...first time that the Holy Spirit came down to indwell believers. Luke’s description of this event in Acts 2 has created many issues that need to be addressed in order to have a complete understanding of the event and other surrounding issues. In the modern church, Pentecost is often overshadowed by holidays celebrating the birth of Christ or His death and resurrection. This is unfortunate, because while these days have great significance to the Christian, Pentecost is just as important of an event to the church. Luke’s presentation of the events of Pentecost in Acts 2 will be described. Attempts will be made to resolve several contextual issues in this chapter of Acts including the location of the house where the disciples were when the Holy Spirit descended, the meaning of baptism, and the value of Peter’s sermon regarding baptism and salvation. The meaning of phrases such as “sound like a violent wind” and “tongues of fire” will be explained. Expositional work will be written based on each passage in Acts 2 regarding the descent of the Holy Spirit in order to help further resolve contextual issues found in this chapter. The day of Pentecost described in Acts has changed how Christians are able to relate to God and interact with Him through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit Before we can delve into the meat of Acts 2, we must look at the first chapter of Acts where Jesus told his disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:4-5 says...
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..."The Ministry of the Holy Spirit then and now" The Annual Jewish Barley Harvest Festival was the setting for the initial out-pouring of the Holy Spirit. It was Israel's Thanksgiving Day. What the Jews celebrated on that day help us to understand the coming of the Holy Spirit. It signaled the end of the Old Covenant and the beginning of the New Covenant. Covenants play a big part in the history of God's relationship with the people. God's covenants are formal statements describing his commitments to us. At that particular Pentecost it was the anniversary of the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit introduced a New Covenant (new terms for relating to God). It was the start of a new way to accept God, know and live with him. Today we relate to God through his Spirit who lives in everyone who trusts Jesus. God's Spirit living in us writes God's law into our minds and hearts and guarantees God's commitments will be carried out. (Corporation, 2002) It is the fiftieth day after the Sabbath of Passover week. It is called the Feast of Weeks. The people were bewildered that day because the disciples were present and they were Galileans and not known to be a well educated. It was the morning of the tenth day after Jesus was lifted to heaven; thousands of pilgrims moved through the streets of Old Jerusalem to the temple are for worship. The prayer of approximately 120 people was interrupted by a deafening roar, as if a tornado was there. The image of wind conveyed that God was being experienced...
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...a hindrance as it allows her to share a saintly relationship with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Sprit had been reduced to taxidermy as it is portrayed as Felicite’s pet parrot Loulou. Felicite’s quasi-satirical world of spirituality had been diminished to something so non-permanent it made the story difficult to evaluate seriously with regards to religion. However, upon reevaluating the role Loulou played in Felicite’s life and her hardships “A Simple Heart” becomes a compelling tale about a triumphant spiritual journey. This story could easily be dismissed as an artless tale about a woman who experienced adversity and amounted to nothing. But, with some true thought and open-mindedness it is evident that Felicite is truly worthy of sainthood through her dedication to her religion, loved-ones and hard work. Flaubert did not make religion extremely obvious all the time in this story. Felicite was an extremely selfless, illiterate maid who devoted most of her life to other people. There were no extraordinary measures or miracles that are standard in declaring saints but Felicite’s unwavering faith is enough. Everyone she is close to including her beloved parrot Loulou that she stuffs after its death eventually deserts her. This pushes her closer to her faith as it became a replacement for her physical and emotional losses. Throughout the entire story, Flaubert utilized Loulou as a way for the Holy Spirit to be constantly present. Although using this as a symbol for something...
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...Why should your child be baptized? By being baptized, your child becomes one of God’s children and is gifted with the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety and Wonder). Baptism symbolizes the choice of joining God’s family and becoming one of the followers of Jesus’ teachings. When being baptized in St. Mary’s Parish we also celebrate and teach your child about the other Sacraments of Initiation (Eucharist and Confirmation). Baptisms in St. Mary’s Parish are usually scheduled during Sundays, early in the morning at 9 – 11 am. Parents and godparents will have to attend the ritual. You are asked to prepare some prayers to say for the candidate of Baptism. The candidate of baptism will have to...
