The Importance of the Holy Spirit
the spirit of 作文
the spirit of 作文英文回答：The spirit referred to in the prompt can be interpreted in various ways, depending on the context and the author's perspective. Here are a few possible interpretations:Human spirit: This refers to the intangible essence of human beings, encompassing our thoughts, emotions, and values. It is what makes us unique and capable of great accomplishments.Spirit of place: This refers to the distinctive atmosphere or character of a particular location. It isoften influenced by the history, culture, and natural surroundings of the place.Spirit of the age: This refers to the prevailing ideas, beliefs, and values of a particular historical period. It shapes the way people think and act during that time.Spirit of God/Holy Spirit: In religious contexts, the spirit refers to the divine presence or power of God. It is often associated with guidance, inspiration, and sanctification.Spirit of nature: This refers to the animating force or essence of the natural world. It is often personified as a deity or spirit that represents the interconnectedness of all living things.中文回答：文中提到的“精神”一词可以有多种解释，具体取决于语境和作者的视角。
The_Salvation_Army救世军
Introduction
A protestant religious body known for its extensive philanthropy(博爱、慈善) and charity work
※
An international movement that has its international headquarters in London and currently works in more than one hundred countries and areas
Symbols
Services
hospital, community center, alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs, emergency and disasterቤተ መጻሕፍቲ ባይዱservices, social work centers and recreation facilities...
Symbols
It is based upon the colours of the Salvation Army Flag, with which it shares the same symbolism.
By 袁益铭 周宇 王毅 赵豪南 陈丝丝
Contents
• • • • Introduction Beliefs Symbols Services
Introduction
The salvation army is an international organization for social work and for spreading the teaching of the christian gospel.It was founded in 1865 by willliam boorth,headed by a general . It is organized on a military basis and exacts unquestioning obedience from its menbers ,who wear a distinctive uniform on public occasions.
IntheNameoftheFather,Son,andHolySpirit
In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.With dust on their feet and sweat beading on their brows Jesus and the disciples finally begin toapproach their destination. They have made the long trek south from Caesarea Philipi to the northern edge of the Sea of Galilee entering the small lake-side town of Capernaum and the homeof Simon Peter. Peter enters the house first, his clothes sticking to his back and the pungent smell of sweaty bodies following him. He greets his wife and family with a hug and kiss as the others begin to make their way in. But, before they can even get settled, Jesus immediately confronts his followers and asks, “What were you arguing about along the way?” Silence blankets the commotion. Red-faced, and still weary from the journey, some shoot nervous glances around the room to see if anyone else will …fess up—perhaps expecting Peter to break the silence—while others shamefully avert their eyes from Jesus‟ gaze by staring down at their sandal ties, as if to investigate the minute qualities of the (mud) floor. Jesus‟ question echoes in the deafening silence, but receives only silence in reply. “For,” Mark tells us, “on the way [the disciples] had argued with one another who was the greatest.”We all know the sort of awkward, shameful silence Mark describes in this scene. Jesus has just told his disciples for a second time now that he will be betrayed into human hands, suffer, and die—but the disciples still do not understand what he means, and they are afraid to ask. Yet, their silence indicates that they do understand that their spat over who is the greatest was out of place. They must have known that arguing about who among them is the greatest when Jesus has just told them that he will suffer and die is sort of like Luke‟s prodigal son telling his father, “Give me my inheritance now.” As if to say, “I know you‟re not dead yet, but whatever gain I might have from your death, I want it now.” The disciples continue to demonstrate incomprehension, blindness, and hardness of heart, but here they understand quite well: they have stepped over a line. The guilt in this scene wafts from the silence of the disciples like a sour odor.This sort of selfish ambition is of course not new to the disciples. I‟m sure that we all remember th e story of Joseph and his eleven brothers from the book of Genesis. Israel (that‟s Jacob), loved Joseph more than any of his sons, so the story goes, but Joseph‟s brothers hated Joseph for this and could not speak peaceably to him. Joseph tells his brothers of dreams he has had of his own greatness, which makes his brothers hate him even more. Like their ancient ancestors, the disciples were engaged in their own sort of family feud along the road to Capernaum. Remember that Peter, James, and John only a few verses back from our story today ascended the mountain with Jesus and witnessed his transfiguration. Like Joseph and his magnanimous dreams, surely they must have thought this puts them first before the other disciples, giving them an inside track with th eir teacher. And surely the rest of the disciples were just as unable as Joseph‟s brothers to mask their jealousy. As if to show us how deep this concern for greatness, for being first runs in us, Mark tells another story in the next chapter where James an d John ask to sit at Jesus‟ left and right when he comes into his kingdom. But, he says, the other ten become angry at them just like Joseph‟s jealous brothers.All of this hits pretty close to home for us. It doesn‟t take long to realize that the kind o f greatness the disciples argued about along the road that day is, actually, the engine of our society. It is the enduring ideal of greatness that keeps markets running and gets politicians elected. It is the enduring ideal of greatness that keeps the rich rich and the poor poor. Greatness seems to form the perverse core of our society—it is that sort of competitive spirit driven not only by the quest to be first, but by the recognition that in order to be first, someone else must be