727_English by Impacto Evangelistico

August 2014 / Edition 727 / www.impactoevangelistico.net

The magazine that edifies your life

evangelistic OFFICIAL PUBLICATION

WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT

Testimony

The prisoner of cell No. 4

Heroe of faith

Tertullian, fervent Christian

The truth about

Hamas

The Islamic group that opposes to the people of Israel

August 2014

WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia

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EDITORIAL

Come with all your heart Rev. Gustavo Martínez International President of the WMM

“Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you”. 1 Samuel 12:24.

ur worship to the Lord must be unique,

heart far from me ” (Isaiah 29: 13). We can feign to wors-

exclusive and acceptable. Romans 12: 1

hip God, but that worship does not worth anything

states: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the

since it is not performed in truth. God lives in the

mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,

worships, that is why the sky opens and the devils

holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”.

flee when we worship Him; there is freedom, res-

God wants a worship full of understanding and wis-

toration and life. When the Church worships God,

dom, that is acceptable and that will not be rejected,

no devil may destroy it. When people worship, God

a worship that will be taken into account. That is

moves and His presence spreads everywhere like

what God expects from us.

dew drops and wonderful things happen.

God wants us to worship Him with all our soul,

It is sad that we are sometimes more interested in

understanding and commitment. We read in John 4:

serve men but not God with the same concern and

23: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worship-

energy. We are always willing to serve other people.

pers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father

We immediately move to get something that would

seeketh such to worship him”. The Lord wants worship-

benefit our human condition. People rises early to

pers who worship Him in spirit and in truth, since

keep a compromise with other people, but on our

there are people who worship Him but not in truth.

free day, we get up late and there is no time for the

The Bible states that there was people who served

Lord. We make our best if it concerns a prize or if we

God, but without a perfect heart. That means that

want to please someone else, but be aware that God

they offered Him an unpleasant worship, they did

would give us more rewards. Let’s go for the prize

not glorify Him as they should have done. Then, God

that awaits in us in the Kingdom of Heaven. Belo-

told them: “Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their

ved ones, let’s worship God in truth and with all our

mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their

hearts. Amen

August 2014

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Founder Director: Rev. Luis M. Ortiz August 2014 / Edition N° 727 (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 Phone (787) 761-8806; 761-8805; 761-8903

INTERNATIONAL BOARD MEMBERS OF WMM INC. Rev. Gustavo Martínez President Rev. José Soto Vice President Rev. Rubén Concepción Secretary Rev. Rodolfo González Treasurer Rev. Álvaro Garavito Director Rev. Margaro Figueroa Director Rev. Rómulo Vergara Director Rev. Humberto Henao Director CHURCHES ESTABLISHED IN: Germany Argentina Aruba Australia Austria Belgium Belize Bolivia Bonaire Brasil Cameroon Canadá Chile Colombia Congo Costa Rica Curacao Dinamarca Ecuador El Salvador Spain United States The Philippines France Gabón Ghana Guatemala Equatorial Guinea French Guiana Guyana Inglesa Haití Holland

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Legal deposit made on the National Library of Peru Nº 2011-02530 Christian Pentecostal Church-Worldwide Missionary Movement: Av. 28 de Julio 1781 - Lima 13 - Peru Printout: Quad/Graphics Perú S.A. Av. Los Frutales 344 - Lima 03 - Peru

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The Worldwide Missionary Movement is a religious nonprofit 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. 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. PO Box 363644 San Juan, P. R. 00936-3644 n

Copyright © 2009 Impacto Evangelistic Movimiento Misionero Mundial, Inc. (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: n

• 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: Matthew 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. • Tithing and Maintenance of the Work: 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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Since its appearance in 1987, Hamas seeks to destroy the State of Israel since it does not allow their existence. From the Hamas fundamentalist perspective, only Palestine should occupy the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean.

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COVER

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Impacto Evangelistic Magazine

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Written by Rev. George Duffield Jr., this Christian ode gives hope to everyone who sings it. The praise emphasizes the victory promised for everyone whose faith in God does not falter.

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The term “health” is defined by the World Health Organization as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” However, this definition has been criticized for being overly optimistic.

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He is perhaps the best-known Christian writer of the early centuries. Tertullian was one of the most skillful apologists of the early church. He was a man of unfailing faith who served God with zeal and honor until the end of his life.

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He was the terror of the roads between Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Armed with a machinegun he assaulted hundreds of people ruthlessly until he went to jail. There, he met the Word of God.

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Events in: Costa Rica, India, Colombia, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Chile, Panama, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Mexico, Finland, Curaçao.

Letters

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The true

face of

Hamas Since its appearance in 1987, Hamas seeks to destroy the State of Israel since it does not allow their existence. From the Hamas fundamentalist perspective, only Palestine should occupy the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean. Therefore, they seek to destroy Israelites through systematic assaults.

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COVER

August 2014

WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia

he Israeli ambassador to Peru, Ephraim Modi, said that an Israeli only had fifteen seconds to save his life and fifteen seconds to avoid death from a rocket fired by Hamas from the Gaza Strip. It does not matter whether they are in a cafe, at home or at school. That is the reality of 70 % of Israelis as a result of the systematic targeting of Hamas. This scenario has repeated for more than three decades, ever since the Hamas group made his first appearance. The name of this group means “Islamic Resistance Movement” and its origin goes back to the early days of the Intifada, or Palestinian uprising of 1987 against the Israeli presence in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. After the first Palestinian Intifada, Hamas emerged as the main opponents to the Oslo peace accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The founding charter of Hamas defines the historical Palestine −including nowadays Israel– as an Islamic land, and it rules out a permanent peace agreement. The content is full of attacks against the Jewish people, therefore, it has been branded as an anti-Semitic group. Hamas insists that the millions of Palestinian refugees who fled their homes since 1948, when the State of Israel was created, must return to their lands, which Israel considers a threat to its existence as a State. The Islamic group is considered a “terrorist organization” by Israel, the United States, Canada, Japan, the Eu8 Impacto evangelistic

ropean Union and the neighboring Egypt because of its long history of attacks against Israeli targets and its commitment to destroy that State, which is explicit in its founding charter. On the other hand, his followers consider it

as a legitimate resistance movement. Professor Dennis Prager states that the Middle East conflict is framed in one of the most complex problems of the world, but, in reality, it is very simple. The Israelis want

COVER

TERROR FROM A WHEELCHAIR

n the late 70’s, a quadriplegic student of a Gaza school, the sheik Ahmed Yassin, created a social movement in the Gaza Strip which, in addition to standing up for the destruction of Israel, leads the struggle to more social aspects like the “relaxation” of the traditional customs, poverty, corruption and foreign influence. Yassin, known by the press as “the terrorist in a wheelchair”, was arrested and imprisoned by Israel in 1984 after finding weapons at his home and discovering that he was preparing an uprising in Gaza. While in prison, he became more famous and his followers, who already controlled much of the social and religious network of the Strip, were consolidating the organization and getting more and more funds from businessmen and Gulf oil sheiks. Finally, in 1987, and during the outbreak of the First Intifada, Yassin was released from prison and Hamas born officially with his first statement, issued in December of that year.

to live in peace and they are willing to accept a Palestinian State next to them, but most Palestinians do not want Israel to exist. Since the Israeli State was created in 1948, its neighbors have tried to destroy it, again and again. That is the

root cause of the conflict. HAMAS’ MISSIONS

Since its inception, Hamas had two wings with different objectives. One of them was military, the Qassam Brigades, which was responsible for the

armed struggle against the State of Israel, whose existence is clandestine. The other one was political, whose mission is to support the community in social and religious affairs. Despite the numerous Is-

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WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia

TUNNELS OF TERROR

he Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released chilling images of Hamas terrorists who infiltrated Israel. This kind of operation confirms that Hamas represents a clear and present danger to Israel along the border with Gaza. The tunnels are designed to infiltrate communities close to the border. Gaza is about a mile away and some of these tunnels are more than a mile long, and 60 meters deep with multiple exits. It proves Hamas has been planning this for a very long time.

“I cannot imagine anything more terrifying than suddenly the earth opens up,” said Captain Dan Gordon. “It’s almost a scene out of a grade B zombie movie and the walking dead walk out, but they’re not dead. They’re walking and they’re armed with machine guns, anti-tank missiles, grenades and a few thousand rounds of ammunition, tranquilizers and handcuffs, and they’re coming for you and they’re coming for your children.” He testified to a new agency.

g raeli operations and drastic actions of Palestinians supporting peace, the extremist group replied, again and again, to the peace negotiations with persistent attacks. Israel conducted three military campaigns against the Palestinian extremist group in December 2008, November 2012 and the most recent in July 2014. The first two Israel campaigns affected dramatically 10 Impacto evangelistic

the military capacity of Hamas, but the group achieved to renew the Gaza and West Bank’s support since they faced Israel and survived the attempt. Since 2005, the Islamic faction took a new dimension: an active participation within the Palestinian political process. After boycotting elections for many years, Hamas participated in Palestinian parliamen-

COVER

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WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia

g tary polls for the first time in 2006. Running as the “Change and Reform Party,” the group won a landslide victory, securing a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council. However, when Hamas came to power, the group refused all previous agreements signed with Israel, as well as the legitimacy of the State and to renounce violence. WHERE DOES ITS SUPPORT STEM FROM?

Hamas has an annual budget of $ 70 million, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Much of its financial backing comes from expatriate Palestinians, private donors in the Middle East, and Muslim charities in the West. Hamas also receives significant financial aid —as well 12 Impacto evangelistic

FROM ISLAM TO CHRISTIANITY Mosab Hassan Yousef is the son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a Hamas founder. Many consider him a traitor because he did not follow the steps of his father and, above all, because he changed his religion in 2008. Currently, he is a Christian. He believes in Jesus Christ and dedicates to preach peace. For ten years before his conversion, taking advantage of his political and religious status, he worked under covered for the Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, delivering secret information on the movements of Palestine against Israel. In the West, Mosab is a hero and an example that, no matter the circumstances, it is always possible to avoid war and find a path to peace.

THE AIMS OF HAMAS

he goal of Hamas is an Islamic fundamentalist Palestinian State. Its manifesto advocates the destruction of the State of Israel and calls for the raising of “the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine”. The refusal of Hamas to recognize the State of Israel is one of the reasons why it has been excluded from peace talks. Mark Regev, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said: “Hamas is an enemy of peace. It is dedicated to destroying the State of Israel; they say that any Palestine who negotiates peace with Israel is a traitor”.

