Category: Work

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BCMS UPDATE FROM THE MISSION FIELD

 

LAGUNA PRIETA

Laguna Prieta is a community that is part of Puñal, which is on the outskirts of Santiago De Los Caballeros. We have been consistently visiting, doing evangelism and holding bible studies there for a few months now. Pastor Job and I go there every Thursday night and spend on average 2-4 hours a night. Sometimes there is another visit during the week for an individual follow up or to help someone with a need. The group consists of people of Haitian nationality who live in a very vulnerable situation here in the Dominican Republic. They are very kind to us and have accepted us well. They like that I can talk with them in their language, (although not perfectly), and have visited parts of their country. Places where some of them are from.

Usually we meet in the open air, sometimes inside of a home. There is usually a lot of mud and mosquitoes, sometimes there is no electricity. We set up plastic chairs and a table we purchased for this location when we realized the people were coming consistently. We also stay afterwards for a time of snacks and fellowship. That’s the time when we really get to know everyone. 

Last night in Laguna Prieta was wonderful. One lady we met last week (Michelina), came last night and brought her friend, her husband and their children with her. Three new men attended. By the end we had almost 30 people gathered, most of them stayed the entire time. Pastor Job and I pretty excited about what the Lord is doing in this group of people who are quickly becoming beloved to us. When we arrived, we shared the Gospel with a couple of people near where we meet. We also had a chance to talk one on one with a couple of new believers.

After the study, there were many questions and comments from the group. We went on almost a half hour more just to dedicate enough time to that. We asked them to write down their questions during the week so we can answer them on our next visits.

There is even one man, who was somewhat of a scoffer at the beginning, but has become curious and has ended up attending. Although sometimes coming and going, but for the last two weeks in a row he has been present. He is dropping his guard and talking to us now. He even stayed after the study to join us for snacks both times. Praise the Lord!

Something seems to be happening, time will truly tell. May the Lord do a mighty work for His glory in the hearts and lives of many in Laguna Prieta. That they may know Christ, and make Christ known!

Pray.

Soli Deo Gloria

 

“Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 7:12

 

 

In Christ,

Antonio Salgado

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

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL? PART 2: How To Share The Gospel With Both Unbelievers And Believers

What is the Gospel? (Pt. 2)

How to Share the Gospel with both unbelievers and believers

Illustration: Did you know that many times when a baby is born it is not breathing? And the doctor or someone has to spank the baby to make it cry out and take its first breath. This first breath of life…is it the one and only breath the baby will ever need? Or is it the first of many?

 

The first of many, of course! Now, I think we can compare the believing of the gospel of Jesus Christ to a baby’s first breath, and subsequent breaths as well. When a person hears the gospel, and the Spirit of God regenerates that person, giving new birth, making them born again, the very first thing they do is believe and repent. Spiritually speaking, believing and repenting are like a baby’s first breath. But just as a baby doesn’t then stop breathing, but needs to continue to breath to live, so a new believer doesn’t stop needing the gospel upon being saved. They continue to live spiritually by the life-giving breath of the gospel every moment of their lives. It is gospel-truth that both saves and sustains a child of God. In other words, it is the gospel that both justifies a believer at the moment of salvation and progressively sanctifies that same believer as he/she matures in the faith.

 

Romans 1:16 tells us, “The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” So the gospel message saves when one repents and believes it. The gospel is for the unbeliever. It is for those who have not believed on Jesus Christ and confessed Him as Lord. I think we all know this.

 

But one verse prior in Romans 1:15, Paul writing in his introduction to the church in Rome, said, “I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.” Paul was trying to make it to Rome to visit the church so he could preach the gospel to them, to the church, to those who were already believers.

 

Do we know that the gospel is for the believer as well? We naturally think of the gospel being for the unbeliever. We think of sharing the gospel as we evangelize the lost. But not many of us think of sharing the gospel with the church, with those who are already Christians. Paul, did though.

 

Need: Paul knew that the church (believers) still needs the gospel. They need it every day, every hour. Until they die or Christ returns. And we all know the unbeliever needs the gospel, or they will die in their sins and spend eternity in hell.

 

Now, if this is true, if unbelievers and believers alike both need the gospel, we need to know how to share it and speak gospel- truth into the unbeliever’s life and into the believer’s life. Sharing the gospel with unbelievers is the responsibility of every member in the church. Every child of God is called to share the gospel with unbelievers, and so we need to know how. Sharing gospel- truths to believers pertains to all of us as well. There will be times in each of our lives that a brother or a sister in the faith needs encouragement, counseling, admonishment. We need to know how to apply the gospel to their situations. But the pastors and teachers of a church especially need to know how to preach the gospel to the their church members, as Paul intended to do at Rome, because they have the given responsibility to teach the Word of God to the gathered church every Sunday and other meeting times. Pastor, how should you preach the gospel in your Sunday morning sermons (and other teaching times)?

 

Theme: Tonight we will talk about the gospel being for all, for the unbeliever as well as for the believer. And we will talk about how to share the gospel with an unbeliever, as well as how to share the gospel to believers in the church.

 

Outline: So, the two headings of our discussion: How to Share the Gospel with Unbelievers; and How to Share the Gospel with Believers

 

How to Share the Gospel with Unbelievers

So first, how to share the gospel with unbelievers. Let us turn to the Word of God for guidance. One of the reasons I love the book of Acts is because it shows us how the early church did church. How they planted churches, how the did missions, how they evangelized, how the local church operated, how they appointed deacons to help the elders and apostles, how they fellowshipped and interacted. It really is an instructive book.

 

Well, we are going to look at a particular occasion in Acts 17 where Paul shared the gospel to unbelievers in Athens, Greece, and learn from the apostle how to share the gospel to unbelievers. These men of Athens were in many ways like people we encounter. They were not Jews, who knew the OT. They had no prior knowledge of the God of the Bible. Whether you be in Venezuela, or Haiti, or the D.R. or the USA, we are mostly sharing the truths of Who Jesus is and What Jesus has done to those not having a lot of knowledge of the Bible. Some have superficial knowledge, but most have very little understanding, and so it is instructive to see how Paul did it when talking to people who were not Jews.

