790_English

Edition for Europe

THE MAGAZINE THAT EDIFIES YOUR LIFE November 2019 / Edition 790

evangelistic www.impactoevangelistico.net

Three irrefutable proofs of God’s Work

DESIGN INTERNATIONAL

GOD’S TWEETS

DEVOTIONAL

LIFE STORY

MIKIKO AND HER WHEN YOU CANNOT ENCOUNTER WITH THE BIBLE SLEEP

PUBLICACIÓN OFICIAL DEL

MOVIMIENTO MISIONERO MUNDIAL

PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION EVELYN ÁNGELES

THE PERFECT

u t o h Y with purpose

New season!

Tuesday y 17:30 MISSIONARY MOVEMENT 2 WORLDWIDE Americas • Europe • Oceania • Africa • Asia

EDITORIAL

ENDOWED WITH POWER Rev. José Arturo Soto B. International President of the WMM

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” John 16:13

God always acts according to the guidelines He Himself has established,

church or stand in the pulpits, preaching. These

upholding the principles

people resist the truth (2 Timothy 3:8-9). But these

He has set forth for us in His Word. Today, more

changes do not occur overnight, but take months or

than ever, there must be a deep movement of the

even years to manifest.

Spirit of God amid His people.

Before ascending to the Father, Christ comman-

The world is trying to wrap the Church, and to

ded his disciples to preach the Gospel all over the

thwart this attempt, there should be in the heart of

world, but first they had to stay in Jerusalem to be

each believer a sound knowledge of what it is to live a

endowed with power from on high (Acts 1:4-9).

life in Christ. We are living the last minutes of the day

The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus Christ as Savior and

of grace, and the Lord’s people needs to put things in

makes us believe in sin and judgment. Without it, we

order, so as to be prepared to meet the Savior.

could never reach the feet of Christ. Once taken this

Love of the world makes faith sick and destroys

first leap of faith, the Holy Spirit raises us up and re-

it gradually. When our faith is not healthy, we begin

veals to us the truths and mysteries of God. Through

to listen to worldly stories and doctrines that keep

it, we lead a triumphant life of faith and complete

us from the true and triumphant faith. Love of mo-

our course with joy (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

ney is also a virus that attacks and weakens faith. In

The power invested in us by the Holy Spirit is

fact, when we put our faith in money, we turn our

the same that raised Christ from the dead (Romans

eyes away from the God who provides it to us.

8:11). The victory of our Redeemer was complete,

Decadent faith can lead us to deny true faith.

and so must be ours. This power guarantees us the

Those who deny the true faith are apostates and

victory over our enemies and makes us coheirs with

cannot holy, even if they sit on the pews of the

Christ. God bless you!

November 2019 / Impacto evangelistic

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www.impactoevangelistico.net

evangelístico Director Fundador: Rev. Luis M. Ortiz NOVEMBER 2019 / EDITION N° 790 (USPS 012-850) PUBLICACIÓN OFICIAL DEL MOVIMIENTO MISIONERO MUNDIAL The World-Wide Missionary Movement, Inc. is a non-profit church with a vision to plant new churches in the United States of America and its territories, and also with a missionary vision to plant new churches wherever God opens new doors all over the World.

PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY Movimiento Misionero Mundial, Inc World-Wide Missionary Movement, Inc San Juan, Puerto Rico Washington, D.C. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936

POSTMASTER: send address changes to Impacto Evangelístico P.O. BOX 363644 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-3644 Telephone (787) 761-8806; 761-8805; 761-8903

BOARD OFFICERS OF WMM INC. Rev. José Soto President Rev. Humberto Henao Vice President Rev. Rubén Concepción Secretary Rev. Luis Meza Treasurer Rev. Rómulo Vergara Director Rev. Clemente Vergara Director Rev. Carlos Guerra Director Rev. Alberto Ortega Director Rev. Albert Rivera Director CHURCHES ESTABLISHED IN: Abu Dhabi England Argentina Equatorial Guinea Aruba Finland Australia France Austria French Guiana Belgium Germany Belize Ghana Bolivia Greece Bonaire Guatemala Brasil Haiti British Guiana Hawaiian Islands (USA) Cameroon Holland Canada Honduras Canaries Islands India (Spain) Island of Mauritius Chile Israel Colombia Italy Congo Ivory Coast Costa Rica Jamaica Curacao Japan Denmark Kuwait Dominican Republic Madagascar DR Congo Malaysa Ecuador Martinique El Salvador México

Mozambique Myanmar Nepal New Zeland Nicaragua Oman Panama Paraguay Peru Portugal Puerto Rico Romania Saint Martin Island Spain Sri Lanka St. Andres Island (Col.) Surinam Sweden Switzerland The Philippines Trinidad and Tobago Uganda United States Uruguay Venezuela

Legal deposit made on the National Library of Peru Nº 2011-02530 Christian Pentecostal Church-Worldwide Missionary Movement: Horacio Cachay 388 - La Victoria - Lima 13 - Perú Printout in Serbia by Rotografika Ltd. Segedinski put 72 / 24000 Subotica / Republic of Serbia WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT office@rotografika.rs / www.rotografika.rs

4 Americas • Europe • Oceania • Africa • Asia

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, P.O. 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 n

Scripture, such as: • The inspiration of the Holy Scriptures: 2 Timothy 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:19-21.

• The Adorable Godhead in Three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Matthew 3:16-17, 17: 1-5; 28:19, John 17: 5, 24, 26, 16:32, 14:16, 23, 18:5, 6, 2 Peter 1:17,18; Revelation 5.

• Salvation by Faith in Christ: Luke 24:47, John 3:16, Romans 10:13, Titus 2:11, 3:5-7.

• The New Birth: John 3:3, 1 Peter 1:23, 1 John 3:9.

• Justification by Faith: Romans 5:1, Titus 3:7.

• Water Baptism by Inmersion, as commanded by Christ: 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.

SUMMARY

30

LITERATURE

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6.- Cover note THREE EVIDENCES OF

INTELLIGENT DESIGN. The argument of intelligent design shows that there is no incompatibility between the God revealed in the Bible and the designer of all Creation.

14.- Infography GOD’S BEAUTIFUL WORK Stars and planets were created by God for His glory.

Whether extraterrestrial life exists or not, God is the Creator and Sovereign of all things.

16.- International GOD’S TWEETS Now that it is so common to tweet, we should remember the old saying that there is nothing new under the sun.

18.- Report THOMAS AND CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA. According to India’s 2011 census, Christianity is the third largest religion in the country and accounts for 2.3% of the total population.

22.- Woman WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP. Women are capable of doing great things, especially if they have God’s help. However, the fear of taking a leap of faith prevents some from reaching their full potential.

24.- Music WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS. Inspired by the death of Christ and based on the Bible, this hymn sheds an original light on the Word.

26.- Literature THE NEW MANNERS & CUSTOMS OF BIBLICAL TIMES. Ralph Gower, English researcher and author of the book,

describes with great skill the lifestyle and mindset of God’s chosen people and the Bible’s main writers and characters.

30.- Hero of faith SOWING THE GOSPEL IN BOMBAY. Gordon Hall, an American missionary, preached the Good News and won souls for Christ in Bombay for over thirteen years.

34.- Life story MIKIKO AND HER ENCOUNTER WITH THE BIBLE. Mikiko was dying and had no more hope. She read self-help books as much as she could, until one day a friend gave her a Bible and led her to the Word.

40.- Apologetics PREDESTINATION (V) God arranged, ordered and predestined His eternal purpose for it to be executed on Earth and be fulfilled in heaven.

42.- Interview THE WORK IS GAINING GROUND IN SURINAME. Suriname used to be a colony inhabited mainly by enslaved Africans. There were also Indians and Chinese immigrants whose customs and beliefs are now against the progress of the Gospel.

44.- Devotional A GREAT WORK 46.- Devotional WHEN YOU CANNOT SLEEP 48.- Devotional BE STILL 50.- Events THE EVANGELIZING WORK DONE

BY THE WMM IN THE WORLD 66.- Letters LETTERS FROM OUR READERS

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COVER NOTE

THREE EVIDENCES OF INTELLIGENT DESIGN The argument of intelligent design shows that there is no incompatibility between the God revealed in the Bible and the designer of all Creation.

Antonio Cruz (*)

MISIONERO MUNDIAL 6 MOVIMIENTO WORLDWIDE MOVEMENT • EuropaMISSIONARY • Oceanía • África • Asia 6 América Americas • Europe • Oceania • Africa • Asia

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COVER NOTE

The natural order, the purpose, the simplicity, the

sense and the beauty seen in the world are proof of an intelligent design. But if that is not enough to the most skeptical, let us talk about these three evidences: the fine-tuning of physical laws and constants, the biological information contained in DNA, and the irreducible complexity of certain organs and functions. None of the MISSIONARY MOVEMENT 8 WORLDWIDE Americas • Europe • Oceania • Africa • Asia

(…) The universe is governed by physical laws so meticulously precise that the tiniest modification would make life on Earth and, of course, our human existence, impossible.

three could be originated only by chance.

The universe is governed by physical laws so meticulously precise that the tiniest modification would make life on Earth and, of course, our human existence, impossible.For example: the strong nuclear force, which binds together protons and neutrons in the nucleus of atoms; the weak nuclear force, which is the mechanism

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COVER NOTE of interaction between subatomic particles that is responsible for the radioactive decay of atoms and is 1013 times weaker than the strong one; the electromagnetic force, which acts between electrically charged particles; the gravitational force, which is an attractive force between pieces of matter and is the weakest of the four over short distances; the precise relations existing between the electromagnetic and gravitational force, or between the mass of the proton and that of the electron, or between the amount of protons and that of electrons; the speed of expansion of the universe; the value of entropy (degree of disorder) of the universe; the mass density of the universe; the speed of light; the age of the cosmos; the uniformity of radiation, the average distance between stars, etc.

