Former NYC Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. - Blessed Are Those Who Suffer Persecution For The Sake of The Gospel

 

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

By Former NYC Councilman

Rev. Ruben Diaz

 You should know that the persecution against the followers of Jesus Christ goes back two thousand years, beginning with our Lord Jesus Himself.

For too long the community of faith has been going through a dark period where we are finding ourselves increasingly marginalized, shamed and yes persecuted. Should we publicly express our beliefs and support for traditional marriage as being between a man and a woman, or when we express our support for the sanctity of life and against abortion, immediately a believer is subjected to repudiation, being ostracized, persecuted, subjected to name calling like homophobic, preacher of hate, and accused of hate speech. This has reached a level where any one opposing Gay marriage risks losing their jobs or not being hired to any position within the government. 

It is important for you to know that, of all the religions of the world, the Christian faith, Catholic and Evangelical, the followers of Christ Jesus, stand out as having a generational trajectory of benevolence and goodwill towards serving humanity, irrespective of who is being served. Christians go where the need arises. Christians historically serve as missionaries, helping to feed and shelter the needs of the worlds less fortunate. Christians are the largest donors and supporters of charitable causes world wide. 

Christians for over 2,000 years have been martyred for their faith. They have been crucified, burned alive, imprisoned, enslaved, and fed to lions, because they refused to deny their faith. They stood firm in their faith and remained true to the word of God. For that they suffered persecution and paid with their lives. 

The Christian Faith especially the "Evangelical Pentecostal Faith" does not approve of dancing, or smoking, or marking our bodies with tattoos, we don’t drink alcoholic beverages, we are against usury, abortions, same sex marriage and many other things that the Holy Scriptures stipulate are not pleasing to God. However, this does not mean that we preach hate or that we hate or reject any human being, because rejecting a human being (Gay or Straight) is also not pleasing to God.

To my fellow Pastors, Evangelists, and lay people who today are required to deny their faith, in order to have a job in New York City, I advise you to remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ at the Sermon on the Mount when He said these prophetic words:

 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12) 

To my fellow colleagues in the ministry, the Hispanic people, especially those of you who profess to believe in the teachings of the Bible; I want to remind you of something that is written in, Revelation 13:14-17, which says that in the last days a new form of government will come into power that will require all people to accept its edicts. Failure to conform will prohibit the individual from acquiring work, and from buying, or selling. Failure to conform to the edicts, mandates, and or beliefs set forth by this totalitarian government will be prosecuted. In my opinion the church is witnessing a precursor of what is to come.  

You should know, my dear reader, that in 1985 Dr. Apostle Kittim Silva Bermúdez named me "The Prophet of Justice."  Since then, I have tried to live up to that description by standing firm in defense of my faith and the word of the Lord.  

Unfortunately, our people, Community of believers, and our leaders in the faith continue to support, vote, and elect candidates from the same political Party that continuously marginalizes the Christian Community by making it clear that if we dare express our opinions based on our religious beliefs, we are not welcomed and need not apply to certain jobs. Far too often we have not been considered for jobs solely based on political pressures coming from special interest groups like the LGBTQ community and what they have to say on the matter.   

It is time for Ministers, Churches, and the Hispanic community in general to wake up from the lethargic state many of them have fallen into. We must begin to defend our rights guaranteed in the 1^st Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, “Freedom of Religion and Expression”. We must protect our God given rights, beliefs, our culture, and biblical doctrines passed down from our grandparents. 

You should know that this can only be achieved when people of faith learn how to vote. With the power of our vote, we can send a very important message, that although we may be registered Democrats, Republicans, Socialists, or Communists, we are Christians first.   

Let it be known that our party affiliation does Not define who we are. We identify as Christians first, and who we vote for must reflect that. 

Wake up Christians! Wake up Hispanics! Defend Your Rights!

I am the Rev. Ruben Diaz "Prophet of Justice”, and this is What You Should Know.