Join us on a one year journey exploring the 66 Books of the Bible
Author: James and Elizabeth Stephens
James and Elizabeth Stephens presently live in Southern California and have been married since 1978. In 1999, James completed a MA in Intercultural Studies specializing in Leadership Development and in 2010 Elizabeth completed an Associate in Science in Business Information Technology.
If you are on the journey with us reading through the Bible, welcome to day 47 or if you are joining us now welcome and be prepared for a life changing experience! You can reach us at exploringgodslibrary@gmail.com Also join us Tuesday nights from 6-7 pm pst on facebook live at: (copy and paste in another tab) www.facebook.com/james.stephens.5205622 If you are not on facebook, we are now on youtube at https://youtu.be/kgw6BgzaDCg (copy and paste in another tab)- Join us!
I am working on little booklet telling the Christmas story from a Jewish- Christian Scriptural Perspective and including the Feast of Lights, aka Hannukah, spoken of in the Gospel of John. I thought you might find this extra Biblical historical reading of interest to gain an understanding of the meaning of Hannukah beyond it being thought of as the Jewish Christmas, or receiving eight days of presents and eating potato pancakes. It is a rich and dramatic history of the zeal of the Jewish true believers for God, His purposes, plans and His Word.
Often in recent years I have thought that without Hannukah, Christmas would not be possible. For Yeshua Ha’moshiach, our LORD Jesus Christ to fulfill the Law perfectly, which He did, He had to be presented at the Temple so that He could be dedicated, be circumcised on the eighth day, and also so Simeon and Anna could bless Him who were awaiting the Messiah. The Maccabees had won back the Temple from the Greeks who had thoroughly defiled God’s holy sanctuary and reconsecreated it. The story is a wonderful knitting together of the whole Biblical context of His incarnation.
May you be blessed this Hannukah and Christmas season by His Presence and with many opportunities to share the truth of the King of kings, our Messiah Yeshua Ha’moshiach, our LORD Jesus Christ, King of kings, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.
Joy to the World!! Through the One and only source of Joy, Immanuel.
Praying you have much love and joy this holy season,
The Diatessaron, known as the first harmony of the four Gospels was composed in Aramaic by Tatian, a disciple of Justin the Martyr an early church Father in about 160 A.D.
This effort by Tatian aimed to compile a seamless history of the four Gospels as one narrative piece on the Life of Christ as revealed in Holy Writ. Why? Simply because each of the four eyewitnesses provides a more complete picture of the life and times of Jesus Christ our King. That does not mean that each of the four Gospel narratives can not stand alone on its own merit. Quite the opposite. Each was written with a particular audience in mind, e.g., Matthew was written to a Jewish audience and Mark to a Greek audience. The Gospel of John surprisingly appeals to Japanese scientists.
Again, why the need? Simply that each of the four Gospels are not all arranged in the same order. Mark is not in chronological order, whereas Luke tells the story chronologically. And yet each Gospel often sheds light on the same event as this band of disciples traveled with him, albeit from a differing viewpoint. As in life, not everyone attended all the events, so the Synoptic Gospels, a term for “To see together” provides a Harmony of the parts, and brings together one large tapestry of the Life of Christ, His birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension.
97% of the words of Mark are in Matthew although from a different perspective. 88% of the words in Mark are found in Luke written by the physician Luke. The Gospel of John provides an independent witness and reveals a high Christological view of Christ. John the beloved was an ancient storyteller with an intimate knowledge of the synoptics and was part of Christ’s inner circle.
The following excellent presentation on the Diatessaron complete with a timeline and short bio of Tatian was designed by the group as seen in the source below.
I was searching for the best telling of the story of David and Goliath and found the following excellent compilation of maps, film clips of various renditions of the famous scene told in Sunday School for generations set to the Biblical text from 1 Samuel 17:31-36 read by Alexander Scourby.
If you are on the journey with us reading through the Bible, welcome to day 46 or if you are joining us now welcome and be prepared for a life changing experience! You can reach us at exploringgodslibrary@gmail.com Also join us Tuesday nights from 6-7 pm pst on facebook live at: (copy and paste in another tab) www.facebook.com/james.stephens.5205622 If you are not on facebook, we are now on youtube at https://youtu.be/kgw6BgzaDCg (copy and paste in another tab)- Join us!
If you are on the journey with us reading through the Bible, welcome to day 45 or if you are joining us now welcome and be prepared for a life changing experience! You can reach us at exploringgodslibrary@gmail.com Also join us Tuesday nights from 6-7 pm pst on facebook live at: (copy and paste in another tab) www.facebook.com/james.stephens.5205622 If you are not on facebook, we are now on youtube at https://youtu.be/kgw6BgzaDCg (copy and paste in another tab)- Join us!
If you are on the journey with us reading through the Bible, welcome to day 44 or if you are joining us now welcome and be prepared for a life changing experience! You can reach us at exploringgodslibrary@gmail.com Also join us Tuesday nights from 6-7 pm pst on facebook live at: (copy and paste in another tab) www.facebook.com/james.stephens.5205622 If you are not on facebook, we are now on youtube at https://youtu.be/kgw6BgzaDCg (copy and paste in another tab)- Join us!
If you are on the journey with us reading through the Bible, welcome to day 43 or if you are joining us now welcome and be prepared for a life changing experience! You can reach us at exploringgodslibrary@gmail.com Also join us Tuesday nights from 6-7 pm pst on facebook live at: (copy and paste in another tab) www.facebook.com/james.stephens.5205622 If you are not on facebook, we are now on youtube at https://youtu.be/kgw6BgzaDCg (copy and paste in another tab)- Join us!
If you are on the journey with us reading through the Bible, welcome to day 42 or if you are joining us now welcome and be prepared for a life changing experience! You can reach us at exploringgodslibrary@gmail.com Also join us Tuesday nights from 6-7 pm pst on facebook live at: (copy and paste in another tab) www.facebook.com/james.stephens.5205622 If you are not on facebook, we are now on youtube at https://youtu.be/kgw6BgzaDCg (copy and paste in another tab)- Join us!
If you are on the journey with us reading through the Bible, welcome to day 41 or if you are joining us now welcome and be prepared for a life changing experience! You can reach us at exploringgodslibrary@gmail.com Also join us Tuesday nights from 6-7 pm pst on facebook live at: (copy and paste in another tab) www.facebook.com/james.stephens.5205622 If you are not on facebook, we are now on youtube at https://youtu.be/kgw6BgzaDCg (copy and paste in another tab)- Join us!
Exploring God's Library 