2 Thessalonians 2

"Don't let anyone shake you up or get you excited over some breathless report." 2 Thessalonians 2:2 The Message

I grew up in a Jesus-Could-Come-At-Any-Minute culture. Sadly, I interpreted this not as a joyful message, but one of fear, dread of the day of Antichirst, (or, as he's referred to in this chapter, the Man of Sin) and terror about facing the "Time of Trouble Such as Never Was".

Fear makes us do crazy things. Once, when I was in college, a man came along preaching the imminent coming of Christ. A number of students quit school and went to live on a farm, waiting for the great event. A year or so later, I think only one of the students came back and continued their studies. They got excited over a "breathless report" and didn't follow the clear directive to be found at their labors when the master comes. (Luke 12:43)

I have heard the "be very afraid, Jesus is coming" message as recently as last fall, when a prominent spiritual leader made a YouTube video suggesting Jesus would come in March of 2019, or at the very least the "Time of Trouble" would start. Fortunately, I no longer really pay attention to such dire warnings. I do believe in the 2nd Coming of Christ, but I look forward to it as a time when wrongs will be righted and all the evils we experience now will end. I don't worry about The Man of Sin, or the Time of Trouble. I trust all those things to God. My focus is on living each day with joy and peace, with my Lord and Savior at my side.