November 2014 / Edition 730 / www.impactoevangelistico.net
The magazine that edifies your life
evangelistic OFFICIAL PUBLICATION
Interview
WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT
The role of the media in the evangelization Life stories
The long road of “Goyita”
Keeps the world in suspense
The offensive of the
ISLAMIC STATE
November 2014
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WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia
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EDITORIAL
I used to go astray Rev. Gustavo Martínez International President of the WMM
“Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word…It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes...I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.” Psalm 119:67, 71, 75.
O
ne of the characteristics of those who go
method God used to lead the people of Israel out of
astray is that their pride prevents them
Babylon: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, sa-
from recognizing their mistake. There-
fore, they pretend that things are going better than ever, but in the secrecy of their bedroom, loners cry because they knows their life is a failure. The astray are not happy in the Church, because they love the world, but they are not happy in the world either, because they know the Word and know they are not doing right. Their conscience constantly berates them and prevents them from enjoying life as they wanted to. Dear reader, if you have abandoned the Lord’s way, you are still in time to return to God’s house. Be aware that “for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” (Ecclesiastes 11:9) lest, “while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). God awakens memories in people through frustration and knows how to use the incentive of our memory at certain times. Hosea 2:7 says, “then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.” Memories were the
ying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” (Psalm 137:1-3) If you have gone astry from the ways of the Lord, do not let pride, friends, work, and the pleasures of this world keep you away from Him. The world will pass and so will all its pleasures, because earth things are temporary (1 John 2:17). However, God offers eternal blessings that will never pass. Return to the Old Rock, from which keeps flowing Water of Life. There is nothing that can fill the emptiness of the heart of those who have gotten away from God. Only God can fill that emptiness. Come back to Him, so that you can have a flourishing life and the blessings of God flow into your life. God’s love overlooks our unfaithfulness and when we turn to Him, we will never feel ashamed again. God bless you
u
November 2014
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WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT www.impactoevangelistico.net America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia
evangelístico
Founder Director: Rev. Luis M. Ortiz November 2014 / Edition N° 730 (USPS 012-850) OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT The World-Wide Missionary Movement, Inc. is a non-profit church with a vision to plant new churches in the United States of America and its territories, and also with a missionary vision to plant new churches wherever God opens new doors all over the World. PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY Movimiento Misionero Mundial, Inc World-Wide Missionary Movement, Inc San Juan, Puerto Rico Washington, D.C. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936
POSTMASTER: send address changes to Impacto Evangelístico P.O. BOX 363644 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-3644 Phone (787) 761-8806; 761-8805; 761-8903
INTERNATIONAL BOARD MEMBERS OF WMM INC. Rev. Gustavo Martínez President Rev. José Soto Vice President Rev. Rubén Concepción Secretary Rev. Rodolfo González Treasurer Rev. Álvaro Garavito Director Rev. Margaro Figueroa Director Rev. Rómulo Vergara Director Rev. Humberto Henao Director Rev. Luis Meza Director CHURCHES ESTABLISHED IN: Germany Argentina Aruba Australia Austria Belgium Belize Bolivia Bonaire Brasil Cameroon Canadá Chile Colombia Congo Ivory Coast Costa Rica Curacao Dinamarca Ecuador El Salvador Spain United States The Philippines Finland
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The Worldwide Missionary Movement is a religious nonprofit organization duly registered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and in the federal capital, Washington DC, with headquarters in both cities and in every state of the United States and other countries where we have established missionary Works. Important The offerings and donations in cash, equipment, real estate and bequests by will, in the benefit of the Worldwide Missionary Movement, Inc.’s Work, are deductible from the income tax, and receipts issued by the WMM are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the Federal Government of the United States of America and of the Free Associated State of Puerto Rico. n
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Doctrinal Statement The Worldwide Missionary Movement adheres to the fundamental doctrines of Scripture, such as: n
• The inspiration of the Holy Scriptures: 2 Timothy 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:19-21. • The Adorable Godhead in Three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Matthew 3:16-17, 17: 1-5; 28:19, John 17: 5, 24, 26, 16:32, 14:16, 23, 18:5, 6, 2 Peter 1:17,18; Revelation 5. • Salvation by Faith in Christ: Luke 24:47, John 3:16, Romans 10:13, Titus 2:11, 3:5-7. • The New Birth: John 3:3, 1 Peter 1:23, 1 John 3:9. • Justification by Faith: Romans 5:1, Titus 3:7. • Water Baptism by Inmersion, as commanded by Christ: Matthew 28:19, Acts 8:36-39. • The Baptism in the Holy Spirit subsequent to salvation, speaking in tongues according to: Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4, 8, 2:4. • Divine Healing: Isaiah 53:4, Matthew 8:16, 17, Mark 16:18, James 5:14, 15. • The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. • The Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Galatians 5:22-26. • Sanctification: 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23, Hebrews 12:14, 1 Peter 1:15, 16, 1 John 2:6. • Ministry and Evangelization: Mark 16:15-20, Romans 10:15. • Tithing and Maintenance of the Work: Genesis 14:20, 28:22, Leviticus 27:30, Numbers 18:21-26, Malachi 3:7-10, Matthew 10:10; 23:23. • The Rapture of the Church: Romans 8:23, 1 Corinthians 15:5152, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. • The Second Coming of Christ: Zechariah 14:1-9, Matthew 24:30, 31; 2 Thessalonians 1:7, Titus 2:13, Jude 14, 15. • The Millennial Kingdom: Isaiah 2:1-4, 11:5-10, Zechariah 9:10, Revelation 19:20, 20:3-10. • New Heavens and New Earth: Isaiah 65:17, 66:22, 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1.
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The Islamic State has burst onto the international scene by destabilizing a region, already quite conflicted, and with expansionist statements that show its ambition. This organization has become the main terrorist group that threats the world.
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Magazine Impacto Evangelistic
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Christian writers Janet and Geoff Benge tell us about the life of Hudson Taylor, who for 51 years travelled around various regions of China to evangelize this giant Asian country.
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26 28 29 The International President of the Worldwide Missionary Movement, Rev. Gustavo Martínez, talked with the official broadcaster of the Work, Bethel Television, and discussed various topics about the missionary work of the Church.
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She dedicated more than 10 years of her life to prostitute women in her own brothel. After amassing a lot of money, she fell into the world of drug trafficking and then in jail. Soon, she realized that God had closed the doors of the business to call her to preach His Word.
Paul of Tarsus is the proof of the power of conversion of Christianity. He chased the first followers of Jesus and then he became his biggest missionary, spreading the Word in a world full of pagans.
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Events in: Colombia, Puerto Rico, New York, Panama, Brasil, Argentina and Ecuador.
Letters
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“I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” Revelation 3: 1-3
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WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia
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COVER
The Threat of the Islamic
STATE
The Islamic State has burst onto the international scene by destabilizing a region, already quite conflicted, and with expansionist statements that show its ambition. This organization has become the main terrorist group that threats the world. Some analysts believe that its power surpasses that of Al Qaeda, led by Osama Bin Laden.
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WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia
T
housands have fled their homes because of the advance of the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq during the last weeks. According to the International Organization for Migration, 850 000 people have been displaced in August due to the violence and persecution of the jihadists in the territory. Displaced people have been located in 1 577 different places after the worsening of the armed conflict, most of which have found refuge in the Iraqi autonomous region of Kurdistan. Among the displaced population are people from religious minorities. Christians and Yazidis have fled their villages and towns to save their lives, after knowing about the atrocities perpetrated by the Islamic State in areas where it has taken control, both in Syria and Iraq. Many of the displaced people have sought shelter in camps already overcrowded in the neighboring Syria. Others, who have sought a safe haven in Kurdistan, are being poorly assisted and live in places such as mosques, churches, schools, parks or buildings under construction. THE ORIGINS
In the Middle East, religion plays a predominant role in the life of the people. The ongoing conflict in the area cannot be understood without referring to the division in the Islam between Shiites and Sunnis, the two most widespread Islamic factions. When speaking of Sunnis and Shiites, the differences are not comparable to those between Catholics and Protestants in the contemporary West, but we must go back 8 Impacto evangelistic
Displaced people have been located in 1 577 different places after the worsening of the armed conflict, most of which have found refuge in the Iraqi autonomous region of Kurdistan. In the meantime, the followers of the Islamic State increase in number.
COVER THE CALIPHATE “The legality of all the emirates, groups, states and organizations becomes void by the expansion of the caliph’s authority and the arrival of its troops to their areas,” proclaims now that group. “Listen and obey your caliph. Support your state, which grows every day.” “The time has come for the Ummah [nation] of Muhammad (peace be upon him) to wake up from its sleep, remove the garments of dishonor, and shake off the dust of humiliation and disgrace,” they say. The expansionist initiative of the group formerly known as ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) will find undoubtedly the opposition of some neighboring Islamic states, which see with little sympathy the escalating of power in the Middle East area. For the first time, a jihadist organization has a specific territory where it proclaims the return to the religious-political system of the seventh century. The requirement of vassalage to all actual entities -emirates, Islamic republics, etc.- opens a new internal struggle of Muslims against Muslims, which eventually can be lethal for global jihadism despite its appeal on the radical hotspot facilitated by the Internet.
to the European religious wars between 1524 and 1649, which are some of the most brutal and bloody wars in history. The whole Middle East is catching fire due to the uprising of the IS and other terrorist organizations. No one should make the mistake of supposing that this is a local movement destined to disappear or ignoring its influence on multitudes of marginalized and disillusioned Sunni militants. Because of its ideology, fanaticism and cruelty, of the territories that it has occupied, and its regional and perhaps global ambitions, the IS configures the greatest threat since World War II. It has the potential to change the map of the Middle East and challenge Western inter-
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WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia
Between 2011 and 2013, when the rebellion broke out in Syria and turned into a civil war, the ISI –now led by Abu Bakr al Baghdadi and supported by opposition Syrian fightersgained strength once again. In 2014, just in a few months, it took several cities in northern Iraq.
g ests in the Persian or Arabian Gulf and beyond. Since Islam appeared in the deserts of Arabia in the seventh century with its monotheistic message and the slogan “there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet,” the condition of the Arabs has changed and given rise to a religion and a civilization which today has 1 500 million people worldwide. When, between 1516 and 1517, the army of Ottoman Sultan Selim I conquered Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Arabia with his sanctuaries, the sultan took the religious 10 Impacto evangelistic
title of caliph. Therefore, the Ottoman Empire was the Sunni caliphate as well. The fall of the Ottoman Turkish Empire and the abolition of the caliphate in 1922 was not only traumatic in a political and military sense, but Sunnis also lost their highest religious authority and its unifying role. For many Westerners it is difficult to understand the feeling of defeat and humiliation of the Sunnis as a result of the losses endured in the past century. To get an idea, imagine the fall of an age-old powerful Christian empire
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, Kemal Atatürk and Saddam Hussein led the people back to religion so as to shake off their dictatorships.
COVER PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS The emergence of the Islamic State in the Middle East has increased the danger for Christians in Iraq, Syria or southeastern Turkey, where militarized troops of the radicals are imposing their rules with violence. According to a publication of the Spanish newspaper Protestante Digital, on the border between Syria and Turkey, the Islamic State is executing Christians and rewarding those who turn in the missionaries working in the area. In the city of Mosul, Christian minorities have begun a desperate flight. “They have moved Christian minorities” to larger cities “for their protection” but the Islamic State is also trying take over these places, nearby where several Christians have been crucified in recent days.
