Author: Antonio Salgado

Christian husband, father, missionary to the Dominican Republic
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KISA LEVANJIL LA YE? (What is the Gospel? Haitian Creole Version)

Kisa levanjil la ye?

 

Youn nan verite ki tris nan kè m, sè ke si nou ta ap maché nan anpil legliz nan. Etazini ap mandé “(Kisa levanjil la ye)” majorite nan yo pa tap ka reponn byen. Se sa esperyans mwen te anseye mwen.  Mwen te mandé anpil kretyen kesyon sa tou, majorite pat ka reponn mwen, yo te jis gade m nan je.

 

Men kounye pèmèt mwen poze ou kesyon sa a? ( Pa reponn nan vwa yo): Kisa levanjil la ye? Ou ka reponn? Ou ta dwe ka fè li. Poukisa? Paske jan Apot Pòl té di a levanjil la se yon pwisans pou tout moun ki kwè nan Bondye.

 

Nou kòm mèt anseyan pawòl Bondye nou pa genyen konpreansyon klè nan levanjil la, legliz nou pa genyen l tout. Levanjil se yon fondasyon lafwa nou…..
Delivwans nou.. Si nou lidè legliz yo pa genyen klète nan sa a, ministè va soufri, fòmasyon espirityèl ak kwayans manm legliz nou yo va soufri, tout legliz la va soufri tout….

 

Ilustraksyon:

Nan Itali, genyen yon tou ki relé tou penche. Pisa yo té bati li nan ane 1170, men konstwiktè yo pat konpakte tè a byen kote yo te bati li a, sé sa ki fè fondasyon yo te mal pozel egal ak tou a, se konsa tan ap pasé tè a te kòmanse panche. Chak ane yon tikwas plis. Li te ka tonbe depi lontan si se pat achitèk la ak konstriktè ki te rive aprè pou asire tou a. Li toujou kanpe, men li panche anpil. Menm jan pou tou sa a ki panche paske fondasyon li te mal, se
konsa legliz ak ministè nou yo va dezanbalanse, tòde, pa fò ni pa dwat, si nou pa redrese fondasyon lafwa nou, kise levanjil la.

 

Tèm : Kisa levanjil la ye?

Fwa sa a mwen vle dedye tan nou ansan m pou esplike premyèman kisa levanjil la ye selon la bib la.

 

Referans:

Nou reponn kesyon sa a baze sou bib la. Nou va analize de pasaj nan bib la: Mak 1: ak 1 koretyen 15. Chèche paj sa yo nan bib ou, aprè sa na diskite de pasaj sa yo, nou va ka konstwi yon definisyon biblik nan levanjil, nan yon seksyon pwochen, nou va pale sou kòman esplike levanjil la bay moun ki pa kwè yo, epi finalman kòman levanjil la genyen relasyon ak kretyen yo… Wi, levanjil la se tout pou kretyen yo, pa sèlman pou moun ki pa kwè! Isit la, nou va diskite kòman preche levanjil la nan pwen yo ak ansyèman ou nan legliz, si se Dimanch maten oswa nan ti group, tankou mwen te wè nan foto Tony voye pou mwen yo…

 

Boskejo:

Fwa sa a, nou va konsantre sou: Kisa levanjil la ye? Twa pwen va gide diskisyon sa a: “(Pèsonn Kris la)”, “( lèv Kris la)”, Reponn nou bay Kris la Pèsònn Kris la.

 

Retounen nan kesyon premye a: Kisa levanjil la ye? Premyèman louvri bib yo nan Mak 1:15. Li di tan an rive, e wayòm Bondye prè, Repanti e kwè nan levanjil la.

 

Panse sou sa a.. Levanjil la té preche menm avan lakwa ak rezireksyon an. Entèresan pavre?

 

Kounye a, nap pase nan dezyèm pasaj nou an, youn nan pi popilè sou levanjil la: 1 koretyen 15:1-4.

 

Li di: Mwen raple nou, frè ak sè m yo, levanjil mwen te preche nou an, sa nou te
resevwa a, sa nou kanpe fèm la dan nan, epi sa nou sove pa li a, si nou kenbe pawòl mwen te
preche nou an, esepte si nou te kwè an ven. Paske premye bagay mwen te ba nou, se sa
mwen te resevwa mwen menm: ke Kris mouri pou peche nou selon ekriti a, yo te antere li, epi li
te leve vivan nan lanmò sou twazyèm jou selon ekriti a.

 

Sa se mansyon ki pi abityèl nan lanmò, antere, ak rezireksyon Jezi, lè yo palé sou levanjil la. Sepandan, pwen mwen fè kounye a, sè ke levanjil la té preche tou avan evènman lakwa a ak rezireksyon an. Konsekans lan, sè ke levanjil
la se plis pasé lanmò, antere ak rezireksyon Jezi. Nan lòt mo, se plis pasé èstim ak reyisitman Jezi paske li te preche avan reyisitman sa yo té bibliye.

 

Kounye a, si yon moun ta dim ke levanjil la se yon bagay plis pasé lanmò ak rezireksyon Jezi, mwen ta enkyete anpil ke moun sa ta di m yon bagay ki pa biblik.

 

Mwen esperé ke nou tout enkyete yon ti kras kounye a. Men, koute mwen. Alò, kisa ki ka genyen aprè lanmò ak rezireksyon Jezi, ki fè pati levanjil biblik la? Kisa ki ka ajoute nan èstim Kris la? Pèsonn Kris la. Jezi te preche levanjil la avan lanmò ak rezireksyon li akòz ki moun li te ye… Pèsonn li. ” Men
mwen avèk ou”, li te di. “Wa a isit, epi poutan, wayòm Bondye a isit”.

 

Sans nan ” levanjil” se bònn nouvèl. Alò bònn nouvèl Izwayèl!. Wa ou tap atann lan isit! Wa ki pwomèt nan desandansDavid la nan mitan nou. Wa ke wayòm li  pap jann fini an.. Mwen sé li! .

 

Se konsa rezon Pèsòn Kris la ( ki moun Jezi ye), Liv Mak, la di ke Jezi te preche levanjil la menm avan li mouri ak levenan lanmò, ak menm avan li anseye sou  evènman sa yo. Senpleman, li fè yon konnen ke li te nan mitan yo se bònn nouvèl, levanjil la.

 

Kounye a, menm lè nou gade pawòl Pòl nan 1 koretyen 15(se aprè lakwa a, aprè rezureksyon an, aprè èstim Jezi), pasaj sa nan 1 koretyen an konsantre sou èstim Kris la, men Pòl toujou atire atansyon lektè yo sou Pèsòn Jezi tou. Kounye a li fè li? Li dil de fwa “selon ekriti yo”(v.4).

 

Alò, Kris mouri pou peche nou “selon ekriti yo”(v.3). Epi li te antere ak leve nan lanmò sou twazyèm jou,”selon ekriti yo”(v.4). Souvan moun panse se pa vre, men li trè enpòtan! Zèv Kris la ( lanmò ak rezireksyon li) pa rive an ven,(nan vid). Yo te palé de li depi lontan. Nan Ansyen testaman an, yo te di ke yon moun va soufri e mouri. Epi lap leve vivan nan lanmò. Moun panse sou tèsk, tankou sòm 2 oswa Ezayi 53. Nan Ezayi 53, se nan syèk sa a Bondye te avèti sou lanmò li,(Ezayi 53:11). Sepandan Bondye”Prolonje jou li yo”(53:10), yon referans nan
rezureksyon syèk la.

 

Kounye a,ou pa kavrèman divize Pèsònn ak èstim Jezi Kris la. Yo maché ansanm. Epoutan mwen pa vle separe yo, mwen vle ou wè ke yo manche men nan men ak lè yo fè sa, yo fòme levanjil la. Kounye a levanjil la pataje? Kote bon nouvèl sou ki moun Jezi ye ak kisa li te fè. Alò, nou ta ka di ke Jezi se “Mesi nan izrayèl la”, moun ki ranpli istwa izrayèl la. Li se wa ki nan tan lontan, desandans wa David la. Li se yon grenn nan fanmi Abraram nan. Jezi se sèl mediatè
antre Bondye ak moun. Jezi se dènye ak pi gwo Adan an, pi gwo Jonas ak pi gwo David la, Jezi se pi gwo tanp lan, akonplisman la lwa ak ansyen pak la, Jezi se pitit Bondye a ak Bondye pitit la, dezyèm manm nan Bondye trinite a ki te fèt kò moun, poul te vin moun. Gran jij la ki va jije tout bagay nan fen ak ki menm ap kenbe inivè a pou pawòl pouvwa paske li se Pawòl Bondye a.

 

Kounye a, ou bezwen di tout sa a? Non! Pa fe sa, espesyalman si ou ap temwanye bay yon moun ki pa kwè, men yon bagay ki ta dwe di nan sa! Nou va pale sou sa ki dwe di a pwochènn fwa, men sonje pou kounye a ke levanjil la se pataje bon nouvèl la nan Pèsònn Jezi: ki moun li ye.

 

Lèv Kris la:
Alò, nou te wè Pèsònn lan, nou va gade pi prè èstim li. Mwen kwè ke nou plis abitye ak èstim Jezi, se poutan mwen pa vle pasé twòp tan sou pwen sa. Men èstim Jezi Kris la sè ke li te mouri pou peche, li ta entèrese, epi li te leve nan lanmò…. Se sa 1 koretyen 15:3-4 ap di nou. Sa se èstim eskpiratwa Jezi sou la kwa, kote li ta obeyi nan pran kò moun, obeyi nan Lavi, ak obeyi jiska lanmò sakrifisyal nan plas pechè ki kwè nan li. Levanjil la se tou èstim ke Jezi pa fè
ankò.. Dezyèm retou li, tankou dènye pati nan 1 koretyen 15 ap make li.

 

Alò, na mete tout bagay nou te pale ansanm, se sa levanjil la ye selon bib la. Se bònn nouvèl la nan ki moun Jezi ye ak sa li reyalize, sa li te fè.

 

Tout sa li va fe:

Retou li ak etabli wayòm li.

