Hello friends. As the Christmas Day approaches please make time to watch this excellent history TV show about the first Christmas. It’s narrated by Kevin Costner. I watched it on Hulu. As a Bible geek, I’ve learned so much about this time period by reading scholarly articles, historians and hearing sermons. Watching it is so much better! Their accounts were very historically accurate. Even the ages of Mary and Joseph – they were teenagers, about ages 14-19. I used to wonder how Mary was so brave and didn’t even hesitate for one moment to saying “yes” to her assignment. After watching this TV show, I think I understand better why Mary took the great risk of saying “yes” to God’s plan.
https://abc.com/movies-and-specials/b16e3a87-b315-4e44-b6b5-44e53e0bfd05
Here’s a great article about the background of the wise men, including the Bible prophecies fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ. The wise men were studying the Bible prophecies in the Old Testament books and that’s why they knew where to go when the heavens revealed the birth of the Messiah.
This evangelist’s weekly newsletter reviews a documentary show about the “Star of Bethlehem”. I haven’t watched it yet but I hope to see it before Christmas Day. The link is on his newsletter. (I don’t know how I started to subscribe to his newsletters and why he puts me down as Pastor Sasha. 🤷♀️)
https://5578385.hs-sites.com/a-prayer-for-you-/-jesus-jerry-falwell-and-you-0
Bible Recap’s Tara-Leigh Cobble tells in here why she started to read the whole Bible. She grew up in a good Christian home and even went through Christian schools. But she never read the whole Bible! Once she became a worship leader, she was convicted by her mentor and pastor about this. Please hear her story on how reading through the whole Bible transformed her life. I can also relate to her story since that also happened to me.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bible-recap/id1440833267?i=1000741803251
In the last 15 years I probably read through the whole Bible about 7 times. Between the breaks of reading the whole Bible, I did in-depth studies on specific books in the Bible. My favorites are the books of Esther and Daniel. Because I studied the Bible so much, I have grown in discernment. Thank goodness since I noticed that I can be easily persuaded by stronger personalities, and nice looking and intelligent people (especially those with academic credentials from top universities).
Times Square church is launching in January, a Bible reading plan. It’s a four year plan. They offer audio and visual reading plans. It is free. Please see this link to explore it. I’ve prayed about doing this for myself and I will join this plan for the next four years, God willing.
I thought this TSC sermon was excellent and offered very wise advice. When I came back to the church 15 years ago I had to figure out which voices to listen to. I needed spiritual mentors. Just like Pastor DiLena taught in this sermon, I learned that I need to listen to those who received the comfort of the Holy Spirit and won their battles in the areas where I needed guidance and support. Holy Spirit guided me to end some friendships, and to filter everything with God’s word. That’s why I became a Bible geek.
http://sermons.tsc.nyc/the-end-is-the-beginning-2/
As I have been reading what happened to Rob Reiner and his wife, it really breaks my heart. They gave their son the best addiction treatment centers, and love and support for all those years; and yet he spiraled down into greater darkness. There are certain battles that the power of Jesus Christ is absolutely essential. Drug addiction is one of them.
Times Square church founder, David Wilkerson created a drug rehab program called “Adult and Teen Challenge”. They have very high success rates, about 90% of those who go through it never go back to drugs. Once the government came to study their program and offered David Wilkerson a ton of money if they can make it a secular program. David Wilkerson laughed at their offer since the program will never work without Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. If anyone has a loved one with drug addiction, please check out their program.
In the second year of leading my prayer group, a woman came in whose daughter was addicted to drugs for several years. To be honest, I thought that her daughter will die from accidental drug overdose. Even if my mind thought that, I never said that to her or anyone in our prayer group. Instead I was directed by the Holy Spirit to give her encouragement, care and support. It didn’t happen overnight but in about a year, I witnessed her daughter leaving drugs and her old life. She enrolled in college and got her bachelor’s degree, and is now working towards a higher degree. Since her daughter is not following Jesus Christ, I don’t know what happened to finally get her to end taking drugs. I’m just so happy for my friend to have her daughter back, and that her daughter is sane, healthy and loving again. I’m sure my friend will be happy to share how she survived the worst years of her daughter’s drug addiction. Her daughter went through secular rehab programs but I believe it was the many and persistent prayers that made the treatment successful and saved her life from a drug overdose too. Please reach out to me if you want to talk to my friend.
I just read an excellent book by a Christian therapist and pastor who raised three daughters successfully. It is about living life with our adult children. I highly recommend everyone to read this book. If you can find someone to read together with and have discussions that is even better. That’s what I did when I read this book. I helped me a lot this fall when I empty nested for the first time. There’s a chapter about being in-laws too. 🙂
https://www.amazon.com/Doing-Life-Your-Adult-Children/dp/0310353777/ref=mp_s_a_1_1
Here’s the book review:
https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/book-review/review-doing-life-with-your-adult-children/
I heard a great interview. It looks like God is moving in big ways in corporate! Praise God!
