These words, found in the ninth chapter of the Old Testament book by the prophet Isaiah are perhaps one of the most recognized prophesies concerning the Messiah. Since the first century, this prophecy has inspired believers who have acknowledged the coming of Israel’s deliverer in the child born on a manger.

One of the most acclaimed pieces written to celebrate the converging of the prophecies concerning the Christ is, undoubtedly, George Frideric Handel’s oratorio: “Messiah.” This musical score was composed in 1741 with scriptural context starting with prophecies by Isaiah and others, then moving to the annunciation to the shepherds, which is the only “scene” in the oratorio taken from the gospels.

In the second part of the aria, Handel concentrates on the Passion of the Christ, ending it with the notorious “hallelujah” chorus. In Part III, the composer closes his masterpiece with the climactic resurrection of the dead and Christ’s glorification in heaven. Early-music scholar Richard Luckett described Handel’s ‘Messiah’ as a commentary on [Jesus Christ’s] Nativity, Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension.”

Handel’s “Messiah” is indeed a poignant work of art, celebrated through the ages by both believers and music-loving skeptics alike. But to Christians, the divine nature of the story behind the song cannot be missed. Handel composed “Messiah” in a short period of 24 days. Upon completion, he wrote the letters “SDG” — Soli Deo Gloria, “To God Alone the Glory” at the end of the manuscript — an inscription that encouraged belief in the story that the composer wrote the music in a divinely inspired trance. Tradition tells that Handel had visions of heaven and the glory of the resurrected Christ while writing the hallelujah chorus.

It is the truth behind Handel’s glorious vision that fills my heart with joy and wonder each Christmas. Not the manger. Not the cross. But the fact that the divine Baby born on that quiet night in Bethlehem of Judea is indeed the promised Savior of Jews and gentiles alike. A concept which, I know, is not shared without controversy.

The divine baby born on that quiet night in Bethlehem of Judea is indeed the promised Savior of Jews and gentiles alike. #Christmas2019
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Not coincidently, I have been studying the book of Isaiah for the past several months. One of my favorite books in Scriptures, Isaiah offers a comprehensive view of the history of the Jews before and after the Assyrian and Babylonian captivity years. Likewise, the prophet delivers numerous prophecies concerning that time – some of which were fulfilled 70 to 200 years after the prophet died. Isaiah also foresees the coming of the Messiah and the future of Israel, compiling a vast collection of prophecies known to be fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.

But Isaiah is only one book containing predictions that Jesus fulfilled through His birth, life, death and resurrection. Bible scholars tell us that Jesus fulfilled nearly 300 references to 61 specific prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the Messiah. In his bestselling book “The Case for Faith,” New York bestselling author Lee Strobel quotes a mathematician’s estimate of those impossible odds to be “one chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion.”

More than scholarly references from those of us who studied the validity of Jesus’ Messianic claim, these truths are crucial to each believer who has accepted the gift of forgiveness offered by the Baby born 2,000 years ago. Because the truth is — if Jesus is not Messiah, then Christmas loses its only real meaning: that God came down to dwell with men … to set them free. Free from the law. Free from sin. Free from spiritual death.

if Jesus is not Messiah, then Christmas loses its only real meaning: that God came down to dwell with men ... to set them free. Free from the law. Free from sin. Free from spiritual death.
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I believe that is what inspired Handel to write the divine music that floods sanctuaries and auditoriums around the world each Christmas – a raptured vision of the lowly baby in the manger who became the victorious, resurrected Christ.

Now, to this writer, that is the true reason Christmas is indeed the most wonderful time of the year.

This article was originally published on Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday – December 21, 2019. Click HERE to read on their website.

The post Prophecies Give Meaning to Christmas {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

I watched the scene from a distance, fully aware that I was invisible to the group of teenagers standing in front of me. It’s amazing how parents disappear whenever teens get together. As an avid observer, I sat back to pay attention to the scene unfolding before me. A group of beautiful girls and dazzled boys conversed animatedly, talking about the day at school, while planning their next big thing.

