April 2013 / Edition 711 / www.impactoevangelistico.net
The magazine that edifies your life
Devotional
evangelĂstic
International Congress
Humiliation precedes exaltation
Near the date of the big meeting
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION
Worldwide Missionary Movement
Why is
Sin bad?
Consequences of the transgression of God’s law
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years Worlwide Missionar Movement 1963 1963 1981 1984 1989
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Serving
od with all your heart
The Bible tells what happened to the children of Judah. They were gemstones, so precious, made of pure gold, with a unique glow, but the prophet says of them: “How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street. The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!” (Lamentations 4:1-2). We are crocks and God has placed a treasure inside us. If there is any glow, any attraction, it is what’s inside. If someday we lose this treasure, this wealth, then we’ll be considered as worthless vessels and no one will come close to us, no one will ask us for advice. If today people seek for some value, it is by the grace of God. Speaking to one of the churches of Asia Minor through John, the Lord said: “Hold
that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Revelation 3:11). If we don’t produce what He has given us, the things we thought we’ll have will be taken away and given to someone else who has more. Job also says: “The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me” (Job 29:13), so that each day he thrived and each day he was more blessed; the blessing of those who rejected it came over him. Do you want God’s blessing? Serve Him truthfully and sincerely, with an honest heart; do
everything with love for the Lord, to please Him. In Deuteronomy 10:12, the Word says:
“And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul”; this is what Rev. Gustavo Martínez International president God requires of His people. Verse 20 staof W.M.M. tes, “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him we are crocks and god has shalt thou cleave, and swear placed a treasure inside us. If by his name”; when it says there is any glow, any attraction, “him shalt thou serve”, it ta- it is what’s inside. If someday lks about a unique and ex- we lose this treasure, this clusive service. That servi- wealth, then we’ll be considered ce rendered to God cannot as worthless vessels and no one be received by anyone else; will come close to us, no one no one can be served as one will ask us for advice. If today serves God. people seek for some value, it is It’s so sad that some- by the grace of God. times we show a lot of interest in serving men, and we don’t have that same interest and spirit to serve God; sometimes even lazily, reluctantly or only if we have the time to do so. But to serve others there is always will, we rush eagerly to help those that benefit us humanly, because we look for a reward, for someone to think much of us. Beloved brothers and sisters, God will reward us much more, serve Him with all your heart and all your soul. Amen u
editorial
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Founder Director: Rev. Luis M. Ortiz April 2013 / Edition N° 711 (USPS 012-850) OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT The World-Wide Missionary Movement, Inc. is a non-profit church with a vision to plant new churches in the United States of America and its territories, and also with a missionary vision to plant new churches wherever God opens new doors all over the World. PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY Movimiento Misionero Mundial, Inc World-Wide Missionary Movement, Inc San Juan, Puerto Rico Washington, D.C. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936
POSTMASTER: send address changes to Impacto Evangelístico P.O. BOX 363644 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-3644 Telephone number (787) 761-8806; 761-8805; 761-8903
INTERNATIONAL BOARD MEMBERS OF W.M.M. INC Rev. Gustavo Martínez President Rev. José Soto Vice-president Rev. Jorge Álvarez Secretary Rev. Rodolfo González Treasurer Rev. Álvaro Garavito Director Rev. Margaro Figueroa Director Rev. Rómulo Vergara Director Rev. Rubén Concepción Director Rev. Humberto Henao Director CHURCHES ESTABLISHED IN: Germany Argentina Aruba Australia Austria Belgium Belize Bolivia Bonaire Brazil Cameroon Canadá Chile Colombia Congo Costa Rica Curacao Ecuador El Salvador Spain United States The Philippines France Gabón Ghana Guatemala Equatorial Guinea French Guiana Guyana Inglesa Haití Holland Honduras
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The Worldwide Missionary Movement is a religious non-profit organization duly registered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and in the federal capital, Washington DC, with headquarters in both cities and in every state of the United States and other countries where we have established missionary Works. n Important The offerings and donations in cash, equipment, real estate and bequests by will, in the benefit of the Worldwide Missionary Movement, Inc.’s Work, are deductible from the income tax, and receipts issued by the WMM are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the Federal Government of the United States of America and of the Free Associated State of Puerto Rico. n Visit our website Obtain uplifting information about God’s Work and keep up with the latest news. A customized access from anywhere in the world: www. impactoevangelistico.net n If you wish Write to us at our postal address: Worldwide Missionary Movement, Inc. P.O. Box 363644 San Juan, P.R. 00936-3644 n Copyright © 2009 Impacto Evangelístico World-Wide Missionary Movement, Inc. All content of this magazine and each subsequent edition are duly registered at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC USA. All rights reserved. Total or partial reproduction in any form and translation into other languages without prior permission of the Director are prohibited. Under international copyright agreements, they are crimes punishable by law. n Doctrinal Statement The Worldwide Missionary Movement
adheres to the fundamental doctrines of Scripture, such as: • The inspiration of the Holy Scriptures: 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21. • The Adorable Godhead in Three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Matthew 3:16-17, 17: 1-5; 28:19, John 17: 5, 24, 26, 16:32, 14:16, 23, 18:5, 6, 2 Peter 1:17,18; Revelation 5. • Salvation by Faith in Christ: Luke 24:47, John 3:16, Romans 10:13, Titus 2:11, 3:5-7. • The New Birth: John 3:3, 1 Peter 1:23, 1 John 3:9. • Justification by Faith: Romans 5:1; Titus 3:7. • Water Baptism by Inmersion, as commanded by Christ: Mattew 28:19; Acts 8:36-39. • The Baptism in the Holy Spirit, subsequent to salvation, speaking in tongues according to: Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4, 8, 2:4. • Divine Healing: Isaiah 53:4, Matthew 8:16, 17, Mark 16:18, James 5:14, 15 • The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. • The Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Galatians 5:22-26. • Sanctification: 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23, Hebrews 12:14, 1 Peter 1:15, 16, 1 John 2:6. • Ministry and Evangelization: Mark 16:15-20, Romans 10:15. • El Diezmo y el Sostenimiento de la Obra: Genesis 14:20, 28:22, Leviticus 27:30, Numbers 18:21-26, Malachi 3:7-10, Matthew 10:10; 23:23. • The Rapture of the Church: Romans 8:23, 1 Corinthians 15:5152, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. • The Second Coming of Christ: Zechariah 14:1-9, Matthew 24:30, 31; 2 Thessalonians 1:7, Titus 2:13, Jude 14, 15. • The Millennial Kingdom: Isaiah 2:1-4, 11:5-10, Zechariah 9:10, Revelation 19:20, 20:3-10. • New Heavens and New Earth: Isaiah 65:17, 66:22, 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1.
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Crimes and murders may be seen as harmless on TV shows, movies or whodunits.
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22 27 International officials met in Panama City to deal with the last organization aspects of the big spiritual party. An attendance of 10,000 brothers and sisters from over 60 countries is expected.
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He was pushed by the rigor of poverty to the foothills of evil. However, after suffering the attacks of the devil, Marco Antonio Aguirre met Jesus Christ and became a staunch defender of the holy gospels.
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Events in: Puerto Rico, Vega Baja, Florida, New York, Bolivia, Bucaramanga, Cúcuta-Colombia, Genoa, Ica-Perú.
Celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of the Scottish explorer David Livingstone, the first to take the Gospel to unexplored regions of Africa.
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Jerusalem was the seed of churches In early Christianity and the object of uprisings and invasions later on.
betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty; if thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.” Job 8:5-7. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23.
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Why is
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Crimes and murders may be considered harmless on TV series, movies or crime novels. However, it’s different when they happen in real life because they disclose the real evil and gravity from the fact. What is the heart of this evil?
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the heart of this increasing problem is simply the uncontrolled selfishness. The way people think -with selfish wishes, emotions and feelings that dominate a lot of decisions- makes crime and sin very difficult to fight against. At the end of the day, the real solution to these weaknesses so common in humanbeings should start in the mind. Neither crime nor sin can be stopped completely as long as the lack of concern about the well-being of other people predominates in the human mind. Law’s empire is a crucial basis in any society to stop crime. The stability provided by the law has given Western nations the ability to achieve improvements together with economic and social stability; while there are nations that are governed by man’s cravings and have not been able to reach their objectives and maintain. Good laws serve to maintain our relationships and activities balanced and mark parameters for all. For the existence of the law’s empire, there must be a system to ensure the fulfillment of law. There are two fundamental aspects on that system and both begin at home. The first step is education. It’s something that should begin with every child since they are born and should continue with a comprehensive educational system until the child becomes an adult. Respect for the law is learned, not inherited when we are born. A child who grows up in an environment where there’s a commitment to recognize and respect the other’s rights, -with the correct example of his parents and teachers that reinforce what is taught about this issue- has more chances to make this kind of commitment lasting and durable. The second step is the application of the law, including the effective capture and punishment to those who break it. The fear of punishment is something that dissuades greatly the temptation, but only if the punishment is fair, accurate and effectively managed. However, if the application of the law is slack, then crime will increase enormously. It’s important to understand that the
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only existence of the law doesn’t guarantee that it will be respected and followed. For the law to work effectively, it requires the commitment of the majority of citizens that are ready to respect, obey and support the application of rules. WHAT IS SIN?
According to a basic definition, sin is the transgression of God’s law: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law“ (1 John
3:4). The real essence of sin is the lack of subjugation to the law that beggings in our hearts. The more it controls our selfish nature and behavior, the less we could enjoy good relationships with others and with our Creator. Paul the Apostle said: “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans
8:3-4). The problem is spiritual because the basic requirement or the fundamental intention of the law –either civil or spiritual- is to ensure that we treat others with the same respect that we would like from them. In addition, the fundamental enemy of the law is the selfishness that is so deeply stuck in us. Therefore, the unique solution that can work is spiritual. The word spiritual refers to those aspects of life that aren’t physical, but they exist and are very real. For example, people’s attitudes are real. An attitude can’t be measured in a test tube or be seen with a microscope. However, each and every one of us has experienced the enormous impact of someone with a bad attitude and we all have wanted to change it. WHY IS SIN BAD?
Let’s back to the question: Why is Sin bad? It’s bad because it hurts. It hurts you. It hurts me. It divides friends and destroys relationships. It leads us to violence, addiction and finally death. It locks
us up in prisons of worry, suffering, misery and death. It never produces good fruits. That’s why God hates it. Therefore, we should hate it too. If we reject crime, then we should reject sin too! Crime and sin are essentially the same. Both are violations of law. The only difference is that we can violate law. Those who reject the mention of sin might not believe in God or are expressing their disdain for the law’s empire. They imply that God shouldn’t interfere in their lives. In principle, they want to live the way they want to with the minimum possible restrictions to their selfish inclinations. Why is there this hostility in relation to the role that God fulfills in determining the rules we should obey and respect? Paul explains: “For those who are according to the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God”
(Romans 8:5-8). In other words, people naturally resist the idea that there’s a Supreme
Authority that, at the end, defines what is good and bad. HOW DOES GOD DETERMINE SIN?
