The Call and Engaging God’s World by Cornelius Plantinga are Treasures

The voice of vocation is mostly discerned through the heart; therefore, one must consciously be aware of the matters that occupy the heart. In John Neafsey’s “A Sacred Voice Is Calling,” Neafsey asserts “The voice of vocation is the voice of God” (Neafsey, 6). By hearing the voice of God, we’re able to reach the destiny God predestined us for in life and especially in our vocations. In order to hear the voice of God, you have to be able to discern between the many voices you hear every day, the voice of your conscience, and God’s voice. You do so by: consistently managing the matters of the heart- monitoring what you allow to physically and mentally enter into your heart, learning to discern between those things by familiarizing yourself with

        The poem The Calling written by Luis J. Rodriguez is about the speaker describing how he has possibly lived with a mental illness while he spent some time of his life alone in his home. In the first stanza, he mentions how he whittled away his youth in jail cells which could resemble that his house is a jail cell and he’s trapped. While he was locked up in his room, he had possibly thought about what has happened in his life and it has brought some sense to him. The speaker in the poem used repetition when he repeats the same word barrio in the poem. The tone of this poem may be gloomy and mournful, but towards the fifth through eighth stanza the tone seems to lighten up when he mentions escaping

This chapter differentiates God’s presence and God being ever present. God is always present in your lives; however, we have to “tap into” His presence. He knows all and see’s all that we do, therefore, if we are in sin or about to commit a sin he is right there with us brooding over us just like a mother hen over her children.

Within many known religions, the devotional practices has been known to acquire great importance. The essence of practicing what you preach has scolded many religious groups, introducing true beliefs, righteousness, and a wider connection to the supreme being . In the book entitled “ Living religions” by Mary Pat Fisher, clarified and firm descriptions were introduced about religious rituals. Surprisingly; the author utilized small parts of modern concepts, limiting the reader from a full comprehension of religious practices today, therefore; I will only discuss the basic and traditional rituals. To elaborate; in this paper, I will be providing an opinionated but also, comparative description of the major practices and rituals that undergo in both the Abrahamic and indigenous religions.

Award-winning journalist, Lee Strobel wrote The Case for Christ to retrace and enlarge his journey toward becoming a Christian. Strobel once atheist, and now Christian, shares how he began to look upon the Bible and God. As an atheist, Strobel lived the life of selfishness and only worried to please himself. When his wife began to go to church he wasn’t very pleased until after he saw the positive and attractive change in her. This is the start of his curiosity and investigation about Christianity. He wanted to understand what changed her like this. He wanted to relate with his wife so he decided to study about this and attend church services with her. Strobel began his journey and interviewed thirteen leading scholars who defended their views concerning the historical reliability of the New Testament. Strobel splits the case for Christ into three basic sections: Examining the Record, Analyzing Jesus, and Researching the Resurrection.

Since I was fifteen I have always been drawn to answering important questions, engaging in meaningful discussions, and touching lives in intentional and personal ways. My favourite thing to do is disciple; engage in authentic conversations about life, relationships, and Jesus through a mixture of counseling, mentoring, and teaching. I have been intrigued by philosophy and theology since high school. Since then I did my undergraduate degree at Summit Pacific College, close to where I live so that I could help my family build our new house, while preparing to impact my world for Christ. At Summit, I earned a BA in Religion, with a major in Biblical Theology. In this major I took exegetical coursework, first year Hebrew and Greek, and was prepared for Graduate studies with a thesis course.

Jane Austen once said, “My style of writing is very different from yours, ” which reveals how every writer uses different writing styles in order to express their individual intended messages. Writers use numerous stylistic techniques to communicate a particular message to their audience. Jonathan Edward’s Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, especially, is a powerful and strong example of a writing piece with stylistic techniques that enhances the intended message. Jonathan Edwards first delivered this writing piece in Enfield, Connecticut in 1741. During the time he wrote this sermon, an event called the Great Awakening had sparked, which was a series of religious revivals. Edwards played a major and important role in the Great Awakening

While reading Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God, by Jonathan Edwards I came across some points that caught my attention. This story is based on how a pastor tries to persuade his congregation from the sins and make them to be fearful of the divine wrath, of God. I personally can relate to this story because of my religion. I am Pentecostal and I can see why Edwards would use such words towards his congregation so that they won’t perish and go to hell. My Pastor uses similar approaches like this when she preaches. In “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Edwards uses frightening words and religious metaphors to divert people from the congregation from the sins and condemning them to hell if they provoke the wrath of God and to establish that everyone should be fearful of him.

