We have so much in scripture about the life of Jesus! His miracles! His forgiveness of men and women who had no hope without him! We could write endless books about the life of Jesus! The commentaries and literature about Jesus fill libraries around the world! However we must not forget one important thing! We are not saved by Jesus life we are saved by his death! The Kingdom of God is a sacrificial system! Is your life centered around sacrifice? For your family, church and nation? Are others more important than you? It is not about you it is about him! Because what he did for you is the only sacrifice that can save you! He was obedient even to death on a Cross! Pastor Jack Graham.
Tag: saved
Sir Winston Churchill on Islam (Written in 1899)
At the time of this writing Churchill was a Officer in the British Army fighting in the Sudan of Africa. This is a quote from his book, “The River of War”. Quote as follows; “How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanactical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule and live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that Mohammedan law that every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men. Individual Muslims may show slendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyzes the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome” Source; Sir Winston Churchill, (The River War), 1st Edition, Vol II, Pages 248-250, London, Longsman, Green & Co. 1899.
Saved for What? Revelation 7:14
There are two kinds of people in this world! Those set aside for God’s mercy and those set aside for God’s judgment! It is determined by the choices made by those individuals! We are either sealed by the blood of Christ for redemption or we are sealed in our own blood for judgment! In chapter seven of the Book of Revelation we see God withholds judgment upon the earth until his servants are sealed! We see 144 thousand Jews are sealed for redemption! Wow! Can you imagine the Apostle Paul multiplied 144 thousand times here on the earth? One hundred forty four thousand evangelists! We also see many Gentiles will be saved during this seven year tribulation period after the Rapture of the Church! God always leaves a seed in the earth whether it be Noah and his family or thousands of evangelists near the second coming of Christ! So what are they saved for? Yes saved for heaven and saved to reach the lost here on earth! Evangelism explosion as James Kennedy led while he was living here! We do not want to go to heaven alone! That would be selfish! This is why God sent his Holy Spirit into the earth to equip us to reap a harvest! God wants the whole earth saved however some reject him! Can you imagine the Jewish Anti-Christ having to cope with 144 thousand Jewish evangelists? How precious are lost soul’s worth to you? Are they worth dying for as God did for you? Back during the Alaskan Gold Rush a couple of men left their family and friends to move up north to strike it rich! They staked a claim in the remote part of Alaska near a stream and began panning for gold! Then they found a lot of gold in the stream! They were so focused on the gold they forgot to get provisions for the long cold winter ahead! Without warning weeks of extreme cold and blinding snow hit their camp! They had constructed a small cabin but no provisions! Two years later a prospector found their cabin and opened the door finding two skeletons sitting in chairs next to a table! On the table were about a dozen bags of gold! There was also a note left on the table apologizing to their families how they were so focused on getting rich they neglected to take care of themselves and their families! The wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous! Are you laboring in vain? Vanity fair is a place called Hell! Heaven is a place where God alone can be trusted for our earthly provisions and heavenly rewards! If you are waiting until heaven to worship your King you will not be there! Begin to worship Christ today here on earth and it will continue along with you forever! Pastor Oscar Cope, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Fairburn, Georgia.
Saved & Born Again?