You might have heard the comment: “Everything good is either sinful or fattening”. An immediate consequence of this assertion is that God considers sin anything that is pleasant. This concept is very popular in the world. Those who see life this way may feel pleasantly surprised to find out that God want us to truly experience in this life. He didn’t make his law to take away the pleasure and joy. Let’s see how God defined the role of teaching the will of God to the humanity: “…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”
(John 10:10). Live abundantly! Is it really what God wants us to experience in life? If so, why did he tell us not to do so many things? Explaining this is like explaining what a sculptor does when carving a wonderful horse’s statue from a solid stone block. He could say that he removes everything that doesn’t look like a horse from the stone block, using his chisel and hammer. In the same way, God tell us to get
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mind” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:35-40).
These two simple principles – love our Creator and love our neighbors – are the basis of all teaching and commandment of God. This shows us the way we have to reject what doesn’t contribute to live a life filled with blessings. CONSEQUENCE OF SIN
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rid of all the things that prevent us from living fully and abundantly. As a lovely Father, He knows what hurts us. He always has in his mind our well-being. Paul the Apostle understood this clearly. That’s why he explained us: “And we have known and believed the love that God hath for us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). And also: “He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John
4:8). How simple! How clear! God give us fundamental principles – laws- for an abundant life, all based on the fundament of practicing love (care about the others) in all our interpersonal relationships. Let’s see how Jesus emphasized this principle: “Then one of them, who was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
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Without a doubt some people will say: “If God’s ways are so useful, why don’t we follow them all the time?” The problem is that the consequences – the final result of all what we do and the decisions we make- might not be so obvious. At the beginning, we don’t to realize and recognize the damage we have done in the long term. We could avoid many harmful things if only we learn what God teaches us and trust him enough to put what he tell us in practice. However, God has given us the freedom to choose the way he expects us to follow! He exhorts us to choose the right way, but he doesn’t decide for us. He explains: “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil, in that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply; and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it” (Deutero-
nomy 30:15, 16). But he doesn’t force us to live this way. If we don’t want to follow what he tells us, the Bible warns us that we have to face the consequences: “Be not decei-
ved, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians
6:7-8). God really worries about the final result of our life. In the short term, ignoring the instructions He has given us might seem a more pleasant and delightful way of life (especially in a society deceived by our
adversary, the Devil [Revelation 12:9]). But it’s not like that in a long term. That’s why it’s so important to trust in God and believe him. An example: “By faith Moses, when he had come of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward” (He-
brews 11:24-26). Those temporary delights of sin can be very tempting. As the Psalmist wrote:
“But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious of the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked…They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. And they say, “How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?” Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning… When I thought to understand this, it was too painful for me, until I went into the sanctuary of God. Then understood I their end” (Psalmist 73:2-17).
Our “final destiny” is what really matters. God want us to think beyond the present, take time to reevaluate the way we live. We all have misplaced the way God tell us to follow: “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Jesus Christ came to help us to return to the right path for our own good. All of us need to examine where we are with respect to our relationship with God and correct our way. For, “He that would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Let him eschew evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it” (1 Pe-
ter 3:10-11).
NO EXCEPTIONS
No exceptions! Jesus explained this clearly: “There were present at that season some who told Him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them,
“Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, nay; but unless ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”
(Luke 13:1-3). God want us not to be so foolish. He exhorts us through James: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to those who love Him. Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:12-15).
Why is Sin so bad? Because it leads us to a short, painful and temporary life in comparison with the eternal life that God wants to give each of us.
He won’t give eternal life to anyone who refuses to restrain their selfish wishes and foolish impulses. Only those who regret such silliness and start to exercise the self-discipline that the God’s law teaches us are entrusted with the biggest gift. God wants us to compare our heart and our behavior with all what we learn and then, make the decision. He expects all of us to choose developing a good character instead of looking for empty and temporary sin pleasures u april 2013
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Effect of sin
Sin
We also see the effect of sin in societies warring against each other. There is chaos, murder, theft adultery, lying, etc. Our prisons are filled with those who are ruled by sin, which is rebellion against God's truth
It was originated in Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). Adam and Eve were created with holy and pious nature, in communion with God;
¿What is the origin of sin? and as a result of their sin, their nature was corrupted; they became hostile before HIM; because of their corruption and guilt, they jeopardise the entire human race (Romans 5:12).
Redemptio The great purpose for which Jesus came to earth was to save mankind from sin. “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, so that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter Effective aid in the fight 2:24). against sin. Also the world awaits its redemption: “For We fight an ongoing battle against the creature was made subject to vanity, the devil's schemes (Ephesians not willingly, but by reason of him who 6:11, 12). But if we are with God, the hath subjected the same in hope, devil will flee (James 4:7). We have a because the creature itself also shall be whole armor to defend against the delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of wiles of the evil one (Ephesians God. For we know that the whole creation 6:11-18). The blood of Christ cleans groaneth and travaileth in pain together until us from all sin (1 John 1:7) now” (Romans 8:20-22).
The fall of mankind is the reason for all the human suffering. It takes peace away (Isaiah 57:20, 21, Romans 2:9). It separates a person from their God (Isaiah 59:2, Romans 3:23). The sinner becomes a slave of Satan (1 John 3:8). It causes eternal death (Romans 6:23).
The terrible consequences of sin “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Romans 5:18). “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34).
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Sin has also affected the world in relation to earthquakes, floods, storms, droughts, etc., which are the result of an imperfect world that has sin running in it. When Adam fell, the whole world was affected by his fall. Adam represented the whole created order and God gave him control over it. So when Adam rebelled, he dragged the world with his fall.
Anything that does not convey, or is against, the holy nature of the Creator. In essence, sin is to live independently of God.
¿What is sin?
El pecado, en el universo, tuvo su origen en la rebelión de seres angelicales que se rebelaron contra su Creador,
It is the transgression of God's law (1 John 3:4). All unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17). Sin is to know how to do good and do not do it (James 4:17). Sin is to reject the message of Jesus (John 15:22).
Sin in the universe and as a result of which their nature leaned towards evil (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6).
The Bible describes sin as: - Missing the target. Genesis 4:7. After creation, God considered everything was “very good”. But there are many things that are not good: evil, wickedness, oppression, dispute, war, death, and suffering. So the question arises: How does sin entered into the world? The Bible has God's answer.
SIN
- Debt. Matthew 6:12. - Debauchery. John 3:4 - Disobedience. Hebrews 2:2; Luke 8:18. - Transgression. Romans 4:15; 1 John 3:4. - Fall. Ephesians 1:7. - Defeat. Romans 11:12. - Impiety. Romans 1:18, 2; Timothy 2:16. - Error. Hebrews 9:7.
Theories that deny, misinterpret or downplay sin Temptation plays an important role in the origin of sin. It is the attempt made to make men deviate from the right path and to induce them to commit sins. The AT knows temptation coming from the devil. In Genesis 3, God’s mistrust and the rebellion against His will were caused primarily by the serpent.
Temptation St. Paul emphasizes the role of concupiscence, present in the human heart, when he talked about evil (Galatians 5:16, Romans 7:14-25, 6:12). It is possible through vigilance and prayer to overcome internal and external stimuli dragging man toward evil (Matthew 26:41, Mark 14:38, Luke 22:40.46, Matthew 6:13, Luke 11:4, Revelation 3 : 10).
1. ATHEISM. In denying the existence of God, atheism also denies sin, because strictly speaking, we can only sin against God. 2. DETERMINISM. It is the theory stating that free will is a delusion and not a reality. We think we are free to choose, when in fact our choice is dictated by internal stimuli and circumstances beyond our control. The man is simply a slave of circumstances. 3. HEDONISM. This word comes from a Greek root word meaning “pleasure”. It is a theory holding that the greatest good of life is to enjoy the pleasures and avoid pain. 4. CHRISTIAN SCIENCE. It denies the reality of sin. Sin, it says, is not a positive thing, but simply the absence of good. 5. CHRISTIAN SCIENCE. It denies the reality of sin. Sin, it says, is not a positive thing, but simply the absence of good. april 2013
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International officials met in Panama City for the last details regarding the organization of the great spiritual celebration. 10,000 brothers from over 60 countries are expected to attend. Johan Pérez Landeo
everything is coming together
for the IX International Congress of the Worldwide Missionary Movement (WMM) which will be held in Panama City on May 14 - 19. During an event filled with the glory of God, the WMM International Board gathered in this city (last March 4 - 7) to outline the final details of the conclave, which will also celebrate 50 years of the missionary work in over 60 countries. Rev. Gustavo Martinez, President of the WMM, said he expects a great and deep visitation of the Holy Spirit “and that God gives us the direction, strength and vision required to continue this new phase of the Work”.He also said that the 50-year anniversary means a great victory, a great triumph of the Lord. “In the history of the Movement, we have never seen so much excitement and expectation among the brothers to attend this great spiritual celebration. We have 60 brothers coming from Australia and about 1,500 from Colombia”, said Rev. Martinez in Panama City. 14
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Meanwhile, Rev. Jose Soto, Vice President of the WMM, revealed that 10,000 brothers from over 60 countries are expected to attend. “We have been shaping the program, seeking God’s direction. He has already given us the topics and the different messages that will be offered during the Congress. I believe all the people will get a staple food of spiritual nourishment”, he said. While Rev. Jorge Alvarez, SecretaryGeneral of the Worldwide Missionary Movement, said that the IX International Congress is very meaningful to him “since God allowed him to get to this Work at the age of 18.” “In Puerto Rico there is great expectation and excitement for attending this International Congress and we are expecting a delegation of over 100 brothers”, added Alvarez. For Rev. Rodolfo Gonzalez, Treasurer of the WMM, celebrating 50 years of God’s Work is a great victory, ”because the Lord
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has allowed us to maintain the sound doctrine we have learned from the beginning”. He also said: “reaching these 50 years of the Worldwide Missionary Movement without the founders of this Work and others who departed with the Lord, we feel very good and with perspective for the work to continue expanding its vision on missionary work.” The International Officials expect a deep spiritual unity in theIX International Congress and that the people of Jesus Christ continue fighting together, as a single man, for the evangelization of the world and
reaffirm the sound doctrine that God has given as a blessing to the Movement. AIRPORT COORDINATIONS
As part of the organizations for the IX International Congress, the people responsible for the transport, security, protocol and press committees conducted a coordination meeting with the heads of security at the Tocumen International Airport. The purpose of the meeting was to facilitate the arrival of the brothers from different countries to Panama and to expedite their departure to the various hotels where they will stay, in order to avoid congestion in this air terminal.
