Kirjahaku

The three stories in this book are typical of the work I have been doing for children for the past sixty years or so. Children are very bright and this work teaches them we are not all alike and that to be different is not a burden but a blessing. In each case the children in these stories overcome adversity and become the heroes and heroines of their own lives. They will learn through these beautiful and love filled stories that not being like everyone else is not so bad after all. Excitement and adventure is there for everyone regardless of our station in life. I have learned a child's imagination has no limits and if allowed they see things and dream dreams we adults have long forgotten.

Jesus Arrested and Crucified is an exciting fictional story about three Hebrew children who hear about the arrest of Jesus Christ and follow Him all the way to the cross and are there when the stone is rolled away. The book is full of emotion and love and is written candidly for children because I believe the world has reached a time when truth though often harsh and shocking is needed.

Believe it or not there is a great deal of controversy about this book of Daniel. It is believed this book was written in the Babylonian and Persian period in or near the city of Babylon. However some noted scholars believe the book was not written in Babylon, but in Palestine. Some believe it was written after the fact and is history instead of Prophecy. However scrolls found and printed in 1956 show Nebuchadnezzar to have been in Judah and taking prisoners into exile as in the time period written by Daniel.

The prophet Joel was an early and ancient prophet of God. Plain spoken and tough and as you will read for a reason. Referred to as a BCE prophet. (Before Common Era or Before Christian Era.) His ministry was during the years of about 835-796. My effort with this and all of the books we study is to give you an overview of each chapter and an explanation of the events covered in each chapter. I do not cover each verse because I believe it is important for you to read and learn for yourself. Amos was called by God to purify the Northern Tribes of Israel. The time of Amos was both during prosperous and bloody history of the entire nations of the region.

Saint Kark one of the seventy disciples who was sent by Jesus to saturate Judea with the gospel. This next piece of information shocked me a bit however. It seems that after Jesus told the disciples His flesh was "real food", and His blood was "real drink" he along with many of the other disciples left Jesus. However Saint Peter brought him back and he became Peter's interpreter writing the "Gospel according to Mark". He also founded the church of Alexandria. Born in Cyrene in North Africa (Modern day Libya) when he went home to Alexandria to try and turn the city from evil worship in AD68 the idolaters put a rope around his neck and dragged him through the city streets until he was dead.

You will find Saint Luke to be interesting and articulate in that he was a learned man who wrote not only the book of Saint Luke but also the book of Acts formally called "Luke-Acts" Born in ancient Antioch in Syria he was also a physician. His death occurred when he was 84. It is believed he was a gentile and not a Jew (Wikipedia) and if so he would have been the only New Testament writer not Jewish. A follower of Saint Paul he was respected and called "The doctor" by those he traveled with.

Saint John was quite an amazing man. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome. His brother was James, son of Zebedee who was another of the Twelve Apostles. Christian tradition holds that he outlived the remaining apostles and that he was the only one not to die a martyr's death. The Church Fathers consider him the same person as John the Evangelist, John of Patmos, and the Beloved Disciple. The tradition of many Christian denominations holds that he is the author of several books of the New Testament.