UPDATE: PRAYER REQUEST FOR BCMS WORKER LEONEL IN HAITI

Please pray for BCMS worker Leonel, in Juana Mendez, Haiti. He has had a hard time recently. Things are not good in his country, and it has been unstable for some time. We are still unable to enter. The banks and many other public places have been closed. After days of trying, praise God today he was able to receive support.
Brother Leonel remains faithful despite the challenges. Please pray for him, his family and those he reaches. Pray for Haiti. May the Gospel continue to go forth, and may God be glorified. Pray.
HAITIAN-DOMINICAN BORDER SITUATION UPDATE (FEBRUARY 9, 2024)

 

Land border closure:
  • The land border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic remains closed to most traffic since September 14, 2023, following a dispute over the construction of a canal on the Haitian side.
  • Only limited exceptions exist for medical emergencies, diplomatic missions, and authorized humanitarian aid deliveries.
  • This closure has significantly impacted trade, travel, and daily life for people on both sides of the border.
Impact on trade:
  • The closure has caused major disruptions to cross-border trade, leading to significant losses for both economies.
  • Dominican farmers have reportedly incurred millions of dollars in losses due to their inability to export goods to Haiti.
  • Haitian consumers face increasing prices for essential goods due to limited supply.
Humanitarian aid:
  • While some humanitarian aid is allowed through the border, organizations report difficulties navigating the complex procedures and limited access.
  • This raises concerns about the ability to meet the needs of vulnerable populations in Haiti, already facing food insecurity and other challenges.
Human rights:
  • Human rights organizations have documented increased deportations of Haitian migrants from the Dominican Republic since the border closure.
  • Concerns exist about potential violations of due process and discriminatory practices during these deportations.
Broader overview:
  • The border closure remains a source of tension and uncertainty between the two countries.
  • Both sides have exchanged accusations and held diplomatic meetings, but no resolution has been reached yet.
  • The closure’s long-term consequences on the economies, communities, and human rights remain to be seen.
Sources:
*This is just a brief overview; the situation is complex and evolving. Pray.

¿QUE SIGNIFICA CRISTO CÉNTRICO?

“Entonces él les dijo: —¡Insensatos y tardos de corazón para creer todo lo que los profetas han dicho! ¿No era necesario que el Cristo padeciera estas cosas y que entrara en su gloria? Y comenzando desde Moisés y siguiendo por todos los profetas, les declaraba en todas las Escrituras lo que de él decían.” San Lucas‬ 24:25-27‬ RVR95‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“porque si creyerais a Moisés, me creeríais a mí, porque de mí escribió él.” San Juan‬ 5:46‬ RVR95‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Hay mucho en las redes sociales entre los cristianos que usan este término, muchos libros, sermones, canciones. ¿Pero qué significa y exactamente, y porque se usa? ¿Por qué tanto énfasis? ¿Tal vez la pregunta más importante será, es bíblico darle tanto énfasis a la persona y obra de Cristo? Este tema es uno cuál es simple, pero a la vez muy profundo y tiene que ver con la teología del “cumplimiento” y es un tema que el mismo Antiguo Testamento da prioridad. Es el mensaje que Juan el Bautista predicó, Jesús y los apóstoles predicaron, y es el tema que llega al mismo corazón del evangelio. 

El Apóstol Pablo declaró que Jesús vino cuando el tiempo fue cumplido. Por lo menos esto implica que hubo un tiempo de preparación. Preparación de algo grande anticipado. En el plan de Dios progresivo, todo de lo que había sucedido tenía su propósito y meta de señalar, y exaltar a Cristo.  La era de Moisés apuntaba a este momento de cumplimiento y dio énfasis a ese momento venidero. La llegada del Hijo de Dios indicaba la culminación de ese tiempo. Hasta este punto en la historia, esto había sido la meta de TODO que había sucedido en el pasado.

El Señor prometió en varias ocasiones un Redentor, Salvador, el Mesías, el mejor y mayor profeta y dador de ley. Todos los tipos y sombras en el Antiguo Testamento eran solamente sombras del que ha de venir.  Se puede decir que nunca ha existido un verdadero rey, un verdadero, profeta, un verdadero juez, un verdadero maestro. ¡Porque en un sentido todos del pasado eran nada más que sombras del Verdadero, el Señor Jesucristo!

¡Desde Génesis a Malaquías hay algunos 353 profecías acerca de Cristo cumplidas en el Nuevo Testamento! 

La Biblia fue escrita y preservada para nosotros, ¡pero no es acerca de nosotros, las Escrituras dan testimonio de Cristo! Todas las promesas son a Él, a Cristo, y somos herederos de esas promesas por fe en Él.

“Porque todas las promesas de Dios son en él «sí», y en él «Amén», por medio de nosotros, para la gloria de Dios.” 2 Corintios‬ 1:20‬ RVR95‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

San Agustín es que está acreditado con decir, “el antiguo está en el nuevo revelado, y el nuevo está en el antiguo ocultado”.

Desde Génesis vemos en el protoevangelio, la primera promesa de redención, que se cumplió en la cruz.

“Pondré enemistad entre ti y la mujer, y entre tu simiente y la simiente suya; esta te herirá en la cabeza, y tú la herirás en el talón.” Génesis‬ 3:15‬ RVR95‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

En Deuteronomio vemos la promesa de un profeta como Moisés… Pero mejor, mayor.

“»Un profeta como yo te levantará Jehová, tu Dios, de en medio de ti, de tus hermanos; a él oiréis.” Deuteronomio‬ 18:15‬ RVR95‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

En el Nuevo Testamento vemos El Padre decir lo mismo de una nube de gloria en la transfiguración.

“Y se les aparecieron Moisés y Elías, que hablaban con él. Entonces Pedro dijo a Jesús: «Señor, bueno, es para nosotros que estemos aquí; si quieres, haremos aquí tres enramadas: una para ti, otra para Moisés y otra para Elías.» Mientras él aún hablaba, una nube de luz los cubrió y se oyó una voz desde la nube, que decía: «Este es mi Hijo amado, en quien tengo complacencia; a él oíd.» Al oír esto, los discípulos se postraron sobre sus rostros y sintieron gran temor. Entonces Jesús se acercó y los tocó, y dijo: «Levantaos y no temáis.» Cuando ellos alzaron los ojos, no vieron a nadie, sino a Jesús solo.” San Mateo‬ 17:3-8‬ RVR95‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Moisés y Elías, quienes siempre han representado a la ley y los profetas, en este instante muy significante, desaparecen y el texto dice que alzaron los ojos ¡y no vieron a nadie, sino a Jesús solo! ¡A él oíd! Esto es el mensaje de la Biblia. ¡Jesús es el verdadero Profeta, el verdadero, Rey, el verdadero Maestro, el verdadero Juez, el Sumo sacerdote del mejor y nuevo pacto basado en mejores promesas, y el verdadero y mayor dador de la ley, Su ley!

Todo punta hacia Cristo, los sacrificios, el templo, el tabernáculo, el sábado, y podemos escribir ejemplos innumerables de los tipos y sombras de Cristo en el Antiguo Testamento. Pero el Nuevo lo declara con más claridad.

Cristo está..

