These were the words of Tom Brady quarterback of the New England Patriots at the end of his interview last night after their Sunday night football game win over the Pittsburg Steelers! This game was really a hard fought battle with both teams having to send players to the hospital during the game! Hopefully not with career ending injuries! Brady himself was body slammed to the ground by 300 pound plus linemen! So what was fun? Was it the pain, injuries, training or uncertainty of every game? Was it the risk of a career ending injury or death? It was the winning! The sacrifices are then forgotten! Do we have the child like excitement about Christmas? About giving? About receiving? Is it fun? In Luke chapter six Jesus is well past the manger scene! He is preparing his players for the game ahead! Jesus told His 12 players that they are going to hate you, isolate you, reproach you and call you evil because of me! Like NFL players they are going to sack you! But Jesus said to rejoice in that day! Leap for joy! You guys just won the Super Bowl! Your reward is great in Heaven! Your fathers the prophets suffered the same things! We do not like to think about suffering during the Christmas season! Yet that is why He came! To suffer for us! To make our lives fun and meaningful with purpose! To win! Losers made winners! The victory parade for you is going on in Heaven right now! While running your race sometimes the pain seems unbearable! Give your pain to Jesus! He became a curse for you! He took your pain upon Himself! We are on the same team! Jesus disciples except John all crossed the finish line with martyrdom! John was boiled in oil and then exiled to a stone quarry for slaves on the island of Patmos! They all looked beyond the finish line towards the goal and their and your victory in Christ! Those that have gone before us have prepared a way for us! Give a sacrificial gift to someone this Christmas as we were given the gift of a little baby boy born in a manger in Bethlehem! Merry Christmas! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Tag: merry
The Way of the Cross! Isaiah 35:8
Hebrew Translation: “And a highway shall be there and a way of life with the behavior of men, and it shall be called, cried out and preached to a name. The way of life is holiness, set apart sacred and dedicated; the unclean, polluted and defiled shall not pass or cross over it; but it shall be for those; the wayfaring wondering to and fro men, though fools, shall not stagger or go astray therein.” Comment: This is a fascinating scripture! The unclean, polluted and defiled shall not pass over to it yet there shall be a way for the wayfaring, stumbling running to and fro fools! So the bums, fools and staggering wanderers will not go astray but find cleanliness and redemption! So who cleans them up? The lost people who recognize they need a savior and cannot save themselves but trust in their God for Salvation cross over into eternal life! The other group who trust in themselves, their title and position in life through human achievements and their own efforts will not cross over into eternal life! God has made a way and it is about a little baby born in Bethlehem! Merry Christmas! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
God’s Immigration Policy! John 3:16
New World Quote; “And I say that your Highnesses ought not to consent that any foreigner does business or sets foot here, except Christian Catholics since this was the end and beginning of this enterprise, that it should be for the enhancement and glory of the Christian religion, not should anyone who is not a good Christian come to these parts. Here may be found the first suggestion of the exclusive Colonial Policy that Spain and the other nations followed.” Christopher Columbus. Comment: God’s immigration policy is honest and fair! Everyone can apply regardless of sex, race or ethnic origin! No one is denied based upon their past! Everyone who chooses Christ and cast their vote for Him and accepts the terms of the agreement is in! Your parents and grandparents cannot choose Him for you only you have to decide! We are all destined for Heaven or Hell or one of two Kingdoms! This is why the little baby born in Bethlehem is a big deal. What we do with God determines what God does with us! God first loved us! If we do not get that we can miss everything else! Ben Shipiro is a smart young Orthodox Jewish kid who I like to listen to his debates with liberals! He believes the Messiah when he comes will be a political figure! I share with him that the political figure who will rule the world for a short seven years will be a Jew and gay but he will be the Anti-Christ! Our Christ is a Jew and so will be the Anti-Christ! Along side the Anti-Christ will rule the False Prophet and be the one world religious ruler! He will not be a Christian or an Orthodox Jew! Christ will never be a political figure because when He returns the second time after the 7 year tribulation period He will be God as He was at His first coming! Political figures are always dependent on who puts them in office! They are controlled by the voters! God is never controlled by anyone and His decisions are always independent of any mortal. Hanukkah is upon us or the Festival of Lights! God did a miracle to defeat the enemies of the Jews! God did a bigger miracle to defeat sin and power of Satan over mortal men! The miracle star over Bethlehem was a light visible to only those who were looking for Him! Are you looking for Him? Merry Christmas! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Will a Snake Bite Twice? Isaiah 26:10
