The Gospel Of Lune Essays - Christian Soteriology,

The Gospel Of Lune In the Gospel According to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, repentance and forgiveness are discussed explicitly. These acts serve as our attempt to become better Christians. Only in repenting our sins and working for their forgiveness are we able to embrace the workings of God. Additionally, it is only through the word of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, and the grace of God, that man is forgiven. But, if one does not repent and change one's ways, receiving God's forgiveness is impossible. In explaining these aspects of Christian faith, they also help to explain the static relationship between God and his people in the earlier Books of Genesis, Exodus and Job. Consequently, the New Testament gives a new perspective on these ideas since God had sent His only Son to earth to be our Savior. With the teachings of Christ as the basis for our actions, we know to forgive others and to ask God for His Grace. Luke's Gospel contains many of Jesus' most famous parables. Through them, He teaches us the values of redemption and forgiveness. But, Luke stresses that both redemption and forgiveness through Jesus is universal. Anyone who believes in Him can be saved. The parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the Prodigal Son are representative of true acts of forgiveness and repentance. All three parables deal with The parable of the lost sheep is an example of God's desire to bring back one repentant man. As the Shepard celebrates the recovery of one wayward sheep from his flock, so too does the Kingdom of God, ?there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance? (Luke 15:7). Although only one sheep out of one hundred had been lost, the desire to bring it back is enough to leave the other sheep alone to search for the lost one. Similarly, the parable of the lost coin is symbolic of the same idea. But the idea of searching through the house using a lighted candle is important. The lighted candle is also another symbol of Christianity, symbolizing the light of God's knowledge. During Easter, lighted candles also represent the coming of Christ. Here, as the woman uses the candle to search for the coin, so too does the sinner need the word of God to be redeemed. The celebration in heaven over the recovery of one sinner is similar to that of the previous parable and the idea is thoroughly reinforced, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents? (Luke 15:10). Likewise does The greatest parable of repentance and forgiveness is that of the Prodigal Son. Leaving his family for a life of pleasure, the son returns penniless, expecting the life of a servant as punishment for his wantonness. Speaking to his father and expressing his dire straits, the son returns, ?Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son? (Luke 15:21). Regardless of what had happened in the past, his father welcomes him back with open arms. His other son, who had remained loyal and hard-working all of his life, expressed anger at his father's quickly forgiving his brother. But as seen before, the return of one wayward soul is more joyous than the continuation of a good life. In the father's own words to his ?loyal? son: Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found. (Luke 15:31) Similar ideas are found within the Acts of the Apostles, but in this book, the focus broadens to the forgiveness and repentance of Gentiles. The prerequisites for salvation are expanded to the Gentiles. St. Peter understands the need to include Gentiles within the new Church, ?Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him? (Acts 10:34). It is the active work of the disciples who bring people

