“If any (Not) take thought and care beforehand for your immediate household and those belonging to the church which is the household of God then he is worse than one who does not believe in the Gospel of Christ.” Comment: The Greek word “Oikeis”, represents the phrase “those of his own household.” However this Greek word has a compound meaning! It includes those believers in the church or your congregation! The money received into any church organization is to be used to spread the Gospel and is also to be plowed back into helping the hurting within your own congregation! The money from organizations is not to be used to buy jet airplanes, big mansions, luxury cars and boats! It is to be used to help widows and orphans! The money should not be used to plaster your name on the front of a building! What has happened to the church since the 1930’s is the State has assumed the responsibilities of the church and we have ended up with a choking 20 Trillion dollar budget deficit! If we do the right thing with God’s resources then we will not be worse than the unbeliever! An unbeliever has an excuse in that he is ignorant of the scriptures! However if we who claim to be in Christ do the same things as the world we have no excuse! To know and not to do is worse than not to know and do! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Tag: orphans
Pride! 2 Kings 20:17-18
Please don’t get me wrong! King Hezekiah was a good man! God healed him from death, turned back time for him and added 15 years to his life! Pride is the most celebrated word in America but the least talked about word in the church! Gay pride day? Pride is like a bottle of poison that tastes like candy with no warning label on it! It always follows success! If you do not believe you suffer from episodes of pride then you are as blind as our first parents Adam and Eve! We have ten words for pride in the Hebrew and three words in the Greek in our Bible. Here are some definitions for pride from these root words; Arrogancy, swelling, pomp, haughtiness, loftiness, elation, grandeur, proud, raging, exhaultation, presumption, self-confident boasting, smoke without flame or smoltering, and ties and binding. Remember Samson got tied! The word i have not listed yet is the one i like best! Pride means to turn your back! Some people turn their back on God! Peter did! I don’t know him? Jesus did not turn his back on Peter! Have people turned their backs on you? Friends or family? Church members or a Priest or Pastor? Have we turned our backs on them? I have asked Jesus why i should try to establish a relationship with them? Jesus asked me do i want to be like them or like me? The Middle Eastern Christians who were beheaded this past two years did not turn their backs on Jesus! Do we turn our backs on the poor, widows, orphans and single moms? After success King Hezekiah showed off his wealth to the Babylonians! After this Isaiah warned him that this would result in Babylonian captivity and his sons would live in their palace court as eunuchs! We believe Daniel was a eunuch in the court there during their 70 year captivity however it did not impede his Prophetic words as recorded in our Bible! Pride was the very first sin and the sin that causes us to turn our backs on God and others! Humble yourself that you may turn people’s heart towards God! Jesus humbled himself even to death on a Cross! Thankyou James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
The Poor Man’s Tithe! Deuteronomy 26:12
I am sure when some Pastor’s read this scripture they think this represents the level of giving by their congregation! If they do not increase their level of giving I am going to end up as poor as they are! Here is what Tripp’s Complete Commentary says; “Thus does God not only plead the poor man’s cause, (Deuteronomy 15:10-11), but he allots a portion of the 3rd years tithe, not only to the Levite, who is never excluded, but to the stranger, fatherless and widow, as Jerome observed and called it the poor man’s tithe.” Comment: Our Pastor Brady Boyd adopted orphans and I married a widow with orphans. After 42 years of marriage I can say there is no greater Blessing than to do what God says to do! Merry Christmas! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Widows and Orphans on Your Shopping List?
