Delve into the complex history of Herod the Great—his rise to power and ultimate fall in pursuit to be the "King of the Jews." Under a flourishing yet tumultuous background of Jerusalem, consider Mary of Nazareth's place under Herod's rule and the promise of a Messiah to free her people. Kathie Lee Gifford with Bryan M. Litfin, Ph.D. deftly weave a truthful historical narrative full of accurate details and sweeping prose that ushers in the true King and glorifies God's powerful plan to bring a savior into the world through unlikely means. A coda between the authors, full of honest revelation and insightful meaning, follows each chapter for added in-depth reading.

The first installment in the Ancient Evil, Living Hope series, Herod and Mary begins with the tragic life of King Herod—Christianity's first true persecutor. As an impressionable boy, he is forever marked by the raw power of Rome. Throughout the course of Herod's career, he gains power, fame, and riches beyond belief. Yet murderous intrigues stalk this man—and infect his own dark soul.

Under the rule of King Herod, Jerusalem becomes a prominent city of wealth and prosperity, but Mary saw the struggle of her people under a tyrant. Like all Jewish women, she knew the promises of Torah and longed for a deliverer. But no one could have prepared her for what the angel of God revealed: that the Messiah wouldn't arrive with the blaring of trumpets, the clash of arms, or the fanfare of a mighty host. He would arrive as an infant within her own womb. The light of the world was born in a cave: not a king who maims and destroys, but the gentle King of the Jews.

This riveting narrative nonfiction work reveals deep insight to how Herod came to power, how corruption and an ancient evil threatened the stability of a nation, and how a teenage Mary was called to traverse these obstacles to bring the Savior, Jesus, our living hope, into the world.

Do you know how to wage effective warfare against

our spiritual enemy, Satan? Spiritual battles are not

just for preachers or other spiritual leaders. Whether you

are a new believer or have known the Lord for many years,

you will inevitably experience the devil's attacks. But

you can learn how to protect yourself from them, take the

offensive, and fulfill what God has called you to do in life.

The principles in the Spiritual Warfare Self-Study Bible

A new, but ancient, way to pray can turn your life around. Discover how to experience God's love at your core, freeing you to love others, and even yourself. When biblical scholar and coach Brian Russell discovered centering prayer at a difficult crossroad in his life, he had no idea how his life would change. "Sensing God's love for me has been so transformational that it almost feels as though I've experienced conversion all over again," he writes. He became calmer, less anxious, less reactive, freed of past wounds, and a better listener in the presence of others. Centering prayer, also known as the prayer of silence, helps you quiet your mind from the constant thoughts and impulses, and frees your true self to experience more of God's love in the very core of your being. This inviting guide gives you practical tools to make centering prayer a consistent habit in your life, gives the history and theological foundation for the practice, and helps identify and overcome common obstacles. Beginners, as well as seasoned practitioners, will gain inspiration, rich insight, and practical knowledge of a contemplative prayer practice that can open you up to deep experiences of inner healing and peace.

The central act of Christian worship is the Mass or Eucharist. This, however, is a formal public act, and generally a once-in-a-week event, which does not entirely answer the spiritual aspirations of the vast majority of Christians who express these through prayer and "devotional practices". The cult of relics and of saints in general; banding together into confraternities to foster a special devotion; going on pilgrimages, wearing medals, badges and scapulars - all these are forms of devotion. Where did they all come from? They have left their mark on the Church, in the history of books and in manuals of prayers, but relatively little is known about them. The idea for this book arose when, in the senior common room of a university theological faculty, it became clear that none of those present knew why there was an "Infant of Prague". The book is in a dictionary format. Mainly historical in its approach, it explains how a particular devotion arose, sets it in its context and explains the purpose it served in the life of the Church. It is critical without being judgemental on subjects such as the "truth" behind apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Some 600 entries range over topics such as relics, pilgrimages and the cult of the saints, as well as more specialized and local devotions. The work is designed to be of use to historians and those engaged in religious studies, as well as being of interest to the general public. The topics are confined to the Christian religion and, in effect, almost entirely to the Roman Catholic tradition. Tables provide a comparison of the Liturgical Calendar (fixed and moveable feasts) before and after the Reform of 1969. A comprehensive index enables readers to follow virtually any subject through its different aspects, as well as providing a quick guide to the contents of the dictionary. Michael Walsh is the editor of Bishop Butler's "Lives of the Saints" in one concise volume, and the author of a companion volume, "Patron Saints".

Encouraging men with the mighty promises of God, Promises from God for Every Man is the ideal gift to bless men in every area of their lives. Boasting 101 powerful Bible promises on 50 double-sided cards, this Box of Blessings® will provide men with much needed strength, hope, wisdom, guidance, rest and God’s powerful grace.

