Jesus: The Centre Of It All

Meet the man who changed everything. He's the most influential person who ever lived. But how well do you really know Jesus of Nazareth? This book will bring you face-to-face with the One who holds the universe together and whose cruel death on the cross set the world right again. Discover Jesus as Messiah, Friend of Sinners, Good Shepherd, Light of the World, Coming King, and more. Learn how Jesus and His followers changed the course of history. But most of all, draw near to Him and be refreshed in the truth that Jesus is the centre of it all.

ENDORSEMENTS:

There is no greater figure in human history than Jesus of Nazareth. None. Likewise, there is no greater hope for us as individuals, families and nations than Jesus. This book will help us rediscover the uniqueness, majesty and power of Jesus, the God-Man. It is written for all people so that the living Christ can continue to renew our souls from day to day. This is a book for our time, and a book that points to the only hope for any long-term renewal of what is true, beautiful, and good in the modern world. I earnestly recommend it to general readers and also to church and university study groups.

-DR STEPHEN CHAVURA

Historian, Author, Senior Lecturer in History, Campion College, Sydney

Through personal stories and biblical narrative, Mahlburg and Marsh’s unwavering commitment to declaring the beauty and magnificence of Jesus Christ is evident on every page and the accompanying study notes. This book forces us to look again at Jesus with fresh eyes and a hopeful heart.

-WENDY FRANCIS

National Director of Politics, Australian Christian Lobby

As I read this book, my reaction is best articulated using the sentiments expressed by the followers of Christ on the road to Emmaus: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Kurt and Warwick’s discussions about Christ and their expounding of Scripture fanned the flame of faith in my heart. I loved their raw personal stories too!

-CINDY MCGARVIE

National Director, Youth for Christ

Jesus is indeed “the centre of it all”. This book gathers together, in an accessible and manageable form, all that any reader will need to know to find the centre of meaning, of life, and of history. Here is displayed in His power and beauty the world's only true Saviour and Lord.

-REV R. H. GOODHEW

Retired Anglican Archbishop of Sydney

Kurt and Warwick have crafted an engaging book full of personal stories that draw the reader towards the One born of the Virgin; the God-Man; the willing and innocent Lamb whose sacrifice washes away our sins; the One true Christ who is the Saviour of the world. Jesus: The Centre of It All is peppered with Christian heroes, saints and sinners. It depicts moments of warmth, times of suffering endured in darkness and abandonment, and occasions of faith bathed in the light of the divine. This book helps shape the heart and mind to the true spiritual path in a world searching for meaning and salvation.

-PATRICK J. BYRNE

Former National President, National Civic Council

Jesus: The Centre of It All is a powerful book to awaken many in today’s traditional Christian church to a deeper understanding of the unique place of Jesus Christ in our lives. It is also an excellent eye-opener to bring many by faith into His eternal kingdom. Personal testimonies by Warwick and Kurt, and valuable appendices, add to the well thought-out presentation that in Jesus all things were created—and that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life for every human on His planet.

-PS JEFFREY DALY

Founder, National Day of Repentance

Director, Jesus Christ Fellowship, California, USA

In these pages, Warwick and Kurt take us on a journey back to “the centre of it all”. With their clear, compelling and succinct writing style, they succeed in enhancing both our understanding of and love for the most significant human being who has ever

lived-the God-Man, Jesus Christ. Their personal stories of how Jesus has transformed their own lives adds a warm, light touch, even as they take us into some profound reflections on who this greatest person of all history is. They demonstrate how life on this planet has been so deeply and irrevocably shaped by Jesus’ first visit, and they stir us to eagerly anticipate His second one.

-JOHN ROBB

Founder, International Prayer Connect

Initiator, World Prayer Assembly

Individuals, families and nations lose their way when Jesus is removed from His rightful central position by a myriad of other competing attentions. Reclaiming the centrality of Christ is a primary concern for all who desire family and faith to flourish in our time once more. In this insightful new book, Kurt Mahlburg and Warwick Marsh have done a marvellous job of calling us back to Jesus in a way that is accessible to all. Their panoramic view of the mission and meaning of the carpenter from Nazareth will show you why Jesus remains the most important person who has ever lived. It will stir your soul, rekindle your spirit and enlighten your mind. Jesus: The Centre of It All is a book for such a time as this.

