Chaplaincy Biblical Foundations

Chaplaincy Biblical Foundations
Chaplaincy Biblical Foundations

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Chaplaincy Biblical Foundations

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RESEARCH PAPER: PART 1 INSTRUCTIONS

The incarnation of Jesus Christ sets the stage for chaplain ministry. Just as Jesus entered into a secular world to accomplish his ministry (John 3:16), so chaplains are called into secular and pluralistic environments to minister.

Note, Jesus relied on His words and actions to fulfill his mission to redeem and make an eternal relationship possible for all believers. Romans 10:17 reminds one that actions alone are not enough. “Faith comes by hearing the word of God.” Jesus died for our sins, but without him telling us who he was and why he came we would remain ignorant of salvation. John 1:14 reveals that “The Word became flesh.” It is not enough for chaplains to bear the presence of Christ, they are also called to bear his Word, words of salvation, words of hope, words of comfort, words of peace, etc.

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Assignment: Write a 5 page paper drawing parallels between Jesus Christ’s incarnational ministry of presence (actions) and His ministry in word, and the chaplains ministry of presence (actions) and his/her ministry in word. When making various parallels, start with the scripture passage that reveals a certain truth about Jesus’ ministry of presence and ministry in word and then reflect on how the chaplain should model that behavior.

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Marked Reformation Essay Paper

Marked Reformation
Marked Reformation

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Marked Reformation

Introduction

Within a period of a hundred years since the death of Christ, the Roman Catholic Church dominated the entire world of religion. The Roman Church therefore mutilated the element of religion and came into a strong power that ensured anyone who spoke ill of the Church was considered a criminal worthy of a death penalty. This period remained for close to 1000 years, a factor that saw it described as the Dark Age (Mark, 2012). Men and women who rose against the Roman Church during this period to challenge the Church would be sentenced to death with some silenced.

However, in 1400’s a man was born that successfully challenged the Roman Church doctrine and led other into seeing the corrupt element within this institution. These men therefore started the reformation with the help of Martin Luther. This paper therefore seeks to determine the characteristics that market the Reformation Period and represent the elements that are still present in the evangelical Christianity in this dispensation and those that are not present.

Marked Reformation

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Characteristics That Market the Reformation Period

The essence of Luther’s initiative and his followers may not be overstated since their initiatives opened the door for the Protestant Reformation. Other reformers such as John Huss, William Tyndale, John Colet and John Wycliffe were also considered to have started this reformation that would point out to the failures of the Roman Church before Luther. Luther’s approach in quoting scripture caught the attention of many people. Within a period of three years, Luther’s message had circumferenced the whole world, a factor that led to the end of the stronghold of the Roman Catholic Church.

The society therefore saw the truth about salvation apart from works as was stated and realized that salvation was by grace through faith (Mark, 2012). This therefore led the community to trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross as opposed to the works of the monks and the priests a factor that did not turn well with the Catholic Church. It is therefore essential to note that this type of power and determination may not be in the evangelical Christianity today. 

The disregard of the truth that is to be proclaimed that distorts the scriptures is therefore not held in the hands of power hungry churches that are granted the power and authority to rule within the evangelical world. In this case, it is therefore essential to determine that the evangelicals have been more concerned about the truth in the scriptures even when all do not agree with this element.

Marked Reformation

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One of the essential battles that was also fought during the reformation period and that still remains alive in the evangelical world today is on the battle of the Armenians and the Calvinists. The Armenians believed that God granted man the free will to repent and in this God never works in their hearts to determine their decisions (Robert, 2005).  Additionally, they believe that God does His best to save as many sinners as He can, but his respect for the freedom of humanity determines that His options may be limited.

However, the Calvinists believe that human beings were dead in their transgressions and stated in (Eph. 2:1), a factor that gives a dead man no option to choose from. According to them, when humanity was dead to their transgressions, God made us alive (Eph. 2:5). It is therefore essential to note that the tragedy in this case involves the deceptions that are involved in man’s soul since man may believe he is saved while the Holy Spirit has not quickened his spirit.

Conclusion

In line with this, it is essential to establish the fact that the fundamental element in expounding the word of God remains in preserving the element of truth. Within these views, it is essential to note that God still remains supreme and responsible over the soul of his creatures. Man therefore needs not to overemphasize the sovereignty of God.

References

Mark, Noll A. (2012). Turning Points: decisive Moments in the History of Christianity. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Robert, Walton C. (2005). Chronological and background charts of Church History.  rev .ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Marked Reformation

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On Being an Atheist Essay Paper

On Being an Atheist
On Being an Atheist

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On Being an Atheist

Introduction

Topics in regard to Gods existence have resulted in ongoing battles that have lasted for quite a while. These topics have sparked several debates with some people agreeing with the existence of God while other refuting such claims (Boehme, 2014). However, the debates that pertain to the existence of God have intrigued several philosophical ideas with many people alleging that they being that God cannot be seen, his existence is debatable.

Other schools of thought also allege that if God exists and claims to be all powerful, then evil should not exist in this world. It is essential to note that there are several pieces of evidence that support the existence of God (Boehme, 2014). This paper, therefore, attempts to critic McCloskeys views in regards to the atheist objections and also describes several arguments that establish his illusions of the existence of God including the opposing arguments against his existence.