last. And, sadly, we are not immune to this same competitive spirit even in the church. The reading from the Letter of James today warns of those conflicts and disputes in the church that stem from selfish ambition and the insatiable lusts that are at war within us—the kinds of cravings that lead even to murder,he says. [Those were the thoughts of Joseph‟s brothers, too.] Perhaps it is enough for us toremember with fear and trembling that The Episcopal Church was a slave-owning institution, amemory that still rattles around in our bones.So, it‟s easy for us to see ourselves in the disciples‟ place in this story—to identify with them notonly in their misguided concern for greatness, but also in their guilt, shame, and silence. Even Jesus‟ response—“Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all”—does notremove their incomprehension or heal their blindness. Jesus has to repeat himself twice after thisstory, telling them that many who are first will be last (10:31), and that whoever wishes tobecome great among you must be servant and slave of all (10:43-44). When Jesus takes a child in his arms, embraces him, places the child in their midst, and says to them, “Whoever welcomesone such child as this welcomes me,” the disciples still do not understand, for la ter in chapter 10 they rebuke and turn away those who are bringing children to Jesus. The little child, a sociallyinvisible nobody, less-than-human in the ancient world‟s eyes, must have been for the disciples not an icon of the Lord in their midst, but only a mirror reflection of their persistentincomprehension and shame. It‟s easy for us to see ourselves in the disciples‟ place in this storyand to heap their guilt on our own heads.But, Jesus doesn‟t allow us to do so. He is the living, resurrected o ne who has made us into his body through baptism and is present with us even now through the power of the Holy Spirit. He is our very life together. Unlike the disciples, we hear Jesus‟ words with resurrection ears, and we see this child with resurrection eyes. Mark consistently describes the disciples as those who are blind and lacking in understanding. As Jesus asks them after the feeding of the four thousand, “Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail t o see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear?” (8:17b-18) Yet, we, like the first hearers of Mark‟s gospel, have passed through the world-altering reality of Christ‟s death and resurrection. The secret the disciples have consistently failed to grasp has been unlocked for us. We have been given new eyes to see our world.Here we must exercise caution, though. For, it‟s also easy for us to go to the opposite extreme and so distance ourselves from the disciples that we make them the scapegoats, ironically pointing to our own greatness in relation to them. “Thank God we are not like the bumbling, dunderheaded disciples, for we have resurrection eyes!” Yet, Jesus also doesn‟t allow us make this move because the words from his mouth to his disciples are still the words with which he addresses us. He still speaks to us “on the way,” the way of the Lord that leads to Jerusalem. We still travel that path with Jesus. His death and resurrection do not remove from us the call to take up our cross and follow after him. Neither does his resurrection swallow the cross, removing all who participate in his life through baptism to some spiritual realm anaesthetized from the trials and temptations of this world where we can safely relate in the privacy of our prayer closets to God in heaven.Our place in this story is the place of the disciples—behind Jesus, following him where he leads. Just as Jesus takes the child and places the child in the midst of the disciples, so on our “way” God also places in our midst through the gift of the Holy Spirit those to whom and for whom God calls us to take up responsibility, to serve and care for in the rough and tumble of our daily lives. But, that also means, for us, these are a gift of God‟s presence, living icons of the living Christ in this world. The child Jesus places in our midst along the way of discipleship is each one of those who are downtrodden, ignored, marginalized, and invisible in our world, those, St. Paul tells us, the wisdom of the world calls “fools” and “nothings” (1 Co r. 1:27-28). Because of the Spirit‟s presence in us, who helps us to see, we don‟t need to go searching for those to whom God calls us—they are our neighbors, our “near-dwellers,” they are in our midst (even here!) and all aroundus. In one of his sermons the great Reformer Martin Luther captures this with characteristicinsight: “You will find Christ in every street and just outside your door. Do not stand aroundstaring at heaven and say, …Oh, if I could just once see our Lord God, how I would do everythi ngpossible for him…It was for this reason that he laid aside his divine form and took on the form of a servant so that he might draw our love for him down to earth and attach it to our neighbor.”Jesus‟ words that the first will be last and the last firs t are not for us, then, signs of guilt and shame, the mirror reflection of our continuing failure as disciples. They are words the Spirit speaks to us from out of the empty tomb, words that beckon us forward without fear or evasion to love the neighbors God places on the way. The resurrection, then, does not simply give us new spectacles with which to see our world, but directs us to Jesus himself, the living, resurrected one in our midst. When we visit the downtrodden, forgotten, and marginalized in our society, we serve Jesus himself, and in serving Jesus we serve none other than the living God. Through baptism, we have been made into Christ‟s hands and his feet, his body in this world, filled with the Holy Spirit. But that means we do not exist for ourselves—the church is a living sacrament. Our whole existence is meant to direct the world to Jesus, to the fulfillment of all God‟s purposes for creation in him. The first will be last and the last first is no mere rearranging of the church‟s moral furniture; it points to the very liberation of the cosmos from bondage to sin and death in Jesus. And this is the good news we have gathered here to proclaim. Amen.。
