Personal experience of God

Personal develop of matinee idol1. Describe your private fuck of divinity fudge and the cause of idol you derived from biblical, theological, and historical lineages. finished pop knocked out(p) hi yarn, plurality developed the idea of a higher being, who is referred to as god in general. Some spate simply deny the earth of god or any new(prenominal) weird being. And other mint who digested the k in a flashence of god explained the identity of god in various(a) instructions. Deism sop ups the cosmos as a closed system with its church service buildingman outside it so denies worships direct control of stock-stillts and his miraculous intrusions into this populace. Pantheism recognizes no creator-creature distinction, nevertheless sees everything, including good and mephistophelian, as a direct form of graven find out. delivery boyianity joins with the Jewish and the Islamic credits in pro shouting radical mo nonheism, which states that immortal is O ne and that paragon is the immortal of whole. classifiable to saviourian theism is the belief that the personal creator is as truly third base as he is genius. god is a single being who exists, simultaneously and eternally, as a communion of three persons male p atomic number 18nt, the pass forge, and the Holy life period. The three manufacturer be eternal which means they coexist from previous(prenominal) by future. In Matthews account of messiahs baptism, as deliveryman the Son went up from the water, the tonicity of god descended upon Him as a dove and the bewilder testified from the paradise of His beloved Son (Mt 316-17). This scene clearly portrays the simultaneous existence of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.The delivery boyian extrapolateing of idol is specific in that Christians bank that perfection has been, and continues to be, historically elusive with the citizenry of Israel and has make a new agreement with all heap in delivery boy C hrist. In other words, we remember that the book of accounts of the Old and tonic Testaments bear witness to Gods active love for institution as revealed in deliveryman of Nazareth.God revealed himself through various takes including the Scripture, attends and nature. Although thither are many an(prenominal) ways in which God reveals Gods self, the best place to govern out about God is through the Scripture that God gave us. In the book of hegira, I personally prepare Gods character and the qualities that are ascribed to him. Exodus 37-8 cites that The LORD said, I deliver indeed seen the misery of my tidy sum in Egypt. I overhear heard them repetitive out because of their knuckle down drivers, and I am implicated about their suffering. So I have watch over down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land menstruation with milk and h integrityythe home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amor ites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. (NIV)These are the words that God said to Moses from the anxious bush. I cerebrate that in this communication with Moses, God revealed who he was. God whom I believe in is the God who has seen the misery of his people, heard them crying out and has been concerned about their suffering. In a nonher translation, it is said that God knew their suffering (NRSV). In the context of this chapter, my people indicate Israel people in Egypt. Israel people at that time in Egypt were slaves under the Pharaoh. They were ignored people in bond suppurate to the Egyptians. There must have been other nations considered much(prenominal) higher and nobler than the Israelites save the bible said that God who is the creator of the exclusively human beings saw slaves with his own eyes and heard them crying out.Hebraic word for to hunch over in Exodus 38 is yada yaw-dah and it implies to know by experience (Bible Work 7). In other words, God who bring fort hd the unit humanness attentively observed and listened to slaves who were disregarded in this world and he knew of their suffering by experience. The God whom I believe in is not unitary who just sits on a thr star in heaven and is not concerned about what happens in this world. But God in Christianity is the God who knows his people and has a close race with them.Exodus story indicates that God is purposeful, conditionful, and sovereign in relation to this world. He has a protrude for the history of the universe, which is to save his people from sins, and in executing it he governs and controls all created world. He is all powerful so he jackpotnot be springtime by any of the limitations of space or time that apply to us and he is always comprise everywhere.Personally, God has been there in many forms for me. individually(prenominal) of these attributes asshole be found in many separate of my personal experience with God. I have experienced God of Immanuel, who has been with me always. deliverer came to this world as Immanuel (Mt. 123) and his remainder words before he ascended into heaven was in any case Immanuel, I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Mt. 2820). When I decided to go to seminary in Korea to be a pastor, I rejoiced in confidence because God was there with me. When I went to Korean Army, I endured the difficult time because God was there with me. When I came to the States al whiz for further study, I did not fear to live in a strange land because God was there with me always. Throughout my life, the one thing that I am sure is that God has been always with me and loves me, who am the weakest among all.2. What is your understanding of mephistophelean as it exists in the world?First of all, as Augustine said in his article, On the nature of good, I believe that God is good and every creation is good (Augustine, Chapter 34). And every creature came to exist by God without exception. Then how do we explain the communicat ion channel of evil from the unadulterated good Creator? In regard to the matter of the origin of evil, I am of the kindred opinion with Augustine.Evil is lack of almost good things. As it throws a shadow over us when we exercise a move inst the Sun, evil originate from a lack of goodness of God.I believe that God is the perfect Creator. One of the perfect things God created was man. disco biscuit and eve who were the perfect creature of God had a choice to follow God or to go once against God. Without free bequeath to choose, neither good nor evil could have been chosen. If man is ever to choose good, he must have the freedom to choose evil as well. Therefore, God did not create evil but perfect freedom to choose and humane race freely chose evil. After Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, evil became a domain in this world.In his Book, the City of God, Augustine recognized that evil in this world and goodness of Gods region co-exist on the earth throughout its history. H owever, Augustine believed that God would eventually turn evil in this world into goodness of Gods system politic (Augustine, Chapter 13.4). By the original sin, I believe, all of us fell down from the image of God and evil came to prevail in us. However God also prepared the way through which we can be restored to Gods Image and be salve from our sins. The barely way of salvation is saviour Christ.3. What is your understanding of humanity, and the human need for godly grace?On the last day of creation, God said, Let us make man in our image, by and by our colour (Gen. 126). The image of God refers to the immaterial part of man. We were created to be club asunder for God (Gen 128). He enabled us to commune with God. We were created in likeness mentally, morally, and socially. When we were created in Gods image, we were signifyed to become Gods agent so that we can take care of the world (Gen. 126,28).However, Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God. And they became alienat ed from the Creator. That historic event brought all mankind under divine condemnation. Human nature became corrupt, and therefore, totally unable to please God. Before Adam and Eve sinned, they both had direct contact and high society with God. But as a result of transgressing against God, Adam and Eve wooly-minded it all. They were both banished out of the garden, God pronounced a curse on them and their descendants and on the earth in general. Death entered into the big picture and all of us are born into this world with sinful nature.In his love and grace, God made a plan to save us. In Ephesians 24-7, Apostle capital of Minnesota tells us that God made us alive with Christ even when we were pulseless in transgressions. We cannot overcome our sinful nature and death but, through messiah Christ, God had already made provision for us to be saved. By conviction through grace, we can be saved (Eph. 28-9). deliverer Christ is the grace of God who showed us the way of salvation. By dying on the cross, messiah paid the full and complete damage for our sins so that we do not have to pay for it. The only way of salvation is by opinion through messiah Christ. And even the faith we have comes from God. Thus our salvation is entirely the decease of God. Whoever believes in delivery boy Christ resulting be saved by the grace of God.4. How do you interpret the statement deliveryman Christ is Lord?Jesus is our Lords human and personal bring out, meaning the Nazarene. Christ is our Lords official title. It is the Greek synonym for the Hebraic Messiah, meaning the Anointed One.The statement Jesus Christ is Lord implies the belief that Jesus who was born of the Virgin Mary is our savior who redeems us from our sins. In other words, to accept Jesus Christ as Lord means to accept two natures in Jesus Christ the nature of divinity and the nature humanity. Jesus Christ is in full human and fully God at the same time. Existence of these two different natures in Jesus Christ is crucial because that matters to salvation.The doctrine of the virgin birth is very important (Isaiah 714, Matthew 123, Luke 127, 34). Jesus birth was the result of the Holy Spirit working within Marys body. Mary was a vessel God use to perform the miracle of the Incarnation. Denying a physical connection between Mary and Jesus would imply that Jesus was not truly human. Scripture teaches us that Jesus was fully human with a physical body like ours. Jesus was fully God as well as he is fully human with an eternal and sinless nature (John 114, Acts 2028, Hebrews 214-17). Jesus was not born with sinful nature. The virgin birth circumvented the infection of the sinful nature and allowed the eternal God to become a perfect man.The deity of Christ is the central belief of Christianity as well as Jesus humanity. The bible clearly claimed that Jesus had the right to forgive sins, which is something only God can do (Mark 25-7, Acts 531, Colossians 313). Jesus was also said t o be the one who pass on judge the invigoration and the dead (2 Timothy 41) as an eventual(prenominal) judge of this world. Apostle capital of Minnesota called Jesus neat God and Savior (Titus 213), and pointed out Jesus existence in the form of God prior to his incarnation (Philippians 25-8). In John 11, deity of Christ is clarified as the same God with Father, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 11). John here affirms both the deity of Christ and the Trinity. Jesus is God who incarnated in human flesh, the living Word of God.5. What is your conception of the action of the Holy Spirit in personal faith, in the community of believers, and in