Judgement Day

The 5/21 verse of the day is from 1 Thes 5:21, "but test everything that is said.  Hold on to what is good."  (NLT)

Today is May, 21, 2011.  Most of us have heard 89 year old Harold Camping's prediction that the world will end today.  He is convinced of this and is telling the world, through his radio broadcasting, that Judgement Day is today.  There are billboards declaring that Judgement Day is May, 21, 2011.

Everything within me wishes that this poor misguided man was right on this.  I would be ecstatic if Jesus came back today and took all believers home to heaven.  But I'm not banking on it.  Only God knows when Christ will return, and, in His mercy, He has given the world more time to know His Son as their Savior.  One day, He will say, "Enough", but no one, but God, knows if that is today.

I've got plans to go to all four of our church services this weekend and celebrate baptisms of people who want to go public with the decision they have made to follow Christ.  I'm also cleaning house today to get it ready for the Open House we're having tomorrow.  I'm so hopeful that God will send the right buyer to be blessed in, and by, this house, so they can live in it for years to come.  That won't happen if today is Judgement Day. 

The Message says this about 1 Thes 5:19-21, "Don't suppress the Spirit, and don't stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don't be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what's good."

Harold Camping may mean well, but the bible is our source of truth.  It's so important that we know for ourselves what it says.  We don't have to listen to the beliefs of others and worry about what is going to happen, or when it is going to happen.  Living our lives to honor Jesus Christ, every day, is really living.  Living in anticipation of His return, whether it is today, tomorrow, next week, next year, or not even in our lifetime, is the way He wants us to live.  Be ready today, if God wants this to be the day.  Be ready at any point in your life that God appoints as the day of Christ's return to earth.  The way we do that is to read the bible and know how the Words of Life instruct us to live, and, then, live our lives to honor our Savior.

Within the bible, we find the truth of what God says about May 21, 2011, being Judgement Day.  It says, "But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven's angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows."  Believe it, friends, and just live your lives as if He could return ANY day.  The truth is, it could be anytime, but only God knows that for sure.  Let's just let Him be God and make that decision.  He is so much better at it than we are.