Today Times NOT End Times

³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. -Matthew 24:36-37

 ⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. -Matthew 24:42-44



From Wikipedia:

The 2011 end times prediction made by Christian radio host Harold Camping states that the Rapture (in premillennial theology, the taking up into heaven of God's elect people) will take place on May 21, 2011at 6 p.m. local time (the rapture will sweep the globe time zone by time zone) and that the end of the world as we know it will take place five months later on October 21, 2011.  Camping, president of the Family Radio Christian network, claims the Bible as his source and says May 21 will be the date of the Rapture and the day of judgment "beyond the shadow of a doubt".  His followers claim that around 200 million people (approximately 3% of the world's population) will be raptured.


Funny, I don't know of any churches in my area that have cancelled services for Sunday!  I've read that millions of dollars have gone to fund this doomsday campaign.  Money that could have gone to feed the hungry or help those who have been affected by recent disasters, or for clean water for underdeveloped nations... or who knows what else.

This is the main problem with "end times" speculation... it makes the heart passive.  Why continue to work for the world's redemption?  Why get involved with social issues?  Why work for God's kingdom on earth? ... when it's all over anyway.

I believe this is the very reason we are told,  ¹ Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,  ² for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2).  I think if a thief put up a billboard outside my house saying that he was going to rob me at a specific date and time, I would have the police waiting for him when he came.

God doesn't want us to be concerned with end times.  That's his job.  We are to be concerned with "today times."  We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and visit the sick and imprisoned.  We are to "go into all the world" making disciples... not 11th hour converts.  We are to bring Christ's love and grace to a world that is in need of Christ's love and grace.

I've read that on average, 150,000 people die world-wide every day.  So for approximately 150,000 people, May 21 will indeed be judgment day.  And so will today and so will May 22.  The point is, do what God would have you be doing today, because we don't know our own day and hour.  Not that we should live in fear of judgement, but that we should be doing our best because we love God and want his kingdom to rule on earth.

See you at church Sunday!

Father,
Help us to serve you in love, not fear.  Help us to live each day as you would have us live.  Amen.

Joys:  open-window weather; good books; Friday!