COVER CHRISTIANS BETWEEN TWO FIRES

The Israeli ambassador to Peru, Ephraim Modi

n the middle of the serious Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza, the situation of the Palestinian Christians is especially alarming. It is a minority in the midst of a clearly Islamist atmosphere led by Hamas. They live their faith with a lack of support from both sides. “Most Christians in the West do not know the reality. Do not know who is occupying whom, who is oppressing whom, who is confiscating land to whom, who is building walls and who is trying to separate them one from another,” explains Alex Awad, a pastor of the East Church of Jerusalem. “The media does not explain the stories accurately so that the average person can understand the cause and the effects,” Awad said. It is estimated that there are 1,000 Palestinian Christians living in Gaza. Most neutral Christians support to all who are in danger, even to Muslims.

XENOPHOBIA IN GERMANY

n Alemania, la Oficina de Protección a la Constitución lleva a cabo investigaciones en torno a un predicador musulmán que en un video hace un llamamiento a asesinar judíos. El cargo contra el clérigo berlinés: incitación a la xenofobia. También en la capital alemana, un turista israelí es agredido verbalmente mientras pasa cerca de una manifestación de protesta contra la ofensiva israelí en Gaza. La Policía logra a duras penas evitar una agresión física. En Hannover, un diputado alemán fue herido porque portaba una bandera israelí en una manifestación. También en la ciudad de Essen se produjeron disturbios. Durante manifestaciones de solidaridad con los palestinos en varias ciudades alemanas, neonazis, junto con inmigrantes de origen árabe y manifestantes pacifistas, lanzaban las mismas consignas antisemitas que se escucharon durante el régimen nazi en Alemania. También en otros países de Europa se dieron casos parecidos. En Francia, por ejemplo, se atacaron sinagogas y se saquearon negocios judíos. Esto es un escándalo para cualquier

Estado de derecho. En Alemania, el país responsable del Holocausto, el país que considera, por eso mismo, el derecho de existencia de Israel como parte de su fundamento como Estado, es mucho más que un escándalo: es una vergüenza. Es una vergüenza, a pesar de que hay una causa real y concreta: la ofensiva israelí en la Franja de Gaza, la política de asentamientos y el giro a la derecha en la política de Israel. Sí, hay buenas razones para criticar la política israelí. Pero, en vista de la violencia verbal y física en las calles de Alemania, este no es el momento de pronunciar discursos académicos sobre las sutiles diferencias entre una crítica justificada y el antisemitismo. Desde el momento en que se atacan sinagogas, cuando se amenaza físicamente a alguien por ser judío, cuando en las calles alemanas se exige públicamente “Judíos, a la cámara de gas”, entonces solo queda una solución: repudiar el antisemitismo y oponerle resistencia desde su mismo brote. Eso es algo que no solo se lo debemos a la historia. También se lo debemos al futuro de la democracia.

as weapons and military training— from Iran. Since its election win in 2006, it has also had public funding. In general, Hamas enjoys a widespread support from the population in Gaza thanks to its social welfare program. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, “its work in this field helps to explain its great popularity”. However, the Israel Defense Forces have accused Hamas of turning Gaza into a “frontal base for Iran, forcing Israeli citizens to live under unbearable conditions”. Israel also accuses Hamas of using civilians in Gaza as a “human shield,” and the schools and hospitals in the territory as a cover for military hardware u

August 2014

The endless war WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia

After two decades of on-off negotiations, Israel and the Palestinian Authority have failed in their goal of achieving a ﬁnal settlement. The last round of direct negotiations occurred in 2010. Hamas has not been involved in any dialogue with Jewish representatives: the Islamist organization denies Israel's right to exist and openly rejects the Oslo Accords of 1993.

Mediterranean 1 3

oli

1948 1948 -- 1949 1949 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

The period between the declaration of the State of Israel and the Six-Day War.

Cairo

1956 - 1957

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THE SUEZ CANAL WAR

While it brought about the independence of Israel, it also meant the end of hostilities between this country and its Arab neighbors. Throughout the 50s, attacks were led by groups supported mainly by Egypt.

EGYPT

June 1967 SIX-DAY WAR

Confrontations between Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and Israel.

1967 - 1970 WAR OF ATTRITION

Limited war between Egypt and Israel. It was initiated by Egypt in an attempt to regain the Sinai.

“Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his ﬂock... Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever” Jeremiah 31:10, 35 and 36.

5 October - 1973 THE YOM KIPPUR WAR

Also known as the Ramadan War or the October War, it was an armed conﬂict between Israel and the Arab countries of Egypt and Syria taking place in October 1973.

If tomorrow Israel laid down its arms and announced it will not ﬁght again, what would happen?

ake

TIBESTI

Emi Koussi 3415 m

The destruction of Israel and the Jewish population.

March - 1978 THE LITANI OPERATION (Lebanon)

Code name given to the invasion that the Israel Defense Forces carried out in 1978 in southern Lebanon up to the Litani River in order to stop Palestinian bases carrying out guerrilla inﬁltrations into Israel.

And if the Arab countries surrounding Israel announced they will not ﬁght again, what would happen?

C H A D

There would be peace tomorrow.

In conclusion, we can say that it is a simple problem to describe: one side wants the other to die, and if it dies, there will be peace.

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June - Sept. 1982 PEACE IN GALILEE (Lebanon)

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S U D A N

Armed conﬂict beginning on June 6, 1982, when the Israel Defense Forces moved into southern Lebanon in order to expel the PLO from the country. The Government of Israel responded to the attempted a ssassination of the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom, Shlomo Argov, by the Abu Nidal group.

April 1996

GRAPES OF WRATH (Lebanon)

Omdurman

*(PLO) Palestine Liberation Organization

Code name used by the Israeli armed forces to refer to the campaign conducted against Lebanon for sixteen days, from 11 to 27 April 1996, in order to ﬁnish the Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel.

Khartoum

Wad Madani

LEBANON Beirut

SIRIA Lebanon

Damascus

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ISRAEL

Baalbek

Beirut

Tel aviv

Sidon

Jerusalem Aman

JORDAN

Tyre

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Gaza Strip

Area 385 km² 11 km of border with Egipt 51 km of borde with Israel 40 km of coast in the Mediterranean Population 1.500.202 inhabitants Demonym Gazan Country Palestine Language Arabic Kilometers 0

OPERATION PROTECTIVE EDGE

July 2014 12 9

Nov. 2012

Dec. 08 - January 09

July - August 2006 THE SECOND LEBANON WAR

OPERATION CAST LEAD

ERITREA

Asymmetrical armed conﬂict between the IDF and the armed wing of the Shiite Hezbollah organization, operating in Lebanon and Syria and considered a terrorist organization by the United States, Israel and 4 more countries. 1700

Kassala

It was an air, land and sea military offensive preceded by an aerial bombardment campaign on the Gaza Strip. It was directed against infrastructure targets in the Hamas organization, particularly ports, police stations, weapons depots and underground tunnels that connect Gaza with Egypt. 1900 1800

Asmera

OPERATION PILLAR OF DEFENSE

The objectives of the operation were to stop the ﬁring of rockets from Gaza into Israel – which had seen a sharp increase in the days before the military incursion – and to limit the capabilities of Palestinian militant organizations such as Hamas.

Sana

YEMEN 2000

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REMINISCENCES of the

WORK 16 Impacto evangelistic

IMAGES 1. Pastor Guerra along with Brothers Ortiz in the 90’s. 2. Rev. Carlos Guerra with his wife, Sister Norma de Guerra, in 2003. 3. Pastor Guerra in one of the activities of the work in the 90’s. 4. The pastor working hard with the aborigines, end of the 90’s.

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Health and Christianity

f who’s definition is taken strictly, who could really say that is healthy? Who can enjoy a state of “complete” well-being in all aspects of life? Perhaps it would be better to propose a more realistic concept of health, rather than an almost unachievable definition. However, it is possible that WHO’s real intention is to tend towards an ideal that does not exist nor has already been reached. The Christian faith sees life as a gift to be lived to 18 Impacto evangelistic

(Source : http://www. protestantedigital.com/)

WELL-BEING ger for life that dwells in the soul of the human creature. Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desires were prematurely thwarted by the rebellion of men and, since then, humanity has been suffering its painful consequences. However, the struggle of modern medicine against disease and suffering remains absolutely legitimate. Humanity has the moral duty to obtain for itself the highest possible levels of health and life fulfillment. Nonetheless, this does not mean that we must sacralize health or follow the old ap-

the fullest. This of course also applies to physical health. Man was created by God to live, not to get sick and die. The initial purpose of the Creator did not include any form of evil. From this perspective, any kind of disease contradicts the original plan for mankind and, even today, keeps affecting the natural hun-

proaches of Epicureanism stating that the search for pleasure and physical wellbeing is the ultimate goal of men. It is true that health should be considered a good, but not the ultimate good. Believers must learn to accept the limitations of their own nature. In addition, brotherly love, solidarity with the needy, devotion to Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kingdom, and the proclamation of the Gospel may demand from us to be able to expose our personal

safety a n d risk our health or even life (1 John 3: 16.) Recognizing and accepting a disease, when all spiritual and medical resources have been already exhausted to cure it, is a sign of maturity, as it implies acknowledging our human condition and knowing how to face the reality of the world we live in. No need to feel a failure when health is completely deteriorated; for Christians, disease itself can be a genuine school for maturity and discovery of the truth u August 2014

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The Apocryphal (X) Gospels In this installment, the authors analyze in depth the positions of the people who defend the Apocryphal Gospels. In conclusion, they discover the intentions of those who intend to misrepresent the Word of God. Rev. Domingo Fernández Dr. César Vidal Manzanares

he criteria used by Westcott and Hort could be wrong, as certainly the outcome is regrettable. However, the result was not casual. The work was started from clearly defined theological positions of which the victory was intended to be imposed by any means. I. They defended an unbiblical theology. The theology of Westcott and Hort fits perfectly into the mold of what we might call liberal theology. In harmony with it, both authors deny the inspiration and inerrancy of the Scriptures 20 Impacto evangelistic

and the most important doctrines of the Scriptures, such as the divinity of Christ or His atoning sacrifice. a) They denied the inspiration of the Scriptures. In their writings, Westcott and Hort state many times their posture against the belief in the inerrancy and inspiration of the Bible. In 1851, Hort pointed out what was in his opinion the “common orthodox heresy: the inspiration.” Seven years later, he said that what separated him from evangelicals was basically their belief in the authority of the Bible: “Evangelicals seem to me perverted ... There are, I fear, still more serious differences between us on the subject of authority, and especially the authority of the Bible.” This point of view was reflected in his works about biblical exegesis, by denying, for instance, that the words of the prophets were inspired (“they (the prophets) were His messengers, inspired by His Spi-

rit, not in their words, only but as men...”) or by insisting that while it was important to believe in Christ, it was not important to believe something concrete about Him (“faith is ‘in Christ’ and not in any statements about Christ”). In 1860, Westcott and Hort acknowledged in their correspondence that they did not

