Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy! Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) Comment: Pastor Bonhoeffer was executed by Hitler 3 days before Hitler committed suicide and the end of World War II.
Tag: joy
Joy!
Joy is the simplest form of gratitude! Karl Barth (1886-1968)
2014 Prediction! Hebrews 13:8
The world changes! People change. Health changes. Finances change. Attitudes change. Economy changes. President’s change, Families change ( Divorce-remarriage). Weather changes. Pastor’s change. Church member’s change, Friends change. Laws change, Time changes. War changes. Taxes change, Technology changes, Nations change, ect. The News that never changes is the Good News as Paul says in Hebrews 13:8; “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!” Christ is the only one who can give you stability and peace in this unpredictable world you live in! The God of 2013 is the same God of 2014 and on forever! Do not hang your hat on anything else but Him! He will never leave you or forsake you! Others will! Happiness depends on circumstances! Joy is a Gift given to us by God through His Son Jesus Christ! Have a Joyful New Year! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Surprised By Joy!
This is the 3rd Sunday of Advent. The season of Advent helps us to shape and impact our culture. The Christmas story is ripe with revelation! Luke1:30 The angel appears to Mary! Of all the Prophets Isaiah had the most revelation about the coming Messiah! Isaiah Chapter 9. Isaiah focused on this Prophetic message. We have a gap of time between the old and new testament of 400 years. It is sometimes called the years of silence. About as much time as the Jews were in slavery in Egypt. No Prophets spoke and no further revelation was given during these silent years. The stage was set at the end of the old testament and the curtain was drawn. Is God silent in your life? Have you been listening for Him or just too busy? Then after 400 years of darkness the curtain is split in two! Light appears from darkness! At a time least expected! God will surprise you! Do you have an expectation from Him? God came into my life when I least expected it! Has He come for you? Advent is about Him coming to you! Do you need to welcome Him? When Jesus was born in Bethlehem wise men from the East following His star showed up in Jerusalem. King Herod heard about this and was very disturbed! He was rattled! Herod was jealous! King Jesus was a direct threat to him. Herod the Great was from Idumea and was a descendant of the Edomites who were the family of Esau. These descendants of Esau were always attacking Jacob’s family. Remember Jacob’s name was changed to Israel. After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. the Edomites vanished from history. Herod ordered an abortion of all the children two years old and younger and knives thrust into the bellies women that were pregnant. Yes, the Devil believes in Christmas! The world worships power, position and influence. Not much room for a baby. It is interesting how God uses vulnerable people to accomplish His work! God uses two pregnant women to prepare the way for the Savior of the world! Do you qualify as vulnerable? Homeless, pregnant, broken, betrayed, on dope, rejected, divorced or disabled? Are you without hope? Then you qualify for God to use you in a big way! He is looking for people who will be testimonies for Him! Pass the test and trust God at His Word! The baby Elizabeth was carrying(John the Baptist), leaped for Joy in her womb when Elizabeth heard the news from Mary about her visitation and God’s plan for the King and Son of God to be born by her! Then Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit! Luke 1:39-41. Do not try to live without the Holy Spirit for He gives you the power to live a victorious life! Without the Holy Spirit you will be like the Pharisee’s who knew about God but did not know Him! Luke 2:25-26. Next an old vulnerable man named Simeon who was just and devout got surprised by the Holy Spirit with Joy and was told he would not die until he has seen the Christ. Luke 2: 36-38. Here we see Anna a Prophetess and widow most of her life who served in the Temple get surprised with Joy! Do you lack surprise? Is life dull and routine? Hopeless? Broken dreams? Remember Joy is a gift! God does not just give joy but He is Joy! In His presence is fullness of Joy! Joy is not happiness. Our Constitution says we have the right to pursue happiness! Happiness you have to pursue or try to chase down by your own efforts! It depends on the economy, politicians, health, ect. Joy is a gift and never earned! The price has been paid for you! Galatians 5:22. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. What are the enemies of Joy? Pride, self, criticism, sarcasm, ect. Do you find fault with everything? Do you leave any room for beauty? No room for Jesus in your Inn? Have you been wounded or hurt by someone? See the beauty of God! No one on earth loves you like Him! He will never leave you or forsake you! He is different from us! I am not offering you a Christian but Christ Himself! Never lose your fascination, awe and wonder for Him! Go for beauty and be surprised by Joy! Joy is a person and not a benefit! The Holy Spirit is a person! The benefits come with the person and not apart from Him! Psalm 16:8-11. Do not get fixed on our cultural problems. Important but not your focus! Rather than be a student of culture be a Worshipper of God! Set the Lord before you. Have fullness of Joy and pleasures forevermore! You can hear bad news but still have Joy. Turn off the news networks this season and enter into His rest! Focus on Christ! Spend time with Him! The word time means, :”To Honor.” Psalm 16:9 Rest in Hope! My heart is glad and rejoices. Joy is an inside job! Your body rests secure. An external God who gives internal pleasure. From without to within! Joy comes at unusual times and unusual places through unusual persons! Is your heart prepared to be surprised by Joy? Source; Sermon notes taken from message given by Pastor Brady Boyd at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Message given Sunday December 15, 2013.