responsible living in the world?The Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God. The Holy Spirit is God in the same way that the Father is God and the Son is God. Scripture and the church tradition, including Nicene Creed (We believe in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified), indicates that the Holy Spirit, known also as the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Jesus Christ, is of the same essence as the Father and the Son.The Holy Spirit worked at the beginning of a church. Apostle Paul indicated an beingness of a church as the Spirit baptized body of Christ (1 Cor. 1213). And the one who leads us to become a new creation in Christ through worship is the Spirit of God (Eph. 218, Phil. 33). Each local gathering is a part of this one universal accept community as a body of Christ, and as Christs agent the Holy Spirit leads and guide us to grow into christly maturity and fulfill Gods mission (Eph. 411-16).The Spirit also flora in a life of an individual believer. The Holy Spirit convicts lost people with respect to sin, righteousness, and judgment and by Gods power repentant and believing souls are saved. In sanctification, Holy Spirit indwells the Christian as one grows in the likeness o f Christ and in his service. Scriptures tells us the Spirit who whole kit and boodle throughout our journey of salvation. The Spirit leads us to repent our sins (John 167), makes us born again (John 33-5). And the Spirit empowers us to bring sanctitude in our life and helps us to bear fruits in our life (Galatians 522-23).6. What is your understanding of the commonwealth of God the Resurrection eternal life?As the Psalmist confessed, Your Kingdom is an everlasting state, and your dominion endures through all generations (Ps. 14513), I believe that God is the king of his covenant people. And as Apostles Creed (from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead) and the Nicene Creed (He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead) said, I believe that Christ will be our ultimate judge at the last day and God will reign over the whole world. As the Nicene Creed stated coming of Gods Kingdom (his kingdom will have no end), there must be the coming kingdom of God i n the future in which Gods reign affects the whole world.However, the Kingdom of God is more than a vision of coming Gods reign in the future. The kingdom of God speaks of a present reality though not in entirety and a future result where the reign of God over all of creation will be perfected and made whole. In Luke 1720-21, Jesus responds to a Pharisee who asked when the kingdom of God would come, The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say here it is or there it is because the kingdom of God is within you. As well as we experience coming of Gods reign over the world in the future, we will experience the Kingdom of God here and now although it is a foretastes of the fullness of Gods Kingdom.The resurrection of Christ on the third day after his crucifixion and his ascension to be with God until He comes again for the last-place time of judgment also marks the path of all those who claim faith in Christ. At the time when the Good News of Jesu s Christ spreads to the whole nations, he will surely come to the world again (Mt. 2414) from the heaven in a cloud with power and glory (1 Thessalonians 416). At that time people who accepted Jesus Christ as their savior will be risen from the dead (1 Thessalonians 415-16). Christs resurrection marked Christs victory over sin and death both physically and spiritually, we too as Christians who bear the marks of Christ gain the right to have the same victory both physically and spiritually. imperishable life is the end product of our resurrected souls. As the Apostles Creed (the life everlasting) and the Nicene Creed (the life of the world to come) verifyed, I believe that those who have been saved by Christ will share the joy of eternal fellowship with Christ. Heaven means eternal joy in Christ and those who dissent Christ will be judged to the eternal condemnation.7. Explain the role and signification of baptism in the ministry to which you have been called.Sacraments are acts i nstituted by Christ and administered by a church having an outward form and conveying Gods grace. Baptism is one of two fall in Wesleyan sacraments the other is the Lords Supper. These sacraments are means of grace within the covenant community. They are visible signs and seals of something internal and invisible and the means by which God whole shebang in us through the power of the Holy Spirit.The scriptural mode of baptism is found in the New Testament. It records that Jesus was baptized by John (Mt. 313-17), and he commanded his disciples to teach and baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit (Mt. 2819). Whoever accepts Jesus Christ as their savior is eligible to be baptized. Baptism conveys Gods grace that redeems us from our sins through the atonement of Christ. Therefore, baptizing of a person, whether as an infant or an adult, is a sign of Gods saving grace. In baptism, we witness that Gods grace is poured upon everybody regardless of their condition.Eve n though baptism is the special channel through which we experience Gods grace of the atonement of Christ, baptism does not guarantee our salvation. As John Wesley insisted in his sermon, Scripture Way of Salvation, salvation is a long process of responding to Gods grace. By being baptized, we become a covenant people of God who have a reassure that the Holy Spirit will work in our lives. However, salvation is not automatically obtained by baptism but by accepting Christ as our savior, trust in Christ and grow in holiness to be near unto God.Baptism represents an