Ask a Franciscan

Ask a Franciscan
Author: Patrick McCloskey
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2010
Genre:
ISBN: 9780867169706

The editor of "St. Anthony Messenger" magazine for many years, Fr. McCloskey has answered many questions in his "Ask a Franciscan" column. He mines that wealth of material to find the most helpful questions and answers for readers to help them see the connection between their faith and their spiritual growth as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Let's Start with Jesus

Let's Start with Jesus
Author: Dennis F. Kinlaw
Publisher: Zondervan Academic
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2011-04-19
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310854245

“If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:7) Jesus is the great stumbling block of faith. It is in him that Christianity finds its uniqueness among the religions of the world. He is the Incarnate Son of God, the unique revelation of the Father. Yet so often, we begin the process of theological formulation not with the person of Jesus, but rather, with philosophical arguments about God’s existence and logical constructions to determine God’s nature. How would our understanding be affected if we instead took Jesus as our starting point for doing theology? In Let’s Start with Jesus, respected biblical scholar Dennis Kinlaw explores this question, revealing answers that are profound. In seeking to describe the nature of the relationship God desires with us, he explores three metaphors—royal/legal, familial, and nuptial—which serve as motifs for his reflection. Taking familiar theological categories, Kinlaw views them through the primary lens of the person and work of Jesus, and finds that Jesus reveals rich pictures of the nature of God, the nature of personhood, the problem of sin, the way of salvation, and finally, the means of sanctification via perfect love. The distilled wisdom of one of this generation’s greatest thinkers. Dr. Kinlaw leads you deep into the inner sanctuary of the Holy Trinity and shows you three distinct persons relating to each other in pure reciprocal love. —Robert E. Coleman, Distinguished Professor of Evangelism and Discipleship, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Every time I read something written by Dennis Kinlaw my mind is stimulated and my heart strangely warmed. Let’s Start with Jesus is another important book from a truly gifted man. —Lyle W. Dorsett, Billy Graham Professor of Evangelism, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University Kinlaw’s revolutionary approach to doing theology is much more than that—it’s a revolutionary approach to life. Kinlaw locates ultimate purpose in a place the church has almost totally neglected, and he does so graciously, with powerful, tightly reasoned biblical argumentation.

Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart

Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart
Author: J.D. Greear
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Total Pages: 144
Release: 2013-02-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1433679183

“If there were a Guinness Book of World Records entry for ‘amount of times having prayed the sinner’s prayer,’ I’m pretty sure I’d be a top contender,” says pastor and author J. D. Greear. He struggled for many years to gain an assurance of salvation and eventually learned he was not alone. “Lack of assurance” is epidemic among evangelical Christians. In Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart, J. D. shows that faulty ways of present- ing the gospel are a leading source of the confusion. Our presentations may not be heretical, but they are sometimes misleading. The idea of “asking Jesus into your heart” or “giving your life to Jesus” often gives false assurance to those who are not saved—and keeps those who genuinely are saved from fully embracing that reality. Greear unpacks the doctrine of assurance, showing that salvation is a posture we take to the promise of God in Christ, a posture that begins at a certain point and is maintained for the rest of our lives. He also answers the tough questions about assurance: What exactly is faith? What is repentance? Why are there so many warnings that seem to imply we can lose our salvation? Such issues are handled with respect to the theological rigors they require, but Greear never loses his pastoral sensitivity or a communication technique that makes this message teachable to a wide audience from teens to adults.

Understanding Jesus

Understanding Jesus
Author: Joe Amaral
Publisher: FaithWords
Total Pages: 118
Release: 2011-09-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1455512494

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.

Why Believe the Bible?

Why Believe the Bible?
Author: John MacArthur
Publisher: Gospel Light Publications
Total Pages: 196
Release: 2008-04-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780830745647

With the authority of the Bible being questioned by many in today’s society and the need for solid, biblical teaching, the timeliness of Why Believe the Bible is apparent. The esteemed Bible teacher John MacArthur examines many common questions about the Bible in this practical examination of the authority, infallibility and trustworthiness of God’s Word. Readers will come to desire a deeper Bible study time after reading “Can We Really Take God’s Word for It?” “What Does God’s Word Do for You?” and “How to Get the Most from God’s Word.” For new Christians and those wanting to brush up on the basic truths of the Bible, Why Believe the Bible features a Bible reading plan with study tips and an appendix with helpful tools for Bible study.

Grace Revolution

Grace Revolution
Author: Joseph Prince
Publisher: FaithWords
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2015-10-27
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1455561312

From New York Times bestselling author Joseph Prince comes a book about living above defeat and experiencing breakthroughs in every area of life. GRACE REVOLUTION is about living above defeat and experiencing lasting breakthroughs in every area of life. It's about the explosive, inside-out transformation that occurs in the innermost sanctum of the human heart when a person meets Jesus personally. To help the reader live out this new perspective, the author gives five practical and powerful keys that, if understood and internalized, will become highly effective principles of success and living a victorious life.

