The words of Jesus have fascinated men and women of all ages in virtually every country in the world.  For millions of people his teachings are the basis of relationships within and between families and with neighbors.  They are the daily ground rules for every day conduct in countless households and societies.

Shameless Verses takes you on a journey through chapters of the author's life from adolescence to womanhood. This book reveals some of Akira's deepest issues, prayers and praises. Exposed in this poetic collection are the author's real life experiences and observations on real life issues, as she presents many of her most intimate thoughts...unashamed!

Letters to Marc About Jesus is a beautiful collection of Henri Nouwen's very intimate and very enlightening writings to Marc, his nineteen-year-old nephew, who struggles to find his true path in a world of confusion and apathy. Written with Nouwen's characteristic grace and wisdom, these letters bear witness to his conviction that anyone can find lasting spiritual fulfillment if they simply take the time to maintain a daily awareness of Jesus in every aspect of life. Powerful and profound, Letters to Marc About Jesus is Nouwen at his best--teacher, guide, and mentor--and will provide the direction and inspiration necessary for any believer to change his or her life.

This work consists of displaying some of the Essays I wrote during my studies in Theology. It is really intended to help some students to debate my points of view and appreciate my sense of criticism

The King has come. The God of love planned reconciliation and transformation for the people he created. He planned liberation from bondage for all creation through the life, death, and resurrected life of his Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus the King has come. He has inaugurated the kingdom. The Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) is the constitution of that kingdom. The constitution is intended to make Christlike disciples. The central dynamic of the constitution is godlike love and is based on his grace.

The Sermon begins with the essence of character, which is the foundation of all relationships and conduct. Who we are determines the influence we have and controls our conduct. Our conduct is based on right relationships with God, others, self, and the material world.

The Sermon is practical, dealing with every aspect of life. Our relationship with God is to be one of reverence and self-discipline. Our relationship to possessions calls for rejection of slavery to those possessions and to worry. In relationship to self, we must avoid destructive criticism and exercise discernment. Many areas are discussed in our relationship to others, such as murder, sex, retaliation, and more.

Join me in the study of the kingdom constitution as it reveals how to live life in the image of God. All who will may become a part of the kingdom by offering full allegiance to the King and by living life by the rule of godlike love.

Through prayer we victoriously make our way through challenges, conflicts, changes, temptations, tribulations, testing, trials, pressures, pains, persecutions, and the problems we encounter daily. We are also able to enjoy the benefit of prayer during seasons of encouragement, renewal and revival in our own lives. Prayer should always be the first and last order of business on the agenda for the Christian, because it keeps us connected with God. Prayer is the key to an effective walk with God, a thriving ministry, an ordered life, strong family ties, and a positive Christian influence within the communities where we are being called to shape, serve, and share. Prayer does not change God's mind, but it does invite God into the situation. When God shows up, things change, situations change, and people change. That's the benefit of Praying on Purpose Eric Leake is a native of Mount Gilead, North Carolina. He presently serves as the Pastor of the Martin Temple A.M.E. Zion Church, the President and CEO of the Martin Temple Community Foundation in Chicago, Illinois and the Prayer Coordinator of the Midwest Episcopal Area of the A.M.E. Zion Church. Before going to Chicago, he served as the Pastor of Greater Warner Tabernacle A.M.E. Zion Church, Knoxville, Tennessee for more than 16 years. He is married to Jean McMurray Leake. They have one daughter Jessica, three sons, Joshua, Caleb, and Elijah, and one grandson, Jeremiah. They live in Flossmoor, Illinois.

Upon moving to Minnesota and living next to an Amish community, I was intrigued to learn about Amish life. That moment came, when I was working in my garden one Sunday. A brother and sister of the nearby Amish family decided to come over and talk to me while they went for a walk. I was flattered to get to know some of the family. My husband came out to greet them as well. I knew in my heart that I was going to be a part of this moving, beautiful story of which this was only the beginning. I, being a patient soul, was prepared to get to know, learn, offer help, and advise, if they asked of me, or when I thought they needed to know something. I only wanted to help them, especially a young Amish woman, succeed in their way of life. All human emotions from sad, happy, indifferent, and outright hilarious, at times, are evident. There is an element of suspense in the story. Shortly after, it was time to end and put down my pen.

We never know when we will be called upon to act as God's servants, but we must be ready to accept the work to spread the message of the gospel and the kingdom of God. In The World Loves Its Own, minister and author David C. Dawson provides a unique, in-depth discussion of becoming a servant and what it means.

