Is the World coming to an end soon?

Recently a question was submitted on the site wanting to know if the end of the world is coming soon based on the Mayan Calendar ending on December 21^st, 2012.  (An interesting article from USAToday.)  If you look on the Internet or talk to people about the end of time, you’ll discover that this speculation has been going on for centuries.  My mother and father lived during World War II and they even thought that Hitler was the Anti-Christ and that he would cause the end of times.  People and events have always amplified the thoughts of end of the world.  Even in the Bible, people were asking about the end of times.

People are trying to figure out how everything will end.  At churches, I have been involved with groups reading the book of Revelation with the hopes to figure out what is going to happen when the end comes.  We want to know when the end of the world is going to happen, but if you think about it, what good would it be?  Christ talked about this.  Read the following:

“But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.  “The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah’s. Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. They knew nothing—until the flood hit and swept everything away.  “The Son of Man’s Arrival will be like that: Two men will be working in the field—one will be taken, one left behind; two women will be grinding at the mill—one will be taken, one left behind. So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up.  “Who here qualifies for the job of overseeing the kitchen? A person the Master can depend on to feed the workers on time each day. Someone the Master can drop in on unannounced and always find him doing his job. A God-blessed man or woman, I tell you. It won’t be long before the Master will put this person in charge of the whole operation.  “But if that person only looks out for himself, and the minute the Master is away does what he pleases—abusing the help and throwing drunken parties for his friends—the Master is going to show up when he least expects it and make hash of him. He’ll end up in the dump with the hypocrites, out in the cold shivering, teeth chattering.”  Matthew 24:36-51 (MSG)

You will never know!  Should you live your life as if it is tomorrow?  Do you live your life like nothing will ever change your course?  Are you going to waste your time?  Are you only looking out for yourself?  Are you going to be vigilant?