Pierced by the Word takes up thirty-one subjects as unique as "How to Be a Refuge for Your Children," "How to Drink Orange Juice to the Glory of God," and "Embracing the Pain of Shame." Some are longer, some shorter, like the real-world conversations they so closely resemble, and each comes from the fertile mind of John Piper and is written in his own inimitable style. Together, the readings will lead to a deeper understanding of God and a cleaner, clearer relationship with Him. Most of all, Piper's approach shows how meditating on God's powerful Word can affect every aspect of our lives. Whether you’re steeped in the Word of God or newly acquainted with it, these thirty-one meditations will penetrate to the deepest reaches of your soul. With a contagious passion, John Piper awakens us to violent prayer, piercing pleasure, and fearless faith.

'The word has the power to become incarnate without Mary. Why then did God incorporate Mary into the economy of our salvation to become the Mother of the Incarnate Word? If God out of love cannot but incarnate himself through Mary for our salvation, what does this suggest for all the graces that come to us through Jesus Christ, our sole Mediator? Is the incarnation of the Word and the Divine Motherhood of Mary and their unfathomable humility not a challenge to the pomposity of any social, political and religious status? Pride being fed by hatred has blinded many humans not to see the incomprehensible love of God and the dignity of human person made manifest in the incarnation of the Word and in particular the dignity of womanhood restored and revealed in Mary. What has love to do with all these?' Reconstructing the story of the Virgin Mary's life through passages in Scripture, poetry, prayers and inspirational narrative, Anthony Mary Mofunanya addresses her often undervalued importance in God's incarnation and redemption of Man. As the woman chosen by God to be the mother of his son, Mary not only raised Jesus for thirty years before he began his ministry, but was also his comfort and refuge during the turbulent three years before his death and resurrection. Most importantly, Mary was the new Eve, immaculately conceived to atone for Adam and Eve's fall from grace in the Garden of Eden, and predestined to be 'the masterpiece of God's creation' and the vessel for Man's salvation.

Scripture springs to life in this immersive narrative, written in the tradition of Francine Rivers, Bodie and Brock Thoene, and Lynn Austin. Walk with Jesus and his disciples, hear his words afresh, witness his miraculous healings, and see how he impacts people’s lives as he preaches the provocative message that, in him, the kingdom of God has arrived. In Jerusalem, Rabbi Hilkiah responds to rising messianic fervor by collating ancient prophecies about the coming of God’s Anointed One. He dictates these to his niece Rachel, who bitterly resents the inferior position of women in society. Meanwhile, offended Jewish leaders demand that Pontius Pilate take action against the subversive Galilean teacher, Jesus. Hilkiah’s student Daniel meets secretly with an underground resistance group that, together with Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, plans a violent uprising that will be triggered by the teacher’s arrest. When Jesus finally enters the city for Passover, hailed as a king and riding a donkey in fulfillment of prophecy, the stage is set for the explosive convergence of opposing forces and conflicting ambitions. This engaging account depicts how Jesus’s work fulfilled ancient messianic prophecies and how his crucifixion, resurrection, and final return will bring to fruition God’s promise recorded in Scripture: that he will redeem and perfect his creation.

Most people associate repentance with displays of emotion that signal regret. But the emotional responses of remorse, guilt, or regret are insufficient to produce behavioral change. In fact, those toxic emotions may lead to an even deeper sense of hopelessness, defeat, and despair without the restorative power of true repentance. Genuine...