There are many more parameters that must fit perfectly within very narrow margins of fine-tuning for life on Earth to be possible. [1] Should only one of these be minimally altered, the universe would collapse.

This amazing balance of forces leads us to think that someone designed it with a purpose. The same can be said of the constitution of planet Earth and its location in space.

There are dozens of interrelated parameters that enable the planet’s habitability and the existence of intelligent life. For instance: the precise inclination of the Earth’s axis, the distance from the Earth to the sun or the moon, the thickness of the Earth’s crust, the gravitational force on the planet’s surface, the duration of day and night, etc. If any of these parameters were altered, all traces of life on the blue planet would be extinguished. [2] This leads us to think once again that the Earth, as well as the Solar System, the Milky Way and the Universe, were designed wisely to house intelligent life. From a skeptical position, it could be argued that this is a too anthropocentric or geocentric view, since the universe is huge and not all possible worlds are yet known, and we do not know if there is life or not on other distant planets. Of course, it is a possibility.

However, the data available to science allow us to say that there is today no evidence whatsoever of life in any other part of the cosmos. But, even if life were found somewhere else, this would not have to affect the identity of the human being, the biblical revelation, or the veracity of the Christian faith.

What is certain is, first, that God, controls all creation even in the smallest details and nothing escapes His domain and providence. Second, the information stored in living beings constitutes another argument in favor of intelligent design.

What is information? It can be said that it is the communication between intelligent beings through a common language. Of course, this language must exist and MISSIONARY MOVEMENT 10 WORLDWIDE Americas • Europe • Oceania • Africa • Asia

Naturalism believes, however, that DNA information is the result of chance and blind natural laws. However, the best explanation to me is that someone extremely intelligent entered the information into the DNA. No algorithm and no law of nature is capable of producing information, as it always requires an intelligent informant.

be understood before any attempt at communication.

For example, a musical score contains information that is expressed through the language of notes and signs on staves. The melody may be in the composer’s mind, but he will not be able to communicate it to anyone, unless he expresses it in the appropriate musical notation.

Every language is, therefore, a set of conventional signs used for transmitting information, be it musical, grammatical, mathematical, computer, etc. Now, the signs (musical notes, letters, numbers, etc.) do not exist in reality since they are intangible abstractions. They are

not physical entities and do not occupy any space in the universe. They may be in the mind, but not in the real world.

That said, let us see what happens with the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) existing in the cells of living things. This unique biological macromolecule contains information that, instead of notes on the stave, is manifested in the arrangement of chemical bonds between four nitrogenous bases: adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C) and guanine (G). It not only stores and retrieves information, but also corrects it – if errors occur – re-

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plicates it and saves copies, transcribes it to the RNA for its subsequent translation into proteins, etc.

Thus, the DNA information of one single human cell, such as a fertilized egg, is capable of producing the tremendous complexity of a baby in just nine months.

A human creature is formed, not a chimpanzee or any other being. How could all this amount of information in cellular DNA arise for the first time, taking into account that such information cannot be generated by any physical object arising naturally? Who preset the language of DNA? The genetic code, which is like the DNA translation dictionary to proteins, had to exist before the DNA itself and originate outside it. The information could not be generated by the DNA molecule, which is a chemical entity without purpose or intelligence.

Naturalism believes, however, that DNA information is the result of chance and blind natural laws. However, MISSIONARY MOVEMENT 12 WORLDWIDE Americas • Europe • Oceania • Africa • Asia

COVER NOTE the best explanation to me is that someone extremely intelligent entered the information into the DNA. No algorithm and no law of nature is capable of producing information, as it always requires an intelligent informant.

Finally, we have biological complexity as evidence of intelligent design. Biologist Michael J. Behe defines the irreducible complexity of organs, structures and metabolisms of living beings through the following quote: “A irreducibly complex is one that requires closely matched parts to function, and we can conclude that it was produced as an integrated unit.” [3] Such a system could never have been produced by gradual evolution, as Darwinism proposes, because any earlier simpler system lacking some part could not have worked well. This means that all irreducibly complex systems, such as the bacterial scourge, the cilia of the protozoa, the human eye, the coagulation of blood, the antibodies, or the cells of organisms themselves, had to be designed like this from the beginning, since they could not have arisen through a gradual, blind and purposeless evolution.

An irreducibly complex organ can be compared to a mousetrap. If only one of its integral parts is removed, the mousetrap is no longer useful for hunting rodents. Someone had to design it perfectly finished and functional.

Sometimes it is objected – against the previous statement that the human eye is an irreducibly complex organ and that, therefore, could not have formed by evolution – that in nature there are different kinds of eyes, from the simple ones of invertebrates such as clams, to the complex ones of humans or birds such as eagles, and that this would be proof that there has been gradual evolution in the animal world, from simple eyes to complex ones.

However, nature never shows the hypothetical series

of intermediate links that such an evolutionary chain requires but, rather, a whole variety of irreducibly complex organs that are well finished, perfectly functional and adapted to the biological needs of their current holders.

Even if it were accepted that an organ as sophisticated as the human eye had been produced through a slow and gradual evolution, another important question would still have to be explained. How would the eye have known how to connect with the brain and learn its language to translate visual information? If everything happened by random mutations, why did it not connect to the ear, spinal cord or nose?

The creation of a language must be prior and independent to the organs or objects that use that language.

So, once again, the best explanation is the intervention of a previous intelligence, since the eye is unable to direct or coordinate its own development.

Moreover, even if science ever showed, through irrefutable evidence, that macroevolution is a fact and that all living beings on this planet descend from a common ancestor – from a primitive cell as Darwinism states – that would not discard at all the need for a creative God who would have used such a method to design the world.

Creation from nothing would continue to be God’s work because the physical universe is absolutely incapable of creating itself.

In general, monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) assume the idea of God as an omniscient creator.

Creation from nothing would continue to be God’s work because the physical universe is absolutely incapable of creating itself. In general, monotheistic religions ( Judaism, Christianity and Islam) assume the idea of God as an omniscient creator.

For its part, naturalism is unable to successfully explain the origin of the fine-tuning of the universe, as well as that of information and biological complexity, because the blind and random forces of nature lack the creative power required. Only an intelligent, transcendent and personal designer, like the God of Scripture, could have done everything from scratch.

NOTES [1] Ross, H., The Creator and the Cosmos (1993); Improbable Planet (2016).

[2] González, G. and Richards, J. W., The Privileged Planet (2004).

[3] Behe, M. J., Darwin's Black Box (1996).

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GOD’S BEAUTIFUL WORK Stars and planets were created by God for His glory. And the stars and planets outside our solar system were, too, created for the glory of the Lord. Except for the Sun, the closest star to Earth is more than four light years away, and this is only a tiniest fraction of the estimated size of the observable universe, expanding or not.

As for whether there is life on other planets or not, we simply do not know. So far, no evidence of life has been found in other planets of our solar system. Given the nearness of the end times, it is unlikely that man will make enough progress to visit other galaxies before the return of Jesus Christ. Whether extraterrestrial life exists or not, God is the Creator and Sovereign of all things, and all things were made for His glory.

248° F (120° C) in the sun -148° F (-100° C) in the shade

Uranus

Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who spent 437 days in space.

50 SECONDS

IS THE MAXIMUM SOMEONE WOULD LAST IN SPACE WITHOUT A SUIT.

Pluto

APOLLO 11

Apollo 11 was the American manned space mission that first landed humans on the surface of the Moon.

Commander Neil Armstrong was the first to set foot on the lunar surface at 2:56 UTC July 21, 1969.

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COLUMBIA Space shuttle Columbia was the first of NASA's shuttles to reach space.

Launched for the first time on April 12, 1981, it completed 27 missions before disintegrating during re-entry on February 1, 2003, resulting in the death of all seven crew members.

Mars

Neptune Distance 238,855 miles (384,400 km) Moon

Earth

Mercury

Jupiter

Venus

Saturn

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.�

Psalm 19:1.

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INTERNATIONAL

GOD’S TWEETS Wenceslao Calvo (*)

Now that it is so common to tweet, we should remember the old saying that there is nothing new under the sun. Although current generations boast about having come up withnew things, the truth is that many of them are but remakes.

Many centuries ago, when people of the time

thought that there had come up with things that never existed before, someone wrote, “Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.” (Ecclesiastes 1:10) In this statement, two things stand out: first, the humbleness in recognizing that new things are not necessarily superior to past things; and second, the wisdom in realizing that old things can be as valuable as new things.

As regards tweets, we may think we are dealing with a totally unprecedented phenomenon in human history.

Some may believe that these 280-character messages that fill no more than three lines on an A4 sheet are an absolute innovation. Nothing could be further from the truth.

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Tweets have existed for several thousand years, with cultures using them to spread their thinking. And that is why, nowadays, we have collections of short sayings coming from Mesopotamia and Egypt, in which they even dealt with different life aspects.

The idea was that people did not need to read large books to understand certain truths, so they summed up important thoughts in a few meaningful words.

The Bible also has its own collection of tweets, which can be called God’s tweets, as He is their ultimate author.

the second idea completes the first one; and antithetical, when the second idea opposes the first one.

Although there were no spaceships or Internet at the time, the relevance of Proverbs remains intact throughout time, as the important life aspects of yore are still the important life aspects of today.

This collection of God’s tweets, which is Proverbs, belongs to the wise literature of the Bible, along with Ecclesiastes and Job. The difference is that, while Ecclesiastes wonders what life was made for and Job wonders why life was made, Proverbs wonders how to live that life.

Another difference between Proverbs and the other two books is that, while they sometimes contain unsolved mysteries regarding certain questions about life, in Proverbs there is no mystery, as it gives practical answers to practical questions regarding family, friends, loans, finances, sexuality, work, words, etc.—that is, timeless and universal matters.