In his book, What is the Gospel?, Greg Gilbert explains the gospel in four easy to remember steps. This book has been translated into Spanish so it would be worth reading. Here are the four steps: 1) God; 2) Man; 3) Jesus; 4) Response. I have found this very helpful over the years.

Now, I would contend with Gilbert that it would be more accurate to label his book: The Message of Salvation or something like that, rather than, “What is the Gospel?”

Why do I say that? Well, because last time we met I explained what the gospel is. It is the person and works of Jesus Christ. So, the gospel is contained within Gilbert’s four steps, mostly the third and fourth, but speaking of God’s holiness, His wrath, man’s sin…things like this in Gilbert’s first two steps are actually bad news. They are not the gospel, which is good news, but they are still very important to explain the gospel. They set the stage. For their to be good news, there must first be bad news. So what Gilbert is really doing in my opinion in his four steps is explaining the plan of salvation and the gospel is within that plan but is not the whole of it.

Hopefully that was clear. So, first, we need to explain God. Consider His attributes. He is holy, He is loving. As He told Moses when He passed in front of Him and hid Moses in the rock in Exodus 33 and 34, He is merciful and gracious (34:6) but He is also a righteous judge (34:7).

That would naturally lead us into talking about man. Man was made in God’s image but has fallen. He has rebelled against God. Romans 1 teaches us we are God-haters (v30). Romans 3 teaches us none is righteous (v10), none seeks for God (v11). All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (v23). Some people use the 10 commandments at this point to demonstrate man’s sinfulness.

So, as I’ve been saying. This is bad news. God is good. God is righteous. That’s good news right. Not for sinners! That is the most terrible news they could hear. He will pour out His wrath on them, judge them. Send them to hell. And there is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor. This is hopelessness. This is not good news.

But the gospel is good news! And this begins with the third step in Gilbert’s plan of salvation. Jesus. As I said last time. Here, we explain the person and the works of Jesus. Here is the essence of the gospel. There is hope because of Jesus.

And then fourth and finally, our response. We must believe the gospel of Jesus. We must also repent and submit to Jesus as Lord. Faith and Repentance are the conditions of salvation. They are the required responses to the gospel.

So, there is how I suggest explaining the gospel to an unbeliever. Now, I mentioned Acts 17. Let’s turn to Acts 17:22-31. Let’s read v22-25. Here we see Paul preach God. He informs these Pagans about the One True Living God. Then, in v26 Paul begins to speak about mankind. V27 says they were to seek God. The implication is that they did not. V29 says they developed wrong thoughts about God. They became idolaters instead of worshipping God. V30 returns to God, saying He was long-suffering, but He is now commanding men to repent or else He will judge the world in righteousness (v31). Paul mentions the response the people must have to the gospel (v30). What is that response? Repentance. He then quickly preaches the gospel in v31. God will judge the people through Jesus, but not if they repent and turn to Him who raised from the dead. Now, I’m sure Paul also preached the crucifixion of Jesus. This is a summary of Paul’s sermon, not every word of it. A resurrection of Jesus, which Paul clearly did preach would not make much sense without the prior death of Jesus being stated.

So, the order at the end is a bit off, but we clearly see the four steps of explaining the gospel to unbelievers that Gilbert stresses. God, man, Jesus, response. Do you have to explain the gospel this way to an unbeliever? I’d say there are other ways, but this is a helpful guide. And remember last time’s lesson. Remember to stress the person and the works of Jesus (Who He is and what he has done for sinners).

Transition: Well, let us turn our attention to sharing the gospel with the church, with believers. And as I said, this is not only for pastors, but pastors and teachers are my primary audience at this point. And the Sunday morning sermon is the primary setting I have in mind.

How to Share the Gospel with Believers

Here is what I grew up hearing on Sunday morning. A sermon. And then a “gospel presentation” at the end. It sounded the same every week. It was the plan of salvation. It was for the unbelievers in the room, not the believer. Furthermore, it was unrelated to the sermon. It had nothing to do with what the preacher just preached to the believers. And there is the problem. What that type of preaching does—when a preacher preaches a message to believers, then tacks on the gospel at the end for the unbelievers—is teaching the church that the gospel is not for them, that it is unrelated to the believer. It teaches them that the gospel is for initial salvation, but then the believer must move on to more deep and mature things.

If you are doing this, you are crippling your church. Listen to CJ Mahoney’s words,

“The gospel isn’t one class among many that you’ll attend during your life as a Christian – the gospel is the whole building that all the classes take place in! Rightly approached, all the topics you’ll study and focus on as a believer will be offered to you ‘within the walls’ of the glorious gospel.”

We never move past the gospel! We believers need it every hour. It is our initial breath of new life, it is every breath thereafter.

But how then do we preach the gospel to those who have already believed it? Is it going through Gilbert’s God, man, Jesus, response method over and over with them, each Sunday? I don’t think so. I think two reminders will help us when preparing our teachings. First, Don’t forget Christ. Second, Don’t forget the text.

Don’t Forget Christ

So, first, don’t forget Christ. That may sound obvious but I am amazed at how many sermons I hear that are Christless! Not only in the OT, but in the NT as well. And this very big problem seems to be nothing new. Charles Spurgeon, almost 150 years ago noticed this problem. Listen to what he said, “A sermon without Christ in it is like a loaf of bread without any flour in it. No Christ in your sermon sir? Then go home, and never preach again until you have something worth preaching.” Very stern words that should make us reflect upon our preaching.

Now, by mentioning we must preach “Christ” in our sermons, what I’m really meaning is we must preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in our sermons. Who Jesus is and what He has done. It is essential that the gospel is woven into each and every sermon, perhaps multiple times. Even if we are preaching through the genealogies in Genesis. We must do this because Jesus, Himself, said in Luke 24:25-27 that all the Scriptures are about Him, and more specifically about His death and resurrection. In this passage Jesus rebuked two disciples on the road to Emaus following His resurrection for not understanding that the Christ must die and rise again. Then he preached to them. V27 says, “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Oh what a sermon that must have been!

Did you notice that word, “expounded”? That’s where we get out word “exposition” from. Jesus was an expository preacher! So,

the number one rule of proper exposition is that we must preach Christ. We must be gospel-centered.

In every sermon a preacher is exhorting, rebuking, challenging, calling for a response, calling for a person to be conformed into the image of Christ, to repent, to abound more in doing good, to look to Christ. He reveals to us from the text where we fall short due to our flesh and due to our fallen state. He beats us up a little, but he always ends on a high note.

