myall4One

WELCOME TO THE USSA.

2009-11-08T05:30:00.005-05:00

With pelosi and her ilk passing Comrade Obama's pet socialist health care bill, we have officially become a Communist nation. All elections are just a mere formality.

This sickens me. The government (I will no longer call it our government, as they serve their own best interest, not ours) sickens me.

A bunch of "special" people in congress are not bound by this health care trash, but we peasants are. I am disgusted. All of you who voted for obama and pelosi and the rest of those who voted for this suspension of basic freedom are responsible for the fall of the former United States. We are now the Union of Soviet States in Amerika.

Now if you do not have health insurance, you will be fined and/or jailed. The vote was 220 communists to 215 who still favor freedom.

Link to the story: "House Narrowly Passes Health Care Bill" (in the dark of night)

Update on the Outrage at Ft. Hood

2009-11-05T22:44:00.001-05:00

Early reports were inaccurate, Malik Nadal Hasan is alive and apparently acted alone.

This "man" has a history of praising "suicide bombers." More information is bound to come out in the next few weeks, but this is an act of terrorism.

On a positive note, the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the action. Of course, if they didn't it would have been a public relations nightmare. Either way, they did the right thing this time.

Hopefully Obama is as outraged about this as he was when Tiller the abortionist was murdered.

See previous post for links about this story. Some will contain updates.

OUTRAGE! TERRORIST ATTACK ON MILITARY BASE

2009-11-05T17:43:00.006-05:00

Despite our idiotic government already declaring that this was not a terrorist attack, I am declaring just the opposite- THIS IS TERRORISM!

Major MALIK NADAL HASAN was killed after killing other soldiers and civillians and reports are that two others have also been captured. He undoubtedly expected to meet allah and get 72 virgins, but he will be in hell regretting his mythological beliefs.

Yes, I am prejudging the events of today; but when will the UNITED STATES wake up to the fact that Islamic terrorism is our enemy? We should not be making things easier for them.

I went to the White House blog to see Obama's thoughts, but there was only commercials for his socialist ideas. My understanding is that he made a statement, but it is not on the whitehouse.org site at the time of this post. UPDATE: I added a link to a YouTube video of Obama's statement. Not quite as heart-felt and condemning as he was with abortionist Tiller, but he did make a statement.

Links about the terrorism unleashed today:

12 Dead, 31 Injured in Foot Hood, Texas (WND.COM)

12 Dead, 31 Wounded in Shooting at Ft. Hood Army Base (FOX NEWS)

Army: 12 dead in Shooting Rampage (ABC NEWS DALLAS)

Coverage of Fort Hood Shootings (CNN)

Report From The US Army (army.mil)

Who is Major Malik Nadal Hasan? (MY FOX DC)

PENTAGON REPORT ON TERRORIST ATTACK (Pentagon Channel/army.mil)

OBAMA ON YOUTUBE- Statement about the shooting (YOUTUBE)

Twitter Search on Malik Nadal Hasan (Twitter)

Emmanuel Ministries Notes 11/01/09

2009-11-02T11:08:00.006-05:00

Sunday was the final message in the worship series. The time of ministry was good and the people were attentive.

The outline below is followed by the streaming message and a link to download if you wish. The message was cut short due to some type of technical difficulties.

¹¹ Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

¹² Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3.11-17 ESV)

BACKGROUND (v.11)-

(Previous to verse 11, Paul outlines past behaviors [negatives] that need to be put away)

In Christ we have no divisions:

1 Corinthians 1.10, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” (ESV)
National: not Greek or Jew (American, Mexican, Honduran, Russian, Chinese, etc), but Christian
Religious: religious rituals do not define us, our place in Christ does
Cultural: (barbarian- anyone foreign to Greek culture; Scythian- considered wild, savage nomads)
Economic/Social: whether wealthy or in poverty, Christ unites Christians
Galatians 3.28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Christ is all and in all:

As Christians we share the same Spirit: Ephesians 4.4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (ESV)
Christ broke down all divisions between Christians through His sacrifice

All this opens up the next section, a part of Scripture encouraging Christians to be Christlike…

GOD’S CHOSEN (v.12-15)

As His Chosen Ones:

Paul calls Christians “holy and beloved”- this language ties in God’s description of Israel as His possession in the Old Testament and of Jesus in the New Testament

- meaning Christians are His possession, His people

- we’re to be reflections of Christ & our relationship with God a reflection of the Father with Christ

- as such, we should display the fruit of our place in Christ

Acting as His Chosen Ones:

Paul outlines several positive characteristics (the fruit)

- compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, patience

- all in line with Galatians 5.22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (ESV)

Paul emphasizes forgiveness and love

- Reflecting the character of Christ (Luke 23.34, from the cross says, “Father forgive them…”)

- Based on God’s forgiveness of us- being forgiven, forgive.

- Peter asked how many times to forgive; Jesus answered “seventy times seven times” literally meaning be always ready to forgive. No limits.