Levanjil la se bònn nouvèl la nan Pèsònn ak èstim Jezi Kris la. Alò, kounye a, nou va sa ak sa nou konnen sou Jezi ak sa Jezi te fè. Jezi se pitit Bondye a, ki se ” Mesi” ki te nan tan Izrayèl, se kounye a wa dè wa yo ak senyè dè senyè yo, paske li te vini sou la tè, li te pran kò moun, li te mouri pou peche, epi li leve nan lanmò nan mitan moun ki mouri yo, konkeri lanmò ak tonm lan, ak li va rive ankò pou etabli wayòm li nèt.

 

Repons nou bay Kris la se sa levanjil la ye. Men, genyen yon lòt sapè nan levanjil la mwen vle mansyone l avan mwen fini. Epi se repons nou bay Kris la. Retounen nan Mak 1. Ann li v.14-15: Aprè jan te arete, Jezi te vini nan Galile, ap pwoklame levanjil Bondye a, li tap di: ” Tan an rive, e wayòm Bondye a prè, Repanti e kwè nan levanjil la”. Se sa repons levanjil la mandé: repantans ak la fwa.

 

Pwodwi dezyèm nan nou an, 1 koretyen 15. Isit Pòl nan 1 koretyen 15:1 ap di legliz la ke li te preche yo levanjil la ak yo ” resevwa” li. Se menm bagay ak kwayans li. Li kontinye ap di ke levanjil la ap sove yo na v.2, si yo kenbe li. Si yo pa fè sa, yo te kwè avan an. Ou wè repons lan. Resevwa li nan la fwa.

 

Nan tout liv nan travay Apot yo, lè ou li ke levanjil la te prezante pa Pyè oswa Pòl, oswa moun li ye a, yo mande yon repons. Travay Apot 2:28 ak travay Apot 17:30 pou egzanp. Epoutan, yon pati nan prezantasyon levanjil nou dwe genyen se yon apèl bay moun ki ap koute a reponn vwa Jezi, pou repanti ak kwè nan li pou padon peche yo.

 

Konklizyon:  Poukisa Jezi ak èstim li?

 

Mwen vle fini ak yon pwen final, poukisa Jezi? Poukisa lanmò ak rezireksyon Jezi? Poukisa Pèsònn li ak èstim li? Kounye a, te genyen anpil diskisyon sou sa ” kòman levanjil la mache” se vrèman levanjil la. Mwen kwè ke genyen bon agiman nan chak bò. Mwen kwè ke nan vrè eksplikasyon levanjil sa a se pa levanjil la. Nan lòt mo, ou ka preche levanjil la san esplike tout detay li. Jezi pa vrèman esplike levanjil la nan tan li te sou tè a. Men Pòl fè sa tankou ekriven nan lèt sa aprè, tankou ekriven nan lèt Ebre yo. Epi eksplikasyon levanjil sa a se jistifikasyon nan la fwa. Nan kout pawòl, Jezi te bezwen genyen nati Bondye ak moun pou peye pou peche kont yon Bondye ki sen. Li te bezwen genyen nati
Bondye pou sakrifis pafè san tach ak tou pou kapab absòbe tout kòlè Bondye ak jistis dènye gout la. Pa genyen okenn moun nòmal ki ta ka fè sa. Alò sa esplike poukisa Jezi.

 

Kounye poukisa lanmò ak rezireksyon Jezi? Bon, dèt pou peye pou peche se lanmò. Moun ki peche dwe mouri. Alò Jezi te fèt kò moun pou l te mouri, epi pou mouri kòm yon sakrifis pou tout gason ak fanm ki kwè Jezi. Sou la kwa, lè li te soufri kòlè Bondye epi aprè li te mouri, li te pote peche moun ki te kwè nan li ak nan menm tan li te konte jistis li bay moun ki te kwè.

 

Dubl impitasyon. Gran Echanj la (chanson nan Gracia soberana).

 

Peche nou ale nan Jezi, jistis li ale nan nou. Alò li te kondane pitit li, men li aksepte nou. Poukisa? pou san Jezi ki te lave peche nou yo. Paske Bondye konsidere nou tankou nou te ” nan Kris”. Nou kouvri nan jistis Kris. Ki bagay ki pi bèl ke la kwa, ak bagay ki pi tèrib. Alò Bondye te leve Jezi nan lanmò nan
mitan moun ki mouri yo! Sa vle di ke sakrifis Jezi te aksetab. Epi kounye a nouvo lavi ke Jezi genyen an, li pataje l ak moun vin jwen li ak la fwa.

 

Boskejo: ki sa levanjil la ye?

 

Entwodiksyon:

Levanjil la se mesaj ki pi enpòtan pou moun kapataje. Se bon nouvèl de salvasyon Bondye pou limanite. Nan twa sa a, nou va konsantre nou
sou twa pwen kle pou n konprann levanjil la pi byen:

 

1. Pèsònn Kris la: Ki moun Jezi ye?

  • Jezi se pitit Bondye a, Mesi ki te la lontan nan Izrayèl.
  • Li wa dè wa, senyè dè senyè yo.
  • Li se Bondye ki fè kò moun pafè san peche.

 

2. Zèv Kris la: Kisa Jezi te fè?

  • Jezi te vini sou la tè pou mouri pou peche nou.
  • Li te mouri sou yon kwa tankou yon sakrifis pafè pou limanite.
  • Li leve nan lanmò nan mitan moun ki mouri yo, konkeri lanmò ak
    peche.
  • Li monte nan syèl la epi kounye a lap entèsede pou nou devan Bondye Papa a.

 

3. Repons nou bay Kris la: Kouman nou reponn levanjil la?

  • Nou dwe repanti nan peche nou yo, ekwè nan Jezi tankou senyè e sivè nou. Nou dwe resevwa Jezi nan lavi nou tankou senyè ak wa.
  • Nou dwe viv yon lavi nan obeyisans ak fidelite nan Bondye.

 

Konklizyon:
Levanjil la se sèl espwa pou limanite. Se yon mesaj nan lanmou, gras ak padon. Lè nou aksepte Jezi tankou sovè nou, nou ka resevwa kado nan lavi etènèl ak yon relasyon pèsonèl ak Bondye.

 

Apèl nan aksyon:
Ou te aksepte Jezi tankou sovè ou? Si ou pa ankò fè sa, mwen ak envite w pou fè sa jodia menm. Pa gen anyen ki pi enpòtan ke ou ka fè nan lavi ou.

 

Vèsè nan la:
Mak:1:14-15
Aprè jan te arete, Jezi te vini nan Galile, ap pwoklame levanjil Bondye a. Li te di: Tan an rive, e wayòm Bondye a prè, Repanti e kwè nan levanjil la.

 

1 Koretyen 15:1-4
Kounye a, frè m yo, mwen ap fè nou konnen levanjil mwen te preche nou an,ke nou te resevwa a, Ke nou ap kenbe nèt la, ki ap sove nou an, si nou kenbe pawòl mwen te preche nou an, si nou pa kwè nan li. Paske nan premye pyè a, mwen te ba nou sa mwen te resevwa: ke Kris te mouri pou peche nou yo, selon ekriti a; ke li te antere, epi li te leve vivan nan lanmò sou twazyèm jou a, selon ekriti a; ke li te parèt tou nèf, aprè sa sou douz disip li yo.

 

(Ekri pa Jared Duncan, tradwi pa Antonio Salgado y modifye pa Frantzdy Francois.)

 

SOLI DEO GLORIA

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¿QUIÉN ESTÁ DISPUESTO A PAGAR EL PRECIO POR LAS MISIONES? 

¿QUIÉN ESTÁ DISPUESTO A PAGAR EL PRECIO POR LAS MISIONES? 

Una breve historia de las misiones en la República Dominicana  

 

 El cristiano que no está dispuesto a pagar el precio de seguir a Cristo difícilmente permanecerá firme en la fe. Es en momentos decisivos que somos probados como el oro (1 Pedro 1:7) y donde nuestra fe brillará resplandeciente, glorificando a Dios. Es debido a hombres y mujeres que estuvieron dispuestos y pagaron el precio, perdiendo o abandonando sus trabajos (los apóstoles dejaron lo que estaban haciendo y siguieron al Mesías), sus familias e incluso sus vidas, todo para llevar el evangelio, las buenas nuevas de salvación a todas las naciones. Del mismo modo, conociendo el sacrificio de estos hombres y mujeres y hasta dónde llevaron el mensaje de esperanza y vida eterna, ¿te has preguntado alguna vez: “¿Cómo llegó el verdadero (protestante) evangelio a mi país”?

 

En mi caso, la República Dominicana, este país desde su colonización en 1492, fue fundado sobre la fe de la Iglesia Católica. Solo recuerda que la reina que financió los viajes de Cristóbal Colón se llamaba Isabel la Católica, por lo que los taínos, los habitantes nativos de la isla, fueron instruidos en esta fe. El 31 de octubre de 1517, Martín Lutero, con sus 95 tesis clavadas en la puerta de la Catedral de Wittenberg, inició la Reforma Protestante, sin embargo, no fue hasta 1594 que se conocen los primeros intentos de introducir el evangelio protestante en la isla de La Española, el nombre de la República Dominicana durante la época de la colonización española, a través de comerciantes en la parte norte de la isla. Esto fue impedido por el Arzobispo de Santo Domingo, quien informó la situación al Rey de España en una carta, lo que resultó en la confiscación de 300 Biblias traducidas al español, el idioma oficial de la isla desde la colonización.

 

En 1605, ocurrieron las devastaciones de Osorio, públicamente debido a los intercambios comerciales de los isleños y los barcos mercantes que se acercaron a la isla, sin embargo, había otra razón oculta, la prevención de que los comerciantes protestantes enseñaran doctrina y/o entregaran literatura y Biblias a los habitantes de la isla.

