More people read the Bible than any other book. Indeed, many try to live their lives according to its words. The question is, do they understand what they're reading? As Steven McKenzie shows in this provocative book, quite often the answer is, "No." McKenzie argues that to comprehend the Bible we must grasp the intentions of the biblical authors themselves-what sort of texts they thought they were writing and how they would have been understood by their intended audience. In short, we must recognize the genres to which these texts belong. McKenzie examines several genres that are typically misunderstood, offering careful readings of specific texts to show how the confusion arises, and how knowing the genre produces a correct reading. The book of Jonah, for example, offers many clues that it is meant as a humorous satire, not a straight-faced historical account of a man who was swallowed by a fish. Likewise, McKenzie explains that the very names "Adam" and "Eve" tell us that these are not historical characters, but figures who symbolize human origins ("Adam" means man, "Eve" is related to the word for life). Similarly, the authors of apocalyptic texts-including the Book of Revelation-were writing allegories of events that were happening in their own time. Not for a moment could they imagine that centuries afterwards, readers would be poring over their works for clues to the date of the Second Coming of Christ, or when and how the world would end. For anyone who takes reading the Bible seriously and who wants to get it right, this book will be both heartening and enlightening.

The NKJV Foundation Study Bible is the perfect foundation for Bible study and the Christian life. Build your life on it! Now in easy-to-read large print.

Available for the first time in large Comfort Print, the beloved Foundation Study Bible is now more readable and helpful than ever! A rich resource for everyone longing to understand more of God's Word, whether you're a beginner or an experienced disciple, The Foundation Study Bible includes extensive study helps: verse-by-verse study and theological notes, full-color maps, a concordance, and cross-references. Featuring an easy-to-use layout that is concise and trustworthy, with straightforward and broad study notes that help you study God’s truth, the NKJV Foundation Study Bible is a great choice for any Bible student or church leader.

Intended for both beginning and experienced students of Scripture who want a Bible that contains the key features of a study Bible in a convenient and portable size, even in large print, the NKJV Foundation Study Bible is a solid foundation to build one’s faith upon.

Features include:

• Book introductions give brief background information for more context
• Concise study notes provide helpful comments on passages of Scripture
• Over 300 theological notes and index draw attention to important doctrinal themes
• End-of-page cross-references direct attention to other passages for further study of words and concepts in Scripture
• Concordance provides an alphabetical listing of important passages by key words
• Extensive study aids: book introductions, cross-references, Harmony of the Gospels, Prophecies of the Messiah Fulfilled, The Miracles of Jesus, and Prayers of the Bible
• Full-color Bible maps
• Words of Christ in red
• Clear and readable Comfort Print

Women around the world are drawn to Elizabeth's approach of daily starting with the Bible to handle life's challenges. A Woman After God's Own Heart® Bible gathers her tools so that they can be your guide as well.

You will be informed, instructed, and encouraged through the daily devotionals and the comprehensive study features that include:

• More than 250 highlighted verses that have most impacted Elizabeth's spiritual walk
• Over 150 biographies of well-known-and not so well-known-women of the Bible
• Introductions to every book of the Bible to help you approach the text
• A review of each book's main teaching that will impact your personal life
• Full-page topical reflections on 25 of life's challenges
• Plus 400 brief whispers of practical wisdom for your heart and mind

The Scriptures say, "In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God. And the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning" (John 1:1). John's gospel calls Jesus the Word of God. He presents Him as the personal Word of God, which indicates that in these last days God has spoken to us through His Son. The Scripture also revealed that Jesus Christ is the manifold wisdom of God and the perfect revelation of the nature and person of God. Just as a person's words reveal his or her heart and mind, with Christ, it is the same, as the Word reveals the heart and mind of God. All those who know Jesus Christ, earnestly desire to know Him more and more. Our Lord said, "Before Abraham was born, I Am," which means that Abraham is a creature of God, just as Adam and Eve; and Jesus Christ is the Creator; He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Mediator and the Messiah, predicted by the Old Testament prophets long before Abraham was born. Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God's wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God that was slain before the foundation of the universe. "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together "(Colossian 1:17). God will show His love for you in an active way, in a big way, in a way that you cannot imagine or think, or comprehend. At the present time, your most holy duty and task is to draw close to the Lord and continue in faithful obedience to His commandments, to His Word and to the control and direction of the Holy Spirit. Gain a deeper understanding of Jesus Christ and grow in knowledge, strength and truth through this uplifting read.