But those practical questions are not answered from a secularist perspective, which is prone to reducing everything to its usefulness and convenience. They are answered from a higher perspective, because God is the cornerstone of the moral everyday universe we live in.

There is Proverbs tweet’ that we could call the tweet par excellence, the axis and core of all others: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7).

I can testify that God used this very tweet to speak to me for the first time, when in the midst of confusion and downfall, I was looking for the true path in life. Many people have been awakened from a deadly somnolence by outstanding passages from the gospels or other parts of the New Testament.

This collection of God's tweets is in the book of Proverbs, in chapters 10 to 29, in which with the literary resource of parallelism, a succession of thoughts on vital issues is offered to the reader.

They are three thousand years old, but they are as relevant and applicable as if they had been written today; the difference, with respect to the modern ones, is that they contain unequaled depth, wisdom and significance.

This collection of God’s tweets is in the book of Proverbs, in chapters 10 to 29, in which with the literary resource of parallelism, a succession of thoughts on vital issues is offered to the reader.

The parallelism can be: complementary, when the second idea strengthens the first one; climactic, when

You would think that this 41-character sentence is not likely to have much effect on a twenty-year-old young man living in the early 21st century. And yet, this tweet from God touches the heart.

Although being wise comes from having a lot of knowledge, information, avant-garde readings, etc., that tweet sheds light on the root and origin of true science and true knowledge, which is the fear of God. (*) Taken from http://protestantedigital.com/

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REPORT

THOMAS AND CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA According to India’s 2011 census, Christianity is the third largest religion in the country and accounts for 2.3% of the total population. This is thanks to one of the apostles who came to these lands in 52 A.D. to spread the Word.

Isaac Saravanan discovered Christianity almost by chance. The healing of a relative suffering from cancer led him to the path of Christ.

He used to be Hindu and never thought of renouncing his faith until he knew the true Word and his life took an impressive turn.Now he preaches in his native India, where Christians have been persecuted for centuries.Like Isaac, there are 28 million Christians in this huge country of ancient culture. Indians are mostly Hindu. Among other things, Hindus do not eat beef and worship cows as a source of food and life.

Many rural families own a dairy cow that they treat as if it were a member of the family, and it is common to see these animals roam the streets without being disturbed by people.

A LITTLE HISTORY

Christianity in India is not recent. When the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama arrived in India in 1498, he found, to his surprise, that there were several Christian communities.

He did not know that the apostle Thomas had been there first 1,500 years earlier. In the year 52 A.D., the apostle arrived in the exotic lands of India to fulfil the command of Jesus Christ: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature ...” (Mark 16:15-18) MISSIONARY MOVEMENT 18 WORLDWIDE Americas • Europe • Oceania • Africa • Asia

Christianity in India is not recent.

When the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama arrived in India in 1498,he found, to his surprise,that there were several Christian communities. He did not know that the apostle Thomas had been there first 1,500 years earlier.

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During his two-decade pilgrimage in the villages of Chennai, on the shores of the Indian Ocean, Thomas suffered persecution, like the others, and he miraculously escaped death several times.

Christian Indians say that the Brahmins, members of the highest-ranking Hindu caste, ordered to kill the apostle.

Therefore, Thomas hid in a cave of a small mount near the ancient Madras (Chennai). The hiding cave is the size of a medium room in solid rock that in ancient times used to have only a small opening. It is said that it was opened by God when the Brahmin envoys were about to catch Thomas.

The apostle spent many hours praying in the cave and drank from the water of a spring that flowed from the rock. The cave and the spring still exist and they are visited by hundreds of tourists.

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REPORT

PERSECUTION

Violence against Christians has risen in recent times since the Hindu Nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party came to power. The laws “on freedom of religion” present in seven Indian states “deny the rights and freedom of faith” or seem to give permission to strike Christians and their institutions.

Although there is persecution of Christians in this country of 1,339 million inhabitants – the second most populous in the world – Christians do not become intimidated and work hard every day to preach and actively participate in various social aspects. Christian in India manage dozens of educational institutions, hospitals, health centers, rehabilitation centers, homes for the dying and needy elderly, leprosaries, technical and agricultural institutes, social welfare centers and spiritual centers.

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WOMAN

WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP Eliseo Aquino

Women are capable of doing great things, especially if they have God’s help. However, the fear of taking a leap of faith prevents some from reaching their full potential.

The concept of leadership as a male preserve has raised serious questions. No one seems to

realize that the best male leaders have been formed by women who have worked hard to give society better human beings.

Women can be leaders in whatever position they are in. The Bible speaks about many of them and describes their contributions to the society of their time. Three women mentioned in the Old Testament stand out for their influence on God’s people.

DEBORAH

At a time where men had lost the desire to fight, a family woman stepped up to save her people with God’s help.

Pastor Samuel Mejía, in his message “Deborah, an Example to Follow,” mentions that God has no problem in using a woman as leader. The biblical story of Deborah is a confirmation. If men do not live up to the circumstances, then there will be women who will face any adversity that may arise.

“Deborah was such a strong and great leader that the general thought that if she was not to battle with him, he would have not been able to defeat the enemy. Barak did not lack courage; if so, he would have not become general. But there was something in Deborah that was above all men of war.

God has no gender favoritism. Deborah was a proven leader and the general knew that her leadership was bigger than his own,” said Pastor Samuel.

ABIGAIL

In his message “Women Worthy of Emulation,” Pastor Humberto Henao mentions the qualities of Abigail, a knowledgeable and wise woman that persuaded David and his men and not to do something that they would regret later.

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Women can be leaders in whatever position they are in. The Bible speaks about many of them and describes their contributions to the society of their time.

The Bible tells that when David’s men came to Nabal to ask for food, Nabal treated them badly and refused to give them anything. Seeing this situation, the servants went to Abigail so that she could prevent a tragedy.

“David was angry and he and his four hundred men were willing to destroy everything. However, Abigail faced the men and with convincing arguments made them come to their senses.

David was in the front, soldiers were around him with swords, the servants were expectant, and in the middle of them all was a woman handling the situation,”

said Pastor Henao.

A wise woman has so much power that she is able to transcend generations.

Women who are in spiritual growth must set Deborah as an example, as she was able to stop a war against her family.

ESTHER

God put Esther in a very high position of the Persian Empire with a purpose: to prevent the destruction of His people. She took courage to go to the King to avoid the extermination of the Jews, even if it cost her life.

“The Story of Esther,” retrieved from the Devocionales Cristianos website, mentions that Haman wanted to destroy not only Mordecai for not kneeling before him but also his people, and so he made the King sign an irrevocable edict against the Jews.

When Esther found out, she was already a queen and

held a powerful position.

She could have remained silent while her people suffered a great persecution, but she decided to speak up for her people and make a plan that put her life at risk.

She commanded that all Jews fast, sought strength in God and He gave her the victory.

In one of the worst moments for the Jewish people, God brought salvation through a woman. But Esther did not find a solution through power but she held on to the truth and fought for it.

It is clear from these examples how the three women had elements of leadership.

They naturally became a source of inspiration and influence for both people and crowds.

Their acts allowed them to be recognized. They did not seek such recognition, they simply began to make adjustments in their lives and with God’s help they were instruments of change for those around them.

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MUSIC

WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS Inspired by the death of Christ and based on the Bible, this hymn sheds an original light on the Word.

It was written by British poet Isaac Watts at the dawn of the 18th century.

With more than three centuries of history, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” is a composition full of sound doctrine and an open statement of faith in the Lord. Written by English composer Isaac Watts and published in 1707, it marked the beginning of a new era of gospel music and became an example of praise to the death of the Savior.

Considered a masterpiece of Christian lyrical poetry, the hymn had a great impact in the early 18th century, as it was an innovative poem in English hymnody. It should be noted that at the time it was published, congregations in Great Britain only interpreted Psalms or musicalized biblical texts to worship God. Inspired by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and based on the Holy Scriptures, the song sheds an original light on the Gospel. It is easy to understand and uses images of the crucifixion of the Messiah to kindle the hope of those who sing it.

From its first stanza, it manages to capture the attention of the faithful and keeps them attentive to the elaboration of the death of Jesus of Nazareth.

RENOWNED COMPOSER

Considered the father of British hymnology, Watts was born on July 17, 1674 in Southampton. He is one of the most popular authors of his time and created more than six hundred Christian compositions describing the love and mercy of God. Today, his extensive musical work is still sung in churches and temples around the world due to its edifying content.

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WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS 1 When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride.

2 Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God! All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.

3 See from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down!

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

4 Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.

The composer, member of a family faithful to Christ, believed that the Psalms were useful for worship in congregations, but he also thought that new songs had to be written to exalt the Most High.

Therefore, his poetry included complex theology in a format that is ideal for congregational singing. He also insisted that hymns in the church should be fully evangelical.

Watts found a way –never seen before in his nation– to convey spiritual feelings that still today manage to overcome with emotion those who cry out for the power of God. Trained in Greek, Latin and Hebrew, he diligently preached the good news and became a prolific author of widely circulated educational manuals and theological works.

Isaac Watts made his praises based on passages from the Old and New Testaments, thus reflecting the presence of the Lord in his life, and with “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” he developed a novel format to honor God. The renowned composer, who died on November 25, 1748 in the northeast of London, turned the singing of Christian poems into a devotional force.

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LITERATURE

THE NEW MANNERS & CUSTOMS OF BIBLICAL TIMES Ralph Gower, English researcher and author of the book, describes with great skill the lifestyle and mindset of God’s chosen people and the Bible’s main writers and characters. This book, published in 1987, connects God’s Words with the Bible’s background.

The wardrobe of a person living in Bible times was fairly basic. A loincloth (maybe) was worn

beneath a tunic, and there was some form of headwear.

Footwear and coat were options. The slight variations in this pattern during Bible times were in color, material, and style rather than in basic provision, because clothes of this kind were best for a relatively hot climate. Paul uses the tunic, held in at the waist by a girdle, as a metaphor for the lifestyle of God’s chosen people (Colossians 3:12), and everyone would have understood that he was talking about basics.

