Tag: silver

Why 1100 Pieces of Silver?

Judges 16:5 Commentary: Why did the five Philistine Kings of their city states offer Delilah 1100 pieces of silver each to betray Samson to destroy him? The name Delilah of Hebrew origin means seductive or a love horn. The name Philistine means an invader. They worshiped strange gods in the form of animals and resorted to all kinds of sorcery and soothsaying activities. The name Samson means the name of the sun or distinguished and strong. The Philistines were called the sea people because they came from Crete and had Greek origins. The Philistines settled in the coasts of Palestine on about 1100 B.C. About the same time the Jews settled there from Egypt! So how did the Philistines then know it was 1100 B.C.? They did not however when you look at the Greek numbering system the number one is represented by the Greek letter Alpha! It means beginning. The Greeks then did not then use a zero in their numbering system. That came along in 1200 A.D. Jesus said i am the alpha and the omega! The beginning and the end! I believe the Philistine culture celebrated 1100 in their culture like we in America celebrate 1776! A year of a new beginning! This is the only way I can connect this amount to Delilah as their anniversary number to betray Samson to try to destroy the Jews! Much like 9-11 is a significant number to the Muslims! Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver! Why thirty? Thirty A.D.? He began his ministry in 30 A.D. but was crucified in 33 A.D. That is a topic for another post! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com

What Jesus Wants for Christmas?

Well, it is Jesus birthday so what does he want? Since I was a little child I always was asked what I want for Christmas? The gifts were for me! I though it was all about me! Jesus gave us the greatest gift but what do with it? Do I treat the gifts as precious? Could I give Jesus more of my time? The time is not mine because he created time! Could I give him gold like the wise men? The streets of Heaven are paved with gold and besides the scriptures declare he is more precious than silver or gold! Could I pray more? He is interceding for me right now at the right hand of the Father! Could I love him more? He first loved me! Could I live for him? He gave his life for me! Could I put sinners under his Christmas tree? Could I put the lost souls of this generation under his tree? Could I present worms turned to butterfly’s under his tree? Could I help to populate Heaven and earth with Saints! Forgiven sinners? Only by his power and grace! Can I do anything without Jesus? I can sin and live a selfish life away from him! I can work death instead of life! Because of him I do not have to do that! I think the best thing I can do for Christmas is receive his gift of Salvation and eternal life and share his gift with others! Happy Birthday Jesus! Pastor Oscar Cope, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Fairburn, Georgia.

Church Growth & Decline! II Chronicles Chapters 6-7

Mary pondered these things in her heart! Do we ponder the things of God? His House? A church that was once strong and powerful fades away into history? Solomon built the most beautiful Temple for God in history! Solomon had so much wealth given to him! The Queen of Sheba gave him 4 tons of gold for a gift! Solomon did not spend on himself but invested it into the building of the Temple! The Jews made sacrifices to construct the Temple! Solomon asked God for wisdom but God gave him both wisdom and riches! Riches outside the will and purpose of God will come to nothing! After Solomon and many years passed the Temple declined and was destroyed and the Jews went into captivity! Why do some churches fail while others prosper? What series of events cause these opposite outcomes? We must see life God’s way and not our own way! Solomon took the wealth God had given him and invested it into the Temple for worship! God gave the provisions! The church began and the people gave their best! We see from the recorded scriptures here the people prayed and God heard their requests and acted upon them! He bless their cause and work! At the end of Solomon’s prayer God was pleased and fire came down from Heaven and the sacrifice was consumed! What was going right in the Temple! People were obedient to leadership! It was more than just the ornaments of gold silver and jewels! Something was going on inside the Temple! Fire came down and the Lord’s House was filled with His Glory! His mercy endures forever! Solomon built a place where people could bring the sacrifices! God confirmed the blessings with his presence! God has chosen this place for himself! The power of faithfulness and obedience! God heard their prayers! If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves………! We will hear from Heaven! Revival! Times of refreshing! Heart’s right with God! Eyes opened! New revelation! Examine ourselves! Meet God! Who is your God? God is not the reason for a declining church! People have forgotten who they are in Christ! Lost favor of God! Lost sense of purpose! Focus on themselves! No witness of God to the community! Forsaken the God of our Father’s! Calamity follows! God moves out and the world moves in! Secularism! Return to the Lord! He will hear from heaven! He will heal with church growth! Now I must ask you a personal question? Have you given any sacrifice to God that he can consume? When God consumes your sacrifice his presence is manifested in his House! No sacrifice no consumption and no presence! No God in the House! Empty! Christ’s sacrifice caused God to consume Jesus completely with His manifested Glory! Miracles left and right! Are tithes and offerings too much sacrifice for you? Are ministries into your community too much for you? Prison ministry? Hospital and nursing home visits too much for you? Without your sacrifice he has nothing to work with! Do not waste your sacrifice on the world! Your effort will be lost forever! Have faith in God and trust him! You will never be disappointed! When the leadership and people stop sacrificing the ministry declines! When they begin to sacrifice the ministry grows! Pastor Ron Wilder, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Fairburn, Georgia.