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...• Disciplines of Abstinence • The spiritual disciplines of abstinence reveal the nature of the battle between the flesh and the spirit. By abstaining from food, social interaction, or sleep, we are "exercising" our spiritual muscles against the lower nature. It is like lifting weights; silly in itself, but useful to prepare us for real physical tests in the future. The things we abstain from in the spiritual disciplines are not evil; it is for the sake of the exercise that we deny ourselves; to prepare us for real temptation--tomorrow, or the next day. 1 Cor 6:12 (KJV) All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. • The disciplines of abstinence give us much needed experience and insight into the spiritual battle going on within us, and the lessons learned cannot be taught any other way. What is it like to say "No" to the lower nature? What tricks will it play? The way in which desire, habit, distraction, and other factors effect you will not be like anyone else. You must learn by doing how to live in holiness before God in your body. The disciplines of abstinence are an opportunity to train in safety. 1 Pet 2:11 (Phi) I beg you, as those whom I love, to live in this world as strangers, and "temporary residents", to keep clear of the desires of your lower natures, for they are always at war with your souls. 1 Pet 1:13 (NIV) Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled...
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...Heavenly Father’s words and love constantly. Revelation, it is a word that is thrown around a lot in conference talks, Sunday school lessons, and seminary classes. I believe revelation to literally be Heavenly Father talking to us on a personal level. In order to hear this communication, we are continuously instructed to listen for the still small voice of the Holy Ghost which is meant to tell us the way to go, but do we really listen for it? Do we know how to listen for it? If you answered no to either of these questions, then you are like I was until I was blessed with the opportunity to go through the process of recognizing and receiving revelation. Tuning in to the spirit of Heavenly Father requires a humble heart and a sacrifice of time and effort. I cannot put to words what it is like, but I can tell you how it has blessed my life, and how it will bless yours. After school ended last year, like the rest of you, I was looking forward to a summer of not having to wake up early or go to class. On a late evening, after about a week of enjoying my summer, I remembered that I would have to wake up at 7:00 the next morning for a seminary council meeting. To be honest, this was probably the worst five or so seconds of my summer. In that short time of realization, I foresaw me waking up to a blaring alarm, hitting my head on something as I rushed to turn it off, and ultimately having to get ready for a long day of meetings that were going to be more boring than high council...
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... Answer sheet III. Procedure Teacher’s Activity Pupil’s Activity A. Preliminary Activity 1. Opening Prayer Let us all stand and pray. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. Our Father in heaven, Holy be Your Name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sins against us. Do not bring us to the test but deliver us away from evil, Amen In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. 2. Greetings Good morning Class! Good morning Ma’am! How are you today? We are all fine Ma’am. Please sit down. Thank you. 3. Checking of Attendance Who’s absent today? None. We are all present. Very Good! 4. Health Inspection Put all your hands at the top Yes Ma’am. of your tables and I’m going to check if your finger nails are clean. 5. Drills: Action Song Let us sing the song “Row Row Row you r Boat” and follow the action. “Row, row, row your boat. Gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily. Life is but a dream.” Very Good! 6. Review Okay children, name the parts of your body. Angie? My head. Very Good! Ivy? My elbow. Great! How about you Joy? My toes and feet. Very Good. B. Lesson...
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...| The Sons of God | | A Sermon (No. 339) Delivered on Sabbath Morning, October 7th, 1860, by the REV. C. H. Spurgeon At Exeter Hall, Strand. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."—Romans 8:16, 17. Y brethren, what a contrast there is between the present and future estate of the child of God! The believer is here the brother to the worm; in heaven he shall be next of kin to the angels. Here he is covered with the sweat and dust which he acquired by Adam's fall; there his brow shall be bright with the immortality which is conferred upon him by the resurrection of Christ. Here the heir of heaven is unknown; he is in disguise, full often clad in the habiliments of poverty, but there his princely character shall be discerned and acknowledged, he shall be waited upon by angels, and shall share in the admiration which the universe shall pour upon the glorified Redeemer. Well said our poet just now, "It doth not yet appear, how great we must be made." I think I need not remind you of your condition here below; you are too conversant with it, being hourly fretted with troubles, vexed with your own infirmities, with the temptations of Satan, and with all the allurements of this world. You are quite conscious that this is not your rest. There are too many thorns in your nest, to...