Composed to come to a deeper understanding of the Holy Scriptures, New Manners & Customs of Biblical Times connects God’s Word with the Bible’s background. Written by British author Ralph Gower and published by Moody Press in 1987, it describes the lifestyle and culture of God’s chosen people and the main biblical writers and characters.

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was up, so that they could make the most of the hours of daylight and allow for the extreme heat at midday in the summer. Abraham got up early to obey God’s command to sacrifice (Genesis 22:3); Moses got up early in the morning to meet God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:4); Job offered worship early in the morning (Job 1:5); Jesus prayed before sunrise (Mark 1:35). Although it was possible for a person to stay in bed (Proverbs 26:14), it was very difficult to do so in a small house because everyone slept together on the platform.

REVEALING WORK

Pastor Gower spent most of his life exploring Biblical topics and so he offers in his book valuable information to understand the Lord’s message. Supported by more than 160 pictures, 58 original illustrations, detailed maps and diagrams, and passages from the Old and New Testaments, he introduces the world of the Hebrews and sheds light on the history of Christianity.

For most people, meals were quite simple: bread, olives, cheese, fruits and vegetables. This was the basic diet. Meat was consumed on rare occasions. Bread was the principal food and became a synonym of life itself. An expression as “eating bread” was often used as “eating a meal.” “Give us day by day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3) was a prayer asking for the daily provision of food. Bread was so fundamental and special that Jesus called himself: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35).

For most people, meals were quite simple: bread, olives, cheese, fruits and vegetables. This was the basic diet. Meat was consumed on rare occasions. Bread was the principal food and became a synonym of life itself. An expression as “eating bread” was often used as “eating a meal.” The Egyptians “might not eat bread with the Hebrews” (Genesis 43:31, 32). “Give us day by day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3) was a prayer asking for the daily provision of food.

Bread was so fundamental and special that Jesus called

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LITERATURE himself: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35).

The English writer declared that his books is based on Manners & Customs of Biblical Lands, written by theologian Fred Wight and published in 1952, which whetted the appetite of believers for the history of the Jewish nation in the middle of the past century. Gower states in the preface of his book that Wight’s work must be praised and recognized.

Western family units in the 20th century are called nuclear families, since they are small: mother, father and one or two children. Family units in Old Testament times were large and included each family member: aunts, uncles, cousins, and servants. They were called extended families.

The head of the family was the father, and the head of the family group was the sheik. Abraham and his descendants were sheiks.

Western family units in the 20th century are called nuclear families, since they are small: mother, father and one or two children. Family units in Old Testament times were large and included each family member: aunts, uncles, cousins, and servants. They were called extended families. The head of the family was the father, and the head of the family group was the sheik. Abraham and his descendants were sheiks, and on one occasion, Abraham led three hundred and eighteen men of war “born in his own house” (Genesis 14:14). When Mary and Joseph visited Jerusalem with Jesus at the age of twelve, it appears they have traveled in a family like this. They were travelling in the company of “kinsfolk and acquaintance” (Luke 2:44).

USEFUL BOOK

The book is divided into two parts. The first part analyzes Israelites as individuals from Biblical times in their family context. Clothing, dwellings, domestic activities, food and meals, family, education, agriculture, collecting food, shepherding, craftsmen and traders, and financiers and merchants are some of the topics carefully and thoroughly examined.

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canals connected to a river, stone plow blades and flint sickles. Thanks to this technology, Chaldeans could yield two harvests a year. Farming was also characteristic of Egypt. The Nile flooded each year covering the river lands with silt, which enriched the soil for the rest of the year.

The second part of the book describes the national institutions and customs of the Land of Israel. Based on the Holy Scriptures, it addresses topics such as towns and villages, a view on Jerusalem, journeys and travel, hospitality, social and political groupings, government and society, warfare, leisure, leisure for tourists in current Israel, and religion.

When Abraham left Ur of the Chaldeans and adopted a nomadic lifestyle, he transformed all his riches into flocks and cattle, so he could take them with him in this journey (Genesis 13:2).

The Bedouin followed his flock from pasture to pasture, from well to well, and his lifestyle was different from that of settled farmers, who often had to face tensions and conflicts between each other. This type of conflicts can be noticed in the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:2) and is clear in Genesis 43:32, where Joseph (an Egyptian) would not break bread with nomadic shepherds.

When most of the population abandoned the nomadic lifestyle and settled in cities or towns, there was still a need for shepherds.

Exegete, pastor, teacher and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Ralph Gower calls us to devote to studying God’s Word in the introduction of The New Manners & Customs of Biblical Times. The scholar, who studied at the University of Liverpool, stressed that only the Scriptures provide the necessary wisdom to gain a deep insight into the Bible’s good news and peoples.

When Jews settled down in Canaan after their wandering years — only interrupted by their stay and slavery in Egypt–, they had to acquire much practical knowledge that had been already developed by Canaanites, who were dispossessed by them. Some technologies proved to be difficult to grasp.Jews never managed to develop the same skill level in the manufacture of clay objects as other nations; therefore, they imported many pots. Jewish pots were sturdy enough but never reached the high level of decoration displayed in other places.

The first time pottery was mentioned in the Bible was when David escaped from Absalom and crossed to the east bank of the Jordan.

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HERO OF FAITH

SOWING THE GOSPEL IN BOMBAY Horatio Bardwell

Gordon Hall preached the Good News and won souls for Christ in Bombay for over thirteen years.

He promoted evangelization in India and spread the Christian faith with courage and persistence.

Renowned member of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM), the first nondenominational American foreign mission society and first Protestant organization to establish a mission station in the Middle East, Gordon Hall played an important role in the introduction of God’s Word in Bombay, the most populated city of India. There, he sowed the Gospel and won many souls for Christ for over thirteen years.

Hall was born on April 8, 1784 in Tolland, Connecticut, to Elizabeth and Nathan Hall. His parents were a God-fearing couple that stood out in the community for their devotion and uprightness. Raised with love, he became a courageous and determined man. In his early years, he discovered his interest in reading and writing.

Hardworking and kind, Gordon prepared to pursue a university career since a very young age. In February 1805, when he was about to turn twenty-one, he was admitted to Williams College, a private liberal arts college in Massachusetts where the Sound Doctrine of the Lord was taught. He graduated with highest honors three years later transformed into a new creature thanks to the power of the Savior.

Converted to Christianity by the end of 1806, at Williams College, Hall became friends with preacher Samuel John Mills Jr., a missionary from Connecticut who contributed to the organization of the American Board of

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Commissioners for Foreign Missions in 1810 and to the formation of the American Colonization Society in 1817.

With him, he deepened his interest in the Holy Scriptures and strengthened his love for the Redeemer.

FAITHFUL EVANGELIST

After graduation, Hall began his theological studies with

Rev. Ebenezer Porter, pastor of a church in Washington, who taught him the doctrine of Christ for about a year.

Having gained the necessary knowledge to share the Word, he was ordained a preacher and moved in 1809 to Woodsbury, Connecticut, to start his ministry.

In 1810, Pastor Gordon entered the Andover Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, where he met Mills

and other brothers with whom he shared his passion for missionary service. In addition to his spiritual training, he promoted the organization of the ABCFM and decided to travel to India to evangelize those who did not know God. On September 18, 1811, the newly established ABCFM, which became the most important mission organization in America at the time, appointed him missionary

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HERO OF FAITH along with other outstanding brothers. Supported by this group, he went with Samuel Newell to Boston and Philadelphia to study medicine. There he gained useful knowledge for his missionary service.

On February 6, 1812, the preacher was ordained in a churche of Massachusetts along with Millsww, Newell and missionaries Adoniram Judson, Samuel Nott and Luther Rice.

Six days later, he left Philadelphia and set sail for India in the company of Rice and Nott. The three evangelists reached the territory under British rule after six months and settled in the city of Kolkata to spread the Gospel.

DETERMINED PREACHER

All the missionaries were warmly received by a group of Christians of different denominations, including William Carey, who had preached God’s Word in the city since 1793. However, they were soon denied residence by the East India Company on ground that they were not English subjects and were forced to abandon the country.

Seventy days after their arrival to India, alarmed by the ultimatum issued

by British authorities and by the war between the United States and the United Kingdom on June 18, 1812, the missionary decided to set sail for the Island of France, but an expected detention of the vessel resulted into an unexpected turn of events. On February 11, 1813, after passing government controls, he and Nott arrived in Bombay.

Once settled in the city located on the west coast of the Indian subcontinent, they persuaded the Bombay governor and a vice-president of the British and Foreign Bible Society to allow them to stay and work to spread the Gospel.

He studied Marathi and then he preached the message of Jesus to the needy and pagan of Bombay. He also gave medical treatment to English and Indian patients. Hall was instrumental in the creation of the American Marathi Mission or Bombay Mission, the first American missionary station overseas, on December 21, 1813. It was one of the first fruits of the ABCFM, commencing the first mission in the Maharashtra region. The main goal of the organization was the salvation of native people through the teachings of Christianity.

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OUTSTANDING SERVANT

As part of his evangelistic and missionary work, he was constantly in the search of lost souls and idol worshippers. His preaching resounded in markets and other public places in the city that welcomed him. In his messages he used to read passages of the Scriptures and explain the truth contained in the Bible.

Hall also produced literature in the local language and offered support and comfort to those who needed to be rescued from evil.

In 1814, thanks to God, he opened the first of thirtyfive schools that he established in Bombay.

On December 19, 1816, he married Margaret Lewis, an English woman resident of the West Indies, who helped him spread the doctrine of Christ among Gentiles, Jews, Muslims and Papists. He used to announce the Good News for about three hours a day. He also translated a large portion of the New Testament.

