I am taking a New Testament course at BYU where we are required to do a blog post each week on a given subject. I am really excited to blog about what I'm learning from the scriptures and in class.
So, underneath this post is the first one--the topic was significant points in Act 2.
Please share any thoughts you have on the subject as well! I would love to hear your insights.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
NT 1: Day of Pentecost
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Those who were there on the day of Pentecost would remember it for the rest of their lives.
Everyone could understand--in their own tongue--the words that were preached that day.
And they marveled.
Some doubted. Others mocked.
But no one would forget the day that the Spirit was poured upon them--upon all flesh, as it had been prophesied.
Here was a group of people, some of which who had known the Savior on the earth, receiving the Spirit for the first time. Peter taught what having this Spirit meant--
It meant that young men would see visions
Old men would dream holy dreams
Servants and handmaidens would prophesy
Wonders in heaven and earth would be shown.
And the Lord would come again, just as he had before.
Peter recognized that this Spirit did not stand on its own--it was a divine witness of Christ.
Peter had been with Jesus, followed him, and seen his miracles and wonders. He had seen his Lord risen up on the cross and crucified. He had seen what he thought was the end. He thought he had been separated from him.
But now everything had changed.
Peter had seen the risen Lord!
His testimony now was that the Lord was always before his face, always on his right hand. And Peter rejoiced.
The joy that Peter felt when he saw his Savior, as a returned resurrected being would have been all encompassing. Yet, this joy did not end when the Savior left. Because now, Peter knew that his Savior would always be with him.
This was the testimony of the day of Pentecost--the promise that Jesus Christ, the risen Savior of the World, could be with you.
Always.
This testimony wasn't limited to those who had seen the Savior in his life.
It was here.
It was in the Spirit that was born out that day.
It was in the rushing of the wind
It was in the words of Peter
And now it was in the hearts and minds of the people.
That feeling--
The power of the Holy Spirit
The testimony of the Risen Lord
Led three thousand to be baptized that day
And thousands to be baptized the next.
It not only led them to baptism, it led them to take of the Sacrament, to follow the apostles, to pray, to sell their possessions for those in need.
It led them to worship in the temple.
It led them to praise God.
The Christ that was dead
Now lived.
The Spirit of the day of Pentecost was His Spirit.
And it was changing their lives.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Those who were there on the day of Pentecost would remember it for the rest of their lives.
Everyone could understand--in their own tongue--the words that were preached that day.
And they marveled.
Some doubted. Others mocked.
But no one would forget the day that the Spirit was poured upon them--upon all flesh, as it had been prophesied.
Here was a group of people, some of which who had known the Savior on the earth, receiving the Spirit for the first time. Peter taught what having this Spirit meant--
It meant that young men would see visions
Old men would dream holy dreams
Servants and handmaidens would prophesy
Wonders in heaven and earth would be shown.
And the Lord would come again, just as he had before.
Peter recognized that this Spirit did not stand on its own--it was a divine witness of Christ.
Peter had been with Jesus, followed him, and seen his miracles and wonders. He had seen his Lord risen up on the cross and crucified. He had seen what he thought was the end. He thought he had been separated from him.
But now everything had changed.
Peter had seen the risen Lord!
His testimony now was that the Lord was always before his face, always on his right hand. And Peter rejoiced.
The joy that Peter felt when he saw his Savior, as a returned resurrected being would have been all encompassing. Yet, this joy did not end when the Savior left. Because now, Peter knew that his Savior would always be with him.
This was the testimony of the day of Pentecost--the promise that Jesus Christ, the risen Savior of the World, could be with you.
Always.
This testimony wasn't limited to those who had seen the Savior in his life.
It was here.
It was in the Spirit that was born out that day.
It was in the rushing of the wind
It was in the words of Peter
And now it was in the hearts and minds of the people.
That feeling--
The power of the Holy Spirit
The testimony of the Risen Lord
Led three thousand to be baptized that day
And thousands to be baptized the next.
It not only led them to baptism, it led them to take of the Sacrament, to follow the apostles, to pray, to sell their possessions for those in need.
It led them to worship in the temple.
It led them to praise God.
The Christ that was dead
Now lived.
The Spirit of the day of Pentecost was His Spirit.
And it was changing their lives.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
I'm Ac-counting on a Good Grade! (one can hope)
So, last summer I decided something...
I was going to be a BUSINESS minor.
It was perfect! After being asked thousands and thousands of times, "Oh, your major is humanities? What are you going to DO with that?" I thought it would be a good idea.
I mean, I love humanities. We're the perfect match. We really are.
But to enhance and expand my education, I thought a business management minor would be just peachy. So, this semester I am taking two classes: Business Management (which this post is not about) and ACCOUNTING (this post is about exactly that).
Oh the joy.
It's really not so bad. It's just taking over my life.
I have class once a week (not bad), and then I have a bazillion quizzes to accomplish (really, really bad).
