A song unexpectedly played on my study playlist today, and as the melody filled the room, I glanced at the accompanying image. In that moment, a powerful quote from The Lord of the Rings echoed in my mind—the exchange between Gandalf and Pippin:
PIPPIN: "I didn't think it would end this way."
GANDALF: "End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it."
PIPPIN: "What? Gandalf? See what?"
GANDALF: "White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise."
PIPPIN: "Well, that isn't so bad."
GANDALF: "No. No, it isn’t."
We are all moving steadily in one direction, and that path leads to death. It is a reality we must all confront. Death comes for all men. In Adam, all die. But for those who are in Christ, death is not the end—it is the doorway to life everlasting.
For the believer, death is not a cold, dark finality but the beginning of a journey into a land far more beautiful than anything we could imagine. A land our minds cannot fully comprehend. Even the most stunning art or the most vivid concept falls woefully short of capturing the glory that awaits.
The Kingdom of God is real—just as real as the mountains of Colorado or the beaches of Florida. We may not see it now, but its reality is certain. Just because I cannot see the mountains doesn’t mean they aren’t there. I simply need to take the journey to reach them. Likewise, the Kingdom of God is near, and if we truly grasped the glory that is to come—the majesty of Christ reigning in His Kingdom—we would live differently.
We would work, we would strive, we would act, and we would hope with every fiber of our being for that Kingdom to come. Christ Himself commanded us to pray, "Your Kingdom come." Yet so many are content with this broken world, clinging to the fleeting comforts it offers.
But if you knew—truly knew—that there was a place of eternal satisfaction, free from wickedness, sin, and evil, why would you cling to what is corrupt and passing away? Why strive to preserve a world that is devoid of holiness and destined for ruin?
Our calling as followers of Christ is clear: Strive for the coming of His Kingdom.
How do we strive for that?
There must be a radical transformation within us:
A change in mindset
A change in allegiance
A change in attitude
A change in speech
A change in company
Ultimately, there must be a dying to self. You must love Christ more than you love this world and your sin. But this transformation is not something we can accomplish on our own. It can only come through the power of the Holy Spirit reigning in your heart, mind, and life.
And this begins only when you repent of your sin and place your full trust in the finished work of Christ on Calvary’s cross.
Death must come—death to self, death to sin—and from that death, new life will burst forth.
The Kingdom is near.
"Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." — Matthew 3:2
The question is: Are you ready for it?
Enjoy the song that inspired this article:
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