- Love is what is most important, (1 Corinthians 13.13, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”)

- Some make a case that Galatians 5.22 is all really about love; everything that follows is a fruit of love: the fruit of the spirit. 1 Corinthians 13. 4-7 actually compares very well with Galatians 5.22

- This will bring the peace of Christ- the closer we are to Christ, the closer we are to each other

- Thankfulness should be the result of this place in Christ

CHRIST’S WORD (v.16-17)

As the Word of Christ is part of our lives (studying, praying) we become grateful and thankful to God
We express this with worship-

- in teaching and wisdom/in song (psalms, hymns, spiritual songs)/with thankfulness

- doing everything in the name of the Lord

Closing: As we find our place in Christ we find our reason to worship Him. God is worthy of our worship. He is the object of our “worth-ship.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS MESSAGE

Worship Series (pt.2): "In Spirit and Truth"

2009-10-26T11:26:00.000-04:00

Sunday we had a good time worshiping God at the Ministry. We sang worship songs without my guitar again (I still need to replace my string). That went well. However, I long to preach more each week. I was excited to begin my second message on worship.

After the message, a lady named Sandra came up to rededicate her life to Christ. She had been there before. Anyway, I preached the message "Worship: In Spirit and Truth." You can listen to it in the streaming player below or download it by clicking the link below the player.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS MESSAGE

Emmanuel Ministries Notes 10/25/09

2009-10-26T08:27:00.001-04:00

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." ¹⁷The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; ¹⁸for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true." ¹⁹The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship." ²¹Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. ²² You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. ²⁴God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." ²⁵The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things." ²⁶Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he." (John 4.16-26 ESV)

Background/Context:
Jesus sat by a well and spoke with a Samaritan woman and asked her for water. She resisted and He told her that He could offer “living water” that would make her to never thirst. He spoke spiritually, she understood physically. The conversation continued.

The Encounter (v.16-19)

Three significant things:
- The well: Where Isaac & Jacob wives were at a well when first encountered
- The conversation: For a man to speak to a woman asking for water was considered flirtatious
- The racial/gender issue: Jesus was a male Jew, the Samaritan was a woman. Men and women did not normally speak in public, nor did Jews and Samaritans associate.
Two things about the husband request:
- Availability: the woman’s response could mean she was declaring herself available
- Adherence of customs and prejudice refused: Jesus confronted her with the fact of five failed marriages and her living with a man she was not married to; also showing that He refused to be bound by man-made rules, especially when a soul hangs in the balance
One thing about the woman’s perception:
- She finally sees there is something different about Jesus- calling Him a prophet

The Exchange (v.20-24)

The woman makes two statements:
- Samaritans worshiped on Mt. Gerizim
- Jews worshiped in Jerusalem
Jesus speaks to her with authority
- Stating “the hour is coming” was prophetic language that required the hearer to listen to the message
- She proclaimed Jesus a prophet and was bound to hear the prophetic message
- He began by addressing her statement about where to worship, saying salvation is of the Jews (it started with the Jews and could proceed from them)
- He then took it farther: again stating, “the hour is coming” and said, “true worshippers will worship in spirit and in truth.”
- This marked a change in the need to worship at a temple, or Synagogue. Worship would now be from the temple of God: the human. (“…do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” -1 Corinthians 6.19 ESV)
- in spirit and in truth: tied together to demonstrate the need for genuine worship- not a show like the Pharisees, not based on outward acts, but on the commitment of a heart to God- seeking God in prayer and obeying Him personally.

The Enlightening (v.25-26)

After hearing Jesus the woman says she knows “Messiah is coming”
- Samaritans did not look for a “Messiah” per-se, but a Prophet who would reveal the truth
- She probably used the word because she was speaking to a Jew
After the woman’s statement about the coming Messiah, Jesus brings the reality to light:
- He simply states: “I who speak to you am He.”
- The Greek is “ἐγὼ εἰμι,” meaning, “I am”, the Greek equivalent to YHWH in Hebrew- a statement Jesus makes several times in the Gospel of John, typically called on of Jesus’ “I Am” statements tying Him in to being Divine in nature

Closing/Wrap-up:
Jesus revealed His nature of the Messiah-God to a Samaritan woman despite many cultural and religious taboos. He also declared prophetically to her that, “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.” We have been freed from legalistic worship, from bloody animal sacrifices that only swept sin under the rug. Through the sacrifice of Christ we are able to worship God in spirit and truth. We have access as children of God to the Father because of Christ. Our worship can be genuine because of the grace of God that has brought us freedom. Wherever we are we can reach God as we worship.

VíVí: a new writer

2009-10-22T02:43:00.001-04:00

Cindy, my co-blogger, and I welcome our Junior blogger: VíVí. She is in Elementary school and she is my daughter. She has some valuable insights, especially for an eight year old.

#1 Education about #2 Family information

2009-10-22T02:39:00.001-04:00

By: VíVí

Education is very important in life. Without proper education it is very hard to succeed.