VISIT TO LIMA the main leaders of the Work continue to perform intense activities for the successful development of the next International Congress of the Worldwide Missionary Movement, which will be held in Panama City. The President and Vice President of the WMM, Rev. Gustavo Martinez and Jose Soto, respectively, arrived in Lima on March 12 to comply with an extensive agenda. During their visit, the Servants of God visited the premises of the Evangelistic Impact magazine, in order to learn about the latest editing details of a book on the history of the Worldwide Missionary Movement. The International Officers had a warm welcome and made a brief tour of all the workspaces in Evangelistic Impact,
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such as the Editorial, Photography, Digital Marketing and Administration offices, among others. This tour was led by the current National Supervisor in Peru, Rev. Luis Meza Bocanegra. In Lima, Peru’s capital, the international officials also toured the facilities of Bethel Radio andBethel Television. They were pleasantly surprised with the high definition equipment purchased by the “Channel for Family Happiness”, which will be used to promote the IX International Congress. Reverends Martinez and Soto also supervised the rehearsalsfor the dramatization that will be presented by the Peruvian delegation during the development of the IX International Congress in Panama u
The heads of these committees were received by Rigoberto Sanchez on behalf of Rogelio Lombardo, manager of Tocumen airport security, and officials Manuel Bethancour and Luis Alonso. After the meeting, Sanchez expressed his satisfaction with the International Congress of the Movement taking place in Panama. He also offered his support to the requirements that were requested during the coordination meeting, to provide the best service to the different delegations that will start arriving at Panamanian soil since next May 12, to attend this great spiritual celebration. INVITATION TO GOD’S PEOPLE
The main leaders of the WMM made a special invitation for all the brothers around the world to attend the IX International Congress of the WMM this May. Rev. Gustavo Martinez said it was a privilege to invite the Lord’s people to this great
and important event. “We will have representatives from over 60 countries and territories where the Lord has allowed us to establish the work. During these 50 years we have seen great victories. The Lord has opened doors and, with God’s grace, we gotwhere it was humanly impossible.” He recalled that the work of the WMM during these 50 years has been carried out in the midst of struggles, where God has always been at the forefront. “We will be celebrating 50 years of missionary work that began in 1963. We hope it is a party with God and His people, everyone is invited, we wait with arms wide open to celebrate this great victory that God gives us”, stated Rev. Jose Soto. He also commented that the brothers from Peru who were unable to get commercial flights to Panama will have a charter as not to miss the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Work established by Pastor Luis M. Ortiz on February 13, 1963 u
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a country without peace
By the end of World War II, Korea was liberated from Japanese occupation and seemed destined to regain its entire independence, but then the internal conflict provoked by the world powers came and this divided the country.
“And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; look at that not disturb you, because it is necessary for all this to happen; but it is not yet the end. For shall rise against nation, and Kingdom against Kingdom; and there will be pestilences, and famines, and earthquakes in various places. And all these are the beginning of Sorrows.” Matthew 24:6-8.
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until World War II, Korea endured decades of Japanese occupation and knew no peace for years. Just after the conflagration, the country was occupied by the Allies and Japan had to withdraw; however peace did not come, but a new phase of tension and threat of war began. The north was occupied by the Soviets and the south by the United States. First as allies, then as Cold War rivals. As the relationship between the Soviet Union and the U.S. deteriorated, two states emerged: the Republic of Korea in the south, supported by the United States, and the Communist Democratic Republic of Korea in the north, with a leader called Kim Il-Sung, who had been trained by the Red Army and had China’s support. This is how a three-year civil war began. The U.S. government feared that communism would be introduced in all the Asian countries and this is why it persisted in not abandoning South Korea. U.S.
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presidents, Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower, publicly used the nuclear threat as a means to try to end the war, but that did not happen for three years. Finally, in 1953 the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed. The establishment of a demilitarized zone along the 38th parallel was thought to be a temporary measure; however, permanent peace was never signed. And the border tensions have persisted ever since, dividing the country into two warring nations for more than 60 years. During its early years, North Korea prospered, supported by China and the Soviet Union. But border tensions rose with the rapid industrialization and economic growth of South Korea. The North has remained in a bubble since the mid50s, positioning its version claiming to be the victim of constant harassment, although not all have the same idea. North Korea “was born as a monster”, says John Everard, former Ambassador of the
United Kingdom to North Korea. “It was created by Soviet army officers who seemed to have little idea of statehood”. According to these accounts, the Russians turned Kim Il-sung into a leader. He was followed afterwards by his son, the ‘Dear Leader’ Kim Jong-il, and now his grandson and ‘Supreme Leader’, Kim Jong-un, who has been ruling since 2011. The latter now has his nuclear power as bargaining chip. THE NUCLEAR THREAT
The nuclear program of North Korea, which probably began in the 1960s, has
become increasingly important over the years and the main source of tension with the West. Meanwhile the South has achieved significant economic development since the 70s with U.S. support. But is North Korea really a threat to the United States and South Korea? While some observers regard the “State of War” statement as a bluff, others warn about the “tyranny of low expectations” when it comes to understanding the country, because there have been serious regional confrontations. That is the current situation, as the world looks with some anxiety the development of events u april 2013
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ivingstone on our memory
This year we commemorate the bicentenary of the birth of the Scottish David Livingstone, who was the first person to bring the Gospel to some unexplored regions in Africa and fought against the slavery of the Victorian era. Johan Pérez Landeo
the royal geographical society has celebrated various conferences
to commemorate this occasion, meanwhile the National Museum of Scotland organized an exhibition dedicated to the first Westerner who contemplated the “Mosioa-Tunya” (“The Smoke that Thunders”) and renamed it as Victoria Falls. Livingstone dedicated many decades to explorations which forced cartographers to redraw all Africa’s maps, gave medical attention to natives and defended his rights facing the European colonists. To know the Gospel was the impulse in his life. “The generous aptitude showed on the Gospel, in which the absolution of all our sins is offered, created on me a passionate love to Him who saved us with his blood; and that feeling of deep and warm gratitude to his mercy has influenced my conduct in some measure”, said Livingstone on his first book, Travels and Researches in South Africa. Captivated by Africa, he refused to come back to UK when he was severely ill with malaria and dysentery at the age of 60.
By then, the Scottish doctor was a celebrity in the West due to his travels stories, but it had been so many years without any signs of life that he was already given up for lost on the classrooms of London and New York. Because of the lack of news from this adventurer, the newspaper “New York Herald”, eager to obtain exclusive stories, decided to defray the costs for an exploration in order to find him. This mission was designated to the explorer Henry Stanley. NATIONAL HERO
The intrepid Welsh left to Africa in 1871 and, after a long period, he found his compatriot in a small town called Ujiji (Tanzania), by the edge of Lake Tanganyika. He introduced himself with a phrase that has remained as the climax of the African exploration: “Doctor Livingstone, I guess”. Indeed, Stanley had the pleasure to run into the Scottish in the enormous Africa, but he did it when the diseases had already reduced most of his strengths, two years before his death. Nonetheless, Livingstone dazzled Stan-
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ley with his magnetic personality and convinced him to postpone his return to home, where he had to announce that the famous explorer was still alive, in order to get into the -at that time- unknown Lake Tanganyika. At that moment, it had been 30 years that the Glasgow doctor, who was the second child of a humble tea seller known by his fervent religiousness, had landed in the African continent as a missioner ready to evangelize the local population. Many years later, he would stop being bound to the London Missionary Society, which had sent him to Africa at first, and instead he would strengthen ties with the Royal Geographical Society, which hired him in 1865 to search the source of the Nile and ended up awarding him with a Gold Medal.
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A decade earlier, in 1856, Livingstone had lived his greatest glory when he was welcomed in the UK as a hero after traveling 16 years. He held an audience with Queen Victoria –whom had dedicated the recently discovered falls on the frontier of Zambia and Zimbabwe–; then, he published his adventures that generated the first riches of his life and gave lectures on British universities before coming back to Africa two years later. RIGHTS DEFENDER
Just before boarding, he emphasized at the University of Glasgow that his mission wasn’t only geographical, but also “much higher”: “The providential design would not allow that the horrible system based on the slavery exists forever”.
The Scottish never worried just for drawing the new maps of the world: He also developed a well-known work as a doctor (he was the first Westerner to notice that the presence of mosquitoes anticipated the malaria) and tried to prevent the abuse of European colonists who used to distribute Africa between them on the nineteenth century. His defense of African rights gave him the respect of the natives in all places he passed by, up to the point that -according to the legend- the habitants of the Zambia village where he died buried his heart there before his body was repatriated to London. The body of Livingstone rests in the Westminster Abbey together with other British personages like Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton and Charles Dickens u april 2013
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Jerusalem, the
eed of the churches (II)
On the origins of Christianity, and much later, Jerusalem was the subject of uprisings and invasions. Millions of people were killed in this city because of their religious convictions.
many new believers remained in Jerusalem and some of them sold their farms and put the product in the hands of the apostles, in the hope that the return of Jesus Christ would be immediate. It took a persecution by the Jewish authorities, seconded by Herod, to make Christians understand their mistake and force them to return to their adoptive homelands, where they carried the message of the Gospel (Acts 8:1). However, many stayed in Jerusalem, where the first Christian council that opened the Church to the Gentiles was held. They remained there until the Roman legions moved south, after defeating the Galileans who had risen up, in order to besiege Jerusalem. We have already explained how Christians took heed of Christ’s warnings in Matthew 24:16-20 and Luke 21:2024, fled the city and took refuge in Pella, beyond the Jordan, where they founded a Judeo-Christian church. One of the Jewish leaders of the revolt in Galilee was called Josephus, who was smart enough to understand that the Jewish cause was bankrupt. He thus went to the Romans, who treated him kindly and let him write the book entitled “The Jewish War” in which the horrific incidents of the destruc-
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tion of Jerusalem are described in detail. This book tells us that God warned His people that a national disaster would happen through several miraculous signs and a prophet. This prophet “walked around the town day and night, speaking these words of menace: ‘Voice of the East, voice of the West, voice of the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem’, and went around all the neighborhoods repeating these words of threat. Although he was flogged for causing public disturbance, he did not stop repeating the same words without trying to defend himself, but as if he was owned by an inexplicable static procedure.” But the people of Israel, and especially the priesthood, did not pay attention to any of these warnings; instead, they insisted in their rebellion against the Romans. And we have seen their tenacity in resisting the testimony of Christ’s Disciples and the martyrdom of James the Just, earthly brother of the Lord. It is interesting to note that, while some of the Jews responsible for the crucifixion of the Lord had repented and were bearing witness to his resurrection and his Gospel with great effort, those who did not believe had remained more and more cold.
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General Tito, vanquisher of the tumults in Galilee, headed South with his army to lay siege to the city of Jerusalem. As a result, the city underwent a terrible hunger crisis, since the arrival of the Roman army had come in the days of Passover, just when many strangers from afar had joined refugees from all over Israel who were fleeing Roman Army. Thus, over three million people found themselves locked inside the city. Hunger soon brought the chaos, as rebel groups assaulted any house that was locked on suspicion that there might be people eating inside. Wives prostituted themselves for food and grabbed food from the hands of their spouses and even their children, as reported by Josephus. The rebels flogged elders who refused to let go of their food. If someone was caught hastily swallowing what the rebels would take away, they were punished with more fury. Those who were suspected of having hidden food were tortured in several ways to make them confess where they had hidden the food.
history
At night, some people went out looking for the leftovers of the Roman soldiers, and when they thought to have escaped from their enemies, out of nowhere, uncontrolled groups came and snatched what they had. If caught by the Romans, they were condemned to be crucified, to the extent that there were not enough trees around to build as many crosses as were erected all around Jerusalem. At first they buried the dead because they could not stand the stink of corpses, but then they just threw them over the wall into the moat. When Tito passed through these places, he moaned and raised his hands to heaven to put the gods to witness that this crime was not his, but of the stubbornness of the Jews in not wanting to render the square. Hunger was so atrocious that forced them to eat things that even animals rejected as the leather of their own old shoes. There was a woman named Mary, daughter of Eleazar, of the village of Bethafor, across the Jordan, illustrious by birth and wealth, and who had taken refuge in
Jerusalem. After being robbed of all the food she had managed to bring and which she charitably shared with others, as if hunger had taken full possession of her spine and entrails, and as if indignation fermented much more than hunger –says Josephus– took her still breastfeeding son and said: “Unfortunate child, why would I keep you among so many evils of war, famine and sedition? Even if we lived, only a live of servitude among the Romans awaits us, so be a treat for me and fury to the rebels.” Saying this she slaughtered her son and after cooking him, she ate one half and hid the other. Having perceived the smell of stew, the rebels soon arrived and threatened to kill her if she did not showed them the dish. She replied that she had saved a large part for them, and seeing what it was they were dumbfounded. When the city was finally attacked by the troops of Tito, over a million Jews had perished and nearly two million were taken captive by the army. The Roman soldiers believed that the temple contained hidden treasures so they tore it down completely, before their leaders could stop them. This is how the Lord’s prophecy that not one stone shall be left upon another that it’s not destroyed, was fulfilled. The city of Jerusalem was in ruins, on which there was hardly anything but a detachment of Roman soldiers. However, the church sheltered in Pella was still considered as the mother church of Jerusalem, even though it was of Judeo-Christian tendency. A devout Christian was in charge of this church, about whom Hegesippus says: “With a profound peace restored over the whole Church, the Christians of Pella survived until Caesar Trajan when, under his rule, there was persecution again all of a sudden. The Lord’s cousin, Simeon, son of Cleopas (see Luke 24:18 and John 19:25), was slandered by heretics and charged before the proconsul Atticus, and after being tormented for several days in which he suffered martyrdom with such strength that everybody, and notably the proconsul, was stunned by the fact that a 120 year old man could suffer like this, he was finally crucified.”