Verse 10; Let favor with mercy and kindness be shown to the wicked who are haters of God and men yet they will not learn righteousness but act wickedly and will not behold with learning and understanding the Majesty of God.” Comment: To the righteous everything is righteous and to the wicked everything is wicked! This describes two very different state of minds! The righteous can accept and do righteousness but the wicked cannot! The three wise men shared the good news about the King of the Jews being born but Herod could not accept it! Why? The wicked mind cannot receive anything good! Herod felt threatened that his power and authority would be taken away so he tried to kill the child! So innocent babies were thrust thru with the sword in Bethlehem! Abortion thru executive order! This explains why salvation will not be accepted by everyone! Even God’s motives are questioned! This is what happens when you make yourself God! The rejection of God can be as simple as saying Happy Holiday instead of Merry Christmas! It can be as serious as President Obama ordering the IRS to audit Christian conservatives tax records! Today we have a Christian and Jewish friendly President Trump! The anger focused on Him has to do with his Christian Faith and the support of Christian values! The battle between good and evil rages on through every generation! Which team are you on? Our job and commission is to take the Good News into every culture and every nation understanding not all will accept God’s Mercy! You plant the seeds and let God sort this out! Remember Paul? Remember the thief on the Cross? Then Lord remember me! At one time opposed to Christ and all that He is! Now today a crusader for Christ living with no other purpose but to spread the Good News and the favor of God to men! Remember in the Book of Genesis God declared the seed of the woman would crush the Head of the Serpent! The seed of the woman was born in Bethlehem! Merry Christmas! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Touched by an Angel? 2 Peter 2:4
What do we know about angels? From our Bible we know that there are 3 basic groups of angels. Gabriel (messenger angels), Michael (war angels), Lucifer (praise angel), who became Satan! We know that angels are created beings just like humans! We know we are not to worship angels. We know we were created just a little lower than the angels. We know Lucifer was the disobedient angel that rebelled against God and 1/3 of these angels were cast out of Heaven down to earth! We know angels can dwell in flesh. We know Christ was not a created being but was pre-existent and always was is and forever will be! What has all this to do with Christmas? A lot! Everything! Did you ever notice 1/3 of the earth’s population is Christian! One third of the disobedient angels were cast down out of Heaven to earth! Yet 1/3 of the earth’s population has been redeemed! We know that Satan can never be redeemed! However Satan dwelling in flesh or humans is his effort to destroy them! Remember Jesus has authority over demons and cast them out of people! At the mention of His name demons tremble! Jesus God’s Son incarnated into the earth was God’s plan to defeat Satan! Those that reject Christ continue to live under the control of Satan! The Christmas story is a lot bigger than tinsel, gifts and food! It is all about the defeat of the fallen angel in your life and the deliverance of your soul from the same plight that awaits Satan! The small baby in Bethlehem is God’s plan to deliver us from evil. Merry Christmas! Praise God and Christ for our praise replaces the praise in Heaven lost by Lucifer’s removal from Heaven! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Incarnation in You! John 3:5-8
Here is the definition of the word “Incarnation”, from the Merrian-Webster Dictionary: “The embodiment of a Deity or Spirit in some earthly form; the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ.” Comment: Jesus told Nicodemus he must be born again! After you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior your sin is forgiven then you have a born again experience with God! Now His Spirit rules you rather than the flesh! The Holy Spirit becomes incarnated in you! You then follow Him as He leads you into righteousness! Those that reject Christ receive another Spirit that controls them and leads them away from God! Satan rules their life to destroy them! Jesus came to save us! No one can ignore or escape the incarnation! What Spirit incarnates you has everything to do with what you do with Jesus Christ! Life or death? Judas Iscariot would be one example of what happens when you reject Jesus Christ! The other disciples are good examples of the power that dwelled in them from the Holy Spirit to reach the lost world and transform lives! Merry Christmas! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Is Jesus Still Incarnated?
