First Religion

Witness the worship of Mary, Zechariah, the angels, and Simeon as you dwell daily on their songs of wonder at the Savior’s birth this Advent. Designed to bring joy during the Christmas season, this 24-day Advent devotional will help you pause and ponder the marvel of Jesus’ birth. The short daily reflections will guide you through each song of praise poured out around the time of the incarnation.

What was the starting point of Christianity? Was it in a little town in Bethlehem, just as the lyrics of our favorite Christmas songs contend? In truth, in the earliest days of Christianity, when Peter and Paul first set out to preach the gospel, the belief systems of early Christians were viewed as merely a new sect of Judaism.

The setting of 1st and 2nd Maccabees is about a century and a half after the conquest of Judea by the Greeks under Alexander the Great. It tells how the Greek ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes attempted to suppress the Jewish religion, resulting in the Maccabean Revolt from 175 to 134 BCE.

British Narrator Simon Peterson reads The First Book of Samuel in this wonderful audiobook collection of The Old Testament. As a well-known Christian Broadcaster, Simon has the ideal voice for those of all ages who want to listen to The Bible in full, unabridged form. His emotive reading perfectly captures the beauty and power of God's Word and makes the King James English clear and easy to understand.

In spontaneous, intimate terms, Archbishop Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, covers topics as wide-ranging as his childhood, family life, and the importance of his first job, to discovering his calling and his early days in the seminary. Through his own words, we come to know a man whose actions and words reflect his deeply-rooted humility. The audiobook concludes with the Pope’s own writings and reflections, full of wisdom and inspiration.

In all the busy and bustle and noise of life, do you find it hard to keep first things first? We know that Jesus should be our first priority as believers, but with so many things fighting for our attention, what was once at the center can start getting crowded out. If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Courtney Tracy has not only been there, she faces this struggle every single day. And you know what helped her return to Jesus as first priority? God’s Word! Particularly, the book of Colossians.

First released in 1957, The Expanding Case was the sequel to perhaps the most notorious book in the history of ufology: The Case for the UFO, which drew the interest of the US Navy and resulted in the infamously annotated "Varo Edition". The annotator of the Varo Edition, the mysterious Carlos Allende, claimed to have been a witness to the Philadelphia Experiment.

Will the majestic piece of art that is hanging predominantly in Patrick Andersen’s home, lead them to his missing sister? He hopes so since he has no idea how to handle his other sister who is in the lawyer’s office with him.Livia Andersen was a woman who held her family together with a quiet smile and an iron will. Yet less than a week after her death only two of her four children attend the reading of her Last Will. Patrick, her younger son is there primarily to learn what he can from his mother’s lawyer about his youngest sister who has been missing since shortly after their ...

There was not any one entity more central to the Yahwistic Judean religion during the monarchy than the temple of Solomon. It symbolized the presence of YHWH in the nation, as well as his enduring protection of the nation and the Davidic royal throne. Judean worshippers directed their prayers toward the Solomonic temple, and eventually, the Judean prophets and theologians declared that this was the only legitimate location where priests could perform sacrifices and other religious rites for YHWH.

The principle of first fruits is eternal in nature, having its genesis in the being of God himself. It has been perpetually practiced throughout human history as one of the most courageous acts of financial obedience, denoting complete trust in and honor of God as the provider. This book systematically sets out the Scriptures and their applications for overcoming financial lack. Study the teaching with a sincere heart. By adopting them, you will find success. Those who voluntarily engage the first fruits principles will enjoy immeasurable grace and provision.

South Australia, 1914 When war against Germany erupts on the other side of the earth, a huge wave of suspicion, prejudice and persecution floods the community. There’s even a harsh concentration camp built for men branded as enemy aliens. Here in Adelaide, five diverse people are made vulnerable by the war. Elsie, gifted and ambitious child pianist, with German ancestry. Oskar, famous sportsman and businessman, also with German origins. Wilfred, a caring Anglican parish priest, opposed to the war. Pansy, an outsider by her very nature, but a fighter for justice to others. Little Neddy, a ...

When a crusader army of Western European Franks took Jerusalem by storm on July 15, 1099, it was one of the more unexpected conquests in history. Everything seemed to be against them for the previous three years of crusades right up to the final siege, yet they finally prevailed. And when they did, they massacred most if not all of the population before establishing a Christian realm in a region that had been taken over by the Muslims in 634 CE.

Martin Luther, full of compassion, grief, disappointment, and frustration, turns away from his entreaties to and debates with church leaders and writes instead to the German political leaders. With extreme clarity, Luther explains in this letter the unbalanced nature and habits of the religious institution - certain at this point that the German people could only be set free from this continual and escalating religious destruction through the intervention of their government.

In Zen, Zest, Zip, Zap and Zing, Osho responds to questions on love, freedom, morality, women’s role in society, nostalgia, a child’s right to privacy, the purpose of life, and more. Again and again he nudges the listener back to the essential: Zen – awareness, being here and now. While responding to the concerns of the questioners, Osho also illustrates how nonessential their preoccupations are.

In 10 easy-to-follow steps, discover how you can access and develop the empathic skills that lie dormant within you.

In this new biography of Abraham, Judaism's foundational figure, Anthony Julius offers an account of the origins of a fundamental struggle within Judaism between skepticism and faith, critique and affirmation, thinking for oneself and thinking under the direction of another. Julius describes Abraham's life as two separate lives, and as a version of the collective life of the Jewish people.

Even as Mae and Elsie adjust to the worsening symptoms of the disease that has forever altered their lives, their families struggle to do the same. And though little is as it was, life and all it brings continues for all of them.Where We Turn is the third book in the continuing story of two families who meet at a time in their lives when change seem to be taking place almost every day. Hyde Hills Township is home to two women who meet at a time in their lives when they find themselves looking for answers beyond the obvious. As both Catherine and Grace come to quickly realize the status quo ...

Whether you're a youth ministry rookie or a seasoned veteran, walking into a new church or a new role can be a big challenge. You need to set the tone for your ministry and establish yourself as a leader, but you don't have very long to do it.

Nothing in our present Christian culture matches the early followers of Jesus. Our imitation religion we practice today is just a shadow of the power and majesty that the Christians of the first three centuries enjoyed. The history that you have been taught about Christianity has been tainted.

Many individuals are not aware that there is a God. I am here to tell you, there is truly a God. God found me broken, in pain, and fragile. I almost lost my life at the hands of a violent partner in 2018 and then, after that, I was sexually assaulted as an adult-keep in mind I had been sexually assaulted by two individuals when I was eight. However, God spoke to me and told me to remember to never give up. And, because of my faith in God, I did not give up, and I will never give up.