O Little Town of Bethlehem :: By Nathele Graham

We learn Christmas songs at a young age, and most of us can sing at least one verse of our favorite Christmas carol without looking at the words. It’s good to have songs memorized, but it’s good to understand the truth behind the songs. A favorite for many years has been “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” written in 1868 by Phillip Brooks.

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie~
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

Bethlehem was a small town near Jerusalem. It was the hometown of King David. He spent much time in the surrounding fields shepherding his sheep. It was a quiet life, but even at that time, there had been important events involving Bethlehem. David was the son of Jesse, and Jesse was the son of Obed, who was the son of Boaz and Ruth. Their love story is recorded in the Old Testament book of Ruth. It’s a record of the love of a Jewish man for a young Gentile widow named Ruth.

Ruth came to understand Jewish ways and to know the One True God because of her Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi had left Bethlehem with her husband and two sons. The sons grew up and married Gentiles. Naomi’s husband and both sons died. Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem where she hoped to find a kinsman redeemer to redeem the land her husband had lost. Ruth went with Naomi. There was a near kinsman named Boaz, who owned fields around Bethlehem. Were these the same fields where Christ was born? Boaz fell in love, and took a Gentile bride, Ruth, and redeemed the land Naomi had lost.

Jesus is our Kinsman Redeemer. His mother and stepfather were Jewish. He shed His blood, as our Kinsman Redeemer, to redeem what Adam had lost. Jesus took a Gentile Bride (Christians), and faith in His death, burial, and Resurrection brings eternal life. Both Joseph and Mary trace their bloodlines through King David, so there is no doubt that Jesus is the rightful heir to David’s throne. When the angel came to Mary to announce she would have a child, he told her, “He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32-33).

Isaiah had given a prophecy that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, and Micah had foretold He would be born in Bethlehem in Judah. “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

So, how did a young virgin in Nazareth, who was engaged but not yet married to a carpenter named Joseph, happen to give birth to the Son of God miles away in Bethlehem?

Mary was a virgin… engaged to Joseph but not yet married. The Holy Spirit had come upon her, and she became pregnant… a virgin just as Isaiah had foretold. “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed… and all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child” (Luke 2:1 & 3-5).

It’s interesting that God chose Mary, who lived many miles away from Bethlehem, to give birth to the Messiah. Somehow, she had to be in Bethlehem when Christ was born. God used a pagan ruler to issue a decree requiring everyone to be taxed. That decree forced Joseph to travel with Mary to Bethlehem. God’s timing is perfect, and the decree was issued when Mary was “great with child” but still able to travel.

They made it to Bethlehem. “And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:6-7).

Movies and Sunday school plays like to dramatize their arrival in Bethlehem just as Mary is ready to give birth. That makes for exciting stories, but Scripture seems to indicate that they were settled into the manger before Mary went into labor.

For Christ is born of Mary,
And, gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King
And peace to all the earth.

On that day when prophecy was fulfilled, most of the residents of Bethlehem were ignorant of the miracle which took place in the fields around Bethlehem. People haven’t changed much over the years. Today, prophecy is ignored and, even though it’s unfolding daily, most people are sleeping.

Long ago, the angels proclaimed Jesus’ birth to shepherds. I can only imagine the fear that took control of their minds. Imagine lying in the grass looking up into a dark sky full of twinkling stars. Maybe there was some idle chit-chat about the crowds of people in town for the taxation, or talking about any new lambs that had been born. Suddenly, out of the tranquility, an angel of the Lord appeared. The shepherds were afraid. “And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone around about them: and they were sore afraid” (Luke 2:9).

I’d be afraid too. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). That’s the best news that has ever been proclaimed. Christ was born!

How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heav’n.
No ear may hear his coming,
But in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.

Once again, Sunday school plays and Hollywood movies dramatize what happened. The angel spoke to the shepherds. More angels appeared, but they too spoke the words. “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:13-14). We usually picture the multitude of angels loudly singing the words, but Scripture doesn’t indicate that they sang the words. It does say they spoke their praises to God.

Christ fulfilled hundreds of Old Testament prophecies. Although He was crucified and buried, He arose from the grave and conquered death. Invite Him into your life, and you will be forgiven your sins (past, present, and future sins) and gain eternal life. Receive His gift of salvation today.

