The End of the World: Some Thoughts

By David Ryser

Jesus is coming.  Look busy.   (My all-time favorite bumper sticker)

One of the mixed blessings that comes with having the title of “doctor” in front of my name is that people ask me a lot of questions.  Normally I enjoy the interaction that comes from considering a thoughtful question.  At other times I am struck by how we Christians can be so concerned about things that don’t really matter.

For example, I am regularly asked about my opinion of the end of the world.

I don’t often get this question when the economy is robust and life is easy.  I usually get it when times are tough for the person asking the question.  I’m happy to respond to the question, but most people don’t understand the answer.

So before I share my answer, it may help to explain how I arrived at it.

It was March of 1997.  I had been in the professional ministry for 13 years.  And I was at the end of myself.  I was tired, burned out, fed up, and spiritually comatose.  My faith, once characterized by an intense love for Jesus, was on life support.  I was going through the motions, but had no passion for Jesus or the work of His kingdom.

I was, in short, a typical pastor.

Then one night I attended (somewhat against my will, I might add) a revival meeting held by people who had been mightily touched by God.  The congregation was made up of people who were passionate lovers of Jesus.  They prayed and worshiped with all their heart.  Their passion and intensity instantly convinced me of two things:  1) They loved Jesus, and 2) I did not.  I wanted to love Jesus.  I used to love Jesus.  Could I be in love with Him again?

And the service hadn’t even started!

The worship service was powerful.  The presence of God was so strong, even I could feel it.  I basked in Him.  It had been so long since I’d last experienced Him so tangibly.  How could I have lost Him?  Could I find Him again?

Then the preaching began.

But this wasn’t preaching like I had expected.

The simple country preacher humbly spoke about how he had encountered God.  This pastor had been broken, burned out, used up, and ready to quit.  In his lowest hour, God had come and restored his life and his strength.  Jesus became real to him like never before.  This man of God had come alive again and was living in the presence, love, and power of God.

And then this pastor asked us if we wanted what he had.

Did I want what he had?  Does a land animal crave oxygen?  Yes, I wanted what he had!  I didn’t know if I could get it, or even what “it” was exactly, but I thought I would die without it.

God finds that kind of desperation irresistible.

As I received prayer at the end of the service, I began to feel hope come alive in me.  The love and life of God began to be poured into me, displacing the disappointment, pain, and death.

And I began to fall in love with Jesus all over again.  In a moment…on that night…in that place…my world ended.

So when people ask my opinion of the end of the world, my response tends to be, “What world?”

Most folks find this response unsatisfying.  And they assume I’ve misunderstood the question.  So they reword it.  They ask, “Do you believe that Jesus is coming soon?”  And I tell them that, for me, Jesus has already come.

He came when my world ended.

You see, I don’t live in my world any longer.  I live in God’s kingdom.  I’m experiencing the truth of the words of John the Baptist and Jesus:  “The Kingdom of God is at hand.”  It’s near.  It’s here.  And I’m living in it.

I experience the presence of God every day.  God’s kingdom, as with any kingdom, is where the King reigns.  If God lives and reigns in me, then I am in His kingdom.  If not….

It really is just that simple.  Of course, one should not confuse simple with easy.

It can be tough living in a kingdom.  Especially if you are full of yourself.  I’ve discovered that what I want is not always what the King wants.  And in a kingdom, the king rules.  He always gets what he wants.  I don’t always get to have things my way.

Jesus is the King of Kings.  He’s not the Burger King.

Do I believe Jesus is coming again to rule over a new heaven and earth?  Yes.  And I yearn to see Him and experience Him in ways not possible before.  To know Him as I am known by Him.  To reach out and touch Him as He goes by and hold onto His feet if only for a few seconds.  That would be heaven for me.

You can keep your mansions.  There aren’t any mansions, anyhow.  Read your Bible…and not in English.

Is the world coming to an end?  My world has already ended.  Is Jesus coming?  He has already come.  Am I looking forward to seeing Him?  More than you could ever know.

Responses to this article are welcomed.  You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com