The Influence of Bible on English Culture
The Influence of Bible on English Culture1.IntroductionIn western countries, Christianity is the main type of religion. With the world widely spread, Christianity acts an enormous impact on western culture. The influence of the Bible is world-wide. Its mighty power has affected every department of human activity. The contents of the Scriptures have supplied themes for the greatest poets, artists and musicians, and have been the mightiest factor of all in shaping the moral progress of the race. Let us consider a few examples of the Bible’s influence as displayed in the various realms of human enterprise. This article expounds the influence of the Bible on the English culture from several aspects.2. A general study of BibleKnowledge of the Bible is a prerequisite to understand English culture.What exactly Bible is?The explanation in the encyclopedia is “Bible, term used since the fourth century to denote the Christian Scriptures and later, by extension, those of various religious traditions. This article discusses the nature of religious scripture generally and the Christian Scriptures specifically, as well as the history of the translation of the Bible into English. For the composition and the canon of the Hebrew and Christian Bible, see Old Testament; New Testament; Apocrypha.”2.1 The history of how Bible createdChristianity started in the middle of the 1st century AD, it originated from the earliest religion which Hebrew established of the world—Judaism, the Christianity admitted and continued to use Judaism’s religion idea, and developed it on this foundation. Except accepting Jehovah as God, the Christianity also believes Savior is the name of God’s son, a name of Jesus Christ who was sent by God to save the people. Christians take the words recorded that how Christianity spread and develop into the New Testament. The combination of the New Testament and the scripture of Judaism” Old Testament” became the sacred writings of Christianity—“Holy Bible”. During 4th century AD, the Roman Empire’s Constantine made the Christianity as the nation’s religion, since that, Christianity started to spread all over the European area.Pope Damascus I assembled the first list of books of the Bible at the Council of Rome in 382 AD. He commissioned Saint Jerome to produce a reliable and consistent text by translating the original Greek and Hebrew texts into Latin. This translation became known as the Latin Vulgate Bible and in 1546 at the Council of Trent was declared by the Church to be the only authentic and official Bible in the Latin rite.2.2 The versions and translations of BibleThe Bible is often described as "the greatest book ever written." This is because of its unending significance and influence on people throughout the ages. No other book in history has impacted peoples and cultures like the Bible. So far, the Bible hasbeen translated into 2,018 languages and every year more copies of the Bible are sold than any other single book.In scholarly writing, ancient translations are frequently referred to as "versions," with the term "translation" being reserved for medieval or modern translations. Bible versions are discussed below, while Bible translations can be found on a separate page.The Christian Bible consists of the Hebrew Scriptures, which have been called the Old Testament, and some later writings known as the New Testament. The original texts of the Bible were in Hebrew, although some portions were in Aramaic. There are several different ancient versions of the Bible in Hebrew, mostly differing by spelling, and the traditional Jewish version is based on the version known as Old Testament. The primary biblical text for early Christians was the Septuagint. In addition, they translated the Hebrew Bible into several other languages. Translations were made into Syria, Coptic, Greek, Latin, and other languages. The Latin translations were historically the most important in the West, while the Greek-speaking Countries continued to use the Septuagint translations of the Old Testament and retain the New Testament.The earliest Latin translation was the Old Latin text, or Vetus Latin, which seems to have been made by several authors over a period of time. Bible translations for many languages have been made through the various influences of Catholicism, Orthodox, Protestant, especially since the Protestant Reformation. The Bible has seen a notably large number of English language translations. The work of Bibletranslation continues, including by Christian organizations such as Wycliffe Bible Translators, New Tribes Missions and the Bible Societies. Of the world's 6,900 languages, 2,400 have some or the entire Bible, 1,600 (spoken by more than a billion people) has translation underway.2.3 The main formations of BibleThe Bible as we know it today is divided into two main sections or collections of books called the Old Testament and the New Testament. The word 'testament' literally means ‘something that serves as proof or a personal wit ness either verbally or written’. So these testaments are the writings of people and the recordings of events that serve as proof. The climax or pinnacle of the Bible is Jesus - God's coming to earth as a man (incarnate). The Old Testament is the history of God's work through the nation of Israel (or the Hebrew people) to the world in preparation for Jesus. The New Testament is the witness of Jesus' coming life, teachings, work, and the ramifications of these to the people of that time and in the future till the end of time. The bible was written from 50 A.D. or so and was completed in the second century. The origins and formations of the Bible, Testaments, and books included are covered in detail in the specific Testament sections.The writers of the books of the Bible were just ordinary humans, but it is the historic Christian belief, that they wrote under the influence of the Holy Spirit, that is under 'inspiration'. This inspiration factor makes the Bible different from any other book that exists - past, present or future. It therefore bears unlimited importance for usto study and understand. Although many other books existed at that time，the Bible books were still the main choice of people . Persons spiritually