The Coming of the Lord

Ever since I became a Christian, I have watched a number of high-profile leaders predict the date of the return of Christ. To be sure, teaching about His soon return is important. Paul addresses it in 1 Timothy 4 and other places. Peter talks about the return in 2 Peter 3. He addresses the claims of God's "slowness" in returning. There was some anxiety going on amongst the believers. In Paul's case, he doesn't discuss the "when" but some of the "how." He was writing because of anxieties among the believers. In both cases, they had lost focus. Molly Law asks Christians the question today, "How Has the End Times Become a Moral Panic?" These three paragraphs are perhaps the most important part of the article:

"As humans, we are obsessed with numbers, codes, and patterns. We strive to find meaning in a predetermined set of numbers to give us a sense of control — to quell the fears that accompany the details found in the Book of Revelation.

"The purpose of Revelation is to provide Christians with the assurance that God has a plan for the broken world we live in. The entire Bible reveals His love for us through His plan from the very beginning.

"The very last book lets us know that the devil will be defeated, along with death, and that a New Heaven and New Earth will be created for us to exist in perfect peace with our Savior for eternity.

We become anxious and distracted from our calling when our focus is on our desire to get out of here rather than on the One Who fulfills our desires. Those who believe are His. He has told us so. He has the present and the future in His hands and has not given us all of the details but instead says, "Trust Me. I have got you!" He then paints the picture of our future with Him.

https://mailchi.mp/9b14cc533af0/ruth-haley-barton-contemplative-corruption-part-2?e=169825fd77