Introduction to Themes of the Bible

Prior to receiving the Holy Spirit, I questioned many of the scriptural references that I will be referring to in later pieces, but I was sincere in that I wanted to be right with the Lord. I wanted to know I was saved. It is not up to another man or woman to tell us whether we are saved. God has always defined the pattern for his people.

In the Old Testament, the Lord always gave a glimpse to people but then required from those people to be humble enough to test him out by following his instruction. He didn’t force them, he invited them. Such is the nature of God. Receiving the Holy Spirit is the same. God’s nature has not changed. It’s just that we happen to be fortunate to live in the gospel (“good news”) age.

The day I received the Holy Spirit about 30 years ago, I was pleasantly surprised that it was all true and that the experience they had in the book of Acts happened to me, in the same way, that it is has happened to countless others. It is by far the best thing that has ever happened in my life.

The miracles of healing and blessing – as well as the joy that I have experienced in my own life – and observed first hand in that of others, are practical and real. The Lord provides us with proof. The only question is whether we are prepared to humble ourselves to His Word. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”: Ps 111:10.

I wanted to create a blog segment discussing my experience in receiving the Holy Spirit. It has had such an impact on my life. I would like to have the chance to share this experience and God’s message with more people. These segments will be focusing on certain Bible themes and the scriptures that are in relation to those themes. The themes I will be focusing on are Doing what God says, Why Speaking in Tongues, Spiritual Gifts, and Getting right with the Lord. Keep an eye out for these themes in my upcoming articles!

The Meaning For Communion

What is Communion:

Communion is defined in the dictionary as the “sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.” It is also defined as “the service of Christian worship at which bread and wine are consecrated and shared.” The Church practices what is called communion. Jesus had his last communion with his disciples before he was crucified is known as the Last Supper. Communion uses bread to symbolize Jesus’ body and wine to symbolize His blood. But why do Christians eat a small piece of bread and drink wine during their church services?

Where did it Originate From:

The tradition of communion was started by Jesus. When He died for our sins on the cross, He told His followers to remember His sacrifice by using bread and wine. He said to his disciples, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, there is no life in you” (John 6:53). The bread of life means He has nourished us and we can be saved because of Him. In the early days, the Church celebrated Jesus by taking communion every day. Every time they gathered to eat and drink, it was a chance to thank God for all He has done.  

Why You Should Participate in Communion:

Communion is not a ritual to be performed mindlessly. It is not a way to guarantee yourself a spot in heaven. You must be aware of the reasons why you are doing it. It is to remember what Jesus has done for us and why He did it. It is not just about the bread and the wine, but the spiritual essence behind it. It does not only have to be performed at Church: the Lord is not bound by a building.

Next time you celebrates communion, remember why you are celebrating. It is a righteous thing in the eyes of the Lord when a spirit-filled person takes communion. Take a moment to give thanks to Him and use it as an opportunity to connect with Jesus. It can be a way to remember the Lord and focus on the fact that he has filled you with his wonderful Holy Spirit.

 

What Can You Do on a Mission Trip

Going on a mission trip can be an experience you will never forget. You are going to less fortunate areas to provide help and the love of God. Along with the opportunities to spread the word of God, mission trips can include humanitarian projects also.

Construction:

Countries hit by natural disasters or lack financial aid could have construction projects that consist of renovations, rebuilding, or starting from the ground up. The mission trip typically helps to build new schools, churches, orphanages, and homes in less fortunate areas. If you are able-bodied, you do not need extensive previous knowledge or experience with building or construction.

Teaching/Child Care:

You could be teaching in a school, church, or orphanage. There could possibly be a language barrier and you would need to pick up on language norms of the area you are residing. You could be teaching students, teachers, or townspeople. Teaching can help children grow academically, socially, and spiritually. Typically qualified or experience school teachers are meant for this role but if you have a passion for it, there should be no stopping you. You can also provide child care in certain locations. Child care does not require a qualification to spend time with people in need.