Proofs Can’t Establish the Case of Gods Existence

To begin with, McCloskeys view implies that there are no proofs that can establish Gods existence and those allegations should be abandoned.  In my view, McCloskey makes no effort to determine what evil is nor does he explain its existence. In other words, he attempts to discredit people’s belief in God by making allegations against the origin of their beliefs. However, McCloskey fails to address why the faith of a people may not be valid and whether they take the time to discover such evidence before they ascent to Christian theism (H.J. McCloskey, 1974).

McCloskey views God as jaded, unforgiving, uncaring, and punitive and believes that the best proofs on the nonexistence of God can be depicted in the evil acts of his creation since morality has strongly subdued the proof of an intelligent creator designing the universe. For Christian, the expressions of truth are only found in Christ’s words in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth and the Life.

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The Cosmological Argument

The author of the article, “On Being Atheist”, opens by giving a description on the reasons theist believe in God.  He purports that the grounds of such beliefs are inadequate and gives the reasons as to why the atheist do not believe in Gods existence. McCloskey in his article tells of a Christian friend who believed that philosophers place so much of importance on the proofs that regard to the existence of God as the foundation to their religious beliefs (H.J. McCloskey, 1974). In my view, in order for the universe to exists, there was its origin or something that created its existence. Nothing has the capacity to create itself and there is the need of an independent creator that existed before the universe.

In the book: Reasonable Faith, William Lane Craig, alludes to the fact that there must be a creator responsible for all the creation activities and the creator needs not a cause to do the things that have an origin. This, therefore, means that everything that exists needs a cause and saying that something has no beginning denies the existence of a predecessor. McCloskey also alleges that the Cosmological Argument does not give us the right to postulate an all-powerful case that he considers uncaused (H.J. McCloskey, 1974). 

In as much as this argument provides no proof of the existence of God , it supports the idea of a necessary being as the only responsible cause that erases the need for an infinite regressive cause. In my view, there is only one possible view that is compatible with other views on Gods existence, a factor that makes it an individual’s choice to desire learning about the existence of God.

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The Teleological Argument

This argument is an argument from the design point of view that alludes to the existence of a maker of all the contingent objects. This argument in some way has some connections with the cosmological argument that implies that all the designs employ a greater designer, there is a designer in the world, and that the designer is the greatest (H.J. McCloskey, 1974).  McCloskey as other philosophers claims that to believe that nature was designed; there is a need for indisputable examples.

In other words, this author claims that the evidence and examples on this must never be refuted and also contends that indisputable claims are essential and unreasonable in defining God. In my own view, a given example or evidence on the existence of God such as nature shows the indisputable possibility of a creator and there is nothing that can be disputed in this claim (H.J. McCloskey, 1974).

In regard to McCloskey’s claim on the presence of imperfection and evil is an argument that is incompatible with the perfection of the Divine Creator since the creator set a perfection standard for goodness, but man as a sinful being made the imperfect evil possible.

On the other hand, McCloskey suggests that evolution should take the place of a Divine Designer. In my view, this would imply that everything that exists in nature is primarily motivated by chance, which would hardly be the case since everything in nature requires some guidance (Feser, 2013).

This is a process since everything has a specific construction and certain functions. If there is not a Divine Designer then this would mean that everything in nature may function by chance, a factor that could see things happen in any manner. For example, the snows would come during summer since everything functions in no order.

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On the Problem of Evil

McCloskey also stresses in his articles on his objections on the problem of evil by alluding that no being that is perfect and claims of goodness could create the world in which there is suffering of the creatures. According to Feser (2013), the element of evil remains one of the conversant objections that have widely been presented by the atheists. The atheists tend to view why people should not believe in God as described. These objections are mainly posed by the frequent occurrences of suffering and evil that is presently seen.

This remains the reason why many philosophers, as well as McCloskey, dismiss the claims on Gods existence basing their claims on the presence of evil. The theist approach of Gods view is in relation to His attributes that depict Him as omnipotent, omniscient and benevolent. On the other hand, the atheist believe that if all this attributes point towards God and He truly exists as  He claims then he had the capacity to stop suffering and evil.

Other theists also take a stance on the concept to the of evil by leaning on the free-will defense, which alludes that God was the creator of human beings and was the same giver of the free will to choose what is right and wrong. This according to them is considered better since humanity has the freedom of choice than to haven none. According to this view, the evil that is prevalent in the world today exists since man chose the way of evil (Feser, 2013).

Considering the fact that we have been granted the free will to choose what we opt right or wrong, humanity therefore needs to choose to believe in God, who needs to be worshiped, and praised. God has the capacity to mitigate the element of evil, but this means we may lack the free-will to choose. The coming of Christ to offer salvation to Humanity would not have made any sense if God chose to eliminate evil offer salvation.

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Some theists respond to the problem of evil through a free-will defense in which God is stated as the creator of human beings with a free will since it is better to have the freedom to choose that to lack the freedom of choice (LeDrew, 2013). In other words, the evil that exist in the world is a result of the choice of a man to do evil. As free will beings, we need to believe in God, worship and praise Him. If God would have eliminated evil, then Christ should not have come to offer salvation and he would not have died for our iniquities.