 

Después de esto, no hay registros de nuevos intentos o evidencia de alguna introducción del evangelio a la isla. Fue en 1822, debido a la ocupación haitiana, que el presidente Boyer permitió la entrada a la isla de 6,000 protestantes negros libres de Filadelfia, junto con el reverendo Isaac Miller, un pastor metodista wesleyano. En 1836, construyeron la primera capilla en Puerto Plata, pero, desafortunadamente, debido a la situación opresiva impuesta por el gobierno haitiano, la misión protestante no cruzó la brecha cultural entre los misioneros y los dominicanos, lo que resultó en la separación y división de las dos naciones después de la independencia dominicana en 1844, con la República Dominicana siendo anexada a España nuevamente en 1861, imponiendo la intolerancia religiosa de España, lo que resultó en la anulación de la libertad de culto, seguida por la persecución de protestantes e incluso el incendio de templos, esto es incluso evidente en una carta enviada a Lincoln por los libertos negros para reclamar los derechos que les fueron garantizados en el momento de su establecimiento en el territorio.

 

En 1865, la República Dominicana fue liberada de la intervención extranjera a través de la Guerra de Restauración, en la que participaron tanto católicos como protestantes por la libertad de la nación, por lo que al final de esta guerra se restauró la libertad de culto, sin embargo, las tensiones entre protestantes y católicos persistieron. Sin embargo, los años siguientes fueron beneficiosos para el trabajo misionero, llegaron muchos grupos protestantes, en esta ocasión no se quedaron internamente en servicios de culto y estudios bíblicos, sino que cruzaron la barrera cultural donde los dominicanos comenzaron a creer firmemente que la Biblia es la palabra de Dios, esta fue una edad de oro para las misiones que lograron establecerse tanto en la República Dominicana como en Haití.

 

En 1889, una misión de la Iglesia Metodista Libre llegó a la isla en Monte Cristi, vía Cabo Haitiano, fundando la primera congregación de criollos. Desafortunadamente, las tensiones entre católicos y protestantes persistieron y como resultado de estas confrontaciones, se registra oficialmente en 1900, iniciando el nuevo siglo con la primera muerte de un protestante a manos de católicos, siendo la hermana Luisa Paulino esta víctima como resultado de la hostilidad del momento.

 

En 1916, debido a diferentes situaciones políticas en el país, la mala gestión de fondos y la corrupción, llevaron al gobierno norteamericano a intervenir en la isla, de cierta manera, en lo que respecta al evangelio, esto favoreció a las misiones ya que gran parte de los norteamericanos eran culturalmente evangélicos como resultado de que la Iglesia Católica nunca tuvo la fuerza que tomó en América Latina. Desde este momento histórico todo el trabajo que se había realizado durante siglos comenzó a dar frutos, el tiempo de Dios es perfecto, y llegó el momento perfecto para el trabajo misionero y donde hombres y mujeres valientes no tuvieron miedo por sus vidas, sino que las pusieron a disposición de nuestro Señor para ser usados como Sus herramientas para que se cumpliera la última voluntad de Jesucristo nuestro salvador. Y confiando en que la presencia de Cristo estaba entre ellos a través del Espíritu Santo, lograron abrir las puertas a todas las misiones evangélicas a esta bendita nación.

 

“Por tanto, vayan y hagan discípulos a todas las naciones, bautizándolos en el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo, enseñándoles a observar todo lo que les he mandado. Y he aquí, yo estoy con ustedes siempre, hasta el fin de los tiempos”. -Mateo 28:19-20.  

 

En 1922, se estableció la primera obra criolla, la Iglesia Evangélica Dominicana, compuesta de misioneros presbiterianos, metodistas, unidos y moravos del trabajo wesleyano que se habían quedado en el país sin llamar la atención desde 1824. Dos años después, en 1924, las Campañas con Harry Strachan llegaron al país entre agosto y octubre de ese año, trayendo consigo representantes invitados de las denominaciones bautista, presbiteriana, unida (Templos Bíblicos) y otras. Harry Strachan desarrolló una serie de campañas evangelísticas en la República Dominicana. Con una asistencia de entre 500 y 1000 personas por noche, quizás ahora parezcan pocos, pero para esos años y el contexto histórico, son números impresionantes para la época, a pesar de la gran oposición que predicó en Puerto Plata, Moca, Santiago, San Pedro de Macorís, Sánchez (Cotuí) y La Vega.

 

La congregación de los Templos Bíblicos hizo contacto en 1939 con pastores de la isla y en 1941 construyeron la primera congregación en Santo Domingo. En el mismo año, gozando de cierta libertad de expresión y culto, se fundó la prensa bíblica, promovida por los Templos Bíblicos, y comenzaron a imprimir material para escuelas bíblicas, tratados y el periódico Luz y Vida. En 1942, las Asambleas de Dios llegaron y también establecieron su trabajo en Santo Domingo, y en 1946 los primeros misioneros bautistas Zeral Brown y su esposa Doretta, Lyle y María Jessup, Iván Y Grace Augsburguer, llegaron a la provincia de El Seibo y no fue hasta 1953 en la provincia vecina de Hato Mayor que se fundó la Primera Iglesia Bautista en la República Dominicana.

 

En 1949, se fundó la Sociedad Bíblica Dominicana, con el apoyo de la Sociedad Bíblica Americana, y en 1950 el pastor Julio Postigo logró que se estableciera el 23 de abril como Día del Libro y para 1951 la primera Feria del Libro a desarrollarse. En 1954, se construyó la segunda Iglesia Bautista, esta vez en Santo Domingo, pero, en el mismo año, el gobierno del tirano, Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, firmó el Concordato con la Iglesia Católica, dando gran poder a la iglesia tradicional y convirtiéndola en la religión oficial de la nación. Durante los años del régimen y después de su caída, hombres y mujeres valientes no se detuvieron, sino que continuaron creando fundaciones y asociaciones evangélicas, la predicación no cesó en ningún momento, después de la muerte del tirano en 1964, comenzó la iniciativa del culto jubilar, promovida por un grupo de jóvenes de un programa de radio, donde se encontraron Ezequiel Molina, Demetrio Montero, Rudy Contreras y Juan Valdez, llamando a este culto “La Batalla de la Fe” y que continúa hasta el día de hoy. En 1965, Evangelismo a Fondo lanzó la mayor iniciativa de evangelismo conjunto de las iglesias en la República Dominicana. Aproximadamente 350 iglesias participaron en esta iniciativa, se organizaron más de 2,000 células de oración, se realizaron alrededor de 9 retiros y se capacitaron cerca de 7,800 creyentes. Se distribuyeron 470,000 tratados, se compartieron 250,000 porciones de Escrituras (Nuevos Testamentos) en impreso y se visitaron 100,000 hogares, desafortunadamente este evento no fue institucionalizado o continuó. Para 1984, el 27 de septiembre se estableció como Día de la Biblia bajo la Ley 204-84.

 

“Entren por la puerta estrecha; porque ancha es la puerta, y amplio es el camino que lleva a la perdición, y muchos entran por ella. Porque estrecha es la puerta y angosto es el camino que lleva a la vida, y pocos son los que la hallan”. Mateo 7:13-14  

 

Luego está la siguiente tragedia sobre los Potter que fue escrita en un periódico dominicano, aquí cito.

“Paul y Nancy Potter eran dos misioneros bautistas estadounidenses que llegaron en 1966 a Santiago, la segunda ciudad más grande de la República Dominicana, donde comenzaron una obra de misión médica y evangelización. Allí realizaron una serie de servicios en una residencia alquilada, donde se estableció una especie de clínica, lo que hizo que muchos dominicanos de las clases más desfavorecidas asistieran en busca de sus servicios.

 

Para 1970, los Potter tenían dos iglesias florecientes y tres capillas de misión, por lo que consideraron la posibilidad de tener otras cinco iglesias al final de su próximo mandato. Nunca alcanzaron esa meta. Temprano en la mañana del 7 de julio de 1971, el hijo de diez años de los Potter, David, descubrió los cuerpos ensangrentados de sus padres. Mientras los niños dormían tranquilamente en sus habitaciones separadas, los intrusos golpearon y apuñalaron a sus padres hasta la muerte.

 

El robo fue inicialmente probado como motivo, luego descartado porque se sabía que los Potter vivían modestamente en una casa pequeña. Muchos consideraron la posibilidad de que Paul y Nancy habían sido asesinados por terroristas antiamericanos y comunistas. Un reportero dominicano señaló que “¡Muerte a los Yankees!”, había sido garabateado en la parte trasera del auto de los misioneros. Sin embargo, muchos dedujeron que esta era una estrategia para engañar a los verdaderos culpables del incidente.

 

Otra hipótesis era que un pequeño grupo de médicos y farmacéuticos dominicanos pagó a algunos matones para que asesinaran a la pareja. Sin embargo, la información nunca fue confirmada. Desde esa tragedia, han pasado muchos años sin saber quiénes fueron los autores materiales e intelectuales”.

 

El camino ha sido duro, difícil, empinado, agotador y sacrificado. Sí, así debe ser, de lo contrario, sería un camino que lleva a la destrucción. Hoy nos quejamos de las supuestas dificultades que tenemos para llevar el evangelio incluso a las casas de nuestra calle… Ni siquiera quiero mencionar a los cristianos que están en países musulmanes y comunistas, donde no solo la predicación de la palabra, sino también el llevar una Biblia puede costar la vida de quien sea atrapado con ella.

 

Quiero que vean el camino que tuvieron que recorrer quienes nos precedieron y nos trajeron las buenas nuevas de salvación. Personalmente, estoy muy agradecido por quienes se sacrificaron para traer el evangelio a mi país. Como cristianos, debemos estar dispuestos a pagar el precio, para evangelizar debemos pagar el precio, para que las misiones puedan llegar a todos los lugares y personas que no han tenido la bendición que tenemos, debemos pagar el precio, y cuando hablo de pagar el precio no estoy hablando de dinero, si fuera así, el cielo solo sería para los ricos. Pagar el precio no es más que dar más allá de tu límite, sacrificar tu familia por la obra de Cristo, sacrificar tu trabajo por Cristo, sacrificar tu economía por Cristo, sacrificar tu vida por Cristo.

