Some early Christians used water, not wine, in the cup of their Eucharist, and avoided eating meat. This kind of avoidance, more common than previously imagined, reflected a more radical stance towards the wider society than that taken by the Christian mainstream. The discussion here throws new light on early Christianity and the ways eating and drinking have often reflected deeply-held beliefs and values.

Drama has power. It can awaken us. Make us curious. Reveal our inner desires and passions. Remind us of our foolishness. Drama has power in worship. It can snap us out of our Sunday morning (or Saturday night) trance. It can draw us into the story of Scripture. It can help us see our sin. It can motivate us to change. But drama can also be dull, predictable, guilt-inducing and just plain cheesy. How do we avoid the pitfalls and discover the power? Alison Siewert and her team of writers have some ideas about that. They offer in this handbook articles on every aspect of drama ministry--from why it's biblical to how to direct a performance, from warm-ups for actors to how to write your own sketches. You'll learn how to do drama that is simple and meaningful--without experienced actors. You'll learn how to craft drama with authenticity and excellence. Also included are cutting-edge sketches for the postmodern crowd that you can reproduce for your drama team and use in your ministry. Drama has power to change lives.Drama Team Handbook will show you how.

The "How To Book" for Divine Healing in the Name of Jesus. This book is a step-by-step scriptural guide on how to pray so God can heal through you. The key Bible principles for building and releasing faith are presented in a clear and hard-hitting style so you can quickly work with God to get the healing results you need. Use this book as a spiritual first-aid kit in times of trouble, as a tool for a more effective ministry, and as a study guide so you can grow in Christ and the power of Holy Spirit. For Christians at every level, Battle Prayer for Divine Healing, Field Manual 2 is for you You will discover how to: Develop your confidence to know with certainty that God has always been the Healer and will heal through you today Experience the peace of knowing what to do and how to get powerful answered prayer Feel love grow as you learn how to make a difference in any situation Learn the attitudes of prayer in Jesus' name that always allow God to move Feel the joy as people are healed and lives improved by your ministry Learn how to "cram" in times of crises just like a student before exams to release God's healing hand Watch evil fear bow as you gain confidence in God from the hundreds of scriptures in Battle Prayer for Divine Healing, Field Manual 2. Walk in the clarity and focus that builds the faith path God needs to heal others or yourself in time of trouble Experience your faith soaring to increased power with God, no matter what your level of Christian experience. These teachings have enabled thousands of people to grow in God and see His hand move in powerful healing. Buy this book and watch God perform miracles as you use the awesome name of Jesus. Healing is in the heart of the Christian. Get this book and transform your faith to higher levels. Move into your greater destiny. Get this book today

In Jewish Integration in the German Army in the First World War David J. Fine offers a surprising portrayal of Jewish officers in the German army as integrated and comfortably identified as both Jews and Germans. Fine explores how both Judaism and Christianity were experienced by Jewish soldiers at the front, making an important contribution to the study of the experience of religion in war. Fine shows how the encounter of German Jewish soldiers with the old world of the shtetl on the eastern front tested both their German and Jewish identities. Finally, utilizing published and unpublished sources including letters, diaries, memoirs, military service records, press accounts, photographs, drawings and tomb stone inscriptions, the author argues that antisemitism was not a primary factor in the war experience of Jewish soldiers.

If you're easily distracted when praying, you're not alone. In fact, if you struggle to pray in the first place, that's not unusual either. Tim Chester tells us how we can be great pray-ers. And he admits that that's a really bold claim. 'The secret of great praying has nothing to do with human effort or skill,' he explains. 'Lots of people would like to think that it does because they want to make prayer an achievement.' But the secret of great praying is ... Knowing three things about God: * That God the Father loves to hear us pray * That God the Son makes every prayer pleasing to God * That God the Holy Spirit helps us as we pray Tim looks at: why prayer is easy (how we pray), why prayer is difficult (why we pray) and the arguments and priorities of prayer (what we pray). Prayer is a child asking her father for help. And that's not beyond any one of us.

If George and Mary Bailey are annual guests at your home every winter, you already know that It's a Wonderful Life is more than just a holiday tradition--it's a powerful reminder that our lives can change everyone around us, for better or worse. But what can this Christmas classic teach us about our everyday lives? 52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life will change the way you think about this holiday staple, from the lightheartedness of George and Mary's floor-parting dance to the poignancy of a community that rallies to save a desperate man, Bob Welch's 52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life will inspire you to live for the things that matter most. Welch invites us to revisit the defining lessons in Frank Capra's 1946 classic and discover new dimensions of the film you've seen time and again, including: What can we all learn from Mary's quiet contentedness? Can George's selflessness make you rethink your own priorities? What impact do we have on the people around us? Join Welch for a close-up of the characters and themes that shape this timeless story of resilience and redemption. You'll be reminded that life's most important work is often the work we never planned to do, that God can use the most unlikely among us to get the job done, and that grace is the greatest gift we can possibly give. Discover why It's a Wonderful Life is more than just a holiday tradition--it's an inspiration for us to lead better lives, to become people of honor and integrity, and to recognize what really matters.

Operating in the Courts of Heaven has become an international bestseller that has supernaturally transformed lives all over the world. It’s not another prayer strategy; it’s a blueprint for engaging a spiritual dimension called the Courts of Heaven. Robert Henderson Biblically teaches believers how to come before the Court and present their cases of unanswered prayers or delayed breakthroughs to the Righteous Judge.

In this new and updated edition featuring brand new material, Robert presents fresh Biblical insights and a systematic framework that shows all believers how to enter the Courts of Heaven. In addition, Robert answers common questions about the Courts and reveals how this place in the spirit is available to all believers through Jesus’ blood.

Discover how to:

• Engage the three dimensions of prayer, experiencing God as Father, Friend and Judge
• Shift from “battlefield” to “courtroom” prayer
• Apply the verdict of Jesus’ finished work on the cross
• Understand how Christians can remove generational curses
• Recognize your accuser and overrule his cases against you
• Access and unlock your book of destiny
• Enter and operate in the court of Heaven by faith

God’s passion is to answer your prayers. When you learn how to operate in the court of Heaven, you can undo the spiritual legalities that stand in the way of your answered prayer. Get ready for miraculous results!

The meditative prayer practices known as Hesychasm and the Jesus Prayer have played an important role in the history of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. This book explores how these prayer practices have spread from a primarily monastic setting within Orthodox Christianity, into general Orthodox Christian usage, and finally into wider contemporary Western culture. As a result of this gradual geographic shift from a local to a global setting, caused mainly by immigration and dissemination of related texts, there has been a parallel shift of interpretation causing disagreement. By analyzing ongoing conversations on the practices, this book shows how such disagreements are due to differences in the way groups understand the ideas of authority and tradition. These fundamental ideas lie beneath much of the current discussion on particular aspects of the practices and also contribute to the wider academic debate over the globalization and appropriation of religious traditions.