On Atheism as Comforting

At the end of his article, McCloskey concludes by asserting that atheism is more comforting than theism. In his argument on this point, he uses the existence of evil and the sufferings that occur of the innocent to support his atheistic perceptions that a perfect being may not necessarily exist and allow evil things to occur (LeDrew, 2013). He also contends that people who follow theism are more likely to find cold comfort in believing religiously and that people need to find comfort and strength wherever they can find it inclusively.

Thinking about this, it is essential to note that people in many instances may need comfort, a factor that makes them seek for spiritual authorities to assist them in understanding things, both the bad and the good (LeDrew, 2013). A Biblical understanding of the element of comfort is encouragement which can be done through the use of words or the presence of an individual to help in the times of need. Comfort in this case as viewed by Christians remains in the ability of Christians o choose whether to believe in God or not, thus giving them the chance to know God more, understand him and commit to him truthfully.

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Conclusion

McCloskeys view implies that there are no proofs that can establish Gods existence and those allegations should be abandoned.  In my view, McCloskey makes no effort to determine what evil is nor does he explain its existence. McCloskey also alleges that the Cosmological Argument does not give us the right to postulate an all-powerful case that he considers uncaused (Boehme, 2014).  In as much as this argument provides no proof of the existence of God, it supports the idea of a necessary being as the only responsible cause that erases the need for an infinite regressive cause.

On the Teleological Argument McCloskey as well as other philosophers claims that to believe that nature was designed; there is a need for indisputable examples, views that find to substantial backings. McCloskey also stresses in his articles on his objections on the problem of evil by alluding that no being that is perfect and claims of goodness could create the world in which there is suffering of the creatures and concludes by asserting that atheism is more comforting than theism (Boehme, 2014).

In a nutshell, I believe that McCloskey provides minimal pieces of evidence on his claims that are aimed at supporting atheism and instead attempts to point out to the faults of Christians as a claim to refute the existence of God. The arguments of this theist, therefore, point out to the existence of God.

References List

Boehme, A. J. (2014). The Atheist’s Primer. Reviews in Religion & Theology, 21(1), 114-116. doi:10.1111/rirt.12286

Feser, E. (2013). The New Atheists and the Cosmological Argument. Midwest Studies In Philosophy, 37(1), 154-177. doi:10.1111/misp.12000

H.J. McCloskey (1974). “On Being an Atheist, “The Southern Journal of Philosophy – Vol. 15 – Issue 1 – pp. 101-111

LeDrew, S. (2013). Discovering Atheism: Heterogeneity in Trajectories to Atheist Identity and Activism. Sociology of Religion, 74(4), 431-453.

Thiessen, J. (2014). There Is No God: Atheists In America. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 53(2), 453-455. doi:10.1111/jssr.12099

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Contemporary Metaphors for the Kingdom of God

Contemporary Metaphors for the Kingdom of God
Contemporary Metaphors for the Kingdom of God

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Contemporary metaphors for the kingdom of God

God’s Kingdom is described metaphorically in most parts of the New Testament. As Tame (2005) pointed out, the metaphors used in the New Testament actually do not relate to the contemporary society. This essay is focused on contemporary metaphors for the Kingdom of God. One particular metaphor or parable is used in describing the Kingdom of God.

The essay discusses how the selected metaphor or parable would have made sense to Jesus’ audience during the first century. The impact and meaning of this message to the original audience of Christ is described exhaustively. Lastly, this essay describes the way in which that same message and impact may actually be communicated in the modern context.

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One particular metaphor that has been utilized in describing the Kingdom of God is the Parable of the Mustard Seed. This parable was taught by Jesus Christ in rhetorical hyperbole. Here, Christ makes use of a tree or shrub growing up from a seed to represent the growth of God’s Kingdom (Daniel 4: 11-21; Ezekiel 17: 23; John 12: 24). The growth of the seed attracts the presence of evil – portrayed as birds (Revelation 18: 2; Matthew 13: 4, 19) – to dilute the church whilst exploiting its benefits.

According to Christ, the heavenly kingdom is analogous to a mustard seed that a person takes and sows. Although the mustard seed is in fact the tiniest of all seeds, when this seed grows, it becomes the biggest of plants in the garden and tree where birds come and rest on in its many branches (Morrison, 2011).

Therefore, the picture that Jesus Christ paints in this parable is that of the lowly initial stages of the church undergoing an explosive growth rate. The church grows very big and later on it becomes a source of shelter, rest, and food not just for believers, but also for false professing persons who want to take advantage of or consume its benefits whilst mixing or residing amongst what the seed produced (Galatians 1: 7; Corinthians 11:13; and 1st Corinthians 6,7; 5:1).

Put simply, Christ was predicting that despite the fact that the church would grow to become very large from merely a small beginning, it would not remain unadulterated. Even though this is not a disapproval of the big size of modern Christianity, it actually shows the audience the biggest burden which comes with it. This parable serves not just as a prediction, but also as a warning (Morrison, 2011). 

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Given that the metaphors used to describe the Kingdom of God in the Bible are out of date, it is not easy for people in today’s society to comprehend what Christ is saying. Nowadays, Bible readers struggle to find the meaning of God’s Kingdom (Tame, 2005). The same meaning and impact of the Parable of the Mustard Seed may be communicated in the contemporary context by using the metaphor of financial investments; that is buying growth stocks.

A growth stock is essentially a share in an organization whose earnings grow at a rate that is above average in relation to the market. Growth stocks generate sustainable and considerable positive cash flow and whose earnings and revenues are projected to increase much quicker in relation to the average company in the same industry (Fuscaldo, 2014).