guided by the Holy Spirit chose the book. This enabled them to choose what was spiritually true and what was false and therefore should or should not be included as 'scripture'. The collection of books recognized as authoritative and divinely inspired, were canonized. Canon is a Greek word which means rule or measuring line. The books that passed the canon were considered scripture. Other books that did not pass the canon, may be of interest to read, and suitable for learning, but are not regarded as on the same level as Biblical or 'canonical' books in that they carry no authority.3. The influence of Bible on English cultureWhen the Bible's influence is profound in a society, it will affect all aspects of that culture in a positive way. How we dress, what we eat, what music we listen to, and what we choose for entertainment, are all reflections of how strongly the Bible affects our lives. The idea of the Bible has become firmly established in western society today. This influence has been demonstrated in all aspects of their daily life.It is considered as an important source of western language culture as well as a classical religious masterpiece. Just like how Confucius’philosophy and works has affects Chinese’s ideas profoundly, the Bible is a foundation of ideas and principles upon which western society rests. For hundreds of years, the Bible has been penetrated deeply into western families’ daily life, and became the rules of people’s life. The Bible has shaped not only religious thought, but also politics, law, education,literature, culture, flavored English language with words and phrases etc. Indeed, for Americans of many denominations, the Bible was considered as the wellspring of national mythology, as the prevailing biblical stories and imagery spread with the change of time and circumstance.3.1 The influence of the Bible on CeremonyEnglish countries are Christian countries, both presidents and farmers go to the church every weekend. Almost all the important ceremony is held in a Christian way. It’s safe to say that all the ceremonies are originated from bible, Such as, wedding, funeral and so on. In many countries of the western world, newly-born babies usually received the baptism.The parents bring the babies to the church, or invite the pastors to their home, to hold a simple and solemn ceremony. After the pastor chanted the scripture of the Bible, he gently sprays water on the head of the baby, saying: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the son, and of the Holy Spirit”.3.1.1Wedding Ceremony:Weddings are treated as a big occasion. Bible reputes that marriage is an eternal relationship. In Bible it is described like this, “the Lord God said: ‘it is not good for the man to be alone I will make a suitable partner for him’”(Genesis 2:18). God thinks Adam is lonely when he was alone, so he took one of Adam’s ribs and creates Eva with it. Adam said: “This one, at last is bone of my bones, and fresh of my fresh.-(Genesis 2:23-24)”. Husband and wife is no longer two people, but one.Christianity holds that, marriage is matched by God, and marriage should be founded on the reverence of God. People should worship God in marriage and family life. Therefore, wedding is one of the most important ceremonies of English countries. So all close families and friends would be invited to the church to witness this stately moment. With the holy music going on, the bride in a long white wedding dress and white veil takes her father’s right arm walks to the altar. And the vicar asks her father: “Who gives this woman to this man?” Bride’s father gives her daughter’s right hand to the vicar, and then vicar give this hand to the groom.The vicar may say:“Bride/groom, are you here to ask Groom to be your partner, your lover, your friend and your husband/wife? Do you intend to give him your deepest friendship and love, not only when you are feeling bright and alive, but also when you are feeling down? Not only when you remember clearly that you are a manifestation of God, but even in those times when you forget? Do you announce before God and those here present that you will seek always to see the Light of Divinity within Groom/bride, and seek always to share the Light of Divinity within you?”The bride/groom may say: I do.The bride and groom say their vows and rings are exchanged. The vows always go like this:I, Groom, take you, Bride, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, or for worse, for richer, or for poorer, in sickness, and in health, to love and to honor and to cherish unconditionally. Forsaking all others, I will be faithful to you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.Amen.The weddings always appear as the most complicated ceremony. There is often a party coming after the ceremony. People nowadays hire professional company to hold their weddings.3.1.2 The ceremony of Christian death and burialThe same as the funeral, it also has a strong Christian flavor. Christians believe that when someone dies, they are judged by God. The righteous go to Heaven and the sinners go to Hell. Christians believe that Hell is the separation from the love of God: “T hey shall suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified by his saints.2 Thessalonians 1:9-10”When a Christian dies, it is seen as the end of his/her life on earth. A funeral is held for friends and family to grieve for the person who died and give thanks for their life. If someone is on their deathbed, a minister will prepare them for death. This is most likely after a long period of illness. Prayers of preparation and reconciliation may be said, with only the minister in the room. Family and friends can participate in the Lord's Prayer, the Word of God and Holy Communion. Often, the funeral is held about a week after one’s death. It can either take place in a church or at a crematorium.The Gathering: the priest will open the service with this reading from thescriptures:'I am the resurrection and the life,' saith the Lord; 'he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.'I know that my Redeemer liveth...Book of Common Prayer 1979’Readings and sermon: a psalm from the Bible is read out. It is often Psalm 23, 'The Lord is my Shepherd'. Verses from the Old