How a 25-Year-Old Learned He Wasn't the Only One Going to Heaven

How a 25-Year-Old Learned He Wasn't the Only One Going to Heaven PDF Author: Daniel Rogers
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Preface 1 in 4000 No, I have never thought that I was literally the only one going to heaven, but I might as well have. There are approximately 2,000,000 members of the Church of Christ in the world. With a population of 7.9 billion people, this means I grew up with the impression that only .025% of the world's population was saved. For reasons I'll get into later, even this number is generous! That means that one out of every four thousand people would go to heaven while everyone else was destined for eternal torment. Talk about a narrow way! Thankfully, after a process that was both excruciating and exciting, I emerged from this way of viewing the world as a new person. I believe that those who have gone through similar experiences or may be on the verge of their own baptism of fire might gain encouragement from my story. This book is also for those who may come from a more generous background but who would like to understand what a friend, family member, or colleague of theirs is going through. It could also be helpful to someone who is interested in where Christianity is headed or who might sometimes be discouraged that it isn't going anywhere. If God can transform someone like me, then I have hope for anyone who is caught up in such a system. I believe that as long as Christianity as a whole emphasizes beliefs, traditions, and doctrines, we will continue down the path of decline. It may be a slow death, but this type of system is simply unsustainable. We must shift our focus from beliefs back to a faith that expresses itself through love. If you feel this same sense of urgency, then this book is for you. You might also be reading this book because you want to see why I changed as a way to prevent your own children, church members, or maybe even yourself from leaving your particular movement, church, or religious organization. I invite you to read both with a critical eye and an open heart. I fully realize that I could be totally wrong, and I welcome discussion, but I also ask that you maintain a healthy dose of humility as you read my story. You may just see yourself it. - Daniel Rogers

How a 25-Year-Old Learned He Wasn't the Only One Going to Heaven

How a 25-Year-Old Learned He Wasn't the Only One Going to Heaven PDF Author: Daniel Rogers
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book

Book Description
Preface 1 in 4000 No, I have never thought that I was literally the only one going to heaven, but I might as well have. There are approximately 2,000,000 members of the Church of Christ in the world. With a population of 7.9 billion people, this means I grew up with the impression that only .025% of the world's population was saved. For reasons I'll get into later, even this number is generous! That means that one out of every four thousand people would go to heaven while everyone else was destined for eternal torment. Talk about a narrow way! Thankfully, after a process that was both excruciating and exciting, I emerged from this way of viewing the world as a new person. I believe that those who have gone through similar experiences or may be on the verge of their own baptism of fire might gain encouragement from my story. This book is also for those who may come from a more generous background but who would like to understand what a friend, family member, or colleague of theirs is going through. It could also be helpful to someone who is interested in where Christianity is headed or who might sometimes be discouraged that it isn't going anywhere. If God can transform someone like me, then I have hope for anyone who is caught up in such a system. I believe that as long as Christianity as a whole emphasizes beliefs, traditions, and doctrines, we will continue down the path of decline. It may be a slow death, but this type of system is simply unsustainable. We must shift our focus from beliefs back to a faith that expresses itself through love. If you feel this same sense of urgency, then this book is for you. You might also be reading this book because you want to see why I changed as a way to prevent your own children, church members, or maybe even yourself from leaving your particular movement, church, or religious organization. I invite you to read both with a critical eye and an open heart. I fully realize that I could be totally wrong, and I welcome discussion, but I also ask that you maintain a healthy dose of humility as you read my story. You may just see yourself it. - Daniel Rogers

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die PDF Author: Sarah J. Robinson
Publisher: WaterBrook
ISBN: 0593193539
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

Surprised by Hope

Surprised by Hope PDF Author: N. T. Wright
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0061551821
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 356

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Book Description
For years Christians have been asking, "If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?" It turns out that many believers have been giving the wrong answer. It is not heaven. Award-winning author N. T. Wright outlines the present confusion about a Christian's future hope and shows how it is deeply intertwined with how we live today. Wright, who is one of today's premier Bible scholars, asserts that Christianity's most distinctive idea is bodily resurrection. He provides a magisterial defense for a literal resurrection of Jesus and shows how this became the cornerstone for the Christian community's hope in the bodily resurrection of all people at the end of the age. Wright then explores our expectation of "new heavens and a new earth," revealing what happens to the dead until then and what will happen with the "second coming" of Jesus. For many, including many Christians, all this will come as a great surprise. Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death. For if God intends to renew the whole creation—and if this has already begun in Jesus's resurrection—the church cannot stop at "saving souls" but must anticipate the eventual renewal by working for God's kingdom in the wider world, bringing healing and hope in the present life. Lively and accessible, this book will surprise and excite all who are interested in the meaning of life, not only after death but before it.

