faith and patience towards people until your goal of perfection is accomplished completely shall have the spiritual and eternal salvation granted immediately by God through Jesus Christ,” Comment: Did you ever notice you do not start off your life with Jesus Christ? You start out by being in love with the world. However after a load of miseries, adversities, persecutions and provocations you figure out something is wrong? Most of our woes are self inflicted but a few done by others! Then Jesus Christ comes into your life with a love you never thought possible? Jesus fills your emptiness with His love! You still have the miseries, adversities, persecutions and provocations however they are no longer internal but external! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Do You Need Intervention? Romans 8:27
Greek Translation: ‘He that searches the thoughts and intentions of the heart knows what is the purpose of the Spirit because He intervenes for the morally blameless (Saints), according to the will of God.” Comment: Mt biggest surprise when translating this passage from the Greek are from the two English words “Maketh intercession.” The two English words used here have nothing to do with prayer! In fact I looked up every Greek word used for prayer in the New Testament and the Strongs#1793 is never used for prayer! I assumed all my life that this scripture was talking about prayer? The Holy Spirit is the active agent of the Trinity! The Holy Spirit is the servant of the Father and the Son! The Holy Spirit will and does intervene for the Saints when required! The word intervene is a more accurate English word for making intercession! The virgin birth is probably the best example of the Holy Spirit intervention into our natural world! The Holy Spirit intervened into the natural biological processes of Mary and Jesus Christ the Son of God was born into the earth to redeem the earth! This is important because Muslims believe according to the Koran that God had sex with Mary! Another example of intervention would be the speaking in Tongues at Pentecost! God knows the thoughts and intensions of our heart! The Holy Spirit knows His purpose and the will of God for you and me! The will of God is expressed in the Word of God! You might want to read your Bible regularly? Based upon the will and Word of God He intervenes as required for us! Are the thoughts and purposes of our heart right with God? We may need intervention! Start by confessing your sin to Jesus and ask Him to clean and sanctify our hearts! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Forgiveness! Matthew 27:50
Yielded up here means Christ voluntarily gives up His Spirit in His body! To forgive sin means to remove those sins from oneself! Only God is able to do that for us! To forgive sin is not to disregard them or do nothing about them, but to liberate a person from them! That is to remove the guilt and power of sin over and in a person! We are to ask God to forgive us our sin and remove them from us so we do not stand guilty of them and under their power and control. Christ has forgiven us and He also asks us to forgive others! Remember our forgiving others is a sign of our salvation but only Christ has the power to redeem others! This is why Evangelism is so important! I can forgive a snake for biting me but if I go back to that snake he will bite me again! You can forgive that poor devil but he is still a devil. The sinner must still come to the same Christ we have come to! One sign that you have forgiven a sinner who has offended you is that you regularly pray for them that God will Bless them and that they will find Christ as their Savior! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Resurrection! Matthew 27:52-53
The word resurrection literally means to quit one’s previous position and to rise up! We need a spiritual resurrection and a physical resurrection! Jesus said we must be born again! We had no control over our physical birth and no control over our physical death unless we chose suicide! Without Christ we wake up everyday in our previous position of sin! Nothing seems to change except things get worse! Through Christ we quit this position and move into righteousness! That is we are made right with God! We wake up with a spiritually resurrected body and the promise of a physically resurrected body! It is interesting that when Jesus died on the Cross the graves were opened up by an earthquake and many of the saints arose! Notice in verse 53, they came out of the graves after the resurrection! When sin has been paid for people get free! I spent a few years in India and learned some of the aspects of the Hindu religion! The Hindus suffer from many bondages and superstitions based upon their Theology of God! One particular destructive belief about God is the Doctrine of reincarnation! Not the incarnation but reincarnation! They believe if you sin or are a bad person in your next life you could be a bug, rat or a snake or something awful. There is no remedy and you are locked into this condition due to your sin! They have respect for bugs and rats because they could have been a former family member! If fact in the Hindu Temples they feed rats and snakes milk and give them respect! Lucky critters! So they believe their sin is punished forever into the next generations whom could be a bug, snake, cow or a human never to come up in life! They make no effort to improve their life because their lot is permanent! It was very hard to improve their life under these beliefs! The incarnation is very different from the reincarnation! God taking on our sin who was without sin to deliver us from evil. God becomes man to take the very sin that separates us from God! If reincarnation were true and Jesus was just another human and took on the sin of the whole world he would have been resurrected as Satan! But Jesus was God and only that sacrifice would have been acceptable to God the Father! His son was the key to redemption! When Jesus was raised from the dead the saints were raised with Him! The resurrection is probably the most important aspect of our Faith! It is also based on historical facts! The next time you see a bug crawling across your floor you have my permission to step on it! What we believe about God determines our outlook and attitude about life here on earth and after! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Are You The One? Mark 14:61-62