HISTORY

accept the infallibility of the Scriptures. While the first one said: “I reject the word infallibility from the Scriptures overwhelmingly,” the second one would reply in a letter, “I am glad that you adopt the same provisional ground as to infallibility that I do.” Of course, such a position was seen as something that

should be extended to other people. In 1862, Hort noted that “the English clergy are not compelled to maintain the absolute infallibility of the Bible.” b) They denied the divinity of Christ. Westcott and Hort tried to limit, as far as possible, their heretical claims to the scope of their private co-

rrespondence and not to reveal them in their best-known works. Yet, there are plenty of heterodox references in them. Commenting on John 1:1, Westcott says that “the preexistence of the Word is definitely not stated,” and adds, “Because the Word was personally distinct from ‘God’ and

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g yet essentially ‘God,’ he could make Him known.” That way he minimized the clear affirmation of deity that John the Evangelist makes about the Son. We find a similar behavior in his main partner. Referring to 1 Peter 1: 3, where Jesus is called “Lord”, Hort says: “In all this primitive use, Kyrios probably does not represent Adon, but its nearest Aramaic equivalent, Mar, sometimes applied to masters by disciples.” In other words, Peter would not only not have asserted the divinity of Christ, but would have just considered Him as only a master. Similarly, in commenting on Revelation, Hort not only said that Christ could not be the Alpha and Omega (“all scriptural analogy is against the attribution of kyrios ho zeos with or without Pantókrator to Christ”) but also, referring to Revelation 3:14, insisted that, according to the Arian interpretation, Christ could be someone created (“[Words] might no doubt bear the Arian meaning, the first thing created). To Hort, not only the biblical evidence was reluctant to see Christ as Zeos ho (God) but He had probably been a being created. Needless to say that the texts about the divinity of Christ are several and repeated in the Bible, even though Westcott and Hort – and the PV – have tried hard to even delete some of them. In this insistence on twisting the texts of the Bible that clearly affirm the divinity of Christ, Wescott even claimed that He never said He was God, but that He had only tried to make men see God in Him: 22 Impacto evangelistic

“He never speaks of Himself directly as God (comp. v. 18), but the aim of His revelation was to lead men to see God in Him.” c) They denied the bodily resurrection of Christ. In the same way that Westcott clearly questioned the divinity of Christ, he had his objections to belief in His bodily resurrection. Thus, commenting on John 2:19, where Jesus foretold his own resurrection, Westcott wrote: “The resurrection of Christ was the raising again of the temple, the complete restoration of the tabernacle of God’s presence to men, perpetuated in the church, which is Christ’s body.” If there is any doubt on his point of view, Westcott also said that the body of Jesus earthly dissolved: “The life of Christ was not endless or eternal only. It was just essentially indissoluble (akatályptos). Although the form of its ma-

The theology of Westcott and Hort fits perfectly into the mold of what we might call liberal theology.

nifestation was changed and in the earthly sense He died, yet His life endured unchanged even through earthly dissolution.” There is no need to overemphasize that this statement is untenable biblically speaking, especially for the fact that Jesus’ body did not see corruption (Acts 2:22-38) in compliance with the prophecy of Psalm 16: 8-11. d) They denied the doctrine of the atonement. While

denying doctrines such as the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible, and the divinity of Christ or His bodily resurrection, Westcott and Hort expressed a genuine repulsion towards the biblical teaching on the atonement of Christ. In 1856, Hort expressed his criticism of Campbell’s book about atonement because “unluckely he knows nothing except Protestant theology.” A year later, on 16 November 1849, he pointed out in a letter his horror at this doctrine. In other words, the passage was spiritualized so that the reference to the resurrection was deleted even though, as it is stated in John 2:22, the disciples understood that Jesus’ prophecy was fulfilled when He rose from the dead. “Finally St. Paul’s mysterious words, ‘Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.’ (But I have laboured so utterly in vain to apprehend in any measure what this idea is, that I hope you will deepen and widen the hints that you have already given). I am quite conscious that I have given but few distinct objections to the common belief, in what I have written, but so indeed it must be; LANGUAGE CANNOT ACCURATLEY DEFINE THE TWINGE OF SHRINKING HORROR WHICH MIXES WITH MY THOUGHTS WHEN I HEAR THE POPULAR NOTION ASSERTED.” This quote is somehow revealing. Hort was not only unable to accept Paul’s teaching on the atonement, but also the mere mention of it caused an overwhelming horror in him. His reaction was certainly very different from that of a Christian convinced

HISTORY

that he has been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1: 19). e) They were in favor of Catholicism and against evangelical theology. Even if the theology of Westcott and Hort was radically opposed to the Bible, it was also suspiciously favorable to Catholicism. In 1848, after ranting against the “fanaticism of bibliomaniacs” (as he described those who believed in the inspiration of the Scriptures), Hort said: “pure Romish view seems to me nearer and more likely to lead to the truth than the Evangelical,” and “Protestantism is only parenthetical and temporary.” It does not come as a surprise that the same author

notes: “The positive doctrines of the evangelicals seem perverted to me besides lacking truth. I am afraid that there are serious differences between us on the subject of authority and especially on the authority of the Bible.” In parallel, Westcott would write in 1865 that the alleged apparitions of the Virgin at La Salette had to be accepted as coming from God, i.e., “God revealing Himself now, and not just in one form, but in many.” Guided by a mariological devotion certainly suspicious for a Protestant minister, Hort visisted a temple dedicated to the Virgin for spiritual purposes. In any case, Westcott and

La teología de Westcott y Hort encajaba a la perfección en el molde de lo que podríamos denominar teología liberal.

Hort seem to have been so naive as to think that positions, as the ones we have pointed out in the preceding pages, could be admitted within a church of Bible teaching or that they could be tolerable for an orthodox believer. To what extent were Hort and Westcott aware that their heterodoxy is revealed in the confession that the latter made in 1855 when he said that if he had been examined about his position on the Bible, he “ would have certainly been considered a heretic.” Whatever the case, there is little doubt that the theological background of the two friends does not seem to be the most appropriate in order to review the Greek New Testament u August 2014

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Something Greater Than Gold

The character, perseverance and endurance of Eric Liddell, an outstanding Scottish athlete and 1924 Olympic champion, is a clear example to follow. His story was narrated by Janet and Geoff Benge in a magnificent book that is part of the “Christians Heroes: Then & Now” series. Johan Pérez Landeo

hundering applause erupted throughout the stadium. The noise was deafening. It was reported later that it could heard all over Paris. Eric Liddell had done the impossible, and the crowd had watched him do it. Now people wanted to raise their voices and celebrate the win with him. Finally, after several minutes, the noise died down enough to hear official announcement that Eric not only had won the race but also had set a new world record. 24 Impacto evangelistic

The crowd went wild again. Some of the members of the British Olympic team made their way onto the field and hoisted Eric onto their shoulders. “Something Greater Than Gold”, written by Janet and Geoff Benge, tells the biography of one of the most renowned twentieth-century Christian athletes. It all started in the city of Tianjin, China, on January 16, 1902, when the married couple of Scottish missionaries formed by Rev. James Dunlop Liddell and his wife had their second son, baptized as Eric Henry. When he was six, his parents sent him along with his brother Robert to Eltham College, a school in England for children of missionaries. His parents and younger sister remained in China, but years later they returned to Scotland. Four-year-old Eric Eric Liddell had a wonderful life. He lived at a large London Mis-

sionary Society compound in Siao Chang on the Great Plain of North China. Along with his six-year-old brother Robert and Jenny, his three-year old sister, Eric had free run of the place. There were four large house, plus two schools, one for boys and one for girls, and a church. Eric’s father preached in the church, and his mother, Mary, helped teach school. As a nurse, Eric’s mother also took care of many of the local children when they were sick. At Eltham, Eric became captain of the cricket and rugby teams and begun to be recognized as the fastest Scottish young man. Then, over time, he decided to devote himself exclusively to athletics and set one goal in his mind: the 1924 Paris Olympics. He was a specialist in the 100 meters race, but when he knew that the final would take place on Sunday, he renounced disputing it on

LITERATURE

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g religious grounds: Sunday is the Lord’s Day. He decided to compete in two other distances, 200 and 400 meters. As they were not his specialty, he trained hard to be as prepared as possible. The day after the opening ceremony was Sunday, but not just any Sunday, it was the day that Eric had refused to run. Harold Abrahams, a student at the University of Cambridge, lined up with his opponents to try to qualify for Britain in the final of the 100 meters race. Meanwhile, Eric Liddell was not seen anywhere. He was in the church of Scots Kirk, on the other side of town. While the 100-meter race was taking place, Eric gave a talk to the congregation. When he left the church he heard the good news: Abrahams had made it to the final. According to eyewitnesses at the time, an American massage therapist gave the Scottish boy, just before the race started, a note with a text from the book of Samuel: “He who honors Me, I will honor”. In fact, Liddell won the race; he won the gold medal and broke the world record with a time of 47.6 seconds. He also got the bronze medal in the 200 meters race. He called the attention of the public and media because of the way he ran: with his head back and his mouth wide open. Due to his victory and record, which remained in place for four years, he was called the “Flying Scotsman.” In September 1932, Eric was back in Tientsin, ready to start a new school year. His old responsibilities awaited him. So he became the tutor of a group of 26 Impacto evangelistic

LITERATURE children and director of the Sunday School in Union Church. He also accepted other new occupations. He was appointed secretary of the Anglo-Chinese School and chairman of the sports committee. And because he was also an ordained minister, he accepted invitations to teach in some churches. Liddell wrote long letters to his parents once a week. As his parents were not going to return to China, they wanted to know everything he did and how were their old friends. According to the story of Janet and Geoff Benge, after finishing the Olympic Games in Paris, instead of savoring the sweetness of sport, Liddell decided to follow the footsteps of his parents and became a Christian missionary. Then he returned to his native Tianjin, where he became a teacher at Anglo-Chinese school. In addition to his Christian values, which he still practiced for his own enjoyment, he also tried to instill in Chinese children the passion for the sport. In 1934, he married Florence McKenzie, a Canadian woman, who was the daughter of missionaries, like him. They had three children. Eric sighed deeply. He had come to Canada right at the time in which the worst news were produced. On 3 September, 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany, thereby starting World War II. Seven days after, Canada also declared war on Germany. Sitting at the door, in the warm afternoon sun, Eric felt that his whole life had been marked by war. The “Boxers” Rebellion took place at the time of his birth; World War I occurred when

he was attending school; the Sino-Japanese war had developed during most of his married life... And now a new war broke out in Europe. In 1941, as stated in the work of the Benges, the British government advised its nationals to leave China: a bloody civil war had broken. It was then that Florence decided to go to Canada with her children and Eric stayed in China to continue his missionary work. He worked on a mission in an impoverished region where his brother, Rob Liddell, was