Especially in a dry season, it was refreshing to take a step back and see the faithfulness of the Lord. I was challenged, when I was reading that Wilkerson sold his television set and began spending those two hours in prayer instead, to increase my prayer life as well. I was challenged, when I was reading that the students began thanking and praising God in the chapel for providing the $15,000 that they needed that afternoon even though they had not received the money, to praise God in my life even when things may not make sense. This book challenged my mindset of reaching the lost because I tend to avoid people that struggle with drug addiction, violence and gang activity instead of having a deep desire to point them to

If I were to sum up what I have learned from this course it would be focused on Faith and a new understanding of the Bible. Faith is not just part of religion but every aspect of our everyday lives, and is fascinatingly carried through the Bible from the beginning to the end. It began with the Creation, and continued throughout the Fall, Redemption, and Consummation of Christ. It is the foundation of the Christian perspective and what leads God’s people to salvation and good works. Our modern world is so corrosive to faith that Jesus Christ asked, "When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8). He is there to give his people the gift of faith and to help them to grow in living faith that will last forever.

This semester has been a revelation for me in my spiritual walk and building relationships with others. I have taken what I have learned in this class to bless others and encourage them that they can make it because God loves them. During the times of witnessing and servant hood, I have found so, many people that just want someone to listen and love them. My perception of people has changed because now I feel that I am more compassionate now, sensitive to the needs of others, humble, loving, and willing to be servant.

Rick Joyner’s, “There Were Two Trees in The Garden” is an extraordinary book that focuses on developing a Spirit-guided foundation in Christ. Many believers in today’s society are unaware of how to overcome temptations and addictions of the flesh. In order to overcome or win a fight there has to be an accurate understanding of the enemy that is attacking. Joyner exemplifies how from the beginning of creation humanity had the volition given by God. Man the ability to choose to not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, this applies to all on a daily basis. Everyday we have the option to be connected to the Tree of Life or the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The root of our inability to overcome identity issues, fears, and having a clear understanding of the works of the Holy Spirit and the flesh is process we walk every day. We must be united in the Spirit to see the purpose of our lives when we abide in Jesus. As Joyner explains, “…but there is a truth that kills and there is the Truth who gives life-and we must learn to distinguish between them” (Joyner 57). When we are able to work abide in Him we can connect to the God-given purpose for our life, we can walk in leadership positions that are based on Jesus. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is our selfishness, pride, fear, rejection, and many works of the flesh. However, when we decided not to abide in this tree, we walk in freedom through the Holy Spirit. Rick Joyner clarifies the

In this text, Hungry for Worship, authors Frank Page and L. Gray write about the hunger for worshipping God that all leaders should possess. In chapter 1, both authors begin the text with the concept of how the body has fallen in love with the method of worship and not the actual act of being in the Presence of God. They

This course has had a great impact on my walk with Christ as well as my witness for Christ. I pastor a church and teach two classes and for me I thought that I was doing plenty. However this course has helped rekindle my passion for sharing Jesus Christ with people through personal evangelism. This paper will demonstrate what I have learned throughout this course.

In examining my experience during the recent Cohort Intensives held at Payne Theological Seminary (PTS) in Wilberforce, Ohio; I was quite intrigued with how all of the scholars and guest speakers reinforced many of the initiatives I have already implemented in the context of my own ministry. Likewise, my time spent in class with my Cohort mentors Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie and Rev. Dr. Kenneth S. Robinson was both scholastically and spiritually invaluable. During the week-long Intensive class sessions with my mentors, I learned a number of new things about myself that I was not previously willing to address. In short, I had a moment of self-actualization that required some personal omissions on my part regarding my faith and yes some internalized oppression as labeled by author Gayraud S. Wilmore. Opening up in class and admitting a few of my own short-comings was nothing short of liberating. Suddenly, I felt as though I had an epiphany; that has given birth to a renewed zeal, mind, and spirit. For the first time in years I am certain that I am now moving closer to the apex of excellence where God intended me to be.