Religion and Theology

This is a Discussion Board Reply Assignment, Replies to TWO different classmates are a minimum of 250 words each. Reply to Bartley then reply to Amy. Each reply must be at least 250 words. In each reply state what you agree with and what you disagree with.   Bartley Nethery  DB Forum 2 There is no doubt, evangelism is messy. People, in general, are messy. As someone who works for the public on a daily basis, I can attest to this fact. People see things differently, interpret certain actions or words differently, assume intentions and motives, and react based on unspoken expectations. All these tendencies, found in humans, create difficulty in communication, and evangelism is no exception. This truth makes evangelism messy at times, but it is also the reason that McRaney deals with what the evangelist’s role is. He suggests that believers are to be prepared both spiritually and mentally for evangelism. This process begins “with a willing spirit.”[1] From here, McRaney suggests that believers should be seeking the direction of the Holy Spirit through prayer for the unsaved, as well as prayer for clarity in communication with the unsaved. In this way, spiritual preparation begins to take place. Additionally, McRaney suggests that “Before we can share a witness, we need to understand the message and person of Christ.”[2] This truth speaks for itself. Christians need to understand the gospel in order to share it. Through these simple spiritual and mental steps, the Christian can prepare for the messiness that inevitably shows up in communicating the gospel. There is no greater weapon against it. Prayer and Gospel fluency covers a multitude of messes in sharing one’s faith.             I am certain that spiritual warfare was going on leading up to the point of giving my life to Christ. While I am certain of this fact, I cannot specifically point to anything that might have been. You see, I came to know Jesus when I was seven years old. I have a hard time bringing to memory my life prior to that moment, in all honesty. Additionally, I do not believe I would say my salvation experience was a demonstration of messiness in evangelism. I came to know Christ while I sat on my couch watching a Christian puppet show on television. If it was messy prior to that day, I do not recall. I do know that prayer played an important part in my salvation. My parents are both believers, and they had raised us in the Church. On top of that, my parents and grandparents were faithful to pray for myself and my siblings. This took place from the time we were born until each of our salvation. I believe their prayers played a vital role in my salvation.             According to McRaney, “…the Holy Spirit is also at work in the life of lost persons to draw them to Himself, reveal the truth, and convict the world regarding the message.”[3] First, the Holy Spirit is drawing the lost person to Himself. After all, Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…” (John 6:44 NIV). Furthermore, the Holy Spirit reveals the truth of the gospel to the lost person hearing it. McRaney suggests that the Holy Spirit is the one who reveals God’s existence to lost people first, not the evangelist. This means that the Holy Spirit is at work through natural revelation before the evangelist is ever brought to share the gospel. The Holy Spirit is also convicting of sin and need. Through all of these things, faith develops in the heart of the lost person. Through that faith, the Holy Spirit brings that lost soul from death to life (John 3:6-7), secures the new believer for all of eternity (Ephesians 4:30), and provides the believer with the spiritual resources necessary to live for God. (1 Corinthians 12-14) Recognizing that evangelism is not an attempt on the witness’s part to save anyone, is quite freeing. The witness is simply being faithful to share the gospel. The Holy Spirit is responsible for the result. In this truth, clearly understanding and sharing the gospel out of a humble, obedient heart brings biblical success. This clarity, coupled with humility, can be used by the Holy Spirit to wipe away a multitude of messiness in evangelism. This biblical truth includes issues of misconceptions and misperceptions. [1] Will McRaney, Jr., The Art of Personal Evangelism (Wordsearch Corporation, 2003), 62. [2] Ibid., 64. [3] Ibid, 30.       Amy Jeong  Discussion Board 2             Many people may view evangelism as one event in someone’s life. One Christian talks to one non-Christians and the non-Christians hears about Jesus for the first time. The non-Christian accepts Jesus at that moment and lives a life following Jesus. Of course, this would be an amazing event, but this does not happen with each person. Evangelism is not a one-time event but a spiritual harvest, and the harvests are not events but a process.[1] The spiritual harvest will require more attempts and elements than just one-time sharing and may need multiple people. Most importantly, God helps the seed to grow in the receivers’ hearts. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, there is no harvest. Will McRaney also refers to evangelism as a harvest and writes, “We plant seeds by loving people toward Jesus with small acts of kindness in the name of Jesus.”[2] When sharing the gospel, it is important to understand that not everyone will accept the gospel every time, so it may get our hands dirty and sweaty. However, “regardless of frustrations, rejection, or spiritual warfare, we must continue to work the fields.”[3]             As for my personal conversion experience, I met Jesus at a middle school retreat. I was already attending church at the time, but I did not completely accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. No one personally shared the gospel with me, and I just attended all the youth group events. However, I do know that many people at the church were praying for me and my salvation. Preparation for the retreat also must not have been easy as I attended a very small church, but the adults helped run the retreat for young students like me to meet Jesus. Spiritual warfare is always a part of retreats and students always tend to fight after retreats, but prayer from our pastor and church adults was very helpful to keep us in line. There is still continuous spiritual warfare in my life today, but I have found that prayer always helps to diffuse a situation. With that, it is important to remember that “Persistent, faith-based intercession produces results.”[4] Whether it is the enemy attacking me or the person I am sharing the gospel with, prayer is the best defense towards spiritual warfare and I must continuously pray for both of us.              As stated earlier, without God’s involvement, there is no harvest. The Holy Spirit is present in evangelism as “God is involved in evangelism at every point and level. Regeneration/conversion is 100 percent, God. However, He chooses to use various instruments to draw people to Himself.”[5] We are those instruments and “We are to seek to communicate clearly who Jesus is and what He expects, knowing that we are all flawed vessels but usable in God’s hands.”[6] With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we must be able to live out the gospel in our lives by obeying God, and we should be able to share the gospel accurately as well with His guidance and leadership. When we do this, we can answer any other questions or address misconceptions/misperceptions regarding the gospel by speaking from personal experience.

