Thursday, April 28, 2011

REMEMBER THE ORPHANS...

     As some of you know the orphans have been a dear thing to my heart.  Every year we have gathered family and friends and donated clothes, toys and money and given to the orphanages in Arizona.  This past week, glory to God a door has been open for us.  There are orphanages right here in the city right under our noses.  They are orphanages that take care of children who have been abondanded after drug raids, or such.  This is a call to all of us to step up to the plate and help.  We need to put our resources together and support and sponsor a couple of these homes.  Together we can reach and touch children and their hearts.  We are the Body of Christ a people called to do the work of Jesus Christ.  Let us gather and not only be people of words but people of action. 

In Jesus Name,

Pastor Michael Salman

David Wilkerson - A Man of God!!

To all those who are in the faith.  It is a sad day for the earthly kigdom of God as a giant in the faith has left this earth.  David Wilkerson known for preaching the gospel in boldness to the gangs in New York and starting the Times Square Church has passed away in a tragic car accident.  I remember coming to Christ and reading his book the Cross and the Switchblade and being so inspired.  I also remember Nicky Cruz's book Run Nicky Run and how he spoke of the preaching of David and his life.  As I get older I can only wish and pray that I can fit the shoes of these men who has passed on.  May the Lord continue to give me the boldness to speak and preach the gospel to the Lost.

In Jesus Name!!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/28/david-wilkerson-evangelic_n_855164.html

Haman and Mordecai

     Esther 3:1-5 After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. (2) And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence. (3) Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment? (4) Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew. (5) And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.

     There is a Haman who does not like Christians.  A Haman who is against God's people.  I refuse to bow down or respect a person like that.  People like that are the dogs dung.  They are filth and full of garbage and wrath.  When Christians stand up against Tyranny and start dowing something for God there is a Haman who will try to rise up and extinguish them.  What the Hamans of this world have failed to remember is that there is a God.  A God who loves his people and hates the wicked.  A God who upholds the righteous with His right hand and strengthens the feeble.  A God who has promised that all things work together for good to those who Love God!! 

Esther 7:9-10 And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. (10) So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.




     May God protect His people and may the plans of the Hamans in this world backfire upon them.  May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with those who call on His Name!!

In Jesus Name.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Persecuted...

Have you ever been persecuted for Jesus Christ?  Many people will claim that this has never happened to them especially in America. 

2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 

1 Peter 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

     These scriptures give me comfort.  To suffer as a Christian is a blessing of the Lord.  Before I came to Christ I would get into trouble and I deserved it because I was a criminal.  But God through His grace delivered me and showed me how to live for Him.  Now in the eyes of some I am a criminal but this time I am a criminal for Jesus.  Suffering for Jesus is a blessing.  Even though I always thought it could not and should not happen in our Country I have found out it happens a lot.  The fortunate part of our country is that we have the ability to fight back through the court systems. 
     In other countries there is no recourse.  Rather they are criminals because they serve Jesus in underground churches.  You know, it makes me wonder what people who are persecuting me think of those Christian underground churches.  I mean I have had Christians comment on blogs and news articles that they can not believe that I as a Christian and a Pastor is breaking the law.  I mean what kind of Christian breaks the law??  I must be a fake or a cult or something like that.
     This past Friday I was watching the Passion of the Christ.  That movie makes me cry all the time.  It never fails.  Nonetheless, there is a part in there that resonate even in the Holy Scripture. 

John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.


     I can truly say that the world hates me because of Jesus.  You see the world does not hate me because I cause traffic, or park on their lawn or cause excessive noise or even push my beliefs in their face or because every time I see them I call them sinners damned to hell.  I do not do any of that.  The only reason the world hates me is because I and a group of other Christians believers in Christ gather at my home on a weekly basis and worship Jesus Christ.  For that my family are persecuted and hated.  I am called a devil, false, money grubber, or whatever they may call me.  Jesus knows my heart.  So I remember these words.
 
Matthew 10:24-25 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. (25) It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?



    They called Jesus Beelzebub for healing the blind, raising the dead, preaching the truth, casting out demons and giving us eternal life.  What do you think they will call us?  At the end of it all Jesus rose from the dead while those who spoke such blasphemies and crucified our Lord were sent to await damnation.  So it is in our life, God will in His time have the last word. Until then, Anathema Maranatha! 





  

Friday, April 8, 2011

The Modern Thinker

     For the past couple of weeks I have been speaking with a guy to open the subject of the Bible.  So the other day I finally sprung the question. 

