PJP2 PROLOG 151128 PROLOG Focus Matthew 2:5-6....

Psalm 86:11-12 (ESV)/(emphasis added/jaj)...."Teach me Your Way, O Lord, that I May Walk in Your Truth; Unite my Heart to Fear Your Name.  I Give Thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my Whole Heart, and I Will Glorify Your Name Forever."....

PJP2 PROLOG POST 151128 Matthew 2:5-6 (ESV)/(emphasis added/jaj)...."They told him (King Herod), 'In Bethlehem of Judea, For So It Is Written by the prophet (Micah 5:2): 'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are By No Means least among the rulers of Judah; For From you Shall Come a Ruler Who Will Shepherd My people Israel.’”....

As I follow The Holy Spirit's Guidance, we will be Focusing our PJP2 PROLOG entries, during this time of Advent, upon our Lord Jesus's Coming - I have a Sense that this will involve both His First Advent, along with overtures towards His Second Advent as well.  Bear with me, I have a strong feeling this is going to be an interesting ride for the next month.  :)

Just for grins and giggles, did you know if you Search the Word 'Bethlehem', at least in the English Standard Version (ESV) of His Holy Word to us - Bethlehem appears 52 times.  Now from a percentage perspective, giving that there's +/- (depending on the Version of The Bible being used)
807,361 words in The Word, that means that Bethlehem appears .000124% of the time in His Inspiration to His writers.  Bethlehem is only mentioned in 15 of the 66 books (that equals 22.7% of the Books of The Bible mention Bethlehem.)  Bethlehem is mentioned 8 times in Judges and a combined total of 14 times in 1 & 2 Samuel.  But we find in the minor Prophet Micah (5:2) The Spirit's Prophesy of The Coming Ruler from Bethlehem, confirmed in Matthew 2:5-6, that though a small entity in the scheme of The Life of Israel, Bethlehem would Change the Course of History from that very special night.  FYSA - O Little Town of Bethlehem, one of my favorite Christmas Carols, takes on a bit of new meaning in light of this simple word search.

Ok, so I'm sure by now you are pondering (along with me) where The Holy Spirit's guiding us in today's PJP2 PROLOG POST 151128 Pondering.....Hear's what I am Hearing Him Share with me regards these thoughts.....Bethlehem can be an allegory of our own Hearts.  I mean my Heart in comparison to all the Hearts in our world....wow....It is estimated that there's 7.3 Billion people in our world today (give our take)....my heart is only 1/7.3 Billion.....that's far smaller than the number of times Bethlehem is mentioned in The Bible - BUT I know you catch the drift.  Out of all the 'Chapters' of mankinds history, well we will leave that one alone....My point though is that indeed my Heart falls well into the obscurity of Bethlehem when overlayed onto the scope of our collective History.  Yet, God The Father has Prepared each of our Hearts to be His Bethlehem to Send His One and Only Son to Dwell and Walk among us again via His Holy Spirit's Presence within us.

The Question, then, are we Open to let Him do just that?

I know my Response has been, and continues to be, "Yes!  Come Lord Jesus!"  For those who have made the Same Reply - Outstanding!  For those who have yet Heard Him, or His Story, I Pray His Spirit Soften the Heart and Open the Ear to Hear His Call to Light and Life.

My prayer for us today would be a Paraphrase of Prayer and Praise via His Inspired Word found in Psalm 86:11-12 (ESV)/(emphasis & paraphrase added/jaj)....O Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit and Father God, we Praise and Worship Your Holy Name.  Lord Jesus, Teach us Your Way, O Lord.  Holy Spirit Help us That we May ever Walk in Your Truth and Light; Father God, Unite our Hearts to Faithfully venerate You in our Word and Deed; Lord Jesus to Offer up our Adoration and Awe at Who You Are in our Lives; Holy Spirit May we Ever Esteeem and Exalt Your Name; Father God, May our Worship be Ever one of Respect and Reverence towards Your Name.  Lord Jesus, we Give Thanks to You, O Lord our God.  Holy Spirit, with our Whole Hearts, our Hearts of Behtlehem, we Will Glorify Your Name Forever.  Lord Jesus in Your Perfect and Precious Name we Pray....Amen/Amen/jaj