By Luz Jimenez Avendaño
“In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. When they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” Acts 13:1-3
The Christian church was mature enough to make the biggest of decisions. They agreed, after deliberation, to take the message of the gospel to the entire world. It was a decision they made under the direction of the Holy Spirit. The men of the early church did not follow their own will, but rather the will of God.
In Acts 13:1-3, the scripture talks about prophets and teachers. These two groups served different functions. The prophets did not belong to a single congregation. They were itinerant preachers who gave their lives to hear the Word of God and share it with their brothers in the faith. The teachers belonged to an individual local church and their job was to instruct those who had accepted the Christian faith.
This list of prophets symbolizes the universal call of the gospel. Barnabus was a Jew from Cyprus, and Lucius was from Cyrene in North Africa. Simeon was also a Jew, but the passage gives a second name: Niger. Niger is a Roman name meaning black, which indicates that he would have moved in Roman circles. Manean was a man with connections to the aristocracy and at court. Paul himself was a Jewish rabbi from Tarsus in Cilicia. This group is an example of the unifying influence of Christianity. Men from different lands and with different backgrounds had all discovered the secret of serving together. They discovered unity in Christ.
God calls all believers to proclaim his word around the world. We are all called to share the good news of salvation. There is much to tell. Nevertheless, our prejudice towards a culture different than our own, along with customs, traditions, legalism and vain excuses, creates a problem. Anything that inhibits the call of the Lord serves as a barrier to us obeying His command to “go.”
The truth is that we are believers, and in response to a heavenly call, we must share the marvelous love of God so that others can know him. These men accepted the call of the Lord. They were from different cultures, but they joined together in a single team to accomplish a single goal: to preach the message to those who were dead in their sins and needed to be saved.
Now is the time to break down every barrier and preach the good news!
*Luz Jimenez has served for five years as a volunteer missionary. She is currently serving as the Global Missions and Genesis Coordinator in the Mesoamerica North Central Field, which includes Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.
My mother told me since I was six years old that I said I wanted to be a teacher, but I had forgotten. I think that to be a teacher was in God’s plan for me. It was through my profession that God prepared me for the mission field when I was sent to work far from home. Now that I am serving in missions, God has used my education, work with children and teaching to open doors. I know that we cannot separate the secular from ministry; everything that we know and everything we do should honor God. Only through our work will God open new paths to expand his kingdom.”
“Being a doctor meant that many people were willing to get to know us when they needed some kind of medical attention. It also allowed us to open a clinic in the community, and in that way the community got to know the church. The local people knew us well and knew that there was a doctor in the church. They came for help at all hours. We could hold medical outreaches from the church and in other parts of the community where we worked. I am grateful to God for the opening that my career has given me. Though sometimes it is exhausting, it brings me great joy to know that in some way it helps me to serve God.”
“I am a social worker. The goal of my profession is to design and implement projects and strategies that assist individuals, groups, communities and societies inpreventing or solving societal needs and problems. The Church is called to show love and compassion in the midst of a vulnerable society. We created a program for teenagers to meet twice a week to play, spend time together, laugh and meditate on Scripture and what God wants from them. We’ve also developed strategies to work with women and children, such as a women’s conference and a Kids’ Club. My career has helped me to focus on doing what God has called me to: preach his Word through actions and with compassion.”
Daniela Solano, Tibas Church of the Nazarene:
Danah Webb Leandro, Desamparados Church of the Nazarene:
