...Paper Text Introduction It is now the final week of class and I must admit it was a very informative subject. We learned many aspects of theology, but I want to focus on prayer and its importance as well as the purpose of Bible study. Without a good understanding of prayer and knowing how to study the Bible you will struggle as a Christian. Part One – Importance of Prayer First let’s examine what prayer is. According to the dictionary, it is a solemn request for help or expression of thanks expressed to God or an object of worship. Usually when there is something bad happening in our life, this is when we pray. A family member suddenly becomes ill, the request for prayers are heard. In order to have effective prayer, we should not wait till something bad happens, rather we should be praying daily, John 15:7 says God responds to our prayers when we are abiding in Christ and the Word of God. I remember something my grandmother used to tell me all the time when I was troubled. She would say “turn it over to God, if you are worrying, then you are not praying, and if you are praying, then there is no need to worry.” The act of praying builds your personal relationship with God according to Towns. Part of becoming a Christian involves developing yourself to be more Christ like. It is so easy with our busy lifestyles to forget to pray during the good times. To become an obedient Christian, I must practice praying on a daily basis, not just when things are bad, but also to express...
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...within these houses the wealthy are walled with stone. Poorer families on the other hand imitate the rich by applying an imitation plaque to their shrine walls. (Harvey, 2009, p. 20) The focal point of the shrine is a box, which is built into the wall. In these boxes are kept the many charms without which no one of the tribe believes he/ she could survive without. (Harvey, 2009, p. 20) A charm is not disposed of after it has served its purpose, but is placed in the charm-box of the house shrine. The charm box is commonly full to overflowing as charms are specific for certain ills. (Harvey, 2009, p. 20) The quantity of charms in these boxes is so numerous that the people forget what their purpose was. (Harvey, 2009, p. 20) During times of worship, people use holy water, to sprinkle it in front of the shrine...
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...1. What is your personal view of the Philippines today? I think our country today is in its dented form. Philippines is in a bad shape because crime rates are going up, more people are becoming HIV-positive every day, the government, despite its promises to change is still corrupt, foreigners are scared to visit our country and less people go to church. Our current state is saddening. We have a dented reputation because of the ugly things that happen here every day – and the world knows about it. It’s shameful that we allow these tragedies to come about – it’s as if we are not a Catholic country. 2. How can you contribute for the betterment of the country? As a concerned Christian who wants to make a difference, I can start by praying, not for my personal wishes but for the good of my country. I should also influence people around me by telling them to be selfless in prayers and pray for the improvement of our poor nation. Prayer makes a big difference, but the Philippines have such enormous problems that it also needs enormous prayers. I believe in the power of prayer because I grew up seeing how it made our family overcome problems and trials – we only have to call on to God and he will lead us to His plan – at the end of day, everything has become well. I believe that it is not too late for the Philippines, that there is still hope, but there is work to be done. We should start proving that we are a Catholic nation – we should learn to pray and call on to God,...
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...PROPHETS: IDOLATRY, SOCIAL INJUSTICE, AND RELIGIOUS RITUALISM BIBL 105 OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY PROPHETS: IDOLATRY, SOCIAL INJUSTICE, AND RELIGIOUS RITUALISM I will be honest. I really struggled through this section. I do realize the importance of this subject however; the “feel good” moments just aren’t there like when you read other books of the bible. I mean, idolatry and ritualism are subjects that can be incredibly dry. But when asked to make it parallel to events of today I have found it to be shockingly intriguing. For example, the prophets played a key role in attempting to turn Israel away from its disastrous path of worshipping false idols. I don’t know, maybe it was the fact that they were tangible? I know that easily, the toughest part of the Christian walk is faith without sight. How easy would living this life be if we could touch or see God? You can touch and see false idols. Ezekiel 8 captured my attention completely. It paints such a vivid picture of how God sees us when we turn away from him. The entire chapter is of this vision given by a figure with flames from the waist down and gold from the waist up. He is taken to three different locations within Jerusalem and shown detestable images in God’s sight. I’ll just speak about the last paragraph in the chapter as you can almost feel God’s anger in the words. “He brought me to the inner court of the Lord’s temple. There, at the entrance of the Lord’s temple, between the porch and the altar, were 25 men facing...
