Those of you who have been following these pastor's study articles during December will certainly expect something on the fourth Sunday in the Advent season.  The candle for that Sunday is the Bethlehem candle.  The significance of Bethlehem is that it was the birthplace of Jesus.  Only a small village then, it had no room for Joseph and Mary or arguably for other persons who had come to register in the census which Augustus Caesar ordered.  The innkeeper, seeing Mary's plight, offered her and Joseph the stable where the animals stayed.  It was better than nothing at all, wasn't it?  So Bethlehem had barely a little room for the messiah to be born.  Is that a parable for you and me?  Even if we have accepted Christ as our savior, how much room is there in our hearts for Him as our Lord?  Much?  Lilttle?  Only we can answer that question.

Good news to the earth.  Paul had a magnificent concept when he wrote to the Colossian church.  In Colossians 1:20, we read, "and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross."  When Jesus was born, God set in motion events which were to culminate in the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.  These events have activated the process of reconciliation by which God eventually will reconcile to himself all things.  Does that mean the earth?  Undoubtedly, it does.  If you have followed the arguments about global warming, etc., you will know that our planet seems to be in trouble.  Al Gore has said in his film, "An Inconvenient Truth," that we all must make changes in the way we live if we are gong to protect our environment for ourselves and for those who follow us.

I am not into politics on this thing; no one should be.  We are talking survival here.  I see hope in the birth and resurrection of Jesus.  Somehow there are principles of reconciliation in the life of Jesus which hold a key to the future of our planet.  I suspect that they are these:  Confession, repentance, forgiveness, and restoration.  That is, confession of sin against God and against His creation; repentance of our sin against God and against his creation; asking and receiving God's forgiveness, which will begin the process of reconciliation; and restoration, as we continue to live in repentance and forgiveness, changing our ways, God will heal and restore the planet and the environment.

This is possible if we will follow through on what we must do spiritually and physically.  Will you join me in promising to live this way now and in the future?