Family is people that love you and me, they care for us. Some families don't care at all. Be glad with the family you have. I have excellent parents, their strength is making me stronger. My sister makes me smile. My parents also make me smile. My parents give me information about education. Education in the family is very important because with knowledge families will raise their kids better, and their kids will make better choices in the future. My mom didn't have proper education when she was a kid. Her mom and dad didn't have any education at all. She's working on her Master degree now.

Emmanuel Ministries Notes 10/18/09

2009-10-19T07:34:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was a good day at the Ministry. We had a larger group than normal, including one gentleman who came with his wife (she is there most of the time). He was just released from jail and he had been a subject of our prayer for some time.

I preached the message I posted yesterday morning. Márcia's husband, my friend Joe, was also there. It was nice and cool (the temperature was about 55º or 60º).

You can listen below in the streaming player or download it at the link below the player.

Click Here To Download This Message

Worship Series (pt.1): "A Fruit of Grace"

2009-10-18T08:52:00.002-04:00

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. (Psalm 95.1-7 ESV)

Because God is Worthy (v.1-2)

We ascribe worth-ship
- Here the Psalmist calls God the Rock of our Salvation- showing He is our security and deliverer
- Ascribe means to give something or someone a characteristic: acknowledging a quality
- “worth-ship” is the old English word from which we get worship: means “giving worth to something.” Since He is our deliverer we should come to Him with thanksgiving
- In worship we ascribe to God His worth- in other words acknowledge or confess his worth
- Worship actually transcends just confessing or acknowledging, because in Psalm 22.3 it says God inhabits, or is enthroned on, His people’s praises: He is in our worship

Because God is Great (v.3-5)

- We understand His awesomeness
  - He is our Great LORD
    - Hebrew: YHWH- “Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" 14God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'” 15God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” (Exodus 3.13-15 ESV)
    - “LORD” is the word “YHWH” in Hebrew, translated in modern versions as LORD (with all capital letters, the first large and the last three capital but smaller)
    - YHWH is significant as being related to the verb “to be”- speaking of God’s relationship with His people (example: ‘I am with you, I will be with you, I have been with you’); and in God’s own existence- He has always existed, exists now and will always exist
  - He is our Great King, none other can stand against Him
    - Note: Mentioning “all gods” does not mean they are real: it describes God’s sovereignty over all things- whether real or fictional
He is our Creator and Sustainer
- Creator: Genesis 1.1; “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1.3 ESV)
- The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. (Acts 17.24-25 ESV)

Because God is Ours (v.6-7)

We, as Christians, are the “people of His pasture” His sheep. Christians are children of God in Christ
- John 1.12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…” (ESV)
We are saved by His grace
- Romans 5.8 “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (ESV)
- Ephesians 2.8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…” (ESV)
We benefit from God’s grace and should produce fruit
- John the Baptist told the Pharisees they needed to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3.8 ESV)
- Likewise, as those who benefit from God’s gift of grace, we should bear fruit
- Our thankful hearts should burst forth in worship
- Dobson’s Dog story illustration (Dynamics of Worship James P. Gills, Creation House Press 2004)
- The spontaneous love and affection of this dog for its human rescuers and new family is a small picture of how Christians should react in worship toward the God who saved them

"Mainstream" Must Mean Liberal

2009-10-15T06:13:00.002-04:00

I was searching for the link to the Southern Baptist Convention's Baptist Faith & Message (found it here: BFM Comparison Chart) and happened upon a link for "Mainstream Baptists." The site is dedicated to spinning the Conservative Resurgence as a hostile takeover.

The author paints the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) as "Fundamentalist" and "Calvinistic." He also links to a site that has articles about the SBC "takeover" by Conservatives.

I read some of the shallow arguments- arguments based more on human reason and liberal spin than on facts and objectivism- and came away feeling sorry for them.

These groups are linked to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship [CBF], a group of "moderates" (PC term really signifying liberals) that split off of the Southern Baptist Convention in the late 1990's or early 21st Century.

The "Mainstream Baptists" and the CBF are more concerned in political correctness than in salvation of souls. They elevate the dogma of a Christ-less society over the doctrines of the Bible.

The CBF, "Mainstream Baptists" and SBC takeover folks claim that Conservatives forced their will on a SBC that was mainstreaming, against the desires of the local, autonomous, SBC churches in a move cloaked in secrecy. However, two things are glaringly out of sorts with their accusations: #1. The Conservative Resurgence was no secret; #2. If this was against the will of most SBC churches, it would have been overturned with a few Conventions. The fact is that it was not overturned because most SBC churches are Conservative. The cries of Calvinism and Fundamentalism are meant to be divisive. Yes, there are SBC Calvinists- I would fall into that category. At the same time, there are also Fundamentalists. Additionally, there are anti-Calvinists, Arminians and some who would just call themselves Evangelical.

