This star is not an astronomical object! The star appeared at the moment of Jesus birth. It was visible to the wise men of Babylon. If they saw the star over Israel, it would indicate it was not astronomical because stars do not rise in the west! They rise in the east. If it rose in the east it was very special because star gazers like these wise men would not have difficulty recognizing the planet Venus! Traditional images show the wise men traveling over the desert following a star. However Matthew 2 does not say they followed a star to Israel. In fact, it would appear, from their reaction, that the star newly reappeared in Matthew 2:9. How could a star go before the wise men? Bethlehem is to the south of Jerusalem! Stars do not move south. They move west. Stars do not settle over houses. The Greek word for star (Aster), implies something strewn! What could it be? What could it be that moves easily from west to east appearing as strewn light? A pillar of fire would be a good example! Remember the Shechinah Glory of light that moved with the Tabernacle representing the presence of God? This light could have been interpreted as a star! It is believed the wise men reached Bethlehem about 2 years after Jesus birth. That is why Herod ordered the murder of the children 2 years and younger! Source: CreationToday.org Comment: Point here is you cannot explain this star or light naturally! It was supernatural. Very seldom does God oppose his creation! Only to deliver his people! He turned the sun and time back for Joshua to win the battle! He opened the Red Sea for Moses and drowned the pursuing army with the same sea! Mary bore Jesus yet being a virgin! Jesus raised the dead and has promised to raise those who believe and trust him! Jesus himself was raised from the dead! Peter at midnight was delivered from the prison! Do I believe in miracles! Absolutely! Jesus delivered me off my death bed some 45 years ago! Is it a stretch to believe God at his word? It is a stretch not to! God who created all this can change anything or everything at his will! He transformed me from sin to righteousness with his atoning blood! Was it a star? All things are possible with God! He can create anyone he wants to! He can create anything he wants to at anytime at any place! He came to Bethlehem so he could prepare a place for you in Heaven! Why not follow Jesus to Heaven! He will return one day soon to earth with his church! If you wait until then to follow him it will be too late! Wise men still seek him! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Tag: joshua
Judeau Christian Civilization! Joshua 24:15
Ben Shapiro is a young American Orthodox Jew that has a lot of insight into religious, economic and political systems of this world! He makes the important point that Judeau Christian culture allows for dissenting views on everything! In fact atheism is only possible in a Judeau Christian culture! Do you find any professing atheists in Islamic cultures? If you do they are missing their heads! Carl Marks, Frederick Engels, Charles Darwin and John Dewey were atheists living in Christian cultures with the freedom to create political, science and economic systems that oppose their Christian culture they were living in! However under these systems free choice was taken away! Your children in America if attending a public school will be taught evolution with no alternative and will not be able to pray in school. The Anti-Christ systems of this world will remove free choice and you will lose your freedom! We have free elections here in America because we live in an Judeau Christian culture however it is possible to elect leaders who oppose Christ and then your freedoms will be lost! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Joshua 24:15
“If it seem evil to reject my authority then make the best choice remembering those who sin hurt other people! Serve either the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites where you dwell now but as for your leader Joshua I declare as for me and those living inside my house we will serve the Lord!” Comment: It is interesting that the Hebrew word for evil is associated with the rejection of God’s authority! It is a choice that leads to the destruction of the sinner and the people around them! The plural word gods used by Joshua refers to idolatry. For those that reject God’s authority they make their own gods! It is exalting self above God! The false gods or idols are substitutes for God that can be controlled by the worshippers! They are puppets on a string! If you have not lived in a culture where idol worship is predominate I can assure you it is a living Hell. An idol can be anything you make it to be! It can be money, sex, fame, evolution, junk science, pleasure, graven images, religion and it is worshipped in place of God! It is self-worship! If you remove God from His throne you will replace Him with something else! The word “House”, used in this passage means those living under your roof! When your children become adult’s and leave home they have to decide if they are going to worship God under their roof! We pray for them! Never give up! My brother-in-law passed on this month! His mother prayed for him to come to Christ all her life and she passed on in 1995. He came to Christ about two years ago! We know from history that not all the Jews chose to serve God and obey Joshua for the next Book in our Bible after the Book of Joshua is the Book of Judges! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Good Success? Joshua 1:8
To start off the new year we need to know what good success is? The word means to be prudent! To act in wisdom, insight and devotion! When you add circumspect with intelligence you find good success! T.D. Jakes once said if you have good success then it is possible to have bad success! What would be bad success? Living your life out of the purpose and will of God! Remember good success is conditional! The scriptures must not depart out of your mouth! You must meditate on the scriptures day and night! Follow the scriptures by living them out in your life! Trust Jesus and not the world! Also remember that God is still giving you the success! Happy New Year! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
History and Faith! Joshua 10:12-13