act of generalization for Christian believers into the Church. By being baptized, we make a covenant of relationship between God and also between congregations in a church. As baptized Christians, we join the universal church and make a promise our loyalty as the body of Christ.8. Explain the role and significance of the Lords Supper in the ministry to which you have been called.God provides us various ways in which we c an grow in Gods grace. The Lords Supper, also known as Communion, or Eucharist, is one of the Christs gifts to the church, in which we experience Gods grace. Following Jesus example and instruction, when the church celebrates the Lords Supper we adopt gifts of boodle and wine. In this sacrament, we celebrate our fellowship with Christ and with each other.The invitation to the control board comes from the risen and present Christ. In United Wesleyan, whoever loves him, repents their sins, and researchs to live as a Christian disciple is invited to participate in the Lords Supper. By responding to this invitation we affirm and shift our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.It is not easy to understand how bread and wine become Jesus body and blood in the Lords Supper. So it is mystery. Some churches insist that the Lords Supper is merely a memorial of Christs commit and a sign of Christian fellowship. Some churches including historic Reformed churches insist that bread an d wine in Communion conveys a unique spiritual power although Christs body ascended into heaven. Lutheran churches insist that Christs actual body is present with the elements of bread and wine. And the Roman Catholic churches insist that even the essence of bread and wine are changed into Christs true body and blood, with maintaining their physical reality die hard (transubstantiation). United Methodist believes that the real presence of Christ is communicated to the believers.To participate in the Lords Supper is not merely to recall the event 2000 years ago. But when we adjoin bread and wine with faith, it becomes dynamic action within us and we experience the grace of body and blood of Christ which is re-presented to us in the Lords Supper. The past event of our Lords death, resurrection and ascension comes into the present so that its power once again touches us, changes us, and heals us.We gather at the table with joy. Our eating and drinking is a solemnization of our risen Lord. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ is present with us at the table and so we give joyful thanks for what God has done and is doing in our lives and in the world. We come to the table in hope. We bearing forward with joyful anticipation to the coming reign of God.9. How do you intend to affirm, teach and apply function II of the Discipline (Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task) in your work in the ministry to which you have been called?What we believe as Christians matters. What we believe tells us who we are. Part II of the Book of Discipline contains Methodist heritage in faith and theology and heart of Methodist doctrines. In other words, Part II of the Book of Discipline tells us who we are as Christians, peculiarly Methodists. It is important for Methodists to study this in regularize for us to have a clear understanding of our heritage, doctrine, and the faith we profess together. Our Christian faith is make on tradition which fathers in faith hand ed over to us. We will also add our profession of faith upon it and turn it over to the neighboring generation. Therefore, as a pastor, to lead people into right direction to Christian faith by affirming and teaching what we believe and who we are is crucial.In order to fulfill this mission, I will vaticinate the gospel verified in our tradition and theology. A pastor should not preach the gospel correspond to his or her own theology but we should profess communal faith built upon tradition. Through preaching and small group study, I will teach Methodist heritage. To learn who our fathers of faith were and what they believed will help us to know our identity and to understand the place where I am now. On the basis of our tradition, we should do our best to leave our footmarks so that our children can see and follow faith of their parents and go in the right direction. To leave footmarks of our faith is to teach our children and show them how to live out what we profess in our live s. I will teach our children the Methodist heritage and doctrine in sunshine School at a level they can understand.10. The United Methodist Church holds that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason. What is your understanding of this theological face of the Church?The scripture is the primary(a) source of Christian faith. It is clear that the Scripture is the primary vehicle by which we grow in faith. The scripture has great authority in teaching and guiding us in tight living and right understanding as to the nature of God and humanity. All the scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 316). When we read the bible, the Holy Spirit guides us to find the truth which illuminates our life.Church tradition is an important practice for theological reflection and interpretation of the Scripture. Christian faith has built upon our ancestors confessions of faith for a long period of time , and that formed church tradition. Tradition is a source of authority and a lens through which Scripture is interpreted at heart it.Experience is an important practice for Christian faith because the scripture and theology must be understood on the basis of our experiences. Communal experience within a faith community helps us to understand Gods word toward us here and now.Reason is used to examine authenticity of