That is what the SBC is about- autonomous churches- with some room for differences- cooperating together by highlighting their commonalities and seeking to elevate Christ through the preaching of His Word and the following of His "Great Commission." We Southern Baptists, though not perfect, celebrate our cooperation together in the spirit of Psalm 133.1-3, brothers dwelling in unity-for the cause of Christ

Calvin Quiz

2009-10-14T04:53:00.001-04:00

I took the quiz about John Calvin and did well. My two guesses were right, so I scored a 10/10.

More about John Calvin at Calvin 500

"Becoming Fulfilled in God" Ecclesiastes 1.1-3; 12.13-14

2009-10-12T11:28:00.002-04:00

This is the English version of the Sermon Outline from Sunday October 11, 2009. The Sermon is downloadable under the streaming player below the outline.

"Becoming Fulfilled in God" Ecclesiastes 1.1-3, 9-11; 2.12-17; 12.13-14

All is Vanity (Ecclesiastes 1.1-3, 9-11)

All will fade away, nothing lasts

The Preacher understood all was temporary on the Earth

All is Futility (Ecclesiastes 2.12-17)

Everything we have fades away

Everything we do is forgotten

Rich and poor suffer the same fate

The Preacher hated the futility of depending on the world for fulfillment

All Has Been Heard (Ecclesiastes 12.13-14)

The only lasting thing comes from obedience to God

Follow His commandments

Turn to Christ and be saved- it is the only way to find real fulfillment

Through salvation in Christ we can become fulfilled in God

*

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Download the Sermon by Clicking Here

Emmanuel Ministries Notes 10/11/09

2009-10-12T10:35:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we were locked out of our normal meeting place. Due to the circumstances, flexibility was once again in order. We combined the English and Spanish services and I put together a message based on some devotions I had done on the book of Ecclesiastes. My wife interpreted for me and it went well. I will post the sermon shortly. There will be a very basic outline to go with it.

Later on that evening, Loiana and I were talking and I told her I thought that we should combine the services from now on and she should interpret. If we follow through with this plan, I will go over the outline with her before Sunday. I will also have the Spanish and English Scripture and main points for my notes. Then she will only have to translate my elaborations.

We will see if this is the way to go. For right now we are praying that it will work out well.

Emmanuel Ministries Notes 10/04/09

2009-10-04T12:43:00.003-04:00

Today there was no one to interpret or to preach in Spanish. My wife, Loiana, has been sick this week, so I had to proceed on my own. Well, that is not entirely true. God was with me.

Anyway, I prepared a simple outline in Spanish and English in the event there was, indeed, no one to interpret. When all was said and done, I did need to minister to the Spanish and English speaking groups together sans interpretation.

While most of the Spanish speaking people in attendance were able to understand some English, there were a couple who did not. I explained that I would preach directly from my notes for Spanish, any elaboration would be in English, as I could not elaborate in Spanish.

The message outline is below and the Sermon is available streaming under the outline and as a download under that. It was the shortest message I have ever preached and the shortest service I have ever been a part of. Yes, my guitar string broke again as I was practicing in the morning. Ah well. It's all about flexibility.

JESUS: The Only Way/JESÚS: Lo Uníco Camino

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4.12 ESV)

“Y en ningún otro hay salvación, porque no hay otro nombre bajo el cielo, dado a los hombres, en que podamos ser salvos.” (Hechos 4.12 RVR 1995)

· There is only one Way to God: Jesus. Salvation is only in Him. We can only become Christians by confessing the name of Jesus. No other name will work.

· Sólo hay una manera de llegar a Dios: Jesús. Sólo se puede encontrar la salvación en Él. Sólo podemos ser cristianos por confesar el nombre de Jesús. Ningún otro nombre es suficiente.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14.6 ESV)

Jesús le dijo:

--Yo soy el camino, la verdad y la vida; nadie viene al Padre sino por mí. (Juan 14.6 RVR1995)

· All roads do not lead to God. Mohammed and Buddha did not lead to God. They lead to hell. Our hearts lead to hell. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17.9 ESV)

· Todos los caminos no conducen a Dios. Mahoma y Buda no conducen a Dios. Conducen al infierno. Nuestros corazones nos llevan al infierno. “Engañoso es el corazón más que todas las cosas, y perverso; ¿quién lo conocerá?” (Jeremías 17:9 RVR1995)

“…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved… ¹³For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10.9-10, 13 ESV)

Si confiesas con tu boca que Jesús es el Señor y crees en tu corazón que Dios lo levantó de entre los muertos, serás salvo, ¹⁰ porque con el corazón se cree para justicia, pero con la boca se confiesa para salvación. ¹³ ya que todo aquel que invoque el nombre del Señor, será salvo. (Romanos 10.9-10, 13 RVR1995

· We can be saved by coming to God through Jesus, repenting of our sin and trusting in Him for salvation.

· Podemos ser salvado por llegar a Dios a través de Jesús. Si nos arrepentimos: pedir perdón por nuestros pecados y confiar en Él para la salvación.