NEW UPRISING
For some years the Jews who remained in Palestine endured the tyranny of Hadrian, with the confidence that the expected Messiah would soon appear. According to Christian historian Eusebius of Caesarea, this was an absurd hope, after having rejected the true Messiah who had come with humiliation to fulfill the prophecies about his first visit to this world (Isaiah 53). In the year 131, a Jew named Bar Cochebas, introduced himself as the announced liberator. He gave himself the title of “son of the star” referring to Numbers 24: 17, and was protected by the most popular rabbi of his time. He was followed by non-Christian Jews, the Galileans and the Samaritans, turning Palestine into a theater of violence and killings. But the rebels could not resist the pull of the legions that Hadrian was quick to send. The false Messiah died in combat and the rabbi who supported him was skinned alive. Jerusalem was ruined once again and Hadrian made it into a Roman colony under the name of Aelia Capitolina. Jews were forbidden to enter the city under penalty of death, and he put a marble statue depicting a pig on the door to Betheleem. According to the testimony of the victors, 580,000 Jews were killed in the revolt. The results of the insurrection were favorable to the Church. The fact that Christians had refused to join the rebels from the beginning (which brought them great persecutions by Bar-Cochebas supporters) gave the Romans an opportunity to know that Christians (even the Judaizers Ebionites) were not enemies of the Empire. Furthermore, Hadrian laws forced many Jewish Christians to leave the mosaic customs that they had been practicing since the days when James was the Judeo-Christian pastor of Jerusalem. Those who nevertheless wanted to remain faithful to their Jewish traditions crossed the Jordan and went to join the church of Pella. This increased the Judeo-Christian community. Unfortunately, this church, which was separated from other churches founded by the apostles, inserted the Christian dogma with several philosophical speculations of Gnostic origin, and was known in history under the name of Ebionites u
1 See Josephus, «The Jewish War», Book 6.º, chapter 14. 2 Ídem., Book 7.º, chapter 7.
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Garden In the
Gospel hymn created in 1912 by the poet Charles Miles Austin. Its verses account for God’s sweet voice. A modern classic of the praises to the Lord.
Johan Pérez Landeo Ilustración: Julio Limachi
there is an amazing story behind the creation of one of the most beautiful Christian hymns of all: “In the Garden”. This traditional gospel song, written one day in March 1912 by the American composer Charles Miles Austin, was born in particular circumstances and under the influence of Divine inspiration. According to the author himself, a man of iron faith, everything happened that day when he, with the Bible in his hands, became a silent witness to the encounter between Jesus of Nazareth and Mary Magdalene, which was narrated in the Gospel of John, chapter 20. Regarding the birth of this theme, Charles Miles Austin, born on 7 January 1868, related in his memories that: “As the light faded, I seemed to be standing at the entrance of a garden, looking down a gently winding path, shaded by olive branches. A woman in white, with head bowed, hand clasping her throat, as if to choke back her sobs, walked slowly into the shadows. It was Mary. As she came to the tomb, upon which she place her hand, she bent over to look in, and then 28
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hurried away. Under the inspiration of this vision I wrote In the Garden”. Miles Austin, an ex-pharmacist who served as editor and manager at the Christian publishing house “Hall-Mack publishers”, dedicated a large part of his life to the Lord, to whom he served through his inspiring compositions for over 37 years. His masterpiece, “In the Garden”, was vigorously spread after its publication thanks to the Evangelical campaigns of the missionary Billy Sunday. Currently, it is one of the most popular gospel hymns in the United States and around the world. Furthermore, its transcendence has even reached the big screen since it was included in the film “Places in the Heart” in 1984. Throughout his extensive musical career, this author composed about 400 gospel themes, among which the most important are: “A cheerful word, a kindly smile”, “A fountain was opened on Calvary”, “A King divine is a friend of mine”, “A King is born in Bethlehem”, “Beautiful flowers of Eden”, “Blessed be he, the God of our salvation”, “God’s
GOSPEL ODE “In the Garden”, one of the most spread works of the Christian Charles Miles Austin, have had multiple versions since it was recorded for the first time in 1916 by the Christian duo composed of the singers Virginia Healey Asher and Homer Rodeheaver. Jesusfollowing artists, like Perry Como, Elvis Presley, Dionne Warwick, Al Green, Roy Rogers, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Pat Boone, Stuart Hamblen, Mahalia Jackson, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Brad Paisley, Johnny Cash, Ann Nesby and Marvin Sapp are some of the celebrities who adapted this traditional gospel hymn.
IN THE GARDEN
1 I come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses, And the voice I hear falling on my ear The Son of God discloses. REFRAIN And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own; And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known. 2 He speaks, and the sound of His voice Is so sweet the birds hush their singing, And the melody that He gave to me Within my heart is ringing. 3 I’d stay in the garden with Him, Though the night around me be falling, But He bids me go; through the voice of woe His voice to me is calling.
own hand shall lead me”, “I am happy in the Lord, sweetly trusting”, “I have a friend unfailing”, “I know I am a sinner”, “I must have Jesus with me and “Sowing, sowing, sowing for the Master”. Charles Miles Austin, who attended the University of Pennsylvania, ceased to exist on 10 March 1946 in Philadelphia and left this earth to join God. According to specialists in sacred music, and in the international Evangelical community’s opinion, he was, is and will be one of the most relevant Christian authors of the 20th century. Buried in Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in New Jersey, his work is more alive than ever and it can be heard in every protestant temple in the five continents. And this can be confirmed by this text which pictures the importance of the hymn “In the Garden” u april 2013
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arrior of God
He was pushed by the rigor of poverty at the feet of evil. However, after enduring the Devil’s strikes, Marco Antonio Aguirre met Jesus Christ and became a tenacious defender of the Gospel. Johan Pérez Landeo
he preached the word of god
with the courage of a brave man, the accuracy of a teacher and the passion of a warrior. His determination and love to the Lord were his main weapons when fighting for the growth of Christianity. Thanks to him, innumerable people met the forgiveness, the light and the love of the Eternal Father. His dedication to the Almighty was absolute and, considering his fruitful missionary work, he will pass into the history of the Worldwide Missionary Movement as a tenacious man, a tireless fighter and an audacious defender of the faith in Jesus. Marco Antonio Aguirre Navarro and the Evangelical world were indissolubly connected. BITTER REALITY
Aguirre, who ceased to exist the past 16 January at age of 68, was born in Lima, the capital of Peru, on 16 September 1944. Second child of five children from the marriage of Antonio Aguirre and Julia Navarro, he was raised in a traditional district in Lima called La Victoria and, since he 30
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came into the world, he underwent an unceasing rain of needs. For this reason, like many poor boys, he had to work at a very young age to contribute to the unstable economy of his home. During a great part of his childhood and youth, he washed vehicles, polished shoes and was even a construction assistant. Like other unfortunate people in the world, he was pushed by misfortune at the feet of evil. Audacious since his childhood, he was one of the most unruly boys in “el callejón de la lata” (the tinplate alleyway), a violent neighborhood which was his home during a large part of his life, where he behaved more than once with the fierceness of a street boxer and without any respect. All that with a big dose of alcohol, hedonism and lust made him a moving danger. His aggressiveness even led him to being arrested many times by the police for disturbing the peace and being responsible for fights on the street. Nonetheless, as years went by he left his ferocity aside and chose taking refuge in a g
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calmer and more organized life. Aware of his reckless past, he used to tell that before reaching the legal age he began to work in a printing house and redirected his life to the graphic environment. This event also inspired him to look for better horizons in his life and after a time he ran with a lot of efforts his own business. Then, with a successful enterprise, he moved to a district called El Rímac and there he met Corina Laulate Lanza, with whom he would be joined in marriage on 19 January 1974. TO THE ENCOUNTER WITH GOD
Later, and despite his worldly success, Marco Aguirre was not immune to the attacks of evil and fell again at the feet of unhappiness. Raised in the traditional religion, with licentious customs, he was caught once again by alcohol and every weekend he sank into bewilderment and confusion. However, in one of his hangovers, in the early 1980s, he experienced an event which marked him forever: he felt that something entered his body. He was so dismayed that, together with his wife, he immediately looked for medical assistance, but he was only diagnosed with severe anxiety. This state of anxiety, caused by the Devil according to his own testimony, struck him intensely time and time again and even took him to the brink of suicide. During more than four years he observed a 32
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great number of devils and permanently heard a voice that pushed him to kill himself. Nevertheless, his torment ended on April 27, 1985, when he attended the main temple of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Lima and decided to entrust the Highest with his life. According to his relatives, he went to this place, a cinema converted into a Christian church, by explicit order of the Creator and was then affected by the sermon of the pastor Rodolfo González. The leader of the Work of God on Peruvian ground was precisely who knew best the amazing transformation story of this individual who instantaneously became a man of granite faith. He was the one who baptized him -together with his mother- the year he entered the Movement and he was also who awakened in him the interest in the evangelization of the unconverted. Reverend González was also the person who led him on the path of missionary service and commanded him in 1991 to take the word of Christ to the city of Cerro de Pasco, in the Andes mountains, when Peru bore the attacks of the subversive organization Shining Path. MISSIONARY WORK
At 44.330 meters above sea level, in the highest city on the planet, Aguirre worked tirelessly since his arrival in favor of
the diffusion of the Gospel, which made him famous very fast. His enthusiasm for proclaiming the good news was such that he did not even care about being shot in a terrorist attack after an Evangelical campaign. Protected by the grace of God, the fruit of his determination was reflected in the plentiful harvests of his pastoral work. Furthermore, anointed as minister of Jesus, he led the consolidation of Christianity in the cities of Huancayo, Huánuco, Andahuaylas, Tingo María, La Merced, Oxapampa, La Oroya and Tarma. According to the pastor Raúl Caldas, Aguirre Navarro’s close friend since childhood and a recognized member of the Movement in Peru, Rev Marco Antonio was a “man of prayer who loved God more than anything and praised and glorified Him until the last moment of his life with all his heart. I met him at a very young age, when he was a crazy boy, and I could witness with great pleasure his conversion to Christianity and the way he later won thousands of souls for the Lord”. For his part, Rev Rodolfo González, his advisor and spiritual guide, always remembers him with the same pleasant concept: “The most effusive follower of God”. In 2000, Marco Aguirre, who stood out in life for his effusiveness when mentioning the
