Joseph M. Stowell - The Trouble with Jesus

A powerful and, indeed, magnificent portrayal of who Jesus is and what He meant us to be. You will love this book and love to share it with others.

RAVI K. ZACHARIAS, President, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries

Jesus and the message of the Cross dont always bring peace but often cause a clash with contemporary spiritual philosophy. Joe Stowell has written a thought-provoking book that challenges Christians to shine as light in a post 9/11 world where the word God is acceptable but Jesus is not.

PASTOR JIM CYMBALA, The Brooklyn Tabernacle Church

Joe Stowells latest book, The Trouble With Jesus, is a compelling testimony to the pre-eminence of Jesus and a clear call to authentic Christian faith. In a post 9/11 world of new paganism and religious confusion, this is a message which begs to be read. I am so thankful for Dr. Stowells willingness to share his bold heart and faithful witness. He is Gods man with Gods message for our times. This book is a life-changer!

DR. JACK GRAHAM, Senior Pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church

Chapter 1 Breakfast Without Jesus
The Traditions That Divide Us

Chapter 2 Dj Vu All Over Again
Jesus and the New Paganism

Chapter 3 Terms of Engagement
Salt and Light in Action

Chapter 4 Jesus in the NoSpin Zone
Commitment 1: Declaration Speaking Up for Jesus

Chapter 5 Jesus in the Spotlight
Commitment 2: Demonstration Showing Up for Jesus

Chapter 6 Jesus to the Needy
Commitment 3: Compassion Reaching Out for Jesus

Chapter 7 Welcome in Jesus Name
Commitment 4: Community Loving for Jesus

Chapter 8 The Centrality of Jesus
Commitment 5: Consecration Living for Jesus

I am deeply indebted to many of my colleagues whose commitment to our Lord and His work have freed me to work on this manuscript

• The Senior management team at Moody, who share the oversight of the ministry with me.

• My Executive Assistants, Lori Imhof and Sonja Larson, who organize my schedule and deal with the many details and responsibilities that pile up on my desk on a daily basis.

• Sonja Goppert, whose capable assistance in research and manuscript development made this book more than I could ever hope it would be.

• Dr. Bryan Litfin, for his helpful review of the manuscript.

• The good people at Moody Publishers, who shared the vision for this book and worked so hard to bring it to you hats off to Greg Thornton, Anne Scherich, Dave DeWit, and Bill Thrasher.

• Most importantly, Martie, my wife and friend, whose careful review of the manuscript took the book to a much higher level.

As the Lord uses this book to sharpen your focus and ignite your passion to live effectively for Jesus, thank our Lord for these highly valued friends without whose help The Trouble with Jesus would have never made it to your hands.

Above and beyond all of these, the glory and credit is due to Jesus, who has chosen and called us to the high privilege of being His advocate in an increasingly hostile world. Without Him there would be no cause worth living for and no Savior worth writing about.

Peter writes of Jesus:

As you come to him, the living Stonerejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him

you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

For in Scripture it says:

See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,

and, A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message-which is also what they were destined for.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

1 Peter 2:49, 12

T he Chicago Leadership Prayer Breakfast is an annual event held the first Friday after the week of Thanksgiving. If you work in Chicago, attending the breakfast is the religious thing to do, second only to showing up at church on Christmas and Easter. I have gone to the event for the last fifteen years.

I can remember years ago when the name of Jesus was freely used in prayers and sermons alike at the breakfast. And though that has been slowly changing, this years event was marked by what seemed to be an intentional effort to eliminate references to Jesus from the platform. If it werent for the marvelous music of the Wheaton College choirs, who unashamedly sang about Him, the whole morning would have drifted by without the mere mention of His name. I doubt if the choirmaster had been required to submit the texts of the repertoire to screen them for references to Jesus, given what took place in the rest of the program.