O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray,
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Immanuel!

Christ’s birth is as important today as it was when the angels appeared to the shepherds. All a person needs to do to receive Christ is to humbly admit you’re a sinner and need a Saviour. Jesus Christ is that Saviour. He is the only way of salvation. The angel’s announcement of peace on earth, good will toward men is still valid. God wants people to come to Him for salvation, and we need to seek His peace by accepting His son.

When the shepherds heard the announcement of Christ’s birth, they left their sheep and went to find the Baby. “And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger” (Luke 2:15-16). They responded exactly the way everyone should when told about Jesus. Hear about Him, then seek Him. After the shepherds found Him, they went and told others about Him.

Have you told anybody about Jesus? Have you told anyone about His free gift of salvation?

When I was much younger, I would sing the words, not really understanding the reason for singing about Bethlehem. Now I know how important it is to understand the words to the hymns I sing. God gave us prophecy to let us know the future and see signs that prophecy is being fulfilled. Because people ignored prophecy and didn’t look for His birth, many missed Him. Preconceived ideas can cause blindness to prophecy being fulfilled.

It was shepherds who first heard the joyous news and responded. I wonder what the people said who heard the shepherd’s tale of angels and finding the Baby in a manger. Were they mocked? Shepherds weren’t highly respected people, so when they told of angels appearing and finding the Messiah, most who heard their words didn’t respond with joy. The shepherds didn’t allow mockers to steal their joy. “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them” (Luke 2:20).

Have you heard the Good News that Christ was born? Have you responded to that news and asked Jesus to forgive your sins? Tell someone about it. If they laugh at you, don’t allow their mockery to take your joy away.

By human reasoning, it would have made more sense for Christ to be born in Jerusalem, but God chose the little town of Bethlehem long before His birth. By human reasoning, it would have made more sense to have the Son of God be born to a married couple. Long before Mary was born, God said a virgin would give birth to His Son. By human reasoning, it would have made more sense for Jesus to be born to a wealthy family, but Immanuel, God with us, was born in a manger to very poor earthly parents. They were faithful to their Jewish faith, and on the eighth day after His birth, He was circumcised, and all other Jewish Laws were fulfilled.

“And after the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons” (Luke 2:22-24).

Once again, Sunday school plays and Hollywood have confused the story. The magi hadn’t been to visit yet. When they arrived, they gave expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Had Joseph and Mary had these expensive gifts, they could have afforded an offering of a lamb, but they had to sacrifice an offering of a poor person. In God’s timing, the magi would arrive at a house, not a manger, to find the Child, not the Baby, and their gifts would pay the expenses for Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to flee to Egypt to avoid Herod’s order to kill all male children. God always provides what is needed when it is needed.

During this time of year, there are so many secular pressures to buy gifts, go to Christmas parties, and bake goodies that we forget we are celebrating the humble birth of God’s Son… our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Be sure to tell someone about the reason for the season.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

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Is This Why America’s Leaders Seem Childish? :: By Daymond Duck

Why would highly educated leaders place the rights of criminals, rioters, looters, illegal aliens, etc., above the rights of citizens?

What would cause so-called intelligent leaders to believe they can stop tornadoes and hurricanes from happening by building windmills, forcing their citizens to drive smaller vehicles, stopping farmers and ranchers from raising cows, etc.?

What would cause the head of the most populated state in the U.S. to tell officials not to prosecute thieves that steal less than $1,000 worth of someone’s property?

What is causing some leaders to seem childish?

Following the destruction of Israel, God made some remarkable statements about what He intended to keep doing to the nation of Israel and some of the nations around her (Isa. 3:1-14).

God would take away their food and water (inflation is doing that in the U.S. today); weaken their military (the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan did that); give them weak judges and weak religious leaders (U.S. judges are letting criminals out of jail, pastors are performing same-sex marriages, etc.); give them dishonest leaders that don’t speak well, that rule like children and babies (Biden’s mental health is questionable); and that oppress the people (mandates, lockdowns, ignoring the rights of many citizens, etc.).

