The end of all things is near,
Peter says—
words that fall heavy,
like the first rumble
of a coming storm.
Not simply the end of hardship,
but the truth that this world
is winding toward its appointed finish.
Jesus will return—
suddenly, unmistakably—
while life hums along
as though nothing is changing.
So we kneel,
as He knelt in Gethsemane,
and let our To-Do Lists burn away
until only the necessary things remain.
Faithfulness grows best
when we live in the light
of His coming.
And in the meantime—
we learn to relate with grace.
Grace in our homes,
our conversations,
our conflicts.
Because God has dealt with us
with costly love—
the blood of Jesus shed
to make us His.
Precious, undeserved,
a gift that shapes
how we treat each other.
We practice eternity now:
offering hospitality freely,
using the gifts the Spirit gives,
refusing to settle
for being spectators.
But Peter is honest—
faithfulness will be tested.
Trials will come like fire,
and some have already faced
the fiercest flames.
We remember the twenty-one
who stood firm in Libya,
and Mathew who watched their courage
and said,
“Their God is my God,”
choosing Christ
even as he joined them
in death and glory.
Their suffering
was a sharing in Christ’s own,
and so is ours.
The fire that touches believers
is not the fire that destroys—
Jesus has borne that.
What reaches us now
refines, purifies,
burns away the illusions
that we can stand alone.
It drives us to trust,
to kneel,
to endure.
So take heart.
God is faithful.
Let us remain steadfast,
living with grace,
walking with courage,
waiting with hope.
Come, Lord Jesus—
come.
Original message by Sean Tan, The Bridge Church Macquarie Park NSW
23 November 2025
The Afterword 
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