Evangelism is a concept that is metaphorical to planting crops, herding, and taking individuals out of the darkness, as proposed by various disciples and prophets. Jesus taught his disciples and followers about the benefits of preparing for a good harvest using the parable of the sower. Mark 4:120 suggests that the gospel is like grass in the field or crops on a farm and can only come from seeds. Thus, evangelism is portrayed as messy work which involves hard labor and getting ones hands dirty, as reflected in the harvesting principles.
McRaney states in his books introduction that his ultimate purpose is to blow off the dust covering biblical essentials of personal evangelism and assist his readers to connect with the eternal message, asserting that God means nothing and everything. Subsequently, his purpose reflects the harvest principles because he perceives a lack of understanding as dust that requires blowing off to enable people to connect deeper with the gospel. Similarly, the harvest principles suggest that the work of an evangelist in leading people towards the light is not for those seeking to become pure since the task is comparable to yard work, involving planting seeds, supplying the plants with water, weeding, and waiting for the harvest.
Evangelism is like spiritual warfare because the forces of Satan are always fighting Gods people. The article by Dr. Earley also points out that Satan constantly fills the mind of believers and unbelievers with negative thoughts and emotions that make it difficult to comply with the ways of Christ. For example, I remember having a hard time during my conversion because I was not sure whether I was up to the task of unwavering service for the rest of my life. However, through prayer, I was able to lift the burden of doubts.
The Holy Spirit provides gifts to believers and seals their redemption for eternity. Moreover, the Holy Spirit is our only guide to true salvation as it provides the weapons to fight forces that go against Gods will. As a result, it is crucial to unify peoples hearts and thoughts through evangelism. McRaney also sheds light on the role of evangelists in spreading the word of God in his second chapter. According to the author, prayer and the Holy Spirit can allow evangelists to help people get rid of beliefs and misconceptions about the Gospel. Therefore, focusing on prayer is an obligation that elevates evangelists.
I commend my classmate for taking the time to contribute to this discussion. Indeed, the dirty work of evangelism is also comparable to dining with sinners because a true evangelist should never be scared of the presence of satanic forces. After all, it is their role to drive out these forces and ensure that people walk in the path of God. As a result, evangelists should always brace themselves because they can end up in awkward scenarios in an attempt to spread the word of God. However, understanding the tenets of the harvesting principles can put an individual in the right mindset to tackle any issues that might come up. Nonetheless, it is advisable to always keep prayer first because it is only through prayer and communion with the Holy Spirit that one gets the weapons and power to fight evil forces.
Many individuals have peculiar experiences with conversion because people come from different backgrounds. Individuals coming from non-Christian backgrounds often have the hardest time because their decisions are always unwelcome by family members and their community. However, it is crucial to take heart and immerse ones self into prayer since it can alleviate negative thoughts. Evangelism is a responsibility that resembles a heated battlefield. Therefore, it is difficult to advance and encourage others to forego their perceptions without patience and the will to strive. Therefore, getting ready to get ones hands dirty and unifying with the Holy Spirit through prayer can help evangelists break down all barriers that prevent them from spreading the word.
I appreciate my classmates contribution because it is straight to the point and reasonable. The parable of the sower is a perfect example of a teaching suggesting that the work of evangelism is tough and requires an individual to get his hands dirty to achieve its ultimate purpose. One of the most difficult tasks an evangelist can have is delivering the gospel to a group of individuals who are unfamiliar with the Christian faith. For example, spreading the word to a group of Hindu or Muslim individuals can come with unprecedented challenges and is more complicated than preaching to non-believers with a Christian background, thus inflicting doubt in the hearts of evangelists. However, that is what the gospel entails as it presents a test of faith.
Conversion often comes as a burden to some individuals because the heart of man is weak. Although many people strive to observe Gods ways, it is understandable to become tempted. Nonetheless, prayer is a tool designed to offset such limitations and barriers that keep us far from God. In other words, individuals will always face temptations and backslide once in a while. However, confessing and praying for salvation can take away the weight of sin and allow evangelists to spread the gospel to all corners of the earth. Since evangelism and belief in Christ is spiritual warfare, it is essential to always be in the right mindset to judge right from wrong and choose a direction that resonates with what God wants for his people.
Bibliography
Earley Dave, Praying Prodigals Home, in Everyday Evangelism: Sharing the Christian Faith. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2010.
Trimm, Cindy. Rules Of Engagement: The Art of Strategic Prayer and Spiritual Warfare. Charisma Media, 2010.
Will McRaney. The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2003.
Kwame Anthony Appiah is the writer of the article entitled The Case for Contamination. In this article, he discusses ethical concerns and cultural diversity, referring to them as a single matter that requires reviewing and expounded discussion as well as globalization. Diversity of cultural practices from different backgrounds explains the reasons for our differences, where Kwame strongly believes that there must be a commonality despite the differences in all of us.
One of the commonalities is that in those diverse cultural activities, we all have customs and traditions that we observe. Kwame views that globalization dimensions are all meant to eliminate homogeneity, thus upholding individuality. Ethical considerations are important by the fact that they promote decency in all societies. In his analyses, he challenges different types of religions in their failure to promote commonalities, but instead, they promote differences where many people lose their lives.
To start with, he first addresses religion as a means of bringing universalism without encouraging any tolerance. This, however, led to murder, for instance, in the case of bloodshed, which happened in four decades during the French wars, which involved religions (Appiah 4). In the outcomes of these wars, Protestants were granted freedom to put into practice their beliefs in reverence to their faith.
Unlike cosmopolitanism on the ideology of shared morality, religions in this case exhibit differences even though they are meant to teach about morals; thus, people resulted in the loss of their lives in the fight for their different morals rights. Kwame further explains more deaths caused by religious differences. There were differences between Protestants and Catholics, which occurred in Europe in 1648. Out of their struggles where each side wanted to take the lead, many Germans lost their lives in the battle.
He continues to illustrate how religion has failed in promoting good relationships on commonalities of morals; thus, people suffer as a result of this. In this, he explains how armies starved, and many died as a result of various diseases that they contracted as they were roaming in the countryside. The best which is achieved in religious differences is death, where he continually illustrates that the conflict war which occurred from 1639to 1651 in the British Isles resulted in approximately 10% of the entire population losing the lives. This war was between the catholic king and the protestant armies. The inability of one religion to tolerate another brings about a distinction on cosmopolitan.
Kwame puts into consideration different religions such that there are some which promote tolerance, but at the same time, they fail to exhibit the values of cosmopolitan. He, therefore, gives an example of Islamic religion, which tolerates some aspects such as; one has the freedom to eat any kind of meat as long as it is halal where he can choose between different types of meat. Cosmopolitans however, distinguish itself from the Islamic religion in that it may not show some tolerance where it might call for intervention, especially when there is a violation of certain principles at a greater perspective contrary to Islamic tolerance. The cosmopolitans also put into more considerations of the morals, and where there is an error, then they put some limits in their tolerance act.
Cosmopolitans like Kwame and others believe in the existence of universal truth as well as the neo-fundamentalists. Cosmopolitans, however, have some uncertainty whether they have achieved all universal truth. By this does not mean they do not believe in truth, but they acknowledge the difficulty of getting the whole truth. They, however, believe that all people are important and they all matter, thus helping them to limits the extent of their tolerance. Apart from the tolerance and the truth, which helps the cosmopolitans to limit the level of tolerance, pluralism is another distinguishing feature that the likes of Kwame put into considerations. A worth living involves many valuables, but it is hard to practice them all, thus acknowledging the differences found on people.