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...| | | | | | SUB-TOPICS | CHRISTIANITY | ISLAM | HINDUISM | BUDDHISM | JUDAISM | BASIC PRINCIPLES | Inspiration and Inerrancy of Scripture,Virgin birth and Deity of Christ,Substitutionary atonement of Christ,Bodily resurrection of Christ from the dead,Second Coming of Christ | According to Islam you have to believe in Allah, the Angels of Allah (Malaikah), the Books of Allah (Kutubullah), the messengers of Allah, (Rusulullah), the Day of Judgment (Yawmuddin), the Supremacy of the Divine Will (Al-Qadâr ) and life after death (Akhirah) | God Exists: One Absolute OM. One Trinity: Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara (Shiva) Several divine forms 2. All human beings are divine 3. Unity of existence through love 4. Religious harmony 5. Knowledge of 3 Gs’: Ganga (sacred river), Gita (sacred script), Gayatri (sacred mantra) | Four Noble Truths teach that life is a suffering there is a cause of this suffering, it is possible to put an end to this suffering; the Noble Eightfold Path -the means to end this suffering, Refuge in Three Jewels the three components of Buddhism which protect a person from the unstable world as he progresses on the path to become a Buddhist. The Five Precepts lay down the moral conduct to make human world a better place to live and the Three Marks of Conditioned Existence. | Judaism is based around the idea that God is supreme; the creator of all things and the powerful being whom we communicate with through prayer. God appears on almost every page of...
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...Where did He get such Wisdom! Wisdom and a Fresh Anointing of the Holy Spirit for New Seasons & New Beginnings... The Lord wants to anoint us with supernatural wisdom that will cause people to say, “How did he get so smart?” They said that of Jesus. Mark 6:2b And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! You see, we need that again in the Church. We need to set the standard for the world. Jesus lived His life plugged into the Flow of the Spirit of Wisdom, so His life, on a day to day basis, demonstrated skillful living that glorified and demonstrated the reality of the Kingdom of God. Don’t you want an impartation from the Spirit of wisdom? I believe we're coming into new seasons and new times in the Lord. It's not that it’s new to Him, it's new to us. The Church needs to operate in the Spirit of wisdom and understanding now! We need to raise up a standard, not by our ability, but by being plugged into the Spirit of wisdom, this is not information or performance, but skillful ability and understanding that releases authority and strong leadership. We are seeing major changes all around that will and has effect each of our lives and more are on the way. If there was ever a time for you and I to live and operate out of the Spirit of Wisdom it is Now! Please know that I'm not talking about what your ability is or a few nuggets...
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...THEOLOGY SURVEY 1 Writing Style: APA Professor Gaston August 2, 2014 Hey Girl, I was surprised to see your message this morning as I logged onto Facebook. It has been forever and a day since we last spoke. I pray you and your family are well, and we must get together soon. I have to admit, our days as teenagers were thrilling. However, I have grown up a lot since then and I choose not to be in the party scene anymore. I know it must be shocking to think that someone as wild and crazy as I was, is now studying to be a minister. Trust me, I thought God had one heck of a sense of humor when he revealed this very thought to me as well. I hear he is in the business of miracles, and what a prime example to use someone as broken as me. I don’t know that I would claim myself to be an “expert” (as you suggest), but I will certainly try to answer these questions you have asked me. If for by some chance I don’t have the answers, I do know the one who does. With that being said, your questions and concerns about spiritual gifts and fruits of the spirit, as well as baptism and speaking in tongues are great questions. When it comes to “Gifts of the Spirit” and “Fruits of the Spirit”, it is very easy to get the two confused. While both fruits and gifts are an indication of the presence of the Spirit, both are very different. The gifts that the Spirit gives us is not the same for each person. Generally, the gift given, is a tool related to the ministry of the individual. ...