“Just then Eric realized the enormity of what was coming upon them. Somehow the 1800 camp inmates, separated from their families, friends and country, would have to find a way to work together to form a community. This should be a community where many people undertake various tasks that they have never imagined to do.”

already working as a doctor. The work was enormous and everything turned complicated when in 1943, the mission was dismantled and Liddell entered a prison camp. There he became a leader. He helped the elderly, entertained the young, and read the Bible to the others. Just then Eric realized the enormity of what was coming upon them. Somehow the 1800 camp inmates, separated from their families, friends and country, would have to find a way to work together to form a community. This should be a community where many people undertake various tasks that they

have never imagined to do. They would have to prepare meals, pump water and wash clothes by hand. Eric sighed. It would be a pretty tough experience for many people who were used to being pampered by their Chinese servants. Eric pushed his bags against the wall and left. On 21 February 1945, Eric Liddell wrote a letter to his wife in which he said he was about to suffer a nervous breakdown. That same day Eric suddenly died. Apparently, a brain tumor, which was worsened by the poor conditions of the prison camp, put an end to his life. Many mourned his death in the UK. In 2008, on the occasion of the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government revealed that Liddell had had the opportunity to leave the prison camp thanks to an agreement between the Chinese Communists and the British government. However, this never happened, as he refused to leave so that a pregnant woman was released instead. Eric Liddell’s funeral was held on Saturday 24 February 1945, three days after his death, and AP Cullen led the church service. Surely no other person apart from the Liddell family knew him so well and for so long. He had been a teacher at Eltham School in London, and knew Eric since he was ten and studied there. Later, both were teachers at the Anglo-Chinese school. Years before, Eric had confessed that he would like the hymn “Be still, my soul” to be sung at his funeral. The congregation sang the hymn softly as students formed a guard of honor before those who carried the coffin u August 2014

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Stand up, stand up for Jesus

Written by Rev. George Duffield Jr., this Christian ode gives hope to everyone who sings it. The praise emphasizes the victory promised for everyone whose faith in God does not falter.

omfort, strength and safety are the benefits that every son of God receives when singing or reading the splendid verses of the hymn “Stand up, stand up for Jesus.” The words of this beautiful spiritual song, written in the midnineteenth century by Rev. George Duffield Jr., reminds us of the difficult walk of every Christian and the continuous battle they must deal with against powerful enemies, such as the rulers of darkness. However, they also emphasize that if the believer abides in Christ and does not stumble, victory is assured. 28 Impacto evangelistic

George Duffield Jr. was born on September 12, 1818 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, northeast of the United States. Since he was a child, George was educated according to the Scriptures, as his father and grandfather were prominent ministers of the Gospel. With a sensitive heart and a commendable obedience, he had it always clear that in the future he would become a servant of Jesus Christ. He studied at Yale University, where he graduated in 1837, and then did the same in the Union Theological Seminary (Nueva York) in 1840. That same year, with only 22, he got married and was named reverend. His ministry began in Brooklyn, and then he moved to different cities. Between the winter of 1857 and the spring of 1858, George exercised his pastorate in Philadelphia. In this city, God was performing an extraordinary spiritual

revival. One of his greatest tools for this awakening was Dudley A. Tyng, a preacher known for his evangelical zeal, unalterable convictions, and passion for lost souls. George Duffield became a close friend of pastor Tyng, who died soon after. Dudley A. Tyng had gone to a barn to see how a machine to thresh corn worked. In an oversight, one of the sleeves of his shirt got caught in the machine causing the amputation of an arm and his passing days after, on April 19, 1958. Shortly before he died, when asked if he had any message to pass on to his followers, Tyng took courage from his afflicted body and replied: “Let’s all stand up for Jesus.” Those simple words penetrated the heart of George Duffield Jr. and became the main input for the subsequent composition of the hymn called “Stand up,

MUSIC STAND UP, STAND UP FOR JESUS

1 Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross; lift high his royal banner, it must not suffer loss. From victory unto victory his army shall he lead, till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed. 2 Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey; forth to the mighty conflict, in this his glorious day. Ye that are brave now serve him against unnumbered foes; let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose. 3 Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in his strength alone; the arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own. Put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer; where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there. 4 Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long; this day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song. To those who vanquish evil a crown of life shall be; they with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.

stand up for Christ.” In fact, at his friend’s funeral, he preached a message based on Ephesians 6:14 and, at the end, he read the song he had written in memory of his faith mate. The hymn was quickly picked by congregational publishers and then appeared in “The Book of Hymns” and the “The Church Psalmist”

SOCIAL WORK

lthough he is usually remembered for his hymn “Stand up, stand up for Christ”, called the crown of his work in name of the Lord, George Duffield Jr. performed for seven years as director of the University of Michigan. He was also director of the Christian newspaper “The Observer”. Perhaps, his most notably personal legacy was that he conducted an intense work of evangelization, as well as several social projects for the needy u

supplement. Nowadays, this song is sung in thousands of churches around the world, filling with enthusiasm those who sing and making them renew their efforts as Lord’s faithful soldiers. The servant George Duffield Jr. passed away at age 69 on July 6, 1888, in the city of Bloomfield. He was buried in Detroit, Michigan u August 2014

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A Faithful Christian

is name was Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, but he was known as Tertullian. He was born in Carthage, in modernday Tunisia, around 160 AD. His father was a Roman centurion. A lawyer by profession, his writings reveal his knowledge of Roman law. He also spoke Greek and Latin. Tertullian, like any young of the upper classes of his time, had fun at the Roman circus, seeing how gladiators killed each other and how criminals were devoured by wild beasts. When he saw that Christians were put to death in the circus 30 Impacto evangelistic

without cause, Tertullian was deeply moved and converted to Christianity, possibly around 197. From that moment, he began to write in defense of this despised group called “Christian,” to which he now belonged. When Tertullian accepted Christ, he embraced the faith with great ardor. Soon he married a Christian girl and it is estimated that in the year 200 he was ordained deacon in the Church of Carthage. His writings date between 197 and 218 and reflect his enormous erudition. Tertullian was the first great writer of Latin Christianity and one of the greatest and most original personalities of the early church. The few data about his life stem from some references in his work and from later authors. He received a thorough education in law, philosophy and rhetoric. He lived for some time in Rome, where he probably worked as a lawyer and increa-

sed his interest in Christianity, although his conversion took place on his return to Carthage. From this time he displayed a remarkable polemic activity against pagans and heretics and in defense of Christianity through numerous writings. LEADING FIGURE

Tertullian became a prominent figure in the Church of North Africa. In his writings he reflected an original Latin prose and developed the vocabulary which later would be used by Christianity. Tertullian’s biography is much less known than the development of his thought, which is witnessed by about thirty doctrinal, apologetic, ascetic and moral works. He had African origins and was the son of a pagan family. He was educated in Carthage, a lively cultural center, where he received an education that must have been both literary and legal. His intelligence, open to truth and beauty, and

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g richly dialectical, made it easier for him to practice rhetoric and a splendid erudition and use the finest legal resources. In his works some testimonials about his youth deviations are found: Tertullian confesses to have been a sinner and a frequent spectator of immoral and adulterer spectacles. He does not tell us, or at least not so clearly, how he became a Christian: this must had happen around 197, perhaps during a stay in Rome and after his return to Carthage. Certain allusions of the author allow us to think that maybe he was strongly influenced by the heroic serenity of Christian martyrdom. He married, and asked his wife, in a text addressed to her, not to hold remarriage; and this represents one of the features of its strict ideology. Tertullian used the fervor of his soul and the lucidity of his mind in a series of works in which he brilliantly shows his skills as polemicist, physician and moralist under a formal aspect of academic type which is rich in expressive means. His message is characterized by his moral rigor and the emphasis on the superiority of revelation and faith over reason. His writings also laid the important thesis that the Scriptures could only be interpreted by qualified members of the church. CUTTING THOUGHTS

Tertullian’s writings also reflect all the passion of his soul. Christian doctrine is expressed in them with extraordinary strength. In the last period of his life he expressed an extremely rigorous attitude. Yet 32 Impacto evangelistic

Tertullian’s writings exerted an incalculable influence on the formation of theological thought. He wrote at least three books in Greek, to which he refers, though none has survived. His principal study was jurisprudence, revealing his methods of reasoning, a noticeable trace of his legal training. He shone among the lawyers in Rome, as reported by Eusebius. His works cover the whole

theological field of apologists of his time against paganism and Judaism, polemics, organization, discipline and morale, or the complete reorganization of human existence on a Christian basis. They also paint a complete picture of the religious life and thought of his time. His overall tone is austere and its purpose is practical; these writings are full of life and freshness. In his task of making the Latin language a

HEROES OF FAITH

Tertullian's writings also reflect all the passion of his soul. The Christian doctrine is expressed in them with extraordinary strength. In the last period of his life he expressed an extremely rigorous attitude. Yet Tertullian's writings exerted an incalculable influence on the formation of theological thought.

vehicle for his ideas, the author is quick, precise and direct. He is also strong and bold and demands, does not beg reader’s attention. With reference to literature and ancient customs, he is a master of wit and is always original. He always has been compared to a cool tumultuous mountain stream that makes his own way. Among the apologetic writings, Apologeticus, addressed to the Roman magis-

trates, is the most trenchant defense of Christianity and Christians never written until then, against the reproaches of the pagans and also one of the most magnificent legacies of the ancient Church, full of enthusiasm, courage and vigor. First, he clearly proclaims the principle of religious freedom as an inalienable human right and requires a fair trial before condemning Christians to death. Tertullian

was the first one to break the power of lies, such as the fact that Christians slaughtered children in the celebration of the Supper and committed incest. He also notes the commission of such crimes in the pagan world, showing, according to the testimony of Pliny, that Christians were committed to not commit murder, adultery or other crimes; he also argued the inhumanity of pagan customs, such as meat fat gladiators to boast over them. Although Tertullian was thoroughly familiar with Greek theology, he was independent of any metaphysical speculation. He knew Greek apologies, but made a direct contrast. Tertullian despised Greek philosophy and far from considering Plato, Aristotle and other Greek thinkers who others cited as precursors of Christ and the Gospel, Tertullian considered them as patriarchs of the heretics. Tertullian always wrote under the pressure of a strong need of the Lord. During Tertullian’s life, idolatry and paganism prevailing in the society were increasingly structured. In this regard, Tertullian said, “Lord Christ has surnamed Himself truth, not custom.” He also said, “the essence of Christianity is humility, peace and purity; while public shows and sporting events only encourage wild and furious passions, lust and anger” and “licentious language is condemned by God, what a man should not say, should not hear.” According to Jerome, Tertullian died at a very old age around 220, although many believe he died as a martyr of the faith at an unknown age u August 2014

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The Prisoner in Cell 4

He was the terror of the roads between Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Armed with a machine-gun he assaulted hundreds of people ruthlessly until he went to jail. There, he met the Word of God.

