Over the last two thousand years, there have been many people who have claimed to know the date of the end of the world. In Paul's day, people expected Jesus to return soon, and even though Jesus had warned them that no one knew the day or the time, there were those who claimed to know, just as they do today. Paul is warning them not to believe in those who make false claims and to remain firm in their faith.
What difference would it make in your life if you thought that the world would end in six months and Jesus would return? What changes would you make?
Okay, stop here and think about this.
Now, if you said that you would pray more, be a kinder, more forgiving person, let people know that you love them, then why don't you start now.
After all, you don't know if you have six months to live or sixty years to live. No one knows the day or the hour when their life will end.
There are people born who don't see their first birthday and those who are still alive at one hundred. There are no guarantees.
What we do know is that we will die, and that one day Jesus will return. We don't know the order of these events.
Personally, I would rather be ready when I die, than worry about the end of the world.
I plan and look forward to the future because anticipation is half the fun. If I never make it, that's fine because the planning brought me joy.
Why would anyone want to sit around worrying about the future?
It will either happen or it won't, but we need to live in the now and if we don't feel ready to meet Jesus, then we need to figure out what needs to be done and do it.
If we're unsure, we can pray and Jesus will let us know what we need to do and will help us do it.