Among the displaced population are people from religious minorities. Christians and Yazidis have fled their villages and towns to save their lives, after knowing about the atrocities perpetrated by the Islamic State in areas where it has taken control, both in Syria and Iraq.
along with the abolition of the papacy. Following the end of the caliphate, Sunni countries were divided and controlled by foreign powers, which imposed their domination in the economic, military and cultural fields. Before the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Western powers and Britain, in particular, had promised the Arabs that in exchange for taking up arms against the Turks they would be granted the formation of an Islamic caliphate in the Arab lands subject to the
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WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia
g Ottoman Empire. Besides breaking the promise, France and Britain secretly settled the Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916) to share out the Arab lands. MILITARY REGIMES
When the era of colonization ended, throughout the Middle East military regimes came to power through coups d’état led by those who had fought against foreign domination: General Kemal Ataturk in Turkey, General Reza Khan in Iran, Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser in Egypt, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. Military coups in Syria and Iraq also brought to power the Bath party, with General Hafez al-Assad in Syria, and Brigadier Abd alKarim Qasim, Colonel Abdul Salam Arif and Saddam Hussein in Iraq. 12 Impacto evangelistic
With its brutal tactics, the group -which was then called ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant)- left many in the West incredulous and surprised.
Virtually all Middle Eastern countries achieved independence through coups of military men that ignored the historical, cultural and religious background of their own countries and were completely unrelated to the concepts of democracy and human rights. The military governments were able to establish a certain order at gunpoint. In the absence of civil society organizations, democratic traditions and social freedom, the only path open to the crowds willing to get rid of military dictatorships was to return to religion and use mosques as their barracks. The emergence of religious movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Ennahda in Tunisia, the Islamic Salvation Front in Algeria, Al Da’wah in Iraq
and others, represented the greatest threat to the military regimes, which suppressed and banned them. The tragedy of modern middle-eastern regimes has been their inability to coexist with Islamic movements and, therefore, with the broad social strata that they represent. Thus, after repeated defeats and humiliations, the longing for the caliphate grew among Sunni militants, especially among Arabs whose countries were divided and subjected to Western colonialism and then to military dictatorships. When the word ‘Islamic caliphate’ is pronounced, devoted Sunnis experience a jolt of adrenaline. The failure of the military regimes and the marginalization and elimination of faith-based groups has led now to the emergence of
COVER
an extremist movement. The Islamic State has used this situation and bases its appeal on the call for the revival of the caliphate. HOW DID IT APPEAR?
The IS emerged after the invasion of Iraq by the US and its allies, out of the remnants of Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), established by the Jordanian militant Abu Musab al Zarqawi to oppose Western forces. Al Zarqawi was killed during an attack by the United States in 2006 and AQI members joined other militant
WILL THE INVASION CONTINUE? Experts believe that the limited operations that Obama is launching in recent days will have little impact on the ground. The United States believes that in order to defeat the armed group a political and military alliance with the states of the region is required, especially Syria and Iraq, the main countries where the organization operates. As Shiraz Maher, an expert on jihad at King’s College London, says, it is unlikely to stop the invasion without the will of the Western powers to engage in a broad and concerted military operation, with forces on the ground, to evict the IS. “The fact that ISIS has taken a large territory is not unprecedented. We have seen other jihadist organizations achieve this in the past, for example, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Horn of Africa and, more recently, in Mali,” he says.
groups to form the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). In the beginning, it was a weak movement due to the several operations of US forces to stifle it. However, between 2011 and 2013, when the rebellion broke out in Syria and turned into a civil war, the ISI –now led by Abu Bakr al Baghdadi and supported by opposition Syrian fighters- gained strength once again. In 2014, just in a few months, it took several cities in northern Iraq. With its brutal tactics, the group -which was then called ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant)- left many in the West incredulous and surprised. Now, armed with US arsenal that it has obtained in its victories over the Iraqi army in the region, it is thought that it has 15 000 fighters and has access to funds for US$ 2 000 million, mainly from private donations, kidnapping, and robbery. The IS has used a powerful social media campaign to sow terror. According to the Iraqi journalist Mina al-Orabi, deputy editor of the newspaper Ash-Sharq al Awsat, the EI has managed to advance rapidly due to the support of local tribes and militias. “Some of these deals are based on fear, others in the temporary satisfaction of their interests, sometimes is something as crude as financial exchange between different gangs,” she adds. Frank Gardner agrees that the “fear factor” has been essential to the strategy of the jihadist movement. The IS has achieved “phenomenal military success, primarily with a combination of fear and firepower,” says BBC’s correspondent u November 2014
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The fearsome ISLAMIC STATE WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia
“And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram” Genesis 16: 15-16. Emerged as a terrorist group close to Al Qaeda to face the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, the ultra-conservative organization Islamic State is at the center of the international scene. Its brutal tactics -responsible for the death of over one
hundred and ninety thousand people, the displacement of about one million ninety hundred thousand, and mass killings, kidnapping of minorities and beheadings disseminated on social networkshave unleashed a wave of fear and hatred worldwide.
Mosul Dam Jarabulus Manbij
Ar Rai Sinjar Raqa
Al Bab
Arbil Mosul
Kirkuk
Hawija
Al Manyadin
Ajil
Rawa
Al Bukamal
SYRIA
Makhmur
Sharqat
Deir Ez-Zur
Homs
The State Islamic Jihadists control part of Syria and Iraq
Hadith
8 MILLION
Khanaquin
Samarra
of Syrians and Iraqis live under the control of the Islamic State.
Baquba
Damascus
Falluja
IRAQ Karbala Najaf
Jihadists of the Islamic State
Kurdish Peshmerga
Iraqi government forces
Syrian government forces
Other rebels
Amarah
Nasiriyah
Basrah
LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE OF THE ISLAMIC STATE
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, names himself caliph and functions in a role similar to that of a commander in chief. Abu Ali al-Anbari, deputy, responsible for Syria.
SYRIA
Abu Muslim al Tukmani, deputy, responsible for Iraq
5 governors report to him
IRAQ
7 governors report to him
9 councils report to deputies, which work as departments or ministries. THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL Makes laws and handles political decisions. Works with deputies, but decisions are subject to approval by Baghdadi.
THE SHURA COUNCIL Weighs in on religious and military matters, and advises the leadership council. It is composed of nine people who are versed in Islamic Law.
THE MILITARY COUNCIL Calls the shots on fighting and defense of the Islamic State’s acquired territory.
THE LEGAL COUNCIL Handles family disputes and religious infractions. It is in charge of recruitment of followers and makes decisions on punishments — often in the form of executions.
THE SECURITY COUNCIL Handles the internal policing of the controlled territory, including checkpoints. It also carries out executions.
THE INTELLIGENCE COUNCIL Provides information to the leadership on the Islamic State’s enemies.
THE FINANCIAL COUNCIL Functions as the organization’s treasury. It handles oil sales, weapons deals, and oversees cash.
THE FIGHTERS ASSISTANCE COUNCIL Supports the jihadists arriving from other countries. It finds them housing. It also helps smuggle foreign fighters.
THE MEDIA COUNCIL Deals with communications, social networking and dissemination of videos. It has a close relationship with the legal council and is responsible for disseminating public executions.
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No. of SOLDIERS*
Syria 50,000 (20,000 are not Syrians: Persian Gulf, Chechnya, Europe)
25%
Controlled territories *% estimados
Fuente: BBC.com, Source: BBC.com, elmundo.com, wikipedia.com,
174
deaths a day
3,000
Tunisia
2,500
Statistics based on the total number of murders.
Funding
95%
from extortion, smuggling of oil, bailouts, bank reserves from Mosul.
2006 Creation of Iraq, at the initiative of Al-Qaeda. July 2011 The fight in Syria spreads Beginning 2014 War with the Syrian al-Nosra Front (official branch of Al-Qaeda). June 2014 Offensive in Iraq Taking of Mosul Proclamation of a caliph in the 2 countries
Objectives Establish a caliphate or state governed by an ultraconservative vision of Islamic law (sharia). Spread its power to countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
August 2014 Execution of American journalist James Foley.
Although its origins can be traced to 1999, it was in 2004 when the group swore alliance with Al-Qaeda, a relationship that broke completely ten years later. The group operates under the name ‘Islamic State’ (IS) from June 29, 2014.
1,500
Jordan
1,500
Morocco
5%
from Gulf States
Origin
Saudi Arabia
Foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria
900
Lebanon
800
Russia
700
France 600
Data based on official figures and estimates between 2013 and 2014, and analysis of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation. Includes fighters who have returned to their countries of origin.
500
= Western Countries
5
They are journalists killed British Alan Henning Davis Haines American James Foley Steven Sotloff French Hervé Gourdel
Libya UK
400
Germany
400
Turkey
360
Egypt
330
Pakistan
300
Belgium
250 200
Australia Algeria
150
Kazakhstan
150
Netherlands
140
Albania
120
Kosovo
191,000
dead
Beliefs Sunnis (about 80% of Muslims in the world).
UN released last August a report on a tragedy that sometimes seems far away from us, but has an impact on everyone. In three years in Syria more than 191.000 people have been killed, mostly civilians who are living in horrific conditions with an extensive global indifference.
Among its practices are:
Beheadings, crucifixions and mass murder. They also recruit children.
Iraq 8,000 to 10.000 (3.200 to 4.000 are foreigners)
40%
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WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia
“A church that does not evangelize is dead” The International President of the Worldwide Missionary Movement, Rev. Gustavo Martínez, talked with the official broadcaster of the Work, Bethel Television, and discussed various topics about the missionary work of the Church.
R
ev. Gustavo Martínez Garavito, International President of the Worldwide Missionary Movement, granted an interview to Bethel Television, the Channel for Family Happiness, and highlighted the work done by the planet’s biggest Spanish-speaking evangelical organization. For over thirty minutes from the city of Cajamarca, the most important city in the northern highlands of Peru, he addressed the issue of the important role of the church. Rev. Ortiz and his missionary work, the various media of 16 Impacto evangelistic
the Worldwide Missionary Movement and the “World Mission Day” were some of the issues addressed by the President of the WMM. What do you think about the global impact of the recent activity conducted in the city of Cajamarca by the Worldwide Missionary Movement of Peru which was aired live all around the world? It is a pleasure and a joy to know that we have reached so many countries simultaneously. It is impressive, as it is the fulfillment of what the Lord promised to the Work: that He would put at our disposal the most modern means of communication. To reach the entire world is impressive. This is the fulfillment of the Word of the Lord that the Gospel would be preached to everybody. In 1963, Rev. Ortiz had the vision to bring the Word to the world through the media and he did it thanks to a selfless work conducted
in press and radio. Today, God has enabled the Work to have a very modern media platform to display its work. In that sense, how important is it that the WMM had entered a new stage of evangelization? I think that, if Pastor Ortiz had had the opportunity we have today -this privilege of using such sophisticated means for transmitting the message of God-, he could have achieved more results in less time. However, the Work was impacted by his ministry. The powerful message he gave through this magazine, Impacto Evangelistic, and its various radio programs, has taken deep root among us and many people. Now we are very grateful for having reached thousands of people with the Word, with the message, so we must be very responsible when using these means. We know that God gave them to
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INTERVIEW
"If Pastor Ortiz had the opportunity we have today -this privilege of using such sophisticated means for transmitting the message of God-, he could have achieved more results in less time."
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WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia
g the Work in order to transmit and bring the Gospel to the world. What does it truly mean to be a missionary? Missionary work is what gives meaning to the church. A church that does not preach, evangelize, conduct missions or send missionaries is a dead church, stagnant as the water in a well and destined to die because there is no activity or movement. Missionary work is what oxygenates, what makes us tremble, what makes us feel that we are complying with the message of the Lord and that we are save. When we feel the peace and the benefit of the message of healing and freedom, we want most people to understand and receive the same good news, healing and salvation that we have obtained. The church is called to preach the Gospel. Why should missionary work be promoted? The essence from which missionary work must emerge is the local church. Evangelization begins in each person and, as a church, it should start there and spread as the Lord told His disciples, “in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. The mission of each local church is to make its entire neighborhood and surroundings know the good news. However, it should not remain isolated and locked up, but reach other towns, regions, cities and beyond borders. Do you think that believers today have distorted the concept of missionary work? 18 Impacto evangelistic
The president of the WMM, Rev. Gustavo Martínez, and his wife, Carmen Valencia, in Cajamarca, Peru.
