Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow, Doxology

We celebrated my husband's and my son's birthdays (40 years apart) recently! That is great cause to rejoice in what the Lord has done for us...you see, we were married for almost 19 years before we had the blessing of a child! We had not obeyed God's command for right living before Him, and we suffered consequences that would reach over many years. Right out of college, we lived together. I had not given over my will to God or believed on His Name.

When we married, we lived for ourselves, jobs, money, and things. I am sad and ashamed to say we had an abortion; we did not know God's commands for right living. I didn't know it would affect my health, my fertility later, and our respect for ourselves or each other. BUT, God kept drawing us, calling us, and I finally confessed my sinfulness and repented. We grew in faith over the years and continue to grow. It has been a long road to forgiving myself. We are not perfect people, but by His grace, we have hope...and now can see His guiding hand in it all. Thank You, Lord, for birthing in us new life!

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1Thessalonians 5:18

The words are from Thomas Ken, 1674, and the tune is the Old 100th in the Geneva Psalter and attributed to Louis Bourgeois, 1551. We praise You, Lord!

Lyrics:
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!


Supporting Scriptures:
"Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases..." Psalm 103:1-3

"[God] who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began..."
2 Timothy 1:9

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—" Ephesians 2:8

"He said, “If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.” Exodus 15:26

O Love Divine, Steve Pettit Ev. Team

Have there been times when I feel all alone in this world? Yes, many times! But, there are many reasons to conclude that we are not alone in our journey once we come to Christ Jesus as our Savior!

There are many companions that He has given to accompany us. Some are invisible, but no less real, than those we can see and touch. It is His great love for us - His divine love - that is beyond our imagining.

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31 :8

First, there is the person of Jesus Christ Himself. He gave Himself up to death so that we might live. He is our guiding Shepherd. He is our faithful Friend. He intercedes and pleads on our behalf before the throne of the Father.

Second, there are the saints that have gone before us and "surround" us!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12: 1

Three, He has sent us guardian angels, invisible, but real!

"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" Hebrews 1: 14

And finally, we are with those who are alive now at the same time in history. Our brothers and sisters in the Lord, exhorting each other and sharpening each other as 'iron sharpens iron'. Indeed it is the divine love of Christ for us that draws us to Him through the Spirit.

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."—Romans 8:16, 17.

Evangelist Steve Pettit is widely known as a strong Bible preacher, emphasizing revival and evangelism. He has conducted evangelistic campaigns throughout the United States and foreign countries since 1985. Having worked with teenagers for nearly 30 years, he has spent his summers preaching in fundamental youth camps across America.The old hymn O Love Divine was written by Fanny Crosby and set to the Irish tune Star Of the County Down. It is a beautiful blending which the Pettit Team arranged, and you will probably hear it in you head over and over again.

The video here is a studio version and has great sound, but it is shortened. For free lead music of their arrangements, go here.

The video below is a live performance of the full hymn.


Lyrics:
1. O, Love Divine, amazing love,
That brought to earth from Heaven above,
The Son of God for us to die,
That we might dwell on high.

Refrain:
He died for you, He died for me,
He shed His blood to make us free
Upon the cross of Calvary.
My Savior died for me.

2. For us a crown of thorns He wore,
For us a robe of scorn He bore,
He conquered death and raised the grave,
And lives again our souls to save.

3. O, Wanderer, come I bid believe,
His grace by faith receive,
Awake our eyes and hear His call,
The feast is spread for all.

Supporting Scriptures:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3: 16

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5 :8

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." Hebrews 2:9

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow, Diane Bish on pipe organ

After leaving Ravensbruck [concentration camp] in Germany, Corrie Ten Boom learned she had been released from prison by a mistake, and that all the women of her age in the prison had been killed. She had so much to be thankful for and spent the rest of her life praising the Lord Jesus for it in such books as The Hiding Place and Tramp for the Lord.



I didn't intend to write about Corrie Ten Boom at this time, but the tie to her in this music is just great! This is written on the website devoted to sharing her remarkable life:

"Corrie was raised in the Dutch Reformed church and had a good education. It is said the Ten-Boom family attended big, beautiful St. Bavo Church which is at the edge of the town square and a block or so from their home. She has told stories of playing in the church as a child. The pipe organ in the church is immense and very famous. It was once played by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and also by George Frederic Handel."

This video was filmed in the St. Bavo Church in Haarlem, Holland, which Corrie Ten Boom wrote about in The Hiding Place. It is the same organ the flamboyant Diane Bish is playing. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart called the organ the "King of instruments" - now you will see why.

Lyrics:
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him, all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

Supporting Scriptures:
"Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases..." Psalm 103:1-3

"[God] who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began..."
2 Timothy 1:9

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—" Ephesians 2:8

"He said, “If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.” Exodus 15:26

Praise To The Lord, The Almighty, sung by the Purdue Varsity Glee Club

Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary definition:

PRAISE, v.t. [L. tollo, extollo; pretium.]