Free Essays on Costa Rica

Geographical Analysis of Costa Rica 1. The political capital of Costa Rica is San Jose. It is a country that was colonized by the Spanish then continued to be neutral during the surrounding countries political battles. Costa Rica is a Latin American success story. It rests in the heart of Central America. It has two coastal plains divided by many volcanoes and rugged mountains. Its tropical environment provides a number of resources. It relies heavily on hydropower for electricity. They are involved in the coffee, banana and sugar markets. It has highly agricultural economy with a booming tourism and technology industries. It is still a heavily Christian culture which results in male dominance. 2. Table 1 presents Costa Rica’s population profile in terms of urbanization rate, estimated population, total fertility rate, annual growth rate, birth and death rates, life expectancy at birth, infant mortality rate and dependency ratio. By analyzing this table and relating this data to the data of neighboring counties there is a perspective put into the level of development of Costa Rica. Costa Rica has the highest GDP in Central America. In relation to the rest of Latin America, it is a fairly stable country. The total fertility rate is just around the replacement level keeping their population growth rate down. This contrasts with Guatemala’s 4.8 TFR. Having a low TFR reflects on what stage of the demographic transition Costa Rica is in. Table 1: Urbanization Rate Est. Population (millions) Annual Growth Rate TFR Birth Rate (births/1000 population) Death Rate (births/1000 population) Life Expectancy at Birth (male/female) Infant Mortality Rate (deaths/1000 live births) Dependency Ratio Costa Rica 3.70% 3.89 1.56% 2.38 19.4 4.31 74/79 10.65 35/64 Looking at the data in Table 1, one can determine the stage of the demographic transition of Costa Rica. My analysis leads me to conclude that Costa Rica is at the end of stage... Free Essays on Costa Rica Free Essays on Costa Rica Geographical Analysis of Costa Rica 1. The political capital of Costa Rica is San Jose. It is a country that was colonized by the Spanish then continued to be neutral during the surrounding countries political battles. Costa Rica is a Latin American success story. It rests in the heart of Central America. It has two coastal plains divided by many volcanoes and rugged mountains. Its tropical environment provides a number of resources. It relies heavily on hydropower for electricity. They are involved in the coffee, banana and sugar markets. It has highly agricultural economy with a booming tourism and technology industries. It is still a heavily Christian culture which results in male dominance. 2. Table 1 presents Costa Rica’s population profile in terms of urbanization rate, estimated population, total fertility rate, annual growth rate, birth and death rates, life expectancy at birth, infant mortality rate and dependency ratio. By analyzing this table and relating this data to the data of neighboring counties there is a perspective put into the level of development of Costa Rica. Costa Rica has the highest GDP in Central America. In relation to the rest of Latin America, it is a fairly stable country. The total fertility rate is just around the replacement level keeping their population growth rate down. This contrasts with Guatemala’s 4.8 TFR. Having a low TFR reflects on what stage of the demographic transition Costa Rica is in. Table 1: Urbanization Rate Est. Population (millions) Annual Growth Rate TFR Birth Rate (births/1000 population) Death Rate (births/1000 population) Life Expectancy at Birth (male/female) Infant Mortality Rate (deaths/1000 live births) Dependency Ratio Costa Rica 3.70% 3.89 1.56% 2.38 19.4 4.31 74/79 10.65 35/64 Looking at the data in Table 1, one can determine the stage of the demographic transition of Costa Rica. My analysis leads me to conclude that Costa Rica is at the end of stage... Free Essays on Costa Rica Costa Rica Set in Central America, with both a Pacific and Caribbean coast line, Costa Rica is the jewel of Central America. The country’s beautiful natural attractions, wildlife, and knowledge of the extreme friendliness of the Ticos, as the Costa Rican’s call themselves, invites tourists from all over the world to visit there land. The Ticos pride themselves on the peacefulness of the country- being located in between two turbulent countries- and having no standing army . Costa Rica was greatly influenced by Spain for its traditions and religion but largely aspire to acquire the ways of Americans. This nation has a lot to offer visitors and despite its small size, it has an outstanding amount of biodiversity, and climate and topography differences. Although the country has had various problems with deforestation and wildlife preservation, they have made a large effort to conserve and create numerous National Parks. Costa Rica is filled with many different interesting aspe cts and could be one of the world’s best kept secrets. Spain has been a large part in the customs that the Costa Ricans hold on to and also in the Roman Catholic beliefs . They have many festivities in their villages that equate to Spain’s traditions, including the festival of The Fiesta Patronal, which is a saint’s day type of tradition. This occurs once a year and is similar to many other fiestas but the difference is that in Costa Rica it’s not complete without bull fights1. Costa Ricans also hold a strong sense of community and find it hard to leave their birthplace. They hold family life high in priority but now they have to move from their villages to a city in order to uphold a career and bring income to their families . Soccer is also a main element in the Ticos’ lives. It’s a national obsession even among the women and its importance to the culture is demonstrated through their enthrallment . The influence that Spain has...