or New Testament are also read.Personal readings: The priest will talk about the person who died. This can be quite a personal section, reflecting on the person's life and their role in the Christian church. A family member or friend may wish to read out a poem or a passage from the Bible.Prayers: prayers of thanksgiving, penitence and readiness for death are said.Reflection: Silent time for reflection. The congregation is given a minute to reflect on the deceased.Commendation and farewell: The priest speaks these words: "Let us commend (the person's name) to the mercy of God, our maker and redeemer." The priest then reads a prayer of entrusting and commending.The committal: this is probably the most solemn moment of the service. At a burial, this is when the coffin is lowered into the grave. At a cremation, the curtains are closed around the coffin. "We therefore commit (his or her) body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in the sure and certain hope of theResurrection to eternal life."There may also be a selection of hymns which are sung throughout the service.Some parishes still have space for burials. The burial follows a church service and the family and friends of the deceased gather round the grave for the Committal. It is tradition to throw some dust/mud onto the coffin. A short prayer will be said by the minister. For those who wish to be cremated, the body is taken to a crematorium, where it is burned. At the point of Committal, the curtains close around the coffin. The ashes are put into an urn and given to the family, who may choose to keep them or scatter them in a place that was meaningful to the deceased.3.2 The influence of the Bible on FestivalIn English countries, many festivals are closely related to Christianity. Easter and Christmas are the main religious festivals of the Christian Year. Most people in England celebrate Christmas and Easter. School children have two weeks off school during Christmas and Easter. Most of the festivals are come from the Bible and extensively affected by it.3.2.1 The influence of the Bible on SundayTake Sunday for example. As Sunday is the very common holiday that now it is spreading around the world. Sunday were mentioned many times in the Bible. Sunday is come from the Sabbath. In Hebrew, Sabbath means to rest. The Christians believe that: God has made people a promise of rest but it is up to people to claim it. In the Bible God tells people there are certain things they must do before they can enter His rest. The Sabbath days were just a shadow of our true rest, Jesus Christ. Only Christcan save our soul and give us rest.Jesus Christ has become our Sabbath and people can have a rest every weekend of the week if people want. People need to have faith, an open mind and work to get God’s rest. Read God's word and claim the promise of rest that God made to us. If you would like to set aside a day of the week to do this, there is nothing wrong with that. But remember that mankind gave the days of the week, not God. Also, with God a day is a thousand years, so saying a certain day is the Sabbath just doesn’t work. People use Sabbath as Sunday today.3.2.2 The influence of Bible on ChristmasSince about 400 AD, Christians have celebrated the birth of Jesus. 'Christ' means 'Messiah' or 'Anointed One' - the title given to Jesus - and 'Mass' was a religious festival. Christmas is a wonderful time of year. In many countries of the world, the celebration of Christmas on December 25th is a high point of the year. Christmas is a very special time for Christians, it is a time of celebration. According to the record of the Bible, Jesus is God’s son, he is given the birth by Saint Mary. For commemorating Jesus’birth, Christianity decided December 25th as the Christmas. Christmas is the biggest festival that all sorts of groups of Christianity celebrate. December 24th is called Christmas Eve. Christians hold the firmed belief that Christmas is the day that Christ was born. That’s how Christmas comes. But the real Christmas story is found in the Christian Bible. It is told in two different books: Matthew and Luke chapters 1 and 2.Christians believed that it was exactly God's plan that things happened in thisway. They say that it shows that Jesus came as a humble, poor person and not as a strong, rich king. They also claim that the birth of Jesus was told many years before the event was written in the books of the prophets. Five hundred years ago, the prophet Micah had said,"But you Bethlehem, though you are small, out of you will come for me, one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."The prophet Isaiah had written,"A child is born to us! A son is given to us! And he will be our ruler. He will be called, "Wonderful Counsellor," "Mighty God," "Eternal Father," "Prince of Peace." His royal power will continue to grow; his kingdom will always be at peace. He will rule as King David's successor, basing his power on right and justice, from now until the end of time."These are only two of many prophetic words that told of the birth and life of Jesus, written hundreds of years before His birth.The prophet Isaiah had written, Herod, the evil king of the area, heard about the child, saw Him as a threat, and sent soldiers to kill Jesus. But God told Joseph in a dream to take Mary and the baby and escape to Egypt. They lived there till King Herod died and then went back to live in Nazareth. Jesus was indeed "the man born to die".In the West today, the real meaning of Christmas is often forgotten. It has become a non-religious holiday! More children believe in Father Christmas than in Jesus. Christmas Day is a time for eating and drinking too much and watchingtelevision. Most people in UK or Europe will not go to a religious church meeting, even at Christmas. It has become a busy race to spend money on presents, and get ready for the Day. In UK, our shops stay open till late Christmas Eve and often open again on Boxing Day with the cut-price 'sales'. (Not much holiday for the poor shop workers!) A visitor from another world would think that Christmas was a festival to the gods of money and shopping.How do they celebrate Christmas?From November onwards, it is impossible to forget that Christmas is coming. Coloured