No one is ever so far gone into a life of sin that God cannot redeem them. Likewise, no one is ever so intimate with God that there isn't room for more intimacy. There is always more! Communion and union with Christ is what we were born for, yet we convince ourselves that we can only get to a certain level of intimacy and that's it. These higher levels of communion with God are set aside for other people, you know those real pious ones or just pastors or just...That is the lie we believe. We as believers are disciples of Jesus. As disciples, we are to imitate Jesus. Jesus demonstrated what it looked like as a man to walk in constant communion with the Father. This means that it is available to us, all of us, no matter who you are. God wants to draw near to us, but we need to do our part and draw near to Him. This book demonstrates how faithful God is. Intimacy with God, deep intimacy, is available to everyone. At first, it may seem difficult or even impossible, but the truth is that it is a tactic of the enemy to convince us that we cannot have what God died to give us; that is relationship and constant communion and union with Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father. It is all available to us. It is a treasure that has been given to us through salvation that is to be fully utilized in this lifetime. The intent of this book is to bring many into the kingdom as well as leading those that are already in Christ into a deeper, more meaningful, intimate relationship with Christ. This book documents a forty-day journey to achieving intimacy with God, taking every thought captive and submitting to God. It has been to date the most powerful forty days of my life. The outcome of this experiment has changed my life and it will change yours too. If you have been seeking a more intimate relationship with the God head or if you have been thinking of committing your life to Christ but are just not sure, then this is the book for you.

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. Jeremiah 29: 1112 NLT In a world of constant noise, it is no surprise that many of us struggle to tune in to hear what God has to say to us. Yet, God is very interested in every detail of our lives. He still speaks. Do you believe that God can communicate with you today as He did with Eve, Abraham, Samuel, and Moses? Do you believe that He wants to have intimate conversations with you like He had with Mary, Zacchaeus, the Samaritan woman at the well, and Peter? Do you believe that He still performs miracles to make lame individuals walk again, as He did in the past? In this devotional that shares personal experiences and life lessons learnt from biblical characters and nature, Ruth Pearson encourages the reader to have a more intimate relationship with Father God. Her prayer is that you will be renewed and transformed by developing your own personal relationship with Father as you listen for His voice.

A master yoga teacher introduces his personal, step-by-step program--which incorporates yoga practice, diet modification, and guided meditation--to help readers transform their lives and promote complete mind-body-spirit well-being.

For two-and-a-half millennia these two psalms have been commented on, translated, painted, set to music, employed in worship, and adapted in literature, often being used disputatiously by Jews and Christians alike. Psalm 1 is about the Law; at the heart of Psalm 2 is the Anointed One ('Messiah'), and together they serve as a Prologue to the rest of the Psalter. They have frequently been read as one composite poem, with the Temple as one of the motifs uniting them. So three themes—Jewish and Christian disputes, the interrelationship of these psalms, and the Temple—are interwoven throughout this reception history analysis. The journey starts in ancient Judaism, moves on to early Christianity, then to rabbinic and medieval Judaism, and so to Christian commentators from the early Middle Ages to the Reformation. The journey pauses to look at four important modes of reception—liturgical use, visual exegesis, musical interpretation, and imitation in English literature. Thirty-eight colour plates and numerous musical and poetic examples bring the work to life. The journey continues by looking at the debates about these psalms which have occupied scholars since the Enlightenment, and ends with a chapter which surveys their reception history in the light of the three key themes.

In the United States, precious little is known about the active role Muslim women have played for nearly a century in the religious culture of Indonesia, the largest majority-Muslim country in the world. While much of the Muslim world excludes women from the domain of religious authority, the country's two leading Muslim organizations--Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)--have created enormous networks led by women who interpret sacred texts and exercise powerful religious influence. In Women Shaping Islam, Pieternella van Doorn-Harder explores the work of these contemporary women leaders, examining their attitudes toward the rise of radical Islamists; the actions of the authoritarian Soeharto regime; women's education and employment; birth control and family planning; and sexual morality. Ultimately, van Doorn-Harder reveals the many ways in which Muslim women leaders understand and utilize Islam as a significant force for societal change; one that ultimately improves the economic, social, and psychological condition of women in Indonesian society.

God is great—for your mental, physical, and spiritual health. Based on new evidence culled from brain-scan studies, a wide-reaching survey of people’s religious and spiritual experiences, and the authors’ analyses of adult drawings of God, neuroscientist Andrew Newberg and therapist Mark Robert Waldman offer the following breakthrough discoveries: • Not only do prayer and spiritual practice reduce stress, but just twelve minutes of meditation per day may slow down the aging process. • Contemplating a loving God rather than a punitive God reduces anxiety and depression and increases feelings of security, compassion, and love. • Fundamentalism, in and of itself, can be personally beneficial, but the prejudice generated by extreme beliefs can permanently damage your brain. • Intense prayer and meditation permanently change numerous structures and functions in the brain, altering your values and the way you perceive reality. Both a revelatory work of modern science and a practical guide for readers to enhance their physical and emotional health, How God Changes Your Brain is a first-of-a-kind book about faith that is as credible as it is inspiring.

Gregor Johann Mendel continues to fascinate the general public as well as scholars, the former for his life and the latter for his achievements. Solitude of a Humble Genius is a two-volume biography presenting Mendel in the context of the history of biology and philosophy, and in the context of the setting in which he lived and worked. In this first volume the authors set the stage for a new interpretation of Mendel’s achievements and personality. The period of Mendel’s life covered by this volume is critical to understanding why he saw what other biologists, including Charles Darwin, for example, didn’t. In searching for clues to Mendel’s thinking, the authors discuss at length the origin of his genes; the history of the region of his birth; they also spend a day and then the four seasons of the year with his family; and finally they examine the schooling he received, as well as the cultural and political influences he was exposed to. An indispensible part of the work is Norman Klein’s artwork. In this first volume alone, it comprises nearly 80 original drawings and includes cartoons that enliven the narration, scenes from Mendel’s life, portraits, and plans and drawings of the cities and buildings in which he lived, studied, and worked.

Helping the Struggling Adolescent is your first resource to turn to when a teen you know is in trouble. Whether you're a youth worker, counselor, pastor, or teacher, this fast, ready reference is a compendium of insight on teen problems from abuse to violence and everything between. Help starts here for thirty-six common, critical concerns. Topics are arranged in alphabetical order. Each chapter gives you essential information for several vital questions: What does the specific struggle look like? Why did it happen? How can you help? When should you refer to another expert? Where can you find additional resources? Arranged in three sections, this book first gives you the basics of being an effective helper, then it informs you on the different struggles of adolescents. The final section--a key component of this book--supplies more than forty rapid assessment tools for use with specific problems. Helping the Struggling Adolescent organizes and condenses biblical counseling issues for teens into one extremely useful volume. Keep it in arm's reach for the answers you need, right when you need them.