Balance Or Bondage

DIVExposing Legalism in the Pulpit If you have been hurt by the church, receive healing and restoration through Christ. /div

Drawing from principles and analogies in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and sports fitness training, Dr. Cosenza offers a bold and time-honored spiritual direction for shifting our values so as to maximize valor and resilience. This book is a carefully researched guide for personal and professional growth that systematically helps us to move away from a crisis to healthy and valiant living. On a 25-year quest for the meaning of "selfvalue," the author/psychologist unveils the biblical origin and characteristics of "spiritual valueness." Describing crises as imbalances of spiritual values, Dr. Cosenza explains types and subtypes of spiritual crises so that we can overcome life's pressuring circumstances. A step-wise spiritual fitness training model is presented that employs biblically based balance exercises to prevent, evaluate, and correct specific critical conditions. This unique form of spiritual fitness has major applications for individuals in need as well as spiritual leaders, mental health professionals, and health fitness trainers.

Diane is a strong, confident, and joy-filled woman who owes it all to one thing: choose freedom. That is the name of the philosophy Diane has created; the guiding principle around which her life revolves. By applying it to her life, she believes she is able to live completely free from any and all bondage. She’ll even testify that her philosophy can create an ultimate closeness to God Himself. Then one evening, while out for a walk along the beaches of Delaware, she sees a young man named Chris sitting on a blanket by himself. She can’t explain it, but she feels compelled to go sit and talk with him. What starts out as friendly little chit-chat soon becomes so deep that everything she believes in is threatened. Whose faith will be left standing at the conclusion of The Conversation?

This book develops a compelling argument that applies to all forms of fundamentalist religion.

Written in a 'coffee talk' format, this is a VERY helpful book for both the seeker and Bible student. Pastor Greg writes in a style as if he's sitting across from you, talking one to one, fielding your questions about Jesus, as well as, controversial topics. A must-read, aid for everyone's library! In everyone's life there comes a time when they go on a God search, which usually involves listening to "religious experts." You watch CNN's Larry King Live show and a supposed "religious expert" says one thing about what the Bible really says and the very next night a different "expert" states just the opposite. (Most people think, "O.K. What's up with that?") You read about Christians being put in Roman coliseums with lions because they refuse to denounce their King, missionaries in third world countries dying for their faith, study martyrs over the last twenty centuries being killed for "the cause" only to watch stories of TV preachers living lavish lifestyles of jets, limousines and mansions and say to yourself, "What's wrong with this picture?" The Biblical insights to all these relevant questions, especially in a crazy, confusing, 9/11, violent world, are in this no non-sense, straight ahead, "pull no punches" examination of Christianity by Greg Haage, a successful professional musician and recording artist who's now in ministry called to counsel and train others in "the faith" with one goal in mind: Getting people free from "religious works" or "denominational duties" and pointing them to the One who made the footprints in the sand. www.UpFrontMinistries.com