-PETER DOWNIE

National Director, FamilyVoice Australia

Kurt and Warwick have written an excellent book that paints the big picture of biblical history and leads the reader to a place of encounter with the person of Jesus. There is nothing more central than Jesus as the whole of history turns on His life, death and resurrection, and so too will the culmination of the age. This book is a delight to read, with many personal anecdotes, and would be most accessible to anyone seeking to understand Christianity and experience Jesus’ transforming power. I can highly recommend it and I would encourage the reader to gift a copy to others as a means of evangelism.

-DR MARK HARWOOD

Scientist, Writer, Speaker Coordinator

Creation Ministries International (Australia)

Kurt and Warwick have issued a timely call for Jesus to be the centre of it all. We get pulled in all sorts of directions by the challenges of the days in which we live and are always in need of coming back to Jesus, the centre of it all. Kurt and Warwick’s writing here will certainly help us to do that.

-COMMISSIONER JAMES CONDON

Commissioner Emeritus, The Salvation Army

The Christian worldview speaks to all aspects of life, and these two authors have discussed that often. But there is always the need to get back to the centre—to the very core of Christianity. And that centre, of course, is Christ. In this easy-to-read and scripturally rich volume, Mahlburg and Marsh do a fine job of reminding us of the central biblical truths, and that Christ is indeed the centre of human history.

-BILL MUEHLENBERG

CultureWatch

In the midst of this excellent book, Jesus: The Centre of It All, Warwick remarks that “prisons are often just big, lonely homes for fatherless men”. I was deeply touched by this comment as it correctly describes prisons—but it also describes many in our society who are locked in an internal prison. It is Jesus who comes to set us free from these prisons by revealing His love and God the Father. Kurt and Warwick portray Jesus beautifully in this academic, pastoral and inspiring book. I highly recommend it.

-REV MATT RANSOM

Holy Family Catholic Church, Gowrie, ACT

I know both Kurt and Warwick well and admire the sheer energy, courage and extent of their leadership and varied ministries. Their highly practical Christian faith shines through in this book. Their focus on Jesus and the Bible is not just theoretical but is drawn deeply from experience. They communicate in accessible language, and yet

this book is not lacking in academic research or theological depth. Might not such a description be a brief summary of Jesus Himself?

-JEFF STACEY

Author, God’s Purpose Bible

Retired Church of Christ Bible College Lecturer

In today’s multi-spectrum storm of human thought and conscience, we can often be made to feel rudderless. Fear not. Along come Mahlburg and Marsh to remind us of the God-Man Jesus Christ. He, who amidst the tempest and trial of a stormy, chaotic sea, walks on the water, calming our nerves, along with the wind and the waves. With fidelity to the Holy Bible and incisive personal stories, Jesus: The Centre of It All delivers both a timely and timeless message, namely that Jesus saves.

-PS ANDY FLAHERTY

Senior Teaching Pastor, Lighthouse Church

I was immediately interested in this book, though in a surprising way. Warwick opens with an account of his anti-Vietnam War protests, buoyed by his youthful Marxist idealism, on the campus of Sydney University. It was also there that I had marched with the regiment, and had been heckled and spat on as a conscript! Now, after five decades, we are mates together in Christ, opposing the forces of evil and uplifting Jesus as Lord and Saviour! This book by Kurt and Warwick shows us how important it is to keep Christ at the centre and be obedient to our calling in Him as we walk the talk. The authors remind us that we are called to redeem our culture, knowing that on the cross, Jesus publicly disarmed the principalities and powers, and triumphed over them.

-DR GRAHAM MCLENNAN

Chairman, National Alliance of Christian Leaders

Founder, Christian History Research

Jesus: The Centre of It All is a remarkable achievement. The authors have managed to seamlessly weave together biblical teaching and personal reflection with heartfelt

warmth and well-informed rigour. This is no easy task. How, in a short volume, do you capture the significance of the One who comes to us as a personal Saviour, and yet is the all-powerful King around whom all history pivots and towards whom all history is moving? It is impossible to plumb the depths of an infinite God—which is why eternity will be forever exhilarating. But even now we can dive into an ocean that is both deep and wide. And this little book is a superb way to do just that. The authors are no mere theoreticians of Jesus. They are practitioners, having journeyed humbly with Him over a combined seventy years. The result is exactly what you’d expect: simple yet not simplistic; formidable yet down-to-earth; compelling yet freeing; challenging yet refreshing. Jesus: The Centre of It All will revive and inspire the experienced soul as well as introduce Jesus to those curious to understand the claims and significance of the world’s most famous man. The authors invite all—irrespective of their current life’s journey—to make Jesus the centre of it all. And they have given that invitation very competently indeed.