I so wish I had something like this when I was working in NYC. Since many of our children are now working in corporate jobs, please share this interview with them.
“In this episode, host Christine Caine sits down with Mimi Chan, a senior leader at Amazon and the co-founder of Christians at Amazon, to talk about what it means to carry your faith into the workplace with courage, integrity, and excellence. Mimi shares how she’s seen God move in the corporate world, how prayer sparked a global movement of faith groups across tech companies, and why your everyday work might be one of the most sacred assignments you’ll ever have.”
I just shared this with couple of friends who asked for prayers for someone close who are battling aggressive cancers. I hope this helps you too.
“Whenever I need extra prayers and support for my family and myself, I go up for prayers at my home church, and I also submit prayer request with Times Square church, CBN, Sid Roth’s ministry (they have the gift of supernatural ministry)”
Here are the links:
https://prayer.tsc.nyc/submit/
https://www.sidroth.org/prayer-request
“Check out this healing room ministry and see if you can get someone to pray for him in-person or virtually. They have trained volunteers throughout.”
https://www.healingrooms.com
“Be humble and hungry for a miracle. Use the perseverance that God has given you to pray for his healing and miracle. Get his family involved if possible. I’ll be praying 🙏”
Being involved with prayer ministry for the last ten years, I’ve seen my share of answered and unanswered prayers in people’s lives. My takeaway is to be “humble and hungry”. Surround yourself with others who will believe with you. This is especially important when the waiting is taking very long. And if you have doubts, then just be quiet. And if you’re placed as a support team member, then just speak words of encouragement, life and faith. If you need some guidance on how to pray and stand in faith for your loved one or friend, please reach out to me. God bless you always and abundantly as you work for God’s glory and assist His people.
(A friend shared this Christmas message and prayer. I hope it blesses and gives you peace.)
Today’s Verse
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14
The Gift Beneath the Wrapping
Christmas has a way of burying its own meaning beneath layers of beautiful wrapping paper. The lights are stunning, the music is moving, the traditions are meaningful, but somewhere in the middle of all the celebration, we can lose sight of what we’re actually celebrating.
We’re not just commemorating a nice story about a baby in a manger. We’re celebrating the most audacious rescue mission in history, God Himself stepping into human skin, entering the mess and brokenness of our world, to bring us back to Him. The Creator became a baby. The Eternal One entered time. The King of Heaven was born in a stable. This is the scandal and the wonder of Christmas.
And here’s what we can’t forget: the manger was never the destination. It was the starting point. The baby wrapped in swaddling clothes would one day be wrapped in grave clothes. The hands that grasped Mary’s finger would one day be pierced by nails. The journey that began in Bethlehem led to Calvary. Christmas and Easter are two parts of the same story, God’s relentless pursuit of you.
The gifts we exchange, the meals we share, the lights we string up, none of it is wrong. But it’s all meant to point beyond itself. The decorations are meant to reflect the Light of the World. The generosity is meant to echo the greatest gift ever given. The gathering together is meant to remind us of the God who came to be with us.
Today, in the run up to the big day, remember why you’re celebrating. Let the wonder wash over you again. God didn’t stay distant, He came close. And that changes everything.
Today’s Prayer
Lord, help me remember the real reason for Christmas, to keep Jesus at the center when everything else tries to crowd Him out.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the gifts, the parties, the traditions, the busyness, and lose sight of the miracle we’re actually celebrating.
Teach me to pause in the middle of the chaos and remember that Christmas is about You, God becoming flesh, stepping into our broken world to rescue us.
The lights and decorations are beautiful, but they’re meant to point to something greater, to the Light of the World who came to pierce our darkness.
Help me celebrate in ways that honor the real meaning, to give generously because You gave everything, to love extravagantly because You first loved us.
Remind me that the manger leads to the cross, that the baby born in Bethlehem grew up to die for my sins, that Christmas and Easter are inseparable.
Give me moments throughout this season to stop and worship, to read the nativity story with fresh eyes, to marvel at what it cost You to come for me.
Let my heart be captivated by the real reason for Christmas, and may everything I do this season reflect the joy, the wonder, and the worship due to Emmanuel, God with us.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
A research professor of theology wrote a great essay on how the book of Amos prophesied the coming of Jesus Christ and salvation for the world. It’s a great research paper to read.
Here’s a video from ‘One for Israel’ about how the Jewish Hanukkah story parallels with the story of Christmas.
“Dr. Erez Soref from One for Israel as he explores the courage of the Maccabees and the rededication of the Temple, filmed on location in Israel.
Discover how Hanukkah shaped the world Yeshua (Jesus) was born into and how it connects directly to the Christmas story.
A powerful reminder that God’s light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
https://youtu.be/u6oP1KLoy14?si=zii4T_s3Q5ZWd2bW
To reach me, please email me at:
estherprayergroup2016@gmail.com
Journal of Faith 