Medical:

If you are a doctor, nurse, or student in related fields of study, then you might want to consider a medical mission trip. This helps with practical experience, practice medical skills, and most importantly make a difference in someone’s life. You can bring medical relief to communities in need and lack the basic services in healthcare. Whether you are performing basic check-ups or shots, every moment helps.

Conservation:

If you love wildlife, nature, and ecotourism. a conservation mission trip may be the one for you. Helping the locals preserve beaches, rainforests, or mountains could be your next calling. Traveling abroad to exotic locations to help protect and help rehabilitate endangered species worldwide. You will be protecting natural habitats of wildlife and sometimes specific animal conservation projects.

The main difference between these trips just being thought of as humanitarian work, is that during them the members are spreading the word of God. The projects are a great thing to do but the participants will focus on promoting the Gospel of Jesus during mission trips.

 

Types of Intellectual Property

To define intellectual property in simple terms, it is the creation of ideas, technology, inventions, literary works, artistic works, designs, and more used in commerce. When dealing with your company’s intellectual property, it is good to be cautious. Depending on what type of property you are dealing with, you can legally protect it. Listed below are the definitions of the protections.

Copyrights:
Copyrights give protection to authors for their original content. It protects writing, pictures, music, and art. If you do not want people to reuse your work without your permission, copyrights will protect that. Fair Dealing gives people use of your copyrighted works such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

Patents:
A patent is a legally enforceable right for a device, substance, method or process. Your invention must be new, useful and inventive or innovative for your application to be valid. You can search for your idea you want patented to make sure it is a unique idea. There are different lengths of time covered for different types of patents:

  • A standard patent lasts for up to 20 years.
  • An innovation patent only lasts for up to eight years.
  • Pharmaceutical patents can last up to 25 years

Trademarks:
A trademark is not just a logo, it can be a number, letter, sound, shape, picture, logo, or a combination of these. You get exclusive rights to use, license or sell the mark after you register for it. Registering for a mark is extremely difficult because the process compares you to millions other marks already trademarked. You could be too similar to a mark or you could have a weak mark that wouldn’t be easily recognizable. You are able to search for other trademarks. Trademarks can be used as a marketing tool since consumers can identify you from your mark. The registration lasts 10 years and can be renewed 12 months prior to expiration or 6 months after. You are able to produce trademarks without registering them. You can label them with ™, but they are not protected as an intellectual property. Registered trademarks carry the ® symbol. It is illegal to label your trademark with it, if not registered.

Trade Secrets:
Trade secrets can’t be registered like trademarks can. The best way to protect your secrets is to have a confidentiality agreement for employees and distributors to sign. For it to be considered a trade secret, it must be used for business and give an advantage over the competition who don’t have the information. According to IP Australia, common law provides protection for infringement of trade secrets, breach of confidentiality agreements and passing off trademarks. Proving a breach of confidentiality under common law can be complex and is potentially more costly than defending registered rights.

**This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice. In relation to your individual situation, always seek advice specific to your circumstances from a lawyer.

The Difference between Lawyer, Barrister, Solicitor & Attorney

There are so many different terms thrown about for lawyers you’ve got barrister, solicitor, and attorney; and we won’t even go into the more derogatory names. You see and hear these terms all the time, in the daily newspaper or your favourite movies and TV shows, but if you’re like many people you’ve probably wondered Is there any difference between these words? What does it all mean?’ Let’s clear up some of the confusion.

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Pre-nuptial Agreements Why Timing is Key

Many of us have at least heard of pre-nuptial agreements, thanks to the headline generating divorces of A-list Hollywood celebrities. However, they’re becoming increasingly common for couples in Australia as well. Widely known as a ‘prenup’, this contract is a financial agreement that contains provisions for division of property and spousal support in the event of a divorce or relationship breakdown. It must be signed by both parties prior to the marriage and may contain other details like the forfeiture of assets on the grounds of adultery as well as further conditions of guardianship in relation to children.

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