"The Messianic Aleph Tav Scriptures" (MATS) is a study bible which focuses on the study of the Aleph Tav character symbol used throughout the old testament (Tanakh) by both Moses and the Prophets and is the most exhaustive and unique rendition of its kind in the world. Over 5 years in the making, this English rendition reveals every place the Hebrew Aleph Tav symbol was used as a "free standing" character symbol believed to express the "strength of the covenant" in its original meaning. The Aleph Tav was believed also to be the "mark" of the "divine hand" for thousands of years by such famous rabbis as Nahum of Gimzo, Akiva, and R. S. Hirsch as well as the Apostle John. Also revealed in MATS is the use of the Aleph Tav as it is incorporated into the creation of hundreds of Hebrew words used thousands of times throughout the Tanakh and how the "mark" incorporates Y'shua haMashiach (Jesus the messiah), as well as all mankind and creation, which substantiates and expresses its divinity, thus taking our understanding of the scriptures to a whole new level. MATS comes in your choice of either Paleo or Modern Hebrew editions in a trim size of the regular 6"x9" or the large print edition 8.5"x11."

About the Author William H. Sanford is a licensed Minister of Bet Ami, a Messianic Congregation in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and has been studying and preaching the gospel for over 40 years. William has several videos about "The Messianic Aleph Tav Scriptures" (MATS) on YouTube, and he may be contacted through his website www.AlephTavScriptures.com or on Facebook at Aleph Tav Scriptures.

Rituals transform citizens into presidents and princesses into queens. They transform sick persons into healthy ones, and public space into prohibited sanctuary. Shamanic rituals heal, legal rituals bind, political rituals ratify, and religious rituals sanctify. But how exactly do they accomplish these things? How do rituals work? This is the question of ritual efficacy, and although it is one of the very first questions that people everywhere ask of rituals, surprisingly little has been written on the topic. In fact, this collection of 10 contributed essays is the first to explicitly address the question of ritual efficacy. The authors do not aspire to answer the question 'how do rituals work?' in a simplistic fashion, but rather to show how complex the question is. While some contributors do indeed advance a particular theory of ritual efficacy, others ask whether the question makes any sense at all, and most show how complex it is by referring to the sociocultural environment in which it is posed, since the answer depends on who is asking the question, and what criteria they use to evaluate the efficacy of ritual. In his introduction, William Sax emphasizes that the very notion of ritual efficacy is a suspicious one because, according to a widespread 'modern' and 'scientific' viewpoint, rituals are merely expressive, and therefore cannot be efficacious. Rituals are thought of as superficial, 'merely symbolic,' and certainly not effective. Nevertheless many people insist that rituals 'work,' and the various positions taken on the question tell us a great deal about the social and historical background of the people involved. One essay, for example, illuminates a dispute between 'materialist' and 'enlightenment' Catholics in Ecuador, with the former affirming the notion of ritual efficacy and the latter doubting it. In other essays, contributors address instances in which orthodox religious figures (mullahs, church authorities, and even scientific positivists) discount the efficacy of rituals. In several of the essays, 'modern' people are suspicious of rituals and tend to deny their efficacy, confirming the theme highlighted in Sax's introduction.

"The Messianic Aleph Tav Scriptures" (MATS) is a study bible which focuses on the study of the Aleph Tav character symbol used throughout the old testament (Tanakh) by both Moses and the Prophets and is the most exhaustive and unique rendition of its kind in the world. Over 5 years in the making, this English rendition reveals every place the Hebrew Aleph Tav symbol was used as a "free standing" character symbol believed to express the "strength of the covenant" in its original meaning. The Aleph Tav was believed also to be the "mark" of the "divine hand" for thousands of years by such famous rabbis as Nahum of Gimzo, Akiva, and R. S. Hirsch as well as the Apostle John. Also revealed in MATS is the use of the Aleph Tav as it is incorporated into the creation of hundreds of Hebrew words used thousands of times throughout the Tanakh and how the "mark" incorporates Y'shua haMashiach (Jesus the messiah), as well as all mankind and creation, which substantiates and expresses its divinity, thus taking our understanding of the scriptures to a whole new level. MATS comes in your choice of either Paleo or Modern Hebrew editions in a trim size of the regular 6"x9" or the large print edition 8.5"x11."

About the Author William H. Sanford is a licensed Minister of Bet Ami, a Messianic Congregation in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and has been studying and preaching the gospel for over 40 years. William has several videos about "The Messianic Aleph Tav Scriptures" (MATS) on YouTube, and he may be contacted through his website www.AlephTavScriptures.com or on Facebook at Aleph Tav Scriptures.