“sobre todo principado y autoridad, poder y señorío, y sobre todo nombre que se nombra, no solo en este siglo, sino también en el venidero.” Efesios‬ 1:21‬ RVR95‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Cristo es..

“Él, que es el resplandor de su (Dios) gloria, la imagen misma de su sustancia y quien sustenta todas las cosas con la palabra de su poder…” Hebreos‬ 1:3‬ RVR95‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

¡Es Cristo que sostiene todo en la creación!

En Cristo-

 “fueron creadas todas las cosas, las que hay en los cielos y las que hay en la tierra, visibles e invisibles; sean tronos, sean dominios, sean principados, sean potestades; todo fue creado por medio de él y para él. Y él es antes que todas las cosas, y todas las cosas en él subsisten.” Colosenses‬ 1:16-17‬ RVR95‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Todas las cosas por medio de él fueron hechas, y sin él nada de lo que ha sido hecho fue hecho.”  San Juan‬ 1:3‬ RVR95‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

¡Cristo es todo! Y en la infinita sabiduría de Dios el Padre, Él lo decretó así y El Espíritu lo glorifica y nos guía hacia Él.

Como cristianos, debemos también ser Cristo céntricos, porque Cristo es el centro de todo, y en la Palabra de Dios es así.  Y si Cristo es el centro de la Biblia (Y el universo) entonces debe ser el centro de nuestras vidas también. Nuestra nueva identidad está en Él y en todo momento debemos adorar y dar gracias que por la fe, y con un corazón humilde podemos acercarnos a este Rey de Reyes y Señor de Señores, a quien merece toda honra y gloria y poder por los siglos de los siglos, amén.

El gran misterio en todo esto es esta hermosa verdad:

Pero Dios demuestra su amor para con nosotros, en que siendo aún pecadores, Cristo murió por nosotros. -Romanos 5:8

Arrepiéntete de tu pecado y de confiar en ti mismo.  Ven a Cristo, crea en Cristo, confía en Cristo.  Tendrás paz con Dios, perdón de tus pecados, descanso para tu alma. Centre tu vida en Cristo, porque Él verdaderamente es el centro de todas las cosas.

Escrito por Antonio Salgado, misionero en la República Dominicana

Doy gracias a mi Dios cada vez que me acuerdo de ustedes.  En todas mis oraciones por todos ustedes siempre oro con alegría,  porque han participado en el evangelio desde el primer día hasta ahora.

– Filipenses 1:3 – 5

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry:

You can donate to this ministry online with PayPal. Click the donate button below to send support of any amount directly to the ministry. This is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511

The ministry of (CMC) serves hundreds of missionaries, but they ONLY receive the funds for us and in no way have control over how the funds are to be spent or what we are to do as a ministry, which gives room to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and the liberty in making needed adjustments.

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

To get started, you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. But the PayPal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field.

We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field.

Whatever you decide, thank you so much for praying for us. Grace and peace.

WHAT DOES “CHRIST CENTERED” MEAN?

“Then he said to them, ‘Oh, foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
Luke 24:25-27 ESV

“For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.”
John 5:46 ESV

There is a lot on social media among Christians who use the term “Christ centered”, many books, sermons, and songs. But what does it mean exactly, and why is it used? Why so much emphasis? Perhaps the most important question will be, is it biblical to give so much emphasis to the person and work of Christ? This topic is one that is simple but at the same time very profound and has to do with the theology of “fulfillment” and it is a topic that the Old Testament itself gives priority to. It is the message that John the Baptist preached, Jesus and the apostles preached, and it is the theme that reaches the very heart of the gospel.

The Apostle Paul declared that Jesus came when the time was fulfilled. At the very least, this implies that there was a time of preparation. Preparation for something great anticipated. In the progressive plan of God, everything that had happened had its purpose and goal of pointing to, and exalting Christ.

The era of Moses pointed to this moment of fulfillment and gave emphasis to that coming moment. The arrival of the Son of God indicated the culmination of that time. Up to this point in history, this had been the goal of EVERYTHING that had happened in the past.

The Lord promised on several occasions a Redeemer, Savior, the Messiah, the best and greatest prophet and giver of the law. All the types and shadows in the Old Testament were only shadows of the one who is to come. It can be said that there has never been a true king, a true prophet, a true judge, a true teacher. Because in a sense, all the past were nothing more than shadows of the True One, the Lord Jesus Christ!

From Genesis to Malachi, there are some 353 prophecies about Christ fulfilled in the New Testament!

The Bible was written and preserved for us, but it is not about us, the Scriptures testify of Christ! All the promises are to Him, to Christ, and we are heirs of those promises by faith in Him.

“for all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter the Amen to the glory of God through us.”
2 Corinthians 1:20 ESV

Saint Augustine is credited with saying, “the old is in the new revealed, and the new is in the old hidden.”

From Genesis, we see in the ‘protoevangelium’, the first promise of redemption, which was fulfilled on the cross.

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Genesis 3:15 ESV

In Deuteronomy, we see the promise of a prophet like Moses… But better, greater.

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You shall listen to him.”
Deuteronomy 18:15 ESV

In the New Testament, we see The Father say the same thing from a cloud of glory at the transfiguration.

“And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself.”
Matthew 17:3-8 ESV

Moses and Elijah, who have always represented the law and the prophets, at this very significant moment, disappear and the text says that they looked up, and saw no one, except Jesus alone! To him, give ear! This is the message of the Bible. Jesus is the true Prophet, the true King, the true Teacher, the true Judge, the High Priest of the better and new covenant based on better promises, and the true and greater giver of the law, His law!

Everything points to Christ, the sacrifices, the temple, the tabernacle, the Sabbath, and we can write countless examples of the types and shadows of Christ in the Old Testament. But the New Testament declares it with more clarity.

Christ is..

“above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”
Ephesians 1:21 ESV

Christ is..

“the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”
Hebrews 1:3 ESV

It is Christ who sustains everything in creation!

In Christ..

“all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”Colossians 1:16-17 ESV

“All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
John 1:3 ESV

Christ is everything! And in the infinite wisdom of God the Father, He decreed it so and the Spirit glorifies Him and guides us to Him.

As Christians, we must also be Christ centered because Christ is the center of everything, including the Word of God. And if Christ is the center of the Bible (and the universe) then He must be the center of our lives as well. Our new identity is in Him and at all times we must worship and give thanks that by faith, and with a humble heart we can approach this King of Kings and Lord of Lords to whom is due all honor and glory and power forever and ever amen.

The great mystery in all this is this beautiful truth:

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 ESV

Repent of your sin and of trusting in yourself. Come to Christ, believe in Christ, trust in Christ. You will have peace with God, forgiveness of your sins, and rest for your soul. Center your life in Christ, because He truly is the center of all things.

Written by Antonio Salgado serving in the Dominican Republic

“I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” – Philippians 1:3-5

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry:

You can donate to this ministry online with PayPal. Click the donate button below to send support of any amount directly to the ministry. This is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511

The ministry of (CMC) serves hundreds of missionaries, but they ONLY receive the funds for us and in no way have control over how the funds are to be spent or what we are to do as a ministry, which gives room to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and the liberty in making needed adjustments.

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

To get started, you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. But the PayPal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field.

We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field.

Whatever you decide, thank you so much for praying for us. Grace and peace.

