Our Top Priority Putting God First Religion Essay

Our Top Priority Putting God First Religion Essay All of us have our priorities, the things that we consider are really important to us in our lives. But are we prepared to sacrifice them for the sake of the love for the gospel and the discipline of loving God and putting God before all our priorities in life? If each believer were practising Matthew 6:33, there would be plenty of manpower for service, more money for missions, and the work of the Lord would progress and prosper. Are we practising Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you? What is our top priority in life? Is it not to put God first as God requires of us? Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. Yet, Many People Put Other Things First. Some will put job or profession first. Yes, it is important for a Christian to be a good worker. Regardless of where a believer works, their employer ought to be able to see a difference in them! If you are a businessman, then you ought to work hard to make your business a success! But neverneverallow your job or your business to come first in your life! Some will put the accumulation of wealth first. Many spend their time and energies gaining and getting. But they often lose their sense of God. The more we seek earthly things, the less of the things of God we can see. Some people put pleasure first. Many may say, But Sunday is my only day offI need that time to relax! God isnt opposed to a person having a good time and enjoying life! Mark 6:31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. But pleasure should not be our chief aim of life, and nothing should come before God! What is the chief end of men? To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Jesus is clear in this verse, Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Come to worship and be active in serving the Lord whenever He has called you, and you will deserve a blessed and good rest. Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Some people put their family first. Now dont get me wrong, family is important. But they are not more important than God! A lady moans and groans nearly every time she sees her children not in church for fellowship meetings. Well, what went wrong? When they were younger, she taught them by example that going to Grandmas and Aunt So-in-sos was more important that going to church, and serving God! Matthew 10:37-39 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. Be careful not to let whatever or whoever that is dear to our life to stand between us and faithful service to God, lest will be unworthy of the Lord. What Does It Mean to Put God First or to Seek First the Kingdom? Putting God first in our life means that we conform our lives to His biblical principles. Romans 12:2 tells us And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Are we living our lives guided by biblical principles or by some worldly philosophy? Is our mind being transformed each day by the faithful reading of Gods Word? The more we read the Bible, the more we will have the mind of Christ and know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God to guide us through life. Putting God first means serving in His kingdom. 2 Cor 5:20, Now then we are ambassadors for Christ An ambassador is supposed to serve his king. Unfortunately, God has many ambassadors who poorly represent Him to this lost and dying world. If the lost is to hear the Gospel and be saved, we must be actively serving our King and seeing that Gospel preached at home and around the world. How active are we in witnessing for the Lord? Putting God first means putting His church first. The local church is the only organization Christ left down here to do His work! Or should it be organism because it is supposed to be growing. And as we have been saved and still left in this world, we are to be part of a local body of Christ. We are to serve Christ through the local church! It is the body of Christ, and being part of the body of Christ, we need to come together and work together, whether you are the leg or the hand, whether with one talent or with five, we need one another, for the sake of Christs body to grow. We owe it all to the local church which God has by His providence put us in. We are to serve Him and with fellow brethren with high priority. We owe the church our presence. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching (Hebrews 10:25). Do I attend every gathering of Gods people that I can? Do we hear some Christians saying, You know, it is not commanded that we assemble on Saturday afternoon or on Tuesday evening, as if it were a light thing to miss an assembly of Gods people. I am sure that you realize I am not talking about being providentially hindered, by things over which we have no control. God knows when we are sick or unable to attend. I am talking about willfully missing gatherings of Gods people. Just because there is something else we desire to do or somewhere else we had rather be. We should eagerly anticipate the opportunity to encourage each other, to lend our thoughts in prayer, to raise our voices in songs of praise, to offer a friendly handshake to both member and visitor. To be a part of the family of God. We owe the church our prayers. Paul asked the church to pray for him on many occasions. James 5:16 tells us to pray for one another. Who knows what mighty things this church could do if everyone was praying together? We owe the church our promise and commitment. What I am talking about is real commitment which we have promised the Lord what we will do for the church being of one mind, of one purpose. We ought to totally give of ourselves faithfully to the ministry of this church. Ephesians 4:11-13 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: [not the ministry of only the pastor, but also of all in the body of Christ] 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: Here is the commitment of everyone in the body of Christ. In the everyday world we understand what commitment means: We take out a 30 year mortgage on a house. What have we done? Committed ourself to 360 monthly payments. And we signed many papers assuring that we realize the commitment we have made. We go to work for an employer and a commitment is involved. We are going to be there on time, ready to work the committed hours. We are going to do an honest days work for an honest days pay. The reason? The Lord is watching and we made a commitment (Eph. 5:5-8). We marry someone a lifelong commitment. We are going to love one another, labor together, trust and honor one another, until death do us part. Commitment! How people commit themselves in the things they find to do. Look at the sportsmen and sportswomen. An Olympic swimmer would swim 8,000 meters just about every day when in training. Thats 160 laps in an Olympic size pool. A world famous basketball player would eat, drink, and sleep basketball. All champions are like that. Now that is Commitment! Here is a little test for all of us. Ask yourself the question, Has service to God become boring? Do I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to attend services and worship our Creator? If the answer is NO, one problem may be a lack of real sacrifice on our part. How to overcome your boredom? It is by joyous participation. Psalms 100:2 reminds us, Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Nothing is more boring than religion devoid of meaningful and joyful service. But Praise God for there is Gods Reward to Those Who Seek First the Kingdom. All these things shall be added unto you. The Lord is talking here about material needs which we read about from vv. 25-32. Do you believe? Is God a liar or did Jesus mean what He said? Putting God first means that we will have our needs met. If you have trusted in Christ in His promise of eternal life, why cant we simply trust Him to take care of our temporal needs here on earth? King David observed in Psalms 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Remember the testimony of George Muller? Testimony: One night when the children at the orphanage had all gone to sleep, George Muller realized that there was not bread for the breakfast the next morning. He then asked his friend, a guest at the orphanage, to join him in prayer. Muller told his visitor that there was absolutely nothing in the house for next mornings breakfast. The friend reminded Muller that all the stores were closed which Muller knew very well. But he prayed as he always prayed. They went to bed and slept. And lo, and behold, in the morning, there was in abundance at the usual breakfast hour bread for two thousand children. Neither Muller nor his friend ever knew how the answer came. The story was told that the Lord called a baker out of bed in the middle of the night to send breakfast to Mullers orphanage, and knowing nothing of the need, or of the two men at prayer, the baker sent provisions that would feed the children for a month. God is faithful! He keeps His promises! Put Him first and then just watch Him bless you! Would you dare take up this challenge?! Conclusion We are facing a hard life, and with things getting really hectic, so much so that sometimes we might become confused with our own priorities. But lets keep our focus clear! What is most important for us is to put God first in every area of our lives, and all things will fall into place nicely. GOD HAS ALWAYS REQUIRED MAN TO PUT HIM FIRST! Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. Make no mistake about it. Anything less is unacceptable. This is the reason for mans existence.