Two girls stood out. Tall, skinny and blond, every boy and girl in the group seemed hypnotized by their presence. They played with their immaculate hair while talking, showing their perfect, pearly smiles. They are beautiful, and they know it. As my eyes scanned the group, my heart sank while watching some of the other girls shrink as the two popular kids stood out.

And just like that, I was 15 again. The all too familiar weight of comparison and inadequacy flooded my mind, as I imagined their struggle:

“Mom, can I have highlights? I really want to be blond.”

“If only I could get rid of these freckles. I hate them.”

“If only my hair were straight.”

“If only my hair were curly.”

“If only I could lose 10 pounds.”

Ah, the comparison curse! So many of us have been haunted by its ghost during our youth. It’s the ghost that told us we were unworthy, unlovable, unintelligent and ugly. It screamed that we could never measure up, and that the grass was always greener in our friends’ front yard. And even though this ghost certainly haunted teenagers in the ’80s, when we wished to look like Cindy Crawford and be popular like Whitney Houston, this joy-stealer, heart-breaking curse floods our culture more than ever on this social-media driven 21st century.

If you had asked me before today if I had overcome the feelings of insecurity of my youth, I would have quickly replied with a big, fat “yes.”

“I know who I am and I’m happy with myself. Finally.”

But during my time of prayer and reading Scriptures this morning, I realized that this statement is only partially true.

No, I don’t spend my time trying to look or sound like someone else. I am at peace with my red hair and Brazilian accent. I don’t dream of wearing a size 2, nor do I wear painful high-heeled shoes to appear 4 inches taller anymore.

But truth be told, as I thought about the race God has called me to run, I realized that I have allowed the comparison ghost to creep in again. Rather than haunting me to feel unworthy or ugly, it plays with grown-up fears these days. Maybe you can relate:

“If only I could write/speak/sing/cook like she does.”

“If only I had her job.”

“If only I had his money.”

“If only my marriage were like theirs.”

“If only I were not alone.”

If only.

There’s a vast difference between desiring to be married, grow in our profession, look our best or do our very best … and trying to run someone else’s race.
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On one hand, we keep focus on what God has called us to do, at this moment in time and plan for the future as God shows us the next steps. We welcome ideas and even ask for advice, nevertheless remembering that, just as our fingerprints are exclusive, so is the race God sets before each individual.

Conversely, we can become so enamored by someone else’s accomplishments that we start applying their “success formula,” without stopping to pray to find out if it is right for us. All the while, I imagine God lovingly waiting on us to ask: “Father, is this right … for ME?”

Sometimes I just have to be reminded that when God made me, He broke the mold. There has never been, nor will there ever be someone just like me. Or just like you.
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We are fearfully and wonderfully made for an exclusive, divine plan that cannot be compared to anyone else’s.

May we focus on running our unique race, lest we miss our destination for being distracted with someone else’s journey.

This article was originally published on Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday –  September 15th, 2018.

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Do you have any idea of the details of circumstances that had to happen from the beginning of time, so you would be exactly who you are, where you are, at this point in history?

The question lingered in my mind while the preacher continued his sermon.

I don’t remember who said it, if I heard it on TV, radio or at church. All I remember is that the question made me reminisce details from my life story which helped shape my character, direct my path and prepare me to do what I do today.

From my youth in south Brazil and the decisions my parents made for my education, to the precise circumstances that took place before I met my husband; from the moment I answered the call to write, to the very details that had to take place so I could write this column. I cannot look back without realizing that my life has been intrinsically weaved, orchestrated and guided by God’s masterful hands.

This concept is well-known in literary works and film productions. It is called “the backstory.” A backstory, also known as background story, is a set of events created for a plot, presented as preceding and leading up to that plot, which gives credibility to the central message. It is a literary device of a narrative history which presents earlier events that support the narrative of primary interest. Even purely historical works selectively reveal backstory to the audience. Without a backstory, any work of fiction or historical accounts lose credibility.