God’s Best Gift? Satan’s Best Gift?
A conclusive list of God’s Gift’s are listed in First Corinthians Chapter One and Chapter 12. Also Romans Chapter 12 and Ephesians Chapter 4. Pastor Brady Boyd at New Life Church in Colorado Springs gave us two important purposes of our spiritual gifts in his Sunday message. They are; 1. Our gifts bring others to God! 2. Our gifts help us to grow up! There was much more in his message Sunday and you can go to their web site if you want more. NewLifeChurch.Org Commentary; When I was reading First Corinthians Chapter 12, verse 31, I noticed that Paul said to covet earnestly the best gifts, and i will show unto you a more excellent way. Then i asked myself what is God’s best gift? In the next verse i got the answer! Remember in the original manuscripts there were no chapters but a continuation of thoughts. God’s Best Gift is “Love”! What is Satan’s best gift? Remember the temptations he offered Jesus? Stones into bread-food. Show-off and jump off the mountain-pride. All the kingdoms of this world-Power,Authority,Rule Jesus said that my Kingdom is not of this world! There is competition for your soul between two Kingdom’s! The Kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of God! The lust of the eyes and the pride of life is cheese on the rat trap for you and me! Satan’s gifts are death, disease, sickness, pestilence, abortion, sin, war, judgement and hell forever! God’s gifts are love, joy, peace, prosperity, long-suffering, patience, eternal life, forgiveness of sin. Choose life! Choose death? The choice is yours! Thankyou. James Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Identity Theft!
The Latin and Old French roots to the word identity mean the condition of being the same with something described or asserted. Your thought’s, idea’s and perspectives allow people to determine who you are. The truth is we try to be like someone else. Either your father, mother, grandpa, grandma, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, teacher, pastor, ect. Someone who tries Identity theft on you tries to be the same as you with the same bio-data such as date of birth, social security number, account numbers, ect. Most people only care about what you have not who you are! If they think you do not have much then they leave you alone. God cares about who you are! Character counts with God! In fact He cares so much that He through His Son Jesus Christ identified with your sin on the Cross so that you could identify with Him and have the power to live like Christ! Lucifer lost his identity in being like God in his rebellion against God. Then Satan took his new identity of being unGodly and tries to get people to try to live their lives without God! Our true identity to be like God was stolen through identity theft by Satan. When we come to Christ we get our Godly identity back and the power to live in righteousness and not in sin. Then Satan and his family moves away from us because he does not want to live like us and be like God. If you have rejected Christ then your identity has been stolen and you try to live like others who are not following Him! All of us will try to live like someone else! Only one can lead us to paths of joy, peace and eternal life Only one can save you while all others will fail you! Turn to Christ and experience a love that cannot compare with any earthly relationship! In Christ’s Love. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Options!
Sometimes i wish God would have made salvation mandatory instead of optional? You know like paying your taxes is mandatory. I suppose that just like you have tax cheats you would have salvation cheats like Judas! Options are an important part of democratic liberties but when time runs out all options end! Like 2 seconds left on the clock in a football game if you are behind you finish the game in defeat! In a game you have next season but in life we play for keeps! In life the stakes are high and if we do not choose God and His Christ then eternity is a long time to be seperated from them. The options in this life is Heaven or Hell! In Hell you have no otions but in Heaven you still have options. You can choose to stay or you can rebel like Lucifer and join him in Hell! Options are about choices. We choose either good or evil. Choices determine your present future and past. We by our choices are going to serve God or Satan. Choose this day who you are going to serve! This Christmas think about God and His Mercy to give us the right choice in sending His Son Jesus to us! How we can live with love, peace and joy in the midst of a lost and destructive human race! Merry Christmas! James, Hamsa and Anita. GodWhoisGod.com
Buy One Get Everything Free!
This is better than buying one and getting one free! If you were the only person on earth God still would have purchased your Sin on the Cross by His Blood to set you free! Christ has given you freedom from Sin, guilt, condemnation, worry, stress, insecurity, fear, doubts, regrets, uncertainty, poverty, regrets, sickness and bondage! Christ has made you free to live in Holiness, peace, joy, love, security, assurance, blessing, richness, health, and freedom! The cost of our freedom came at a great cost to Christ on the Cross! His yoke is easy and His burden is light! Source; Pastor Charles, Bangalore India.