BH Bulletin - Friday 20 August 2021

Thought for the Day by Alex Forrest ​(Voluntary Staff Worker)

2 Peter 3:3-5 & 8-9
3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

The world still feels crazy doesn’t it? It seems as if we’re just trying to move on from one crisis and we end up in another. Whenever a crisis happens (whether it’s a pandemic or the events in Afghanistan), people start getting a bit apocalyptic.
I think the majority of people in the world spend most of their lives trying to forget that one day everything will end and Jesus will return. We get so focused on our day-to-day lives and the little things, we become complacent and “deliberately forget” (v.5) that this day is coming. We ignore and scoff about the idea that everything in this Earth is finite and will be brought to an end when Jesus returns.
Jesus has promised to come back, he is patiently calling all to repent in preparation for that day. This day will come and we should never forget that. But as God’s people, we also don’t need to fear it. It will be a day of destruction, but ultimately of peace, as every disaster and crisis the world faces, is brought to an end. Live each day for that day.

---

A message from Phil