Is prayer obsolete? Some people think so. "Prayer is trying to telepathically communicate with your imaginary friend," says comedian and outspoken atheist Bill Mahr. Yet prayer thrives everywhere. Great crowds of Christian worshipers gather every Sunday to raise hands and glorify God. Muslin faithful kneel in prayer five times a day. Hindus often pray three times daily, chanting with beads, reading from sacred books, and singing devotional songs. Many traditions meditate, which is the preferred spiritual discipline of Buddhists. Yet, some would argue all this prayer is nothing more than talking to the ceiling. What does prayer mean to postmodern humans, who have abandoned supernatural explanations for a scientific model of the Cosmos? Are they all in denial, or deluding themselves into believing their prayers are being heard? The Many Faces of Prayer takes you on a journey from the stone temples of prehistoric peoples to the high-tech churches of the 21st century.

Since the Enlightenment of the eighteenth century, theologians and philosophers have brought about profound changes in the discourse about God. The orthodox image of God, developed in the previous seventeen centuries in Roman Catholicism, as well as within Protestantism, has come under great pressure, but it would be wrong to think that this image is no longer relevant and that only a few conservative Christians hold on to it.

Designed to introduce general readers to the great diversity of religion that exists today, this fascinating and very useful book provides short descriptions of the beliefs and practices of the world religions and the denominational branches, of Christianity. Now in paperback.

Praying Christians are hungry to learn how to connect with God in a way that takes them beyond the typical grocery-list approach. Transforming Prayer explores the profound difference between seeking God's hand (what he does for people) and seeking God's face (who he really is). With captivating stories of the transformative power of personal worship and its connection with prayer, this book equips readers with practical tools for a more effective personal and corporate prayer life.

God looked at the earth with despair. He knew the future of earth was dismal; it was prone to the pollutions created by man. Worse yet, people in many countries were killing others for their different religious beliefs. Gone was the day of the cross and bow when men fought each other face to face. Now many countries were making weapons that could travel great distances to kill millions. This both saddened and angered Him and He knew something had to be done. Should I create another flood? Have everyone turned into salt? No, none of these would work because many souls would be sent to Hell and Satan could not accommodate that many. He could perform miracles to improve these conditions, but that would take away the Earthlings' freewill. The only solution was for the Earthlings to improve their own fate with a little help from Him. Summoning his Undergods, He gave them instructions to choose a few Earthlings, approach them through apparitions and give them minor powers, which would aid them in their missions. Thus, The Many Faces of God begins.

Faith is one of the most critical aspects of the Christian life, because it is the means by which we receive all that God has secured for us; yet the nature of faith is one of the most misunderstood concepts of Christianity. Some conceptualize faith as some mental state that one must reach before they are able to “tap into” God’s “resources.” Others view faith as some sort of incorporeal substance that is “out there” for which we must reach. All of these concepts of faith are deficient, if not heretical, and yet all of them are found in the church. Others view faith as a mere fantasy or hope with no basis in reality, and thus religious claims are excluded from the arena of knowledge. “For a number of years my heart has been trilled over the doctrine of faith as it is received and taught among evangelical Christians everywhere. Great emphasis is laid upon faith in orthodox circles, and that is good, but still I am troubled. Specifically, my fear is that the modern conception of faith is not the biblical one; that when the teachers of our day use the word, they do no mean what Bible meant when they used it”. I also share the same concerns with A.W.Tozer, when he said; “the cause of my uneasiness are these”: 1. The lack of spiritual fruits in the lives of so many who claim to have faith. 2. The rarity of a radical change in the conduct and general outlook of persons professing their new faith in Christ as their personal Savior. 3. The failure of our teachers to define or even describe the thing to which the word faith is supposed to refer. 4. The heartbreaking failure of multitudes of seekers is they are even so earnest to make anything out of the doctrine or to receive any satisfying experience through it. 5. The real danger that a doctrine that is parroted so widely and received so uncritically by so many is false as understood by them. 6. I have seen faith put forward as an escape from reality, a refuge from the necessity of hard thinking, a hiding place for weak character, natural optimism, emotional thrills and nervous tics. Therefore, in the pages of this book, I will endeavor to outline for your benefit the dynamics of faith. What is faith? How does faith works? How to grow in faith? The power of faith; the Excellency of faith; the demand of faith; the perseverance of faith; the challenges of faith; the object of faith, the effect of faith; the response of faith; the discipline of faith; the necessity of faith and many more are discussed.

"Updated version of an Orbis classic"--

Carrol Shewmake couldn't understand the Bible, with all its confusing symbols, wars, and diversity. Where was the missing clue? Then one day she stumbled upon the golden thread, running from Genesis to Revelation, that revealed the heart of the Author and His longing for intimacy with His children. Since then she has never been the same. The Bible is a new book. And God is her closest friend. Now you can share her discovery and behold the Invisible with new eyes. See how the many snapshots of God in Scripture form a majestic panorama of grace. Understand your status as the child of the Father, the wife of the Husband, the clay of the Potter, the sheep of the Shepherd, and the branch of the Vine. Feel His longing for intimacy reaching out to you in every passage. Book jacket.

A hard-hitting, ruthlessly honest political biography of Sen. John F. Kerry that will expose the real views of and dig up all the dirt on the 2004 Democratic nominee for president. In Prince Albert, he dethroned Al Gore. Now, David N. Bossie, former chief investigator for Congress, is going after John Kerry and giving every conscientious voter a chance to see the truth about this year's Democratic candidate. Using his trademark in-depth investigating, Bossie gives readers the real scoop on the presidential challenger-fully exposing Kerry's peculiar voting record; early Naval discharge (so he could protest the Vietnam War); self-contradictory positions on such vital issues as health care, education, and campaign finance; and shady political dealings he'd rather voters not know about. With an exclusive jailhouse interview with former Kerry finance chairman, David Bossie has the insider's access and the hard-nosed investigator's savvy to ferret out the truth and present it to readers in a gripping, no-nonsense style. He lays bare Kerry's flip-flops, lies, and duplicitous stances on the war in Iraq, defense spending, tax cuts, Medicare, and corporate greed and corruption-finally unveiling all of Kerry's public and private faces.

Iran is a country waiting to be rediscovered. Foreign visitors can travel freely and will receive a