Savior, returned to the metropolis founded by Francisco Pizarro after suffering a diabetic coma which put his life at risk. Nonetheless, thanks to the Almighty, he recovered fast and immediately received the mission of assuming the control of the church which has the Work of God in the district of Chorrillos, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. From this picturesque place in the south of Lima, famous for being a town of seamen, he continued fishing wayward souls for the Eternal Father until his weakened health no longer allowed him to do so. Marco Antonio Aguirre Navarro affirmed that the Spirit of God took him away from the bad path and picked him up from the mud of wickedness where he grew up. Loved by all the community of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Peru because of his devotion to the sacred doctrine, Marco Antonio contributed with energy and determination to the diffusion of the Gospel on the land of the Incas. With the Word as main ammunition, he turned on multiple lights of the purest Christianity in remote places of the Andean heights and created a brilliant story about salvation which only finished when the virulence of many physical illnesses put an end to his life about the middle of January 2013 u april 2013
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Creature Renewed
Michael Páez, a 47-year-old Venezuelan, is another living example of the endless grace of God. Before meeting the Lord, he led a bad life which had two constant factors: Alcohol and women. Today he lives consecrated to serve God. Johan Pérez Landeo
his calm gestures reflect the peace that reigns in his heart. His smile is diaphanous like a crystal and his strong voice matches the contents of his words. His speech transmits respect and gratitude to the Almighty who rescued him from the darkness and led him on the right path. Michael Páez, a 47-year-old Venezuelan, is another living example of the endless grace of God. That grace which does not expire, which does not make any distinctions among races, social conditions or age. That grace which saves, heals and sanctifies. That grace which was only possible thanks to the poured blood of the Lamb of God. That grace which transformed the life of this follower of Jesus Christ. Paéz, current pastor of one the churches of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Frailes de Catia which is a little town in the center of the parish of El Valle in Caracas, takes a moment to tell us his transformation story and everything that the decision of entrusting his life to the Almighty almost 27 years ago meant to him. “Once I heard that a good way of not forgetting how much mercy God had had on
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us was to remember where He brought us from. Thus we will be able, with renewed strength and a heart full of gratitude, to continue fighting the good fight of the faith. For this reason, I’m always willing to tell how I was converted to God”, he states. MUNDANE LIFE
The licentious life that Páez led always had two recurring protagonists: Alcohol and women. Born on January 20, 1966, in the town of Panaquire, a locality situated 105,6 km north of Caracas in the Venezuelan state of Miranda, Michael Páez underwent since always the absence of a father figure at home. The reason? His mother Silvestra Páez had an extramarital affair with a man called Abilio Mendoza who, despite she got pregnant shortly after, never wanted to assume the responsibility of taking care of the child he had engendered. So Mrs. Páez decided that her child would only bear her last name. Panaquire, the place where Páez grew up, had as distinctive signs its population’s poverty, its authorities’ indifference and the limited opportunities of progress for
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the youth sector. It was a background whose features were breeding ground for alcoholism, drug addiction and other vices to rise up like untamable beasts, capable of destroying everything in their path, and to become fake escape routes from the harsh reality where its inhabitants lived. Of course, Páez was not immune to this reality and since his early age got on well with alcohol. The worst of all is that he found the bad example in his own house. Without a father, Páez was tirelessly raised by his mother, who had ten more children, and by his maternal grandmother. However, the old lady had a weakness for alcohol and it seemed funny to her that her grandson had a cigarette in his mouth or held a glass of liquor on his hands. The family celebrated the oldest grandson’s “naughtiness” without knowing that they were sowing inside him a taste for licentiousness. This is the way Páez grew up, without any direction, with absolute freedom, without any protections against those bad companies that eclipsed his life without much effort. In this context, it was not unlikely to see Páez at a corner tasting “Miche”, a poor-quality liquor made from sugarcane, with other wayward boys. The economic pressures which beat the Páez family unceasingly made the young Michael prioritize the search of employment instead of totally focusing on his studies. On one occasion, when he was 15, he began to work for a mattress company. Nonetheless, when everything seemed to go well, he had an accident, broke his arm and had to stop working. This and other events -like the lack of money to finish high school- awakened inside Páez a deep social resentment. This sad situation, instead of awakening a healthy rebellion which would inspire him to get ahead no matter how, made him take refuge in the mirage that alcohol usually creates. Alcohol was his loyal partner, his confidant throughout his youth. PÁEZ, A CASANOVA
Years later, his taste for alcohol became an uncontrollable desire for the opposite sex. Chatty, charming and always audacious, it 36
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was not difficult for Páez to win the affection of the girls in his locality. For that reason, it was usual to see him with different girls. Walking on the streets, Michael bragged about his conquests, thinking wrongly that manliness was determinated by the number of women a man could get. And so, he passed a large part of his hazardous life immersed in a worldly and carnal reality. At that time, Michael came to believe that happiness came down to having a woman with whom he could have fun and satisfy his carnal desires. But what about his partners? Did he make them happy? Was his behavior consistent with those promises of love and care which he used to make to his partners? No, unfortunately not. “I continued drinking a lot and wasting the little money I earned by drinking with my friends. Despite my partner complained about it, I didn’t pay her any attention and went to a bar to drink with them”, Páez says with a sorry face. Páez’s enormous selfishness even dazed him like a powerful left jab. Now he recog-
nizes it and talks about this: “I thought I lived just for me. My selfishness made me have innumerable confrontations with the women I seduced. They were brawls where verbal aggressions and humiliations were not absent. And there were also threats of abandonment”. He laughed when he heard them. He did not believe that his partners were able to abandon him. Lost in a dangerous selfishness, he did not realize that his life was going down a steep slope. The abyss was already visible, but Michael was indifferent to it. Until one day his partner’s threats -the fifth one at that moment- ceased to be just warnings and became concrete facts. As usually, Páez had had a heated discussion with the woman in question when something unexpected for him happened: his partner, sick of living in that way, left home. Desperate, he went behind her. “It’s funny, but I went in search of someone that, I believed, filled my heart, without thinking that I would find the true spring which would quench my thirst for being loved and accepted”, he says still amazed. Without noticing, Páez would find in his crazy race the loyal partner who would never abandon him. He found Jesus Christ and would meet true love: God’s love. DIVINE EXPERIENCE
Not so far from where he lived, an Evangelical campaign was being carried out on a basketball court. Páez caught up with his partner at top speed nearby, but he decided to let her go to not make a scene in the middle of the street. He had a first thought of going back home, but a supernatural force made him stay. The calendar indicated it was November 23, 1986, and in that warm night this man would hear the Gospel for the first time. It was the first time that he was told about a loving and merciful God, about a Supreme Being who would never despise a repentant sinner, about a Father who cannot wait to see his wayward children going back to his lap. Touched inside by the Holy Spirit, Michael Páez responded to the divine call and opened his heart to Christ. Since then, his life is totally different. Since then, he preaches eagerly the love of Jesus. Since then,
he has consecrated his days to serve God. With almost 27 years as a soldier of God, Páez serves in God’s Work together with his wife Griselda Contreras, with whom he was joined in marriage on 12 December 1992 and who was the instrument that the Lord used for him to become part of the WMM family. This family rejoices in having a patient and generous Eternal Father, a Celestial Father who now guides with love Michael Páez’s path, who never had an earthly father u april 2013
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The wage of sin and the
ift of God
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23.
Rev. Luis M. Ortiz
although sin is unique, it shows itself in different ways or different spheres, and each manifestation of sin has a corresponding wage. On the other hand, those who regret their sin and leave it behind, receive the corresponding gift of God. Let’s see the fields where sin shows itself, its corresponding wage and the gift of God for those who regret it.
was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed”
SIN SHOWS ITSELF IN THE PHYSICAL SPHERE
SIN SHOWS ITSELF IN THE MENTAL SPHERE
The body surrenders to vice, excess, liquor, tobacco, drugs, fornication, adultary and corruption. The wage of sin in the physical sphere is pain, all kind of illness, plagues, suffering. The prophet Isaiah said: “From the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores” (Isaiah 1:6).
The reason why there are more and worst diseases in the world is because of sin; but those who regret their sins in the physical sphere, and abandon them, receive the gift of God’s divine healing. Because Christ “was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
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(Isaiah 53:5). Not only that, but we hope also the redemption of our body (Romans 8:23), so “the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians
4:16, 17).
People stay in the darkness and don’t understand the things of God. Saint Paul says regarding to men: “For when they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God, nor were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:21, 22)
So the wage of sin in the mental sphere turns people into “ignorants” in relation to the things of God and eternity. The mind, the understanding are obscure and in darkness. The Bible says that those who don’t know God, even if they have academic degrees, are foolish. The psalmist said “The fool hath said in
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his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; they have done abominable works; there is none that doeth good” (Psalm14:1).
For those who regret their sins in the mental sphere, and recognize their sin, their foolishness, their dark, and accept Jesus Christ as the light won’t walk in darkness anymore, on the contrary, they will receive the gift of God (John 8, 12). “For God, who
commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
My friends, knowing God is the highest knowledge; the wisdom of God in us is the deepest wisdom; the science we receive from God is the highest science; the culture we receive from our communion with God is the most refined culture. Brothers and sisters, the Gospel is the lighting, the enlightenment, the intelligence that really exceeds all understanding. SIN ALSO SHOWS ITSELF IN THE SPHERE OF PEOPLE’S WILL
People rebel against God. God says: “Stand ye in the highways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk therein” (Jeremiah 6:16).
When sin operates in the human will, it makes an obstinate and rebel man. God says:
“I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me” (Isaiah 1:2).
The wage of sin in the will sphere, or the wage of rebellion, is brutalization and total failure. “A stubborn and rebellious generation” (Psalm 78:8). “They know not, neither will they understand. They walk on in darkness” (Psalm 82:5). “Be ye not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding” (Psalm 32:9). “Because they rebelled against the words of God and contemned the counsel of the Most High, therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down and there was none to help” (Psalm 107:11, 12). “He that, being often reproved, stiffeneth his neck– or, rebels -, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Proverbs 29:1).
But for those who regret their rebellions and tell God: “Have mercy upon me, O God… blot out my transgressions…For I acknowledge my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1-3); hen the gift of God is his love and his grace. God says: “I will
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heal their backsliding, I will love them freely” (Hosea 14:4). “I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isaiah 43:25). “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins; return unto Me, for I have redeemed thee” (Isaiah 44:22).
