It is time to call out true religion, more especially the "Christian" in Christian nationalism, and to invite anybody who may be convinced to reject and assist in the dismantling of a false gospel that promotes tyranny and dominance. We have a responsibility to strengthen the faith of each and every one of us, as well as to assist those individuals who are unaware, unable to escape, and enslaved by the dogma and worship of Christian nationalism, which is putting us in such grave peril. The focus of our attention should be directed towards the core of what it means to have real faith in the Bible and what Jesus has commanded us to do in the gospels. There is a new question that has to be asked: do we believe these teachings or not?People of all religious traditions, including those who have no religion at all, may benefit from reading this book. It is not only for Christians. We need a civic religion that is based on love, healing, and hope in order to be successful in overcoming the situation in which we see a civic promotion of fear, hatred, and violence for the trajectory of our politics. And this must include each and every one of us, regardless of our religious beliefs. When it comes to the future of democracy throughout the globe, the ability to learn and practise a politics of neighbour love will be very important. And the words of Jesus ring truer than they ever have before: "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." After two thousand years of Christian interpretation and commentary, it is difficult to hear Jesus' voice after twenty centuries of Christianity and all of the ideas that have been voiced about what Jesus said and taught. Also, after twenty centuries of Christianity, it is difficult to hear his voice. Sometimes Christians cling to a few favorite things that Jesus spoke. Yet throughout the course of the four Gospels, sections of the Book of Acts, and the Book of Revelation, Jesus teaches on certain issues that are crucial to our salvation; things which deserve our attention! This book cites nobody except Jesus. It is written in language that is simple to grasp, while preserving all of the integrity of how Jesus instructs us to live; which will enable us to live with him for the rest of eternity! While Jesus and the Church places the foundations of the Church in their historical and scriptural context, the textbook goes further by guiding students to recognize the sacred nature of the Church and engaging them to more actively participate in the living Body of Christ and serve as witnesses to the sacred Gospel in the world today.Simply defined, the purpose of the book--as in the Encountering Jesus series as a whole--is to improve the lives of students by drawing real-life links between what they are studying about the Church and how they meet Jesus in the modern world.

A much neglected field of study has been opened by the research of the author into the history of the Christian church from its apostolic origins to the close of the eighteenth century. Taking as his thesis the prominence given to the Church in the Wilderness in Bible prophecy, and the fact that “‘the Church in the Wilderness,’ and not the proud hierarchy enthroned in the world’s great capital, was the true church of Christ,” he has spent years developing this subject. In its present form, Truth Triumphant represents much arduous research in the libraries of Europe as well as in America. Excellent ancient sources are most difficult to obtain, but the author has been successful in gaining access to many of them. To crystallize the subject matter and make the historical facts live in modem times, the author also made extensive travels throughout Europe and Asia. The doctrines of the primitive Christian church spread to Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. As grains of a mustard seed they lodged in the hearts of many Godly souls in southern France and northern Italy — people known as the Albigenses and the Waldenses. The faith of Jesus was valiantly upheld by the Church of the East. This term, as used by the author, not only includes the Syrian and Assyrian Churches, but is also the term applied to the development of apostolic Christianity throughout the lands of the East. The spirit of Christ, burning in the hearts of loyal men who would not compromise with paganism, sent them forth as missionaries to lands afar. Patrick, Columbanus, Marcos, and a host of others were missionaries to distant lands. They braved the ignorance of the barbarian, the intolerance of the apostate church leaders, and the persecution of the state in order that they might win souls to God. To unfold the dangers that were ever present in the conflict of the true church against error, to reveal the sinister working of evil and the divine strength by which men of God made truth triumphant, to challenge the Remnant Church today in its final controversy against the powers of evil, and to show the holy, unchanging message of the Bible as it has been preserved for t hose who will “fear God, and keep His commandments” — these are the sincere aims of the author as he presents this book to those who know the truth. MERLIN L. NEFF.

This fascinating study reconstructs the tradition of the Legend of the True Cross in text and image, from its tentative beginnings in 4th-century Jerusalem to the culminating expression of its multi-layered cosmic content in 14th and 15th-century monumental cycles in Germany and Italy.

Prominent Presbyterian pastors and leaders address each of the Great Ends of the Church in sermons that both challenge and uplift readers. For decades the Great Ends of the Church, a historic listing of ways Presbyterians have understood the role of the church, has helped to establish church directions in mission and ministry. The Great Ends of the Church are (1) the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; (2) the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; (3) the maintenance of divine worship; (4) the preservation of the truth; (5) the promotion of social righteousness; and (6) the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. These sermons focus the church's understandings of its purpose and inspire us to dedicate ourselves to the church's work in the world. This is a book that every Presbyterian should know and is ideal for study by church groups and sessions.

Where does a new believer turn to find truth? The Christian narrative today has morphed into a fluid and philosophical commentary centered around social injustices and motivational messages that rarely align with the gospel that Jesus preached. Sin is ignored and repentance is avoided by those who over exaggerate grace and diminish the holiness of God by suggesting he accepts us whether we are faithful to him or not. In a knee jerk response to the strict religious shackles of the early church many of today’s preachers bask in the hyper-sensitivity that accompanies the “cancel culture” that proclaims it will not be judged. In The Gospel Truth, Bezan has endeavored to dissect prominent Christian religious denominations in order to expose their internal theologies and scrutinize the details of their doctrine under the litmus test of scripture. He offers legitimate discernment to differentiate between truth and almost truth and conveys an intelligible recognition of the genuine vs the counterfeit in a detailed and comprehensive assessment that leaves the reader judiciously satisfied. We have an opportunity in this life to sincerely contemplate the things of God. We are provided with a window in time to question the hidden mysteries of scripture and truly discover who God is. The good news is that God has provided a path to salvation through Jesus Christ and the gospel contains the truths that solve the mysteries that have eluded men for millennia.