DOWNLOAD MESSAGE BY CLICKING HERE

Remembering Vinnie (my best friend)

2009-10-01T21:26:00.004-04:00

In the Summer of 1983 I went to New York to visit my mother, stepfather and brother. They lived in Elmont, about two miles from Belmont Park, the famous racetrack. While visiting, I met their New York Post delivery boy, Vinnie Miceli. He talked with my mom, Sal (my stepfather- who was a great guy and helped beyond what was expected later on) and me one night.

As we all conversed, I saw Vinnie as cool and very likable- two things I was not. When I left to return to Florida, I remembered Vinnie and thought it would be great to have a friend like him. As the months progressed, things at home in Florida were not great and I decided I was going to move to New York. I had a plan to runaway, but I ended up getting permission from my father to move to Elmont. One thing I was hoping for- something I never had the chance to tell Vinnie- was for Vinnie to become my best friend.

When I arrived in Elmont, I spent about two weeks at home before starting school. During that time I met Vinnie again. It did not take long for us to become friends. In time, we became best friends. I remember once, later on, Vinnie said to me, "Pete, when I first met you I thought you were retarded." I asked, "Dude, what are you talking about?" He responded, "Well, when I first met you, you talked so slow and you were wearing a red jacket." I thought that was funny. I spoke slow to him because I was from the South and the red jacket was from my old high school: Springstead High School in Spring Hill, Florida.

On June 27, 1984, I was at Vinnie's house for his birthday. MTv was on and we saw Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" video. That was the beginning of my metalhead days. It was really the beginning of Vinnie's metal days too.

We would walk all around Elmont, Floral Park, Franklin Square, Valley Stream and the general area. We only found trouble a few times in the four years we frequented the streets of Elmont and the surrounding area.

I remember going to Rockaway Beach at night with Vinnie and his older brother Jerry. that was a blast. It helped put a scene to the song "Rockaway Beach" by the Ramones.

Vinnie and I went to the City (New York City) a number of times as well. I remember once we went with our buddy Jimmy K. When Jimmy had to find a bathroom, we found that bathrooms in the City were very scarce. Unfortunately, the train station at Wall Street paid the price and became a restroom of sorts. We would often go and see movies (mostly low quality zombie movies) and eat at a Japanese restaurant.

The time we went with Jimmy, we went on the Ferry. I remember that the seagulls were a real nuisance, dive bombing the people with impunity. Finally I tired of the constant attacks by the nasty creatures and threw my fist in the air during another dive bomb attack. One unfortunate seagull was a direct hit and crashed into the water below and did not fly away. I have no remorse for that incident. I could care less what PETA thinks. Jimmy and Vinnie thought it was hilarious.

During my high school days, and the two years following, Vinnie and I had a band of sorts. I did not play metal well- and was more suited for hardcore or punk- but I was too into metal to fit in a hardcore or punk band (I was in a band called "Son of Sam" for a short time, but could not conform to hardcore and the band broke up- that was during 10 months I spent in New Jersey). But our band was Vengeance. We recorded one song on a tape player- "Running Away Again"- a song I wrote the lyrics and guitar for. Vinnie ad libbed a bass line and it was not too bad. It was metalish, but I did not play a solo. Most of our Vengeance days were concerned with what we would do when we became famous, not much on the practicing.

Vinnie became my best friend, it was my great hope before I moved to Elmont. He wasn't perfect, but he helped me to break some of my insecurities and influenced me in a lot of good ways. Sure, he had some less-than-good influences, but they were the exception, not the rule.

I found out in 2006 that Vinnie died in August of 2003. We had lost touch around that time- or so I thought. I still miss my best friend. Our plans to get together again, either in Florida (where I live) or in Texas (where he had settled) were never realized. I still miss him.

Emmanuel Ministries Notes 9/27/09

2009-09-27T18:57:00.001-04:00

Well today the rains came and the attendance was a bit lower. Márcia decided we should combine the services and use interpretation. After worship, I was going to need to preach to both Spanish and English speaking people.

Since my sermon series on Jonah was just too much to get across with interpretation, I had to choose a simpler message. So my Jonah series will hopefully begin next week. I decided to add an impromptu fourth "Becoming" series message. So below you can listen to the message "Becoming More Like Jesus" from Ephesians 4.29-32. I was not prepared for this, so you can hear my "out of season" type of message.

Somewhere during the message Márcia asked a gentleman to translate the message, because she felt he was better for the task.

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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD "BECOMING MORE LIKE JESUS"

Jonah Series: "Jonah: The Rebellious Prophet"

2009-09-27T08:37:00.001-04:00

This week begins a three week series on the book of Jonah. It will be divided by chapter. Below is the outline for the first message.