Kisses from Katie

Kisses from Katie PDF Author: Katie Davis
Publisher: Authentic Media Inc
ISBN: 1780780699
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 279

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Book Description
Katie was a normal American teenager when she decided to explore the possibility of voluntary work overseas. She temporarily 'quit life' to serve in Uganda for a year before going to college. However, returning to 'normal' became impossible and Katie 'quit life' - college, designer clothes, her little yellow convertible and her boyfriend - for good, remaining in Uganda. In the early days she felt as though she were trying to empty the ocean with an eyedropper, but has learnt that she is not called to change the world in itself, but to change the world for one person at a time. By the age of 22 Katie had adopted 14 girls and founded Amizima Ministries which currently has sponsors for over 600 children and a feeding program for Uganda's poorest citizens - so it is no wonder she feels Jesus wrecked her life, shattered it to pieces, and put it back together making it more beautiful than it was before.

If I Ran the Zoo

If I Ran the Zoo PDF Author: Dr. Seuss
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0394800818
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 63

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Book Description
Gerald tells of the very unusual animals he would add to the zoo, if he were in charge.

ONLY IN THOUGHT

ONLY IN THOUGHT PDF Author: Sierra M
Publisher: Writers Republic LLC
ISBN:
Category : Poetry
Languages : en
Pages : 66

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Book Description
“Only In Though” is an eight-part rollercoaster ride through the cave I’ve carved in my mind after a life changing experience. Readers entering will explore the overwhelmingly complex emotions displayed on the walls. In response to wanting to be freed of the exhausting thoughts, this collection of forty-eight poems highlights the effort of maintaining my sanity and a need for hope to triumph over the pain of hopelessness. Beginning my pursuance of a new outlook on life, one that is filled with regretless happiness and the peace of mind to continue living a fulfilled life.

Heaven and Hell

Heaven and Hell PDF Author: Bart D. Ehrman
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1501136747
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
Over half of Americans believe in a literal heaven, in a literal hell. Most people who hold these beliefs are Christian and assume they are the age-old teachings of the Bible. Ehrman shows that eternal rewards and punishments are found nowhere in the Old Testament, and are not what Jesus or his disciples taught. He recounts the long history of the afterlife, ranging from The Epic of Gilgamesh up to the writings of Augustine, focusing especially on the teachings of Jesus and his early followers. Ehrman shows that competing views were intimately connected with the social, cultural, and historical worlds out of which they emerged. -- adapted from jacket

Even Better than Eden

Even Better than Eden PDF Author: Nancy Guthrie
Publisher: Crossway
ISBN: 143356128X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
God’s Story Will End Better than It Began . . . Experienced Bible teacher Nancy Guthrie traces 9 themes throughout the Bible, revealing how God’s plan for the new creation will be far more glorious than the original. But this new creation glory isn’t just reserved for the future. The hope of God’s plan for his people transforms everything about our lives today.

The Invisible Choir

The Invisible Choir PDF Author: Tessa Lynne
Publisher: Lifepath Press
ISBN: 9781945333101
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 294

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Book Description
A Spiritual Journey - A Love Story - A Search for Truth An extraordinary spiritual encounter has left psychotherapist Tessa Lynne in a quandary. Her intuition tells her to believe--her logical mind wants proof. A series of surreal events unfolds, forcing her to question her judgment and to examine her beliefs. Each time she thinks she knows the truth of her experience, she is tested again. Tessa is told of our life purpose, about life after death, and of a long-lost destiny, named Michael. Then she learns that he is dying. She reaches out to him spiritually and he sees her in a dream. They have visions of past lives, are surrounded by The Light. Is it possible that Michael might survive? Could their destinies be restored? Who holds that power? Events predicted to Tessa in 1995 have since come to pass. What she was told then resonates more strongly now, more than twenty years later. Discover why she was approached, learn more about the Invisible Choir, and use her story to reflect on the course of your own life journey.

A Year Wasted

A Year Wasted PDF Author: Mark Perlmutter
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 0595318495
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 310

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Book Description
Steve Aldman and his friend Mike have just graduated from college and board a plane to Thailand. They plan to teach English for one year at a university in Bangkok. Steve is a strong, austere young man who believes he can only depend on himself. Thailand is about to be the shock of his life. From the moment he lands, Steve feels conflicted. Can he apply his well-honed defenses in Thailand? Even with this struggle towards maturity, Steve's deep and humorous narrative carries the reader throughout Thailand. Through him, we learn the Thai language and culture, taste its many delicacies and travel throughout most of the country. Steve also explores Laos, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. The adventures range from the beautiful to the ridiculous. Examples include: ethereal sunrises, trekking up the Himalayan Mountains, drinking snake blood for dinner and sneaking into an international Communist convention. During this journey, Steve learns as much about himself as he does about those around him. Through the people Steve meets, we learn the geopolitical histories and belief systems of various Asian cultures. These diverse exposures make a lasting impression on Steve and he blends aspects of each exotic perspective into his own life attitude. What will it do to you?