TIME TO EVANGELIZE
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here does the importance of the “World Mission Day”, annually commemorated on the last Saturday of September, resides in? It is a day of fasting, prayer and supplication. Sometimes we pray, but do not intercede, and this is a good day to intercede for the missionaries, the families, and the countries where we are already. It is also a day to plead and intercede for those countries where we are not yet established and where the doors are closed. It is also a day for God to open
doors for us, break locks, destroy the enemy’s power and allow us to enter with the Gospel. However, as a church, it is not only our responsibility to support with prayer and intercession, but also with a generous and willing offering from the heart, so that the Work has financial means to support the missionaries sent to the whole world. Can you explain the meaning of the slogan “Lift up your eyes and look on the fields,” that was used this year to celebrate this significant date?
INTERVIEW
A church that does not preach, evangelize, conduct missions or send missionaries is a dead church, stagnant as the water in a well and destined to die because there is no activity or movement..
When I travel, I always see a great need that cannot been met. Everybody wants something different that can satisfy their need, and that the world and all its materialism and religions have failed to achieve. We know what they need, and that is Jesus Christ, who comes through the Gospel. So we have to do as the Lord told his disciples: “I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest!� In this regard, I think that when we lift up our eyes we will see the big picture. Do not look
on yourself; look on the need of thirsty people dying without Jesus, without peace and forgiveness, without a word of good news. Now I invite all supervisors of the Work, priests, workers and the church in general to lift their eyes, so that next year is a year of work, motivation, support, strengthening and sustaining of the missionary work, as never before. This is our call to stand up, look and listen to outer necessity. This is the hour and the bright moment to reach so many lives. The world is white for the gospel u
Yes, indeed. It is sleeping and stalling in some ways, but in this Work we always say that the meaning of the church is to be a missionary. Our churches in all countries celebrate a missionary worship one day a month. In this worship, the importance of missionary work is highlighted and many questions are addressed. Today, in many places it is not only taught that it is important to know the Lord, but it is also advised that youth should learn other languages and be trained because they are future missionaries. That is the way to reach the world. Do the epidemics that we see today, such as Ebola, are proof that Christ’s coming is imminent? I think it is the fulfillment of the prophetic words of our Lord Jesus Christ who said that pests would come. Ebola, in fact, is killing hundreds of thousands of people and can extend and spread throughout the world. God said that wars, famine and calamities would come and that they would be the beginning of the pain of humanity, and His Word is being fulfilled. The church needs to be prepared because Christ will come soon. Do you have any final message to all members of the Movement? I would like to ask all our brothers from the five continents to support the various media of the Work, so that they continue with its evangelizing work. Your offerings help us fund the various costs involved in having media as modern as those we have today u November 2014
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The Apocryphal (XIII) Gospels “Seven steps to apostasy”. This is the subject of the last chapter of this wondrous work that reveals and denounces the different ways existing to distort the Word of God through the socalled Popular Version. Dr. César Vidal Manzanares Rev. Domingo Fernández
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or the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4: 3-4). “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 20 Impacto evangelistic
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2: 7-12). The objective of Wescott and Hort could be summarized in one word: apostasy. The writing of a text that could replace the Textus Receptus and be the base for new translations of the Bible was important, but only as an instrument, as a functional element. But their objective, and they were very clear about this as we have seen before, was to avoid Christians to accept the Bible as the authorized, certain and infallible Word of God. After fulfilling this ob-
jective, the other steps would occur as a consequence. First, people would begin to abandon their belief in the doctrines taught in the Scriptures. Then, they would start to depend on an extra-biblical spiritual authority, the same that frequented the occultists circles that pleased Wescott and Hort so much. The final result would be an apostasy. The author of these lines do not know if the alarming signals that we see nowadays announces the next Advent of Christ or the beginning of the apostasy referred in 2 Thessalonians 2: 3.
HISTORY
Similarly, the author does not want to speculate on this matter. But he believes that it is his duty to inform to his brothers, humbly but firmly, some especially serious signals for the Church. He mentions them for many reasons. For instance, these signals does not just appear in the works of Westcott and Hort, but in the works of well-known occultists from the past and present. Another reason states that, unfortunately, all of these signals are taking place all over the world to a more or less extent. These reasons are described con-
secutively for order matters, but it must be noted that most of them, at least, are taking place in a simultaneous and synchronous way. 1. The demeaning of the role of the Scriptures in the Church: it is well-known the interest of the devil in attacking the Word of God, so his first step towards apostasy obviously relates to the demeaning of the role of the Bible within the Church. Despite the great increase of Evangelical Christians in the world, nowadays the percentage of people reading the Scriptures is considerably lesser than be-
fore. In the next few years, we may see a process of greater demeaning on this matter. Progressively, the attention of the churches will no longer be on the Scriptures, but on the emotion, spectacularity and charm of religious leaders and the results of this numerical increase. The Church is far from studying with the Scriptures if all the so-called revelations come from God (1 Corinthians 12: 1-3; I John 4: 1-3); it no longer contrasts the lessons of the Bible as the Jewish people of Berea used to (Acts 17: 11-13). The Church nowadays relies more and more on the empty philosophy of theological liberalism or on the empty spectacularity of a good number of famous preachers, whose methods clashes directly with the Word of God. Every time the Church accepts to subdue, in a sense or another, under the authority of men rather than in that of the Scriptures, and every time it renounces or overlooks the examination of every lesson by the Bible, the Church follows a path that sooner or later can only lead to its spiritual destruction. 2. The creation of macroevangelical organisations: this process of demeaning of the Scriptures occurs together with the creation of federations of evangelical-religious organizations in many countries. Far from being groups united by purely spiritual objectives, they appear, and will continue to appear, because of human power interests in order to become the interlocutors of political authorities in each nation. Since this is their purpose, they will accept people that aligns
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g with theological liberalism and not with biblical theology, as well as groups that are not just evangelical, like the Seventh-day Adventist Church or the orthodox churches. Therefore, the scheme of the World Council of Churches will be carried out, but this time in every country. Due to the opposition of the most conscious Christians, they will progressively become stronger and more ambitious. They will try to isolate the Christians denouncing their actions and they will try to control situations like the entry of missionaries in the country, the registration and legalization of churches and the processes concerning state administration. They have the objective of becoming in a few years organizations that control the spiritual life of evangelical churches in a specific country, preventing the work of those standing against them. If they achieve this, or even before, their damage would be great: the believers would become almost unconsciously used to live with the same ideas of the Adventists, orthodox and theological liberals, then disapproving their brothers that are more loyal to the Word. 3. The usage of a common biblical text: alongside with the situations previously described, there will be a strong advertisement in favor of the abandonment of traditional translations of the Bible and towards the acceptance of terrible versions, such as the Popular Version. They will look for the general acceptance of a text that may be used by Evangelical Chris22 Impacto evangelistic
tians and Catholics, as well as theological liberals, members of sects and even followers of Judaism, Islam and even New Age. The Bible would have then so many deleted and blurred parts that its notes will explicitly promote liberal and humanist interpretations, finding therefore no opposition nor obstacle to accomplish its purpose. 4. The collaboration with Rome: If this happens, the collaboration with Rome will be firmly stated. It will not concern any direct comparison between the biblical lessons and the catholic lessons, but something very different instead. Besides the versions produced together by both catholic and protestant experts, there will be a collaboration in common projects of theological and exegetical character. The fact of not being received by a bishop or being separated from certain public celebration will be even interpreted as a cause of sadness. 5. The organizational merge with other religions: At the same time, collaboration with other religions will occur. Representatives of evangelical federations, including Adventists, orthodox and other ones, would meet gradually with Jewish people and Muslims to treat common matters and establish a common strategy. Through
wrong interpretations of the Scriptures, it will be established that it is not necessary to preach the Gospel to any of these groups since they all believe in just one God. Little by little, this opening towards Jewish members and Muslims will extent to other religions. Similarly, religious practices typical from occultism and the New Age, that are already infiltrated in a good number of churches, will be generalized 6. The fall of Christian morality: Concurrently with the events previously described, there will be an alarming retreat concerning Christian integrity between Christian members and their leaders. It will be more and more common to practice illicit sexual relations, justifying them with wrong translations of the Scriptures or through weak arguments, such as stating that since the implicated people preserve the pleasure after these acts, it cannot be considered as sin. The leaders will be more and more attired to power, appearance and richness, forgetting then aspects as essential as service, humility and attachment to the Word. These behaviors will be very obvious and it will bring discredit to the message of the Gospel, but there will be many willing to remain in silence due to their
It will be more and more common to practice illicit sexual relations justifying them with wrong translations of the Scriptures or through weak arguments, such as stating that since the implicated people preserve the pleasure after these acts, it cannot be considered as sin. The leaders will be more and more attired to power, appearance and richness, forgetting then aspects as essential as service, humility and attachment to the Word.
HISTORY
fear of suffering retaliation, losing their position in the ministry or experiencing economical prejudices. Similarly, those opposing openly will be considered legalists and fanatics. They will be accused of causing discredit to the Gospel as they do not remain silent before the sin. 7. The proscription of loyal believers: The situation of those believers willing to be loyal to God and his Word will be increasingly difficult. First, federations of religious evangelical organizations will try to isolate them to discourage them, so that they will end up either surrendering, subduing or silencing before the evil or even turning their faces away of those conducts. Then, they will be accused of
being legalists, fanatics, ignorants and heartless. Any conduct would be considered appropriate as long as it supports the apostasy adopted by different churches. In the fight against loyal believers, they will even appeal to the support of sects and political authorities. Every of the aforementioned did not simply come out of the author’s mind and it is not the result of theological speculation. In fact, these events are taking place in many parts of the world and seem to spread in a really alarming way. Nevertheless, the mission of the people of God is to remain firm against these difficulties. Their main duty is to unmask the devil and
his works and claim loudly against the previously stated situations. Instead of being afraid and discouraged, believers willing to be loyal to God must act with more resolution than ever based on the Scriptures and subdued to the power of Christ. They must follow these considerations: 1. They must subdue humbly to their Lord, even knowing that they may be directly persecuted (2 Timothy 3: 10-17). 2. They must remain more united than ever, aware of the fact they are lots of people who did not kneel before Baal and keep praying so that other brothers may see the light and take a similarly biblical attitude (1 Kings 19: 18; Revelation 18: 4-5). 3. They must follow the Word of God, willing to give to it its corresponding role in the Church’s life as the only infallible rule of doctrine and conduct (2 Timothy 3: 16-17). 4. They must refuse any transgression of any pure biblical principles of the Gospel, even if this concerns human interests (James 4: 4). 5. They must oppose any formation of organizations with groups or people with a theology that is not purely biblical or with a non-spiritual objective (1 Corinthians 10: 19-22). 6. They must denounce prophetically every step leading to apostasy (2 Timothy 4: 1-5). 7. They must wait every day the final victory of their Lord (2 Thessalonians 1: 3-10) u November 2014
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Count your blessings
Inspiring hymn written by American author Johnson Oatman Jr. in 1897; its lyrics revolves around the abundance and prosperity that the Lord provides to his faithful.