Whether we have an audience of one or thousands, our words have influence and impact. The question is are they having the influence we want? Ross Hjelseth draws on more than four decades of career experience in athletics and education in this guide to choosing the right words at the right time - words that inspire, encourage, guide, teach, empathize, and elevate. The author shares maxims gleaned from teachers, coaches, and leaders, together with his own observations, to help you: - empower yourself and those you care about - develop leadership skills and insights to better serve others - build relationships through listening, speaking, and observing others - appreciate the importance of practice, hard work, discipline, perseverance, and motivation - determine when to use positive or negative reinforcement Each chapter concludes with several inspirational quotes from coaches and leaders, as well as thoughtful questions to help you make a meaningful difference in your life and the lives of others. Serve people in every context and renew your focus on gratitude, encouragement, and teamwork with the lessons in Winning Words.

In The Fight for Female: Reclaiming Our Divine Identity, New York Times bestselling author delivers an urgent, power-filled call to women to understand their enemy, to reclaim their value as females created on purpose, and take their place in the spiritual battleground.

The very idea of womanhood is being assailed on all fronts: sexualized by our culture, eliminated from language, and silenced by the church. For decades, both sexes have been systematically undermined and stripped of their strength. Male and female were originally created as a power union, but that turned into a power struggle. For years, women listened to the lie that to be powerful they needed to act like men. Now the tables have turned, with men acting like women.

This attack is more than cultural, it is spiritual. Revelation 12:17 portrays a dragon enraged with women who has declared war on our children. Our enemy, terrified of what--and whom--we were made to reflect, seeks to blur the lines, distorting the very idea of what it means for women to bear God's divine image.

We were made for this fight. It will require honest, intimate conversations to emerge with God-inspired answers equal to the challenges of our day. Our marriages, children, churches, communities, and futures depend on it. It's time to unite, confident in our divine identity, clear in our commission, and courageous in our calling, to confront the darkness with love and light. It's time to fight for female!

A readable and powerful call, by a leading Old Testament scholar, to pray with and through the Psalms. Walter Brueggemann pushes his readers to recognize the full gamut of passions reflected in the Psalms: joy and exultation but also disappointment, sorrow, anger, resentment, even the desire for vengeance. We are invited into a daring relationship with the God who calls us to pray with honesty. In the spiritual classic readers are guided into a thoughtful and prayerful encounter with God through the Psalms. This new edition includes a thoroughly revised text, new notes and new bibliography. In Praying the Psalms, Brueggemann carefully guides us away from the bland colours of contemporary culture and into the ancient and extreme world of praise and lament. This is essential reading. Ian Stackhouse Senior Pastor, Guildford Baptist Church

What does the Bible tell us about our emotions?

Does the Bible really tell us that our emotions are untrustworthy? God made us to feel our emotions, to examine and share them—not manage or suppress them. We can learn what it means to live emotionally-healthy lives from studying Jesus’ life and how He cared for and responded to the people around Him.

Join Jennie Allen for the Untangle Your Emotions Bible Study as she helps you discover that emotions that are submitted to God and used for the purposes God intends connect us to each other and to Him.

This six-session study will equip you to:

• Be encouraged through the examples of emotion in Scripture by God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
• Identify the unhealthy ways you might be coping with emotions.
• Learn a biblical step-by-step method to help you process, name, and notice what you are feeling.
• Move from apathetic to articulate when it comes to sharing what you feel.

This Conversation Card Deck includes 113 cards — fifteen cards for each session with questions designed to start deep, honest conversations. The card deck is designed to be used with the Untangle Your Emotions Bible Study Guide, sold separately.

Over the past sixty years, within the analytic tradition of philosophy, there has been a significant revival of interest in the philosophy of religion. More recently, philosophers of religion have turned in a more self-consciously interdisciplinary direction, with special focus on topics that have traditionally been the provenance of systematic theologians in the Christian tradition. The present volumes Oxford Readings in Philosophical Theology, volumes 1 and 2aim to bring together some of the most important essays on six central topics in recent philosophical theology. Volume 1 collects essays on three distinctively Christian doctrines: trinity, incarnation, and atonement. Volume 2 focuses on three topics that arise in all of the major theistic religions: providence, resurrection, and scripture.

Heinz en Aletté Winckler, een van Suid-Afrikas se mees glansryke paartjies, is passievol daaroor om te sien dat huwelike nie net oorleef nie, maar floreer. Hierdie boek probeer paartjies bemagtig en bemoedig om hul ware identiteit in God te ontdek, om sodoende die beste moontlike huweliksmaat te kan word en wees.

Heinz en Aletté praat reguit, sonder om doekies om te draai oor die volgende onderwerpe: fondasies, bagasie, kommunikasie, seks en intimiteit, ouerskap, skoonouers en finansies.

Hulle deel ook grepe uit hulle eie verhaal om te verduidelik dat daar vir almal hoop is.