“Jonah: The Rebellious Prophet” Jonah 1.1-17

Intro/Background

· Author: Jonah (Despite writing in the 3^rd person- Moses, Isaiah and Daniel also wrote in 3^rd person at times, Jonah wrote whole short book in 3^rd person); During events of 793-753 BC

· Jonah is written as history, but also as a message to Israel (Northern Kingdom)

o God’s concern for the Gentiles

o Unfaithfulness of Israel in missionary work

o God’s sovereignty in carrying out His will

o A rebuke to God’s people as Nineveh repented when Israel did not

o Jonah was a picture of Israel’s disobedience: God’s punishment, Jonah’s repentance & restoration

· Jonah can teach us about servicing God obediently, being willing to repent and God’s faithfulness to those who will receive Him

· Jonah is not a work of fiction- Jesus referred to him as historical fact; nothing in the book is impossible

The Attempted Escape (v.1-3)

· Jonah receives the direction from the Lord: tell Nineveh to repent

· Jonah decides to go to Tarshish- the opposite direction; Nineveh was in modern Iraq, Tarshish in modern Spain

· Jonah tried to run from “the presence of the Lord”

· “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? ⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! ⁹If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, ¹⁰even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139.7-10 ESV)

· Application:

o sometimes we run from God’s call also

o Illustration: Sunday morning, late for church, saw man walking-seemed distraught, made deal with God, God did His part, I didn’t

The Absconder Exposed (v.4-10)

· Definition: Absconder- one who runs and hides from adversity

· As Jonah slept during the storm, the sailors were trying to appease their gods

· When Jonah was alerted and exposed by the lots

· He admitted running from God and testified that His God was the one, true God

The Adversity Evaded (v.11-16)

· Sailors ask Jonah for direction

· He tells them to throw him over

· The sailors seek another way- they seem to be decent men

· Finally they decide to comply, asking God’s forgiveness

· Once Jonah was overboard, the storm ended immediately

· It was a testimony to the Gentile sailors who obeyed, while Jonah and Israel were disobedient

The Appointed Event (v.17)

· God prepared a rescue for Jonah despite his disobedience: the big fish

· Three days in the belly of the fish- not a historic impossibility, especially when God is factored in

· This would also be a picture of the days between the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ

· God sets things up for those He will rescue from sin; God’s will for our lives will come to pass

Closing

When God calls us, we can run, but we cannot hide; we can rebel like Jonah, but it will be fruitless. He is God and his will is going to be accomplished. Christians may run from His calling, non-Christians may run from His mercy, but He will have His way.

5 Years of Myall4One! (4God.blogspot.com)

2009-09-24T22:02:00.002-04:00

Yep, it all started 5 years ago (September 25, 2004). My first post here was an introduction: http://4god.blogspot.com/2004/09/my-new-blog.html. I began by talking about Hurricane Jeanne and then went political and also focused on my faith. Over the years I have covered football, baseball, politics, religions, the Christian faith, ministry and sermons. Probably some other stuff too.

Will I make it to ten years? Who knows. We do not even know if we will be able to use the Internet freely in ten years. Or if advances will send the current Internet into 8-track-tamp status (for younger readers, look up the 70's and really bad technology to find out what they were).

I am pleased that this blog has moved on to be a place to post my sermons and sermon outlines. No, I am not the best preacher around, but the Word of God is what is important, not me. I hope someone somewhere benefits from my sermons and outlines- even if a preacher decides to use my outlines verbatim- that is fine, as I know they will not preach every word the same. Actually, I would be honored if someone found them to be valuable in that way.

Thank you to God for the ability to keep this blog going, and to Blogger for making the product available.

Here's to the future!

Emmanuel Ministries Notes 9/20/09

2009-09-20T16:27:00.004-04:00

The ministry went well, except for me neglecting to bring my guitar for worship. Márcia had to lead worship today. It was not bad at all. Flexibility is a key at Emmanuel Ministries- much like my missions experiences.

I was immersed in developing the message even into this (Sunday) morning. Never a comfortable way to complete a message, but I know it was the right message for the right time. I am working toward messages that are useful for discipleship and evangelism.

Today's message is streaming in the player below or available for download at the link below the player...

DOWNLOAD THE MP3 VERSION OF "BECOMING GOD'S GOOD SERVANT" HERE

“Becoming God’s Good Servants” 2 Timothy 2.1-7

2009-09-20T09:19:00.001-04:00

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, ²and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. ³ Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. ⁵ An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. ⁷Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” (2 Timothy 2.1-4 ESV)

Entrust the Message v. 1-2

· It was common practice of the time to emphasize the passing of sacred traditions

· Paul encouraged Timothy in a similar way to pass on what he had been taught

· Teaching “faithful men” who would then pass on the teaching as well

· Preserving the Gospel for future generations

Example of the Soldier v. 3-4

· Share in suffering: do not be surprised or slowed, suffering comes with following Jesus

· As a good soldier: Christian life compared to being a soldier

· Civilian pursuits: anything that would distract from following Christ fully

- a call to focusing on one purpose- serious dedication

- requires unswerving obedience (as a soldier)