 

Recuerda dos cosas básicas que no podemos perder de vista: amar al Señor tu Dios por encima de todas las cosas, con toda tu alma, con toda tu fuerza y con todo tu ser, y para evidenciar esta fe, debes llevar tu cruz cada día y sígalo, es decir, debe tomar su vida y ponerla a su disposición, incluso si corre el riesgo de morir por Cristo, y amar a su prójimo como Cristo nos amó, por lo tanto, evangelizar y llevar a cabo misiones internacionales es imperativo, necesario y urgente”.

 

Escrito por Victor Dominguez

 

Historical data obtained from the following sources: https://pezmundial.com/2012/10/cronologia-del-protestantismo-en-la-republica-dominicana.html

https://www.elcaribe.com.do/panorama/caribe-inconclusos/caribe-inconclusos-el-asesinato-de-los-potter-en-santiago/

Please pray for our BCMS workers serving faithfully in hard places. May the Gospel continue to go forth, to God be the glory.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry, you can easily donate online through 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 the mission field.

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

Posted on

WHO’S WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE FOR MISSIONS?

WHO’S WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE FOR MISSIONS?

A brief history of missions in the Dominican Republic

 

The Christian who is not willing to pay the price of following Christ will hardly remain firm in the faith. It is in decisive moments that we are tested like gold (1 Peter 1:7) and where our faith will shine brightly, glorifying God. It is because of men and women who were willing and paid the price, losing or abandoning their jobs (the apostles left what they were doing and followed the Messiah), their families, and even their lives, all to take the gospel, the good news of salvation to all nations. Likewise, knowing the sacrifice of these men and women and how far they took the message of hope and eternal life, have you ever wondered, “How did the true (Protestant) gospel come to my country?”

 

In my case, the Dominican Republic, this country since its colonization in 1492 was founded on the faith of the Catholic Church. Just remember that the queen who financed Christopher Columbus’s voyages was called Isabel the Catholic, hence the Tainos, the native inhabitants of the island, were instructed in this faith. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, with his 95 theses nailed to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral, initiated the Protestant Reformation, however, it was not until 1594 that the first attempts are known to introduce the Protestant gospel to the island of Hispaniola, the name of the Dominican Republic during the time of Spanish colonization, through merchants in the northern part of the island. This was prevented by the Archbishop of Santo Domingo, who reported the situation to the King of Spain in a letter, resulting in the confiscation of 300 Bibles translated into Spanish, the official language of the island since colonization.

 

In 1605, Osorio’s devastations occurred, publicly due to the commercial exchanges by the islanders and the merchant ships that approached the island, however, there was another hidden reason, the prevention of Protestant merchants from teaching doctrine and/or delivering literature and Bibles to the inhabitants of the island.

 

After this, there are no records of new attempts or evidence of any introduction of the gospel to the island. It was in 1822, due to the Haitian occupation, that President Boyer allowed 6,000 free black Protestants from Philadelphia to enter the island, along with Reverend Isaac Miller, a Wesleyan Methodist pastor. In 1836, they built the first chapel in Puerto Plata, but, unfortunately, due to the oppressive situation imposed by the Haitian government, the Protestant mission did not cross the cultural gap between the missionaries and the Dominicans, resulting in the separation and division of the two nations after Dominican independence in 1844, with the Dominican Republic being annexed to Spain again in 1861, imposing Spain’s religious intolerance, resulting in the annulment of freedom of worship, followed by persecution of Protestants and even the burning of temples, this is even evident in a letter sent to Lincoln by the freed blacks to claim the rights that were guaranteed to them at the time of their establishment in the territory.

 

In 1865, the Dominican Republic was liberated from foreign intervention through the Restoration War, in which both Catholics and Protestants participated for the freedom of the nation, which is why at the end of this war freedom of worship was restored, however, tensions between Protestants and Catholics persisted. However, the following years were beneficial for missionary work, many Protestant groups arrived, on this occasion they did not remain internally in worship services and Bible studies, but crossed the cultural barrier where Dominicans began to firmly believe that the Bible is the word of God, this was a golden age for missions that managed to establish themselves in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

 

In 1889, a mission from the Free Methodist Church arrived on the island in Monte Cristi, via Cape Haitien, founding the first congregation of Creoles. Unfortunately, tensions between Catholics and Protestants persisted and as a result of these confrontations, it is officially recorded in 1900, beginning the new century with the first death of a Protestant at the hands of Catholics, Sister Luisa Paulino being this victim as a result of the hostility of the moment.

 

In 1916, due to different political situations in the country, the mismanagement of funds and corruption, led the North American government to intervene on the island, in a certain way, as far as the gospel was concerned, this favored the missions since a large part of the North Americans were culturally Evangelical as a result of the Catholic Church never having the strength it took in Latin America. From this historical moment all the work that had been done for centuries began to bear fruit, God’s time is perfect, and the perfect moment came for missionary work and where brave men and women were not afraid for their lives, but put them at the disposal of our Lord to be used as His tools so that the last will of Jesus Christ our savior would be fulfilled.And trusting that the presence of Christ was among them through the Holy Spirit, they managed to open the doors to all evangelical missions to this blessed nation.  

 

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” -Matthew 28:19-20. 

 

In 1922, the first Creole work, the Dominican Evangelical Church, was established, composed of Presbyterian, Methodist, United Brethren, and Moravian missionaries from the Wesleyan work who had remained in the country without attracting attention since 1824. Two years later, in 1924, the Campaigns with Harry Strachan arrived in the country between August and October of that year, bringing with them invited representatives of the Baptist, Presbyterian, United Brethren (Bible Temples) and other denominations. Harry Strachan developed a series of evangelistic campaigns in the Dominican Republic. With an attendance of between 500 and 1000 people per night, maybe now they seem few, but for those years and the historical context, they are impressive numbers for the time, despite the great opposition he preached in Puerto Plata, Moca, Santiago, San Pedro de Macorís, Sánchez (Cotuí) and La Vega.

 

The congregation of the Bible Temples made contact in 1939 with pastors on the island and in 1941 they built the first congregation in Santo Domingo. In the same year, enjoying a certain freedom of expression and worship, the Bible press was founded, promoted by the Bible Temples, and they began to print material for Bible schools, tracts, and the Luz y Vida newspaper. In 1942, the Assemblies of God arrived and also established their work in Santo Domingo, and in 1946 the first Baptist missionaries Zeral Brown and his wife Doretta, Lyle and María Jessup, Iván Y Grace Augsburguer, arrived in the province of El Seibo and it was not until 1953 in the neighboring province of Hato Mayor that the First Baptist Church was founded in the Dominican Republic.

 

In 1949, the Dominican Bible Society had been founded, with the support of the American Bible Society, and in 1950 Pastor Julio Postigo managed to have April 23 established as Book Day and for 1951 the first Book Fair to be developed. In 1954, the second Baptist Church was built, this time in Santo Domingo, but, in the same year the government of the tyrant, Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, signed the Concordat with the Catholic Church, giving great power to the traditional church and making it the official religion of the nation. During the years of the regime and after its fall, brave men and women did not stop, but continued to create foundations and evangelical associations, preaching did not cease at any time, after the death of the tyrant in 1964, the initiative of the jubilee worship began, promoted by a group of young people from a radio program, where Ezequiel Molina, Demetrio Montero, Rudy Contreras and Juan Valdez were found, calling this worship “The Battle of Faith” and which continues to this day. In 1965, Evangelismo a Fondo launched the largest joint evangelism initiative of the churches in the Dominican Republic. Approximately 350 churches participated in this initiative, more than 2,000 prayer cells were organized, about 9 retreats were held, and nearly 7,800 believers were trained. 470,000 tracts were distributed, 250,000 portions of Scripture (New Testaments) were shared in print, and 100,000 homes were visited, unfortunately this event was not institutionalized or continued. By 1984, September 27 was established as Bible Day under Law 204-84.

 

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. Because narrow is the gate and confined is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14  

 

Then there is the  following tragedy about the Potters that was written about in a Dominican newspaper, here I quote. “Paul and Nancy Potter were two American Baptist missionaries who arrived in 1966 in Santiago, the second-largest city in the Dominican Republic, where they began a work of medical mission and evangelization. There they performed a series of services in a rented residence, where a type of clinic was established, which caused many Dominicans from the most disadvantaged classes to attend in search of their services.

 

By 1970, the Potters had two flourishing churches and three mission chapels, so they considered the possibility of having another five churches by the end of their next term. They never reached that goal. Early on the morning of July 7, 1971, the Potters’ ten-year-old son David discovered his parents’ blood-soaked bodies. While the children slept peacefully in their separate rooms, the intruders beat and stabbed their parents to death.

 

Robbery was initially proven as a motive, then ruled out because the Potters were known to live modestly in a small house. Many considered the possibility that Paul and Nancy had been murdered by anti-American and communist terrorists.A Dominican reporter noted that “Death to the Yankees!” had been scrawled on the back of the missionaries’ car. However, many deduced that this was a strategy to mislead the real culprits of the incident.

 

Another hypothesis was that a small group of Dominican doctors and pharmacists paid some thugs to murder the couple. However, the information was never confirmed. Since that tragedy, many years have passed without knowing who the material and intellectual perpetrators were.”

 

The path has been rough, difficult, steep, exhausting, and sacrificial. Yes, that’s how it should be, otherwise it would be a path that leads to destruction. Today we complain about the supposed difficulties we have in taking the gospel even to the houses on our street.. I don’t even want to mention the Christians who are in Muslim and communist countries where not only the preaching of the word, but also the carrying of a Bible can cost the life of whoever is caught with it.

 

I want you to see the path that those who preceded us and brought us the good news of salvation had to travel. I personally am very thankful for those who sacrificed to bring the gospel to my country. As Christians, we must be willing to pay the price, to evangelize we must pay the price, so that missions can reach all places and people who have not had the blessing that we have, we must pay the price, and when I talk about paying the price I’m not talking about money, if it were so, heaven would only be for the rich. Paying the price is nothing more than giving beyond your limit, sacrificing your family for the work of Christ, sacrificing your job for Christ, sacrificing your economy for Christ, sacrificing your life for Christ.