HERE IS THE CONVERSATION
I said to him, "So I see you like to read?  Yes.  Have you ever read the Bible?  No, but I have a few copies of it.  Why have you not read it?  Because the bible has changed over the years.  Really, like in what way?   Well from the first bible to what we have now, there are different transalations.  (since he was reading a book called ARAGON I thought I would say this to him.)  So do you think they have the book ARAGON in different translations?  Yes.  Well it looks like it has not preventing you from reading it.  No.  Alright so tell me why do you believe the bible changed?  I don't know.  Even though some words have change the message of the bible has not, man is a sinner and in need of a saviour and Jesus Christ died for the sins of mankind. 

     By that time we spoke a little more and then he left.  He returned today so I asked him if he found the evidence of the Bible changing.  He replied no but he did not want to discuss the bible anymore because he just can't believe it and then ran off to his bus.  I am sure he would not have come in, in the first place but the food is so irresistable.  LOL

     You know it is always easier to believe in something you don't know rather than knowing why you don't believe in something you don't know.  I know why I am not a muslim, buddist, hinduist or such like and I can only think that these people know why they are not a Christian.  There are a lot of Christians who believe in Jesus and do not know why?  So we have a bunch of people who really do not know what it means to be a Christian.  The reason is not that Jesus has not revelaed himself, it is because people like that guy would rather live not knowing or wanting to know.  It is easier that way. 

     Folks the only way people are going to understand jesus or not understand Jesus is if they open the Bible.  Without the Bible we only have blind faith in whatever you believe in.  Jesus came to open the eyes of the blind not close them.

       

Is Your Church A Cult

     I believe these day many people have misused the word CULT.  So here is the definition:
CULT
noun


1. a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.

2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.

3. the object of such devotion.

4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.

5. Sociology . a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.

6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.

7. the members of such a religion or sect.

8. any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.

 
     Of course the definition has taken a bad spill to only have a negative connotation but let us look at it for what it is:
 
1.  a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.

We are devoted to Christ.  As Christian we have what people call ceremonies.  Baptism, Eucharist or Communion, Marriage, Ordination.  This is all part of the Christian Church.  The Death Burial and Resurrection of Christ.  The Celebration of these and the looking forward of it.

2.  an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers.
We have a great veneration for Christ.  We love Him and the Faith in which we live in.  We are His body and the lovers of Jesus.  Our devotion should be so great that everything else should look like hate.  That's why Jesus said "you must hate your mother, father and brother to be worthy of me."  What this means is that our Love for God should be so much that anything close looks like hate.

3.   the object of such devotion.

(SAME AS ABOVE)

4.  a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.

They all came together in one accord.  Acts 2.  Be of the same mind.  Philippians 2:2

5.  Sociology . a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
(THIS IS BAD)  Even though Christians honor the Cross and its messages it is not to be treated as God himself.  Are you forced to bow down to statutes, crosses, pentagrams or other things?  Then you are in a Bad Cult



6.  a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
(NOW THIS IS THE ONE THAT IS BAD)  Look at how this is fashioned.  Is your life lived under a Charismatic Leader.  Are you told what to do and how to do it?  Can you make your own choices?  Are you controlled in what to believe or not to believe about a grey issue?  If you do not believe in the grey issue are you rejected?  (GREY MEANING:  RAPTURE, PREDESTINATION, REVELATION)
You are in a bad cult.  If the above is what you are living.
   If you are rejected because you live in sin and a worldly lifestyle and called to live a Holy life for God you are not in a Cult you are in the TRUE CHURCH of Jesus Christ.

7.  the members of such a religion or sect.
????  I guess they mean of above. 

8.  any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.

(I think this was just added and a stretch on the definition)

CONCLUSION,

orship with us can do whatever they please.  People have choices and decisions.  People can believe what they want to beleive in certain issues.  More power to them.  They have Free Will.  If people don't want to follow or do what is right that is their choice, not mine.  With that said, the moment they stop following Jesus Christ according to the Bible and stop believing in the essential parts of Salvation and the Gospel, Let them be accursed.  If you are part of a group of people who does not teach holiness, righteuousness, obedience and full devotion to Christ, but rather boasts on its programs, events and people than you are in a BAD CULT.  Galatians 1:9

     I am Charasmatic for Jesus, I am radical for Jesus, I am excited for Jesus, and I am His servant.  I will preach against sin, the ways of worldliness, fornication, homosexuality and other sins.  I will teach and preach to people to follow God, shun evil and live a Holy lifestyle.  I will give him all I have and everything I have.  My home, my car, my family and my life.  If that makes me a CULT than may I be the greatest of all CULT leaders.  In Jesus Name!