Through scriptural examples, Dawson reiterates the requirements the Lord has placed on his servants, some of which have been disregarded or taken lightly. A real person who discusses real situations, Dawson describes the true servants of God and their history, the reason for their calling, and what they should expect from society for performing their roles.

During his earthly ministry, Jesus Christ informed his disciples they would face harsh persecution from society for their faith in Him. True Christians today will also face severe persecution. The World Loves Its Own is an intense probe into the warning message Christ left for all believers today.

A Desi-American, as Ravi Prakash Dani unravels from his extensive global experience, is the one finding himself extremely' sensitive to suffering imposed by seismic change embodying hurricane social, political and economic forces. Invariably often such a person has to face the prospect of inflicting upon himself and others suffering of excessive attraction and aversion in the illusion of prosperity. Boldly emodying emergent perceptions of institutionalist orders and suffering in the opportunities to create it, the author foregrounds ordinary Desi-Americanism' ultimately signifying today's illusive impressions of competitiveness' and change'. Unraveling strengths in suffering its Triple Enigma of Identity," it emerges as that alone uniquely capable of beckoning humanity into interconnectedness with "Post Racial" and "Post 9/11" America.

When God named himself it was more than a label. He stressed that his name represented his character and those who bore it must accurately display that character in their words and deeds. Misunderstanding this basic biblical truth has led to the reduction of the third commandment to simply a language issue in popular culture. However, its correct understanding and preaching should be the start of knowing God's dealings with his Old and New Testament people as well as the template for today's believers. Initially establishing the consistency of the testamental record through themes and the use of the Old Testament by Jesus and the New Testament writers, the author displays some of God's characteristics found in both testaments, which illustrate ethical requirements for his church and inspire the responses of his people.

"The fruit of a lifetime of study of the Old Testament, distilling biblical wisdom, written concisely, and understandable to the average church member, though informed by much scholarly reading. As a gifted biblical expositor and much-loved classroom teacher, Leggett again pushes us into Old Testament study to inform us of the New and inspires us to more whole-hearted devotion to the God who has called us by his name." -Dr. Terrance Tiessen, emeritus professor of theology and ethics, Providence Seminary

"Don Leggett's final work captures his love for Scripture as he carefully explores the theme of Christian identity, drawing on his thorough familiarity with the biblical texts and his impressive knowledge of Old Testament scholarship. Accessibility in style and practical insights make it a valuable resource for the lay person to deepen their understanding of the Scriptures and the God of whom they speak." -John Franklin, IMAGO director; adjunct at Tyndale Seminary and Trinity College, Toronto

"With warmth and passion the author traces specific themes through both testaments, illustrating their unity of witness to the character of God. (The chapter on holiness is worth the price of the book ). He demonstrates that drawing deeply from the well of truth about God's purposes is critical in understanding the relevance of the person and work of Christ and the nature of the church." -Steve Males, former student and co-pastor

This book reveals whether there is a temple in heaven and what its purpose is. Christ is revealed as our High Priest who intercedes for us. This is the heart of the Seventh-day Adventist message. Issues addressed include: Can we be sure there is a real temple in heaven? What is the purpose of this temple? When does the judgement start? Do we need to keep the Ten Commandments? Should we observe a literal Sabbath? And much more. The heavenly sanctuary reveals Jesus who ever intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25). ""An extremely thorough, engaging presentation of the framework of Seventh-day Adventist beliefs."" - Kirkus Review

The Paleolithic Paradigm takes us one step further in the nature/nurture debate. Certainly a certain percentage of our behaviors are biologically based. However, culture has the power to override much in genetic commands. The Amish exemplify this, no matter how much "we" qualify them as "quaint." Painting with a wide post-modern paint brush, Stocker takes on a journey through four cultures to show how different people can be. He offers the analogy: our genetic structure is the framework of any house. How we cover and decorate that frame is often the product of ancient traditions. However, we are all products of the same cognitive processes, thus explaining why we take ideas put into our heads as children to the grave whether we accept them, reject them, or alter them. It is this commonality the author examines. Accordingly, he wants to know, if we understand our cognition processes, can we change out behavior at will?

God, what's it all about? How often have you heard these exact words? How many people ask that question? What is it that they are asking? Why are they asking such a question of God? When do they ask these questions? Most importantly, how do we get our answers to what it is all about?