lights decorate many town centers and shops, along with shiny decorations, and artificial snow painted on shop windows. In streets and shops, 'Christmas trees' (real or plastic evergreen 'conifer' trees) will also be decorated with lights and Christmas ornaments. Shopping centers become busier as December approaches and often stay open till late. Shopping centre speaker systems will play Christmas 'carols' - the traditional Christmas Christian songs, Christians sing Christmas Carol to one and another family to proclaim the glad tidings that Jesus was born. People give present to each other and every family decorates a Christmas tree in their house. It is said that Santa Claus will monitor eight moose with plenty of gifts from north, climb down the chimney during the mid night, and put the gifts in every children’s stockings. Most places of work will hold a short Christmas party about a week before Christmas. There are many traditional Christmas foods that are available in the party, but which means little work will be done after the party!By mid-December, most homes will also be decorated with Christmas trees,coloured lights and paper or plastic decorations around the rooms. These days, many more people also decorate garden trees or house walls with coloured electric lights, a habit which has long been popular in USA.In many countries, most people post Christmas greeting cards to their friends and family, and these cards will be hung on the walls of their homes. In UK this year, the British Post Office expects to handle over 100 million cards EACH DAY, in the three weeks before Christmas.In English-speaking countries, the day following Christmas Day is called 'Boxing Day'. This word comes from the custom which started in the Middle Ages around 800 years ago: churches would open their 'alms boxe' (boxes in which people had placed gifts of money) and distribute the contents to poor people in the neighbourhood on the day after Christmas. The tradition continues today - small gifts are often given to delivery workers such as postal staff and children who deliver newspapers.3.2.3 The influence of Bible on EasterWhat is Easter?Easter is the time for holidays, festivals and a time for giving chocolate Easter eggs. But actually Easter means much more. Easter is the season in which Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the oldest Christian festival, and the one celebrated with the greatest joy. It is the most important festival in the Christian year. Jesus' resurrectionis at the centre of the Christian faith. Jesus died for the sins of humanity and by coming back to life promises eternal life for all those who believe in him. The date of Easter changes each year, and several other Christian festivals fix their dates by reference to Easter. Churches are filled with flowers, and there are special hymns and songs. But not all Easter customs are Christian; some, such as the Easter Bunny, are Pagan in origin.The Easter story is at the heart of Christianity:On Good Friday, Jesus Christ was executed by crucifixion. His body was taken down from the cross, and buried in a cave.The tomb was guarded and an enormous stone was put over the entrance, so that no-one could steal the body.On the following Sunday, some women visited the grave and found that the stone had been moved, and that the tomb was empty.The remains of Jesus were seen that day and days afterwards by many people. Thus, his followers realized that God had raised Jesus from the dead.3.3 The influence of the Bible on Daily lifeThe Bible covers a wide range of people’s daily life. Its influence includes people’s name, laws, and even politics.3.3.1 The influence of Bible on naming names:Boys always named Abraham( the ancestry of Jew)、David (an hero of Jew)、Moses(prophet of Jew)、Joseph(Jesus’ father) or use the name of Jesus’ twelve disciple,like John、Peter、Thomas、Andrew and so on; girls always named as Mary(Jesus’mother)、Elizabeth(John’s mother)、Sarah(Abraham’s wife)、Ruth(King David’s mother). John was the most popular boy s’ name from 1880 (the earliest year my research could trace) through 1924. Mary was the most popular girls’ name from 1880 until 1947 (when it was knocked out by Linda, only to return in 1953 to hold the top spot until Lisa knocked it out again in 1962). In 1972 it fell out of the top ten and has never returned. In the early years of America, most children were named Jeremiah, Abigail, John, Josiah, Peter, Sarah, Paul, or Elizabeth. Today, many of these Bible names are making a comeback. In fact, of the top 50 names given to girls in America in 2005, 14 are Bible names. Of the top 50 names given to boys, 25 are Bible names. No matter in public or in family life, the Bible shows its unique function by its distinct symbolized meaning.3.3.2 The influence of Bible on Laws:On court, the judge demanded witness to hold the Bible to swear that every word he said is truth. In the United States there are laws that punish those who assault and rape women, those who would murder, those who would steal and lie. You may be surprised to know that the source of these laws came directly from the Bible and were given for the protection of society. Many of them can be found in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy.Other examples of laws were taken directly from the Bible are our laws regarding bankruptcy, laws in our courts that demand witnesses to a crime before one can be convicted, and laws that demand just weights for commerce. The child laborlaws protect children from being exploited. Even our government Child Protection Agency was created to keep children from abuse. Although this agency goes to the extreme at times and shields a rebellious child that is lying, its original intent was to protect children from parental abuse. Our civil laws were established to keep order in our society, and because our founding fathers were Christians, they created a structure that was based on moral laws taken from the Bible.Many legal clauses are changed from the Ten Commandments of the Bible.3.4 The influence of Bible on American politicsThe Bible's continuing influence in twentieth-century American culture was particularly evident in American politics. When most of the Presidents assume the post, they all quote the sentences from the Bible to support their speech.So influential was the Bible in the formation of early American political thought and governance that hardly any of America’s founding fathers were silent on the importance of the Bible. Here’s a sampling of comments by the first seven men elected President of the United States.George Washington (1789-1797) was America’s first military and political leader. On June 15, 1775, George Washington was named by unanimous vote as permanent military leader of the colonies’ rag-tag armies. Later he was chosen as t his country’s founding president.America’s first hero said, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”Washington used the Bible as the basis for governing America’s earliest days.Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were appointed todraft a formal statement defining to reason for the colonies’ irrevocable separation from Great Britain. Jefferson claimed, “I have always said, I always say, that the studious perusal of the sacred volume will make better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands.”And on that basis, he drafted the Declaration of Independence. He also became the third U.S. President (1801-1809).James Madison, the fourth President of the United States (1809-1817), gave a speech to the General Assembly of the State of Virginia in 1778 in which he admitted, “We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We’ve staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”watchful eye must be kept on ourselves lest, while we are building ideal monuments of renown and bliss here, we neglect to have our names enrolled in the Annals of Heaven.Andrew Jackson was the seventh U.S. President (1829-1837). His trust in the Bible spilled out almost every time he spoke. "Go to the Scriptures...the joyful promises it contains will be a balsam to all your troubles. That book is the rock on which our republic rests,” said Old Hickory. Just before he died, Jackson testified, “I am in the hands of a merciful God. I have full confidence in His goodness and mercy...The Bible is true. I have tried to conform to its spirit as near as possible. Upon that sacred volume I rest my hope for eternal salvation, through the merits and blood of our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."These are not the words of professional politicians; they are the words of。
《林慈信-神学导论阅读资料-加尔文主义与阿米年念主义的共同点》
加尔文主义与阿米年念主义的共同点WHAT CALVINISTS AND ARMINIANS SHARE IN COMMON背景﹕海外华人基督教圈子里，有些同工同道关注基督徒对加尔文主义的兴趣日增，可能对教会的合一性有害。
笔者写了这份备忘录，寄给一位资深华人教会领袖，强调加尔文主义与阿米念主义之间的共同点。
Background: There is concern in certain Chinese Christian circles that theincreasing interest in Calvinism today may be harmful to the unity of the church.I wrote this memorandum to a Chinese church leader stressing themany points on which Calvinists and Arminians agree on, and share in common.各位主内同道，我们不论是加尔文主义者或是阿米念主义者，只要真正相信《圣经》的默示与无谬误和我们主耶稣基督的神人而性和已完成的救赎大工，在我们的信仰上是有很多共同点的。
我愿意指出一些共同点，以表示我们在主里的合一。
Friends, we have a lot in common, Calvinists and Arminians – those of us who truly believe in the utter inspiration and infallibility of the Bible, and in the person and finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ. I would like to bring the following thoughts to your attention, to stress our unity as we have occasion to discuss some of our differences.我们必须用爱心说诚实话，指出我们的共同点与分歧之处。
Christianity
Resurrection of Christ by Noel Coypel, 1700, using a hovering depiction of Jesus
salvation
• Modern Christian churches tend to be much more concerned with how humanity can be saved from a universal condition of sin and death than the question of how both Jews and Gentiles can be in God's family. • The Catholic Church teaches that salvation does not occur without faithfulness on the part of Christians; converts must live in accordance with principles of love and ordinarily must be baptized. • In contrast Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Arminian Protestants believe that the exercise of free will is necessary to have faith in Jesus
Three angels hosted by Abraham by Ludovico Carracci: The three angels represent the three persons of God.
Scriptures
• Christianity regards the Bible, a collection of canonical books in two parts (the Old Testament and the New Testament), as the authoritative word of God. Christians believe the Bible was written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. • the books of the Old Testament primarily sourced from the Tanakh (with some variations), and the 27 books of the New Testament containing books originally written primarily in Greek.
fruits of the holy spirit
The Fruits of the HolySpiritFruits of the Holy SpiritFruits of the Holy SpiritSt.Paul wrote a letter to the young Christian community in Galatia,in ancient Turkey,around AD56.In it, he says that if we are led or guided by the Spirit,then we can live “Spirit-filled”lives.He says that the “fruit”of the Spirit in a person’s life is love,joy,peace,patience, kindness,goodness,gentleness, trustfulness and self-control.Fruits of the Holy Spirit LoveLoveWhen we try to live lives full of love for God and for others,when we try to think of and care for other people, we are allowing the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives.I showed love when......JoyWhen we try to be full of joy because of God’s goodness to us and when we try to make life happier for others,we are allowing the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives.I showed joy when......PeaceWhen we try to live in peace with God and with the people around us and when we try to work for peace where there is disagreement,we are allowing the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives.I showed peace when......PatienceWhen we try to have patience,even in times of hardship,even when things don’t go our way,we are allowing the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives.When we wait for others and try to understand that some people may need more time than we do,we are allowing the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives.I showed patience when......KindnessWhen we try to be kind to those around us,to care for them,to listen to them,we are allowing the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives.I