A Letter of Gratitude From The Mission Field, First Anniversary of BCMS Venezuela

BCMS recently celebrated our first year working in Venezuela. Brother Rafael has been faithful in his local church and in assisting other local churches in teaching, disaster relief after the flooding in Castaño, open air preaching in the streets and plazas, prison ministry, visiting the hospitals and homes of the most vulnerable taking them help and the hope of the Gospel.

The following is a letter of gratitude for the prayers and support from BCMS worker Rafael Rodriguez in Maracay, Venezuela.  Those who pray and give to missions, play a role just as important as the missionary on the field. Thank you for your faithfulness and generosity.

 

“The grace, love and peace of Christ be with you all.

Beloved brothers, greetings. Today, I can finally express to you in writing the feelings and words that my family and I have kept in our hearts. After a blessed year of receiving your very fruitful and great help.

We can hardly thank you enough. We lift our prayers before the heavenly throne for you and for this beautiful ministry that has decided to fulfill God’s call to take the gospel to the whole world through missions.

My family and I are extremely thankful for Biblical Christian Missionary Society and for all the brothers and sisters who give, who make it possible for men like me to dedicate more time to the mission and service of going (Mark 16:15) in our city. Without ever neglecting our role as providers in the home.

In recent decades, our nation Venezuela has been hit by an economic and social instability that has pushed many ministers out of the country. However, there are many of us who, despite this, still want to see the hand of God in the lives of the most vulnerable Venezuelans, and we have taken on the task of continuing to sow the seed of the gospel while it is possible and wise for us to do so according to our responsibility as guardians of our families. Dear brothers, your help makes it possible to carry out this desire, so we are really moved, and we do not tire of thanking God for these blessings and for your lives.

Despite how complex things have been here in Venezuela, the Lord has used the lives of your donors, who support missions, to continue carrying the message in this nation. You are undoubtedly part of this work!

Therefore, we thank each one of you as we celebrate this happy first anniversary of support and service in Venezuela.

“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your seed and multiply the fruits of your righteousness, so that you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which produces thanksgiving to God through us. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.” 2 Cor 9:10-12

You are part of every teaching and collaboration that reaches the homes of families full of spiritual and material needs. Your effort is present in every outreach to take the message to the streets, every tour exposing the gospel in the squares, every visit to the prisons and every comfort in the hospitals.

The Lord does not forget what you do. Keep on storing up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupts, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:20

For our part, we want to continue serving the Lord as missionaries, committed to proclaiming a biblical gospel centered on the person and work of Christ, serving the Lord in our local church, as well as giving to the extent of our ability to help the neediest in our community with food.

We are also willing to collaborate in other ways for the advancement of the ministry and its mission, such as writing articles and sharing our teachings in the different formats or languages that are required, among others.

I also beg you to please continue praying for our family: my wife Yohanny and my children Valentina, Grace and Benjamin. For the conversion of the souls to whom we regularly preach and help, for the proclamation in the hospitals, the exposition in the prisons, the preaching outdoors and of course, for our local church.

Without further ado, I can only wish that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

Sincerely,

Rafael Rodriguez serving in Maracay, Venezuela

BCMS in Venezuela  (Translated by Antonio Salgado)

“I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” – Philippians 1:3-5

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry:

You can donate to this ministry online with PayPal. Click the donate button below to send support of any amount directly to the ministry. This is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511

The ministry of (CMC) serves hundreds of missionaries, but they ONLY receive the funds for us and in no way have control over how the funds are to be spent or what we are to do as a ministry, which gives room to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and the liberty in making needed adjustments.

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

To get started, you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. But the PayPal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field.

We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field.

Whatever you decide, thank you so much for praying for us. Grace and peace.

The Biblical Model Part 1 The Actual Mission of Missions

The Actual Mission of “Missions”

What are missions? What is mission work?

It can be a buzz word of sorts in Christian circles. Local missions, foreign missions, “mission minded”, “mission trips”, etc. I, for one, am someone who likes to define the terms when getting into explaining things, anything. We live in a world of so much information that the waters have certainly been muddied.

This makes communication in a postmodern world difficult and unprofitable sometimes, actually many times. There should be a clear understanding of what we mean by our use of any given word, but, someone else may use the VERY SAME word, but mean something else by it. So, let’s define the terms upfront as we think about the topic of “missions.”

What exactly is “the mission” or what are “missions?”

As we think about the New Testament, who do we speak of most, or think about first when we think of missions? Who is the first to pop into your mind? Is it Peter, James or John? Maybe, but I’d have to say probably not. Most people would automatically think. Paul of course. Why is this?

We know that Paul is most remembered as “the missionary” because there is much in the NT about his missionary journeys. But it is important that we remember that he was also the Apostle to the gentiles. The other Apostles pretty much stayed ministering to the Jews, their same people group. While Paul went out to the Gentiles, people different from himself, in places away from his own home, to places where people looked different and spoke different languages and believed different things. They had a different worldview and culture.

The other Apostles pretty much stayed around people who were like themselves, believed the same things, shared the same culture and language. We have to admit that there is definitely a different element about Paul’s mission to the Gentiles, in comparison to the way the Gospel was preached to the Jews in Jerulsalem. Paul crosses cultural lines with the Gospel. He went to the “ethnos” he went to the nations, to other people who were not like him.

In what is known as the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18 – 20, Jesus says the following:

“Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations (ethnos), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the ἔθνος…
Original Word: ἔθνος
Transliteration: ethnos
Phonetic Spelling: (eth’-nos)
Definition: a race, a nation, the nations
This word can mean:
a race, people, nation; the nations, Gentiles (non Jews).

The Great Commission, in this text, is the “mission” that we as Christians refer to when we talk about “missions.” But in light of the clear command of Christ here, are we using this term correctly? Oftentimes I think we don’t. I must say first of all that I believe that most people have the best of intentions, and I certainly commend their willingness to serve. Nothing but love and respect for them there.

But the mission is to literally take the Gospel and make disciples of people from other nations. Ours too, of course, but not just ours. I don’t think the Scriptures give us the luxury of an “either or” approach when it comes to missions. Each local church should strive to be involved in Gospel proclamation at home and overseas. Whether it be in going, sending, supporting, praying, whatever. But involved and committed, in both local ministry and foreign missions to the best of their ability. Understanding that He who has all authority in heaven and on earth was not just giving a suggestion. It wasn’t a beggar’s plea, but a King’s command to His people!

In foreign missions, the call is to reach and make Christ followers of people who are unlike ourselves. Crossing geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural boundaries. It could be said that what many call “local missions” is actually evangelism, and/or some other type of ministry. But according to the command, actual missions would be evangelism and discipleship in a different cultural context than your own.

That definition could certainly be broadened, but for now let’s say that at a minimum, missions, as we see in Scripture, is crossing cultural barriers with the Gospel. Some may not see that as significant. But I would argue that it is very important that we make such a distinction. We must define the terms.

I say this only because when we use terms like local missions, we refer to activities that aren’t really missional. We actually are only doing “local missions” if we are crosssing those cultural barriers in your own area or hometown. If you are in a predominantly white church or community, and are reaching nearby populations of Hispanics, Indians, Asians etc., I’d consider that actually doing “local missions.” But anything else …is, well, something else.

It may be benevolence…. good. We must show mercy and help the needy, as we ourselves have been shown mercy.