Islam and Religious Group Essay

Select at least 1 religious and 1 ethnic group not your own from the list below. †¢Religious groups (based on http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/affiliations-all-traditions.pdf) oChristianity †¢Evangelical Protestant †¢Mainline Protestant †¢Historically Black Churches †¢Roman Catholic †¢Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) †¢Jehovah’s Witnesses †¢Orthodox (Greek, Eastern) oJudaism (Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform) oBuddhism (Theravada or Mahayana) oIslam (Sunni, Shia, Sufism) oHinduism †¢Ethnic groups (based on divisions in U.S. Census Bureau documents) oAsian (Asian descent) oBlack (African descent) oHispanic and Latino (South or Central American descent) oPacific Islander (Polynesian descent) oWhite (European descent) Part III Answer the following questions in 150 to 250 words each about the religious group you selected: †¢How does your selected religious group differ from other religious groups (such as in their beliefs, worship practices, or values)? †¢What has been the experience of your selected religious group with others that do not share its beliefs or practices? †¢In what ways has the religious group you selected contributed to American culture? †¢Provide specific examples of prejudice or discrimination your selected religious group has experienced. †¢What were the sources of this prejudice or discrimination? †¢Does what you’ve learned about this religious group help you understand it? In what ways? Answer the following questions in 150 to 250 words each about the ethnic group you selected: †¢How does your selected ethnic group differ from other ethnic groups (such as differences in ancestry, language, or culture)? †¢What has been your selected ethnic group’s experience with other ethnic groups? †¢In what ways has the ethnic group you selected contributed to American culture? †¢Identify some specific examples of prejudice or discrimination that your selected ethnic group has experienced historically. †¢What were the sources of this prejudice or discrimination? †¢Does what you’ve learned about this ethnic group help you understand it? How? Part IV Answer the following questions in 150 to 250 words each: †¢How are the prejudice and discrimination experienced by your selected religious group and ethnic group similar? †¢How are they different? †¢Can you draw any conclusions about discrimination from this comparison

Sandra Drake

Andrea November 17 2010 Race and Caribbean Culture Sandra Drake addresses three issues in her excerpt â€Å"Race and Caribbean Culture as Thematic of Liberation in Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea†. First we have the effects of the abolishment of slavery on the ex-slave owners and the Afro-Caribbean ex-slaves. Second we see the loss of identity that Antoinette had as she struggle to fit in the Caribbean culture and the English culture as well. At last, Drake turns her attention into the social tension that increasingly grows on Wide Sargasso Sea.The unexpected abolishment of slavery left Antoinette’s family in a bad social and economic situation. Her mother’s marriage and her own seem to be the only viable solution for their problems. Somewhat helpful but Antoinette still had to â€Å"struggle against the survival of the Caribbean and European patriarchy and empire† (Drake 195). The European colonialism and patriarchy on Antoinette is a mirroring image of what European Colonialism did to the Afro-Caribbean people.In her struggle to find an identity she became a â€Å"zombie†, a â€Å"ghost†, according to the ex-slaves or an â€Å"Antoinette-marionette†, according to Rochester (Drake 200). Her dependence on others, specifically, Rochester lead to her â€Å"real death† eventually by his English like suppression of her; just as the colonizers did to the Afro-Caribbean people. His inevitable English controlling personality is parallel to the subjugation of Coco by her English stepfather when he clipped his wings; which became a foreshadowing of her fate.In her pursuit for an identity â€Å"she betrays herself†, as she fervently tries to fit into the English culture by means of the Caribbean obeahs. Paying Christophine reflects her â€Å"denial of belonging to the Caribbean culture but rather wants to use the spell to complete her assimilation to England and to whiteness† (198), and a cock crew as a signal of betrayal. Ironically later on we find her calling out for Christophine to come and help her and protect her (202), she has flashbacks of her red dress and sees her Caribbean identity in it when she is in Thornfield Hall (WSS 86-187). This continuous struggles lead to her loss of identity; having recurring dreams about the fire at Coulibri Estate and the persistent questions â€Å"Qui est la? † and You frightened? â€Å"leave Antoinette with fear† (195). The answers to both of these questions are â€Å"Bertha, Bertha† (204) from the man that hated her. Alan Gordon suggests â€Å"Antoinette feels anguish at Rochester for subjugating her as her stepfather, another Englishman, subjugated Coco by clipping his wings.Antoinette's inability to recognize her voice as the source of the scream also reflects her loss of identity. Her perception of Rochester's calls to â€Å"Bertha,† an identity he imposed upon Antoinette, suggest Rochester's role in this loss. A clear comparison of what â€Å"English colonizers did to black slaves by changing their African names or giving them surnames† (198). In the midst of this conflict there is a strong social tension among ex-slave owners and ex-slaves. These conflicts were stronger than the friendship that Antoinette thought she had with Tia.When she realizes that Tia is part of the revolt she â€Å"bolts towards the natives, intuits that that is the direction not just of her past but of her future†. She doesn’t even see the stone in Tia’s hand, but she feels the blood running down her face (203). Such a brutal and heart breaking scene shows what the tension was in the Caribbean at that time; not even two innocent girls could see pass it. Drake clearly states the effects of the Emancipation Act at a personal, cultural and individual level as we read on Wide Sargasso Sea.The similarities of what English colonizers did to women and to black slaves are vast for us to compare. The power and subjugation in which they applied their authority was almost â€Å"total†, making them â€Å"clever like the Devil, more clever than God. Aint’s so? † (206). Work Cited Gordon, Alan. Dreams in Wide Sargasso Sea. 2006. 17 Nov. 2010 http://www. victorianweb. org/neovictorian/rhys/gordon14. html. Drake, Sandra. Criticism. Wide Sargasso Sea. By Jean Rhys. New York: W. W. Norton ;amp; Company Inc. , 1982. 193-206.