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...COMMANDMENT a) Liberating truth frees us from slavery to an idolatry of the world b) Reconciling truth - God frees us from slavery and consumption to the glorious freedom as God’s children. (yung sa slavery- ex: temptations, etc.) c) Loving truth - The one God has no rival, so we may love him with our whole heart, completely and above all 3. Duty of prayer and worship - Jesus’ answered satan’s final temptation: “you shall do home to the Lord your God; Him alone shall you adore” ELEMENTS OF THE VIRTUE OF RELIGION: a) Adoration -it is man’s first attitude of acknowledge -it raises the greatness of the Lord -it is the homage of the spirit to the KING OF GLORY -it is the respectful silence in the presence of the ever greater God -blends with humility and gives assurances to our supplication b) Prayer - It is the rising of the heart and mind to God, whether done mentally, vocally, individually, collectively or in public - Talking and listening to God c) Prohibitions I. IDOLATRY - Wealth, honor, success, power, sex, drugs, nation, race become the objective of worship II. Magic, sorcery, witchcraft, Satanism, astrology, fortune telling, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance and recourse - Way of seeking to manipulate events for self-interest - Discover hidden knowledge by means aliens to God III....
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...Christ shield me today against poison and fire, against drowning and wounding, so that I may fulfill my mission and bear fruit in abundance. Christ behind and before me, Christ behind and above me, Christ with me and in me, Christ around and about me, Christ on my right and on my left, Christ when I lie down at night, Christ when I rise in the morning, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone that speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. Hi, Sitom! In this modern world, sometimes it's easy to forget that we can only serve one master. Jobs, friends and relationships can often cloud our judgment. So remember, don't forsake God to worship false idols like money. He is your God and it is He you should serve! :) Enjoy the videos...
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...Narrator1: A king and queen have three daughters. Narrator2: Chruuee! In fact all of their daughters are attractive, “but” one of them is absolutely gorgeous – Psyche. (Psyche enters the stage) Psyche: Is this gift or a curse? I never wished for this beauty! My only desire is to love and to be loved… (Sigh) Narrator1: People come from all around just to check out how beautiful Psyche is. Narrator2: Men start worshiping her as if she were a goddess and ignore the altars of the goddess of love and beauty, Venus Psyche: (Psyche refuses the gift) I cannot accept this gift because I do not deserve to be worshipped! I am not a goddess! (Higher tone) Narrator1: Men even start saying that Psyche is more beautiful than Venus. (Uh-oh.) Narrator2: We bet you can guess who got mad about this. Yup, that's right – Venus. Venus walking back and forth (worried and mad), holding an apple Venus: The goddess of love? This is so humiliating! Deserting my temples for a mere human! (Cupid playing with his arrows) Cupid: Are you alright mother? Venus: How can I be fine when this mortal princess is addressed as if she was I? Narrator1: The goddess of love gets kind of hateful and orders her son, Cupid to go. Narrator2: and yes, to punish Psyche by making her fall in love with the ugliest thing around. Cupid: There’s no problem in that… so where is this lady you are talking about? (Venus pointed at Psyche) Venus: She is Psyche… Then, I’ll leave it all up to you (Venus fled away...
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...what we now recognize as Santería. The colonial period from the standpoint of African slaves may be defined as a time of perseverance. Their world quickly changed. Tribal kings and their families, politicians, business and community leaders all were enslaved and taken to a foreign region of the world. Religious leaders, their relatives and their followers were now slaves. Colonial laws criminalized their religion. They were forced to become baptized and worship a god their ancestors had not known who was surrounded by a pantheon of saints. The early concerns during this period seem to have necessitated a need for individual survival under harsh plantation conditions. A sense of hope was sustaining the internal essence of what today is called Santería, a misnomer (and former pejorative) for the indigenous religion of the Lukumi people of Nigeria. In the heart of their homeland, they had a complex political and social order. They were a sedentary hoe farming cultural group with specialized labor. Their religion, based on the worship of nature, was renamed and documented by their masters. Santería, a...