The authors in this compilation address the issue of legalism from a variety of angles. John MacArthur shows, first that obedience to God is not an issue of legalism, but an issue of love. In his second chapter, he deals with the inevitable response of people who are confronted with Biblical standards, "Judge not that ye be not judged." Here MacArthur shows what our Lord meant when He said that, and shows what biblical discernment really is, that there is a vast difference between judgmental and holding people accountable to God's standards. Phil Johnson, in his first chapter, deals with Christian liberty. In his second chapter, he takes a critical look at two kinds of legalism, then explores the relationship of Christian love and Christian liberty. Joel Beeke shows that enthusiasm for God's law is not necessarily legalism. One can be zealous without being legalistic. As David wrote: "Oh, how I love Thy Law!" Bruce Bickel explains that legalism is due to a weak understanding of what Christ accomplished on the cross. Jim Elliff makes clear that legalism is an attack on unity within the Body of Christ, particularly local congregations. Ken Talbot helps us to see that legalism is inconsistent with and incompatible with the doctrine of justification by faith alone. He points out that the doctrine of "free will" leads to this dangerous position. Rick Phillips explores the relationship to loving God and obeying His law. Some today believe that love is all that matters, and that the law as a guideline to love is extinct. Then this author shows that Biblical sanctification is the antidote to and the opposite of legalism. Steven J. Lawson shows that legalism is the result of holding to man-made traditions over the truth of God's Word. Second, he points out how dangerous and deadly a thing legalism is and why. Table of Contents: 1. Introduction: What Legalism Is, What Legalism Does - Don Kistler 2. Truth Vs. Tradition - Stephen J. Lawson 3. Love and God's Law - Richard D. Philips 4. The Cross Is Enough - Bruce Bickel 5. The Danger of Legalism - Steven J. Lawson 6. Obedience: Love or Legalism? - John MacArthur 7. Zealous But not Legalistic - Joel Beeke 8. The Plague of Free-Will Moralism - Kenneth Talbot 9. Judging Vs. Biblical Discernment - John MacArthur 10. Stand Fast in Liberty - Phil Johnson 11. Real Love and Real Liberty - Phil Johnson 12. What Freedom From the Law Accomplishes For the Local Church - Jim Elliff 13. Biblical Sanctification: The Antidote to Legalism - Richard D. Philips

This book opens windows onto various aspects of Jewish legal culture. Rather than taking a structural approach, and attempting to circumscribe and define ‘every’ element of Jewish law, Windows onto Jewish Legal Culture takes a dynamic and holistic approach, describing diverse manifestations of Jewish legal culture, and its general mind-set, without seeking to fit them into a single structure. Jewish legal culture spans two millennia, and evolved in geographic centers that were often very distant from one another both geographically and socio-culturally. It encompasses the Talmud and talmudic literature, the law codes, the rulings of rabbinical courts, the responsa literature, decisions taken by communal leaders, study of the law in talmudic academies, the local study hall, and the home. But Jewish legal culture reaches well beyond legal and quasi-legal institutions; it addresses, and is reflected in, every aspect of daily life, from meals and attire to interpersonal and communal relations. Windows onto Jewish Legal Culture gives the reader a taste of the tremendous weight of Jewish legal culture within Jewish life. Among the facets of Jewish legal culture explored are two of its most salient distinguishing features, namely, toleration and even encouragement of controversy, and a preference for formalistic formulations. These features are widely misunderstood, and Jewish legal culture is often parodied as hair-splitting argument for the sake of argument. In explaining the epistemic imperatives that motivate Jewish legal culture, however, this book paints a very different picture. Situational constraints and empirical considerations are shown to provide vital input into legal determinations at every level, and the legal process is revealed to be attentive to context and sensitive to cultural concerns.

This writing chronicles the paradigm shift that each of us must undergo to enter into a full (procreative) consciousness of life, upon which true success and connection in life can then follow. "A man and a woman meet and a miracle occurs--a new life is formed. The miracle of life is held within their balance and love. Life, all of life, is held within their balance and love." The Discovery of Life Author Bio: Christopher Alan Anderson (1950 - ) received the basis of his education from the University of Science and Philosophy, Swannanoa, Waynesboro, Virginia. He resides in the transcendental/romantic tradition, that vein of spiritual creativity of the philosopher and poet. His quest has been to define and express an eternal romantic reality from which a man and a woman could together stand in their difference and create a living universe of procreative love. Mr. Anderson began these writings in 1971. The first writings were published in 1985. On a personal note, when Mr. Anderson was asked to describe the writings and what he felt their message was he responded, "Spiritual procreation. Mankind has yet to distinguish the two sexes on the spiritual level. In this failure lies the root of our problems and why we cannot yet touch the eternal together. The message of man and woman balance brings each of us together in love with our eternal other half right now." keywords: Life, Procreation, Consciousness, Paradigm Shift, Metaphysics, Spirituality