7 Elementos de la Libertad del Discípulo de Cristo 5
Compañerismo con la Familia de Cristo
Y considerémonos unos a otros para estimularnos al amor y a las buenas obras; 25 no dejando de congregarnos, como algunos tienen por costumbre, sino exhortándonos; y tanto más, cuanto veis que aquel día se acerca. Hebreos 10:24-25 (RVR1960)
La palabra Congregarnos es la palabra griega episunagōgḗ que significa “el acto de estar juntos en un mismo lugar. Esto no significa en la asamblea o en un servicio religiosos, pero el estar unidos en un mismo lugar de forma frecuente como forma de costumbre.”[1] Como siempre digo, la Iglesia es una familia. Una familia se reúne, disfrutan los unos de los otros, comen juntos etc. Parece ser que a muchos cristianos se les ha olvidado lo que se siente estar en familia. En el caso de las familias en Cristo, la gran diferencia es que Cristo está al centro de nuestras confraternizaciones.
Esta reunión fraternal está claramente descrita en Hechos 2:42 “Y perseveraban en la doctrina de los apóstoles, en la comunión unos con otros, en el partimiento del pan y en las oraciones.” (RVR1960) Estas reuniones producen un estímulo al amor y a las buenas obras; este estímulo nos ayuda a mantenernos animados, aún en momentos difíciles. De hecho, una de las grandes ventajas del compañerismo genuino y verdadero de los santos es que nos ayuda a sobreponer las dificultades de la vida. La expresión “cuanto veis que aquel día se acerca” nos avisa del día malo que se avecina, las malas temporadas, las malas noticias, etc. En esos momentos nos necesitamos los unos a los otros para seguir estimulándonos en amor y en buenas obras.
Continúa…
[1] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).
An independent thinker with a profound call to see the orthodoxy of the church and passion for Christ manifesting together. Angel was born in Brooklyn, New York in April of 1968, he was raised on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico where he earned his B.S. degree in Sociology with a minor in Education from the Inter American University in San Germán in 1991. That same year he moved to Jacksonville, Florida. After working construction jobs for a year and learning the English language, his first job working with foster-care children in the capacity of youth care worker was with Jacksonville Youth Sanctuary in September of 1992. With JYS he was promoted several times as group home supervisor, legal caseworker, and program director.
While in Jacksonville, Angel studied a couple of martial arts styles. After earning his black belt, he became the founder of Good Fight Ministries as he used martial arts as an instrument to preach the gospel. In 2004 Angel was selected Martial Arts Instructor of the Year for the State of Florida and in 2005 Angel was inducted in the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame where he also received the Christian Spirit Award. In July of 2005 Angel accepted his call to pastor a bilingual church in Winton, NC where he served for a couple of years. Five months later he lost his first wife to cancer in December of that same year. This initiated a deep valley of suffering in his life, a mountain of costly mistakes and the embracing of lifestyles of sin that are well documented through this blog.
In August of 2012 Angel moved to Fairbanks Alaska with his wife Rayette Casiano and six children who are now adults. In Alaska, Angel continued his social work-related career and his ministry of preaching, teaching and writing. Angel is the author of two books, Hope for the divorcee: Forgiving and Moving Forward and 7 Banderas de Esperanza: La Bendición de Yokdzonot.
In January 8th of 2020 Angel and his wife moved to Arizona. On June 8th 2021 Angel started his home church, not as a starting point, but as a closer way to how the church is suppose to look like according to Scripture.