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...2008. The differences between Latin Women Pray by Judith Ortiz Cofer and Things Cheaply Had by Taslima Nasarin are what is being worshiped, the setting and social status (Abcarian, Richard, Marvin Klotz, and Samuel Cohen. Literature: The Human Experience: Reading and Writing. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007. Print.). There are a few similarities and differences between what is worshiped in Latin Women Pray and Things Cheaply Had. “If they get a jewel for their nose they lick feet for seventy days or so…” (Nasrin,T.C.H.). The women will become so desperate that they will do almost anything for material objects. “They pray to an Anglo God with a Jewish heritage” (Cofer, L.W.P). The Latino community worships more or less non-material objects whereas the Indian prostitutes worship jewels and oils for their hair. “If they get a small bottle of alta for their feet they spend three nights sleepless for sheer joy” (Nasrin, T.C.H). “Before his image they kneel Margarita Josephina Maria and Isabel…” (Cofer, L.W.P). The Prostitutes of India are willing to put their bodies through torture just to get a small ration of food or...
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...Once the service began I started to notice the different rituals of the Lutheran church. While the choir was singing, I was able to sing along with the choir because the program they handed me when I entered had a chronological order of what was going to occur at the service. It contained the hymns, prayers, when to sit, stand or kneel, and titles of each part of the service. I enjoyed this ritual of the service because by following the program, I was able to stay engaged in the service and understand what was going on. After the choir sang, the Pastor came to the front of the altar stating, “Let us greet one another!” The people of the congregation began to move around the church shaking hands with one another. A man approached me, shook my hand and stated, “God’s peace!” This instantly reminded me of the Catholic tradition towards the end of the Mass when someone approaches me and states, “Peace be with you!” After this the Church played another song and then the Invocation began. This Invocation was the time in which the Pastor begins the service by starting, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” I was able to recognize this ritual because it is identical to that of the Catholic church, which we refer to as the sign of the cross. During the Lutheran service the symbols I visualized and rituals I experienced were new and interesting, but also some were recognizable. I noticed that frequently throughout the service the Pastor referred to the people...
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...explaining the occasions for, and the correct procedures to be followed in, sacrifice. It is clear then that Sacrifice is important to Leviticus’ presentation of Israel’s worship. We will look at the five types of worship and summaries for each of them, why they play an important part. The burnt sacrifice shown in Leviticus one is the most important of all the sacrifices offered to God. This is mainly because it expressed dedication. This sacrifice, unlike any other, was wholly consumed and is also described as the whole burnt offering. Offerings would be graded in value so that even the poorest worshippers might find access to God by coming in complete devotion. The sacrifices signified that the whole of man, for whom the sacrifice was offered, was to be entirely offered or devoted to God's service. It is amusing that the meat offering in Leviticus 2 was the one offering that did not consist of meat. The proper translation is “meal offering,” which would be an offering of grain or cereals made of fine flour. The word translated ‘meat’ in Hebrew simply means a present. The primary idea behind this this offering is that it is a gift presented to God as an act of worship. Yet, because this offering was the product of the soil and the result of man's labor, it symbolized the consecration of the results of worship to God. The ingredients included are also hugely significant. The oil has been recognized as a...
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...culture is characterized by a highly developed economy that has produced extreme wealth. The Nacirema are weirdly possessed with a demon that drives them to spend most of their time and efforts to collect certain material goods. Even though most of the people's time is dedicated to the economic hunts, a large part of the labors and a significant portion of the day are spent in ceremonial activity. The main focus of this activity is the human body, the appearance and health of which appears as a major concern in the character of the people. By worshipping their deities, many of the Nacirema confront and may even cause large social problems throughout the civilization. Nacirema culture is unique in that it has many different forms of worship and though these forms are all accepted by most, the moral problems caused by the support of the deities has caused a great deal of hatred and even some violence throughout Nacirema society. Rituals of food-eating are as disgusting and strange as their body rituals. They eat at prearranged times each day and eat using oddly shaped metal utensils. Their food is mounded on an item known as Setalp. At each eating-time every person eats what would typically be...