-SAMUEL HARTWICH

Lead Contributor, Canberra Declaration

This latest book by Kurt Mahlburg and Warwick Marsh, Jesus: The Centre of It All, is a must-read for Christians who want to engage more deeply with their faith and encounter Jesus in an even more special way. It is a great gift to others and so uplifting. The authors’ own special relationship with Jesus blesses this work.

-PS BARBARA MILLER

Author, Co-Founder, Centre for International Reconciliation and Peace

Kurt and Warwick have collaborated to produce a blockbuster book—one that everyone should read. Personal stories about Jesus’ intervention in their own lives are woven together with great reminders of the wonderful nature of our Lord Jesus. The backdrop of history, philosophy and keen research makes this book a springboard to dive deeper into the wonders of Jesus Christ. This book can be read on various levels: for study, for personal devotions, for meditation, or for anyone grappling to find new

sources to expand their understanding of who Jesus Christ really is. Whether you are a seeker of truth, an agnostic, or just want to enrich your current relationship with Jesus, this book will greatly help in answering life’s most important question: “Who do you say Jesus is?”

-MISHA RICCIARDELLO

Australian Intercessory Prayer Leader

What a wonderful book—so much in such a readable and easily understood form. From the starting chapter, ’Jesus, Messiah of Israel’, to the last, ‘Jesus, Coming King’, each major aspect of Jesus is simply but powerfully expounded. I expect that both Christians and seeking non-Christians will gain a much deeper understanding of the full character and nature of our Lord Jesus by reading this book. Lifting up Jesus is the number one thing we can do to see people come to a saving knowledge of Christ. Jesus: The Centre of It All is going to be used as a powerful tool for one-on-one witness and evangelism. I found the chapter ‘Jesus, Radical Revolutionary’ particularly challenging in that we are also called to be radicals for God in our daily walk with Him. Please get as many copies of this book as you can, and give them to as many people as you can. Every reader will be impacted greatly.

-KYM FARNIK

Executive Member, Australia Prays

National Prayer Coordinator, Canberra Declaration

Kurt and Warwick have done it again, producing a book that not only ‘sings to the choir’ but also informs and encourages those outside the church who may be seeking to know more about the Christian faith and about the person who is at the centre of that faith, namely Jesus Christ Himself. The book exalts Jesus as Lord, and includes Scriptures, prayers, songs and questions for reflection that encourage us to draw closer to Him, to know Him more, and to love Him more. I thoroughly recommend it

to read for yourself and, with Christmas approaching, as a suitable gift to give to those you love. It is a gift that will keep on giving!

-LYN MOFFAT

Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Follower of Jesus

Kurt and Warwick’s beautiful tapestry of Jesus in these pages depicts His centrality in every aspect of life—both for us as individuals and for the entire human race. In many ways, Jesus can never be described in words. Nevertheless, Kurt and Warwick’s storytelling style invites us to reflect on Him deeper than ever before. I have been a Christian for over fifty years and this little book has brought me to tears.

-DR JIM TWELVES

Christian Educator

I was struck by the very first Bible quotation. Jesus existed before time began. He then created the universe we now live in. Stop! Who is this? From the outset, Jesus: The Centre of It All demands our attention. It presents so much more than the biography of some religious figure. This book challenges us to stand up and take notice. I was brought up as a Christian but personally encountered Jesus when I was a teenager. He transformed my life then, and continues to transform me half a century later. Jesus is so much more than an historical figure, as this book so clearly depicts. Either Jesus was a madman, or He is who He claims to be. I commend this book to you. I guarantee you will be challenged—big time!

-VINCENT BOWYER

Naturopath, BTheol

Jesus: The Centre of It All is the book I would have loved to read in the early years of my life to help me put Jesus in the centre, which is what I sorely needed at that time. This book arrives as Jesus did—at Christmas time, when the Saviour’s promised arrival filled God’s people with hope. I hope this book will fill God’s people with hope for His second coming, and help us prepare with “lamps trimmed and filled with oil”. The

Bridegroom is coming back for His bride. If anyone is not ready yet, may this book spur them on to get ready.

-GRAEME BLAIKLOCK

Founding Chairman

Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef (Australia and New Zealand)