If the Lord did stay the sun for a whole day then this should show up in historical records of other cultures because it would affect the whole earth! The records of the Chinese during the reign of Emperor Yeo, who lived at the same time as Joshua reports a ‘long day’. Heroditus, a Greek historian wrote that an account of a ‘long day’appears in the records of Egyptian priests! Another record in Mexico reports the same standing still for an entire day denoted as ‘seven rabits’, which is the same year as Joshua defeated the Philistines! The historical record of the Aztecs, Peruvians and Babylonians speak of a ‘day of twice natural length’. History and science support our Bible and it is the most dependable literature in existence! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Book of Jasher? Joshua 10:13
The Book of Jasher is mentioned in the Book of Joshua and in 2 Samuel 1:18-27. Many believe the Book of Jasher was inserted because Joshua wanted to reference other sources to authenticate the event. The Book of Jasher is one of the apocalyptic Books. The Book of Jasher was left out of the canon of Scripture, however God directed the authors of Scripture to use passages from many extra-Biblical sources in composing His Word. The Book of Jasher contains 91 chapters. Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Modern Warfare Prohibited for Israel Psalm 20:7
Joshua 11:6 Cutting the tendons of the legs of horses rendered them unfit for military use. This is illustrated in the word “hough.” Israel was forbidden by God to develop a calvary with chariots. (Deuteronomy 17:16) God wanted them to depend on Him, not in the strength of horses! (Isaiah 31:1-3) The 600 chariots with Captains, drivers and horses of the Egyptian army buried under the Red Sea was testimony that Trust in God was the only sure way to victory! Nothing has changed today for He is the same yesterday, today and forever! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Accursed Thing? Joshua 7:1
What is the accursed thing? Is it something I had for breakfast? My wife’s cooking? Fast food? It will help you to go back to the Hebrew root word to help understand this. I would suggest you get a Hebrew-Greek study Bible if you want to dig deeper in the Scriptures! According to the Hebrew word this is something devoted to religious use. Some consider this word to have a contradictory element because it can also be something devoted to destruction! So something accursed is either set apart for destruction or set apart to be devoted to God! During the conquest of Canaan the Jews set aside the spoils of war for religious use. That is the silver, gold, bronze, iron and the animals were devoted to religious use. The idea here is since God has given us the victory in war the spoils belong to Him! Much like the tithe and offering today is given to God because He has given us the victory over sin, hell and death! So after crossing the Jordan River in a miraculous way they defeated the first city Jericho in another miraculous way! A man named Achan from the tribe of Judah and his family got greedy and stashed some of the gold from the spoils in his tent! God got angry and in the next battle for the city of Ai Israel got defeated. Joshua went to the Lord and the Lord revealed to him there was sin in the camp! Joshua went through every tent and found the offender! Achan and his family were stoned, burned and buried in the Valley of Achor! Is your life set apart for God or for destruction? What you do with Jesus Christ will answer that question? If you accept Jesus Christ your life will be set apart for Him! If you reject Christ then your life is set apart for destruction! The choice is yours! God will not send you to Heaven or Hell without you deciding! He will not force His will on you! Love demands a choice! So it is up to you! Victory or defeat? Heaven or hell? Light or darkness? Wealth or poverty? Health or sickness? You choose! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Israel Saved by a Prostitute! Joshua 2:1-3
This is one of the most fascinating stories in the Old Testament and carries over into the New Testament! This is a lesson for Christian’s to never write off a sinner! If we do that becomes a greater sin! Pride and self-righteousness! Rahab was a Amorite. The first part of her name, “RA”, is the name of an Egyptian God. The rest of her name means insolence, fierceness or broad and spacious! She was spacious and took everyone in! Rahab married Salmon one of the two spies she took in. She became the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth from whose son Obed, Jessie the father of David came, through whose lineage Jesus was born! In the New Testament Rahab is in the Hall of Fame when it comes to Faith! As Christian’s we need to remember God can use anyone and He does! The Bible says we are to confess our sin to one another! Mark Twain said if you do you will have no friends! He is right for I tried that once! If they were true friends they would still be my friend! What a friend we have in Jesus! Politics is the dirtiest occupation on earth! It got Jesus put on a Cross! However God is smarter than sin and nailed all our sin to the Cross! As we close out 2015 think about how we can think like God and look at the world through the heart of God! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Hebrew? Genesis 14:13
Abram was first called a Hebrew in this passage. The name Hebrew means to cross over or pass over. We as Christian’s are immigrants because we belong to another world! The Jews crossed over into the Promised land! Our citizenship is in Heaven as we pass through this world! Heaven is our home as Jesus has promised to prepare a place for us. Do you live as though you are a stranger in a foreign land? Politics and world troubles do not bother me too much for they are side shows as I focus on my real home with my King that awaits there! In the meantime Jesus has promised us the Holy Spirit! Our purpose here is to point people to another world who has a King and a Kingdom waiting for them! We want them to cross over from death unto life as we have! The Cross has given us a Passover from sin to righteousness. There are two ways of living this life with two very different outcomes! One way is through the Cross with redemption working in every area of our life! The other way is to reject the Cross and suffer separation from God! Moses crossed over the Red Sea and Joshua crossed over the Jordan River! Today Israel stands as a nation a testimony to God’s faithfulness! Do you need to cross over in your life from drugs, addictions, fear and hopelessness? Then go to the Cross! Christ will take your burdens off you and He will carry them for you! What are you waiting for? In Christ’s Love. James and Hamsa Sasse GodWhoisGod.com