It may be evangelism…..absolutely essential. We must preach the Gospel everywhere. But this usually plays out most naturally where we live and in the surrounding area with people that are involved in our daily life.

Disaster relief…amen. We should come to the rescue of those in need and suffering. This is not only the right thing to do, but it also opens us up to new opportunities to share the Gospel with people who are not in our immediate circle of influence and are in need of hope.
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In no way am I trying to downplay the importance of these ministries, and important acts of Christian service. But this is not local missions, it’s another kind of good and necessary local ministry.

If we don’t make this distinction, we can fail in at least this area of our calling as Christians. Because if we call something missions that is not missions, we will THINK we are doing what we are called to do, when in fact we are only doing part of what we should be doing (commanded to do). Why? Because we have been calling it something else that it really is not. That’s why defining the terms is so important here.

We are called to evangelize the surrounding community. But the church is also called to the nations (ethos). We can do that through equipping or through going ourselves. We may do that through sending and that means commitment, funding and communication. But when the church does that, and a person takes the gospel across cultural lines, for the purpose of making disciples….then the church has participated in “missions” in the most biblical sense.

What we do know is that mission work is definitely the work of the local church, it is the will of God, and it is the way that God has ordained to call people from every tribe, tongue and nation unto Himself while making His name great among the nations! God is calling a people unto Himself, Christ is building His church, preparing His bride and has invited us into this work. All who name the name of Christ. What an honor it is to serve our King in this way! What kindness, to bring former rebels into His family as sons and daughters, allow us to serve Him in this holy work. Let us understand it not as a sacrifice, but a privilege.

This idea of missions overseas also necessitates a support system. An important partnership between the local church (and other supporting churches), the missionary and the “Epaphroditus.” That fellow soldier and worker, that messenger and minister to the missionary’s need.

I will unpack some of what that partnership looks like in the next article using an example from the book of Philippians.

Grace and peace.
Written by Antonio Salgado Jr.

“I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” – Philippians 1:3-5

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry:

You can donate to this ministry online with PayPal. Click the donate button below to send support of any amount directly to the ministry. This is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511

The ministry of (CMC) serves hundreds of missionaries, but they ONLY receive the funds for us and in no way have control over how the funds are to be spent or what we are to do as a ministry, which gives room to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and the liberty in making needed adjustments.

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

To get started, you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. But the PayPal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field.

We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field.

Whatever you decide, thank you so much for praying for us. Grace and peace.

A Heartfelt Thank You To Our Generous Supporters

Dear beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,

As we reflect on the blessings of this past year, our hearts overflow with gratitude for each and every one of you, our faithful financial donors and prayer warriors. Thanks to your unwavering support, the Gospel message has continued to shine brightly, transforming lives and bringing hope to many in need.

This year held a special significance as we embarked on a new chapter, working in Venezuela brother Rafael Rodriguez to work alongside local churches. Your generosity made this endeavor possible, allowing us to collaborate in evangelism efforts, establish life-enriching Bible studies, and offer tangible assistance to the most vulnerable members of society. Witnessing the impact of your contributions firsthand has been truly humbling and inspiring.

In the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Venezuela, we saw countless individuals receptive to the the Gospel and love of God in Christ, some who have genuinely found solace and purpose in their newfound faith. Through our collaborative efforts, families struggling with hardship received essential aid, and hearts were nourished by the power of God’s Word. These are just a few glimpses into the transformative ripple effect your support has created.

It is your continued commitment that has fueled our ongoing initiatives in Ounaminthe, Haiti, Maracay, Venezuela and over the years, many parts of the Dominican Republic. Whether it’s coming alongside local pastors in training, intentional evangelism or offering food or medical care to those in need, your contributions fuel our mission to spread the Gospel message and demonstrate God’s love in tangible ways.

As we enter a new year, we do so with renewed hope and excitement, knowing that with your steadfast partnership, we can continue to make a difference in the lives of countless individuals.

Here’s how you can be a part of our mission:

Continue your faithful giving: Your ongoing support is the bedrock of our mission. We believe that God provides for His mission, but it’s through His people, the church. Even a small monthly contribution can make a significant impact.

Increase your giving: As our ministry expands, so do our needs. Consider increasing your monthly gift or making a one-time donation to help us reach even more people, and to have the resources needed to come alongside other 2 Tim 2:2 men for the glory of God and the good of the local churches we serve.

Join us for the first time: Perhaps you’ve been feeling called to support a Gospel-centered mission. This is your chance to make a difference! Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to fulfilling our calling. No matter your capacity, your support matters. Those who give to missions, play a role just as important as the missionary on the field. We really believe that. Together, we can continue to transform lives through the power of the Gospel, share the love of Christ, and offer hope to countless.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your unwavering generosity, your fervent prayers, and your unwavering commitment to our mission. May God richly bless you for your continued support.

With heartfelt gratitude,
Antonio Salgado
Biblical Christian Missionary Society

“I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” – Philippians 1:3-5

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry:

You can donate to this ministry online with Paypal. Click the donate button below to send support of any amount directly to the ministry. This is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511

The ministry of (CMC) serves hundreds of missionaries, but they ONLY receive the funds for us and in no way have control over how the funds are to be spent or what we are to do as a ministry, which gives room to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and the liberty in making needed adjustments.

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

To get started, you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. But the PayPal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field.

We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field.

Whatever you decide, thank you so much for praying for us. Grace and peace.

EL PRIORISMO Y EL HOLISMO EN LAS MISIONES ¿POR QUÉ NO AMBOS?

MISIONES BÍBLICAS Y LA RELEVANCIA DE CARL F. H. HENRY 

A lo largo de la historia, en medio de hambrunas, plagas y persecuciones, la iglesia ha enfrentado muchos desafíos. Especialmente cuando se trataba de cómo manejar dos cosas, la proclamación del evangelio y ayudar a los necesitados de la sociedad en medio de eso. Estas controversias en las misiones no son nuevas. Cuando la puerta del ministerio se abrió a los gentiles en el libro de los Hechos, las cosas se complicaron aún más después de que Pablo y Bernabé enfocaron su atención en los gentiles en su trabajo misionero. Por supuesto, el contexto del debate en Hechos 15 fue determinar si los gentiles deben o no guardar la ley y ser circuncidados. Pero es generalmente cierto que, al cruzar la brecha cultural, habrá desafíos en la proclamación del Evangelio y para algunos, en la identificación de los detalles del papel de la iglesia con respecto a los problemas sociales y la contextualización. No hay escasez de personas perdidas o sufrientes a nuestro alrededor, y por lo tanto, ciertamente no ha cambiado hoy.

En todo caso, el problema solo se ha agravado a lo largo de los siglos a medida que los diferentes contextos culturales continúan siendo penetrados con la luz del Evangelio. Es hermoso e inspirador saber que el Evangelio se está llevando a los lugares más oscuros y difíciles, pero también conlleva desafíos reales para enfrentar y las necesidades cada vez mayores. Especialmente cuando se trabaja con los pobres. Puede ser un trabajo difícil, y de alguna manera es más fácil predicar que ensuciarse las manos para servir entre los indefensos de la sociedad en el frente. Pero no la conciencia de todos les permitirá ser oyentes de la Palabra solo cuando se encuentren cara a cara con las grandes necesidades de otros portadores de la imagen de Dios. Y las preguntas sobre qué deben hacer o no exactamente los misioneros han entrado en el debate en repetidas ocasiones. Por lo tanto, esta es una controversia que ciertamente me llama la atención. Es el debate aparentemente interminable entre lo que se conoce como priorismo y holismo.