An investor who invests in growth stocks may start off by purchasing a very small amount of stocks in a growth company and as the company continues to grow over time, so does the investor’s assets in that company. Growth stocks are generally attractive to a lot of investors since they are growing (Fuscaldo, 2014). The revenues and earnings of the investor in growth stocks would increase much quicker than investments in other companies in that industry.

Therefore, after a period of time such as 10 years, the earnings of the investor who initially invested $2,000 would be about $150,000 (Fuscaldo, 2014). However, there are challenges for instance the company’s stock price may decline later on and the investor’s earnings reduce. These challenges or risks are comparable to how the church would not remain pure.

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The changed metaphor from the Parable of the Mustard Seed to the metaphor of investing in growth stocks is faithful to the teaching of Christ on God’s Kingdom whilst changing the metaphor for the audience in that my contemporary audience members will easily understand how the Kingdom of God grows. It starts small like a little financial investment in growth stocks of a company that grows slowly but steadily and after some years, the investment will increase into a substantial amount of money for the investor.

Put simply, just like financial investments in growth stocks, God’s kingdom has small beginnings; however, its growth is gradual but certain. This updated metaphor is especially suited to today’s audience members since many people nowadays tend to buy stocks in companies as a better way of investing their money rather than just saving them in banks and earning annual interest on their savings.

The metaphor conveys to my audience members the traits of the Messianic Kingdom of God as modelled and taught by Christ since it illustrates how God’s kingdom is comparable to buying growth stocks; has humble beginnings but eventually grows into a big thing.        

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Conclusion

 To sum up, Christ using the mustard seed parable to his audiences was describing the kingdom not simply as a seed, but as the tiniest seed. He was not explaining to the audience members a kingdom which comes in a conflagration of glory – Jesus basically described a kingdom which starts really small. This is not what was expected by the Jewish people at the time, but it was the kingdom of God which Christ stated was forthcoming.

On the whole, the kingdom of God is a narrative regarding slow growth. The meaning and impact of the mustard seed parable could be conveyed in contemporary context using the metaphor of investing in growth stocks; humble start but steady increase. Companies with growth stocks grow at a comparatively faster rate than other companies.    

References

Fuscaldo, D. (2014). 5 characteristics of good growth stocks. Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

Longenecker, R. N. (2012). The challenge of Jesus’ parables. Boston, MA: Eardmans

Morrison, M. (2011). The Present and Future Kingdom. Grace Communion International.

Tame , K. (2005). And finally…the kingdom of God is like this… Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

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Healing Hospital: A Daring Paradigm

Healing Hospital: A Daring Paradigm
Healing Hospital: A Daring Paradigm

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Healing Hospital: A Daring Paradigm

            Healing hospitals are composed of three key components including a culture concerning radical loving care, the integration of technology and work design and a healing physical milieu. Spirituality, on the other hand, is a person’s identified experience or religion in relation to their realism. The philosophy of the healing hospital, therefore, integrates the physical body with the spirit of the person and the spiritual mind in order to provide the best health care possible.

            A physical healing environment provides health care to the spirit, body and mind. This starts with an appropriate culture where the related professionals need to contain a servant’s attitude, action, recognition and the key beliefs of empathy for the patient in meeting the patient’s spiritual and emotional needs (Chapman, 2010). Technology plays an important role in the provision of care as it facilitates better access to tutelage to the patients and increased time availability in order to address the spiritual and mutual needs of the patients as well as better interventional treatments and diagnostic to treat both the body and the mind (Chapman, 2010). 

Furthermore, the design of the facility takes into consideration the three core components of an individual. The design needs to allow protection and privacy, promote the complete wellness of a person and to offer easier access for the patients. These components are significant in facilitating the treatment of the body, mind and the spirit.

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            The key challenge affecting healing environments is to bring the entire medical unit under the thorough concept of healing within hospitals. Healing environments within hospitals are also challenged by spirituality and cynicism, leadership, bureaucracy, business and economics. The notion of incorporating spiritual causes a form of conflict from what health care professionals think and reason. Cynicism affects the healing environments since some people do not believe in the significance of improving the conditions of health care systems or that they do not assist in promoting quality health care services (Chapman, 2010).

In the past, the society was made to believe and taught that spirituality, which is also defined under religion, was to be separated entirely from the workplace. Furthermore, the health care system has transformed within the American economy by occupying a rather large portion of the national gross domestic product. The government and health care businesses need to focus on the profitability and cost to keep the shareholders contented as well as the access to health care viable.

The effectiveness of this perspective is that it would lead to quicker discharges, improved patient to nurse ratio and tight hospital budgets (Chapman, 2010). Patients end up spending huge amounts of cash in accessing care, which influences the healing process of patients. Therefore, health care facilities and hospitals are sometimes faced with huge budget constraints that may lead them to choose between equipment and treatment that offer emotional care and spiritual care (Chapman, 2010).

The Biblical perspective also supports the philosophy of healing hospitals. Such can be identified in the book of Jeremiah chapter 33 verses 6. This specific passage involves the health and healing of individuals by enabling them to be happy and enjoy abundant security and peace in their lives (American Bible Society, 2010).

