Tag Archives: City of David

The story behind O Little Town of Bethlehem!

The story behind O Little Town of Bethlehem! One week ’til Christmas! Hope today finds you resting in the season, in the hustle and bustle that you will find that peace in Jesus Christ.

Phillip Brooks was a preacher and a Sunday School teacher who stood six feet, six inches tall and weighed over 300 pounds! He made quite an impression wherever he went but he was beloved by his students and those who knew him well. So much so that when he died one of his little ones said, “Oh, how happy the angels will be!”

He had occasion to travel to the Holy Land in 1865 and on Christmas Eve he mounted on horseback and rode from Jerusalem to the City of David. He was to assist in the midnight service at the Church of the Nativity, just a short distance from where the shepherds first saw the star that led them to the baby in the manger.

Three years later, at Christmastime, remembering that experience, Brooks penned the words to this beautiful song for the children’s choir of his church. The organist of the church put music to the lyrics and on Christmas Eve, 1868, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” was sung for the first time.

We don’t know too much about Brooks, although he was a published author and his church did erect a statue of him standing near a cross in his honor. He may have been quiet and unassuming, we aren’t sure. But from the words of the song we know he was impacted by his experience in Bethlehem… Bethlehem was about six miles outside of Jerusalem, the birthplace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Meaning house of bread, it was also the City of David. This is where Samuel, the prophet, anointed David to be king over Israel. Then, in the book of Micah, the prophet tells that the Messiah would come from this small unimportant town of Bethlehem!

By the time Jesus was born, Bethlehem was just a tiny village.

But it didn’t matter the place. This was God’s plan. He didn’t choose to come with fanfare and crowds broadcasting the news. He chose to come humbly with the host of heaven proclaiming His birth!

You see, it doesn’t matter how little or insignificant we may be, we have the potential to be used for something great in the Kingdom of God!

Just like the little town of Bethlehem, if God chooses us, He will make a way for us to be used and to be used in a big way. Don’t sell Him short!

The city of Bethlehem today? Approximately 60,000 people live in and around the area. It is home to one of the most sacred Christian sites in the world, the Church of the Nativity, circa 330 A.D. It still stands over a cave believed to be the very spot where Jesus was born. Of course, this tourist site is one of the oldest surviving Christian churches in existence today, making Bethlehem a thriving tourism destination.

True, tourism is not Bethlehem’s destiny. But centuries ago, the God of the universe picked this Little Town for the birth place of the Messiah. And that Child of Bethlehem can come and abide in us today.

That Hope of the World still reaches for the masses and offers life at this most wonderful time of the year!

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

For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.

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

O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel!

Nannette Christmas

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DF-cover-side-view

Rejoice!

Wishing you all a most blessed Christmas! I pray you enjoy your family, friends and those you hold dear today and take time to give thanks to the One who has blessed you the most this year…the reason we are celebrating today! Jesus Christ, the baby born in a manger to save the world from their sins! Thankful today for the HOPE we have in Him! 

 

Luke 2:
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 
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.

Rejoice! hopeinthehealing

Kingdom2

Sleeping in Bethlehem…

Phillip Brooks was a preacher and a Sunday School teacher who stood six feet, six inches tall and weighed over 300 pounds! He made quite an impression wherever he went but he was beloved by his students and those who knew him well. So much so that when he died one of his little ones said, “Oh, how happy the angels will be!”

He had occasion to travel to the Holy Land in 1865 and on Christmas Eve he mounted on horseback and rode from Jerusalem to the “City of David”. He was to assist in the midnight service at the Church of the Nativity, just a short distance from where the shepherds first saw the star that led them to the baby in the manger.

Three years later, at Christmastime, remembering that experience, Brooks penned the words to this beautiful song for the children’s choir of his church. The organist of the church put music to the lyrics and on Christmas Eve, 1868, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” was sung for the first time.

We don’t know too much about Brooks, although he was a published author and his church did erect a statue of him standing near a cross in his honor. He may have been quiet and unassuming, we aren’t sure. But from the words of the song we know he was impacted by his experience in Bethlehem…

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. O morning stars, together 
Proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King, And peace to men on earth.
For Christ is born of Mary, And gathered all above.
While mortals sleep, the angels keep, Their watch of wondering love.
How silently, how silently, The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts, The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming, But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him, still, The dear Christ enters in.
Where children pure and happy, Pray to the blessed Child,
Where misery cries out to thee, Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching, And faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, 
And Christmas comes once more.
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 Emmanuel!

Bethelehem was about six miles outside of Jerusalem, the birthplace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Meaning “house of bread”, it was also the “City of David”. This is where Samuel, the prophet, anointed David to be king over Israel. Then in the book of Micah, the prophet tells that the Messiah would come from this small “unimportant” town of Bethlehem!

Bethlehem hopeinthehealing

By the time Jesus was born, Bethlehem was just a tiny village.

But it didn’t matter the place. It didn’t matter the surroundings, or that those who attended the birth were most likely barn animals. This was God’s plan. He didn’t choose to come with fanfare and crowds broadcasting the news. He chose to come humbly with the host of heaven proclaiming His birth!

You see, it doesn’t matter how little or insignificant we may be, we have the potential to be used for something great in the Kingdom of God!

Just like the little town of Bethlehem, if God chooses us, He will make a way for us to be used and to be used in a big way! Don’t sell Him short!

The city of Bethlehem today? Approximately 60,000 people live in and around the area. It is home to one of the most sacred Christian sites in the world, the Church of the Nativity, circa 330 A.D. It still stands over a cave believed to be the very spot where Jesus was born. Of course this tourist site of one of the oldest surviving Christitan churches in existence today, makes Bethlehem a thriving tourism destination.

True, tourism is not Bethlehem’s “destiny”. But centuries ago, the God of the universe picked this “Little Town” for the birth place of the Messiah. And that Child of Bethlehem can come and abide in you and I today. That Hope of the World still reaches for the masses and offers life at this most wonderful time of the year!

Do you know Him?

 

 , Sleeping in Bethlehem