Greek Translation: I John, who also am among you a brother of the same womb (Born Again) and companion in tribulation. In tribulation of being broken, squeezed, crushed with the pressure of a burden upon my spirit in a confined space (Prison). And in the Kingdom of God under all circumstances with endurance towards people. I was in the isle of Patmos, for the Word of God and for the testimony being a witness, certifying and declaring Jesus Christ. Comment: Suffering by the world brings death! Suffering by God has brought men Salvation! John suffered for a testimony of Jesus Christ! Suffering in Christ brings purpose in your life! To live is Christ and to die is gain! We have an interesting story about India. We spent two of our three years there on a remote mountain village named Yercaud in South India. They had an old English church up there that had the graveyard surrounding the church! I explained in a previous post why the British did this. Since I had to walk through the cemetery to get to the front door of the church I noticed some of the grave markers. There were two grave markers of a missionary couple from England that spent their whole life preaching the Gospel in India! But I noticed next to their graves was a little grave marker of a four year old girl. This was their daughter who died of malaria while ministering to the people of India! I wrote there names down and then inquired of the elders of the village if anyone knew about them? An old man in the village told me the story his grandfather told him many years ago. This couple had a powerful ministry bringing hundreds of Hindus and Muslims to Christ! They had been appointed to a three year mission work to India. However after their daughter died there they spent the rest of their lives ministering in India! They decided their daughter’s death would not be in vain! Her sacrifice was not to be wasted! Jesus said, “This do in remembrance of me!” As we take the bread and the cup let us remember he did not let the cup pass from him! A sacrifice was provided to you for your Salvation! Remember him when you are suffering for he has never forgotten you! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Tag: village
Sticks and Stones ! Mark 16:14
The year was 1986. We were living in Yercaud India in our second year of mission work in India. It was a challenge living on this mountain top in South India. Electricity was only on for about 2 hours per day! Scorpions, rats and snakes lived with us in our house! However it was a beautiful place with coffee estates and tropical fruit everywhere! It was truly a village with no gas station and animals roaming the streets. Our house was located on Lady’s Seat Road next to a convent. The slums were all around us with people living in huts with manure dried floors and grass roofs. There are good slums and bad slums so the locals warned us not to go to one particular slum and if you did you may not come out! There was plenty of other work there so we stayed away. One day we took the long way around the village back to our house from the village shops. I do not even remember why? The road went along side this forbidden slum but I thought we were safe in our vehicle. Well a dog ran out in front of our vehicle and got one of his feet under a tire. A mob of people surrounded our car from this village. They picked up rocks and brought bamboo poles from their huts. They swarmed over our vehicle like ants so thick we could not see out any window glass! They were screaming they need to kill us because I drove over their dog and next it will be our children! We offered to pay for the dog and his injury but did not help! Even our daughter Sandra who was 4 years old then says she was so scared because the car was so dark inside with people covering the window glass! In the midst of all this chaos a man comes walking down the road and stops next to our vehicle. This man looked like an escaped criminal with knife scars on his face and arms. I thought it was surely over for us now! My wife Hamsa translated for me what he was telling the mob. In Tamil he told the crowd the following! He said, “You bunch of dogs! This man has a feeding program in your village and is feeding your children everyday! They have rented a building for a day care center and medical clinic! So is this how you return thanks to him? He did not have to come all the way from America to feed you dogs! If any of you touch this man or harm him me and my gang members will take care of you! The mob melted away back into their huts. As I was driving back to our house just over the hill drops of sweat were still dripping off my forehead! Then the most beautiful thought came to me! Now I have a free pass to go into this slum! So the next day at the crack of dawn I entered into this slum with pockets full of candy for the children and Gospel tracts for the adults! So the stones were rolled away and life entered death! I gained a lot of important lessons with my years in India. One important lesson is that you cannot really change a culture! If you do it is like trying to stop a tidal wave with your hands! Our Pastor Brady Boyd in his Sunday message at New Life Church here in Colorado Springs made a very important point! He said, ” Christianity historically is strongest when giving, loving and serving those who live in the margins of the culture!” Why the political and cultural battles rage sow seeds of love to the disenfranchised of our community! The widows, orphans, single moms and homeless! Roll that stone away and bring life to the hopeless! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
U.S. Military Members Suffer For Our Freedom!
It is good to be living in a military community in the Colorado Springs area! Even though I served 13 years in the military I am guilty of forgetting those who have and are serving today. I have a neighbor Rob who I have come to know over past 9 months since moving to the area here. He was slow to warm up to me but when I offered to help him and saw me wearing my old camo-fatigues he was delighted. We have become good friends and I have invited him to some of our church services. I have shared some of my military experiences with him but Rob was subdued about his? One day about a month ago Rob opened up to me. Rob got a medical discharge from the Army. Here is how it happened. Rob deployed to Saudi Arabia with the Army for a short term working with the Saudi military joint exercise. Near the end of his deployment the Saudi military asked his commander if they could recover a Saudi military vehicle in a remote area of Saudi Arabia? The American Army commander complied and sent Rob and four other service members to recover the vehicle. Rob noticed when they got to the area this local village looked like a ghost town? No people? So they recovered the vehicle and brought it back to the Saudi military base. Within one week of recovering this vehicle Rob’s comrades all died! Rob went to a military hospital for two years! What happened? The Saudi military used this vehicle in a chemical attack on this remote village! Evidently this village was rebelling against the King so they got the gas. Rob even today has to take anti-anxiety medicine. Rob holds a part time job in the community. Here is the beautiful part of this story. I shared with Rob that due to my four back surgeries I cannot shovel the snow off our driveway. So everytime it snows Rob shovels my driveway! I have told him many times you do not have to do this! Rob simply says,”I always look for an opportunity to serve others!” Rob is still serving his nation and me! This is the Spirit of America that no enemy will ever defeat! Thankyou. 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