How to get started on the path to healing through biblical principles.
The very first thing you must do is believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. Jesus came to earth and showed us the way to spend eternity with God, to have peace in our hearts and to be content in a fallen world.
The resurrection is the cornerstone of Christianity. If the resurrection was false, then Jesus could have been just any other preacher.
Observations from the book, “Living Life God’s Way” by John Galanti:
The resurrection of Jesus, which today and always has been one of the most pivotal points of either believing or not believing in Jesus, the New Testament and His teachings, I offer the following observations. These points made me able to have a clear response to any non-believer. There were twelve Apostles that claimed to have seen Jesus resurrected. Every one of them went through extreme persecution and all but one suffered imprisonment and or brutal deaths. Now the first point. If the resurrection started out as a lie, so that the disciples could continue the teachings that Jesus taught them, how far do you think a group of common followers would be willing to take it? After the Disciples had seen and heard about their teacher, a man they loved, put to a brutal death, tortured, ridiculed, and crucified, a death for sure they would not want to endure, do you think all twelve Apostles and the countless Disciples would have stuck to a so-called story, a lie? This brings me to human nature. I could see maybe a couple or even up to four or five willing to continue the story of the resurrection, but if you think all twelve would stick to the same story after their own persecution, torture, imprisonment, and threats of a brutal death were threatened and carried out against them, then you might not know human nature. It would have only taken one of them saying it was a lie to put doubt in people’s minds. The point is, after Jesus was put to death, none of these men along with Mary had anything to gain from continuing their quest to spread the words of Jesus, they only had everything to lose, but all of them did just that. All of them sacrificed everything they had, they all traveled as far as they could, some wrote what is now the New Testament and suffered all in the name of Jesus. They had no motive to continue this narrative.
In fact, N. T. Wright notes in his classic book, “The Resurrection of the Son of God”, that the disciples had no theological motivation behind claiming that Jesus had risen from the dead as they were anticipating a military hero and a final resurrection at the end of time. What motivating factors existed for these disciples to invent such a story? None!
In the movie ‘The Case for Christ’ Lee Strobel from the Chicago Tribune uncovered that while trying to disprove the resurrection he came to realize the facts for the resurrection were overwhelming. He went from being an atheist to now sharing his story around the world.
C.S. Lewis stated, “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”
Why did the Apostles continue with their mission preaching the resurrection and good news of Jesus Christ, even though it lead to persecution and death?
Peter and Paul were both martyred in Rome about 66 AD, during the persecution under Emperor Nero. Paul was beheaded. Peter was crucified, upside down at his request, since he did not feel he was worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.
Andrew went to the “land of the man-eaters,” in what is now the Soviet Union. Christians there claim him as the first to bring the gospel to their land. He also preached in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey, and in Greece, where he is said to have been crucified.
Thomas was probably most active in the area east of Syria. Tradition has him preaching as far east as India, where the ancient Marthoma Christians revere him as their founder. They claim that he died there when pierced through with the spears of four soldiers.
Philip possibly had a powerful ministry in Carthage in North Africa and then in Asia Minor, where he converted the wife of a Roman proconsul. In retaliation the proconsul had Philip arrested and cruelly put to death.
Matthew the tax collector and writer of a Gospel ministered in Persia and Ethiopia. Some of the oldest reports say he was not martyred, while others say he was stabbed to death in Ethiopia.
Bartholomew had widespread missionary travels attributed to him by tradition: to India with Thomas, back to Armenia, and also to Ethiopia and Southern Arabia. There are various accounts of how he met his death as a martyr for the gospel.
James the son of Alpheus is one of at least three James referred to in the New Testament. There is some confusion as to which is which, but this James is reckoned to have ministered in Syria. The Jewish historian Josephus reported that he was stoned and then clubbed to death.
Simon the Zealot so the story goes, ministered in Persia and was killed after refusing to sacrifice to the sun god.
Matthais is the apostle chosen to replace Judas. Tradition sends him to Syria with Andrew and to death by burning.
John is the only one of the apostles generally thought to have died a natural death from old age. He was the leader of the church in the Ephesus area and is said to have taken care of Mary the mother of Jesus in his home. During Domitian’s persecution in the middle ’90s, he was exiled to the island of Patmos. There he is credited with writing the last book of the New Testament–the Revelation. An early Latin tradition has him escaping unhurt after being cast into boiling oil at Rome.
(The Above account of the Apostles Source: Christianity.com)
Jesus could have only been one of three things: crazy, a liar or who He said He was?
If He is who He said He was; God that came to earth, died and was resurrected, then we should want to learn everything about His teachings. Jesus said he was the Son of God, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Gods message is a simple message with a lot of detail. God askes some simple things of those who will follow Him. He wants a personal relationship with us because He loves us more than we could ever imagine. Understanding all the details is where the work begins; it takes effort, commitment, obedience, faith and trust in Him.