A Golden Chain

A Golden Chain
Author: William Perkins
Publisher: Ravenio Books
Total Pages: 393
Release: 2021-02-22
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

This theological classic is organized as follows: To the Christian Reader I. Of the Body of Scripture, and Theology II. Of God, and the Nature of God III. Of the Life of God IV. Of God’s Glory, and Blessedness V. Concerning the Persons of the Godhead VI. Of God’s Works, and His Decree VII. Of Predestination and Creation VIII. Of Angels IX. Of Man, and the Estate of Innocency X. Of Sin, and the Fall of Angels XI. Of Mans Fall and Disobedience XII. Of Original Sin XIII. Of Actual Sin XIV. Of the Common Punishment of Sin XV. Of Election, and of Jesus Christ the Foundation Thereof XVI. Of the Union of the Two Natures in Christ XVII. Of the Distinction of Both Natures XVIII. Of Christs Nativity and Office XIX. Concerning the Outward Means of Executing the Decree of Election, and of the Decalogue XX. Of the First Commandment XXI. Of the Second Commandment XXII. Of the Third Commandment XXIII. Of the Fourth Commandment XXIV. Of the Fifth Commandment XXV. Concerning the Sixth Commandment XXVI. Of the Seventh Commandment XXVII. Of the Eighth Commandment XXVIII. Concerning the Ninth Commandment XXIX. Of the Tenth Commandment XXX. Of the Use of the Law XXXI. Of the Covenant of Grace XXXII. Of the Sacraments XXXIII. Of Baptism XXXIV. Of the Lords Supper XXXV. Of the Degrees of Executing God’s Decree of Election XXXVI. Concerning the First Degree of the Declaration of God’s Love XXXVII. Concerning the Second Degree of the Declaration of God’s Love XXXVIII. Concerning the Third Degree of the Declaration of God’s Love XXXIX. Of Repentance and the Fruits Thereof XL. Of Christian Warfare XLI. Of the First Assault XLII. Of the Second Assault XLIII. Of the Third Assault XLIV. Of the Patient Bearing of the Cross XLV. Of the Calling Upon God XLVI. Of Christian Apology, and Martyrdom XLVII. Of Edification, and Almes Among the Faithful XLVIII. Of the Fourth Degree, of the Declaration of God’s Love: And of the Estate of the Elect After This Life XLIX. Of the Estate of the Elect at the Last Day of Judgement L. Of the Estate of the Elect After Judgement LI. Concerning the Order of the Causes of Salvation, According to the Doctrine of the Church of Rome LII. Concerning the Decree of Reprobation LIII. Concerning the Execution of the Decree of Reprobation LIV. Concerning a New Devised Doctrine of Predestination, Taught by Some New and Late Divines LV. Of the State and Condition of the Reprobates When They Are Dead LVI. Of the Condemnation of the Reprobates at the Last Judgement LVII. Of the Estate of the Reprobates in Hell LVIII. Of the Application of Predestination

The Christian Atheist

The Christian Atheist
Author: Craig Groeschel
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 180
Release: 2010-04-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310597412

Are you putting your whole faith in God but still living as if everything is up to you? You may believe in God, attend church, and generally treat people with kindness…but are you living as if God doesn't exist? Have you surrendered to God completely, living every day depending upon the Holy Spirit? Pastor and bestselling author Craig Groeschel will lead you on a personal journey toward an authentic, God-honoring life. This honest, hard-hitting, and eye-opening look into the ways people believe in God but live as if he doesn't exist is a classic of discipleship training. Groeschel's personal journey will help you break down your own barriers between simple belief and a more intentional faith. This book will help you: Let go of the shame of your past and know that you’re forgiven. Embrace Christ’s profound love for you. Believe in the power of prayer. Give up control when life doesn't seem fair. Trust God with all your anxious thoughts, heartache, struggles, and pain. From the author of Winning the War in Your Mind, The Christian Atheist is a rallying cry to get honest with God, shed the self-sufficiency and the hypocrisy, and live a life that truly brings glory to Christ.

How Jesus Became God

How Jesus Became God
Author: Bart D. Ehrman
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 297
Release: 2014-03-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0062252194

New York Times bestselling author and Bible expert Bart Ehrman reveals how Jesus’s divinity became dogma in the first few centuries of the early church. The claim at the heart of the Christian faith is that Jesus of Nazareth was, and is, God. But this is not what the original disciples believed during Jesus’s lifetime—and it is not what Jesus claimed about himself. How Jesus Became God tells the story of an idea that shaped Christianity, and of the evolution of a belief that looked very different in the fourth century than it did in the first. A master explainer of Christian history, texts, and traditions, Ehrman reveals how an apocalyptic prophet from the backwaters of rural Galilee crucified for crimes against the state came to be thought of as equal with the one God Almighty, Creator of all things. But how did he move from being a Jewish prophet to being God? In a book that took eight years to research and write, Ehrman sketches Jesus’s transformation from a human prophet to the Son of God exalted to divine status at his resurrection. Only when some of Jesus’s followers had visions of him after his death—alive again—did anyone come to think that he, the prophet from Galilee, had become God. And what they meant by that was not at all what people mean today. Written for secular historians of religion and believers alike, How Jesus Became God will engage anyone interested in the historical developments that led to the affirmation at the heart of Christianity: Jesus was, and is, God.