1 Peter 4:7-11
John 17:8-17
John 14:6
2 Peter 3:1-13
Proverbs 10:12
Pastor Ed Stetzer “Subversive Kingdom – Living as Agents of Gospel Transformation”
“Doing the King’s work requires us to live WITHIN the world in some ways and to rebel AGAINST it in others. God calls us to both. Living within the world involves us in a war, and in a war there are casualties.”
In 1904 “The Christian Work and The Evangelist” printed a thematically related brief item:
“The way the news from the seat of war is stated one day, reiterated the next day and “authoritatively contradicted” the day following forcibly illustrates the fact that truth often takes slow trains in war times and arrives at the station much behind time.”
Chuck Swindoll in his commentary writes:
“Being short on time requires urgency and simplicity. Scripture treats the end times in the same way. Over and over, it reminds us that the time is short or that the end is near. Peter switches into this mode of end-times urgency and simplicity with a somewhat puzzling phrase; ‘the end of all things is near’. I say ‘puzzling’ because nearly 2000 years later the end of all things – as far as I can tell – hasn’t happened yet. Was Peter wrong? No! The key to understanding Peter’s language comes from understanding the Christian doctrine of imminence.
The opening line literally says, ‘the goal of all things has come near.’ Peter pictures Christ in heaven at the right hand of the Father awaiting one word from the throne – GO! So, when the Bible speaks of the end as ‘near’ or ‘coming quickly’, it refers to the suddenness and unexpectedness of the return of Christ. That is, Christ could come at any moment.
In light of this ‘any moment’ view of Christ’s return and the unfolding of end-times judgments, Peter says we should respond with specific actions.”
What most people say before they die, according to top hospice Doctor Simran Malhotra – HEALTH HIGEST
“For healthcare professionals who work in the field of palliative and hospice care, providing support for terminally ill patients can give a rare insight into questions many of us face when contemplating life and our own mortality. ‘What really matters?’ is the question many of us want to know.
COMMON REGRETS IN THE END
When it comes to regrets, Dr. Malhotra asks patients about what holds personal meaning in their lives. ‘Two questions I ask almost all my patients are WHAT BRINGS JOY? And WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU? From these questions, I’ve found that people all have different stories, but their regrets are mostly the same nearing the end.’
Dr. Malhotra says that many patient responses reveal common threads that center around self-love and interpersonal connection. She shares that one of the three common regrets most frequently voiced by patients was not spending more time with loved ones, including years lost with a loved one due to a trivial disagreement.
Another common regret was having spent too much time on work rather than dedicating time to themselves or their families. Lastly, she has found that the third most common regret amongst patients was a lack of courage to pursue a life true to their innermost self, their passions, and their desires, rather than living for other people’s expectations.
Dr. Malhotra says there is a lot we can learn from their lived experiences. ‘Make time for your loved ones and don’t take them for granted. Life is short, and you never know when it will be your last day with someone. Work to live, don’t live to work. Be true to yourself. Follow your heart and pursue your passions. Don’t let others dictate how you should live your life. You’ll be much happier looking back on a life lived authentically, even if it wasn’t always easy. I’ve seen patients suffering from crippling symptoms like pain, difficulty breathing, social isolation, loss of control and independence. Yet the one thing that they all hold on to despite what they are going through IS HOPE. When the time does start to come near, I encourage all my patients and their families to share the things that matter most to them. The words ‘I LOVE YOU, ‘THANK YOU’, ‘PLEASE FORGIVE ME’, and ‘I FORGIVE YOU’ can mean the world to someone in their final moments, and I’ve seen firsthand how much of a difference it makes. When it comes to living fully, Dr. Malhotra encourages individuals to share their story and to find strength in a community of people that inspires and uplifts them. ‘Don’t be afraid to face your fears and embrace your vulnerabilities. These are the things that make us human and connect us to others. They are what make us real and raw and beautiful. In the end, we are all just human beings desperately searching for connection, love and meaning in our lives. We want to be seen, heard and understood. We want to know that we matter. That our lives have mattered.”