Christianity The Original And Present Reality

Is Christianity but a selection of stories, as some suppose, or is there more to it than that? Are its adherents guided by something real or simply following their own fancies? That there are communities of Christians is itself real enough, but is their mere existence its own justification? Events like the birth and death of Jesus are for the most part real enough, though they have been overlaid with stories that may at times be helpful symbolism but may also distract or distort. The very human way Jesus and his disciples followed during his ministry was also real enough, though again overlaid with interpretative material; however, the circumstances of his followers then varied, and those of Christian communities in succeeding generations differ still more. On the eve of his death Jesus sought to bind his followers together with one another and himself rather than offering them a way of otherworldly salvation. He may yet have expected such a salvation, as did the Apostle Paul, but it is more fruitful to follow the latter in seeing "life" to be gained in "death," in a "dying to sin," in this life.

Giussani argues that if we accept the hypothesis that the mystery entered the realm of human existence and spoke in human terms, the relationship between the individual and God is no longer based on a moral, imaginative, or aesthetic human effort but instead on coming upon an event in one's life. Thus the religious method is overturned by Christ: in Christianity it is no longer the person who seeks to know the mystery but the mystery that makes himself known by entering history. At the Origin of the Christian Claim presents an intriguing argument supported with ample documentation from the gospels and other theological writings.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From one of the world’s most influential spiritual thinkers, a long-awaited book exploring what it means that Jesus was called “Christ,” and how this forgotten truth can restore hope and meaning to our lives. “Anyone who strives to put their faith into action will find encouragement and inspiration in the pages of this book.”—Melinda Gates In his decades as a globally recognized teacher, Richard Rohr has helped millions realize what is at stake in matters of faith and spirituality. Yet Rohr has never written on the most perennially talked about topic in Christianity: Jesus. Most know who Jesus was, but who was Christ? Is the word simply Jesus’s last name? Too often, Rohr writes, our understandings have been limited by culture, religious debate, and the human tendency to put ourselves at the center. Drawing on scripture, history, and spiritual practice, Rohr articulates a transformative view of Jesus Christ as a portrait of God’s constant, unfolding work in the world. “God loves things by becoming them,” he writes, and Jesus’s life was meant to declare that humanity has never been separate from God—except by its own negative choice. When we recover this fundamental truth, faith becomes less about proving Jesus was God, and more about learning to recognize the Creator’s presence all around us, and in everyone we meet. Thought-provoking, practical, and full of deep hope and vision, The Universal Christ is a landmark book from one of our most beloved spiritual writers, and an invitation to contemplate how God liberates and loves all that is.

Its essential to uncover the current malady affecting the organized Christian Church today, not its structuring and not necessarily its organizational approach, but present to it His solution, which has never been hidden or even veiled in His Word, which is that we must return to the true roots of Christianity, which is founded on the individual discipleship of each member of His body, just as Jesus designed it and modeled it for us while He ministered on this earth. It passed the acid test of resiliency when it was mercilessly persecuted, as its disciples applied the principles as instituted and instructed by our Lord for all of us to display and to do. I encourage anyone to do a Bible search for the word disciple and believer and see firsthand that these words are not interchangeable or used in the same context when referring to a specific person whos known to be committed to our Lord, versus referring to a generalization in the third person to someone or a group whos aware about the existence of the real living God. Gods remedy its still available today to anyone who truly desires to attain it and can decipher that its only through discipleship that a true believer is infected with the enthusiasm, zeal, and eagerness in the commitment to fulfill John 8:31 and Matthew 28:19, reaching to those around them who thirst and hunger for the things of God, and in that process, experience the life He promises we can live now. Its time to abandon, once and for all, the current practices of mass-producing supporters, and inscribe it into our minds that the Great Commission was not to make believers but to make disciples. The early church didn't churn out cheerleaders and advocates but bona fide disciples, taught and equipped according to Ephesians 6:1017, who then, as members of the body of Christ, led by example, transforming them into a formidable, most powerful and effective force the Roman Empire had ever seen. Again, I want to reiterate that I am not against the church, as organized by the apostles, but want to revolutionize it, where discipleship is the top priority and purpose for its existence. I am critical of the current organized version that has taken the place of the real church, that nowadays is wasting vast resources and investing them in huge entertainment amphitheaters, and often dilute, distort, and obscure the true message and method to attain this new life established by our Lord. Unless this change happens, we cant truly reach and change a lost world. Our Real Life in Christ seeks to help those who are experiencing that gnawing sensation that there is much more to Gods Word than what is being offered by those weekly sermons in churches today.

The Miraculous Story of a Hugely Successful New Age Teacher’s Conversion to Christianity In this brilliant, utterly captivating memoir, Doreen Virtue chronicles her journey in discovering everything she believed in was a lie. She poignantly shares the price she’s paid for following Jesus. New Age teachings are based on concepts that sound almost irresistible. But as Doreen discovered, they come with a hidden price: your eternal destiny. Here is a riveting, personal confessional of how a former false prophet learned to trust God after nearly wasting a lifetime being independent and willful—trying to predict and control the future—and how Jesus saved her soul from deception and opened her eyes to His truth. Deceived No More can help you learn how to discern dangerous teachings so you can detect and avoid deception. Topics include: How to spot New Age teachings, and why they’re dangerous Biblical ways to deal with persecution, spiritual warfare, and other post-conversion issues How to witness to a New Ager