Leaving Jesus

Leaving Jesus PDF Author: James Wood Jr.
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1105332721
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 207

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Book Description
Everyone knows that Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Is it possible that they have misunderstood the entire concept of the Messiah and his function in God's spiritual economy? Passages such as Isaiah 53 and Zechariah 13 are viewed as messianic by the Church but has the Church misused them to point to a confused portrait of a man that shouldn't have applied for the position? Is the New Testament an accurate picture of the events surrounding the times of Jesus or, is it fiction? As a former Christian of 25 years and son of a Southern Baptist minister, James entered a Messianic Jewish congregation to experience the teachings of the Messianic movement. Convinced something was terribly wrong, he left the movement and started studying to find the truth. After five years of intensive study and much prayer, James reveals in simple language how Christians have been lead down a path paved with deceit and contradictions.

Leaving Jesus

Leaving Jesus PDF Author: James Wood Jr.
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1105332721
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 207

Get Book Here

Book Description
Everyone knows that Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Is it possible that they have misunderstood the entire concept of the Messiah and his function in God's spiritual economy? Passages such as Isaiah 53 and Zechariah 13 are viewed as messianic by the Church but has the Church misused them to point to a confused portrait of a man that shouldn't have applied for the position? Is the New Testament an accurate picture of the events surrounding the times of Jesus or, is it fiction? As a former Christian of 25 years and son of a Southern Baptist minister, James entered a Messianic Jewish congregation to experience the teachings of the Messianic movement. Convinced something was terribly wrong, he left the movement and started studying to find the truth. After five years of intensive study and much prayer, James reveals in simple language how Christians have been lead down a path paved with deceit and contradictions.

Restoring Christ: Leaving Mormon Jesus for Jesus of the Gospels

Restoring Christ: Leaving Mormon Jesus for Jesus of the Gospels PDF Author: Grant H. Palmer
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781521776360
Category : Christian life
Languages : en
Pages : 268

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Book Description
I have come to greatly prefer the Jesus of the Gospels over the Jesus of Mormonism. This book is an exploration of the foundations of my journey, and what I have chosen to believe, what I hope others might consider. I write on Christianity and I write on Mormonism, with the hope that struggling Latter-day Saints can find a way forward with Christ as their foundation. Looking at both Christianity and Mormonism, my intent is to lift the baby from the bathwater, to restore the Savior, with no desire to save the Jesus of Mormonism. Joseph Smith's Restoration has grave problems. He went astray in my view, because he went beyond the footprint of Jesus' teachings--committing the same mistake he claimed others had made. I suppose this book is a Restoration-type endeav∨ an effort to rediscover what is most basic, most important. How ironic to seek to restore the Christ of the Gospels from Mormonism! So what does a Latter-day Saint do when they discover that the church narrative they were taught all their life has fallen apart? For me, the "revelations" of Mormon Jesus and their practice by Joseph Smith--as especially seen in chapters 9, 17-19--is radically different from the behavior, character and personality of Jesus of Nazareth. For example, Smith produced "scriptures" which depended on nineteenth-century sources, claiming them to be ancient. He initiated a secret "spiritual wife system" which included concubines and slandered women who resisted his sexual advances. He married young teenagers and other men's wives. He cursed his enemies and set up a secret organization, had himself ordained king and sought to violently overthrow the Nation. Comparing the two portraits has been the single most cathartic event since my crisis of faith. I find the Jesus of the Gospels to better reflect God's nature and love, and thus how to clearly respond to others as a disciple.

Still Christian

Still Christian PDF Author: David P. Gushee
Publisher: Presbyterian Publishing Corp
ISBN: 1611648270
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 214

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Book Description
This is a book for folks whose commitment to Jesus has put them at odds with American evangelicalism. —Shane Claiborne So many Americans today love their faith but have found their church doesn't love them back. They then leave, seeking community elsewhere. Of all those personal stories, few have ever been told by someone so far inside the powerful places of white evangelical Christianity. In this provocative tell-all, David Gushee opens the door to the frictions and schisms of evangelicalism, tells his own story of leaving, and shows that you, too, can find a Christianity that is worth following. Gushee’s experiences begin with becoming a born-again Southern Baptist in 1978 and end with being kicked out of evangelicalism in 2014 for his principled stance on full LGBTQ inclusion. But his religious pilgrimage proves even broader than that, as he leads his doctoral studies at Union Seminary in New York, his dismay when the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary expelled female professors and fellow colleagues, to his days as every evangelical’s least-favorite liberal, and more. In telling his story, Gushee speaks to those who have been disillusioned by American Christianity. As he describes his own struggles to find the right path at different stages of his journey, he highlights the turning points and decisions that we all face. When do we compromise, and when do we stand our ground? Is holding to moral conviction worth sacrificing friendship, jobs, and security? As he takes us through his sometimes-amusing, sometimes-heartbreaking, and always-stirring journey, Gushee shows us that we can retain our faith in Christ even when Christians disappoint us.

Goodbye Jesus

Goodbye Jesus PDF Author: Tim Sledge
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780999843505
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 474

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Book Description
Tim Sledge pulls back the curtain on Southern Baptist life as he chronicles nearly four decades of ministry in this highly personal, sometimes painful, and frequently provocative spiritual autobiography. Part memoir, part expos , part polemic-this is an account of failures as well as accomplishments-and very nearly a case study in how faith may begin, how it evolves, and how it can fall apart. Sledge traces the childhood origins of his sincere faith, his efforts at spiritual obedience, his theological education, his climb up the ladder in ministry, his insights into the challenges of growth-oriented leadership, and his pioneering work in faith-based recovery ministries that ultimately guided participants in 20,000 support groups across the U.S. A recurring theme in his story is coming to grips with the significance of being an adult child of an alcoholic. After a fall from grace and a growing awareness that faith no longer worked for him, his journey took a new direction that required examining alternatives to his former belief system including Deism, agnosticism, humanism, and atheism. Ultimately, he found new ways to live a positive, value-driven life and emerged as a new version of the same person he had always been, still interested in creating avenues for personal growth in the lives of others. Goodbye Jesus is a relatable and thoughtful read for those seeking to better understand the evangelical mindset, for Christians who are questioning their faith, for ministers trying to decide whether to stay or go, and for those who have left their faith and are dealing with its loss.

