Hello friends. I hope you and your family had a lovely and peaceful Christmas!
As the new year approaches, please plan ahead on starting a Bible reading program for 2025. If it’s your first time reading the Bible, you may want to read the New Testament books first. Harvest ministry’s New Testament Bible has very good references and easy to understand commentaries. It’s inexpensive. Here is the link to purchase this Bible.
Christian publishing company Zondervan has a new Bible. I looked through their pages and I found it very helpful and informative. Please take a look inside their sample pages.
NIV Upside-Down Kingdom Bible – Marketing Pageszondervan.com
I’m starting this chronological Bible reading plan in January if you want to follow this plan. (It took me about a year and half to finish my last Bible plan since I read about five days a week. There are many free Bible plans available online.)
The One Year Chronological Bible NLT, Premium Slimline Large Print (Softcover)
When you are reading the Bible, you will have many questions along the way. Please reach out to your pastors and diligent Bible students at your church if you’re offended or stumped on a topic. I’m sure they can point you to the right direction and resources to get answers for you. I came across this quote by Corrie ten Boom and I thought it was right on the spot.
“What I do not understand of the Bible, I do not throw away, but hang on a hook, as it were. Later I read or hear more about it, and then, when I understand it, it is added to my knowledge of God’s word, and I just take it off the hook.”
(Corrie’s advice when she comes across a hard part of Scripture)
The other day it occurred to me to find out why God orchestrated the census by Rome so that pregnant Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem (about 90 miles away from their hometown). After researching, I found this article that explained all the different aspects of “Why Bethlehem” in a nice and clear summary. # 3 and 7 stand out for me most.
Where was Jesus Born? Exploring Bethlehembiblestudytools.com
Here’s a 7 minute video explaining more “Why Bethlehem?” It was really good and informative.
Discover why Bethlehem – Trial and Promise in Christ’s Birthyoutu.be
Here’s an excellent, short recap about the writers ✍️ who wrote about Jesus Christ’s ministry on earth. (You can also watch these disciples in more depth when you watch the series “The Chosen”. It’s fascinating to consider their characteristics. Please note that they are taking creative liberties since the Bible doesn’t offer much information. So, you need to read the gospels yourself to fact-check with the Bible.)
Here’s a timeline of Jesus. It’ll help you get a better bearing as you read through these first four books (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) of the New Testament for the first time.
Timeline of Jesuslearningscriptures.info
Being on a Bible reading plan is also a good safety tool to have when you’re woken up with anxiety or having a panic attack. Last week, I woke up suddenly when I heard a military helicopter flying over my house. There’s a military base nearby. I’ve seen them fly over several times a year, but never at nighttime or so close to my house! Immediately, my thoughts went to panic mode thinking that we were under attack. (NJ residents have been under stress because of the many drones flying around, and also I’ve been getting many alerts from the NJ water company that our water is okay and safe. Many residents in NJ have been complaining that their water is cloudy and smelly.)
Once the helicopter noise subsided without an explosion; I was wide awake after a brief panic. It was a little past 1am. Then my thoughts turned very fearful, pitiful and shameful. Then I started to worry about everything and everyone. After tossing around with these anxious worries for about 20 minutes, I got up. Since I wasn’t on a Bible reading plan currently, I was at a loss on what to read. Then I remembered that listening to worship songs lulled me to sleep in the past. It worked this time too and I woke up fully rested in the morning and I slept in until 6:30am. Praise God! That’s sleeping in for me.
Pentecostal or charismatic Christians would say that I endured a spiritual attack that night. Perhaps. According to sleep researchers, 1-4am is known for heightened mental anxieties. Please have a plan in place when you wake up suddenly at night, and you are filled with anxious thoughts. When I am in a Bible reading plan, I go straight to the next reading and after 20 minutes or so of reading, I am lulled back to sleep. This time I was caught off guard since I was on a break. It’s been a long while since I’ve used worship music. I’m glad I was reminded to listen to worship songs by the Holy Spirit. I was listening to Hillsong worship songs if you want to have their songs ready on your phone.
Here’s an article on why anxiety is worse at night. Knowing this, you should have a good, sound plan in place.
Why Is Anxiety Worse at Night?time.com
I recently discovered a Bible sleep meditation podcast if you want to check this one out. It’s very soothing and relaxing. I plan on using this one next time I wake up in the middle of the night with an anxiety attack.
Abide Bible Sleep MeditationAbide Bible Sleep Meditation
Good, sound sleep is our portion as followers of Jesus Christ – no matter what is happening around us. Please don’t accept the nighttime anxieties that plague so many people. Plan ahead to fight the nighttime anxieties and worries. For me, it’s a Bible reading plan, worship songs, and now a Bible sleep podcast.
(FYI – There are occasional moments when I am woken up by the Holy Spirit to intercede in prayer for something or someone. These moments are peaceful and orderly. They are not anxious and fearful.)
Henry Cloud is a well known Christian psychologist. I didn’t realize that he suffered from severe clinical depression. After hearing his story, I realized that God used his mental weakness and struggles to now be able to reach so many non-Christians who also suffer. If he got delivered supernaturally in a revival atmosphere, I’m not sure if he would be as helpful. He also showed me about my prejudice on therapy, and why my generation X still struggles with receiving therapy help. Perhaps it is our pride or blind spots. After all, the boomers and Gen X have been through a lot and yet many of us have managed to survive and make good money.
I just started to listen to Lysa Terkeurst’s podcast on Therapy and Theology. She’s a well known Bible teacher and author. Let me know what you think about her podcast. She suffered greatly from her first husband. Here’s an article about their divorce.
Therapy and TheologyLysa TerKeurst
As I was thinking about her ex-husband and how he got there as a believer of Jesus Christ; I heard the Holy Spirit telling me that he had enablers. Perhaps his enablers were his ex-wife, Lysa or his parents or his spiritual leaders…I don’t know. It’s really important to step aside when you sense that God is disciplining someone, especially your children and grandchildren. Our mama-bear protective instincts can kick in and we can become their unhelpful enablers. If God wants to prune or remove bad roots, please let him do that. Remember Lysa’s ex-husband. I pray that he will come to his senses and humbly repent before God. Here’s a short devotional that I read yesterday which also explained what may have happened to her ex-husband.
https://www.worldchallenge.org/devotion/cure-hard-heart?ref=devos
Many Millennials and Gen Zers who grew up in churches and Christian families have been “deconstructing” their faith and beliefs. I’ve heard this terminology for the first time during the pandemic lockdown. If you have a young person in your life who has been “deconstructing” their faith, then pray about sharing this podcast with them. This pastor Tim Ross is incredibly honest, vulnerable and open about his life and struggles. Unlike the Boomers and Gen Xers, I noticed that the newer generations want great honesty without hypocrisy in those who are allowed to speak into their lives. This pastor, Tim Ross looks young but after hearing him I think that he’s about early 50s (a fellow Gen Xer). You will also find out what “code-switching” means for a black pastor. I’ve never heard that phrase before…so interesting.
During this winter break, I hope you will enjoy your extra time with family and friends. 2025 is coming soon, so please remember to plan ahead with a new Bible reading plan for 2025 if you are not in one currently. As much as I would love to see the new year be more calm for our country and the world, I think it is wishful thinking. Let’s get ourselves ready in case there are more nights of waking up. Who knows perhaps there will be more military helicopters passing through the night by my house and waking me up again. I’ll be ready.
(I saved this cartoon when I came across it at the end of December 2020. I had hoped that 2021 would be calmer and back to normal. Boy was I wrong. This picture still makes me chuckle 😂. That door needs to be updated to 2025 but not the cartoon.)
Journal of Faith 