 

Remember two basic things that we cannot lose sight of: love the Lord your God above all things, with all your soul, with all your might, and with all your being, and to evidence this faith, you must carry your cross every day and follow Him, that is, you must take your life and put it at His disposal, even if you are at risk of death for Christ, and loving your neighbor as Christ loved us, therefore evangelizing and the carrying out of international missions  is imperative, necessary, and urgent.

Written by Victor Dominguez

Translated by Antonio Salgado

Historical data obtained from the following sources:: https://pezmundial.com/2012/10/cronologia-del-protestantismo-en-la-republica-dominicana.html

https://www.elcaribe.com.do/panorama/caribe-inconclusos/caribe-inconclusos-el-asesinato-de-los-potter-en-santiago/

Please pray for our BCMS workers serving faithfully in hard places. May the Gospel continue to go forth, to God be the glory.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry, you can easily donate online through 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 the mission field.

 

 

 

 

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.

 

Posted on

BCMS UPDATE FROM THE MISSION FIELD

Greetings brothers and sisters,

May the peace of Christ be with you all.

The Lord seems to be opening doors of opportunity very often. With more doors opening, we have more to do and we are periodically seeking ways to improve and become more efficient. We are confident the Lord will provide for all things needed. The team communicates daily and we regularly offer each other prayer and  support and are available for each other throughout the day. The respect and the love between us makes it a privilege to work with them.

Please begin praying for us and our next virtual conference for the team.

This next one is a continuation of our first virtual conference, which was titled

“What is the Gospel?”. (Already available in article form on the website). We had about 10 individuals other than the team join in on that teaching and received some good feedback.

We will be doing part 2 “The Gospel for the World”, and then part 3 “The Gospel for the Church” in the coming session.

The content from the first session has already been published on the website in English and Spanish. An outline was added the end  for extra clarity and to be used as a teaching tool for those who choose to do so in a clear and biblical way. The Haitian Creole version of “What is the Gospel?” is being edited and is coming soon. Here are the two available versions.

In English   https://salgadodrmission.com/2024/07/what-is-the-gospel/

In Spanish   https://salgadodrmission.com/2024/07/que-es-el-evangelio/

Please also pray for an outreach event for children in Yaguita de Pastor who will be receiving the Gospel and school supplies on August 3rd.

We also ask that you help us pray for an upcoming evangelism workshop in Santiago on Saturday, August 10. Both the outreach and the workshop will be held in Santiago. The invitation to the evangelism workshop is being extended to other churches and visitors as well. We are already receiving requests to offer this type of workshop at other churches here and in Haiti. Here is the basic program of how the workshop is organized.

WORKSHOP: THE NECESSITY OF GOD’S MISSION

TOPIC: HOW TO DEVELOP A CULTURE OF EVANGELISM IN THE LOCAL. CHURCH

INTRODUCTION:  The history of missions

SESSIONS: From forming a biblical basis to practical applications

Building a biblical foundation for evangelism

Cultivating a culture of evangelism in the local church

Practical strategies for evangelism

Overcoming challenges and maintaining momentum

Mini session (if time allows): The results of biblical evangelism

Then we will have a time of questions and answers, and comments from those participating. These kinds of teachings are part of our work plan to help strengthen struggling churches and to eventually plant new ones. The plan is for the men we work with to be trained and memorize this material, to then give these teachings themselves, (after teaching it in each of their local churches first), to then assist other churches who need help training their people to reach the lost, while cultivating a culture of evangelism in their local church in the process. For the virtual conferences, we are planning other teaching sessions given by our team, but we all need to be edified by others from time to time as well. Especially those who teach on a regular basis. Hence, the guest expositor for the first few sessions. Pray that the Lord uses this to ignite a passion for evangelism in many to reach many souls with the Gospel!

Apart from the upcoming outreach for children with school supplies, we have also managed to do two vacation Bible schools to take advantage of the free time the young people have who are out of school. One was done in the barrio of Hato Mayor in Pastor Job’s church, the other in Pedernales at Pastor Frantzdy´s church. Pray for the many children who heard the Gospel and Bible teaching.

For two consecutive months we have been able to help the nursing home with food through Leonel. This is a group of people reaching the end of their lives and a wonderful opportunity to share the Gospel with them. We have an open door with the director. There are some that have shown interest in helping with that specific need on a monthly basis. But we do not yet have a confirmation. Pray that the Lord will move someone to be generous to that group of people and help us take that on regularly. This would also free up much needed funds for some  other needs.

Continue to pray for the work in Pedernales. Pastor Frantdzy recently shared these words and asks for prayer.

“There are many that have fled from Haiti living in our area. But they are destitute, they came with very little to nothing and the needs are overwhelming.

Some are living in horrible conditions. We have been visiting and getting to know many of them. And many of them are open to the Gospel.

Some are afraid to go out, some have been mistreated, but I have identified 4 or 5 “spots” around the town where there are small concentrations of these vulnerable individuals. Right now we’re forming cell groups at these spots to give weekly Bible studies. They definitely need the Gospel, but they need help too.

We are doing what we can for now, but any help towards food and basic needs for these people is very welcomed. The biggest need now is food. We pray and ask our brothers to pray as well and we must trust that God will provide what is necessary.”

The amount we can designate to this specific area ministry and need is not enough considering the present situation. There are moments when we must go above and beyond for a time to help meet an urgent need. We are asking for you to consider praying about this and giving if you can.

It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.- Proverbs 14:21

Please pray also for the weekly Bible study in Laguna Prieta. We head out there each Thursday from 6pm to round 8pm. We have been covering the basics of salvation to his group and often present the Gospel since we regularly have new visitors to the group. Here is a list of names of the regulars in that group for those who would like to join us in prayer for their salvation. Don’t worry if you cannot pronounce some of their names. The Lord knows exactly who they are.

Jenny, Lulu, Manés, Marlenny, Monuzina, Sylvios, Idelfi, Vidli, Josué, Milua, Frefre, Michei, Beken, Emanuel, Jeffrey, Enson, Makenzie and Kaluo.

There is more I can say, but to not go too long, I have already mentioned plenty of ways by which you can help us by praying. Keep praying for the work of the nationals, that may be God be glorified in all things. Grace and peace.

In Christ,

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

Please pray for our BCMS workers serving faithfully in hard places. May the Gospel continue to go forth, to God be the glory.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry, you can easily donate online through 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 the mission field.

 

 

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.

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A PETITION OF PRAYER FOR VENEZUELA

The following is petition of prayer for the people of Venezuela written by BCMS mission partner Rafael Rodriguez in Maracay, Venezuela. The current President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, has been recorded making public threats of a “blood bath” if he does not win in the upcoming elections. Please join us in prayer with brother Rafael for his people. Grace and peace.

“Dear beloved brothers and sisters,

On July 28, 2024, Venezuela will once again hold presidential elections. The situation in our nation is well-known; millions of Venezuelans have left their country seeking better opportunities abroad.

For 22 years, socialism has intensified, tearing families apart, fueling poverty, and fostering corruption and insecurity. Our country desperately needs change. We require a government dedicated to its fundamental responsibilities: security, lawmaking, and protecting private property. As Romans 13 and other scriptures teach, these are the core functions of government. Unfortunately, the current regime has overstepped its bounds, mirroring the behavior of other socialist and communist governments that prioritize state control over individual liberty and faith.

We humbly request your prayers for Venezuela’s liberation from this dictatorship. May God’s will be done, enabling us to continue serving and preaching amidst adversity. Regardless of the election outcome, we pray for joy and gratitude.

We believe that a change in leadership will bring immense joy to Venezuelans, especially those living abroad who yearn to reunite with their families. May the Lord grant this joy to our nation.

Please do not cease praying. President Maduro has hinted at a refusal to relinquish power peacefully if defeated on Sunday.

May the peace of Christ be with us all.”

Sincerely,

Rafael Rodríguez BCMS Missionary, Venezuela 🇻🇪

Translated by Antonio Salgado

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¿QUE ES EL EVANGELIO?

¿Qué es el Evangelio? 

El contenido de este artículo es de la reciente conferencia virtual de BCMS “¿Qué es el Evangelio?”

Escrito por Jared Duncan, Traducido por Antonio Salgado

Una de las verdades más tristes es que si caminas por muchas de las iglesias en Estados Unidos y preguntas “¿Qué es el evangelio?”, la mayoría no podría responder. Bueno, eso es lo que mi experiencia me ha enseñado. He preguntado a muchos cristianos esta pregunta y la mayoría no puede responder. La mayoría solo me miran fijamente.

Pero ahora permíteme hacerte esta misma pregunta ¿Qué es el evangelio? ¿Puedes responder? Deberías poder hacerlo. ¿Por qué? Porque como dice Pablo, el evangelio es “el poder de Dios para salvación a todo aquel que cree”.

 

Y como maestros de la palabra de Dios, si no tienes una comprensión clara del evangelio, tampoco la tendrá tu iglesia. El evangelio es el fundamento de nuestra fe… de nuestra salvación. Si nosotros (líderes de la iglesia) no tenemos claridad aquí, los ministerios sufrirán, la formación espiritual y el crecimiento de los miembros de nuestra iglesia se verán perjudicados, toda la iglesia sufrirá.

 

Ilustración: En Italia hay una torre llamada la torre inclinada de Pisa. Fue construida en la década de 1170, pero los constructores no compactaron adecuadamente la tierra sobre la que se construyó, por lo que los cimientos se asentaron de manera desigual y la torre con el tiempo comenzó a inclinarse. Cada año un poco más. Se hubiera caído hace mucho tiempo si no fuera por los arquitectos y constructores que llegaron más tarde para asegurar la torre. Todavía permanece en pie, pero inclinada de manera muy notable. Al igual que esta torre de Pisa, inclinada por una mala base, nuestras iglesias y ministerios estarán desequilibradas, torcidas, no fuertes ni rectas si no enderezamos el fundamento de nuestra fe, que es el evangelio.

Tema: ¿Qué es el Evangelio?

En este artículo, quiero explicar primero qué es el evangelio según la Biblia.

