WordLive - Year OneSample

Prepare: Put the busyness of life aside. Get ready to meet the Lord by meditating prayerfully on Psalm 16:5 (GNB): ‘You, Lord are all I have, and you give me what I need; my future is in your hands.’ End of the world Down the ages many peoples have tried to predict the end of the world. Christians have also tried to work out when Christ will return. Harold Camping predicted that the Lord would return to take his people (as in 4:16,17) on 21 May 2011. He was mistaken! According to astrological predictions of ancient cultures, a cataclysmic world event is due to take place on 21 December 2012 (which gives us two months to get ready!). No need to fear The Thessalonians were desperate to know how to prepare for Christ’s return. They thought that knowing the date would help them. Whenever ‘prophets’ bandy about times and dates, we need to return to Jesus’ own teaching as Paul does here (compare with Matthew 24:36,37,42–44). There is no point trying to second-guess God and pinpoint a date, because Jesus’ return will be sudden and unexpected. But those who believe in Christ (‘sons of light’, v 5) don’t need to fear the future because Christ’s death means that God will spare us from judgement (v 9). What we can do is to be ready for him, by living each day in a way that honours God (v 8). Respond: The 2012 prediction may be worrying people you know. Take the opportunity to tell them what Jesus has said about the future. http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-10-29