Photos: Roberto Guerrero and family archive

anilo Sosa Ojeda had spent several weeks at New Guinea prison and while he was walking in the prison yard a group of people started handing out bread and beverages among all prisoners. Immediately he recognized them. They were the same Christians whom he had assaulted months ago in a road border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Shaming, he tried to avoid them, but the men spoke to him so he had no alternative but to receive the food. This episode would be his first approach to God, after a life of violence and depriva34 Impacto evangelistic

tion that led him to the path of theft. His criminal career had begun when he was still a teenager in the municipality of Juigalpa, department of Chontales, Nicaragua. In fact, hunger and necessity urged him since he was born in 1973, five years after he was abandoned by his father who disappeared fleeing guerrilla and household responsibilities. - I never knew how it felt to be hugged by a parent or that he told you a nice word - he remembers thirty-five years later. His mother, who had several couples and many shortcomings, barely could feed him. Along with his three brothers, many times, he had to go to bed without having eaten any food throughout the day. At the age of twelve he began to travel the thorny path of crime. First he began to steal fruit from orchards near his

LIFE STORIES

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g home, along with a group of friends, and so he began experimenting theft. Soon after, he raided houses in neighborhoods like Jerusalem and New Guinea. But that was not enough for him, as he grew, he felt the need to get more money. Then he set his sights on the countless cattle grazing the grasslands of the place. Bulls, cows and young bulls, began to be stolen at night to be taken to the slaughterhouses. DIVE MESSAGE

At the age of 16, he entered a young gang called “La pandilla del Gallo” where he became known as “El Chino”. In his first armed robbery, he acted as bait to stop a car on the road. The vehicle had no money or goods, but twelve evangelical believers. They did not care about anything and unceremoniously stripped the evangelical believers of their meager belongings and abandoned them on a deserted and dark street. Eight days later, all members of the gang were arrested and taken to a police station, where several deterrents blows made them confess. Danilo Sosa Ojeda was the last one to be arrested and he fractured several ribs during interrogation. Soon after, he was transferred to a penitentiary where he waited for the criminal process. It was there that he came to see his Christian victims, delivering breads and beverages to all prisoners; but above all, they spoke to them about the Word of God. - The attitude of the brothers 36 Impacto evangelistic

surprised me. There was so much goodness. It was an experience I will never forget - he says. At trial, he was released because he was a minor, while his cronies were sentenced. On the street, alone and without accomplices, he kept the decision to continue with his lifestyle and he formed a new gang because while he was

in prison, two seasoned criminals advised him to improve his criminal procedures to avoid ending up in jail again. So this was how on the table of a bar, between one drink and another, he began planning his new evil strategy. THE GANG

Danilo Sosa Ojeda sought his “buddies” (friends), formed

LIFE STORIES

the new gang in a few days and appointed himself head. Get the weapons was no problem because after the civil war in Nicaragua ended, there were machine-guns and rifles everywhere in the black market. His plan was to assault every eight days and hide. The first robbery took place on the roads linking the cities of New Guinea and Ma-

nagua, capital of Nicaragua. The victims were drivers of heavy trucks, innocent passengers and occupants of all types of private vehicles carrying valuables. In one of his nocturnal misdeeds, the gang of â&#x20AC;&#x153;El Chinoâ&#x20AC;? intercepted the vehicle of Norwegian diplomats whom they stripped of their possessions, except for a

small camera that recorded the criminals. A few weeks later, a group of Chinese citizens suffered a robbery. That was the straw that broke the camel. The Nicaraguan police began a persecution against the criminal organization that terrorized the roads of the Central American country.

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g The operations of the security forces were incessant. In one of these interventions, several plain-clothes police officers almost apprehended the gang. They were hidden in a vehicle that served as lure to make the thieves fell into the trap. When criminals approached, an intense shootout began so everybody ran away terrified. Danilo Sosa Ojeda jumped into some bushes, fled the scene and walked until dawn. The next day, he found that none of his cronies had been affected. - I thank God for protecting me and permitting me to get out alive from that situation - he says. Some months later, one of his cronies was captured with some stolen goods. Danilo Sosa Ojeda understood that his freedom was in danger and decided to go to neighboring Costa Rica and settle in one of the border towns. From there he organized other misdeeds which ended in the midst of shootings and police chases. At this point, he began to feel emptiness in his life. He wanted to buy a farm and have the family he always dreamed of, but it was not easy because he did not have enough money. Then he thought of leaving crime, but before that he tried to make the latest and greatest assault he had ever done in Costa Rica: the National Bank. To achieve this, he performed an exhaustive study of the infrastructure of the establishment, the movement of the security officers, the surveillance cameras and the distance between the bank and the nearest police station. 38 Impacto evangelistic

When he realized he did not have enough personnel and weapons to commit the assault, he returned to Nicaragua to gather what he needed. He had little money to buy weapons, so he decided to execute two previous robberies to get funds. It was then that he was arrested. “El Chino” was arrested in broad daylight near his house,

and when he least expected it. The police had identified him based on numerous witnesses. When he saw the officers surrounding his home, he escaped through the windows, but he was caught and arrested a mile away. At the age of 19 and completely bloodied and beaten during the chase, he entered a prison in New Guinea, then

LIFE STORIES

he was transferred to Las Colinas prison in Juigalpa and after that he was confined to Cuisalรก prison where he occupied cell 4. There he lived with 700 prisoners who were in a terrible overcrowding. He suffered a bad and insufficient diet and saw how many of his fellow inmates offered their body to get some money. One of the prisoners could take no more of such a depressing situation so he hanged himself. DIVINE ENCOUNTER

Weeks later, Danilo Ojeda

Sosa was sentenced to seven years in prison and it was then that he remembered once again the Christians whom he had assaulted years earlier. He was thinking of them in cell 4, when a man sentenced to thirty years visited him to invite him to an evangelistic service being held at the prison. He did not really want to attend, but he went almost reluctantly. A few days later, on 8 October 1993, he was invited again and everything changed. The power of God was stronger than all earthly vices. During the duration of

the message of the preacher, Danilo Sosa Ojeda wept along with 40 other prisoners. - When I surrendered to Christ, my way of thinking and acting changed completely. I will never be the same again - he says. Three and a half years later, he was released from prison and had the opportunity to rebuild his life. Already reintegrated to society, he married, had three children and joined an evangelical church. Currently he is a preacher of faith in Esparza, province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica u August 2014

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Teachings and sermons of the most renowned preachers who expose the truth of the Lord through their life stories consacrated to God. The Bible says: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life... And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 5:39; 8:32

DEVOTIONAL

His Imminent Return

when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (v. 3).

“And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:3-51. Rev. Luis M. Ortiz

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he disciples came and asked Jesus, “Tell us,

The Master replies showing signs that would indicate the proximity of His coming. From verse 4 to 6, the Lord begins by calling us to be vigilant in order not to be deceived, for false Christs shall arise. He also speaks of wars and rumors of war. Jesus says, “Ye bet not troubled.” The truth is that there have always been false Christs,

wars and rumors of wars. Therefore, the Master says, “But the end is not yet.”

From verse 7 to 8, the Lord gives us new sings and states, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

Formerly only armies fought in wars and the civilian population remained in their homes. Now we live in a time in which the warring nations are put in readiness for battle, from children to the elderly, including women. The whole nation rises and the war is nation against nation. The Lord also talks about pestilence. And often there are new pestilences and plagues in the world; famine currently strikes many places; earthquakes are the order of the day, becoming more frequent and intense. And this is when the Master says that these things are the beginning of the end. From verse 9 to 14, Jesus gives us new signs and says, “Then shall they deliver you up (to be afflicted) and shall kill you.”

The Lord speaks of abhorrence, scandals, hatred and betraying each other. He says that there will be false prophets who will deceive many and that love will become cold because of the evil. And despite this corrupted environment, the Gospel will be preached across the world, and then shall the end come. We note that the signs mentioned are features of the time in which we live and the Lord’s exhortation is necessary, in verse 13, when He says, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

From verse 15 to 22, the Master refers to signals connected directly to the people of Israel and in its own territory, regarding to his apparition in the clouds which is the second phase of its advent, the first being the Rise of the Church. The Lord speaks of a great sorrow, “such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” to such an extent that “those days shall be shortened.”

The events of all kinds keep the world in dismay and tension. The Lord is making these things to happen with marked rapidity, thus shortening the end days. Because, “except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” Then from verse 23 to 27, the Lord notes that in those final days many will claim to be the Christ, and that they “shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” He exhorts us

to ignore such claims and forewarnings because His coming will not be announced in that way, it will be sudden. Politics, science, morality, in short, everything in the world is in crisis. The dark clouds of the global crisis portend the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ for the second time. From verse 28 to 31, the Lord speaks emphatically of the sign

The Lord gives us some signs so that we know the time of his coming. He speaks of the poor moral status in the world. He talks about the infidelity and apostasy of many believers, which is a sad reality.

of His coming. And all of creation is affected by the glorious appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven, because, “the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

From verse 32 to 51, the Lord gives us some additional signals so that we have a better knowledge of the time of His coming. He speaks of the fig tree and the Israelite people who greens and flowers, which is an actual fact. He speaks of the poor moral status in the world, as in the days of Noah. He talks about the infidelity and apostasy of many believers, which is a sad reality. The Master warns us and says, “So likewise ye, when

ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors… But of that day and hour knoweth no man…”

Watch and pray that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass. Dear friend, are you ready to meet the Lord? If you are not, your destruction will be sad and eternal. But at this moment you have the glorious opportunity to prepare yourself by the repentance of your sins and the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is your Savior. Accept Him now. Amen u August 2014

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Known in Hell “And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?”