Analizaremos dos pasajes: Marcos 1 y 1 Corintios 15. Busca estas páginas en tu Biblia. Con suerte, después de discutir estos dos pasajes, podremos construir una definición bíblica del evangelio. En el siguiente artículo , hablaremos sobre cómo explicar el evangelio a los no creyentes y, cómo se relaciona el evangelio con los creyentes. Sí, ¡el evangelio es también para los cristianos, no solo para los no creyentes! En esa última, discutiremos cómo predicar el evangelio en tus sermones y enseñanzas a la iglesia, ya sea los domingos por la mañana o en grupos pequeños.

 

Bosquejo: Por ahora, nos centraremos en: ¿Qué es el Evangelio? Tres puntos guiarán esta discusión: Primero, la persona de Cristo. Segundo, la obra de Cristo. Y tercero, nuestra respuesta a Cristo.

 

  • La persona de Cristo

Volviendo a la pregunta inicial: ¿Qué es el evangelio? Primero, abran sus Biblias en Marcos 1:15. Dice: “Se ha cumplido el tiempo, y el reino de Dios está cerca; arrepentíos y creed en el evangelio.”

 

Piensen en esto… el evangelio se predicaba incluso antes de la cruz y la resurrección. Interesante, ¿verdad?

 

Ahora, pasemos a nuestro otro pasaje, uno de los más famosos sobre el evangelio: 1 Corintios 15:1-4. Dice: “Os recuerdo, hermanos, el evangelio que os prediqué, el que recibisteis, en el que estáis firmes, y por el que sois salvos, si retenéis la palabra que os prediqué, a no ser que hayáis creído en vano. Porque primeramente os entregué lo que yo mismo recibí: que Cristo murió por nuestros pecados conforme a las Escrituras, que fue sepultado, y que resucitó al tercer día conforme a las Escrituras.”

 

Esta es la mención más habitual de la muerte, sepultura y resurrección de Jesús cuando se habla del evangelio. Sin embargo, el punto que estoy haciendo ahora es que el evangelio se predicaba también antes de los acontecimientos de la crucifixión y la resurrección. La implicación, por tanto, es que el evangelio es más que la muerte, sepultura y resurrección de Jesús. En otras palabras, es más que las obras y logros de Jesús porque se predicaba antes de que estos logros se dieran a conocer.

 

Ahora, si alguien me dijera que el evangelio es algo más que la muerte y resurrección de Jesús, me preocuparía mucho que esa persona me fuera a decir algo no bíblico. Espero que ustedes también estén un poco preocupados ahora. Pero escúchenme.

 

Entonces, ¿qué podría haber, además de la muerte y resurrección de Jesús, que sea parte del evangelio bíblico? ¿Qué se podría añadir a las obras de Cristo? La persona de Cristo. Jesús podía predicar el evangelio antes de su muerte y resurrección debido a quién era: Su persona. “He aquí que yo estoy con vosotros”, dijo. “El Rey está aquí, y por lo tanto, el reino de Dios está aquí.”

 

El significado de “evangelio” es buenas noticias. Entonces, “¡Buenas noticias, Israel! ¡Tu Rey tan esperado está aquí! El Rey prometido del linaje real de David está entre vosotros. ¡El Rey cuyo reino no tendrá fin! ¡Yo soy Él!”

 

Es por esta razón, la persona de Cristo (quién es Jesús), que Marcos puede decir que Jesús predicó el evangelio incluso antes de morir y resucitar, y aun antes de enseñar acerca de esos eventos. Simplemente, el hecho de que Él estuviera entre ellos era buenas noticias, era el evangelio.

 

Ahora, incluso cuando miramos las palabras de Pablo en 1 Corintios 15 (esto es después de la cruz, después de la resurrección, después de la obra de Jesús), este pasaje de 1 Corintios se centra en las obras de Cristo, pero Pablo aún llama la atención del lector sobre la persona de Jesús también. ¿Cómo lo hace? Diciendo dos veces “según las Escrituras” (v. 3, 4).

 

Entonces, Cristo murió por nuestros pecados “según las Escrituras” (v. 3). Y fue sepultado y resucitó al tercer día “según las Escrituras” (v. 4). Esto a menudo se pasa por alto, ¡pero es muy importante! La obra de Cristo (Su muerte y resurrección) no sucedió de la nada (en un vacío). Se habló de eso desde la antigüedad. En el Antiguo Testamento se decía que cierta persona sufriría y moriría. Y que resucitaría. Uno piensa en textos como el Salmo 2 o Isaías 53. En Isaías 53, es el alma de este Siervo de Yahvé la que fue “derramada hasta la muerte” (Isaías 53:11). Sin embargo, Dios “prolongará sus días” (53:10), una referencia a la resurrección del Siervo.

 

Ahora bien, realmente no puedes dividir la persona y las obras de Jesucristo. Van juntos. Por eso no quiero separarlos, quiero que veas que van de la mano y que al hacerlo constituyen el evangelio. ¿Cómo se comparte el evangelio? Cuenta la buena noticia de Quién es Jesús y Qué hizo. Entonces, diríamos que Jesús es el Mesías de Israel, el que completa la historia de Israel. Es el rey tan esperado del linaje de David. Es la simiente de Abraham. Jesús es el único mediador entre Dios y el hombre. Jesús es el último y más grande Adán, el más grande Jonás, el más grande David, Jesús es el templo mayor, el cumplimiento de la ley y el antiguo pacto, Jesús es el Hijo de Dios y Dios el Hijo, el segundo miembro del Dios Trino que se hizo carne para convertirse en hombre. El gran juez que juzgará todas las cosas al final y que incluso ahora sostiene el universo por la palabra de poder porque Él es la Palabra de Dios.

 

“¿Cómo se comparte el evangelio? Cuenta la buena noticia de Quién es Jesús y qué hizo”

 

Ahora, ¿tienes que decir todo eso? ¡No! Por favor, no lo hagas, especialmente si testificas a un incrédulo, ¡pero algo de eso debería decirse! Hablaremos de lo que se debe decir la próxima vez, pero ten en cuenta por ahora que el evangelio es compartir las buenas noticias de la Persona de Jesús: quién es Él.

 

  • La Obra de Cristo

Entonces, hemos visto la persona, veamos más de cerca su obra. Creo que estamos más acostumbrados a la obra de Jesús, así que no dedicaré tanto tiempo a este punto… pero la obra de Jesucristo es que moriría por los pecados, sería sepultado y resucitaría. Eso es lo que nos dice 1 Corintios 15:3-4. Esta es la obra expiatoria de Jesús en la cruz, donde sería obediente al tomar carne, obediente en la vida y obediente hasta la muerte, muriendo una muerte sacrificial en lugar de los pecadores que creen en Él. El evangelio también es la obra que Jesús aún no ha hecho. Su segunda venida, como señala la última parte de 1 Corintios 15.

 

Entonces, juntando todo lo que hemos estado hablando, esto es lo que el evangelio es según la Biblia. Es la buena noticia de quién es Jesús y lo que logró, lo que hizo. También, lo que va a hacer: volver y establecer su reino. El evangelio es la buena noticia de la persona y la obra de Jesucristo.

 

Entonces, ahora llenemos esto con lo que sabemos de Jesús y lo que Jesús hizo. Jesús, el Hijo de Dios, que es el Mesías tan esperado de Israel, es ahora Rey de Reyes y Señor de Señores, porque vino a la tierra, se hizo carne, murió por el pecado y resucitó de entre los muertos, conquistando la muerte y la tumba, y vendrá otra vez para establecer su reino por completo.

 

Su persona: Jesús, el Hijo de Dios, quien es el tan esperado Mesías de Israel, es ahora Rey de Reyes y Señor de Señores. ¿Por qué? Por Su obra: Porque vino a la tierra, se encarnó, murió por el pecado y resucitó de entre los muertos conquistando la muerte y el sepulcro. Y vendrá otra vez para establecer Su reino.

 

  • Nuestra respuesta a Cristo

Ese es el evangelio. Pero hay un aspecto más del evangelio que me gustaría mencionar antes de terminar. Y esa es nuestra respuesta a Cristo. Volvamos a Marcos 1. Leamos los v.14-15: Después que Juan fue arrestado, Jesús vino a Galilea, proclamando el evangelio de Dios, y diciendo: “El tiempo se ha cumplido, y el reino de Dios está cerca, arrepentíos y creed en el evangelio”. Esa es la respuesta que pide el evangelio: arrepentimiento y fe. 

 

Nuestro otro texto principal, 1 Corintios 15. Aquí Pablo en 1 Corintios 15:1 le dice a la iglesia que les predicó el evangelio y ellos lo “recibieron”. Eso es lo mismo que creerlo. Continúa diciendo que el evangelio los está salvando en el v2, si se aferran a él. Si no lo hacen, han creído en vano. Ves la respuesta: recibirla creyéndola.

 

A lo largo del libro de los Hechos, cuando lees que el evangelio es presentado por Pedro o Pablo, o quien sea, piden una respuesta. Hechos 2:38 y Hechos 17:30 por ejemplo. Por eso, parte de nuestra presentación del evangelio debe ser un llamado al oyente a responder al Rey Jesús, a arrepentirse y creer en Él para el perdón de los pecados.

 

  • Conclusión: ¿Por qué Jesús y sus obras?

Quiero concluir con un punto final, ¿Por qué Jesús? ¿Por qué la muerte y resurrección de Jesús? ¿Por qué Su Persona y Sus obras? Ahora, ha habido mucha discusión sobre si “cómo funciona el evangelio” es en realidad el evangelio. Creo que hay buenos argumentos de cada lado. Creo que en realidad esta explicación del evangelio no es el evangelio. En otras palabras, puedes predicar el evangelio sin explicar todos los detalles del mismo. Jesús realmente no explica el evangelio en su tiempo en la tierra. Pero Pablo lo hace más tarde, al igual que el escritor de Hebreos. Y esta explicación del evangelio es la justificación por la fe. En pocas palabras, Jesús tenía que ser Dios y hombre para pagar por los pecados contra un Dios santo. Tenía que ser hombre para morir por el hombre, porque el hombre pecó. Tenía que ser Dios para ser el sacrificio perfecto sin mancha y también capaz de absorber toda la ira de Dios. Bebió la copa de la ira de Dios hasta la última gota. Ningún simple hombre podría hacer eso. Entonces eso explica por qué Jesús.