SIN ALSO SHOWS ITSELF IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE
And because of social sin, there is a lot of social injustice, all kind of discrimination and so much class division: categories and classes. The wage of sin expressed in the social sphere is chaos, injustice, misunderstanding and violence. But when a person regrets their social sins and accepts Christ as king and leader in their social life, there’s justice; that person is fair as a boss, or honest as a worker, all social limits fall down because in Christ “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
SIN ALSO SHOWS ITSELF IN THE JUSTICE SPHERE
The Lord says: “Hear this…ye that abhor judgment and pervert all equity…and build up… with iniquity…and judge for reward” (Micah 3:9-11). “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that count darkness as light, and light as darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
(Isaiah 5:20). The wage of sin in the injustice sphere causes even more injustice, more corruption, more bribery, more crime, more violence, more assaults. The criminal that gets arrested knows, in advance, that he will be free again in the next 24 hours to continue his misdeeds. In relation to corruption in the justice field, there are not only guilty judges, but also lawmakers who write and approve laws that are easy to falsify using technicalities or legal terms as strategies. People talk and proclaim so much about civil and human rights, and besides, there are paths, commissions with profitable budgets for these purposes; but we rarely see that they defend the human rights of an honest and hard-working citizen whose rights are somehow being violated. And even sometimes
WE ALL KNOW THAT SIN ALSO SHOWS ITSELF IN THE MORAL SPHERE
Sin brings down social limits. Saint Paul mentions that people “dishonor their own bodies among themselves… unto vile affections: for even their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men… full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity. They are… haters of God, spiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affections, implacable, unmerciful” (Romans 1:24-31).
some people wanted to private or limit the inalienable right to adore God as if the man were a beast who doesn’t need to congregate in a temple to worship God. The defense of civil and human rights in charge of commissions and schools – look at the daily press- are almost always in favor of the criminal, the gangster, the drug dealer, the thief, the one who lives outside the law. Our God confines the bad one, the guilty one, the one who persists in sins, the one who doesn’t regret, to hell together with Devil and Demons; they cannot be on heaven together with those who have regretted their sins and have been saved with the blood of Christ; they don’t have the right to heaven, but God is still fair and lovely. However, there are people and government employees who show off about being fairer and lovelier than God and they want to leave gangsters and criminals without punishment in the society, proclaiming their civil rights. They steal civil rights to respectful-of-the-law citizens which need to imprison themselves at their own homes because they don’t have the right to live in peace anymore. But, when those who approve laws and manage justice regret their sins and injustices, then the gift of God for them and for the people is the real justice. God says to God-fearing judges: “Take heed what ye do; for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the matter of judgment” (Psalm
7:11).
The wage of sin expressed in the moral sphere is total corruption, adultery, divorces, remarriages, pornography, nudity, free sex, lesbianism, sodomy; it’s a dismissal of the human being who is changing into a beast that acts by instincts. But, for those who regret their moral sins, the gift of God is to be reborn. Jesus told Nicodemus: “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7). Saint Paul said: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is
a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Now, they give God and the holy things of God the place they deserve; now, they look for heavenly things, now they’re spiritual. My friends, the final result of sin in all its spheres is death. “THE WAGE OF SIN IS DEAD”. Death means separation, the eternal separation from God. And, I tell you, what makes hell an awful place is not the presence of devil, demons, criminals and villains. What makes hell such a horrible place is the total absence of God. It is the total and eternal separation of the soul from God the Creator. How horrifying! That is the wage of sin. Nevertheless, the final result of those who regret all their sins in all its spheres is expressed on this phrase: “THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD”. Eternal life, glory, happiness and communion with God: How marvelous! So, it’s your turn to choose right now if you want death or life for all eternity. Listen to what God says: “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). Choose life then.
Amen
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umiliation precedes exaltation
“If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty; if thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.” Job 8:5-7. Rev. Sinaí Santiago
is considered the oldest of the Scriptures. It contains a number of beautiful lessons for all ages. Job, a patriarch contemporary with Abraham, experienced tough tests and tribulations. Amid his crisis, his friends came to comfort him, but judged his condition in a superficial way; they accused him of being cruel and sinful, alleging that his suffering was the result of his wickedness. Now, we know that Job was being tested. This is why when judging other people’s situation, we must be careful and take into consideration the lessons our Lord Jesus Christ taught us, which urge us to consider the advice given by Bildad, one of Job’s friends. Below we can find six truths derived from his advice and on which we can meditate. These lessons are: the book of job
1. SEEKING GOD
“If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes” (Job 8:5a).
What does seeking God mean? It means approaching God diligently, longing for His presence to work deeply in our hearts. Seeking God’s presence should be invaluable to every Christian. Psalm 16:11 states: “In thy presen42
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ce is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Entering the secret of God is a priceless experience. Our first greeting shall be to our Heavenly Father. We shall seek His direction, His advice, His face. We shall pray for His presence to be a reality throughout our daily journey. 2. PRAYING TO GOD ALMIGHTY “And make thy supplication to the Almighty” (Job 8:5b). Supplication means plead, petition, clamor, prayer. When we did not know God the Savior, we clamor for dead gods made of wood, metal, plaster or stamp. Upon hearing the good news of salvation and believing in the Word, we were brought out of the darkness, of spiritual death, to the light and life of Christ. We came out of paganism, of idolatry, to know and serve the God who made heaven and earth and all things that exist. 3. PURENESS AND UPRIGHTNESS “If thou wert pure and upright” (Job 8:6a). Pure means: free from contamination, filth, impurity, wickedness, corruption and disgracefulness. God wants pure lives for His service; He wants lips that are free from any criticism, cen-
sure, sarcasm and gossip, which are hindrance and impediment for Him to be glorified and to manifest Himself among His people. There is a great evangelistic and missionary work to be done around the world. God is calling and demanding that His servants live consecrated lives, upright and far from all iniquity. The synonym of upright is fair, of honest conduct, loyal to the principles, the truth and justice. “The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19).
4. GOD WILL RISE TO HELP US, TO FAVOR US
“Surely now he would awake for thee” (Job 8:6b). Paul the Apostle said, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Bildad did not know that
the devil had received permission from God to test Job, therefore he advised Job thinking that he should humble and repent for his wickedness. We do not know what is behind every situation and circumstance that happens to us. The Bible says: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephe-
sians 6:12). Shall the devil, demons, and storms rise up against us, it doesn’t matter, because the Word of God says: “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident”
(Psalm 27:3). God is on our side, in our favor. He is ready to help us in all circumstances and has promised not to leave us alone. 5. HE WILL MAKE US THRIVE AND PROSPER OUR HABITATION OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
“And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous” (Job 8:6c). God will bring us prosperity and
blessings. Bildad believed that if Job followed those simple steps of recognition and humbling before God, he would have his health, home, peace and material blessings back, as happened later. “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:5). We shall learn to depend on Him and to assure ourselves in His loving arms of kindness. God is the Father provider of all our needs. 6. GOD SEES OUR HUMILIATION “Though thy beginning was small” (Job 8:7). Job
would virtually start from scratch, but God doesn’t lack resources; He is the owner of gold, silver and all that exists. Every beginning is hard and small. It is also dangerous when we are starting any sort of work, business, church or ministry, and we reach a huge blessing overnight, because this could turn into a curse. Everything in life requires a process that goes from small to large. After we conquer amid trials, struggles and challenges; the Lord rises and sends us His blessing. God allows circumstances that lead us to humble ourselves before Him. After the tests, there will always be a blessing. Brothers and sisters, it is very important to set our eyes on our beloved Savior, humbling ourselves before Him every day, recognizing Him in all our paths so that He may exalt us. This exaltation produces in us no antagonism or arrogance, but instead, keeps us attributing to God all the glory, respect and honor. Amen u april 2013
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Bible The
never ceases to amaze us God is the
author of the Sacred Scriptures. The realities revealed by God, which are contained and manifested in the Bible, were recorded by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. the bible contains hundreds of controversial issues in its pages. A controversial issue is a topic that, when brought up or discussed, produce opposite opinions. The biblical authors talked about hundreds of controversial subjects with harmony and continuity from Genesis to Revelation. But there is only one story in progress: “The redemption of mankind by God”. The Bible was the first religious book to be taken into space (on microfilm). It is the first book read that describes the origin of the earth (Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning ... God…, so the astronauts read). And now think: Voltaire said that by 1850 this book would be extinguished. The Russians sold the Codex Sinaiticus (one of the oldest copies of the Bible) to England at $ 510.000. The world’s longest telegram was the Revised Version of the New Testament, sent from New York to Chicago. The Bible was the first book to be translated (The Septuagint: Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, 250 BC). The Bible has been translated over and over and paraphrased more than any other existing book. The Bible has been read by more people and published in more languages than any other book. There have
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been more copies of it, in whole or in part, than any other book in history. Some may argue that this or that book sold more copies in a specific month or year; however, in terms of circulation there is absolutely no book that can reach or even begin to compare with the Scripture. The first book to be published formally was the Latin Vulgate. It was printed on the Gutenberg press. According to statistical data, it is the best-selling publication in the world and in all ages. The Bible has topped books sales worldwide. Also, it appears three times in the Guinness Records. The first one for being the first full-text produced through the movable type press by Gutenberg, and from which printed publication formally began in the West world. The second one because one of its copies, remaining from the edition known as “the Gutenberg Bibles”, was purchased for $ 106.000 at an auction held in New York, an exorbitant amount when you take into consideration that this event happened in 1926; it was the highest price ever paid for a book until then. And the third one because it is the only book that has reached virtually the entire planet and in large quantities, and since its first printing, it has
been published, in whole or in part, in over 2.200 languages and dialects. Like no other book, the Bible has endured malicious attacks from their enemies. Many have tried to burn it, to ban it and put it out of circulation since the days of the Roman emperors to the present in countries dominated by communism. Voltaire, the noted
French infidel who died in 1778, said that one hundred years after his time Christianity would be wiped out from existence and pass into history, but what happened? It’s Voltaire who has passed into history, while the circulation of the Bible continues to grow in most parts of the world, taking blessings wherever it goes u april 2013
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Worship from youth in
Puerto Rico
The event started with the slogan “Great Night of Glory”. It was lead by the youth of the Worldwide Missionary Movement and gathered a group of young people and brothers from different parts of the Island.
the event was held on Saturday, March 16th, 2013, at the Metropolitan Evangelistic Center, also known as “La Finca”, in the city of Trujillo Alto. As expected, the “Great Night of Glory” lead by the youth of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Puerto Rico brought together a group of young people and brothers from different parts of the island, as to kick off the party in a unanimous spirit. Sister Jasmine Rodriguez led the devotional in an atmosphere of total worship of our Lord Jesus Christ, followed by a special part in which Sister Rose Villegas sang “To God be the Glory”.
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In this atmosphere of glory, Sister Nancy Pinto was in charge of the object lesson of the night, which had the hymn “Pour out your glory” as the background. Phrases like “God seeks the young with willing heart” and “New generation” were pronounced during the object lesson in which Rev. Alberto Santana gave Sister YarelieLaboy the “stick” as a symbol, just like she did with Brother José Luis Vázquez, the national youth leader in Puerto Rico. In one of the most important parts of the worship, Rev. Alberto Santana presented the person who was responsible for the powerful message of the evening,
Rev. Luis Rosado, who preached based on the book of Joshua 6:12-20, with the topic: “Walls that must be torn down and walls that must be built”.When he was preaching, he highlighted three important steps: 1) to transmit the legacy, 2) to instruct the people, and 3) to ensure the presence and worship of God. The walls that must be torn down included: egocentricity, distorted concepts of God, Christian structure “modernization”, atheism, idolatry and the new theology, which must be brought down in our daily lives and which can be conquered by having the same attitude as Joshua did. The-
se were the words of the preacher who emphasized that these walls are demolished whenpeople worship. Finally, he said that the young people must have “Humility”. As to finish the Great Night of Glory, a call was made for all the youth that is committed to serving the Lord in spirit and truth. Rev. Luis Ayala, the National Supervisor, congratulated all the young people for the support and especially Jose Luis Vazquez, the National Leader, for the work he is doing. Similarly, Rev. Rubén Concepción,International Officer, saluted the people and closed the event u april 2013
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Fellowship in
Vega Baja
Reverend Luis Ayala, National Supervisor of the Work in Puerto Rico, made several major announcements about the development of the Work.