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! God forgives us in Christ, He redeems us. This is the gospel. Furthermore, Jesus is our strength, our faithful high priest who can relate to our weakness, and Who is able to help us. The preacher offers hope through Christ and the gospel to the weary believer as he sojourns this fallen world. He urges us to keep our eyes on Christ, to endure until the end. He reminds us of our inheritance waiting for us, and encourages us us not to grow weary in doing well, lest we faint before we reap.

This is the aim of the preacher. The aim of the preacher is not life lessons, not to give a “how-to manual” on prayer, marriage, whatever. There are times and places for that but they should not be the main diet for the church. Going through books of the Bible should be and pointing people to Christ and the gospel throughout the text.

Remember the Text

That brings us to our second reminder: Remember the text. Remember Christ and the gospel, remember the text! Our text is not a spring board. We don’t just read it, and jump off it into the gospel without the gospel being related to that text. This is very important. 

The text at hand is inspired, it was written to a specific people for a specific purpose and it is the expositor’s task to take this text and then teach us how it relates to us. How does the main point of the text to its original audience relate to us 21st century believers?

And here is the point I’m trying to make. We must never leave the text behind when going to the gospel. If we do, even if we have good, God-honoring intentions to preach Christ, we are in fact watering the gospel down, because we are suggesting the text does not relate to the gospel. We must preach the gospel from the exegesis of the text. The gospel is in your text, brother. Because every text in some way is centered around the gospel of Jesus Christ—around Who He is and what He has done, and how we need Him. Remember, even from the OT, Jesus preached His person and works from Moses and from the prophets. See, He was text-centered, while being gospel- centered.

There’s a lot more to be said on this, but time does not permit. Maybe we can have future times together on this. The second part of this teaching was just an overview. In the meantime, I think it is helpful to have your sermons critiqued. You have to have thick skin, but it will help you learn to preach better. Hopefully this teaching will start some conversations on the matter. 

 

 

 

Outline for “What is the Gospel? (Pt. 2) The Gospel for all “

How to Share the Gospel with both unbelievers and believers

Introduction

  • The importance of the gospel:
  • The gospel as the first spiritual breath.
  • The gospel as daily nourishment for the believer.
  • The need for the gospel for unbelievers and believers.

 

The purpose of the teaching:

  • Explain how to share the gospel with both groups.
  • Emphasize the importance of preaching Christ in all sermons.

 

Part 1: Sharing the Gospel with Unbelievers

Paul’s model in Athens (Acts 17):

  • Present God as the one true living God.
  • Talk about humanity and its sin.
  • Announce Jesus as the hope.
  • Call to repentance and faith.

 

Greg Gilbert’s four steps:

  • God: His holiness, love, and justice.
  • Man: The fall and sin.
  • Jesus: The person and work of Christ.
  • Response: Faith and repentance.

 

Practical application:

  • Adapt these steps to different cultural contexts.
  • Emphasize the importance of clarity and simplicity.

 

Part 2: Sharing the Gospel with Believers

The problem of decontextualized evangelism:

  • Separating the gospel from the sermon.
  • Teaching the church that the gospel is only for unbelievers.

 

The importance of preaching Christ in all sermons:

  • Quotes from Spurgeon and Jesus.
  • The gospel as the central theme of all Scripture.

 

How to integrate the gospel into preaching:

  • Keep Christ in mind in every sermon.
  • Relate the biblical text to the gospel.
  • Offer hope and encouragement to believers.

 

The role of the pastor:

  • Be a model of dependence on the gospel.
  • Equip the church to share the gospel.

 

Conclusion

Summary of key points:

  • The importance of sharing the gospel with everyone.
  • The need to focus on Christ in all preaching.
  • The practical application of these principles.
  • Call to action:
  • Exhort listeners to apply these principles in their own lives.
  • Encourage pastors to preach the gospel comprehensively.

 

Note: This outline provides a comprehensive overview of the main points discussed in the text. It can be used as a starting point for further development or as a guide for creating a sermon or teaching on the subject.

 

Additional notes:

 

  • The outline could be further developed by adding more specific examples from the text or by exploring additional biblical passages.
  • The focus on the pastor is intentional, as the text is primarily addressed to pastors and teachers. However, the principles can be applied to all believers.
  • Cultural adaptations may be necessary when applying these principles to different contexts.

 

Written by Jared Duncan

Edited by Antonio Salgado

Soli Deo Gloria

 

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

¿QUÉ ES EL EVANGELIO? Parte 2: Cómo Compartir El Evangelio Tanto Con Creyentes Como Con Incrédulos

¿Qué Es El Evangelio? (Parte 2)

Cómo Compartir El Evangelio Tanto Con Creyentes Como Con Incrédulos

 

Ilustración: ¿Sabías que muchas veces cuando nace un bebé no respira? Y el médico o alguien tiene que darle una palmada al bebé para hacerlo llorar y respirar por primera vez. Este primer aliento de vida… ¿es el único aliento que el bebé necesitará? ¿O es el primero de muchos?

¡El primero de muchos, por supuesto! Ahora, creo que podemos comparar la creencia en el evangelio de Jesucristo con el primer aliento de un bebé, y también con los posteriores. Cuando una persona escucha el evangelio, y el Espíritu de Dios la regenera, dándole nuevo nacimiento, haciéndola nacer de nuevo, lo primero que hace es creer y arrepentirse. Espiritualmente hablando, creer y arrepentirse son como el primer aliento de un bebé. Pero así como un bebé no deja de respirar, sino que necesita seguir respirando para vivir, así un nuevo creyente no deja de necesitar el evangelio al ser salvo. Continúan viviendo espiritualmente por el aliento vivificante del evangelio en cada momento de sus vidas. Es la verdad del evangelio la que salva y sostiene a un hijo de Dios. En otras palabras, es el evangelio que justifica al creyente en el momento de la salvación y santifica progresivamente a ese mismo creyente a medida que madura en la fe.

 

Romanos 1:16 nos dice, “El evangelio es poder de Dios para salvación a todo aquel que cree”. Entonces el mensaje del evangelio salva cuando uno se arrepiente y cree en él. El evangelio es para los incrédulos. Es para aquellos que no han creído en Jesucristo y no lo han confesado como Señor. Creo que todos sabemos esto.