How Is Collage Used in Fine Art

A collage is a piece of art that incorporates a variety of materials. It often involves gluing things like paper, cloth, or found objects onto a canvas or board and incorporating that into a painting or composition.  The exclusive use of photos in  collage  is called photomontage. What Is Collage? Derived from the French verb  coller, meaning to glue,  collage  (pronounced ko ·laje) is a work of art made by gluing things to the surface. It is similar to  dà ©coupage, a 17th-century French practice of decorating furniture with pictures. Collage is sometimes referred to as mixed media, though that term can take on meanings beyond collage. It would be more appropriate to say that collage is one form of mixed media. Quite often, collage is seen as a mixture of high and low art.  High art  meaning our traditional definition of fine art and  low art  referring to that made for mass-production or advertisements. It is a newer form of modern art and is a popular technique employed by many artists.   The Beginnings of  Collage  in Art Collage became an art form during the Synthetic Cubist period of Picasso and Braque. This period ran from 1912 until 1914. At first, Pablo Picasso glued oilcloth to the surface of Still Life with Chair Caning in May of 1912. He also glued a rope around the edge of the oval canvas. Georges Braque then glued imitation wood-grained wallpaper to his Fruit Dish and Glass (September 1912). Braques work is called papier collà © (glued or pasted paper), a specific type of collage. Collage in Dada and Surrealism During the Dada movement  of 1916 through 1923, collage appeared once again. Hannah Hà ¶ch (German, 1889–1978) glued bits of photographs from magazines and advertising in such works as Cut with a Kitchen Knife  (1919-20). Fellow Dadaist Kurt Schwitters (German, 1887–1948) also glued bits of paper he found in newspapers, advertisements, and other discarded matter beginning in 1919. Schwitters called his collages and assemblages  Merzbilder. The word was derived by combining the German word Kommerz (Commerce, as in banking) which had been on a fragment of an advertisement in his first work, and bilder (German for pictures). Many early Surrealists also incorporated collage into their work. The process of assembling objects fit perfectly into the often ironic work of these artists. Among the better examples is the art of one of the few female Surrealists,  Eileen Agar. Her piece Precious Stones (1936) assembles an antique jewelry catalog page with a cutout of a human figure layered over colorful papers. All of this work from the first half of the 20th century has inspired new generations of artists. Many continue to employ collage in their work. Collage as Commentary What collage offers artists that cannot be found in flat work alone is the opportunity to add commentary through familiar imagery and objects. It adds to the dimension of the pieces and can further illustrate a point. We have seen this often in contemporary art. Many artists find that magazine and newspaper clippings, photographs, printed words, and even rusty metal or dirtied cloth are great vehicles for conveying a message. This may not be possible with paint alone. A flattened pack of cigarettes glued onto a canvas, for instance, has a higher impact than simply painting a cigarette.   The possibilities of using collage to address a variety of issues are endless. Quite often, the artist will leave clues within the elements of a piece to allude to anything from social and political to personal and global concerns. The message may not be blatant, but can often be found within the context.