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.

The popular and reliable New King James Version with the enhanced readability of Thomas Nelson's custom NKJV font is now the perfect gift. The NKJV Gift and Award Bible is a great way to recognize someone for a job well done. This special-occasion Bible is affordably priced for bulk purchases, so it's a great choice to have on hand for graduations, baptisms, and birthdays, or as gifts for new church attendees. This Bible includes a presentation page, the words of Christ in red, a dictionary-concordance, charts, and full-color maps. Features Include:Improved readability of the Thomas Nelson NKJV FontWords of Christ in redEasy-to-use dictionary-concordanceMiracles and Parables of JesusPresentation pageFull-color maps7.5-point print size

The fully anglicized text uses the accurate and accessible ERV (Easy-to-Read Version) translation. The contemporary language makes the ERV Holy Bible easy to get into, so that you can get a lot out of it! Many extra features are included to help you understand the Bible, including introductions to each Bible book, 164 studies that dig deeper into key passages, and 275 insight boxes that help explain the meaning of certain verses. The ERV Holy Bible is the perfect choice to help you get into the Bible for yourself and develop strong foundations in the faith. Content Benefits: The ERV Holy Bible is a contemporary and accessible translation that is bursting with extra features that will help you understand and live out God's Word today. * Contemporary translation which is relevant and accurate * Simple to understand * Anglicized text, with UK spelling and grammar * Ideal for new Christians or anyone just starting out reading the Bible * Perfect for anyone wanting to dig deeper into the Bible * Introductory notes size up the setting and discover the Who, When and What of each Bible book * Introductions to both the Old and New Testaments help set the scene * 164 Bible Bit pages help you dig deeper and explore key passages * 275 Insight boxes enable you to probe passages and explore the meaning of verses * Easy to read type in two columns * Font size 8.5pt * A dictionary helps explains difficult or key words * How to read the Bible section helps readers get started * Maps of key periods * A list of Bible verses to help in various situations * Presentation page * Ribbon marker * Adapted from the Authentic Youth Bible

The English Standard Version is an "essentially literal" translation of the Bible in contemporary English. It is ideally suited for personal reading, for public worship, for in-depth study, and for Scripture memorization. ESV Compact Bible combines classic portability and improved readability. This Bible will be a favorite of anyone who likes to take God's Word wherever they go: from daily commuters to faithful students, world travelers to busy moms.

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 NIV Study Bible, featuring Dr. D.A. Carson as general editor, is built on the truth of Scripture and centred on the gospel message. An ambitious and comprehensive undertaking, Dr. Carson, with committee members Dr. T. Desmond Alexander, Dr. Richard S. Hess, Dr. Douglas J. Moo, and Dr. Andrew David Naselli, along with a team of over 60 contributors from a wide range of evangelical denominations and perspectives, crafted all-new study notes and other study tools to present a biblical theology of God's special revelation in the Scriptures. To further aid the readers' understanding of the Bible, also included are full-colour maps, charts, photos and diagrams. In addition, a single-column setting of the Bible text provides maximum readability. The accessible and fresh interior design will capture your attention and enhance your study experience. Features include: - Over 60 scholarly contributors - Over 1.2 million words of new content - Over 3,000 pages packed with in-depth study tools - Nearly 20,000 all-new, comprehensive verse-by-verse study notes - Customized, theologically rich, illustrated book introductions - 6 section introductions to literary genres ("The Pentateuch," "The Historical Books," etc.) - Full-color interior with extensive use of over 60 colourful charts, over 90 maps, and hundreds of photos - Comprehensive library of over 30 articles by award-winning scholars on topics such as "The Bible and Theology," "The Glory of God," "Covenant," "Love and Grace," and more - Cross-reference system - Complete text of the New International Version (US English) - Concordance with over 35,000 Scripture references

Founder of GotQuestions.org, the most popular online biblical resource, S. Michael Houdmann answers 100 of the most-asked questions on the site in a compassionate, accessible, and straightforward manner. Cutting through the confusion on even the hardest of topics, he offers the biblical truth we all need to understand God's Word and apply it to our lives.

What do you want to know about God and the Bible?

Sometimes the truth can be hard to find. We live in an age where it only takes a few seconds to look up anything we want to know. But how reliable are the answers we get?

For more than two decades, S. Michael Houdmann and GotQuestions.org have cut through the confusion, answering even the hardest of questions with clarity, grace, and love. GotQuestions.org receives more than sixteen million visitors each month and is the most trusted, biblically grounded resource online. This book answers one hundred of the most frequently asked questions on the site in a compassionate, accessible, and straightforward manner, covering topics like:

• Salvation and how we're supposed to live
• Heaven and the afterlife
• Sex
• Difficult passages in the Bible
• The end times.

"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.