No contemporary writer draws you into the lives of the people who populate his stories the way Bud Macfarlane does. Conceived Without Sin, his long-awaited second novel was showered with positive reviews from thousands of actual readers. It established Macfarlane as a master Catholic storyteller who is not afraid to challenge readers to question basic assumptions about faith, marriage, and friendship. With over 200,000 copies in print, Conceived will take you on an addictive journey alongside real people who struggle with real problems. Sharply funny, always unpredictable, and with characters so real you'll swear you know them from your own life. You are in this story.

When a newborn child is born into the world the parents assume that the newborn is pure and innocent. The parents are filled with joy at the newborn's arrival. How pure and innocent the child appear to our natural mind. However looks are deceiving as in such cases. David, the Psalmist realized this truth, that although the newborn child appear to be pure and innocent, the truth is, the child is not! The bible paints an entirely different picture, in that, the child is born a sinner, spiritually dead on arrival with the fallen nature of Adam! The bible declare, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" When looking in the natural realm, it will appear that humans were "born to die!" When looking in the spiritual realm one finds that death was not God's plan for humans. Had Adam and Eve taken of the tree of life, which was also in the midst of the garden of Eden they would have lived without ever dying: the tree of life was one of the trees in the garden that God did not forbid them to eat of. It was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that was forbidden. Immediately, upon eating of the forbidden fruit, sin entered the spirit of their minds, corrupting the image of God in them, their minds became twisted, hostile towards God: death is the penalty for sin! It is why humans die, yes, even the newborn child is born with an automatic death sentence as a descendant of Adam! This is why David declared, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me (Psalm-51:5)! David realized that he was "fearfully and wonderfully made," yet he acknowledged his sinful nature from the moment of conception! In eternity past, God predestined the lives of all humans in general, who have been born into this world, even prior to their conception. God said of Rebecca's twins (Jacob and Esau) before either had been born or had did neither good or evil, that the elder child would serve the younger for he said, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." This was so that the predestined will of God's purpose according to God's choice would stand! What God predestined in eternity past God created in time: and in "time," the hands of divine providence, executes exactly, what God predestined in eternity past, prior to creation! Everything that God created serves God's purpose, be it evil (Pharaoh) or be it good (Moses)! God is in control of his entire creation, and direct the thing created to its end for which the thing was created, not a bird fall from the sky without his knowledge! God according to the bible have predestined some to eternal salvation, yet others, to eternal damnation, as all men have not faith! This book, inspired of God will open your eyes to the truth of God's word, and will help you understand God's predestined will, and divine providence! Until these two significant doctrines (teachings) are comprehended, you will never comprehend God! Scripture declare, "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die:" yet in another place the question is asked, "Why die before your time?" These verses deal with predestination, and divine providence. This book, will help you really come to see, and to know God Almighty in a way that you never have before, and will draw you closer to him! As the newborn child on the cover of this book, is born into the world (into time) the child, like you and I isn't here (in time) to stay! God, have brought us from eternity past, placed us into time, taking us back into eternity by means of death; different ways but identical results, in that, by some means, we die! We have from the time of birth, to adulthood, to death in which one must be "reconciled to God" through Christ, by God's Spirit in us, that we put to death, the sinful nature of Adam, becoming partakers of God's divine nature! Jesus said it this way,"Ye must be born again!"

This is the Bible for the twenty-first century and requires a scholarly knowledge of science and metaphysics. "Earth Sciences will be taught in the third grade. Quantum Physics, General Relativity, and the Theory of Everything will be taught in the eighth grade. Religion will merge with science, philosophy, and metaphysics and be taught as Social Science." Dr. Amy Omikami, Professor of Astrophysics, USN. "Life was a Cosmological imperative. We all came from star stuff. Doctrinal seminaries are obsolete, absurd, and boring. Our university will present philosophy, religion, and science as a single mosaic of cognitive experience." Maria Tantalia, Present of Board, USN.

Stunning Caledonia MacNeely fights an unfamiliar shiver when she is offered in marriage to the infamous 'Lord Sin'. Though Callie fears this mysterious knight—less for the dark whispers that damn him than for the burning desire he invokes—she is under order of the English King. And with the fate of her troubled clan hanging in the balance, she has little recourse.

What is the spiritual condition of infants? According to the Augustinian-Calvinist view, all people inherit from the first Adam both a sinful nature and his guilt. The result is that all infants are subject to the judgment of God against their nature before they knowingly commit any sinful actions. But is this the clear teaching of Scripture? In The Spiritual Condition of Infants, Adam Harwood examines ten relevant biblical texts and the writings of sixteen theologians in order to clarify the spiritual condition of infants. Although no passage explicitly states the spiritual condition of infants, each text makes contributions by addressing the doctrines of man, sin, the church, and salvation. If this biblical-historical analysis exposes the traditional Augustinian-Calvinist view to be inadequate, then is it possible to construct an alternate view of the spiritual condition of infants? Such a view should remain faithful to the biblical emphasis on humankind's connection to Adam and his sin but also recognize the guilt and condemnation of an individual only in the manner and time that God does in Scripture. That is the aim of this book.

Women compare constantly--on social media, in their neighborhood, at church, even in the school drop-off lane. They glance sideways and ask themselves, "How do I measure up?" All this assessment feels like a natural way of finding a place in the world. But it pulls them into feelings of inferiority or superiority, guiding them into a trap of antagonism by the enemy. Satan would like women to strive to measure up, constantly adding to a tally sheet that can't ever be balanced. The way of Jesus is completely upside down from that philosophy. Instead, he says the last shall be first--and the greatest are those who empty themselves, lay down their lives, and serve each other. Through conversations Jesus had and parables he shared, Shannon Popkin has created a seven-week Bible study to address this tendency to compare and judge ourselves and others. Each chapter is divided into lessons, allowing women on a time budget to read a Bible passage, engage in a complete train of thought related to the topic, and then make the content personal--all in one sitting. And the informal teaching tone will make women feel like they're meeting with a trusted friend. Suited for both individual and group study, Comparison Girl will guide women to leave their measure-up ways behind, connect with those around them, and break free from the shackles of comparison!