In the continual discussion, he describes the neo-fundamentalism conception as a distinguishing feature more so found in different religions. In this there some religions believe in variations, but they do it only in things that do not matter a lot. In Christian faith, they only believe just in one way that is worth living for and right while putting into considerations all the differences focusing on just one way. There are, however, some individuals like Marxists who were in the business of doing away with all the religions in the name of promoting universal humanity even though this attempt remained just as a vision; the kind of Marxist and Kwame share a common mirror of disregarding religion.
All non-cosmopolitans, especially those that belong to specific religions, are always in the plan of promoting universality as though it is a good thing, but failure to join their religions as their desires the make people suffer. One is only left with one option of joining that specific religion. Kwame illustrates how religions do this by giving an example of the urging call used by Osama in 2002 as a way to persuade Americans into the Islamic faith. Appiah criticizes religion as a one that is not ready for changes that happen within the course of traditions. In this, he gives an example of Christianity, in which its new Pentecostal messengers are in the business of challenging the older Christianity into the change where not all who is for it (Appiah 1).
Liberal pluralism is another aspect that Appiah dislikes on religion. He presents some religion as being hostile to the dictatorial conduct of life. In this, some religions seem to deny freedom to their believers. There are international movements that are busy in the attempts of promoting equality, especially to the women who, for a long time, have been denied some freedom that is given to men.
In this, he points out at Muslims who are against the behaviors depicted by men as well as the western women. In the Western culture, females are allowed to swim nearly being naked with odd males where Muslims, in this case, condemn these acts as a way of promoting modesty among Muslims more so to the women, thus reducing any temptations to Muslim men (Appiah 4).
In my opinion, I tend to differ with Appiah on his representation of religion in his argument. In my view, religion plays a great role in informing someones worldview. All my basic morals that are my guiding principles up to now I received them from Sunday school teachings on Christianity. I am not campaigning for Christianity, but I know all religions to be it be Islamic, Buddhism all have at least a common goal of teaching good morals and on how to relate well with others.
All religions have a basic thought. For instance, in Christianity, it is always necessary to show concern and care for others up to a reasonable level. I see no problem with the Islamic faith when it is in the business of promoting modesty, especially to the women who belong to their faith. I cannot, however, deny that there were conflicts, battles, and blood-shedding that happened for the birth of my religion, where Appiah emphasized to illustrate his dissatisfaction with religions, but I appreciate the good fruits achieved from those battles. Basing on the same, I do not, however, advocate on violating human rights by whichever means while fighting for any religion. In fact, it should act as a guideline in the promotion of those rights.
Finally, I acknowledge that there should be equity, which encourages fairness in all outcomes even though I accept that equality might be hard to achieve where there is identical treatment either between men and women. We all have different qualities. I strongly believe that the religion that each individual belong to is supposed to be the morality source and all the knowledge about metaphysic.
If one believes that the Buddhist claims hold a lot of truth, then its worldview should be the one to guide someone, the same case with Christianity, Islamic, and other religions. We are all supposed to subject to our faith, whereas encouraging many reflections, thus doing the analysis of the same while at the same time encouraging criticism like this of Appiah.
No one can, however, boost on having the best epistemological structure to decide on which is the best worldview with respect to religion; therefore, it is important to appreciate other views that are different from your own even though we may never be in one agreement. This understanding of other views can only be achieved in the promotion of healthy conversations among the different religions or else, between religious and non-religious groups.
Works Cited
Appiah, Kwame Anthony. The Case for Contamination. The New York Times. 2006: 1-6.
Salvation is one of the best ways to acquire peaceful life, and it can only be achieved when everybody gets out to spread evangelism. In evangelism, every person can share the good news. The gospel can be spread in different ways, such as singing and preaching, but the best way is through community service, which involves helping the needy. God welcomes all sinners and religions to seek his salvation; he focuses on the willingness to serve him.
Abstract
In Evangelism Is&: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence, Earley & Wheeler advocates that there is no precise blueprint for becoming a superhero, but some key ingredients are there. One of the most important things is to have a heart for justice and a desire to help those who are hurting. Superheroes do not always get the credit they deserve and often have to operate in the shadows. This can be frustrating at times, but it is important to remember that they are doing it for the greater good. Finally, gaining superpowers is all about spreading evangelism starting from the family level and then to the world.
Parents can contribute to the spread of evangelism by consistently creating time to teach their children about Christ for them to stick in him even during adulthood. It is not the role of the church to win the childs spirituality, but the parents role. God cares about the heart and nothing more; as long as someone is willing to serve and convert souls to Christ, he will work through the person. However great may somebody be in the society, when they start serving the Lord, they become the greatest. It does not matter what a person used to be; Ergun states that he used to persecute Christians just like Paul before knowing Christ.
It is not a question of which religion; if a person makes a turn to follow Christ, then he or she will be delivered. In some situations, the family salvation comes when one of the family members decides to follow Christ. Visiting and helping the vulnerable is one of the best ways to change souls to Christ. There are many ways to do this, but some of the most effective include volunteering at feeding centers and crisis pregnancy centers.
Concrete Response
I personally enjoyed reading chapters 36-40 of the book; it is an eye-opener to evangelism. The book triggered the memories of childhood when poverty took charge of my life. When I was younger, I believed that we were poor and unworthy of serving the Lord. I would regularly hear my mother telling my father, We will not attend the service due to lack of church development fund and tithe; the church is for the rich. I missed out on church services and other opportunities to learn about God because I did not want to be embarrassed by not being able to tithe. But at one point, I came across one of Christs teaching that completely changed my school of thinking in the book Luke 18:9-14. In the story, a Pharisee and a Tax Collector go to the Temple to pray. The Pharisee prays loudly and proudly, thanking God that he is not like other people: he does not steal, cheat, or sin. The Tax Collector stands at a distance and begs for Gods forgiveness, admitting that he is a sinner.
Jesus told his disciples that it is the humble Tax Collector who will be exalted by God and not the proud Pharisee. I felt the same and became motivated to pay the little that I had to the church. When I started serving the Lord, miracles started happening in my life. I came across 2 Corinthians 12:9 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. This verse taught me that it is right to have weaknesses because Christs power can rest on us through those weaknesses. In reading the book, my trekking video memories rolled down; I crossed rivers to school and church, which were then dangerous for my age.
Reflection
The question bothering me the most is why the author would use less popular individuals like Nell Kerley while addressing humanity and evangelism without mentioning or instead of Mother Teresa. Overall, Earley & Wheeler have done wonderful work in discussing evangelism. Understanding the book could have been easier and more powerful if Mother Teresa had been used in the text since she is well known for charity than Nell Kerley. However, she was also criticized for her lack of theological education, spiritual zeal, and rigorous approach to helping the needy. Another question is why the authors could not use many individuals from different religions and sin other than Ergun Caner, the Muslim who changed from his evil actions of persecuting Christians. Representing Buddhists or Hindus conversion could have made Christianity a more welcoming religion. The authors would have introduced a chronic sinner, such as an adulterer, to demonstrate that no sin or sinner is bigger than salvation.
