This star is not an astronomical object! The star appeared at the moment of Jesus birth. It was visible to the wise men of Babylon. If they saw the star over Israel, it would indicate it was not astronomical because stars do not rise in the west! They rise in the east. If it rose in the east it was very special because star gazers like these wise men would not have difficulty recognizing the planet Venus! Traditional images show the wise men traveling over the desert following a star. However Matthew 2 does not say they followed a star to Israel. In fact, it would appear, from their reaction, that the star newly reappeared in Matthew 2:9. How could a star go before the wise men? Bethlehem is to the south of Jerusalem! Stars do not move south. They move west. Stars do not settle over houses. The Greek word for star (Aster), implies something strewn! What could it be? What could it be that moves easily from west to east appearing as strewn light? A pillar of fire would be a good example! Remember the Shechinah Glory of light that moved with the Tabernacle representing the presence of God? This light could have been interpreted as a star! It is believed the wise men reached Bethlehem about 2 years after Jesus birth. That is why Herod ordered the murder of the children 2 years and younger! Source: CreationToday.org Comment: Point here is you cannot explain this star or light naturally! It was supernatural. Very seldom does God oppose his creation! Only to deliver his people! He turned the sun and time back for Joshua to win the battle! He opened the Red Sea for Moses and drowned the pursuing army with the same sea! Mary bore Jesus yet being a virgin! Jesus raised the dead and has promised to raise those who believe and trust him! Jesus himself was raised from the dead! Peter at midnight was delivered from the prison! Do I believe in miracles! Absolutely! Jesus delivered me off my death bed some 45 years ago! Is it a stretch to believe God at his word? It is a stretch not to! God who created all this can change anything or everything at his will! He transformed me from sin to righteousness with his atoning blood! Was it a star? All things are possible with God! He can create anyone he wants to! He can create anything he wants to at anytime at any place! He came to Bethlehem so he could prepare a place for you in Heaven! Why not follow Jesus to Heaven! He will return one day soon to earth with his church! If you wait until then to follow him it will be too late! Wise men still seek him! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Tag: tabernacle
God Raises The Dead! 2 Kings 4:35
With Easter near our Pastor Oscar Cope wants us to examine the historical record in our Bible of instances of God raising the dead in the Old Testament. What you will find out studying the Old Testament that it is vogue for today! My Bible says that God is the same yesterday, today and forever! Elisha’s predecessor Elijah is considered one of the greatest Prophets in our Bible! He was raptured and did not see death! He was with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration! Elijah’s successor Elisha asked Elijah for a double portion of his anointing! How do we know it happened? Elisha raised two people from the dead and Elijah raised one person! Do you remember Jesus telling us that greater works would you do than me if you go in my name! Elijah prayed and laid on a dead corpse seven times! Elisha prayed and laid on a dead corpse three times! Twice the anointing takes half the time! Jesus was raised from the dead in three days! Seven represents the number of completion! Seven days in a week! We begin the new week on Sunday not Monday! We give the first day of the week Sunday as Christians to God in worship! We start the new week with Him! The first part of our income the tithe and the offerings is given on the first day of the week! This tells God that He owns the week! Any given day of the week is a gift from Him! I have been a Christian for 44 years now! I have asked the Lord about certain parts of the scriptures to give me revelation about some of the more difficult parts? I have asked the Lord why did these prophets stretch their bodies over these dead corpses? As our Pastor said Sunday today if you did this they would file so kind of a law suit against you for sexual abuse however if two men get married no problem? Sunday while in the services and hearing this message many times the Lord gave me the answer! If you want to hear from God be in His House! When you stretch your body out on another body you form a Cross! Jesus body was stretched out on a Cross! The Jews escaped the Egyptian plague by painting with lamb’s blood on the top and sides of the door posts forming a Cross! When the Jewish tribes camped around the Tabernacle in their wanderings their tribes were arranged in a cross formation! It is so sad to see America today where millions of dollars are spent in law suits trying to remove Crosses across our land? What fools we have become! Satan hates the Cross because it reminds him of his defeat over death and is our hope and sign of victory over death, hell and the grave! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
First & Last? Isaiah 44:6
What did God mean here? We probably have a general idea! Elementary Watson! Let us break the Hebrew words down for a deeper understanding! The word “First”, used here means to be foremost in order of rank! It is like a new year! Remember God instructed Moses to set up the Tabernacle in the first month! Remember Satan’s Kingdom also has an order of rank! Remember in the Book of Genesis (First Book), that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the Serpent! That is the birth of Christ would accomplish this! Satan is the head or first in rank in the Kingdom of Serpents! What about the word last? No one likes to be last! This is an interesting word in Hebrew! It means to follow as facing the east! God is going to see tomorrow! He watches the sunset and will see the sunrise! His days are not numbered! Do you remember something about Jesus saying he is the first and the last? (Revelation 22:13) He said i am the Alpha and the Omega! Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet but interestingly has a Hebrew origin! Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet! What did Jesus mean by saying he was the first? From the Greek we learn that he is first in importance! Is he first in your life? What did Jesus mean by saying i am last? According to the Greek it means he is the finalist in rank and time! He is the only guy left standing! He is on the gold metal stand and no rivals! Jesus goes on to say in this verse that he is the beginning and the end! The word beginning used here means he is the first in order of time, place and rank! Remember those hard headed Jews did not get it when he said before Abraham i was! The word end means that he is the goal. Is he your goal? A running back in the NFL has only one objective! He needs to cross the goal line! The Cross of Jesus will get you across the goal line! The word end used here means to a conclusion! What one word would represent the conclusion of your life? Debt? Pain? Sickness? Death? Fear? Guilt? If you prioritize your life where Jesus is first and last in your life these evil spirits will die at the Cross! Remember the scripture that says the first will be last and the last first? They are the same thing! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
