Chapter 1
First Things First
As I start this book, I would like to offer the reader something of immense value. Perhaps you are not a Christian but have decided to read this book out of curiosity. If that is the case, I would like to make a plea for you to consider the man called Jesus of Nazareth who is the Christ or Anointed One of God. Consider the following historical facts about Him:
He was born some 2,000 years ago in poverty.
He was trained as a common carpenter.
He was never educated.
He never wrote a book.
He never traveled more than about 150 miles from His birth place. He owned no possessions other than the clothes He wore.
He was executed on a cross between two thieves as a common criminal.
He had twelve disciples most of whom were murdered because of their belief and witness of who He claimed to be.
Yet this man is proclaimed by the largest religion in the world to be God who came in the flesh. He is without a doubt the most famous and influential person who has ever lived. The dates we use are either before his birth (BC) or after it (AD). This ought to make everyone, whether a Christian or not, pause and reflect upon this man and give great credence to the biblical account of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Savior of the world.
42 Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." (John 4:42)
Jesus gave us the greatest sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5-7) He taught us the Golden Rule to treat others the way we want to be tr