Be Ready

It's hard to escape the news about Harold Camping's prediction that the world would end on May 21, 2011.  Well, that day has come and gone and the world is still here. So, what are we to make of Harold Camping's prediction?  Simply put, he's not listening to Jesus.  Jesus said in Matthew 24:36, "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."  By making this bold prediction in opposition to the teaching of Jesus, Camping is making Jesus out to be a liar or at least incompetent, because he's claiming he knows!  That's an arrogance no sound student of God's Word would ever dare approach.  

So, Harold Camping is wrong, but how did he react?  In a statement he gave yesterday to the media at his Family Radio International headquarters in Oakland, CA, he said that he made a "mathematical error" missing the date by five months.  Furthermore, he declared May 21, 2011 as a "spiritual Judgment Day" to awaken people's hearts, and now, October 21, 2011 is the real end of the world date. (Check out this article to get the full story.)  Once again, he'll gain the attention of the media and his faithful followers as he attempts to play the role of God and drag Jesus' words through the mud. 

Yet, in all his error, there is one thing we should take note of:  Be ready!  (Matthew 24:44)  We don't know when Christ will return to take home His followers and judge the world, but we do know how to be ready.  The work of God is this, to believe in the one he sent (John 6:29).  There is NO room for error in this.  If you fail to believe in Jesus before you die or He returns, you miss your opportunity (John 14:6).  If you haven't made the decision to follow Jesus, it's not worth the risk to wait and see what will happen.  Find a local Bible-believing church and discover what it means to have a relationship with Jesus.  We don't know when he'll return, but we do know how to be ready.

Luke 12:38 - It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.