 

Pero un verso antes en Romanos 1:15 Pablo, al escribir su introducción a la iglesia en Roma, dijo: “Estoy ansioso por anunciaros el evangelio también a vosotros que estáis en Roma”. Pablo estaba tratando de llegar a Roma para visitar la iglesia y poder predicarles el evangelio a ellos, a la iglesia, a aquellos que ya eran creyentes.

 

¿Sabemos que el evangelio es también para el creyente? Naturalmente, pensamos que el evangelio es para los incrédulos. Pensamos en compartir el evangelio mientras evangelizamos a los perdidos. Pero no muchos de nosotros pensamos en compartir el evangelio con la iglesia, con aquellos que ya son cristianos. Paul, sin embargo, lo hizo.

 

Necesidad: Pablo sabía que la iglesia (los creyentes) todavía necesita el evangelio. Lo necesitan todos los días, cada hora. Hasta que mueran o Cristo regrese. Y todos sabemos que el incrédulo necesita el evangelio, o morirá en sus pecados y pasará la eternidad en el infierno.

 

Ahora bien, si esto es cierto, si tanto los incrédulos como los creyentes necesitan el evangelio, debemos saber cómo compartirlo y hablar la verdad del evangelio en la vida del incrédulo y en la vida del creyente. Compartir el evangelio con los incrédulos es responsabilidad de cada miembro de la iglesia. Cada hijo de Dios está llamado a compartir el evangelio con los incrédulos, y por eso necesitamos saber cómo hacerlo. Compartir las verdades del evangelio con los creyentes se refiere a todo de nosotros también. Habrá momentos en cada una de nuestras vidas en que un hermano o una hermana en la fe necesitará aliento, consejo y amonestación. Necesitamos saber cómo aplicar el evangelio a sus situaciones. Pero los pastores y maestros de una iglesia necesitan especialmente saber cómo predicar el evangelio a los miembros de su iglesia, como Pablo pretendía hacerlo en Roma, porque tienen la responsabilidad dada de enseñar la Palabra de Dios a la iglesia reunida cada domingo y otros horarios de reunión. Pastor, ¿cómo debería predicar el evangelio en sus sermones dominicales por la mañana (y otros momentos de enseñanza)?

 

Tema: Esta noche hablaremos de que el evangelio es para todos, tanto para los incrédulos como para los creyentes. Y hablaremos de cómo..

  • compartir el evangelio con un incrédulo, 
  • también cómo compartir el evangelio con los creyentes en la iglesia.

 

Describir: Entonces, los dos títulos de nuestra discusión: Cómo compartir el evangelio con los incrédulos; y cómo compartir el evangelio con los creyentes

Cómo compartir el evangelio con los incrédulos

Primero, cómo compartir el evangelio con los incrédulos. Busquemos guía en la Palabra de Dios. Una de las razones por las que amo el libro de los Hechos es porque nos muestra cómo la iglesia primitiva hacía iglesia. Cómo plantaron iglesias, cómo hicieron misiones, cómo evangelizaron, cómo operaba la iglesia local, cómo nombraron diáconos para ayudar a los ancianos y apóstoles, cómo tuvieron compañerismo e interactuaron. Realmente es un libro instructivo.

 

Bueno, vamos a ver una ocasión particular en Hechos 17 donde Pablo compartió el evangelio a los incrédulos en Atenas, Grecia, y aprende del apóstol cómo compartir el evangelio a los incrédulos. Estos hombres de Atenas se parecían en muchos aspectos a las personas que encontramos. No eran judíos que conocían el Antiguo Testamento. No tenían ningún conocimiento previo del Dios de la Biblia. Ya sea que esté en Venezuela, Haití o la R.D. En los EE. UU., principalmente compartimos las verdades de Quién es Jesús y Lo que Jesús ha hecho con aquellos que no tienen mucho conocimiento de la Biblia. Algunos tienen un conocimiento superficial, pero la mayoría tiene muy poca comprensión, por lo que es instructivo ver cómo lo hizo Pablo cuando hablaba con personas que no eran judías.

 

En su libro ¿Qué es el evangelio?, Greg Gilbert explica el evangelio en cuatro pasos fáciles de recordar. Este libro ha sido traducido al español por lo que valdría la pena leerlo. Aquí están los cuatro pasos: 1) Dios; 2) Hombre; 3) Jesús; 4) Respuesta. Esto me ha resultado muy útil a lo largo de los años.

 

Ahora, yo diría con Gilbert que sería más exacto etiquetar su libro: El Mensaje de Salvación o algo así, en lugar de “¿Qué es el Evangelio?”

 

¿Por qué digo eso? Bueno, porque la última vez que nos vimos le expliqué qué es el evangelio. Es la persona y obras de Jesucristo. Entonces, el evangelio está contenido dentro de los cuatro pasos de Gilbert, principalmente el tercero y el cuarto, pero hablar de la santidad de Dios, Su ira, el pecado del hombre… cosas como esta en los primeros dos pasos de Gilbert son en realidad malas noticias. No son el evangelio, lo cual es una buena noticia, pero aún así son muy importantes para explicar el evangelio. Ellos prepararon el escenario. Para que sean buenas noticias, primero debe haber malas noticias. Entonces, en mi opinión, lo que Gilbert realmente está haciendo en sus cuatro pasos es explicar el plan de salvación y el evangelio está dentro de ese plan, pero no es la totalidad.

 

Ojalá eso haya quedado claro. Entonces, primero debemos explicar Dios. Considere sus atributos. Él es santo, es amoroso. Como le dijo a Moisés cuando pasó frente a Él y lo escondió en la roca en Éxodo 33 y 34, Él es misericordioso y misericordioso (34:6), pero también es un juez justo (34:7).

 

Naturalmente, eso nos llevaría a hablar de hombre. El hombre fue hecho a imagen de Dios, pero ha caído. Se ha rebelado contra Dios. Romanos 1 nos enseña que odiamos a Dios (v30). Romanos 3 nos enseña que nadie es justo (v10), nadie busca a Dios (v11). Todos han pecado y están destituidos de la gloria de Dios (v23). Algunas personas usan los 10 mandamientos en este punto para demostrar la pecaminosidad del hombre.