Inspire®: The Bible for Creative Journaling is a unique combination of Scripture and art. Perfect for quiet time, this Bible enables believers to meditate on the truth and wonders in the Bible while coloring and personalizing the pages. Inspire® is the perfect keepsake Bible to pass down to children and grandchildren.

In addition, the Filament Bible app turns this large print edition of Inspire® into a powerful study and devotional tool, offering more to expand your mind and touch your heart than you can possibly hold in your hand. This groundbreaking app enables you to use your mobile phone or tablet to connect every page to a vast array of related content, including study notes, devotionals, interactive maps, informative videos, and worship music.

Features include:

• The complete New Living Translation® text in single-column format.
• Plenty of room for journaling, note-taking and artistic expression in the 5 cm-wide ruled margins.
• Close to 400 Scripture-based lined-art illustrations to color in or appreciate as is.
• Index of designed Scripture verses in the Bible.
• Large Print 10.8-point font size
• Packaged in a clamshell box
• Bible size: 259 x 200 x 45 mm

Four Bible versions together for study and comparison.

When you don't want to lose anything in the translation, the NIV/KJV/NASB/Amplified Parallel Bible is a tool that lets you explore the rich nuances of meaning in the Bible's text without having to learn the original biblical languages. Compare and contrast four popular Bible versions side-by-side: the authenticity and accessibility of the accurate, readable, clear New International Version; the iconic grandeur of the King James Version; the structural insights of the New American Standard Bible (1995 text); and the explanatory alternate readings of the Amplified(R) Bible (2015 Edition). Passages and verses from these versions are aligned in parallel columns for easy comparison and study.

Features:

• Full text of the New International Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible (1995 text), and Amplified (2015 Edition) set side-by-side
• Double-column format
• 7.8-point type size

A beautiful and portable NASB 2020 Thinline Premier Collection Bible featuring a brown goatskin cover and unique gauffered page edges The New American Standard Bible stands on a rich tradition of faithfulness to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. It has been updated through the years to enhance accuracy, modernize language, and improve readability. The New American Standard Bible, 2020 Edition continues this tradition of maintaining fidelity to the original biblical languages while also ensuring that God's Word speaks clearly to readers today. The NASB 2020 Thinline Premier Collection Bible features Zondervan's exclusive NASB Comfort Print (R) typeface, a beautiful brown goatskin cover, and elegant gauffered edges, all while delivering a traditional translation with improved readability in a portable and easy-to-read format. Features: The full text of the New American Standard Bible, 2020 Text Hand-bound in a supple goatskin leather cover Smyth-sewn and edge-lined construction for flexibility and durability Gauffered page edges (printed gilded edges), with gilt line and perimeter stitching Three double-sided satin ribbon markers, each 3/8-inch wide Premium European Bible paper, 36 gsm Generous yapp Raised hubs on spine Two-color page design throughout Line-matched Bible text minimizes see-through Black-letter edition Less than one inch thick Double-column, verse-by-verse format Full-color presentation page Exclusive Zondervan NASB Comfort Print typeface 9-point print size

The new Tyndale classic NLT Thinline Reference Bible, Filament-Enabled Edition has readable text, an attractive layout, and cross-references in a thin, easy-to-carry size. And while it has the same low price as basic text-only Bibles, the NLT Thinline Reference offers much more. It not only features a bold new design and the trusted and much-loved New Living Translation (NLT) but also includes the groundbreaking Filament Bible app. This app enables you to use your mobile phone or tablet to connect every page to a vast array of related content, including study notes, devotionals, interactive maps, informative videos, and worship music.

The Filament Bible app turns this Bible into a powerful study and devotional experience, offering more to expand your mind and touch your heart than you can possibly hold in your hand.

And there is no additional cost for the Filament Bible app. No additional purchase. No additional size or weight.

Of course, you can use this Bible without the app, but when you want to dig deeper, grab your phone or tablet and open the Filament Bible app. It’s so easy to use.

Features:

• New designs and Filament content for each page!
• Handy thin size
• Words of Jesus in red
• Thousands of cross-references
• Quality lay-flat Smyth-sewn binding
• Tyndale Verse Finder
• Presentation page
• Ribbon marker
• Gilded page edges

• 25,000 study notes
• 350+ videos
• 40+ maps and infographics
• 400+ profiles and articles
• 1,500+ devotionals
• Library of worship music