~ Gettysburg, D-Day: soldiers rushed to their deaths at command

- requires devoted discipline (not like my work-out routine)

- John Piper: “The world is no longer our treasure. It’s not the source of our life or our satisfaction or our joy. Christ is.” (Don’t Waste Your Life p. 57)

Example of the Athlete v. 5

Olympic athletes required at least 10 months of serious preparation by oath
They had to follow the rules or be disqualified
They strived to win a simple prize of garland
We strive to win the prize of salvation through Christ

- I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 3.14 ESV)

- Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ²looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12.1 ESV)

Example of the Farmer v. 6

There is an emphasis on hard work and a reward to come
The farmer puts forth the hard work and is rewarded in time with a harvest
We are to work hard to serve Christ

- though salvation is not based on works

- works are the fruit of salvation

The reward for a Christian comes in salvation as we are judged innocent based on Christ’s sacrifice

Endeavor to Gain Understanding v. 7

Paul encourages Timothy to consider what he has said
The Lord will give understanding
If we seek God, we will find Him

- Jeremiah 29.13, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (ESV)

- Isaiah 55.6, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near…” (ESV)

Closing: To become God’s good servants, we must be disciplined like a soldier (avoiding things that distract), dedicated like an athlete (devoting ourselves to the race) and determined like a farmer (who works hard for a future reward). Consider this, “for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”

Emmanuel Ministries Notes 9/13/09

2009-09-15T19:33:00.003-04:00

This Sunday we had a good time of ministry. I preached on Luke 12.13-21 and if you listen to the message in the other post, you will hear rain start pouring down in the background somewhere around the seven-minute mark. You will also hear me totally freeze while trying to quote Hebrews 9.27.

The message also features a story I heard from a pastor in Alabama. It is a true story about how he sacrificed his inheritance in order to live according to God's Word. He tells it better, but the message is a good one. That is about five minutes into the message.

After the message we prayed over a number of prayer requests.

Actually, before the message and before we began with our worship time, a lady told us about her recent commitment to forsake alcohol and seek after God. That prompted another person, a man who has been attending for a few months now, to tell us that he had been off alcohol for four months now. We prayed for their strength to be found in Christ.

The rain came and went and somehow I ended up pretty wet- between sweating from the heat and the drenching downpours. It was all worth it. I thank God for allowing me to have this place to preach. I thank Him for entrusting me with His word- may I be more faithful to it!

"Becoming Rich Toward God" Luke 12.13-21

2009-09-15T19:03:00.007-04:00

Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." ¹⁴But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?" ¹⁵And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." ¹⁶And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully, ¹⁷and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' ¹⁸And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' ²⁰But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' ²¹So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12.13-21 ESV)

Intro: In life we have our priorities. However, we can be rich in this life or rich toward God. There is nothing wrong with being wealthy, but if it is at the expense of our eternity we lose everything in the end.

Earthly Priorities (v. 13-15)

· The man who came to Jesus with this matter apparently wanted his "fair share"

· Jesus demonstrated concern over the spiritual state of the person, not whether or not the person had a legal right to a thing.

· Traditionally Rabbis (teachers) were able to handle these issues, but Jesus was not bound by tradition

· See John 4: Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman (2 things that were against tradition)

· ILLUSTRATION: Pastor Golden- inheritance (house & property): was rightfully his, but stepsister wanted it and was considering legal maneuvers to get it, but he gave it to her without a fight to preserve his right-ness before God. What was legally his was less important than doing what was spiritually beneficial.

Empty Prosperity (v. 16-20)

· Jesus illustrated the importance of the spiritual with a parable

* This man was invested in his greed

* He sought pleasure and comfort

* He did not consider God nor other people (selfish)

* God saw his plans for ease and called him a fool; he was going to die that night

* What good would these riches do him then?

· Everything we have will one day belong to someone else

· The man was physically rich but he neglected two things:

* To thank God for the harvest

* To consider the needs of others

· He did not consider the "greatest Commandment"

· "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22.37-40 ESV)

Eternal Promises (v. 21)

· The person who forgets God and the importance of the life to come is bound for ruin

· We have to consider God first in our lives

· "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6.33 ESV)

· Christians can only become Christians out of a consideration of the eternal

· "He who dies with the most toys..." Wins? No, still dies with nothing

Closing: No matter how much we gain in this life, it will all pass away. As the Preacher said in Ecclesiastes, "I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind." (Ecclesiastes 1.14 ESV) Nothing in life is lasting, we need to become rich toward God by valuing the things of God and building for eternal life, not just life here.

Sermon can be heard via streaming player or by download below:

Download Sermon Here

"Becoming Useful to God" Jeremiah 15.19

2009-09-06T18:54:00.006-04:00

Therefore thus says the LORD: "If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them." -Jeremiah 15.19 (ESV)

Intro: To become useful as a Christian we can look at Jeremiah. He was a prophet of God who had spoken in a way that disqualified him from being eligible to speak for God. We as Christians can learn about being restored to become useful for God.

