WordPartners

𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬

𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝑮𝒐𝒅’𝒔 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝑰𝒔 𝑸𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑷𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑵𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒖𝒂

The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.” (Luke 22:25-27 ESV)

In 1985, President Daniel Ortega was hailed as a hero of liberation for overthrowing the Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua. But with his return to power in 2007, that liberating spirit was marred by a desire for control, and the Ortega government descended toward a new dictatorship. As one analyst put it, “Nicaragua slid into totalitarianism ‘gradually, then suddenly’” (Christopher Sabatini, Chatham House).

Ortega’s regime has been marked by political repression and the suppression of dissent in recent years. Hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans have fled the country, while those who remain endure persecution, imprisonment, and even death. Churches once free to minister now operate under increasing hostility.

Nicaragua has become a restricted access country—a nation where foreign missionaries face significant entry hurdles. This is something Patricio Paredes (Pat)—WordPartners’ Regional Director for Latin America—has faced first hand. “WordPartners’ staff cannot travel to Nicaragua,” he says, “Many churches are suffering right now . . . and even our training partners need a special permission letter just to visit churches.”

In order to overcome restricted access hurdles, WordPartners’ staff must rely on our training strategy. 𝐖𝐞 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐁𝐲 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥...

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞:
https://wordpartners.org/resources/servants-not-sovereigns/

𝐀 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭

Have you ever been lost in the middle of a city with no clue where you were or which way to go?

That is the experience of many Christians when they read the Old Testament. They open the Bible, begin reading, and soon find themselves in a place that seems totally different from the New Testament world. The seemingly random stories, genealogies, strange laws, and occasional talking donkey make for a sometimes confusing read.

If that’s you—don’t panic! This is a simple guide that will help you understand how Jesus relates to the Old Testament and will act as a road map to steer you in the right direction as you study God’s Word.

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧

The Bible is one book telling one story that culminates in One Person: Jesus Christ. The discipline of Biblical Theology helps us see the overarching story of the Bible along with how each piece fits into the whole and testifies of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament prepares the way for and points to Christ, while the New Testament reveals and explains who He is. The Old Testament displays a “shadow” of Christ whom we experience in the New Testament (see Colossians 2:16-17).

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞: https://wordpartners.org/resources/a-simple-guide-for-seeing-how-the-old-testament-points-to-jesus-christ/