Acts 19:15.

Why the Revival does not arrive E. Leonard Ravenhill Chapter 20

ook at Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19). Seven men were attempting to use a religious formula over a Gadara- type of victim (Matthew 8:1-34). But slinging theological terms or even Bible verses at devilpossessed men is as ineffective as snowballing Gibral42 Impacto evangelistic

tar in the hope of removing it. One man, demon-controlled, was an easy match for these seven sons of Sceva who fled into the streets, shirtless and shamed. And so, the seven wounded, fearful men told their own tale, for God turned their folly to the glory of Christ, so that His name was

greatly feared and magnified. Spooky spiritists were converted; Jews and Greeks were saved; at a public bonfire, cult books to the value of fifty thousand pieces were burned. Listen to the testimony of the demon, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye?” This is the highest praise that earth

DEVOTIONAL or hell affords-to be classified by the enemy as one with Jesus.But how did Paul get that way? Why did demons know Paul? Consider for a moment Paul’s story. God and Paul were on intimate terms. Revelations were granted him. His Spirit-powered words shattered the fetters from the soul of a spirit-bound girl, whom men had snared as a fortuneteller. In Corinth, this mighty man Paul drained a part of the “Slough of Despond,” and there on the devil’s doorstep established a church. Later, he snatched souls from under the nose of Caesar, right from Caesar’s own household. And before kings Paul was at home, for he said, “I count myself happy King Agrippa!”

Paul also stormed the intellectual capital of the world (Mars hill) with resurrection truth and thereby routed their learned. While Paul lived, hell had no peace. Paul more than once uses the phrase “I am persuaded,” and therein lay his secret. His battleaxe was the Word of the Lord; his strength was faith in that Word. So the Spirit alerted Paul to the coming strategy of the devil. Paul was not ignorant of his devices; therefore hell suffered. Even when men willed to assassinate Paul, an informer uncovered the plot, and men and demons were foiled. When Paul went to the Cross, the miracle of conversion and regeneration took place; but later, the greater miracle of identification took place. That I believe is the masterly argument of the Apostle--to be dead and alive at the same time. Paul adds, “Nevertheless I live, yet not.”

Paul no longer wrestled with flesh (neither his own nor any other man’s); he wrestled “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places ” Does that shed any

light on why this demon said, “And Paul I know?” Paul had been wrestling against the demon powers. On the last lap of his earthly pilgrimage, he declared, “I have fought a good battle.” Demons could have said amen to that statement. Yes, Paul was known in hell. Another anchor that held this soul undaunted was the wrath of a holy God upon sin.

“Knowing the terror of the Lord he persuaded men” (II Corinthians.

5: 11). Because Paul loved His Lord with a perfect love, he also hated sin with a perfect hatred. His watchword was “This one thing I do.” He had no personal interest or ambitions and he did not need to be popular and appreciated by the people so that they invited him to preach or bought his books. He had no side issues, no books to sell. He had no ambitions-and so had nothing to be jealous about. He had no reputation-and so had nothing to fight about. He had no possessions-and therefore nothing to worry about. He had no rights-so therefore he could not suffer wrong. He was already broken-so no one could break him. He was less than the least-so none could humble him. He had suffered the loss of all things-so none could defraud him. Does this throw any light on why the demon said, “Paul I know?” Over this God-intoxicated man, hell suffered headaches.

Yet another anchor to the spirit of this saint was the efficacy of the blood of Jesus, and so the ability of Christ to save fully. “ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. But Christ is able to save to the uttermost ALL who come unto God by Him. With Paul there was no limited atonement. Zealot he was and wanted to be. In the light of an eternal hell what was the value of perishables things? And in our present day what are honors among men? Right now men are being swept into the vortex of a sewer of gross iniquity which ultimately will suck them down to an eternal hell. Is this true? Paul was convinced that it was. Another anchor for Paul was the blessed assurance that “To be absent from the body was to be present with the Lord” (II Corinthians 5: 8). No interminable intermediate state! Out of life into life. At the thought of eternity, language is beggared and imagination staggered. Paul could write off stripes, imprisonments, fasting, weariness, and painfulness as “light affliction”, recompensed by the fact, “so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

All the ammunitions of demons were wasted against Paul. Do you wonder now that one of them said, “And Paul I know?” Living right, here on earth takes care of the hereafter. Paul was so conformed to the image of the Son that he could say, “What things ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do” (Philippians

4:9). Do you still wonder why a demon said, “And Paul I know?” I do not! u August 2014

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Stay the course! Advance to a safe harbor! “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air… But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord”. Genesis 6: 5-8. Rev. Manuel Zúñiga

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esus died and shed his blood to save us and to open us the heavenly doors. The Bible states: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God… For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 3: 23; 6: 23).

Jesus stated that the last days would be “but as the days of

Noah were… For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah en-

DEVOTIONAL tered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away…” (Matthew 24: 37-39).

Timothy 1: 15). Jesus paid our liberty with His blood.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE DAYS

How could it be possible that only one man from a whole generation was able to find salvation before God? “But

• DEGRADATION. This was a main feature of Noah’s times. “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart” (Genesis 6: 5-6).

• VIOLENCE. This is another characteristic of Noah’s times. Since men live in wickedness, they hurt and even kill each other. There are wars in different places, our planet is full of struggles, jealousy and confrontations. • INDIFFERENCE TO WARDS GOD. There are increasingly more members of the church having this attitude. The Lord spoke that during Noah’s times people were “marrying and giving in marriage” (Matthew 24: 38). He did not say that marriage is a sin; He is pointing out the indifference of both men and women towards the things of God by not living according to His will but to their own personal and carnal interests. • PRIDE. This is another characteristic that leads men to condemnation since we do not like to face our reality as sinners. Jesus cannot save anyone who does not recognize him or herself as a sinner. The Bible states: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5: 32). The apostle Paul said: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1

THE ARC OF NOAH

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6: 8).

Noah made a vessel as ordered by God, but people just made fun of him as it happens nowadays with our preaching. The ARC was like Christ, a place to scape and shelter from the Judgment of the Lord. Nevertheless, the arc lacked two core objects for any vessel: THERE WAS NO LOCK ON THE DOOR and THERE WAS NO HELM. Noah was not in charge of closing the vessel’s door, but it was God who closed it and sealed it. The arc had no nails, nor steel, nor helm, nor radar, nor engine, nor sail, nor GPS, nor icebreaker, among other things. It was an arc with more than 100 meters long, 23 meters wide and 14 meters high. It was made to stand the greatest storm in the history of earth. Sea waves capsized steel ships despite their technology, strong engines and equipment; they just broke in half and sank in the depths of the sea. But this arc would never go adrift since the Lord had already planned a fixed course and a “harbor” for it to arrive. The Bible says that God opened the windows of heaven and broke up the great deep. There was water falling from the sky and covering the earth, strong currents and very high waves, and despite its lack of engines, veils and

helm, God leaded the arc to a safe harbor. The arc started to float while moving from one side to another, but we must remark that neither the currents nor the waves altered its course. The arc keep on following the path indicated by God as if it was a ship with engines until it run aground over the mount Ararat (Genesis 8: 4) in Armenia. CONCLUSION

Beloved one, do not be afraid of the gust or the storm of the test, your vessel will not sink and you will find a safe harbor. The Lord does not have to ask for permission to the devil. Of course He does not! He advances, He is God! His Church overcame the imperial times during which it almost disappeared, but those empires perished while the Church remained victorious. It is written: “And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (the Church of the Lord)” (Matthew 16: 18).

Although the devil raises waves, your vessel will arrive to a safe harbor. Then, what is the Church afraid of, if the Lord said: “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14: 2)? We will certainly arrive to a safe harbor! In this world in dismay and full of storms, the Church advances in a calm sea without anybody who can stop it to go with the Lord. Beloved reader, even if it seems that your arc is about to break or sink, Jesus will be there. He is God and our God is strong. He says to us: “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12: 32). Stay

the course! Advance to a safe harbor! u August 2014

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A quick report of the work that Worldwide Missionary Movement is making in America and throughout the world. The Holy Bible states: “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple... And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved”. (Acts 2:46,47).

EVENTS

“Murmuring is sin” Over three thousand people gathered in the district of Guapiles to celebrate the National Convention of the Worldwide Missionary Movement (WMM) in Costa Rica, where the recent progress of the Work worldwide was announced.

he great convention began with an important announcement for the Movement: the Work continues to make progress in the world. Rev. José Soto revealed that the Peruvian missionary Yuri Salgado has established a WMM temple in Kiev, Ukraine, where a group of brothers are willing to spread the Word of God. These brothers waited for brother Salgado with pews and a pulpit in some premises. “There is an open door to build the Work in Ukraine,” said Rev. Soto during the sermon that opened 46 Impacto evangelistic

the convention. Soon enough, the Word of God will be also taken to Russia with the support of other missionaries of the Work. Rev. Soto, Global Vice President of the Work, preached on the theme “Can we overcome temptations?” based on verses 1-14 of the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians. “There are many believers who think murmuring is not a sin. No murmurer is spiritually successful. They slip on the road and remain in the same situation for all their life. Murmuring is not an act of God, brothers,” he said.

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g Rev. Soto also warned everyone about pride. A haughty spirit is negative because it causes breaks and disgrace. “Its counterpart is humility, meekness,” he added. Later that day, he also talked about pornography and the harm it causes to the family, both parents and children. The convention began on Wednesday, July 19 at the Rogelio Alvarado Sport Center of Guapiles, province of Limón, and ended at noon on Saturday, July 12 with 48 Impacto evangelistic

the preaching on the theme “The meaning of reconciliation”, by Rev. Ruben Concepcion. During the convention, 4 brothers were promoted to lay preachers, 10 lay preachers to licensed preachers, and 6 licensed preachers to ordained ministers. The heavy rain that fell incessantly on Guapiles during the four days of convention meant no obstacle for the hundreds of people who attended the services held at the Sport Center in this Costa Rican district. Delegations from Peru,

EVENTS

Panama, Nicaragua, Colombia, Cuba and Guatemala were present. It should be noted that, next year, the church of the WMM in Costa Rica will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. From this country, the Work founded by Pastor Luis M. Ortiz was spread throughout all the countries of Central America u August 2014

WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia

National Convention in India The Eleventh National Convention of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in India took place from June 25 to June 28 in the Christhukula Ashramam Temple, in Tiruppattur.

he spiritual celebration started on Wednesday, June 25. The first service was led by Rev. Álvaro Garavito, who preached the theme “Being in the Presence of the Lord”, based on the life of the paralytic man in the pool of Bethesda. The second morning, Rev. Gustavo Martínez preached under the theme: “Steps for a victo50 Impacto evangelistic

rious life,” based on the life of Anne. The participants understood the need of consecrating to God to have a fruitful spiritual life. At night, Rev. Álvaro Garavito preached under the theme “The Conviction of Having Determination.” At the end of the service, many of the attendees showed the determination of entrusting their lives to the Lord.