On March 2, 1826, Reverend Gordon visited Nashik, a city located eighty kilometers away from Bombay, as part of his usual pastoral duties. However, when he arrived there, he decided to help fight the cholera epidemic that was decimating the population.

He stayed to distribute the medicines he had brought with him. Unfortunately, he caught the mortal infection during his efforts.

Gordon Hall died on March 20, 1826 on his way home. In his deathbed, accompanied by two young Christians, he affirmed that he would soon join Jesus Christ and urged a group of natives to repent of their sins.

Then, he prayed for his family, the world missionaries and apostates, and repeated three times “Glory to God.� In this way, he went up to heaven in the peak of his evangelical work.

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LIFE STORY

MIKIKO AND HER ENCOUNTER WITH THE BIBLE Mikiko was dying from aggressive cancer and doctors said that she was beyond all hope. She had been reading self-help books all her life, but one day a friend gave her a Bible. She embraced its teachings and cried out to God. A miracle healed her and this is her story.

STEVEN LÓPEZ PHOTO: FAMILY FILES

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Mikiko Kamino was a lonely girl who would rather read than play like the other children her age. She avoided all interaction with people and loved staying in with the books that her father would buy for her. Her books were her only best friends. And although she had a nice family, she shared very little time with them.

She was born in the French city of Suresnes, in northern Paris. Her parents, Iwao and Noriko, left their hometown in Japan in the late 1960s and migrated to France. There they opened an Asian cuisine restaurant and worked really hard.

A few months after her birth, Mikiko went under the care of a nanny. The first months passed all quiet, but one day, when the little girl was about to turn one year old, she suffered a terrible accident.

She was sitting in the kitchen chair when she suddenly fell to the floor, her little head hitting the pavement. At first, she seemed to have had only a simple scare, but at night she felt sick and had to be taken to the ER. The diagnosis was critical: she had to be operated.

Her father was in Japan at the moment. When he learned about the seriousness of the case, the thought of losing her was unbearable. He paced his room trying to figure out what to do. He cried and begged God for a miracle: “Lord, the life of my daughter is in Your hands.�

Soon, a phone call brought him to life. Mikiko had progressed favorably and did not need to be operated on.

God had listened to his prayer. He was certain that it had been a miracle of God. LOW SELF-ESTEEM

Mikiko Kamino grew up and became a teenager, but she was not like the other girls. She had very low self-esteem and she was very shy; she found it hard to bond with people and she isolated herself. Her schoolmates made fun of her origins, and her only safe haven from bullying was solitude.

At home, her parents became worried and began to reprimand her. As a result, she felt more and more emotionally insecure. One evening, while walking through Paris, she found a bookstore.

As she walked in, she was dazzled by the titles of the self-help section. She bought five books and thus found refuge in reading.

From that moment on, Mikiko would never attend one single family reunion, walk or dinner without a selfhelp book in her hand. She could not help but relate to many of the stories in the books. Her classmates and family made fun of her, but she paid no attention.

She was in pain every time she had to put her books down. It was as if insecurity and low self-esteem took over her. In a short time, she compulsively bought dozens of self-improvement books.

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LIFE STORY

Mikiko was a lonely, sad girl, but she was always trying to find ways to take her mind off her emotional void and feel happy. Besides books, she turned to yoga and Zen meditation. Later she decided to learn to play flamenco guitar and also learn a trade that would allow MISSIONARY MOVEMENT 36 WORLDWIDE Americas • Europe • Oceania • Africa • Asia

her to generate income.

One day, the young woman decided to move to Spain. She thought that a change of air would help her beat the emptiness. The perfect excuse was an advanced guitar workshop in the city of Seville. She did not think

Mikiko Kamino grew up and became a teenager, but she was not like the other girls. She had very low selfesteem and she was very shy; she found it hard to bond with people and she isolated herself. Her schoolmates made fun of her origins, and her only safe haven from bullying was solitude.

twice and packed her bags. Her mother’s death from cancer was another powerful reason to go away.

It was the year 2000, and a new life full of dreams was beginning for Mikiko. She thought that she was finally going to attain the emotional stability she longed for. He met a young Spaniard and they started a relationship.

However, it did not work out: the man was an alcoholic who would drink every day, mistreat her and force her to give him money.

Unable to stand up for herself, she accepted her life as it was. She was unhappy, but could not see and did not care to. The few friends that she had advised her to see reason, but she would not listen. She stopped attending classes and devoted all her time to her boyfriend.

After several months of toxic relationship, she realized that she had an issue: a psychological pathology that made her take a back seat and put others and their needs first.

She moved from Seville to Barcelona to begin again, but history repeated itself.

She fell in love with a drug addict that caused him equal or greater damage than the previous one. She turned to self-help books once again to overcome the crisis; but the worst was yet to come.

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LIFE STORY

THE CANCER

In the summer of 2010, a severe pain in the midsection took her to the hospital. It did not take long for doctors to diagnose ovarian cancer. She had to undergo an emergency operation to save her life. She was hospitalized for almost one month at a local clinic in Barcelona. Beside her bed, a pile of self-help books was at her disposal.

Upon leaving the medical center she resumed her normal life, but the disease continued to weaken her.

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chemotherapy. Her body was weak, her hair was gone and she had lost her desire to live. In spite of everything, the operation was a success.

A year later, the news of his father’s death also from cancer hit her health even more. It seemed that her fate was premature death as well. She had to go to the operating room for the third time and to undergo chemotherapy again, but not so long after the doctors declared her terminally ill. One day, an Argentinian friend came to visit her. He was carrying a book different from any other

Mikiko had ever read: it was God’s Word.

He told her about the kind and merciful God that could change her life and restore her health. Each word was a light of hope and she was soon convinced that her life could be better.

She decided to surrender to Christ. “Lord, I need a change in my life, I want to be different,” she cried in her bed. Her prayer was answered. Mikiko finally felt inner peace, and the emptiness in her heart was filled with the presence of God. Her friend gave her the Bible and she began to read it

with enthusiasm and faith. She quit reading self-help literature and instead she would take God’s Word to every chemotherapy session. Her cancer vanished and she was discharged.

In 2014, she looked for a church of sound doctrine with the help of her Argentinian friend. She came to the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Barcelona and began to attend the services. Mikiko Kamino currently serves God with uprightness, advises young people to study the Word of God and supports the women society of the church.

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PREDESTINATION (V) Rev. Luis M. Ortiz

God arranged, ordered and predestined His eternal purpose for it to be executed on Earth and be fulfilled in heaven. His purpose was foreordained and predestined.

Those who reject Christ, his sacrifice and his precious blood shed on the cross of Calvary have made a decision and have condemned themselves, “for God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is

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condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” ( John 3:17-18).

DIVINE SEQUENCE

Let us see the divine sequence of God’s eternal purpose as stated in the previously mentioned biblical verses.

APOLOGETICS First: God’s purpose is basic, fundamental and eternal. Nothing would have been created had there been no purpose.

Second: God “searcheth the hearts… We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:27-28).

Third: God foreknowing those He called (Romans 8:29) means that He already knew them and knew that they would answer His calling, because God “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose…” (2 Timothy 1:9), as they were “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father…” (1 Peter 1:2).

Fourth: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate…” (Romans 8:29). None of the five biblical verses of the New Testament in which the term “predestine” is used refers to the salvation of the soul, but they do to post-salvation blessings.

God never predestines human beings neither for salvation nor for damnation. God has given humans free will so that they make their own decisions.

Whoever decides to believe in Christ, to repent their sins and to accept Christ as their Savior is saved and becomes a child of God, predestined for greater glories, for things “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

But whoever decides to reject Christ, to live in sin and to die in sin is predestined for hell, as they will not be on the book of life, and will be cast into the lake of fire “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

ETERNAL PURPOSE

Although God does not predestine anyone neither for salvation nor for damnation, He does predestine man to start, develop and execute His eternal purpose.

God arranged, ordered and predestined His eternal fourfold purpose: His creative purpose to create the human race, His redemptive purpose to save sinners, His

sanctifying purpose to makes us holy, and His glorifying purpose to make us coheirs with Christ for all eternity.

Luke 22:22 claims that Jesus was turned in to the authorities “as it was determined” by God’s purpose.

EActs 2:23 reads that Christ was “delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.” Romans 8:28 says that God calls “according to his purpose.”

2 Timothy 1:9 states that God “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling… According to his own purpose.”

The Bible tells us about “the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom… Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself,” in other words, His purpose (1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:8-9).

This means that God first arranged, ordered and predestined His eternal purpose for it to be executed on Earth and be fulfilled in heaven. His purpose was indeed foreordained and predestined.

Then, the Logos, the eternal Word, our Lord JesusChrist, included himself in God’s eternal purpose and He was predestined for suffering and redeeming work.

Let us see: Luke 22:21-22 says, “But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined,” by God’s purpose, of course.

In Acts 2:23, the apostle Paul said to the crowd on the day of Pentecost: “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.”

An in Acts 4:24-28, Peter and his brothers gathered and prayed, and said, “Lord, thou art God… The rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ… For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”

The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:10-11: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God… According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord…”

Finally, 1 Peter 1:18-20 reads: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold… But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world.”

Therefore, our Lord Jesus-Christ included himself with his redeeming work in God’s purpose (Isaiah 6:8; Psalm 40:7-8).

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INTERVIEW

THE WORK IS GAINING GROUND IN SURINAME Eliseo Aquino

Suriname used to be a Dutch colony inhabited mainly by enslaved Africans.

At some point, the country also received Indians and Chinese immigrants that changed local society through their customs and beliefs. This is one of the reasons that hinders the progress of evangelization.

Reverend Dhankumar Busjit, supervisor of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in the Guianas and Martinique, has been working in Suriname for 17 years.

In an interview to the Impacto Evangelistic magazine, he talked about the social and spiritual situation of the South-American country.

Not much is known about Suriname, many people even think that it is located in Africa. What can you tell us about the South-American country?