 

Definiendo los términos

Debemos admitir que la iglesia no siempre ha hecho muy bien en matizar las cosas en el pasado, especialmente al desarrollar una teología que permita adecuadamente ambos lados de un problema como este. Pero antes de profundizar en el asunto en cuestión, quizás deberíamos tomarnos un tiempo para definir los términos un poco mejor. Dependiendo de con quién hable, las personas pueden tener algunas ideas diferentes cuando usan las mismas palabras. ¿Qué es exactamente el priorismo y qué es el holismo? ¿Son esas las dos únicas opciones?

En un artículo del Judson Center, Jay Flinn resume la historia del debate evangélico de la misión holística. Él escribe: “En las décadas siguientes, se ha escrito mucho sobre el tema de la misión holística. La mayor parte de lo que se ha escrito se puede resumir en tres posiciones principales relacionadas con la relación de evangelismo y acción social en la misión. Una posición conserva el énfasis en el evangelismo y la plantación de iglesias con poca consideración a la acción social. Una segunda posición sigue el modelo de evangelismo de Stott como la misión principal con la acción social cristiana como socio secundario. La tercera posición considera la acción social como una misión igual al evangelismo. Si bien existen variantes para estas posiciones y se pueden usar diferentes términos para describirlas, las variantes se definen en última instancia por la relativa prioridad y la relación de evangelismo y acción social entre sí”.

 

Entendiendo el Priorismo

Por un lado, del tema, hay quienes dicen que el Evangelio (y algunos incluyen plantar iglesias con eso) siempre debe ser lo principal. Y tienen razón, muy bien debería ser. Una declaración clásica sobre priorismo de Donald McGarvan afirma: “Una multitud de empresas excelentes nos rodean. Tan grande es el número y tan urgentes los llamados, que los cristianos pueden fácilmente perderse entre ellos, viéndolos a todos igualmente como una misión. Pero al hacer el bien, pueden fallar de lo mejor. Al ganar los preliminares, pueden perder el juego principal. Pueden tratar una picazón problemática, mientras el paciente muere de cólera. La cuestión de las prioridades no se puede evitar “.

Él hace un punto válido. Aquellos que se aferran al priorismo temen que algunos que se aferran a un enfoque más holístico hayan hecho del Evangelio una cuestión secundaria. Aunque debemos reconocer que es cierto para algunos, también debemos tener cuidado con la generalización imprudente. Pero gran parte de la confusión se debe a que las palabras reinventadas significan cosas distintas de lo que originalmente significaban. Esto solo enturbia aún más las aguas teológicas, causando confusión en lugar de ayudar a aclarar el tema. En estos días, muchas palabras como evangelismo, evangelio y misión pueden significar cosas diferentes de lo que solían ser. Por lo tanto, es importante que examinemos estos términos bíblicamente, de lo contrario no tienen límites en cómo se usan y pierden todo significado real.

Lo más probable es que sea el resultado a lo largo del tiempo de lo que se conoce como “deriva de la misión”. El CEO de Edify dijo: “Es la excepción de que una organización se mantiene fiel a su misión. El curso natural, la desafortunada evolución natural de muchas misiones originalmente centradas en Cristo, es ir a la deriva ”.

En un número de Evangélicas Misiones Trimestrales, se publicó un “simposio” en el que “se pidió a cinco líderes que expresaran sus puntos de vista sobre la relación entre proclamación y acción social, y solo uno presentó una aproximación a la posición prioritaria”. Esto es bastante desafortunado considerando que antes del primer Congreso de Lausana en 1974, el priorismo era la opinión dominante entre los evangélicos. Sin duda, los asuntos eternos tienen prioridad sobre los asuntos temporales.

Son correctos en su manera de mantener el evangelio como el foco principal de la misión. Pero para algunos en el extremo del espectro (prioristas estrictos), lamentablemente se ha convertido prácticamente en lo único que hacen. Este es un agujero enorme en su posición. Debido a esta falta en la teología de algunos quienes se aferran al priorismo, a menudo son acusados ​​de descuidar el mandamiento de amar a su prójimo en su intento de centrarse en el Evangelio. Estoy de acuerdo en que el Evangelio es la prioridad y debe estar en la parte superior de la lista para todos nosotros. Sin embargo, irónicamente, muchos de los que dicen ser apasionados por Cristo pueden aislarse de las comunidades a las que intentan llegar mostrando poco interés en su condición humana temporal de sufrimiento. Muchos lo interpretan como una falta de amor, no solo por la perspectiva opuesta, sino también por la comunidad perdida que siempre está mirando. Por lo tanto, no deberíamos ser tan rápidos para descartar por completo todo el enfoque holístico del ministerio. Algunas de las acusaciones a los prioristas estrictos son justas y deben abordarse. Pero siempre recordando que existen otras opiniones más equilibradas entre estas dos posiciones. John Stott finalmente cambió sus puntos de vista a favor de un enfoque más equilibrado de la Gran Comisión.

 

Entendiendo el holismo

En el otro lado del tema, hay quienes toman una misión más holística. Afirman creer y predicar el Evangelio también, lo que puede hacer que las cosas que dicen parezcan algo ambiguas. C. René Padilla, quien fue muy influyente al convencer a muchos de adoptar un enfoque holístico de la misión, dijo lo siguiente:

“La misión holística es una misión orientada a satisfacer las necesidades humanas básicas, incluida la necesidad de Dios, pero también la necesidad de comida, amor, vivienda, ropa, salud física y mental, y un sentido de dignidad humana. Además, este enfoque tiene en cuenta que las personas son seres espirituales, sociales y corporales, hechos para vivir en relación con Dios, con sus vecinos y con la creación de Dios. En consecuencia, presupone que no es suficiente cuidar el bienestar espiritual de un individuo sin tener en cuenta sus relaciones personales y su posición en la sociedad y en el mundo. Como Jesús lo vio, el amor a Dios es inseparable del amor a nuestro prójimo “.

En mi opinión, no está equivocado al decir que el amor a Dios es inseparable del amor a nuestro prójimo. Dentro de este campo hay quienes son acusados ​​de tener otro Evangelio, un evangelio de “justicia social”. Y para estar seguros, hay algunos en este campamento que no están muy centrados en el evangelio. En el peor de los casos, pueden ser de naturaleza casi completamente humanitaria con poca o ninguna enseñanza bíblica del Evangelio o del sonido. Algunos están distraídos y descuidan el verdadero evangelismo bíblico. Sin embargo, hay algunas cosas que un priorista estricto puede aprender de ellos. Usualmente son muy activos en servir a sus comunidades, alimentar a los pobres, defender a los débiles y los necesitados y hacer el bien a su familia de fe y a sus vecinos fuera de la iglesia. Aunque el evangelio es un asunto eterno y de mayor peso, al menos debemos admitir que estas son cosas buenas e importantes y no deben ser ignoradas. Y no todos los que adoptan un enfoque holístico de la misión se ajustan a la descripción de “guerreros de la justicia social” o no estarían completamente de acuerdo en una categoría u otra. Entonces, a medida que avanza el debate, la línea continúa pareciendo borrosa para algunos sobre cómo exactamente estas dos cosas deben encajar correctamente.