1. To commend; to applaud; to express approbation of personal worth or actions.

"We praise not Hector, though his name we know

Is great in arms; 'tis hard to praise a foe."

2. To extol in words or song; to magnify; to glorify on account of perfections or excellent works.

"Praise him, all his angels, praise ye him, all his hosts." Ps.148

3. To express gratitude for personal favors. Ps.138

4. To do honor to; to display the excellence of.

"All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord." Ps.145

As the Purdue Varsity Glee Club performs, I hope you enjoy the rousing blending of all male voices. I am particularly fond of hearing men sing alone. I went for years to piano lessons where the seminarians would gather for worship in song in the vaulted chapel adjoining us. It brings back sweet memories.

The original hymn was written by Joachim Neander in 1680, and it was translated from German to English by Catherine Winkworth in 1863. The video I have presented here has different words than I learned as a girl. Even though praiseworthy, I prefer the ones printed below.

Lyrics:
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
The King of creation
O my soul, praise Him
For He is thy health and salvation
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near
Praise Him in glad adoration

Praise to the Lord
Who o'er all things so wonderfully reigneth
Shelters thee under His wings
Yea, so gladly sustaineth
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e'er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth

Praise to the Lord
Who doth prosper they work and defend thee
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do
If with His love He befriend thee

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him
All that hath life and breath
Come now with praises before Him
Let the 'amen' sound from His people again
Gladly for aye we adore Him

Supporting Scriptures:

"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ..." Ephesians 5:18-20

"Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.

Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,

praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,

praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord." Psalms 150:1-6

This Is My Father's World, 2nd Chapter Of Acts

In 1611, the German astronomer Johannes Kepler, made the first ever reference to snow crystals in his work On the Six-Cornered Snowflake. The photograph above, of a considerably more recent vintage, was made with electron microscopy in 2003.

This world, down to its tiniest detail, is truly a masterpiece of design, and we are the blessed recipients! In taking dominion of the earth, we work to understand our Creator and His lovely workmanship as 'Snowflake' Bentley did.

"Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated. When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind." ~ Wilson Bentley

Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, 1925

The words of This Is My Father's World were written to an old English melody. To read about the story behind the original hymn by Maltbie Babcock in 1901, visit http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/t/i/tismyfw.htm

Lyrics:
This is my Father's world

And to my listening ears
All nature sings and round me rings
The music of the spheres

This is my Father's world
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks, of trees, of skies and seas
His hand the wonders wrought

This is my Father's world
Oh, and let me never forget
That though the wrong seems often so strong
God is the ruler yet

This is my Father's world
Oh, the battle is not done
Jesus who died will be satisfied
And the earth, heaven will be one

Jesus who died will be satisfied
And the earth and heaven
Oh, earth and heaven
Oh, earth and heaven will be one

Supporting Scriptures:
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:2-3

“The world is Mine, and all that is in it.” Psalm 50:12

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

"And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ." Ephesians 1:9-10

Morning Has Broken, Giovanni Marradi on piano

My husband and I chose this hymn for one of the pieces in our wedding. We felt it symbolized the beginning of our lives together, and each new day is just that - a new day! Let us take time to praise the Lord in the morning, seeking His will for each hour ahead.

"The entire day receives order and discipline when it acquires unity. This unity must be sought and found in morning prayer. The morning prayer determines the day." -

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Morning Has Broken is a well-known hymn first published in 1931. It has words by English author Eleanor Farjeon and is set to a traditional Gaelic tune. This beautiful piano solo is just delightful and sets a tranquil mood for worship of our Lord Jesus.


Lyrics:
Morning has broken, like the first morning.
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird.
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning,
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word.

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlight from heaven.
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning.
Born of the one light Eden saw play.
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day

Supporting Scriptures:
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day." Genesis 1:1-5

"Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good" Genesis 1:11-12

"God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness." Genesis 1: 16-18

"Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground." Genesis 2:5-6

"And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”...God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." Genesis 1:20, 22

"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1:27-28

Now Let Us Come Before Him/Bonhoeffer

I am reading the New York Times bestseller Bonhoeffer:Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy--A Righteous Gentile vs. the Third Reich by Eric Metaxas. I can hardly put it down! Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a very exciting figure to many people in light of how he lived and died for his convictions in attempts to dismantle the Third Reich from the inside. He was a great man of faith in Jesus Christ and determined to live radically in the will of God--even to the point of death.

Metaxas explores how the 'church of Luther' had shockingly weakened so much that it had capitulated to Hitler by the 1930s. How did it get to such a state? The true gospel (summed up by Bonhoeffer as 'costly grace') had gradually been perverted and replaced by 'cheap grace'. This is that there is a kind, jolly God who just loves and forgives everyone, so it doesn't matter how one lives. Legalism also grew and meant that God loved you because you were disciplined and pulled yourself together, living a good life.

