Table of Contents
Topic: Festivals, Feasts, Pilgrimage and Historic Places #
1a (i) What do you understand by the ascension of Jesus?
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The ascension of Jesus means Jesus going back to heaven after his resurrection. This happened forty days after Easter Sunday. Jesus was taken up into heaven while his disciples watched him from the Mount of Olives. A cloud covered him and he disappeared from their sight. Two angels appeared and told the disciples that Jesus would return in the same way.
1a (ii) What does the ascension show?
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The ascension shows several important things:
- It shows that Jesus is the Son of God and has divine power and authority
- It shows that Jesus completed his work on earth – his mission to save humanity was finished
- It shows that Jesus can now be present with all believers everywhere through the Holy Spirit, not just in one physical place
- It shows that Jesus will return again one day, as the angels promised
(b) Describe the Pentecost.
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Pentecost happened fifty days after Easter Sunday. The disciples were all together in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit came to them. They heard a sound like a strong wind filling the house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire that separated and rested on each of them.
The Holy Spirit filled all the disciples and they began to speak in different languages that they had not learned. There were Jewish people in Jerusalem from many different countries, and each person heard the disciples speaking in their own language. This amazed everyone.
Peter stood up and spoke to the crowd about Jesus. He explained that Jesus was the Messiah and that God had raised him from the dead. About three thousand people believed Peter’s message and were baptized that day.
Pentecost is very important because it marks the beginning of the Christian Church. The disciples received power and courage from the Holy Spirit to spread the good news about Jesus. Before this, they were afraid, but after Pentecost they became brave and started teaching openly.
(c) Evaluate the view that Church leaders no longer pay attention to the Holy Spirit. Give your own opinion and show that you have thought about other points of view.
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Arguments that support this view:
Some people believe that many Church leaders today focus more on tradition and rules than on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. They see Church leaders making decisions based on what has always been done, not on prayer and spiritual guidance. Some Church leaders seem more interested in church politics and keeping their positions than in listening to God. Some churches focus mainly on money and building projects rather than spiritual growth. Leaders may spend more time on meetings and administration than on prayer and seeking the Holy Spirit’s direction. In some cases, Church leaders follow what is popular in society rather than what the Holy Spirit teaches through the Bible. Some people point to scandals and problems in churches as evidence that leaders are not being guided by the Holy Spirit. If they were truly listening to God, these problems would not happen.
Arguments against this view:
However, many Church leaders do pay strong attention to the Holy Spirit. Many leaders spend time in prayer and Bible study before making important decisions. They seek God’s guidance for their churches and their own lives. The growth of Pentecostal and Charismatic churches shows that many Church leaders strongly emphasize the work of the Holy Spirit. These churches encourage spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues, healing, and prophecy. Their leaders often pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance before preaching or making decisions. Many Church leaders organize prayer meetings, healing services, and revival meetings where they ask for the Holy Spirit to work. They teach their members about the Holy Spirit and encourage them to be filled with the Spirit. Many missionaries and church planters depend completely on the Holy Spirit’s guidance for their work. Church leaders often face difficult situations and they need to balance tradition with new guidance from the Holy Spirit. Just because they follow some traditions does not mean they ignore the Holy Spirit.
My opinion:
I think that this statement is too general and not completely true. While some Church leaders may have lost focus on the Holy Spirit, many others have not. It is wrong to say that all Church leaders no longer pay attention to the Holy Spirit. I believe that different churches and leaders are at different levels of spiritual awareness. Some may need to return to focusing more on prayer and the Holy Spirit’s guidance. But many Church leaders are genuinely trying to follow God and listen to the Holy Spirit in their ministry. The important thing is for Church leaders to keep checking themselves and making sure they are not just following human ideas but are truly seeking God’s will through the Holy Spirit. Churches should encourage their leaders to spend time in prayer and remain open to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Some people believe that many Church leaders today focus more on tradition and rules than on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. They see Church leaders making decisions based on what has always been done, not on prayer and spiritual guidance. Some Church leaders seem more interested in church politics and keeping their positions than in listening to God. Some churches focus mainly on money and building projects rather than spiritual growth. Leaders may spend more time on meetings and administration than on prayer and seeking the Holy Spirit’s direction. In some cases, Church leaders follow what is popular in society rather than what the Holy Spirit teaches through the Bible. Some people point to scandals and problems in churches as evidence that leaders are not being guided by the Holy Spirit. If they were truly listening to God, these problems would not happen.
Arguments against this view:
However, many Church leaders do pay strong attention to the Holy Spirit. Many leaders spend time in prayer and Bible study before making important decisions. They seek God’s guidance for their churches and their own lives. The growth of Pentecostal and Charismatic churches shows that many Church leaders strongly emphasize the work of the Holy Spirit. These churches encourage spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues, healing, and prophecy. Their leaders often pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance before preaching or making decisions. Many Church leaders organize prayer meetings, healing services, and revival meetings where they ask for the Holy Spirit to work. They teach their members about the Holy Spirit and encourage them to be filled with the Spirit. Many missionaries and church planters depend completely on the Holy Spirit’s guidance for their work. Church leaders often face difficult situations and they need to balance tradition with new guidance from the Holy Spirit. Just because they follow some traditions does not mean they ignore the Holy Spirit.
My opinion:
I think that this statement is too general and not completely true. While some Church leaders may have lost focus on the Holy Spirit, many others have not. It is wrong to say that all Church leaders no longer pay attention to the Holy Spirit. I believe that different churches and leaders are at different levels of spiritual awareness. Some may need to return to focusing more on prayer and the Holy Spirit’s guidance. But many Church leaders are genuinely trying to follow God and listen to the Holy Spirit in their ministry. The important thing is for Church leaders to keep checking themselves and making sure they are not just following human ideas but are truly seeking God’s will through the Holy Spirit. Churches should encourage their leaders to spend time in prayer and remain open to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