 

¿Una alternativa?

Debemos ser conscientes y estar dispuestos a admitir los peligros de una posición extrema en ambos lados. Esta es simplemente una de las muchas áreas de nuestra teología donde debemos aprender a vivir en la tensión y encontrar una manera de reconciliar las dos ideas, ya que ambas tienen bases bíblicas. Ciertamente no queremos caernos a ambos lados del caballo, por así decirlo. Hacerlo, creo, sería caer en algún tipo de error u otro. Debemos encontrar un mayor equilibrio bíblico, y aquí es donde Carl F. H. Henry es extremadamente útil.

 

Sus credenciales

Carl Henry es más relevante cuando se trata de esto por muchas razones. Él mismo dijo que era, de hecho, un priorista, pero que también mantenía la necesidad de la preocupación social. Henry fue uno de los arquitectos fundadores del movimiento evangélico moderno de EE. UU., Y probablemente ha dicho y escrito más sobre el tema que nadie, siendo él mismo extremadamente influyente, “llamando a los evangélicos a diferenciarse del fundamentalismo separatista y reclamar un papel para influir en la cultura americana más amplia. Participó en la creación de numerosas organizaciones evangélicas importantes, incluidas la Asociación Nacional de Evangélicos, el Seminario Teológico Fuller, la Sociedad Evangélica Teológica, la revista Christianity Today (de la cual fue editor fundador) y el Instituto de Estudios Cristianos Avanzados. El Instituto Carl F. H. Henry para la Participación Evangélica en el Seminario Teológico Bautista del Sur y el Centro Carl F. H. Henry para la Comprensión Teológica en la Universidad Internacional Trinity buscan continuar su legado “. Su visión de la necesidad de competencia teológica y compromiso cultural sigue siendo una de las alternativas más vibrantes en nuestros días. Era conocido por su compromiso con los rigores teológicos, su compromiso activo con los problemas sociales apremiantes de nuestros días, pero también por tener un compromiso inquebrantable con el evangelio de Jesucristo. Su libro “La conciencia inquieta del fundamentalismo moderno” (1947) fue una respuesta al movimiento fundamentalista separatista que sin darse cuenta se convirtió en un obstáculo para su propia causa de alcanzar a los perdidos con el Evangelio.

Henry habló elocuentemente sobre lo que durante mucho tiempo ha sido disputado por teólogos y misiólogos. El propio Henry había dicho que “estas tensiones ahora irritan a la iglesia como nunca antes en la historia reciente”. El tema ha generado mucha división entre los evangélicos, especialmente desde la controversia fundamentalista-modernista de principios del siglo XX.

En un ensayo sobre Carl Henry y su modelo “regenerativo” de evangelismo y preocupación social, Jerry M. Ireland cita: “El fundamentalismo respondió a la agenda social centrada en el ser humano de la teología liberal al retirarse principalmente del compromiso cultural y la acción social. En lugar de desarrollar una respuesta bíblicamente más equilibrada a los problemas sociales. Desafortunadamente, el fundamentalismo tendió a truncar la reverencia temporal del evangelio a favor de un enfoque exclusivo en asuntos eternos “.

 

Su modelo regenerativo

Hay mucho que aprender de Henry. Como señala Irlanda, Henry asocia estas dos tareas de la iglesia de una manera similar a C. H. Dodd, distinguiendo la palabra didache de kerygma. En las enseñanzas de Dodd, señala que “kerygma representa el mensaje único de salvación de la iglesia”. La proclamación del evangelio. Mientras didache, dice, “se refiere a las enseñanzas de la iglesia y las demandas éticas de las Escrituras”.

Henry creía que el kerygma se relaciona especialmente con el cumplimiento de la Gran Comisión. Kerygma es necesario porque es el medio que Dios usa para dar a conocer Su voluntad y el evangelio. Didache es necesario porque es el proceso de enseñanza que es esencial para la formación moral de una persona. Las enseñanzas de las Escrituras que Dios usa para traer crecimiento espiritual. Pero sin kerygma primero (proclamación del evangelio), no puede haber didache (discipulado). Y aunque kerygma y didache son ambos necesarios, no son necesarios de la misma manera.

 

Orden bíblica

La preocupación es buena, hacer y mantener el evangelio como la prioridad. Sin embargo, con un vistazo rápido a los imperativos en las Escrituras, la vida de Cristo y el ejemplo del apóstol Pablo, uno tendría dificultades para presentar el caso de que la preocupación por la condición humana sufriente de nuestro prójimo y la generosidad hacia ellos era algo opcional. Jesús tuvo compasión por las multitudes, Pablo dijo que estaba ansioso por ayudar a los pobres, y hay muchos otros ejemplos de por qué debemos hacer el bien a la familia de fe y a nuestro prójimo. A continuación se presentan solo algunos del Antiguo y Nuevo Testamento.

 

Evidencia del Antiguo Testamento

El generoso será bendito, Porque da de su pan al pobre. (Proverbios 22.9 NBLA)

El que oprime al pobre afrenta a su Hacedor, Pero el que se apiada del necesitado lo honra. (Proverbios 14.31 NBLA)

El que cierra su oído al clamor del pobre, También él clamará y no recibirá respuesta. (Proverbios 21.13)

(Para más ejemplos miren a Proverbios 14.21, 29.7, 31.8-9, Ezekiel 16.49)

 

Evidencia del Nuevo Testamento

 En todo les mostré que así, trabajando, deben ayudar a los débiles, y recordar las palabras del Señor Jesús, que dijo: “Más bienaventurado es dar que recibir”». (Hechos 20.35 NBLH)

Solo nos pidieron que nos acordáramos de los pobres, lo mismo que yo estaba también deseoso de hacer. (Gálatas 2.10 NBLH)

Al que te pida, dale; y al que desee pedirte prestado, no le vuelvas la espalda. (Mateo 5.42 NBLH)

 La religión pura y sin mancha delante de nuestro Dios y Padre es esta: visitar a los huérfanos y a las viudas en sus aflicciones, y guardarse sin mancha del mundo. (Santiago 1.27 NBLH)

(Para más ejemplos miren a 1 Juan 3.17-18, Lucas 14.12-14, 12.32-34, 3.11)

 

La lista puede seguir y seguir y seguir …

 

También existe la evidencia de la historia a considerar. El impacto de la iglesia primitiva continúa siendo visible en la civilización occidental de hoy. Los historiadores señalan que “en la Edad Media, el cristianismo transformó las sociedades para mejor y continúa influyendo en la cultura dondequiera que se extendieron sus enseñanzas. La caridad alentada por las enseñanzas bíblicas (Lucas 10.30-37) eventualmente llevó a la fundación de hospitales, orfanatos, hogares para ancianos y cuidado de los pobres, los hambrientos y las personas sin hogar. Incluso muchas de las universidades más grandes y prominentes de nuestros días se fundaron originalmente para propósitos cristianos”. La tendencia de la iglesia a extender la compasión a los que sufren y los necesitados a su alrededor a lo largo de la historia, fue simplemente fruto de los cristianos que viven una vida transformada llena del Espíritu en obediencia a las Escrituras. Vivieron imitando el ejemplo de Cristo, motivados por el amor a Aquel que nos amó primero, y que se entregó sacrificialmente por nosotros. ¿De qué manera esto sería algo malo? Y con las Escrituras y la historia que atestiguan el patrón de audaz proclamación del Evangelio Y compasión y generosidad hacia los demás, ¿por qué sería diferente para la iglesia hoy?