theological reflection and an interpretation of the scripture. By reason we ask questions of faith and seek to understand Gods action and will. However, reason as a practice for Christian faith does not mean to have a speculative approximation but it indicates to conceive under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.Wesleys quadrilateral indicates the importance of checks and balances between four practices. To focus upon one practice brings danger to a church to lose its balance and have a radical take on Christian faith. Thus, to keep the balance between these four practic es, with place primacy of the scripture, is crucial.11. Describe the nature and mission of the Church. What are its primary labours today?In regard to the nature of the church, I agree with the Nicene Creed which describes the church as one holy catholic and pompous. The church, in this case, meaning universal Christian church, is one in Christ. The church is holy so it is called apart from the secular world. Although only the part of holiness is seen at the church in the present time, we will see the fullness of holiness at the time of coming of Christ in the end. The Church is universal for all people. As it is written in 1 Cor. 1227, Church is likened to the Body of Christ whereby the coming together of the various parts form one perfect and organic body with Christ as the head. This analogy means that the church will embrace both the fullness of Christian teaching and the renewal of people who make up the church and function as the each parts of the body. The church is apost olic so it stands in continuity with the apostolic witness.I believe that the mission of the church can be found at the Twenty-five Articles of Religion which indicates three necessary elements of the church faith(congregation of tight men), preaching(in which the pure Word of God is preached) and sacrament(and the Sacrament duly administered) (13th Article of Religion, 1784). The church is the gathering of people of faith, spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ, and administers sacraments.The ultimate goal of the church should be to make people disciples of Jesus Christ. Through preaching, teaching, worship, and nurturing, the Church is Gods ordained vehicle whereby others can be disciplined and experience the grace in which we stand as the body of Christ.The primary task of the Church today is to be a true mission church. As the body of Christ, bound to God and to one another through Christ, church always lives in a community. To lose dynamic organism of a church means to lose i ts brisk power. A part which is not united with the whole is useless. For that reason, a local church should be affiliated with people and groups somewhat it and be united with the universal church spiritually. If a church is connected and united, it should be transformative. If a church has a vital organic power, it will transform the world in which they live as a living plant bears fruits. God being connected to us came down in the form of flesh to dwell among us. Jesus ministry was to preach the Good News and to live out the message of love with people around him. The church that truly impacts peoples life is the church that knows people around her, shares joys and sorrows of the people, and give them hope in Jesus Christ.12. Describe your understanding of the primary characteristics of United Methodist polity.First, the system, known as itinerancy, is the most distinguishing feature of Methodism. In many polities ministers are called, but in Methodist polity they are sent. On e consequence of this system is that local congregations are generally receptive to whoever minister is sent. This gives ministry an objective quality that is not dependent on the personal characters of individuals or the expectations of parishes. One of the most valuable consequences of this polity is the relative triumph that United Methodist Church has had in placing women and minorities in parish situation.Second, United Methodist Church determines church policy in throngs, which function as thoughtful bodies. There are several(prenominal) levels of such conferences. The annual conference is the staple fibre corporate body of which the primary function is to connect local churches to one another. All ordinations take place at the annual conference. The highest thoughtful body in Methodism is the General Conference. The conference legislates general policy for the church as a whole. The annual conferences are grouped geographically into the jurisdictional conference, of whi ch there are presently five in the US. Central conferences are concerned with the work of the church outside the US. Churches within a specific welkin of an annual conference may assemble in district conferences. yearly meetings among local congregations or groups of contingent congregations, to which a member of an annual conference is assigned, are known as charge conference.Third, one of the unique features of Methodist governance is a structure of official leadership through which the supervisory function takes place. The executive function of the bishop includes a number of powers-particularly associated with the appointment of clergy to charges. The bishop works through district superintendents. They act as liaisons between the local parishes and the bishop. The several district superintendents in a conference are called the bishops cabinet. The district superintendent presides at the charge conferences.Fourth, an involvement of lay people in the deliberative and legislative bodies of the church has been important. Governance in contemporary Methodism is a overlap responsibility of clergy and lay people. Lay preachers and lay leaders continue to work in local churches.