In the morning of the third day, Rev. Gustavo Martínez preached about the life of the apostle Paul and encouraged the congregation, specially the pastors, to remain in the fire of God. During the missionary service, 25 brothers and 15 sisters were promoted to lay preachers, 13 lay preachers to licensed preachers, and 6 licensed pastors to ordained preachers.

At night, a special service was held for the families. During the worship, Sister Carmen Valencia preached about the successful life of a mother: Jochebed. To finish the service, she shared prophetic words with the families and servants of God.

EVENTS

The last day, the closure of this activity was held with a morning service. Rev. Gustavo Martínez preached under the title “Without Obedience There Is No Rain.” During the message, he highlighted that without

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52 Impacto evangelistic

EVENTS

g obedience there will be no blessings from the Holy Spirit. The messages were interpreted from Spanish into English and Tamil. Rev. Samuel David MejĂa interpreted from Spanish to English, while pastors Sam Jacob, National Supervisor of the WMM in India, and Sharon Devaprassannam, National Treasurer of the WMM in India, interpreted

from English to Tamil. Many delegations, pastors, and believers came from New Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Andaman Nicobar Islands, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Mumbai, to participate in the convention. Likewise, delegations from Oman, Kuwait and Sri Lanka attended this magnificent event u August 2014

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Evangelization in the jungle of Vaupés Civil and military authorities recognize the praiseworthy work of the WMM in Vaupés, Colombia. The spread of the Gospel in that place has had important results. 54 Impacto evangelistic

he Worldwide Missionary Movement has carried out since last year glorious evangelistic activities in the city of Mitú, capital of Vaupés, Colombia, where Rev. Eduard Sánchez

Mosquera and his wife Martha Medrano are in charge of the church. One of the fellowships was attended by leaders and pastors from the native communities and by leaders of Mitú. Likewise,

the colonel of the military force, the governor, and the representative of the Chamber of Vaupés, along with their families, participated in these events. The worships were held in the Temple and in the Cuervo Araoz stadium. The attention was focused on children, teenagers, young people, and adults. The city has been touched and the results

EVENTS

are noticeable. During these activities, the mayor of the city handed over the keys of the city to the Work of the WMM as recognition for the local work of the

Church, the pastors and the presbyter of Zone 42, Rev. Luis Vergara. Hallelujah! The WMM has taken the Gospel to this zone in the border with Brazil,

where 256 native communities speaking 26 dialects are located. There are 90 churches. These communities preserve their history, and so learning their language

is a great challenge and to reach them there is only a way of transportation: as they are situated in the jungle, there is no terrestrial transportation and there are no mules, so people have to row in canoes. They called â&#x20AC;&#x153;whitesâ&#x20AC;? the people who live in the city, and eat fish from the rivers, worms, snakes, frogs, etc. To communicate with them, you need the help of an interpreter. They worship the sun, the snake and the water, and talking to them about Jesus-Christ is a huge challenge. They are told that it was God who created the snake, the water, etc. The Work of God has 70 native leaders (there are 20 pastors officially recognized), many of whom do not know the city, but were assigned as leaders since they shepherd in the place. Bibles have been translated into their language. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very difficult to visit them u August 2014

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The Work in Philippines is growing The First Fellowship of the WMM in Philippines was held with the attendance of several brothers from different cities. 56 Impacto evangelistic

he promise of the Lord written in Psalms 37:5, “Commit your way to Jehovah, and trust Him, he will do”, comes true every day in His Work. In May, a new place of preaching was opened in the city of Bucalan, in the locality of San José del Monte, the most

EVENTS

populated area in this city. In June, the grace of God showed up in the Work of the WMM in Philippines. On June 12, national Independence Day, the first fellowship in the country was held with the attendance of several brothers from Bulacan, Manila, and the partici-

pation of the children from Quezon City. During this month, the Bible School for kids was established in the city of Bulacan. Every Saturday, more and more children come to know the Word and the great salvation plan given to humanity through the

sacrifice of Jesus-Christ. Likewise, the first activity oriented to kids who live in areas of difficult access was held in the city of Antipolo. There, the members of the Church of the WMM shared the message of the Word of God, teaching and reminding what Jesus said

in John 14:6: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ako ang daan, ang katotohanan at ang buhay, Walang makakapunta sa Ama kundi sa pamamagitan koâ&#x20AC;?. Despite the difficulties, the Work in Philippines keeps going forward, and every days more and more brothers come to the temples u August 2014

WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia

International Officers visit Puerto Rico During this fruitful visit, major projects for the national and international Work were discussed and approved, knowing that Puerto Rico is the birthplace and headquarters of the WMM.

he International Officers of the Worldwide Missionary Movement toured several zones of the Work in Puerto Rico. Rev. Luis Ayala, National Supervisor, called several zones to a joint worship 58 Impacto evangelistic

service where the speakers of the Word of God were International Officers: Rev. Gustavo Martínez, International President, Rev. José A. Soto, International Vice President, and Rev. Rodolfo González Cruz, Treasurer.

On Tuesday, June 10, the churches from Zone 1 gathered at the Metropolitan Evangelistic Center in Trujillo Alto. There, Rev. Soto testified the progress of the Work in Japan and Europe, where

the most recent countries to be reached are Denmark, Finland, Romania and Ukraine. The message of the Word of God was given by Rev. González Cruz, who after giving the floor

EVENTS

United Convention for Women and Men

he First United Convention of Women, Men and Youths of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Puerto Rico took place in the town of Trujillo Alto at the Centro Evangelístico Metropolitano from July 17 to 19. This great conven-

to his wife, Puerto Rican missionary Sister Rita Gonzalez Vazquez, and testifying about the work in Peru, preached on the importance of marital relationships (1 Corinthians 7).

tion was supported by Rev. Luis Ayala, National Supervisor, by all the members of the National Board, and by Rev. Ruben Concepcion and Rev. Margaro Figueroa, Secretary and Director, respectively, of the Board of Directors of the Work u

That same night, the churches from Zones 4 and 8 and part of Zone 5 gathered at the temple of the Church in Manatí to receive the message of the Word of God, given by Rev. Gustavo Martínez

who preached on the theme “Steps I should take to have fruit in my life” (1 Samuel 1: 2-18). On Thursday, June 12, the churches from Zones 2 and 3 and part of Zone 5, gathered at the temple

of the Centro Evangelístico Pentecostés in Celada de Gurabo, which is led by Rev. Federico Cabrera Sandoval. Beautiful words of testimony were given by Rev. Soto about the development of the work in general and in Europe, a region supervised by him. Then he read the Scriptures in Exodus 15:22-27 and preached on the theme: “When people fall into doubt and unbelief.” Once again, Rev. Ruben Concepcion and Rev. Margaro Figueroa attended this worship together. The International Officers expressed their joy and satisfaction with the development of the Work in Puerto Rico and their desire to continue to support it u August 2014

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National Youth Fellowship in Chile In July, a National Youth Fellowship was held in Chile by the Worldwide Missionary Movement organized.

he National Fellowship took place in the central temple of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Chile, located in Santa Rosa 377, Santiago de Chile. It was attended by brothers from all northern and southern regions from 60 Impacto evangelistic

the country, including visitors from Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Argentina. Rev. Ismael Parrado and his wife, Sister Marta de Parrado, Colombian missionaries, shared the Word of God u

EVENTS

Baptism in water in Panama The churches of Parque Lefevre, 24 de Diciembre, Chepo and Tierra Prometida participated in this baptism.

baptism organized by Zones 1 and 2 of the Work of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Panama, took place on July 20 on the shore of the Cabobré River, in the small town of San Martín. Brothers from the churches of Parque Lefevre, 24 de Diciembre, Chepo and Tierra Prometida participated in this ceremony. Rev. Mariano Smith,

pastor of the Church of Chorillo, was in charge of leading this beautiful sacrament. Afterwards, Sister Adaluz Simiti sang glorious praises to exalt the name of the Lord. The meditation on the Word of the Lord was presented by Rev. Luis Cordero, pastor of the Central Church of the WMM in Panama, highlighting the relevance of the baptism in Christian life.

Rev. Epifanio Asprilla, presbyter of Zone 1, congratulated the Church in general for taking more than thirty souls into the waters of baptism and obeying the Saint Word of the Lord in Mark 16:15-16, that says: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” u August 2014

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Baptisms in water in Spain A united baptism was attended by over three hundred people from the different churches in Barcelona, Terraza, Mollerussa, Reus and Hospitalet.

he Worldwide Missionary Movement held on Saturday July 5 a glorious united baptism in the North Zone of the Work in Spain. Twenty brothers descended into the waters. Rev. Carlos Medina, National Supervisor of the WMM in Spain, led the service in the town of Solsona, province of Lleida. Over three hundred people from the different churches in Barcelona, Terraza, Mollerussa, Reus and Hospitalet, attended this magnificent event u 62 Impacto evangelistic

EVENTS

Fourth anniversary of the Church in Anvers Last May, the Church of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Anvers, Belgium, celebrated its fourth anniversary in this city.

his year, the Lord wrote in the heart of the congregation the theme: “In your word we will let down the net” (Luke 5:4-6). The celebration was attended by brothers from Brussels and congregations from Tilburg, Almere, Amsterdam and Rotterdam (Holland). On Saturday May 24, two services were held. In the first one, the message of God was given

by Sister Ruth Paisible from Tilburg, member responsible of the super-

vision of the churches in Holland, who presented the theme “The Heart, a vital organ” (Proverbs 4:23). During the second service, Rev. David Echalar, Supervisor of Zone B in Europe, shared the message of God’s Word by reading Apocalypse 13:1-4 and Daniel 7:1-7, comparing the power in a servant of God and in an instrument of the enemy. In the last service of this activity, held on Sunday May 25, Rev. David Echalar preached the message of God entitled “Are you mad?” (Mathew 5:2126). Through this message, God exhorted His people to use self-control, and not to allow the enemy to control us through anger u August 2014

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OTHER EVENTS

Other Events ITALY

MEXICO

FINLAND

CURAÇAO

FELLOWSHIP OF THE CHURCH IN TORINO

PASTORS RETREAT IN VALLE DE CHALCO

MISSIONARY TOUR

NATIONAL CONVENTION IN THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN

The Churches of Zone 2 and some of Zone 1 gathered with their respective pastors last March to celebrate the 3rd Anniversary and Fellowship of the second Church of WMM in the city of Torino, pastored by Brother Ramón Ortega and his wife, Sister Leither Mendoza de Ortega. During the first service, Pastor Ramón Ortega talked about God's message on the theme: “God's time” (Psalm 37:9). During the afternoon service, the preaching was given by Rev. Hugo Lope. On the second day, Pastor Galo Fiori visited us and preached on the theme: “A family without conviction” (Acts 5: 1-11). On the third day, Pastor Estefano from the Church of Monza was the bearer of the message based on Ephesians 5: 21-28 on the theme: “The Family.” On Friday, Pastor Jimmy Roca from Peru (who had been touring the European continent with Rev. Rodolfo González Cruz), preached on the theme: “The Gospel is for everyone” (Acts 13: 1-12). On Saturday, the bearer of the message was Pastor Ramón Ortega, who preached on theme: “God's time” inspired by Psalm 37:9. Saturday afternoon, the penultimate service was held, and God used Pastor Hugo Lope’s lips. To close the event, Pastor Leonel Cedeño brought the theme “Leaving legacies” on Sunday morning.