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...Lourdes Perez Professor Falknor English 1301 “Latin Women Pray” Judith Ortiz Cofer is a Puerto Rican author whose work includes a range of literary categories such as poetry, short stories, autobiography, essays and young-adult fiction. She was born on February 24, 1952, moved to Paterson, New Jersey with her family in 1956. There she attended Butler High School. Cofer then attended Augusta College where she received a B.A. in English and later an M.A. in English from Florida, Atlantic University. In the poem, “Latin Women Pray” the author, Judith Ortiz Cofer makes it seem that the women’s prayers are pointless. The women realize that prayer could be pointless, but keeping hope alive (being bilingual) they can find a reason to keep their faith. It signifies the faithfulness and devotion of Latin women in church. In line three, Cofer mentions “They pray in Spanish to an Anglo God with a Jewish heritage.” Meaning that these women have to pray to a God that is not like them. She characterizes the women’s God as a “Great White Father” and not as a Spanish one. It may be a representation of the American culture. They don’t speak the same language, they don’t share the same culture, indicating that the women are worshipping a being unlike themselves. They pray to a God that doesn’t understand what they are saying. Despite those differences the women keep praying to him with hope that someday they might understand each other. “Imperturbable in his marble pedestal looks down...
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...Field Trip 1. I have driven by the mosque many times. It is only a couple minutes from my house. There have been times where I had to drop off my friends at the mosque or pick them up. I always thought the outside was beautiful. The mosque is white, blue and yellow with a yellow dome over it. I come from a church where there are crosses all around the entrance, on top of the church on the doors, so it is obvious that it is a church. When you pass by the mosque you wouldn’t really know what it is because there was nothing distinct about it. So to answer the initial question, the architecture did not lend itself the worship because there was nothing really special from the outside about it. 2. The inside of the mosque are the same colors. It is very bright inside. There was no pictures or portraits of Mohammad. There are a few plaques on the wall and there is a bookshelf of Qurans. The minute you walk in you must take off your shoes. After you take off your shoes, you then go to the area where you pray. The men and woman are both separated. Men are upstairs and the woman is downstairs. Even if the girls do not wear the scarf permanently, when they are praying they have to wear it. Before you pray they have to do something called the Wadu. A wadu is a cleaning ritual done before the prayer. The way to perform the wadu is to speak in the holy name of Allah and to use your right hand first and wash your hands 3 times. You then wash your mouth 3 times, your nose 3 times, your face...
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...Apostle Johnson Suleman. If there is a man to pray there is a God to answer Mature Christian is one who has a consistent life style of prayer. Acts 6:4, Isaiah 41:21. The strength of prayer is its content. Daniel 10:12. The knowledge of what to pray for is itself the most important aspect of the prayer 1 timothy 4:4-5 the word of God is the believer constitution that cannot be ever amended Prayer points • Baptism me with fresh passion for your word. • Every power fighting my study of your word be destroyed by fire • I yield myself to you spirit of the Lord show me wonderous things out of the law as I study your word. • Whatever is within me fighting the word of God from penetrating my life as I prayed be destroyed by fire • As I pray let your light invade my darkness as I study your word Men who prayed Elijah James 5:17-18 Joshua 10:12-13 Daniel 6:26-27 Prayer points. • Anointing for prayer • Every habit in me fighting my prayer life as I pray be terminated by fire • The power of my foundation warring against my prayer life as I pray be terminated by fire • Whoever has made my life an evil assignment, as I pray Holy Ghost give them another assignment. Note that if you don’t own God a lifestyle God doesn’t own you an answer Prayer for fasting • As I pray, let the appetite for fasting fall on me by fire • Every spirit of food fullness targeted to destroyed me, as I pray be destroyed by fire • Whatever that is within me fighting my fasting life as I pray...
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