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‘
ount your blessings’ is a very popular hymn among the followers of Jesus Christ. It is an inspiring song that was written by American author Johnson Oatman Jr. in 1897, the lyrics of which revolves around the abundance and prosperity that the Lord provides to his faithful. Simple in structure, but profound in essence, this poetic composition invites us to reflect about everything that the Almighty grants to those who are able to trust His Word. From a very young age, Oatman learned to appreciate the old evangelical prai24 Impacto evangelistic
ses that his father used to sing with a strong voice in the evangelical church they attended in Lumberton, at the heart of the state of New Jersey. Born April 21, 1856, Johnson used to attend regularly the house of the Lord and he was always marveled at the faith caused by his father’s songs in the parish. This way, the trust in the Almighty was born in him. Like his father, Johnson Oatman found a way to serve the Highest as he was getting older. When he was 19, after completing his schooling, he
THE GREAT OTHELLO
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hristian composer and arranger Edwin Othello Excell, a renowned figure in gospel music, was the creator of the melody of the song written by Johnson Oatman. Excell was also the one who first published it in a hymnal compilation by him in 1897. Man of absolute faith, Othello was also an outstanding singer, editor and director of singing who outstood in the late 19th century because of his arduous work to spread the good news u
devoted himself full time to the things of the Lord, and in short time he became minister of God and served the cause of Christ as a local preacher. However, Johnson, who also worked with his father in the Oatman’s family business in Lumberton, later decided to become an active soldier of the Savior through musical creation. Equipped with a large ability to move the hearts through Christian messages, Oatman began his career as a composer at the age of 36. Then, recognizing that he lacked the charisma and talent to shepherd a flock, he became a prolific pen subject to the purposes of the Eternal God. Soon he became an author capable of addressing various issues of the gospel, and the hymns written by him became popular in the blink of an eye. His biographers assure that he created more than 5,000 songs. ‘Count your blessings’
MUSIC COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
1 When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. Refrain: Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your blessings, see what God hath done; Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your many blessings, see what God hath done. 2 Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, ev’ry doubt will fly, And you will be singing as the days go by. 3 When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold; Count your many blessings, money cannot buy Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.
is, without doubt, one of Johnson’s masterpieces. Created in 1897, this praise quickly became popular throughout the United States. Then it reached England and there, according to the renowned preacher Rodney Smith, its popularity was such that “men sing it, children whistle it and women rock their ba-
bies to sleep on this hymn”. In the early 20th century, the song consolidated its presence globally and became a popular hymn. Aware of his commitment with the Savior, Johnson Oatman always considered his musical work a service to God and not a business; therefore, he sold his songs for a dollar
each at the insistence of an editor. Oatman wrote hymns for almost every occasion, and even today, his music is sung in every corner of the planet. On September 25, 1922, after about thirty years of tenacious evangelical work, he went to meet the redeemed singers of the heavenly choir at the age of 62 u November 2014
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Deep in the heart of China
Christian writers Janet and Geoff Benge tell us about the life of Hudson Taylor, who for 51 years travelled around various regions of China to evangelize this giant Asian country.
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aptain Morris gripped the wheel of Dumfries, a 470-ton wooden sailing ship, as the barked orders at this twenty-three man crew. In his cabin below the deck, the ship’s only passenger, Hudson Taylor; sat writing in his journal. The short, young Englishman with blond hair and blue eyes was on his way to be a missionary in China. He didn’t know that the ship was headed into a storm, though he did notice that the lantern in his cabin was beginning to swig more than it had been. Determined to obey God, and trusting in the provision of whom had called him, 26 Impacto evangelistic
Hudson Taylor overcame persecution and the most painful personal circumstances. All in order to bring the truth of the Almighty to the “fields white to harvest” of China. This is how Janet and Geoff Benge tell the story through the fifteen chapters of “Deep in the heart of China,” which was originally published in English by YWAM Publishing, 1998. Now that Hudson was a believer, he couldn’t wait for Sundays at the Methodist chapel on Pinfold Hill. Bible reading was no longer boring. Every time the Bible was read now, words jumped out at him. And what had once been dull, dry sermons were filled meaning. And while he knew he was too young to lead the church Bible class, or any other church activity for that matter, he also knew that somewhere there was something he could do for God. Born on 21 May 1832, in
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g the English town of Barnsley on the banks of Dearne River, Taylor is one of the most emblematic figures of the evangelization of the world’s most populous country: China. A pioneer in many ways, defender of sound doctrine and sower of the Word of God, Hudson was the builder of a missionary work which is until today an inspiring testimony for any follower of Christ who wishes to proclaim the message of the Gospel to those without hope and faith. It was during those days when he had an idea that would change the course of his preparation: he liked medicine and the idea of becoming a doctor, but the medical knowledge was only a tool. His true calling was to be an evangelist, and one thing was certain: God had not called him to China only to found a hospital in one of the port cities of the treaty. He had been called to evangelize remote regions within China and the Taiping Rebellion seemed to offer him a wonderful opportunity to go where he knew he had been called: the heart of China. The structure of “Deep in the heart of China” is founded on the works of Dr. Howard Taylor, Hudson’s second son, who wrote the books “Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission: The Growth of a Work of God,” “Hudson Taylor in Early Years: The Growth of a Soul,” and on the autobiography of the early life of Hudson Taylor published in 1875. However, the book does not shy issues and does not make a superficial compilation or passive observa28 Impacto evangelistic
LITERATURE tion. It is concerned with the figure of the missionary and seeks it with passion. The other missionaries watched him intently. The Society for the Evangelization of China was a new organization and they wanted to see how it took care of its single worker. Judging by the results, not that good. In the opinion of his colleagues, the society had sent an incompetent and single person without any instructions about what they wanted him to do and, seeing the clothes he used and food he ate, with very little money. What were they thinking? After several months, Hudson began to ask himself the same question and his feeling of loneliness grew. He did not dare to tell anyone how difficult this was for him. The work of Geoff and Janet Benge, as part of the “Christians Heroes: Then & Now” series, tells the exciting and moving story of an ordinary man whose trust in the Lord made possible a series of exploits for the glory of the Almighty. Besides exploring the childhood and youth of Taylor, this work of evangelical literature is also a compendium of the work done by the China Inland Mission, an institution founded by Hudson and Christian William Thomas Berger in 1865. 25 May 1866. The first official group of missionaries of the China Inland Mission was leaving the next day aboard the Lammermuir bound for Shanghai. Hudson left the quill on the desk after finishing the passenger list that he had to give to Captain Bell the next morning. He prayed for each of them and asked God to give
He liked medicine and the idea of becoming a doctor but medical knowledge was only a tool. His true calling was to be an evangelist. God had not called him to China only to found a hospital in one of the port cities of the treaty. He had been called to evangelize remote regions.
them strength for the journey. He thought of each one of them and recalled their first meeting, the sparkle in their eyes and their strong faith. The new missionaries were a good team. The vast majority of them were ordinary people, not scholars. Hudson Taylor spent 51 years in China. The missionary work he undertook by command of the Creator, the China Inland Mission, was responsible for taking to Chinese territory more than 800 missionaries who built 125 schools in different parts of the nation, which is today the first world economic power. In addition, the China Inland Mission, led by Taylor, got eighteen thousand conversions as well as the establishment of more than three hundred subsidiaries with more than five hundred local helpers in eighteen provinces. The testimonies of the mis-
Hudson Taylor spent 51 years in China. The missionary work he undertook at the command of the Creator, the China Inland Mission, was responsible for taking to that country more than 800 missionaries who built 125 schools and getting 18 000 conversions in 18 provinces.
sionaries of the China Inland Mission were known throughout the world. Many were daring and adventurous as the founder. Both men and women crossed China and captured their journeys in maps that detailed the areas traversed. John Stevenson and Henry Soltau were the first Westerners to cross the country from east to west, covering a total of 2 850 kilometers in less than three months. Jennie, Hudson’s second wife, and two missionaries were the first Western women to migrate to the heart of China. Hudson Taylor was a man with strong convictions and an unshakable faith in Jesus Christ. He was, according to Janet and Geoff Benge, courageous, selfless, an outstanding administrator and a man of prayer. On 3 June 3 1905, several weeks after visiting the graves of his relatives, he died peacefully in his bed. He was buried next to his family. His life ended where he always wanted to be: in the depths of the heart of China. He was 72 and longed to return to China. He wanted to encourage and show gratitude to many people. During the spring of 1905, Hudson, accompanied by his son Howard- who was also a doctor- and his wife Geraldine, began his eleventh trip to China. It was a memorable trip. This time he could travel by train to many places, a means of transportation much more comfortable than the wheelbarrows of the early days. Wherever he went people gathered to listen to him. He had the opportunity to celebrate his seventieth third birthday at one of the seven centers in the province of Henan u November 2014
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The chosen one Paul of Tarsus is the proof of the power of conversion of Christianity. He chased the first followers of Jesus and then he became his biggest missionary, spreading the Word in a world full of pagans. James Payton
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here is no better example than Paul’s life to demonstrate that some men were sent to the world to accomplish a mission of faith. He is an unrivalled character of Christian history and became the symbol of the force of the Christian movement at that time. His conversion proved the power of Christianity to destroy the strongest prejudices and mark Christian identity of an immediate and permanent revolution. The information concerning Paul’s life can be found in the Acts and in his epistles to the Romans, Corinthians, Gala30 Impacto evangelistic
tians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians and the servants of the Lord, Timothy, Titus and Philemon. Paul was born in the city of Tarsus, in Asia Minor, probably ten years after the birth of
Jesus-Christ. He was originally named Saul. He was Jewish, from the tribe of Benjamin and the Pharisees sect. He was taught the rigid doctrine of the Pharisees and learned the Greek language very well.
HERO OF FAITH
CONVERSION OF FAITH
While still young, he went to Jerusalem to specialize on the sacred books as disciple of the most famous rabbi of his time, the sage Gamaliel. Saul was not in Palestine during the pu-
blic life of Jesus, so that he did not meet Him personally. After the death of Jesus, he came back to Jerusalem and found that the number of Christian followers had arisen. Therefore, he and many other Jewish
people started to chase them fiercely, being deacon Stephen their first victim. While Stephen was being stoned, Saul was keeping watch on the clothes of his executors, apg November 2014
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g proving therefore this murder. Afterwards, Saul travelled to Damascus under the command of Jewish priests to imprison and carry the Christians to Jerusalem. But a light from heaven made him fell to the earth and he heard a voice saying unto him: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” And he said: “Who art thou, Lord?” And the Lord said: “I am Jesus whom thou persecutes”. And Saul added: “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” And Jesus said unto him to go to Damascus and there he shall be told what he must do. He remained blind for three days since then. Once at Damascus, a disciple of Jesus, named Ananias, made him recover his vision. From that moment on, the Pharisee renounced to his past life and started to preach the Gospel. No one would have expected such a complete change in Paul. His personality was so strong and original that it surprised everybody. But since his first contact with Jesus, he remained under his influence and during the rest of his life, his biggest wish was no other than to be an echo and reflex of the Almighty in the world. FIRST STEPS
After his conversion, Paul went to Arabia and remained there for three years, praying and learning about the Christian doctrine. Back in Damascus, he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus-Christ was the Savior of the World. For that reason, the Jewish people wanted to kill him, but the disciples helped him to scape taking him down on a basket by the city walls. Paul had to scape many 32 Impacto evangelistic
times, but nobody managed to stop him from preaching about the Lord and His doctrine. He arrived to Jerusalem and there he started to preach the Word, but the Jewish people once again decided to kill him. The Christians decided to take him out secretly and transport him to Caesarea, going then to Tarsus, his hometown, where he stayed many years. Paul was a great thinker by nature. He had a strong and exceptional intelligence. He worked without a rest and he always finished whatever project he had started. For him, it was not enough to know that Christ was the Son of God, but he worked permanently to “split” this fact in more simple elements to understand precisely its meaning. Similarly,
Saul was not in Palestine during the public life of Jesus, so that he did not meet Him personally. After the death of Jesus, he came back to Jerusalem and found that the number of Christian followers had arisen. Therefore, he and many other Jewish people started to chase them fiercely, being deacon Stephen their first victim.