showed kindness when......GoodnessWhen we try to put the needs of others first and do what is good for them,we are allowing the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives.I showed goodness when......TrustfulnessWhen those around us know that they can trust us and when we trust others and give them a chance,we are allowing the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives.I showed trustfulness when......GentlenessWhen we try to be gentle with others,with old people,with our younger brothers and sisters and all those with whom we work and live, we are allowing the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives.I showed gentleness when......Self-ControlWhen we try to have self-control so that we don’t spoil games or cause trouble at home,when we try to control our temper so that we don’t say things in a moment of anger that hurts others,we are allowing the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives.I showed self-control when......。
圣灵来了the holy spirit comes中英文诗歌
the Lord
never change in my life End of the study in school then go to
the altar of fire
好羡慕好羡慕, 作主的善工, 这是我唯一的拣选
孩童时总看天空的简单, 少年时总问天边有多远 圣灵来了开我的双眼 , 让我重新重新又看见一个天 I admire, admire the work of God , This is my only choice Always looking at the sky when I was a child I always liked to ask how far the ends of the earth The holy spirit came and opened my eyes Let me see a new sky
圣灵来了
The Holy spirit comes
圣灵来了 圣灵来了, 我的人生完全改变
胸中一团火坚定的信念 , 决心服事主一生不改变 告别了南窗下读书的日子, 走上了火的祭坛 The holy spirit comes , The holy spirit comes
My life was changed completely A zealous heart rve faith ,
- 1、下载文档前请自行甄别文档内容的完整性，平台不提供额外的编辑、内容补充、找答案等附加服务。
- 2、"仅部分预览"的文档,不可在线预览部分如存在完整性等问题,可反馈申请退款(可完整预览的文档不适用该条件!)。
- 3、如文档侵犯您的权益，请联系客服反馈,我们会尽快为您处理(人工客服工作时间：9:00-18:30)。
The Importance of the Holy SpiritSome events like a baptism in the Bible were often associated with the descending of the Holy Spirit and the importance thereof could reflect in Jesus, the Disciples and all nations (the whole world), including identifying Jesus Christ himself, continuing the teachings of Jesus, changing the Disciples and saving the entire world.First, the Holy Spirit was an incorporeal sign to the identity of Jesus Christ. In other words, it made Jesus who he is. The Holy Spirit made Mary pregnant and give birth to a son, Jesus (Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-7). In all the Gospels, the baptism of Jesus was mentioned and they described it as a holy event when Jesus or John the Baptist saw “the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him” (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32). In addition, John gave his comparative testimony: “I baptize with water” “…sent me to baptize with water” “but... whose sandals I am not worthy to untie” (John 1:26-33). The Holy Spirit led Jesus in the desert afterwards and helped him resist all the temptation of the devil (Luke 4:1-13). When Jesus appeared to the Disciples after the resurrection, he was going to “send you what my Father has promised” (Luke 24:49), i.e. the Holy Spirit, in order to preach repentance and forgiveness. Therefore, there was the importance of the Holy Spirit that accompanied Jesus throughout the whole life and identified Jesus Christ himself.Second, Jesus counted on the Holy Spirit to continue the teachings. The Holy Spirit that Jesus described as “another Counselor” (John 14:26) sent by the Father, would “teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you”, “guideyou into all truth” (John 16:13) and save anyone “who calls on the name of the Lord”(Acts 1:21) after Jesus was going to the Father. Jesus pinned hope on the Holy Spirit to preach as well as rescue and make differences to people, which implied the importance and necessity of the Holy Spirit. Hence the Holy Spirit would “shoulder” the responsibility of continuing the teachings of Jesus.Third, the Holy Spirit changed the Disciples physically and spiritually. Or rather, the Holy Spirit inspired the Disciples and provided them with motivation and power of performing miracles. Under the command of Jesus1, all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and began to speak in other tongues in Jerusalem (Acts 2:4), as Jesus foretold: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you”(Acts 1:8). It also resulted in the medical miracles like the healing of the Crippled Beggar, the sick and even those tormented by evil spirits (Acts 3; Acts 5). Besides, inspired and stimulated by the Holy Spirit, the Disciples made Apostles preach to the people and enemies though they took the risk of being persecuted. They firmed their faiths and defended against Sanhedrin and any other opponent authorities. Stephen arguing with members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Acts 6:8-13) and Peter addressing rulers and elders of the people (Acts 4:8-12), can be set as examples of apostles’belief in Jesus as the Holy Spirit worked. It might make people convert, Saul likewise. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Saul changed name into “Paul”and rebuked Elymas because of his perverting the right ways of the Lord (Act 13:9-10). Therefore, the Holy Spirit changed the Disciples and made them devouter.1“…For John baptized with the water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”(John 1: 5)Finally, the eternal goal of the Holy Spirit is to save the entire world. In Jesus’ prophesy, the Holy Spirit would “convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). People would get rescued from baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Act 2:38). As is foretold, how one man was baptized is “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19), a trinity of denotation of God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Thus the Holy Spirit could be equated with God to a certain extent so people could “receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Act 2:38) and know about the way to the Father (John 14:6). Jesus task--“save the world through him” (3:17) could be achieved in this way, i.e. giving the Holy Spirit.In conclusion, the importance of the Holy Spirit includes identifying Jesus Christ himself, continuing the teachings of Jesus, changing the Disciples and saving the entire world.。