Only Jesus! Isaiah 51:18

“There is none to guide her among all the sons and descendants whom she hath brought forth: neither is there any that taketh and hold fast by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up.” Comment: The old saying is sin begets sin! Created beings produce more defective created beings! The warranty expired in the Garden of Eden! No created being can deliver us from our sin because we are all sinners! What separates Jesus Christ from created beings? He is not created! He existed before creation with the Father with no beginning and no end! Eternal. He was incarnated into the flesh that is God in the flesh to deliver us from our sin! The angels are created beings! Including Lucifer who became Satan! Satan can never be redeemed! Why? Because he is the father of sin! He is the first cause! Our sin is the result of his sin and his deception in our lives! There is a lot of truth in the old saying, “The devil made me do it!” However we are still responsible for our own sin! No mortal man can deliver us from our sin! The most difficult people to reach with the Gospel are those who are full of pride! Remember Lucifer said he would exalt himself above God! Pride was the foundation of the first sin against God! Satan and his followers say I want to do it my way! It is hard to reach Muslim’s because they believe they are not sinners? No need for a Savior if you are sinless like God! They make themselves God! Atheist’s make themselves God! There is no God so I make myself God! Evolutionist’s are in the same lot! No God no need for a Savior! The Godless sacrifice others for their own benefit! The Godly sacrifice themselves for others! The difference between night and day! God has given us a flaw list to review each day! It is called the Ten Commandments! How are we doing? God through Isaiah was simply telling the Jews you cannot save yourselves! God was saying do not get tribal on me! Your Jewish heritage will not save you! As good as some were they cannot save you! There is a Jewish Savior coming but he is the offspring of God Himself! Your race, your silver and gold will all betray you! Satan tries to get us to believe a lie and then trap us in our sin to destroy us! The lie started in the Garden of Eden and continues to this day! The truth can set you free! The truth is embodied in the God/Man Jesus Christ the only Son of the living God sacrificed for your sin! For my sin! Before God took you by the hand He placed His hands on a Cross and was pierced for you and me! Only these hands can deliver you! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com

Judas Iscariot Mark 14:10

Judas has gotten some bad press over the centuries! He earned it! Where did he go wrong? Books have been written about him and some even supporting him? The Gnostic writings claim Jesus made a deal with Judas? It says in the Gospel of Luke that Satan entered Judas! How do you get to that point? Jesus cast out demons for people so why not Judas? What we do know about Judas is that he loved money! He was the treasurer for the ministry! He got mad at the woman who spent all her money on Jesus burial perfume! So who was Judas? Did he graduate first in his class? Was he a common criminal? Did he have a record? Jesus recruited him! Was it intentional? Army recruiters end up with Medal of Honor winners and deserters! Has Jesus recruited you? Are you going to switch sides? Jesus said it would have been better if Judas had not been born! Not a five star rating! Put that in your resume! Did his mommy love him? Did the stork deliver him or take him away? Was it providence for Judas? He had a free will. Have you ever made a bad choice? You know like God does not exist and Jesus is a fraud and I will do what I want? Did you vote for Hillary? Trump? Millions voted for Adolf Hitler? Buyers remorse on that one! Do you follow a religion or ideology that endorses killing people? Judas could not see any benefit for following Jesus? No financial gain? No fame only persecution! Don’t take any script or money with you on your journey! Eat what is placed on your plate! No five star hotels! Foxes have holes and birds have nests but me? Sleep out in the desert with scorpions! Judas thought at least I can get 30 pieces of silver out of Jesus! The High Priest and the scribe want him out of the way anyway! I can use religion to make money! What a novel idea! Judas was simply following the crowd! My grandpa told me as a teenager never to follow the crowd! Look what the mob did to Jesus Jimmy! I posted on an earlier blog what happened to those who plotted against Jesus! That is Caiaphus the High Priest, Herod, Pilot and the rest. They all came to a bad end! So what side of history will you and I be on? You will either support Christ’s Kingdom or Satan’s Kingdom! The choice is ours! But choices matter! In this life we will follow only one! There are no refunds on our choices! We could be like the thief on the Cross who at the last minute got into Heaven! Why gamble with eternity? The best time to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior is right now! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com

Thirty Pieces of Silver by William Blain

“Thirty Pieces of Silver” Burns on the traitor’s brain; “Thirty Pieces of Silver! Oh’ It is hellish gain!” Comment; Our future is not for sale! The price has been paid! Thirty Pieces of Silver the price of a slave! No longer a slave to sin! Free at last! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com

30 Pieces of Silver!

The year was 1986. The place was Yercaud, India. We had just moved from Madras(Chennai), to this small village located on a mountain in South India. One big problem moving from big city to small village is finding adequate housing for my family. My uncle victor who was an MD. down in Salem had a friend who was a wealthy man. This man owned a mansion on Yercaud mountain that he used as summer cottage during hot season down in Salem Valley. This man was a Hindu who offered his mansion for free! This mansion was surrounded by 1000 acres of coffee estates located on the edge of a cliff! Beautiful panoramic view of Salem Valley below. We were excited! Clouds would hit you in the face as they moved over the mountain! Servants on duty to take care of all house work! I began to feel sorry for Americans back home as they had to go to jobs every day! Then this rich man came by and asked me if I would like to stay in mansion for rest of my life! Also he offered me young girls down in Salem Valley to make me happy! I told him the young girls for sex was out! But to stay in your mansion? Then he offered to pay for all college expenses for my small daughters when they reach college age! He told me to think about it and would be back from visit to U.S. in about two weeks. Well he came back and asked me about the offer? I told him it was a very generous offer! He told me there was only one condition? I must stop preaching about this Jesus Christ to the local villagers in Yercaud and villages above Yercaud! I explained to him that this is the reason we came to India! He then told me I have three days to vacate the mansion! We found a hut complete with scorpions, snakes and rats! I wish I were back in America! We completed our 3 years in India and shared the Gospel of Christ to many people! Scripture; Matthew Chapter 4, verses 8 and 9. Thankyou. James Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com