Surinam Suriname is a melting pot. Many of the inhabitants are Maroons who came as slaves from Africa.

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There are also Indian, Chinese, Amerindian, and European people. Each of them has their own religion, with only 15 % being Evangelical Christian. This former Dutch colony faces nowadays a difficult economic situation; people are just trying to survive in any way they can. It is easier to get a job in the city than in the countryside, where people are hunters and farmers.

Since the country harbors different cultures, how do you spread the Gospel?

It is not easy, but thanks to the Lord, we are managing to reach many souls. Due to their strong beliefs, Hindus and Muslims cling to their original religions and customs. Going out to preach with the Bible is very difficult, but God is gaining ground. He has given us wisdom and we use strategies to deal with them. First, we talk with people about their everyday activities and how they are doing at work; then, we speak to them about God’s Word.

Is there a spiritual need among the country’s population?

There is. Suriname needs Jesus, but many people still hold on to their misguided customs and traditions. You can feel the demon’s presence in the air. At our evangelistic campaigns, sometimes people fall to the ground possessed by the devil, and so I have to go and rebuke the evil spirits one by one.

Once, while I was preaching in a town of maroons, I became voiceless. I thought it was due to the dust, but the same happened to a sister who was singing a hymn.

We prayed, but later on, at the fasting, when I was about to begin with the service, I became voiceless again. As we started to rebuke the evil, we saw a woman convulse.

When the demon finally left her body, I recovered my voice and we had a lovely worship.

What is the current situation of the WMM in Suriname?

We are growing, though not as fast as we would like to. We are building churches and people are coming to the feet of Jesus-Christ. We are also gaining ground in the countryside despite the difficulties. People refuse to give up their pagan traditions, but God is setting them free.

We have also tried to preach to the Amerindians despite their reluctance. But they are used to receiving “donations” from missionaries to let them preach. One of them asked me for a “package” when I got to their town.

“The others bring us packages,” he said. “I have brought you the best package: God’s Word,” I replied.

We also preach to the Maroons, a people who came to the country as slaves from Africa. They brought with them several traditions from their culture, and that is why we face such an important reject. But once they convert, you realize that they are kind people. They de-

FOTO: EVELYN Ă NGELES

vote themselves completely to the Lord, and they love to worship and adore Him. Have the Work reached all the cities and towns in Suriname?

We have reached but a small part of the country. We want to get to the whole territory but we lack workers.

Many of the towns demand our presence, but we have no missionaries.

What is the profile of a missionary who wants to go to Suriname?

We need workers. There are locals who want to join us, but they need to be really prepared because the devil’s doing is strong due to heathen rituals and practices. I have seen many missionaries in the countryside suffer car accidents due to the demonic activity. As a result, many get discouraged and stop preaching.

Missionaries in Suriname have to be spiritually prepared and sure of their calling. You will see people convulse on the floor and shout to disturb the services. We need missionaries, but their spiritual preparation is of the essence; otherwise, they will give up.

What are your plans for the WMM in Suriname?

We are organizing a leadership workshop to prepare workers, not only in Suriname, but also in French Guiana. Once they have finished their studies, we plan to send them into the towns to teach others. We are also building new temples in different locations of the country.

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DEVOTIONAL “Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall… Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?”

Nehemiah 6:1-3.

Rev. Luis M. Ortiz

A GREAT WORK In the times of the reconstruction of the city

walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah’s leadership, the people had to face big obstacles and open opposition that threatened the progress of the work.

The first obstacle was Sanballat’s open opposition to Nehemiah’s presence in Jerusalem to rebuild the walls (Nehemiah 4:1). He also accused Nehemiah of rebellion later on. After the beginning of the reconstruction, Sanballat and Tobiah mocked and ridiculed the work stating that if a fox went up, the stone wall would collapse (Nehemiah 4:2-3).

When the work was half finished, Sanballat, Tobiah and others conspired together to fight Jerusalem (Nehemiah 4:6-8). Nehemiah, who always faced hardship with prayer, said, “Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them” (Nehemiah 4:9).

After the reconstruction was finished, Sanballat, in sheep’s clothing, sent a message to Nehemiah: “Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono,” but they actually thought to do him mischief (Nehemiah 6:2). Nehemiah answered, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3). Five times Sanballat sent the same words, and five times he was rejected by Nehemiah.

Sanballat even hired a false prophet to convince Nehemiah to hide because his life was in danger. Nehemiah did not let him intimidate him and replied, “Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life?

I will not go in” (Nehemiah 6:11).

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In the end, the reconstruction of the walls were completed against all odds: “And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God” (Nehemiah 6:16).

Dear brothers, there is a clear similarity between this part of Israel’s history and the history of the humble efforts of the Worldwide Missionary Movement (WMM). We have been hit by rejection, opposition, persecution, accusations, mockery, ridicule, disdain, conspiracies, betrayal, hypocrisy, threats and false prophecies.

However, through prayer and dependence on God, we have been supported and guided to fight back. We keep moving forward knowing that God has entrusted us a great work in the world.

And this deep conviction that we do God’s will has not decreased but increased. We keep bringing with the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus-Christ.

Despite the rising of the Sanballats, the Tobiahs, the Geshems, the Alexanders and the Diotrephes that want to get rich with the money of God’s people and to destroy God’s work, “in all these things we are more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37), because God “always causeth us to triumph in Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:14).

God has truly entrusted us with the fulfillment of a great work: the evangelization of the world; the spreading of the true testimony of Pentecost; the protection of the light of the supernatural and miraculous ministry of the Holy Spirit’s gifts from all extremism, disbelief or fanaticism; the humble growth of our hearts; the preservation of a pure testimony without the stain of worldly things.

This conviction and understanding that the Lord has given us a great work to do is our most precious possession and passion as God’s followers.

Therefore, when someone is not faithful to God, His work or His Word, and betrays the trust of the whole congregation and the church, the Lord Himself takes them out of the way: “The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous” (Psalm 1:4-5).

Near the end of 1960, God ordered me to leave Cuba after 17 years of missionary work because there was a great work to be done elsewhere.

I asked the Lord, “My Lord, what about the Work?” to which He answered, “This is My work.”

Then, He showed me what I had to do, and I did.

This is indeed His work. This is His Work and we are His workers. This is His vineyard and we are His harvesters.

This is His vine and we are His branches. This is His church and we are His redeemed. This is His body and we are His limbs. This is His property and we are His servants. This is His kingdom and we are His subjects.

This is His family and we are His children. This is His legacy and we are His heirs. This is His city and we are His citizens. Amen.

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DEVOTIONAL “On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.”

Esther 6:1 Rev. José A. Soto

WHEN YOU CANNOT SLEEP This passage tells about the time when Persian king Ahasuerus, who ruled the Persian empire at its ze-

nith, could not sleep. During his empire, God’s people was scattered throughout 125 provinces. This means that in every corner of the empire, people were waiting on God and His promises, even though they were living in unpleasant conditions, under oppressive circumstances.

Esther’s arrival at the royal palace was the result of God’s intervention. After queen Vashti refused to come before king Ahasuerus at the royal feast, thus defying his command, her deposition was immediate, and Esther took over as queen of the Persian Empire.

It should be no surprise to anyone that in the midst of God’s blessing, someone like Haman arises. He moved up and managed to hold a position of great importance in the reign: he was appointed vizier, which is like a viceroy.

Haman exalted himself and whenever he met someone at the palace they had to bow. But Mordecai the Jew, Esther’s adoptive father, stood his ground and never bent the knee before any man (Esther 3:2).

Haman, full of wrath, decided to kill Mordecai and the Jews. He appeared before king Ahasuerus and told him about a certain people scattered all over his territory that did not contribute to the kingdom’s profit and so did not deserve to live. When Haman proposed to offer to pay ten thousand silver talents to destroy the Jews, the king, who knew nothing about them and did not care to, answered, “The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee” (Esther 3:11).

Haman sent letters in different languages into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, kill and cause to perish all Jews. It was an irrevocable command, and so it had to be obeyed (Esther 3:15). It was then that God deprived the king of his sleep.

“And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus” (Esther 6:2). When the king asked if Mordecai had been rewarded for such action, his servants told him that nothing had been done for him. It was then that MISSIONARY MOVEMENT 46 WORLDWIDE Americas • Europe • Oceania • Africa • Asia

Haman came in and the king asked him, “What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor?”

Haman thought in his heart, “To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself?” (Esther 6:6).

Haman, thinking that the king was talking about him, demanded the highest honor: “For the man whom the king delighteth to honor, let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head, and let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honor, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour” (Esther 6:7-9).

Haman was ready to hang Mordecai, but the king ordered him to go where Mordecai was and do all as he had said (Esther 6:10). Haman had to proclaim in the whole city that Mordecai was the man whom the king wanted to honor! When Haman came home, ashamed because of the incident, his wife said unto him: “If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him” (Esther 6:13).

Haman’s murderous plot against Mordecai and the Jewish people was being thwarted by the Lord through Esther. She resorted to prayer and fasting, and God gave her grace in the eyes of Ahasuerus, who asked her, “What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom” (Esther 5:3).

Esther asked him to come to a banquet she had prepared for him; when he arrived at the feast, Ahasuerus made her the same question. (Esther 5:6). Once again, she asked him to come with Haman to another banquet.

At this new banquet, the king insisted that Esther should tell him what she wanted. Finally, she requested him to save her from the extermination to which she had been condemned along with her people. At these words, the king was furious: “Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? and Esther said: The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman.

Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.”

Overcome with rage, the king went out into the garden, while Haman, feeling death upon his head, fell upon Esther’s bed to beg her to spare his life. When Ahasuerus entered and saw him on the queen’s bed, he cried out in outrage: “Will he force the queen also before me in the house?” (Esther 7:8). One of the king’s chamberlains covered Haman’s head, took him out and hung him on the same gallows that Haman had prepared for Mordecai.