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Rev. Alejandro Roblero González, National Supervisor in Mexico, and the group of Workers of Zone 1 in Mexico, enjoyed an inspiring spiritual retreat that began on Thursday, May 1 and ended on Saturday, May 3. The Lord's workers arrived in Mexico City from different parts of the Central Zone of Mexico to share special moments with God.

Inspiring and glorious was the missionary tour taken by Rev. José Arturo Soto B. (International Officer and Missionary Supervisor of the WMM in Europe) and Rev. Carlos Medina (National Supervisor of the Work in Spain) last May through Sweden and Finland. During this journey, they took the opportunity to open a place of worship on the island of Aland, Finland.

The 12th National Convention in the Dutch Caribbean (Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire and St. Maarten), was held from July 11 to 13 by the WMM under the theme: “A Reason To Move On.” It was attended by International Officers Rev. Alvaro Garavito and Rev. Romulo Vergara, and by the Supervisor in Dutch Caribbean, the Guianas and Trinidad and local pastor, Rev. Clemente Vergara and his wife, Sister Gladys Vergara. The Work is making progress in the Caribbean and the Guianas. Delegations from Aruba, Bonaire, St. Maarten, British Guiana, French Guiana, Surinam, Venezuela, among others, also attended this activity. The glorious Workers Meeting took place on July 12 and was attended by Rev. Alvaro Garavito, Rev. Romulo Vergara, and Rev. Clemente Vergara.

MISCELLANEOUS

What About Plant Evolution?

It might come as a surprise to realize Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species hardly touched on plant evolution. After all, plants make up half of living things on earth.

t might come as a surprise to realize Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species hardly touched on plant evolution. After all, plants make up half of living things on earth. Yet the supposed main mechanisms of evolution for developing new species—natural selection and mutation—have not explained either the sudden appearance of plants in the fossil record or why most plants have remained essentially the same today as in the past. Darwin, of course, knew of the problem—which is why he hardly broached the subject in his book. Years later, he confessed to his good friend, botanist Joseph Hooker, that the sudden appearance of flowering plants in the fossil record was an “abominable mystery.” In fact, just about

everything dealing with the appearance of plants is, for evolutionists, an “abominable mystery.” Some 375,000 species of plants exist on earth today, and most have not noticeably changed from the way they first appear in the fossil record. As geneticist and biologist Jerry Bergman notes: “A major problem for Neo-Darwinism is the complete lack of evidence for plant evolution in the fossil record. As a whole, the fossil evidence of prehistoric plants is actually very good, yet no convincing transitional forms have been discovered in the abundant plant fossil record” (“The Evolution of Plants: A Major Problem for Darwinists,” Technical Journal, 2002, online edition, emphasis added throughout). Moreover, evolution’s principle of the “survival of the fittest” doesn’t apply in the same way to plants. After all, most plants, unlike animals, possess chlorophyll and do not have to kill or compete to eat, since they can produce their own food through the process of photosynthesis. So the idea that plants must compete against other

plants to survive is not generally applicable. Even those plants that do eat living things, such as the Venus flytrap, do not eat other plants, but small insects. Years ago, the eminent botanist E.J.H. Corner made this startling admission about the origin and the development of plants that still holds true: “Much evidence can be adduced in favor of the theory of evolution—from biology, biogeography and paleontology, but I still think that, to the unprejudiced, the fossil record of plants is in favor of special creation [God doing the creating]. “If, however, another explanation could be found for this hierarchy of classification, it would be the [death] knell of the theory of evolution. Can you imagine how an orchid, a duckweed, and a palm have come from the same ancestry, and have we any evidence for this assumption? The evolutionist must be prepared with an answer, but I think that most would break down before an inquisition” (Contemporary Botanical Thought, 1961, p. 97). GN u August 2014

THEY WRITE TO US... WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia

cartas@impactoevangelistico.net JENNY JIMÉNEZ Thanks God for His great mercy that has taken us from this lying world. He has removed the bandage from our eyes. Now, we only have to pray for our spiritual life so as not to go back. From Caracas, Venezuela.

ANANI ESPEZUA MONTES DE OCA Beloved brothers, I encourage you to distribute the magazine in newsstands or other strategic places, since it would be an alternative to gutter press. God bless you. From Lima, Peru.

NELY MARTIARENA May God richly bless all the team from Impacto Evangelistico. This is an important work, because by this magazine we get to know the move of the Work worldwide. I thank my Lord for being part of this beautiful Work established for the last days. You are in our prayers. A brotherly hug. From Formosa, Argentina.

JUAN ORNELAS God bless you, brothers of the Worldwide Missionary Movement. I find your page and its topics interesting and a blessing. I wonder if you have support material for the ministry of young people and teenagers, as my wife and I served as pastors of these groups and we would like to have some support about topics, dynamics and exercises to motivate young people and teens mainly in their spiritual and secular lives. I look forward to your answer, God bless you. From Juarez, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

HERNANDO AMORIM I am very impressed with the beauty of

FEBRUARY 7-9 CONVENTION IN PARAGUAY (ASUNCIÓN) 13-16 CONVENTION IN ARGENTINA (BUENOS AIRES) 20-23 CONVENTION IN BELIZE MARCH 1-4 19-22

CONVENTION IN PANAMA CONVENTION IN HONDURAS

APRIL 16-20 CONVENTION IN GUATEMALA 17-20 NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP IN AUSTRALIA (SIDNEY)

JUNE 25-29 CONVENTION IN INDIA 17-20 YOUTHS AND WORKERS CONVENTION IN COLOMBIA JULY 3-6 CONVENTION IN BOLIVIA (SANTA CRUZ) 8-11 CONVENTION IN UNITED STATES (BIRMINGHAM, AL) 8-12 CONVENTION IN COSTA RICA 9-12 CONVENTION IN NETHERLANDS ANTILLES (CURAÇAO) 24-27 CONVENTION IN MEXICO (GUANAJUATO)

Many blessings for you, brothers of Impacto Evangelistic. With the help and power of the Holy Spirit I greet and congratulate you, as we live in a world of vanity and superficiality. God bless you and keep up this great work of God. From Popayan, Colombia.

Greetings and best wishes in every work done by the team of the Impacto Evangelistic magazine. I read the first magazine (it was small at that time) in 1984, and then I subscribed and received it monthly. Now I rejoice that I can have access to it at any time thorugh the Internet. Congratulations on such an innovative way to bring the magazine to everyone in the world. From Guatemala City, Guatemala.

JANUARY 1-4 CONVENTION IN PUERTO RICO 7-14 CONVENTION IN COLOMBIA

MAY 3-5 CONVENTION IN JAPAN 20-25 CONVENTION IN PERU (LIMA)

HELDYN GUEVARA REVELO

HÉCTOR ROLANDO SANTO

GLOBAL AGENDA 2014

AUGUST 3-6 5-9

this Christian Work presented in this virtual instrument led by the Holy Spirit. It is an instrument for integrity, commitment and fulfillment of the Word to bring the message of Jesus Christ to the world. God bless the team of this informative magazine. I am very happy. From Brazil.

SEBASTIANA BATISTA God bless you for this magazine, which is a treasure for the Christian life. It is a mean of edification for us. From Panama City, Republic of Panama.

You can download the free QR code reader from these platforms:

CONVENTION IN EL SALVADOR CONVENTION IN VENEZUELA (BARQUISIMETO) 7-10 CONVENTION IN SPAIN 14-17 CONVENTION IN ITALY 14-17 CONVENTION IN GUYANAS, SURINAME & TRINIDAD (SURINAME) 14-17 CONVENTION IN ECUADOR (GUAYAQUIL) 27-30 CONVENTION IN AFRICA 28-31 CONVENTION IN HAITI SEPTEMBER SATURDAY 27 INTERNATIONL MISSIONS DAY OCTOBER 10-12 NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP IN CANADA 23-25 CONVENTION IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 23-26 CONVENTION IN ISLANDS OF MAURITIUS 26-28 CAMPAIGN IN MADAGASCAR 30-2 (NOV) CONVENTION IN CHILE (SANTIAGO) NOVEMBER 7-10 CONVENTION IN URUGUAY (MONTEVIDEO) 27-30 CONVENTION IN NICARAGUA DECEMBER 4-7 CONVENTION IN BRAZIL (MANAUS)

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Founder Director: Rev. Luis M. Ortiz Editorial board: Rev. Luis Meza Bocanegra, Jacqueline Rovira, Samuel Martínez, Rev. Andrés Espejo Editorial coordinator: Rev. Julián Morón General editor: Víctor Tipe Sánchez Editor: Jaime Tipe Sánchez Graphic editor: Roberto Guerrero Graphic design: Adolfo Zubietta Writers: Johan Pérez Landeo, Marlo Pérez. Designers: Lesly Sánchez, Jorge Cisneros. Web master and Infographics: Julio de la Cruz. Illustration: Pablo Vilca. Transcription: Fanny Vidal, Ana Rodriguez. Community manager: Juan Becerra, Denisse Barrientos. Distribution: Javier Arotinco.

August 2014

WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia

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