These answers, just like all of the answers in the universe, come from God's will. This is why we always confirm with God, "God, your will, not mine be done " God loves us more than we could ever understand. That's why deep in our soul, we know God's will will be the driving force for our success here on Earth, but most importantly in heaven. With God's help, you will create an ongoing relationship with the Holy Spirit's message. Once you accept God's Word and you listen openly to it, you will only need to listen, and you will hear what God is saying to you.

Have you ever wondered how to break past faulty thought patterns, traumatic experiences, social norms, deceptive traditions, and false religious beliefs that hold individuals captive, hindering accomplishment of God's Kingdom mandate? Then, "A Paradigm Shift, In the Presence of the Lord," is a great ministry resource to assist you in your quest. Because life can produce situations which manifest feelings of rejection, fear, anxiety, inferiority, and intimidation individuals may eventually back away from the will of God for their lives. In order to be fully healed and break free from such limitations, in this manuscript you will discover: 1. How to be divinely aligned with the basic principles of God's covenant, 2. How to be healed from the toxins formed in the mind, which eventually erect fortified walls around the heart, 3. How to recognize heavenly weapons assigned to every believer that will destroy satanic hindrances, 4. How to identify change agents and mid-wives divinely assigned to assist with impartation and birthing of spiritual gifts. "This is the greatest hour of the Kingdom of God. Heaven is literally opening up and pouring out God's treasures of upon the earth realm. For the believer, who is in right divine alignment with God, the works of Christ will begin to manifest greater through the vessel, causing paradigm shifts in every facet of their lives." Yvette Bell This is your season to step into the fullness of your divine destiny and obtain all that God has for you. Why be satisfied with the status quo, when you can experience supernatural transformation and victory during the "Paradigm Shift "

Dear Reader, This narrative is like none you have read before. It is written in a conversational format, without chapter headings. I would want you to sit down, have a piping hot cup of herbal tea, put your feet up and delve into my life - a life filled with joy, sadness, laughter, violence - unto Victory. Keep Kleenex tissues handy for laughter and sadness. Everything you read, I have experienced, but as the title states, "He was there ALL the time." God's had my life in His hands ALWAYS. Warm hugs from, Carol

I'm missing out on the joy What must I do to improve my outlook, my perspective, my prospects, to make my everyday, ho-hum life better?Just allow a shift in the way you see your life and the world. It sounds much too simple, but that's exactly where Louise Holder's verses lead us. Re-directing the way you view your everyday experience really is a game-changer.

We are, after all, apprentice angelson a quest for purpose and joy.

Apprentice AngelsLight-hearted verse-- always perceptive, sometimes profound --stealth wisdom cloaked in fun...

Dive in

THE WATER'S FINEMy role is a day-dream in motion, And when scanning the view from aboveI can see consciousness as an ocean.I'm doing the back stroke in Love --Louise Holder

We all have treasures within. When we explore those treasures, "we offer hope to a dying world." Treasures of hope will release so many others to share their experiences without guilt, shame or condemnation. Even the soft spoken will begin to allow their stories to burst forth like thunder. In order to become an overcomer, deliverance of some sort has to take place. We have each been given a gift, not a gift of gab, but a gift of the word of our testimony. When we use our testimonies to glorify God we show others that though there will always be "tests" the "monies" are never too far behind. Move outside of yourself and inspire others to live. Come out of bondage to secrecy.

If the reader is a strong believer in a Satan and is searching for truth, he or she will never think of Satan with the same perspective as before upon finishing this book. It draws from History and Scripture to provide harmonious answers to questions in context of God's love and purpose. That knowledge, truth, justice, righteousness are links in the symbolic chain, which binds evil as the Gospel Age metamorphoses into the Kingdom of God as willing hearts overcome fear, sorrow, guilt, greed, hate, prejudice, jealousy, etc. Evil fades from the hearts of most people as Jesus the Christ's Kingdom grows in righteousness and justice, love and mercy with willing minds creating or supporting hundreds of financial, mental, medical, physical and religious activities that counter evils plaguing mankind and improves the wellness of all. Evil; Apostle John calls it Satan, Devil, Serpent, Dragon, conceived in the minds of men, has brought neighbor against neighbor, nation against nation and religion against religion, but now evil is being bound as the Kingdom of Jesus the Christ slowly envelopes the earth.