Last November, my husband and I drove across town to watch Joe Wright’s “The Darkest Hour” on its release night. The acclaimed movie tells the thrilling and true story that happened at the height of World War II when, within days of becoming Great Britain’s Prime Minister, Winston Churchill must choose between accepting to negotiate peace with Nazi Germany or stand firm to fight for the freedom and ideals of his beloved nation.

With the unstoppable Nazi forces rolling across Europe and an imminent threat of invasion, Churchill makes a tough decision against his own party, with the watchful eye of a skeptical king and an uninformed and divided public. Churchill’s “darkest hour” is a perfect example of one simple decision that could have changed the course of history — a backstory detail of modern history that shaped the world as it is today.

Agnostics and atheists see one’s backstory as happenstance or a natural evolution of events. I personally cannot wrap my mind around that concept. No. I am not that smart or wise to bring about so many details and shape my own destiny. Neither do I believe in accidents. Just as scientists know that small changes in the eccentricity of Earth’s orbit could bring about ice ages, I am well aware that small changes to my backstory would certainly have altered my life’s plot.

Because I firmly believe that nothing happens by chance, I have become increasingly aware of that tug in my heart when I don’t have peace about something, or when I feel compelled to do something that does not make sense. As I watch my backstory unfold, I certainly understand why. Ignoring that lack of peace has only led to disaster in the past. Likewise, moving forward when God prompted me to, even against all odds and critics, has led me to fulfill dreams and witness miracles.

The awareness that nothing happens by chance should completely change the way we see life’s trials and victories, as well as make us think twice before making certain decisions.

If we believe there is a God in heaven Who loves us and wants the best for us, we should also trust that even our darkest hours can work together for our good, if we respond the right way.
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Indeed, I believe that our darkest hour in the hands of Almighty God has the potential to become a light to others and even the very highlight of our backstory in the future.

This article was originally published on Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday – July 7th, 2018.

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The incident happened during one of my church’s recent choir rehearsals, and it made me think about the importance and misunderstood beauty of life’s pauses … and even God’s silence.

There is no music in rests, but they are a crucial part of any song. Any musician knows it: Composers create the rests in music as an intrinsic and valuable part of each piece. By adding dramatic pauses, great composers elevate the quality of any masterpiece. No, there is indeed no music in a rest, but it nevertheless creates music; therefore, when performers slur over or omit the designed pauses in a music score, they crush the melody as it was intended by its creator.

Everyone experiences times when life’s music is broken off by a long “rest.” Times of waiting. Times when it seems like nothing is happening. Times when it feels like God has forgotten us.

To me, personally, when it comes to life’s “rests,” I am naturally tempted to act as that one individual who lifts up her voice when the music is supposed to come to a pause.

“Hurry up, already.”

“Why is nothing happening?”

“Let me do something!”

“Oops, my bad. I should have paused.”

Yes — I have hurried up the music and sped up the tempo many times before. I have been impatient and dismayed at life’s rests. Through the years, however, I have become increasingly aware of God’s hand during those periods of seeming nothingness. We may not understand the silence nor see the growth, but He is nonetheless at work.

Farmers also know this concept. They prepare the soil, plant the seeds, and look at their bare fields for weeks or months, before spotting the first sprouts. They know it’s time for earth to do the growth. It’s time to rest in the assurance that the harvest will come. You will certainly never see a farmer dig up the seed to make sure it is growing properly. They know better — it is!

Patience and trust. Farmers know the concept too well. We must learn from them and not meddle when God calls us to simply wait and trust, and understand that God’s silence does not mean He is not near.

Late British evangelist and author Dr. George Campbell Morgan said it best: “Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given.”

In our impatience and pride, we often think nothing is happening unless we are doing something. And so, we speed up the tempo, fail to pause before speaking, or get our hands moving when we are called to be still.
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As we do so, we fail to understand that God designed the “rest” for a reason. It’s not our turn to do anything. Yet we must remember that the music is not over. He is still holding the baton and knows when to call us to sing again. And sometimes, wonder of wonders! Those dreadful “rests” come just before the climax of life’s music score.