God’s Address? Revelation 21:3
How many times have you changed your address in your life time? No wonder you lost mail. Even the IRS cannot find you! The Tabernacle described in the Old Testament of your Bible was defined as a residence or lodging place. It was described as a permanent stay residence! The Temple was described as a habitation of God’s residence! The Tabernacle was a structure to replicate the worship going on in Heaven between man and God! It was to be duplicated on earth. On earth as it is in Heaven! Great Theologians who lived hundreds of years ago said everything you see on earth was first in Heaven! God did not get brain cramps creating the earth and you! The plan had already been executed in Heaven! What really changed this concept and reality was God coming down to earth as a man yet retaining His Deity! When this happened the Tabernacle and Temple had an address change! It was no longer a structure or building made by hands but now God dwells in human flesh! First Christ and then His followers through the Holy Spirit! So you are His dwelling place whether on earth or in Heaven! This is why Satan wants to kill flesh on earth to remove God’s dwelling place on earth! He does this through Islam and other ideologies opposed to Christ! God has a permanent address living in you! God will deliver His letters to you through His Word the Holy Bible! God has many E-mails waiting for you to read in His Bible! Remember God will never dwell in you without your consent! You were created to worship God! To reject God is to go to the default mode which is Hell and separation from Him! Some have chosen this path but do not be the fool! Eternity is a long time without God! Worship life or worship death! The choice is yours! Chose this day who you will serve! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
A Jewish Guest
We had a Jew from Israel meet us in our home last week. He found something peculiar to him in our living room? He told us he had visited a lot of Christian homes here in America but had never seen a Manorah in their homes? Why do you have a portrait of the Last Supper and a Manorah on your fire place mantel? I told him that Judaism and Christianity are linked together eternally! You cannot have one without the other! You can only separate them with bad Theology! Judaism is the womb that birthed Christ and Christianity! You cannot have ice cream without milk! Even the Muslims understand this! The Quran commands them to kill Jews and Christians! He asked me why then in history have Christians persecuted the Jews! I told him that could only be explained by complete ignorance and by Christians who do not read their Bible! I shared with him that even in America often times the Bible is wrapped around popular culture rather than eternity. I shared with him that a lot of Churches in America have removed symbolism from their worship! Not only has the Manorah been removed but even the Cross? I shared with him that Moses was given instruction from God to construct the Marorah. The seven branched Manorah was made of gold! It is also used in the Book of Revelation in our Bible representing the seven churches! The six of the seven branches represent human knowledge and are inclined towards the central branch or Light of God. The seven branches also represent the six days of creation and the center branch represents the Sabbath or seventh day. The central light also represents the burning bush seen by Moses! The central light was never extinguished in the Tabernacle or the Temple. When you add up the total number of blosoming almond sets on the branches you get sixty six! This represents the sixty six Books of the Bible. My thoughts about the number 666 in the Book of Revelation is that the number of man is the number six added to sixty six represents man trying to live without the Word of God and becomes the Beast! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Centralized Worship! Deuteronomy 12:5
The place God shall choose is the Prophetic reference to God’s selecting one place in the Promised Land for a fixed central sanctuary to which Israel would worship in. This was necessary since the people would no longer be camped around a portable Tabernacle, but would be dispersed into the towns of Canaan. The New Testament version of this would be Hebrew 10:25 where it says,” Not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together as the matter of some is; but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. ” Private devotions and worship is important but remember that worship right now around the Throne of God in Heaven is public worship! This worship consists of billions of Saints, Angels and the 24 elders surrounding Christ and the Father! There will be no Lone Rangers in Heaven! No hermits! Jesus visited the Temple in Jerusalem often and so did Paul! In an NFL football game you can be a spectator or sit on the bench or you could play on the field! Which are you? Things are supposed to be done on earth as it is in Heaven! Jesus said where two or three are gathered in my name there will I be! Public worship here on earth is dress rehearsal for Heaven! God has a plan for your life and when you follow the plan things work out! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Want To Build A Altar To God? Requires Blood! Genesis 35:1
The word for Altar in the Hebrew is the word, “Mizbeach.” It means the place of sacrifice by slaughtering an animal. The sacrificial system was at the focal point of the Israelite system of worship since the sacrifice and subsequent meal were used to solemnize a covenant or treaty to symbolize a position relationship between two parties. Noah built an altar and offered sacrifices on exiting the ark. The patriarchs built altars and sacrificed at various points along their journeys such as Abram, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. At Mount Sinai, God commanded that the Israelites build a tabernacle that included two altars; a bronze altar in the courtyard for sacrificing animals and a golden altar inside the tabernacle for burning incense. Solomon and Ezekiel followed a similar pattern. God also required that the altar for burnt offerings be made of earth or uncut stones so that human hands would not defile it. God also required that the altar would have no steps so that human nakedness would not be exposed on it. Notice that the blood required was not human blood but animal blood. In some religions including Islam human sacrifice is required. God never required us to commit another sin to try to cover our first sin. The blood of animals never did pay the penalty of death for our sin but pointed us to the God-Man Jesus Christ as the one and only sacrifice for our sin. Only the blood of God Himself which was sinless blood would suffice for our guilt. Choose Christ and the gift of salvation that He alone has provided for us! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com