What did Jesus say about his birth in a manger attended by wise men and angels? How did he describe his seat at Gods right hand on a celestial throne? Did he really claim to be God's only son to be worshiped as one third of a three headed Deity? This book is destined to become one of the many pathways to help revitalize Christianity. Compelling insights, meaningful resources and important revelations of over 100 well-known Jesus scholars, authors and learned professors of religion from around the world are provided. This is not, however, a theological discourse for scholarly debate. It is written by a Christian layman for the everyday normal church attendees who are searching, thinking, curious and open to newer and deeper loving relationships with God and Jesus. Much of the knowledge and thinking about the essence of what Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God, (Realm of the Spirit) is explored. The book expands the readers awareness of new ways to see what Jesus said about God's love and it's potential for each person. Hopefully church people who are developing doubts about their childhood teachings will find new insights in the teachings of Jesus within the Christian Church.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
I am trusting that the powers that be at Amazon will let me keep the portrait of my wife and I even though they asked for the author only. My book would never have been published if she had not served as my editor. She received her master's degree with three of her grandchildren in attendance and was a professor of English at American River College in Sacramento. She had a massive stroke on October 18, 2008 and died one month later.
NOW FOR A BIT ABOUT MY BACKGROUND AND SOME INFORMATION ABOUT MY RELIGION THINKING
I grew up in and around Enid, Oklahoma. My father opened a restaurant in Jet, Okla. I started work early as a paperboy at 8 years old, I worked in my family's restaurant, and once counted up over 30 vocations I have enjoyed where I earned money throughout my 83+ years.
When I graduated from High School, I was offered a football scholarship to play tackle for Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla. After finishing my first semester, I entered the Navy where I served in the pacific campaign in the Philippines and China. When my tour of duty was over, I returned to Oklahoma State Univ. While I was studying, friends set me up on a blind date with Louella Shaw the sister of a girlfriend of one of my fraternity brothers. Louella stood me up, but when she found out that I really was what they had claimed, she finally agreed and the rest is history. We were married on August 10th, 1950 at the Methodist Church in Jet Oklahoma. I graduated with a double degree in architecture and architectural engineering and Louella with a degree in education with a teaching certificate all at Oklahoma State University.
We moved to Oklahoma City where I had a job with the city planning commission and Louella began teaching. I was offered a position at Tinker Air Force Base with the base Engineer in 1952. In 1964 I was presented the USAF civilian Engineer of the year award in Washington DC. We had three sons by the time we all moved to Sacramento in 1965 where I was promoted to head the base engineering branch and eventually became the Deputy Chief of Base Engineering at McClellan Air Force Base until I retired in 1980.
Following retirement, I opened my own Architecture - Engineering firm, creating the Fair Oaks Village complex in Fair Oaks, CA. In the early 80's, I was one of the early ones in my vocation to latch on to desktop computer technology developing and licensing software for architects and engineers in the U.S. and overseas. I was presented an award for 20 years of outstanding volunteer performance by the California Architects board in 2004.
My faith and close association with religion and bible scholarship has always been an important part of my life. My Grandfather was a Methodist Pastor and at one time I considered following his pattern. I published my first book, "Christ! I Want Your Body, a layman's search for the church representing the teachings of Jesus". I am presently developing the manuscript for my second book "God! I Love Your Spirit". My final book in the trilogy will be "Jesus! I need your Love".
I have served as the President of the Board of Trustees in two churches, one Methodist and one Presbyterian. I was an Elder, and the founder of the Genesis of Christianity Bible Study in the Presbyterian church. Louella and I were both long time members of the chancel choirs in four different churches.
The above will give the impression that this is just another fundamentalist Christian book with the standard conservative teaching. However, it is not. When I was around thirty five years old with three growing sons, I began reading things in the Bible that I had not read closely enough prior to that time. I read where God had a bear kill some young children and insisted that the Israelites murder women and children. The more I read, the more I found in "God's own words" that I just could not believe. I came to the conclusion that the bible was really written by men who felt that their words were just what God wanted them to write.
I have also changed many of my assumptions about Jesus and God. I no longer use any gender words when referring to God. God for me is "Spirit" as my next book professes throughout. I do not believe in a God who decides which football team will win their games, or whether a child will be killed in an accident or not, or even recover from an illness. I See God, not as some humans have created him to be, "a male figure that makes the decisions to grant wishes or not." The universe in which we live is filled with God's spirit that exists within each of us and in all things. Scientists have lately put another name on part of that Spirit, they call it "Dark Energy". That same Energy and Power keeps the quarks, electrons, protons and everything moving, working and existing. This Spirit/Power/Energy exists to keep the Galaxies moving and developing new matter continually.
I do not believe that Jesus was the "only" son of God born of a virgin who had been riding a donkey for days before she was to give birth. And that is just in one of the only two completely different Jesus birth stories that God supposedly wrote in his word. I am convinced that Jesus was a wonderful, feeling, loving human who was very gifted, and brilliant like many others. I believe he was anointed (the actual definition of Messiah) like many others mentioned in the bible and existing in this world. I think that is why he assured all of us, yes, you and I, that we could also live like he taught us to live. He did not have any magical powers that have been created by writers thousands of years ago in the dark ages after his death. I encourage you to read all three of my books that I have planned to be printed before I reach my hundredth birthday.