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this year’s First State Fellowship (Zone 8) of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Puerto Rico was held on Saturday February 9th, at the Mission Board Church “Raudalde Adoración” of the Guárico Urbanization, in the town of Vega Baja. The event was attended byInternational Officers Rev. Margaro Figueroa and Rev. Rubén Concepción. The canticles were in charge of the “Zona 8” group, led by Rev. Federico Cabrera Sandoval. During the event, Rev. Luis Ayala, National Supervisor of the Work in Puerto Rico, made several major announcements about the development of the Work, such
as the new Priest of Zone 6, Rev. Jaime Rivera, and the new Zone 9, under the presbytery of Rev. Ángel Cruz. He also presented the newly installed pastors of Trujillo Alto, Rev. Alberto Santana, and the Church of Aibonito, Sister YarelieLaboy. In addition, the new national youth leader, Brother José Luis Vázquez, and hisadministration were presented. Rev. Samuel Guzmándel Cid came from Honduras and was responsible for bringing the message of the Word of God with the topic: “Transfer of Spirit,” based on the book of Numbers 11:16-17. The event was well attended u april 2013
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Fellowship in
Florida
Over 400 brothers, sisters and new lives gathered to enjoy two beautiful services to the Lord.
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it was a time of worship and ministry of the Holy Spirit during the Second Fellowship of the Zone 1South, in the United States of America. This event was held on Saturday, March 9th in the city of Homestead, Florida. Over 400 brothers, sisters and new lives gathered in the city of Homestead to enjoy two services to the Lord. The glory of God wasexperienced in a special way through worship and praise to our Lord. The first message of the day was brought by Rev. RamónEchavarría.
After a break in which people shared some food, the second service began. Rev. David Vizcay Jr., Priest of the area, gave the second message. The Word of God exhortedus to live in holiness for Jehovah in these recent times. At the end of the message many believers and new lives went to the altar to meet our God’s benevolence. Thanks to many other evangelistic activities and fellowships like this one, the Lord’s Work keeps bringing this Gospel to all Southern Florida u april 2013
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Fellowship in
New York
The fellowship was held under the direction of Priest Rev. Benito Green and 24 local churches that attended the meeting.
the worldwide missionary movement in New York made a beautiful
and glorious fellowship event (Zone 6) on March 9th in Mount Kisco, New York. This activity was held under the direction of Priest Rev. Benito Green. 24 local churches attended that place. In the morning service, many churches participated with shows and songs to Christ. The message of the Word was in charge of Pastors Benito and Alice Green under the motto: “A matrimonial life in Christ”. Pastors talked and taught about the impor52
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tance of living a matrimonial life in Christ, having Him as the center of union. The second service was lead by the Brooklyn Church of the WMM. The church of Sister Raquel Comas brought a testimony and a praise full of glory. The message of God’s Word was given by the Worldwide Missionary Movement National Office in USA. Sister Holga Cabrera preached about how to live away from evil and how to have a clean life in the presence of God. This event was broadcasted by the media of Zone 6 u
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Youth Convention in
Bolivia
It was four days of glorious blessing where Rev Juan Manuel Zúñiga shared the Word of God.
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from thursday 17 to Sunday 20 January, the 9th National Youth Convention of the Worldwide Missionary Movement was carried out and had as motto: “Arrows in God’s hands”. The venue of this year was the beautiful city of La Paz, which welcomed more than 2000 youngsters from every part of the country in the Julio Borelli Viterito Coliseum. It was four days of glorious blessing in which Rev Juan Manuel Zúñiga shared the Word of God. Through the powerful Word of God and the impressive testimonies, the environment was gradually filled with the glory of God.
God granted us a convention full of His presence and with a marvelous Holy Spirit breakout; hundreds of young attendees entrusted their lives to Jesus and were also filled with His presence. The Church in Bolivia is grateful to God because it confirmed -once again- the great rain of blessings that is about to come to this Altiplano country. This could be perceived through the progress in the last years with more than 20 radio stations and 4 television channels throughout Bolivia, besid es the firm decision of building 50 new churches for 2014 u april 2013
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Fellowship in
Bucaramanga
The Zone 2 fellowship in Bucaramanga, Republic of Colombia, strengthened the spiritual life of believers.
on march
23rd, Zone 2 of Bu-
caramanga, Colombia, held its monthly fellowship at the historic Church of ‘The 17’, which was one of the first churches established in the country and pastored by the late Rev. Ciro Gonzalez, who was also Supervisor of Colombia when this Work was just beginning. Nowadays the church of ‘The 17’ is pastored by Sister Carmenza Rueda, widow of Gonzalez. 56
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This fellowship was attended by Colombia’s National Supervisor, Rev. Samuel David Mejia, who preached in the morning on the need to ask God for the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ Jesus. Rev. Mejia explained how this spirit, which was in Elijah and Elisha, manifested itself in the great wonders that God did through these men.
In the afternoon, Rev. Walter Zambrano, Presbyter of Zone 2, preached on the urgency of preaching the Gospel. Zone 2 of Bucaramanga conducted 21 days of fasting to intercede for the salvation of lost souls and attended the call made by the National Board to massively evangelize on the last Saturday or Sunday of each month. Although the city of Bucaramanga has
been a fertile ground for the preaching of the Word, there are still many people who need salvation and many others who knew the Word but have strayed and now need to be reconciled with the Heavenly Father. It is for this reason that the local priest has made an appeal for the different churches of the city to come out massively to preach the Gospel to those who still don’t know the Lord u april 2013
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Fellowship in
Cúcuta, Colombia For three days the power of God touched hundreds of lives during a district activity in Cucuta city. from 19th to 21st March, the Worldwide Missionary Movement churches from Cucuta city, northern department of Santander, Colombia, held a beautiful district fellowship filled with the power of God that touched hundreds of lives. The churches who attended this beautiful event belong to Zones 6, 29, 59 and 70 of the Work of Colombia. Pastors and believers in this sector of the country were accompanied by the National Supervisor, Rev. Samuel David Mejía Ibáñez, and part of the National Board represented by pastors Rev. Joaquín Parra, Rev. José Emero Mendoza and Rev. Aris Solis, who were God instruments to exhort, comfort and encourage the people through the preaching of God’s Word.
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Attendance at this event was extraordinary, about 3000 people gathered to receive the touch of God. During the evening worship room was insufficient and many attendees had to follow the event from the areas adjacent to the coliseum. Moreover, this activity was broadcast live via the website, the Impacto Evangelístico radio station and a local television channel. God saved dozens of lost souls, many lives were touched by the Holy Spirit, hundreds of hearts were broken and those expecting health saw the glory of God. Some of the healings and miracles performed by God were leg stretching, tumor and hernia healing, among others u
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Anniversary of the Church of
Genoa
With gratitude and great joy, the Church of Genoa attended the Central Temple Bethel to begin this big celebration of the Twelfth Anniversary. 60
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since the first day, the Word of God was presented by Rev Leonel Cedeño, National Officer of the Work in Italy. There was a great number of brothers who attended this event. A lot of them had to be placed on the outer side of the temple. As the days went by, the glory of the Lord was felt intensely among canticles and blessing words from some of the pastors.
During these twelve years, the Lord has always gone at the front of this Work and has supported his people and Rev David Echalar, National Supervisor of the WMM in Italy. In the morning of Saturday 16 March, Rev Luis Valderrama, Presbyter in the Southern Part, shared the Word of God based on the book of Haggai 1:2-5, which was a great blessing for the people who attended the central temple. In the afternoon, Rev Hugo Lope, Presbyter in the Northern Part, shared the message under the theme: “Don’t throw in the towel”, encouraging the people to continue despite the stones that fall on the Christianity path. It was a very blessed night, and it was full of the presence of God. The Church of Milan blessed the beloved Church of Genoa with baskets full of fruits, which reflects that this year’s blessing will be marvelous. On Sunday 17 March, the anniversary celebration of the Church of Genoa finished. Rev David Echalar was the bearer of the message of God under the theme: “The meaning of number 12”, emphasizing that this will be a year in which God will give out a lot of blessings to his people u april 2013
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WMM growing in
Ica region
The Work is still growing in Peru. The work of evangelization is spreading to the south of the country. as
work,
part
of
its
evangelistic
the Worldwide Missionary Movement of Peru held last April 5th a series of activities in favor of the consolidation of Christianity in Ica region, located south of Lima city. Rev. Rodolfo González Cruz, the Work’s chairman, visited the towns of Chincha, Ica and San Clemente de Pisco, where he supervised the building work of a new temple, performed the opening of a church and eight classrooms of one of the decentralized schools of the Elim International School, and led an evangelistic crusade. At the beginning of the day, Pastor González and his wife, Sister Rita Vasquez, visited the WMM temple premises in the city of Chincha and oversaw the progress of the works being carried out there to renovate the 62
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house of the Lord. The WMM highest authority of Peru could check the final stretch of the construction that is on its highest stage. Subsequently, Rev. González traveled to the city of Ica and performed the inauguration of a pavilion with eight classrooms at the local Elim International School. Also, this servant of God went to the grounds of the Movement’s new temple and laid the symbolic first stone in place. At night, Rev. González came to the district of San Clemente de Pisco and took part in an evangelistic campaign called “Prepare yourself for an encounter with Jesus”. Finally, he led the opening of the Work’s new temple, which will be the venue for many Christian services intended to bring the good news of the Gospel u
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GUATEMALA
Presbytery 2 fellowship
ITALY
Five days of glory
PANAMÁ
Anniversary in Alcalde Díaz
ARGENTINA
Mendoza Tour
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this past february, the temple of the WMM Church in Villa Nueva was the gathering place for the churches that make up the Presbytery 2 churches from Sacatepequez, Chimaltenango and Guatemala departments -, which attended to receive what God had prepared for His people. During this activity, the local priest gave the message of the Scriptures with the theme: ‘Rescued from prison and from spiritual death’. Through this message, God taught that Church is not the enemy’s property but the property of God, for it was the Lord Jesus Christ who freed us from the chains of sin and death. There were also testimonies of pastors who are fighting a good battle in the different places where God has them working.
the WMM celebrated, the second anniversary of the Church of Torino (Northern Presbytery). It began on Wednesday 6th March and ended in victory on Sunday 10th, under the motto: “You will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you”. (Isaiah 30:19). These days, people were ministered by the powerful Word of God, declared by the servants who visited us: Rev. Hugo Lope V. with the theme: “Do not let your lamp go out”; pastor Edison Borbor with “Building walls in times of trial” and pastors Moses Blanquillo; Leonel Cedeño and Stefano Istva'n shared God’s message through Saturday afternoon. On Sunday we had a visit from the National Supervisor, Rev. David Echalar, who gave the message: ‘To the 7 churches of Asia Minor’. The anniversary celebration culminated with Rev. Luis Valderrama that emphasized the service to God. “Although no one sees or recognizes you, God has a reward prepared for you”.