1 Corinthians 15:45 Greek translation: “And so it is written. The first man in time Adam was created a natural living soul, the last Adam (Christ), was a quickening eternal spirit of the invisible eternal breath of God raising the dead and bringing salvation to men.” Comment: Our natural body houses a supernatural soul. At creation eternity was placed in our heart! We think about where we have come from and where are we going? This is the eternity God has placed within each of us! There is an awe and wonder about life! It is a great mystery! What is my purpose? Life seems so meaningless at times? There is an internal struggle within! I want to do good but I do bad! I want to please people but the people I try to please are no good! I feel empty without purpose! My life is sad! I work hard but the rewards are small? Time is fleeting away! Jesus disciples felt the same way! I am sick and tired of this fishing! I am tired of collecting taxes! This medical work as a doctor is unrewarding! I hate tent making! Then Jesus came along into their lives! Remember Jesus had not gone to the Cross yet so his disciples were not saved and born again! They made every mistake that we as mortals make! I will never forsake you! I never knew the man! You are one of them! Listen to that Peter curse? I cannot hear you the rooster is crowing! You had five husbands! Lazarus is dead! Pay your taxes! We can overthrow the Romans! Put away your sword! Turn these stones into bread! They are casting demons out in your name what shall we do? How can we feed so many? What do you have? We have never seen such a man? You claim to be God? How dare you! Who art thou Lord? I am blind but now I see! The scales are removed! After the Cross they were saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit! They raised the dead and healed the sick! They cast out demons! Even their shadow healed people! Silver and gold I have none but rise up and walk in the name of Jesus! Their mortal bodies were quickened with the love and power of God! They no longer hid behind closed doors but faced their enemy! They were stoned, beaten, crucified, sawed in two, boiled in oil, cut in two, beheaded but no longer ran from the fight! They were endued with power from on high! They no longer lived like mortals made from dust but walked in the authority of Christ himself! They wrote the Bible you read today! Their testimony was true no longer wavering in mortal flesh! They were quickened by the living God bringing healing and salvation to millions! Paul got it as expressed in the Book of your Bible! No more excuses only conquer in his name! Spare me not from the fire that I may see you in the fire! The only foolish test is not to take God at his word! Let me not hide behind any organization that would prevent me from the challenges that only Jesus can conquer! Taste and see that he is good! The reformer Luther traded in his religious cloak for the garments of persecution! All his challenges were but made of the dust of mortals! When I am laid to rest my dust will not be distinguishable from any mortal that has lived before or after me! His quickening spirit within my clay pot will make the difference between life and death for me and for many! James and Hamsa Sasse, GodWhoisGod.com
Time Shall Be No More! Psalm 90:1
Lord God, thou has been our dwelling place in all generations. Comment: Moses wrote this Psalm and is the oldest Psalm in our Bible! What was Moses saying? Generations represent the revolution of time! Time reveals everything! It includes the revelation of God to men! It also reveals the character of man and the character of God! Time is linear and measurable! Time is the result of creation! Time does not measure creation it is creation! Time is your best friend or worst enemy depending on what you do with it! It allows you to find the living God or allows you to reject the living God! Time proves God’s faithfulness and man’s folly! Time is the opportunity presented to you for redemption! Time marches on as generations come and go! Every generation has to make a choice about God! Reverence him or reject him! After time passes for us the opportunity for accepting redemption passes! Then our choices are locked in forever! God wants to forgive you of your wrong choices but that requires repentance on your part! Humility rather than pride! Time opens the door and closes the door! Time presented the incarnation of God into flesh through his Son Jesus Christ into the earth! Time allowed his crucifixion on the Cross for our sin! Time will present his second coming into the earth! Time will reveal you redemption or judgment! Time is the best friend of the believer and the worst enemy of the unrepentant! Time allows us to receive God’s love and demonstrate God’s love to others! Water saved Noah and his family but destroyed the rest of the world! If you choose God the elements of the earth created by God will save you! If you reject the Savior the elements will destroy you! Which side of history will you choose? Your way or his way? Life or death? Sin or redemption? Living in Hell is not an option worth considering! Time shall be no more is declared in Revelation 10:6! This is the echo of Moses in Psalm 90! When judgment comes to you your only escape is if you allowed Christ to take your judgment upon himself! Have you done this? James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Messianic Prophecy? Isaiah 54:17
Hebrew Translation: “No weapon that was created against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment with judicial verdict that is rendered by the godless and lawless guilty shall fail. This is the possession and inheritance of my laboring servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the voice of God.” Comment: What stands out to you in this verse? Righteousness is not earned! It is a gift from God! Righteousness was earned by God on the Cross for us! By grace you are saved not of yourselves! Who creates weapons against us? Satan! Our own sin is used by Satan as a weapon against us! That is why Salvation removes Satan’s case against us! This weapon is an inside job! That is why we need a Savior outside of ourselves to save us! A judicial judgment whether by Satan or a human working for him is not the final verdict! The godless and lawless render a verdict against the righteous! That is what happened at the Cross when we all railed against Christ! Crucify Him! Our inheritance and possession is this! As guilty we are rendered righteous by the fulfilling of the law as Jesus took our punishment in death for our sin! What is more priceless than this? The Old Testament confirms the New Testament and the New Testament confirms the Old Testament! We need both because God wrote them both! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Why get Baptized? Acts 2:38
