Mad Jesus

The book not only provides an overview of the Huichol and the plight of Mesoamerican Indians but also sheds light on traditional religion, indigenous Catholicism, messianic cults, urbanization, and indigenous conflicts with the modern Mexican state."--BOOK JACKET.

While Christians love to focus on a gentle, tender Jesus, Harlow offers an unforgettable reintroduction to the true character of Jesus and invites us to get to know the savior who was gracious but also blunt, sometimes sarcastic, and wildly passionate about bringing people to the heart of God. We often don’t know what to do with the Bible’s stories of Jesus' righteous rage. Yet the truth is, while the Son of God was loving and tender, his words could be equally sharp and biting. The same man who said, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44) also said, “You snakes, how will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Matthew 23:33). With compelling storytelling and enlightening examinations of Scripture, Tim Harlow journeys through the gospels and looks at what, and who, ignited Jesus’ anger. He guides us through instances of Jesus’ anger in response to the barriers people put up: in the temple, where money changers literally denied access to the Father, especially for the non-Jews and the poor; during his teaching, when little children were denied access; on the Sabbath, when religious leaders put rules above relationship and suffering above healing; and many more. What if, Harlow asks, by coming to understand God’s holy anger, we come to know a savior we never knew before? How can we respond like Jesus when good intentions, prejudices and judgments, traditions and rules, and selfish and joyless people conspire to keep others from God’s presence?

Richly written, Jesus the Holy Fool combines diverse images from religious traditions, world literature, Jungian archetype, and Scripture. Weaving the best theology and spirituality, Jesus the Holy Fool is a fresh and inviting Christology. The Scriptures tell us that religious leaders thought Jesus was "possessed," and his own family thought he was "crazy." In his open table fellowship, choice of followers, radical passion, and his death and resurrection, Jesus was willing to appear as a fool for the sake of God's reign. His teachings--especially the parables, paradoxes, and the beatitudes--advocate a way of life that is grounded in Holy Foolishness. Through an archetypal examination of the fool motif as it applies to Jesus in the Gospels, Jesus the Holy Fool develops the connections between holiness and folly. Offering new insights into Christology and exploring its practical pastoral ramifications, Jesus the Holy Fool presents Holy Foolishness as a paradigm for the Christian journey and as a new model of what it means for us to be church.

Creative author and speaker Sweet believes that Christians should never be considered "normal" members of society. Christians must see the world differently because they're transformed by Christ.

Portraying themselves as challenging blind religious dogma with evidence-led skepticism, the neo-atheist movement claims that the New Testament contains unreliable tales about a mythical figure who, far from being the resurrected Lord of life, may not even have lived. This comprehensive critique documents the falsehood of these neo-atheist claims, correcting their historical and philosophical mistakes to show how we can get at the truth about the historical Jesus.

ECPA BESTSELLER • FINALIST FOR THE CHRISTIAN BOOK AWARD® • Build your Bible IQ and Christian worldview in just fifteen minutes a day! Over the course of a year, Core 52 will help you master the 52 most important passages in the Bible. “You will gain the tools you need for living the life God has called you to.”—Kyle Idleman, pastor and author of Not a Fan “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”—1 Timothy 4:8 Most of us want to know the Bible better, but few reach our goal, often because we’re too busy or we don’t know where to start. Core 52 removes both barriers, offering a common-sense solution that fits into our busy lives. Respected Bible professor and teaching pastor Mark E. Moore developed this proven process from thirty-five years of helping people grow deeper in God’s Word. Each week features a brief essay, memory verse, Bible story, trajectory verses, and practical ways to put what you’ve learned into practice. An optional “Overachiever Challenge” offers the chance to memorize the top 100 Bible verses by year’s end. This simple approach allows you to become familiar with the big ideas of the Bible in less time and with less effort than other reading plans. In one year, you can master the core of the Bible—focusing on topics from God’s will to worry, happiness to holiness, and leadership to love. These fifty-two core passages are lenses through which you can read the rest of the Bible with clarity and confidence.

Many people have fallen in love with the original 1908 edition of The Character of Jesus as a resource that creates and reinforces their love and awe for the person Jesus Christ. Numerous Christians prize Dr. Jefferson’s work as one of their favorite books and as a source for reinvigorating their faith. This paraphrased edition of the book makes this great work more available to today’s readers (including younger readers) who might find early 20th-century language and events harder to comprehend. This edition is very useful for personal character studies that not only show the perfection of Jesus Christ, but create personal convictions in the reader to aspire to those same 26 characters traits. With the aid of an AI tool and some additional editing, we have been able to “re-write” the book to a 9th-grade reading level “paraphrase.” (By comparison, the NIV Bible is written in a 7th -grade reading level.) We have endeavored to maintain the spirit of the book, while updating some of the content in order to make the work consistent with modern wording and references. This book is recommended to anyone wishing to know Jesus better and so to aspire to have Jesus’ heart and character.

Have you ever had trouble getting along with someone? Does religion seem like a meaningless routine? Have you ever questioned the purpose of life? Author Wayne McLaughlin has talked with people about these questions for thirty-six years. In reflections given to an Ohio congregation, Wayne wrestles with deep questions with honestly and candor. With approachable theology and humor Pastor McLaughlin gives his guidelines for hopeful living based on his years of studying the Bible and his own experiences with many people on the journey of faith.