While just a boy of thirteen, Dietrich's brother Walter was killed fighting for Germany in WWI. It devastated the whole family, but it served to mold Dietrich into the man he would become. His mother was a capable woman deeply in love with her husband, her family, and her Savior. She frequently lead singing in their home. That last evening of the year, 1918-19, they sang Paul Gerhardt's New Year's Eve hymn "Now let us go singing and praying, and stand before our Lord, Who has given our life strength until now." His family and his times readied him to stand up to incredible evil with a passion for Truth and a commitment for justice on behalf of those who were targeted by this evil, the Jews.NetHymnal is a great site to obtain the history of thousands of hymns, ancient and recent, including Now Let Us Come Before Him which the Bonhoeffers sang that night... The link is http://nethymnal.org/htm/l/nlucbhim.htm You can immediately hear the melody and see the lyrics. It was put into English in 1867, but the Bonhoeffers would have sung it in the old German text of Gerhardt.

Paul Gerhardt--1653

Lyrics:
Now let us come before Him,
With song and prayer adore Him,
Who to our life hath given
All needed strength from Heaven.

The stream of years is flowing,
And we are onward going,
From old to new surviving
And by His mercy thriving.

In woe we often languish
And pass through times of anguish
Of wars and trepidation
Alarming every nation.

As mothers watch are keeping
O’er children who are sleeping,
Their fear and grief assuaging
When angry storms are waging.

So God His own is shielding
And help to them is yielding.
When need and woe distress them,
His loving arms caress them.

O Thou Who dost not slumber,
Remove what would encumber
Our work, which prospers never
Unless Thou bless it ever.

O God of mercy, hear us;
Our Father, be Thou near us;
Mid crosses and in sadness
Be Thou our Fount of gladness.

Supporting Scriptures: This video of Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing contains the entire 91st Psalm in text. (music only in a fantastic arrangement by Paul Cardall, pianist)

"Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." Psalm 121:4
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"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 33-39

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"The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers." Deuteronomy 30:9

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"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth." Hebrews 11:13

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, by Selah with scenes from The Nativity Story

The Nativity Story (used for this video - not the best visual quality) gives us the context of a Jewish nation in the midst of oppression. Historians tell us the following:
Hebrew identity was maintained through a deep spiritual conviction that Yahweh had chosen them to play a unique role in the history of the world. In particular, the Jewish people had come to expect a Messiah who, they believed, would enable them to fulfill this divine mission. There were differing understandings of the mission and role of the Messiah ranging from the establishment of a Jewish political kingdom here on earth to the idea of a heavenly kingdom at the end of the world.

Religion and politics were deeply intertwined in Hebrew faith and self-understanding. By the time of Jesus' birth, the Romans had established a two-tiered system of government consisting of Roman overseers and Jewish leaders who exercised control in the name of Rome. This was the system of power in which the family of Herod the Great grew to prominence.

Although half-Jews, the Herodian family was detested by the Jewish people for its tyrannical rule and also because of its key role in selling out the Jewish heritage to a foreign power. One of Herod's sons, Archelaus, was so brutal in his exercise of power in Jerusalem, that Rome replaced him with one of its own governors, Pontius Pilate, who was to play a significant role in the crucifixion of Jesus.

Another of the sons, Herod Antipas, was responsible for the beheading of John the Baptist. It was the same Antipas who is accredited with the mocking of Jesus at his pre-crucifixion trial.

Lyrics:

Oh come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!

Oh come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Thy people with Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight

Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!

Oh come, Thou rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave

Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!
Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!

Supporting Scriptures:
4 Old Testament prophesies-

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners." Isaiah 61:1

"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord—...
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. " Isaiah 11:1-2, 4 (and all of Isaiah 11)

"And thou, child (speaking of John the Baptist, forerunner of Jesus), shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us,
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." Luke 1: 76-79

New Testament fulfillment-
"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.' " Matthew 1:23

“And he (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began said to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4: 16-21

O Little Town Of Bethlehem, by Fernando Ortega

Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

Fernando Ortega performs this old Christmas favorite to a new melody.

The original music was written by Louis H. Redner from St. Louis in 1868. The old favorite can be found at http://nethymnal.org/htm/o/l/olittle.htm According to NetHymnal, Phillips Brooks, who penned the words in 1867, wrote about his horse­back jour­ney from Je­ru­sa­lem to Beth­le­hem, where he as­sist­ed with the mid­night ser­vice on Christ­mas Eve, 1865:

"I re­mem­ber stand­ing in the old church in Beth­le­hem, close to the spot where Je­sus was born, when the whole church was ring­ing hour after hour with splen­did hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I could hear voic­es I knew well, tell­ing each other of the Won­der­ful Night of the Sav­ior’s birth."

Lyrics:
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!

These last three verses of words are sung in the original hymn by Brooks:

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.

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!

Supporting Scriptures:
"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:4-7

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“Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you shall come for Me One who will be Ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2 Old Testament prophesy
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"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:8-14

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"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.” Matthew 2: 1-12