End Times?

        I'm sure many of you have heard about or seen the catastrophes occurring in Japan.  If you have absolutely no clue what the heck I'm talking about, it's time for you to start watching the news or reading the newspaper.  A massive earthquake produced a devastating tsunami that's already taken the lives of many in Japan.  The most we can do right now is pray for Japan and do what we can to help.  Seeing this on the news today made me stop and think about what I read in the book of Revelations not too long ago.  So many disasters and catastrophes that will occur on earth in the last days are described in the pages of Revelations.  It's easy to look at the news and say, "Yep.  The world's coming to an end soon."  Sure, it gets crazier and crazier all the time, but how do we really know?  How can we be sure when Jesus Christ will come back, and the world as we know it will end?  Truth is, we can't know.  Only God knows.  For years, people have tried to predict when the world will end.  Hey!  They're saying it's supposed to end in 2012!  Sorry to burst your bubble, guys, but you can't know for sure that 2012 is when the world's going to end.  You can try to back it up with as many scientific facts as you want, but only God knows.  2 Peter 3:8-14 says, " 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. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.  ¹¹ Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹² as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. ¹³ But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. ¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him."  I'm not saying that the world isn't going to end within a couple years, but I'm not saying it is, either.  Instead of worrying about when the world is going to end, we should all make our lives count and live every day like it was our last.  Sure, this has all been said many times before.  I'm just here to burn it into your brain that much more!