Why Christianity Is It Real And What S The Difference

Michael Martz asks why so many people don’t understand God, think the Bible is too complicated, and are convinced that being “good” is enough. He challenges readers to take several steps back and reexamine what they believe to be true. Consider questions such as: • What’s the difference between Christianity and all other beliefs? • Do we have to choose between Christianity or science? • It is impossible to not have a religion—do you approach it forward, or backward? • Why is there no such a thing as an atheist? • What is salvation? Who decides? Why did the veil tear? • Can we fall from salvation? Are all three OSAS views wrong? • Why are so many who call themselves Christian, unsaved? Could that be you? • What does the Bible say about homosexuality, pornography, and sin—who does God hate? • What does scripture teach about universalism? Water baptism? • Will Christians go through the tribulation? What is the danger? • At the rapture, are wicked taken fi rst and righteous left behind? • Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons carry verses they do not read (or think are corrupted)? This text strives to prove the reality and simplicity of the Bible, that it is scientific (but naturalism is not), and that a real person lived and died for us long ago, and returned from the dead. A person who claimed to be God, who now offers Himself for intimate communion with us. So many people perceive God and Jesus and the Spirit as detached and distant. Can we experience God personally?

Abandon dead, dry, religious rule-keeping and embrace the promise of being truly known and deeply loved. Jefferson Bethke burst into the cultural conversation with a passionate, provocative poem titled "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus." The 4-minute video became an overnight sensation, with 7 million YouTube views in its first 48 hours (and 23+ million in a year). Bethke's message clearly struck a chord with believers and nonbelievers alike, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged. In his New York Times bestseller Jesus > Religion, Bethke unpacks similar contrasts that he drew in the poem--highlighting the difference between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair, and hope. With refreshing candor, he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior. Along the way, Bethke gives you the tools you need to: Humbly and prayerfully open your mind Understand Jesus for all that he is View the church from a brand-new perspective Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he's not a pastor or theologian, but simply an ordinary, twenty-something who cried out for a life greater than the one for which he had settled. On this journey, Bethke discovered the real Jesus, who beckoned him with love beyond the props of false religion. Praise for Jesus > Religion: "Jeff's book will make you stop and listen to a voice in your heart that may have been drowned out by the noise of religion. Listen to that voice, then follow it--right to the feet of Jesus." --Bob Goff, author of New York Times bestsellers Love Does and Everybody, Always "The book you hold in your hands is Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz meets C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity meets Augustine's Confessions. This book is going to awaken an entire generation to Jesus and His grace." --Derwin L. Gray, lead pastor of Transformation Church, author of Limitless Life: Breaking Free from the Labels That Hold You Back

It’s tempting to believe that the Christian faith is alive and well in our country today. Our politicians talk about God. Our mega-churches are filled. Christian schools dot our landscape. Brace yourself. It’s an illusion. Believe it or not, only 8 percent of Americans profess and practice true evangelical Christian faith. There are more left-handed people than evangelical Christians in America. In this book, Mark Driscoll delivers a wake-up call for every believer: We are living in a post-Christian culture—a culture fundamentally at odds with faith in Jesus. This is good and bad news. The good news is that God is still working, redeeming people from this spiritual wasteland and inspiring a resurgence of faithful believers. The bad news is that many believers just don’t get it. They continue to gather exclusively into insular tribes, lobbing e-bombs at each other in cyberspace. Mark’s book is a clarion call for Christians. It’s time to get to work. We can only do this if we unite around Jesus and the essentials found in his Word, while at the same time, appreciating the distinctives within each Christian tribe. Mark shows us how to do just that. This isn’t the time to wait or debate. Join the resurgence.

Michael Martz asks why so many people don't understand God, think the Bible is too complicated, and are convinced that being "good" is enough. He challenges readers to take several steps back and reexamine what they believe to be true. Consider questions such as: - What's the difference between Christianity and all other beliefs? - Do we have to choose between Christianity or science? - It is impossible to not have a religion-do you approach it forward, or backward? - Why is there no such a thing as an atheist? - What is salvation? Who decides? Why did the veil tear? - Can we fall from salvation? Are all three OSAS views wrong? - Why are so many who call themselves Christian, unsaved? Could that be you? - What does the Bible say about homosexuality, pornography, and sin-who does God hate? - What does scripture teach about universalism? Water baptism? - Will Christians go through the tribulation? What is the danger? - At the rapture, are wicked taken fi rst and righteous left behind? - Why do Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons carry verses they do not read (or think are corrupted)? This text strives to prove the reality and simplicity of the Bible, that it is scientific (but naturalism is not), and that a real person lived and died for us long ago, and returned from the dead. A person who claimed to be God, who now offers Himself for intimate communion with us. So many people perceive God and Jesus and the Spirit as detached and distant. Can we experience God personally?

The Bible is the most influential book in human history. But what are we supposed to do with it in the 21st century? And even more importantly, can it still be trusted as the Word of God? Confusion and doubt about the Bible are becoming as common inside the church as they are outside. Questions come from all sides: Is the Bible anti-intellectual? Has the biblical text been corrupted over the centuries? Who really chose the books of the Bible and why? Which interpretation of the Bible is correct? Are the gospels full of contradictions? There are an unprecedented number of sophisticated attacks on the origin, credibility, and reliability of the Bible today. Secularism has tried to undercut even the possibility of spiritual or moral knowledge. Skepticism toward institutional religion is at an all-time high. Yet, the Bible claims that truth is knowable and God is actively involved in our world. What are we to do? Pray for wisdom. Think clearly. Pick up your Bible. Read through the 11 major challenges presented in these pages. And be ready.

Modern-day Christians often bring their own presuppositions and assumptions to the reading of the Bible, not realizing how deeply their understanding of Christ's life and teachings is affected by a 21st-century worldview. In Understanding Jesus, author Joe Amaral delves deep into Jewish history, societal mores, and cultural traditions, closing the gap created by geographical distance and over two thousand years of history. Using a chronological approach to the life of Christ, he guides the reader through significant events such as Jesus' birth, baptism, and crucifixion, pointing out illuminating details that that the Western mind would normally miss. Amaral's premise is that to understand Jesus, we must understand the time and place in which he was born, the background from which he drew his illustrations, and the audience he spoke to. Throughout the book he explores specific terms, places, and events for their significance and shows how they add richness and meaning to the text. Topics include the connection between Jesus and John the Baptist, the annual Feasts and why they are important to modern Christianity, Jewish customs such as foot-washing, clean and unclean foods, paying tribute to political governments, and the significance of various miracles. In Understanding Jesus, Amaral draws back the curtain on a way of life that existed during the reign of the Caesars, and in doing so, reveals truths about the way we live more than two thousand years later, half a world away.

Written by an L. A. County homicide detective and former atheist, Cold-Case Christianity examines the claims of the New Testament using the skills and strategies of a hard-to-convince criminal investigator. Christianity could be defined as a “cold case”: it makes a claim about an event from the distant past for which there is little forensic evidence. In Cold-Case Christianity, J. Warner Wallace uses his nationally recognized skills as a homicide detective to look at the evidence and eyewitnesses behind Christian beliefs. Including gripping stories from his career and the visual techniques he developed in the courtroom, Wallace uses illustration to examine the powerful evidence that validates the claims of Christianity. A unique apologetic that speaks to readers’ intense interest in detective stories, Cold-Case Christianity inspires readers to have confidence in Christ as it prepares them to articulate the case for Christianity.