No hay necesidad de debatir si la iglesia debe ser generosa o no con la familia de fe, pero por alguna razón hay personas que piensan que no debemos distraernos con problemas sociales o invertir demasiado tiempo o dinero en mostrar compasión. a otros portadores de imágenes que sufren. Henry ciertamente tuvo una elocuencia única sobre él a la hora de reconciliar este tema. A veces parecía hablar el idioma de ambos campos. Se aferró a mantener el Evangelio como una prioridad, pero manteniendo la preocupación social como algo importante y necesario.

No hay necesidad de debatir si la iglesia debe ser generosa o no con la familia de fe, pero por alguna razón hay personas que piensan que no debemos distraernos con problemas sociales o invertir demasiado tiempo o dinero en mostrar compasión. a otros portadores de imágenes que sufren. Henry ciertamente tuvo una elocuencia única sobre él a la hora de reconciliar este tema. A veces parecía hablar el idioma de ambos campos. Se aferró a mantener el Evangelio como una prioridad, pero manteniendo la preocupación social como algo importante y necesario.

Es importante tener en cuenta que aunque su modelo (el de Henry) sostuvo ambos puntos de vista según fuera necesario, no significa que ambos fueran iguales. Henry fue una crítica de las falacias liberales y seculares con respecto a la benevolencia de Dios. En el libro Controversias en las misiones, Jerry M. Ireland escribe que “Henry encuentra un motivo de preocupación entre las tendencias liberales y seculares … y advierte contra el evangelismo confuso y la preocupación social, o de reducir el evangelismo a simplemente atacar los males sociales o políticos. Hacerlo es cometer el último acto de falta de amor, ya que descuida la mayor necesidad de la humanidad, a saber, la redención personal y la regeneración sobrenatural “.

Jerry M. Ireland también hace una distinción importante cuando dice que está “ligeramente fuera de lugar decir que el evangelismo y la preocupación social son dos alas del mismo pájaro, o dos caras de la misma moneda”. Porque incluso la Escritura nunca iguala estas dos cosas de una manera tan abiertamente paralela, a pesar de que la Escritura defiende la necesidad y la importancia de ambas “. Debemos trabajar y vivir en la tensión que existe allí.

Al comprender las diferencias en kerygma y didache, se hace evidente por qué la proclamación del evangelio debe ser una prioridad en las misiones. Deberíamos querer que más personas vengan a Cristo. Como resultado de hacer discípulos, eventualmente se plantarán más iglesias. E históricamente, la iglesia ha sido un medio por el cual el bien se desborda naturalmente en el mundo que la rodea. Es una gracia de Dios, un beneficio de simplemente vivir cerca del pueblo de Dios. Sin embargo, lo que sucede en algunas iglesias es que el enfoque se vuelve mucho más interno, a lo que sucede dentro de las cuatro paredes de un edificio, y menos tiempo que la sal y la luz para quienes los rodean. La evidencia de esto se ve en lo poco que se designa para la benevolencia en los presupuestos de la iglesia local promedio.

Yo conozco personalmente a misioneros que se dieron cuenta del desequilibrio en sus ministerios de una estricta visión prioritaria y en realidad perdieron el apoyo de algunas iglesias, cuando debido a una “conciencia incómoda” (como lo llamaría Henry), se involucraron más para ayudar a satisfacer las necesidades de aquellos a quienes sirvieron además de la predicación y la enseñanza regulares. Fueron rechazados por algunos partidarios que eran prioritarios estrictos cuando adoptaron un enfoque más holístico para participar más en sus comunidades. Cuando un misionero decide obedecer las Escrituras en ambas áreas en amor por su próximo, y en realidad pierde el apoyo de las iglesias, esto no solo es trágico, ¡es una locura! El evangelio siempre debe seguir siendo lo principal, por supuesto, pero también debemos aprender a caminar en las buenas obras que nos prepararon (Efesios 2.10.) Se nos dice que amemos, pero no solo de palabra, sino de hecho también (1 Juan 3.18), y que nuestra fe sin obras está muerta. (Santiago 2.26)

 

¿Por qué no las dos cosas?

La pregunta es, ¿por qué no ambos? Carl Henry se consideraba un priorista, pero claramente creía y enseñaba que ambas eran tareas necesarias de la iglesia. Es posible predicar un Evangelio bíblico, con un énfasis importante en la evangelización, entrenando líderes y discipulado, al mismo tiempo que sirve a su comunidad, mostrando compasión por el sufrimiento siempre que sea posible. Es bastante desafortunado cuando quienes luchan por tratar de mantener un mejor equilibrio son acusados ​​de un “Evangelio social” cuando no se descuida la proclamación del evangelio, simplemente se agrega un mandato bíblico que faltaba. Estamos llamados a ser sal y luz, haciendo buenas obras para que otros puedan glorificar a nuestro Padre en el cielo. Después de todo, una fe genuina no es meramente intelectual y pasiva, sino una fe activa y activa.

Pero Ireland hace un punto que vale la pena recordar cuando se discuten estos temas. Él dice que “es importante que distingamos el evangelio en sí mismo de las demandas del evangelio y evitemos confundir los dos si queremos ser fieles a las Escrituras. Cuando se hace esto, podemos abogar por la prioridad del evangelismo y por una sólida preocupación social cristiana “.

También usa una ilustración útil de la vida cotidiana para demostrar esto. Él dice: “Imagínese si tuviera que ir a un banco para hacer un depósito para pagar sus facturas. Ir al banco sería la prioridad. Porque si el cheque no se deposita, las facturas no se pueden pagar. Claramente, una cosa es una prioridad y debe tener lugar primero, pero ambas siguen siendo necesarias. Debo depositar mi cheque y debo pagar mis facturas. Lo segundo depende de que lo primero ya haya sucedido y la prioridad de lo primero no hace que lo segundo sea opcional”. Es similar a esto con evangelismo y preocupación social.

Hacer del evangelismo una prioridad no debe significar descuidarnnos en los actos de compasión. Tampoco un enfoque holístico tiene que significar la negligencia del evangelismo, de ninguna manera. En este punto, los términos priorismo y holismo han adquirido tanto equipaje y significados diferentes que casi se han vuelto inútiles, especialmente cuando no se puede acordar lo que significan.

Hacer del evangelismo una prioridad no debe significar descuidarnnos en los actos de compasión. Tampoco un enfoque holístico tiene que significar la negligencia del evangelismo, de ninguna manera.

Pero cuando se trata de dar a conocer a Cristo a través del evangelismo audaz y mostrar compasión y amor a nuestro prójimo, digoque esto es el cristianismo bíblico del Nuevo Testamento, entonces, ¿por qué no ambos?

Autor- Antonio Salgado Jr.