Since 9-11, Iraq, Afghanistan and California Islam has created thousands of widows and orphans here in America! Even the Islamic attackers in California orphaned their own baby? God has given us scriptures in our Bible that instructs us to how to respond. I have included one Bible verse from the Old Testament and one verse from the New Testament. Deuteronomy 24:19 When you cut down your harvest in the field, do not fetch it; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless and for the widow: That the Lord may bless in all the work of your hands. James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep yourself unspotted from the world. Merry Christmas! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
The Respectful Are Respected! 1 Timothy 5:1-4
Instructions from God for a good outcome in your life! Respect elders. Encourage elders. Treat the younger as your brothers and sisters. Care for widows. What happens inside our homes counts! Important! The Christian home is the alternative community that is opposite to the dark, broken dysfunctional world that we live in. Politicians just reflect our broken culture. Church should be different. Debt free and living for others! Live more responsible with more to give away! Problem is the world does not see us any different from them. Just reminds them of themselves and what they hate. We must reinvent a new way of living. When the Church lives most unlike the world it has it’s greatest impact of reaching the world for Christ. Honor those in front of us. The older are farther along and have met things we have not. Wisdom comes from God and through time! Remember the word time means “to honor.” Old is gold. American culture spends between 90-100 Billion dollars each year for anti-aging gimmicks. Hopeless and expensive ways to try to stay young. The Bible teaches that grey hair is a gift from God. The elderly have great opportunities to help the younger. Many of the young today do not know how to ask questions. Be responsible to help widows. Seek out widows in need. John 19:25-27. Take care of your mother. With all the suffering and pain of the Cross and near death Jesus thought about his mother. A disciple took her from the execution place to care for her in his home. Why did not James take care of her? Mary was also his mother. If you read Acts Chapter 12 you will see James was killed a short time later. Joseph her husband had already passed away. Mary was vulnerable and Jesus saw it. John was the older disciple. Take care of a widow not related to you. James 1:27. Pure religion is to take care of widows and orphans and to keep your heart pure. Be family for them. Do 3 things. Find a widow. Look for them. Find, love and serve them. If you do you will come back here one year later and be a changed person. Joy and peace will enter into you. Honor your parents. Repay your parents. Practice your religion. Look not at them as a burden. Ask them how you can help them. Problem is not all parents are honorable. You could have had dysfunctional and abusive parents. Romans 12:17-18. Repay evil for evil? No! Do not become who you hate! Live at peace with everyone. Forgive. Break the cycle of family violence. Honor parents who are not honorable. Ephesians 6:2. Honor your Father and Mother and life will go well with you. The peace of God will accompany obedience. As a parent myself I do not always get it right. Neither will you. You get one shot in life at parenting. Parents work hard and then kids are gone. When we forgive we give away what we get back. Parents do the best they can at the time. Would we do differently if we could do over again? Yes. God gives us His Grace! Source; Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Message given on Sunday, October 13, 2013. Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Hear It and Practice It ! Matthew 7:24-27
Here Jesus gives the final benediction. Jesus demands and compels us to take the narrow gate, produce the right fruit and make the right choice! He required of us that we build on the right foundation. We are to examine ourselves and practice Holiness. Jesus repeats these requirements a second time because they are so important. Jesus was talking to believers not non-believers. The rain, wind and storms will come to us all. Good and bad days are ahead. The wise build on the rock and the foolish on the sand. If we build on the right foundation we will thrive through the storm. We have great days ahead! We can feel His Blessings! The disciples were passionate. They did great things! There were glorious days and there was also trouble. Eleven of His disciples were martyred! One was imprisoned on a remote island in a cave. John 16:33 — Peace and Tribulation? Jesus has come to give us peace. The world gives us trouble. Jesus has overcome the world! Stay strong and keep the Faith. Nothing shall shake you! The place of stability in Christ leaves no terror. The unstable world leaves us with fear. Love and fear are opposites. How do we practice words? We practice them by doing them. Action! Breath in His Holy Spirit. Get saturated with the Gospel! Breath out and go do His Word. Are you receiving but not giving? Gandhi said,” I like your Christ but not His followers! ” Christ’s followers cannot save Gandhi but Christ could! James 1:27– Pure religion is to take care of widows and orphans. Also keep your heart pure. Find some widows and orphans! Get busy. Do! Act! Along life’s path do His Word. Do you have a vision? That vision will deceive you if you are not doing His Word! A medical doctor is useless unless he is practicing his knowledge! Luke 8:15– There are four types of soil. The seed is the word. Good soil is a pure heart. Hear His word and do something about it. Hear it, retain it, talk about it and do it. Cares of the world will choke the word. Know the will of God and cooperate and do it. Good work does not earn our salvation. But the good works help to mature us. Put your hands and feet to His Word. The Bible is a living, breathing document. The Holy Spirit puts boots on the ground through you! Live out your revelation. Matthew 7:28– Jesus taught as one having authority. It is not about Plan A or Plan B. Make disciples teaching them to obey me! Christ will be with you always even to the end of the ages. Have a secure place and build on the right foundation. What are you building your life on? What and who is shaping and forming your life right now today? Source: Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Message given Sunday, September 15, 2013. Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com