What to do:  Students select a contemporary issue which they believe Christians should be concerned about and on which they believe Christians should act. This topic might arise out of an issue encountered as part of one’s profession or an issue facing a larger society.  Writing the paper:  Your paper will include:  1. A definition of the ethics of the issue;  2. How a belief in God informs the issue;  3. What does the Bible have to contribute to our understanding of the question;  4? How does Christ inform your approach to the topic;  5? What models of the church are most relevant;  6. What can and does the church do in this area?  Details: The student will research other outside documents and/or books to prepare a written report 1800 to 2400 words (six to eight pages) will be prepared from the materials citing at least four references from the documents located.  Typed in 12-pt font, double-spaced. Make sure you have a correct sentence structure, grammar, and spelling. For example, “God” is always capitalized when referring to God in Heaven, not “god”; “you” is always spelled out no, “u”.

Explain atheism and explain why you think it is more correct or comprehensible or valuable than the other religions we’ve studied. Question #2 is what we call a think piece. It is wholly your opinion and simply must make sense. Still, citing the required sources to provide examples is necessary please cite often using only the following books Holloway, Richard. A Little History of Religion. New Haven, Yale UP, 2016. Nadeau, Randall. Asian Religions: A Cultural Perspective. Oxford, Wiley Blackwell, 2014. Wright, Robert. The Evolution of God. New York, Back Bay Books, 2009.

 What is the Christian concept of the imago Dei? How might it be important to health care, and why is it relevant? 

Describe and Defend your view of the relationship between Genesis 1-11 and the origin of the universe and life. Outline the hermeneutical principles that you find are critical for understanding Genesis 1-11. State your view of origins and in particular your view of human origins. Close the paper with your view on whether or not Adam was a real person in history and how this relates to your theodicy. INSTRUCTIONS: (1) The central purpose of these papers is for YOU to develop YOUR views on the relationship between science & religion. (2) In writing these papers, USE the ideas found in the Class Notes, Class Handouts & Class Audio-Slides, and in doing so DEMONSTRATE to me that you grasp these concepts. (3) After describing your views, always defend them––that is, give me reasons why you believe in your view. (4) Always RESPECT the Maximum Word Limit for each paper. (5) Use Endnotes for citations & use the Chicago Manual of Style to format the Endnotes.

Students select a contemporary issue which they believe Christians should be concerned about and on which they believe Christians should act. This topic might arise out of an issue encountered as part of one’s profession or an issue facing larger society.  Writing the paper:  Your paper will include:  1. A definition of the ethics of the issue;  2. How a belief in God informs the issue;  3. What does the Bible have to contribute to our understanding of the question;  4? How does Christ inform your approach to the topic;  5? What models of the church are most relevant;  6. What can and does the church do in this area?  Details: The student will research other outside documents and/or books to prepare a written report 1800 to 2400 words (six to eight pages) will be prepared from the materials citing at least four references from the documents located.  Typed in 12-pt font, double-spaced. Make sure you have a correct sentence structure, grammar and spelling. For example, “God” is always capitalized when referring to God in Heaven, not “god”; “you” is always spelt out no, “u”.

Read the attached document and discuss the similarities and differences concerning Confucian and Daoist interpretations of Wu-Wei, or “Effortless action.” Be sure to write your reflection in a word document, and submit it to this dropbox for credit. Shoot for half a page to a full-page, double-space. I just need to see evidence that you have done the reading and understand the way the author has distinguished both traditions in relation to this fundamental concept in both traditions.