Director Biblical Christian MIssionary Society

I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

– Philippians 1:3-5

Bibliografía

  1. SCOTT MOREAU. Mission and missions. ED A. SCOTT MOREAU. Evangelical dictionary of world missions. Grand Rapids. Baker Academic, 2000. 
  2. CHRISTOPHER R. LITTLE. The case for prioritism. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 671-672. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
  3. CHRISTOPHER R. LITTLE. The case for prioritism. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 643. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
  4. CHRISTOPHER R. LITTLE. The case for prioritism. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and  practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1112. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
  5. CHRISTOPHER R. LITTLE. The case for prioritism SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 684. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
  6. Wikipedia. Disponible en https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_F._H._Henry
  7. JERRY M. IRELAND. Concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1129-1130. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
  8. JERRY M. IRELAND. Concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1134. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
  9. JERRY M. IRELAND. Concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1380. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
  10. JERRY M. IRELAND. Concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1134. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
  11. TOMMORROW’S WORLD. How “Christianity” changed the world. Disponible en https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2016/november-december/how-christianity-changed-the-world
  12. JERRY M. IRELAND. Carl F. H. Henry’s regenerational model of evangelism and social concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1288-1296. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
  13. JERRY M. IRELAND. Carl F. H. Henry’s regenerational model of evangelism and social concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1296-1303. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
  14. JERRY M. IRELAND. Carl F. H. Henry’s regenerational model of evangelism and social concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1387-1394. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
  15. JERRY M. IRELAND. Carl F. H. Henry’s regenerational model of evangelism and social concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1394-1402. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8

 

 

We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry:

You can donate to this ministry online with Paypal. Click the donate button below to send support of any amount directly to the ministry. This is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

https://www.paypal.me/SalgadoDRMission?locale.x=es_US

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511

The ministry of (CMC) serves hundreds of missionaries, but they ONLY receive the funds for us and in no way have control over how the funds are to be spent or what we are to do as a ministry, which gives room to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and the liberty in making needed adjustments.

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

To get started, you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. But the Paypal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field.

We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field.

Whatever you decide, thank you so much for praying for us and helping this ministry. God Bless You!

BCMS Venezuela, Evangelism follow up with Jorge and Irma

 

Update from BCMS worker Rafael Rodriguez in Maracay, Venezuela

Dear friends, mission partners, brothers and sisters in Christ,

“We recently returned to the home of Irma and her only child, Jorge.

Irma has explained to us that Jorge has a condition called cerebral palsy with ataxia psychomotor retardation. Jorge suffers from epileptic convulsions, insomnia and has signs of autism.

His mother Irma is who takes care of him, and since she lives alone with him and due to his condition he requires so much attention, she cannot go to work.  She has expressed interest and has been very receptive to the Gospel. We have visited her several times and been able to help them with what we can, food and by bringing the word of the Lord.

Please pray for her, because certainly the burden she carries every day with her son in this condition is quite large.

Please pray for provision for her and for Jorge’s doctor’s appointments and for his treatments. May the Lord in His mercy grant them salvation.

In Christ,

Rafael Rodriguez”

(Translated to English from Spanish)

For more frequent updates, prayer requests and photos from the work in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Venezuela, join the private Facebook group “Biblical Missionaries and Church Planters” by simply clicking on the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/127204737629016/

I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you,[always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

– Philippians 1:3-5

We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry:

You can donate to this ministry online with Paypal. Click the donate button below to send support of any amount directly to the ministry. This is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

To give specifically to help Irma and Jorge for medications or other needs, please specify by writing “Irma y Jorge”, when making your donation to properly designate funds.

https://www.paypal.me/SalgadoDRMission?locale.x=es_US

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511

The ministry of (CMC) serves hundreds of missionaries, but they ONLY receive the funds for us and in no way have control over how the funds are to be spent or what we are to do as a ministry, which gives room to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and the liberty in making needed adjustments.

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

To get started, you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. But the Paypal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field.

We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field.

Whatever you decide, thank you so much for praying for us and helping this ministry. God Bless You!

 

 

 

BCMS Venezuela, Evangelism and follow up in Maracay

Dear friends, mission partners, brothers and sisters in Christ,

The following was reported by BCMS worker Rafael in Maracay, Venezuela about an evangelism outing and follow-up visit.  We are hoping to get some better technology for quality videos and images in the future, but this is a wonderful clip of Rafael emphasizing the real need for Christ over all, yet showing love and compassion in serving and helping these vulnerable, elderly siblings over time during several visits.

“By the grace of Christ we have been bringing food to vulnerable people in the community of Guasimal, it is the community where our local church operates.

We visited Nina again, and this time her sister Carmen accompanied us.

Please pray for them, Nina is very attentive to the preaching of the gospel, but her sister Carmen is not, pray particularly for Carmen so that the Lord opens her heart to the gospel.

We were sharing the Word of the Lord with her and her siblings and bringing them some food.

They are a family of three older siblings, Nina, Carmen. And his brother Jesús, Jesus is blind, he hardly lis able eave his room. The three of them are in a very critical condition financially, and we have been able to serve him with food and also with some things that he lacks at home, such as light bulbs, lamps, power outlets. etc. Pray that the Lord continues to help them.”

For more frequent updates, prayer requests and photos from the work in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Venezuela, join the private Facebook group “Biblical Missionaries and Church Planters” by simply clicking on the link below.

Biblical Missionaries and Church Planters FB Group

 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you,[always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. – Philippians 1:3-5

We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry:

You can  donate to this ministry online with Paypal. Click the donate button below to send support of any amount directly to the ministryThis is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

https://www.paypal.me/SalgadoDRMission?locale.x=es_US

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511

The ministry of (CMC) serves hundreds of missionaries, but they ONLY receive the funds for us and in no way have control over how the funds are to be spent or what we are to do as a ministry, which gives room to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and the liberty in making needed adjustments.

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

To get started, you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. But the Paypal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field.

We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field.

Whatever you decide, thank you so much for praying for us and helping this ministry. God Bless You!

BCMS Prayer Requests January 2024 Venezuela

To our friends, mission partners, brothers and sisters in Christ, thank you for your faithful prayers and support.

Please help us bring these petitions before the Lord. Prayer requests from BCMS worker Rafael Rodriguez in Maracay, Venezuela

-“Pray that the Lord gives us more healthy men and churches in our nation Venezuela, that the Lord would bring reform to every pulpit and that the regular pastors and preachers would be faithful in the exposition of the Word of God.

-Pray for the Lord to raise up more men in the midst of our local church for the offices of pastors and deacons, we need it. (At the moment there are two of us, my pastor, and I am the deacon of the church) 

-Pray for the church that we are supporting, it is the biblical church of Cagua, so that the Lord helps them in their ordination and that the Lord would raise up men as pastors and deacons there. 

-Pray for the mission of Mapuey. 

-Pray for Nina who has great need, provision to continue helping them. 

-Pray for us as a family, so that the Lord grants us to continue serving. And that we can continue to have a faithful ministry to the Lord. 

-Pray for financial provision.

The peace of Christ be with you all.”

 For more frequent updates, prayer requests and photos from the work in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Venezuela, join the private Facebook group “Biblical Missionaries and Church Planters” by simply clicking on the link below.

 BIBLICAL MISSIONARIES AND CHURCH PLANTERS

 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you,[always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. – Philippians 1:3-5