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DEVOTIONAL

“Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:8 Rev. Alberto Ortega

BE STILL To wait means to remain in a place until something expected happens. It also means to remain inactive in expectation. Based on these definitions, it is safe to say that waiting on God while being under adverse, difficult, uncomfortable or unbearable circumstances depends on our faith in Him. The heart has to fully trust that God will manifest and reverse the situation. God always comes where faith or divine intervention is required. Waiting on God is a powerful statement of faith in His divine resources.

In its definition “to remain inactive in expectation,” waiting becomes the most difficult thing to do for people. We usually react to the events happening around us, and our natural tendency is to act on the pressure surrounding us.

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There are two ways to face any situation: by reaction or by direction.

Solving problems by reaction is always harmful, as reaction does not take into account the consequences of decisions.

It only tries to soothe what one feels, that is, it is based on feelings, not reasoning. In other words, it is about action and not reflection.

With reactions we may feel relieved and momentarily satisfied; however, sooner or later, we will have to face the consequences of such reaction.

All of this leads us to understand that acting under God’s direction is the right answer. When we do so, there is knowledge, analysis and guidance.

Psalm 46:10 reads, “Be still, and know that I am God…” Here we see another powerful effect of waiting: it will lead us to a deeper knowledge of God and His divinity and supernatural power.

This knowledge will guide our decision, and so we will get proper direction in any situation.

Isaiah 30:15 states, “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength...” Waiting on God is a source of strength and power and it is bigger than anything we go through.

Nevertheless, the kind of waiting to which we are urged in the Scriptures is not a state of passivity or indifference, but a state in which wise steps are taken. While we wait, we are offered this guidance: “… pour out your hearts to him.” This means that, when waiting on God, there must be an outpouring of the heart.

To outpour the heart means to take it before God so that what is overwhelming or worrying us is transferred to the Lord’s heart.

In other words, it is relocating our problems from our heart to God’s heart, it is giving God the burden and also the responsibility of acting on our behalf.

Dear readers, are you overwhelmed by ongoing trial? Do you need to make a crucial decision that may affect your life? Are you disoriented about your future, your family, your relationships?

Then wait on God, give Him your burden and your decision so that He can guide and support you.

Do you not know God and wish to have Him in your heart so that He takes over your life and your future and lead you to safe harbor? For this to happen, you have to receive Jesus Christ right now as your only and sufficient Savior. God bless you!

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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).

I SHALL GO AND NOT REMAIN SILENT Event: World Mission Day Date: September 28 Place: America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania

The Worldwide Missionary Movement celebrated the World Mission Day with an international event of prayer and fasting held by its 63 churches located throughout the five continents. This event was held under the motto “I Shall Go and Not Remain Silent.”

In every church and temple of the WMM around the world, the importance of missionary work was stressed, and the faithful were encouraged to preach the Gospel to every creature and to listen to the missionary call.

The WMM in Spain held an emotional meeting in Barcelona. Reverend Samuel Mejía shared the Word with the message “Importance of Understanding God’s Calling,” based on Galatians 1:15-16.

In addition, other worship services took place in the city of Elche and the district of Torrero in Zaragoza. Pastor Wilson Santillán and Reverend José Arturo Soto, international president of the WMM, announces the good news, respectively.

Other churches in Europe that celebrated with meetings of faith were the ones in Italy, France, Germany, England, Portugal –where Pastor Carlos Lopes shared God’s message in the city of São João da Madeira– and Switzerland, among others.

LAND FOR CHRIST

In the Americas, the WMM in Panama held a glorious service in the town of 24 de Diciembre. At the spiritual meeting, Reverend Epifanio Aprilla shared the message “I Shall Go and Not Remain Silent,” based on Acts 16:6-10.

The WMM in El Salvador celebrated the World Mission Day with two worship services led by Reverend Edwin Parada, national supervisor of the Work, and Reverend Adán Sosa, who shared God’s message through beautiful sermons.

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EVENTS

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Likewise, the Work in Ecuador celebrated this day with a meeting in the main church of the city of Guayaquil. In the ceremony, Reverend Eugenio Masías shared the message “Looking for Missionaries,” based on Romans 10.

The faithful in Peru also celebrated the World Mission Day through simultaneous events held at the churched of the WMM. This was replicated in Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, the United States, and other American nations.

Meanwhile in Africa, where an army of missionaries of the Work spreads the sound doctrine every day, the WMM in Uganda held a worship service in the city of Kampala, where Elisabeth Bonifacio preached the Gospel. In Asia, where the sound doctrine is spreading, the WMM in Japan held a worship service the city of Hamamatsu.

It is worth mentioning that the World Mission Day was also commemorated in the town of Tirupattur, India, with the presence of Reverend Luis Meza Bocanegra, international treasurer of the WMM. Finally, in Oceania, the congregations of New Zealand and Austria also celebrated the World Mission Day.

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TEST OF FAITH Event: 16th National Convention Date: September 25 – 28 Place: Tirupattur, India

Reverend Luis Meza Bocanegra, international officer of the Worldwide Missionary Movement, urged all Christians in India to persevere without giving up or looking back until they have reached their goal.

“The course of faith is an obstacle course. Christians sometimes have to go through hardship and suffering,” the pastor said at the 16th National Convention in India, which took place from September 25 to September 28.

He explained that God wants us to know that the bigger the conflict, the greater the victory. “Suffering must be seen from the point of view of eternity,” he stated.

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EVENTS

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“Paul the Apostle said that affliction is temporary and brings upon Christians the beautiful and eternal weight of glory. If we fail to look at suffering from God’s perspective, of course we will be upset,” he added.

Reverend Meza preached the Word in three languages: Spanish, English and Tamil, to hundreds of people from several states of India, who gathered at a convention center in Tirupattur, a town in Tamil Nadu.

Based on Hebrews 12:2, he referred to the persecution of Christians in different countries of the world, stating that we have to see God’s plans in these acts. He also assured that through faith, Christians can lead a glorious and powerful ministry in God. “Faith leads us to know MISSIONARY MOVEMENT 56 WORLDWIDE Americas • Europe • Oceania • Africa • Asia

EVENTS

the real God,� he concluded. During the convention, Reverend Meza presented a book that talks about the abuse and persecution suffered by pastors of the WMM for preaching the Gospel in India. Pastor Meza also used the occasion to visit some churches in Chennai and preach to hundreds of people in the church of Karunivam, just outside the city.

At the 16th National Convention in India, Reverend Sam Jacob, national supervisor of the WMM in India, and Pastor Anthony Sosa, missionary from Dallas, preached the Gospel as well. Finally, 78 lay workers, 28 authorized preachers and 4 ordained ministers were promoted during at one of the services.

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EVENTS

RISE AND SHINE Event: 7th Anniversary of the church of Pamplona and evangelistic campaign in Terrassa Date: August 31 Place: Pamplona and Terrassa, Spain

The Worldwide Missionary Movement in Spain celebrated the 7th anniversary of the church of

Pamplona under the theme “Rise and Shine.”

The event was attended by Reverend Carlos Medina, national supervisor of the WMM in Spain and supervisor of Block A of Europe.

At the spiritual event, Pastor Medina announced the good news through the message “To Reap We Have to Shine First and to Shine We Have to Go to Battle,” based on Genesis 26:17-33.

He spoke about the difficulties that Isaac experienced in the Valley of Gerar.

He also reminded the attendees that the Lord gives comfort, that battles are necessary in Christian life, and that the enemy has to be fought without fear.

The meeting of faith, organized to celebrate the 7th anniversary of the church of Pamplona by the WMM in Spain, was attended by faithful from the churches of Oviedo, Irun, Santander, Hospitalet and Barcelona, who worshipped and showed their love to Jesus Christ.

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EVANGELISM IN ACTION

Led by Reverend Francisco de los Santos, national secretary of the WMM in Spain, a group of brothers held an evangelistic campaign in Terrassa, a city located in the autonomous community of Catalonia, where they planted the seed of Word of the Lord.

With the permission of local authorities, the members of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Spain preached the Gospel at a square in Terrassa for two hours. They shared the good news of Jesus Christ with passers-by.

In addition, Christian treaties and copies of Impacto Evangelistic were offered to those who showed interest in listening to the message of the Lord. Likewise, hymns and songs were sung to worship God. Based on Matthew 27:38-44, Pastor de los Santos offered a preaching and urged those in need to seek God to achieve the salvation of their souls.

He also said that Christ gave his life for the love he had for sinners.

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EVENTS

A PREACHING CHURCH Event: 30th National Convention Date: August 22 – August 25 Place: Guayaquil, Ecuador

The Worldwide Missionary Movement in Ecuador held its 30th National Convention at the Te-

rrace of Mucho Lote, in Guayaquil.

The event took place under the theme “Shekhinah” and was attended by more than seven thousand believers of Jesus Christ.

At the opening of the spiritual event, Reverend Rubén Concepción, international secretary of the WMM, shared God’s powerful message, “The Things God Wants You to See,” based on 2 Kings 6:17.

Based on Deuteronomy 31:1-6, Reverend Eduardo Masías, national secretary of the WMM in Peru, preached the Gospel in the second service of the meeting of faith. The pastor’s message was “Starting and Finishing under the Glory of God.” In the third service of this holy convention, Reverend Luis Meza Bocanegra, international treasurer of the Work of God, announced the good news with the sermon “The Six Woes of the People of Israel,” based on Isaiah 5:11-12.

FOR YOUR OWN GOOD

Based on 1 Corinthians 12, Reverend Andrés Espejo, member of the Board of the WMM in Peru, preached the Word of the Lord in the fourth service. In his message, the preacher talked about the spiritual gifts.

In the fifth service, Reverend Eugenio Masías, national supervisor of the WMM in Ecuador, was the Savior’s instrument to spread his Gospel. Based on Romans 8:28, he shared the preaching “Keep Calm, What Is Happening Is for Your Own Good.”