 

Entonces, como he estado diciendo. Éstas son malas noticias. Dios es bueno. Dios es justo. Esas son buenas noticias, ¿verdad? ¡No para los pecadores! Esa es la noticia más terrible que pudieron escuchar. Él derramará sobre ellos su ira y los juzgará. Mándalos al infierno. Y no hay nada que podamos hacer para ganarnos el favor de Dios. Esto es nos quita la esperanza. Ésta no es una buena noticia.

 

¡Pero el evangelio si es una buena noticia! Y esto comienza con el tercer paso en el plan de salvación de Gilbert. Jesús. Como dije la última vez. Aquí explicamos la persona y las obras de Jesús. Aquí está la esencia del evangelio. Hay esperanza gracias a Jesús.

 

Y luego cuarto y último, nuestra respuesta. Debemos creer el evangelio de Jesús. También debemos arrepentirnos y someternos a Jesús como Señor. La fe y el arrepentimiento son las condiciones de la salvación. Son las respuestas requeridas al evangelio.

 

Entonces, así es como sugiero explicar el evangelio a un incrédulo. Ahora, mencioné Hechos 17. Pasemos a Hechos 17:22-31. Leamos Leer v22-25. Aquí vemos a Pablo predicar a Dios. Él informa a estos paganos acerca del Único Dios Vivo Verdadero. Luego, en el v26 Pablo comienza a hablar de la humanidad. El V27 dice que debían buscar a Dios. La implicación es que no lo hicieron. V29 dice que desarrollaron pensamientos erróneos acerca de Dios. Se convirtieron en idólatras en lugar de adorar a Dios. El v30 regresa a Dios, diciendo que fue muy sufrido (paciente), pero que ahora está ordenando a los hombres que se arrepientan o, de lo contrario, juzgará al mundo con justicia (v31). Pablo menciona la respuesta que debe tener el pueblo al evangelio (v30). ¿Cuál es esa respuesta? Arrepentimiento. Luego rápidamente predica el evangelio en el v31. Dios juzgará al pueblo a través de Jesús, pero no si se arrepienten y se vuelven a Aquel que resucitó de entre los muertos. Ahora, estoy seguro de que Pablo también predicó la crucifixión de Jesús. Este es un resumen del sermón de Pablo, no cada palabra. Una resurrección de Jesús, que Pablo claramente predicó, no tendría mucho sentido sin que se indique la muerte previa de Jesús.

 

Entonces, el orden al final está un poco fuera de lugar, pero vemos claramente los cuatro pasos para explicar el evangelio a los incrédulos que Gilbert enfatiza. Dios, hombre, Jesús, respuesta. ¿Tienes que explicar el evangelio de esta manera a un incrédulo? Yo diría que hay otras formas, pero esta es una guía útil. Y recuerda la lección de la última vez. Recuerde enfatizar la persona y las obras de Jesús (quién es y qué ha hecho por los pecadores).

 

Transición: Bueno, dirijamos nuestra atención a compartir el evangelio con la iglesia, con los creyentes. Y como dije, esto no es solo para pastores, sino que los pastores y maestros son mi audiencia principal en este momento. Y el sermón del domingo por la mañana es el escenario principal que tengo en mente.

 

Cómo compartir el evangelio con los creyentes

Esto es lo que crecí escuchando los domingos por la mañana. Un sermón. Y al final una “presentación del evangelio”. Sonaba igual todas las semanas. Era el plan de salvación. Era para los incrédulos en la sala, no para el creyente. Además, no tenía relación con el sermón. No tuvo nada que ver con lo que el predicador acaba de predicar a los creyentes. Y ahí está el problema. Lo que hace ese tipo de predicación (cuando un predicador predica un mensaje a los creyentes y luego añade el evangelio al final para los incrédulos) es enseñar a la iglesia que el evangelio no es para ellos, que no tiene relación con el creyente. Les enseña que el evangelio es para la salvación inicial, pero luego el creyente debe pasar a cosas más profundas y maduras.

 

Si haces esto, estás paralizando a tu iglesia. Escuche las palabras de CJ Mahaney: “El evangelio no es una clase entre muchas a las que asistirás durante tu vida como cristiano: ¡el evangelio es el edificio completo en el que se llevan a cabo todas las clases! Si se abordan correctamente, todos los temas que estudiará y en los que se concentrará como creyente se le ofrecerán “dentro de los muros” del glorioso evangelio”. ¡Nunca pasamos del evangelio! Los creyentes lo necesitamos cada hora. Es nuestro aliento inicial de nueva vida, es cada aliento posterior.

 

Pero, ¿cómo entonces predicamos el evangelio a aquellos que ya lo han creído? ¿Está repasando el método de respuesta de Gilbert, Dios, hombre, Jesús, una y otra vez con ellos, cada domingo? No me parece. Creo que dos recordatorios nos ayudarán a la hora de preparar nuestras enseñanzas. Primero, no te olvides de Cristo. En segundo lugar, no olvides el texto.

 

No olvides a Cristo

Entonces, primero, no te olvides de Cristo. Esto puede parecer obvio, pero ¡estoy sorprendido de cuántos sermones escucho que no tienen a Cristo! No sólo en el Antiguo Testamento, sino también en el Nuevo Testamento. Y este gran problema no parece ser nada nuevo. Charles Spurgeon, hace casi 150 años, notó este problema. Escuche lo que dijo: “Un sermón sin Cristo es como una barra de pan sin harina. ¿No hay Cristo en su sermón, señor? Luego vete a casa y no vuelvas a predicar hasta que tengas algo que valga la pena predicar”. Palabras muy severas que deberían hacernos reflexionar sobre nuestra predicación.

 

Ahora, al mencionar que debemos predicar “Cristo” en nuestros sermones, lo que realmente quiero decir es que debemos predicar el evangelio de Jesucristo en nuestros sermones. Quién es Jesús y qué ha hecho. Es esencial que el evangelio esté entretejido en todos y cada uno de los sermones, quizás varias veces. Incluso si estamos predicando a través de las genealogías del Génesis. Debemos hacer esto porque Jesús mismo dijo en Lucas 24:25-27 que todas las Escrituras tratan de Él, y más específicamente de Su muerte y resurrección. En este pasaje Jesús reprendió a dos discípulos en el camino a Emaús después de Su resurrección por no entender que Cristo debe morir y resucitar. Luego les predicó. El V27 dice: “Y comenzando por Moisés y por todos los Profetas, les explicó en todas las Escrituras lo que concernía a Él”. ¡Oh, qué sermón debe haber sido ese!

