BOMB SCARE

2 Thessalonians 2:1-15
1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report, or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. . . . 13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

A 31-year-old man was charged with disorderly conduct following a bomb scare on a Qantas flight to Perth, Australia. While a flight attendant was stowing his carry-on in the luggage rack, the man remarked that his bag contained a bomb.

After the flight attendant told the captain, the plane immediately returned to the terminal and passengers were told to disembark. The police came and searched the man and his luggage, but no bomb was found.

We live in a time when terrorism is a real concern, and we never know what danger may lurk just ahead. As a result, we'd better not take any chances.

A list on the Internet, making light of our plight, states that an actuary (the person who calculates insurance risk) is "someone who brings a fake bomb on a plane, because that decreases the chances that there will be another bomb on the plane." Ha!

Just as the passengers on the Qantas flight felt threatened by an "actuary," the church in Paul's day was "unsettled and alarmed" by the reports of false prophets (2 Thessalonians 2:2). The apostle, however, challenged them not to panic or to be deceived by what was happening. Rather, they were to stand firm in their faith and hold on to the Word of God (v.15).

When we read in the news about terrorist threats, political instability, economic recession, natural disasters, and epidemics, we may wonder if Jesus is coming soon. According to Revelation 3:3, Jesus will come like a thief in the night, and we need to keep watch because we don't know the time of His return.

Let's not panic over what may be signs of the endtimes and get swayed by false prophecies. Instead, we can "stand firm" on the Word of God. That's the best way to be prepared for the day when Jesus comes back. --Joanna Lim

DESTINATION POINTS

* How can I stand firm in my faith and hold on to the Word of God?
* What can I learn from the five wise virgins in Matthew 25:1-13?
* If Jesus comes today, how prepared am I to face Him?

bottom line: Be prepared for Jesus' return.

soul journey