Despite her weaknesses, Mother Teresa was used by God to bring people to Christ. Her selfless love and compassion inspired others to follow Jesus Christ and gave them hope in a world filled with darkness. In the end, it is not what people do that matters most, but how they do it. Through Mother Teresas example, it is clear that God can use anyone, even those who are flawed, to do great things in His name. It is easier for people to learn from the people they already know than the strange names they are hearing for the first time, like Nell Kerley.
Action
After reading the book, there are several action steps that I will make in my life and ministry. First, I will start by surveying my community to see where the need for evangelism is greatest. Secondly, I will motivate individuals from different professions, social classes, and ages to spread evangelism. Thirdly, I will find an orphanage home and get involved in Christian community service. Regarding surveillance to identify the areas that need evangelism within my community, I would develop a strategy tailored to meet the specific needs of that community. It is important to remember that not everyone responds to evangelism in the same way. Some people might be more receptive to educational programs, while others might be more likely to respond to emotional appeals; therefore, it will be important to tailor my approach accordingly.
Ultimately, it will be about meeting people where they are and showing them the love of Christ. I will not be forcing my beliefs on them or trying to manipulate them into joining my religion. Similarly, I will spread evangelism by visiting people who are suffering, like those in hospitals, orphans, the bereaved, or those who have suffered a natural disaster. Christ came to serve and heal the brokenhearted, and the evangelists are called to do the same. I will bring hope and comfort to those who are grieving and remind them of Gods love for them.
In order to spread the message of Christianity and evangelism effectively, I will need to appeal to everyone. This means finding ways to motivate individuals from different professions, social classes, and ages. Firstly, I will need to remember that everyone is searching for meaning and purpose in their lives. By sharing my own testimony of how Christ has changed my life for the better, through this, I will show others that there is more to life than what the world offers. Additionally, I will try to relate the message of Christianity to people of a given age, profession, and social class.
This will work because people in the same group, professionally, age, and social class, are likely to listen and subscribe to their members ideology. Everybody can spread the word of God regardless of their profession or status in society. This will be the emulation of some of the people in the book, such as Don Baskin, Harold Rehorn, Rick Wheeler, Ergun Caner, and Nell Kerley. Some of them were coaches, middle school teachers, and Christian persecutors, while others were sick, poor, and old but perfectly spread evangelism. Additionally, participating in a charity project is a great way to bonding with others and develop friendships. In the hospital, I will be visiting the sick during lunchtime, giving them food, and offering the bible copies as an evangelist.
These deeper relationships will provide opportunities for me to have spiritual conversations and invite people to church. When it comes to spreading evangelism, it is all about being authentic and plugged into a supportive community. When we help the needy to get comfortable, they stand a chance to listen and accept Gods message. As an evangelist, I will visit different schools to donate food to orphans and sanitary pads to girls in need. This visitation will help them to have a peaceful heart and mind to study and similarly listen to the word of God.
Bibliography
Cremata, Radio. Evangelism in Modern Band. Journal of Popular Music Education 5, no. 3 (2021): 359-374.
Dave Earley & David Wheele: Evangelism Is&: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence, Chapter 36- 40.
Kelsey Bucklin, Lydia. Book Review: Patricia M. Lyons, What is Evangelism? A Little Book of Guidance. (2021): 81-82.
Kwoka-Coleman, Michaela Rose-Louise. Called, not Qualified an Instagram Analysis of Evangelical NGOs in Uganda. (2021).
Pipes, Jerry, and Victor Lee. Family to Family: Families Making a Difference. North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 2018.
Wheeler, David. Building A Great Commission Home and Family. Video, n.d.
Martin Luther was born on November 10th, 1483 in today east Germany (Reilly 402). He was a professor, pastor, and church reformer. He valued theology based on Jesus Christs works on earth instead of focusing on human works. Lutheran foundations can be traced even to present-day Christians, especially the Protestants. This is a considerable amount of time to sustain a religion given that Luther himself began the Protestant Reformation on October 31, 1517 (Reilly 421). During his lifetime, Luther constantly attacked the Churchs sale of indulgences.
According to Luther, the law and the gospel are the two channels through which God communicates to us. However, it should be noted that these are two different entities. He goes further to distinguish the two, in that; the law prevails in humanity in form of Gods commandments. These commandments promote the existence and survival of mankind by limiting humanitys evil and conflict. Luther further elaborates that the human conscience is in place to check if an individual has indeed followed the law. The law convicts mankind of their sins and in the process driving them to the gospel.
As the law limits humanitys actions and evil, it is not Gods guaranteed way of salvation. According to his teachings, humanity achieves salvation through the gospel of Jesus Christ, which he describes as the Good News (Reilly 434). In this article, it is clear that the gospel, which Luther authored, is a gift to the sinner, and once the gift was received salvation was realized.
The gift is received through faith and it is righteous. Luther noted that many people could not totally differentiate between the law and the gospel and therefore spent a lot of time understanding the notion that the law is not Gods guaranteed way of salvation.
Luther will remain historically as one of the most influential servants of God whose ideas and gospel teachings changed the world in a great way (Reilly 431). He among other things led the Protestant Reformation which involved reforming the Catholic Church which was allegedly perceived to be corrupt from the highest hierarchy starting from the pope. Luther considered himself as the reformer of the Catholic Church, although he was just a simple monk. This did not deter him from his quest and in the end; his forces divided Christianity into two. That split is what led to the formation of Protestantism. However, it should also be noted that over four centuries, the Protestantism entity separated into several churches.
In a letter written to the Pope headed On the Freedom of the Christian Luther tried to explain the substance of his arguments (Morison 145). Drastically, as many viewed it, Luther was excommunicated from the church in 1521 (Morison 149). Having been excommunicated, his attempts to reform the church changed to be a project that involved forming an independent church far from the Catholic church. The ideological center of Lutherans thinking was based on the concept of the freedom of the Christians (Morison 167). The freedom or liberation that Luther inferred involved liberating people from false beliefs, authoritarianism, and false religion.
Similarly, the concept of freedom was largely transferred to an individual, political and economic freedom.
Roger Williams
Roger Williams was the founder of the American colony of Providence, Rhode Island, and the co-founder of the first Baptist Church in America (Reilly 502). Williams was born in London and got his education at the Charterhouse school and in Cambridge as well. Williams is considered as the first American advocate to campaign for religious tolerance and the separation of church from state.
His separation ideology asserted that civil authorities such as magistrates had no power of setting up church hierarchical structures such as the church government, election of church officials or undertakes church censures. In his views, their role was only to check that the church performs its duties as provided. Similarly, the church has no power interfering in civil activities such as divorce, punishment, and persecution.
According to him, the Christian entirely must shape the church before Christs second coming. In his perspective, spiritual purity is rare which led to his conclusion that redemption will only occur upon Christs second coming because mankind was deeply in sin. Given the worlds unredeemable state, the duty of Christians was to preserve themselves at all costs from the worlds evils. This dynamic view placed Williams at odds with other religions whose ideas on redemption were different.
Throughout his life, Williams advocated for the tolerance of all denominations including Catholicism and even Anti-Christian worships such as Paganism. According to Williams, Christianity is not whole without a separate state authority which must not infringe the liberty of the conscience. The conscience, according to Williams is a God-given right that should not be infringed upon. Roger Williams emphasized on the judgment of the conscience and its moral role in the lives of mankind.
Thus, the key concept of Williams religion was tolerance which he relentlessly advocated through the teachings of the bible. According to Williams, God solely must judge and not the duty of fellow human beings. Without tolerance of other peoples shortcomings, all mankind is expected to suffer in the end. In this article, he notes the parable of the tares where weeds and the wheat are seen to co-exist. In this case, the weeds symbolize the heretics whereas the wheat depicts the believers. If the weeds are to be destroyed, it should be done orderly so that in the process the wheat is not also destroyed.
According to Williams, bad civil governments have been historically known to abuse religious power. From the times of the Old Testament, he noted that kings and leaders were oppressive which we can see in the example of King Nebuchadnezzar who forced everyone to worship State idols. It is in Williams view that the civil State is bound by laws to take off that bond and yoke of soul oppression and to proclaim free and impartial liberty for all people some similarities can be noted between Martin Luther and Roger Williams ideologies as based on their dynamism and the need to transform the relationship that existed between religion and the State.
As Martin Luther led The Reformation, which was an attempt to reform the Catholic Church, Roger Williams separated himself from the Anglican Church which he accused of Spiritual corruption (Reilly 526). It can be seen that both of these leaders were selflessly fighting and reforming the church in which they were members. In the end, both of them emerged as reformers of the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church respectively, despite the challenges that they faced.
According to Luther, humanity achieves salvation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which he also describes as the Good News. On the contrary, Roger Williams believed that all mankind was evil and that salvation could only be realized during Christs second coming. Because of these conspicuous differences in their ideologies on salvation, Luther terms salvation as a gift to humanity which can be willingly received only by faith. Rogerss ideology however is different as it has hope in the coming of the Christ for salvation.
As Williams advocated for the tolerance of all denominations including Catholicism and even Anti-Christian worships such as Paganism, Martin Luther had sharply objected to any of them citing allegations of hierarchical corruption. This in the end gave rise to Protestantism, which Rogers was a part of. His ideology emphasized tolerance rather than revolt.
For clarity, Williams defined the roles of the church and the roles of the State to avoid any possible conflict. These roles were limited to the domain of each entity for all Christians and civil governments that followed. This framework became a guide to society; on the other hand, Martin Luthers ideology on the roles of mankind was based on the Lords law that is his commandments.
Works cited
Reilly, K. Worlds of History, Volume Two: Since 1400: A Comparative Reader. Washington: Bedford Press. 2010. Print.
Morison, S. Oxford History of the American People. New York: Oxford University Press. 1965. Print.
The book Milk: A Local and Global History, written by Valenza, offers a unique outlook on human development through the history of milk. Being a part of many discussions in cultural, religious, and scientific contexts, milk had remained a product of high value for many centuries, appearing in works of philosophers, priests, and travelers. The history of milks production, use, and portrayal reveals many fascinating statements about animals and humans, gender roles, and the perception of life and reproduction. The history of religious movements is especially intriguing as the depiction of milk in most ancient religious beliefs had a sacral position. In this case, this fluid was not viewed as a product of consumption but as a source of vitality and immense physical and mental strength (Valenze, 2011). The examples of using milk as a symbol for life creation could be found in the mythologies of Hindu, Mediterranean, Greek, and even European cultures.
History of Milk in Culture
The purpose of milk in different religions followed a similar pattern. Milk represented human life, as it nourished and maintained the health of people and animals. Moreover, milk was a source of knowledge both of the material world and the world of god. In some religions, its sacred purpose was to deliver the word of god to those who are worthy. Finally, the portrayal of milk in religious movements where it was equated with physical strength granted to warriors and people in need can also be found in many cultures. The history of milk in religion shows these symbolic connections and reveals its sacred nature.
The first type of representation of milk deals with its ability to give and maintain ones life. This description of both animal and human milk can be found in many ancient religions of the world. For example, Valenze (2011) starts describing the presence of milk in ancient faiths with a legend The Churning of the Primordial Ocean of Milk, in which milk brought life to the universe and also became a source of all existing things the sun, the moon, and the stars (p. 13). The connection between milk and life creation is not surprising as mammals, including humans, have to breastfeed their offspring at the beginning of their lives. Thus, the legends of milk being a source of vitality spread across other elements of the world, resulting in oceans of milk being used as a symbol and as the main world-making substance. The similarity of the noun milk and the verb to make is, therefore, not incidental as well (Valenze, 2011).
The differences in religious depictions of milk being either plentiful or scarce had the same purpose of it making it the ingredient for ones survival. While the production of milk in ancient societies was not developed to offer this substance as a common beverage, the legends about its abundance remained a part of many cultures. For example, the mythology of the North is based on a sacred cow that is responsible for feeding human ancestors (Valenze, 2011, p. 14). Here, the cow and its milk are the sources of life for every human and the symbol of universal motherhood. The faith of the western Africa peoples also notes the importance of milk and even state that its one single drop created the whole world (Valenze, 2011). Again, the use of milk in these legends is directly connected to the process of feeding infants. By using milk as a source of all living things, these religions reveal their system of values deeply rooted in the respect for motherhood and the feminine nature of nurture and life sustainment.
The power of milk, however, was not limited to the process of creating and sustaining lives. Some religions also believed that this substance could grant immortality to people. For instance, Roman myths portrayed their goddesses as having milk with divine properties. According to one legend, the milk of Juno scattered across the sky, creating stars, and poured down on the earth, giving seed to white lilies (Valenze, 2011). Hercules who sucked this milk was granted immortality and inhuman strength as well. The milk from non-human species could also be a source of energy, as was believed by the Eastern cultures. Here, the author presents an example of Genghis Khan and his Mongolian army, who, according to diplomats reports, were avid drinkers of milk (Valenze, 2011, pp. 37-38). Mares milk was believed to bring great power to their bodies as it was a source of protein and fat which helped them to survive in the harsh weather of the prairie.
Here, the difference between peoples use of milk for consumption and ritual purposes also shows the variety of nations religious practices. Westerners who viewed milk as a source of divine power did drink it as often as people from Eastern cultures. Mares milk popular in Mongolia and Central Asia was seen as a drink of uncultured savages (Valenze, 2011). The origins of these diverse beliefs lie in different religious beginnings of these nations. The concept of using milk only for rituals and not for drinking was incomprehensible to Saracens as their life depended on this product rich in nutrients. Their use of mares milk, on the other hand, was treated poorly by Christians, who did not approve of horse milking (Valenze, 2011). Nevertheless, their culture also viewed milk as a unique substance.
During the Middle Ages, Christianity treated milk as a liquid that could have sacred powers. However, these properties were not connected to physical or inhuman strength, being linked to the gods wisdom instead. Bernard of Clairvaux, for example, drank the milk of the Virgin Mary and gained knowledge about true spirituality and the right way to holiness (Valenze, 2011, p. 42). While the modern Christian religion does not have the same level of physicality as it tries to avoid such concepts of milk sucking, this legend provides an insight into the historical development of this belief system. When Mary had a more prominent position than Jesus in this religion, her depiction as a holy mother allowed for such descriptions of milk and its properties (Valenze, 2011).
Conclusion
Through the ages, the description of milk and its qualities have changed drastically and were influenced by different religions. Many ancient beliefs viewed this liquid as a source of life, which was not limited to animals and humans, creating cosmic entities and the world as a whole. Later, some religions and cultures thought that milk could grant people immortality and power. The divine knowledge transferred with milk was also one of its qualities according to some Western beliefs. Interestingly, animal milk represented by the symbol of the cow appeared in different religions and was not treated as inferior to that of humans. The difference in showing the natural process of milk sucking in different faiths also reveals their attitude towards motherhood and feminine nature, which was praised in many ancient cultures and shunned by Christianity.
Reference
Valenze, D. (2011). Milk: A local and global history. Ann Arbor, MI: Yale University Press.
Surrendering to Christ is the defining characteristic of a genuine believer, and it takes many various forms in the life of a disciple. Learning more about this specific mark for complete devotion, commitment and fruitful routes is crucial. Jesus addresses the masses, yet only individuals are given the call to follow. Instead of placing unrealistic demands on individuals, Jesus seeks hearts wholly surrendered to Him. Young adults are the target audience of this sermon, which is intended to help them understand the significance of being a devoted disciple of Christ.
Kingdom and Discipleship
Kingdom discipleship is the method of endorsing followers who totally surrender to God in order to have a close connection with Him. The first point to note is that Jesus requests followers and Matthew (Mark 2:14) and Phillip (John 1:43) make similar calls. Being my follower, which means to join one as his servant or to accompany another, is another possible expression (Andrian 2020, 36). Since it is in the critical tense and thus a directive, Jesus is the one who is calling, and the prospective disciple is the one who is being called. People respond to Christs initiative, and Christ takes the lead.
Additionally, the call demands a response; for instance, in response, Philip searches for Nathaniel and told him about Jesus. Immediately after being called, Peter and Andrew left their nets followed Jesus (Mark 1:18). Arise and follow him, Matthew said in Mark 2:14. Jesus call did not get a good response from everyone. A particular monarch heard Jesus issue a stern summons (Luke 18:22). Jesus made the same call to Philip, Matthew, Peter, and Andrew. They nevertheless responded, even though it was unfavorable.
After seeing Christ, no one can stay impartial, and ignorance would be an option anymore and Jesus call is founded on previous connections. One can only assume that Philip and Matthew knew Jesus before answering His call concerning them. It is said that Jesus was already familiar with Andrew and Peter. It is implausible to think that men would give up their careers, families, and communities to follow a stranger. Both then and now, this is not the method of how disciples are made. The potential disciples had previously heard Jesus speak and had examined His message. In the quiet hours of the night, they had discussed Him and inquired of others in the church about Him. In other words, they assessed the situation, evaluated Jesus personally, and decided to support Him. A commitment to be a disciple is not made in ignorance.
The previous connection implies that evangelizing comes before discipleship. Before becoming a disciple, people must be evangelized. Some members of congregations who have not been ministered are making an effort to follow Jesus. In another way, evangelism and discipleship are inextricably linked. To encounter the new beginning is to look forward to development toward maturity, and to recognize Jesus as Redeemer is to accept Him as Lord (McGraw 2022, 89). Therefore, a disciple of Jesus is someone who follows him. Another idea is that discipleship develops as a result of following Christ. Not only is there nothing as quick discipleship but there is no such thing as simple discipleship.
One cannot become a true disciple by standing on the sidelines; one can only become a true disciple by following Christ. People must start following to become disciples, they cannot simply study about it (Harmainen 2018, 11). If people are not making any effort to become disciples, praying for God to make them is irreverent. Christ is calling us to a relationship that will last forever. Half discipleship is a paradox in terminology because discipleship is a call that lasts until death. Discipleship is a concept that should not be discussed in terms of temporary discipleship. The call is unrestricted; it knows no boundaries of time or space and has no expiration date. From the call to discipleship sermon, people can learn that Jesus is the leader, the change Christians need, and He gives meaning to Christians lives.
Jesus as the Leader
Jesus is the supreme ruler, and the instruction to follow me symbolizes His divine authority to give orders and to take the initiative. The breeze and the water must obey Jesus voice for them to do so. He was not subject to any authority, but He possessed the power to order demons. Just as He has the power to order humans to follow Him, He has the right to order the disciples to do so. Although Jesus has the authority to issue commands, followers must carry them out. This instruction is relatively straightforward and exemplifies what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus. No of the cost, following Jesus changed them and will transform humans.
Jesus Changes People
When Jesus declares, I will make you fishers of men, he means that they would no longer be fishermen but rather fishers of men. Except for John, all these men fled and abandoned Jesus as He was put to death. However, these same men ultimately dedicated their lives to Christ. They were cowards until Jesus made them courageous. These were ignorant people who went on to preach to thousands of people and astounded scholars with their knowledge of the Bible and responses; Jesus changed them. Even with Jesus standing in front of them, these men found it difficult to believe. However, after Jesus death, they still had the faith to carry out his commission to spread the gospel throughout the world, regardless of the cost. In John 15:5, Christ stated , Apart from Me you can do nothing. Individuals cannot do anything that holds any religious value without Christ. Without initially developing a connection with Christ, they cannot do anything to please God.
Jesus Gives Christians Lives Meaning
Jesus promised to turn His followers into professional fishermen. Their new position would be much more crucial than their prior one. Fish are not worth nearly as much as men. As a result, their lives would have a lot more significance and meaning than they already do. Fish had a short-term worth in the amount they could be sold for, but catching men was an endeavor with a long-term reward. Humans were made with a higher cause by a Creator, so He sent His child to reveal what that goal is to us. Peoples lives have meaning when they start catching men instead of fish or producing wealth.
Conclusion
James, John, Peter, and Andrew leaving everything behind to accompany a stranger might seem unusual. However, Jesus was not a total stranger; John the Baptist had been ministering in this region and informing people of Jesus, who John had just recently baptized. According to John 1:4042, Andrew met Jesus and presented his brother Simon to him. James and John most likely learned about Jesus from them and via the work of John the Baptist. It was not a supernatural experience where the words of Jesus had some unusual power over the peoples hearts. They already knew who Jesus was, and He told them to respond to what they knew by making a choice, a commitment, or both. They quickly put aside their nets and accompanied Jesus instead of waiting for a later time that would be more opportune.
People are being called by Jesus today, and He wants to guide them along His plan for their lives. He aspires to transform people in their entirety and give them a prosperous, meaningful existence. If believers forgo sin and themselves and put Him above their jobs, He wants to utilize them to be fishers of men. He urges Christians to grow in trust and boldness so that they can bring many men to His ministry.
Sermon of Eternal Life in Christ
Introduction
Humankind has been trying to find a way to defeat death and obtain eternal life since mans decision to sin tainted the world and introduced death into it. Unfortunately, some approach it incorrectly because they do not consult Gods word for direction. Humans may keep falling short of true eternal life without the guidance of Gods message. The purpose of this sermon is to teach young people how God assures His creation of eternal life.
Eternal Life in Christ
Christians contend that Jesus arrived on earth to save those who accept and believe in Him. According to the Bible, Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a fountain of water that never runs dry (John 4:14). Many Christians who read the Bible hold that Jesus is the only route to everlasting life and that He provided people with that method a long time ago. Christians have consistently confessed their sins and turned to the Lord in repentance throughout their years of faith (Malina 2021, 701). They have endured hardship and sacrificed their lives to spread the gospel of the Lord, led His congregations, carried crosses to serve Him, and shown others patience and tolerance. Christians already have the route to eternal life because they can follow the Lord; when He returns, He will raise them into the heavenly kingdom, where they will be granted everlasting life.
Nobody can argue that individuals still commit sins despite their ability to labor, strive, abandon, expand, pick up burdens, and follow the Lord. People cannot escape the shackles and power of sin and are stuck in a fixed schedule of sinning and repenting. They cannot follow the Lords instructions or put His teachings into effect. As an illustration, the Lord expects Christians to be straightforward, truthful individuals, but people frequently lie and cheat to uphold their desires, prestige, or status. People argue about minor issues when something interferes with their interests and even get resentful or envious of others rather than exercising the tolerance, patience, and love that the Lord commands.
While preaching and working, people frequently fall short of doing everything possible to glorify and proclaim the Lord and help others grasp Gods desire. The Lord demands that people love Him entirely. Instead, people frequently brag about how hard they work and how much suffering they endure to elevate themselves above their siblings and put others before themselves. Christians typically record their labors to deal with Christ and obtain a portion of the rewards of the heavenly kingdom, even when they abandon their families and careers to preach the gospel whenever possible. Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever sins is the servant of sin, the Lord Jesus declared. Subsequently, the servant does not remain in the home for always, but the Son does (John 8:3435). In addition, the Bible states, Death is the wages of sin (Romans 6:23). God is sacred, and His realm is closed to the impure and the wicked. People may renounce and spend their resources for the Lord on the outside, but they are still slaves to iniquity, and their ultimate destination can only be obscurity and ruin.
Why Humans Lack the Path to Eternal Life
One must first comprehend the ministry of Christ and the results it produces to comprehend why individuals lack the path to eternity. The Israelites were living in sin, could not uphold Gods rules, and were at risk of being sentenced to bereavement by those laws during the time the Lord Jesus manifested and acted. Through the text Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17), Christ encouraged individuals to confess their transgressions and turn from them. After assuming the form of errant flesh and going to the cross as a sin offering for humankind, Jesus finished His work of atoning for humankinds sins. People can experience the Lords grace and benefits if they embrace the Lord Jesus as their Savior, pray, and repent their transgressions to the Lord (Colberg 2020, 288). These are the results that Gods work of redemption has already brought about.
People can discern that although Jesus undoubtedly possessed the means of obtaining eternal life, He merely provided His followers with the road to repentance, which had the effect of causing them to confess and turn from their sins. He did not explain how to attain eternal life or be free from sin and entirely pure. The Lord Jesus demanded that people confess their sins, repent, cease transgressing, forsake themselves, pick up their cross, obey the Lord, and love the Creator and others according to Gods word. As long as people pray to God, confess their misdeeds, and repent after coming to faith in the Lord, their sins are pardoned (Young-won 2020, 73). Nevertheless, no one can dispute those satanic traits such as arrogance, greed, deceit, and evil are profoundly ingrained in individuals and are what lead them to sin.
Even though people appear capable of doing good things, these satanic inclinations rule them; this does not mean that their dispositions have changed. Christians are nevertheless capable of trickery and dishonesty when they deal with others. People frequently accuse and condemn God when events do not match their preconceived assumptions. No Christian has evaded the bonds of sin in the past two thousand years, and none has successfully changed their way of life, no matter how diligently they repent and work (Matthew 2019, 417). People have not attained the path to eternal life nor been thoroughly purified from sin.
Finding the Path to Eternal Life
The return of Jesus will herald the revelation of the path to everlasting life. In the Era of Grace, the sole purpose of the redemptive effort was to cleanse people of their misdeeds and grant them forgiveness. The Lord Jesus has often stated that He will return and would do so to show believers the path to eternal life so that they may obtain it. However, Gods salvation will be complete; thus, this is why God will be fully saved.
When the Lord Jesus comes again, he will reveal the truth, carry out the work of vengeance commencing with Gods home and handle peoples sinful natures. He will free believers from the shackles of sin, allow them to act out the truths of Gods word, and provide them everlasting life. This means that, before God can save people and give them life, He had to first free them from sin by enabling them to receive the Lord Jesus redemption. Based on this, He will once more grant them the knowledge that will free us from the bonds and restraints of our sinful natures, cleanse and transform our corrupt tendencies, and create in them new beings.
Conclusion
People must trust the deed of the resurrected Lord Jesus, recognize the truth revealed by the Lord during the final days, and embrace the Lambs path if they want to find the path to eternal life. To be a Christian does not preclude one from experiencing suffering in this life. Peoples sin has tainted this world, and much misery is present. However, becoming a Christian implies that ones guilt was covered by Jesus Christs sacrifice on the cross and that one can have eternal life by obeying Him. In John 3:16, the Bible says, For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life .
References
Andrian, Tonny. 2020. Discipleship in the Concept of Power Ministry Based on the Kingdom of God. Journal Didaskalia 3 (1): 30-39.
Colberg, Shawn. 2020. Lord, Have Mercy on Me, a Sinner: Aquinas on Grace, Impetration, and Justification. New Black friars 101 (1093): 286-300.
Harmainen, Antti. 2018. The One and Only True and Salvation Faith. Approaching Religion 8 (1): 5-16.
Malina, Artur. 2021. Baptism of Repentance for the Remission of Sins: Mark 1:4 In Its Context. The Biblical Annals 11 (4): 689-707.
Matthew, Iain. 2019. Memory and Hope in Eternal Life: The Memory Has Changed into Eternal Apprehensions of Glory (2N 4.2) . Teresianum 70 (2): 403-435.
McGraw, Ryan M. 2022. Why Did Jesus Live a Perfect Life? The Necessity of Christs Obedience for Our Salvation, By Brandon D. Crowe. Evangelical Quarterly 93 (1): 88-90.
Young-won, Kim. 2020. The Revolutionary Life Extension of Transhumanism and Christianity: Cyborg and Eternal Life. Literature and Religion 25 (1): 59-82.
The world is not a perfect place because of sins, which cause human beings to become evil. Sins result in people offending others or acting in a manner that is detrimental to the well being of society. Human beings have come to acknowledge that not all sins are equal. While some have minor repercussions, others have devastating effects. These more damaging sins are referred to as the deadly sins. In my opinion, gluttony is one of the deadliest sins, and it is the primary reason for the breakdown of society.
Gluttony slowly turns the individual into a self-centered being who only cares about his wellbeing. A key characteristic of gluttony is the obsession with self-satisfaction. The glutton will not be willing to consider the interest of other people. He/she will only engage in activities that bring about some direct benefit to his/her. If there is no personal reward for an activity, the glutton will not engage in the task. This will easily cause a breakdown of society since, in many instances, we are required to engage in activities that do not directly benefit us.
To build a better society, people are sometimes called upon to make small personal sacrifices. For example, individuals are encouraged to utilize water carefully in times of drought in order to ensure that there is enough water for all. Gluttony makes it impossible for individuals to exercise restraint even when this quality is mandatory for the good of society. Gluttony is characterized by the inability to consume in moderation. As such, the glutton will be unable to ration our resources even when this is necessary for the good of society.
The ideal human society is characterized by kindness and concern for others. People demonstrate a sense of goodwill towards others and show compassion for the less fortunate. This concern leads us to engage in altruistic acts such as giving to the needy and volunteering our time for a good cause. Through such actions, we become better individuals since we show that we are concerned with humanity. People who engage in kind acts get in touch with the good side of their human nature. They are, therefore, likely to engage in other good acts that are necessary for the positive development of society. On the contrary, gluttony discourages any act of kindness since the primary concern for the glutton is a personal indulgence. This sin, therefore, prevents the individual from being in touch with their good nature. Such individuals will be more likely to be drawn to their evil side and take part in other sins.
One of the bases of a well functioning society is justice and fairness for all. The society that gluttony creates is one where injustices are prevalent since no one is willing to speak out against them. Gluttony inevitably makes a person cold and unsympathetic to the needs of others. The glutton is only concerned with self-satisfaction and will, in fact, avoid situations where he/she might be forced to share with others. This cold and unsympathetic attitude will lead to greater degeneration of society. The cold and unsympathetic person will be willing to overlook injustices.
This sin has a negative impact on the development of a collective identity. For human beings to coexist harmoniously, they need to have a sense of community and belonging. A well-developed collective identity makes it possible for a person to put the interests of others before his own. The individual is willing to assume risks for the good of the community to which he belongs. Gluttony makes it impossible for a person to develop a collective identity with others. The glutton will not be willing to give up his needs for the sake of others.
Gluttony has changed the human value system for the worse, instead of encouraging a society where the concern of many triumphs the concern of the individual, gluttony promotes a society where the individual desires take precedence over those of the society. This value system is detrimental to society since the person can engage in damaging actions, as long as he benefits from them.
For these reasons, I believe that gluttony is behind the breakdown of society currently being experienced. Without gluttony, people would be more concerned about the well-being of their neighbors. The individuals actions would not be guided by his or her own self-interests. Instead, people would act in a manner that is likely to result in the greatest benefit for all members of society. However, because of gluttony, this is not the case, and society continues to experience a great breakdown. In my opinion, the breakdown in society can only be prevented if the sin of gluttony is addressed. By exposing this sin and the ills that it brings to society, it is possible to sensitize people on its dangers. People will be more likely to identify instances of gluttony in their lives and take action against them for the good of society.
This essay will discuss my Christian journey, variations in perspective, and obstacles to my discerning. I will discuss my idea for incorporating Evangelism into each aspect of my lifetime and some substantial changes I will need to make to achieve this goal. I will also discuss how I see my future service and calling in Evangelism and development and developing authentic disciples who want to multiply their witness.
Things I Have Learned About Evangelism That Has Changed My Perception and Challenged Your Thinking
The size and scope of Evangelism is the most shocking insight I have had due to this study. When I first started the course, I thought Evangelism was solely about proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ: that He suffered, died, and was raised for our transgressions so that we can be forgiven to our almighty Father and live forever. Furthermore, as I walked out of this charge, I thought I was on my own. This suggests that we Christians are charged in the gospels with communicating this great news as a personal obligation.
Although Evangelism as a personal obligation remains a vital doctrine in my heart, additional ideas were sparked and developed. In a 4-MAT book review of David Wheeler and Vernon M. Whaleys The Great Commission to Worship: Biblical Principles for Worship-Based Evangelism, I questioned whether, while Evangelism was a Great Commission calling, worship was not inevitably a Great Commission calling. I suggested that if we classify worship as Evangelism and Evangelism as worship, driving out demons and laying hands on the sick could be considered worship. In their book, Wheeler and Whaley essentially claimed that spreading the Word is worship, but they did not include any other Great Commission vocation as worship. As a result, the Great Commission was reduced to fit the authors reasoning, who were highly evangelistic, omitting other plainly stated commissions in Scripture.
After additional personal study of Matthew 7:22-23, my questions have grown. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did not we prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, and perform numerous marvels in your name (Matthew 7:22-23). I am convinced that the ultimate depth of evangelization is worship, given that Christ is just ultimately exalted by parts of his kingdom drawing others to him. However, it aims to discuss the breadth of Evangelism; I must quote more works and research.
For instance, firstly, preaching has come to mean more to me than at the beginning of this course. Before the course, I thought Evangelism was restricted to presenting the gospel and testifying, but I could only share my testimony of what Christ had accomplished in my life. This belief would lead to me witnessing without the Holy Spirits leading, which can be embarrassing. McRaney says people must constantly be led by the Holy Spirit. As Paul wrote, individuals demolish justifications and every presumption that stands in the way of Gods understanding, and take captivity every thinking to make it submissive to Christ.
Secondly, my thinking has shifted from Evangelism being solely about sharing the gospel and bearing witness via testifying to the topic of servanthood. Servant Evangelism, according to Wheeler, is a type of Evangelism. He urged them to do far more than abandon their nets. This invitation would turn into a challenge to live a bold new life. This existence required complete dedication to Christs servant example. I get: opening the door for those at church, Wheeler said in a private telephone call. Beyond meeting the physical needs of believers already attending church, a physical need must be satisfied. While admirable, according to Wheeler, this is hardly servant Evangelism.
While we were given two papers to demonstrate Servant Evangelism, I was docked 10 points for paying for a cat funeral that a friend of my wife could not afford. In addition, I got a zero and was required to make up a document in which I was responsible for giving a memorial service for a suicide victim. Neither of these instances, particularly the provision for the suicide victims family, qualified as servant Evangelism. A minister performing their duty is not getting out of their journey to meet a physiological need.
Finally, I discovered that there are two types of testimony in witnessing. To begin with, the planning of my individual transition experience in the context of what life was like before Christ, how I got to know him individually, and what changes I have encountered since getting to know him. It surprised me that newly converted Christians could begin evangelizing almost immediately after their conversion. Peter offers a message of repentance, and 3,000 people react in faith says Wheeler, citing Acts 2. The new Christians immediately acquire a missional mindset of fellowship, worship, and lifestyle evangelization. My testimony cannot be debunked regardless of what theological debate one might launch in a rational, biblical argument. No matter how adept I may become at internal or external apologetics, my physical servant witness cannot be adept.
My Vision as it Relates to Integrating Evangelism in my Life
I never imagined that my ears might be used to progress Gods kingdom on earth, but that is precisely what happened during this course. My witness cannot be refuted, irrespective of what philosophical debate one would engage in in a reasoned, scriptural argument. My bodily servant testimony cannot be denied, no matter how skilled I become in internal or exterior apologetics. I bought a van with the support of my mother and used it to minister. I anticipate finishing my M.Div. prerequisites by spring of next year and pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Theology and Apologetics. This will enable me to serve on the road while advancing Christs kingdom, as he has given me the vision.
I am happy with the new insight I have gained from my schooling because evangelization is in the Bible. Within the confines of what I have seen with the van outreach thus far, it is evident that God is leading me on this path. He has paved the way that I would not have been able to access on my own and closed ones that I was unwilling to accept at the time. However, it has been depicted that there is only one objective in life: salvation so that no one is lost. I cannot expect my family to comprehend because it took me a long to realize this. My parents are lost somehow, and I have observed and served them. I cannot take care of the household without God, and I cannot succeed at work with integrity if I do not have Him. My younger siblings could be too young to comprehend, and my extended relatives may not be willing to listen. And, whether they understand it or not, I have to live out Gods calling on my life.
The relationship with my society will be intriguing since that community will shift continuously while serving on the road. I have committed to serving, and I have given up and minimized my carnal existence to the point that I have everything I need to meet my own and my younger siblings requirements. My demands will be decreased even further if their bodily needs are addressed at school. I will have everything I need to ministry and finish my studies. Embracing this role is what God has planned since the beginning of time. My education in this course has influenced my ministry by broadening my understanding of what God has in store for me. For example, whereas I once had a narrow interpretation of Evangelism, I now see it as including a broader range of possibilities and optimism. As I pursue my studies, my knowledge will expand and multiply without a sure.