God’s judgment would continue to fall because Israel had abandoned the Word of God, the Jews were provoking God by speaking against Him (our leaders want a world religion without Jesus), the Jews were openly boasting of their sin like Sodom (our leaders openly boast about supporting unbiblical issues), and they were rewarding evil.

Having said this, with the permission of Jean Worland, here are some thoughts from her Dec. 10, 2021, email list (see jeanworland234@gmail.com).

I don’t know who wrote them, but the writer did a great job, they seem to fit the Scriptures above, and more people need to know about Jean’s great work.

  • If a guy pretends to be a woman, you are required to pretend with him.
  • Somehow it’s un-American for the census to count how many Americans are in America.
  • Russians influencing our elections are bad, but illegals voting in our elections are good.
  • Twenty is too young to drink a beer, but eighteen is old enough to vote.
  • People who have never owned slaves should pay slavery reparations to people who have never been slaves.
  • People who have never been to college should pay the debts of college students who took out huge loans for their degrees.
  • Immigrants with tuberculosis and polio are welcome, but you’d better be able to prove your dog is vaccinated.
  • Irish doctors and German engineers who want to immigrate to the US must go through a rigorous vetting process, but any illiterate gang member or terrorist who jumps the southern fence is welcome.
  • $5 billion for border security is too expensive, but $1.5 trillion for “free” health care is not.
  • If you cheat to get into college, you go to prison, but if you cheat to get into the country, you can go to college for free.
  • If you cheat in an election, nothing happens to you, but if you point out the mathematical errors of that election, you are a conspiracy theorist & disdained.
  • People who say there is no such thing as gender are demanding a female President.
  • We see other countries going Socialist and collapsing, but it seems like a great plan for us.
  • Some people are held responsible for things that happened before they were born, and other people are not held responsible for what they are doing right now.
  • Criminals are caught-and-released to hurt more people, but stopping them is bad because it’s a violation of their rights.
  • And pointing out all this hypocrisy somehow makes us “racists”?!

These are good reasons to suspect the mental status or motives of those that control America’s government.

Here are some more articles about recent events.

One, on Dec. 9, 2021, Brian Williams, MSNBC reporter for 28 years, said on “The 11th Hour with Brian Williams” (in this writer’s words for the sake of brevity), I am worried about America because dark forces in America who swore an oath to our constitution are trying to burn it down with us inside. This should scare us to no end.

Williams did not identify the “dark forces” or what they are doing to destroy America, but many prophecy teachers believe there is a deliberate effort to fundamentally transform America and surrender its sovereignty to a godless world government.

(Writer’s note: The coming godless world government should not scare Christians, but if the globalist elite that are trying to create it knew and believed the Bible, they would be trembling uncontrollably.)

Two, on Dec. 13, 2021, it was reported that several major hospital systems reversed their mandatory vaccination policy because so many crucial employees, including doctors and nurses, have refused to comply.

(Writer’s note: Those that are considering the jab might do well to ask why some doctors and nurses are refusing to take it.)

(More: On Dec. 13, 2021, Natural News reported that the latest issue of the Air Line Pilot Association, ALPA magazine, shows that 1 pilot died in 2019, 6 pilots died in 2020, and 111 pilots died in the first 9 months of 2021.)

Three, on MSNBC on Dec. 8, 2021, Dr. Anthony Fauci was asked if the Biden administration should stop requiring mandatory vaccinations (because of the recent court rulings against them). In essence, he said no, the communal good supersedes individual choices.

This is similar to something Pope Francis says about world government: the common good supersedes (world government and world religion) individual freedoms.

The U.S. Constitution, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, court rulings against mandatory vaccinations, etc., mean nothing to the globalists that are trying to establish a global dictatorship.

Four, concerning natural disasters increasing in frequency and intensity at the end of the age: on Dec. 10, 2021, approximately 40 tornadoes tore through MO, AR, KY, IL, and TN (very rare and the worst ever in the month of Dec.).

One tornado was possibly an EF-5 (The most powerful category; wind speeds more than 200 mph.).

Next-day reports said more than 75 people were killed (the death toll could reach more than 100), many people were injured, property damage was massive, and about 350,000 people were without electricity in Tennessee and Kentucky.