 

¿Notaste esa palabra “expuesta”? De ahí surge la palabra “exposición”. ¡Jesús fue un predicador expositivo! Entonces, la regla número uno para una exposición adecuada es que debemos predicar a Cristo. Debemos estar centrados en el evangelio.

 

En cada sermón un predicador está exhortando, reprendiendo, desafiando, pidiendo una respuesta, llamando a una persona a ser conformada a la imagen de Cristo, a arrepentirse, a abundar más en hacer el bien, a mirar a Cristo. Él nos revela en el texto dónde fallamos debido a nuestra carne y a nuestro estado caído. Nos golpea un poco, pero siempre termina con una nota alta.

 

¡No hay condenación para los que están en Cristo Jesús! Dios nos perdona en Cristo, nos redime. Este es el evangelio. Además, Jesús es nuestra fortaleza, nuestro fiel sumo sacerdote que puede relacionarse con nuestras debilidades y que puede ayudarnos. El predicador ofrece esperanza a través de Cristo y el evangelio al creyente cansado mientras peregrina en este mundo caído. Nos insta a mantener los ojos puestos en Cristo, a perseverar hasta el final. Nos recuerda nuestra herencia que nos espera y nos anima a no cansarnos de hacer el bien, no sea que desmayemos antes de cosechar.

 

Este es el objetivo del predicador. El objetivo del predicador no son lecciones de vida, ni dar un “manual de instrucciones” sobre la oración, el matrimonio, lo que sea. Hay momentos y lugares para eso, pero no deberían ser la dieta principal de la iglesia. Revisar los libros de la Biblia debería ser señalar a las personas a Cristo y el evangelio a lo largo del texto.

 

Recuerda el texto

Eso nos lleva a nuestro segundo recordatorio: recuerda el texto. ¡Recuerda a Cristo y el evangelio, recuerda el texto! Nuestro texto no es un trampolín. No simplemente lo leemos y saltamos al evangelio sin que el evangelio esté relacionado con ese texto. Esto es muy importante.

 

El texto que nos ocupa es inspirado, fue escrito para un pueblo específico con un propósito específico y es tarea del expositor tomar este texto y luego enseñarnos cómo se relaciona con nosotros. ¿Cómo se relaciona el punto principal del texto con su audiencia original con nosotros, los creyentes del siglo XXI?

 

Y este es el punto que estoy tratando de señalar. Nunca debemos dejar atrás el texto cuando vamos al evangelio. Si lo hacemos, incluso si tenemos buenas intenciones de predicar a Cristo que honran a Dios, de hecho estamos diluyendo el evangelio, porque estamos sugiriendo que el texto no se relaciona con el evangelio. Debemos predicar el evangelio desde la exégesis del texto. El evangelio está en tu texto, hermano. Porque cada texto de alguna manera se centra en el evangelio de Jesucristo: en quién es Él, qué ha hecho y cómo lo necesitamos. Recuerde, incluso desde el Antiguo Testamento, Jesús predicó su persona y obras desde Moisés y desde los profetas. Mira, Él estaba centrado en el texto, mientras que estaba centrado en el evangelio.

 

Hay mucho más que decir al respecto, pero el tiempo no lo permite. Quizás podamos tener momentos futuros juntos sobre esto. La segunda parte de esta enseñanza fue sólo una descripción general. Mientras tanto, creo que es útil que critiquen sus sermones. Tienes que tener la piel dura pero te ayudará a aprender a predicar mejor. Esperemos que esta enseñanza inicie algunas conversaciones sobre el tema. 

 

 

Bosquejo de ¿Qué es el evangelio? (Parte 2)

Cómo compartir el evangelio tanto con creyentes como con incrédulos

Introducción

La importancia del evangelio:

  • El evangelio como el primer aliento espiritual.
  • El evangelio como alimento diario para el creyente.
  • La necesidad del evangelio para incrédulos y creyentes.

El propósito de la enseñanza:

  • Explicar cómo compartir el evangelio en ambos grupos.
  • Enfatizar la importancia de predicar a Cristo en todos los sermones.

 

Parte 1: Compartir el evangelio con incrédulos

  • Modelo de Pablo en Atenas (Hechos 17):
  • Presentar a Dios como el único Dios verdadero.
  • Hablar de la humanidad y su pecado.
  • Anunciar a Jesús como la esperanza.
  • Llamar al arrepentimiento y la fe.

 

Los cuatro pasos de Greg Gilbert:

  • Dios: Su santidad, amor y justicia.
  • Hombre: La caída y el pecado.
  • Jesús: La persona y obra de Cristo.
  • Respuesta: Fe y arrepentimiento.

 

Aplicación práctica:

  • Adaptar estos pasos a diferentes contextos culturales.
  • Enfatizar la importancia de la claridad y la simplicidad.

 

Parte 2: Compartir el evangelio con creyentes

El problema de una evangelización descontextualizada:

  • Separar el evangelio del sermón.
  • Enseñar a la iglesia que el evangelio es solo para incrédulos.
  • La importancia de predicar a Cristo en todos los sermones:
  • Citas de Spurgeon y Jesús.
  • El evangelio como el tema central de toda la Escritura.

 

Cómo integrar el evangelio en la predicación:

  • No perder de vista a Cristo en cada sermón.
  • Relacionar el texto bíblico con el evangelio.
  • Ofrecer esperanza y aliento a los creyentes.

 

El papel del pastor:

  • Ser un modelo de dependencia del evangelio.
  • Equipar a la iglesia para compartir el evangelio.

 

Conclusión

Resumen de los puntos clave:

  • La importancia de compartir el evangelio con todos.
  • La necesidad de centrarse en Cristo en toda la predicación.
  • La aplicación práctica de estos principios.

 

Llamada a la acción:

  • Exhortar a los oyentes a aplicar estos principios en su propia vida.
  • Animar a los pastores a predicar el evangelio de manera integral.

