Resource for Making Smarter Christians

Do you want to become smarter about your faith? Are you earnestly looking to gather more study tools, to teach you about the Christian faith and it's founder Jesus Christ? If you are, you are not alone. I always tell people that someone has to look in many different texts, in order to learn the facts and be historically accurate. Which quite truthfully, happens only half the time and thus people are taught the wrong information about Jesus, his life and his true beliefs and ideals. Looking at all the history surrounding Christianity, only helps Christians gain a broader knowledge into the different religious perspectives of our faith. Sadly though, more than seventy percent Christians lack a well-rounded knowledge of Christ, his disciples, and his teachings. Why is that?

It is simply not enough to rely on the King James Bible as our only biblical resource. With that said, scientific findings and world history should also be taught in Sunday Schools. Whereas to date, so much of the very nature of Christianity and its humble beginnings, have NOT been taught, and purposely left out. Which leaves many of our Christian brothers and sisters, sadly uninformed on such topics as that of Jesus Christ’s ancestral line, his disciples and who they were individually, and what Jesus really wanted people to gain through his fabled messages.

They other day, I was discussing a very basic Christian element about the Patriarch of Christianity, known as Abraham. It was a forum thread about spreading more racial hate, in a typical Pro-Israel forum. Here are some clips from that forum;

“The palistinians are a Roman Construct. Ad 70, Rome said NO more Isreal,.... now youre Palistine. I guess they thought they solved the problem.”

"Israelites were in that area around 1750BC, there were no muslims or islam then."

“So your a muslim, and you believe Islam is the religion of all the prophets, and Abraham, too. ”

My rebuttal, “The Children of Palestine stemmed from the groin of Abraham. Abraham is the father of Muslim religions, Jewish religions, and Christian religions. Do you not know of Abraham?”

Which is entirely true, is it not? Yes it is and every Christian should know this basic information. How else are you to know and understand why the Jews look to Moses as there spiritual leader, like Muslims do Abraham and as Christians do Jesus. To understand our own individuality is to know the basics. How is knowing who Abraham is and what he means to Christians as a religious group, a course to be called a Muslim? Where does this type of thinking stem from? For more on that enlightening and yet very revealing forum post, click here and it will take to more of my delightful conversations with so-called Christian believers.

I think there is a real concern, amongst Christian believers, not knowing why they are Christians. It puzzles me as to why there not more Christians researching there faith, and understanding the context, landscape and environment the Christian faith was found in. So why is that? I find this to be a great epic concern. Moreover, for those Christians who have educated themselves on the basic principles of Christ, I applaud you.

However, I decided to write this article in hopes that those who speak without basic knowledge, change that practice and research the faith for themselves. It amazes me that to buy a car, refrigerator or even a stove, people spend hours of time researching for the right price, and the best choice. Somehow, people forget this process of importance to becoming Christian and spout garbage that I’m sure, turns many nonreligious followers away. To be Christ-like is to walk in his light, his path, and place the needs of nonbelievers, and all earthly brethren before your own. To do that, you must first have the educated know it all to withstand that life long journey. It takes knowledge, compassion, and fortitude to be a Christian- anything less is as good any New Year’s Resolution just before midnight. With this all said, I hope more will come and seek Christ through love and knowledge.

Great resource material on Christianity can be found anywhere. From the wonderful world of HubPages to many different Internet links and websites. Much of this material can be found in soft or hardback copies if you would like to buy, own, or borrow a copied text. There cannot be enough said about reading the holy bible. There are many different types of bibles. However, to stay true to the environment of this hub I decided to list my own spiritual references for knowledge and what I use as my guide to enlighten in Christ.

——My Study Tools,

For several hundred, better yet close to two thousand years now; we have been living with the truth right under our noses. In order for you to become more aware about your faith follow I've listed several of my at home study materials used in founding the truth about Christ and the Christian religion:

1. New American Bible, St. Joseph Med.Edition, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1994
2. Holy Bible, New International Version, International Bible Society, 1984
3. The Essential Gnostic Gospels, Narrator Alan Jacobs, Watkins Publishing, 2006
4. New King James Version, Nelson's NKJV Study Bible, Nelson Bibles, 1982

Let me start by saying that I firmly believe that true understanding has to come from several outside sources. It is when those outside sources intermingle with our sacred texts from our Christian bibles, that I usually say to myself, "We have a winner!" So I think it is safe to say, that most Protestant Christians, believe that the King Jame Version of the bible is "God's Holy Word", well this should please you greatly to see it in the mix. As for you Catholics like me, right along with my King James Bible, I keep my Catholic Bible too. I, also have a copy of the Book of Enoch, Awaken the Buddha Within, and Taming the Tiger Within You in my library as well. Coming to the decision to be Christ-like is not only a life changing event, it should be treated and nurtured in the historical presence of Christian belief system. To believe in Christ is one thing, to understand why or how is entirely different.