(Writer’s note: The lost lives cannot be replaced. The lost property can be replaced, but the supply chain crisis and inflation will add to the problem and make it more difficult and expensive. Crisis upon crisis like birth pains is a sign of the end of the age.)

(Writer’s note: This was at least the third major disaster in the state of Tennessee in 2021.)

Five, concerning earthquakes: on Dec. 7-8, 2021, there were more than 60 earthquakes in 36 hours (the largest was 5.8) about 250 miles off the coast of Oregon.

Experts said it is not a cause for concern.

Six, concerning wars and rumors of wars: there are almost daily reports that Israel could attack Iran at any moment, it is just a matter of time until China attacks Taiwan, Russia is massing for an invasion of Ukraine in late Feb., etc.

(Writer’s note: Ukraine has admitted that it doesn’t have a chance against Russia’s forces without NATO help, but Biden said the U.S. will not send any troops to Ukraine.)

(Writer’s note: The Biden administration says it is prepared to turn to other options if Iran does not agree to stop trying to build nuclear weapons, but Biden will not agree to help Israel attack Iran’s nuclear weapons facilities).

Seven, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog: on Dec. 7, 2021, Israel’s Air Force reportedly attacked an Iranian-controlled target near a Russian military base in Latakia, Syria.

If this was an Israeli attack, it could be a major escalation of the long-simmering conflict.

Russia defends the base at Latakia with some of its latest and most sophisticated missiles, and it has been Israel’s policy to avoid attacks near Russian bases so as not to accidentally kill Russian personnel.

Officials believe Iran had to have something very important near that Russian base for Israel to risk having her jets shot down by sophisticated Russian missiles and accidentally killing Russians.

There were reports of large explosions and heavy material damage but no deaths.

(Note: With the possibility of several major wars looming, Biden abandoned weapons worth billions of dollars in Afghanistan, and now he wants to cut America’s military defense budget.)

Eight, concerning a cashless society and a global ID system: at a digital money conference on Dec. 2, 2021, India said that nation is working with the UN, the World Bank, and other global organizations to create a Universal Global ID system.

Nine, concerning world government: on Dec. 9, 2021, Brighteon, a very conservative pro-liberty group, charged that U.S. leaders are using Ukraine to create a crisis (never let a good crisis go to waste, even a created crisis) with Russia.

Brighteon believes some of America’s leaders want a crisis to justify martial law, suspend the upcoming elections, confiscate guns, cover up the supply chain crisis, establish the Great Reset, and more.

Here is a link to the article.

https://www.brighteon.com/2ebfb624-094d-488d-a4a6-a71fb3333a8e

Ten, concerning the days of Noah and wickedness: on Dec. 9, 2021, it was reported that 12 U.S. cities have set a new record for murders.

These 12 record-breaking cities have one thing in common: They are all run by Democrats.

(Note: On Dec. 8, 2021, it was reported that the head of the Los Angeles police union is urging tourists to stay away from Los Angeles during the holiday season because of rampant crime.)

Eleven, concerning a worthless peace treaty in the Middle East: in early Dec. 2021, officials, investment groups, and business leaders from Israel and the four nations that signed the Abraham Accords with Israel (the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco), plus the two nations that have signed a peace treaty with Israel (Egypt and Jordan), met to discuss the success of the Accords and to discuss ways to improve upon the Accords and strengthen their relationships in 2022.

Some prophecy teachers believe these agreements could possibly lead to a covenant of peace in the future.

Twelve, concerning the Mark of the Beast: on Dec. 2, 2021, it was reported that researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) can now inject people with a patch that contains quantum dot tattoos that can store and transmit information to mark and track those that have been vaccinated.

The development of this system was partly funded by Bill and Melinda Gates, and their patch inside the body of the vaccinated will eliminate the need for a card.

Prophecy teachers are concerned that this could become the Mark of the Beast system (injecting a patch with a tattoo in the right hand or forehead of the vaccinated).

Thirteen, since Dec. 7, 2021, there have been several reports that Pope Francis is terminally ill (perhaps cancer) and probably will not survive through 2022.

Should that happen, the College of Cardinals (called a Papal Conclave) will gather to name a successor.

Be careful because this will likely cause speculation about the identity of the False Prophet.

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

duck_daymond@yahoo.com