Books by Barry L Nehls

Jesus clarified the requirements of every believer. He simply said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). Sounds simple enough…until you begin to break it down.In today’s affluent society, most are not accustomed to denying themselves anything, even if they don’t have the means to pay for it. Personal responsibility is at an all-time low. When tragedy strikes, we look for someone or something to blame. Certainly not my fault.Jesus requires us to take up a cross. Well, that’s easy enough…gold, silver, or platinum? But don’t forget the cross is not jewelry to be worn; on the contrary, it is an instrument of death. Our death.Have an addiction that you are struggling with? Perhaps you have concluded that God made you to live as a homosexual. God’s fault there. And that alcohol or drug addiction, well, it’s a disease. Not my fault there either.So open the pages and take a look. Dare you. The hard truth for all is that the Bible, God’s Word, is a mirror. You and I must see ourselves, in light of His Scriptures, as He sees us. But read on. The Bible contains all the power and tools you and I need to obey Jesus’ command. So take up your cross and follow Him!

Webster's dictionary defines myth as "a thing having only an unverifiable or imaginary existence." How fitting, then, to refer to this widely accepted concept of spiritual death as a myth. Over thirty years ago, I came to a place of understanding where the concept seemed to fit the events of the Garden of Eden. Admittedly, I never really challenged the teaching. Today, most Christian believers have accepted spiritual death as the fulfillment of God's warning to Adam and Eve: "For in the day that thou eat thereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17).And if spiritual death is a reality, then the requirements that Jesus told Nicodemus to be "born again to see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3) seem to fit as well. Man has spiritually died and now needs to be born again of the spirit. With our limited intellect, we simply love to have everything figured out, boxed up, and placed on the shelf.For the believer, as you spend time in the Word of God, you soon realize that much is unclear and most is left to faith. Thankfully, there are times when the person of the Holy Spirit speaks a nugget of truth into our spirits and a clearer revelation bursts forth.Perhaps you will find nothing new in this discourse; perhaps it will shake up your theology just a bit. It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will illuminate your spirit to the truth of what was really lost in the garden transgressions and what Jesus Christ requires of each of His disciples. Secondly, that you will discover God's intentions for the marriage relationship. And finally, stir your spirit to more diligently and prayerfully study your Bible, like the Bereans found in the book of Acts, and "search the Scriptures daily whether those things be so" (Acts 17:11 KJV).