Escrito por Jared Duncan

Traducido por Antonio Salgado

 

Posted on

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

Posted on

¿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. 

 

Posted on

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.

 

Posted on

BCMS : UPDATE FROM THE MISSION FIELD, JUANA MENDEZ

Grace and peace to you and yours brothers and sisters,

Our current situation is completely indescribable; The country is divided into 10 departments, 42 cities, 145 municipalities, and 571 municipal sections. But, the capital of Haiti is located in one department, and everything you need to live as a human being come from the capital or you have to go to the capital to find it.

All the difficulties we are going through is very much because we cannot reach the capital due to the criminal activities of the gangs that are in the westside of the country.

If we are honest, we can say we are only eating thanks to the Lord. But although others may not admit it, the Dominican Republic and other countries are helping our country too. But there is heavy a tension and that is what hurts me, because the Dominican authorities are often humiliating people in their treatment with the Haitians in their country. 

The situation is difficult to put into words. They sell us expired products. I went today to change expired sardines they sold me and they left it to in order to sell it to another person. Oftentimes, my people do not protest easily, more if it is cheap and something needed. There are some things I cannot even say here. As believers, we are constantly having to guard our hearts in the face of suffering and injustice.

If it were not for those neighboring countries, like the United States that sellsus products of all kinds, nobody knows what would be of us. There is no work, no money, life is totally difficult. If the capital does not work properly, the whole country is paralyzed, it is the capital that ultimately determines the good and the bad of the rest of the country. Our country exists with almost no authorities or guidance, only the national police are functioning. No government, no president, no order. 

Please pray for me. In the next few days, I will be visiting a dispensary for the people of Juana Mendez, where thousands of people come every day. It seems that almost everyone is in need and it can get a bit rough there.

I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude to the Lord and to the brothers and sisters who pray for me and support our efforts. I usually am a working man. I like to work and produce for myself and my family. Unfortunately, right now there isn´t any work. So especially in these very difficult times here, I am very thankful for BCMS, because due to the Lord´s provision through our partners, I can pay for my children’s studies, our food, and praise God that my children have not been seriously ill, because the hospitals in Haiti cannot help us very much.

Recently, I have had the privilege of preaching the Gospel in a few different towns. But in Juana Mendez (Ouanaminthe), the Lord recently crossed my path with the director of a home for the elderly. There are over 60 people living there, but sadly they struggle to  feed them daily. The director shared with me that there are days they don´t have anything to offer them. After speaking with Antonio, we quickly did what we could to take them some food that should last at least 12-15 days. We saw this as a way to show compassion to a vulnerable group and an opportunity to share the Gospel with those who are reaching the end of their lives. 

I also recently visited the hospitals in Juana Mendez to share the Gospel and pray with many sick people whose conditions were very sad. We shared and prayed with a woman who was very ill and couldn’t talk or eat. Another woman who was very ill and all alone but has a husband to went to find work in the DR to try to help her. Another man with a prostate cancer and many others. Apart from sharing Christ and praying with them, we also helped them to cover the cost of a few medications. Please pray for the many people who God has brought across my path that I have shared the Gospel with. That the Lord would open their hearts to receive Christ. 

Please continue to pray for me as the apostle Paul says,

“Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.” – Ephesians 6:19

In Christ,

Leonel Riviere

BCMS partner in Ouanaminthe, Haiti

(Translated by Antonio Salgado

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

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.

 

Posted on

BCMS MISSION UPDATE

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

March was a busy but fruitful month! Here’s an update on my mission activities. BUT FIRST, I would like to share that a very, very special little boy just turned 10 years old! It’s hard to believe how big he has gotten. I am so very proud of the young man Yeison is becoming. May the Lord give him grace and wisdom and use him someday to reach many. Pray for me as I try to be the best possible earthly father to him. He is such a gift from God, and it amazes me how much God can use a small child to teach us about some big things in life. Thank you, Lord, for Yeison´s life.

Collaboration and Strengthening Local Churches:

  • I’ve been meeting with local pastors and brothers to coordinate a year-long plan, including online workshops and support for struggling churches in the city of Santiago and in other vulnerable rural areas.
  • The goal is to strengthen churches through leadership and evangelism training, resource provision, and collaboration with other local churches.
  • Our vision encapsulates our long-term aspirations, emphasizing not just the initial planting of churches, but also their growth and sustainability.

Online Workshops:

  • Three good brothers have committed to joining us in teaching through the online workshops: a brother in Venezuela, a former missionary to the DR in the US, and a pastor here in the Dominican Republic.
  • Workshop topics will cover topics like the Gospel, evangelism & missions, discipleship, spiritual disciplines, and pastoral care with several men connected virtually in four different countries, the U.S., Dominican Republic, Haiti and Venezuela, Lord willing.

Your Prayers Needed:

We ask for your prayers for wisdom and discernment in several areas:

    • Identifying the most qualified brothers according to 2 Timothy 2:2 principles (faithful and able to teach), to work with and support.
    • Please pray for wisdom in the decision-making process.
    • Discerning real needs and determining priorities in each situation.
    • Provision to maintain our commitment to the vulnerable churches we work with.

Meetings and Partnerships:

  • I have a meeting with Francisco Rosario, a theologically sound pastor in Santiago. After a few conversations, the brother has expressed his desire to collaborate with us. I am especially looking forward to this meeting. I invited Francisco to preach at the church in Hato Mayor years ago, and he is a great expositor of God’s Word.
  • I also have a meeting with brother Hosmane Clevoir, who speaks Spanish and Creole and has studied theology.
  • Three other profiles on candidates for partnership are almost complete. Please pray as everything seems to be coming together by the grace of God.

Collaborating with Existing Ministries:

  • I met with brother Alberto “Betico” in Boruco. He is presently discipling two solid young men, but needs some help and a few resources to better serve the community. A plan is being developed to support him and that church.
  • By God’s grace, I will be providing him with a Kindle loaded with theological books and a physical copy of a discipleship book by Otto Sanchez, (a Dominican pastor, my former professor and personal friend), and several tracts and other literature to share.
    •  More copies of that excellent book will be purchased for other collaborating brothers.
  • In Hato Mayor, Pastor Victor requested evangelism training and collaboration opportunities for his church and remains committed to that work.

