What if all the money and time spent on end-of-time talk were spent on making the lives of people better today? By the way, I do not deny the Lord’s Second Coming, I just do not get caught up with details only known to God. The disciples thought after the Ascension that they were living in the end times in which they would be elevated from being mere disciples to rulers in the kingdom of Israel, and then to lordship over all the kingdoms of the world with Jesus being the emperor. They mistakenly thought of the future in a narrow, nationalistic sense. Such a narrow, nationalistic sense was out of touch with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Likewise, when we think of ourselves to the exclusion of the word, we too have become narrow and nationalistic (Acts 1:1-11).

Jesus’ answer to the “million-dollar question is to stop speculating about the end-time! Rather, start bearing witness to the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Such witnessing is far more effective than end-time predictions. This message of hope and restoration is not only for Israel as the disciples thought but for the whole world. It is not only for Christians and the United States but for the whole world. This message of hope and restoration takes root here and branches out into our community and into the world as we share and bear witness to God’s love in word and deed.