Man, Myth, Messiah: Answering History's Greatest Question Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Did Jesus Really Exist? The search for the historical Jesus continues to be headline news. Any speculative theory seems to get instant attention as the debate rages about His real identity and the claims made in His name. Did Jesus really exist? Is there real historical evidence that demonstrates that He lived and actually said and did the things the Gospels record? Is there any validity to the speculative claims that the Jesus story was a myth, borrowed from a variety of pagan cultures of the ancient world? In this follow-up to the book God’s Not Dead (that inspired the movie), Man, Myth, Messiah looks at the evidence for the historical Jesus and exposes the notions of skeptics that Jesus was a contrived figure of ancient mythology. It also looks at the reliability of the Gospel records as well as the evidence for the resurrection that validates His identity as the promised Messiah. Man, Myth, Messiah will be released concurrent to the God’s Not Dead movie sequel, which will cover the same theme.
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 1, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0849948568
ISBN-13: 978-0849948565
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Theology > Christology #7 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Theology > Apologetics #12 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Theology
Rice Broock's book "God's Not Dead" was the inspiration for a popular movie of the same name. This book is billed as the "evidence behind God's Not Dead 2", in which we will see a debate over whether a teacher can even mention the name of Jesus in a classroom. I have read many books defending the Christian faith and the Biblical accounts of Christ's birth, death, and resurrection, but none that delve as deeply into the debate as this book does. It is apparent that Broocks took the time to study both sides of the issue. He draws directly from the Bible and backs it up with historical research from scholars and skeptics alike. There is a growing body of literature in today's society that claims that Jesus was not the Messiah that he demonstrated and claimed to be. That, along with the rise of internet skeptics that proclaim this type of writing to be scholarly and authoritative, is what led Broocks to research and write this book. These false claims have evoked a renewed effort to set the record straight. Atheism is a religion. It is a set of beliefs about the nature of the world and of us as humans. At the heart of this anti-theistic system is the necessity to dismiss the supernatural, especially the supernatural birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Rice Broocks makes an effort to encompass all views, opinions, and philosophies from skeptics and atheists on the subject, and then he proceeds to disprove them entirely. He boldly tackles ridiculous alternative theories for the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.Broocks provides a succinct definition of the message of the gospel: The gospel is the good news that God became man in Jesus Christ. He lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died - in our place. Three days later He rose from the dead, proving that He is the Son of God and offering the gift of salvation to those who repent and believe in Him. Both the book and the Movie "God's Not Dead" sought to clearly establish the fact that real faith isn't blind. It is based on evidence, laid out from science, philosophy, history, and personal experiences. Now in "Man, Myth, Messiah", Broocks takes a closer look at the evidence for the historical Jesus. The majority of the book is centered around a method developed by Gary Habermas called the "Minimal Facts Method". Using this method you can show how the foundation of Christianity is so strong that even skeptical scholars accept its bedrock truths. Dr. Habermas is the Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Liberty University and is regarded as a leading expert in historical evidence for the resurrection.This book can be divided into three or four sections. In the first three chapters, Broocks introduces the topics of history, the Minimal Facts Method, and the reliability of Scripture. The next three chapters present some of the historical basis for Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, along with His uniqueness. The next two subjects after that are devoted to Jesus' deity and the reality of the supernatural world. Broocks argues that the Gospels stand head and shoulders above the vast majority of ancient literature in terms of manuscript evidence and support for historical accuracy. The weight of historical evidence demonstrates that the Gospels are very reliable, and that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible Word of God. Many historians have come to recognize this fact, even if they did not originally accept that it was true. Christ's resurrection sets Him apart from all other religious leaders and sets Christianity apart from all other religions. The Scripture offers this as the event that verifies the identity of Jesus and the truth of His words. Conversely, if one could show that Christ was not raised, then the Christian faith would be proven false. Jesus' advent was the fulfillment of prophecies that God had spoken through the prophets for centuries.In the later chapters Broocks discusses miracles, discipleship, and evangelism and how they are important to us today. The section on miracles, healings, and near-death experiences was very interesting. A man by the name of Steve Murrell led a team in Manila to establish a church that emphasized reaching university students. They modeled their ministry around four principles (called the four E's) that serve as the foundation of what we believe and practice about discipleship: We are called to Engage unbelievers with the gospel, Establish biblical foundations in their lives and help them learn God's Word, Equip them to do the work of the ministry, and Empower them to fulfill their God-given purpose. In the last chapter, Broocks outlines a simple evangelism process that is represented by the word GREAT. It stands for Gospel, Reasons, Empathy, Approach, and Tools. These five steps provide a clear roadmap in becoming an effective witness for Christ. Together with a leading pastor, effective teachers, and a believing congregation, the result is an engaging church that can impact the world for the glory of God.I often refer to the importance of equipping yourself with the Whole Armor of God, and Broocks makes reference to it in his book as well. This book provides powerful evidence that can be referenced to defend your faith. I would recommend it to all Christians, young and old. I would also recommend it to those that are unsure about their faith or that are unsure about about their salvation. I received this as a free ARC from Thomas Nelson - W Publishing on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Man, Myth, or Messiah is a great book that teaches you how to defend your faith and rebut any of the relentlessly quoted cliches from those who donât believe that Jesus Christ is exactly who he says he is, our personal savior sent by God to die for our sins.This book lays out proof that why we believe in Christ and why we believe scripture is not only true but it can be historically document, really beyond reproach. The book is sort of laid out like an essay for each point that the author, Rice Broocks is making.I think that using the minimal facts approach is a great way to keep emotions out of your defense for your position that Jesus Christ is in fact the Messiah. It is a way to present just the facts that can stand the typical scrutiny give by those that say that Jesus is more a myth built on legends.It was surprising to me that there are many sources that corroborate what we as Christians believe. I like all of the sources that you can use to demonstrate the Gospels of the New Testament can be historically proven by secular historians that lived during these times.I would encourage all of my followers to read the book, you will be given a great new way of defending your faith through the same proof and arguments that the so-called secularist use to say that Jesus Christ is not who he claimed he was, the Son of God.This book was given to me by NetGalley for my honest opinion.
As someone continually engaged in conversations with young people in higher education about Jesus Christ I found Man, Myth, Messiah very informative and helpful. With skepticism as the new norm it's very helpful to have solid historic facts to engage people with concerning Jesus Christ. The historic facts coupled with the SALT method of engagement found in Man, Myth, Messiah will help and encourage those hungry to help people find faith in & follow Jesus.
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