This article was originally published in Patricia’s Column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday – May 26, 2018.

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While mentioning the critics of his 10-year program, he challenged them as people “who look with fear and distrust upon planning for the future,” and then proceeded to make an interesting analogy:

“These men who live in the past remind me of a toy I’m sure all of you have seen. The toy is a small wooden bird called the “Floogie Bird.” Around the Floogie Bird’s neck is a label reading: “I fly backwards. I don’t care where I’m going. I just want to see where I’ve been.”

Inevitably, curious that I am, I immediately searched for pictures of this unique toy. Strangely enough, I could not find it anywhere on the web. I wanted to see it because I found the saying odd for a child’s toy. But the illustration certainly gave me pause, particularly that day.

The first two months of 2018 have quickly gone by. Earlier this week, before coming across Truman’s speech, I felt a bit discouraged while realizing that one of the most important tasks that God put in my heart to accomplish this year is already falling behind.

At the end of 2017, I wrote my goals for the New Year, and decided to add a new strategy to keep focused on my objectives and not waste time. I wrote down my main goals, and broke them down in smaller tasks, to be accomplished within a set timeframe.

Now – I know that life happens. When you are a mom of two girls in school age and with no extended family in town to count on for help, their schedule takes precedent over yours. It just happens. Since I work from home, I have been blessed to have flexibility, and because I have committed to keep my priorities in order, failure to manage my time in the past caused ministry work objectives to fall behind. No issue there. However, because of these past failures, I found myself looking back at what has not been accomplished last year and thinking: “There we go again – Nothing will change.”

I believe everyone has some sort of paradigm that they do not wish to repeat, and yet, find themselves naturally drawn to. Nevertheless, whether it is a habit that we need to quit, or a past failure that keeps us bound, at some point in time we must realize that we are the only ones preventing our dreams from coming true by failing to commit to the needed changes.

Floggie bird flew backwards, and as a result, he did not know where he was going. President Truman called 1948 Americans to believe that the future could not be better unless certain changes were implemented.

Throughout Scriptures, God also calls us to learn from our past, turn around, and focus our eyes on him for strength to change those things that keep us anchored to past failures.
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As for me, today I choose to review my objectives, rewrite timelines and move forward, with a heart anchored not in the past, but in the blessed assurance that the one who started a good work in me is faithful to complete it.

This article was originally published on Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday, March 2, 2018.

Look to the past to learn. But #focus on Jesus to #succeed!
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The story spread like fire in the small fishing village. People hurried to the beach, just to take a glimpse of the extraordinary catch. Simon Peter and his fishing partners, James and John, looked at the nets, in disbelief.

It all started when Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and great crowds were gathered to listen to his teachings. He noticed two empty fishing boats at the water’s edge, while the fishermen washed their nets. He stepped into one of the boats, asking Simon Peter to push it out into the water, where he proceeded to teach the crowds. When he finished speaking, he told Peter to row the boat back to where the water was deeper, and let down the nets once again. Peter was puzzled. They had fished all night, unsuccessfully. As an experienced fisherman, he knew better: The best time for fishing ended with the break of dawn.

But Peter had been watching the master from a distance. He had heard of the healings that took place, and that even demons fled a man’s body at Jesus’ command. Therefore, against all reason, Peter obeyed. As he did so, the men caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. It took two boats to take the catch back to shore. The miracle, which started with one small step of obedience against all odds, propelled the men to follow Jesus for the remainder of his life on earth, and take part in the events that changed the course of history forever.

I thought about this passage recently, when I felt compelled to take a step that did not make much sense at all. It happened on the last day of the year, when a random thought crossed my mind during the New Year’s service at church. At first, I was tempted to reason it out and dismiss it. But the idea would not leave me and the more I prayed about it, the more I believed God was instructing me to move forward. Knowing from past experiences that God does not always make sense, I decided to obediently take that small step on the first week of 2018.

