Christ Will Come Again, Stay Strong!

2 Peter 3: 1 My dear friends, this is now the second time I've written to you, both letters reminders to hold your minds in a state of undistracted attention. 2 Keep in mind what the holy prophets said, and the command of our Master and Savior that was passed on by your apostles. 3 First off, you need to know that in the last days, mockers are going to have a heyday. Reducing everything to the level of their puny feelings, 4 they'll mock, "So what's happened to the promise of his Coming? Our ancestors are dead and buried, and everything's going on just as it has from the first day of creation. Nothing's changed." 5 They conveniently forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into existence out of watery chaos by God's word. 6 Then God's word brought the chaos back in a flood that destroyed the world. 7 The current galaxies and earth are fuel for the final fire. God is poised, ready to speak his word again, ready to give the signal for the judgment and destruction of the desecrating skeptics. (The Message)

So, tomorrow may be the end of the world? If you believe that the Mayan Calendar truly has validity and don't take time to read that the Mayans knew that after tomorrow, the calendar starts over. I am not a gambling man nor do I place bets, but if I were, it's a sure bet that the world will not end tomorrow. But it will some day. Peter is addressing a serious challenge to the Christian faith since Jesus' day; "When is Jesus coming back? When will it all end?" Jesus gave clues and hints, but He also plainly said, "No one knows the time nor hour." But within our tradition as we celebrate the Lord's Supper we affirm, "Christ will come again." When? It doesn't matter if we're ready now. Many televangelists and writers have made some serious money predicting and aligning this with that and saying, "this is all part of the End Times," but the question really stays with us: Are you ready now? That's the point of Peter's message in today's passage, stay strong in the faith, and don't be distracted. Live your life as you should in the Lord and face each day with the hope and promise of telling at least one new person about this life we have in Jesus Christ. We have a new and better way to live and we are called to invite new followers into it. And even in the midst of doubters and nonbelievers, we stay strong. Christ will come again and I'm ready now.

Peter reminds us that out of chaos came order, and all through God's word. And it was God's word that brought destruction to those before the Flood. And it will be that the of the world will come through the spoken word of God. We live our lives ready.

To live with fear and doubt is not a way to live. We shortchange no one but ourselves. We miss out on so much if we cower and run from opportunities to speak to the fullness of God. We limit this or that and all in the name of the bad economy or prejudices we hold towards our leaders in our government and/or our churches. And who get harmed the most? Those living in fear. End that today and live a life like Jesus intended, full of life and love and hope in the God who will have the last word on all things.

PRAYER: Amazing God of creation and life, speak to those with fear and doubt in their hearts. Speak a word of truth and peace. Help us to raise our heads above the doom and despair shared by so many, towards the bright hope of a new day lived in God's love. Let me truly be a witness to those who need Jesus. I pray this with faith in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde