Where was Jesus Born?

The Bible chronicles Jesus Christ’s birth in Matthew 1:18–25; 2:1–12; Luke 1:26–38; and 2:1–20. At the time of Mary’s pregnancy, a decree by Caesar Augustus went out that “all the world should be registered” (Luke 2:1). This meant that every person in the Roman Territory was required to return to the city of their ancestors to be counted in a census.

Joseph lived in Nazareth at the time but needed to travel south to the region of Judea, “to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David” (Luke 2:4). Naturally, Joseph took his betrothed, Mary, to go with him to be counted as a member of his family. Thus, the young couple ended up in the small town of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth.

This location aligns with the prophecy foretold by Micah, proclaiming that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2).

Because so many had returned to Bethlehem for the census, the small city was overflowing with people. There was no room for Mary and Joseph in the inn, which forced them to take refuge in the only place available—a shelter for animals, Lambs in particular!

It is a very strong possibility that the animal shelter in which Jesus was born was a place in the northern part of Bethlehem called Migdol Eder. This was a watchtower with a place underneath that shepherds used during the lambing season to shelter the newborn lambs that would later be used as sacrifices in the Jerusalem temple.

The prophet Micah, who foretold Bethlehem as the place of the Messiah’s birth, also mentions Migdol Eder: “As for you, watchtower of the flock [Hebrew, Migdol Eder], stronghold of Daughter Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem” (Micah 4:8).

This may be why, when the heralding angels gave the sign that the baby would be “wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger,” the shepherds seemed to know exactly where to look.

One thousand years earlier, David was born in the little town of Bethlehem. One day David would become King of Israel, but as a young man, David was a Priestly Sheppard in the hills and valleys of Bethlehem. It was the sacred duty of a Priestly Shepherd to watch over the sacrificial sheep used in the temple worship. And the Priestly Shepherd watched over newborn Lambs from the Tower of Migdol.

Migdal Eder or Tower of the Flock was constructed as a place for watching over the sheep. On the ground floor, a room was designated for the delivery and protection of special lambs. Here they kept for the sacred little lambs, with a holy role, a Manger, ceremonially clean.

Luke 2:6-15 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7. 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.
8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15. 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.
16. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And the Shepherds did find the babe, for they understood what the sign meant. They knew to look for the Messiah in the manger at the watchtower in Bethlehem. The Shepherd’s knew the prophecy of the Prophet Micah, who foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. They also knew Micah foretold where to look in Bethlehem. The Messiah King would come to the “the tower of the flock.”

Micah 4:8 “And thou, O tower of the flock the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.”

Darrell G. Young

Focus On Jerusalem Prophecy Ministry

For God So Loved

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
 
   All Christians seem to know this verse by heart. It is also a verse that is well recognized even by the non-Christian world. It is in fact the Gospel, in a nutshell!

   But upon closer analysis, it expresses the deepness of the love of God, and the extent to which He would go to prove his love!

   Remember when you were young and head over heels in love, perhaps for the very first time? I remember those days! My first Love was deep and drove me to expend every waking moment thinking of ways to win my loves, love in return!

   I’d tell her that; I love you “SO MUCH;” that “I’d climb the highest mountain, or swim the deepest ocean, or walk a million miles through a snowstorm,” to demonstrate to you how much I Love You.

   Well, John 3:6 very simply. equates something very similar about God’s love for you and me.
God is saying; “I love you “SO MUCH” that I am willing to demonstrate my love by takin an action. The action that God took, was to “give his only son” to die to pay the purchase the price of our sins to Save Us!

   So the next time you read John 3:16; stop on that line: “For God SO LOVED,” and think about how much he truly loves YOU, and the extent to which he has gone to prove it!

Darrell G. Young
Focus on Jerusalem Prophecy Ministry
Dec. 15, 2019

How Long Did it Take God to Create the World

Darrell G. Young

Sept. 10, 2019

If God created the world; as the Bible plainly states: How long did it take God to create the World?

This question has been debated & theorized about for thousands of years.

Cosmologists insist that because of the vastness of space and the relative speed of light; that the universe must be billions of years old. In fact the great vastness of Space is due to the fact that God “stretched” out the heavens; and in so doing created the appearance of eons of light years!

Many theologians will suggest that the world is approximately 6-10,000 years old; and that God created it in just 6 days!

Still other commentators suggest that there was a Gap between the initial creation process and the finished product. Some even support the Big Bang theory and a type of Theistic Evolutionary oversight over a long period of time.

But all of these educated guesses miss the mark entirely. They do not take fully into account what the “Creator” himself has said about how long it took to make the world, and all the things that exist!

The simple answer is: It took God absolutely “NO TIME” whatsoever to make all that exists in our universe! Yes; you read that right, it took God No Time at all! None!

Psalms 33:6-10 indicates that by the mere power of the Word of God, and upon his audible pronouncements, it came into existence!

Hebrews 11:3 indicates that God did not even need pre-existing matter to produce his designs!

Oh, I know full well that Genesis One conveys the idea that God created the world in 6 days. But these 24 hour creation-modules that would later become designated as “Days” were pre-designed for mankind’s affinity for judging time.

Time did not exist until God finished his great 6-Phased construction project! In fact, God is beyond time and space; and in reality invented our concept of dimensional time! God was not, and still is not confined to our dimension of time-progression, distance, nor even to our universe of matter and energy!

In fact, everything God brought into existence in his grand Construction Project was designed upon completion to be a perfect habitat and environment for mankind to Live in.

Isaiah 45:18 For this saith the Lord that created the heavens, (space) God himself that formed the Earth, and made it, he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited! (By man)

Only the Earth was so prepared! And God did all this outside of TIME!

Then just before God created Man, and planted him upon Earth, he formed the Sun, the Moon & the stars for Light, and also placed them perfectly for enabling the calculation of TIME by man.

Sir Issac Newton, the great scientist; once postulated; “the reason I know there is a Creator, is because “Motion” has been imputed into everything in the cosmos.” Everything moves with great precision and can be calculated in its circuits.

Thus, when God completed his 6-stage pronouncements of Space, Matter, Light, habitat for men and provided the Stars; he stepped back; inspected it all for accuracy and goodness; then He gave it all MOTION, MOTION! Motion begat Time! Then TIME began! Time has been ticking ever since; and Time will continue until God stops it!

How long did it take God to create the world?

NO TIME AT ALL / HE’s GOD! He dwells in the non-dimensional realm known as ETERNITY!

Perhaps; you should consider the hope of enjoying Eternity with God, when your time on earth expires.

Pastor: Darrell G Young

Focus on Jerusalem Prophecy Ministry

Do Angels Appear to People Today?

Darrell G. Young

Sept. 11, 2019

There is an increasing interest in angels today. In fact, there seems to be more interest in Angels than interest in God, who created the Angels! We know that God created angels, and He uses angels in His plan.

From a casual reading of Scripture, a person might get the idea that angelic appearances were somewhat common in the ancient world, but that is not the case. The first appearance of angels in the Bible is in Genesis 3:24, when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. God placed cherubim to block the entrance with a flaming sword. The next noted angelic appearance is in Genesis 16:7, about 1,900 years later.

However, these two records of angelic appearances don't take into account the prospect of "Fallen Angels" visiting Earth in the pre-flood era and manifesting themselves in bodily form to "take and use the daughters of mankind" for the devious plot to contaminate the "seed-line" of Adam to produce the Promised Seed of the Woman. (Genesis 3:15)

Abraham was visited by God and two angels in Genesis 18:2, when God informed him of the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The same two angels visited Lot and instructed him to escape the city with his family before it was destroyed (Genesis 19:1-11). These angelic visitations occurred about 300 years after the Great Flood.

When angels appear, those who see them are often struck with fear (see Judges 6:22; 1 Chronicles 21:30; Matthew 28:5). Angels deliver messages from God and do His bidding, sometimes by supernatural means. In every case, the angels point people to God and give the glory to Him. Holy angels refuse to be worshiped. On the other hand, Fallen Angels will engage any admiration, so beware!

God is still as active in the world as He has always been, and His angels are certainly still at work. Just as angels protected God's people in the past, we can be assured that they are guarding us today. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” As we obey God's commands, it is quite possible that we may encounter His angels, even if we do not realize it.

In special circumstances, God has allowed His people to see His unseen angels! But it is very rare! It is rare today, because God expects us to Live by Faith, and grow in that faith!

We must always heed the warnings of Scripture concerning angelic beings: there are fallen angels who work for Satan who will do anything to subvert and destroy us. Galatians 1:8 warns us to beware of any “new” gospel, even if it is delivered by an angel. Colossians 2:18 warns against the worship of angels. Every time in the Bible when men bowed down before angels, those beings firmly refused to be worshiped. Any angel who receives worship, or who does not give glory to the Lord Jesus, is an imposter. Second Corinthians 11:14-15 states that Satan and his angels disguise themselves as angels of light in order to deceive and lead astray anyone who will listen to them.

We can take courage in the knowledge that God's angels are at work. In special circumstances, we might even have one of those rare personal visitations. Greater than that knowledge, however, is the knowledge that Jesus Himself has said, “Surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Jesus Christ is beyond all angels and all humans, and He alone is worthy of our worship.

Hebrews 1:1-4 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
4. Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Darrell G Young

Focus On Jerusalem Prophecy Ministry

• Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen to Good People?

Darrell G. Young

Focus on Jerusalem Prophecy Ministry
July 30, 2019

Many people ask the question, "why does God allow bad things to happen to good people." The short answer is we live in a world that is by nature given to a state of pain and suffering, even death. It is simply the nature of this present fallen world, a world that is in total rebellion against the God that made it! And lest we forget, the world the Creator brought into existence was a good world; and a world devoid of pain and suffering. It is surreal that we even dare ask of God why bad things happen to us! 

The very proposition of this question is presumptuous. Why does anyone believe that they are good? By what standard of measure do we use to think that we are good, and should be exempt from bad things happening to us? We must remember that here are no “good people”, in the absolute sense of the word. All of us are tainted by & infected with sin.

Mark 10:18  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

While Bad things may happen to good people in this world, this world is not the FINAL outcome. God sometimes uses the bad things for an ultimate, eternal good. “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”

Bad things may happen to good people, but those bad things equip believers for a deeper ministry. God comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ”. Those with the battle scars of bad experiences in this world are often better equipped to help those going through the bad things.

Bad things will happen to good people and to all people, as long as we are in this world; but the worst things happened to the very best Person (the only good one) that ever lived. Jesus was the only truly Righteous One, yet He suffered far more than we can even imagine, and endured that suffering on our behalf, in order to ransom us into a Good World. 

God allows all things to happen for a reason. Whether or not we understand His reasons, we must remember that God is good, just, loving, & merciful. 

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Sometimes, in a Fallen World, bad things will happen to us that we simply cannot understand. 
Unfortunately, oftentimes, people query as to "why God allows bad things to happen to people, whether good or bad; but they fail to place the blame on our adversary, the Devil, who is actually seeking to destroy all of us! Were it not for the Love of God, only Bad Things would ever happen to anyone! Thank God for the Good!

Instead of doubting God’s goodness, or wondering why bad things happen to us; our reaction should always be to trust Him. 

And one final point; Should God prevent Bad things from happening to Good people, while allowing Bad things to happen only to Bad people? That isn’t a God of Love, is it? I prefer the God who Loved us while we were yet sinners! 

(Romans 5:8) But God commended his love toward us, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart & lean not on your own understanding; 
Romans 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

I Peter 3:12-13 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 13. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?