it was not enough for him to believe that the He died for the sinners. He always wanted more. Therefore, he decided to find out the reason why he did everything in that way and how His death purified the sins of humanity. His talent was developed through education. The other Apostles were illiterate men, but Paul knew the most complete advances of his time. While in the rabbinical academy, he learned how to order,
expose and defend his ideas. Everything is showed in his epistles, which have the best explanation of Christianity in the world. Paul arrived one day to Tarsus looking for his great friend, Barnabas, and he took him to Antioch to spread the good news to the gentiles. He remained preaching in that city for a year until the performance of a worship meeting, during which Paul and Barnabas, by divine inspiration, where chosen as missionaries. MISSIONARY LIFE
Paul of Tarsus made four big travels during his missionary life. During the first one, he changed his name from Saul to Paul, in honor of the first person converted by him, the governor of Cyprus, Sergius Paulus. During his second travel, he met two valuable partners: the Apostle Luke and Timothy, who became his most loyal secretary and servant. The first European city that he visited was Philippi, were he exorcized a fortune-telling girl. Then, he was imprisoned, but while in his jail, he converted both his guard and all his family. During his third evangelist travel, Paul made the inhabitants of Ephesus, where he remained for many months, realized that their goddess Diana was nothing but a mere idol, so that they stopped adoring her. As the manufacturers of Diana figurines saw that their business was being ruined by this, they provoked a great tumult against the Apostle. Paul left Ephesus to travel to Jerusalem to give to the poor Christians of this city the results of a collection made in other Christianized cities. At the end of his third mis-
HERO OF FAITH but a great storm started and the ship sank. Despite this, Jesus told Paul that because of his love to him, He will not allow that any passenger would die drowned, and so it happened. The travelers arrived to the isle of Crete and they remained there, safe from the wreck. Finally, they got to Rome, where many Christians were waiting Paul with enthusiasm. Paul remained imprisoned for two years in this city. CRUEL MARTYRDOM
sionary travel, Paul returned to Jerusalem, but the Jewish people provoked a horrible tumult against him in the temple during the Pentecost celebrations and they were about to lynched Paul there, but some Roman soldiers barely managed to take him away from the enraged crowd. Afterwards, more than 40 Jewish people swore that they will not eat nor drink until Paul died. Paul’s sister found out this and sent a nephew to inform Paul.
He told this to the commander of the army and he was then transported to Caesarea between a battalion of chivalry and other of infantry. Paul remained there imprisoned for two years. Paul knew that the Jewish people requested his return to Jerusalem to kill him in the way. For that reason, he asked to be judged in Rome. The governor Festus accepted his request. The Apostle was sent to Rome in a commercial ship,
The influence of Paul became a menace to the Jewish people. We can read on his epistles that he was persecuted, arrested and tortured many times. As well as many disciples and the other Apostles, he suffered because of preaching the Gospel. When the Christian persecution of Nero started, Paul was condemned to execution. He was transported to the outskirts of the city together with a crowd of the worse type of people. When they arrived to the execution place, he kneeled near the executioner’s block; his axe shone and fell. The Apostle’s head rolled. The main subject in Paul’s thought was to teach why the death of Christ was necessary and which its powerful results were. But Paul also knew every aspect in Christ’s life. His epistles, arranged in chronological order, show that his mind was continuously going more deeply on this subject. He offered his life to preach the gentiles and his story is the palpable evidence of his sincere vocation. Jesus-Christ was with him to evangelize the world, using his hands and feet, his tongue, his brain and his heart u November 2014
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The long road of
“Goyita” She dedicated more than 10 years of her life to prostitute women in her own brothel. After amassing a lot of money, she fell into the world of drug trafficking and then in jail. Soon, she realized that God had closed the doors of the business to call her to preach His Word. Photos: Roberto Guerrero sent special
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LIFE STORIES
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LIFE STORIES
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regoria Casanova entered her house unknowingly and heard some noise in the bedroom. She crept to the door and saw a scene that would change her life completely: her husband was having sex with another man. Then her world collapsed. “Goyita,” as she was known familiarly, was only 17 and had gotten married six months earlier by order of her father who had sold her to this man along with a herd of cattle. From the day of the wedding, her life became a torture. The man who was virtually a stranger to her began to abuse her psychologically and physically. What she saw that fateful day in her own marriage bed was the straw that broke the camel. - I did not know whether to face him, kill him or run away; I just left the house and never went back- she recalls many years later. She ran out of the house in the province of Alajuela, Costa Rica, and returned to her family home, but instead of understanding her and protecting her, her father showed an unexplained cruelty once again. “In this house we do not accept women separated from their husbands,” he told her and she had no choice but to go make a living at her own risk. She worked as manager in a bar that actually was only the facade of a clandestine brothel where women sold their bodies to the highest bidder. There she learned about administration and eco-
nomy and the shady business of sex, alcohol and drugs. Far behind was that cheerful and simple girl who reveled playing on the banks of the port of Quepos, Costa Rica, where she was born in 1950. Extreme sexism and the abuse of her father had pushed her far from her family home, leaving behind the happy days of her childhood and adolescence along with her eleven siblings. When she saw how profitable the business was, which
was accused of trafficking in minors and selling drugs. This accusation made her close her lucrative business and escape so as not to be prosecuted for the crimes against her. Twenty-four hours later, she surrendered to the authorities, because she knew that they had no further evidence against her. After being acquitted, she opened two brothels much closer to the capital of Costa Rica. Her outrageous shows became part of the everyday nightlife of the city.
She began to relate to all types of individuals and criminals who visited her harems. One night, some shady people involved in drug trafficking contacted her to propose an easy business to make money. Thus, one of her brothels served as camouflage for storing packages of drugs (…)
- I was back, reloaded and meaner- she confesses.
was mainly attended by foreigners, she became interested in setting up her own. Within months, she raised enough of money from sales and tips. The following year, she opened her first brothel just out on the Santa Ana highway, on the outskirts of the capital of Costa Rica. She recruited eleven attractive girls whom she exploited without consideration. That is how she began to make easy money at the expense of sin. OWNER OF NOTHING
After a few months, the complications began to arise: she
She began to relate to all types of individuals and criminals who visited her harems. One night, some shady people involved in drug trafficking contacted her to propose an easy business to make money. Thus, one of her brothels served as camouflage for storing packages of drugs that were later scattered in different parts of the city and the country. Her pockets were filled with dirty money, but something deep inside prevented her from living in peace. She was already 26 by then and had not had stable romantic relationships, all her companies left after a few nights of pleasure. Her life changed in some way when she met a diplomat from her country with whom she fell in love. In comparison to other men who only used her for one night, this government official -much older- treated her with
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g affection and advised her to leave the shady business and pursue a professional career. The relationship with the diplomat was lasting until she got pregnant. Before actually making the decision of taking the advice, her daughter was born and her life changed, not only because she was a mother now, but also because 38 Impacto evangelistic
The various stages of her life. 64-year-old Goyita never fell back again into pimping, prostitution and drug trafficking.
one of her sex workers accused her of drug trafficking. IN JAIL
Arrested and back in a prison for women, “Goyita” let her maternal instincts emerge and the thought of losing custody of her first child terrified her. The torture ended three months later when she
was released. Although she was guilty of drug trafficking, authorities never actually found evidence of crime. Upon release, she left drug trafficking for good and started studying Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation. However, she continued to engage in procuring, as this business was her only source of inco-
LIFE STORIES tand why these strange things happened, but as days passed by, she realized that God was speaking to her through these manifestations. - I realized that it was the end of my business – she recalls. Alpha and omega Still confused and aimless, “Goyita” entered the delivery room of the hospital in the city of Cartago. In pain because of contractions and the fate awaiting her second child in the midst of prostitution, drug trafficking and poor reputation, she looked at her belly, touched it and promised her child that nothing would ever be the same after his birth. Suddenly she heard a loud voice. - Daughter, I am the alpha and the omega. I will cleanse you and sanctify you for you to carry this message to many nations ... “- said the voice.
me to support her daughter. She carried on with this way of life until she was 32 and got pregnant for the second time. Only then she started to think about the fate awaiting her children: they would grow up without a father and with a mother socially questioned and full of sins. For that reason, she tried
to change her life, but she could not find the way. She began to close her brothels gradually, trying to mitigate her sorrows this way. A curious incident occurred in early 1982 when she was about to close one of her last ones. She felt that the keys to the doors jammed and broke. At first, she did not unders-
After the revelation that changed her vision, she gave birth to her son and was taken to the recovery room. There she continued crying at the foot of her bed, until a pastor who was around approached her and talked to her about the love of God. “Goyita” accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior. Currently, “Goyita” is 64 years old and has kept the promise that she once made to her son. She never returned to pimping, prostitution and drug trafficking again. Instead, she worked with her own hands to provide for her family and the task that the Lord instructed her: to preach in Las Delicias, Costa Rica. This is her new job: to spread the Word of God u November 2014
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Teachings and sermons of the most renowned preachers who expose the truth of the Lord through their life stories consacrated to God. The Bible says: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life... And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 5:39; 8:32
DEVOTIONAL
Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” Revelation 3: 1-3 Rev. Luis M. Ortiz
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S
ince its founding on the day of Pentecost, the Church of Jesus Christ has experienced periods of great victories and great setbacks, periods of great achievements and great losses, periods of prolonged prosperity and also fierce persecution. Around the year 51 of the Christian era, the Apostle Paul invaded Europe with the powerful message of the Gos-
pel of our Lord Jesus Christ -as in the vision of the Macedonian man-, when Europe was plunged into the thick darkness of moral and political corruption of the pagan Roman Empire of the Caesars. The apostolic and postapostolic message anointed with the Holy Spirit’s power transformed lives, counties and cities, and, accompanied by an endless amount of Christian martyrs, caused a scare to the Roman Empire of the Caesars. Around 500 years AD, the religious Roman Empire developed and flourished. However, there were millions of Christians in European countries that did not accept nor obeyed this other religious Roman Empire, although they had to suffer great persecution, flee to the mountains, hide in catacombs, and suffer martyrdom. The wars of the Crusades took place over 500 years later promoted by the religious Roman Empire to conquer the city of Jerusalem and Palestine from the hands of the Muslims who had invaded it. Despite seven expeditions from Europe and wars for over a century with countless loss of lives and fortunes, they did not achieve their goal. It is clear to see why true Christians did not get involved in these war and political efforts. Nearly 500 years after the Crusades began, Europe was amid the Dark Age, under the oppression of the religious empire. This empire was shaken to its foundations by the courageous preaching of the gospel faith at the time of the Reformation in 1517 AD
led by Martin Luther, which prevailed at the end, though with millions of evangelical Christian martyrs killed in the inquisitions. Today, less than 500 years after the start of the Reformation, there is in Europe and around the world a Protestantism without or with very little spiritual life and with large Ecumenists sectors. This kind of Protestantism agrees with the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva, that today there is no longer need to send missionaries and that everyone should keep their own religion, as they say that Christ is asleep in pagan religions and he only needs to be awaken. To top it all, today Protestant Lutherans and
With the loss of the fire of the Holy Spirit and the true work of the Holy Spirit and all it represents, the following are also coming through the wide gate: worldliness, ungodly fashions and pagan customs, superficiality, coldness, modernism in practice and doctrine, carnality, materialism, sin, divorce and remarriage, spiritual death. What a tragedy!