Based on Acts 1:8, Pastor Meza, who is also the national supervisor of the Work in Peru, preached the Gospel in the sixth service through a message titled “A Preaching Church.”

At the closing ceremony of the event, 16 lay workers, 7 authorized preachers, 4 ordained ministers and 8 new presbyters were recognized.

Afterwards, Pastor Concepción preached to the people of God with his message “Let Us Pass Over unto the Other Side,” based on Mark 4:35-41.

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IGLESIAS EN BLOQUE A DE EUROPA ESPAÑA

TENERIFE NORTE: Av. San Miguel de Chimisay, 11 VALDEPEÑAS: Av. de los Estudiantes, 74 u GRAN CANARIAS: Calle Alfredo Calderón, 48 u LANZAROTE: Calle José Pereyra Galviaty, 13 u u

ZONA 1

BARCELONA LA SAGRERA: Calle Costa Rica nº 31 ZONA FRANCA: Plaza de Cristofol, 5 HOSPITALET: Av. Masnou 35, Local 7 SANT JOAN DESPI: C/ Bonavista, 29 RIPOLLET: C/ Virgen de Montserrat, 7 TERRASSA: Calle Príncipe de Viena nº 22. u

ZONA 2

MADRID CIUDAD LINEAL: Calle Sambara, 167 ENTREVIAS: Calle Manuel Laguna, 33 GALAPAGAR: Calle Calvario, 22 u FORCADILLO: u FUENLABRADA: Av. de las Regiones 2, Local 60 u SESEÑA: Calle Lavadero,8 u PARLA: Calle Pablo Casal, 22 u

ZONA 3

VALENCIA: Paseo La Petxina, 65 u ALICANTE: Calle Virgen de Fátima, 8 u ELCHE: Av. Libertad, 7 u PALMA DE MALLORCA: u IBIZA: Calle Fra Vicente Nicolau, 5 u

ZONA 4

ZARAGOZA: DELICIAS: C/ Desidero escosura, 29 TORRERO: C/ Granada, 21-23 u ARNEDO: Av. Logroño, 10 u BUROS: Polígono industrial Pentasa III, nave 93 u SORIA: Calle Marmullete, 1 - bajos 42002 u

ZONA 7

CASTELLÓN: C/ Ricardo Català, 17 REUS: C/ Camí de riudoms, 17 u GIRONA: C/ Montfalgars, 7-9 u MOLLERUSSA: Calle Cervera nº 7 u LLEIDA: C/ Rogers de Lluiria, 66 u u

ZONA 8

SALAMANCA: C/ Pinzones, 10 ÁVILA: Paseo Santo Tomas, 46, bajos 2 u VALDEMORILLO: C/ Eras Cerradas, 3 u SEGOVIA: Av. Vía Roma, 21 u u

PORTUGAL

SÃO DA MADEIRA: Rua Infante Santo, 185 LISBOA: Rua Vale de Santo Antônio, 146-A u ISLA DE MADEIRA: Estr. Regional 226. Entr.24 u u

FRANCIA u u

SUECIA u u

ZONA 5:

OVIEDO: Calle Coronel Boves, 26 SANTANDER: C/ Valderrama, 5 u LA CORUÑA: C/ San Isidoro, 54 u PAMPLONA: Av. de Navarra, 2-4, San Jorge u IRUN: Calle Blas de Lezo, 18, Colón

PARIS: 73 Boulevard de la Boissière 93130 Noisy-Le-Sec GRENOBLE: 51 Rue Thiers 38000

ESTOCOLMO: Hagalndsgatan 9, Solna MALMO: Norregatan 12, 21127

u u

DINAMARCA

SLAGELSE: Verdensmissionsbevægelsen Danmark Bredegade 16, 4200 Slagelse u

ZONA 6

SEVILLA: Calle Fernán Sánchez de Tovar, 4 MARTOS: Av. Europa, 154 u JAÉN: Calle Hermanos Pinzón, 8 u

FINLANDIA

u

u

KERAVA: Asemanaukio, 7

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LETTERS FROM OUR READERS...

CARTAS@IMPACTOEVANGELISTICO.NET RAÚL PEÑA Dear brothers, this magazine really edifies our spiritual life. May God continue to bless such commendable work.

From Huancayo, Perú.

ROLANDO DUARTE God bless you greatly for this wonderful work.

The Lord has worked many miracles and continues to bless many people through Impacto Evangelistic. It’s such a great magazine that has edified the life of thousands of readers. May Jesus Christ continue to help the precious team of this magazine.

From Miami, Estados Unidos de América.

MARÍA TAUTIVA

LAURA BONILLA The Lord continue to bless you and give you wisdom to keep edifying the life of so many people. I thank God for this magazine because I get to be in contact with the brothers of the Worldwide Missionary Movement.

From Limón, Costa Rica.

ANA MARÍA PALACIOS May the peace of the Lord be with you. Beloved brothers, keep up the good work with this magazine that encourages and edifies us. Its messages and information are truly helpful and give us strength.

From Cochabamba, Bolivia.

I’ve read the magazine and it’s been such a rewarding experience, full of blessings and great spiritual nourishment. I’ve also learned very interesting things about missionary work. Move forward in the Lord. From El Meta, Colombia.

JOSÉ CÓRDOBA You’re such a great blessing to the whole world.

May God continue to give you wisdom and understanding to share this message with many more people. Please pray for Venezuela. From Caracas, Venezuela.

ANA MARÍA CARRASCO God bless you so much. This magazine has edified my life and that of many people. God bless the hard work of its team. May the Lord increase your strength. From La Paz, Bolivia.

DORIS LÓPEZ God bless you. My name is Doris and my brother’s name is Owen. I’m 11 and my brother is 7. I’m the granddaughter of Mayda Terry, who receives the magazines. My brother and I read them and I’d like to receive them too. I’d also be very happy if you send me a Bethel record for children. I’m very grateful to God for your magazines.

From Cuba.

GUSTAVO MENDOZA Dear brothers, God bless you. I’m very grateful to God and to you for the great work you do, and for sending the magazine to thousands of people.

It’s been very helpful for my life and for the life of others. Thank you very much. May the family of the Lord Jesus Christ continue to grow! Amen.

From Texas, Estados Unidos de América.

LUIS LÓPEZ I can’t stop thanking God for the blessing and great privilege of being part of the ministry of this Work. I always receive the magazine and enjoy Reading its edifying messages. I also feel happy when I see the pictures of the different activities that our brothers hold in Puerto Rico and other faraway places. From Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

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AGENDA MUNDIAL 2019 JANUARY 3-10 CONVENTION COLOMBIA, (MEDELLÍN) 21-24 CONVENTION NICARAGUA 25-27 CONVENTION PARAGUAY, (MONTEVIDEO) 31-3 (Feb.) CONVENTION BOLIVIA, (TARIJA) FEBRUARY 7-10 CONVENTION BELIZE (ORANGE WALK).

21-24 CONVENTION ARGENTINA (BUENOS AIRES).

MARCH 22-5 CONVENTION PANAMA 14-17 CONVENTION HONDURAS (SAN PEDRO SULA).

14-17 CONVENTION AUSTRALIA (MELBOURNE).

ABRIL 11-13 17-21 18-20 25-27 25-28

CONVENTION NEPAL. CONVENTION GUATEMALA (GUATEMALA CITY).

CONVENTION SRI LANKA. CONVENTION DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. CONVENTION GUYANA, SURINAME AND MARTINIQUE, (SURINAME).

26-28 FELLOWSHIP EAST AFRICA PRESBYTERY, CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE).

MAY 3-5 CONVENTION JAPAN (TOKYO NARITA).

16-19 CONVENTION SWITZERLAND (GENEVA).

16-19 CONVENTION GERMANY AND BLOCK C (HAMBURG).

JULY 2-6 4-7 9-12 12-14 17-20 25-28

CONVENTION COSTA RICA. CONVENTION BRAZIL (MANAOS).

CONVENTION USA, MICHIGAN (GRANDVILLE).

FELLOWSHIP NEW ZEALAND (WELLINGTON).

CONVENTION PUERTO RICO. CONVENTION MEXICO.

AUGUST 8-11 CONVENTION SPAIN AND BLOCK A EUROPE (MADRID).

8-11 CONVENTION HAITI (PORT-AU-PRINCE).

9-11 FELLOWSHIP BRAZIL (SAO PAULO).

13-18 GENERAL AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S CONVENTION AFRICA, EQUATORIAL GUINEA (BATA).

15-18 CONVENTION ITALY & BLOCK B (MONZA).

22-25 FELLOWSHIP WEST AFRICA PRESBYTERY, GHANA (ACCRA).

22-25 CONVENTION ECUADOR, GUAYAQUIL. SEPTEMBER 4-6 CONVENTION VENEZUELA. 13-15 CONVENTION PERU (AREQUIPA).

16-18 CONVENTION PERU (CHICLAYO).

20-22 CONVENTION PERU (LIMA).

25-28 CONVENTION INDIA. 28 WORLD MISSION DAY, SIMULTANEOUS ACTIVITY IN ALL THE COUNTRIES. OCTOBER 4-6 FELLOWSHIP CANADA. 18-20 FELLOWSHIP MADAGASCAR. 25-27 CONVENTION MAURITIUS. 31-3 (NOV.) CONVENTION CHILE (SANTIAGO).

NOVEMBER 14-17 CONVENTION EL SALVADOR. 21-24 CONVENTION URUGUAY (MONTEVIDEO) 26-29 CONVENTION MYANMAR.

n Paste events n Future events MISSIONARY MOVEMENT 66 WORLDWIDE Americas • Europe • Oceania • Africa • Asia

November 2019 / Impacto evangelistic

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MISSIONARY MOVEMENT 68 WORLDWIDE Americas • Europe • Oceania • Africa • Asia