There are other cases being evaluated before committing, the idea being long term partnerships towards a common goal with continued care and commitment to that partnership.

Our mission statement defines our purpose and key activities as the following:

    • Equipping nationals: Empowering individuals within these countries to lead and sustain ministry efforts.
    • Making disciples: Growing individuals in their faith and equipping them to share the Gospel.
    • Collaborating with local partners: Working alongside existing churches and organizations to avoid duplication of efforts and maximize impact.
    • Planting and strengthening churches: Establishing new congregations and supporting existing ones.
    • Fulfilling the Great Commission: Carrying out Jesus’ command to spread the Gospel and make disciples.

Project PG: A Hearfelt Plea for Yera in Piedra Gorda

  • We’re slowly but surely progressing with Project PG, aiming to build a home for Yera, (Yeison’s biological mother).
  • Land has been secured, and fundraising is underway. So far we have $1,050 dollars towards the project.
  • But, there are now two potential locations (very near to each other) that have been offered as the location for the home at no cost. One of the options is land that was donated to a group of pastors and missionaries I worked with in the past. Both plots are being evaluated to determine the best choice, all things considered.
  • Construction of the house could be completed in two months with sufficient funding.
  • Please consider donating, sharing this project and read more about the project here: https://salgadodrmission.com/2024/02/project-pg-a-heartfelt-plea-for-yera-in-piedra-gorda/

Personal Studies:

BCMS Mission Partners:

  • Leonel and Rafael’s updates have been reported separately but more often in the Facebook group. Both have been diligent in ministry, but are in need of our continued prayers.
  • Rafael is doing well but asks for prayers for his daughter Valentina. She has a gland in her face that is causing swelling, and they still don’t have any solid answers from the doctors. Please pray for Valentina. You can read more about some of the recent things that the Lord is doing through Rafael here https://salgadodrmission.com/2024/03/4263/ 
  • Haiti continues in a state of emergency and the situation is becoming worse with each passing day. Continue to pray for Leonel and his family as the Dominican Republic continues to deport Haitians despite the current state of emergency.
  • Communication with Leonel has increased recently, thank God, and Leonel is presently putting together a list of their most urgent needs. They need everything, but mostly food. Amidst all the chaos in Haiti, brother Leonel remains faithful in his duties and compassionate to those in need around him.
  • Please continue to pray for these dear brothers.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

“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

In Christ,

Antonio Salgado

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.

Posted on

BCMS MISSION UPDATE

Dear friends, mission partners, brothers and sisters in Christ. The following is an update from the mission field by BCMS worker, brother Rafael Rodriguez. Please continue to pray for our Project PG and our present and future mission endeavors.

 

“Greetings, dear brothers and sisters.

Here’s a report on some of our recent activities, all done for the glory of Christ.

Evangelism:

By God’s grace, we’ve been visiting the children’s emergency room at the central hospital, providing food (around 60 arepas) and sharing the Gospel message of hope. This helps families in need, offering sustenance to hospitalized children (for those whose diets permit it) and their accompanying parents.

As you may know, we face a healthcare crisis. Medications are expensive, and medical care has significantly declined. Please join us in prayer, asking the Lord for his grace to help us overcome this challenging situation and the detrimental effects of the current system. It’s heartbreaking to see so many struggle with such basic healthcare needs.

Our outreach extends beyond the hospital. We’ve been actively preaching in public squares, distributing Christian literature, and engaging in conversations with people we encounter. This includes preaching and handing out materials on passenger vans as well.

Distribution of Christ centered literature:

The Lord has blessed us with the opportunity to continue supporting other pastors and preachers with more Christ-centered literature with the hope that they may become more Christ centered in their teaching and preaching ministries. Here are a few I most recently was able to share with.

Brother Ronny Morillo, a dedicated leader planting a church called “Las Riquezas de su Gracia” in a nearby town, received several Baptist confessions of faith and a family theology book.

The pastor and president of a Pentecostal federation (La Vida Verdadera church) with over 20 years of experience also received numerous books to enhance his preaching ministry.

Evangelist Rober Aranguren was gifted two books: “The Attributes of God” and “The Gospel of Grace.”

Additionally, a new church called the Church of God received several catechisms for their children’s Christian education program.

We are thankful for Chapel Library who sends these types of literature to many different countries. Please pray for the pastors and preachers receiving these valuable resources. May the Lord empower them in their preaching, allowing the message delivered from their pulpits to become increasingly Christ-centered.

Local Church:

Our discipleship program continues to flourish, with 14 individuals actively seeking membership in our local church. They are enthusiastic and growing in their faith.

We kindly ask for your continued prayers as we seek the Lord to raise up more pastors and deacons within our local church body.

Family:

We would greatly appreciate your prayers for our family, that we may continue to be a family that glorifies God.

In particular, we request prayers for my eldest daughter, Valentina. She has been experiencing inflammation in her parotid gland. Despite multiple tests and treatments, a definitive diagnosis remains elusive. Please pray for her health and for our peace of mind in the Lord.

Finally, we ask for your prayers for continued provision, allowing us to reach out and support more vulnerable individuals in our community.

May the peace of Christ be with you all.”

Rafael Rodriguez

 

Translated to English by Antonio Salgado

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

 

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

 

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry, you can 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.

 

 

 

Posted on

BCMS UPDATE FROM MARACAY, VENEZUELA

Update from Rafael Rodriguez Serving in Maracay, Venezuela

“Greetings brothers and sisters,

By the grace of the Lord, I was blessed to be able to go with my family to share the Gospel in a nearby community called Turmero. There is a new church is being planted there.

The person in charge of the mission is a very good and beloved friend of mine.  I spoke to the brethren that day on the mercy of God. There are presently about 12 brothers and sisters who gather regularly. The brother in charge is of a different theological background but is humble and open to learn. He and the group have been gathering diligently to study the doctrines of grace and the biblical Gospel. Praise the Lord for their desire to study and grow.

Please pray that the Lord will continue to help us, and help them, so that the Lord will bless the preaching of the Gospel in that community and that these brothers and sisters may continue to grow in knowledge and grace.”

The peace of Christ be with you.

BCMS Worker Rafael Rodriguez

Translated by Antonio Salgado

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

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

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

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

Also,

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

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

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

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

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

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

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

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

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