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...paper is to answer these questions clearly and concisely to empower the reader to" be “without excuse” Romans 1:20. II. Does the Bible have authority? Being a recently retired military member, while wearing the cloth of our nation, I as well as other service members were invisibly ruled by written regulations that are authoritative and directive. We would often hear the phrase ‘read and heed’ when a regulation would be outdated. The Bible however is God’s living word, not man’s instruction that can be superseded several times over. Hebrews 4:12 declares: "For the Word of God is quick (alive), and powerful (to be effective and active), and sharper than any two edged sword. Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul (natural man) and spirit (spiritual realm), and of the joints and the morrow (moral and spiritual sense of man). And is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hearts.” No other book ever penned, has the author made Himself known to the reader in such a way in the scriptures. Devoid of the two edged sword, man would not...
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...Daniel Hutton Ashford University ANT: 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Professor Chad Goings According to the history of the Navajo Tribe, the Holy People lived in the underworld and helped by guiding the First Man and First Woman to earth (McCoy 1988). The Holy People are said to be attracted to songs, dances, and chants during the ceremony along with the creation of Sand painting. The Sand painting is used in the healing process of the ceremony to draw a picture that tells a story of the Holy People. The Navajo culture have amazed so many people to how beautifully constructed the rituals are performed. Although, the ritual has been passed on from generation to generation, how the Navajo rituals are ways of communication has been questioned by so many. Many believe that it way for the patient to come into “…harmony… ” with the universe (Klukhohn and Leighton 1962). The hypothesis for the question was presented based on exploration of the culture done by researchers; concluding that, the Navajo rituals are a way of communication to their ancestors/the Holy People, who are worshiped in return of good lucks for the Navajo Community. It is believed that through this ceremony, people are cleansed from bad spirit and good luck is brought upon the family. For example, the rituals are performed on pregnant women, young men going to the army, and sick people. Naturally speaking, the most intriguing part of their belief is the ceremonial concepts of healing people...
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...Christian Practices in the Baptist Church In the Baptist Church we have certain things similar to sacraments, we have different names such as: Baptism, Holy Communion, Christenings, Pastor/Reverend, Reconciliation (sinner’s prayer), Tithes and Offerings, and Unction (The sick and shut-in). Most people in our church don’t get baptized until they understand what baptism means. The first step is to confess your sins and give your life to Christ. Next you go to what is called new member classes where you learn about our religion and what is expected. After you complete these two things you get baptized. The next step is to receive the right hand of fellowship, this is when the church body welcomes you to the church family. We do not baptize babies we have what is called christening. The parents of the child select God-parents and then a small service and celebration is held on Sunday at the church. The Baptist refer to this as giving the child back to God. Holy Communion is held on the second Sunday of every month. It is the last part of our service. We start out reading the church convent as a whole, then the crackers and the juice is passed out to each member. The pastor then reads a passage and we eat the cracker in remembrance of Jesus, for this is his body. Next we drink the juice for this is his blood that he shed for our sins. We have what is called tithes and offerings. We are giving a box of envelops with a specific number and this is what we use to give back to the...
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...verses found in the Christian Scripture of the bible basically sum up the fundamental beliefs of Christians all over the world. With over two billion believers, Christianity is the largest of the world’s three major religions, and it is also the most widely spread religion geographically (“Christianity,” n.d.). Jesus Christ is at the center of Christianity and it focuses on His life events and His teachings. As a religion, Christianity is more than just a set of devout spiritual beliefs (“Christianity,” n.d.). It is also a complete way of life in which faith plays a huge role. In the Christian faith, there is only one God, and Jesus is the son of God—both human and God at once—born to a young virgin girl, Mary, and conceived of the Holy Spirit. Christians believe him to be the prophesied Messiah from Hebrew Scripture, and through His intervention and sacrifice on behalf of His children they are promised both salvation from their sins and also eternal life through His sacrifice on the cross. (R. Hughes, personal communication, January 12, 2013). In essence, Christians believe (1) that Jesus, who was without sin, suffered and died on the cross, taking the sin of the world into His being; (2) that He arose from the dead, overcoming the power of death; and (3) that anyone who believes in Him and accepts him as his or her personal savior, will be redeemed by the blood of Jesus and receive the priceless gift of eternal life in heaven. The...
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