Christianity and Salsa???
By Edie, The Salsa FREAK

Letter from a Christian Salsero

Hi Edie, just wanted to ask if you are Christian and how I can use salsa as a means of reaching the world through dance ministry. Josiaga@yahoo.com

Dear Josia,
Yes, I do believe that Jesus was God in the flesh, and He is the only way to the Father. 

John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 - And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

John 17:11 - And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

For some strange reason, God has made me very successful in Salsa dancing, and I don't hide my beliefs in any way.  There are a lot of "hurting" people in the dance world - those running away from troubles and problems.  They get involved in Salsa as a deterant - an escape from reality.  God is the One who sends those searching to me.  They can find me anytime, and simply "talk".    I've helped people find the Lord in the CRAZIEST PLACES!  A bathroom at a club, at Denny's after dancing, in a cab on the way to the club, at the club itself, over email.... !!!  This list goes on!    Have you seen my "Christian Section" on my site?  http://www.dancefreak.com/stories-s/scripture.htm

God has placed me in a unique position of being able to reach those that would rather die than walk in a church.  There are Christian ministries in every part of the world - but let's work in our own backyard!  There's Acres of Diamonds we're living with!  There are potential Billy Grahams everywhere - even in the Salsa scene.   The Harvest is great, but the Workers, are few.  

Take care, and God Bless!

"Surround yourself with possibility thinkers, and watch your life blast off like a rocket!"
- Edie, The Salsa FREAK

Jesus was/is a portrait of God the Father to make us understand the character of the Creator of the Universe from a human perspective. 

This portrait is described in three dimensional terms by four separate authors in the first four books of the New Testament:

  1. Mathew
  2. Mark
  3. Luke
  4. John

He is portrayed in a three-dimensional aspect by three of his apostles Mathew, Mark, and John, and then Luke, who was a doctor, and avid writer of the history of Jesus, and a friend of the Apostles. 

I found that the four books written about Christ's life in the New Testament were written by four entirely different people with completely different personality types. 

  1. A Director - Choleric
    • the bottom-liner, who wants you to jump to the chase and will decide instantly
    • Optimistic, active, confident, strong-willed, quick to anger, aggressive, inconsiderate.
    • Dominating: Win - Lose
    • Sacrifices Self
    • Warrior
    • Being Protection by giving security
  2. A Socializer - Sanguine
    • the expressive, who loves the new stuff and is easily bored
    • Cheerful, friendly, talkative, lively, restless, self-centered, undependable
    • Influencing:  Win / Win
    • No Sacrifices
    • Wizard
    • Being Proactive by giving success
  3. An Analytical  - Melancholy
    • the analytical, who craves facts and more facts and has trouble deciding
    • Sensitive, analytical, perfectionistic, unsociable, moody, rigid
    • Steadying:  Lose - Win
    • Self Sacrificing
    • Worker
    • Being productive by giving service
  4. A Relator - Phlegmatic
    • the amiable, who values relationships above all and wants you to be a friend
    • Calm, dependable, efficient, easy-going, passive, stubborn, lazy
    • Lose - Lose
    • Sacrifices All
    • Worrier
    • Being at Peace by giving sacrifice

If you look at the first three verses in the first Chapter of each book, you can pretty much guess what type of personalities they were.

  1. Mathew:  Chapter 1, 1-3
    • 1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,
  2. Mark:  Chapter 1, 1-3
    • 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way; 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight--"
  3. Luke:  Chapter 1, 1-3
    • 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, 2 just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theoph'ilus,
  4. John:  Chapter 1, 1-3
    • 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God; 3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
  1. Mattthew:   A Director - Choleric  
  2. Mark:   A Socializer - Sanguine
  3. Luke:   An Analytical  - Melancholy
  4. John:  A Relator - Phlegmatic

It should be noted that the four personality types are contrived out of human's ideas to try and explain people's behavior.  These types are a non-biblical perspective on human behavior.  The four temperaments do not originate from Scripture. 

Christ became an embryo in Mary's womb. He didn't just pop out say, "Hey mom, I'm God come to save the world!" as he skipped out of his manger.  He depended on His mother to nurture him, change his diapers, and learn how to walk and talk just like the rest of us. God, our Creator, Creator of the Heavens, stars, earth, everything, became "flesh" because He loved us enough to sacrifice Himself for us. 

The Word became "flesh".  In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was God.  Jesus was God incarnate, in the flesh.  When He ascended into heaven, he left us with the Councilor, the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit works like the wind... you can't see it, but you can see its affects on the leaves of the trees. 

I describe the Trinity (God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit), to be like that of the three stages of water.  H2O.  (The water molecule itself is a trinity)

  1. Ice - God - the stable, unwavering, solid rock
  2. Water - Jesus, the purifier, the well of life, washer of sins
  3. Steam - The Holy Spirit, the unseen, yet felt, silent feeling, the chill or warmth of the Father.  

The Great "I am's" spoken by Christ to the Jews:

John 6:35 - Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.

John 6:41 - The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven."

John 6:51 - I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."

John 8:12 - Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 8:21 - Again He said to them, "I go away, and you will seek me and die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come."

John 8:23 - He said to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.

John 8:24 - I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am He."

John 8:28 - So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me.

John 8:58 - Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."

John 9:5 - As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

 John 9:9 - Some said, "It is he"; others said, "No, but he is like him." He said, "I am the man."

 John 10:7 - So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

John 10:9 - I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

John 10:11 - I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

 John 10:14 - I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me,

 John 10:36 - do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?

John 10:37 - If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me;

John 10:38 - but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."

John 11:25 - Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

John 12:26 - If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him.

John 12:32 - and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."

John 13:13 - You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.

John 13:18 - I am not speaking of you all; I know whom I have chosen; it is that the scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.'

John 13:19 - I tell you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am He.

John 13:36 - Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered, "Where I am going you cannot follow me now; but you shall follow afterward."

John 14:3 - And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

John 14:4 - And you know the way where I am going."

John 14:6 - Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.

John 14:10 - Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

John 14:11 - Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.

John 14:20 - In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

John 14:25 - "These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you.

John 15:1 - "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

John 15:5 - I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in Him, He it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

John 16:5 - But now I am going to Him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'

John 16:28 - I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father."

John 16:32 - The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, every man to his home, and will leave me alone; yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.

John 17:9 - I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom thou hast given me, for they are Thine;

John 17:10 - all mine are Thine, and Thine are mine, and I am glorified in them.

John 17:11 - And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to Thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which Thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

John 17:13 - But now I am coming to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

John 17:14 - I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

John 17:16 - They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

John 18:37 - Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice."