Based on the material presented in the vidcast discussion, trace what you believe the kingdom trajectory to be on one of the following issues: homosexuality, abortion, helping the poor, or another one you get approval for. Write at least a paragraph each for the following in your comment response to this post: 1) introduction, 2) Bible, 3) points of similarity/dissimilarity between the biblical world and our world, 4) how things will be in the kingdom, 5) a conclusion.
Post it by Monday evening. Do some research to bolster your thoughts.
Kingdom Trajectory
ReplyDeleteIntroduction
According to research by the Barna Group, “from the early 1990s through 1999, just 5% of the Senior Pastors at Protestant churches were female. Since that time the proportion has slowly but steadily risen, doubling to 10% in 2009.” Another statistic by the Barna Group stated, “Male pastors lead congregations that average 103 adults in attendance on a typical weekend compared to 81 adults at churches led by female pastors.”
Women in ministry can be a “touchy” subject. While some denominations are very welcoming to women in the pulpit, other denominations are uneasy and not nearly as welcoming. Women are becoming senior pastors, associate pastors, youth pastors, children’s pastors, and are taking on other ministerial roles. Is there anything that is keeping us from moving forward and welcoming women with open arms?
Bible
Ephesians 4:11-13 “It was He [God] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. “
Romans 16:1-2 “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess, of the church in Cenchrea. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and give to her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people…”
Acts 18:26 “When Priscilla and Aquila heard him [Apollos], they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.”
Acts 2:17-18 “In the last days, God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy…even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”
Romans 16:7 “Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.”
Philippians 4:2-3 “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.”
The aforementioned verses show that women were in fact involved in ministry; though they may have not had a specific title, they were in fact sharing the Gospel. Phoebe, Junia, Euodia, and Priscilla are all examples of Godly women in the Bible who helped to carry out Christ’s mission. The verses that follow are verses that cause churches to question the idea of women in ministry, thus the reason for the ongoing debate.
1 Corinthians 14:33b-35 “As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.”
1 Timothy 2:11-12 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent
1 Corinthians 11:7 “A man should not wear anything on his head when worshipping, for man is made in God’s image and reflects God’s glory. A woman reflects man’s glory.”
1 Timothy 3:8 “Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere…”
Titus 1:5-6 “The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe…”
Points of similarity/dissimilarity between Biblical world & our world
ReplyDelete- In many churches that have deacons and/or elders, they are all men, as mentioned in 1 Timothy 3:8 and Titus 1:5-6.
- Women are often teachers in the church, teaching all ages from children up through adulthood.
- Though there are verses that state that women should be silent in church, in many places in today’s society women are allowed to speak, share testimonies, teach, and preach.
- In places where it states that women are to submit to the authority of man, some women lead groups, serve alongside of men on boards/committees, and serve as deaconesses (viewed as equals).
- Deacons/Deaconesses still must meet similar requirements as stated in 1 Timothy 3:8 and Titus 1:5-6: worthy of respect, sincere, husband to one wife (vice versa); though it is not a requirement in all churches that the person must be a male.
- Deacons/Deaconesses should still be received in a respectful matter and should receive the support and help that they need in their ministries, no matter what their gender (as was commanded with Phoebe in Romans 16:1-2).
How things will be in the kingdom
In the Kingdom of Heaven, it will not matter whether you are male or female as long as you loved God and loved people, for these are the greatest commandments. God has gifted each of us in very special ways; therefore if we have allowed Him to work through our gifts to reach others, then that is what is important to Him. It is not about the number of arguments/debates we have won/lost or how great a person one is, but about whether or not we followed God whole-heartedly and if we used what He gave us to do His work. As Galatians 3:28 states, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Conclusion
It is very likely that the debate over women in ministry will continue until we arrive in Heaven. For some, the conflicting verses do not allow for a decision to be made about whether to be for or against the issue. For others, women in ministry is as clear as crystal. However, though the Bible verses seem to be conflicting, we must not forget the Author of those Words. We must dedicate time to pray about this matter, asking God to help us see His will and plan in all of this.
Barna Group. (2009). Number of Female Senior Pastors in Protestant Churches Doubles in Past Decade. http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/17-leadership/304-number-of-female-senior-pastors-in-protestant-churches-doubles-in-past-decade
Kingdom Trajectory
ReplyDelete(introduction)
What will God say in regards to Christians views on Abortion? The Broader concern is whether or not God is please with our middle of the road belief system.Does life begin at the moment of conception or does it begin when the heart begins to beat? I believe all of this question will be answered someday when we move closer to the triumphant home, Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice or both It will be decided in the kingdom of God.
A few biblical O/T Facts
( Life is sacred)
Genesis 9:5 "Murder is ForBidden" (NLT)
Exodus 20:13 " Thou shall not murder" (NLT)
(Scripture refers to the unborn as children not Blobs of tissue.)
Genesis25:22 "Rebakah conceived twins,it says, the children struggled
within her."(NLT)
(God has a plan for each life established at conception.)
