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I have been writing for national and international Christian devotional guides for over a decade. I am also a contributor to a yearly Christmas devotional guide with other authors. This will be my 12th year with that publication.
I wrote this book as I wanted to create a Christmas devotional that added a little more depth than your normal one page devotional. My book covers the chronological order of Christ’s birth from the standpoint of the gospels of Matthew and Luke.
Each day starts out with scripture verses, continues with a daily application, and provides links for additional studies. I just revised the book to include more links and to provide more clarification on the study.
Reviewed by Gail H. Scoates for Readers' Favorite
The First Noel: Digging Deeper Into Christ's Birth by Christine L. Henderson is a daily devotional for use by a study group, family, or personal devotion. It is a 25-day journey that follows the birth of Christ beginning with the angel’s proclamation of Mary’s pregnancy to the time of Mary and Joseph’s return to Galilee where Jesus grew up. There are several sections for the reader to study. Each day starts with a biblical quotation that is followed by an often-familiar hymn, which connects with the Bible verse. The next section contains Henderson’s reflections and related historical information. The daily devotion poses questions for the reader to ponder and then concludes with a prayer.
I liked Christine L. Henderson’s selection of verses from the books of Matthew and Luke. I was impressed with the amount of historical information offered to the reader that provides background regarding the times during which the Bible was written. Much of the historical data is supported by links to various websites and videos that include a great deal of well-researched information. I found reading The First Noel to be a bit choppy in a few places, but the scope of the information provided is a testimony to the work and effort put into this book. All of the proceeds from the sale of the book go to EE Prison Ministries. According to Henderson, the recidivism rate for those participating in the EE study course is less than one percent, which is a true miracle in itself. I recommend this book to anyone interested in an in-depth devotional review of the birth of Jesus Christ.