Absolutely! As we approach Christmas let us remember Jesus Christ born of a virgin, crucified for our sin, raised from the dead and now seated at the right hand of His Father in Heaven is still in His incarnated estate and always will be! When He returns to earth at His second coming in His incarnated estate He will be God and man! If Jesus were to lose His divinity or humanity we would all die in our sin! As God He fulfills all righteousness and as human He delivers us from our unrighteousness and sin! The Angels in Heaven are still celebrating His virgin birth as we are on earth! Our birthdays have or will fade into human history as Jesus said we must be born again! That birthday will be celebrated forever! We have a birthday because Jesus had a birthday to be celebrated for all of eternity! Merry Christmas! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Mary’s Song! Luke 1: 54-55
“He hath cooperated with His servant Israel; in remembrance of His mercy; to Abraham and His offspring both past, present and future!” Comment: Mary really did understand the implications of the incarnate birth of Jesus! Forever includes both past, present and future! Remember Jesus said before Abraham was i was! The religious leaders could not wrap their brains around such statements! Jesus said i am the same yesterday, today and forever! Salvation comes through the Jew! Christ pre-existed creation yet was born into the earth through the flesh! Born to a Jewish girl named Mary. Mary the offspring of Abraham brought forth the Christ child! This responsibility had to weigh heavily on her! Her response was to break forth in Praise! God Himself conceives an offspring to bring redemption to the earth! Joseph and Mary lived in troubled times just as we do today! But the joy of our salvation overcomes all the worldly troubles! In child birth the pain is overcome by the joy of a new life! The best news you will ever find is in and during the Christmas season! Join the generations of the past, present and future along with the angel’s in praise to our King! There is only one earthly King who came down from Heaven to serve you! No King will ever do for you what this King has done! This King is God Himself come to conquer death, hell and the grave just for you! My allegiance is to Christ alone simply because no one else can deliver me from my sin and raise me from the dead! None else can promise you eternal life and deliver it! Find time to rest in Him this season and discover why Mary broke forth in praise! Merry Christmas! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Christmas and Science! Micah 5:2 (800 B.C.)
Using astronomy software and an article written by astronomer Craig Chester and based on the work of Ernest Martin, Larson thinks all 9 characteristics of the star of Bethlehem are found in the events in the skies of 3-2 B.C. Highlights include a triple conjunction of Jupiter, called the King planet with the fixed star Regulus called the King star, starting in 3 B.C. Larson believes that may have been the time of Jesus conception. By June 2 B.C., nine months later, the human conception period, Jupiter had continued in its orbit around the sun and appeared in close conjunction to Venus in 2 B.C. In Hebrew Jupiter is called “Sedeq”, meaning “righteousness” a term used for the Messiah, and suggested that because the planet Venus represents love and fertility Chester believes astrologers would have viewed this as indicators of a coming new King of Israel and Herod would taken this seriously! Astronomer David Reneke independently found that in 2 B.C. planetary conjunction would have appeared as a “bright beacon of light.” Jupiter next continued to move and then stopped in its apparent retrograde motion on December 25th of 2 B.C. over the town of Bethlehem! Since planets in their orbits have a “stationary point”, a planet moves eastward through the stars but after passes the opposite point in the sky from the sun, it appears to slow, come to a full stop and moves backward(westward) for some weeks. Again it slows, stops and resumes its eastward course. The date December 25th that Jupiter appeared to stop while in retrograde took place in the season of Hanukkah and that date later was chosen to celebrate Christmas. Merry Christmas! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Mary’s Song! Luke 1:53
“He hath filled the hungry with good character and the rich He hath sent away empty!” Comment: Are you hungry for God? Do you have an appetite for uprightness and virtue? Are you rich in character? Are you starved for righteousness? Are you dying of bad character? Is your gas tank for good character running on empty? Are morally bankrupt! I am glad you asked! You cannot give unless you have something to give! God gave His best gift to you! We cannot horde Jesus and keep Him for ourselves! If God did that we would not have been given life or seen the light of day! God so loved the world that He gave! Giving is an act of God! You have givers and takers! If the Christian gift of Christ is living inside you then you want to give! The best gift i could put under your Christmas tree is Jesus Christ! Wise men still seek Him! How about you? Merry Christmas! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com