other Protestant denominations are in talks with Roma for a fatal union. If Luther came back from the dead, he would not reform the Roman church, but the Protestant church. What is even sadder, more serious, more depressing and more alarming is that, only 14 years after the Lord has given an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to the Church in the 21st century, most Pentecostal chur-
ches and councils are losing their fire and baptism in the Holy Spirit. And they are replacing them with the strange fire of prefabricated, studied, learned and repeated languages at will of a language instructor who is in that sense an intruder, an outsider and a deceiver. The only baptizer in the Holy Spirit is the Lord Jesus Christ, who does not need crutches and languages, as languages are spoken as given by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not need the help of language instructors. With the loss of fire of the Holy Spirit and the true work of the Holy Spirit and all it represents, besides all these false counterfeits, the following are also coming through the wide gate: worldliness, ungodly fashions and pagan customs, superficiality, coldness, modernism in practice and doctrine, carnality, materialism, sin, divorce and remarriage, spiritual death. What a tragedy! We should pay attention to call of the Lord, saying, “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.� (Revelation 3:
1-3). Which other surprises will be? Which many other names are being removed today from the book of life? May the Lord, in this final hour, send us the real fire of Pentecost. Amen u November 2014
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Opening our ears to Jesus
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“
and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?” (Matthew
“And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.” Matthew 20: 29-34. Rev. Alberto Ortega
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nd Jesus stood still,
20:32). This was the question that our beloved Savior Jesus Christ asked the two blind men of Jericho, “What will ye that I shall do unto you?” These two men lived in darkness. Jesus once said: “The light of the body is the eye” (Matthew 6:22), and the lights of the body of these blind men were hopelessly damaged. There was no human possibility that their lights would be ever recove-
DEVOTIONAL All humanity is suffering the dire consequence of living away from God, but no scientist stops to think about how to repair human behavior, how to recover the peace with the Almighty that we lost in Eden. However, Jesus passed by these blind men. He is the restorer of the spiritual and moral deformations existing in human nature.
red, as there was no medical treatment that would restore the light in their eyes. They were beyond any hope of getting their eyesight back. What else could those passing by Jericho do but pity them and give them alms. However, when Jesus passed through this place of despair, poverty and impossibilities, it was the light of the world showing up, the Creator of the human body, soul and spirit. He who created man without anomalies or flaws. In England, insurance com-
panies have obtained a government decree by which they are allowed to request a genetic map from those who wish to hire an insurance policy. With this genetic map, they can detect if the person has a genetic condition or a disease that does not appear in clinical analysis, but that they are likely to develop in the future. If these two blind men were living in England today, their right to have an insurance policy would be denied. This is just an example of what the 21st-century man will bring to mankind. Frightening, is it not? Most of these genetic scientists are avowed atheists who claim to be repairers of the errors of life. They feel like gods and do not know that the sin committed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is the real cause of so much human suffering, both physically and morally. All humanity is suffering the dire consequence of living away from God, but no scientist stops to think about how to repair human behavior, how to recover the peace with the Almighty that we lost in Eden. However, Jesus passed by these blind men. He is the restorer of the spiritual and moral deformations existing
in human nature, He is the one that can take us back to the glorious fellowship with our God and Father. Jesus approached the irreparable, the forgotten, the hurting. These two blind men could not see but could hear: “when they heard that Jesus passed by”, they began to use what
they had. God can work when we use what we have. These blind men give us a tremendous lesson. First they used their ears, as the Bible says that “so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Ro-
mans 10:17). Then they went further, they did not only use their ears, but “they cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.” Paul reminds us: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:10).
How good it is to lend our ear, heart and mouth to the Lord, because this was brought about Jesus’ question: “What will ye that I shall do unto you?” Jesus is now passing by your path of despair, passing by you. Perhaps the law has sentenced you as unrecoverable, medicine has found you incurable, or any other negative adjective. Why do you not use your ear to hear Jesus right now? Why do you not cry out: Lord, have mercy on me!? Right where you are, on your way to Jericho. Only then you will get the divine response, restoration and victory. “So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.” (Matthew 20:34).
Dear readers, Jesus has not changed, He is still calling, still asking: “What will ye that I shall do unto you?”
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ness of his actions and because of the fear that Judaism was menaced by Christianity, Saul persecuted Christians without mercy in order to extract from them their faith in Jesus-Christ. “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison” (Acts 8: 3).
Saul definitely ignored that he was a puppet in the devil’s hands and that he was being used through his religious fanaticism to perform attacks against the Church of Christ. God was waiting the right moment to cross the path of Saul. It came when he was traveling to Damascus in order to attack and arrest the Christians sheltered there. Christ revealed Himself to Saul; He opened his heart and made him a question that would change his life forever: “What wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9: 6). That saved soul had an inherent objective and purpose and immediately became a servant of his Savior.
What wilt thou have me to do? “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do”. Acts 9: 3-6 Rev. José Arturo Soto
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he conversion of Saul of Tarsus marked an important and crucial point in Church’s history and it also made clearer the purpose of God within his Work. The enemy had been attacking harshly and violently the newborn 44 Impacto evangelistic
Church since he knew that as long as there were some people touched by redemption, they would be a powerful army able to defeat him. I. FROM PERSECUTOR TO SERVANT OF JESUS-CHRIST
Convinced of the righteous-
II. THE CHALLENGES AND SUFFERINGS OF A LIFE OF SERVICE “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do” (Acts 9: 6). After
waking up, Saul realized that he was blind, but following the words of God, he went to Damascus and waited for further indications of the Lord. He waited three days without eating. Meanwhile, God gave a vision to another disciple, named Ananias, an ordered him to go to pray for Saul of Tarsus. Certainly, Ananias knew
DEVOTIONAL who Saul was and which were his original intentions once in Damascus, but that man of faith did not doubt, even knowing, from a rational and human perspective, that he would risk his life. God revealed to that humble disciple which would be the ministry of Paul. “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake” (Acts 9: 15-16). Ananias
also had the privilege to lay his hands on Paul, so that he would recover his sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts 9: 17). The words of God to Ananias about Saul show the kind of quality that God expects from his instruments. Certainly, the service of God is never simple or easy. By his call, God implied all the aspects of Paul’s life, including the suffering. It would seem opulent and important to preach the kings and emperors of that time, but the costs to accomplish that mission were chains, prisons, punishments, tortures and even death by decapitation. III. CALLINGS AND QUALITIES FOR THE SERVICE
God has given a special power to his saints: “To whom
God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily” (Colossians 1: 27-29).
The dynamic of this ministry is not based on the academic level, our physical characteristics or economic power, but on the power of God within us. We must act according to his dynamic and preach the Gospel by any mean that He may give us. The path of a life of service and dedication is narrow and every person willing to follow it will find obstacles and opposition. When Saul of Tarsus began his ministry, he felt the rejection of both the Jewish people planning to kill him and the members of the Church itself, who did not believe in his true salvation.
“And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple” (Acts 9: 26).
The battle of faith has not changed in many centuries; moreover, it became more intense. We must fight three enemies: the world, the flesh and the devil. The victory over the world comes from
The battle of faith has not changed in many centuries; moreover, it became more intense. We must fight three enemies: the world, the flesh and the devil. The victory over the world comes from our separation from it; the victory over the flesh comes from its crucifixion and pure testimony; and the victory over the enemy of our souls comes from the armor that we must wear to stop his fiery darts.
our separation from it; the victory over the flesh comes from its crucifixion and pure testimony; and the victory over the enemy of our souls comes from the armor that we must wear to stop his fiery darts. Satan knows how to make us feel that our dedication to God is worthless. Despite it, he has nothing to do with us and no way to convince us. Jesus stated that the doors of hell will not prevail against the Church. Is not it a powerful war cry? The governments of the world legalize sin and the world tries to seduce the people of God with its systems, temptations and easy life… But, has the Church something to do with the world? Should we imitate the reign of this world so that they would accept us? No way! We were called to fight in the front line and not to retreat before the enemy. CONCLUSION
Beloved one, may God count on you? Are you using your potential for the glory of God and the benefit of both the world and the Church? It is time to get into work and dig up the talent that we hid underground. If we do not do so, we will then listen the harsh reprimand of our Lord: “Thou wicked and slothful servant… Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25: 26-30) u November 2014
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Stephen Hawking and God A person can be brilliant in certain fields of human activity, but be governed by a foolish heart. Folly has nothing to do with intellect. Rather, it has to do with a twisted moral disposition lying in the heart. Wenceslao Calvo
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ecently, a popular scientist as Stephen Hawking has openly declared his atheism. A few years ago, some Christians hoped that he would embrace faith, as there were hints in some of his statements opening the door to that possibility. However, the statement he just made leaves no doubt about his position. The influence of his words cannot be minimized, as we are dealing with someone who has been compared to Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, 46 Impacto evangelistic
although it would be wiser to wait for time to sustain his true position in the history of science in general and physics in particular. However, what is undeniable is his current global prestige due to his research on black holes -those cosmic bodies of an extremely intense gravity from which nothing, not even light, can escape- and for being one of the great exponents of the Big Bang theory. There are two kinds of atheism: theoretical and practical. Theoretical atheism is the intellectual or philosophical pronouncement by which someone comes to the conclusion that God does not exist. Practical atheism is to live as if God did not exist, without having made a statement on His existence. This kind of atheism is as old as mankind. Theoretical atheism, however, has its stages of growth and decay, but it seems that it is having now
its own “revival”, to which Hawking has joined. Just as no one becomes a believer from scratch, because there are always some premises and a background from which faith is born, no one becomes a theoretical atheist without reason, because there are a number of conditions from which the person has reached such a
REFLECTIONS a prodigy as a mathematics teacher while being vile and despicable. PSALM 53
conclusion. For a believer there are natural and supernatural circumstances and preparation agents working together to take them to the path of faith, even before the person is aware of this. What is the main element that predisposes and induces a person to be an atheist? If we stick to the case of Hawking and many others, that element is not intellectual deficiency, as the capacity of this scientist is above average. Even above that of many believers, but that does not mean that there are no people of great intellectual capacity among believers, because, in fact, there are great scientists among them. For example, Isaac Newton and Einstein were believers, although in a deistic manner, especially the second one. Therefore, people of similar ability to Hawking’s that have studied the same facts as him have come to a different conclusion. If it does not
come down to rational faculties, where can the condition that leads to atheism be found? This is when Psalm 53 comes to our aid: “The fool hath said in his heart there is no God.” In this passage, we find the way of thinking of a person declaring their atheism, but this reasoning stems from a previous state of the heart. And that state defines the word ‘folly’. Folly has nothing to do with intellect. Rather, it has to do with a twisted moral disposition lying in the heart. Consequently, arguments coming from the heart are similar to the heart itself. The source determines the water and corrupted water comes from a corrupted source. This means that a person can be brilliant in certain fields of human activity, but be governed by a foolish heart. One thing is to think about neutral topics and another to think about moral and spiritual matters. Someone can be
There is a tendency to consider atheists -and they see themselves that way too- as honest, brave people with codes of conduct higher than those of religious people. It is thought that religion is superfluous, a set of useless beliefs that border on fantasy, because there are people who, without any religion, comply with moral precepts even more than others. This is the romantic concept of atheism. However, Psalm 53 immediately steps forward to take down this claim, stating that the atheist, in his own right, is framed within corruption, abomination and evil, which is the heritage of all human beings. The words leave no doubt: “Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.” Note that in this passage the word sin does not appear, which is very appropriate, as the atheist does not admit such a thing because it is related to a God in whom they do not believe. What appears are the terms ‘corruption’ and ‘iniquity’, which voids the atheist’s argument: that there is no charge against them, because they do not believe in God and therefore cannot be held sinners. In the end, we have to choose between what Stephen Hawking says about God and what God says about Stephen Hawking and by extension about every human being. I will stick with the statement in Psalm 53 u November 2014
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A quick report of the work that Worldwide Missionary Movement is making in America and throughout the world. The Holy Bible states: “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple... And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved”. (Acts 2:46,47).