Greek Translation: “Then Peter said unto them, Repent! Have a true change of heart towards God understanding that your future is not dependent on your past! Be baptized! That is make a public identification with Jesus Christ through water immersion. Be baptized in the name and character of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your willful and intentional acts against God! Be baptized with the purpose of serving God by the free gifts of God’s character through the Holy Spirit!” Comment: Believe it or not this church doctrine has been controversial for the past two thousand years! You would think it would be a slam dunk but not the case! Some believe infant baptism is enough! However there is no conscious decision on the part of the infant to do this! Some believe there is no need of baptism because the thief on the Cross was not baptized yet he was saved! Baptism is connected to forgiveness but not dependent on it! Baptism is about power for ministry! It is about an effective work here on the earth! Jesus was baptized yet he did not need to be saved! Some say I am saved and therefore do not need to be baptized! If it is good enough for Jesus it is good enough for me! Remember the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus after baptism! The Holy Spirit will empower you for effective ministry here on the earth! Without His love you will be abusive in the ministry! Your human capacity will never be enough! We need the character of God to do the work of God! The thief on the Cross was headed for heaven! No earthly ministry time left for him except to say he was saved without baptism! The Holy Spirit saves us until the rapture or Christ’s return to earth! The Spirit is the down payment or escrow to hold us until his return! Remember Jesus said greater things will you do after I send the Holy Spirit! We have examples of baptism in the Old Testament! The evidence is strong for baptism unless you want to go it alone! Do not try to figure it out just do it! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Volcano’s! Acts 2:19
Greek Translation: “And I will show wonders or strange appearances in Heaven with different qualities of the same miracles in higher places in Heaven above, and signs or miracles with a moral purpose in the earth beneath with time and age; blood, fire and vapor of smoke.” Comment: Volcano’s have been in the news lately! The Bible speaks about them in both the Old and New Testament! Volcano’s can be used for good or bad! The Hawaiian Islands were built by volcano’s and so was Iceland! Other islands and land masses were formed by volcano’s on the earth! Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by a volcano! Remember Pompeii and several other cities in Italy were destroyed by a Volcano in 79 A.D.? The city was in idol worship with all the Roman, Greek and Egyptian gods! They worshiped ISIS the Egyptian goddess! Ice is formed with volcano’s on the moons of Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune! Volcanic winters have caused catastrophic famines on the earth! Noah and his family were saved by the flood yet the rest of the earth was drowned by the same water! Here is an important point to get out of this Bible verse! God will use signs and wonders or miracles to render a moral purpose in the earth! The same water that rescued the Jews and Moses through the Red Sea was the same water that drowned the Egyptians! Judgment or Salvation can come through the same elements of the earth and Heaven! The same blood of Jesus Christ will save some and condemn others!You can either receive God’s love with Mercy or you can reject His love with Judgment! The choice is yours to make! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
One Week After Easter! April 14, 1912
Pastor John Harper was an accomplished Pastor out of Scotland with hundreds of congregation members in his home church! He had been invited by Moody Church in Chicago to participate with this ministry! He was excited and his young daughter and sister accompanied them on a brand new ship on it’s maiden voyage to New York! His wife had been deceased years earlier. The Titanic was promoted as the safest ship to ever sail. On the late night of April 14th the Titanic struck that rock of ice and began taking on water! As the tragedy unfolded Pastor Harper helped load the women and children into the life boats! He gave up his life vest to another who did not have one! A crew member warned him that without the life vest you are going down with the ship! Pastor Harper replied that he was going up and not down! Pastor Harper kept shouting to the crowds, “Do you know Jesus as your Savior?” He continued to shout, “No one can save you tonight but God!” Survivors said that Pastor Harper kept preaching the Gospel to the end especially after Acts 16:31. Are you saved was his continual cry to the people entering the cold icy waters of the North Atlantic! Pastor Harper found himself in the cold frigid waters clinging to a deck chair floating in the water! As people floated by him he would ask them if they were saved? Do you know Christ! Declare His name from your lips and enter into eternal life! You only have one chance tonight! Do not let the love of this world keep you from Christ! Christ loves you but not this world! Trust Christ not your own efforts! Whether here tonight or later we will all perish from this earth! There is only one name under Heaven in where you can be saved! Pastor Harper with over 1500 people perished that night and entered eternity either saved or lost! Are you saved! When we run out of time we run out of choices! The word time means, “To Honor.” Why not honor Him today with the rest of your life here on earth? Pastor John Harpers life can be seen by reading a book called, “The Titanic’s Last Hero”, published by Moody Adams. Do not let Easter slip away from you under the dark waters of death! Pastor Oscar Cope, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Fairburn, Georgia.
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