on saturday 2nd february, the Pentecostal Christian Church of the Worldwide Missionary Movement located in Alcalde Diaz, celebrated his first year anniversary of recognition as a local church. This Work, which was originally a white field of the Central Church of Parque Lefevre, is currently being pastored by Rev. Joseph De La Cruz Quejada and his wife, whom God has used in a special way to the strengthening and growth of his blessed and holy Work there. It was attended by Rev. Joseph A. Soto, international vice president and pastor in Parque Lefevre; Rev. Andrew Jean-François, presbyter of Zone 1; Rev. Edwin Cañate, pastor in Gonzalillo and by workers from the different local churches, who came together to take part in this sacred assembly of thanksgiving to the Lord .
on 4th and 5th february, the National Supervisor of the Work in Argentina, Rev. Ismael E. Parrado, and his wife traveled to Godoy Cruz city, in Mendoza province, where they strengthened the Work established there a year ago. Its beginnings were modest. Cults were held in the garage of the house rented by a couple who came from the Church of Buenos Aires. Nowadays the church is located in a beautiful rented hall on a main avenue of the city in question. The Work is growing, and it has been joined by immigrants from Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, who put all their effort to reach the city and the entire Argentine people for Christ. The supervisor and his wife used the trip to Godoy Cruz to visit San Rafael, one of the most important cities of the province, where they visited a congregation that through the Web became aware of the Work of the Worldwide Missionary Movement. These brothers joined the Work after listening to the guidance given by Pastor Parrado.
miscellaneous
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1 John Wesley was a major impeller of the Methodist movement. Wesley's father was a preacher and his mother a remarkable woman of deep piety who brought her children in close contact with the stories of the Bible. ANSWER: c 2 Martyn Henry decided to devote his life to missionary work. He was inspired by David Brainerd’s journal and biography. He volunteered for the Missionary Society for Africa and the East. He arrived in Calcutta in April 1806. ANSWER: b 3 David Livingston was a Scottish missionary doctor, as well as one of the greatest figures in the history of exploration. He could set the right locations with astronomical observations, and made reports on zoology, botany and geology. For this reason, in Victorian Britain he was considered a national hero. ANSWER: a 4 Charles Spurgeon could read six books a week and remember what he had read and its source even years after. He had a great drawing skill and was seen reading very often. At the age of 22, he was a very popular preacher and could speak to more than 10,000 people at a time, even before the microphone was invented. ANSWER: a 5 Dwight Moody became a Christian when his teacher, Edward Kimball, explained him how much God loved him. His conversion sparked the beginning of his career as an evangelist. Moody's work in Chicago led his Sunday school to be the biggest of
its time. ANSWER: d 6 Ira D. Sankey wrote several hymns and songs. He collaborated with Philip Bliss and later on with James McGranahan and George Stebbins in a series of ‘sacred songs’, collections published in the United States. ANSWER: b 7 Charles Grandison Finney was known for his innovations in preaching and religious meetings. Thanks to him, women were allowed to pray in public meetings. Finney said that the secret of revival was in prayer. ANSWER: b 8 David Brainerd grew up in a pious and healthy environment, but it was not until his twenties that God began to work in his life. He was commissioned by a Scottish missionary society to start working among the natives of the states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. ANSWER: b 9 Andrew Murray wrote more than 250 books and countless articles. His work touches the Church around the world through profound writings, such as ‘The Spirit of Christ’, ‘The Holiest of All’, ‘With Christ in the School of Prayer’, ‘Abide in Christ’, ‘Raising Your Children for Christ’ and ‘Humility’. ANSWER: d 10 Richard Wurmbrand was a Lutheran pastor of Jewish origin who was born on March 24, 1909 in Bucharest, Romania. When the Communists took over his homeland in 1945, Wurmbrand became a leader of the underground church. ANSWER: d
11 Guillermo Carey is considered the ‘Father of Modern Missions’. He felt the imperative need for Indian people to have a Bible in their own language and devoted himself to the task. His speed to learn the languages of India is admired by the best linguists. 12 Hudson Taylor was the first missionary in inland China and founder of the mission in that country. He spent five years translating the New Testament into the Ningpo dialect. ANSWER: a 13 Evan Roberts. had his first vision of the Welsh Revival in 1904. He saw an arm extending from the moon to Wales. He thought he had seen the hand of God in this vision and began organizing meetings in his church. Within months his fame spread throughout Wales and hundreds of people attended his meetings. ANSWER: b 14 Adoniram Hudson was an American missionary in Burma. He learned the language of that country perfectly well, produced a dictionary, translated the Bible and wrote much literature. He was arrested and kept imprisoned under inhumane conditions which almost killed him. ANSWER: c 15 Luis M. Ortiz is a Puerto Rican journalist and preacher who founded the Worldwide Missionary Movement in 1963. He had previously dabbled in radio with a program called "Impacto Evangelístic", entirely devoted to preach the Gospel. He organized evangelistic campaigns and founded a Bible school. He also edited the El Heraldo Pentecostal magazine in Cuba. ANSWER: a, b, c, d
ANSWERS: 1.- John Wesley a) American preacher known as the Prince of Preachers. b) Outstanding leader of the Protestant Reformation. c) British preacher and theologian. d) Missionary in India. 2.- Henry Martin a) Missionary in China. b) Missionary in India who translated the New Testament into Hindi and Persian. c) Martyr of the Christian church. d) German professor and theologian. 3.- David Livingstone. a) Scottish physician, explorer and missionary. b) Founder of Methodism in England. c) Fellow of David Brainerd. d) Missionary killed by natives in Ecuador. 4.- Charles Spurgeon a) British Baptist pastor known by people as the ‘Prince of Preachers’ b) American evangelist and theology professor. c) Missionary in North Africa. d) Translator of the Bible into Chinese.
5.- Dwight L. Moody a) Christian musician and composer, author of many hymns. b) Leader of the Scottish church of the 18th century c) Author of the hymn ‘How Great Thou Art’ d) American evangelist and editor. 6.- Ira Sankey a) American preacher, fellow of Finney. b) Singer and composer of hymns, fellow of D.L. Moody. c) Translator of the Scriptures into Chinese. d) British missionary sent to South Africa. 7.- Charles Finney a) Fellow of Martin Luther King in his fight against slavery. b) Impeller of great revivals in the U.S. during the 19th century. c) Famous Christian lawyer from the 19th century d) Founder of Methodism in the USA. 8.- David Brainad a) British theologian from the 18th century (author of literary works)
b) Missionary to the American a) British missionary in China. Indians. b) Translator of the Bible into c) Famous evangelist from the Persian. 19th century. c) Fellow of Adoniram Judson d) Teacher and pastor of the during the mission to Africa. renowned evangelist Jhonathan d) Pastor and teacher of David Edwards. Brainerd. 9.- Andrew Murray 13.- Evan Roberts a) Scottish preacher from the a) Young Canadian preacher, 19th century. missionary to the American Indians. b) British missionary in India. b) One of the young men chosen c) Fellow and collaborator of by God to be a channel of blessing David Brainerd. and revival in Wales. c) English historian, author of d) Prominent African preacher History of the Church in England. 10.- Richard Wurmbrand d) Christian theologian and teacher a) German missionary who from the 19th century. worked in India. 14.- Adoniram Judson b) Translator of the Bible into a) Leader of the English revival from German. the 19th century. c) American theologian author of b) Fellow of Finney in his struggle ‘Systematic Theology’. against slavery. d) Evangelical pastor of Jewish c) American Missionary in Burma. origin born in Bucharest d) Fellow of Hudson Taylor during Romania. the Mission to China. 11.- Guillermo Carey a) Reformation leader, fellow of 15.- Luis M. Ortiz. a) Christian pastor, teacher, writer Martin Luther. and poet. b) American missionary in North b) Founder of the Worldwide Africa. Missionary Movement. c) Considered the ‘Father of c) Founder of the Impacto Modern Missions’. Evangelístic magazine. d) Christian theologian, author of d) Preacher, evangelist and many books on theology. missionary born in Puerto Rico. 12.- Hudson Taylor
How much do you know about the Bible?
They write to us... cartas@impactoevangelistico.net EVELIN CORONADO It’s been 30 years receiving this magazine and hearing about all the miracles and wonders God has done through this ministry. This magazine has been my Bible School. I serve the ministry of women through seminars, retreats and counseling. God has done many miracles. From Spring Valley, California, USA.
MARTHA CALA I want to wish you the best of blessings, because through this magazine God has really ministered to my life. These are great testimonies of what the Lord has done in people who are now serving Him. Congratulations, may God continue blessing you. From Barrancabermeja, Colombia.
IVÁN HUAYANA ROJAS God bless all WMM officials. Impacto Evangelístic magazine really is very beautiful and well-built. The Gospel is reaching everyone. From Moquegua, Perú.
RUBÉN Y RINA CAIRO God bless you, dear brothers from Impacto Evangelístic magazine, you are a blessing for everyone. We send you a hug from Buenos Aires city. We are spiritual children of Rev. Rodolfo Gonzalez. We have been in this country for 15 years now. We miss you. From Buenos Aires, Argentina.
SUSANA QUINTERO Thank God for such a beautiful work of his servants. It is encouragement what I find through the messages published in Impacto Evangelístic. God bless, guide and help you now and always. From Antioquia, Colombia.
JORGE MOLINA Impacto Evangelístic has remained and it is the official magazine of the Worldwide Missionary Movement. Blessings. From Cravo Norte (Arauca), Colombia.
JAQUELINE CHRISTENSE Dear Pastors and Brothers in Christ, greetings from my husband and my children. The Work has already been started in Sweden with our pastor Carlos Contreras and his wife Angela Contreras. I am writing to ask for your prayers for Sweden and Denmark. My husband is Danish and was converted to Christ two years ago. I send you much happiness and joy. Many blessings. From Malmo, Suecia.
ALBERTO LINARES I thank God for the countless wonders He has done in my life. I am a young man that for a long time was involved in drugs; this caused great suffering to my life and all my loved ones, especially my family, who were already considering getting rid of me. I had deeply reached the dunghill of sin and I could see no solution to my problem; I would do drugs every day, mornings, afternoons or evenings, and sometimes I would stop eating because of the life I used to have. One day, the most beautiful thing happened to me: I found this magazine and began to leaf through it and found an article telling the testimony of a person who lived in drugs and changed by the power of God. That impressed me tremendously and I thought that if this man changed, I could too. I immediately felt a great need to ask God for help and so I did from the bottom of my heart and He, God, in his great love, helped me. From Lima, Perú.
GLOBAL AGENDA 2013 JANUARY 2-5 Puerto Rico Convention 7-14 Colombia Convention
FEBRUARY 11-13 Meeting of supervisors in Central America 14-17 Belice Convention 14-17 Paraguay Convention (Asuncion) MARCH 4-7 International Board meeting in Panama MAY 14-19 International Congress in Panama JUNE 18-21 Convention in Colombia (Pastors and youth) 26-29 India Convention JULY 4-6 Mexico Convention 24-27 Republica Dominicana Convention AUGUST 6-10 Venezuela Convention 15-18 Ecuador Convention (Santo Domingo Tsachilas) 15-18 Convention Haiti 28-31 Africa Convention OCTOBER 3-6 Convention Australia (Melbourne) 4-6 Canada National Fellowship 8-11 Ladies Colombia National Convention 22-24 Convention Rodrigues Island 24-27 Uruguay Convention (Montevideo) 25-27 Mauritius Convention 31 – 3 nov Chile (Santiago) NOVEMBER 5-10 Peru Convention 20-24 Guatemala Convention DECEMBER 5-8 Brazil National Convention (Manaus)
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years Worlwide Missionar Movement 1963 1963 1981 1984 1989
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Impacto evangelĂstic
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