EVENTS
Powerful Ministry in Women’s National Convention A glorious visitation from the Lord's presence was manifested in the mega event for women of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Plaza de Toros La Macarena, Medellín.
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group of women, sponsored by the Work of the Worldwide Missionary Movement, held from October 7 to 10 a new edition of their 48 Impacto evangelistic
Women’s National Convention in Plaza de Toros La Macarena, in the city of Medellín, department of Antioquia, Colombia. The mega event was
held under the theme “Announcers of Good News”, based on Psalm 68:11 that says: “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those
that published it.” The activity was attended by over 18 000 people, and the convention hall was full of people every day. Let us pray for the
Lord to provide a larger space for each event of the Work, because every year this place fills up and some attendees have to remain outside the premises. The Church in this nation gathered willingly in this convention from different parts of the country. It is estimated that about 12 000 people traveled from different cities, towns and villages of Colombia to receive the blessing of the Highest.
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g Delegations from different countries, such us USA, Canada, Panama and Peru also joined the spiritual feast that strengthened the spiritual life of the attendees. The preachers of the powerful Word of God were: Rev. Gustavo Martinez, International President of the WMM; Rev. Humberto Henao, International Officer; Sister Valencia Carmen Martinez from Colombia; Sister Olga Cabrera from the United States; Sister Carmen Rodriguez from Colombia; and Rev. Andres Espejo, National Officer of the Work in Peru. Musical specials, cho50 Impacto evangelistic
EVENTS
ral groups, and the participation of the Lord’s people in the devotionals were tremendously edifying; there were also some testimonies of what God is doing in the lives of the sisters, both at home and in ministry. Amidst this atmosphere of freedom, the presence of the Highest was evident, because “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17) The Word of God was extraordinarily spread through each of the speakers, urging each of the attendees to leave behind fear, bitterness, disbelief and all that obstruc-
ting God’s blessing in order to give way to the fulfillment of the promises of God in every life. During each service, participants were exhorted, comforted, inspired and empowered to move forward into a life of victory and spiritual, familiar and ministerial blessing. The media -television, radio and the Internet- carried out the transmission of services every day, taking the blessing of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to many households. The impact was endless and magnificent, as many lives received Christ and many believers were renewed u November 2014
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Lord, heal my heart F rom last September 12 to 14, the women of the Worldwide Missionary Movement of Puerto Rico, led by Sister Gretchen Lugo, held an activity called “Women Camp Retreat” in the town of Rio Grande, where the hearts of many Christians were blessed for three intense days. The event, held
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The “Women Camp Retreat” was held by the Worldwide Missionary Movement of Puerto Rico to analyze the cause of wounded hearts of Christian women. at Yuquibo Camp, was called “Lord, heal my heart” and was attended by a delegation of sisters from Peru. On the opening day, Sister Mariela López de Estrada, wife of Rev.
Teófilo Estrada Maíz, conveyed a message titled “Usefulness of a Virtuous Woman,” based on Ephesians 6:10. She said, “We are all soldiers of God in line, but the ar-
mor of some is worn out. Take the whole armor of God, so that in the evil day you do not die spiritually but stay standing. Take the shield of
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EVENTS
g faith with which you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one.” A day later, Sister Luz Cerdán de Neira developed a religious dynamic called “Why do wounds remain? Have God not restored you?” based on 1 Kings 17: 12-17 to convey faith, love and hope. Then, Sister Maria Cerdán de Espejo gave a message titled “The Self-Esteem of a Christian Woman” and shared her transformation experience when she met the Almighty.
Later, Sister Raquel Alvarado de Argandoña shared the theme “Even if men and your family do not appreciate you, God does” and revealed how the Lord has helped many different tormented women during their earthly life. Then, Sister Esther Castillo Galindo preached the Word of the Almighty through a message titled: “Woman, God is counting on you” based on Genesis 1:27, and listed the great women of the Bible and
their qualities as instruments in hands of the Creator. At night, Sister Carmen Dextre de Peña gave her testimony and talked about how the Lord healed her husband, suffering from Guillain-Barre syndrome, a serious autoimmune disorder that left him at death’s door. Dextre de Peña, excited from head to toe, narrated the transformation process that she went through with her family when she met the Lord
Jesus Christ and said that God never abandoned her. “The Savior made me stronger,” she said. At the end of the second day of the “Women Camp Retreat,” Sister Ada Machado de Ninahuamán preached the Word of the Almighty through a speech entitled “Healing wounded hearts, based on biblical passage Psalm 55: 4. Machado de Ninahuamán, under the inspiration of Christ, talked about the emotional wounds that are caused even from childhood by abandonment, humiliation, betrayal, sexual abuse, rejection, injustice and verbal abuse. In her teaching, she listed the symptoms of a broken heart: sensitivity, pain, irritability, anger, distrust and other characteristics. On the third and final day of this spiritual gathering, Sister Ana Chuquiruna de Espíritu developed a dynamic with the theme: “Virtues that men do not value”, based on 1 Samuel 25: 1-44. She talked about Nabal and Abigail -an irritating man and an intelligent, pure, gracious woman who protected her home-, and analyze the virtues that husbands do not value in their wives. Her participation ended with a dramatization of a television program talking about the qualities that men do not appreciate in women u November 2014
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God’s Fire New York City, USA, burned for three days under the fire of the Holy Spirit in the Second Regional Fellowship, which was a blessing for the Big Apple.
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fter reading the biblical message, he said, “God’s fire produces in men the desire of praising, exalting, being humble. In front of Him, we kneel and recognize that we are clay and we are nothing. That is what happens when the presence of God works in the heart of men”. That’s how the President of the Worldwide 56 Impacto evangelistic
Missionary Movement, Rev. Gustavo Martínez, preached and inaugurated the Second Regional Fellowship of the Work of the Almighty in New York City, USA. Rev. Martínez announced the theme of his message, entitled “Keep od’s fire alive in your heart”, based on the book of Leviticus 9: 24, and then continued with his preach: “It is very important maintaining our spiritual life fervent, constant and active in front of God. We must not run the risk of losing strength and much less letting the fire of the Holy Spirit extinguish in our heart”.
EVENTS
After his speech, spotlights were turned off and each of the attendees went home to rest and be ready for the second day of this great fellowship called “Tearing down the fortresses”, held from September 4 to September 6 in one of the congregations of the Movement located in the Big Apple. A few hours later, the facility was filled by the testimonies, musical specials and praises performed by the National Choir of the Church of the United States, which led the attendees to the Lord. Meanwhile, sister Carmen Valencia, wife of
Rev. Martínez, was preparing her message. Once ready, the also author of the book “Water for the Thirsty” preached
the message “The woman who visualized God in the middle of the battle”, based on Judges 4: 14. She said: “Over time
we have seen how women have played an important role in history. They have characterized in a powerful way and have influenced the course of many lives, families and entire nations”. This fellowship was attended by the churches nearby New York, the members of the National Board of the country, led by the Rev. Arturo Hernández, and pastors Emanuel and David López, from the Republic of Guatemala. On the last day, Rev. Benito Green ended the religious activity and thanked the people of God for their attendance and support. Furthermore, Rev. Martínez and his wife said good-bye to the attendees with the promise that they would come back soon u November 2014
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WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia
A Burning Flame Hundreds of young brothers from the Republic of Panama were ministered with advice and biblical teachings in the 23rd National Youth Convention of the WMM.
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efore a great number of young brothers ready to hear the Word of God, Rev. Alberto Ortega claimed: “Maybe you have not found out what is the scope of this convention in your life. I am sure many of you will say, ‘I was at the convention but I understood nothing.’ Well, let me tell you that God has not only brought you 58 Impacto evangelistic
here to sit on the bench, but also to let you see the sense of what is coming, your purpose with Him.” This and other moments filled with emotion and Christian fervor took place in the 23rd National Youth Convention in Panama, where the Word of God was the focus of the meeting. The event was inaugurated by the Supervisor in the Repu-
blic of Haiti, Rev. Ortega, with his message entitled “Summits are not eternal”, based on Deuteronomy 1: 6-8. Rev. Ortega talked about the need for young people to learn to listen and understand. “If you’ve come to church to listen and repeat things like a child, it will be all useless, because you will be more disorien-
ted and will not seek the true meaning which is in God”, he said. Moments later, he said, “When you see what God wants to do with you, you will plan, conquer and achieve things that as a human you could not.” This youth activity was held from September 17 to September 20 in the facilities of the Work in Chilibre, located north of the metropolitan area of Panama City. Its theme was: “Like a Burning Flame.” From the second day to its closure, the event organizers scheduled several workshops focused on Panamanian youth, such
EVENTS
as “The misuse of technology”, by Sister Daisy Elid Soto, computer professional; “Early pregnancy”, by the pastor and teacher, Rev. Julio Torres. At night, the National Supervisor of the Republic of Haiti, Rev. Alberto Ortega, preached again the Word of God under
the title: “Young, surrender to the owner of your substance”. He explained and distinguished three kinds of young people in the church: those who do not surrender to the owner of their substance, those who are about to surrender, and those g November 2014
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g who have already surrendered. In the fourth and last morning, Rev. Torres carried out the workshop “Early pregnancy”. Afterwards, Brother Carlos Zúñiga shared the theme “Dropping out of school”. At night, the youth
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of the Central Church of Parque Lefevre performed a drama entitled “Like a burning flame”, which was also the theme of the 23rd National Youth Convention in Panama. The drama was about the life and work of the prophet Jeremiah, from his birth to his call to ministry. As a closure, Rev. Alberto Ortega preached about the biblical story of Amnon and Tamar and the basic moral principles in the lives of believers. His message was entitled: “Where will I go with my dishonor?” After the last service, the youth of the churches of Villa del Caribe, Pan de Azúcar, Bocas del Toro, Chorrillo, Parque Lefevre and Alcalde Diaz, and zones Rubén and Simeón, said goodbye under an atmosphere of glory and magnificence of the Lord u
EVENTS
Crusade in the Rainforest In spite of the bad weather, the church of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Brazil held an Evangelistic Crusade that filled of life and color all the Amazonas.
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fter feeling the impact of the Word of God and his presence, a citizen of Manaus stopped his car and put attention to the voice of the Lord calling him to repentance. By the end of the event, the man went to the platform and became reconciled with the Creator.
This and other surprising moments happened in the Evangelistic Crusade of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Brazil, held last September 13 in the capital of the State of Amazonas in Brazil, located in the middle of the world’s biggest rainforest. This Christian event –
this year’s third and last missionary journey of the church in Brazil, was held outdoors in one of the principal avenues of the city of Manaus. The crusade caused great admiration among the inhabitants, as the inclement Amazon weather did not prevent the activity from taking place on the streets as planned.
Christian songs also played an important role. As they were sung with great enthusia sm, many inhabitants joined the evangelistic campaign that brought the Word to the west of the capital of Amazonas. During the message of God, shared by the National Supervisor of Brazil, Rev. Henry Ramos Escobar, the great number of attendees was asked to raise the hands as a signal of repentance, as the man that stopped his car and answered to the call of the Lord u November 2014
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Jesus heals all the sick
The Church in Campo Tongui, Buenos Aires, Argentina, celebrated its third anniversary with an emotive evangelistic campaign.