 

Ahora bien, ¿por qué la muerte y resurrección de Jesús? Bueno, la paga del pecado es la muerte. El hombre que pecó debe morir. Entonces Jesús se hizo hombre para morir, y para morir en sacrificio por todos los hombres y mujeres que creyeran en Jesús. En la cruz, cuando sufrió la ira de Dios y luego murió, cargó con el pecado de los que creerán en Él y al mismo tiempo imputó Su justicia a los que creerán.

 

Doble imputación. El Gran Intercambio.

 

Nuestro pecado va a Jesús, su justicia va a nosotros. Entonces Él condenó a Su Hijo, pero nos acepta. ¿Por qué? Por la sangre de Jesús que lavó nuestro pecado. Porque Dios nos considera como si estuviéramos “en Cristo”. Estamos cubiertos de la justicia de Cristo. Qué cosa más hermosa fue la cruz, y qué cosa más terrible. ¡Entonces Dios resucitó a Jesús de entre los muertos! Esto significa que el sacrificio de Jesús fue aceptado. Y ahora la nueva vida que Jesús tiene, la comparte con aquellos que vienen a Él con fe.

 

 

Bosquejo: ¿Qué es el Evangelio?

Introducción:

El Evangelio es el mensaje más importante que se puede compartir. Es la buena noticia de la salvación de Dios para la humanidad. En esta noche, nos centraremos en tres puntos clave para comprender mejor el Evangelio:

La Persona de Cristo:

  • ¿Quién es Jesús?
    • Jesús es el Hijo de Dios, el Mesías largamente esperado por Israel.
    • Es el Rey de Reyes y Señor de Señores.
    • Es Dios encarnado, perfecto y sin pecado.

La Obra de Cristo:

  • ¿Qué hizo Jesús?
    • Jesús vino a la tierra para morir por nuestros pecados.
    • Murió en la cruz como un sacrificio perfecto por la humanidad.
    • Resucitó de entre los muertos, conquistando la muerte y el pecado.
    • Ascendió al cielo y ahora intercede por nosotros ante Dios Padre.

Nuestra Respuesta a Cristo:

  • ¿Cómo respondemos al Evangelio?
    • Debemos arrepentirnos de nuestros pecados 
    • Debemos recibir a Jesús, creyendo el evangelio
    • Reconocerlo como Rey y Señor de nuestras vidas

Conclusión:

El Evangelio es la única esperanza para la humanidad. Es un mensaje de amor, gracia y perdón. Al recibir a Jesús como nuestro Salvador, recibimos el perdón de pecados que desesperadamente necesitamos, y el regalo de la vida eterna y una relación personal con Dios.

 

Llamado a la acción:

¿Has recibido a Cristo como tu Salvador? Si no lo has hecho, te invito a que lo hagas hoy mismo. No hay nada más importante que puedas hacer en tu vida.

 

Versos de referencia

Marcos 1:14-15

Después que Juan había sido encarcelado, Jesús vino a Galilea predicando el evangelio de Dios. «El tiempo se ha cumplido», decía, «y el reino de Dios se ha acercado; arrepiéntanse y crean en el evangelio». 

1 Corintios 15:1-4

Ahora les hago saber, hermanos, el evangelio que les prediqué, el cual también ustedes recibieron, en el cual también están firmes,  por el cual también son salvos, si retienen la palabra que les prediqué, a no ser que hayan creído en vano.

Porque yo les entregué en primer lugar lo mismo que recibí: que Cristo murió por nuestros pecados, conforme a las Escrituras;  que fue sepultado y que resucitó al tercer día, conforme a las Escrituras; que se apareció a Cefas y después a los doce. 

 

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WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL? 

Written by Jared Duncan 

 

One of the saddest truths is that if you were to walk around many of the churches in the United States and ask, “What is the gospel?” most would not be able to answer. Well, that’s what my experience has taught me. I’ve asked many Christians this question and most cannot answer. Most just stare at me.

But let me now ask you this question. What is the gospel? Can you answer? You should be able to. You need to be able to. Why? Because as Paul says, the gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”

And as teachers of God’s word, if you do not have a clear understanding of the gospel, neither will your church. The gospel is the foundation of our belief…of our salvation. If we (leaders in the church) are not clear here, ministries will suffer, spiritual formation and growth in our church members will suffer, the whole church will suffer.

Illustration: In Italy there is a tower called the leaning tower of Pisa. It was built in the 1170’s but the builders did not properly pack the dirt it was built upon and so the foundations settled unevenly and the tower over time began to lean. Every year a little bit more. It would have fallen long ago if it not were for architects and builders who came later to secure the tower. It still stands to this day, but leaning very noticeably. Just like this tower of Pisa, leaning because of a bad foundation, so our churches and ministries will be off kilter, askew, not strong and upright if we do not get right, the foundation of our faith, which is the gospel. 

Theme: What the gospel is according to the Bible.

Reference: And we are going to answer this question from the Bible. We will look at two passages. Mark 1, and 1 Corinthians 15. Hopefully, after we discuss these two passages we will be able to construct a biblical definition. Then in a future article I’m going to talk about how to explain the gospel to unbelievers, and then lastly how the gospel relates to believers. Yes, the gospel is for the Christian too, not just the unbeliever! Here, we will discuss how to preach the gospel in your sermons and teachings to the church, whether it be Sunday morning or in small groups. 

Outline: But for now, What is the Gospel? Three headings will guide us through this topic: First, The Person of Christ. Second, the Work of Christ. And third, Our response to Christ.

 

  • The Person of Christ

So, the question I asked in the beginning: What is the gospel? First, open your bibles to Mark 1. Mark 1:15 says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

So think about this…the gospel was preached even before the cross and resurrection. Interesting.

Now, let’s turn to our other passage, one of the most famous passages on the gospel, 1 Corinthians 15.

 

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 says, “Now I would remind you, brothers of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

 

Here is the more standard mention of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus when talking about the gospel. But, the point I’m making right now is that the gospel was preached before the events of the crucifixion and resurrection as well. The implication, therefore, is that the gospel is more than Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. In other words, it is more than Jesus’ works and accomplishments because it was preached before these accomplishments were made known.

Now, if I heard someone tell me the gospel was something more than the death and resurrection of Jesus I’d be very worried this person was going to tell me something unbiblical. And I hope you are concerned right now. But hear me out.

So, what could possibly be in addition to Jesus’ death and resurrection that would be part of the biblical gospel? What could be added to the works of Christ? The person of Christ. Jesus could preach the gospel before His works of death and resurrection because of who He was: His person. I am here, he said. The King is here, and therefore the kingdom of God is here.

The meaning of “gospel” is good news. So, “Good news, Israel! Your long awaited King is here! The King promised from the kingly line of David is in your midst. The King whose kingdom shall have no end! I am Him!”

It is for this reason: The person of Christ (Who Jesus is), that Mark can say Jesus preached the gospel even before he died and rose, and even before he taught about those events. Simply, that He was in their midst was good news, was the gospel.

Now, even when we look at Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15— this is after the cross, after the resurrection, after the work of Jesus—this 1 Corinthian passage is focused on the works of Christ, but Paul still draws the reader’s attention to the person of Jesus also. How so? By saying twice, “According to the Scriptures” (v. 3,4).

So, Christ died for our sins “according to the Scriptures” (v3). And He was buried and was raised on the third day “according to the Scriptures” (v4). This is often overlooked, but so important! The work of Christ (His death and resurrection) did not just happen out of nowhere, or in a vacuum. It was told of old. It was told in the OT that a certain person would suffer and die. And that He would rise again. One thinks of a text like Psalm 2 or Isaiah 53. In Isaiah 53 it is the soul of this Servant of Yahweh that was “poured out to death” Isaiah 53:11. Yet God would “prolong His days” (53:10), a reference to the Servant’s resurrection.

Now, you really can’t divide the person and works of Christ Jesus. They go together. So I don’t want to split them up, I want you to see they go together and in doing so, make up the gospel. How does one share the gospel? Tell the good news of Who Jesus is and What he did. So we would say Jesus is the Messiah of Israel, He completes Israel’s story. He is the long awaited king from David’s line. He is the seed of Abraham. Jesus is the one mediator between God and man. Jesus is the last and greater Adam, the greater Jonah, the greater David, Jesus is the greater temple, the fulfillment of the law and old covenant, Jesus is the Son of God, and God the Son, the second member of the Triune God Who took on flesh to become a man. The great judge who will judge all things in the end and who even now upholds the universe by the word of power because He is the Word of God.

Now, do you have to say all that? No! Please don’t, especially if witnessing to an unbeliever, but some of that should be said! We will talk about what should be said next time, but know for now, the gospel is sharing the good news of the Person of Jesus— Who He is.

 

“Now, you really can’t divide the person and works of Christ Jesus. They go together. So I don’t want to split them up, I want you to see they go together and in doing so, make up the gospel. How does one share the gospel? Tell the good news of Who Jesus is and What he did.”

 

The Work of Christ

So, we’ve seen the person, let us look more at His work. I think we are more accustomed to the work of Jesus, so I won’t spend as much time on this point…but the work of Christ Jesus is that he would die for sins, be buried and rise again. That is what 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 tells us. This is the atoning work of Jesus on the cross where He would be obedient to taking on flesh, obedient in life, and obedient unto death, dying a sacrificial death in the place of sinners who believe upon Him. The gospel is also the work that Jesus is yet to do. His coming again as the latter part of 1 Corinthians 15 points out.

So, putting all what we’ve been talking about together, this is what the gospel is according to the Bible. It is the good news of who Jesus is, and what He accomplished, what he did. Also, what He’s going to do—come again and set up His kingdom. The gospel is the good news of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

So, let’s now fill that in with what we know of Jesus and what Jesus did. Jesus, the Son of God Who is the long awaited Messiah of Israel, is now King of Kings and Lord of Lords because He came to earth, took on flesh, died for sin, and rose from the dead conquering death and the grave, and will come again to establish His kingdom in full. 

 

His person: Jesus, the Son of God Who is the long awaited Messiah of Israel, is now King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Why?

Because of..

