PJP2 PROLOG 151213 PROLOG Focus Matthew 2:6.....

Deuteronomy 10:17-22 (ESV)/(emphasis added/jaj)...."For The Lord your God IS God of gods And Lord of lords, The Great, The Mighty, And The Awesome God, Who Is NOT partial And Takes NO bribe.  He Executes Justice for the fatherless And the widow, And Loves the sojourner, Giving him Food And Clothing.  Love the sojourner, Therefore, For you Were sojourners in the land of Egypt.  You Shall Fear The Lord your God.  You Shall Serve Him And Hold Fast to Him, And By His Name you shall swear.  He Is your PRAISE.  He Is your God, Who Has Done For you These Great And Terrifying Things That your Eyes Have Seen.  Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, And Now The Lord your God Has Made you As Numerous As The Stars of Heaven."....

PJP2 PROLOG POST 151213 - Matthew 2:6 (ESV)/(emphasis added/jaj)...."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."....(Also see Micah 5:2/jaj)....

Thus far during the 2015 PJP2 PROLOG Series' Focus on our Lord Jesus' First Advent, we've pondered over the fathers (Joseph; Zechariah; God The Father).  Today I Hear The Holy Spirit Saying our pondering is to be on the towns of our Lord Jesus Birth.  So, let's first ponder in regards to Bethlehem.  If you were to do a Bible Gateway.com search of the word 'Bethlehem' you would most likely find 52 'hits' for POWS with Bethlehem in the Passage.  Interesting to note, the first POWS is found in Genesis 35:19.  Rachel, Jacob/Israel's wife, Mother of Joseph and Benjamin, died during Israel's journey to Ephrath, and Israel laid Rachel to rest in none other than Bethlehem.  The last mention of Bethlehem is John 7:42 where the crowds at The Temple in Jerusalem are questioning if our Lord Jesus could indeed be their long-awaited Messiah - But they do NOT know His Story very well.....John 7:40-43 (ESV)/(emphasis added/jaj)....{Division Among the People}...."When they heard these Words, some of the people said, 'This Really Is The Prophet.'  Others said, 'This Is The Christ.' BUT some said, 'Is The Christ to Come from Galilee?  Has Not The Scripture Said That The Christ Comes From the offspring of David, And Comes From Bethlehem, the village where David was from?'  So there was a division among the people over Him."....

We will delve into ponderings on Nazareth, as well as Jerusalem, but for today let us consider Bethlehem - Clearly a small, back-water place that the self-respecting folks of Jesus' First Advent could or would not grasp that YAHWEH would have sent His Messiah, His Son to our world via such a lowly point of entry.  I mean take a run at Luke 2:4-7 (ESV)/(emphasis added/jaj)...."And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, Because he Was Of The House and Lineage of David, to Be Registered with Mary, his betrothed, who Was With Child.  And while they were There, The Time Came for her To Give Birth.  And she Gave Birth to her Firstborn Son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, Because there was No Place for them in the inn."....

So here's the Question I Hear The Spirit posing to me, to us today.  What Town does our Heart Present to our Lord Jesus for His Advent into our own Lives?  Do we present a Jerusalem, a Nazareth or do we present a Bethlehem?  I can only answer for me, Team, I know, at different times, I have Presented to my Waiting Lord and Savior a wide-variety of habitats for His Coming.  Most of the times they are most-likely 'towns' that The Lord Jesus wouldn't have wasted His Holy Time with.  I will readily admit I Pray that He Would Make my Heart a Manger as found in that old inn's stable and that with Open Arms, Warm Hay, I would gladly cradle Him the Prince of Peace and Salvation of All mankind.  So, again, what Town does our Heart Present to our Waiting Lord and Savior this Advent?  I will leave you to your own Thoughts and Reply.

My Prayer for us today would be to Offer Up a PJP2 SIP (Scripture Inspried Prayer) from His Holy Word found in Psalm 145:13-21 (ESV)/(emphasis and paraphrase added/jaj)....O Father God, Your Kingdom Is An Everlasting Kingdom, and Your Dominion Endures Throughout all generations.  O Lord Jesus, You Are Faithful in All Your Words.  Holy Spirit You are Kind in All Your Works.  Father God, You are our Lord and we Know You Uphold all who are falling.  Lord Jesus You Raise Up all who are Bowed Down in Worship and Praise to You.  Father God, Thank You that You Take Care of all whose Eyes Look to You as their Lord and God.  Holy Spirit, Thank You that You Give us our Spiritual Food in Due Season.  Lord Jesus, via Your Open Hand, You Satisfy the Desire of every living thing.  Father God, Empower and Embolden us to Proclaim to our world, "The Lord is Righteous in All His Ways And Kind in All His Works."  You, O Lord Jesus, You Are Near to All who Call on You.  Holy Spirit, You Fill All who Call on You in Truth.  Father God Thank You that You Fulfill the Right Desire of those who Fear You and Call on Your Holy Name.  Lord Jesus Thank You for Ever Hearing our Cries and for Your Saving us via Your Mercy and Grace.  Holy Spirit, Preserve us as we Love You.  Father God, Help us to Share Your Call to Salvation via Your Son.  May we be of Help to those who do not yet Know You, and Help them to see that without You, all the wicked will be destroyed by their own pride and sin.  Lord Jesus, may our mouths Ever Speak Your Praise, O Lord.  Father God, Let All flesh Bless Your Holy Name Forever and Ever.....Amen/Amen....jaj