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ast September 13, the church located in the Campo Tongui neighborhood, nearby the Federal Capital of the Republic of Argentina, celebrated its third anniversary with an evangelistic campaign that brought blessings to all the inhabi62 Impacto evangelistic
tants of this suburb in Buenos Aires. This Christian celebration, which started with a Thanksgiving Worship, was attended by a great group of brothers from the central church of the Argentinian nation. Also, a big number of young brothers
called “Somos Conciencia Joven” participated by encouraging the attendees to listen to the Word of the Lord. Their presentation also made neighbors listen to the pieces of advice and come to the front of the Campo Tongui facilities. During the celebration,
the usual Christian songs were sung with fervor during the presentation of the musical specials of the “Grupo Unidad”, as well as the group of children from the church in Campo Tongui. Also, the National Supervisor of the WMM in Argentina, Rev. Ismael Parrado, gave a sermon based on the biblical passage Matthew 8: 1-13. In his speech, he told about and explained the miracles that our Lord Jesus Christ did during his earthly life. Furthermore, he highlighted the healings that the Almighty is doing in thousands of people u
EVENTS
Ecuador is praying God transformed and restored many overwhelmed by sin. It was a very special day for the people of the Lord and the visitors.
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few months ago, Rev. Eugenio Masías Corbacho was pastor in the city of Cusco in Peru. Today, he is the National Supervisor in the Republic of Ecuador, and on September 16, he held one of his first activities as part of the new work in Ecuador. This Christian activity was a united service held at the facilities of the church of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Santa Martha, in the province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas.
As the evangelization is very important in the north of Ecuador, hundreds of brothers went to the place followed by reverends Lorenzo Cuero and Du¬fer Carabalí on behalf of the National Board of Officers, and by Víctor Balanta and pastor Yovan Armijos. All of them came from the main churches of the Work in Ecuador. Late at night, the new National Supervisor of the Republic of Ecuador, Rec. Eugenio Masías, shared the Word of the Lord by giving the message entitled “Beyond Death”, based on the book of Luke 16: 19-31, where he told the story of the rich man and Lazarus, as well as the sorrow of believers and their reward. In the end of the service, Rev. Masías prayed for all the attendees u November 2014
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WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia
OTHER EVENTS
Other Events JAPAN
CHILE
SURINAME
COSTA RICA
GLORIOUS BAPTISM IN WATER
EVANGELISTIC CAMPAIGN
FIFTH NATIONAL CONVENTION
MISSION DAY
According to what the Lord Jesus Christ established in His Word, the Work of the Worldwide Missionary Movement in Japan held a glorious Baptism in Water on August 15. Our Japanese brothers obtained the victory by descending into the baptism waters with the firm purpose of following the steps of the Master Jesus Christ. This activity was led by pastors David Veramendi, Rildo Cueto and Enrique Toyama. Let’s pray for the Lord to continue blessing and improving the Work of God in this country.
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On September 6, a beautiful evangelistic campaign took place in the community of Macul, in the Gabrierla Mistral square. It started in the afternoon with a parade on the outskirts of the worship place located in Alejandro Avalos 2095 with Rodrigo de Araya. This march was supported by the brothers of the central church. There was a beautiful attendance of children and adults, who received the message of salvation. The campaign started at 7:15 p.m. with an atmosphere full of freedom. The evangelistic message was given by the pastor of Puente Alto, Alejandro Villalobos. Many people surrendered to the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank God for each of the victories obtained, and we believe that this parade and campaign will give great results. Amen!
From August 14 to August 17, Suriname lived moments of glory and praise. The event was attended by Rev. Rómulo Vergara, International Officer; Rev. Alberto Ortega; delegations of pastors and brothers from Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire, British Guyana, French Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname, and among others. The themes presented during the sermon blessed and edified all the attendees. In this national convention, the long-awaited worker promotion worship took place to put on evidence the growth of the Work. Among the promoted brothers were 3 new Lay Preachers, 4 Lay Preachers promoted to Licensed Preachers, and 2 pastors promoted to Ordained Ministers. Let us give all the Glory to God for this victory in the Work of the Worldwide Missionary Movement and let us keep praying for the Lord to continue calling brave men and women to the ministry.
The WMM of Cristobal Colón, in the province of Limón, celebrated the Mission Day on September 27 and September 28. On Saturday September 27, a mission exhibition was held, where seven stands represented five countries were the Work of the WMM is present. The stands were decorated with flags and papers with the history of each place, so that brothers could learn how the Work started in there. Furthermore, they tried typical dishes. Likewise, exhibitors wore typical costumes from the countries, which was a great blessing as the congregation could relate and be sympathetic with those missionaries that have left everything to go to distant lands to serve the Lord. On Sunday 28, under the theme “Lift up your eyes and look on the fields” (John 4:35), a missionary worship was held with the special ministry of the Lord.
REALITY
Scientists, creation and evolution
No one should assume that scientists uniformly agree that there is no God and that the world around us is the product of a mindless evolutionary process.
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et us consider the opinion of some eminent scientists about creation and evolution: “For I am well aware that scarcely a single point is discussed in this volume (about the origin of species) on which facts cannot be adduced, often apparently leading to conclusions directly opposite to those at which I have arrived.” “I was a young man with uniformed ideas. I threw out queries, suggestions, wondering all the time over everything. And to my astonishment the ideas took like wildfire. People made a religion of them.” —Charles Darwin (18091882), British naturalist who popularized the theory of evolution through natural selection.
“The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the Creator. Into his tiniest creatures, God has placed extraordinary properties that turn them into agents of destruction of dead matter.” —Louis Pasteur (18221895), French scientist, developer of the pasteurization process for milk and of vaccines for Anthrax, chicken cholera and rabies. He was Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Lille. “The theory of evolution is impossible. At base, in spite of appearances, no one any longer believes in it . . . Evolution is a kind of dogma which the priests no longer believe, but which they maintain for their people.” —Paul Lemoine (18781940), director of the Paris Natural History Museum, president of the Geological Society of France. “One cannot be exposed to the law and order of the universe without concluding that there must be design and purpose behind it all... The better we understand the universe and all it harbors, the more reason we have found to marvel at the inherent design upon which it is based.” “To be forced to believe only one conclusion- that everything in the universe happened by chance would violate the very objectivity of science itself. What
random process could produce the brains of a man or the system of the human eye?” “They (evolutionists) challenge science to prove the existence of God. But must we really light a candle to see the sun? They say they cannot visualize a Designer. Well, can a physicist visualize an electron? What strange rationale makes some physicists accept the inconceivable electron as real while refusing to accept the reality of a Designer on the grounds that they cannot conceive Him? It would be an error to overlook the possibility that the universe was planned rather than happening by chance.” “Atheists all over the world have... called upon science as their crown witness against the existence of God. But as they try, with arrogant abuse of scientific reasoning, to render proof there is no God, the simple and enlightening truth is that their arguments boomerang. For one of the most fundamental laws of natural science is that nothing in the physical world ever happens without a cause.” “There simply cannot be a creation without some kind of Spiritual Creator...In the world around us we can behold the obvious manifestations of the Divine plan of the Creator...We are humbled by the powerful forces that move the stars, and the purposeful orderliness of nature that endows a tiny and ungainly seed with the ability to develop into a beautiful flower.” “The better we understand the intricacies of the universe and all that it harbors, the more reason we have found to marvel at God’s creation.” –Werner von Braun (19121977), NASA director and father of the American space program u November 2014
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THEY WRITE TO US... WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT America • Europe • Oceanía • África • Asia
cartas@impactoevangelistico.net CÉSAR GALINDO BRISEÑO I love the Impacto Evangelistic magazine. I always reflect on the topics or articles in it. From Lima, Peru.
God bless you, brothers. This magazine is a blessing and so much better than others that do not edify, but quite the opposite, they only hold you down and contaminate you. I thank God for such an important material in these dangerous times. Brothers, I ask you to pray for the Church of Costa Rica, for it to go forward. Thanks for everything. From Costa Rica.
MARCH 1-4 19-22
CONVENTION IN PANAMA CONVENTION IN HONDURAS
APRIL 16-20 CONVENTION IN GUATEMALA 17-20 NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP IN AUSTRALIA (SIDNEY) MAY 3-5 CONVENTION IN JAPAN 20-25 CONVENTION IN PERU (LIMA)
RICHARD ALVARADO God bless you. I greet you with the blessing of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Let me tell you that your publications have helped me tremendously, although I have been attending the Worldwide Missionary Movement only for a while. Go forward. From Monagas State, Venezuela.
Facebook users could share with their friends all the wonders in this magazine of God. Thanks, and God bless you. From Rhode Island, United States of America.
ELÍAS NATANAEL
ERIKA AGUILAR This magazine has been a blessing to thousands of lives, especially to young people’s and mine. I encourage you to keep up with this magazine, always with the Word of God, which never comes back empty. Blessings to all of you. From Cochabamba, Bolivia.
God bless you greatly for the wonderful work that God has allowed you to do. I would like to know if it is possible to enable the web page to share the content of the magazines, such as the messages and other topics. In this way,
JANUARY 1-4 CONVENTION IN PUERTO RICO 7-14 CONVENTION IN COLOMBIA
FEBRUARY 7-9 CONVENTION IN PARAGUAY (ASUNCIÓN) 13-16 CONVENTION IN ARGENTINA (BUENOS AIRES) 20-23 CONVENTION IN BELIZE
LUIS MIGUEL PÉREZ RODRÍGUEZ
MARQUIEL PENA
AGENDA MUNDIAL 2014
I thank you for this great magazine, which is a blessing of all the brothers and for the glory of God. From Callao, Peru.
CARLOS FONSECA C. One day I bought the Impacto Evangelístico magazine, and as I started reading it, I found the case of a person who had changed sex, had surgery and had become a woman. I found the reading interesting and led me to reflect. I thought a lot about this case, because I learned that this man, that was now a woman, had had a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, and God had made him the happiest man on earth. Thanks for the media in the service of God, they are a blessing. From Lima, Peru.
JAQUELINE CHRISTENSE Dear Pastors and Brothers in Christ, receive the greetings of my husband and children. The Work has started in Sweden with our pastor Carlos Contreras and his wife, Angela Contreras. I am writing to ask for your prayers for Sweden and Denmark. My husband is Danish, he has converted to Christ two years ago. I send you much happiness and joy. Lots of blessings. From Malmö, Sweden. .
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JUNE 25-29 CONVENTION IN INDIA 17-20 YOUTHS AND WORKERS CONVENTION IN COLOMBIA JULY 3-6 CONVENTION IN BOLIVIA (SANTA CRUZ) 8-11 CONVENTION IN UNITED STATES (BIRMINGHAM, AL) 8-12 CONVENTION IN COSTA RICA 9-12 CONVENTION IN NETHERLANDS ANTILLES (CURAÇAO) 24-27 CONVENTION IN MEXICO (GUANAJUATO) AUGUST 3-6 5-9
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n Events
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66 Impacto evangelistic
Founder Director: Rev. Luis M. Ortiz Editorial board: Rev. Luis Meza Bocanegra, Jacqueline Rovira, Samuel Martínez, Rev. Andrés Espejo Editorial coordinator: Rev. Julián Morón General editor: Víctor Tipe Sánchez Editor: Jaime Tipe Sánchez Graphic editor: Roberto Guerrero Graphic design: Adolfo Zubietta Writers: Johan Pérez Landeo, Marlo Pérez. Designers: Lesly Sánchez, Jorge Cisneros. Web master and Infographics: Julio de la Cruz. Illustration: Pablo Vilca. Transcription: Fanny Vidal, Ana Rodriguez. Community manager: Juan Becerra, Denisse Barrientos. Distribution: Javier Arotinco.
Enjoy our TV shows for children
The Adventures of Gorgui Gorgui and his friends live great adventures and learn the importance of obeying God.
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Bethel Television, the Worldwide Missionary Movement channel, broadcasts the Word of God’s message through cultural and educational programs from Lima - Peru to the world by 6 satellites and the Internet.
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