His work: Because He came to earth, took on flesh, died for sin, and rose from the dead conquering death and the grave. And is coming again to establish His kingdom.

 

Our Response to Christ

That is the gospel. But there is one more aspect of the gospel I’d like to mention before we finish. And that is our response to Christ. Let’s go back to Mark 1. Let’s read v14-15: After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel.” That is the response the gospel calls for: Repentance and belief. Our other main text , 1 Corinthians 15. Here Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:1 tells the church he preached the gospel to them and they “received” it. That is the same thing as believing it. He goes on to say the gospel is saving them in v2, if they hold fast to it. If they don’t, they have believed in vain. You see the response: receiving it by believing it.

All through the book of Acts, when you read of the gospel being presented by either Peter or Paul, or whoever, they call for a response. Acts 2:38 and Acts 17:30 for example. And so part of our gospel presentation needs to be a call for the listener to respond to King Jesus, to repent and believe on Him for the forgiveness of sins.

 

Conclusion: Why Jesus and His Works

I want to conclude with a final point, Why Jesus? Why Jesus’ death and resurrection? Why His Person and His works? Now, there has been a lot of discussion as to if “how the gospel works” is actually the gospel. I think there are good arguments on each side. I think actually this explanation of the gospel is not the gospel. In other words, you can preach the gospel without explaining all the details of it. Jesus really doesn’t explain the gospel in his time on earth. But Paul does later, as well the writer of Hebrews does. And this explanation of the gospel is justification by faith. Simply put, Jesus had to be both God and man to pay for sins against a holy God. He had to be man to die for man because man sinned. He had to be God to be the perfect sacrifice without blemish and also capable of absorbing the full of God’s wrath. He drank the cup of God’s wrath to the last drop. No mere man could do that. So that explains why Jesus.

Now, why Jesus’ death and resurrection? Well, the wages of sin is death. Man sinned man must die. So Jesus became man in order to die, and to die a sacrificial death for all men and women who would believe in Jesus. On the cross when He was suffering God’s wrath and then died He bore the sin of those believing in Him and at the same time imputed His righteousness to those believing.

Double imputation, the great exchange.

Our sin going to Jesus, His righteousness going to us. So He condemned His Son but accepts us. Why? Because of Jesus’ blood that washed away our sin. Because God looks upon us as being “In Christ.” We are covered with the righteousness of Christ. What a beautiful thing the cross was, and what a terrible thing. Then God raised Jesus from the dead! This means Jesus’ sacrifice was accepted. And Now the new life Jesus has, He shares with those who come to Him in faith.

 

Outline: What is the Gospel?

Introduction:

The Gospel is the most important message that can be shared. It is the good news of God’s salvation for humanity. Tonight, we will focus on three key points to better understand the Gospel:

The Person of Christ:

  • Who is Jesus?
    • Jesus is the Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah of Israel.
    • He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
    • He is God incarnate, perfect and sinless.

 

The Work of Christ:

  • What did Jesus do?
    • Jesus came to earth to die for our sins.
    • He died on the cross as a perfect sacrifice for humanity.
    • He rose from the dead, conquering death and sin.
    • He ascended to heaven and now intercedes for us before God the Father.

 

Our Response to Christ:

  • How do we respond to the Gospel?
    • We must repent of our sins
    • We must trust Christ for our salvation
    • We must recognize Him as Lord and King.

Conclusion:

The Gospel is the only hope for lost humanity. It is wonderful news, a message of love, grace and forgiveness. By accepting Jesus as our Savior, we can have our sins forgiven, receive the gift of eternal life and enjoy a personal relationship with God.

Call to action:

Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If you have not done so, I invite you to do so today. There is nothing more important you can do in your life.

Reference Verses

Marcos 1:14-15

After John had been imprisoned, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of God. “The time is fulfilled,” he said, “and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” 

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Now I make known to you, brothers, the gospel that I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand,  by which they are also saved, if they hold fast to the word which I preached to them, unless they have believed in vain.

For I delivered to you first of all the same thing that I received: that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures;  that he was buried and that he rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures; who appeared to Cephas and then to the twelve.

 

The content of this article is from the recent BCMS virtual conference “What is the Gospel?” Written by Jared Duncan, edited for this article 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

Please pray for our BCMS workers serving faithfully in hard places. May the Gospel continue to go forth, to God be the glory.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry, you can easily donate online through 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 the mission field.

 

 

 

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.

 

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THE BIBLICAL MODEL: A 6 PART SERIES ON MISSIONS

I pray that these resources edify and educate God’s people on the mission at hand given by our Lord. It is especially for those brothers and sisters who support missions, serve missionaries or have the desire to serve or are already serving the Lord on the mission field. Soli Deo Gloria.  – Antonio Salgado

 

“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[e] all nations, 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.” – Matthew 28: 18-20

 

“They asked only that we would remember the poor, which I had made every effort to do.” – Galatians 2:10

 

 

THE BIBLICAL MODEL PART 1: THE ACTUAL MISSION OF MISSIONS

THE BIBLICAL MODEL PART 2: THE PHILOSOPHY OF MISSIONS

THE BIBLICAL MODEL PART 3: THE SUPPORT SYSTEM OF MISSIONS

THE BIBLICAL MODEL PART 4: THE BALANCE OF FAITH AND FUNDRAISING IN MISSIONS

THE BIBLICAL MODEL PART 5: CHRIST IS EVERYTHING IN MISSIONS

THE BIBLICAL MODEL PART 6: SENDING AND RECEIVING IN MISSIONS

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

Please pray for our BCMS workers serving faithfully in hard places. May the Gospel continue to go forth, to God be the glory.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry, you can easily donate online through 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 the mission field.

 

 

 

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

You may begin sending your support to 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 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. PayPal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field in case of emergencies or urgent needs. 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.

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BCMS UPDATE FROM THE MISSION FIELD

The group I Laguna Prieta is steadily growing and receiving the message and the teachings very well. Pray that soon we will be able to purchase more chairs and prepare the area a little better in order to continue teaching there whether rain or shine.

 

A few of the people attending have expressed their gratitude for the Bible study. Others come broken and just seeking help and hope. Some seem to come out of curiosity, since they see us there weekly setting up chairs and inviting others. There are people in the group with different  backgrounds. Some have visited churches or have been churched sometime in the past, but when asked, they admit they do not have Christ. Some have not been churched at all. A few are vulnerable believers who have  little to no resources to get around, or even decent clothes to attend a church if they wanted to.

 

In general, the Haitian church culture takes going to church dressed as nicely as possible very seriously. Many who would go, but do not have the appropiate attire according to cultural standards, simply will not go. This is to not be shamed or judged by those who are able to present themselves differently. I have heard this from countless individuals in vulnerable situations. Of course it is ok to want to look nice for church, that is a good thing. But, when this breeds favoritism, it becomes sinful and legalistic (in any culture or tradition for that matter). This is unfortunate, but we are clear in saying to them, that although it may be a cultural view, it is not a biblical one.

 

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”  have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? -James 2:1-4

 

But their concern  is certainly understandable if you could put yourself in their position of vulnerability and under the same cultural norms just for a moment. This is one good reason why taking the Gospel to the vulnerable and doing ministry in these contexts, although challenging, is so important.

 

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.  But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. – James 2:5-9

 

 

The Bible studies in Laguna Prieta are going well, praise the Lord. We continue with the basics of salvation. We spent time in Epehesians 2 explaining our condition apart from Christ and how we were separated from God and dead in our sins, yet, by God’s grace, we have been made alive in Christ.

 

 

The text reads:

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift — not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” – ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭

 

 

Main Point: The passage emphasizes salvation through God’s grace in Christ Jesus, despite our previous state of sin and separation from Him.

Humanity’s Condition (1-3)

    • The text describes a state of spiritual death due to “trespasses and sins.” (v.1)
    • People followed “the ways of this world” and the influence of a evil. (v.2)
    • Born in this condition we were “by nature children under wrath.” (v.3)

 

God’s Intervention Through Grace (4-6):

Despite our condition, God’s “great love” and “mercy” led Him to make us “alive with Christ.” (v.4-5)

    • The text emphasizes being “saved by grace” and not by works. (v.5)
    • Being “raised up with him and seated with him in the heavens” means we have a new immediate spiritual position. (v.6)

 

God’s Purpose and the Gift of Faith (verses 7-9):

    • The passage states God’s desire to display “the immeasurable riches of his grace” through Christ. (v.7)
    • “Saved by grace through faith” is presented as God’s gift, not something earned. (v.8)

 

A New Identity and Purpose (verse 10):

  •  The text refers to us as God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.” (v.10)
  • These “good works” are not presented as a means of salvation but the result of being “created” in Christ. Good works cannot in any way unite us to Christ, but once we believe, the good works are evidence that we are in Him..

Key Points:

  • The text focuses on God’s initiative in offering salvation through grace in Christ.
  • Our past transgressions are acknowledged but not a barrier to God’s grace.
  • Good works are a consequence, an evidence, not a cause of salvation.

 

Pray for us. That the Lord would bring salvation to these individuals and that they would grow in the knowledge of Christ. Soli Deo Gloria.

 

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

Please pray for our BCMS workers serving faithfully in hard places. May the Gospel continue to go forth, to God be the glory.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry, you can easily donate online through 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 the mission field.

 

 

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

You may begin sending your support to 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 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. PayPal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field in case of emergencies or urgent needs. 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.

 

Posted on

WONDERFUL NEWS!

Pray for César Augusto. Through Pastor Francisco, we began helping this man with food and clothes and he has been sharing the Gospel with him. He began attending the Bible study at the church.

 

Last night after a study on our union with Christ out of Ephesians, Cesar told Francisco that he believes the Gospel and trusts Christ for his salvation. Pastor Francisco is already setting time and dates for his discipleship. Soli Deo Gloria.

Pray.

 

“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

– James 2:12-18

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

Please pray for our BCMS workers serving faithfully in hard places. May the Gospel continue to go forth, to God be the glory.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry, you can easily donate online through 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 the mission field.

 

 

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

You may begin sending your support to 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 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. PayPal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field in case of emergencies. 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.