I believe every generation born asks this question sooner or later! Caiaphas the High Priest asked Jesus this question! After Judas betrayed Jesus the Jews apprehended Jesus and a mock trial was held! Jesus was a threat to the religious leaders of Israel as He is to the religious system today! The religious leaders raised up false accusers against Jesus to nail Him! However the false witnesses could not agree with their testimonies! Why was Jesus such a threat? They had their long robes and long prayers but Jesus at the snap of His fingers raised the dead, healed the blind and the lame, walked on water and cast out demons! So Caiaphas had to ask the question that he dreaded to ask and inside knew this was probably the guy! Jesus are you the Christ the Son of the Blessed? What was he really asking? Let us break these words down one Greek word at a time! Christ means the anointed one! That is He was covered with the Glory of God! The word son used here, “Hulos”, is a specific word reserved for the Son of God as opposed to the generic word used meaning the offspring of parents! The word Blessed is reserved for God who is worthy of praise! Humans can be favored by circumstances however these circumstances can change and usually will over time! God is the creator of all and we are the recipients of His love! Jesus replied to his question with an affirmative yes and added more as we see in verse 62. Caiaphas then accused Jesus of blasphemy and Jesus persecution and execution followed! Suffering can come because of who you are! Good or bad! Jesus suffering was pre-planned by God! Jesus always referred to “His Father” except at the Cross! At the Cross Jesus said, “My God why have you forsaken me?” Have you ever felt forsaken? There are many benefits for following Jesus such as eternal life, peace, joy, love, long suffering, patience and the list goes on! Also remember many suffer today because of His name! Such as the Christians in the Middle East, Africa and places including America! It is not easy to suffer for who you are however Jesus suffered because of who we are! Sinners saved by Grace! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Judas Iscariot Mark 14:10
Judas has gotten some bad press over the centuries! He earned it! Where did he go wrong? Books have been written about him and some even supporting him? The Gnostic writings claim Jesus made a deal with Judas? It says in the Gospel of Luke that Satan entered Judas! How do you get to that point? Jesus cast out demons for people so why not Judas? What we do know about Judas is that he loved money! He was the treasurer for the ministry! He got mad at the woman who spent all her money on Jesus burial perfume! So who was Judas? Did he graduate first in his class? Was he a common criminal? Did he have a record? Jesus recruited him! Was it intentional? Army recruiters end up with Medal of Honor winners and deserters! Has Jesus recruited you? Are you going to switch sides? Jesus said it would have been better if Judas had not been born! Not a five star rating! Put that in your resume! Did his mommy love him? Did the stork deliver him or take him away? Was it providence for Judas? He had a free will. Have you ever made a bad choice? You know like God does not exist and Jesus is a fraud and I will do what I want? Did you vote for Hillary? Trump? Millions voted for Adolf Hitler? Buyers remorse on that one! Do you follow a religion or ideology that endorses killing people? Judas could not see any benefit for following Jesus? No financial gain? No fame only persecution! Don’t take any script or money with you on your journey! Eat what is placed on your plate! No five star hotels! Foxes have holes and birds have nests but me? Sleep out in the desert with scorpions! Judas thought at least I can get 30 pieces of silver out of Jesus! The High Priest and the scribe want him out of the way anyway! I can use religion to make money! What a novel idea! Judas was simply following the crowd! My grandpa told me as a teenager never to follow the crowd! Look what the mob did to Jesus Jimmy! I posted on an earlier blog what happened to those who plotted against Jesus! That is Caiaphus the High Priest, Herod, Pilot and the rest. They all came to a bad end! So what side of history will you and I be on? You will either support Christ’s Kingdom or Satan’s Kingdom! The choice is ours! But choices matter! In this life we will follow only one! There are no refunds on our choices! We could be like the thief on the Cross who at the last minute got into Heaven! Why gamble with eternity? The best time to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior is right now! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
The Barbarian Barabbas!
Except for Jesus everyone is a barbarian! You cannot make yourself Holy but Jesus can! Crucify Him was also your cry from your mother’s womb! You and I sent Jesus to the Cross! Religion crucified Jesus and religion today persecutes Jews and Christians! Repentant sinners have come to recognize there is no power within men to change their wicked ways only Christ has the power with love to change the heart! Atheists and world religions have one objective! That is to frame an ideology where men do not have to change their moral behavior! If you believe there is no God then you do not have to change your behavior! You have no one to answer to! If you kill and murder in the name of religion you try to use God to justify your sin! Christ has come to save you from yourself and others! Like Barabbas you should have gone to the gallows but were set free as Christ paid your penalty! Christ without sin took your sin on the Cross! The passion took away and covered your sin in His blood! Compassion means to suffer with! Christ took on the suffering of the world! Only God could do this for you! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com