Class involves hearing jokes about BYU and watching Max Hall youtube videos for 15 minutes (my professor is a hard core U of U fan) and then having numbers written up on the board for the next two hours, interspersed with more BYU jokes. Wait, where did that number come from? (On a side note, the best part about class is that the wall is the bright, beautiful green color--somewhere between lime and celery--and my professor always wears a red shirt. The green and the red together makes my senses so happy. They are complimentary on the color wheel, so they really bring each other out...I just love it.)
The quizzes. There are two quizzes for each of fifteen lessons, plus pre-lecture quizzes, and the post-lecture quizzes, along with a syllabus quiz, and another-quiz-just-to-make-sure-you're still breathing quiz. I might have made up the last one.
Okay, so quizzes. I can handle that, right? To prepare to take the lesson quizzes, I get to watch NORM.
Meet NORM:
He's a great guy, he really is. I like him. But the accounting lessons are kind of loooonnnnnnnnngggg. Imagine listening to 90 minute accounting lessons 2-3 times a week in addition to class lectures.
This is what happened on my first encounter with the lessons:
Start lesson.
Oh, this is cool. I get to see him talk and see a powerpoint at the same time.
Five minutes later.
Wait, how long are these lessons?
Scroll through.
Wow, these lessons are long.
Twenty minutes into the lesson.
Wow, this is so cool! I can speed up Norm to talk reallyfastandsoundlikeachipmunk or I can slllooowwww hiiiimmmm dooooowwwwwnnn.
Forty minutes into the lesson.
Hey, Amanda, want to come watch this with me? Amanda, "um..." Me, "I'll give you candy!"
An hour into it...
I think I'm hungry. and thirsty. and sleepy. In fact, I'm anything that will distract me from this thing.
And finally...90 minutes later....done.
Whew.
The funny thing about this course is that we're required to do something fun ONCE the semester that we wouldn't have done otherwise. Um, couldn't have we been required to do something fun twice or three times or daily? I would like that...
Accounting is really interesting though. It's a nice challenge and I feel like I'm doing something so useful--learning about balance sheets and income statements and stocks and such. I feel like I will finally get those things that my dad and other "knowing" people always talk about, but that I never really understand.
But I still prefer my art history ;O)
I was going to be a BUSINESS minor.
It was perfect! After being asked thousands and thousands of times, "Oh, your major is humanities? What are you going to DO with that?" I thought it would be a good idea.
I mean, I love humanities. We're the perfect match. We really are.
But to enhance and expand my education, I thought a business management minor would be just peachy. So, this semester I am taking two classes: Business Management (which this post is not about) and ACCOUNTING (this post is about exactly that).
Oh the joy.
It's really not so bad. It's just taking over my life.
I have class once a week (not bad), and then I have a bazillion quizzes to accomplish (really, really bad).
Class involves hearing jokes about BYU and watching Max Hall youtube videos for 15 minutes (my professor is a hard core U of U fan) and then having numbers written up on the board for the next two hours, interspersed with more BYU jokes. Wait, where did that number come from? (On a side note, the best part about class is that the wall is the bright, beautiful green color--somewhere between lime and celery--and my professor always wears a red shirt. The green and the red together makes my senses so happy. They are complimentary on the color wheel, so they really bring each other out...I just love it.)
The quizzes. There are two quizzes for each of fifteen lessons, plus pre-lecture quizzes, and the post-lecture quizzes, along with a syllabus quiz, and another-quiz-just-to-make-sure-you're still breathing quiz. I might have made up the last one.
Okay, so quizzes. I can handle that, right? To prepare to take the lesson quizzes, I get to watch NORM.
Meet NORM:
He's a great guy, he really is. I like him. But the accounting lessons are kind of loooonnnnnnnnngggg. Imagine listening to 90 minute accounting lessons 2-3 times a week in addition to class lectures.
This is what happened on my first encounter with the lessons:
Start lesson.
Oh, this is cool. I get to see him talk and see a powerpoint at the same time.
Five minutes later.
Wait, how long are these lessons?
Scroll through.
Wow, these lessons are long.
Twenty minutes into the lesson.
Wow, this is so cool! I can speed up Norm to talk reallyfastandsoundlikeachipmunk or I can slllooowwww hiiiimmmm dooooowwwwwnnn.
Forty minutes into the lesson.
Hey, Amanda, want to come watch this with me? Amanda, "um..." Me, "I'll give you candy!"
An hour into it...
I think I'm hungry. and thirsty. and sleepy. In fact, I'm anything that will distract me from this thing.
And finally...90 minutes later....done.
Whew.
The funny thing about this course is that we're required to do something fun ONCE the semester that we wouldn't have done otherwise. Um, couldn't have we been required to do something fun twice or three times or daily? I would like that...
Accounting is really interesting though. It's a nice challenge and I feel like I'm doing something so useful--learning about balance sheets and income statements and stocks and such. I feel like I will finally get those things that my dad and other "knowing" people always talk about, but that I never really understand.
But I still prefer my art history ;O)
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