I honestly did not want to. Not only because I secretly was afraid of failure and ridicule, but also because I knew that if the door opened, the task ahead would bring hard work and sacrifice. However, despite my skepticism and fear, I chose to take one small step forward, and make a phone call.

“OK, Lord!” I reasoned, “this makes no sense and I am scared. But if this is your will, open the door and I will know it.”

Just as Peter reluctantly cast the empty net into what he believed to be an empty sea, my legs trembled while taking that first step. And just as the apostles’ arms could barely hold the weight of a net full of fish, my hands shook as my small seed of faith brought forth the promise of a bountiful harvest.

I can’t help but wonder how many of us fail to fulfill our dreams, year after year, simply because we refuse to sow a small seed of faith … or quit in the middle of the journey. It may be that we are scared to take a step forward in the dark, trusting God with the unknown. Or it may be that we allow setbacks to become permanent stumbling blocks, instead of allowing them to strengthen our resolve to move forward with renewed commitment and faith. As we quit, or never start, promises remain unfulfilled, and blessings delayed. In our skepticism, laziness or fear, we unintentionally withhold God’s best.

May we never forget that every great deed ever accomplished started with a small step, and that God rejoices in opening doors for those who persevere and trust him with the unlikely and the impossible.
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This article was originally printed on Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday – February 3, 2018.

Ever wonder how far you are from receiving God's very best? Peter, James and John had no idea how close they were... Check this out!
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While I watch the videos, pictures of children around the world parade across the screen: an orphanage filled with children in tattered winter clothes. A village somewhere in Africa where boys and girls flash beautiful, broad smiles at the camera. A church floor somewhere in Latin America where a little girl with sad eyes holds her box as her most prized possession.

No – certainly not all orphans on the screen have Elena, Irinia and Ted’s happy ending. Yes – most children in the African village go back to a life of poverty. But as they hold the toy-filled shoe boxes, their sorrow pauses, if only for a moment, as their hearts grasp this message, loud and clear: “Somewhere, out there, someone cares about me.”

I’ve been writing columns about Operation Christmas Child for the past five years right before collection week. As an ambassador for this organization, I have had the privilege to hear countless stories, as well as meet adults who were once recipients of one of the boxes delivered across the globe. Each story shares a common thread: A simple shoe box brought new hope to a child’s heart.

This is the season when our children fill their Christmas list with toys and gadgets, which often end up at the bottom of a closet within a month or two. It’s the season for companies to spend millions of dollars in advertisements, designed to entice our cravings for more and better. Indeed, consumerism can easily turn our hearts from the true meaning of the season.

Several years ago, however, my husband and I made the decision to use the holiday season as an opportunity to teach our children about the joy of giving. We receive the Samaritan’s Purse catalog, which contains the wonderful projects sponsored by this organization across the globe. From purchasing a chick to help feed a family, to raising funds to build wells in places where drinkable water is a rare commodity, the catalog offers various opportunities to help people in need.

On an account in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus had left the temple in Jerusalem with his disciples, when he started teaching through parables, as he often did. In one of them, he talked about separating the sheep from the goats, in a reference to differentiate those who are truly his followers. He then used words that puzzled his disciples: “I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came visit me.”

The disciples were confused, for they did not remember helping the master in any such instance. Jesus then explained: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

What a challenge to those of us who boldly claim to love God! His words remind me that self-gratifying religion is no religion at all. At this age of entitlement, when children complain when they don’t have the latest smart phone, or throw a tantrum when they don’t get what they want when they want it, caring and giving to those in need can become the perfect antidote to a self-centered society.

May we heed Jesus’ words as we draw near the time to celebrate his birth, for giving to the “least of these” is giving him the perfect birthday gift.

You can find out more about Operation Christmas Child and other projects at www.samaritanspurse.org. Shoe box collection week starts this Monday, Nov. 13.

This article was originally published in Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday – November 11, 2017.

Whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you do for Me.
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