Psalms 51:5 " I was born a sinner yes from the moment my mother conceived me." (NLT)
Jermiah 1:5 "I knew you before I form you in your mother's womb" (NLT)
Luke 39:41 " At the sound of Mary's greeting, Elizabeth's child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit." (NLT)
Luke 1:30,31 " Don't be afraid Mary,the angel told her, for have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus." (NLT)
(Is there anything that will keep us from moving closer toward heaven? )
Sin will keep us all out.
Romans 3:23 "For everyone has sinned,we all fall short of God's glorious standard". (NLT)
(Your body is the dwelling place for God.)
1Corinthians 3:16 "Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the spirit of God and that the spirit of God lives in you?"
(Don't Copy the Behavior of the World.)
Romans 12:12 And so dear brothers and sister, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of what he has done for you. Let them be a living and Holy Sacrifice the kind he will find acceptable This is truly the way to worship him. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."(NLT)
(Similarity/disimilarity between Biblical World and our World.)
> Murder is wrong according to scriptures.
> Whether conception or just a heart beat, all Fetus are Human.
> Your Body is a temple of God.
> The mind must be transform by God in order not too behave like the World.
> Rape is not the green light to abort life
> Unexpected pregnancy is not the Green Light to Abort Life.
(Conclusion)
Had Mary, Jesus Mother aborted him we would have not had a Saviour. Had Elizabeth Aborted John the Baptist their would not be any one to introduce Jesus. Had Moses died in the Niles River, Israel would of not had a deliverer. All births have a roll in developing great leaders and bad leaders . The next time a person makes a pro-choice decision they could very well be changing the course of history.Only God is entitled to determine the end of one life. The destruction of human life without cause is a sin. this conscientious decision is something that will come before God to be only answered at the Judgement Day. Scriptures refer to the unborn as children not blobs of tissue. Something to think about.
Williet
ReplyDeleteHelping the Poor
Introduction
This paper will investigate the context of “helping the poor” What does help mean? What does “poor” mean? What does “helping the poor” mean to the world? What does “helping the poor” mean from the old and new testament narratives? How does “helping the poor” correlate to current “prosperity theology”?
Biblical passages Old Testament
• "During the seventh year, let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove." Exodus 23:11
• "At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied." Deuteronomy 14:28-29
• "However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you." Deuteronomy 15:4
• "If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother." Deuteronomy 15:7
• "Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns." Deuteronomy 24:14
• "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor." 1 Samuel 2:8
• * "This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles." Psalm 34:6
• "He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy." Proverbs 14:21
Biblical passages Old Testament
• "Jesus answered, If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" Matthew 19:21
• * "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed." Luke 4:18
• "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind." Luke 14:13
• "When Jesus heard this, he said to him, You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" Luke 18:22
• "'Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.' He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it." John 12:5
• "After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings." Acts 24:17
• "For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem." Romans 15:26
• "All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do." Galatians 2:10
Comment on positions from the Biblical (God, Jesus, Moses, Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Paul)
At this point, “I fall off the log” and present my position
Conclusion
Rodney Cork
ReplyDeleteKingdom Trajectory
“Helping The Poor”
Introduction:
In this current society, we are constantly bombarded with images as well as face to face encounters with the poor of the society. There seems to be an increasing problem of poor among our society. The problem of poor within society is nothing new. The bible addresses the subject several times. The problem is in how we address the issue.
There seems to be overwhelming evidence that God is concerned and shows mercy on the poor. In the Kingdom, I believe there will not be poor among us. However, we will be faced with the same concept of helping and showing mercy to others. Looking at the biblical texts on the subject, the overwhelming sense is that we should be mindful and merciful on the poor.
Old Testament Texts
Exo. 22:25 – If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.
Exo. 23:11 – But in the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat…
1 Sam. 2:7 – The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich; he bringeth low and lifteth up.
Psalm 9:18 – For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
Isa. 41:17 - When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
New Testament Texts
Matthew 5:3 – Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 26:11 – For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
James 2:5 – Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him.
Similarities and dissimilarities between the biblical world and our world
There seems to be very little difference between the biblical world and our world in regards to the poor. There are still quite a large existence of poor among society. There are people who mistreat and take advantage of the poor. The constant stories we hear of illegal immigrants forced to due long and hard labor at unfair wages is just one example we see in this country. Sadly, in less developed countries the accounts of treatment of the poor is even worse. Sweat shops, slaves and forced labor seems to be rampant. The bible seems to be clear that God has mercy on the poor. He also wants us to be merciful to the poor.
Conclusion
The Kingdom of Heaven offers much promise and hope to Christians. Many of the problems and tragedies we deal with on this earth will not burden us in heaven. God will supply all of our needs in heaven. Therefore the problem of the poor will not exist. However, we must begin the principle of heaven on earth and treat the poor in our society mercifully. The bible is clear that the will of God is to treat the poor with mercy. God will reward those who operate in this way.