Jesus Outside the Lines

Jesus Outside the Lines PDF Author: Scott Sauls
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 1496403835
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 289

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Book Description
Whether the issue of the day on Twitter, Facebook, or cable news is our sexuality, political divides, or the perceived conflict between faith and science, today’s media pushes each one of us into a frustrating clash between two opposing sides. Polarizing, us-against-them discussions divide us and distract us from thinking clearly and communicating lovingly with others. Scott Sauls, like many of us, is weary of the bickering and is seeking a way of truth and beauty through the conflicts. Jesus Outside the Lines presents Jesus as this way. Scott shows us how the words and actions of Jesus reveal a response that does not perpetuate the destructive fray. Jesus offers us a way forward—away from harshness, caricatures, and stereotypes. In Jesus Outside the Lines, you will experience a fresh perspective of Jesus, who will not (and should not) fit into the sides.

Cutting Jesus Down to Size

Cutting Jesus Down to Size PDF Author: George Albert Wells
Publisher: Open Court
ISBN: 0812698673
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 406

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Book Description
In this provocative book, noted scholar G. A. Wells tells the story of Higher Criticism: the close study of the scriptures that reveals difficulties and discrepancies. Wells traces the discipline’s German beginnings, exploring the problems in the New Testament that prompted scholars to revise traditional theories of the scriptures’ origins. Wells then traces the development and reception of these views from the 18th century to today. Drawing on current biblical scholarship, Wells explains how the Jesus of Paul’s epistles differs radically from later versions and addresses conservative Christians’ attempts to reconcile them. He carefully analyzes what the New Testament says about miracles, the Virgin Birth, the Nativity, Jesus’ conflicting genealogies, the Resurrection, the post-Resurrection appearances, and the failed prophecies of imminent apocalypse. Wells persuasively profiles the New Testament as a fascinating but flawed collection of incompatible viewpoints, revealing Jesus as a shifting, ambiguous, legendary figure who reflected the evolving teachings of a fragmented, emotion-based cultic movement.

Breaking Busy

Breaking Busy PDF Author: Alli Worthington
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310342244
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
Have you ever felt like a fraud or failure as you struggle to find balance in life? Do you find yourself juggling everything in mediocrity and feeling like you're succeeding at very little? In her no-nonsense style, Alli Worthington--popular podcaster and author of The Year of Living Happy--tackles the big questions about finding happiness and one's God-given purpose. Have you ever felt like a fraud or failure as you struggle to find balance in life? Do you find yourself juggling everything in mediocrity and feeling like you're succeeding at very little? In her no-nonsense way, Alli Worthington tackles the big questions about finding happiness and one's God-given purpose. Breaking Busy marries popular secular research with solid biblical principles, instilling confidence that you, too, can move from crazy busy to confident calm. With refreshing candor, uproarious true stories, and a Christian worldview, Alli delivers truths that dismantle common happiness myths. Then she empowers you to get unstuck, to let go of the good to make way for the great, to know yourself and your Creator, and ultimately to find peace and purpose in this world of crazy. You will: Learn how to stop chasing what leaves you empty and start doing what you were created to do. Identify the common lies you believe and how to strip their power from your life. Recognize how what you say no to determines what you can say yes to. With relatable anecdotes, Alli models real-life guidance on boundaries, relationships, and self-care, humbly examining her own mistakes and walking through how she learned from her missteps and found peace in a world of busyness. If you long to find real connection with both your loved ones and your Creator, Alli Worthington deftly balances intelligent humility and heartwarming humor to help you rediscover your path.

Unveiling Grace

Unveiling Grace PDF Author: Lynn K. Wilder
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310331137
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
A gripping story of how an entire family, deeply enmeshed in Mormonism for thirty years, found their way out and found faith in Jesus Christ. For thirty years, Lynn Wilder, once a tenured faculty member at Brigham Young University, and her family lived in, loved, and promoted the Mormon Church. Then their son Micah, serving his Mormon mission in Florida, had a revelation: God knew him personally. God loved him. And the Mormon Church did not offer the true gospel. Micah's conversion to Christ put the family in a tailspin. They wondered, Have we believed the wrong thing for decades? If we leave Mormonism, what does this mean for our safety, jobs, and relationships? Is Christianity all that different from Mormonism anyway? As Lynn tells her story of abandoning the deception of Mormonism to receive God's grace, she gives a rare look into Mormon culture, what it means to grow up Mormon, and why the contrasts between Mormonism and Christianity make all the difference in the world. Whether you are in the Mormon Church, are curious about Mormonism, or simply are looking for a gripping story, Unveiling Grace will strengthen your faith in the true God who loves you no matter what.

Living As Jesus Lived

Living As Jesus Lived PDF Author: Zac Poonen
Publisher: CFCINDIA Bangalore
ISBN: 8190565885
Category : Christian life
Languages : en
Pages : 48

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Book Description


Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing

Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing PDF Author: LAUREN. HOUGH
Publisher: Coronet
ISBN: 9781529382525
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description