I. Choose ONE of the following topics and write a 200-word short answer. 1. In your own words explain the power of myth using examples of Fable, Poetry, and Allegory. 2. Using examples from both Religion and Philosophy explains the relationship between God and human beings. 3. What do you learn about the concept of TIME through Plato’s allegory of The Cave? Explain your answer. 4. Write a paragraph explaining this word equation: Telos=Zoe Life=Fully Human=Happiness II. Choose ONE of the following topics and write a 200-word short answer. 1. What were the names of the two trees in the middle of the Garden of Eden? Which tree did God forbid Adam and Eve to eat from and why? What was the outcome of the story of Adam and Eve? 2. The 40 days after Jesus’ baptism are very important. Where does Jesus go? What does he do? Who does he talk to? What is their conversation about? III. Choose ONE of the following topics and write a 200-word short answer. 1. Write a paragraph on the purpose of The Lord’s Prayer. 2. One very important moment in the life of Jesus is his baptism. Recount the events explaining their significance. What Old Testament story does this remind you of and why? 3. In your own words unpack Jesus’s teaching of the Beatitudes.

(1) The central purpose of these papers is for YOU to develop YOUR views on the relationship between science & religion. (2) In writing these papers, USE the ideas found in the Class Notes, Class Handouts & Class Audio-Slides, and in doing so DEMONSTRATE to me that you grasp these concepts. (3) After describing your views, always defend them––that is, give me reasons why you believe in your view. (4) Always RESPECT the Maximum Word Limit for each paper. (5) Use Endnotes for citations & use the Chicago Manual of Style to format the Endnotes. Describe your MODEL of the relationship between science & religion. State the Thesis Statement (1 sentence only) for your PERSONAL VIEW of the relationship between science & religion. Defend your personal view of the relationship between science & religion. Also include your view on intelligent design and whether or not it is part of your personal view of the relationship between science & religion.

The current PAOC bylaws state that a credential holder can be disciplined if they consume “mood-altering substances.” The 2014 PAOC General Conference in Saskatoon included a discussion regarding a motion to specify “alcohol” as a mood-altering substance in the bylaws. The motion was defeated. You have your views on what the Bible requires, but you wonder how Pentecostals in Canada have typically thought about drinking alcohol. Were they always against it? Why or why not? Were there cultural factors that influenced decisions or were there only biblical arguments? What has the official PAOC stance been on this issue? What is the official PAOC stance on this today? You have many questions that keep coming to your mind. What other historical questions might help you address this issue? Note: This is not a paper for a theology course. Therefore, you should not engage in debates about how to interpret key scriptures regarding alcohol. Rather, your only aim should be to interpret and analyze this issue with historical awareness. *Rubric guideline to help with the paper: *Please follow these guidelines* Topic: relates an issue in pentecostal history to issues in the contemporary church. Introduction and Conclusion: at an appropriate length (about 100-150 words each) Citations: appears to include citations in footnotes when paraphrasing, summarizing or quoting from other sources. Includes a bibliography. Research: Includes both primary and secondary sources (a total of 7 or more). Includes relevant scholarly sources, including at least one journal article (dictionary definitions do not count as sources). Most pages integrate research from various sources. In addition to historical primary sources (like archive material), you should consider secondary sources ( textbooks or journal articles) that comment on the history of the topic you are researching. introduction: clearly informs the reader regarding the specific topic of the paper. Includes a thesis statement. GUIDELINE TO FOOTNOTE: Citing archival resources: For the most part, archival sources require the same information as other sources. It all depends on what you have. NOTE: USE ONLY theological sources. FOR THE PAPER IS FOR A BIBLE COLLEGE. IN THE 7 SOURCE PLEASE HAVE 3 SOURCES SET AS YOUR PRIMARY SOURCES. If there are an author and title (periodical article, extract from a book): Author, Title of article, Title of Publication, date (issue), page(s). If it is a letter: who from, who to, the date and PAOC Archives, Mississauga, ON. If it is untitled, like a personal note or account, make up a descriptive title, for example, Gordon Atter, (if the author is known, or, “Author Unknown”) “Handwritten account of early days in Canada” plus the date if you have it and PAOC Archives, Mississauga, ON. If there is no date, put “n.d.” at the end. Use the same format for a diary entry and so forth. Structure: most related points are grouped together; the outline supports the thesis statement. Includes appropriate transitions to bring cohesion to the structure. Substance: describes numerous historical issues relevant to the topic of the paper with accuracy, clarity, and sufficient detail (uses historical evidence to support most points and incorporates some factual information). Does not discuss issues that do not relate to the paper’s thesis. Application: explains the significance of the historical observations for understanding some issues in the contemporary church. Conclusion: summarizes the key points from the paper and reaffirms the thesis statement; does not introduce new information.