THE BETHLEHEM CANDLE

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.”
‭‭Micah‬ ‭5:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/mic.5.2.nlt

“Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the rign of King Herod.”  Matthew 2:1A

Today is the second Sunday in the Advent Season.  Today I light the purple Bethlehem Candle.  It is also known as the Candle of Preparation.  I went to church this morning expecting to have a Holy Moment with God.  I had many Holy Moments.  God met me in exceedingly abundant ways I never even thought of.  From the worship I sang over and over, “He split the seas so I could walk right through” and “I am a child of God”  Thanks for the worship experience Shannon Darymple.  And then Justin Graves message speaking right to the place I needed to hear.  “How do I function in God’s Silence.”  “God is more interested in the process than He is in the progress.”  “God is with me in the process.”  “The preparation makes me who I am.”  And then finally, “Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is thy faithfulness…”

So now I light the Candle of Preparation and it takes on whole new meaning for me.  I am in a season of Preparation.  God prepared Jesus for thirty years before Jesus set out for ministry.  God prepared Isreal for centuries before He sent them their Messiah.  God doesn’t waste the preparation years.  The church, the body of Christ, The Bride of Christ is also in a season of preparation.  We need to be preparing for Jesus’ return.  He promised He will return.

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, and trust also in me.  There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.  I fthis were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.  And you know the way to where I am going.”  John 14:1-4

“The master will return unannounced and unexpected.”  Matthew 24:50

“In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door.”  Matthew 24:33

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea the first time He came to earth.  He will return very soon.  This time it will be anything but quiet.  The sky will roll back and a trumpet will sound.  His return will be unexpected, but it will happen.  We must be prepared.  The word prepare means “to be ready!”  We are in that season of preparation and as Justin said this morning, “During the season of preparation, we must be obedient.”