Return and be restored

· Jeremiah was called to repent so that his position as God’s prophet could be restored

· His message was one of repentance; the message to him was “repent”

· God calls us to repent so that He can restore us

· It’s simple: turn from our sin and allow Him to change us from the inside out

· “For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In repentance and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’” (Isaiah 30.15)

Speak what is precious

· “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4.29 ESV)

· speak only what is worth saying, not worthless words, and He will use us as His spokesmen

· You know those dirty jokes that go around? Don't participate in them

· You know how some of us tend to be sarcastic? Time to stop

· It's difficult. I've had a lot of work to do on that at work

Turn, don’t be turned

· “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, ²⁰that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts. 3.19-20 ESV)

· “Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9.62 ESV)

· Let the people turn to you (God's message), DO NOT turn to them!

· Jesus said that He is the only Way to the Father. All other ways are false

· Do not allow yourself to compromise for the sake of making people happy

· Stand up for the truth

Closing: To be useful for God we need to repent and be restored. We need to avoid unrighteous speech and speak what is precious. Furthermore, to be useful to God we must stand our ground in terms of our faith and the message of the Gospel.

C²C: Unbeliever: your restoration comes through salvation and repentance before the Sovereign God of all creation. Believe in Christ for your salvation and repent of your sins to find salvation in Him and become useful for God for the first time in your life.

Backslider: your restoration comes in light of 1 John 1.9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (ESV)- Repent and become useful to God again.

(To hear the message use the player below)

Or Download By Clicking Here

The Pastor Who Prays for Obama's Death

2009-09-02T01:20:00.001-04:00

"Pastor" Steve Anderson has made the news for praying for Obama's death and preaching a message entitled, "Why I Hate Barack Obama." After reading about him on several news sites, I recalled that this was the "pastor" who was shot with a taser a while back.

As I researched him in the past, I found that he was an idiotic "King James-Only" preacher who makes little sense in his YouTube videos. (Search YouTube for Steve Anderson and pisseth on a wall for a clear example). On his church website there is this blurb under the "Our Pastor" section:

"Pastor Steven Anderson started Faithful Word Baptist Church on December 25, 2005.

Pastor Anderson holds no college degree but has well over 100 chapters of the Bible committed to memory, including almost half of the New Testament.

Today, most Baptist churches are started by Bible Colleges. However, the Bible makes it clear that the church is the pillar and ground of the truth, not a school. Faithful Word Baptist Church is a totally independent Baptist church, and Pastor Anderson was sent out by a totally independent Baptist church to start it the old-fashioned way by knocking doors and winning souls to Christ. This is the scriptural method.

God has blessed Faithful Word Baptist Church tremendously. Hundreds have been saved, many have been baptized, and many more have learned to win souls both door-to-door and in their day-to-day lives."

Okay, I can find a lot wrong on the site, but this is what I will focus on.

1. "Pastor Anderson holds no college degree but has well over 100 chapters of the Bible committed to memory, including almost half of the New Testament." Is he boasting that he has no college degree? Granted, it is not written in stone that you need a college degree, but not having one is not a reason to boast. While I admire his claim to have "well over 100 chapters" of the Bible memorized, I would like to see some proof. Anyone can claim anything.

2. "Today, most Baptist churches are started by Bible Colleges. However, the Bible makes it clear that the church is the pillar and ground of the truth, not a school." What? Document this! This statement has no basis in fact. He is just trying to make a case for not being college educated. Listening to him preach makes it clear that a college education may have been helpful, but he may just not have been college material.

3. "Faithful Word Baptist Church is a totally independent Baptist church, and Pastor Anderson was sent out by a totally independent Baptist church to start it the old-fashioned way by knocking doors and winning souls to Christ. This is the scriptural method." The phrase "totally independent" is meant to be inflammatory. As if non-Independent Baptist churches are not independent, being under the control of a central authority. Most independent KJV-only churches are most opposed to Southern Baptist churches, and SBC churches are independent and autonomous. If the SBC comes down with a directive, local churches are not bound by it. The SBC does not, and cannot, appoint pastors for local churches. Local churches cooperate with the SBC, they are not controlled by the SBC. Additionally, I hope Mr. Anderson is not making the claim that knocking on doors is the Scriptural method. It is not. However, "winning souls" is the way to increase the kingdom and build a local church.

4. "God has blessed Faithful Word Baptist Church tremendously. Hundreds have been saved, many have been baptized, and many more have learned to win souls both door-to-door and in their day-to-day lives." How many people attend this church? From the YouTube videos it looks small. How many of the "hundreds" that have been saved regularly attend services?

Based on my investigation of Faithful Word Baptist Church and "pastor" Steve Anderson, I think he might benefit from some college. Or even high school. He makes outlandish statements just to seem relevant. I did not address KJV-Onlyism, even though it is a cultish doctrine, but it is well refuted at the Alpha & Omega Ministries site.