Therefore, it is evident that the healing hospital concept is supported by this passage. Care givers are responsible for facilitating the healing process through the patient’s spiritual, emotional and physical aspects, which provides them with a sense of peace and security (American Bible Society, 2010).

In conclusion, the success of a healing hospital can only be actualized through the incorporation of the three components and by overcoming the plausible challenges and barriers. Healing hospitals focus on the needs of the patient and the provision of environments that promote the healing process.

This philosopher not only centers on the healing process of the patient and the related holistic aspects but also the general well-being of their family. Henceforth, all hospitals need to put the integration of the healing hospital philosophy into consideration since it promotes excellent provision of services and compassionate care to patients.

References

American Bible Society. (2010). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments, translated out of the original tongues and with the former translations diligently compared & revised, King James Version.

Chapman, E. (2010). Radical loving care: Building the healing hospital in America. Nashville, Tenn: Erie Chapman Foundation

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Global North and South Essay Paper

Global North and South
Global North and South

Global North and South

Introduction

The element of the Global North and South are currently in a phase of change that is considered to be growing further from the loving and real relationship with God. This has seen the North and South turn out to be a religion closer to what Christ had initially intended for the Church.  In the North, there is a rise in individualism, an ideology that is has consequently forgotten the element of sin in religion, thus substituting the grace of God for self-knowledge (Johnson & Sun Young, 2014).

As a result of this, Christ’s mission of global salvation has turned into self-help, thus contrary to the mission of Christ who was to be a Christ of faith and who commended the concretization of cultures in order to transform their destructive tendencies. This clearly denotes that the objective of evangelization was directed towards seeking life-giving aspects in these cultures with the aim of giving flesh to the vision of the gospel of peace, reconciliation, compassion, love and justice.

North and South Growing Together: The Differences It Makes

The establishment of a Christian life and message in relation to the context of cultural living is not considered as clear, thus making its manifestation inappropriate within different cultural contexts. Christian traditions are structured on the traditions of Jesus; however, this is jeopardized by the errors of man in effectively carrying these traditions and teachings without the interference of personal characteristics that soil the word of God (Johnson & Sun Young, 2014). This depicts the fact that man is not in a position to carry out the will of God without the guidance of His Spirit, with this explaining the fact that the global south has failed in recapturing the themes and trends of early Christianity.

The primary themes that the church in the global north and south need to learn are deeply rooted in Pedro Arrupe’s statements that necessitated the need to ensure that faith in Christ is only achieved through concretizing the gospel within the existing cultures in order to transform the destructive tendencies of these cultures (Johnson & Sun Young, 2014).

This requires an exploration of the changing religious aspects, faith identities and cultural aspects of the north and south. This is attributed to the fact that the incarnation of Christian life and the message within different cultural contexts finds a principle that animates, unifies, directs, and transforms cultures with the aim of recapturing the themes and trends from the early history of Christianity.

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The primary themes and trends which the churches of the global South have recovered and that the churches of the north can learn from include the changes experienced in incorporating the Gospel of relationships and love in their ways of life. This is considerably essential in achieving the missionary work that Christ begun, that was significantly centered on the prospects of love and relationships in restoring the relationship between man and God (Johnson & Sun Young, 2014).

Traditionally, the Southern religious aspect depicted as Liberation theology was considered as normative in the manner in which the exercised their religious beliefs. However, the advent of Pentecostalism has seen the southern religious sects resorting to the reading of the Gospel with an application that determines how to live it. As a result of this, a reformation to the lost themes and trends of Christianity are being restored, an aspect that is turning to be a religious trend in the northern Churches.

Conclusion

In consideration of this, it is important to ascertain that the Global North and South are currently experiencing changes that are considered to be growing towards recapturing the themes and trends from the early history of Christianity. This is embedded in the global southern Churches efforts in the body of Christ that is currently being spurred by the Spirit in ensuring that the modern cultures adapt to the Christian ways as established in the history of Christianity. 

References

Johnson, T. M., & Sun Young, C. (2014). Tracking Global Christianity’s Statistical Centre of Gravity, AD 33-AD 2100. International Review Of Mission, 93(369), 166-181. Retrived From: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=13991642&site=ehost-live

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The Holy Spirit: Book Critique

The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit

Book Critique

Bibliography Entry

MacArthur, John F. Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship. Thomas Nelson Inc, 2013.

Summary

            The book by MacArthur is very resourceful to Christians and leaders seeking to be effective in their ministries and in their personal growth in Christ. The book has three chapters, each delving in different topics, addressing the need for Christians to understand the immense power of the Holy Spirit. In the first chapter, the author states how Christians in several parts of the world have been faking their understanding of the working of the Holy Spirit.

Others use their position to swindle and steal from unsuspecting listeners using the language of generosity and faith.[1] He says prosperity is not a gospel but a heresy.[2] The author says that the Holy Spirit is already churning the Church through mighty revivals and it requires Christians to discern the times and workings of the Holy Spirit in their midst.

            In the second chapter, the author states the importance of speaking in tongues as a sign to the Israelites and as a transition to the new covenant from the old.[3] The use of tongues should be orderly and only for edification purposes and not for spiritual ecstasy. The author strongly reinstates the need to have faith in praying for the sick, whose healing should depend on the faith of their intercessors, not theirs.