It is always feasible and welcome for me to become more vocal and bolder in my evangelism work. However, a little in my mouth could be more appropriate, as waiting for the Holy Ghost to educate me has shown to be a weakness. I keep praying for God to open other doors and for me to be ready when he does. I realize that God has ordered a succession of Evangelism in my path. There was zeal at the beginning, but there was little or no discussion with the Holy Ghost. This phrase reminded me of the movie Ready, Fire, Aim, and the following phase I went through was a rationalization overcompensation.
As I pre-calculated the result of my efforts, I also left the Holy Ghost out of my Evangelism. I am currently at a phase where Iam more in tune with the Holy Spirit, looking for additional ways to evangelize aside from personal testimony and becoming more confident in what I have to say, despite the outcome. In essence, because I am discerning the Holy Spirit guiding me more distinctly in these encounters, there are moments when I detach to pay attention, pray, and return for an additional witness at the appointed time. Because this is a challenge for me, I must be more delicate and obedient to the piece from my tongue at moments.
How I Envision my Future Ministry and Calling as it Relates to Evangelism
As I stated previously in the article, I believe that being on the road is my calling and vision. I envision a three-pointed focus for this ministry: first, I see a responsibility to help failed churches. In my experience, churches collapse for two reasons: failure to expand from inside and inability to grow from beyond. To support these congregations, I must first urge the churchs leadership to pray for and surrender to resolving internal disagreements. Second, I would have to assist the community in evangelization. The body will need to be trained and encouraged to participate in this auction through a live example. Furthermore, the biblical whys must be taught, starting with being Great Commission Worshippers. Biblical Evangelism is a part of who we are as Believers and why we are here acting in the world in the present and future. Then there is no need for preaching once Jesus arrives, as Wheelers teachings have demonstrated.
As I envision the healing churches as activation points for revival, the vision consists of the flames of revival. I believe that on some days, those faithful followers will be able to pitch tents, lead worship, intercede for others, and feed the needy. A group of young people will be able to minister in these churches. This is the ministrys vision and how evangelization fits into it. Now is the time to exercise and rehearse what will soon become a dynamic and developing national neighborhood on a local level. As a result, the immediate plans have already passed the planning stage and are now in the implementation stage. That being said, I pray that God will assist me in dealing with lifes diversions, which have nothing to do with soul salvation or the expansion of Gods kingdom on earth. I hope he will be able to assist me in dealing with my disorder and procrastination. Because God is always working in or around me, I believe that I can rise above myself and effectively carry out his will.
Conclusion
What humans learn and display has an impact on the community. I am seeking to create chances for people to clothe and feed the needy through servant Evangelism. I hope that I perceive God more clearly and that if I have not, he replaces any misconceptions or willfulness with insight and obedience. However, I suppose this is just what he has decreed in the meantime. I believe that this class will benefit him and bring him honor.
The word kerygma is a transliteration of a Greek noun used in the Bible. It occurs eight times in the New Testament and means proclamation, what is heralded aloud (Harnisch & Reumann, 2003, p. 113). In the Bible, it is translated as preaching and refers to the act of preaching or the content of what is being preached (Harnisch & Reumann, 2003; Robb & Clements, 1991). The word kerygma is related to the ancient Greek institution of heralds who made announcements on behalf of the citys government and appeared in diplomatic missions, athletic games, and other important events. This term is also interrelated with gospels, which literally mean good news (Powell, 2018, p. 95). As such, it often means the proclamation of good news, such as the establishment of new world order, freedom to the oppressed, and the promise of salvation (Robb & Clements, 1991). The kerygma should be proclaimed to all people because Gods promises refer to anyone without exceptions (Robb & Clements, 1991). Thus, this term means the act or the content of preaching.
The Synoptic Gospels include three gospels: Mark, Matthew, and Luke. Synoptic means seeing together, and these three gospels acquired such a name because they are related to each other and can be read in parallel (Powell, 2018, p. 108). The word kerygma appears two times in the Synoptic Gospels: one time in Matthew and one time in Luke. The passages in which this term is used are identical in both gospels: The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here (King James Bible, 1611, Matthew 12:41, Luke 11:32). In this verse, kerygma probably means the content of preaching rather than the act of preaching. In Matthew, this passage is followed by a verse in which the preaching of Jonas can be paralleled with the wisdom of Solomon (King James Bible, 1611, Matthew 12:42). Based on that, one can conclude that kerygma in this passage refers to the message of Jonahs preaching.
References
Harnisch, W., & Reumann, J. (2003). Kerygma. In E. Fahlbusch et al. (Eds.), The encyclopedia of Christianity (Vol. 3, pp. 113-116). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.
The theme of globalization of missions and its exegesis is of current interest in the modern cross-cultural world. The article Globalisation of missions: An exegesis on the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20) written by Mookgo Solomon Kgatle provides an interesting and deep interpretation of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). The author analyses The Great Commission verse by verse using a grammatical. I did not appreciate the repetitiveness of the article and suppose that greater accent could be made on thinking globally and cross-culturally, taking into account contemporary theories of multiculturalism. However, this does not detract from the merits of the article in understanding mission as a global task emanating from Jesus.
Kgatle, being African professor, gives his view on the combination of globalization and localization of preaching activity in the national context. For instance, he rightly claims that although there is no such thing as an African Gospel, there is an African mission context. The emphasis in the article is made on the explanation of the components of the mission in the global context. The main mission globalization components outlined by Kgatle are Christs authority, which is transferred to his disciples in order to fulfill the mission; targeting all nations globally, and focusing on Jesus own teaching the Gospel.
All Authority
The Great Commission starts with reminding the authority of Jesus Christ as the Son of the Lord, and establishes the transfer of this authority to the disciples. Kgatle writes, Authority in this text is transferred to human beings, because, regarding his divine nature, all power has been always his . It means that disciples do not lead with personal authority and should not choose their followers because that would be sectarian. They must rely on Gods universal truth and gather followers in the name of Jesus. Thus, disciples have to make not only human relationship, but connect newcomers to the faith and Christ.
All Nations
Talking about all nations Kgatle reminds us that missions in unrestricted and makes no difference between race, religion, ethnicity, color or class. It makes no sense to pay special attention to Jews and Gentiles, because the main goal is the way to redeem the entire world . At the same time, disciples must not disturb ethnic identity, but preserve it, and preach in the cultural context. This message went in parallel with Romes wish for control over different nations, but it was contrasting with it as well. Mission views people as individuals and focuses on building and maintaining their personal connection to Jesus.
All things that I have commanded you
Another essential part of the Great Commission is shifting attention from the Torah and the Old Testament to the New Testament and the study of Jesus life as a model of virtue and piety. Discipleship involves studying the Christs commandments and diligent teaching of the gospel and practices that promotes a lifestyle of becoming ever more like Jesus Christ . The disciples must concentrate their teaching on Christocentric ethics and morality without picking facts. This way teaching becomes truly global and universal because it focuses on common human similarities, not cultural differences.
Conclusion
To summarize, it is clearly seen that the exegesis on the Great Commission calls the disciples of Christ to a global holistic mission regardless of any cultural, class or race differences. This call is reinforced by the universal authority emanating from the Lord, through the many examples of Jesus teaching. To fulfill the mission disciples must start locally, building and expanding social networks through the personal experience of living what Christ commanded. The global nature of the mission should also lie in the diversification of influence, because it is not about promotion of Western culture; but about spreading the Gospel while preserving local cultures.
Bibliography
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Kgatle, Mookgo S. Globalisation of missions: An exegesis on the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20). In die Skriflig 51, no. 1 (2018): 17.
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