2 Thessalonians 2, selected verses; November 6-12, Year C:

This passage testifies to the certainty of dark days for the church near the end of the present age. There will be great deception, with Christians following false christs, and with many rebelling against the true faith. There will be delusions and false teachings, and great falling away. I'm sure that these things happen to a greater or lesser extent during every phase of church history; so to some degree, when we see these things happen in our own day, we are right to be on our guard and to be watchful for the Second Coming of Christ. But we dare not be so presumptuous as to predict times or days or years or seasons. Nowhere does the Bible give us warrant to do that. At the same time, this chapter closes on a hopeful note. It speaks of those who have been chosen from before the foundation of the world who will be sanctified and preserved. All of the elements of God's sovereignty are here--His love, His preservation, His election, His decrees. To some, these truths speak of an arbitrary, cold, and aloof God. Instead, we should think of this passage as a reminder that God cares very much for His world and is very much involved in its care--both spiritual and physical. This is an indication of how much God cares for His children. He will make us who believe in Christ more like Christ; and He will preserve and protect us to the end.