The author in the third chapter brings several themes into light. First, the author highlights the dangers of counterfeiting the working of the Holy Spirit, stating that it is vital to have a true understanding of the Holy Spirit in worship. The Holy Spirit is God, whose presence in a person should result in a greater spiritual experience.

The Holy Spirit has the ability to secure a person’s salvation, but some charismatic Christians ignore this wonderful ministry of the Holy Spirit. The author states that it is important for believers to be filled continually with the Holy Spirit in order to offer effective worship to God and to be fiery in their ministries.[4]

Critique

            The works of MacArthur highlights several problems encountered in the Christian faith worldwide. The author is concerned with the low level of spirituality in the church; and how some ministers have reduced the message of salvation to personal gain. The author’s arguments on the working of the Holy Spirit resonates the need for the church to awaken and rediscover the power of revival, prayer, worship and evangelism.

I agree with the author’s analyses of several theatrics present in the church such as false tongues, false miracles, prosperity gospel, and use of the pulpit for personal gain. It is imperative for the minister to understand their call and adhere to their master’s command, the Holy Spirit, in their daily activities.

            The author has also stated how important it is to speak in tongues; genuine tongue that leads to edification of the person. This is the most abused practice in the church according to the author, and amounts to mockery of the highest order to the Spirit.

The fact that many Christians do not understand the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives in terms of His plans for their salvation also highlights the need for Christians to seek for a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit.  To sustain the great revival and to keep the Spirit fire burning, Christians will have to safeguard themselves from false doctrines and practices and lean to the pure word of God.

Evaluation

            MacArthur reinstates the perpetual need for revival in the body of Christ in his book. Since the beginning of the 19th century, the church has experienced mighty revivals by the Holy Spirit seeking to change the static nature of the church to a vibrant one. The notion of being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking in new tongues is a part of Christian experience that the mainstream churches have ignored for a long time.[5]

The Holy Spirit has immense ability to work in the current church in an even mightier state than the ancient church; something that has been plagued by the inability of the church to recognize His power and the need to yield under His authority. The Holy Spirit is a prerequisite for the successful operation of the church, which Jesus promised to send, without which we cannot be effective in ministry.[6]

            George Smeaton in his book The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit reiterates how this third personality of God has been working with humanity since the time of Enoch. The Holy Spirit is the finisher and effecter of the purposes and plans of God. However, the reason why the church has remained dormant for a long time is due to lack of understanding of the Holy Spirit and yielding to the spirit of confusion.

The church is at the edges of societal centrality due to entertainment of ungodly doctrines by ministers and congregation as well. Christians must learn to test the spirits to know which is from God in order to avoid deception.[7] God gave several people in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit in order to do specific tasks, requiring wisdom, courage, extreme strength, and skills.[8] Therefore, the infilling with the Holy Spirit is a requisite for effective spiritual experience in Christianity and realization of greater purpose. The author’s analogy of the works of the Spirit reflects the works of other authors as an imperative entity.

Works Cited

MacArthur, John F. Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship. Thomas Nelson Inc, 2013.

Smeaton, George. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2016.

Synan, Vinson. The century of the Holy Spirit: 100 years of Pentecostal and charismatic renewal, 1901-2001. Thomas Nelson Inc, 2012.

Thiselton, Anthony C. The Holy Spirit–in biblical teaching, through the centuries, and today. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2013.


[1] MacArthur. Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship. Thomas Nelson Inc, 2013. Pp. 10.

[2] Ibid, pp. 16.

[3] Ibid, pp. 143.

[4] Ibid. pp. 204

[5] Synan. The century of the Holy Spirit. 1901-2001. Thomas Nelson Inc, 2012.pp. 1

[6] Smeaton, George. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2016.pp. 60

[7] MacArthur. Strange fire. Pp. 38.

[8] Thiselton, Anthony C. The Holy Spirit–in biblical teaching, through the centuries, and today.Pp. 04

Effect of Migration on Marital Quality and Stability of Ghanaian Christian Couples in America 2021

Effect of Migration on Marital Quality
Effect of Migration on Marital Quality

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Effect of Migration on Marital Quality and Stability of Ghanaian Christian Couples in America

The Biblical Rationale :

Marriage has been given profound importance in all religions specifically in Christianity. There is substantial articulation in both Hebrew and Bible about the importance, benefits both in eternal and worldly life, and the impacts of undermining marriage. The basis of marriage is possessed by the Biblical Eden in which it is considered as a holy institution.

The religious importance of marriage can be evaluated and gauged by the fact that God presided over the first-ever marriage by offering Eve to Adam. We all are a generation of Adam and Eve and God itself has given substantial importance to marriage as can be seen in the scripture of the Bible and God adores the marriage in the Church. Therefore, there is no denying the fact that marriage has an inevitable role in strengthening Christian communities and societies.

In addition to the manifestation of the Bible about marriage, many researchers and scholars conceded the fact that marriage is the bedrock of any stable or mainstream community. “And the two will become one flesh’. This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5.31–32). Marriage is the gift of God and God considered marriage crucial not only for the individuals who are marrying but also for the evolving human societies.

The Church, therefore, rejects as false all efforts to understand marriage (and all other human relationships) independently of the call to discipleship. In Christianity, discipleship is the true following of the way of Jesus Christ

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Dynamic patterns concerning Christian Marital issues require ordinary, refreshed investigations, trying to dispose of ‘deadly’ obliviousness. Peter Brierley, cited Tidball’s perception; “…something is truly amiss with the congregation” and Riddell’s congregation is in a difficult situation and doesn’t know it”. Among these inconveniences are the expanding circumstances of Marital trouble that bargain certain Christian practices when all is said in done and the Ghanaian Adventist Christian transient couples specifically.

Even though instances of factual records abound and by and large vouch for passionate scars endured by numerous individuals with their comparing consequences for society, the pattern proceeds with unabated. It is accepted inside the Christian people group that scriptural Christianity proposes a potential enduring glad Marital relationship, where magnanimous love may connote Christian development.

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However, the truth of existing relationships including that of GACMs comes up short. While it very well might be viewed as ordinary somewhere else, with resolute non-debatable customs of exacting hierarchical (SDA) translation of Scripture in certain circles, combined with comparing African social impacts, GACMs find nearly everything amiss with troublesome relationships particularly when they end in separate.

In pretty much every culture, separate from influences more than the couples in question. While a few casualties suffer hopelessness peacefully being shy of different choices ladies, experience some friendly demonization for being separated. Thusly a few couples shroud troubles even from companions and the congregation. As such, whole networks generally have a stake and may languish some detachment over family members’ Marital pressures. Such Marital issues whether they end in partition or separation convey with them numerous casualties.

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In actuality, such a choice may affect the actual endurance of the tranquil conjunction of included networks. As a matter of first importance, this examination researches potential purposes for Marital troubles noted among Ghanaian transients explicitly GACMs in Britain which regularly make fears and doubt among couples and local area pioneers. Stories of genuine circumstances proliferate (among GACMs) of how couples’ conduct and mentalities out of nowhere change following settlement in Europe.

Subsequently, some Ghanaians lean toward a drawn-out partition and decide to leave companions in Ghana for genuine feelings of serenity. Ghanaian relationships will undoubtedly get troublesome with a high likelihood of finishing off separate. The gathering’s administration faces the real factors of assimilation and lawful limitations, combined with a misconstrued social view of their issues inside a 21st century’s non-absolute climate.

Other extra issues for the administration include: Dealing with expanding divorce rates, indefinite partition of couples while in Britain with accompanying doubts, Non-responsibility issues, for example, co-habiting believers.

Church Discipline:
For instance, some administrations face allegations of cumbersomeness with anomalies of progressively moral and opinionated contentions against their treatment of marital concerns. Argumentative and frequently begging to be proven wrong church disciplinary inconsistencies, follow co-residence, partition, separation, and remarriages consequently influencing resulting church cooperation trying to keep up chapel discipline.

Existing measurable documents imply that likely the pace of expansion in the overall Christian separation issue is in proportion to the Christian churches needed to address and contextualize the commonsense real factors of contemporary scenes in holy places today. Also, almost certainly, there are a few casualties of these Marital quandaries inside the Ghanaian social direction while kids and different casualties get cleared along by the breakdown of Ghanaian relationships.

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Implications regarding Immigrants:
The concept of marriage may vary from societies to societies but nearly all societies see marriage favorably. In the American context too, marriage is also considered as the firm bonding for societal stability but certain causes are undermining this aspect of marriage like migration. The African migrations and the immigrants coming to America are dissolving their marriage substantially which is prompting feelings of distress, depression, and anxieties in the communities.

The interaction of these migrants with natives, clash of cultural norms, and inappropriate guidance from the church leaders further intensify these types of issues. To offer a piece of good advice, Bible also articulates the examples of those immigrants who faced countless challenges at their time. For example, in Genesis 12:1, Bible manifests how God gave instructions to Abraham to leave the house of his father for that new land, which God would show to him. The other examples include Moses and Joseph, who left their native land and became migrants.

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These people were the influencers of that time and due to only one reason, they conceded the order of migration from God and that reason was the inherent trust in God.
Adoption of Culture:

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As the study aims to unveil the inherent prospects of the Ghanaian culture about the impact of migration of marriage, it is crucial to deliberate the cultural impact on the interpretation of the Bible. According to various scholars, it is crucial to consider the cultural framework while interpreting the verses of the Bible and also noted that many different cultures have different world views which have been shaped by their distinct cultures.
For the people who are migrating from their native land to another land, it is formidable for them to adopt the culture of the migrated area.

The evaluation of culture is also important to perceive the message of the Bible accurately. There is no denying the fact that God has created Bible for diverse cultures and these cultures cannot be ignored. Western culture is without a doubt among the powers that have formed the encounters and relationships of transients from sub-Saharan Africa.

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Leaving the outsiders feeling secluded and estranged is among the impacts of Western culture. For instance, Massey and Higgins discovered that unfamiliar societies affected foreigners’ confidence. They saw that devotees who were beforehand resolute in their Christian confidence practice were probably going to turn out to be less strict when they moved toward the West. They infer that “detailed church participation at spots of source and in the United States recommend that migration is a problematic occasion that estranges migrants from strict practice instead of “theologizing” them.”

Effect of Migration on Marital Quality and Stability of Ghanaian Christian Couples in America

Clifford MeesuaSibani offers a charming conversation on the progressions that travelers experience when presented to Western impacts. Travelers who move to Western nations receive Western qualities, and subsequently, they can’t assemble relationships that last. For instance, Sibani noticed that in African societies, relationships are a mutual undertaking where families and the local area become engaged with cooperating and issue harsh alerts against such indecencies as infidelity.

Effect of Migration on Marital Quality and Stability of Ghanaian Christian Couples in America

Then again, in the West, relationships are an individual matter, and the local area assumes a restricted part. At the point when they leave Africa, hitched adherents lose the advantage of connection and local areas that are profoundly instilled in African culture. It is little marvel that as Amato and James set up, the U.S. furthermore; Europe leads the world concerning divorce rates. At the point when they get comfortable in these districts, African Christian migrants are presented to a raised danger of separation.
Laws:

The laws in objective nations fundamentally sway the relationships of African transients. Across numerous African countries, polygamous relationships are perceived and cherished in the law. Then again, in the West, polygamy is unlawful, with those discovered taking part in this work on confronting weighty authorizations. The distinction in the ways to deal with polygamy among Africa and the West somewhat clarifies the ascent in separate from cases among African migrants.

For instance, as indicated by Baloyi, the breakdown in African relationships and families is the conflict between the African partiality for polygamous relationships and the Western demand that a man must be hitched to one lady at a given time. The laws overseeing divorce are likewise forming the relationships of African settlers. Tallied accused the higher commonness of separation among these foreigners in light of the fact that, in the Western nations where they settle, the laws on separate are generally careless.

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Effect of Migration on Marital Quality and Stability of Ghanaian Christian Couples in America

Financial Reliance: Effect of Migration on Marital Quality and Stability of Ghanaian Christian Couples in America

Financial reliance is another factor that seems to impact marriage and separation among African foreigners in the West. For some settlers from Africa, the quest for better financial possibilities is among the fundamental drivers of movement. Basically, the outsiders look for a getaway from the destitution and monetary difficulties that are endemic across the African landmass. Examination by researchers like Hogendoorn et al. has affirmed a relationship between monetary weakness and separation.

Basically, moderately helpless people are more defenseless and bound to encounter issues that set up for separate. A few different analysts have likewise settled that neediness is a critical danger factor for separate and Marital issues. Since they are destitute and monetarily reliant on the West, African foreigners are almost powerless as their relationships lay on the nations’ monetary strength and liberality that have them.

Another way that African migrants’ financial reliance on the West has on marriage is that the dependence forces strains and weights on settlers’ families. For instance, each year, African workers dispatch tremendous entireties back to their nations of origin. While these settlements help to construct African economies, it is sensible to assume that they leave the workers monetarily depleted.

It is for sure conceivable that as they send cash home, the settlers are left with scarcely enough for their food. The monetary troubles that they face could trigger marital issues that finish in separate. Research demonstrates that monetary difficulties are among the indicators of separation. Accordingly, their families and networks’ financial reliance on African settlers causes pressure and can contribute to divorce cases.

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However, different analysts have inspected marriage and separation rates among African workers living in the West, some evident holes underscore the significance of the task. For instance, while some research has investigated outsiders’ encounters from Africa, Ghanaians have not gotten a lot of consideration. Existing research is fairly broad and doesn’t offer explicit bits of knowledge into the encounters of Ghanaian foreigners. Auxiliary, scientists will in general zero in on effect of movement on separate without the fundamental treatment of components of conjugal quality or avoidance of separation.

Consequently, zeroing in on marriage quality this research fits a hole on avoidance. Thirdly, there isn’t surviving writing or research that arranges the issue inside Christian experience. Generally, the current writing examines the causes and effects of migration status on African foreigners’ relationships. By creating explicit mediations that the settlers can embrace, the current undertaking will expand the research scope.

Effect of Migration on Marital Quality and Stability of Ghanaian Christian Couples in America

References:
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Chattopadhyay, A., White, M. J., & Debpuur, C. (2006). Migrant fertility in Ghana: Selection versus adaptation and disruption as causal mechanisms. Population studies, 60(2), 189-203.

Falen, D. J. (2008). Polygyny and Christian marriage in Africa: The case of Benin. African studies review, 51-74.

Charsley, K., Storer‐Church, B., Benson, M., & Van Hear, N. (2012). Marriage‐related migration to the UK. International Migration Review, 46(4), 861-890.

Familusi, OlumuyiwaOlusesan. “Till Circumstances do us Part: A Socio-Ethical Analysis of Divorce among Christians in Nigeria.”Global Journal of Human-Social Science: A Arts & Humanities-Psychology 19.5 (2019), 23-32.

Fenske, James. “African polygamy: past and present.”Journal of Development Economics 117 (2015), 58-73.

Fielder, Klaus. “For the sake of Christian marriage, abolish church weddings.”ERT, 41.4 (2017), 355-68.

Flahaux, Marie-Laurence and de Haas, Hein. “African migration: trends, patterns, drivers.”Comparative Migration Studies 4.1(2016), 1-25.

Garland, David E. Reading Matthew: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the First Gospel. Macon, GA: Smyth &Helwys Publishing, 2001.

“Ghana.”Migration Policy Institute. 2020.

Gonzalez-Garcia, Jesus, Hitaj, Ermal, Mlachila, Montfort, Viseth, Arina and Yenice, Mustafa. Sub-Saharan African migration. Patterns and spillover”, International Monetary Fund; 2016,

Effect of Migration on Marital Quality and Stability of Ghanaian Christian Couples in America

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Effect of Migration on Marital Quality